140 Great and Small Game of Africa 



up the hope of putting an end to its misery. That same antelope was 

 seen for weeks afterwards by natives and other men out shooting over the 

 same ground, but no one could ever bring it to bay, in spite of the dragging 

 of a useless leg behind it. Such experiences make one vow that one will 

 never fire a shot unless there is an absolute certainty of bagging with a 

 single bullet. 



The flesh of the West African hartebeest is somewhat coarse, and of a 

 decidedly strong flavour, too strong to be pleasant eating for a European, 

 except in default of other meat. In life it has a strong odour, an odour 

 which cannot be mistaken, and which invariably stamps a lying-up place 

 as that of hartebeest, for several hours after the herd has left it. This 

 odour attaches also to the flavour of the flesh, and can only be ignored by 

 the native, who likes his meat strong. A. J. Arnold. 



The Tora Hartebeest (Buba/is tora typica) 



Arab and Nubian Name, Tkel; Abyssinian, Tora ; Tigre, Tori 



There is little difference between this and the following species. 

 The Tora is a true hartebeest, of a pale rufous-tawny colour — Sir Samuel 

 Baker describes it as "a reddish-chestnut," but the average colour is 

 paler — standing about 4 feet at the withers, and carrying horns which 

 measure as much as 21 inches over the curve. A good bull will weigh 

 as much as 450 lbs. or a trifle more. The habits of this antelope almost 

 precisely resemble those of the other hartebeests described hereafter. 

 Like them it is extraordinarily fleet, possessed of wonderful staying powers, 

 and most tenacious of life. Sir Samuel Baker was one of the first 

 Englishmen to encounter the Tetel, which he first became acquainted with 

 on the Atbara River in 1861. He mentions these hartebeests frequently 

 in his Nile 'Tributaries of Abyssinia, and describes some exciting hunts. 



