210 EXPEDITION INTO 



CHAPTER XXX. 



DISCOVERY OF A NEW ANTELOPE^ AND FINAL DEPAR- 

 TURE FROM THE CASHAN MOUNTAINS^ TOWARDS 

 THE RIVER VAAL. 



The list of larg-e animals killed during- the campaig'n^ now 

 exceeded four hundred head of various sorts and sizes. Of 

 these the minimum heig-ht at the shoulder had been three 

 feet^ and not a few measured ten and twelve. Within 

 the last few da3*s^ I had obtained several superb specimens, 

 especially of the koodoo and bastard g-emsbok ; and except- 

 ing* some of the smaller antelopes, which only occur in parts 

 of the country that we were subsequently to visit, my col- 

 lection of horns and exuvice had by this time extended itself 

 to every known species of g*ame quadruped in Southern 

 Afi'ica. But a still prouder trophy than all was yet in 

 abeyance, and before leaviftg- this hunters' Elysium, my 

 researches were to be crowned by a truly splendid addition 

 to her cataloo-ue of Mammalia. 



M}^ double-barrelled rifle having* again suffered in a fall 

 with my horse, I took the field on the 13th December with 

 a heavy weapon constructed upon the primitive principle of 

 flint and steel, which, as a ^^is-a/Zt'?*, I had obtained from 

 Mr. Moffat whilst at the Kuruman.*. Our party were in 



* I oug'ht before to have explained to m}- brother sportsmen, that ray having* 

 undertaken a carapaig-n of so extensive a nature ag-ainst the Avild beasts of the 

 African wilderness, equipped with no more than one double-barrelled detonating- 

 rifle, was the effect of an unfortunate contrc-tcmps^ Three new rifles had been 



