74 
the point of the broad shoulder, sank quietly down upon its haunches, and staggering a few yards, rolled back lifeless into 
a dry ravine. <A lion and his consort, disturbed by the near report of the rifle, bounced meanwhile out of a neighbouring 
bush, and with an indignant roar, slunk instantly into the jungle. Covering up the much-prized carease of the defunct 
quarry with thorn branches, I hastily retraced my steps to the waggons, intending to send out some of the people by torch- 
light to procure rations; but Piet, who had also narrowly escaped stumbling over a lion couchant in long grass, had already 
returned, laden with an abundant supply of the flesh of a brindled gnoo, upon which, until a late hour, our followers made 
merry to the music of roaring feline engaged on their nocturnal patrol, 
At early dawn I proceeded with “Lingap to the carease, with the determination of adding the head to my daily in- 
creasing collection of trophies; and although the hyzenas had been lustily tugging at the branches, they had fortunately not 
succeeded in obtaining their supper in that quarter. ‘Lingap, with an eye to his own interests, proceeding forthwith to cut 
out the dorsal sinews, which are in great demand for the manufacture of thread, the mauvaise odeur that followed the inser- 
tion of his assagai almost drove me from the spot. Far from keeping pace with the game exterior, the flesh of this singular 
species, is uniformly so coarse, carrion-like, and ill-savoured, that even savages are unable to devour it. On our way to rejoin 
the waggons with the spoils, I added two does to the return of casualties, both well plastered with mud from the river, in 
which they had been rolling. In their light hornless heads— their raking necks, and taper limbs, the females equally preserve 
a close resemblance to the hinds of the Cervus Aristotelis, and I soon ascertained, that on a tolerable steed, both sexes might 
be ridden down with little difficulty. 
As we advanced towards the tropic of Capricorn, the species waxed more abundant. During several successive days that 
we hunted over the green valleys which skirt the principal mountain chain, the long white-ringed horns of the bucks, were 
frequently to be seen through the telescope, raking above ruined stone walls of great extent, the crumbling memorials of ‘ cities 
long gone by.’ Ere the devastating wars of the ruthless Chaka, followed by those of his successful rival Moselekatse, had laid 
waste this lovely country, these enclosures served to confine the countless cattle of prosperous Bechuana tribes, the peaceful pro- 
prietors of the soil;—now . 
: ‘twhilst they droop without one arm to save, = 
Their country blooms. a garden and a grave;” 
and in place of the once busy throng, we found the deserted areas strewed with mouldering human relics, and overrun with 
flowering weeds, interspersed with plants of uncultivated tobacco, [I had here a ridiculous pedestrian chase after a magnificent 
buck, that suffered himself to be detected within a dilapidated amphitheatre, under coyer of which having approached, I suddenly 
exhibited myself, and as he rushed by like the wind, lodged a bullet betwixt his ribs. For half an hour, in vain efforts to 
elude my untiring ponte, the poor beast scoured over the broken knolls, dodged among ruins, and threaded the intricacies of 
decaying habitations — his entrails trailing behind him upon the ground; nor was it until I had fairly worn the sole off one of 
my rude mocassins, that with the assistance of Andries, I at last contrived to secure the fugitive, walking finally barefooted 
above three miles, to overtake the advancing cafila. 
But it is at the source of the Limpopo, as I have already said, that the Ellipsiprymnus would appear to have established 
its head-quarters. Arriving there one drizzling morning, a little after the gloomy day had dawned, and almost before it was 
sufficiently light to observe the sight of a rifle, the booming of one of the Hottentots’ overloaded muskets, was followed by a 
prolonged shout from the successful marksman, ‘ Here lay de vater bok.’ WHurrying to the spot, we found Mr. Claas exulting 
over the prostrate carcase of a young buck in the last agonies; but to his disgust, the spoils of this accidental victim being 
declared not worth the having, we continued our course down the vistas of blossoming mimosas that with other fragrant 
trees lined the banks of the rapidly widening river. Presently a dark and stately figure was perceived on the opposite shore 
standing at gaze under the shade of a clump of umbrella-topped acacias—his redundant mane erect, and his beetling brows 
garnished with a pair of sweeping horns. “Daar staan een mooi groot bul,’ whispered Piet, jogging my elbow, and cautiously 
pointing at the same time with his finger, Whilst the noble beast, uncertain what to do, was yet staring at us, dropping upon 
one knee, I laid my rifle on» the rest, and quickly touched the hair trigger; a dull heavy pat followed the report, and the 
quarry was instantly rolling, hoofs uppermost, on his back, kicking and struggling with all his might. The smoke, curling 
from the muzzle in thick white wreaths, was kept down by the moist hazy atmosphere; and ere it had floated past, the 
‘yascal had resumed three of his legs, and was making off at score, with the fourth swinging from side to side like a pendulum 
at his shoulder. A full minute had elapsed before Claas, who was behind in a reverie, holding the bridle of my dumpy grey 
mare, could be aroused by the impatient waving of our caps, accompanied by sundry complimentary vivd vocé summonses, That 
minute appeared to me an hour, Running towards him, and springing upon the back of the mare, I dashed, at the broadest 
and most shallow part of the river, holding the reloaded rifle high above my head in order to keep it dry: and after much 
scrambling and floundering, contrived to gain the opposite bank, at the very spot where the quarry, in his struggles, had left a 
pool of wet blood on the newly disturbed soil, Following the stam, and gazing impatiently down the avenue before me, the 
drooping form of the wounded buck soon caught my eye, limping painfully through the grove, In went the rowels, and away 
for dear life, agai scampered the three-legged fugitive—long maintaiming his place most stoutly in advance of the dappled 
mare, whose tortoise-like paces were but little accelerated even by the smarting of her gore-stained sides. "At length, after 
excessive toiling and labouring, by a most desperate effort I closed with the tottering victim. Overtaken, he reeled to one side, 
