THE UNKNOWN. 



was said to inhabit, and, therefore, were unable 

 to afford any very circumstantial evidence. It 

 was, however, described as very different from 

 any species of rhinoceros they had ever seen, with 

 a single long horn situated towards the forehead. 

 Dr. Smith then cites the particulars given by Mr. 

 Freeman, introducing them with the following 

 just observations: — 



"Now, though descriptions of objects by such 

 persons are often inaccurate, from the circum- 

 stance of their not having been favourably situ- 

 ated for making correct observations, as well as 

 from a deficiency of language calculated to convey 

 the information they actually possess, I have 

 always remarked, that even a hasty examination 

 seemed to supply the savage with more accurate 

 notions of the general character of animals, than 

 it did the civilised man; and, therefore, I do not 

 despair of species such as these mentioned being 

 yet discovered. It is in regard to the species with 

 the single horn that we experience the greatest 

 hesitation in receiving their evidence as credible; 

 and therefore, it is agreeable to have it corrobo- 

 rated by the testimony of a man from a very 

 different part of the country, as obtained and pub- 

 lished by a missionary of great research, who re- 

 sided a long time in Madagascar.''* 



The rude drawings made by savages are often 

 faithful delineations of the salient features of the 

 objects familiar to them. Sir J. Barrow, in his 

 "Travels in Africa," has given the head of an 

 unicorn, answering well to the ndzoodzoo, which 

 was copied from a charcoal sketch made by a 

 C afire in the interior of a cavern. The copy was 

 made by Daniell; and Colonel Hamilton Smith 

 mentions having seen, among the papers of this 

 * " Illustr. of Zool. of South Africa." 

 271 



