had the misfortune of meeting with a large old male Buffalo, which was
lying down quite alone, in a spot that was free from bushes for the
space of a few square yards. He no sooner discovered Auge, the gardener,
who went first, than, roaring horribly, he rushed upon him. The gardener
turning his horse short round, behind a large tree, by that means got in
some measure out of the Buffalo's sight, which now rushed straight
forward towards the sergeant, who followed next, and gored his horse in
the belly in such a terrible manner, that it fell on its back that
instant, with its feet turned up in the air, and all its entrails
hanging out, in which state it lived almost half an hour. The gardener
and the sergeant, in the meantime, had climbed up into trees, where
they thought themselves secure. The Buffalo, after this first
achievement, still appeared to take his course in the same direction,
and, therefore, could not have failed in his way to pay his compliments
to me, who all the while was coming towards him, and, in the narrow pass
formed by the boughs and branches of the trees, and on account of the
rustling noise these made against my saddle and baggage, had neither
seen nor heard anything of what had passed; as in my way I frequently
stopped to take up plants, and put them into my handkerchief, I
generally kept behind my companions.
"The sergeant had brought two horses with him for the journey. One of
them had already been despatched, and the other now stood just in the
way of the Buffalo, who was going out of the wood. As soon as the
Buffalo saw this second horse, he became more outrageous than before,
and he attacked it with such fury, that he not only drove his horns into
the horse's breast, and out again through the very saddle, but also
threw it to the ground with such violence, that it died that very
instant, and most of its bones were broken. Just at the moment that he
was occupied with this latter horse, I came up to the opening, where the
wood was so thick that I had neither room to turn my horse, nor to get
on one side; I was, therefore, obliged to abandon him to his fate, and
take refuge in a tolerably high tree, up which I climbed.
"The Buffalo, having finished this his second exploit, suddenly turned
round, and shaped his course the same way which we had intended to take.
"From the height of my situation in the tree, I could plainly perceive
one of the horses quite dead; the other sprawling with his feet, and
endeavouring to rise, which it had not strength to do; the other two
horses shivering with fear, and unable to make their escape; but I could
neither see nor hear anything of my fellow-travellers, which induced me
to fear that they had fallen victims to the first transports of the
Buffalo's fury. I, therefore, made all possible haste to search for
them, to see if I could, in any way, assist them; but not discovering
any trace of them in the whole field of battle, I began to call out
after them, when I discovered these magnanimous heroes sitting fast,
like two cats, on the trees, with their guns on their backs, loaded with
fine shot, and unable to utter a single word.
"I encouraged them as well as I could, and advised them to come down,
and get away as fast as possible from such a dangerous place, where we
ran the risk of being once more attacked. The sergeant at length burst
out into tears, deploring the loss of his two spirited steeds; but the
gardener was so strongly affected, that he could scarcely speak for some
days after."
Speaking of a small settlement in the interior, he says: "Buffaloes were
shot here by a Hottentot, who had been trained to the business by the
farmer, and in this manner found the whole family in meat, without
having recourse to the herd. The balls were counted out to him every
time he went a shooting, and he was obliged to furnish the same number
of dead Buffaloes as he received of balls. Thus the many Hottentots that
lived here were supported without expense, and without the decrease of
the tame cattle which constitute the whole of the farmer's wealth. The
greatest part of the flesh of the Buffalo falls to the share of the
Hottentots, but the hide to that of the master."
[Illustration: Young Cape Buffalo.]
The Caffres, who at that time (1772) did not possess fire-arms, were,
nevertheless, dextrous in the use of their javelins. When a Caffre has
discovered a spot where several Buffaloes are assembled, he blows a
pipe, made of the thigh-bone of a sheep, which is heard at a great
distance. In consequence of this, several of his comrades run up to the
spot, and surrounding the Buffaloes, at the same time approaching them
by degrees, throw their javelins at them. In this case, out of ten or
twelve Buffaloes, it is very rare for one to escape. It sometimes
happens, however, that while the Buffaloes are running off, some one of
the hunters, who stands in the way of them, is tossed and killed, which,
by the people of this nation, is not much regarded. When the chase is
over, each one takes his share of the game.
Since the introduction of fire-arms by the Europeans, the natives, as
well as the colonists, bring down the Buffalo by means of the gun.
Nevertheless, great circumspection is required in following the sport,
as the animal is sometimes capable of revenging himself even after being
severely wounded. On one occasion a party of huntsmen discovered a small
herd of Buffaloes grazing on a piece of marshy ground. As it was
impossible to get near enough without crossing a marsh, which did not
afford a safe footing for their horses, they left them in charge of the
Hottentots, and proceeded on foot, thinking, that if the Buffaloes
should turn upon them, it would be easy to retreat by crossing the
quagmire, which, though firm enough to support a man, would not bear the
weight of a Buffalo. They advanced accordingly, and, under shelter of
the bushes, approached with such advantage, that the first volley
brought down three of the fattest of the herd, and so severely wounded
the great bull leader, that he dropped on his knees, bellowing most
furiously. Supposing him mortally wounded, the foremost of the huntsmen
issued from the covert, and began reloading his musket as he advanced,
to give him a finishing shot; but no sooner did the enraged animal see
his enemy in front of him than he sprang up, and ran furiously upon him.
The man, throwing down his gun, fled towards the quagmire; but the beast
was so close upon him, that, despairing to escape in that direction, he
suddenly turned round a clump of copsewood, and began to ascend a tree.
The raging animal, however, was too quick for him, and bounding forward
with a tremendous roar, he caught the unfortunate man with his terrible
horns, just as he had nearly escaped his reach, and tossed him into the
air with such force, that the body fell dreadfully mangled into the
cleft of a tree. The Buffalo ran round the tree once or twice,
apparently looking for the man, until weakened with loss of blood, he
again sank on his knees. The rest of the party, recovering from their
confusion, then came up and despatched him, though too late to save
their comrade, whose body was hanging in the tree quite dead.
The length of a full-grown Buffalo is about eight feet from horns to
root of tail, and the height five feet and a half. The horns are massive
and heavy, measuring from six to nine feet, following the curve from tip
to tip. They are broad at the base, and very nearly meet on the centre
of the forehead. Hamilton Smith says, they are "in contact at the base;"
but this is not the case in the several specimens which I have examined,
namely, three in the College of Surgeons, four in the British Museum,
and two in the Zoological Gardens.
In the living specimen in the Zoological Gardens, from which the figure
at the head of this article was taken, there is a good deal of hair of a
dark brown colour on the neck and shoulders, and some small tufts on the
fore-legs, but the rest of the body is almost naked. The tail is short,
with a tuft at the end.
The individual here referred to is by no means a large specimen, being
only four feet ten inches high at the shoulders; probably he is young,
and not yet full-grown. He is so active, as to be able to clear a
four-feet fence, and he frequently leaps over the half-door (about three
feet high,) which separates his little enclosure from his dormitory. His
intelligence is much superior to that of ordinary cattle: the entrance
to his apartment is furnished with four doors, two on each door-post;
and when closed, they of course meet in the middle of the entrance. When
he is outside, (as the doors all open inwardly,) a mere push with his
horns sends them open. But when he is inside, it requires four distinct
operations to shut them, and these he performs with the greatest
adroitness, going from one to the other, until all are closed. He opens
them also from within with equal skill, by applying the tip of one of
his horns to each separately, and retiring a step or two to allow them
room to open.
The flesh of the Cape Buffalo is reckoned excellent eating, especially
that of the young calf, which is equal to the veal of the domestic calf.
The horns are made into various articles, having a fine close grain, and
taking a beautiful polish. But the hide is the most valuable part of
this animal, being so thick and tough, that shields, proof against a
musket-shot, are formed of it; and it affords the strongest and best
thongs for harness and whips. The skin of the living Buffalo is so
dense that it is impenetrable, in many parts, to an ordinary
musket-ball; the balls used by the huntsmen are, therefore, mixed with
tin, and even these are often flattened by the resistance. In examining
the skeleton of this Buffalo, the ribs are found to be remarkably strong
and wide--measuring from three inches to three inches and seven-tenths
in width, and overlapping each other like the scales of a fish: the
difficulty of wounding this animal may be partly owing to this
arrangement of the ribs.
Since the increase of the settlements about the Cape of Good Hope, the
Buffalo has become rather a rare animal in the colony; but, on the
plains of Caffraria, they are so common that herds of a hundred and
fifty, or two hundred, may be frequently seen grazing together towards
the evening, but during the day they lie retired among the woods and
thickets. They range along the eastern side of Africa, to an unknown
distance in the interior.
Sparrman says that the period of gestation is twelve months.
[Illustration: Head of Cape Buffalo.]
THE PEGASSE.
_Bos Pegasus._
[Illustration]
The above figure is copied from an engraving in the fourth volume of
Griffiths' 'Cuvier,' of which the following account is given: "In the
collection of drawings, formerly the property of Prince John Maurice of
Nassau, now in the Berlin library, there is the figure of a ruminant
with the name Pacasse written under it. Judging from the general
appearance of the painting, it represents a young animal, although the
horns are already about as long as the head. They are of a darkish
colour, with something like ridges passing transversely, commencing at
the sides of the frontal ridge, turned down and outwards, with the
points slightly upwards; the head is short, thick, abrupt at the nose;
the forehead wide; the eyes large and full, dark, with a crimson
canthus; the neck maned with a dense and rough mane; the tail descending
below the hough, entirely covered with dark, long hair, appearing
woolly; the carcass short, and the legs high and clumsy; but the most
remarkable character appears to consist in pendulous ears, nearly as
long as the head. The mane and tail are dark; the head, neck, body, and
limbs dark brown, excepting the pastern joints, which are white; this
figure cannot be referred to a known species, and is sufficiently
curious to merit an engraving."
Swainson says that this animal only occurs in the interior of Western
Africa; but he does not mention on what authority.
As the exploration of the interior of Africa is becoming an object of
increasing importance and interest, we may expect, before long, to be
furnished with some authentic details of the Pegasse, if such an animal
really exist.
[Illustration: Occipital View of Horns of _Bos Caffer_, from a Specimen
in the Zoological Society's Museum.]
THE GAUR, OR GOUR.
_Bos Gaurus._
[Illustration]
The above representation of this animal was sketched from a stuffed
specimen in the British Museum, the dimensions of which are given on p.
102.
The following interesting particulars are taken from Mr. T. S. Traill's
paper on the Gour, in the 'Edinburgh Philosophical Journal,' October,
1824.
"The Gaur is considered by the Indians as of a species totally distinct
from either the Arna or the common Buffalo. The only animal with which
it appears to have affinity is the Gayal, or Bos Gavaeus, described by
Mr. Colebrook, in the 'Asiatic Researches,' vol. viii. That animal is
said to exist, both wild and domestic, in the hilly countries of Upper
India, and to have a high dorsal ridge, somewhat similar to what we
shall immediately find in the Gaur; but the very different form of its
head, _the presence of a distinct dewlap_, and the general habit of the
Gayal, appear sufficient to distinguish it from the Gaur.
The Gaur occurs in several mountainous parts of central India, but is
chiefly found in Myn Pat, or Mine Paut, (Pat or Paut, in Hindostanee,
signifies table-land,) a high, insulated mountain, with a tabular
summit, in the province of Sergojah, in South Bahar.
This table-land is about 36 miles in length, by 24 or 25 in medial
breadth, and rises above the neighbouring plains probably 2000 feet. The
sides of the mountain slope with considerable steepness, and are
furrowed by streams that water narrow valleys, the verdant banks of
which are the favorite haunts of Gaurs. On being disturbed, they retreat
into the thick jungles (of saul-trees), which cover the sides of the
whole range. The south-east side of the mountain presents an extensive
mural precipice from 20 to 40 feet high. The rugged slopes at its foot
are covered by impenetrable green jungle, and abound with dens formed of
fallen blocks of rock, the suitable retreats of Tigers, Bears, and
Hyaenas. The western slopes are less rugged, but the soil is parched, and
the forests seem withered by excess of heat. The summit of the mountain
presents a mixture of open lawns and woods. There were once twenty-five
villages on Myn Pat, but they have long been deserted, on account of the
number and ferocity of the beasts of prey. On this mountain, however,
the Gaur maintains his seat. The Indians assert that even the Tiger has
no chance in combat with the full-grown Gaur, though he may
occasionally succeed in carrying off an unprotected calf. The wild
Buffalo abounds in the plains below the mountains; but he so much dreads
the Gaur, according to the natives, that he rarely attempts to invade
his haunts. The forests which shield the Gaur abound, however, in
Hog-deer, Saumurs, and Porcupines.
The size of the Gaur is its most striking peculiarity. The following
measurement of one not fully grown will show the enormous bulk of the
animal:--
Ft. In.
Height from the hoof to the withers 5 11-3/4
Length from nose to end of tail 11 11-3/4
The form of the Gaur is not so lengthened as that of the Arna. Its back
is strongly arched, so as to form a pretty uniform curve from the nose
to the origin of the tail, when the animal stands still. This appearance
is partly owing to the curved form of the nose and forehead, and still
more to a remarkable ridge, of no great thickness, which rises six or
seven inches above the general line of the back, from the last of the
cervical to beyond the middle of the dorsal vertebrae, from which it
gradually is lost in the outline of the back. This peculiarity proceeds
from an unusual elongation of the spinous processes of the dorsal
column. It is very conspicuous in the Gaurs of all ages, although loaded
with fat; and has no resemblance to the hunch which is found on some of
the domestic cattle of India. It bears some resemblance, certainly, to
the ridge _described_ as existing in the Gayal; but the Gaur is said to
be distinguished from that animal by the remarkable peculiarity of a
_total want of a dewlap._ Neither the male nor female Gaur, at any age,
has the slightest trace of this appendage, which is found on every
other known animal of this genus.
The colour of the Gaur is a very deep brownish black, almost approaching
to blueish black, except a tuft of curling dirty white hair between the
horns, and rings of the same colour just above the hoof. The hair over
the skin is extremely short and sleek, and has somewhat of the _oily_
appearance of a fresh seal-skin.
The character of the head differs little from that of the domestic Bull,
excepting that the outline of the face is more curved--the os-frontis
more solid and projecting. The horns are short, thick at the base,
considerably curved towards the tip, slightly compressed on one side,
and in the natural state are rough. They are, however, capable of a good
polish, when they are of a horn gray colour, with black solid tips. A
pair in my possession measure one foot eleven inches along their convex
sides; one foot from the centre of the base to the tip, in a straight
line; and one foot in their widest circumference; but as they are cut
and polished, a portion of their length and thickness has been lost.
They are of a very dense substance, as their weight indicates, for even
in their dressed state the pair weigh 5 lbs. 11 oz. avoirdupois.
[Illustration]
The limbs of the Gaur have more of the form of the deer than any other
of the bovine genus. This is particularly observable in the acuteness of
the angle formed by the tibia and tarsus, and in the slenderness of the
lower part of the legs. They give the idea, however, of great strength
combined with fleetness; and the animal is observed to _canter_ with
great velocity. The form of the hoof, too, is longer, neater, and
stronger than in the ox, and the whole foot appears to have greater
flexibility.
When wounded the Gaur utters a short bellow, which may be best imitated
by the syllable--ugh-ugh.
It is said that the Gaur will not live in a state of captivity; even
when taken very young, the calf soon droops and dies. The bull-calf of
the first year is called, by the natives, Purorah; the female, Pareeah;
and when full-grown the cow is called Gourin.
Gaurs associate in herds consisting usually of from ten to twenty
animals. So numerous are they on Myn Pat, that, in one day hunting, the
party computed that not less than eighty had passed through the station
occupied by the sportsmen.
The Gaurs browse on the leaves and tender shoots of trees and shrubs,
and also graze on the banks of the streams. During the cold season they
remain concealed in the _saul_ forests, but in hot weather come out to
feed in the green vallies and lawns, which occur on the mountain of Myn
Pat. They show no disposition to wallow in mire or swamps, like the
Buffalo; a habit, indeed, which the sleekness of their skins renders not
at all probable.
The period of gestation is said to be twelve months, and they bring
forth usually in August."
To the preceding observations of Dr. Traill, I have to add the
important fact (which of itself will be sufficient to constitute a
specific difference between the Gaur and the Gayal), namely, that in the
skeleton of the Gaur there are only thirteen pairs of ribs, whilst the
skeleton of the Gayal possesses fourteen pairs. This fact I have
ascertained from an examination of both the skeletons; that of the Gaur
in the museum of the Zoological Society, and that of the Gayal, in the
possession of Mr. Bartlett, Russell Street, Covent Garden. (See p. 68.)
The skeleton of the Gaur just referred to, strikingly confirms Dr.
Traill's account of the elevated dorsal ridge of this animal; several of
the dorsal vertebrae measuring, with their spinous processes, upwards of
seventeen inches each, the longest being twenty inches and a half.
The Gaur, from which this skeleton was taken, was killed at Nicecond,
November 8, 1843. There is another fine specimen of the skull and horns
of the Gaur, in the Museum of the Zoological Society, taken from an
animal killed by Lieut. Nelson, on the Neilsburry Hills, Salem district.
This animal measured nineteen hands and half an inch at the shoulder.
Dimensions of the Figure in the British Museum:--
Ft. In.
Length from nose to insertion of tail, measuring over the
forehead and along the back 11 0
Height at the highest part of the dorsal ridge 5 7-1/2
Height at the croup 5 4
Length of the tail 3 1
In Mr. D. Johnson's Sketches, the Gaur is described as a kind of wild
bullock, of prodigious size, residing in the Ramghur district, not well
known to Europeans. Mr. Johnson says: "I have never obtained a sight of
them, but have often seen the print of their feet, the impression of
one of them covering as large a space as a common china plate. According
to the account I received from a number of persons they are much larger
than the largest of our oxen; light brown colour, with short horns, and
inhabit the thickest covers. They keep together in herds, and a herd of
them is always near the Luggo-hill; they are also in the heavy jungles
between Ramghur and Nagpoor. I saw the skin of one that had been killed
by Rajah Futty Narrain; its exact size I do not recollect, but I well
remember that it astonished me, having never seen the skin of any animal
so large. Some gentlemen at Chittrah have tried all in their power to
procure a calf without success. The Shecarries and villagers are so much
afraid of these animals, that they cannot be prevailed on to go near
them, or to endeavour to catch any of their young. It is a prevailing
opinion in the country, that if they are in the least molested, they
will attack the persons disturbing them, and never quit them until they
are destroyed; and should they get into a tree, they will remain near it
for many days."
The word Gau, or Ghoo, as it is sometimes spelled by European writers,
appears to be used both as a generic and specific term, in Persia and
Hindostan; and as it has the same meaning, and nearly the same sound, as
the German word _Kuh_, and the English _Cow_, it is highly probable that
its origin is the same. As the word _ur_, in Hindostan, appears to have
the meaning of _wild_, or _savage,_ the name Gaur, or Gau-ur, literally
signifies the _wild cow._ Should the prefix _aur_, in the German word
_Aurochs_, be merely a form, or different mode of spelling the prefix
_ur,_ then the name _Aurochs_ would be precisely synonymous with the
Hindostanee _Gau-ur_. That _aur_ is, in this instance, merely a
different spelling of the prefix _ur_, would appear to be corroborated
by the circumstance that the term _Urus_ is the latinized form of the
German _Aurochs_.--_From a MS. Note by Mr. W. A. Chatto._
[Illustration: Head of Gaur, from the stuffed Specimen in the British
Museum.]
THE ARNEE, OR ARNA.
[Illustration]
It does not appear, that the Arnee had been noticed by Europeans until
the year 1792, when the following detailed account appeared in a weekly
Miscellany, called '_The Bee_,' conducted by Dr. J. Anderson.
This animal is hitherto unknown among the naturalists of Europe. It is a
native of the higher parts of Hindostan, being scarcely ever found lower
down than the Plains of Plassy, above which they are found in
considerable numbers, and are well known by the natives.