I find in my Diary for 5th November, 1907, 'Came near to Maboloni Hill. Saw seven rhino grazing near the hill and steered the caravan safely past, leaving four about a hundred yards up wind and three about four hundred yards down wind.' The next day I find 'Met twelve rhino all in our immediate path. Two were lying down close to where I wanted to set up the plane table. After great difficulty they were persuaded to move, and I began setting up the table when another appeared. Leaving here we came on a party of three lying down near a river bed, one bull, a cow, and a calf. 1 watched the bull making advances to the cow, which were not favourably received, as she got up and prodded him away. They lay down again, and then suddenly all three jumped up and rushed off; I do not know what alarmed them. Going up a narrow spur I met one, and steering round to avoid him came suddenly on two others lying just over the edge of the ridge.
'The cook went down to the river and said that he saw eleven and had to get up a tree.'
On the next day I met two rhino on a spur, the farthest one of which started walking towards us. It was very comical to see the man carrying my plane table, who had only seen the latter, hurriedly put down his load and bolt from the farther one right into the arms of the nearer one, which he had not noticed. On the day following this I was out early after lion, and hearing a noise behind me, saw a female rhino and small calf racing towards me, so I hurriedly got up a tree and let them pass. Later in the day when trekking along with my porters the same thing happened again; a female and calf appeared out of some thorn and raced after us. Loads were hurled down and there was a general sauve qui peut, but they turned off again when they reached the loads and dashed back into the thorn. Just after that I saw one with an immensely long posterior horn, much longer than the anterior, standing under a tree in our road. I went forward and shouted and whistled till it moved on, and then we proceeded, only to find another about a hundred yards down wind of where we wished to pass.
We were so bored with making constant detours to avoid these animals that we waited till he had grazed on about another 150 yards and then made a slight detour upwind so as to pass about 350 yards from him. When the leading part of the caravan got up wind of him, he went on peacefully grazing, but when about half had passed, he suddenly got our wind. Instead of going away he came towards us. I had shot my two rhinos for the year before we met any of the above-mentioned animals, and so I had been trying to avoid them as much as possible. I now stationed myself in front of the caravan, hoping that he would turn off, but he came steadily on.
When he got to about 80 yards distant he still had his head up. I fired, missing him on purpose, hoping that it would frighten him, but it seemed only to encourage him, as he then put down his head and came in earnest, wavering slightly from side to side to keep the wind. His head and horns covered his heart and brain, so at 50 yards I put a shot into the side of his shoulder, and at 30 yards I put another, which fortunately disabled his right shoulder so that he stumbled. He picked himself up and came on again, but now slowly, and the danger was past, as he was disabled and could be easily dodged.
As I was surveying, and not shooting, and had no intention of shooting at a rhino, having shot all I was allowed, I had only three cartridges in my rifle, which I had now fired. My pockets were so full of pencils, notebooks, etc., that I had handed over all my cartridges to a Mkamba guide, who could be found nowhere. I called out for more cartridges, and meanwhile the rhino came slowly stumping on and I retreated before him. He had just reached the spot at which the porters had thrown down their loads, and I expected to see him begin to amuse himself with them, when my dog, who had only been a spectator so far, thought it about time to join in. He rushed barking at the rhino and the beast turned round and round, facing him, while the dog rushed round and round trying to get at his heels. Whilst this diversion was in progress the head man discovered the Mkamba guide up a tree, secured the cartridge bag, and came running up with it. Getting a convenient side shot, I finished the rhino. We cut oil the horns with a hatchet to hand in at the next government station we passed, and continued our march.
I have only mentioned a few of the rhino incidents which happened when I was sketching in that country. It must be remembered that we were not looking for them, but rather trying to avoid them, as they delayed our marches and hampered my work.
In the same country a rhino suddenly started up and came rushing towards us. When we shouted at him he thought better of it and turned round to make off, disclosing the fact that he had no tail. This seemed to tickle the porters very much, and as he disappeared with his small stump, in place of a tail, sticking straight up, he was sped on his way with shouts of derision. They seemed to imagine that his lack of a tail made it specially impertinent of him to have attempted to come for us.
As I have said, he travels much farther there and in North Eastern Rhodesia, and one has to follow him for long distances. As often as not one picks up his night's tracks at a water hole. He often goes tremendous distances to and from water, and perhaps his grazing grounds are seven to ten miles from the place at which he drank.
In Nyasaland and North Eastern Rhodesia, however, where he is more scarce and always found in thick grass or bush, he is really a very sporting animal to shoot. The natives there fear him more than any of the dangerous game, partly because he is really dangerous in their country, and partly because, owing to his scarcity, they have not grown accustomed to him. They have not had a chance to cultivate a sufficiency of that familiarity with him which breeds contempt. In the latter countries he seems to walk much farther and has to be generally tracked up all day like elephant, instead of being come upon by chance as in East Africa.
In Nyasaland and North Eastern Rhodesia, however, where he is more scarce and always found in thick grass or bush, he is really a very sporting animal to shoot. In the latter countries he seems to walk much farther and has to be generally tracked up all day like elephant, instead of being come upon by chance as in East Africa.
Whilst hunting near Lake Bangweolo I followed one for the greater part of the day, and finally crept up, closely followed by the faithful Matola, within five yards of where he lay, heavily breathing in thick grass. Even then it was so thick that I could not see him properly, and bungled the shot, and he crashed off with a noise like an infuriated steam engine. We tracked him till dark, but did not come up with him again. This particular rhino followed close to the edge of a grass fire for several miles. I have often read, and been told, of wild animals' fear of fire, but never myself noticed anything to corroborate this idea. In fact, rather the reverse. I have often put up game lying peacefully quite close to a bush fire. These grass fires are of yearly occurrence, and the game must be well accustomed to them. It is only when surrounded by a fire ring that they lose their heads, and indeed this must be a very alarming occurrence, especially if there are hundreds of natives at the same time shouting from all sides.
Kenya - absence of tail. In the same country a rhino suddenly started up and came rushing towards us. When we shouted at him he thought better of it and turned round to make off, disclosing the fact that he had no tail. This seemed to tickle the porters very much, and as he disappeared with his small stump, in place of a tail, sticking straight up, he was sped on his way with shouts of derision. They seemed to imagine that his lack of a tail made it specially impertinent of him to have attempted to come for us.
A rhino is generally a very easily killed animal. If you can get him broadside on with a big bore he almost always sits down at once. Facing he is less easy to kill, and if moving, often a very difficult shot indeed.
Rhino, in spite of the thickness of their skin, appear very subject to sores. There are almost always large sores on the chest or stomach, and often enormous festering sores on other parts of the body. They frequently, too, are cut and gashed about, these being probably caused by fighting together. A female I shot once amongst other gashes, had one vertical one extending from the centre of the back almost to the stomach. That is to say, it went nearly halfway round her body. It seems almost inconceivable that such a wound could have been inflicted with a prod of another's horn, and yet I cannot think of any other cause to which it could be attributed.
Whilst hunting near Lake Bangweolo I followed one for the greater part of the day, and finally crept up, closely followed by the faithful Matola, within five yards of where he lay, heavily breathing in thick grass. Even then it was so thick that I could not see him properly, and bungled the shot, and he crashed off with a noise like an infuriated steam engine. We tracked him till dark, but did not come up with him again. This particular rhino followed close to the edge of a grass fire for several miles. I have often read, and been told, of wild animals' fear of fire, but never myself noticed anything to corroborate this idea. In fact, rather the reverse. I have often put up game lying peacefully quite close to a bush fire. These grass fires are of yearly occurrence, and the game must be well accustomed to them. It is only when surrounded by a fire ring that they lose their heads, and indeed this must be a very alarming occurrence, especially if there are hundreds of natives at the same time shouting from all sides.
Kenya - absence of tail. In the same country a rhino suddenly started up and came rushing towards us. When we shouted at him he thought better of it and turned round to make off, disclosing the fact that he had no tail. This seemed to tickle the porters very much, and as he disappeared with his small stump, in place of a tail, sticking straight up, he was sped on his way with shouts of derision. They seemed to imagine that his lack of a tail made it specially impertinent of him to have attempted to come for us.
