A SABLE ANTELOPE. 13 



was imbedded, extending a long way above the eye, 

 yielded and burst with a muffled crash. The tusk 

 was thus free, and turned right round in liis head, so 

 that a man could draw it out, and the carcass fell over 

 and rested on its side. This was a very first-rate ele- 

 phant, and the tusks he carried were long and perfect. 



On the 28th I saddled up and rode for the wagons, 

 steering my course by the lofty pyramidal mountain, 

 in whose vicinity they were drawn up. The remain- 

 der of the day was spent in constructing a loading-rod 

 of rhinoceros-horn and writing up the log. ^t an early 

 hour on the 29th I started a party of the natives, bear- 

 ing my impedimenta, to await me at the carcass of 

 the last elephant ; and in the forenoon I held thither, 

 accompanied by Johannus. 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, the rarest and 

 most beautiful animal in Africa. It is large and pow- 

 erful, partaking considerably of the nature of the ibex. 

 Its back and sides are of glossy black, beautifully con- 

 trasting with the belly, which is white as driven snow. 

 The horns are upward of three feet in length, and bend 

 strongly back with a bold sweep, reaching nearly to the 

 haunches. 



This animal was first discovered by Captain Harris, 

 of the Bombay Engineers, in 1837. As I subsequently 

 devoted a great deal of time in the pursuit of this ante- 

 lope, I shall not here make any remarks concerning 

 him. The one which was now before me was the first 

 I had seen, and I shall never foi'get the sensations I ex- 

 perienced on beholding a sight so thrilling to the sports- 

 man's eye. He stood with a small troop of pallahs right 

 in our path, and had unfortunately detected us before 



