BAHIA BLANCA. [CHAP. 



notion of the scantiness of the vegetation. Now, if we look to 

 the animals inhabiting these wide plains, we shall find their 

 numbers extraordinarily great, and their bulk immense. We 

 must enumerate the elephant, three species of rhinoceros, and 

 probably, according to Dr. Smith, two others, the hippopotamus, 

 the giraffe, the bos caffer as large as a full-grown bull, and the 

 elan but little less, two zebras, and the quaccha, two gnus, and 

 several antelopes even larger than these latter animals. It may 

 be supposed that although the species are numerous, the indivi- 

 duals of each kind are few. By the kindness of Dr. Smith, I 

 am enabled to show that the case is very different. He informs 

 me, that in lat. 24, in one day's march with the bullock- wag- 

 gons, he saw, without wandering to any great distance on either 

 side, between one hundred and one hundred and fifty rhinoceroses, 

 which belonged to three species : the same day he saw several 

 herds of giraffes, amounting together to nearly a hundred ; and 

 that, although no elephant was observed, yet they are found in 

 this district. At the distance of a little more than one hour's 

 march from their place of encampment on the previous night, 

 his party actually killed at one spot eight hippopotamuses, and 

 saw many more. In this same river there were likewise croco- 

 diles. Of course it was a case quite extraordinary, to see so 

 many great animals crowded together, but it evidently proves 

 that they must exist in great numbers. Dr. Smith describes the 

 country passed through that day, as " being thinly covered with 

 grass, and bushes about four feet high, and still more thinly 

 with mimosa- trees." The waggons were not prevented travelling 

 in a nearly straight line. 



Besides these large animals, every one the least acquainted 

 with the natural history of the Cape, has read of the herds of 

 antelopes, which can be compared only with the flocks of 

 migratory birds. The numbers indeed of the lion, panther, 

 and hyaena, and the multitude of birds of prey, plainly speak of 

 the abundance of the smaller quadrupeds: one evening seven 

 lions were counted at the same time prowling round Dr. Smith's 

 encampment. As this able naturalist remarked to me, the carnage 

 each day in Southern Africa must indeed be terrific ! I confess 

 it is truly surprising how such a number of animals can find 

 support in a country producing so little food. The larger qua- 



