

Mr. Patterson's Travels in Africa. 



Dr. Thunberg, Helaconia CafFraria. The Men are all six 

 feet high, strong and of great courage in attacking Lions 

 or any Beasts of prey, their skin is jet black and their 

 clothing is made from the hides of Oxen, and they are very 

 fond of tame Dogs, which they always keep by them. 



tc In the Plain we observed a very large Tree of the 

 Mimosa kind, and soon after we came up with six Camel- 

 opards, my friend Mr. Van Renan shot one of them, which 

 proved to be a male, I preserved the Skin and the Skeleton,* 

 the size I found to be as follows. — The height of his natural 

 position from the hoof to the top of his horns, fourteen feet 

 nine inches; the length of the body, about six feet. These 

 Animals eat the fruit of the tallest Trees, such as the 

 Mimosa and Wild Apricot. 



" Their colour is in general red or a dark brown and 

 white, some black and white, they have no fetlock to the 

 hoof, they are not very swift, but can continue a long chase 

 before they stop. At a distance they look like a decayed 

 Tree, and are spotted in general with grey spots placed 

 irregularly, chiefly on the back. 



" From this place we returned to Bokke Veld, and 

 arrived there in four days. We had heavy showers of rain 

 accompanied with thunder and lightning, I found an ever- 

 green Plant, upon which grows a fruit which the Peasants 

 use as an ingredient for poisoning the Hyena. The process 

 is very simple and consists in drying the fruit and grinding 

 it to powder, which they rub over a piece of flesh and 

 throw it in places which are infested with these fierce 

 Animals. Upon eating the flesh, the Hyenas are so imme- 



* These are now preserved in the Museum of Mr. John Hunter. 



