:

properly prepared, at least as soft as sheep-skins, and very strong. The males are nearly black having tanned points, and carrying broad, heavy horns the does are more of a mouse or roan colour, and of an inferior size to the buck. Elks are not very common in India, as they keep most on the frontiers, in the heavy jungles already described; they are also to be seen occasionally to the westward, in the hills stretching from Midnapore to Chunar. Though the elk cannot be compared with the rhinoceros for mischief, and will, on the contrary, like all their deer species, rather retire from, than meet approach, except in the rutting season, when bucks are generally very vitious, yet he is not always passive, being sometimes known to attack without the least pro

vocation.

As an instance of the extremely savage disposition of the rhinoceros, I shall adduce a memorable circumstance which occurred about the close of the year 1788. Two officers belonging to the troops cantoned at Dinapore near Patna, went down the river towards Monghyr to shoot and hunt. They had encamped in the vicinity of Derriapore, and had heard some reports of a ghendah, or rhinoceros, having attacked some travellers many miles off. One morning, just as they were rising, about day break, to quest for game, they heard a violent uproar, and on looking out, found that a rhinoceros was goring their horses, both of which, being fastened by their head and heel ropes, were consequently either unable to escape or to resist. The servants took to their heels, and concealed themselves in the neighbouring jow jungles, and the gentlemen had just time to climb up into a small tree, not far distant, before the furious beast, having completed the destruction of the horses, turned his attention to their masters! They were barely out of his reach, and by no means exempt from dan ger; especially as he assumed a threatching appearance, and seemed intent

on their downfall. After keeping them in dreadful suspense for some time, and using some efforts to dislodge them, seeing the sun rise, he retreated to his haunt; not, however, without occasionally casting an eye back as with regret, at leaving what he wanted the power to destroy.

This well-known instance is more illustrative than a myriad of details from the natives, to establish the cruel disposition of the rhinoceros: it is, I believe, the only fact which has been completely ascertained within many years, if ever before, in proof of the wanton attacks in which the rhinoceros indulges. In this, its natural antipathy to the elephant is not considered; possibly there may be some motive for its conduct towards that animal. The incident just described may be deemed the more curious, as it has been scarcely ever known that a rhinoceros has appeared on the western banks of the Ganges; to which it was probably carried by some inundation, perhaps of an island in the Gogra, and landed promiscuously, wherever it found means to escape from the violence of the current.

In the former part of this number, when adverting to the horn of the rhinoceros as a powerful weapon, I mentioned, that an instance would be furnished of it powers. In explanation, I have to inform the reader, that one of the horses destroyed was saddled, and was killed by a stroke of the horn; which not only penetrated completely through the saddle flap, and padding, but fractured two ribs, leaving a wound through which a small hand might pass into the horse's lungs. The rhinoceros in question continued for some time to infest the country, rendering the roads impassable; but, a handsome reward being offered, he was shot by an adventurous shecarrie, with a jinjal, or wall piece, that carried a large iron ball; not, however, before many travellers and villages had fallen victims to his ferocity. I was informed that he was upwards of six feet high at the shoulder.

It does not appear that the rhinoceros does much damage to the cultivation near the confines of those large jungles in which he is usually found: nor do I ever hear of their being seen in herds: pairs have frequently been observed. Nor have we any document whereby to guide our opinion regarding the period of gestation, or the number of the young; which, from the various points to be considered, we may perhaps be right in fixing at unity. Were it otherwise we should see the species over-runing every part of the country, and Occupying every sufficient cover; for we have no evidence, nor in truth any reasonable conjecture, as to any natural enemy existing, sufficiently powerful to thin their numbers. It has already been shown that the elephant, which is the only animal that could be placed on a par with the rhinoceros, so far from being its superior, is rather compelled to resort to defensive

measures.

Many assert, that herds of elephants, in which there are females having young calves, will not hesitate to stand bravely against the rhinoceros; and this is so conformable to the ordinary course of nature, which dictates to each mother to defend its progeny, that we may assent thereto without any violence to our understanding; but there our coincidence should stop, and by no means join with such as do not hesitate to assure us, that such herds rather seek than avoid their enemy. This is carrying the matter too far; it is subverting the wisest of nature's laws, which prompts to self preservation. It could hardly be supposed that a mother, with a babe at the breast, would seek that danger which, if single, and bereft of the object of her affection, she

would use every means to avoid. We should as soon expect to see an ewe seeking for a wolf, because she had a lamb.

Although the rhinoceros appears to subsist in this wild state on grass, leaves, and occasionally on corn, yet when domesticated he will not thrive unless in a good paddock, and well fed once or twice daily with rice or cakes; and it is peculiar that, under such circumstances, he loses the habit of dunging in a pile. I should be inclined to suspect that this anomaly originated from the want of a mate. Both the rhinoceros and the elephant, at certain seasons, become extremely lustful; or, in the language of Hindostan, they are must. This applies only to the males; which however tame at other times, during a week or ten days, or often for a longer period, discharge an offensive matter from the apertures of the temples, and are extremely unruly. While in this state, a male elephant is generally quite unfit for every capacity in which he is ordinarily employed, and should be approached with extreme caution, even by his own mohout. It sometimes happens, that after being mounted, he cannot for fear of his life descend 'again; and many a mohout has been obliged to sit for several days and nights together on his elephant. Some have been taken off by the elephant's trunk; but that member is so extremely tender, that a smart stroke or application of the point of the hankus, or guiding iron, seldom fails to put a stop to such attempts. The very look of a must elephant chills the blood. I should think a rencontre between an elephant and a rhinoceros, both in that state, must be highly interesting.

M. de Lasteyrie has lately published at Paris a volume treating on Indigo, the manner of preparing it from European plants, with the history of the foreign article. From that performance we extract the following notices.

The real Indigo has been known in Europe only since the sixteenth century; and has come into general use in the course of the seventeenth century. It is nevertheless certain from history, description, and from some specimens of the art still preserved, that a very beautiful blue colour was obtained long before that time. This was from the woad, called quéde by old writers, and Isatis tinctoria by the botanists. The use of this plant for dying may be traced to the remotest antiquity. Pliny reports that the women of Britain coloured themselves by means of this plant; whence we learn that their coquetry desired blue complexions, it was the fashion. In no country does the woad grow more abundantly or more perfectly than in France; especially in the part of Languedoc called before the revolution the Lauragais. That country was absolutely enriched by the commerce of this plant. Those who entered largely into the cultivation of it, made such immense fortunes, that the most considerable edifices of Toulouse were built by the manufacturers of this dye; and one of them, Pierre de Bernier, was security for the ransom of François I. The "Instruction générale pour les Teinturiers en Laine," printed at Paris in 1661,affirms

that the cessation of the commerce in woad, and of the use of it in dyeing occasioned a loss of forty millions of livres to Upper Languedoc, annually; a sum so prodigious, especially when valued according to the present rate of money, that it is suspected of exaggeration. The Kings of France, the Parliament, the states of Languedoc, did not see with indifference so profitable a branch of commerce declining and at length disappearing altogether. They opposed by severe edicts the introduction of indique, or indigo; which supplanted woad, not so much by the superiority of its properties for dyeing, as by the cheap rate at which it could be obtained. It then cost 40 sous, (twenty-pence per lb. at present it costs from a guinea to twenty-five shillings): Henry IV. even went so far as to pronounce pain of death against those who employed a false and pernicious drug called Inde. The prohibition of indigo subsisted under Louis XIII. Colbert was desirous of maintaining this prohibition; but, at length carried away by the great number of those who violated his enactments (no uncommon occur rence) he allowed the use of six lbs. of indigo to a balle of woad :—the balle is 200lbs. The other Sovereigns of Europe counteracted the introduction of indigo, all in their power: the Emperor Rudolphus II. in an ordinance published in 1577, describes it as "hurtful, deceitful, corrosive, devouring and diabolical.-Eine saediche, betrueglich, fressende, corrosis. und teufels farbe."