CHAP. VI. DIRECT INJURIES. RHINOCEROS. 18? 



power and undaunted courage : these animals make for 

 themselves paths in the woods, where to meet them is 

 almost certain death. Even the common buffalo of 

 India and of Europe is not always to be trusted, even in 

 a state of domestication; and it is, no doubt, owing to the 

 dangerous propensities of the Scotch Urns, or wild ox, 

 that the breed has not been preserved or increased to a 

 greater extent than we now find it. The extraordinary 

 effect which the sight of red has upon oxen, generally, 

 and upon certain birds, is perfectly unaccountable ; and 

 this has proved a fruitful source of misfortune to those 

 who, either from ignorance or carelessness, have excited 

 their fury. The following anecdote, given by major 

 Smith, is highly characteristic of this fact : " A 

 general officer, now living, relates, that, while a young 

 man, he was employed in surveying in Hungary, and 

 happened to use a small portable table, the back of which 

 was covered with red morocco. As he walked from 

 one station to another, he sometimes carried it with the 

 paper against his breast, and the crimson colour in 

 front. On a sudden, he perceived, at a considerable 

 distance, a herd of grazing buffaloes throw out signs of 

 defiance, and come down in full gallop towards him, 

 with their tails up, and evincing the most tumultuous 

 frenzy. Not suspecting the cause, he paused and dropped 

 his hand, when the whole troop stopped and looked 

 about, as if at a loss for the object of their fury ; he 

 went on, and, unconsciously raising the table again, 

 brought the red colour in sight : they set off, a second 

 time, towards him ; but, guessing the cause, he turned 

 the obnoxious colour towards his body, and was suf- 

 fered to proceed unmolested." The rhinoceros of the 

 Cape is as formidable an enemy as that of India. 

 Lichtenstein says he is one of the most dangerous to 

 travellers, particularly at night ; he rushes forward 

 impetuously, with blind rage, at every noise of which he 

 is informed by his acute hearing, or at every object 

 betrayed to him by his acute smell. Examples have 

 been known of these animals running, by night, against 



