184 RECORDS OF BIG GAME 
GEMSBUCK (Oryx gazella). 
The true home of the Gemsbuck may be said to have been always 
upon the arid and waterless plains of South-Western Africa. Gordon 
Cumming, so late as 1846, found these striking antelopes in plenty 
upon the northern karroos of the Cape Colony, and had immense sport 
with them. It is some consolation to know that a few still linger in 
the dry plains south of the lower course of the Orange River. It is 
still more consoling to remember that, despite a good deal of persecu- 
tion, very large numbers of Gemsbuck are still to be found in the 
northern recesses of the Kalahari desert. The Gemsbuck can and 
does undoubtedly exist for months together without touching water. 
To this trait, naturally, it owes much of its present immunity. The 
magnificent horns of this remarkable antelope are in South Africa always 
regarded as one of the prime rewards of the hunter’s skill. And, 
indeed, to find, run down, and slay one of these desert-bred, wary, and 
most enduring beasts, is a feat that any man, however well mounted, may 
be proud of. It is worthy of note that the horns of the cow gemsbuck 
are invariably longer, finer, and more prized than those of the bull. 
HEIGHT at shoulder, 3 feet 9 inches to 4 feet. 
