226 THE OX. 



missed the huge animal before him, and he precipitately fled. 

 But it was all over with the poor Buffalo ; he had made his 

 last effort ; he had left to his conquerors the happiness of 

 having shed his blood, by means of deadly weapons, which 

 all the vast strength and noble courage with which Nature 

 had endowed him could not enable him to withstand ; he had 

 left them the privilege of prating of their courage, philosophy, 

 and love of nature, and of his malignity, cruelty, and vindic- 

 tiveness. 



The same and other travellers give numerous accounts of 

 their encounters with these strong and fearless creatures. 

 M. Thunberg informs us, that, when travelling in Caffraria, 

 he and his companions had just entered a wood, when they 

 discovered a large old Buffalo, lying quite alone in a little 

 space free from bushes. The animal no sooner observed the 

 guide, who went first, than he rushed upon him with a dread- 

 ful roar. The man was able to turn his horse quickly round 

 a large tree, when the furious beast rushed upon the next of 

 the party, and gored his horse so dreadfully in the belly, that 

 it died soon after. The two men fled to trees, and when the 

 furious creature rushed on towards the next of the party, a 

 horse without a rider chanced to be in front : the Buffalo at- 

 tacked him with such fury, that he drove his horns through 

 the horse's breast, and out again through the very, saddle. 

 The horse was thrown to the ground with dreadful violence, 

 and instantly died. Thunberg, coming up at the moment, 

 found himself in the way of the enraged animal, but, from 

 the narrowness of the path, he had no room to turn. He 

 abandoned his horse, and took refuge in a tree. But the Buf- 

 falo had now done : on killing the second horse, he turned 

 suddenly about, and retreated to the covert. 



Some Europeans at the Cape, in chase of one of these 

 animals, pursued him into a narrow path. He turned round, 

 and rushed upon a man of the party, who plunged into the 

 stream, and swam off. In an instant the Buffalo followed, 

 and was close upon him, when the man, to save himself, 



