THE GIRAFFE, 225 



It was the shortest and weakest of the four, and was roughly 

 treated. It was kept at Windsor, in the king's menagerie, but it 

 died in 1829. It had always been a poor sick specimen, and was 

 so far gone in the legs that at one time a pulley had to be sus- 

 pended from the ceiling, whereby the animal could be raised from 

 the ground on to her feet, for she had apparently become incapable 

 of the exertion herself. 



Phil Ilobinson, in his amusing book, " Noah's Ark," considers it 

 terrible to think what a giraffe's seven feet of sore throat must be 

 like. It requires, however, but little imagination to picture the 

 ridiculous appearance presented by such a long, stilt-legged 

 animal when afflicted with the complaint from which human giants 

 are said to suffer, namely, " weak in the knees ! " At any rate 

 a giraffe " gone in the legs " was not an attractive sight, and on 

 her demise very little regret seems to have been expressed. 



It inspired the Zoological Society, however, with some energy, 

 for they determined to procure animals of this species for their 

 gardens, and accordingly entered into a contract for the purchase 

 of any specimens that could be procured. This resulted in 1836 in 

 the importation of four young giraffes all at one time, three males 

 and one female. This event was considered an era in the annals 

 of natural history. 



Mr, Broderip ^ gives the following account of the circumstances 

 attending their capture : — " M. Thibaut quitted Cairo in April, 

 1834, and after sailing up the Nile as far as Wadi Haifa, the 

 second cataract, took camels and proceeded to Debbat, a province 

 of Dongolah, whence he started for the desert of Kordof an. Being 

 perfectly acquainted with the locality, and on friendly terms with the 

 Arabs, he attached them still more by the desire of profit. All were 

 desirous of accompanying him in the pursuit of the giraffes, for up 

 to that time they had treated them solely for the sake of their flesh, 

 which they ate, and the skin of which they made into bucklers and 

 sandals. The party proceeded to the south-west of Kordofan, and 

 in August were rewarded by the sight of two beautiful giraffes ; a 

 rapid chase of three hours, on horses accustomed to the fatigues 

 of the desert, put them in possession of the largest of these noble 



8 " Zoological Anecdotes." 



