APPENDICES 



A 

 THE GIANT ELAND (TAUROTRAGUS GIGAS) 



IN BAHR-EL-GHAZAL 

 (From Notes by Sydney J. Pearson, F.R.G.S.) 



THROUGHOUT the great province named Bahr-el-Ghazal there 

 roam a limited number of herds of this, the biggest of Afric's 

 antelopes. These few herds, moreover, are chiefly confined to 

 the " iron-stone " regions where water is either very scarce or 

 absolutely non-existent. Water, in short, presents a grave and 

 persistent obstacle to the pursuit of this thirstless animal. 

 The giant eland being himself independent of water, his chase 

 involves carrying from camp to camp whatever water is required 

 for man and beast. In proof of this independence, the following 

 incident may be cited. We had commenced this venture with 

 several one-day attempts to overhaul a herd by spoor; all of 

 these proved futile, partly because a twelve-hour day does 

 not allow sufficient time ; but largely through the adventitious 

 interference of swarming giraffes. Therefore I decided on 

 organising a more extended expedition into the territories of 

 the Djur Chief, Dud Majok, where eland, I was assured, were 

 more plentiful, giraffes less so. For this venture I selected a 

 Jaalin Arab and four of the local chiefs, including a son of 

 Majok, and his wakil, or deputy; also two donkeys, one 

 laden with provisions for six days, the other with girbas or 

 water-skins holding six gallons each. We had, besides, the 

 canvas bottles and gourds for myself and men. It was upon 

 this occasion that I was brought up against the complete 

 indifference of the eland for water. On the second day out 



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