il
and fled, the blood flowing from the wounds he had received. He once
also saw a battle between four enormous rhinoceroses. Again and again
they charged each other, uttering the most horrible grunts, and digging
their horns into each other's sides. So fiercely engaged were the
monsters, that they did not observe the approach of his hunters, who
succeeded in killing two of them, while the others escaped. Those
killed were utterly unfit for food, their flesh being quite rotten from
the wounds they had received on previous occasions.

The black rhinoceros feeds on a species of thorn known in Cape Colony as
wait-a-bit, which gives it a somewhat acrid and bitter flavour. The
white species, however, feeds chiefly on grass. The flesh has in
consequence a pleasant taste, and is usually very fat. A high polish
can be given to the horns of the rhinoceros, and they are valuable
articles of commerce. They fetch, indeed, half as much as common
elephant ivory. They are formed into drinking-cups, handles for swords,
ramrods for rifles, and are used for many other purposes.

"When you speak of drinking-cups," said David to our Portuguese friend,
who had given us this account, "I have heard that they are believed to
possess the virtue of detecting poison. It is said that if wine is
poured into them it forthwith rises and bubbles up as if it were
boiling; and if poison is mixed with it, immediately the cup splits. It
is said, also, that if poison by itself is poured into one of these
cups, that the cup will instantly fly to pieces. I confess, however,
that I am inclined to doubt that such is the case."

"I also have no belief in the account," remarked Senhor Silva.

The ordinary way of killing the rhinoceros is to stalk him either when
feeding or asleep. By approaching to leeward, a good shot will kill him
before he moves. Some hunters prefer hiding themselves in huts or pits,
as he comes to drink in the stream at the morning or evening.
Sometimes, however, the animals are taken in pitfalls, such as are used
to capture elephants or other large game. Englishmen (for I have not
heard of any one else who has done so) occasionally hunt the rhinoceros
on horseback. Though their horses have been able to keep up with the
chase, the infuriated beasts have been known to charge the hunter. In
two instances I heard of, the horses were completely run through by the
creature's horns; and, in two others, the unfortunate huntsmen