The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-11-17

ply in other parts of Africa is without
doubt being depleted rapidly ana surely
year by year Even in the further Sudan
these animals are being gradually exter-
minated
Giraffe hide-which In the mature ami
mails attains a thickness of at least an
inch upon the upper parts-is a commodi-
~ eagerly sought after by all natives
south and north of the Equator. From II
are fashioned sandals. shields and whips
and the demand for 1t is, owing to the
determination of the rhinoceTos and hippo
pOtamus, rapidly increasing. In South Al
rica the value of the skin of a full grown
bull giraffe is, at the present time, even
far up country, about TO- and to secure
this reward large numbers of giranes
wherever these animals are plentiful are
annually slain, principally to supply the
constant demand for sjamboks-i e., colo
NAL raw-hide whips II Is within the
writer's knowledge that quite recently,
during two seasons hunting not less than
800 giraffes have been shot by native hun
ters near Lake Ngami. That slaughter,
within a limited district, represents nat
urally only a small portion of the EXTERN
nation which Is, month by month aud
week by week. going forward In the At
rioau continent.
With the horse the chase OF the giraffe
Is rendered comparatively easy as even
native hunters have, unfortunately Tor
the animal, long since found out. IL is
true that glraffes are possessed of very
considerable speed and great staying pow
er. But the secret of their downfall Is
very easily discovered. If the hunter
presses his horse at topmost speed with
whip and spur for the first two or three
miles of the chase, he can run right up to
his game (unless the troop has gained an
inordinate starO, and either shoot the ami
NAL he singles out easily from the saddle
or turn II from its fellows and bring .it
shortly to a standstin At their own pace
CRATES can run for hours together. but
pressed beyond their speed they become
wlnded and fall easy victims A solid lead
bullet, planted somewhere near the root OF
the giraffe's tail, penetrates through the
short body easily to a vital part, and the
animal falls crashing to the, earth. with
a broken limb the giraffe is at once dis
abled
The pace of the giraffe Is, from its inor-
dinate length of leg. wonderfully deceptive.
Viewed for the lrst time a troop of these
animals In their quieter PAGES appear 10 De
going very slowly With his horse at
pranter the hunter quickly finds out mis-
mistake and presently presses his mount
to it's utmost speed. If the country Is fair
ly open, and he is wen mounted and has
a fair start, he may expect to ride up close
TO his quarry's sterns al hard galop in
fifteen minutes. Pushed to their utmost
speed a troop of gratis, which i'm their
gliding walk seemed to steal over the
ground with extraordinary ease and
smoothness, exhibit marked change IN
their action At full gallop the gait of
these animals alters to series of awk-
ward bounding leaps, the long necks swing
up and down. and the long black tails,
twisted over the backs. are whirled rap
Idly round and round with loud swlshing
noise, which can be plainly heard as the
rider approaches. The flesh of young gil
RATES. and especially OF plump COW, is
extremely good, somewhat like veal, with
a gamelike flavor The tongue, about
eighteen to twenty inches in length, is
also very good But the marrow bones
furnish the greatest luxury Of the South
African hunting veldt. "a giraffe marrow
bone, about three feet in length. roasted
over the camp fire and sawn in half, fur
nishes, with the accompaniment of toast
or bread, truly epicurean repast for a
couple of hungry men. +t
At the beginning Of, the century CRATES
were to be found inhabiting Africa from
the borders of Abyssinia down to the
Orange river. south OF which it seems
doubtful whether their range ever ex-
tended. At the present time their distIi-
button is far more circumscribed, and they
are not now to be encountered in South
Africa until the Northern Kalahari, Kha-
mas country. and Matabeleland, are
reached. In Central Africa they are
scarce, while in the western part of the
continent they are quite unknown. In
East Africa. the Sudan, and Somaliland
they are fairly abundant. q @i9ei
Now that the TransVaal hunting Beers
finding it more profitable occupation
have turned their attention to the capture
instead of the slaughter of the wild ami
mails in the countries beyond their Dor
ders 1t Is possible tina we may OCCASION
ally hear of young specimens for sale.
Rinderpest has, however, done much to
thin the herds left south of the Zambesi,
and the difficulties attending the transport
of the young animals, even when got down
10 the Cape, are, as the latest importa-
lion has unhappily demonstrated very
considerable. Khamas country, now CON
nected with Cape Town by rail-, is proba-
bly, the best and most accessible country
in which to attempt the capture of young
specimens, and the cooperation OF that
intelligent and loyal chief could without
doubt be readily secured. M