THE KQMANCE OF NATURAL HISTORY. 



ceed in escaping ; but the rhinoceros, too quick for 

 that, turned upon him, and though he discharged 

 his gun close to the animal's head he was tossed 

 in the air. "My friend," adds Dr. Livingstone, 

 who gives the account, "was insensible for some 

 time, and on recovering found large wounds on 

 the thigh and body. I saw that on the former 

 part, still open, and five inches long.*' The white 

 species, though less savage than the black, is not 

 always quite safe, for one, even after it was mor- 

 tally wounded, attacked Mr. Oswell's horse, and 

 thrust the horn through to the saddle, tossing at 

 the same time both horse and rider.* 



The buffalo of the same regions is another ani- 

 mal of remarkable savageness of disposition, mak- 

 ing an encounter with him a formidable affair. 

 The eminent Swedish botanist, Thunberg, was 

 collecting plants in a wood with two companions, 

 when a buffalo bull rushed on the party with a 

 deafening roar. The men just caved their lives by 

 springing into the trees, while two horses were 

 speedily pierced through by the powerful horns, 

 and killed. 



Captain Methuen has given us the following 

 graphic account of an encounter with this most 

 vicious herbivore, which the Cape colonists con- 

 sider a more dangerous foe than the lion himself. 

 The gallant captain and his party had discovered 

 a herd of buffaloes, and had wounded some, but 

 they had escaped to cover. He had climbed on 

 the low boughs of a small wait-n-bit thorn, 

 whence he struck another bull. The wounded 

 animal "ran towards the report, his ears out- 

 stretched, his eyes moving in all directions, and 

 his nose carried in a right line with the head, 

 evidently bent on revenge;— he passed within 

 Livingstone's " Travels in Africa," p. 611, 

 236 





