The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1909-05-28

rivers and their tributaries, and alput
the tributaries of the Zambe on
its easterly course, large herds Of
buffalo are still to be found. This
country however, is only accessible
during the african winter-April to
October-unless the risk of deadly
fever be taken. There are still Bluffs.
10 to- be found, to, about the ChobeS
river, in the far-off swamps and
marshes of the Upper Okavango. In
these; regions the tsetse fly is certain
to be found in the buftaloes' haunt,
and the hunter must rerforce do all
his work on foot: s"a. seq '*=ass~
AS the African buffalo Is one Ut the
toughest and most difficult Of all game
animals to bring to bag, so that hand
some creature, Burchells zebra
(Equus Burchelli), the zebra of the
plains, is by far the most easily de-
stroyed. A single $50 EXPRESS or Mar.
tini-Henry bullet will at once turn
this fleet and handsome animal of the
troop, an easy victim (if not u eady
killed outright) to the hunters next
shot. With broken leg the zebra
is instantly helpless; with broken
limb, and shot through the body to
boot, one of the larger African an.
telopes, such as a hartebeest or brin.
died gnu, will often run for miles, and
finally escape the hunter altogether.
AS an almost invariable rule Burch.
ellis zebras are hunted on horseback:
they are fleet and enduring, and even.
flrst-class South African hunting
pony must be IT, very good form, and
upon hard even ground, to carry his
rider within hal! of them. Most usu.
ally these animals are to be met with
feeding on open grassy plains, or in
open bush, where large glades and
clearings are to he found. In talon
end chase across flats, with a fair
start, they can usually gallop clean
away from the mounted man. II it
were not for habit of curiosity, they
would, indeed, be "kitt]e cattle" to
come up with on the great plains.
But their curiosity is often their un-
doing. I have many times galloped
steadily behind a troop of these ze-
bras, and then halted for a moment.
The zebras would then wheel quickly
round in line and stand for a minute
to have a good look at tho pursuer.
This was the time to put in a steady
shot. Sometimes, even when the hun.
ter is galloping, they will turn round
and stand for moment, apparently
out of sheer curiosity.
discriminating the African Zebra.
In semi-bushy country, where their
view is more circumscribed, these ze
bras are without much difficulty shot
In Mashonaland large numbers OF
those zebras have been shot within
the last few years by the pioneers
and settlers. l have found that b.
making long d Our anc getting be-
tween them and the bush to which
they run for shelter, these animal
when feeding in the open can b.
driven about and shot pretty Euch a.
will. They seem for the time to be-
come Eustered, lose their heads, try
to make short cuts past tho mounte.
men, and so fall victims. In forme:
days these magnificent beasts ran 1t
immense numbers in all the oper
country from the Orange river to tho
Zambesi. They are still to be foune
in large troops in the Nganiland coun
try, in remoter parts of Mashonaland
and in still .rger numbers east ano
northeast of Mashonaland, TOWARD
the coast. Beyond the Zambesi the:
are widely distributed in Africa, be
coming exceedingly plentiful agar
upon the great plains between the
east coast and Uganda. South of the
Orange river they seem seldom, i,
ever. to have ranged. Burchellts re
bra is not to be COMPOUNDED with
the more asinine black End white
mountain zebra (E Zebra), which is
perfectly striped all over. The B rch.
ellis zebra is best ;nown to the Brit
fsh public of all this handsome group.
good examples being Away on view
in the Geological society's gardens.
AS general rule this zebra is not
perfectly banded down the legs-as is
it's mountain cousin-but a variety.
sometimes called by scientists Chap
mans ZEBRA" is to be found in the
interior, with the white gs pretty
generally banded as far down as the
fetlocks. The average European
sportsman, having shot a few of these
beautiful creatures as specimens, will
usually stay his hand and spare them
unless meat for his followers is abso
lutely needed. The Boer and native
hunter, on the contrary, shoot them
whenever they get the chance, merely
for the price of the skin-a matter OF
few shillings up country. And SC
the species becomes exterminated. II
is thousand pities! Of all sights
in the fair veldt-and there are many
to charm the eye-1 know of few no
bier than a good troop of Burchell's
zebras, creatures which seem to have
been created for on other purpose
than to adorn the wilderness
Whether feeding quietly among the
heritage; or resting in the heat OF
midday; or fleeting across the plain,
their striped coats, as clean ard shin.
ing as a well-groomed race horse,
cleaning in the sunlight; brisk, beau.
tifully proportioned, and full of life
and spirits; these zebras represent
the highest perfection Of feral life.
True children of the sun-drenched
Mains limo NAV fhov vot Ao,,r;eh -