TSESSEBE 1 29 



These antelopes consort, as a rule, in small herds of eight or ten 

 individuals, but towards the close of the dry season parties of fully 

 200 head may be seen. Solitary blue wildebeest bulls are often 

 found among the herds of sassaby, which are then very difficult to 

 approach, as, indeed, is the case with many other antelopes under 

 similar circumstances. In south-east Africa tsessebe drink regularly, 

 but in dry tracts they can subsist without water as easily as the Cape 

 hartebeest. 



" Though usually very wary," writes Mr. F. Vaughan Kirby, " they 

 will often give easy standing shots at about 200 yards. They are 

 purely grass-feeders, and in the spring-time become excessively fat, 

 when they are excellent eating, although the fat, unless very hot, clogs 

 in the mouth. The calves are usually born in September, but I have 

 seen them in the last week in August and the middle of December. 



" The tsessebe is usually considered to be the swiftest and most 

 enduring antelope in South Africa ; and my own experience confirms 

 this, although the red or Cape hartebeest runs it very closely in this 

 respect, and so, I believe, would Lichtenstein's hartebeest, only that 

 the latter has rarely if ever been raced by a mounted man. In point 

 of endurance, as well as in its marvellous tenacity of life, I consider 

 the blue wildebeest to be at least the equal of the tsessebe ; while for 

 a short distance I believe the impala to be swifter than either." 



Its excessive speed and endurance, coupled with its insignificant 

 horns, are of great advantage to the tsessebe, which has thereby escaped 

 destruction, the wear and tear of horseflesh rendering the pursuit of 

 this species, for the sake of its hide, unprofitable even to the Boers. 



Although these antelopes do not look very fast, when once started, 

 with the heads stretched out and their legs drawn well up underneath 

 them, " away they go," writes Mr. Kirby, " as smoothly as a machine, 

 covering mile after mile at an unbroken pace, till at the end of six or 

 seven miles the sportsman feels that his horse has had enough of it, 

 while the game is still going as fresh and as strong as ever. On foot 

 I think tsessebe are far easier to bring to bag, as one is content to 

 take the chance they will give of a steady standing shot at 180 or 200 

 yards. When racing them on horseback, a bullet fired over or in front 

 of the herd will often turn them and enable the rider to cut in ; and 

 frequently, if the leader be dropped or wounded, the others become 

 demoralised and bewildered, and can be easily shot. I have usually 

 found, however, that the harder a man rides, the harder the game 

 will go, as they become thoroughly alarmed ; whereas, if not unduly 

 pressed, they often stand to look round, and thus give the sportsman 



K 



