Ghanzé.—Spotted Hyæna.—The Rhinoceros.—Where
found.—Several Species.—Description of Rhinoceros.—Size.—
Appearance.—Age.—Strength.—Speed.—Food.—Water.—The
Young.—Affection.—Senses.—Disposition.—Gregarious.—
Indolence.—Domestication.—Flesh.—Horns.—The Chase.—Mr. Oswell’s
Adventures with Rhinoceroses.—A Crotchet.—Where to aim at the
Rhinoceros.—Does not bleed externally when wounded.—Great
numbers slain annually.
Ghanzé, according to the interpretation of my Griqua, signifies very
large, and yet very small. Absurd as this explanation may appear, there
is, nevertheless, some aptness in it. The “very large” means that from
the moisture of the ground there is an indication of much water, while
the real quantity is trifling. Ghanzé is a peculiar and dreary-looking
place, consisting of an extensive hollow with innumerable small stones
scattered over its surface, and one side fenced by a natural limestone
wall three to five feet in height. The whole is hemmed in with thorn
coppices intersected by numerous footpaths, the work of those huge
creatures, the elephant and the rhinoceros, who have probably wandered
here for ages in undisputed sway. Here and there an “iron-tree,” the
mythological progenitor of the Damaras, stands majestically forth,
shooting its wide-spreading branches high into space.
Ghanzé, it would appear, has been long known to the Bechuanas and the
Griquas. A party of the latter, I was told, reached it many years
previously to my arrival in a despairing state, having been obliged
to abandon their wagons in the Kalahari. The body of men from whom I
obtained my interpreter had also visited it. It had even been frequented
by Europeans. An English traveler, Moyle, crossed the desert in safety,
and arrived at Ghanzé in 1852, on a trading and hunting expedition. From
this place he was guided by Bushmen to Great Namaqua-land, whence he
retraced his steps home. The year after this he again crossed the desert,
though under unfavorable circumstances, having, with the exception of two
horses, lost all his beasts of burden, as also his servants, some of whom
died from want.
Almost the first animal I saw at this place was a gigantic “tiger-wolf,”
or spotted hyæna, which, to my surprise, instead of seeking safety in
flight, remained stationary, grinning in the most ghastly manner. Having
approached within twenty paces, I perceived, to my horror, that his fore
paws, and the skin and flesh of his front legs, had been gnawed away,
and that he could scarcely move from the spot. To shorten the sufferings
of the poor beast, I seized my opportunity and knocked him on the head
with a stone, and, catching him by the tail, drove my hunting knife deep
into his side; but I had to repeat the operation more than once before
I could put an end to his existence. I am at a loss how to account for
his mangled condition. It certainly could not have been from age, for
his teeth were good. Could it be possible that, from want of food, he
had become too weak for further exertions, and that, as a last resource,
he had attacked his own body? or was he an example of that extraordinary
species of cruelty said to be practiced by the lion on the hyæna when the
latter has the insolence to interfere with the monarch’s prey?[71]
Fortune once again favored us; for, in the course of the few days
we remained at Ghanzé, several rhinoceroses were shot, affording an
abundance of provisions. These animals were very numerous, but rather
shy. One night I counted twenty defiling past me, though beyond reach.
The cause of so unusual a number being seen together was as follows: In
the early part of the night, one or two were approaching the water, but,
having winded me, they kept walking restlessly round the place, grunting
and snorting most viciously. This had the effect of putting those who
arrived later on guard, and they soon joined company.
Of all the South African animals, not the least curious, perhaps, is the
rhinoceros. He inhabits a large portion of the African continent—such
localities, at least, as are suitable to his habits. Formerly, as before
mentioned, he was common even in the immediate vicinity of Cape-Town;
but, owing to constant persecution, is now rarely met farther to the
southward (I speak of the West Coast) than about the twenty-third degree
of latitude. In the interior, however, the tribe is still very numerous.
“On one occasion,” says Captain Harris, in a private letter, “while
walking from the wagons to bring the head of a koodoo that I had killed
about a mile off, I encountered twenty-two rhinoceroses, and had to shoot
four of them to clear the way.”
The rhinoceros is, moreover, an inhabitant of Bengal, Siam, China, and
other countries of Asia; also of Java, Sumatra, and Ceylon. But the
three species[72] indigenous to this quarter of the globe would seem to
be quite different from any yet found in Africa. Almost all the Asiatic
species have an exceedingly coarse hide, covered with large folds, not
unlike a coat of mail, while that of the African species is comparatively
smooth. Two of the Indian rhinoceroses have only one horn, whereas all
the African are provided with two.[73] The third Asiatic species, which
is found in the island of Sumatra, resembles the African in having two
horns, but in other respects differs considerably.
Though the rhinoceros is abundant in the interior of Africa, it is
described as far more numerous in Asia, and as less generally distributed
than the elephant.
[Illustration: HEADS OF RHINOCEROSES.[74]]
Four distinct species of rhinoceroses are known to exist in South Africa,
two of which are of a dark color, and two of a whitish hue. Hence they
are usually designated the “black” and the “white” rhinoceros.
One of the two species of “black”—the Borele, as it is called by the
Bechuanas—is the common small black rhinoceros (_rhinoceros bicornis_);
the other, the Keitloa (_rhinoceros Keitloa_), or the two-horned black
rhinoceros, as it is also termed by naturalists. The latter differs from
the Borele in being somewhat larger, with a longer neck; in having the
horns of nearly equal length, with a lesser number of wrinkles about the
head; and it is of a more wild and morose disposition. The upper lip of
both (more especially in the Keitloa) is pointed, overlaps the lower, and
is capable of extension. It is pliable, and the animal can move it from
side to side, twist it round a stick, collect its food, or seize with it
any thing it would carry to its mouth. Both species are extremely fierce,
and, excepting the buffalo, are perhaps the most dangerous of all the
beasts in Southern Africa.
[Illustration: HORNS OF RHINOCEROS OSWELLII.]
Of the white species, we have the common white rhinoceros (_rhinoceros
simus_, Burch.), called Monoohoo by the Bechuanas, and the Kobaaba
(_rhinoceros Oswellii_, Gray), or long-horned white rhinoceros.[75] It
is with regard to their horns that the two species chiefly differ from
each other; for while the anterior horn of the Monoohoo has an average
length of two or three feet, curving backward, that of the Kobaaba
not unfrequently exceeds four feet, and is slightly pointed forward,
inclining from the snout at about an angle of forty-five degrees. This
rhinoceros is also the rarer of the two, and is only found in the more
interior parts of South Africa.
The chief distinguishing characteristics of the white rhinoceros are its
superior size, the extraordinary prolongation of its head, which is not
far from one third of the whole length of the animal’s body, its square
nose (hence also designated “square-nosed rhinoceros”), and the greater
length of the anterior horns.
The “black” and the “white” rhinoceros, though so nearly allied to each
other, differ widely in their mode of living, habits, &c. The chief
sustenance of the former animal consists of the roots of certain bushes,
which it plows up with its strong horn, and the shoots and tender boughs
of the “wait-a-bit” thorn; while the “white” rhinoceros, on the contrary,
feeds solely on grasses.
In disposition, also, there is a marked distinction between them; for
while the “black” is of a very savage nature, the “white,” on the other
hand, is of a comparatively mild disposition, and, unless in defense of
its young, or when hotly pursued, or wounded, will rarely attack a man.
The body of the rhinoceros is long and thick; its belly is large, and
hangs near the ground; its legs are short, round, and very strong; and
its hoofs are divided into three parts, each pointing forward. The head,
which is remarkably formed, is large; the ears are long and erect; its
eyes small and sunk. The horns, which are composed of a mass of fine
longitudinal threads or laminæ, forming a beautifully hard and solid
substance, are not affixed to the skull, but merely attached to the
skin, resting, however, in some degree, on a bony protuberance above the
nostrils. It is believed by many that, when the animal is at rest, the
horns are soft and pliable, but that, when on the move, they at once
become hard and solid. Moreover, that it can, at will, turn the posterior
horn, the other horn meanwhile remaining firm and erect; but there can
scarcely be sufficient foundation for such notions.
In size the African rhinoceros—the white species, at least—is only
exceeded by the elephant. A full-grown male (_R. simus_) measures from
the snout to the extremity of the tail (which is about two feet) between
fourteen and sixteen feet, with a circumference of ten or twelve. To
judge from these data, and the general bulkiness of the body, it can not
weigh less than from four to five thousand pounds. In our “bush-cuisine”
we reckoned one of these animals equal to three good-sized oxen.
The general appearance of the African rhinoceros is not unlike that of
an immense hog shorn of his hair, or, rather, bristles, for, with the
exception of a tuft at the extremity of the ears and the tail, it has
no hair whatever; and, as if in mockery of its giant form, its eyes are
ludicrously small—so small, indeed, that at a short distance they are
imperceptible. Altogether, what with its huge body, misshapen head,
ungainly legs and feet, and diminutive organs of vision, the rhinoceros
is the very image of ugliness.
I have no data that would enable me to determine the age of this animal,
but if we are to judge from the length of time that the horns require to
be perfected, and supposing the animal to continue to grow in the mean
while, it may be safely conjectured that he is one of the most long-lived
of beasts. Indeed, it is probable he attains the age of one hundred years.
In strength the rhinoceros is scarcely inferior to the elephant. Of its
prodigious power sufficient evidence was shown in the manner in which it
charged the missionary wagon, as mentioned at page 50 of this volume.
It is on record, moreover, that the rhinoceros which Emanuel, King of
Portugal, sent to the Pope in the year 1513, destroyed, in a paroxysm of
fury, the vessel in which he was transported.
Ungainly and heavy as the rhinoceros looks, it is, nevertheless, so
exceedingly swift of foot—at least as regards the black species—“that a
horse with a rider,” to quote the words of Gordon Cumming, “can rarely
manage to overtake it.” The testimony of Captain Harris is to the like
effect; for, when speaking of the chase of this animal, and after
telling us that it is most difficult to kill, he says, “From its clumsy
appearance, one would never suppose it could dart about as it does, like
lightning.”
The food of the rhinoceros consists entirely, as mentioned, of
vegetables, shoots of trees, grasses, &c. It is fond of the sugar-cane,
and eats all kinds of grain;[76] but it does not seem to be a voracious
feeder. Indeed, it would appear to be somewhat fastidious in the
selection of its food, in search of which it wanders far and wide.
Water is indispensable to the rhinoceros, and, even if his usual haunts
be distant from the fountain, he seeks it at least once in the course of
the twenty-four hours, as well to quench his thirst as to wallow in the
mud, with which his body is frequently incrusted, leaving to the thirsty
traveler nothing but a mass of well-kneaded dough.
[Illustration: FŒTUS OF RHINOCEROS KEITLOA.]
Little seems to be known of the breeding habits of this animal: whether
it lives in monogamy, or has a plurality of wives, and so forth. It
appears certain, however, that the female only produces one young at a
birth, and that, too, at considerable intervals. During the first month,
the young rhinoceros exceeds not the size of a large dog, with the merest
indication of horns. A complete and full-grown fœtus of _R. Keitloa_ that
I once obtained measured thus:
Ft. In.
Length of body (from tip of nose, over the head, and
along the back) to insertion of tail 3 6
Length of tail 0 10
Circumference of body behind shoulder 2 4
” neck 1 6
” head (across the eyes) 1 8
Height at the shoulder 2 1
Length of head between ears and eyes 0 4½
Breadth ” ” ” 0 4
” ” ” eyes (corner nearest nostrils) 0 7
At the age of two years the horn is said to be not more than an inch
long; at six years old it is nine or ten inches long, and grows, as seen
in the white species, to the length of three or four feet.
The rhinoceros is a very affectionate mother, and guards her offspring
with the tenderest care. The young, in its turn, clings dotingly to its
dam, and, even for a day or two after the latter has been killed, the
calf is frequently found alongside the carcass. Several instances of the
kind have come under my personal notice, and many others are to be found
in the records of African travelers and hunters.
The sense of hearing and smell of this animal is most acute. I have
had numerous opportunities of testing both these qualities. Even when
feeding, lying down, or obeying any passing demand of nature, he will
listen with a deep and continued attention until the noise that has
attracted his attention ceases. He “winds” an enemy from a very great
distance; but if one be to leeward of him, it is not difficult to
approach within a few paces.
His sight, on the other hand, is not good. From the peculiar position of
his eyes, which are deep set in the head, and his unwieldy horns, he can
only see what is immediately before him.
The “black” species, as before said, are of a very sullen and morose
disposition. They are, moreover, subject to sudden paroxysms of
unprovoked fury, rushing and charging with inconceivable fierceness
animals, stones, bushes—in short, any object that comes in their way.
Seen in his native wilds, either when browsing at his leisure, or
listlessly sauntering about, a person would take the rhinoceros to be the
most stupid and inoffensive of creatures; yet, when his ire is roused, he
becomes the reverse, and is then the most agile and terrible of animals.
Colonel Williamson speaks of a rhinoceros in India whose ferocity was
such as to render the roads impassable by attacking travelers, or those
who passed near his haunts; and he relates an attack upon a sporting
company by the same animal, in the close of the year 1788, as generally
known to the army and residents of the district. “Two officers belonging
to the troops cantoned at Dunapore, near Patna, went down the river
toward Monghyr to shoot and hunt. They had encamped in the vicinity of
Derrzapore, and had heard some reports of a rhinoceros having attacked
some travelers many miles off. One morning, just as they were rising,
about daybreak, to go in quest of game, they heard a violent uproar;
and, on looking out, found that a rhinoceros was goring their horses,
both of which, being fastened by their head and heel with ropes, were
consequently unable either to escape or resist. Their servants took to
their heels, and concealed themselves in the neighboring jungle; and the
gentlemen had just time to climb up into a small tree not far distant,
before the furious beast, having completed the destruction of the
horses, turned his attention to their masters. They were barely out of
his reach, and by no means exempt from danger, especially as he assumed
a threatening appearance, and seemed intent on their downfall. After
keeping them in dreadful suspense for some time, and using some efforts
to dislodge them, seeing the sun rise, he retreated to his haunt; not,
however, without occasionally casting an eye back, as with regret, at
leaving what he wanted the power to destroy.”
But the rhinoceros is not dangerous to man alone: all the beasts of
the forest dread him, and none venture to attack this truly formidable
animal. The lion, if they chance to meet, slinks out of his way. Even the
elephant, should they encounter, retreats, if possible, without hazarding
an engagement. Major Lally stated to the author of “Oriental Sports” that
he once witnessed, from a distant hill, a most desperate battle between a
large male elephant and a rhinoceros, in which the former was worsted and
fled. Amral told me that one day, while himself and party were engaged in
pursuit of an elephant, a black rhinoceros suddenly appeared among them,
charging madly both beasts and men, several of whom had narrow escapes
from being gored by the animal.
The rhinoceros will also fight his own species. One night, when at the
“skärm,” I saw four huge beasts engage each other at the same time,
and so furious was the strife, and their gruntings so horrible, that
it caused the greatest consternation among my party, who were encamped
some little way off. I succeeded after a while in killing two of them,
one of which was actually unfit for food, being quite rotten from
wounds received on previous occasions, and, probably, under similar
circumstances.
The rhinoceros, though it can not strictly be called a gregarious animal,
and though most commonly met with singly or in pairs, would seem to be of
a somewhat social disposition. Indeed, as many as a dozen have been seen
pasturing and browsing together.
The rhinoceros is nocturnal in his habits. At the approach of dusk he
commences his rambles, and, if not disturbed, generally visits the pool
at an early hour of the evening; afterward he not unfrequently wanders
over a great extent of country. Soon after sunrise he seeks repose and
shelter against the heat under some friendly mimosa, or the projecting
ledge of a rock, where he spends the day in sleep, either stretched at
full length or in a standing position. Thus seen from a distance, he may
easily be mistaken for the fragment of a rock.
The Asiatic species is frequently kept in confinement, but, though
generally tractable, his morose and savage nature makes him rather
dangerous. The least provocation often puts him into a tempest of
passion, when he will not hesitate to destroy his best friend. In his
rage he will jump about, and leap to a great height, driving his head
furiously, and with incredible swiftness, against the partitions of his
place of confinement. Three or four specimens are at the present day
alive in England.
The flesh of the rhinoceros varies greatly in quality. That of the
“black” species, from its leanness, and the animal feeding on the
“wait-a-bit” thorn bushes, which gives it an acrid and bitter flavor, is
not over-esteemed. That of the white, on the other hand, whose sustenance
consists of grass, which imparts to it an agreeable taste, coupled with
its usual fatness, is greatly sought after by natives and colonists.
Indeed, the flesh of this animal seems always to have been in repute
in the Cape Colony. Kolben, when speaking of it, says, “The flesh of a
rhinoceros, which I have often eaten with a great deal of satisfaction,
is not so sinewy as some writers have represented.”
The horns of the rhinoceros, which are capable of a high polish, are
a valuable article of commerce. At the Cape this commodity fetches
half as much as ordinary elephant ivory. It is extensively used in the
manufacture of sword-handles, drinking-cups, ramrods for rifles, and
a variety of other purposes. In Turkey the rhinoceros horn is much
esteemed, more especially such as have a reddish tint about the grain.
These, when made into cups, the Turks believe to have the virtue of
detecting poison.
“The horns of the rhinoceros,” says Thunberg, “were kept by some people,
both in town and country, not only as rarities, but also as useful in
diseases, and for the purpose of detecting poison. As to the former of
these intentions, the fine shavings of the horns taken internally were
supposed to cure convulsions and spasms in children. With respect to the
latter, it was generally believed that goblets made of these horns in a
turner’s lathe would discover a poisonous draft that was put into them by
making the liquor ferment till it ran quite out of the goblet. Such horns
as were taken from a rhinoceros calf were said to be the best, and the
most to be depended upon.”
“The horn of the rhinoceros,” Kolben tells us, “will not endure the touch
of poison. I have often been a witness to this. Many people of fashion at
the Cape have cups turn’d out of the rhinoceros horn. Some have them set
in silver, and some in gold. If wine is pour’d into one of these cups, it
immediately rises and bubbles up as if it were boiling; and if there be
poison in it, the cup immediately splits. If poison be put by itself into
one of those cups, the cup, in an instant, flies to pieces. Tho’ this
matter is known to thousands of persons, yet some writers have affirm’d
that the rhinoceros horn has no such virtue. The chips made in turning
one of those cups are ever carefully sav’d, and return’d to the owner of
the cup, being esteem’d of great benefit in convulsions, faintings, and
many other illnesses.”
The chase of the rhinoceros is variously conducted in Southern Africa.
One of the most approved plans is to stalk the animal either when feeding
or reposing. If the sportsman keep well under the wind, and there be the
least cover, he has no difficulty in approaching the beast within easy
range, when, if the ball be well directed, the prey is usually killed on
the spot. With a little precaution, this kind of sport may be conducted
without greatly endangering a person’s safety.
But by far the most convenient way of destroying this animal is to shoot
him from the “skärm” as he comes to the pool to quench his thirst. In
this manner I have myself killed several scores of rhinoceroses.
Occasionally he is also taken in pitfalls, which are constructed in
pretty much the same manner as those for the capture of elephants and
other large game.
He is not often pursued on horseback, and chiefly because his speed and
endurance are such that it is very difficult to come up with and follow
him, to say nothing of the danger attendant on such a course. Many a
hunter, indeed, has thereby endangered his life.
“Once, as I was returning from an elephant chase,” said Mr. Oswell to
me, one day in conversation, “I observed a huge white rhinoceros a
short distance ahead. I was riding a most excellent hunter, the best
and fleetest steed that I ever possessed during my shooting excursions
in Africa, at the time; but it was a rule with me never to pursue a
rhinoceros on horseback, and simply because this animal is so much more
easily approached and killed on foot. On this occasion, however, it
seemed as if fate had interfered. Turning to my after-rider, I called
out, ‘By Heaven! that fellow has got a fine horn. I will have a shot
at him.’ With that I clapped spurs to my horse, who soon brought me
alongside the huge beast, and the next instant I lodged a ball in his
body, but, as it turned out, not with deadly effect. On receiving my
shot, the rhinoceros, to my great surprise, instead of seeking safety in
flight, as is the habit of this generally inoffensive animal, suddenly
stopped short, then turned sharply round, and, having eyed me most
curiously for a second or two, walked slowly toward me. I never dreamed
of danger. Nevertheless, I instinctively turned my horse’s head away;
but, strange to say, this creature, usually so docile and gentle—which
the slightest touch of the reins would be sufficient to guide—now
absolutely refused to give me his head. When at last he did so, it was
too late; for, notwithstanding the rhinoceros had only been walking, the
distance between us was so inconsiderable that by this time I clearly
saw contact was unavoidable. Indeed, in another moment I observed the
brute bend low his head, and, with a thrust upward, struck his horn into
the ribs of the horse with such force as to penetrate to the very saddle
on the opposite side, where I felt its sharp point against my leg. The
violence of the blow was so tremendous as to cause the horse to make a
complete somersault in the air, coming heavily down on his back. With
regard to myself, I was, as a matter of course, violently precipitated
to the ground. While thus prostrated, I actually saw the horn of the
infuriated brute alongside of me; but, seemingly satisfied with his
revenge, without attempting to do further mischief, he started off at a
canter from the scene of action. My after-rider having by this time come
up, I rushed upon him, and, almost pulling him off the horse, leaped
into the saddle, and, without a hat, and my face streaming with blood,
was quickly in pursuit of the retreating beast, which I soon had the
satisfaction to see stretched lifeless at my feet.
“My friend Captain Vardon, by whom I was accompanied on this journey,
soon after joined me, and, seeing my head and face covered with blood,
at first imagined me to be mortally hurt or dying. However, with the
exception of a blow on the skull, occasioned by the stirrup-iron, which
laid my head open a few inches, I received no further injury; but the
horse was killed on the spot.”
Again: “On another occasion, as I was bending my steps toward my camp on
foot, I espied, at no great distance, two rhinoceroses of the species
Keitloa. They were feeding, and slowly approaching me. I immediately
couched and quietly waited their arrival; but, though they soon came
within range, from their constantly facing me, I was unable to fire, well
knowing the uselessness of a shot at the head. In a short time they had
approached so close that, on account of the exposed nature of the ground,
I could neither retreat nor advance, and my position became highly
critical. I was afraid to fire; for, even had I succeeded in killing one,
the other would, in all likelihood, have run over and trampled me to
death. In this dilemma the thought struck me that, on account of their
bad sight, I might possibly save myself by trying to run past them. No
time was to be lost; and accordingly, just as the leading animal almost
touched me, I stood up and dashed past it. The brute, however, was much
too quick for me, and before I had made good many paces, I heard a
violent snorting at my heels, and had only time to fire my gun at random
into his head, when I felt myself impaled on his horn.
“The shock stunned me completely. The first return to consciousness was,
I recollect, finding myself seated on one of my ponies, and a Caffre
leading it. I had an indistinct notion of having been hunting, and, on
observing the man, I asked quickly why he was not following the track of
the animal, when he mumbled something to the effect that it was gone.
“By accident I touched my right hip with my hand, and on withdrawing it,
was astonished to find it clotted with blood. Yet my senses were still
so confused, and the side so benumbed, that I actually kept feeling and
working the wound with my fingers. While trying to account for my strange
position, I observed some of my men coming toward me with a cartel, and
on asking them what they were about, they cried out that they had come
to fetch my body, having been told that I was killed by some animal. The
truth now for the first time broke upon me, and I was quickly made aware
of my crippled condition. The wound I had received was of a very serious
character, and, though it ultimately healed, it left scars behind which
no doubt will remain to the day of my death.”
We are fond of the marvelous. It is generally received as a fact that
the hide of the rhinoceros is impenetrable to a bullet, or even to an
“iron ingot,” as a certain writer quaintly expresses it. But this is
just as idle a notion, as regards the African species at least, as that
entertained respecting the softness and pliability of the animal’s horns,
for a common leaden ball will find its way through the hide with the
greatest facility. It is true, one should be near the brute; for, though
I have known a rhinoceros killed at the distance of a hundred yards, it
is an exception to the rule. Indeed, beyond thirty or forty paces one can
not make sure of the shot. Under all circumstances, a double charge of
powder is desirable.
Though a common leaden ball may do the work well enough, I would not
recommend it. The best metal is spelter, which has almost the hardness of
iron, with all the weight of lead; but it is often difficult to procure.
For want of a better, two thirds lead and one third solder answers the
purpose very well.
The most deadly part to aim at is just behind the shoulder; a ball
through the centre of the lobes of the lungs is certain to cause almost
instantaneous death. From the very solid structure of the head, the
great thickness of the hide on that part, the position of the horns, the
smallness of the brain,[77] a shot in the head rarely or never proves
fatal. The same may be said of the breast.
However severely wounded the rhinoceros may be, he seldom bleeds
externally. This is attributable in part, no doubt, to the great
thickness of the hide, and its elasticity, which occasions the hole
caused by the bullet nearly to close up, as also from the hide not being
firmly attached to the body, but constantly moving. If the animal bleed
at all, it is from the mouth and nostrils, which is a pretty sure sign
that it is mortally stricken, and the chances are it will be found dead
within a short distance.
The number of rhinoceroses destroyed annually in South Africa is very
considerable. Of this some idea may be formed when I mention that Messrs.
Oswell and Vardon killed in one year no less than eighty-nine of these
animals; in my present journey, I myself shot, single-handed, nearly two
thirds of this amount.