398 THE STORY OF THE GAZELLE. 



The inclosnre is situated near some rivulet or spring to which the gazelles 

 resort in summer. When the sport is to begin, many peasants assemble and 

 watch till they see a herd of gazelles advancing from a distance toward the 

 inclosure, intO' which they drive them. The gazelles, frightened by the shouts 

 of the people and the discharge of the fire-arms, endeavor to leap over the wall, 

 but can only effect this at the gaps, where they fall into^ the ditch outside, and 

 are easily taken, sometimes by hundreds. The chief of the herd always leaps 

 first, and the others follow him one by one. The gazelles thus captured are 

 immediately killed, and their flesh sold to the Arabs and neighboring Fellahs. 

 Of the skin a kind of parchment is made, and used tO' cover the small drum 

 with which the Syrians accompany some musical instruments or the voice. 



Referring again to the trek of the Springboks : The migration is called 

 a trek bokken. So great is the number of animals in these migrations that 

 those which happen to get into the rear of the troop are lean and half-starved 

 before the migration is concluded, from the advanced ranks cropping the 

 scanty pastures almost bare, and thus leaving those behind nearly destitute 

 of food; but when the journey is concluded, and the troop begins to retrace 

 its steps northward, those which formed the van during the advance are 

 necessarily in the rear returning, soon lose their plump condition, and are 

 in their turn subjected to want and starvation. During these migrations 

 the herds are closely followed by lions, panthers, hyenas and wild dogs, 

 which hang upon their flanks and destroy great numbers of them. There 

 is perhaps no spectacle in nature more inspiring than a flock of these beauti- 

 ful gazelles enlivening the dreary brown karroos of South Africa with theif 

 graceful motions; now leaping perpendicularly upward to the height of si:^' 

 or seven feet, displaying at the same time the snowy-white marks on thei/ 

 croups, and anon flying over the desert with the speed of a whirlwind. 



