Evening star., 1898-02-26

Is within the writer's knowledge that quite
recently. during two seasons hunting. not
less than 300 giraffes have been shot by ma
tive hunters near Lake Ngami. That
slaughter. within limited district. repre-
sents naturally only a small portion OF the
determination which is. month by month
ana week by week, going forward In the
African continent.
Not until firearms and horses were intro
duced into Africa did the present lament
able period of determination set in. Native
spears and bows and arrows-made little
impression or the numbers of these stately
quadrupeds. Even In the pitfalls and ho-
pos. once so abundant in the interior of
South Africa. few giraffes were taken as
compared with other Quadrupeds. But as
soon as breechloading rifles. and especially
hunting horses, appeared, the gigantic mann
NAL became almost surely doomed to ex-
ttnctton. Even with the modern rife the
european on foot finds IL difficult to ap-
proach and stalk such shy and suspicious
game as giraffes. Moreover. in the greater
part OF those regions of southern Africa in
which these creatures are now to be found
the country Is almost waterless, and the
root hunter has no possible chance OF at
tanning his purpose In the northern part
OF the kalahar desert for instance, where
large numbers of gira ffes still roam il Is
impossible to approach these animals eX-
cept on horseback. and then only with
great difficulty. GiraYes have the faculty.
In common with several of the anteiores
such as the Gland and gemsbok, of being
able to support life for long periods without
touching water. For this reason, ia their
last southern stronghold-the north Kala-
hari-giraffes have thus far been able to
resist utter extinction. But with the aid of
norses and water carts considerable pcr-
tfons of this vast waterless tract of coun-
try are now being rendered accessible TO
hunters, and even there giraffes are grad
ual!y being swept from existence The
kalahari Is not by any means a sheer dcs-
eft 1T lacks surface water. but much of
its fiat yet elevated expanse is covered with
great forests of giraffe-acacia and other
timber, bush and excellent grasses Grad
ualiy all this country will be settled by
pastoral farmers. wells will be sunk and
permanent waters opened up. By that
time-not very remotely distanI-giraffes
south of the Zambesi will have become alb
solutely extinct.
With the horse the chase of the rira ffc Is
rendered comparatively easy, as even ma
tive hunters have. unfortunately for the
ANNA, long since found out. 1t is true
cradle speed and great STAYING power But
the secret of their downfall is very easily
discovered. If the hunter presses his horse
az topmost SD with whip and spur for
the nrst two or three miles of the chase he
can run right up to his game (un.ess the
troop has gained an fnordinate START. and
either shoot the animal he singles out easi-
~ from the saddle or turn IT from his fell
lows and bring it shortly to standstil
AT their own pace giraffes can run for
hours together; but. pressed beyond their
speed, they become winded and fall easy
victims. A solid lead bullet, planted some
where near the root of the girare's tail.
penetrates through the short body easily to
Vltai part, and the animal falls crashing
70 tne earth With broken limb the
Crane Is at once disabled. Accomplished
south African hunters. and especially the
Beers, II a long distance from CT MP. are
accustomed, having once run ,heir quarry
down to drive 1t before them for miles and
shoot 1t close to their own wagons This is
mastery operation. however, dependent
somewhat upon the direction of the wind,
aha Is only to be accomplished by skilled
and veteran hunters