194 SPORT IN ASIA AND AFRICA 



on the occasion of my first visit to Africa, and I 

 was expecting nobler game, and was very dis- 

 appointed at the apparition. I did not shoot, 

 therefore, and the head was almost immediately 

 withdrawn. Then out of the bush ran a small 

 rhino calf, about the size of a large pig ; and, while 

 I was gazing in amazement, out walked the 

 mother, and stood almost directly facing me, 

 but slightly on my left front. The distance 

 between us was less than 20 yards. She had 

 good horns, the posterior horn being unusually 

 long, and Tagarru excitedly whispered to me to 

 shoot ; and I fired the right barrel of the '450 at the 

 point of her fore-shoulder. At the shot she 

 dashed past us, and Tagarru fired at her with 

 the '350, hitting her in the lower jaw. The calf 

 followed, squealing like a pig. The rhino ran 

 for about 150 yards and then stood, and I fired 

 the second barrel at her from a standing position, 

 and knocked her over with a well-placed shot. 

 The first shot was a deadly one, and would, 

 I think, have killed her. The bullet fired by 

 Tagarru lodged in the forepart of the lower jaw, 

 and apparently caused the animal no serious 

 injury, as it remained embedded in the bone. 

 Both the bullets I fired at the rhino were soft- 

 nosed. 



A rhinoceros with young is not supposed 

 to be shot, but we were at exceedingly close 

 quarters ; and, as the calf was young, I did not 

 know what the mother might be tempted to do. 

 The calf, I am glad to say, survived. We were at 

 the time on our way to the Lorian, and on our 

 return journey some of our men saw the calf 



