THE GUN AT HOME AND ABROAD 
the high plateaux of North-Eastern and North-Western Rhodesia. South 
of Lake Nyassa it ranges through the Mozambique Territory to the Lower 
Zambesi, and at some period of unusual drought it must have crossed 
(together with the eland) whatever shallow stretches of water remained 
on the vast sand-bed which forms the bottom of this great river on its 
lower course, and then spread along the coast lands of South-East Africa, 
as far as the Sabi and Lunti Rivers. If only the European occupation of 
South Africa had been delayed, there is little doubt that Lichtenstein’s 
hartebeest would have eventually extended its range very much further 
westwards. 
Personally, I have never seen large numbers of Lichtenstein’s harte- 
beests together, but have usually met with them in small herds of from 
five or six to ten or a dozen or sometimes fifteen or twenty. 
They are sometimes found in perfectly open, treeless country, as on the 
high grass downs of North-Western Rhodesia, and when living in districts 
where thin forest alternates with open valleys, will usually be met with in 
the latter kind of ground. 
They are always wary and very keen-sighted, and, when suspicious of 
danger, will be pretty sure to climb to the top of the nearest anthill — which 
may be from six to twenty feet in height — in order to obtain a good view 
of the surrounding country. When thus standing on the look-out, they 
hold their tails slightly raised, and if their suspicions are only slightly 
excited, but not fully aroused, will stand thus perfectly motionless for a 
long time; but immediately they get a better view of whatever it was 
which first aroused their suspicions, they will gallop off. When pursued on 
horseback, they go off at first at a light, springy pace, and will probably 
soon stop to look round at their pursuer, offering a good chance for a 
shot; but if pressed, they will be found as fleet and enduring as any other 
species of hartebeest. The meat of Lichtenstein’s hartebeest is good, and 
these animals sometimes get quite fat. However, as their fat is hard, and 
clogs on the teeth and roof of the mouth as soon as it begins to cool, it is 
as well to remove all such fat from the meat, and fry it with bacon or the 
soft fat of the elephant or hippopotamus. 
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