Rhinoceros' Dung 93 



these wild and tranquil places, and, if they do not 

 venture on to the mountainous parts, at least they 

 frequent the hillocks whose stony soil, whether it be 

 sparsely or thickly covered with vegetation, suits 

 them equally well. 



For several days we follow, without any result 

 whatever, rhinoceros' tracks made during the night ; 

 these animals continue their march in the morning 

 because of the cloudy, rainy weather, describing in- 

 terminable circumvolutions and incessant detours. 

 On account of its wandering habits, its continual 

 passing to and fro, the rhinoceros has been styled 

 by the natives by the name of pembere, a word 

 which comes from the verb kupembera that is, " to 

 turn." Having noticed that several tracks finish 

 almost regularly in the direction of a range of very 

 wooded hills situated two hours' distant to the north 

 of our camp, we pass a night there so as to be on the 

 spot at daybreak. Setting off in the morning we soon 

 find fresh footprints, which we follow for half an hour 

 and then abandon to follow others which we see 

 on the way, belonging to an animal a little larger 

 than ours. Happy inspiration ! In a minute we 

 discover the fresh, unbroken dung of a rhinoceros : l 

 when the dung is found unbroken the animal 

 cannot be far off, his habit being never to leave the 

 places where he has deposited excrement without 

 returning there a short time afterwards to scatter 

 it in every direction with his horn. Why does he 



1 This dung resembles that of a horse, but it is much larger, like 

 that of the hippopotamus and elephant 



