THE RHINOCEROS. in 



ftate of liberty, they fight in the fame manner. 

 But every action without a motive is unnatural; 

 it is an effe£t without a caufe, which cannot 

 happen but by accident. 



The rhinocerofes aflemble not, nor march in 

 troops, like the elephants. They are more io- 

 litary and favage ; and it is, peihaps, more dif- 

 ficult to hunt and to overcome them. They 

 never attack men *, unlefs they are provo- 

 ked, when they become furious and formi- 

 dable, Their fkin is fo hard as to rehft fabr< >, 

 lances, javelins, and even muiket bails f. 'The 

 only penetrable parts of the body are the bc'ly, 



the 



* The rhinoceros never attacks any perfon, nor becomes 

 Furious, unlefs he is provoked, and then his ferocity is tre- 

 mendous; he gruntf like a hog, and overturns trees and every 

 thing that comes in his way; Voyage de la Compagnie dss Ir.^ss 

 it Hdlande, torn. 7. p. 278. 



f His ikin is thick, hard, and rough. ... It is even im- 

 penetrable by the fibres of the Japanefe, and coats of arms, 

 bucklers, 5-:c. are made of it; Id. Ibid- p. 483. — The rhin 

 ros feldom attacks man, unlefs when provoked, or the perfon 

 wears a red habit. In both thefe cafes, he becomes furious, 



'. overturns every thing that oppofes him. When thefe 

 animals attack a man, they iffize him by the middle of the 

 body, and tefs him up with fuch force, that he is killed by 

 the fall. ... ver enraged he may be, it is eafy to a- 



void his approach : Ke is, indeed, very fwift ; but he turns 

 with great difficulty. E. , according to my information,, 

 he fees only what is e him Hence, when he conies 



within a few paces, we have only to ftep to a fide ; for he 

 then lofes fight of us, and it is very difficult for him to re- 

 turn io quePc of us. I .xperienced this fact, having 

 more than once feen him advance toward me with all his fury ; 

 Defcript. du Cap de Bonne-ejpera ice } par Kolbe, torn, 3. p. 17. 



