KLIPSPRIXGERS KOODOO BULL ELEPIIAHT. 17 



on the sharp pinnacle of some rock or stone, with its 

 four feet drawn close up together. Its hoofs are differ- 

 ent from those of other antelopes, being suited solely 

 for rocky ground, and ar3 so formed that the weight of 

 the animal rests upon their tips. On looking down a 

 precipice I have oftrsn seen two or three of this interest- 

 ing antelope lying together on a large flat mass of rock, 

 and sheltered from the power of the noonday sun by 

 the friendly shade of some sandal- wood or other mount- 

 ain tree. They are about half the size of the Scottish 

 roebuck, whose winter coat the texture of their hair very 

 much resembles, but it is stiffer, and of a yellower color. 

 On the afternoon of the 2d, as I was sitting in my 

 wagon writing up my journal, a koodoo charged past 

 me, closely followed by a pack of hungry wild dogs, 

 which maintained their position although my kennel 

 joined them in the chase, and, holding on, the wild dogs 

 killed the koodoo just as it reached the water where my 

 oxen drank. On the 3d I took the field with Johannus 

 and a small party of Bakalahari, and held a northerly 

 direction. After following the spoor of four bull ele- 

 phants for many miles in a semicircular course, we 

 came up with them in extremely dangerous and un- 

 favorable ground, when I was fortunate enough to se- 

 cure the finest, after a severe and dangerous conflict, 

 during which, on three separate occasions, I narrowly 

 escaped destruction. The horse I rode was "Coles- 

 berg," which, as usual, capered and balked me when I 

 tried to fire from his back ; when I dismounted, he 

 seemed to take a pleasure in jerking my arm as I was 

 taking aim ; and on the elephant charging, he declined 

 permitting me to regain the saddle. This elephant was 

 a first-rate bull, with large and perfect tusks : he fell 

 within three hundred yards of the fountainb, where I 



