9 2 
RHINOCEROS. 
tised by him for his preservation. The time of the 
fly being the rainy season, the whole black earth 
turns into mire. In the night, when the fly is 
at rest, he chooses a convenient place, and there, 
rolling himself in the mud, clothes himself with a 
kind of case, which defends him against his ad- 
versary the following day. The wrinkles and plaits 
of his skin serve to keep this muddy plaster firm 
upon him, all but about his hips, shoulders, and 
legs, where it cracks and falls off by motion, leaving 
him exposed in those places to the attacks of the 
fly. The itching and pain which follow, occasion 
him to rub himself in those parts against the rough- 
est trees ; and it is the opinion of Mr. Bruce, that 
this is at least one cause of the pustules and tu- 
bercles which we see upon these places, both on 
the elephant and rhinoceros. 
The flesh of the rhinoceros is reckoned excellent 
by the people of Abyssinia, and is eaten with great 
greediness by all the inhabitants of the low country 
and Atbara, The most delicate part about him is 
supposed to be the soles of his feet, which are soft 
like those of a camel, and of a gristly substance ; 
the rest of the flesh is not unlike that of the hog, 
but much coarser. The only hair about the animal 
is at the tip of its tail ; ten of these hairs fastened 
side by side at the distance of half an inch from each 
other, in the figure of a man’s hand, make a whip, 
which, Mr. Bruce assures us, will bring the blood at 
every stroke. 
Perhaps some apology may be necessary for quot- 
