GIRAFFES, AND HOW TO CAPTURE THEM 131 



to England two young giraffes — male and female — 

 which throve wonderfully in their new home, and 

 became the progenitors of seven calves before the 

 female died in 1852. The capture of these young 

 giraffes was effected in the south-west of Kordofan 

 (Soudan region), and after the death of the mother, 

 which the Arabs were quite unable, of course, to take 

 alive, her calf was upon the following morning over- 

 taken by the mounted hunters and made captive. 

 " Possessed of this giraffe," says M. Thibaut, " it was 

 necessary to rest for three or four days in order to 

 render it sufficiently tame. During this period an 

 Arab constantly holds it at the end of a long cord. 

 By degrees it becomes accustomed to the presence of 

 man, and takes a little nourishment. To furnish 

 milk for it I had brought with me female camels. 

 It became gradually reconciled to its condition, and 

 was willing to follow in short stages the route of our 

 caravan." This young animal and another captured 

 upon the same expedition were conducted to Cairo, 

 Alexandria, and Malta, where they passed the winter; 

 and thence, after a trying and stormy sea passage of 

 twenty-four days, they safely reached England. 



The capture of giraffes was from indisputable evi- 

 dence a well-known practice among the savage North 

 African tribes subject to Egypt. This may easily be 

 proved by Egyptian monuments, upon which are 

 faithfully depicted representations of the young 



