624 THE CAPE BUFFALO. 





means to be considered as innocent. The banks of the Ganges abound with Buffaloes 

 in their wild state, as does all the country where long grass and capacious jeels are to 

 be found. Buffaloes swim very well, or, I may say, float. It is very common to see 

 droves crossing the Ganges and other great rivers at all seasons, but especially when 

 the waters are low. At a distance one would take them to be large pieces of rock or 

 dark-colored wood, nothing appearing but their faces. It is no unusual thing for a 

 boat to get into the thick of them, especially among reedy waters, or at the edges of 

 jungles, before it is perceived. In this no danger exists; the Buffaloes are perfectly 

 passive, and easily avoid being run down, so the vessel runs no danger." 



The CAPE BUFFALO is quite as formidable an animal as its Indian relation, and much 

 more terrible in outward aspect. The heavy bases of the horns, that nearly unite over 

 the forehead, and under which the little fierce eyes twinkle with sullen rays, give to 

 the creature's countenance an appearance of morose, lowering ill-temper, which is in 

 perfect accordance with its real character. 



Owing to the enormous heavy mass which is situated on the forehead, the Cape 

 Buffalo does not see very well in a straight line, so that a man may sometimes cross 

 the track of a Buffalo within a hundred yards, and not be seen by the animal, provided 

 that he walks quietly, and does not attract attention by the sound of his footsteps. 

 This animal is ever a dangerous neighbor, but when it leads a solitary life among the 

 thickets and marshy places, it is a worse antagonist to a casual passenger than even 

 the lion himself. In such a case, it has an unpleasant habit of remaining quietly in 

 its lair until the unsuspecting traveller passes close to its place of concealment, and 

 then leaping suddenly upon him like some terrible monster of the waters, dripping 

 with mud, and filled with rage. When it has succeeded in its attack, it first tosses 

 the unhappy victim in the air, then kneels upon his body, in order to crush the life 

 out of him, then butts at the dead corpse until it has given vent to its insane fury, 

 and ends by licking the mangled limbs until it strips off the flesh with its rough 

 tongue. 



Many such tragical incidents have occurred, chiefly, it must be acknowledged, owing 

 to the imprudence of the sufferer ; and there are few coverts in Southern Africa which 

 are not celebrated for some such terrible incident. Sometimes the animal is so reck- 

 lessly furious in its unreasoning anger, that it absolutely blinds itself by its heedless 

 rush through the formidable thorn-bushes which are so common in Southern Africa. 

 Even when in company with others of their own species, they are liable to sudden 

 bursts of emotion, and will rush blindly forward, heedless of everything but the impulse 

 that drives them forward. In one instance, the leader of the herd, being wounded, 

 dropped on his knees, and was instantly crushed by the trampling hoofs of his com- 

 rades, as they rushed over the prostrate body of their chief. 



The flesh of the Cape Buffalo is not in great request even among the Kaffirs, who 

 are in no wise particular in their diet. The hide, however, is exceedingly valuable, 

 being used for the manufacture of sundry leathern implements where great strength 

 is required without much flexibility. " Trek-tows," or the central leathern traces by 

 means of which the draught oxen are harnessed to the wagons, are almost exclusively 

 made of the Buffalo hide, as are also the numerous " rheims," or straps, which are in 

 constant use about these curious wagons. 



In South Africa, the Cape Buffalo, called by the Kaffirs " Inyati," or " Inthumba," 

 plays much the same part as the arnee in India. Like that animal, it does much as it 

 pleases, and fears no enemy but armed men. Even the lion dare not approach too 

 closely to a herd of Cape Buffaloes, for with the cunning old bulls in front, and the 

 cows and calves bringing up the rear, the lion would have but a poor chance against a 

 general charge of such foes. Indeed, even in single combat, the lion would scarcely 

 come off the conqueror. 



The Cape Buffalo, although so terrible an animal, is not so large as the arnee, being 

 little larger than an ordinary ox, but possessed of much greater strength. The strangely 

 shaped horns are black in color, and so large that the distance between their points is 

 not unfrequently from four to five feet. On account of their great width at their bases, 



