624 THE CAPE BUFFALO. 
means to be considered as innocent. The banks of the Ganges abound with Buffaloes in 
their wild state, as does all the country where long grass and capacious yeels are to be 
found. Buffaloes swim very well, or, I may say, float. It is very common to see droves 
crossing the Ganges and other great rivers at all seasons, but especially when the waters 
are low. At a distance one would take them to be large pieces of rock or dark-coloured 
wood, nothing appearing but their faces. It is no unusual thing for a boat to get into 
the thick of them, especially among reedy waters, or at the edges of jungles, before it is 
perceived. In this no danger exists ; ; the Buffaloes are perfectly passive, and easily avoid 
being run down, so the vessel runs no danger.” 
The CAPE BUFFALO is quite as formidable an animal as its Indian relation, and much 
more terrible in outward aspect. The heavy bases of the horns, that nearly unite over 
the forehead, and under which the little fierce eyes twinkle with sullen rays, give to the 
creature's countenance an appearance of morose, lowering ill-temper, which is in perfect 
accordance with its real character. 
Owing to the enormous heavy mass which is situated on the forehead, the Cape 
suffalo does not see very well in a straight line, so that a man may sometimes cross the 
track of a Buffalo within a hundred yards, and not be seen by the animal, provided that 
he walks quietly, and does not attract attention by the sound of his footsteps. This 
animal is ever a dangerous neighbour, but when it leads a solitary life among the thickets 
and marshy places, it is a worse antagonist to a casual passenger than even the lion ~ 
himself. In such a case, it has an unpleasant habit of remaining quietly in its lair until 
the unsuspecting traveller passes closely to its place of concealment, and then leaping 
suddenly upon him like some terrible monster of the waters, dripping with mud, and 
filled with rage. When it has succeeded in its attack, it first tosses the unhappy victim 
in the air, then kneels upon his body, in order to crush the life out of him, then butts at 
the dead corpse until it has given vent to its insane fury, and ends by lcking the mangled 
limbs until it strips off the flesh with its rough tongue. 
Many such tragical incidents have oceurred, chiefly, it must be acknowledged, owing 
to the imprudence of the sufferer: and there are few coverts in Southern Africa which are 
not celebrated for some such terrible incident. Sometimes the animal is so recklessly 
furious in its wnreasoning anger, that it absolutely blinds itself by its heedless rush 
through the formidable thorn-bushes which are so common in Southern Africa, Even 
when in company with others of their own species, they are liable to sudden bursts of 
emotion, and will rush blindly forward, heedless of everything but the impulse that drives 
them forward. In one instance, the leader of the herd, being wounded, dropped on his 
knees, and was instantly crushed by the trampling hoofs of his comrades, as they rushed 
over the prostrate body of their chief. 
The flesh of the Cape Buffalo is not in great request even among the Kaffirs, who are 
in no wise particular in their diet. The hide, however, is exceedingly valuable, being 
used for the manufacture of sundry leathern implements where great strength is required 
without much flexibility. “Trek-tows,” or the central leathern traces by means of which 
the draught oxen. are harnessed to the wagons, are almost exclusively made of the 
Buffalo hide, as are also the numerous “rheims,” or straps, which are in constant use 
about these curious wagons. 
In South Africa, the Cape Buffalo, called by the Kaffirs “ Inyati,” or “Inthumba,” 
plays much the same part as the arnee in India, Like that animal, it does much as it 
pleases, and fears no enemy but armed men. Even the lion dare not approach too closely 
to a herd of Cape Buffaloes, for with the cunning old bulls in front, and the cows and 
calves bringing up the rear, the lion would have but a poor chance against a general charge 
of such foes, Indeed, even in single combat, the lion would scarcely come off the 
conqueror. 
The Cape Buffalo, although so terrible an animal, is not so large as the arnee, being 
little larger than an ordinary ox, but possessed of much greater strength. The strangely 
shaped horns are black in colour, and so large that the distance between their points is 
not unfrequently from four to five feet. On account of their great width at their bases, 
