SOUTHERN AFRICA. 141 



who looked defiance, but took the hints we gave him to 

 g-et out of the way. Two fat elands had been pointed 

 out at the edg^e of the grove the moment before, one of 

 which Richardson disposed of with little difficult}^, but the 

 other led me throug-h all the intricacies of the g"rove to 

 a wide plain on the opposite side, immediately on emerg-ing- 

 upon which, the fug-itive was prostrate at my feet in the 

 middle of a troop of g-irafFes, who stooped their long" necks, 

 astounded at the intrusion, and in another moment were 

 sailing- away at their utmost speed. To have followed them 

 upon my jaded horse would have been absurd, and I was 

 afterwards unable to find them. Returning* to the camp 

 after killing* several elands and rhinoceroses, besides other 

 g-ame, which the savag*es quickly took charg-e of, I was 

 furiously charg-ed by a herd of horned cattle, and my 

 horse being* much exhausted, I had no small difiiculty in 

 escaping" their persecution. Objecting", I presume, to my 

 g"arb or complexion, they pertinaciously pursued me through 

 thickets and over ravines, regardless of the loud whistle 

 of the herdsman, to which they are usually very obedient. 

 During- the night, our camp was thrown into disorder by 

 the intrusion of a rhinoceros, which actually stood some 

 time between the wag-o-ons. 



Several hours' diligent search the next d'ay brought us 

 upon a herd of twelve camelopards. We pursued them 

 a considerable distance, and repeatedly wounded the largest, 

 a gigantic male, probably eighteen feet in height j but our 

 famished horses falling repeated^ into the numerous holes 

 with which the ground was covered, we at length became 

 convinced of the impossibility of humbling the lofty head 

 of the giraffe, until our steeds should have improved in 

 condition upon the fine pasturage which now abounded. 

 The day was sultry and the glare distressing. To the 

 north-eastward, the distant prospect was bounded by a 



