SOUTHERN AFRICA. raj; 
Dutch name of fea-cow is equally improper as their ancient ap- 
pellation of hippopotamus or river-horfe. The river rhinofceros 
would be a more appropriate name than any other, although it 
has no horns upon its nofe, which obtained for the land animal 
the appellation of the nofc-horn^ ^iv<^ ks^xit. With the natural 
hiftory and habits of this extraordinary amphibious animal (if 
I may be allowed to call it fo), we are very imperfedly ac- 
quainted ; nor have I feen any figure that conveys an accurate 
reprefcntation of its charader, fhape, and magnitude, except m 
a drawing made from nature by Mr. Daniel!, from which a 
print will appear in his intended publication. Nor do I know 
of any good figure of the African rhinofceros, which is altoge- 
ther different from that of India covered with its hide of mail. 
The fkin of the two-horned rhinofceros is comparatively fmooth, 
and has none of the folds fo remarkable in that of the one- 
horned fpecies ; but it is fo thick that the Dutch boors cut out 
of it their largeft famhocs or horfe-rods, which, if well prepared, 
are better than thofe of the hippopotamus, and tranfparent as 
amber. The head of this animal is very remarkable. Not only 
the horns fit upon the nofe, but the eyes alfo are placed in it, 
being diredly under the root of the larger horn ; and they are fo 
minute, that one would fuppofe them of little ufe to fo huge a 
creature. But nature, always provident,has reme died this feem- 
ing inconvenience by placing them in projecting fockets, in 
which they turn in all diredions like thofe of the little came- 
leon. Had the eye been placed in the ufual part of the face, 
juft below the projeding forehead, which is very large, the 
vifual rays would have embraced only about i8o degrees, or 
half of the horizon ; whereas, in their prefent pofition, they 
3 havg 
