198 ANTELOPES 



Although these antelopes feed almost entirely on grass, their flesh 

 has the reputation of being about the worst in the whole tribe. Like 

 many other African species, they are hard to kill. Each party is 

 usually accompanied by one old buck ; but solitary bucks are also 

 encountered. The following account of waterbuck-shooting in 1846 

 is from the pen of Gordon Gumming : — 



"On the I 8th I rode up the banks of the river with my dogs to 

 seek for waterbuck, and arriving where another considerable river's 

 bed joins the Ngotwani [a tributary of the Limpopo in Bechuanaland], 

 I came upon one, the first I had ever seen. He was standing among 

 some young thorn-trees, within sixty yards, and had his eye full upon 

 me. Before I could pull up my horse he was off at a rapid pace, and 

 crossed the river's bed above me ; I shouted to the dogs and fired a 

 shot to encourage them, but in half a minute the buck disappeared 

 over a rocky ridge, with three or four of my best hounds within thirty 

 yards of his stern. I knew that he would make for the nearest 

 water, and accordingly kept my eye down the river, listening with an 

 attentive ear for the baying of the dogs. Presently the noble buck 

 appeared ascending a rocky pyramidal hill down the river-side with 

 the agility of a chamois, and only one dog. Boxer, my best, at his 

 heels. I galloped down at top speed to meet him, but was too late ; 

 however, I fired a long shot to encourage the dog, and next moment, 

 in ascending the opposite bank, my horse fell and rolled down it very 

 nearly on the top of me ; on regaining his legs Jock declined being 

 caught, and made off for camp, followed by my after-rider. Alert at 

 this moment came up, having eight or ten inches of the skin of his 

 breast and forearm ripped clean up by the waterbuck. I now fancied 

 that I had lost the quarry, but a little after I heard Boxer's voice as 

 he came down the river-side with the buck, having once more turned 

 him. I ran up the bank at my best pace to meet them, and found 

 the buck at bay in a deep pool, surrounded by high banks of granite 

 rock ; he would not, however, stand, but swam through the deep 

 water and broke bay on the opposite side. Boxer held on, and 

 following him up the river, once more turned him to this pool ; I met 

 them coming down the water-course, and sent a ball into the buck's 

 throat, which made blood flow freely from his mouth ; but he held 

 stoutly on and plunged into the deep pool, standing at bay under a 

 granite rock. I then headed him, and from above put a bullet between 

 the shoulder-blades, which dropped him dead on the spot. He died 

 as a waterbuck ought, in the deep water. My success with this noble 

 and very beautiful antelope gave me most sincere pleasure." 



