. THE RHINOCEROS 257 
Sad poeldy 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. 
Pp. 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 map, 
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 
it _ andolent and sleepy nature. 
3 ty P 
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