1811. 
THE DUYKER. 
187 
saw it, prevented my ascertaining to what described species it should 
be referred. 
The Duyker (Diver) * is one of the smaller Antelopes, being 
not much above two feet in height ; very light and elegantly made, 
like most of that tribe. Its color is an uniformly dusky grizzled 
brown ; the males have short, upright, and straight horns : the tail 
is not more than three inches long, black on the upper side, and 
white beneath. But the mark which distinguishes this animal from 
all the rest of the genus, and perhaps from all the ruminating tribe, 
is a singular little black, upright, thin tuft of long hairs, growing on 
tlie top of the head, between the ears. The Duyker is found chiefly 
in bushy places ; and, from its mode of eluding its pursuers, by a 
sudden strong leap over the bushes, instantly plunging down amongst 
them again out of sight, it has gained the name it bears. The meat 
is very good eating, but is, at all seasons, like most of the venison 
at the Cape, rather dry, and much inferior to that of England : the 
cause of this is a total want of fat ; a defect which the Cape cooks 
endeavour to remedy by larding. This animal is found only in 
Africa ; some authors regarding it as the same with the Guinea 
antelope f , while others suppose it to be a different species peculiar 
to the southern point of this continent. 
The clouds which had threatened to fill the Breede river and 
detain us at Tulbagh, disappeared in the course of the forenoon, 
and the wind shifted round to the south-east, a quarter from which 
the inhabitants of this village seldom receive rain. This is, doubt- 
lessly, to be attributed to the immense tract of arid Karro, and dry 
country, which lies in that direction. In the afternoon the two 
missionaries commenced their journey. 
Srd. The waggon being finished, was brought home to day ; 
and by the evening, the loading and arrangement of it were com- 
pleted. Gert was appointed to be the driver, and Maagers's son 
* Antilope mergens. ■ f Antilopc Grimmia, Gniel. 
B B 2 
