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I have seen hundreds of springbucks sold for a shilling apiece; blesbucks and wildebeeste for half a crown. The tails of the latter were in great demand for use as "chowries" wherewith to keep off the flies. I have seen a pound of fresh butter sold for seventeen and sixpence, a dish of peas for thirty shillings, and a head of cabbage for thirty five.
Impala were as numerous in the areas lying along the river courses as were springbucks on the upland southern plains. Shooting stories are proverbially as unreliable as fishing ones. I have hitherto avoided relating my own slaying experiences.
When passing through a dry district the native hunter knows where to expect water by the animals he sees. The presence of the gemsbuck, duiker or diver, springbucks, or elephants, is no proof that water is near; for these animals roam over vast tracts of country, and may be met scores of miles from it.
Presently he stopped short, and uttering a guttural exclamation, pointed to the earth. "What is it?" we exclaimed; and rising simultaneously we went to where he was standing staring at the sand. "Well," I said, "it is fresh Springbok spoor; what of it?" "Springbucks do not go far from water," he answered in Dutch. "No," I answered, "I forgot; and thank God for it."
Start in June, 1852, on the last and longest Journey from Cape Town Companions Wagon-traveling Physical Divisions of Africa The Eastern, Central, and Western Zones The Kalahari Desert Its Vegetation Increasing Value of the Interior for Colonization Our Route Dutch Boers Their Habits Sterile Appearance of the District Failure of Grass Succeeded by other Plants Vines Animals The Boers as Farmers Migration of Springbucks Wariness of Animals The Orange River Territory of the Griquas and Bechuanas The Griquas The Chief Waterboer His wise and energetic Government His Fidelity Ill-considered Measures of the Colonial Government in regard to Supplies of Gunpowder Success of the Missionaries among the Griquas and Bechuanas Manifest Improvement of the native Character Dress of the Natives A full-dress Costume A Native's Description of the Natives Articles of Commerce in the Country of the Bechuanas Their Unwillingness to learn, and Readiness to criticise.
On the 7th day, having cut the wire near Springfontein, we found large numbers of springbucks in Fauresmith district, and though our supply of ammunition was very limited, we could still afford to spare as many cartridges as would provide sufficient food for men reduced to starvation's point.
The exception was an elephant gun which I used some years afterwards, and which made my nose bleed every time I discharged it. After firing ten shots from my vicious little Snider my shoulder would turn black and blue. But it could drive a bullet straight, as many springbucks on the plains of the Orange Free State had good cause to know.
There were all sorts of them, springbucks in myriads, blesbok and quagga and wildebeeste in thousands, sable antelope, sassaby and hartebeeste in herds, eland, giraffe and koodoo in troops; while the forests were full of elephant and the streams of sea-cow.
The water slowly filters into the bunch of grass, and is sucked up through the reed, and squirted mouthful by mouthful into the shells. When all are filled, the women gather up their load and trudge homeward. Elands, springbucks, koodoos, and ostriches somehow seem to get along very well without any moisture, except that contained in the grass which they eat.
A few villages of Bakalahari were found near them, and great numbers of pallahs, springbucks, Guinea-fowl, and small monkeys. Lopepe came next. This place afforded another proof of the desiccation of the country.
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