In common with the lion and elephant, the rhinoceros frequents the vast
deserts of Asia and Africa. Its appearance is chiefly remarkable, from
possessing one solid conical horn on the nose, sometimes three feet in
length, and from having the skin disposed about the neck in large
plaits or folds. The body of this animal is little inferior in size to
the elephant, but he is much shorter in the legs; his length, from the
muzzle to the tail, is nearly twelve feet, and the girth about the same
measurement: from the shortness of his legs, the belly nearly touches
the ground.
The rhinoceros can run with great swiftness; and, from his strength,
and hard, impenetrable hide, he is capable of rushing through the
thickets with resistless fury, almost every obstacle being quickly
overturned in his track. There is a two-horned species in Africa, but
little is known of it.
In India, the hunting of the rhinoceros is famous sport. The people go
out mounted on elephants, and usually find five or six of these animals
in a drove. Their hides are so thick that it is difficult to kill them.
One will often receive twenty bullets before he falls. The rhinoceros
attacks an elephant fearlessly, and endeavors to get his horn under
him, so as to rip him open. But the elephant, finding what he would be
at, turns his rear to the assailant, who gives him a hunch behind, and
tumbles his huge enemy upon his knees. Then the men upon the elephants
fire their guns, and pepper the thick hide of the rhinoceros with their
bullets.
_Anecdotes._--In the year 1790, a rhinoceros arrived in England, about
five years old, and was purchased by Mr. Pidcock, of Exeter 'Change,
for seven hundred pounds. He was very mild, and allowed himself to be
patted on the back by strangers. He was quite obedient to the orders of
his keepers, and would move through the apartment to exhibit himself.
His daily allowance of food was twenty-eight pounds' weight of clover,
besides an equal provision of ship bread, and a great quantity of
greens; he drank five pails of water every twenty-four hours. He liked
sweet wines, and was sometimes indulged with a few bottles. His voice
resembled that of a calf, which he usually exerted at the sight of
fruit, or any favorite food. This animal suffered much from a
dislocation of the joint of one of his fore-legs, which induced
inflammation, and he died nine months afterwards.
The following particulars of a rhinoceros, exhibited at Exeter 'Change,
were obtained, by the late Sir Everard Home, from the person who kept
him for three years. "It was so savage," says he, "that, about a month
after it came, it endeavored to kill the keeper, and nearly succeeded.
It ran at him with the greatest impetuosity; but, fortunately, the horn
passed between his thighs, and threw the keeper on its head; the horn
came against a wooden partition, into which the animal forced it to
such a depth as to be unable for a minute to withdraw it; and, during
this interval, the man escaped. Its skin, though apparently so hard, is
only covered with small scales, of the thickness of paper, with the
appearance of tortoise-shell; at the edges of these, the skin itself is
exceedingly sensible, either to the bite of a fly or the lash of a
whip. By discipline, the keeper got the management of it, and the
animal was brought to know him; but frequently, more especially in the
middle of the night, fits of frenzy came on; and, while these lasted,
nothing could control its rage,--the rhinoceros running with great
swiftness round the den, playing all kinds of antics, making hideous
noises, knocking every thing to pieces, disturbing the whole
neighborhood, and then, all at once, becoming quiet. While the fit was
on, even the keeper durst not make his approach. The animal fell upon
its knee when it wished to strike any object with its horn. It was
quick in all its motions, ate voraciously all kinds of vegetables,
appearing to have no selection. It was chiefly fed on branches of
willow. Three years' confinement made no alteration in its habits."