138 HISTORY OF THE RHINOCEROS. 



shrubs as would be dangerous to other animals, either to 

 gather or to swallow. The prickly points of these, how- 

 ever, may only serve to give a poignant relish to this ani- 

 mal's palate, and may answer the same grateful ends in 

 seasoning its banquet that spices do in heightening ours. 



In some parts of the kingdom of Asia, where the natives 

 are more desirous of appearing warlike than showing 

 themselves brave, these animals are tamed, and led into 

 the field to strike terror into the enemy ; but they are always 

 an unmanageable and restive animal, and probably more 

 dangerous to the employers than those whom they are 

 brought to oppose. 



The method of taking them, is chiefly by watching them, 

 till they are found either in some moist or marshy place, 

 where, like hogs they are fond of sleeping and wallowing. 

 They then destroy the old one with fire arms; for no 

 weapons that are thrown by the force of man are capable 

 of entering this animal's hide. If, when the old one is 

 destroyed, there happens to be a cub, they seize and tame 

 it : these animals are sometimes taken in pit-falls, covered 

 with green branches, laid in those paths which the rhino- 

 ceros makes in going from the forest to the river side. 



There are some varieties in this animal, as in most 

 others ; some of them are found in Africa with a double 

 horn, one growing above the other. This weapon, if con- 

 sidered in itself, is one of the strongest and most danger- 

 ous that nature furnishes to any part of the animal crea- 

 tion. The horn is entirely solid, formed of the hardest 

 bony substance, growing from the upper maxillary bone, 

 by so strong an apophyse, as seemingly to make but one 

 part with it. Many are the medicinal virtues that are 

 ascribed to this horn, when taken in powder ; but these 

 qualities have been attributed to it without any real foun- 

 dation, and make only a small part of the many fables 

 which this extraordinary animal has given rise to. 



