490 



VERTEBRATA. 



TO 



THE AFRICAN BUFFALO. 



Considerable -numbers of these animals exist in a wild state in Eastern Africa, extending from 

 the Cape to Abyssinia. It appears, also, from the recent accounts of Cummings, Anderson, Liv- 

 ii gstone, and others, that they are common in all Southern Africa. The following account b 

 furnished by the first of these writers: the adventures referred to took place nearly in the center 



Southern Africa — about latitude 2-4° south and longitude 25° east — some eight or nine hundred 

 miles northeast of Cape Town : 



"W e took up the spoor of a troop of buffaloes, which we followed alone: a path made by the 

 heavy beasts of the forest through a neck in the hills, and emerging from the thicket, we beheld, 

 on the other side of a valley which had opened upon us, a herd of about ten huge bull buffaloes. 

 These I attempted to stalk, but was defeated by a large herd of zebras, which, getting our wind, 

 charged past and started the buffaloes. I ordered the Bechuanas to release the dogs, and spurring 

 £*, I g ive chase. The buffaloes crossed the valley in front of me, and made for a sue -- 

 sion of dense thickets in the hills to the northward. As they crossed the valley, bv riding hard 

 I obtained a broadside shot at the last bull, and fired both barrels into him. lie, however, con- 

 tinued his course, but 1 presently separated him, along with two other bulls, from the troop. My 

 rifle being a two-grooved, which is hard to load, I was unable to do so on horseback, and followed 

 with it empty, in the hope of bringing them to hay. In passing through a grove of thorny : 

 I lost sight of the wounded buffalo; he had turned short and doubled back, a common practice 

 with them when wounded. 



■■ '. r following the other two at a hard gallop for about two miles. I was riding within five 

 yards of their huge broad sterns. They exhaled a strong bovine smell, which came hot in my 

 I exp< cted every minute that they would i ome to bay. and give me time to load; but this 

 they did not Beem disposed to do. At length, finding I had the speed of them, I increased my 

 pace, and going ahead. I placed myself right before the finest bull, thus expecting to force him to 

 stand at bay, upon which he instantly charged me with a loud roar, very similar to the voice 

 lion. Colesberg neatly avoided the charge, and the bull resumed his northward course. We no* 

 entered on rocky ground, and the forest became more dense as we proceeded. The burl.: 

 were evidently making for some strong retreat. I. however, managed with much difficulty to - 

 hold them in view, following as best I could through thorny thickets. Isaac rode some hundred 

 yards behind, and kept shouting to me to drop the pursuit, or I should be killed. At last the 

 buff. - Idenly pulled up. and stood at bay in a thicket within twenty yards of me. Spring- 

 ing from my horse, I hastily loaded my two-grooved rifle, which I had scarcely completed when ■ 



