My
opinion that, in jungle countries, where in the absence of dogs
you require either to disable your game on the spot, or to
produce a distinct blood-track that is easily followed, the
old-fashioned two-groove belted ball will bag more game than
modern bullets; but, on the other hand, the facility of loading
a conical bullet already formed into a cartridge is a great
advantage. The shock produced by a pointed projectile is nothing
compared to that of the old belted ball, unless it is on the
principle of Purday's high velocity expanding bullet, which,
although perfection for deer-shooting, would be useless against
thick-skinned animals, such as buffalo and rhinoceros. In Africa,
the variety of game is such, that it is impossible to tell, when
loading, at what animal the bullet will be fired; therefore, it
is necessary to be armed with a rifle suitable for all comers. My
little Fletcher was the Enfield bore, No. 24, and, although a
most trusty weapon, the bullets generally failed to penetrate the
skull of hippopotami, except in places where the bone was thin,
such as behind the ear, and beneath the eyes. Although I killed
great numbers of animals with the Enfield bullet, the success was
due to tolerably correct shooting, as I generally lost the larger
antelopes if wounded by that projectile in any place but the
neck, head, or shoulder; the wound did not bleed freely,
therefore it was next to impossible to follow up the blood-track;
thus a large proportion of wounded animals escaped.
I saw, and shot, thirteen varieties of antelopes while in Africa.
Upon arrival at Khartoum, I met Herr von Heuglin, who commanded
the expedition in search of Dr. Vogel; he was an industrious
naturalist, who had been many years in the Soudan and in
Abyssinia. We compared notes of all we had seen and done, and he
very kindly supplied me with a list of all the antelopes that he
had been able to trace as existing in Abyssinia and the Soudan;
he now included my maarif, which he had never met with, and which
he agreed was a new species. In the following list, which is an
exact copy of that which he had arranged, those marked with an
asterisk are species that I have myself shot:--
Catalogue des especes du genre "ANTILOPE," observees en Egypte,
dans la Nubie, au Soudan orientale et en Abissinie.
A.--GAZELLA, Blains.
1.--Spec. G. Dorcas.* Arab. Ghasal.
2.--G. Arabica,* Ehr. A la cote de la Mer rouge.
3.--G. Loevipes, Sund. Arab. Abou Horabet? Nubie, Taka, Sennaar,
Kordofan.
4.--G. spec. (?) en Tigreh Choquen (Bogos).
5.--G. Dama,* Licht. Arab. Adra, Ledra. Riel, Bajouda, Berber,
Sennaar, Kordofan.
6.--G. Soemmeringii, Rupp. Arab. Om Oreba. Tigreh, Arab. Taka,
Massowa, Gedaref, Berber, Sennaar.
7.--G. Leptoceros. Arab. Abou Harab. Gazelle a longues cornes,
minces et paralleles. Bajouda, Berber, Taka, Sennaar, Kordofan.
B.--CALOTRAGUS, Luad.
8.--C. montanus,* Rupp. Arab. Otrab and El Mor. Amhar, Fiego,
Sennaar, Abissinie, Taka, Galabat.
9.--C. Saltatrix, Forst. Amhar. Sasa. Abissinie.
C.--NANOTRAGUS, Wagn.
10.--N. Hemprichianus, Ehr. Arab. Om dig dig. Abissinie orientale
et occidentale, Taka, Kordofan.
D.--CEPHALOLOPHUS, H. Smith.
11.--C. Madaqua. Amhar. Midakoua. Galabat, Barka, Abissinie.
12, 13.--Deux especes inconnues du Fleuve blanc, nominees par les
Djenkes, "Amok."
E.--REDUNCA.
14.--R. Eleotragus, Schrb. Djenke, Bor. Bahr el Abiad.
15.--R. Behor, Rupp. Amhar. Behor. Abissinie centrale, Kordofan.
16.--R. Kull, nov. spec. Djenke, Koul. Bahr el Abiad.
17.--R. leucotis, Peters et Licht. Djenke, Adjel. Bahr el Abiad,
Saubat.
18.--R. Wuil, nov. spec. Djenke, Ouil. Bahr el Abiad, Saubat.
19.--R. Lechee,* Gray. Bahr el Abiad.
20.--R. megcerosa,* Heuglin. Kobus Maria, Gray. Djenke, Abok,
Saubat, Bahr el Abiad et Bahr Ghazal.
21.--R. Defassa,* Rupp. Arab. Om Hetehet. Amhar. Dofasa. Djenke,
Bor. Bahr el Salame, Galabat, Kordofan, Bahr el Abiad, Dender,
Abissinie occidentale et centrale.
22.--R. ellipsiprymna, Ogilby. Djenke, Bor. Bahr el Abiad.
F.--HIPPOTRAGUS, Sund.
23.--H. niger, Harris. Arab. Abou Maarif. Kordofan meridionale,
fleuve Blanc (Chilouk).
24.--H. nov. spec. Arab. Abou Maarif.*--Bakerii.* Bahr el Salaam,
Galabat Dender, fleuve BIeu, Sennaar meridionale.
25.--H. Beisa, Rupp. Arab. Beisa et Damma. Souakim, Massowa,
Danakil, Somauli, Kordofan.
26.--H. ensicornis, Ehr. Arab. Ouahoh el bagr. Nubie, Berber,
Kordofan.
27.--H. Addax, Licht. Arab. Akach. Bajouda, Egypte occidentale
(Oasis de Siouah).
G.--TAUROTRAGUS, Wagn.
28.--T. Orcas, Pall. (Antilope Canna). Djenke, Goualgonal. Bahr
el Abiad.
29.--T. gigas, nov. spec. Chez les pleuplades Atoats, au Bahr el
Abiad.
H.--TRAGELAPHUS, Blains.
30.--Tr. strepsiceros (Pallas). Arab. Nellet, Miremreh. Tigreh,
Garona. Ambar. Agazen. Abissinie, Sennaar, Homran, Galabat,
Kordofan.
31.--Tr. sylvaticus, Spaerm. Bahr el Abiad.
32.--Tr. Dekula, Rupp. Amhar. Dekoula. Arab. Houch. Djenke, Ber.
Taka, Abissinie, Bahr el Abiad.
I.--BUBALIS.
33.--B. Mauritanica, Sund. (Antilope Bubalis, Cuvier). Arab.
Tetel; Tigreh, Tori. Taka, Homran, Barka, Galabat, Kordofan, Bahr
el Abiad.
34.--B. Caama, Cuv. Arab. Tetel. Djenke, Awalwon. Bahr el Abiad,
Kordofan meridionale.
35.--B. Senegalensis, H. Smith. Bahr el Abiad.
36.--B. Tiang, nov. spec. Djenke, Tian. Bahr el Abiad, Bahr
Ghazal.
37.--B. Tian-riel, nov. spec. Bahr el Abiad.
SPECIES INCERTAE
"Soada," au Oualkait et Mareb (Taurotragus?).
"Uorobo," au Godjam, Agow (Hippotragus).
"Ouoadembi." March, Oualkait (Hippotragus).
"El Mor." Sennaar, Fazogle (Nanotragus?).
"El Khondieh." Kordofan (Redunca?).
"Om Khat." Kordofan (Gazella?).
"El Hamra." Kordofan, Bajouda (Gazella?).
CHAPTER XXII.
WE LEAVE THE DINDER.
FOR some days we continued our journey along the banks of the
Dinder, and as the monotonous river turned towards the junction
with the Blue Nile, a few miles distant, we made a direct cut
across the flat country, to cross the Rahad and arrive at Abou
Harraz on the Blue Nile.
