INTRODUCTORY. 13 



On the treeless plain I have sometimes been trekking in places abounding 

 with rhino. Here one has to make a detour to pass downwind of every rhino 

 seen. When the rhino is some way downwind of the general direction and there are 

 many scattered about, the constant trekking off the path becomes very boring and 

 one is apt to cut down the distance at which to pass him. 



Many times have I led a whole long caravan of porters past a rhino within two 

 hundred yards upwind of us, only impressing on the porters to go silently. 



Sometimes I have passed within one hundred yards, and other men have told me 

 that they have done the same. I have never met with any misadventure in so doing, 

 and generally the rhino has not taken the slightest notice of us when the porters were 

 perfectly silent. 



Very seldom, in places where the rhino has not been much molested, has he 

 shown uneasiness, and then our presence was probably betrayed to him by the 

 behaviour of the rhino birds. 



This seems, to my mind, sufficient proof that the rhino is unable to see a long 

 caravan of forty or fifty porters at one hundred yards' distance. It makes one 

 inclined to doubt the stories one hears of his seeing and charging a single man at 

 two hundred yards. 



Sometimes it becomes expedient to try to cross upwind of a rhino at long 

 distances, such as four hundred yards. This may be either to avoid a very long 

 detour on a long march, or because there are several rhino about, and it is impossible 

 to avoid them all. On such occasions the sportsman would post himself in a good 

 position till the caravan had passed. 



I consider it a toss-up which direction the rhino takes when he smells the caravan : 

 he may come straight for the caravan, go straight away or off to a flank, or at any 

 angle to these directions. When disturbed by any cause other than scent he will, as 

 a rule, make off upivi)i(l. 



The above will show why 1 consider that the shooting of two rhinos on one's 

 licence can be performed with as little danger and considerably more ease than, the 

 shooting of two hartebeest. 



First, wait till you find a rhino in a suitable place with a few trees about. Then 

 walk upwind to a tree about thirty yards from him, without any pretence at a stalk, 

 rest your rifle against a tree, and shoot. If you fail to kill or disable him, and he 

 comes your way, dodge behind a tree. In approaching him you may, it is true, give 

 your wind to another you have not yet seen, but in stalking a hartebeest you might 

 equally well give your wind to an unseen rhino. 



I do not wish, however, to decry a gallant foe, so I must qualify my remarks by 



