286 THE UNKNOWK 



zoology of South Africa, has collected a good deal of in- 

 formation about a one-horned animal which is yet unknown 

 to Europeans, and which appears to occupy an interme- 

 diate rank between the massive rhinoceros and the lighter 

 form of the horse. Cavassi, cited by Labat, heard of such 

 a beast in Congo under the name of A bada ; and Riippel 

 mentions it as commonly spoken of in Kordofan, where it 

 is called Nillekma, and sometimes Arose — that is, uni- 

 corn. Mr Freeman, the excellent missionary whose name 

 is so intimately connected with Madagascar, received the 

 most particular accounts of the creature from an intelli- 

 gent native of a region Ijdng northward from Mozambique. 

 According to this witness, an animal called the Ndzoo- 

 dzoo is by no means rare in Makooa. It is about the 

 size of a horse, extremely fleet and strong. A single horn 

 projects from its forehead from two feet to two and a-half 

 feet in length. This is said to be flexible when the animal 

 is asleep, and can be curled up at pleasure, like an ele- 

 phant's proboscis; but it becomes stifl" and hard under 

 the excitement of rage. It is extremely fierce, invariably 

 attacking a man whenever it discerns him. The device 

 adopted by the natives to escape from its fury, is to climb 

 a thick and tall tree out of sight. If the enraged animal 

 ceases to see his enemy, he presently gallops away ; but, if 

 he catches sight of the fugitive in a tree, he instantly com- 

 mences an attack on the tree with his frontal horn, borinor 

 and ripping it till he brings it down, when the wretched 

 man is- presently gored to death. If the tree is not very 

 bulky, the perseverance of the creature usually succeeds 



