The Eland 



43i 



try and drive him nearer to your camp or waggon. An eland always runs 

 against the wind. You can make him swerve off several points to the one 

 side or the other, but I have never yet seen one of these animals that could 

 be made to turn right round and run down wind in a direction exactly 

 opposite to the point he was originally making for. I have seen many a 

 one charge in resisting the attempt to make him do so. If, in trying to 

 make a tired eland turn round, you gallop in front of him, rein in your 

 horse right in his path, and shout and wave your hat at him, he will come 

 steadily trotting on till he is within a few yards of your horse, and then, 

 suddenly lowering his head till his nose is right down between his fore-legs, 

 and his horns are pointing forwards and close to the ground, he will make 

 a rush and bring his horns up just where your horse was standing. There 

 is always plenty of time to get out of the way, and my horse at any rate 

 was never where the eland thought he would be when he brought up his 

 horns. This is the extent of an eland's charge. He will never pursue 

 you, but just go trotting on his course again, when he has removed or 

 obliged you to retire from his path. A very good, quick, and handy 

 shooting pony belonging to Lo Bengula was killed by an eland within my 

 recollection ; but this is the only accident of the kind I have ever heard of, 

 and it was owing no doubt to extreme clumsiness, stupidity, and bad 

 horsemanship combined, on the part of the native Matabele who was 

 riding the unfortunate horse. Elands are, I should think, amongst the least 

 pugnacious of antelopes, and several bulls will always be found harmoniously 

 consorting together with every large herd of cows. The latter begin to 

 drop their calves early in June in South-East Africa, a full two months 

 earlier than any other of the various species of antelopes living in the same 

 country. The bulk of the calves are, however, born in July, and the late 

 ones in August. The little creatures gain strength very rapidly, and when 

 but a few days old can only be run down by a good horse after a hard 

 gallop for the best part of a mile. After capture they will drink milk 



