Hunting the Hartebeest. 219 



At three o'clock we went out hunting down the 

 course of the Hunyani River within about three 

 or four miles of it. The country here is fiat, the 

 bush open ; wide grassy plains separated by groves 

 and belts of trees succeed each other. After some 

 time Lee descried a solitary hartebeest grazing. 

 Sir John Willoughby stalked this l^uck, but could 

 get no nearer than two hundred and hfty yards. 

 He fired two barrels, and, as I thought, hit the 

 hartebeest, who circled wildly round and scampered 

 off, I galloped after him as he made for the bush, 

 and pursued him for neai'ly two miles, always 

 hoping to get within range in some open space. 

 But he always kept a distance between us of three 

 or four hundred yards and stuck carefully to the 

 trees, bush, and high grass, so that it was difficult 

 to keep him in view, and useless to dismount and 

 fire. These hartebeest are despairing animals to 

 chase. They appear to be cantering along slowly, 

 never exerting themselves, but it requires a horse 

 of great galloping power to overtake them. Their 

 endurance is equal to their speed ; it is hopeless 

 work to try and ride them down. They have a 

 wild, weird look, and ai-e the least attractive of 

 all the antelope. In size they are similar to the 

 smaller red deer of the East Coast of Scotland. A 

 whole herd of them when chased sometimes sret 

 confused, gallop wildly about, stop to look round, 

 and scatter, oivino; se^'eral o'ood shots to the 

 pursuer ; but a solitary one rarely stops or stays, 

 he goes right away, straight on end. Finding my 

 horse was oettino- blown, and that the bush g'ot 



