As they fully expected to fall in with a herd of buffaloes as they
proceeded, they started very early on the following morning. They had
now the satisfaction of finding that the water was plentiful in the
river, and, in some of the large holes which they passed, they heard the
snorting and blowing of the hippopotami, to the great delight of the
Hottentots, who were very anxious to procure one, being very partial to
its flesh.
As they travelled that day, they fell in with a small party of Bushmen;
they were shy at first, but one or two of the women at last approached,
and receiving some presents of snuff and tobacco, the others soon
joined; and as they understood from Omrah and the Hottentots that they
were to hunt in the afternoon, they followed the caravan, with the hopes
of obtaining food.
They were a very diminutive race, the women, although very well formed,
not being more than four feet high. Their countenances were pleasing,
that is the young ones; and one or two of them would have been pretty,
had they not been so disfigured with grease and dirt. Indeed the
effluvia from them was so unpleasant, that our travellers were glad that
they should keep at a distance; and Alexander said to Swinton, "Is it
true that the lion and other animals prefer a black man to a white, as
being of higher flavour, Swinton, or is it only a joke?"
"I should think there must be some truth in the idea," observed the
Major; "for they say that the Bengal tiger will always take a native in
preference to a European."
"It is, I believe, not to be disputed," replied Swinton, "that for one
European devoured by the lion or other animals, he feasts upon ten
Hottentots or Bushmen, perhaps more; but I ascribe the cause of his so
doing, not exactly to his perceiving any difference in the flesh of a
black and a white man, and indulging his preference. The lion, like
many other beasts of prey, is directed to his game by his scent as well
as by his eye; that is certain. Now I appeal to you, who have got rid
of these Bushmen, and who know so well how odoriferous is the skin of a
Hottentot, whether a lion's nose is not much more likely to be attracted
by one of either of these tribes of people, than it would by either you
or me. How often, in travelling, have we changed our position, when the
wind has borne down upon us the effluvia of the Hottentot who was
driving?--why that effluvia is borne down with the wind for miles, and
is as savoury to the lion, I have no doubt, as a beef-steak is to us."
"There can, I think, be no doubt of that," said Alexander; "but it is
said that they will select a Hottentot from white men."
"No doubt of it, because they follow up the scent right to the party
from whence it emanates. I can give you an instance of it. I was once
travelling with a Dutch farmer, with his waggon and Hottentots. We
unyoked and lay down on the sand for the night; there were the farmer
and I, two Hottentot men and a woman--by the bye, a very fat one, and
who consequently was more heated by the journey. During the night a
lion came and carried away the woman from among us all, and by his
tracks, as we found on the following morning, he had passed close to the
farmer and myself."
"Was the woman killed?"
"The night was so dark that we could see nothing; we were roused by her
shrieks, and seized our guns, but it was of no use. I recollect another
instance which was not so tragical. A Hottentot was carried off by a
lion during the night, wrapped up in his sheep-skin kaross, sleeping, as
they usually do, with his face to the ground. As the lion trotted away
with him, the fellow contrived to wriggle out of his kaross, and the
lion went off with only his mantle."
"Well, I should think one of the karosses must be a very savoury morsel
for a hungry lion," said the Major;--"but I imagine it is almost time to
unyoke, we must have travelled nearly twenty miles, and these forests
promise well for the game we are in search of."
"I suspect that they contain not only buffaloes, but elephants; however,
we shall soon find out by examining the paths down to the river, which
they like in going for water."
"I think that yonder knoll would be a good place to fix our encampment,
Swinton," said the Major; "it is well shaded with mimosas, and yet clear
of the main forest."
"Well, you are quartermaster-general, and must decide."
The Major ordered Bremen to arrange the waggons as usual, and turn the
cattle out to feed. As soon as this had been accomplished, they saddled
their horses, and awaited the return of Swanevelt, who had gone to
reconnoitre. Shortly afterwards he returned, with the report that there
were the tracks of elephants, buffaloes, and lions, in every direction
by the river's banks; and as the dogs would now be of use, they were
ordered to be let loose, which they seldom were, unless the game was
large and to be regularly hunted down. Our travellers mounted and
proceeded into the forest, accompanied by all the Hottentots except the
cattle-keepers and the Bushmen; Bremen, Swanevelt, and Omrah only being
on horseback, as well as themselves. As they rode forward slowly and
cautiously at the outset, Swinton asked the Major whether he had ever
shot buffaloes.
"Yes, in India," replied the Major; "and desperate animals they are in
that country."
"I was about to say that you will find them such here; and, Alexander,
you must be very careful. In the first place, a leaden bullet is of
little use against their tough hides and, I may almost say, impenetrable
foreheads. The best shot is under the fore-shoulder."
"Our balls are hardened with tin," observed Alexander.
"I know that," replied Swinton; "but still they are most dangerous
animals, especially if you fall in with a single buffalo. It is much
safer to attack a herd; but we have no time to talk over the matter now,
only, as I say, be very careful, and whatever you do, do not approach
one which is wounded, even if he be down on his knees. But here comes
Bremen with news."
The Hottentot came up and announced that there was a large herd of
buffaloes on the other side of the hill, and proposed that they should
take a sweep round them, so as to drive them towards the river.
This proposal was considered good, and was acted upon; and, after riding
about a mile, they gained the position which seemed the most desirable.
The dogs were then let loose, and the Hottentots, on foot, spread
themselves on every side, shouting so as to drive the animals before
them. The herd collected together and for a short while stood at bay
with the large bulls in front, and then set off through the forest
towards the river, followed by all the hunters on horse and on foot. In
a quarter of an hour the whole herd had taken refuge in a large pool in
the river, which, with the reeds and rushes, and small islands in the
centre, occupied a long slip of ground.
The Major, with Swanevelt and two other Hottentots, proceeded farther up
the river, that they might cross it before the attack commenced, and the
others agreed to wait until the signal was given by the Major's firing.
As soon as they heard the report of the Major's rifle, Swinton and
Alexander, with their party, advanced to the banks of the river. They
plunged in, and were soon up to the horses' girths, with the reeds far
above their heads. They could hear the animals forcing their way
through the reeds, but could not see them; and, after some severe
labour, Swinton said--"Alexander, it will be prudent for us to go back;
we can do nothing here, and we shall stand a chance of being shot by our
own people, who cannot see us. We must leave the dogs to drive them
out, or the Hottentots and Bushmen; but we must regain the banks."
Just as Swinton said this, a loud rushing was heard through the reeds.
"Look-out!" cried he; but he could say no more before the reeds opened
and a large hippopotamus rushed upon them, throwing over Alexander's
horse on his side, and treading Alexander and his horse both deep under
the water as he passed over them and disappeared. Although the water
was not more than four feet in depth, it was with difficulty that the
horse and rider could extricate themselves from the reeds, among which
they had been jammed and entangled; and Alexander's breath was quite
gone when he at last emerged. Bremen and Swinton hastened to give what
assistance they could, and the horse was once more on his legs. "My
rifle," cried Alexander, "it is in the water."
"We will find it," said Swinton: "haste up to the banks as fast as you
can, for you are defenceless."
Alexander thought it advisable to follow Swinton's advice, and with some
difficulty regained the bank, where he was soon afterwards followed by
Swinton and Bremen, who had secured his rifle. Alexander called Omrah,
and sent him to the caravan for another rifle, and then, for the first
time, he exclaimed, "Oh, what a brute! It was lucky the water was deep,
or he would have jammed me on the head, so that I never should have
risen up again."
"You have indeed had a providential escape, Alexander," replied Swinton;
"is your horse hurt?"
"He must be, I should think," said Alexander, "for the animal trod upon
him; but he does not appear to show it at present."
In the mean time several shots were fired from the opposite side of the
river by the Major and his and occasionally the head or horns of a
buffalo were seen above the reeds by the Hottentots, who remained with
Swinton and Alexander; but the animals still adhered to their cover.
Omrah having brought another rifle, Bremen then proposed that the
Hottentots, Bushmen, and dogs should force their way through the reeds
and attempt to drive the animals out; in which there would be no danger,
as the animals could not charge with any effect in the deep water and
thick rushes.
"Provided they don't meet with a hippopotamus," said Alexander,
laughing.
"Won't say a word about him, sir," replied Bremen, who then went and
gave the directions.
The Hottentots and Bushmen, accompanied by the dogs, then went into the
reeds, and their shouting and barking soon drove out some of the
buffaloes on the opposite side, and the reports of the guns were heard.
At last one came out on that side of the river where Alexander and
Swinton were watching; Swinton fired, and the animal fell on its knees;
a shot from Alexander brought it down dead and turned on its side. One
of the Bushmen ran up to the carcass, and was about to use his knife,
when another buffalo charged from the reeds, caught the Bushman on his
horns, and threw him many yards in the air. The Bushman fell among the
reeds behind the buffalo, which in vain looked about for his enemy, when
a shot from Bremen brought him to the ground.
Shortly afterwards the Bushman made his appearance from the reeds; he
was not at all hurt, with the exception of a graze from the horns of the
animal, and a contusion of the ribs.
The chase now became warm; the shouting of the Hottentots, the barking
of the dogs, and the bellowing of the herd, which were forcing their way
through the reeds before them, were very exciting. By the advice of
Swinton, they took up their position on a higher ground, where the
horses had good footing, in case the buffaloes should charge.
As soon as they arrived there, they beheld a scene on the other side of
the river, about one hundred yards from them, which filled them with
anxiety and terror; the Major's horse was galloping away, and the Major
not to be seen. Under a large tree, Swanevelt was in a sitting posture,
holding his hands to his body as if severely wounded, his horse lying by
his side, and right before him an enormous bull buffalo, standing
motionless; the blood was streaming from the animal's nostrils, and it
was evidently tottering from weakness and loss of blood; at last it
fell.
"I fear there is mischief done," cried Swinton; "where can the Major be,
and the two Hottentots who were with him? Swanevelt is hurt and his
horse killed, that is evident. We had better call them off, and let the
buffaloes remain quiet, or escape as they please."
"There is the Major," said Alexander, "and the Hottentots too; they are
not hurt, don't you see them?--they were up the trees; thank God."
They now observed the Major run up to Swanevelt, and presently the two
Hottentots went in pursuit of the Major's horse. Shortly afterwards,
Swanevelt, with the assistance of the Major, got upon his legs and,
taking up his gun, walked slowly away.
"No great harm done, after all," said Alexander; "God be praised: but
here come the whole herd, Swinton."
"Let them go, my good fellow," replied Swinton, "we have had enough of
buffalo-hunting for the present."
The whole herd had now broken from the reeds about fifty paces from
where they were stationed, and with their tails raised, tossing with
their horns, and bellowing with rage and fear, darted out of the reeds,
dripping with slime and mud, and rushed off towards the forest. In a
few seconds they were out of sight.
"A good riddance," said Swinton; "I hope the Major is now satisfied with
buffalo-hunting."
"I am, at all events," replied Alexander. "I feel very sore and stiff.
What a narrow escape that Bushman had."
"Yes, he had indeed; but, Alexander, your horse is not well: he can
hardly breathe. You had better dismount."
Alexander did so, and unloosed his girths. Bremen got off his horse,
and, offering it to Alexander, took the bridle of the other and examined
him.
"He has his ribs broken, sir," said the Hottentot,--"two of them, if not
more."
"No wonder, poor fellow; lead him gently, Bremen. Oh, here comes the
Major. Now we shall know what has occurred; and there is Swanevelt and
the two men."
"Well, Major, pray tell us your adventures, for you have frightened us
dreadfully."
"Not half so much as I have been frightened myself," replied the Major;
"we have all had a narrow escape, I can assure you, and Swanevelt's
horse is dead."
"Is Swanevelt hurt?"
"No, he was most miraculously preserved; the horn of the buffalo has
grazed the whole length of the body, and yet not injured him. But let
us go to the caravan and have something to drink, and then I will tell
you all about it--I am quite done up, and my tongue cleaves to the roof
of my mouth."
As soon as they had arrived at the caravan and dismounted, the Major
drank some water, and then gave his narrative. "We had several shots on
our side of the river, for the buffaloes had evidently an intention of
crossing over, had we not turned them. We had killed two, when a bull
buffalo charged from the reeds upon Swanevelt, and before he could turn
his horse and put him to his speed, the horns of the buffalo had ripped
up the poor animal, and he fell with Swanevelt under him. The enraged
brute disengaged himself from the horse, and made a second charge upon
Swanevelt; but he twisted on one side, and the horn only grazed him, as
I have mentioned. I then fired and wounded the animal. He charged
immediately, and I turned my horse, but from fright he wheeled so
suddenly that I lost my stirrups, and my saddle turned round.
"I found that I could not recover my seat, and that I was gradually
sliding under the horse's belly, when he passed under a tree, and I
caught a branch and swung myself on to it, just as the buffalo, which
was close behind us, came up to me. As he passed under, his back hit my
leg; so you may imagine it was `touch and go.' The animal, perceiving
that the horse left him, and I was not on it, quitted his pursuit, and
came back bellowing and roaring, and looking everywhere for me.
"At last it perceived Swanevelt, who had disengaged himself from the
dead horse, and was sitting under the tree, apparently much hurt, as he
is, poor fellow, although not seriously. It immediately turned back to
him, and would certainly have gored him to death, had not Kloet, who was
up in a tree, fired at the animal and wounded him mortally--for his
career was stopped as he charged towards Swanevelt, and was not ten
yards from him. The animal could proceed no further, and there he stood
until he fell dead."
"We saw that portion of the adventure ourselves, Major," said Swinton;
"and now we will tell you our own, which has been equally full of
incident and danger." Swinton having related what had passed on his
side of the river, the Major observed:--
"You may talk about lions, but I had rather go to ten lion-hunts than
one more buffalo-hunt. I have had enough of buffaloes for all my life."
"I am glad to hear you say so," replied Swinton, "for they are most
ferocious and dangerous animals, as you may now acknowledge, and the
difficulty of giving them a mortal wound renders the attack of them very
hazardous. I have seen and heard enough of buffalo-hunting to tell you
that you have been fortunate, although you have lost one horse and have
another very much hurt;--but here come the spoils of the chase; at all
events, we will benefit by the day's sport, and have a good meal."
"I can't eat now," said Alexander; "I am very stiff. I shall go and lie
down for an hour or two."
"And so shall I," said the Major; "I have no appetite."
"Well, then, we will all meet at supper," said Swinton. "In the mean
time I shall see if I can be of any use to Swanevelt. Where's Omrah?"
"I saw him and Begum going out together just now," said the Major.
"What for, I do not know."
"Oh! I told him to get some of the Bushman-roots," said Alexander;
"they are as good as potatoes when boiled; and he has taken the monkey
to find them."
The Major and Alexander remained on their beds till supper-time, when
Mahomed woke them up. They found themselves much refreshed by their
sleep, and also found that their appetites had returned. Buffalo-steaks
and fried Bushman-roots were declared to be a very good substitute for
beef-steaks and fried potatoes; and after they had made a hearty meal,
Alexander inquired of Swinton what he had seen of buffalo-hunting when
he had been at the Cape before.
"I have only been once or twice engaged in a buffalo-hunt; but I can
tell you what I have heard, and what I have collected from my own
knowledge, as to the nature of the animal, of which indeed to-day you
have all a very good proof. I told you this morning, that a single
buffalo was more dangerous than a herd; and the reason is this:--At the
breeding season, the fiercest bulls drive the others away from the herd,
in the same manner as the elephants do; and these solitary buffaloes are
extremely dangerous, as they do not wait to be attacked, but will attack
a man without any provocation. They generally conceal themselves, and
rush out upon you unawares, which makes it more difficult to escape from
them. They are so bold, that they do not fear the lion himself; and I
have been told by the Dutch boors, that when a buffalo has killed one of
their comrades by goring and tossing him, it will not leave its victim
for hours, but continue to trample on him with its hoofs, crushing the
body with its knees as an elephant does, and with its rough tongue
stripping off the skin as far as it can. It does not do all this at one
time, but it leaves the body, and returns again, as if to glut its
vengeance."
"What a malicious brute!"
"Such is certainly its character. I recollect a history of a
buffalo-hunting adventure, told me by a Dutch farmer, who was himself an
eye-witness to the scene. He had gone out with a party to hunt a herd
of buffaloes which were grazing on a piece of marshy ground, sprinkled
with a few mimosa-trees. As they could not get within shot of the herd,
without crossing a portion of the marsh, which was not safe for horses,
they agreed to leave their steeds in charge of two Hottentots, and to
advance on foot; thinking that, in case any of the buffaloes should
charge them, it would be easy to escape by running back to the marsh,
which would bear the weight of a man, but not of a horse, much less that
of a buffalo.
"They advanced accordingly over the marsh, and being concealed by some
bushes, they had the good fortune to bring down, with the first volley,
three of the fattest of the herd; and also so severely wounded the great
bull, which was the leader of the herd, that he dropped down on his
knees, bellowing most furiously. Thinking that the animal was mortally
wounded, the foremost of the huntsmen walked out in front of the bushes
from which they had fired, and began to reload his musket as he
advanced, in order to give the animal a finishing shot. But no sooner
did the enraged animal see the man advancing, than he sprang up and
charged headlong at him. The man threw down his gun, and ran towards
the marsh; but the beast was so close upon him, that he despaired of
escaping by that direction, and turning suddenly round a clump of
copsewood, began to climb an old mimosa-tree which stood close to it.
"The buffalo was, however, too quick for him. Bounding forward with a
roar, which the farmer told me was one of the most hideous and appalling
sounds that he ever heard, he caught the poor fellow with his terrible
horns, just as he had nearly got out of reach, and tossed him in the air
with such force, that after whirling round and round to a great height,
the body fell into the fork of the branches of the tree. The buffalo
went round the tree roaring, and looking for the man, until, exhausted
by wounds and loss of blood, it again fell down on its knees. The other
hunters then attacked and killed him; but they found their comrade, who
was still hanging in the tree, quite dead."
"Well; I have no doubt but that such would have been the fate of
Swanevelt or of me, had the brute got hold of us," said the Major; "I
never saw such a malignant, diabolical expression in any animal's
countenance as there was upon that buffalo's. A lion is, I should say,
a gentleman and man of honour compared to such an evil-disposed
ruffian."
"Well, Major, you have only to let them alone; recollect, you were the
aggressor," said Swinton, laughing.
"Very true; I never wish to see one again."
"And I never wish to be in the way of a hippopotamus again, I can assure
you," said Alexander, "for a greater want of politeness I never met
with."
During this conversation the Hottentots and Bushmen at the other fires
had not been idle. The Hottentots had fried and eaten, and fried and
eaten, till they could hold no more; and the Bushmen, who in the morning
looked as thin and meagre as if they had not had a meal for a month,
were now so stuffed that they could hardly walk, and their lean stomachs
were distended as round as balls. The Bushman who had been tossed by
the buffalo came up and asked for a little tobacco, at the same time
smiling and patting his stomach, which was distended to a most
extraordinary size.
"Yes, let us give them some," said Alexander; "it will complete their
day's happiness. Did you ever see a fellow so stuffed? I wonder he
does not burst."
"It is their custom. They starve for days, and then gorge in this way
when an opportunity offers, which is but seldom. Their calendar, such
as it is, is mainly from recollections of feasting; and I will answer
for it, that if one Bushman were on some future day to ask another when
such a thing took place, he would reply, just before or just after the
white men killed the buffaloes."
"How do they live in general?"
"They live upon roots at certain seasons of the year; upon locusts when
a flight takes place; upon lizards, beetles--anything. Occasionally
they procure game, but not very often. They are obliged to lie in wait
for it, and wound it with their poisoned arrows, and then they follow
its track and look for it the next day. Subtle as the poison is, they
only cut out the part near the wound, and eat the rest of the animal.
They dig pit-holes for the hippopotamus and rhinoceros, and occasionally
take them. They poison the pools for the game also; but their living is
very precarious, and they often suffer the extremities of hunger."
"Is that the cause, do you imagine, of their being so diminutive a race,
Swinton?"
"No doubt of it. Continual privation and hard ships from generation to
generation have, I have no doubt, dwindled them down to what you see."
"How is it that these Bushmen are so familiar? I thought that they were
savage and irreclaimable."
"They are what are termed tame Bushmen; that is, they have lived near
the farmers, and have, by degrees, become less afraid of the Europeans.
Treated kindly, they have done good in return to the farmers by watching
their sheep, and performing other little services, and have been
rewarded with tobacco. This has given them confidence to a certain
degree. But we must expect to meet with others that are equally wild,
and who will be very mischievous; attempting to drive off our cattle,
and watching in ambush all round our caravan, ready for any pilfering
that they can successfully accomplish; and then we shall discover that
we are in their haunts without even seeing them."
"How so?"
"Because it will only be by their thefts that we shall find it out. But
it is time for bed, and as to-morrow is Sunday you will have a day of
rest, which I think you both require."
"I do," replied Alexander, "so good-night to you both."