The earliest recognizable figures of the Vaal Rhébok were published about 1829, when Lichtenstein gave representations of both sexes in his ‘Darstellung der Thiere’ from specimens in the Berlin Museum.
This species appears to have qualities that enable it to resist the advancing tide of civilization better than some of its kindred, and is consequently still found scattered over wide districts of the Cape. Mr. W. L. Sclater, who has kindly sent us an account of the present distribution of the Antelopes still existing within the limits of the Colony, gives us the following list of actual localities of the present species:—In the west, Namaqualand, Clanwilliam, Malmesbury, Caledon, Bredarsdorp, Zwellendam, Riversdale, Ceres, Sutherland, Prince Albert, Beaufort West, Carnarvon, Kenhardt, and Pruska (scarce); in the middle districts, Mossel Bay, Middelburg, Colesburg, and Albert; in the east of the Colony, Bathurst, Albany, Tembuland, Barkly East, Griqualand East, and Queenstown; and in the north, Great Namaqualand, Kimberley, Barkly West, and Herbert.
Besides these districts of the Cape Colony we shall presently see that the Vaal Rhébok is also found in the Orange Free State, the Transvaal, Natal, Mashonaland, and Matabeleland, and in the adjoining districts up to the Zambesi.
In the days of Harris (1836–37) we learn from his ‘Portraits’ that the “Rhébok,” as he calls it, was extremely common throughout the Cape Colony, even in the more thickly inhabited cantons. “Never entering the forest,” he tells us, “but residing chiefly among rocky glens and mountain-passes, the Rhébok inhabits the vicinage of little stagnant pools that have been left by the winter torrents, where small families, comprising one old male and five or six females with their fawns, may frequently be seen grazing quietly on the bare hillsides or gambolling amongst the dwarf trees and underwood. To guard against surprise a vidette is invariably on the alert; and should a human figure or other suspicious object be descried nearer than is judged to be safe, the wary sentinel forthwith extends her slender neck, and gives warning to her companions by a sharp sneeze. Away they all bound, lightly as the wind, tossing their graceful heads, whilst their dainty feet scarcely seem to touch the earth; and never slackening their pace until they have gained the summit of some distant eminence, they halt as if by word of command, and suddenly facing half round, reconnoitre the enemy. Exceedingly shy and possessed of a keen scent and a hawk-vision, it is difficult enough to approach within rifle-range; but the little herd, when thus in motion, usually winding round the base of a hill instead of taking directly up the acclivity, an opportunity is often presented to the pursuer to gallop across the path they have selected, and thus obtain an easy snap-shot.”
Mr. H. A. Bryden, in his ‘Kloof and Karroo,’ devotes a whole chapter to the pleasures of “Vaal Rhébok-shooting,” which, for some reason or other, he says, has been unaccountably neglected by hunters and naturalists, in “their rush to follow the larger and nobler game of this game-abounding country.” The most peculiar feature of this Antelope, he tells us, “lies in its coat, which differs essentially from that of every other South-African species, consisting of a thick woolly fur, approaching very closely to the texture of that of the rabbit, but softer, finer, and longer.” The venison, he adds, “although inferior to that of the Spring-bok and some of the larger Antelopes, is by no means inestimable, but has the fault, common to much South-African game, of being somewhat dry.”
Our most recent authorities on the game-animals of South Africa, Messrs. Nicolls and Eglington, speak of this species as fairly well distributed, even in these days, throughout the Cape Colony, the Orange Free State, the Transvaal, the Bechuanaland Protectorate, and portions of Natal, Zululand, and Matabeleland, but nowhere, at the present time, to be met with in large numbers.
“Like the Red Rhébuck and the Klipspringer, it is only met with in very broken country, frequenting the highest points on the mountains and kopjies, never descending to the valleys or plains except at night when in search of water. It is generally found in flocks of six or seven up to a dozen, and is most wary and difficult of approach, one old ram usually standing on guard while the remainder feed. On the least sign of danger, the sentry immediately decamps among the rocky boulders, being instantly followed by the whole herd, springing from rock to rock with great activity. Driving is the best plan to adopt when hunting this species, the guns taking up a position in some narrow valley through which the Rhébuck are bound to pass on being driven by natives and dogs from one range of hills to another. It is worthy of remark that at certain portions of the year the entire body of this animal is often found to be burrowed with a large sort of warble, and consequently the flesh, at such times, is unfit for food, in addition to which it decomposes with great rapidity.”
Fig. 44.
Head of Vaal Rhébok, ♂.