<816 ADVENTUEES IN SOUTH AFkii^A. 



Finding that rhinoceroses were abundant in the vi 

 cinity, I resolved to halt a day for the purpose of hunt 



guished by the Bechuanaa by the names of the barM.6, or black rhinoc- 

 eros, the keldoa, or two-homed black rhinoceros, the muchocho, or 

 common white rhinoceros, and the kobaoba, or long-horned white rhi- 

 noceros. Both varieties of the black rhinoceros are extremely fien 

 and dangerous, and rush headlong and unprovoked at any object wbick 

 attracts their attention. They never attain much fat, ani^ their flesh is 

 tough, and not much esteemed by the Bechuanas. Their food consists 

 almost entirely of the thorny branches of the wait-a-bit thorns. Their 

 horns are much shorter than those of the other varieties, seldom ex- 

 ceeding eighteen inches in length. They are finely polished with con- 

 stant rubbing against the trees. The skull is remarkably formed, its 

 most striking feature being the tremendous thick ossification In which 

 it ends above the nostrils. It is on this mass that the horn is supported. 

 The horns are not connected with the skull, being attached merely by 

 the skin, and they may thus be separated from the head by means of a 

 sharp knife. They are hard and perfectly solid throughout, and are a 

 fine material for various articles, such as drinking-cups, mallets for riSes, 

 handles for turner's tools, &c., &c. The horn is capable of a very high 

 polish. The eyes of the rhinoceros are small and sparkling, and do not 

 readily observe the hunter, provided he keeps to leeward of them 

 The skin is extremely thick, and only to be penetrated ^ bullets hard 

 ened vtrith solder. During the day the rhinoceros will be found lying 

 asleep or standing indolently in some retired part of the forest, or undei 

 the baie of the mountains, sheltered firom the power of the sun by some 

 fiiendly grove of umbrella-topped mimosas. In the evening they com- 

 mence their nightly ramble, and wander over a great extent of coun- 

 try. Tney usually visit the fountains between the hours of nme and 

 twelve o'clock at night, and it is on these occasions that they may be 

 most successfully hunted, and vrith the least danger. The black rhinoc- 

 eros is subject to paroxysms of unprovoked fiiiy, often plowing up the 

 ground for several yards vrith its horns, and assaulting large bushes in 

 the most violent manner. On these bushes they work for hours vrith 

 their horns, at the same time snorting and blowing loudly, nor do they 

 leave them in geueifil until they have broken them into pieces. The 

 rhinoceros is supposed by maay, and by myself among the rest, to he 

 the animal alluded ,to by Job, chap, zxxix., verses 10 and 11, where it 

 is written, " Canst thou bind the unicorn vrith his band in the furrow T 

 or will he harrow the vajleys after thee 7 Wilt thou trust him because 

 his strength is great ? or wilt thou leave thy labor to him 7" evidently 

 alluding to an animal possessed of great strength and of untamable 

 disposition, for both of which the rhinoceros is remarkable. All th» 

 four varieties delight to roll and wallow in mad, vrith which their rug- 



