EXTINCTION OF THE TRUE QUAGGA. 



399 



their horses at night, while both are turned out to 

 grass." I have not been fully able to satisfy myself 

 that this account of Jardine's was correct. The 

 Boers' ancient habit of kraaling all their flocks and 

 herds, to insure them against the nocturnal attacks 

 of dangerous animals, would, I think, militate 

 against the adoption of this plan to any great extent. 

 Still, in some instances, it may have occurred. 



The vast karroos of the Cape Colony in the 

 earlier half of this century, and the plains of the 

 Orange Free State until about the year i860, 

 furnished the most extraordinary spectacles of 

 teeming animal life that the world has ever seen. At 

 one time the supply of game, which literally swarmed 

 upon these plains, jostling one another in ■ actual 

 millions, seemed practically inexhaustible. No other 

 part of the world could ever vie with these favoured 

 regions in the wealth and variety of their fauna. 

 Elevated table-lands, a singularly healthful climate, 

 and abundance of pasture, seem to have here united 

 to attract and sustain an unparalleled collection 

 of animal life. Brindled and white-tailed gnu, 

 Burchell's zebras, quaggas, springbok and blessbok, 

 and the ever-attendant lion, formed the main body 

 of all these beasts of the chase ; ostriches, elands, 

 hartebeests, gemsbok, and bontebok, furnished ample 

 battalions in support. Old colonists have often 

 spoken to me of the quantities of game thus existing 

 as being positively inconceivable ; but improved arms 

 of precision, and the ruthless skin-hunters, have 

 done their work, and well nigh all these crowds of 

 game have vanished. In the Cape Colony, the 

 beautiful springbok yet remains in considerable 

 abundance to remind one of the past ; but the Free 



