among the various kinds of antelopes which inhabit south africa, the blauwbok, or blue buck, called by mr. cumming, the blue antelope, is one of the most remarkable. it is six feet in length, three feet and a half high to the back, and very compactly made. the horns are more than two feet in length, round, closely annulated to within six inches of the tips, bent back in a uniform but moderate curve, and very sharp at the points. the general color of the hair is gray, with the insides of the ears, a streak before each eye, the insides of the legs, and a few hairs along the ridge of the neck, white. the hair on the body divides on the line of the back, and is rather coarse and open.
the skin under it on the upper part of the living animal is a black, which shining through the grey, produces a sort of raven-blue tint. it is the epidermis only and not the mucous tissue which has this black color, otherwise the hair would have it; and it fades when the animal is dead, as is the case with a highly-colored epidermis in almost all animals.
this animal was frequently pursued and shot by mr. cumming, in his african hunts, and his flesh was found to be excellent.
the cape buffalo, or african buffalo, was a more troublesome object of chase. this animal, has a most formidable front, and its general aspect is shaggy and formidable. the horns are the most compact, and in their substance the heaviest of all the ruminating animals, excepting only some of those of the antelopes. this animal is considerably lower than the indian buffalo; but it is firmer, though shorter in the legs, rounder in the body; and the beard and short mane give it a rugged appearance. this is by far the most formidable animal of the genus. it has never been tamed, and the males are dangerous to come near.
mr. cumming thus describes one of his encounters with this animal, by himself and ruyter, a bushman, a favorite servant.
on the forenoon of the 26th, i rode to hunt, accompanied by ruyter; we held west, skirting the wooded stony mountains. the natives had here many years before waged successful war with elephants, four of whose skulls i found. presently i came across two sassaybies, one of which i knocked over; but while i was loading he regained his legs and made off. we crossed a level stretch of forest, holding a northerly course for an opposite range of green, well wooded hills and valleys. here i came upon a troop of six fine old bull buffaloes, into which i stalked, and wounded one princely fellow behind the shoulder, bringing blood from nis mouth; he, however made off with his comrades, and the ground being very rough we failed to overtake him. they held for the ngotwani. after following the spoor for a couple of miles, we dropped it, as it led right away from camp.
returning from this chase, we had an adventure with another old bull buffalo, which shows the extreme danger of hunting buffaloes without dogs. we started him in a green hollow among the hills, and his course inclining for camp, i gave him chase. he crossed the level broad strath and made for the opposite densely wooded range of mountains. along the base of these we followed him, sometimes in view, sometimes on the spoor, keeping the old fellow at a pace which made him pant. at length, finding himself much distressed, he had recourse to a singular stratagem. doubling round some thick bushes which obscured him from our view, he found himself beside a small pool of rain water, just deep enough to cover his body; into this he walked, and facing about, lay gently down and awaited our on-coming, with nothing but his old grey face and massive horns above the water, and these concealed from our view by rank overhanging herbage.
our attention was entirely engrossed with the spoor, and thus we rode boldly on until within a few feet of him, when springing to his feet, he made a desperate charge after ruyter, uttering a low, stifling roar, peculiar to buffaloes, (somewhat similar to the growl of a lion) and hurled horse and rider to the ground with fearful violence. his horns laid the poor horse's haunches open to the bone, making the most fearful ragged wound.
in an instant ruyter regained his feet and ran for his life, which the buffalo observing, gave chase, but most fortunately came down with a tremendous somersault in the mud, his feet slipping from under him; thus the bushman escaped certain destruction. the buffalo rose much discomfited, and, the wounded horse first catching his eye, he went a second time at him, but he got out of the way. at this moment i managed to send one of my patent pacificating pills into his shoulder, when he instantly quitted the scene of action, and sought shelter in a dense cover on the mountain side, whither i deemed it imprudent to follow him.