CHAPTER XXVI. 



THE GIRAFFE. 



I HAVE before hinted at the degree in which Cummings 

 has made Harris his model, in his new book, " Five Years 

 in South Africa." I therefore propose to give, one after the 

 other, the account each has furnished of his first interview 

 with the giraffe. They are different, yet alike in many 

 curious particulars; and as their facts are equally inter- 

 esting, it is pleasing to compare the impressions of these 

 two notorious, if not remarkable examples of the Hunter- 

 Naturalist, from nearly the same point of view. I give 

 Cummings the advantage of presenting his first. 



This day was to me rather a memorable one, as the first 

 on which I saw and slew the lofty, graceful-looking giraffe 

 or camelopard, with which, during many years of my life, I 

 nad longed to form an acquaintance. 



These gigantic and exquisitely beautiful animals, which 

 are admirably formed by nature to adorn the fair forests 

 that clothe the boundless plains of the interior, are widely 

 distributed throughout the interior of Southern Africa, but 

 are nowhere to be met with in great numbers. In countries 

 unmolested by the intrusive foot of man, the giraffe is found 

 generally in herds varying from twelve to sixteen ; but I 

 have not unfrequently met with herds containing thirty indi- 

 viduals, and on one occasion I counted forty together ; this, 

 however, was owing to chance, and about sixteen may be 

 reckoned as the average number of a herd. 



These herds are composed of giraffes of various sizes, from 

 the young giraffe of nine or ten feet in height, to the dark, 



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