It plows up the roots with the aid of its horn, and gathers the branches
and leaves with the upper lip which is long and pointed, and with which
the food is rolled together before placing it in the mouth.
The flesh of the rhinoceros is good to eat; and its strong, thick skin
is made by the natives, into shields, whips, and other articles.
Though clumsy and apparently very stupid, the rhinoceros is a very
active animal when attacked or otherwise alarmed, dashing about with
wonderful rapidity.
It is very fierce and savage--so much so that the natives dread it more
than they do the lion. In hunting the animal, it is dangerous for a man
to fire at one unless he is mounted upon a swift horse, and can easily
reach some place of safety.
When attacking an enemy, the rhinoceros lowers its head and rushes
forward like an angry goat. Though it may not see the object of its
attack, the sense of smell is so acute that it knows about when the
enemy is reached.
Then begins a furious tossing of the head, and if the powerful horn
strikes the foe, a terrible wound is the result.
When wounded itself, the rhinoceros loses all sense of fear, and charges
again and again with such desperate fury that the enemy is almost always
overcome.
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