Fish River Bush, South Africa. 205 



of a horse or ox's, or larger, recognized from that of the wolf or 

 dog by their circularity, and the absence of claw-marks. They 

 are sometimes hunted with a pack of good dogs by the boers, 

 and when brought to bay, despatched with the roer. Other- 

 wise they are caught in traps placed not far from the kraals ; 

 a large wolf-trap, with teeth, is set in the ground, covered 

 over with rubbish in a sort of small kraal of bush, at the 

 entrance of which it is placed, and opposite to it about two 

 feet, is staked a piece of fresh meat. The animal is obliged, 

 in order to get at this, and tear it off its fixture, to pass over 

 and tread upon the plate of the trap, which by the pressure 

 instantly loosens the spring, and the animal is caught by 

 the limb. The trap is not fixed firm, so that the tiger can, 

 if he pleases, walk off with it attached to his leg into the 

 cover of some neighbouring thicket or kloof, as, if not per- 

 mitted to do so, he would break or eat off his own limb, and 

 so escape entirely. The boer next morning misses the trap, 

 collects his dogs, and goes on the spoor, and is not long in 

 discovering the retreat of the exhausted tiger. Their skins 

 are valuable ; the larger being rated at about 30s., and the 

 smaller 15s. to purchasers ; and are used for carosses, and 

 chair and sofa covers. A few years ago, a fine young boer 

 met an untimely end from being attacked by one of these 

 ferocious creatures. He went out with his dog and gun, ac- 

 companied by a Caffre servant, to look after his sheep, during 

 the day grazing amongst the bush of the Fish River, near 

 the Kat River junction. The dog scented and discovered a 

 tiger in a neighbouring kloof, and the servant having ascer- 

 tained that such was the case, requested his master would 

 enter the bush with him, and kill the tiger. The boer de- 

 clined at first, telling the Caffre he could not trust him in a 

 fight, and knew that he would run away at a critical time. 

 However, the contrary assurances of the servant at length 

 prevailed on the boer, and both went in to attack the tiger. 

 The dog having shewn them his whereabouts, though still under 

 some concealment from the foliage, the boer fired, and wounded 

 the animal, which immediately sprung out, and ere the shot 

 could be repeated, felled his antagonist, and the gun was thrown 

 out of reach in the fall ; the boer now cried out for his ser- 



