254 BIG GAME SHOOTING 



used to them. Rhinoceroses, when at rest, almost invariably 

 stand and lie with their sterns to the wind i.e. the beasts 

 face more or less in the direction from which the stalker 

 approaches them. 



They also nearly always retreat up wind when alarmed, as, 

 being gifted with very poor sight, they depend almost entirely 

 on their extraordinary sense of smell for any warning of the 

 presence of danger. 



I have on several occasions passed to leeward within 100 

 yards of one, even in the open, and, though followed by 

 several men, it was evidently quite unable to make us out, 

 though it saw us, and showed no signs of fear by running away 

 or of curiosity by advancing towards us for a closer inspection, 

 the latter a common feature in the behaviour of some game. 

 On one occasion, however, I walked close past to leeward of a 

 rhino which haunted a certain plain in the Arusha-wa-chini 

 district, and which I knew well by sight, as he had a very short 

 stumpy horn. I was after a herd of buffaloes at the time I 

 passed him ; on my return I saw him standing in almost the 

 same position, and, wishing to see what he would do on getting 

 my wind, I walked past to windward of him within 300 yards. 



As I had only a double '360 Express in my hand, with no 

 gun-bearer nearer than 100 yards, every man being engaged in 

 carrying the meat of a buffalo I had shot, I was not quite pre- 

 pared for the change in his demeanour as he came straight for 

 me. When about 80 yards off, a shot at his head only had the 

 effect of increasing his pace, and when within 20 yards the 

 second barrel failed to turn him, as I had hoped. I was forced 

 to make a bolt for it, but he never attempted to follow me. 

 "After this experience I did not try any more experiments on 

 the different temperaments of rhinoceroses under varying cir- 

 cumstances, nor would I recommend others to try any, unless 

 they have an 8-bore rifle in their hands and a trustworthy 

 gun-bearer at their heels. 



This habit of retreating up wind is one of the reasons, 

 if not the principal one, that rhinoceroses have gained for 



