The Lamar register., 1909-05-19

rivers and their tributaries. and about
the tributaries of the Zambesi, on
It's 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 buffa-
10 to be found. to. about the Chobe
river, in the far-off swamps and
marshes of the Upper Okavango. In
| these regions the tsetse fly is tain
to be found in the buffaloes' haunt.
and the hunter must perforce do all
his work on foot.
AS the African buffalo Is one OF the
toughest and most difficult Of all game
animals to bring to bag. SO that hand
some creature, Burchell's zebra
(EQuus BurchellD. 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 III not eady
killed outright) to the hunters next
shot. With a broken leg the zebra
is instantly helpless; with a broken
limb, and shot through the body to
boot. one of the larger African an
telopes, such as 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
first-class South African hunting
pony must be in 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 a talon
| end chase across flats. with fair
start, they can usually gallop clean
away from the mounted man. II 1t
were not for habit of curiosity, they
would, indeed, be 'kittle cattle" to
come up with on the great plains.
But their curiosity is often their un-
doing. l 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 a moment, apparently
out of sheer curiosity.
discriminating the African Zebra.
In semi-bushy country, where their
view is more circumscrIbed. these re.
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 by
making long our am getting be-
tween them and the bush to which
they run for shelter. these animals
when feeding in the open can be
driven about and shot pretty much at
will. They seem for the time to be-
come Clustered. lose their heads, try
to make short cuts past tn" mounted
men. and so fall victims. In former
days these magnificent beasts ran In
immense numbers in all the open
country from the Orange river to the
Zambesi. They are still to be found
in large troops in the Ngamiland coun.
try. in remoter parts of Mashonaland,
and in still l .rger numbers east ant
northeast of Mashonaland, toward
the coast. Beyond the Zambesi they
| are widely distributed in Africa, be |
coming exceedingly plentiful again
/ upon the great plains between the
| east coast and Uganda. South Of the
Orange river they seem seldom, i |
ever. to have ranged. Burchell's re
bra is not to be COMPOUNDED with
the more asinine black ind white
mountain zebra (E Zebra). which is
perfectly striped all over. The B rch- |
| ellis zebra is best :nown to the Brit |
ish public of all this handsome group.
good examples being Away on view
in the Geological society's gardens. !
| AS a general rule this zebra is not
perfectly banded down the legs-as is
its 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 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 SO
the species Lecomes exterminated. II
is a thousand pities! OF all sights
in the fair veldt-and there are many
to charm the eye-I know of few no
bier than a good troop Of Burchells
| 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 and shin.
ing as a wellLgroomed race horse,
cleaning in the sunlight; brisk, beau.
tifully proportional, and full of life
and spirits; these zebras represent
tho highest perfection of feral life.
True children of the sun-drenched
plains. long may they yet flourish to
decorate the African veldt!