160 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



the hunter, a continued stream of blesboks may often 

 be seen scouring up wind for upward of an hour, and 

 covering the landscape as far as the eye can see. The 

 springboks, which in equal numbers frequent the same 

 ground, do nol;, in general, adopt the same decided course 

 as the blesboks, but take away in every direction across 

 the plains, sometimes with flying bounds, beautifully 

 ejdiibiting the long, snowy- white hair with which their 

 backs are adorned, and at others walking slowly and 

 carelessly out of the hunter's way, scarcely deigning 

 to look at him, with an air of perfect independence, as 

 if aware of their own matchless speed. 



The black wildebeests, which also thickly cover the 

 entire length and breadth of the blesbok country, in 

 herds averaging from twenty to fifty, have no regular 

 course, like the blesboks. Unless driven by a large 

 field of hunters, they do not leave their ground, although 

 disturbed. Wheeling about in endless circles, and per- 

 forming the most extraordinary variety of intricate evo- 

 lutions, the shaggy herds of these eccentric and fierce- 

 looking animals are forever capering and gamboling 

 round the hunter on every side. While he is riding 

 hard tp obtain a family shot of a herd in front of him, 

 other herds are charging down wind on his right and 

 left, and, having described a number of circular move- 

 ments, they take up positions upon the very ground 

 across which the hunter rode only a few minutes before. 



Singly, and in small troops of four or five individ- 

 uals, the old bull wildebeests may be seen stationed at 

 intervals throughout the plains, standing motionless 

 during a whole forenoon, coolly watching with a philo- 

 sophic eye the movements of the other game, eternally 

 uttering a loud snorting noise, and also a short, sharp 

 cry which is peculiar to them. When the hunter ap- 



