The silver messenger. (Challis, Idaho) 1890-1912, 1901-04-30
To lie Protected by
Powers of
Europe.


utter a sound under any circumstances
even when wounded. As a runner II Is
famous, and only a good horse can
overtake it.
The Eland Nearly Extinct.
The Gland is threatened with ex-
tinction largely because of its great
size. 1t is the biggest of all the ante
lopes, being almost as large as a COW
and is slow and clumsy compared with
most Of its congeners. It's flesh being
very good to eat, it has been much
hunted on that account. Already it is
exterminated in Cape Colony, Natal. the
orange Free State and the Transyaal.
In the Kalahan desert there are still
a good many of these animals, and &C.
casionally herds of them wander out
Of this desolate retreat in search of a
certain Kind Of bush, the leaves Of
which they are very fond Of. In the
desert a small wild melon containing
a considerable quantity Of water
grows pientifully, and it is supposed
that this serves to assuage the thirst
Of the Glands and giraffes in the hot
and dry season.
The brindled gnu is another large
antelope. and is one of the most re-
markab!e and interesting quadrupeds
Of South Africa. From the front it
looks somewhat like a small OK, and
from the rear like a horse. The Hot
tentots call it Baas. meaning master,
on account of its bold and fierce bear
ing. 1t has a near relative called the
white-tailed gnu, and both species for
merly inhabited in enormous multi
lures the grassy plains north of the
Vaal river. After the summer rains
each year they advanced in large herds
as far as the southern branches Of the
Orange river, and on reaching that
stream the white-tailed gnus would
cross over into Cape Colony, to be
slaughtered in great numbers by hunt
ers. For some reason unknown the
brIndled gnu never passed the river.
The brindled gnu is now extremely
scarce in the Transyaal and practical
ly extinct in the Orange Free State. Il
is still met with in Bechuanaland
along the edge OF the Kalahari desert
and in some other localities. Owing
to the open character Of the country
in which it lives, it is one OF the mos
difficult beasts to stalk. 1t has sui
fered greatly from the cattle diseas'
which, while causing such loss of do
: mesticated beasts, has wiped out i'm
= mense numbers of game animals o
many kinds in South Africa, includ
ing giraffes and Glands.
The African elephant, though no
t yet on the verge of extinction, can no
| long escape determination unless pro
4 tected in some way. Within the pas
= few years the demand for ivory ha
= greatly increased, and it is reckone
r that each twelvemonth 100000 Of tn
e giant pachyderms are slain to suppl
p the market with this commodity. TIL
$ African elephant grows foot highe
t than the Asiatic pachyderm. At Dirt
= it weighs 225 pounds and its aver
age length of life is so years. A PAL
/ of tusks from a full-grown beast vii
: weigh 225 pounds.
:. Elephant Mast BE Protected.
(, There were formerly in South Afric
: three very interesting animals relate
to the horse-the quagga, the noun
: tain zebra, and Burchell's zebra. onl
9 so years ago the quagga roamed in in
o mense herds in the lowlands Of Cap
: Colony. 1t was easily tanned and migf
e have furnished a domestic quadrupe
: most useful to man; but it was ruth
s lessly shot down and exterminated fc
d the sake of its hide, and now it is b'
: lieved that not a single specimen SUI
S wives in the world. The mountain II
e bra. formerly so abundant in tn
o mountainous parts of Cape Colony tn;
4 it was called the common zebra"
+ now very rare The few survivor
/, protected by law from hunters, see
e the widest and most sequestere
:, spots. and. being fleet of foot, are vel
8 difficult to approach. Burchell's zebl
s has been to some extent domestieate