THE RHINOCEROS. 27 



met with it, and who were unacquainted with its appearance 

 and habits. But it showed no ill-natured disposition, 

 and readily allowed itself to be driven back to the en- 

 closure like a buffalo. The excessive excavations which 

 it made by continually wallowing- in the mire, and the 

 accumulation of putrefying vegetable matter, in the 

 process of time became offensive at the entrance of the 

 palace, and its removal was ordered by the Emperor to 

 a small village near the confines of the capital, where, in 

 the year 1821, it was accidentally drowned in a rivulet. 



"The rhinoceros lives gregaiious in many parts of 

 Java. It is not limited to a peculiar region or climate, 

 but its range extends from the level of the ocean to the 

 summit of mountains of considerable elevation. I no- 

 ticed it at Tangung near the confines of the Southern 

 Ocean, in the districts of the native princes, and on the 

 summit of the high peaks of the Priangan Regencies ; 

 but it prefers high situations. It is not generally dis- 

 tributed, but is tolerably numerous in circumscribed spots 

 distant from the dwellings of man, and covered with a 

 profuse vegetation. On the whole, it is more abundant 

 in the western than in the eastern districts of the island. 

 Its retreats are discovered by deeply excavated passages 

 which it forms along the declivities of mountains and 

 hills. I found these occasionally of great depth and 

 extent. In its manners the rhinoceros of Java is comjjara- 

 tively mild. It is not unfrequently met in the wilds by 

 Europeans and natives. No instance of its showing a 

 disposition to make an attack has come to my knowledge : 

 being the largest animal in Java, its passions are not 

 roused, as in many parts of India, by contentions with 

 the elephant. It is rarely seen in a domestic state, but 

 is occasionally decoyed into pits and destroyed. Our 

 animal rambles chiefly at night, and often occasions 

 serious injury to the plantations of coffee and pepper 

 which are laid out in the fertile districts selected for its 

 retreats. The horns and skin are employed for medi- 

 cinal purposes by the natives." 



The Javanese rhinoceros was known to Bontius, who 



