r833.] LARGE QUADRUPEDS. 95 



It may be supposed that although the species are numerous, 

 the individuals 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-waggons, he saw, without wander- 

 ing 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 crocodiles. 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 

 quadrupeds no doubt roam over wild tracts in search o! 

 it ; and their food chiefly consists of underwood, which 

 probably contains much nutriment in a small bulk. Dr. 

 Smith also informs me that the vegetation has a rapid 

 growth ; no sooner is a part consumed, than its place i- 

 supplied by a fresh stock. There can be no doubt, ho\\ 

 ever, that our ideas respecting the apparent amount ot 

 food necessary for the support of large quadrupeds arc 

 nuich exaggerated; it should have been remembered that 



