2 62 TRAVELS IN 
they refted on the branches to fee what Injury 
it had fuffered. But I obferved that parrots only 
returned, and not one of the original builders, 
which had been completely banifhed to a bird. 
While I was refleding on this change of in- 
habitants, one of my Nimiqua guides came 
eagerly to impart to me fome Information, 
which he imagined would be pleafing. 
This man had feen me tranfported at the 
fight of a giraffe's fkin, when with his horde ; 
and he ran to inform me, that he had juft dif- 
covered In the neighbourhood one of thefe ani- 
mals under a mimofa, browfmg on its leaves. 
InPcantlyj ravilhed w^Ith joy, I leaped on one 
of my horfes, made Bernfry mount another, 
and, attended by my dogs, haftened towards 
the mimofa. The giralFe was not there ; but 
we faw him croffmg the plain towards the 
weft, and we fpurred on our horfes to over- 
take him. He trotted on lightly w^ithout ex- 
ertiiig himfelf in the leaft, while we galloped 
after, firing occafionally at him : however, he 
infenfibly gained upon us ; fo that after a chace 
of three hours, our horfes being completely 
out of breath, we were obliged to flop, and 
foon loft fight of hini. 
This 
