The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-06
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6 By c. J. CORNISH. F. Z. S. Etc.
{CAuthor OF" Life at the Zoo" wild England ofToDay." Animals at Work and
By G. J. CORNISH. F. z. S. Etc.
the Zoo" wild England OF To-Day" animals at Work and
Play - ptcl


OF Portugal. IL was chatterea. at the price
OF e1.O0. 20 bring the tirames home from
Malta. and they all arrived safely on Nay
"A. 1896. OF these three survived for many
years and seventeen fawns were born.
\ MOST ATTRACTIVE SIGHT.
No one can say that the creatures were
not worth the troUble taken 10 bring them
across the ocean. The public interest in them
is justified on all points. fTheir beauty alone
would make them the subjects OF admira-
ton anywhere. The graceful carriage.
beautiful coloring and lovely exc OF the
giraffe are unequaled. The giraffe has the
largest eye of any living creature. 1t is set
IN its head like an immense black onyx.
fringed with eyelashes, two inches long.
Travellers who have sden them standing
upright in the mimosa bush Of the Sudan.
daintily plucking the crimson flowers. say
that this is one OF the most attractive
sights possible TO be seen by a naturalist
They are also the tallsst animals In the
world. a large bull girsne stands as high
as nineteen feet. We doubt. too. IL many
creatures can equal them in speed over
rough country. Sir Samuel Baker, when
witt the hunting Arabs OF the Sudan, noted
that in praising a horse they would say he
Is fast enough TO catch a giraffe" These
are among the wild creatures that Lord
Cromer may be trusted TO preserve. IL he
can, In the newly reconquered Sudan prov
ince. The scarcity OF these interesting crea-
lures at the other extremity OF Africa is
mainly due to the slaughter Of them by
sk%in-hunting Beers and natives. When an
offer Of $1,000 for a pair, made by the Lon
don Geological Society. did not produce
more than the offer OF a single specimen.
the reality OF the stories of their destruc-
don cannot be doubted.
According 10 Mr.. III. Anderson Dryden,
the only part OF Southern Africa in which
they are now found is tie waterless Ka Ia
hari desert. Even there II is not safe. for
its hide is valuable to make sjambok whips.
I its flesh is excellent. tasting like good veni-
son. and its marrow bones the greatest lux
ury Of the bush. In all the accounts OF trav-
elers who saw the girafes in days when
they were common. none describe the way
in which the giraffe arranges his snake
like neck when he goes T. sleep, The camel
lays its neck fat on the ground. the head
resting on the chin. But the giraffe does
not kneel down to rest itself like the camel.
1t folds its legs in joints like a two-fo0t
rule. and then lies on it's side. curled round
something like a dog. The neck is brought
4 fOunu, ana the Clln AdlQ over luc MP. luAcc
who arrange for the transport OF giranes
seem to forget that they do need 10 be
down occasionally. When the female now ina
the London gardens CAME by ship she was
stabbed in a box. with q hood over it into
which the CRATES neck fitted. The hood
was so arranged that il could be bent for
ward. and when the train on which it was
placed was coming up I'd London. this was
done before every tunneE. the giraffe being
obliged TO lower its head by pressure. Mr..
Dryden, who knows more about CRATES
than any living writer. notes that in the
one region OF South Africa where they are
fairly plentiful, the native name for them
is n'abe. This is obviously the same word
as nabis, which Pliny said was the Ethiopi-
an name for them in has day. That the
word should still exist at the opposite ex-
tremity OF Africa from that with which
the Romans were ia contact Is nOrr>-s-s
curious.
The "sjambok." with which the Boer was
formerly wont to "wop his own niger" is
cut from giraffe hide. AS the instrument lie
thought a good deal OF. and costs about "a
in the Transvaal, some description OF IL is.
perhaps, not out OF place. 1t is something
like a dog-whip. but far stronger and better
adapted for the purpose for which it IL
used. All other whips are either in two
pieces, viz. stick and thong, or made Of
some material like leather. plated thickly
in the handle till it becomes stin and taper
ing, but stil plated In the thong.
The sjambok is cut out OF one piece Of
giraffe hide, the handle quite stiff and
round, soft TO the touch. and only semi
opaque when held up TO the light. IL grad
ually tapers till it droops and dwindles into
a lash, all Of the same gutta-percha-liks
white hide. not tanned. and the cruel IN
strument has a strength and suppleness
Unequaled in any other whip. Such is the
implement which the Beers prize so much
that TO obtain IT the giraffe herds are de-
stroyed.
Next Week:
THE Bear Pits and the Bears"