CAPE BUFFALO. 315 
hangs down^ and bears a most fierce and malevo- 
lent aspect. 
In the plains of Caffraria the buffaloes are so 
common that it is by no means unusual to see a 
hundred and fifty,, or two hundred of them in a 
herd. They generally retire to the thickets and 
woods in the day time., and at night go out into 
the plains to graze. 
Treacherous in the extreme,, they frequently 
conceal themselves among the trees, and there 
^tand lurking till some unfortunate passenger 
comes by, when the animal at once rushes out into 
the road, and attacks the traveller, who has no 
chance to escape but by climbing up a tree, if he 
is fortunate enough to be near one. Flight is of 
no avail, he is speedily overtaken by the furious 
beast, who, not contented with throwing him 
down and killing him, stands over him even for a 
long time afterwards, trampling him with his 
hoofs, and crushing him with his knees ; and not 
only mangles and tears the body to pieces with his 
horns and teeth, but likewise strips off the skin, 
by licking it with his tongue. Nor does he per- 
form all this at once, but often retires to some 
distance from the body, and returns with savage 
ferocity to gratify afresh his cruel inclination. 
As Professor Thunberg was travelling in Caf- 
fraria, he and his companions had just entered a 
wood, when they discovered a large old male 
buffalo, lying quite alone, in a spot that, for the 
space of a few square j^ards, was free from bushes. 
The animal no sooner observed the guide, who 
went first, than, with a horrible roar, he rushed 
upon him. The fellow turned his horse short 
round behind a large tree, and the buffalo rushed 
straight forwards to the next man, and gored his 
horse so dreadfully in the belly that it died soon 
aftefi. These two clirqbed into trees, and the fu- 
