24, I fired
through the shoulder, by placing the muzzle within a yard of the
animal. It fell dead to this shot, which was another feather in
the cap of the good little rifle. The skull of the rhinoceros is
very curiously shaped; I had fired for the temple, and had struck
the exact point at which I had aimed, but, instead of hitting the
brain, the bullet had smashed the joint of the jaw, in which it
stuck fast. I never have been able to understand why that
powerful rifle was thus baffled, unless there had been some error
in the charge of powder. This rhinoceros had no ears, they had
been bitten off close to the head by another of the same species,
while fighting; this mutilation is by no means uncommon.
From this point I traversed the country in all directions; upon
one occasion I took a large supply of water, and penetrated into
the very heart of the Base, half way between the Settite and the
river Gash or Mareb, near the base of the mountain chain; but,
although the redoubtable natives were occasionally seen, they
were as shy as wild animals, and we could not approach them.
Having explored the entire country, and enjoyed myself
thoroughly, I was now determined to pay our promised visit to Mek
Nimmur.
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