2g2 AFRICAN NATURE NOTES chap, xvi 



My first bullet, I found, had entered the gemsbuck's 

 right flank, and ranging forwards, must have inflicted 

 a wound which by itself would soon have proved 

 fatal. The dead antelope carried a remarkably fine 

 pair of horns, massive, widespread, and symmetrical. 

 They measured 3 feet 5 inches, which is quite an un- 

 usual length for the horns of a bull gemsbuck, which 

 are, as a rule, much shorter than those of the cow's. 

 The horns of the latter seldom measure more than 

 3 feet 6 inches, though they have been known to 

 reach a length of within half an inch of 4 feet. 



After cutting off the head of the gemsbuck, which 

 I gave to Count von Schweinitz, and leaving two 

 Doys to cut up the meat, we rode off to look for 

 hartebeests. We soon found a small herd of these 

 animals, and shot two of them, a bull and a cow. I 

 then sent one of the two natives who had accom- 

 panied us to my waggon for four pack donkeys, and 

 with their help carried all the meat, both of the 

 gemsbuck and the hartebeests, to camp, which we 

 reached early in the afternoon. 



