

GAME BUTCHERS. 



219 



world could produce the like. Hobson's, Fane's, and 

 Probyn's " Horse " were born or nurtured in India ; 

 their excellence has long been acknowledged, and to 

 the hunting field, as the grand instructor, I award the 

 palm over all tutors, teachers, masters, and adjutants 

 in bringing these admirable corps of bon sahreurs to 

 the perfection which they so conspicuously displayed. 



But, referring to the hunting ground in tropical 

 Africa that I have alluded to, I will make a brief 

 summary of the game to be found within its limits. 

 Almost all the antelopes abound here, from the 

 massive, ponderous eland to the diminutive blue-bok, 

 the first being as large as a stall-fed ox, the latter 

 scarcely exceeding a hare in weight. Between 

 these diverse animals exist so many species, that 

 although to enumerate them would not be impossible, 

 yet to place their respective names upon paper, and 

 recapitulate their special merits and appearance, 

 would take more space than the size of this work 

 will allow. 



The rifle, of course, has much reduced the numbers 

 of the antelope family to be found in this elysium, so 

 at the present date hundreds only are to be seen 

 where thousands formerly existed. But notwith- 

 standing this, there is enough and to spare for the 

 sportsman's purposes, although not possibly for the 

 skin-hunter, and such gluttons for slaughter who 

 measure their success by the quantity of blood they 

 spill. 



But I do not write for these wretches — could I find 

 a stronger parliamentary word I would use it — for is 

 not the extinction of the bison of the prairies, and 

 the wapiti deer of the foot-hills of the Rocky Moun- 

 tains, due entirely to them and their kindred ? 

 Through all my world-wide experience, wherever you 

 discover a pastoral population of mixed extraction, 

 on one side of which is a strong suffusion of Dutch 

 blood, you are certain to find a people who have 



