A SHOT AT A BLACK RHINOCEROS. 379 



kind may dash into an encampment to gratify a mo- 

 mentary fit of passion, but would not spend their time 

 idling about it. 



Next morning at sunrise, with a couple of the newly- 

 arrived bushmen, I went off to view some high coppies 

 that lay to the north-east. They appeared like the debris 

 of several immense quarries, carelessly thrown upon the 

 plain. Here lay at hand the material to build a city 

 without the trouble of quarrying. Frequently through- 

 out this country this phenomenon occurs, and I am at a 

 loss to account for it, unless it is caused by an upheaval 

 produced by earthquakes. On approaching the first 

 coppy one of the bushmen became excited, and pointed 

 out something, then his companion followed suit ; but 

 for all that my eyes refused to see what theirs did. 



These children of the desert have wonderfully sharp 

 vision, being in that respect very much the superior of 

 the white man. Advancing about fifty yards they again 

 stopped. Taking the line that they pointed out, all I 

 could distinguish was what appeared to me a large black 

 stone. But the stone moved ; it was a rhinoceros. 

 I was off the mare in a moment, and leaving her with 

 the bridle hanging between her legs, stalked forward to 

 get a clear shot. The game, which had been lying 

 down, rose on its fore legs as a fat pig might do, and 

 carelessly looked about. Doubtless owing to its hearing 

 or wonderful gift of scent, it had some idea that intruders 

 were in the neighbourhood, yet it did not display the 

 slightest indication of fear. It certainly had not seen 

 us, but with these animals that is not always necessary to 

 induce them to take the initiative and commence hostilities. 

 I was now within sixty paces, and had a good tree at 

 my back to take shelter in, if my two barrels did not 



