216 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA. 



Finding that rhinoceroses were abundant in the vi 

 cinity, I resolved to halt a day for the purpose of hunt 



guished by the Bechuanas by the names of the borele, or black rhinoc- 

 eros, the keitloa, or two-horned black rhinoceros the muchocho, or 

 common white rhinoceros, and the kobaoba, or long-horned white rhi' 

 noceros. Both varieties of the black rhinoceros are extremely fiert 

 and dangerous, and rush headlong and unprovoked at any object whic\ 

 attracts their attention. They never attain much fat, auil their flesh ia 

 tough, and not much esteemed by the Bechuanas. Their food consists 

 almost entirely of the thorny branches of the wait-a-bit thorns. Their 

 horns are much shorter than those of the other varieties, seldom ex- 

 ceeding eighteen inches in length. They are finely polished with con- 

 stant rubbing against the trees. The skull is remarkably formed, its 

 most striking feature being the tremendous thick ossification in which 

 it ends above the nostrils. It is on this mass that the horn is supported. 

 The bonis are not connected with the skull, being attached merely by 

 the skin, and they may thus be separated from the head by means of a 

 shai-p knile. They are hard and perfectly solid throughout, and are a 

 fine material for various articles, such as driuking-cups, mallets for rifles, 

 handles for turner's tools, &c., &c. The horn is capable of a very high 

 polish. The eyes of the rhinoceros are sinall and spai'kling, and do not 

 readily observe the hunter, provided he keeps to leeward of them 

 The skin is extremely thick, and only to be penetrated c» bullets hard 

 ened with solder. During the day ihe rhinoceros will be found lying 

 asleep or standing indolently in some retired part of the forest, or undei 

 the base of the mountains, sheltered from thepow'Cr of the sun by some 

 friendly grove of umbrella-topped mimosas. In the evening they com- 

 mence their nightly ramble, and wander over a great extent of coun- 

 try. Tney usually visit the fountains between the hmu-s of nine ai.d 

 twelve o'clock at night, and it is on these occasions that they may be 

 most successfully hunted, and with the least danger. The black rhinoc- 

 eros is subject to paroxysms of unprovoked fury, often plowing up the 

 ground for several yards with its honis, and assaulting large bushes in 

 the most violent manner. On these bushes they work for hours with 

 their horns, at the same time snorting and blowuig loudly, nor do they 

 leave them in general until they have broken them into pieces. The 

 rhinoceros is supposed by many, and by myself among the rest, to be 

 the animal alluded to by Job, cliap. xxxix., verses 10 and 11, where it 

 is written, " Canst thou bind the unicorn with his band in the fuiTow ? 

 or will he harrow the valleys after thee 7 Wilt thou tnist him because 

 hia strength is great? or wilt thou leave thy labor to him?" evidently 

 alluding to an animal possessed of gi-eat strength and of untamable 

 disposition, for both of which the rhinoceros is remarkable. All tha 

 four varieties delight to roll and wallow in mad, with which their rug- 



