THE RHINOCEROS 257 



and possibly imagining himself surrounded, becomes more and 

 more confused, and rushes up wind rather than down. Should 

 the beast, however, happen to get clear of the scent of the 

 foremost men in the caravan as it first starts off on being dis- 

 turbed, it will circle round in front of them and make off with 

 tail erect in its usual grotesque manner rather than go out of 

 its way to charge. 



It is a curious fact that natives are, as a rule, more afraid of 

 a rhinoceros than of either an elephant or buffalo. They also 

 find him more difficult to kill, but this is entirely owing to his 

 tough hide, and the primitive nature of their weapons. The 

 people of Turkwel, in the Suk country, who live by hunting, 

 and who kill large quantities of game, including elephants, 

 all of which they kill at close quarters with spears, told me 

 that they feared a rhinoceros more than anything else, and 

 rarely cared to attack him. This I can understand, as he is a 

 much more active beast, and, owing to his tougher hide, is more 

 difficult to kill than a buffalo. I may mention that these people 

 first of all snare all their game in the manner described by 

 Sir Samuel Baker in his ' Wild Beasts and their Ways,' vol. ii. 

 p. 94 ; otherwise, having only the most primitive of spears 

 (made out of iron found in or near their country, and not out 

 of trade iron wire), they could not hope to kill anything, as they 

 use neither pitfalls nor bows and arrows. With the exception 

 of the elephant, the rhinoceros has fewer enemies, except man, 

 than any other game, as it is very doubtful whether lions, were 

 they to attack him, could do any harm beyond giving him a 

 severe clawing, and I think they can scarcely be counted as 

 enemies. 



The facts that he is generally found in the open, that he 

 stands stern to the wind when at rest, and that he is usually 

 attended by bird sentinels, obviously prevent him from being 

 taken at a disadvantage. This security from surprise, together 

 with his immunity from enemies (the natives rarely attacking 

 him in the open), may account to a certain extent for his 

 indolent and sleepy nature. 



i. s 



