170 THE RHINOCEROS. 
for making shields ; and in some provinces of 
India almost every part of the animal is used 
medicinally. The horn is appropriated to 
many purposes, especially to making drinking' 
cups for the Indian princes, from a supersti' 
tious notion that if any poisonous liquor 
poured into them, it will effervesce and boil 
over. 
The rhinoceros has been sometimes domes- 
ticated and brought into the field of battle by 
the Asiatics ; but he is so unmanageable that 
his presence is a disadvantage rather than ^ 
benefit, for when wounded he is as likely t^ 
turn on his masters as on the enemy. 
In 1743 Dr. Parsons published a detaila^ 
account of one of these animals that 
brought from Bengal to England. Thougl' 
he was only two years old the expense of fi*® 
food and voyage amounted to nearly one thoU' 
sand pounds sterling. He was gentle in dis- 
position, and would sufifer any part of 
