SOUTHERN AFRICA. S5 
it the native inhabitants of the surrounding country ; and here 
accordingly we met with vast variety of game, particularly of 
<he antelope family, three different species of which we had not 
before observed. These were the spring-hok or leapirig ante- 
lope, the pi/garga of the Sijsicma Naturce ; the gems-hok or 
pamn of Bujon, the Egj/ptian antelope of Pennant, and the 
ori/.v of the Systema Natwce ; and the koodoo or the strepsice- 
ros of Pallas, and sU-iped antelope of Pennant. 
The spring-bok is a gregarious animal never met with but 
in large herds, some of which, according to the accounts of 
the peasantry, will amount to the number of ten thousand. 
The Dutch have given a name to this beautiful creature indi- 
cative of its gait. The strength and elasticity of the muscles 
are so great that, when closely pursued, he will spring at a 
single leap from fifteen to five-and-twenty feet. Its usual 
pace is that of a constant jumping or springing, with all the 
four legs stretched out, and off the gj-ound at the -same time, 
and at every spring the hair on the rump divides or sheds* 
and, falling back on each side, displays a surface of snowj 
whiteness. The swiftest dog in vain attempts to approach the 
old ones ; but the young kids, which were now numerous, are 
frequently caught after a hard chace. Both old and young 
are excellent venison ; and vast numbers are destroyed by the 
Dutch farmers, not only for the sake of the flesh, but also for 
the skins, of which they make sacks for holding provisions 
and other articles, clothing for their slaves, and, at the time 
of the capture by the English, for themselves also and chil- 
dren. The poverty and miserable condition of the colony 
were then so great, that all their numerous flocks and herds 
were insufficient to procnre them decent cjothing, , 
