THE RHINOCEROS. 35Q 



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 

 rhinoceros 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 ; de- 

 fended on every side by a thick horny hide, 

 which the claws of the lion or the tiger are un- 

 able 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 rhinoceros ; and though it looks like 

 wisdom to doubt whatever they tell us, yet 1 

 cannot help giving credit to what they relate on 

 this occasion, particularly when confirmed by 

 Pliny. The combat between these two, the most 

 formidable 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 affirmed, that it 

 consorts with the tiger. It is reported also, that 

 when it has overturned a man, or any other ani- 

 mal, it continues to lick the flesh quite from the 

 bone with its tongue, which is said to be ex- 

 tremely rough. All this, however, is fabulous : 

 the scent, if we may judge from the expansion of 



