River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1909-05-20

rivers and their tributaries, and about
the tributaries of the Zambesi, 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 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 certain
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, BurchellS 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
killed outright) to the hunters next
shot. With broken leg the zebra
is instantly helpless; with a broken
limb, and a 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 horse back;
they are fleet and enduring, and even
a first-class South African hunting
pony must be in very good form, and
upon hard even ground, to carry his
rider within hail 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. If it
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 troop of these re-
bras, and then halted for a moment
The zebras would then wheel quickly
round in line and stand for a minute
to have good look at the 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 a long Our and 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 Iustered, lose their heads, try
to make short cuts past t." 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 and
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, il
ever. to have ranged. Burchell's ze
bra is not to be COMPOUNDED with
the more asinine black ind white
mountain zebra &c 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
! it's mountain cousin-but 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
a few shillingS up country. And SC
| the species becomes 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 Burchell's
zebras, creatures which seem to have
| been created for on other purpose
than to adorn the wilderness
Whether feeding quietly among the
herbage; or resting in the heat OF
midday; or fieeting across the plain.
their striped coats, as clean and shin
ing as a well-groomed 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!
BY permission of Longmans, Green &
Co, New York.