The so-called BLACK RHINOCEROS (Rhinoceros bicornis major) is a much smaller animal than R. simus, being about eleven feet in length and five feet in height, with an elongated head and horns thicker in proportion to length than those of R. simus. The front horn is twenty inches or twenty-two inches in length, and never attains to more than twenty-six or twenty-eight inches; while the back horn averages ten inches or twelve inches. Its skin is not black, but flesh-coloured, and the upper lip is highly prehensile. The first specimen ever brought to Europe was captured in Upper Nubia in 1868, and was provided with a lodging in the Regent’s Park Zoological Gardens. It is found in all the country south of the Zambesi; inhabits thorn thickets chiefly (in which R. simus is never found), but occasionally occurs in other jungle or open ground. It feeds chiefly on thorn leaves and branches, though also eating grass, for the plucking of which its flexible upper lip is as well fitted as the long tongue of the Giraffe. It is gregarious, five or six being sometimes found together.
“WHITE” RHINOCEROS.
The KEITLOA, or Sloan’s Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros keitloa), differs but little from R. bicornis major, excepting in the formation of the head, which is somewhat shorter and broader, and it has a less prehensile lip. Its chief characteristic is the posterior horn, which is flattened at the sides, being of almost equal length to the anterior, and even occasionally longer, twenty inches and twenty-two inches being about the average. It is found sparingly in all the country south of the Zambesi, and is not gregarious, a bull and cow only being usually seen together. RHINOCEROS BICORNIS MINOR is the smallest, being seldom over ten feet in length, or more than four feet ten inches in height. The head is more elongated and the nose more prehensile than in any other species, while the legs are shorter in proportion and the feet smaller. The anterior horns rarely exceed twelve inches, and the posterior seven or eight inches. It is usually found only between Zululand and the Limpopo river, although it has been killed farther north, not far from the Zambesi. It is not gregarious, two full-grown ones and a calf being the greatest number that has been recorded as seen together. It feeds on thorns, leaves, and shoots, and rarely, if ever, is found out of the thorn jungle.
KEITLOA.
Until recent times, it was universally believed that the hide of a Rhinoceros was too tough to allow a bullet to penetrate; indeed, even now in popular opinion the belief is still retained, but, like many popular opinions, it has been proved to be untrue; and that a Rhinoceros may be as easily shot with an ordinary bullet as an Ox is fully established on the authority of Gordon Cumming, Sir S. Baker, Dr. Livingstone, and others.
Sir S. Baker, in his “Nile Tributaries,” gives the following interesting account of a Rhinoceros hunt:—“We were leisurely returning home through alternate plains and low open forests of mimosa, when Taher Sheriff, who was leading the party, suddenly reined up his Horse, and pointed to a thick bush, beneath which was a large, grey, but shapeless mass. He whispered, as I drew near, ‘Oom qurrin’ (mother of the horn), their name for the Rhinoceros. I immediately dismounted, and with the short No. 10 Tatham rifle I advanced as near as I could, followed by Suleiman, as I had sent all my gun-bearers direct home by the river when we had commenced our circuit. As I drew near, I discovered two Rhinoceroses asleep beneath a thick mass of bushes; they were lying like Pigs, close together, so that at a distance I had been unable to distinguish any exact form. It was an awkward place; if I were to take the wind fairly, I should have to fire through the thick bush, which would be useless; therefore I was compelled to advance with the wind direct from me to them. The aggageers remained about a hundred yards distant, while I told Suleiman to return, and hold my Horse in readiness with his own. I then walked quietly to within about thirty yards of the Rhinoceroses, but so curiously were they lying that it was useless to attempt a shot. In their happy dreams they must have been suddenly disturbed by the scent of an enemy, for, without the least warning, they suddenly sprang to their feet with astonishing quickness, and with a loud and sharp whiff, whiff, whiff! one of them charged straight at me. I fired my right-hand barrel in his throat, as it was useless to aim at the head, protected by two horns at the nose. This turned him, but had no other effect, and the two animals thundered off together at a tremendous pace. Now for a ‘tally ho!’ Our stock of gum was scattered on the ground, and away went the aggageers in full speed after the two Rhinoceroses. Without waiting to re-load, I quickly remounted my Horse Tétel, and, with Suleiman in company, I spurred hard to overtake the flying Arabs. Tétel was a good strong cob, but not very fast; however, I believe he never went so well as upon that day, for, although an Abyssinian Horse, I had a pair of English spurs, which worked like missionaries, but with a more decided result. The ground was awkward for riding at full speed, as it was an open forest of mimosas, which, although wide apart, were very difficult to avoid, owing to the low crowns of spreading branches; these, being armed with fish-hook thorns, would have been serious on a collision. I kept the party in view until, in about a mile, we arrived upon open ground. Here I again applied the spurs, and by degrees I crept up, always gaining, until I at length joined the aggageers. Here was a sight to drive a hunter! The two Rhinoceroses were running neck and neck, like a pair of Horses in harness, but bounding along at tremendous speed within ten yards of the leading Hamram. This was Taher Sheriff, who, with his sword drawn and his long hair flying wildly behind him, urged his Horse forward in the race, amid a cloud of dust raised by the two huge but active beasts, that tried every sinew of the Horses. Rodur Sheriff, with the withered arm, was second; with the reins hung upon the hawk-like claw that was all that remained of a hand, but with his naked sword grasped in his right, he kept close to his brother, ready to second his blow. Abou Do was third; his hair flying in the wind, his heels dashing against the flanks of his Horse, to which he shouted in his excitement to urge him to the front, while he leant forward with his long sword, in the wild energy of the moment, as though hoping to reach the game against all possibility. Now for the spurs! and as these, vigorously applied, screwed an extra stride out of Tétel, I soon found myself in the ruck of men, horses, and drawn swords. There were seven of us, and passing Abou Do, whose face wore an expression of agony at finding that his Horse was failing, I quickly obtained a place between the two brothers, Taher and Rodur Sheriff. There had been a jealousy between the two parties of aggageers, and each was striving to outdo the other; thus Abou Do was driven almost to madness at the superiority of Taher’s Horse, while the latter, who was the renowned hunter of the tribe, was determined that his sword should be the first to taste blood. I tried to pass the Rhinoceros on my left, so as to fire close into the shoulder my remaining barrel with my right hand, but it was impossible to overtake the animals, who bounded along with undiminished speed. With the greatest exertion of man and horses, we could only retain our position within about three or four yards of their tails—just out of reach of the swords. The only chance in the race was to hold the pace until the Rhinoceroses should begin to flag. The Horses were pressed to the utmost; but we had already run about two miles, and the game showed no signs of giving in. On they flew—sometimes over open ground, then through low bush, which tried the Horses severely; then through strips of open forest, until at length the party began to tail off, and only a select few kept their places. We arrived at the summit of a ridge, from which the ground sloped in a gentle inclination for about a mile towards the river; at the foot of this incline was thick, thorny, nabbuk jungle, for which impenetrable covert the Rhinoceroses pressed at their utmost speed. Never was there better ground for the finish of a race; the earth was sandy, but firm, and as we saw the winning post in the jungle that must terminate the hunt, we redoubled our exertions to close with the unflagging game. Suleiman’s Horse gave in—we had been for about twenty minutes at a killing pace. Tétel, although not a fast Horse, was good for a distance, and we now proved his power of endurance, as I was riding at least two stone heavier than any of the party. Only four of the seven remained; and we swept down the incline, Taher Sheriff still leading, and Abou Do the last! His Horse was done, but not the rider; for, springing to the ground while at full speed, sword in hand, he forsook his tired Horse, and, preferring his own legs, he ran like an Antelope, and for the first hundred yards I thought he would really pass us and win the honour of first blow. It was of no use; the pace was too severe, and, although running wonderfully, he was obliged to give way to the Horses. Only three now followed the Rhinoceroses. Taher Sheriff, his brother Rodur, and myself. I had been obliged to give the second place to Rodur, as he was a mere Monkey in weight; but I was a close third. The excitement was intense; we neared the jungle, and the Rhinoceroses began to show signs of flagging, as the dust puffed up before their nostrils, and with noses close to the ground, they snorted as they still galloped on. ‘Oh for a fresh Horse!’ We were within two hundred yards of the jungle; but the Horses were all done. Tétel reeled as I urged him forward; Rodur pushed ahead; we were close to the dense thorns, and the Rhinoceroses broke into a trot; they were done! Away went Taher; he was close to the very heels of the beasts, but his Horse could do no more than his present pace; still he gained upon the nearest; he leaned forward, with his sword raised for the blow—another moment and the jungle would be reached! One effort more, aid the sword flashed in the sunshine, as the rearmost Rhinoceros disappeared in the thick screen of thorns, with a gash about a foot long upon his hind-quarters. Taher Sheriff shook his bloody sword in triumph above his head; but the Rhinoceros was gone—we were fairly beaten, regularly outpaced. Taher Sheriff explained that at all times the Rhinoceros was the most difficult animal to sabre, on account of his extraordinary swiftness, and, although he had killed many with the sword, it was always after a long and fatiguing hunt, at the close of which the animal, becoming tired, generally turned to bay, in which case one hunter occupied his attention, while another galloped up behind and severed the hamstring. The Rhinoceros, unlike the Elephant, can go very well upon three legs, which enhances the danger, as one cut will not utterly disable him.”
THE RHINOCEROS HUNT.