Part 10

When encamped on the Cashan Mountains in what is now the north-western part of the Transvaal, in 1836, as he writes in his volume on ‘Wild Sports in Southern Africa,’ he achieved his success as follows:—

“My doubled-barrelled rifle having again suffered in a fall with my horse, I took the field on the 13th December with a heavy weapon constructed upon the primitive principle of flint and steel, which, as a pis-aller, I had obtained at the Kuruman.

“Our party were in full pursuit of a wounded elephant, when a herd of unusually dark-looking antelopes attracted observation in an adjacent valley. Reconnoitring them through a pocket-telescope from the acclivity on which we stood, I at once exclaimed that they were new; and having announced my intention of pursuing them, if requisite, to the world’s end, I dashed down the slope, followed by the derision of the Hottentots, for my unsportsman- like attention to an ‘ugly buck,’ one specimen of which, however, I assured them I would rather possess than all the elephants in Africa! In an instant I was in the middle of the herd, which was then crossing the valley—nine chestnut-coloured does leading, and two magnificent coal-black bucks—all with scimitar-shaped horns—bringing up the rear. Hastily dismounting, I was delighted to observe them stand for a few seconds within fifty yards, and stare at me with amazement. In vain was it, however, that I pulled the trigger of my rifle; three several times the heavy machinery of the lock descended with alarming vehemence, but no report followed the concussion; and the herd having in the meantime ascended a steep hill, I fairly rode my horse to a standstill in the attempt to overtake them. Cursing my hard fortune as I dashed the hateful weapon to the ground, I hastened to the camp to repair my rifle; armed with which, and mounted on a fresh steed, I returned with my companion to the spot, where, having taken up the footmarks, we followed them, with unwearied perseverance, among the hills, during the whole of that and the following day, without attaining even a glimpse of the objects of our quest. At noon of the third day, however, peeping cautiously over a bank, our laudable assiduity was rewarded by the gratifying sight of the two bucks grazing by themselves, unconscious of our approach, in a stony valley.

“Having disposed our forces, after a moment’s consultation, so as to intercept the game from a tangled labyrinth of ravines, the attack was made. The hind leg of the handsomer of the two was dangling in an instant, and in another he was sprawling on the earth. Quickly recovering himself, however, he led me more than a mile over the sharp stones ere he was brought to bay, when, twice charging gallantly, he was at length overthrown and slain.

“It were vain to attempt a description of the sensations I experienced when thus, after three days of toilsome tacking and feverish anxiety, unalleviated by any incident that could inspire the smallest hope of ultimate success, I at length found myself in actual possession of so brilliant an addition to the riches of natural history. The prize evidently belonged to the Aigocerine group, and was equal in stature to a large galloway. The horns, which were flat, and upwards of three feet in length, swept gracefully over the back in the form of a crescent. A bushy black mane extended from the lively chestnut-coloured ears to the middle of the back; the tail was long and tufted; and the glossy jet- black hue of the greater portion of the body contrasted beautifully with a snow-white face and belly. We thought we could never have looked at or admired it sufficiently; my companion observing, after a long pause, ‘that the Sable Antelope would doubtless become the admiration of the world,’ A drawing and description having been completed on the spot, the skin was carefully removed and conveyed upon a pack-horse in triumph to the camp; and it may possibly interest those of my readers, who shall have followed me during the last three days, to learn that I succeeded, with infinite difficulty, in bringing this unique and interesting specimen of African zoology, in a state of high preservation, to Cape Town, where, in October last, it was elegantly set up by Monsieur Verreaux, the French naturalist, and obligingly taken to England by my well-known friend Captain Alexander, 42nd Royal Highlanders, and is now in the British Museum.”

On January 9th, 1838, Harris exhibited his mounted specimen of the Sable Antelope at a meeting of the Zoological Society of London, and proposed for it the apposite scientific name “niger.” The same specimen was subsequently figured in the second volume of the Society’s ‘Transactions.’

Writing in 1881 Mr. Selous gave the following account of the distribution of the Sable Antelope at that period:—

“At the present a few Sable Antelopes are still to be found in south-western. Matabele Land, in the neighbourhood of the Ramokwebani, Shashani, and Samookwe rivers (tributaries of the Shashe). Along the waggon-road leading from Tati to the Zambesi it may be met with here and there, but is decidedly scarce. All along the Chobe river, as far as I have been, I have met with this Antelope, though sparingly. In the Mābābe country, and on the road leading from there to Bamangwato, I neither saw a Sable Antelope nor the spoor of one, and do not think its range extends so far to the west. In the broken country to the south of the Victoria Falls, in the neighbourhood of the Pendamatenka and Daka rivers, it is not uncommon, but its true home is the higher portions of the Mashuna country, to the north-east of the Matabele country. There it is the commonest Antelope, and may still be met with in herds of over fifty individuals, the usual number being from ten to twenty. However large the herd, I have never seen more than one full-grown bull with it, though there may be several half-grown ones; whilst in a large herd of any other kind of Antelopes two or more full-grown males are nearly always to be seen. On the Manica plateau, north of the Zambesi, Sable Antelopes are also to be met with. The longest pair of male Sable Antelope’s horns I have seen measured 45 inches over the curve, the longest pair of female 33 inches. In the Mashuna country and along the Chobe the average length of the horns of these animals is greater than in south- western Matabele Land.”

In his admirable work entitled ‘A Breath from the Veldt’ Mr. John Millais has devoted many pages and sketches to the illustration of this splendid creature, which he evidently places as the finest of all the Antelopes of South Africa. He describes it as follows:—

“In general appearance and sporting qualities the Sable Antelope (Hippotragus niger) yields the palm to none of its kind. There is about the whole animal that indescribable charm that is so intensely African and associated with the wild life. Its strong individuality must ever stand out in the minds of those who have been so fortunate as to see and shoot it, and it is certainly one of the chief objects of interest in the splendid fauna of that country. Apart from its satin-like hide, sweeping horns, erect mane, and great strength, the Sable Antelope presents an appearance of fearlessness and nobility that is very striking, to say the least of it. Though the Koodoo surpasses his rival in elegance and general appearance when dead, he is but a skulker, and makes but a poor show beside the Sable on the Veldt. I would say, if such a comparison be allowable, the two hold their own like the rival beauties of a London drawing-room. The fair beauty sits quietly in a corner, charming her immediate circle with her graceful shyness and beauty, and people take sly glances at her from the other end of the room, while pretending to devote their attention to someone else. What a contrast with her black-eyed rival, who flaunts into the room as if she owned the entire show, and commands the attention of all eyes by her flashy and striking beauty! The one attracts attention slowly, the other commands it at once. Roughly speaking, the height of this grand Antelope at the shoulder is about 4½ feet, but he looks much taller, owing to his great shoulders and unusually thick neck, ornamented with its erect crest of hair. The tail is long, and has a good wisp of hair at the end, which, like the tails of the Roan Antelope and the Waterbuck, swings from side to side as the animal gallops away. Like the Koodoo, the horns of the Sable are its chief glory, and the noble manner in which the head is carried by the buck when on the move is a splendid thing to see. Unlike all Deer, and nearly all Antelope, the Sable when running arches the neck instead or raising the chin; this gives the animal its nice picture-booky look, and I could hardly imagine a finer subject for an animal painter than a herd of these grand beasts on the move, if their heads and necks be properly drawn.”

Mr. F. V. Kirby, F.Z.S., in his ‘Haunts of Wild Game,’ also devotes a whole chapter to an account of his rencontres with this Antelope, which he found “by no means rare” in his favourite hunting-grounds in the Lydenburg district of the Transvaal, and gives several excellent illustrations of its noble form.

Lastly, Mr. J. Ffolliott Darling, F.Z.S., has kindly favoured us with the following field-notes on this Antelope as lately observed by him in Mashonaland and Matabeleland:—

“These Antelopes, of which the Mashona names are Inguarāti and Marabālla, were much more numerous before the incursion of the Pioneers in 1890, but even now, in most out-of-the-way places, they are abundant, especially on the higher parts of the plateau, which is from 3000 to 5000 feet high. As late as 1896 I have seen troops of these bucks lying out on the open flats at midday, far from any cover, but, as a rule, when much disturbed and hunted, they seek concealment in the bush for their daily sleep. They usually go in troops of from 5 to 12 or 15, the largest herd I ever counted consisting of 22 individuals; I often heard of troops of 50 or 60, but when an opportunity offered of counting them they invariably resolved themselves into a score or so. Occasionally one comes across a bull keeping altogether by himself, and in such cases I always found him very wary and almost impossible to approach within shot. Whatever may be the reason for his going alone, it is evidently the same cause that has also made him very suspicious and cautious. I have known a lone bull haunt a certain spot for months, and have seen him frequently, but never in company. Sometimes 3 or 4 bulls will be found together, but usually herds are mixed—young and old, male and female, run together; a troop of 10 will consist of one big bull, 3 or 4 younger males, and the remainder cows or young ones. The old bulls don’t seem to wish to drive away the younger males, as Deer do.

“One day, as I was quietly meandering through the bush in Mashonaland, a troop of 10 or 12 Sable came trotting by. About half had gone past me without suspicion, when a cow took the alarm, and, stopping suddenly, looked in my direction. She could not exactly make out the enemy, but after a few seconds she stamped her foot two or three times and snorted, as if to warn the others to keep quiet. They all stopped, gazing about, but finally cantered off without having satisfied their curiosity.

“These Antelopes fight very well with their long curved horns, and strike sideways very quickly. A dog that is unwise enough to run up behind and try to lay hold of one has little chance of escaping impalement. A bull won’t run very far from a dog, but will stop to fight him, and if the dog keeps out of his reach and stays running round and barking at him the hunter can easily get up for a shot.

“When taken young, Sables get very tame and bold, and will push open the door and demolish a loaf of bread or any other eatables that may be handy. A young bull used to frequent the laager at Salisbury during the Mashonaland rebellion in 1896; he was very friendly with white folks, but—unlike some of the stay-at-home philanthropists—knew the difference between white and black men very well, and if a ‘black brother’ took any liberties with him he was promptly knocked down.

“The Sable calves are mostly born in November and December (spring and early summer), but I have shot cows heavy with young at the same time that others had good-sized calves.”

Passing northwards of the Zambesi we find the Sable Antelope recorded by Peters, in his ‘Reise nach Mossambique,’ as met with in the Portuguese dominions west of Tette, and on the woody plains of Sena. In Nyasaland Mr. Crawshay tells us it is not by any means evenly distributed, but appears to be plentiful in some places. In the Shiré Highlands, as Sir Harry Johnston writes, the Sable is one of the commonest Antelopes, frequenting the wooded hills rather than the low-lying plains, and we have seen many heads obtained by Mr. Sharpe, the late Capt. Sclater, and others from this district.

Sir Harry Johnston believes that the Sable Antelope is also found on the Nyasa-Tanganyika plateau; but it has not, so far as we are aware, been obtained there by Mr. Sharpe, Mr. Crawshay, Mr. Yule, and others who have traversed that district. It, however, certainly occurs again further north in the coast-district of German East Africa. Herr Oscar Neumann informs us that during his journey through German and British East Africa he never saw a specimen of H. niger alive, but only the skin of one that had been killed near Tanga on the coast. His opinion is that the species is not now to be met with anywhere in the interior of German East Africa, but that there are still some herds of it left on the coast opposite Zanzibar, near Tanga and Pangani. In this district it was formerly hunted by Sir John Kirk, in whose collection there is a head of the Sable Antelope, which has been examined by Sclater. The specimen, as Sir John kindly informs us, was obtained about twelve miles inland, somewhat to the north of the River Wami, in the winter of 1884–5.

Whether the Sable Antelope occurs much further north than this seems to be by no means certain. Sir Harry Johnston has enumerated it among the Antelopes of the Kilimanjaro district (Kilimanjaro Exp. p. 354). Sir John Willoughby had a shot at what “he believed was a herd of ‘Sable Antelopes’” on his journey from Mombasa into the interior in 1886 (East Africa, pp. 46, 47), but did not secure a specimen. Mr. Jackson and Mr. Gedge “saw a herd of about ten or twelve near Gulu Gulu in November 1888,” but Mr. Jackson admits that no European has yet bagged a Sable Antelope in British East Africa.

There is also no good authority for the occurrence of the Sable Antelope still further north on the White Nile, although it is included in Heuglin’s List of N.E. African Mammals as being met with in the Shilluk country on the authority of v. Pruyssenaer. We may therefore, for the present, draw the northern limit of the Sable Antelope on the east side of Africa at somewhere about the 5th degree N. lat. On the western side of Africa the Sable Antelope, which Mr. Selous has already shown to occur on the Manica Plateau in Barotseland, appears to extend thence into Southern Angola, where, according to Prof. Barboza du Bocage, Welwitsch obtained it in Mossamedes.

Many living specimens of the Sable Antelope have been brought to Europe of late years. The first example, a male, reached our Zoological Society’s Gardens in 1861, and a second male in 1873. In 1895 a fine young pair were purchased of Mr. C. Reiche, of Alfeld, along with the young female Giraffe which arrived in February of that year. They have done well and are still thriving, but have not yet bred.

At the Zoological Gardens of Hamburg they have been more fortunate with this species, a fine calf having been born there on the 1st of May, 1894. Of this interesting animal we are able to give an illustration (Plate LXXX.) through the kindness of the Director, Dr. Bolau, who has sent Sclater an excellent water-colour drawing of the mother and young, executed by the well-known German zoological artist Leutemann, when the young one was rather more than a fortnight old. Other Continental gardens have also now, or have lately had, living representatives of this beautiful species. In the Cologne Gardens, as Dr. Wunderlich kindly informs us, this Antelope has bred twice—in April 1896, when the period of gestation was observed to be 272 days, and in March 1898, when it was reckoned at 281 days.

Our illustration of the male of this Antelope (Plate LXXIX.) was put on the stone by Mr. Smit, under the direction of the late Sir Victor Brooke, about twenty years ago, from a water-colour sketch prepared by Mr. Wolf, but we have not been able to ascertain from what specimen it was taken. Mr. Smit at the same time prepared a wood-block of the head (fig. 91, p. 38), which he believes was taken from a specimen lent to Sir Victor by Mr. Selous.

Besides Harris’s original type specimen to which we have already called attention, there are mounted examples of both sexes of this Antelope and a mounted skeleton in the British Museum received from Mr. Selous, who procured them in Mashonaland. There are also in the National Collection a skin of an adult female from Caffreland (Wahlberg), three skins from Nyasaland presented by Sir Harry Johnston, and a skin from Lake Mweru presented by Mr. Alfred Sharpe, besides several skulls and pairs of horns from different localities.

January, 1899.

Genus II. ORYX. Type.

Oryx, De Blainville, Bull. Soc. Philom. 1816, p. 75 O. gazella.