342. Great and Small Game of Africa 



scant herbage ; they also feed a good deal on the mimosa bush. They 

 seldom if ever drink, the early morning dews apparently being sufficient 

 for them. They are very fond of the mountains ; ' on the top of a range 

 which extends close to and runs parallel with the coast, they may be found 

 in large numbers. They also seem to like associating with the zebra, and, 

 during the rains, when these animals come near the coast, springbuck and 

 zebra may be seen dotted about on the open plains, all feeding together. 



At first springbuck shooting is by no means easy, and one can fire 

 away a large number of cartridges and not bag a buck. There are various 

 reasons to account for this preliminary failure. Springbuck have long legs, 

 and not very deep bodies ; the atmosphere, and also the colour of the ground, 

 cause the sportsman to fancy that the buck are much closer than they 

 really are, but when these difficulties are got over, and one understands 

 their ways, they are easily shot. Springbuck shooting, either on foot or on 

 horseback, is most fascinating, and is a sport of which I have never tired ; 

 the buck may be hunted at any hour of the day, and seem to be always on 

 the feed. At certain seasons the springbuck congregate together in one 

 vast herd, and trek to some other veld, where they disperse again into 

 smaller troops. I only saw this on one occasion in Angola ; riding out 

 one afternoon I came to a large open plain, which was simply covered with 

 buck ; there must have been several thousands. I galloped alongside of 

 them and then got off the horse and watched them go past. They kept 

 their line, swerving very little, although I shot three of them. It was a 

 great sight, and one I shall never forget. The next day they had all 

 vanished. One never finds the springbuck in country where there is high 

 grass ; they seem to like to be able to see all round them. During one 

 year of exceptionally heavy rain on the coast, the grass grew very long, 

 which resulted in all the buck trekking farther south to a sandier veld. 2 



1 This is a trait quite unknown in South Africa.— En. 

 2 Livingstone has noticed this fact, p. 104. Missionary Travels .—En. 



