238 GIRAFFE HUNTING. 



gineer Force, who, about half a century ago, succeeded 

 in penetrating almost as far north as my present posi- 

 tion, remarks this, and gives, in one of his fascinating 

 sketches, a likeness of a Griqua belle, who, with the 

 requisite adornments demanded by fashion, would 

 have passed muster in the majority of ball-rooms. 

 Scolding women, rickety, unpainted waggons, and 

 uncared-for and half-starved-looking dogs, made up 

 the rest of the details of the tout ensemble of these 

 hunters' menage. 



On gaining my own camp I found that the meat 

 had arrived, so cooking in all stages was progressing ; 

 thus universal good nature, even hilarity, prevailed, 

 fresh meat acting upon the natives much as ardent 

 spirits do upon the children of civilization. It is 

 almost impossible of belief how much of it the natives 

 can stow away at a sitting. 



Calf giraffe is excellent and nutritious food, so is 

 fat cow, but save me from having to feed upon old 

 bull, for it requires an immense amount of mastica- 

 tion, and is redolent of a flavour not unlike the ex- 

 tract of musk. Just before sunset I took my shot-gun 

 and visited a bay which the greater number of the wild 

 duck seemed to select the previous night for their 

 feeding or resting place. Tall grass and taller rushes 

 margined it ; but for this I should very soon have 

 made a heavy bag,"as. it enabled the cripples to escape, 

 and often hid birds that had been killed outright. 

 Even under these disadvantages I secured six couple. 

 They belonged to the species known as the yellow- 

 billed duck (Canas ftavirostris), which is far from un- 

 common in the " old colony/' as I have frequently 

 shot it south of the Orange river. That it may be 

 recognized by future sportsmen, I will mention its 

 most marked peculiarities. These are an oblong 

 brown patch on the ridge of the upper mandible, the 

 nails being the same colour, greater part of bill gam- 

 boge-yellow, while the iris is brown. 



