Pennant, T., 1798. The view of Hindoostan, vol. 2: Eastern Hindoostan. London, Henry Hughs, pp. 1-441
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Location: |
Asia - South Asia - India |
Subject: |
Text as original |
Species: |
Asian Rhino Species |
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[153] Sunderbund
The one-horned rhinoceros is very common in these islands, it loves forests and swampy places, and is a frequent concomitant [154] of the tiger. Bontius even says, that the Indians have a popular notion that there is between the two animals a strong friendship. The fact is, the rhinoceros repaits to wet places out of love of rolling itself like a hog in the mire; the other retires here from the burning heats, or to quench its raging thirst. The Rhinoceros, when provoked, is a most dangerous enemy, and extremely swift. A gentleman of my acquaintance, once in the service of the Company, had landed in one of these islands and roused a rhinoceros, which rushed on him, flung him down, and ripped open his belly; the rhinoceros proceeded without doing him any further injury; the gentleman survived the wound, and lived to a very advanced age. Cups made of the horns are reputed to communicate to the liquor poured in them as an antidote against poisons. Bontius speaks frequently of the scrapings of the horn as a remedy in several diseases.
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