2 2 4 177& January. 1 ¡1 A V O Y A G E TO t h e v e r , a p a p e r o r tw o th a t I h a d a b o u t n le , m u f t n e c e f fa r i ly h a v e b e e n in th e f am e p r e d ic am e n t . T h e o v e r tu r n in g o f o u r w a g g o n l ik e w i f e , e sp e c ia lly a t n i g h t , w h i c h h a p p e n e d a t tw o d if fe r e n t t im e s , w a s o f n o g r e a t f e r v ic e to m y c o l- le c lio n a , p a r t ic u la r ly to m y in fed ts . The riet, or reed ree-bok, I faw but once, and then I had but a hafty glimpfe o f it, as it ran by me. This was during my refidence at Agter Bruntjes-hoogte, and it was there only that, I heard any mention o f this creature. It generally keeps concealed among the reeds and marihy places, and is thought to refemble a little the animal laft defcribed, from which two circumftances it has obtained the name it bears. It is, however, twice as big as the ree-bok; they are monogamous, or keep only in pairs, and, i f I remember right, the females are faid; to be without horns. Notwithftanding all the pfefents and offers I have made to my correfpondents at the Cape, they have not yet fulfilled their promifes o f fending me the ikins of thefe two animals, which are probably a fpecies o f the capra or g a z e l genus, hitherto entirely unknown. The vlakjleen-bok was the name given at Agter Bruntjes- hoogte to animals (probably of the gazel kind) two feet in height, which ufed, in fome fort, to herd together on the vlaktens, or plains, though for the moft part difperfed and at a diftance from each other. I likewife faw this creature twice on my journey homeward through the defert. Though, when at a certain diftance, it did not appear in the leaft fhy, it always took care, however, not to let any of us come within gun-ihot o f it. It muff confequently be C A P E of G O O D H O P E . be hunted down on horfeback, except the ground is too- ftoney and rough. The colour o f it was a. very pale-red or a? moufe-colour, (colore murino) on which account it was likewife faid to- be called by fbme the bleek-bok, or vaal ree-bok- It is more clumfy and unwieldy than the ree-bok, and’ in its.' form more refcmbles the animal commonly called the Jleen- bak at the Cape. T h e animals called by the- colonifts Jleen-bok, grys-boky, duyker-baky and klipfpringer, are about two feet high, being probably o f i the gazel kind,, and are not uncommon! near the Cape. But for this very renibn, and; in confe- quence o f my having been frequently impeded by my bo-r tanical refearehes, I deferred the inveftigation of thefe animals till it was too late* as my departure for Europe took place much fbqner than I expefletL It is fbme confolation; to me* however, to refiedt* that this lofs. may eafily be repaired; and, indeed* more than repaired* by fomebody elfe :. perhaps we may expe£t that favour from Meffrs. F o r s t e r s ,, who* when at the Cape, were engaged in making drawings* together with accurate deferiptions of thefe quadrupeds ; for which reaibn likewife* I even then confideredS my refearehes into this matter as being the more, fuper— fluous. In the mean time,, however, I muff ohferve, that I am perfectly convinced that thefe- animals are o f fpecies diftindt: from each other* the females o f which havenohoms;. and, i f I remember right, they have all a porua cerifeims belbw the eye, except* according to what i was- told* the duyker— hoi. The flefh tooof this M l animal was alfb faid to be very- dry and tough, when compared- with that of the- others*, which I tailed of* and which appeared to? me* with- refpefte to» January.
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