African Nature Notes and Reminiscences 4

African Nature Notes and Reminiscences 4

CHAPTER X

 

NOTES ON THE BLACK OR PREHENSILE-LIPPED RHINOCEROS

 

Character of the black rhinoceros--Its practical extermination in

South Africa at a very trifling cost to human life--No case

known to author of a Boer hunter having been killed by a black

rhinoceros--Accidents to English hunters--Harris's opinion of

and experiences with the black rhinoceros--Seemingly unnecessary

slaughter of these animals--Large numbers shot by Oswell and

Vardon--Divergence of opinion concerning disposition of the two

so-called different species of black rhinoceroses--Experiences

of Gordon Cumming, Andersson, and Baldwin with these

animals--Victims of the ferocity of the black rhinoceros

extraordinarily few in South Africa--The author's experiences

with these animals--Sudden rise in the value of short rhinoceros

horns--Its fatal effect--Dull sight of the black rhinoceros--Keen

scent--Inquisitiveness--Blind rush of the black rhinoceros when

wounded--An advancing rhinoceros shot in the head--Author chased

by black rhinoceroses when on horseback--Curious experience

near Thamma-Setjie--Black rhinoceroses charging through

caravans--Coming to camp fires at night--Author's doubts as to the

extreme ferocity of black rhinoceroses in general--Testimony of

experienced hunters as to the character of the black rhinoceros

in the countries north of the Zambesi--Captain Stigand severely

injured by one of these animals--Experiences of Mr. Vaughan

Kirby--Extraordinary number of black rhinoceroses in East

Africa--Experiences of A. H. Neumann and F. J. Jackson with

these animals--Views of Sir James Hayes-Sadler--Great numbers of

rhinoceroses lately shot in East Africa without loss of life to

hunters--Superiority of modern weapons--President Roosevelt's

letter--Mr. Fleischmann's remarkable account of a combat between

a rhinoceros and a crocodile--Possible explanation of seeming

helplessness of the rhinoceros Pages 178-204

 

 

CHAPTER XI

 

NOTES ON THE GIRAFFE

 

Appearance of the giraffe--Not a vanishing species--Immense

range--Habitat--Native mounted hunters--Destruction of giraffes

and other game by Europeans--Necessity of restraining native

hunters--Discussion as to the possibility of the giraffe existing

for long periods without drinking--Water-conserving tubers--Wild

water-melons--Habits of elephants after much persecution--Possible

explanation of the belief that giraffes can dispense with

water--Giraffes seen in the act of drinking--Giraffes absolutely

voiceless--Partial to open, park-like country--Difficult

to approach on foot--Giraffes very keen-scented--Hunting

giraffes with Bushmen trackers--Exhilarating sport--Pace of

the giraffe--The easiest way to kill giraffes--Driving wounded

giraffes to camp--Two curious experiences with giraffes--"Stink

bulls"--Excellence of the meat of a fat giraffe cow--Height of

giraffes--Giraffes only occasionally killed by lions--Young

giraffe attacked by leopards Pages 205-221

 

 

CHAPTER XII

 

A JOURNEY TO AMATONGALAND IN SEARCH OF INYALA

 

The inyala, a rare and beautiful animal--Seldom shot by

Englishmen--Account of, by Mr. Baldwin--Further observations

of, by the Hon. W. H. Drummond--Inyala-shooting and fever

almost synonymous--Distribution of the inyala--Curious antelope

shot by Captain Faulkner--Start on journey in search of

inyalas--Reach Delagoa Bay--Meet Mr. Wissels--Voyage to the

Maputa river--Depredations of locusts--Elephants still found

in the Matuta district--A quick run up the river--Reach Bella

Vista--Talk with Portuguese officer--Hippopotamuses seen--Change

of weather--Longman engages four lady porters--Start for

Mr. Wissels's station--Sleep at Amatonga kraal--Description

of people--Cross the Maputa river--Reedbuck shot--Rainy

weather--Reach Mr. Wissels's station Pages 222-238

 

 

CHAPTER XIII

 

A JOURNEY TO AMATONGALAND (_concluded_)

 

Receive information concerning the haunts of the inyala--Heavy

thunderstorm--Start for Gugawi's kraal--Cross the Usutu

river--Reach Gugawi's--Go out hunting--Crested guinea-fowl

seen--Two inyalas shot--Angas's description of the inyala

antelope--Inyala skins prepared for mounting--Now safe in

Natural History Museum--A third inyala shot--One missed--Move

farther up the Usutu river--Country denuded of game--Bushbucks

scarce--Hippopotamuses in river--Heavy thunderstorm--Two more male

inyalas shot--Start on return journey to Delagoa Bay--Tedious

journey--Intense heat--End of trip--Slight attacks of fever

Pages 239-253

 

 

CHAPTER XIV

 

NOTES ON THE GEMSBUCK

 

Number of African antelopes--The eland--Roan and sable antelopes--The

greater koodoo--Other antelopes--The gemsbuck--Limited

range--Habitat--Keen sight--Speed and endurance--Chase

after four gemsbucks--Two shot--Sight of vultures--Oxen

frightened--Horse wounded by lioness--Gemsbuck bull shot--Visit

from natives--Gemsbuck and zebras--Gemsbucks ridden to a

standstill--Fine specimens shot--Length of horns--Character of the

gemsbuck--Probably unaffected by the rinderpest--Likely to survive

for long time Pages 254-269

 

 

CHAPTER XV

 

SOME CURIOUS HUNTING EXPERIENCES

 

Contrast between Rhodesia to-day and long ago--The old days the

best--White rhinoceroses and elephants drinking--A night on the

Sikumi river--Abundance of big game--A white rhinoceros visits my

camp--My queerest experience--Meet with two black rhinoceroses--A

near approach--Rhinoceros knocked down--Apparently dead--Commence

to cut it up--Rhinoceros regains consciousness--Gets on its

legs--And runs off--Another curious experience--Buffaloes and

tse-tse flies--Meeting with lioness--Hammer of rifle lost--Bushmen

sent in search of it--Lions met with--Lion and lioness stand close

to me--The chance of a lifetime--Rifle misses fire--Lions run

off--Lion again seen--Rifle useless--Throw it at the lion--The

irony of fate Pages 270-282

 

 

CHAPTER XVI

 

FURTHER CURIOUS HUNTING EXPERIENCES

 

Travelling through the wilderness--Find deep pool of water--Meet

with two tsessebe antelopes--Shoot them both--Cover one

of them with dry grass to keep off vultures--Ride back to

waggon--Return to pool of water--Find tsessebe antelope

gone--Never recovered--Journey to Bamangwato--Gemsbuck seen--Stalk

spoilt--Long, stern chase--Gemsbuck wounded--Lost through glare of

setting sun--Wildebeest seen--Return to waggon--Arrival of Count

von Schweinitz--Lost gemsbuck found--Two hartebeests shot

Pages 283-292

 

 

CHAPTER XVII

 

INCIDENTS OF A JOURNEY THROUGH THE NORTHERN KALAHARI

 

Southern Rhodesia--Country farther west still a primeval

wilderness--Seldom traversed by white men--Scarcity of

water--Remarkable rain-storm--Porcupine flooded out--Every hollow

filled with water--All game in good condition--Many varieties

encountered--Large herd of elephants--Four large bulls--Wariness

of elephants--Lions roaring near camp--Search for them on

the following morning--Large male seen and chased into thick

bush--Successful encounter with a second male Pages 293-301

 

 

CHAPTER XVIII

 

THE LAST OF SOUTH AFRICA'S GAME HAUNTS

 

Decrease of game in South Africa--Journey from Mashunaland to the

East African coast--Find country full of game--Elephants--Great

herds of buffaloes--Five old bulls--Bushbucks--Other antelopes

and zebras--Curiosity of the latter animals--Wart-hogs, bush-pigs,

and hippopotamuses--Numbers of carnivorous animals--Three lions

seen--Fine male wounded, and subsequently killed Pages 302-311

 

 

CHAPTER XIX

 

HOW I SPENT CHRISTMAS DAY 1879

 

Travelling through the desert--Large number of bullocks--Long

distances between permanent waters--Heavy sand--Start for

Mahakabi--Intense heat--Sufferings of the poor oxen--No water

at Mahakabi--Search for water with Bushmen guides--Another

disappointment--Ride all night--Reach the Luali river--Bullocks

lost--Dick's account of the catastrophe--Fear the worst--Ride to

Shoshong for assistance--Return to Klabala--Meet wagons

Pages 312-327

 

 

CHAPTER XX

 

NOTES ON THE MASARWA: THE BUSHMEN OF THE INTERIOR OF SOUTH AFRICA

 

First Bushmen seen by author in 1872--Armed with bows and

arrows--Large areas of country uninhabited except by Bushmen--The

Masarwa--Origin of the word "Vaalpens"--Dwarf race mentioned

by Professor Keane--Notes on the language of the Bushmen north

of the Orange river--Apparently very similar to that spoken

by the Koranas--The author's faithful Korana servant--The

Nero family--Physical dissimilarity between the Koranas and

the Masarwa--Stature of Bushmen met with north of the Orange

river--Probably a pure race--The Bakalahari--Livingstone's account

of them--Khama's kindness to them--Habits and mode of life of the

Masarwa--Their weapons--Bows and poisoned arrows--Food of the

Bushmen--Bush children tracking tortoises--Terrible privations

sometimes endured by Bushmen--Provision against famine--A giraffe

hunt--Rotten ostrich egg found by Bushmen and eaten--Fundamental

difference of nature between Bushmen and civilised races not

great--Personal experiences with Bushmen--Their marvellous

endurance--Skill as hunters and trackers--Incident with

lion--Family affection amongst Bushmen--Not unworthy members of the human race