SECOND EXPEDITION TO EAST AFRICA 195 



not far from the place where I had shot the 

 mother. It had grown considerably. The men 

 ran after it, but it got away from them easily. 



The anterior horn of the cow was 25 inches 

 long, and the circumference round the base was 

 18 inches. The posterior horn was i8J inches 

 long. I saw another cow rhino near the Lorian 

 with an anterior horn of about the same length, 

 but wanted to bag a good bull, and did not fire at 

 her. 



The cow rhino which I shot was, as above said, 

 the only rhino at which I fired in the course of 

 the expedition. It was, of course, only during 

 the month that we were on the Guaso Nyiro that 

 rhinos were exceptionally numerous ; and, on 

 our return journey, when we were working down- 

 wind, I did not see nearly so many as I did when 

 we were on our way to the swamp. 



I may have been exceptionally fortunate in 

 the animals I met, but I certainly formed the 

 opinion that the rhinoceros is a much less 

 dangerous animal than is commonly supposed. 

 The rhino has a keen sense of smell, and, when a 

 smell which offends him reaches his nostrils, he 

 makes a dash up- wind to escape it. It is this 

 dash up- wind which is often called a charge. 

 If you are in the way the rhino will no doubt at- 

 tack you, as the animal is not wanting in courage ; 

 but the rush, unless it is made from a very short 

 distance, is easily avoided. A rhino dashing 

 wildly into a string of porters will do much 

 damage, as the porters, not unnaturally, throw 

 their loads and bolt, and the rhino, finding himself 

 in the midst of a number of men, may think that 



