76 l^IlE RHlNOCEfi,OS 



he plunged into the undergrowth and dis- 

 appeared. 



I have shot several specimens of the black 

 rhinoceros in the northern portion of the Queli- 

 mane district, where they are still to be found in 

 considerable numbers. Here this animal dis- 

 plays to the full his annoyance at the proximity 

 of caravans of natives, a peculiarity by no means 

 confined, as supposed by some, to those of 

 British East Africa. I remember a story, which 

 was told to me by one of the Portuguese ad- 

 ministrators in the Lugella country, of a mis- 

 fortune which happened to his accompanying 

 kitchen-staff on an occasion when he was travelling 

 in the interior. The pot-carriers seemed to have 

 got in the way of a large rhinoceros, which 

 charged the batterie de cuisine to such purpose 

 that, as the unfortunate proprietor told me 

 almost with tears in his eyes, not content with 

 breaking by his tremendous impact the greater 

 part of the sauce-pans and kettles, he added 

 insult to injury by retiring at full gallop with an 

 unreplaceable aluminium stew-pan impaled se- 

 curely upon his anterior horn. 1 have often 

 tried, with but partial success, to picture to my- 

 self the dissipated appearance which the rash 

 beast must have presented as he dashed through 

 the forest thus Quixotically helmed. 



Hunting some few years ago in the southern 

 part of the Quelimane district of Zambezia, I 

 encountered a very large bull, the possessor, in- 

 deed, of the finest pair of horns it has been my 

 good fortune to obtain. His spoor was first per- 



