426 



THE RHINOCEROS. 



trowing from its snout ; and formed rather 

 jr war, than with a propensity to engage. 

 This horn is sometimes found from three to 

 three feet and a half long, growing from the 

 solid bone, and so disposed as to be managed 

 to the greatest advantage. It is composed of 

 the most solid substance ; and pointed so as to 

 inflict the most fatal wounds. The elephant, 

 the boar, or the buffalo, are obliged to strike 

 transversely with their weapons ; but the rhi- 

 noceros employs all his force with every blow ; 

 so that the tiger will more willingly attack any 

 other animal of the forest, than one whose 

 strength is so justly employed. Indeed, there 

 is no force which this terrible animal has to 

 apprehend : defended, on every side, by a 

 thick horny hide, which the claws of the lion 

 or the tiger are unable to pierce, and armed 

 before with a weapon that even the elephant 

 does not choose to oppose. The missionaries 

 assure us, that the elephant is often found dead 

 in the forests, pierced with the horn of a rhi- 

 noceros ; and though it looks like wisdom to 

 doubt whatever they tell us, yet I cannot help 

 giving credit to what they relate on this occa- 

 sion, particularly when confirmed by Pliny. 

 The combat between these two, the most for- 

 midable animals of the forest, must be very 

 dreadful. Emanuel, king of Portugal, willing 

 to try their strength, actually opposed them to 

 each other ; and the elephant was defeated. 



But though the rhinoceros is thus formidable 

 by nature, yet imagination has not failed to 

 exert itself, in adding to its terrors. The scent 

 is said to be most exquisite ; and it is af- 

 firmed that it consorts with the tiger. It is 

 reported also, that when it has overturned a 

 man, or any other animal, it continues to lick 

 the flesh quite from the bone with its tongue, 

 which is said to be extremely rough. All this, 

 however, is fabulous : the scent, if we may 

 judge from the expansion of the olfactory 

 nerves, is not greater than that of a hog, which 

 we know to be indifferent ; it keeps company 

 with the tiger, only because they both frequent 

 watery places in the burning climates where 

 they are bred ; and as to its rough tongue, 

 that is so far from the truth, that no animal of 

 near its size has so soft a one. " I have often 

 felt it myself," says Ladvocat, in his descrip- 

 tion of this animal ; " it is smooth, soft, and 

 small, like that of a dog ; and to the feel it 

 appears as if one passed the hand over velvet ; 



I have often seen it lick a young man's face 

 who kept it, and both seemed pleased with 

 the action." 



The rhinoceros which was shown at Lon- 

 don in 1739, and described by Dr. Parsons, 

 had been sent from Bengal. Though it was 

 very young, not being above two years old, 

 yet the charge of his carriage and food from 

 India cost near a thousand pounds. It was 

 fed with rice, sugar, and hay : it was daily 

 supplied with seven pounds of rice, mixed with 

 three of sugar, divided into three portions ; it 

 was given great quantities of hay and grass, 

 which it chiefly preferred; its drink was water, 

 which it took in great quantities. It was of a 

 gentle disposition, and permitted itself to be 

 touched and handled by all visiters, never at- 

 tempting mischief, except when abused, or 

 when hungry ; in such a case, there was no 

 method of appeasing its fury, but by giving it 

 something to eat. When angry, it would 

 jump up against the walls of its room with 

 greav violence, and made many efforts to es- 

 cape, but seldom attempted to attack its keep- 

 er, and was always submissive to his threats. 

 It had a peculiar cry, somewhat a mixture be- 

 tween the grunting of a hog and the bellowing 

 of a calf. 



The age of these animals is not well known ; 

 it is said by some, that they bring forth at three 

 years old, and if we may reason from analogy, 

 it is probable they seldom live till above 

 twenty. That which was shown in London, 

 was said by its keeper to be eighteen years 

 old, and even at that age he pretended to con- 

 sider it as a young one ; however, it died 

 shortly after, and that probably in the course 

 of nature. 



The rhinoceros is a native of the deserts of 

 Asia and Africa, and is usually found in those 

 extensive forests that are frequented by the 

 elephant and the lion. As it subsists entirely 

 upon vegetable food, it is peaceful and harm- 

 less among its fellows of the brute creation ; 

 but, though it never provokes to combat, it 

 equally disdains to fly. It is every way fitted 

 for war, but rests content in the conciousness 

 of its security. It is particularly fond of the 

 prickly branches of trees, and is seen to feed 

 upon such thorny shrubs as would be danger- 

 ous to other animals, either to gather or to 

 swallow. The prickly points of these, how- 

 ever, may only serve to give a poignant relish 



