IN THE KOWIE BUSH 161 



Africa ; now, besides those in the Kowie, a few still exist 

 in the Addo bush, but all others have long since been 

 exterminated or driven, like most other game indeed, to the 

 far north, to the Zambezi and beyond. 



In an old book on the "Present State of the Cape of 

 Good Hope," translated from the German of Peter Kolben 

 by Mr. Medley, London, 1731, is an article on the "Buffle," 

 which is worth transcribing : 



" The Cape buffalo is enraged at the sight of red cloth and 

 at the discharge of a gun near him. On those occasions he 

 roars and stamps and tears up the ground, and runs with 

 such fury at the offending party, that he beats down all 

 opposition that is weaker than walls, and will run through 

 fire and water to get at him. 



" A large body of Europeans at the Cape once chaced the 

 buffalo, and, having driven him to the Water Place, as 'tis 

 called near the Cape Harbour, the beast turned about and 

 ran with all his fury at one of his pursuers who was in a 

 red waistcoat. The fellow, giving him nimbly the go-by, ran to 

 the water-side. The buffalo pursued him briskly, and drove him 

 to such a strait that, to save his life, he was obliged to 

 plunge into the water. He swam well, and made off from 

 the shore as quick as he could. The buffalo plunged into 

 the water after him, and pursued him so closely, that the 

 fellow could only save himself by diving. The ox, by this 

 means having lost sight of him, turned and swam towards 

 the opposite shore, which was three miles off; and he had 

 undoubtedly reached it if he had not been shot by the way 

 from one of the ships in the harbour. The ship's crew 

 hauled him on board and feasted jovially on him. His skin 

 was presented to the governor, who ordered it to be stuffed 

 with hay and added to a collection he had made of such-like 

 curiosities." 



Permission having been obtained at Cape Town to shoot 

 two buffalo in the Government bush, and leave kindly given 

 by the farmers to go over their adjoining land, a start was 

 made one evening in a Scotch two-wheeled cart drawn by four 

 oxen. These springless carts are very strongly and heavily 

 built, well adapted to work over the hard, rutty, and stony 

 roads, and through the heavier bush. Having seen ours 



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