January. of the dire&ions we received from this man, we found three rhinocerofes, viz. a female, with her calf of nolncon- ■fiderable lize, and a male, which was much larger than the female; and, indeed, was the largeft of all the rhinocerofes I had ever feen. This laft was hit in the ihoulder by a ball from one o f the Hottentots, who lay concealed behind a bufh, a circuftance which occafioned the animal to ruih forth into the plain, where all the fportfmen that were provided with hories were ftationed ; and now, being greatly alarmed, betook themfelves to flight. The -greateft braggadochio in the whole company, was the firft on this'occafion to fet an example o f prudence, and a fpirit of felf-prefervation in' the extreme, by clapping fpurs to his horfe and galloping off immediately ; and was the laft to turn back and purfue the maimed and limping beaft, whither it foon turned off towards a different quarter, and by this means at laft made its efcape through a clofe thicket. One of my Hottentots, who in fa£t was our driver, but whom I had ufed in fome meafure to fhooting, and had at this time entrufted with a gun, that he might afiift the other fportfmen, was accufed by them o f having fhewn, on this occafion, a greater inclination to ikulk and hide himfelf, than to join in the fport. ' On which account, I having, by way o f punifhing him, given his gun to one o f the Boihies- men, he did not, indeed, difcover any concern at the time; yet, perhaps, was even in this refpedt, capable of being adtuated by ambition and emulation, as, indeed, are many of his countrymen; as a proof o f his punifhment having had an effedt upon him, fhewing that very day afterwards upon other occafions, though entirely without arms, great boldnefs and and courage; in confequence of which he, that evening, ran the rilk of being trampled under foot by another rhinoceros. To conclude, we now quitted our horfes, in order to go with a party of our Hottentots and trace the wounded rhinoceros on foot. We were able to follow the traces of the animal in this manner during the fpace of half an hour, notwithftanding the ground’s being very dry and hard; for a Bofhies-man, who was our principal leader, and went before us with the deepeft filence and utmoft attention, pointing occafionally to the earth, was very fkilful in obferving (and regulating our courfe accordingly) where the dried grafs or dull; had been , difturbed or difplaced in the leaft ; which, with all the attention I was matter of, I was not able to difcern; though in more than one fpot, we found, neverthelefs, fome plain and diftindt prints o f the rhinoceros’s feet, a proof that our leader had taken us right. In fadt, neceflity and cuftom render the fight, faculty of obfervation, and judgment of the Hottentots, very acute in this refpect; juft as, oh the other hand, by the fame means they have* acquired the talent, Which is Univerfally acknowledged,' of finding water in fpots they are unacquainted with, much better than the Chriftians ; a talent, which alone ferves them inftead o f a compafs,-in particular exigencies, and precludes the neceflity o f fuppofing them to be endued with a particular acutenefs in the organ of fmell, as they are erroneoufly reprefented to be by fome, who, living at a diftance from the Hottentots, have nos great opportunities o f knowing this peculiar race of men.. This, however, is no argument, that the inftances we have1 a# other men who have been endued with a very fine and acute W O
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