176 ONE-HORNED SUMATRAN RHINOCEROS. 



times mounted on its back. It required copious 

 supplies of water ; and, when not taking food, or 

 intentionally roused by the natives, it generally 

 placed itself in the large excavations, which its 

 movements soon caused in the soft earth that 

 covered the allotted space. 



" The animal rapidly increased in size. In the 

 year 1817> having been confined at Surracarta 

 about nine or ten months, the dimensions, as 

 already stated, were nine feet in length, and four 

 feet three inches in height at the rump. In 1821 

 it had acquired the height of five feet seven inches. 

 This information I received from my friend Mr 

 Stavers, who is now in England, on a visit from 

 the interior of Java ; and he favoured me farther 

 with the following details, which complete the 

 history of the individual whose figure is annexed. 

 Having considerably increased in size, the ditch 

 of three feet in breadth was insufficient for con- 

 fining it ; but, leaving the enclosure, it frequently 

 passed to the dwellings of the natives, destroying 

 the plantations of fruit trees, and culinary vege- 

 tables, which always surround them. It likewise 

 terrified those natives that accidentally met with 

 it, and who were unacquainted with its appearance 

 and habits. But it shewed no ill-natured disposi- 

 tion, and readily allowed itself to be driven back 

 to the enclosure like a Buffalo. The excessive 

 excavations which it made by continually wallow- 



