Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1853-01-13
GIRAFFE HUNTING.


This day was TO me rather memorable
one, as The frs, on which ! saw and slew
the lofty, graceful-looking giraffe or came
LEOPARD, with which, during many years oI
my life, ] had longed to form an acqnaln'
snce. These gigantic and exquisitely beau
tiful animals, which are admirably formed
by nature to adorn the fair forests that clothe
the boundless plains of the interior, are
widely distributed throughout the interior
of Southern Africa, bu. are nowhere te
be met with in great numbers. In coun
tries unmolested by the intrusive foot o.
man, the giraffe is found generally in herds
varying from twelve to sixteen but have
not unfrequenily met with herds containing
thirty individuals, and on one occasion
counted forty together; this, however, was
owing TO chance, and about sixteen may be
reck oned as the average number ot herd
These herds are composed Of glrafles oil va
rious sizes, from the young giraffe Of nine
or ten feet in hight, to the dark, chestnut
Icolored old bull of the herd, whose exalted
head towers above his companions, general
ly attaining to height of upward of eigh-
teen feet. The females are of lower stature
and more delicately formed than The males
their height averaging from sixteen 10 seven
teen feet. Some writer's have discovered
ugIiness and want of grace in the giraffe
but | consider that he is one Of the mosI
sirikiDgly beautiful animals in the creation;
and when herd Of them is seen scattered
through grove of the picturesque parasol-
topped acacias which adorn their native
plains, and on whose uppermost shoots they
are epabled TO browse by the colossal high
with which nature has SO admirably endow-
ed them, lie must, indeed, be slow of con.
cep,ion who fails TO discover both grace
and dignity in all their movements.
Among the various living creatures which
beauiily this fair creation ] have very often
traced a remarkable resemblance between
the animal and the general appearance o1
the locality in which it is found. This
frs: remarked at an early period Of my life
when entomology occupied par, of my al
renlion. No person following this interest
ing pursuit can fail to observe the extraor-
dinary likeness which insects bear to the
various abodes in which they are met with
Thus, among the long green grass we find
a variety OF long green insects, whose legs
and anlenna SO resembled The shoots ema
mating from the stalks of the grass-ih at i
1reQuIres apracilced eye 10 distinguish Them
! throughout sandy districts varieties OF IN
sec,s are met with Of color imilar 10 the
sand which they inhabt. Among the green
leaves Of the various trees of the forest In
Vulnerable eaf-colored insects are to be
found; while, closely sdhering 10 the rough
grav bark Of these Gorest-trees, we observe
beaut;fulIy-coIored, graylooking moths o
various patterns, vet altogether SO resembl-
ing the bark as TO be invisible TO the pass
ing observer. In like manner among the
qualrupeds have traced a corresponding
analogy, for, even in the case of the stupend
Gus elephant, the ashy color of his hide Sc
corresponds with the general appearance o
the gray lhorny jnngles which he frequent:
throughout the day, that person unaccus
toned to hunting elephants, standing on
commanding situation, might look dowr
upon herd and fail to detect their presence
And further, in the case of the giraffe, which
is invariably met with among venerable for
es,s, where innumerable blasted and wealth
er-beaien trunks and stems occur, have re
peatedly been in doubt as 10 the presenc'
Of a troop Of them until had recourse Il
my spy-glass and on referring the case is
nv savage attendants. have known ever
their optics to fail, al one time msakint
these di!apida,ed trunks for cameIopards
and again confounding real cameopard
with these aged veterans Of the forest.
Although we had now been lravelin!
many days through the the country of III
giraffe, and had marched through forests il
which their spoor was abundant, our eye
had not yet been gifted with s. ght ol"Too!
LAP himself; i, was therefore with indescrib
able pleasure that, on the evening OF the lltl
beheid troop of these interesting animal;
Our breakfast being finished ! resume
my Journey through an endless gray fores
Of cameeldorn and other trees, the coun,r
slghly undulatIng and grass abundant.
i,te before the sun went down my drive
remarked to me, IL was ust going TO say
sir, that that old tree was a camelopard.
On looking where he pointed, saw thu
the old Tree was indeed camelopard, an'
on casting my eyes lille TO the right,
i, beheld troop Of them standing looking
us. their heads actually towering above tll
trees Of The forrest. II was lmprudenI
commence a chase at such late hour, e.
pecialiy in a country of so level a characie
- where the chances were against my BEN
. able to regain my wagons that night.
! however, resolved To chance every thing
- and directing my men 10 catch and sadd
y Colesberg, proceeded in haste to buck
=, my shoollng- bel. and spurs, and in 'w
minutes was in the saddle. The girafl'
stood looking at the wagons until W;
>. within sixty yards Of them; when, ga
= Looping round thick bushy tree, under COW
= Of which had ridden, suddenly beheld