The Black Rhinoceros ^ 



of the presence of danger. I should say, from my own observation, that a 

 Somali rhinoceros generally drinks once in twenty-four hours, but often 

 wanders great distances away from water even when quite undisturbed. 

 On one occasion, taking up the night tracks of three rhinoceroses from a 

 water-pool, we followed them for fully five hours without coming up with 

 them. They appeared quite unsuspicious, and had stopped to uproot and 

 feed on several cactus trees. The hide is much prized by the Somalis for 

 fighting shields, as it becomes white and transparent when kept a little 

 time. A dandy warrior generally covers his shield with a piece of calico 

 to keep it clean. From fifteen to twenty-five fighting shields, three- 

 quarters of an inch thick, can be cut from one beast. Some of the Ogaden 

 tribes eat the flesh. It is a very coarse-grained meat, but otherwise good 

 enough, particularly if well pounded between two stones. I had several 

 fruitless hunts after rhinoceros whilst doing forced marches across the 

 Haud. But at Lubba Sunli in Aulihan we found two pools of water, 

 which, from the perfect maze of tracks in the sand, appeared to be the 

 drinking- places of many rhino. It was hopeless ground for tracking, 

 being almost solid rock. I therefore decided to spend the night by one of 

 the pools. This was in a narrow rocky nullah. There was a well-worn 

 path down the steep bank, also up and down the nullah. As there was no 

 bush or cover near enough, I had to make the best I could out of some 

 rocks close to the pool. Two hyamas came and drank early without 

 detecting me, and I was aware of some animal feeding in the bush about 

 40 yards off. For several hours the stillness was only broken by the 

 splashing of some fish in the pool. At last I was roused from a doze by 

 some heavy animals coming down the track opposite ; half-way down they 

 stopped under cover of some bush ; then one rhinoceros came sliding 

 noisily down to the edge of the pool. She stared so hard in my direction 

 that I thought she had made me out. I fired at her shoulder with a 

 10-bore Paradox. She fell to the shot, but, getting on her legs again, 



