490 HISTOllY OF 



are much shorcei-. 'Woids can convey but a very confused idea 

 of this animal's shape; and yet there are few so remarkably 

 formed : its head is furnished with a horn, growing from the 

 snout, sometimes three feet and a half long ; and but for this, 

 that part would have the appearance of the head of a hog ; the 

 upper lip, however, is much longer in proportion, ends in a point, 

 is very pliable, serves to collect its food, and deliver it into the 

 mouth : the ears are large, erect, and pointed ; the eyes are 

 small and piercing ; the skin is naked, rough, knotty, and lying 

 upon the body in folds, after a very peculiar fashion ; there are two 

 folds very remarkable ; one above the shoulders, and another over 

 the rump : the skin, which is of a dirty brown colour, is so thick 

 as to turn the edge of a scimitar, and to resist a musket-ball ; 

 the belly hangs low ; the legs are short, strong, and thick, and 

 the hoofs divided into three parts, each pointing forward. 



Such is the general outline of an animal that appears chiefly 

 formidable from the horn gi'owing from its snout ; and formed 

 rather for war than with a propensity to engage. This horn 

 is sometimes found from three to three feet and a half long, 

 growing from the solid bone, and so disposed as to be managed 

 to the greatest advantage. It is composed of the most solid sub- 

 stance ; and pointed so as to inflict the most fatal wounds. The 

 elephant, the boar, -or the buffalo, are obliged to strike trans- 

 versely 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 ter- 

 rible animal has to apprehend . defended on every side, by a 

 thick horny hide, which the claws of the lion or the tiger are 

 unable 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 \nsdom 



bones already mentioned as being found on tlie coasts of Siberia, wliich he 

 unliesitatinglj- states to belong to the Tricheclms Rosmarus, or Walrus, an 

 animal «hieh in every respect diiiers from the bones fonnd there. And when 

 he refers to the elephant discovered at the mouth of the Lerna, the avithenti- 

 vity of which, from its skeleton being found almost entirely connected, he can. 

 not disallow, he states, that it was probably one of those which Gcngliin 

 Khan sent to his Siberian relatives, and, not improbably, was destroyed by 

 a sudden irruption of the sea. 



