Woodcut advertising the exhibition of a rhinoceros in London, undated, but probably 1756.
Glasgow, University, Hunterian Library, At.1.15, p. 31a (Parsons Collection)
[Text of woodcut]
To be seen, at the Horse and Groom in Lambeth-Marsh,
the Surprising, Great and Noble animal called
Rinoceros alive.
Being, as a great many people think, the same animal of which we read in the 40th chapter of Job, the 15th verse, and in the Dutch Bible the 10th verse, where he is called Behemoth, this animal being the only one of that kind in all Europe, and of such a wonderful shape, that the wisdom and power of the creator of these animals appears in it with all brightness and splendor. This animal is of a dark brown colour, has no hairs but on the ears and the end of the tail; its nose is armed with a horn to fight the elephant, whose conqueror it generally is; its eyes are in proportion to his limbs, very small; its hide is covered with shells, which lay a hand breadth one over another; and indeed nature has furnished him so that he looks like a man in armour; its paws are short and thick like the elephant, with three claws; it can swim and dive like a duck, and in the heat of the day he will lay himself down under the shadow of trees in the mud; when it drinks it is natural for it to clear the water, in case it is not good, so that the other creatures are obliged to wait till the Rinoceros has drank.
This Rinoceros was caught in Asia, in the dominions of the Great Mogul, and brought over from Bengal into Holland. This animal is as tame as a lamb, because it was caught very young, and for two years successively has run round the tables of gentlemen and ladies like a lap-dog. The said animal consumes every day 70 pounds of hay, and 25 pounds of bread, and drinks 14 pails of water: It is at present 18 years of age, 12 feet thick, and 6000 pounds weight.
The Royal Family, and the Nobility and Gentry have seen this animal with great admiration and satisfaction. This creature may be seen from eight o’clock in the morning till six in the evening, even if there is but one person at a time, so that nobody need to wait, at one shilling the first place, and sixpence the second. It is to be seen in a tent, where there is a way for coaches to come up.
