SOUTHERN AFRICA. 01 



heels of tlie larg'est and most beautiful species of the ante- 

 lope tribe. Notwithstanding- the unwieldy shape of these 

 animals^ they had at first g-reatly exceeded the speed of our 

 jaded horses^ but being- pushed, they soon separated ; their 

 sleek coats turned first blue and then white with froth ; the 

 form fell from their mouths and nostrils, and the perspir- 

 ation from their sides. Their pace g-radualh' slackened, and 

 with their full brilliant eyes turned imploring-ly towards us, 

 at the end of a mile, each was laid low b}' a sing'le ball. 

 They were young- bulls, measuring- upwards of seventeen 

 hands at the shoulder. 



I was eng-ag-ed in making- a sketch of the one I had shot, 

 when the savag-es came up, and in spite of all my remon- 

 strances, proceeded with cold-blooded ferocity to stab the 

 unfortunate animal, stirring- up the blood and shouting- with 

 barbarous exultation, as it issued from each newly inflicted 

 wound, reg-ardless of the eloquent and jiiteous appeal, ex- 

 pressed in the beautiful clear black eye of the mild and 

 inoffensive eland. 



In size and shape, the bod}' of the male eland resembles 

 that of a well-conditioned Guzerat ox, not unfrequently 

 attahiino* the heio-ht of nineteen hands, and weio-hino- two 

 thousand pounds. The head is strictly that of the antelope, 

 lig-ht, g-raceful, and bony, with a pair of mag-nificent straig'ht 

 horns, about two feet in leng-th, spirally ring-ed, and pointed 

 backwards. A broad and deep dewlap, fi-ing-ed with bro^Aii 

 hair, reaches to the knee. The colour varies considerably 

 with the ag-e, being- dun in some, in others an ashy blue with 

 a ting-e of ochre ; and in many also, sandy g-rey approaching- 

 to white. The flesh is esteemed by all classes in Africa, 

 above that of any other animal ', in g-rain and colour it 

 resembles beef, but is better tasted, and more delicate, 

 possessing- a pure g-ame flavour, and the quantity of fat with 

 which it is interlarded is surprising*, g-reatly exceeding- that 



