Coke's Hartebeest 140 



that of a large heifer. Travellers who have not had experience of the 

 "veldt" (or " bara," as it is termed in Equatorial Africa), or who trust 

 entirely to the judgment and consideration of their servants in such matters, 

 often get the idea that game meat is bad, because they have been served 

 with that of an old bull, or with the toughest parts of the beast, very likely 

 freshly killed (in which state no meat is fit to eat), and probably improperly 

 cooked. Where one has to put up with such imperfect chefs it is necessary, 

 for the sake of comfort and health, to supervise the larder in some degree 

 oneself, at all events to the extent of seeing that all the tenderest cuts are 

 not appropriated by one's men, as will be the case if they are left to work 

 their own sweet will on the carcase. 



These hartebeest, though wary, are not especially difficult to stalk ; 

 nor, when stalked, do I think they are more difficult than other large 

 antelopes to kill. The toughness of some species as compared with others 

 is often laid stress upon ; and the animal now treated of certainly does show 

 wonderful vitality, as do many others, when the shot has not been a good 

 one. But after all there is none that cannot be speedily laid low by a 

 bullet in the right place. With practice in the field and an eye for 

 anatomy, unconscious recognition of the spot to cover, in order to reach the 

 heart or lungs from varying angles, becomes instinctive ; and if the hunter 

 be careful not to risk very long or fluky shots, there need rarely be any 

 maiming or loss of wounded beasts to disgust him — cruel bungling, in 

 comparison with which a clean miss is so infinitely preferable. 



Within the limits above defined Coke's hartebeest is the most univer- 

 sally distributed of all the antelopes inhabiting the same region, being 

 met with in almost every locality where there is any game at all, except 

 in dense bush. For this reason it is, in its own domain, one of the most 

 regular sources of meat supply for the traveller, and often affords a welcome 

 means of providing the craved-for " ketiweyo " (or relish) for his patient 

 but hungry caravan. Beyond that, and the diversion of obtaining it, there 



