RHINOCEROS. 137 



tion of its eyes, its sight is defective, and can' be di- 

 rected only to objects immediately before it. The 

 -acuteness of its hearing, and impenetrability of its 

 skin, oblige the hunters to follow it at a distance and 

 watch it until it lies, down to sleep, when they ap- 

 proach with great precaution, and discharge theiv 

 'muskets ail at once into the lower parts of its belly. 



A foetus of this animal, which had been extracted 

 from the mother, was sent from Java, and depo- 

 sited in the royal cabinet of Paris; and the memo- 

 'rial . which accompanied this present stated, that 

 -twenty-eight hunters had assembled to attack the fe- 

 male "rhinoceros, and followed her at a distance for 

 some days, observing carefully to reconnoitre her 

 progress; and that having by 'these means surprised 

 her when tskp, they approached so near P. to dis- 

 charge at one volley the contents of the tw&nty-eigbjt 

 muskets into the vulnerable pan of her belly. 



Without being useful like the elephant, the rhino- 

 ceres is extremely hurtful, by the devastation that he 

 makes whenever he enters 'any cultivated grounds. 

 His consumption of victuals is exceedingly great. 



In the year 1743, Dr. Parsons published a minute 

 description of one of these animals' that was brought 

 from Bengal into England. Though only two years 

 old, the expence of his food and voyage amounted to 

 near 10001. sterling. He consumed every day, at 

 three meals, seven pounds of rice mixed with three 

 pounds of sugar, besides a large quantity of hay and 

 green plants : he likewise drank a great deal of water. 

 In his disposition he was perfectly gentle, and would 

 sutler any part of his body to be touched, without 

 evincing " the least displeasure; but when hungry, 

 or struck by any person, he became fierce and mis- 

 chievous, and an immediate supply of food was the 

 only mean of pacifying him. 



A rhinoceros brought from Akham, and exhibited 

 at Paris in 1748, is said to have been extremely tame, 

 and even caressing. He was fed chiefly on hay and 

 corn, but the attendants frequently gave him thorny 

 branches of trees and sharp and prickly plants, with 



