DEATH OF TWO FAVORITES HYENAS. 131 



With the steinbok I had very little trouble, a she-goat, 

 whom I deprived of its kid, having taken to it kindly, and 

 become to it a second mother. The koodoo did not give me 

 much more trouble ; for, after a few days, during which milk 

 was given to it with a spoon, it would of itself suck from 

 what mothers call a " feeding-bottle,"* and butt and pull 

 away at it as if it was drawing nourishment from the teats 

 of its dam. 



Both the steinbok and the koodoo were very pretty crea- 

 tures, and in a short time became very tame and affectionate. 

 Their lively and graceful caperings, and playful frolics, were 

 to us all a source of much amusement. Their end, however, 

 was somewhat tragical : the steinbok died from exhaustion 

 after a severe day's march, and the koodoo, which would 

 have been a valuable addition to the beautiful menagerie in 

 Regent's Park, I was obliged to kill, because we could not 

 obtain a sufficiency of proper food for its maintenance, and 

 had no room in the wagon for its conveyance. It grieved me 

 much to destroy the poor creature, but there was no alterna- 

 tive. 



Hyaenas, called wolves by the colonists, Avere very nu- 

 merous at Schmelen's Hope, and exceedingly audacious and 

 troublesome. More than once, during dark and drizzling 

 nights, they made their way into the sheep-kraal, where they 

 committed sad havoc. We had several chases after them, 

 but they managed invariably to elude us. 



To get rid of these troublesome guests, we placed some 

 spring-guns in their path, and by means of this contrivance 

 compassed the death of several. 



The manner in which the spring-gun is set for the hyaena 

 is as follows : 



Two young trees are selected and divested of their lower 

 branches, or, in lieu of such, a couple of stout posts, firmly 



* A hottle of any kind, filled with milk, and with a quill (enveloped 

 in lir.en) inserted in the cork. 



