SIX SAMUEL BAKER'S RHINOCEROS HUNT. 327 



with an ordinary bullet as an Ox is fully established on the authority of Gordon Gumming, Sir S. 

 Baker, Dr. Livingstone, and others. 



Sir S. Baker, in his " Nile Tributaries," gives the following interesting account of a Rhinoceros 

 hunt : " We were leisurely returning home through alternate plains and low open forests of mimosa 

 when Taher Sheriff, who was leading the party, suddenly reined up his Horse, and pointed to a thick 

 bush, beneath which was a large, grey, but shapeless mass. He whispered, as I drew near, < Oom 

 qurrin ' (mother of the horn), their name for the Rhinoceros. I immediately dismounted, and with the 

 short No. 10 Tatham rifle I advanced as near as I could, followed by Suleiman, as I had sent all my 

 gun-bearers direct home by the river when we had commenced our circuit. As I drew near, I dis- 

 covered two Rhinoceroses asleep beneath a thick mass of bushes ; they were lyinw like Pi<*s, close 

 together, so that at a distance I had been unable to distinguish any exact form. It was an awkward 

 place ; if I were to take the wind fairly, I should have to fire through the thick bush, which would be 

 useless ; therefore I was compelled to advance with the wind direct from me to them. The aggageers 

 remained about a hundred yards distant, while I told Suleiman to return, and hold my Horse in 

 readiness with his own. I then walked quietly to within about thirty yards of the Rhinoceroses, but 

 so curiously were they lying that it was useless to attempt a shot. In their happy dreams they must 

 have been suddenly disturbed by the scent of an enemy, for, without the least warning, they suddenly 

 sprang to their feet with astonishing quickness, and with a loud and sharp whiff, whiff, whiff ! one of 

 them charged straight at me. I fired my right-hand barrel in his thi*oat, as it was useless to aim at 

 the head, protected by two horns at the nose. This turned him, but had no other effect, and the two 

 animals thundered off together at a tremendous pace. Now for a ' tally ho ! ' Our stock of gum was 

 scattered on the ground, and away went the aggageers in full speed after the two Rhinoceroses. With- 

 out waiting to re-load, I quickly remounted my Horse Tetel, and, with Suleiman in company, I spurred 

 hard to overtake the flying Arabs. Tetel was a good strong cob, but not very fast ; however, I believe 

 he never went so well as upon that day, for, although an Abyssinian Horse, I had a pair of English 

 spurs, which worked like missionaries, but with a more decided result. The ground was awkward for 

 riding at full speed, as it was an open forest of mimosas, which, although wide apart, were very diffi- 

 cult to avoid, owing to the low crowns of spreading branches ; these, being armed with fish-hook thorns, 

 would have been serious on a collision. I kept the pai-ty in view until, in about a mile, we arrived 

 upon open ground. Here I again applied the spurs, and by degrees I crept up, always gaining, until 

 I at length joined the aggageers. Here was a sight to drive a hunter ! The two Rhinoceroses were 

 running neck and neck, like a pair of Horses in harness, but bounding along at tremendous speed 

 within ten yards of the leading Hamrain. This was Taher Sheriff, who, with his sword drawn and 

 his long hair flying wildly behind him, urged his Horse forward in the race, amid a cloud of dust 

 raised by the two huge but active beasts, that tried every sinew of the Horses. Rodur Sheriff, with 

 the withered arm, was second ; with the reins hung upon the hawk-like claw that was all that 

 remained of a hand, but with his naked sword grasped in his right, he kept close to his brother, ready 

 to second his blow. Abou Do was third ; his hair flying in the wind, his heels dashing against 

 the flanks of his Horse, to which he shouted in his excitement to urge him to the front, while he leant 

 forward with his long sword, in the wild energy of the moment, as though hoping to reach the game 

 against all possibility. Now for the spurs ! and as these, vigorously applied, screwed an extra stride 

 out of Tetel, I soon found myself in the ruck of men, horses, and drawn swords. There were seven 

 of us, and passing Abou Do, whose face wore an expression of agony at finding that his Horse was 

 failing, I quickly obtained a place between the two brothers, Taher and Rodur Sheriff. There had 

 been a jealousy between the two parties of aggageers, and each was striving to outdo the other ; thus 

 Abou Do was driven almost to madness at the superiority of Taher's Horse, while the latter, who was 

 the renowned hunter of the tribe, was determined that his sword should be the first to taste blood. I 

 tried to pass the Rhinoceros on my left, so as to fire close into the shoulder my remaining barrel with 

 my right hand, but it was impossible to overtake the animals, who bounded along with undiminished 

 speed. With the greatest exertion of man and horses, we could only retain our position within about 

 three or four yards of their tails just out of reach of the swords. The only chance in the race was 

 to hold the pace until the Rhinoceroses should begin to flag. The Horses were pressed to the 

 utmost ; but we had already run about two miles, and the game showed no signs of giving in. On 



