238 



GIRAFFE HUNTING, 



li 



gineer Force, who, about half a century ago, succeeded 

 in penetrating almost as far north as my present posi- 

 tion, remarks this, and gives, in one of his fascinating 

 sketches, a likeness of a Griqua belle, who, with the 

 requisite adornments demanded by fashion, would 

 have passed muster in the majority of ball-rooms. 

 Scolding women, rickety, unpainted waggons, and 

 uncared-for and half-starved -looking dogs, made up 

 the rest of the details of the tout ensemble of these 

 hunters' manage. 



On gaining my own camp I found that the meat 

 had arrived, so cooking in all stages was progressing ; 

 thus universal good nature, even hilarity, prevailed, 

 fresh meat acting upon the natives much as ardent 

 spirits do upon the children of civilization. » It is 

 almost impossible of belief how much of it the natives 

 can stow away at a sitting. 



Calf giraffe is excellent and nutritious food, so is 

 fat cow, but save me from having to feed upon old 

 bull, for it requires an immense amount of mastica- 

 tion, and is redolent of a flavour not unlike the ex- 

 tract of musk. Just before sunset I took my shot-gun 

 and visited a bay which the greater number of the wild 

 duck seemed to select the previous night for their 

 feeding or resting place. Tall grass and taller rushes 

 margined it ; but for this I should very soon have 

 made a heavy bag.'as'it enabled the cripples to escape, 

 and often hid birds that had been killed outright. 

 Even under these disadvantages I secured six couple. 

 They belonged to the species known as the yellow- 

 billed duck {Cartas flavirostris)^ which is far from un- 

 common in the " old colony," as I have frequently 

 shot it south of the Orange river. That it may be 

 recognized by future sportsmen, I will mention its 

 most marked peculiarities. These are an oblong 

 brown patch on the ridge of the upper mandible, the 

 nails being the same colour, greater part of bill gam- 

 boge-yellow, while the iris is brown. 



