CHAP. III. FIERCENESS OF THE RHINOCEROS. 77 



dreaded at the Cape of Good Hope than the lion ; for, 

 whereas the latter always gives notice of his approach 

 by terrific roarings, the former steals treacherously on 

 his prey, and hears it away before any one is aware of 

 his approach.* The same author declares of the rhi- 

 noceros, that he carries on his manoeuvres in the same 

 wary and dexterous manner, being ' ' at once a traitor 

 whom nothing betrays, an assaulter whom nothing terri- 

 fies, and a fury whom resistance renders implacable."f 

 (95.) The savage disposition of the Indian rhi- 

 noceros is well illustrated by the following anecdote^: 

 Two officers, belonging to the troops quartered near 

 Patna, went down the river to shoot and hunt. One 

 morning, near daybreak, when they were about to set 

 off on their day's hunt, they heard a violent uproar, 

 and, on looking out, found that an immense rhinoceros 

 was goring their horses both of which, being fastened 

 by their head and heel ropes, were, consequently, un- 

 able either to escape or to resist. The servants were 

 so terrified that they took to their heels, and concealed 

 themselves in the neighbouring jungle. The gentle* 

 men had just time to climb up into a small tree, when 

 the furious beast, having killed the horses, turned its 

 rage upon their masters. They were barely out of his 

 reach, and by no means exempt from danger, espe- 

 cially as he assumed a threatening appearance, and 

 seemed intent on their downfall. After keeping them 

 in dreadful suspense for some time, and using some 

 efforts to dislodge them, seeing the sun rise, he re- 

 treated to the forest ; not, however, without occasion- 

 ally casting an eye back, as with regret, at leaving what 

 he wanted the power to destroy. This savage indi- 

 vidual continued, for some time after, to infest the 

 country, so as to render the roads impassable. In 

 consequence, however, of a handsome reward being 

 offered, he was at length killed by an adventurous na- 

 tive, being shot with a large gun that carried an iron 



* Le Vaillant's Travels in Africa, vol. i. p. 63. 



t Ibid. vol. iv. p. 236. J Williamson's Sports. 



