roaching them
by degrees, throw their javelins at them. In this case, out of ten or
twelve Buffaloes, it is very rare for one to escape. It sometimes
happens, however, that while the Buffaloes are running off, some one of
the hunters, who stands in the way of them, is tossed and killed, which,
by the people of this nation, is not much regarded. When the chase is
over, each one takes his share of the game.

Since the introduction of fire-arms by the Europeans, the natives, as
well as the colonists, bring down the Buffalo by means of the gun.
Nevertheless, great circumspection is required in following the sport,
as the animal is sometimes capable of revenging himself even after being
severely wounded. On one occasion a party of huntsmen discovered a small
herd of Buffaloes grazing on a piece of marshy ground. As it was
impossible to get near enough without crossing a marsh, which did not
afford a safe footing for their horses, they left them in charge of the
Hottentots, and proceeded on foot, thinking, that if the Buffaloes
should turn upon them, it would be easy to retreat by crossing the
quagmire, which, though firm enough to support a man, would not bear the
weight of a Buffalo. They advanced accordingly, and, under shelter of
the bushes, approached with such advantage, that the first volley
brought down three of the fattest of the herd, and so severely wounded
the great bull leader, that he dropped on his knees, bellowing most
furiously. Supposing him mortally wounded, the foremost of the huntsmen
issued from the covert, and began reloading his musket as he advanced,
to give him a finishing shot; but no sooner did the enraged animal see
his enemy in front of him than he sprang up, and ran furiously upon him.
The man, throwing down his gun, fled towards the quagmire; but the beast
was so close upon him, that, despairing to escape in that direction, he
suddenly turned round a clump of copsewood, and began to ascend a tree.
The raging animal, however, was too quick for him, and bounding forward
with a tremendous roar, he caught the unfortunate man with his terrible
horns, just as he had nearly escaped his reach, and tossed him into the
air with such force, that the body fell dreadfully mangled into the
cleft of a tree. The Buffalo ran round the tree once or twice,
apparently looking for the man, until weakened with loss of blood, he
again sank on his knees. The rest of the party, recovering from their
confusion, then cam