GORDON CUMMING. 8 I 



lopes of this part of the world are beautiful animals, 

 but this one not only has this requisite, but is, more- 

 over, a grand, noble beast. It lives in herds of from 

 about six to ten, there only being one mature buck 

 in the coterie. The description of this splendid 

 creature, as given by the mighty Nimrod, Gordon 

 Cumming, is here worthy of quoting. 



" Cantering along through the forest, I came 

 suddenly in full view of one of the loveliest animals 

 which graces this fair creation ; this was an old buck 

 of the sable antelope species, the rarest and most 

 beautiful animal in Africa. It is large and powerful, 

 partaking considerably of the nature of the ibex. 

 Its back and sides are of glossy black, beautifully 

 contrasting with the belly, which is white as driven 

 snow. The horns are upwards of three feet in 

 length, and bend strongly back with a bold sweep 

 reaching nearly to the haunches." 



I should add that the Harris-bok, or sable ante- J 

 lope, possesses a very marked and erect mane with 

 a tail that is strictly bovine. The specimen that I 

 came across had evidently been alarmed by a sight 

 of either of my companions or their native attendants, 

 so I postponed a stalk with the hope that I should 

 be able to undertake one at a future day with a better 

 prospect of success."" 



Early in the afternoon I reached camp ; the heat 



* The Boers call this animal Swartz vits pense, meaning the 

 black buck with a white belly. 



