form and smoothness prove that this animal is riot an inhabitant of
mountains or rocky places. Their figure, and that of the tail, drawn
in proportion to the horns, may be seen at the end of this chapter.
The tail, which was about nine inches long and was like that of the
blesbok, was furnished on the upper side with long black hair ; that,
towards the tip, being the longest, and measuring five inches. The
fresh skin, when spread out upon the ground, measured, from the end
of the nose to the tip of the tail, seven feet and seven inches ; across
the middle of the body, four feet; in extent between the ends of the
two fore legs, eight feet and five inches; and the same of the hind
legs, eight feet. The length of the ears was eight inches. From
these dimensions it would appear that, at the withers, the height of
the Crescent-horned Antelope is nearly four feet, and the diameter
of its body a little more than fifteen inches. *
* Of this antelope, the first and only skin ever brought to Europe was, along with
a number , of others, as I have stated in the note at page 383. of the preceding volume,
presented to The British Museum. At the time of writing that note, and previously to if,
I confined my complaints against that establishment, to' its long protracted delay .ip
placing them before the Public, and to its neglect of a donation which was made under
the implied condition of being immediately disposed of in the proper manner. Finding
the Museum so dilatory in this case, I repeatedly complained, and urged in support of my
complaint, the injustice which was done to the Public, as well as to a collection which.had
been pronounced valuable to zoological science. At first, orders were given for these skins
to be put into proper form with as little delay as possible; and a few (7) were in consequence
then stuffed; after which the work proceeded no farther. To my remonstrance,
it'was replied, at one time, that these quadrupeds would require more room than that
building would allow. At another time I learnt that the expense * was greater than the
f u n d s of the establishment would authorise. B eall this as it may, I know that several
quadrupeds received long since mine, have been stuffed, and some preserved in a much
more expensive manner; and that hundreds, and I believe thousands, of pounds have, since
that time, been expended by the Museum in the purchase of objects of natural-history.
To these subjects my complaints were at that time confined; because I relied on an
official communication which stated that all requisite care was taken of my animals, and
that no fear need be entertained respecting their security and preservation from damage
by insects. How unexpected, therefore, was the additional mortification which I felt, when
I had occasion, in July last, (1822) to visit the Museum for the purpose of making a drawing
of the horns of the above described antelope. I was shown a large chest which was
* I t was estimated th at the expense of.stuffing .them would no t am ount to 5001. : one third o f which
had already been p aid ; and the most expensive part o f th e work, occasioned by setting up the two Camelopards,
was then completed.
We hadnoi, in our daily hunting excursions, which extended to
the distance of several miles from our station, discovered any village
or residences of the natives. Those who had visited us, had always
come a long way from their home; and this was the reason of our
having hitherto seen so few inhabitants ; but in the afternoon, three
Bichuanas joined our party, and remained with us till the next day!
They told me they were herdsmen to Mattlvi, and were lying at a
cattle-place lower down the Makkwarin.
They had lately been at Litakun; and now reported to me that the
elder brother of Mattivi, as soon as he heard o f the approach of a white-
person from the Colony, and supposing that he would return immediately
after visiting that place, had conceived the desire, and actually
formed the resolution, of making a journey to Cape Town, of which
he had heard many accounts at Klaarwater. His plan was to return
thither with me, and he had therefore long been expecting my arrival
with impatience; but having heard that I had finally left the Trans-
gariepine, and had gone back to the Colony, (this report related to
my journey to Graaflreynet) he had now, under great disappointment,
relinquished his intention.
This story raised my curiosity and, at the same time, a wish to
intended to contain my collection; but on examination, the antelope I sought, was not
there, neither were some others which were equally rare and valuable. At length an old
packing-case was found, which had been nailed up in a manner which evinced that the
preservation of its contents Had not been the purpose for which it was intended; and on
Its being opened I discovered, the skin of my Antilope lunata, together with another unde-
scribed species, of which that also was the only individual ever shot or seen, and six others,
all swarming with live moths and maggots, and their hair dropping off. That this irreparable
destruction was attributable to a want of due care cannot be denied; since those duplicates
which I had retained in my own collection, remained still in as good condition as when
they were first brought home. The motives which induced me to give these quadrupeds
to our national museum, induced me also, to give the best of all which I possessed; and I
therefore permitted the person who was engaged by the museum for stuffing them, to come
previously to my house and select those which he thought the finest and the most perfect.
I have now only to regret the time and labor which have been lost during my travels,
in preserving and bringing away those skins; as it would have been less vexatious to have
left them to be eaten by maggots in the deserts of Africa, than in the British Museum :
and I do hope, for the credit of that establishment and for the character of my country,
as it relates to die pursuit and encouragement of science, that every future gift will meet
with less neglect, and with a better fate, than mine has unfortunately experienced.
V O L . I t . x x