2o6 After Big Game in Central Africa 



As no trace indicates a wounded giraffe, and as it 

 is four o'clock in the afternoon, I decide to abandon 

 the chase after covering two-thirds of a mile, and 

 return to the dead animal. It is a male of great 

 size : never should I have believed that this animal 

 could reach such dimensions. Here is its complete 

 description, very different from that of the pale and 

 sickly specimens of our zoological gardens, which are 

 mostly born in captivity, so different, in fact, that 

 for a time I thought I had discovered a new 

 variety of the camelopard of naturalists (camelo- 

 pardalis). 



The ground colour of the coat over the whole body 

 is chestnut or nut-brown, almost black on the back ; 

 the spots are darker than the ground colour, hardly 

 perceivable on the cruppers, invisible on the back, 

 more distinct on the limbs ; the stomach is a little 

 lighter ; between the legs the animal is light bay ; 

 its hair is very stiff, and shines in the sun like copper ; 

 the skin on the back and shoulders is thick, nearly 

 one inch and a half, and exceedingly heavy, as heavy 

 as a rhinoceros' ; the horns are surmounted by a little 

 tuft of hair, the eyelashes are long and silky ; the tail 

 ends with a big bunch of long and supple hairs. Its 

 general aspect is coarse, suggestive of strength and 

 constant strife rather than of slender delicacy. The 

 meat, which gives off a strong smell of musk, appeared 

 to me uneatable, with the exception of the tongue, 

 which, by the bye, is immeasurably long. We obtained 

 excellent marrow from its bones. As to its size, it 

 measured not less than 17 feet 3^ inches from the 



