THE SPORTSMAN IN SOUTH AFRICA. 7 1 



front of one, as it seldom swerves from its direct course, but will 

 generally strike out viciously with the forelegs with a result probably 

 disastrous to either horse or rider. Anyone rash enough to approach 

 too near to one when mortally wounded, runs the chance of being fallen 

 upon and crushed, an accident from which one of the authors once 

 had a narrow escape. In other respects the chase is attended without 

 any danger from the animals themselves. 



They usually frequent the sandy ridges overgrown with low 

 underwood, camel-thorn, and mopani trees, on the leaves of which 

 they feed during the morning and evening hours, standing motionless 

 or reclining during the great heat of the day in the shade of some 

 clump more in the open. From the extreme length of the neck, 

 coupled with their acute vision and scent, they are enabled to 

 detect the approach of an intruder at such long distances as to 

 render the chance of a successful stalk on foot a most difficult feat ; 

 and if there is the slightest breath of air, it is utterly useless to fol- 

 low up a spoor leading down wind, as they would certainly scent their 

 pursuers and make off long before becoming visible themselves. A 

 troop well on the move presents one of the grandest and, at the same 

 time, perhaps one of the most ludicrous sights in the world. Owing 

 to their indescribable rolling gallop, or, more properly, amble, their 

 progress seems slow and laboured, but anyone not in possession of a 

 decent horse will be quickly undeceived in this respect, and, unless 

 pressed very hard at the outset, it would be a difficult matter to say 

 when the chase would end (see remarks on Hunting Large Game). 

 The Giraffe is not by any means in possession of that extraordinary 

 amount of vitality attributed to it by some hunters, nor is it necessary 

 to expend a vast amount of ammunition before bringing one down — in 

 fact, the contrary is the case; and if its dimensions be taken into 

 consideration, it is perhaps on comparison an easier animal to bring 

 to book than any of the South African antelopes. A single bullet 

 from an ordinary Martini-Henry rifle, if properly planted, will 

 be sufficient to kill outright the largest bull that ever trod the 

 Kalahari. The proper place to aim at in a stern chase is the centre 

 of the back, as near as possible over the root of the tail, and if the 

 shot be at all true, even though it fails to touch the spine, the 

 bullet, from the peculiar formation of the animal's body, is almost 

 certain to pierce the vital parts in front. 



The appearance and characteristics of the Giraffe are familiar to 

 almost every one, and it is sufficient to say that the bulls when very 



