New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-03-01
4 HUNTERS BOOh.
SOUTH AFRICAN SPORT AND TRAY RI"

ky,mn.-Hf. i. ! WIN nlu-trn,lons ~ he author
1nJ fran,sp'cce by ~ J = Mhlel, X !, I'm. I'm;
ts 'fs". SS = g. Ycw-YorI Macmillan CO.
vr Milais started FOR South Africa win the con-
,,r,,,o ,ha, all that hunters wished to Nho" "''",
the r,rlon hal been said beforehand pY 9'"'' 'n'
o.b.rs Il had n,, been In Cape Town SIX hours ne
declares however. before found myself S''t'"'
t,, 81, m, ieach and making sketches Of the funhy
.,,c ,,,vs u "a lot Of cormoran's IS they dsportei
,,,,sl,es "A, my feet In the waters His sk"trheS
and notes Increased rapidly In number as ne con-
,lnuerhls travels and before he kne" II ne hal 'n'
s,hsiance o, a book at HIS command II" VIII pe
held In honor for having used II Inc SP''"n'u
or,r,o in which his admirable descriptions ana
1r,uin,s hay. been published Is Justly named II
- a veri,ahle breath from the Ncdt' that comes
"a the reader from the pages OF TINS Voun'' anu
though all his observations had been anticipated
sax earlier sportsncn and geological experts (Which
apply has not been the casc). Mr.. MiAais wouid
SIN b. read with delight by All who enjoy hunting
narrative told at first hand with abundant knowi-
d,. NJ the beasts discussed and with constant good
hunor This author makes no prctension' 70 liter
ary r,o,sh IIis book Is one OF the most unconVcn-
,Ional productions OF It's Kind extan But 1t IL Just
IN his elasticity TIM, Mr.. Millais Ia most charming
lie was y, prodigiously happy among his fIoer
friends and through the long hours Of waiting and
watching on the vedt. ITO the casual visitor" he
sny. "a south African town may seem deadly duh"
I'm, wherever nc went he found pleasant companions
for his excursions after Wild game and In his own
experience recorded In this volume. there IL not a
truce Of dulncss. His spirited conversation holds
the attention from beginning TO end
The nrs, impression derived from this book Is OF
q university man out for holiday. with the Eng
llshman's traditional taste on such occasions salts
fv,ng Itself to the full But Mr. Millais is after all
something more than a mere Killer OF Wild animals.
He is a fellow OF the Geological Society. ami the
,I.1tat aLQ
page OF his book. Cape Town ne would have found
pcrfcc,ion Itself II there had been geological
garden In the place. and II Is with evident gee that
he appends "A note 10 his comments or this matter.
stating that Mr.. Rhodes has recently proposed TO
establish a game park In the neighborhool. The
troubles In the Transvaal may have postponed this
improvement. but. as MIR. Millais points out. 1t
must come eventually II the geological societies OF
the world have desire to prevent the ultimate
extinction Of OF the most interesting figures
In the animal kingdom. The giraffe. for example.
is easily bred IN captivity but the climatic condI
lions OF regions other than It's own are distinctly
unfa favorable to Its health and until It has attained
It's growth the animal Is best kept In the climate
10 which II born 1t is necessary to take the
giraffe while young. and under the present system,
which hurries the creature off 10 London Paris
as soon as It is captured rarely survives for any
length, Of time Mr. Mlais asserts the same thing
OF the buffalo. the sable antelope the water buck.
the roam antelope. the greater koodoo and the
black wldebeest. and he looks longingly for some
such involaie home for them In South Africa the
Yellowstone Park provides for our swiftly
ishng fauna.
Early In his book Mr. Nfillais has interesting
correction to make In regard to the fleet antclopes
of South Africa The accepted belief to the
speed Of the springbuck Is that he IL the fastest
animal Of his species. The old Boer huntsmen with
| whom Mr. MIllais foregathered indisposed to
agree with this notion The springbuck move
| rapidly, they say. and 1.-THE blessbuck rarely
tends himself but when he does there Is dog iv-
| Ing that come up to him.. and the sprlngbuck.
In spite Of his terrific pace. Is often down. Mr.
Mllais went out with n good staying greyhound
| day TO put a certain old blessbuck hts mettle
| and verify the local traditions. THE blessbuck
| looked at first as II ne had not the ghost OF a
chance and as he started OF he seemed TO be af-
| nicted with chronic rheumatism In all his legs a
noticeable trait in this species when moving along
their ordinary pace. but once the dogs began to
close upon him ne suddenly woke up and In half IA
| dozen strides ne had fairly left those dogs about
| NIFTY yards behind. distance he easily maintained
| until he vas out OF sight tho sky line" Notes
like these. which ara scattered profusely through
| Mr.. Millais's volume would be In themselves sug-
gestive, but ne has fortified his text throughout
| with some Of the best Of modern animal studies.
They not beautiful pictures but thev fas-