70 KLOOF AND KARROO. 



ostriches and odds and ends that made up the farm 

 stock. It was arranged that evening that we should 

 devote the next day to the klipspringers which 

 abounded in these mountains. 



Although all the larger and most of the smaller 

 of the South African antelopes have been re- 

 peatedly noticed and described by numerous 

 travellers, hunters, and naturalists from Sparrman, 

 the Swedish naturalist, who made an expedition 

 to the Cape in 1772, downwards -- the klip- 

 springer, from its diminutive size and the 

 inaccessibility of its habitat, has generally escaped 

 notice, or has called forth but few passing remarks. 

 The chase of the portly eland, the swift and 

 enduring gemsbok, both lovers of the parched and 

 open plains ; of the noble koodoo, and the rare 

 sable antelope of the mountains ; and of all the 

 goodly company of antelopes that grace South 

 African mountain, bush-veldt, and karroo, has times 

 out of number been extolled by enthusiastic hunters ; 

 but the klipspringer is, as a rule, little known to 

 Europeans. Even at the Natural History Museum, 

 and in the South African game trophy at the late 

 Colonial Exhibition, the specimens are, and were, 

 but poor. Le Vaillant, the French naturalist, who 

 travelled at the Cape in 1784, certainly makes some 

 slight mention of this antelope in his interesting 

 journey to the Namaqua country, and gives its Hot- 

 tentot name of " Kainsi " ; but Cornwallis Harris, 

 Gordon Cumming, Baldwin, Livingstone, Selous, 

 Drummond, and, in fact, nearly every writer of note 

 upon South Africa and its ferce natures , appear to 

 have seldom or ever shot this beautiful and singular 

 little creature ; and if it be mentioned, it is usually 



