It may well be imagined the horrible nuisance such animals are to all South African travellers. They steal everything they can get at. They devoured two handsome flags of Mr. Andersson’s which he had hoped to plant on the shores of Lake ’Ngami. But, perhaps, the greatest trouble is caused by their infernal cachinnations; no noise in the forest produces so much discomfort, for though not so loud as the Lion’s roar, it is totally devoid of grandeur, and is only hideously grotesque and vile in the ears of all but Hyænas, who, we suppose, are charmed by it. The traveller we have just mentioned was, during an illness, laughed to scorn in the most amazing fashion by Hyænas and Jackals, and their derision was too much for his equanimity at a time when he sorely needed sympathy and help. Flesh and water had become very scarce, and in his trouble he says, “One evening I desperately resolved to go to the water myself in the hope of succeeding better [than the attendants]. Accordingly I ordered my servants to prepare a ‘skäran,’ and to carry me there, taking the chance of being run over or gored by Elephants or Rhinoceroses, for in my disabled state it was impossible, should any animal charge, to get out of its way. Seeing my helpless condition, the men remonstrated, but I was resolved to go, and fortune favoured me. I had patiently waited till nigh morning without seeing anything but Hyænas and Jackals. I believe these creatures knew I would not hurt them, for they approached within a very few paces, staring and laughing at me in the most impudent manner. I threw gravel pebbles at them, but this only served to increase their mockery. I could stand it no longer, but hurled my camp-chair at their heads, when they quickly betook themselves to flight.” Livingstone had the same trouble with the fearful din. “An astonishing number of Hyænas collected round, and kept up a loud laughter for two whole nights. Some of them do make a very good imitation of a laugh. I asked my men what the Hyænas were laughing at, as they usually give animals credit for a share of intelligence. They said that they were laughing because we could not take the whole, and that they would have plenty to eat as well as we.” Any one who has never heard the Hyæna laugh, and is anxious for that pleasure, has only to visit the Zoological Gardens at feeding time. Some give utterance to such horrible cachinnations when stirred up by the keeper, that one would think they are enough to wake the dead and madden the living. Most hunters think it quite _infra dig._ to hunt so contemptible and cowardly a beast as the Hyæna. Regular expeditions are, however, organised against it by the Cape colonists, who set fire to the brushwood, to drive out the animals, which are then attacked by Dogs. A method of killing, considered more suitable to the beast, is that of the trap. Mr. Andersson succeeded in killing several by means of a cleverly arranged spring-gun. THE BROWN HYÆNA.[67]