Errers-in Natural Hiftary. 
*¢ T was tokl of fuch a delicate animal, 
faid to be fhaped like the wild buffalo, 
and to have {mall horns; but notwith- 
ftanding all my endeavours, I have not 
been able to. fee it, nor to procurejan ac- 
curate defcription of it. “The cafe is the 
fame with the wnicorz, faid to have been 
lately difcovered in the interior parts of 
Africa. A planter, we are informed, 
faw there an animal fhaped like a horfe, 
which had one horn only in its forehead. 
It was of a grey colour, and had cloven 
feet ; but his obfervations extend no far- 
ther. ‘This account is, in a certain mea- 
fure, confirmed by fome Hottentots, who 
gave a fomewhat more accurate, though 
very imperfect, defcription of an animal 
of the like kind. People here, in general, 
believe in the exiftence of fuch an ani- 
mal.”” 
Zimmermann, profeffor of mathematics 
and natural hiftory, in the Caroline Col- 
lege at Brunfwick*, {peaking on the fame 
fubje&t, fays: ‘* Take away from the ac- 
counts given of this animal by the an- 
cients what is evidently fabulous, and 
alfo what belongs to the rhinoceros, ‘and 
the following will remain as the defcrip- 
tion of the unicorn. It is an animal, 
which, in bulk and fhape, refembles a 
well built, middle-fized horfe, and which 
bears on its forehead an untwifted, {mooth, 
fharp-pointed horn, two ells in length. 
Mott authors. give it alfo a mane and 
a fhort tail, like that of a fwine. It in- 
habits the unfrequented interior parts of 
India, or of Africa. Pliny, #lian, and 
ether ancient authors, make India proper 
to be the place of its refidence. Bar- 
tholin+ fays, that he heard, from a prince 
in Guinea, that in the defart of Cano, 
there were unicorns known there by the 
name of Tirebine, and that this African 
had feen fome of them dead. On account 
of their fwiftnefs they could never be 
caught alive. ‘The horn was only three 
{pans in length., Bertoman, who is indeed 
often fabulous, places the unicorn in 
Ethiopia; and Garciasab Horto t makes 
its native country to be Africa alfo, viz. 
that part which extends from Cape Cor- 
rientes to the Cape of Good Hope.”” 
«¢ It may be atked,’’? continues Mr. 
Zimmermann, ** how I thought of intro- 
ducing an animal which has been confi- 
dered by almoft all zoologifts as fabu- 

* “€ Geographifche Gefebiebte de Menchen und 
_ der wvierfiijugen thiere.” vol. ii. p. 158. 
T ‘§ Bartholinus de Unicornu.”> Amftel. 1687. 
Pp. 218, 
Tt “© -Garcins ab Horte Aevinat. Hi.” Lib, i. 
Gap. 14. Jt, 
a48 
lous. Far this,’? adds he, ** I have more 
than one reafon, though my intention is 
rather to exprefs a doubt refpecting the 
non-exiftence of the unicorn, than to af- 
firm that there is really fuch an animal 
in nature.’ In the firft place, the ac- 
counts given of it by the ancients are not 
. 
abfolutely incongruous; they do not 
{peak of it as of the fphynx, the griffin, 
and other monfters; but as of an animal 
which appears to differ fcarcely fo much 
from the moft common, as the rhinoceros, 
or the giraffe ; fo that the correiponding 
teftimony of almoft all the ancient natu- 
ralifts feems to deferve fome attention. 
Secondly, I find in its favour the tefti- 
mony of fome modern authors, one of 
whom afferts that he faw two unicorns 
alive. Lewis Barthema, or Bertoman*, 
in his travels, which, indeed, in fome 
places, appear to contain falfhood, faysy 
that he faw, near the temple of Mecca, 
two liveunicorns, which even there were 
confidered as a wonderful animal. ‘They 
were fhaped like an horfe; were of 2 
yellowith brown, or weafel colour; had 
a head and legs like a ftag, with 2 
ftraight horn three ells long, and a mane, 
feet cloven, like thofe of goats; and the 
fore part of their hind legs thickly co- 
vered with hair. One of them, he faysy 
was younger and {maller than the other. 
They both feemed to be very {pirited, 
though not: untraétable; and they had 
been fent from Ethiopia, as a great ra- 
rity, in order to be prefented to the fultan 
of Mecca.” 
<< IT have not,’’ continues he, ** made 
thefe obfervations through fondnefs for 
paradox, but to fhew that we ought not 
to be too precipitate in rejecting the fo 
called fables of the ancients, and to ren- 
der future travellers more attentive. It 
was not till lately that we obtained, by 
means of Dr. Sparrmann, a proper know~ 
ledge of the two-horned rhinoceros, which 
was well known to the ancients. Figures 
of the unicorn; which have been copied 
by Le Bruynf, are nct only to be {een 
on the ruins of Perfepolis, but among 
the moderns. Ruyfch, in his edition of 
‘© Fobnfion’s Natural Hiftoryt,’ has col- 
lected feveral of them.”” | 
It appears, therefore, that Profeflor 
Zimmermann does not entirely reject as 
fabulous, the accounts given of the uni- 

* ¢ Travels of Lewis Barthema, or Verto~ 
mann in Purchas Pilgr.” vol. ii. p. 1189. 
+ §* Cornel. de Bruyn’s Reizen.”’ Amit. 17 11.: 
fol. tab. 126. p. 129. ; 
t 6* Ruyfch Theatrum Univers. om, Animal: 
Amitel, 1718. t. di. pe 21. tab. 10, 11, 12. 
Corm 
