Abstract
I. FROM his boyhood days Emil Holub determined he would explore some of the out-of-the-way portions of the African continent, and in 1872 the opportunity was presented to him of travelling in the southern parts of that great and still unexplored country. The result of seven years labour, during which period of time he made three several journeys of investigation, are now in these volumes laid before the public. In Dr. Holub's first journey he started from Port Elizabeth, crossing the Cape Colony district and the extreme south-west corner of the Orange Free State, to Kimberley. As far as Grahams-town he could have had the modern convenience of a train, but preferred a two-wheeled cart drawn by four small horses, making about eight miles an hour. The country is very charming for the greater part of this route, the road being beneath the brow of the Zuur Mountains, which with their wooded clefts and valleys, and their little lakes inclosed by sloping pastures, afforded many interesting views. The fauna was as varied as the flora, and numerous captures were made by the way. Even large game like elephants were to be met with, and the author records a sad accident which happened in the underwood by the Zondago River, between Port Elizabeth and Grahamstown. A black servant sent to look for some strayed cattle had been met by a herd of passing elephants, some of whom knocked him down and then trampled him to death. In this district these big animals are under the protection of the Government, and not being often interfered with, they would seem to have no great fear of man. The springbok (Antelope euchore) is noticed as still in some districts swarming, though its numbers must be rapidly diminising, as Dr. Holub saw whole waggon-loads brought to Kimberley, where the carcases were sold at prices varying from three to seven shillings a head. Among other wonderful instances given of the great skill of the Dutch. Boers in bringing down these swift creatures, he tells of one expert marksman killing by a single shot from his breech-loading rifle two of these antelopes.
Article PDF
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Dr. Holub's African Travels 1 . Nature 24, 35–38 (1881). https://doi.org/10.1038/024035a0
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/024035a0