The book of antelopes, vol. 3 (of 4)Sclater, Philip Lutley
Science
The book of antelopes, vol. 3 (of 4)
Sclater, Philip Lutley
Antelopes
“After taking the Reem back to the place where we had left the
horses, we started off again, and during the day saw several
small lots containing both males and females (4, 5, and 2), but
did not get a chance of another shot. Pease also saw a few.
“We hunted the sand-hills for two more days; on the third day
our negro guide took us much farther from camp, running before
us with surprising speed and endurance for three and a half
hours before we halted and tied up our horses. In the evening,
after walking all day in a hot sun and on soft sand, he showed
himself still untired and ready to run at the same pace back
again to camp. This remarkable man said that he had lived for
seven years in the desert without sleeping in a house or tent,
and had hardly tasted water, meat, or bread; during the whole
of that time his food consisted of dates and camel’s milk, and
he attributed his strength to this diet. The long distance of
our camp from the sand-hills where the Reem is found was a great
hindrance, as we could not hunt for them at the time they were
feeding. By the time we got to the ground they were already
lying down for the day, generally on the top of the sand-ridges,
and keeping a watchful look-out. We saw several small herds each
day, but neither of us ever got another chance of a shot.
“We were lucky in having calm weather, as a sand-storm in that
country is a very serious matter. The air gets as thick as
during a bad London fog and one cannot see even a few yards
ahead, making it quite impossible to regain camp, all tracks
being blotted out in a few minutes by the wind. Our experience
of sand-storms was limited to _one_ day, our last day
in the desert, luckily for us well outside the region of the
sand-hills, when leaving our caravan behind we rode in 50
kilometres to Biskra in the teeth of a cutting wind filled with
dust and sand, an extremely painful experience; but we were in
no danger of losing our way as we were then on the broad track
worn by the caravans travelling between Biskra and Touggourt.
“The Reem is remarkable for its light and uniform coloration,
the ordinary Gazellemarkings being hardly noticeable. The long
slender hoofs are also very peculiar, reminding one of those
of _Tragelaphus spekii_, which lives in the swamps on the
borders of lakes and rivers.
“It is quite certain that the Reem can never drink, as there is
no water in this country at all, except in the comparatively
deep wells dug by the natives.
“The following measurements of the male Reem were taken directly
after it was killed:--Height at shoulder 2 ft. 4 in.; girth at
brisket 2 ft. 1 in.; length of horns 13 in. It weighed, after
being brought into camp (without entrails), 34 lb. These are
about the measurements and weight of _Gazella dorcas_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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