by Mayne Reid
CHAPTER XXXV.
THE WILD ASSES OF AFRICA.
Notwithstanding the success of the day's hunt, the mind of Von Bloom wasnot at rest. They had "bagged" their game, it was true, but in whatmanner? Their success was a mere accident, and gave them no earnest ofwhat might be expected in the future. They might go long before findinganother "sleeping-tree" of the elephants, and repeating their easycapture.
Such were the not very pleasant reflections of the field-cornet, on theevening after returning from their successful hunt.
But still less pleasant were they, two weeks later, at the retrospect ofmany an unsuccessful chase from which they had returned--when, aftertwelve days spent in "jaging" the elephant, they had added only a singlepair of tusks to the collection, and these the tusks of a cow elephant,scarce two feet in length, and of little value!
The reflection was not the less painful, that nearly every day they hadfallen in with elephants, and had obtained a shot or two at theseanimals. That did not mend the matter a bit. On the contrary, it taughtthe hunter how easily they could run away from him, as they invariablydid. It taught him how small his chances were of capturing such game, solong as he could only follow it afoot.
The hunter on foot stands but a poor chance with the elephant. Stalkingin upon one is easy enough, and perhaps obtaining a single shot; butwhen the animal trots off through the thick jungle, it is tedious workfollowing him. He may go miles before halting, and even if the huntershould overtake him, it may be only to deliver a second shot, and seethe game once more disappear into the bushes--perhaps to be spoored nofarther.
Now the mounted hunter has this advantage. His horse can overtake theelephant; and it is a peculiarity of this animal, that the moment hefinds that his enemy, whatever it be, can do that thing, he disdains torun any farther, but at once stands to bay; and the hunter may thendeliver as many shots as he pleases.
Herein lies the great advantage of the hunter on horseback. Anotheradvantage is the security the horse affords, enabling his rider to avoidthe charges of the angry elephant.
No wonder Von Bloom sighed for a horse. No wonder he felt grieved at thewant of this noble companion, that would have aided him so much in thechase.
He grieved all the more, now that he had become acquainted with thedistrict, and had found it so full of elephants. Troops of an hundredhad been seen; and these far from being shy, or disposed to make offafter a shot or two. Perhaps they had never heard the report of a gunbefore that of his own long roer pealed in their huge ears.
With a horse the field-cornet believed he could have killed many, andobtained much valuable ivory. Without one, his chances of carrying outhis design were poor indeed. His hopes were likely to end indisappointment.
He felt this keenly. The bright prospects he had so ardently indulgedin, became clouded over; and fears for the future once more harassedhim. He would only waste his time in this wilderness. His children wouldlive without books, without education, without society. Were he to besuddenly called away, what would become of them? His pretty Gertrudewould be no better off than a little savage--his sons would become notin sport, as he was wont to call them, but in reality a trio of"Bush-boys."
Once more these thoughts filled the heart of the father with pain. Oh!what would he not have given at that moment for a pair of horses, of anysort whatever?
The field-cornet, while making these reflections, was seated in thegreat nwana-tree, upon the platform, that had been built on the sidetowards the lake, and from which a full view could be obtained of thewater. From this point a fine view could also be obtained of the countrywhich lay to the eastward of the lake. At some distance off it waswooded, but near the vley a grassy plain lay spread before the eye likea green meadow.
The eyes of the hunter were turned outward on this plain, and just thenhis glance fell upon a troop of animals crossing the open ground, andadvancing towards the vley.
They were large animals--nearly of the shape and size of smallhorses--and travelling in single file; as they were, the troop at adistance presented something of the appearance of a "cafila," orcaravan. There were in all about fifty individuals in the line; and theymarched along with a steady sober pace, as if under the guidance anddirection of some wise leader. How very different from the capriciousand eccentric movements of the gnoos!
Individually they bore some resemblance to these last-named animals. Inthe shape of their bodies and tails, in their general ground colour, andin the "brindled" or tiger-like stripes that could be perceived upontheir cheeks, neck, and shoulders. These stripes were exactly of thesame form as those upon a zebra; but far less distinct, and notextending to the body or limbs, as is the case with the true zebra. Ingeneral colour, and in some other respects, the animals reminded one ofthe ass; but their heads, necks, and the upper part of their bodies,were of darker hue, slightly tinged with reddish brown. In fact, thenew-comers had points of resemblance to all four--horse, ass, gnoo, andzebra--and yet they were distinct from any. To the zebra they bore thegreatest resemblance--for they were in reality a species of zebra--theywere quaggas.
Modern naturalists have divided the _Equidae_, or horse family, into twogenera--the horse and the ass--the principal points of distinctionbeing, that animals of the horse kind have long flowing manes, fulltails, and warty callosities on both hind and fore limbs; while asses,on the contrary, have short, meagre, and upright manes, tails slenderand furnished only with long hairs at the extremity, and their hindlimbs wanting the callosities. These, however, are found on thefore-legs as upon horses.
Although there are many varieties of the horse genus--scores of them,widely differing from each other--they can all be easily recognised bythese characteristic marks, from the "Suffolk Punch," the great Londondrayhorse, down to his diminutive little cousin the "Shetland Pony."
The varieties of the ass are nearly as numerous, though this fact is notgenerally known.
First, we have the common ass, the type of the genus; and of this thereare many breeds in different countries, some nearly as elegant and ashighly prized as horses. Next there is the "onagra," "koulan," or "wildass," supposed to be the origin of the common kind. This is a native ofAsia, though it is also found in the north-eastern parts of Africa.There is also the "dziggetai," or "great wild ass," of Central andSouthern Asia, and another smaller species the "ghur" found in Persia.Again, there is the "kiang" met with in Ladakh, and the "yo-totze," aninhabitant of Chinese Tartary.
All these are Asiatic species, found in a wild state, and differing fromone another in colour, size, form, and even in habits. Many of them areof elegant form, and swift as the swiftest horses.
In this little book we cannot afford room for a description of each, butmust confine our remarks to what is more properly our subject--the wildasses of Africa. Of these there are six or seven kinds--perhaps more.
First, there is the "wild ass," which, as already stated, extends fromAsia into the north-eastern parts of Africa, contiguous to the formercontinent.
Next there is the "koomrah," of which very little is known, except thatit inhabits the forests of Northern Africa, and is solitary in itshabits, unlike most of the other species. The koomrah has been describedas a "wild horse," but, most probably, it belongs to the genus _asinus_.
Now there are four other species of "wild asses" in Africa--wild horsessome call them--and a fifth reported by travellers, but as yetundetermined. These species bear such a resemblance to one another intheir form, the peculiar markings of their bodies, size, and generalhabits, that they may be classed together under the title of the zebrafamily. First, there is the true zebra, perhaps the most beautiful ofall quadrupeds, and of which no description need be given. Second, the"dauw," or "Burchell's zebra," as it is more frequently called. Third,the "congo dauw," closely resembling the dauw. Fourth, the "quagga"; andfifth, the undetermined species known as the "white zebra," so calledfrom its pale yellow, or Isabella colour.
These five species evidently have a close affinity with each other
--allof them being more or less marked with the peculiar transversal bands or"stripes," which are the well-known characteristics of the zebra. Eventhe quagga is so banded upon the head and upper parts of its body.
The zebra proper is "striped" from the tip of the nose to its veryhoofs, and the bands are of a uniform black, while the ground colour isnearly white, or white tinged with a pale yellow. The "dauws," on theother hand, are not banded upon the legs; the rays are not so dark orwell defined, and the ground colour is not so pure or clean-looking. Forthe rest, all these three species are much alike; and it is more thanprobable that either "Burchell's" or the "congo dauw" was the species towhich the name of "zebra" was first applied; for that which is nowcalled the "true zebra" inhabits those parts of Africa where it was lesslikely to have been the first observed of the genus. At all events, the"congo dauw" is the "hippotigris," or tiger-horse, of the Romans; andthis we infer from its inhabiting a more northerly part of Africa thanthe others, all of which belong to the southern half of that continent.The habitat of the zebra is said to extend as far north as Abyssinia;but, perhaps, the "congo dauw," which certainly inhabits Abyssinia, hasbeen mistaken for the true zebra.
Of the four species in South Africa, the zebra is a mountain animal, anddwells among the cliffs, while the dauw and quagga rove over the plainsand wild karoo deserts. In similar situations to these has the "whitezebra" been observed--though only by the traveller Le Vaillant--andhence the doubt about its existence as a distinct species.
None of the kinds associate together, though each herds with otheranimals! The quagga keeps company with the gnoo, the "dauw" with the"brindled gnoo," while the tall ostrich stalks in the midst of the herdsof both!
There is much difference in the nature and disposition of the differentspecies. The mountain zebra is very shy and wild; the dauw is almostuntameable; while the quagga is of a timid docile nature, and may betrained to harness with as much facility as a horse.
The reason why this has not been done, is simply because the farmers ofSouth Africa have horses in plenty, and do not stand in need of thequagga, either for saddle or harness.
But though Von Bloom the farmer had never thought of "breaking in" aquagga, Von Bloom the hunter now did.
