ANTELOPES 289 



driving, and had stopped directly they saw the elands were close 

 to my position. As the three last beasts came just level with 

 me and within seventy yards, one of the cows was still between 

 the bull and myself, and fearing that if I waited longer I might 

 not get a shot at him at all, I gave the cow a bullet behind 

 the shoulder with the Express to make her get out of the way, 

 and before the bull had gone many yards gave him both barrels 

 of the 8-bore the first shot a good one behind the shoulder 

 which went clean through him ; the other a poor one, which, 

 however, knocked him over. The cow went on about a 

 quarter of a mile, and was found dead behind a bush. The 

 two rhinos I never saw at all, although the beaters told me 

 they had passed. They must have escaped my observation 

 owing to the clouds of dust. Several other zebras and harte- 

 beests broke past the two stops, but everything else passed 

 within 150 yards of me, and had there been a little grass, 

 which would have prevented the dust rising, I should have had 

 a still better view of this grand sight. 



BRINDLED WILDEBEEST 



The Brindled or Blue Wildebeest (Swahili name, 'Nyumbo') 

 is essentially an antelope of the plains, though it is occasionally 

 seen in thin open bush. It is more plentiful in the Useri 

 district to the north-east of Kilimanjaro, and the Athi plains to 

 the north and west of Machako's, than anywhere else. In the 

 latter place on August 5, 1890, Dr. Mackinnon and I saw an 

 enormous herd of 1,500, but this is quite unusual, as they are 

 rarely found in herds of more than from twenty to sixty. 



A single bull is often seen either by himself or with other 

 antelopes and zebras. Wildebeests are amongst the most 

 difficult beasts to stalk, owing to the open nature of the 

 country in which they are found, and will probably try the 

 sportsman's patience more than any other antelope. They will 

 stand gazing at him, and will sometimes allow him to get 

 within a range of 200 yards, if he pretends to walk past them, 



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