his stand in a convenient place to fhoot at him as he passes. If he misses his aim, the second man follows the same course when he comes up to the third, and so on, till they either kill him, or tire him so much as to render him unable to pursue them longer, when they watch dispatching him while at rest. the opportunity of His flesh is eaten, and much relished by the natives of India and Africa. The rhinoceros with one horn is the most common; but there is another species of this clafs of animals which has two horns, as is well known from specimens of these that are to be found in European cabinets; but the precise nature of the animal itself which produces this double horn is not yet sufficiently ascertained. Two naturalists have of late described this animal. Mr Sparman the Swedish naturalist and Mr Bruce, but their descriptions are so exceedingly dissimilar, as to leave the reader in doubt which of them fhould most be credited. The Swedish naturalist represents the two horned rhinoceros as being a very different animal from that already described. Its fkin is smooth, having none of those plaits or folds, that so peculiarly characterise the common rhinoceros; whereas, Mr Bruce represents it as having these folds, and being precisely the same with that which has been delineated by Buffon and other naturalists, unless in what respects the horn only. They both however, agree, in saying that the second horn is placed on the nose exactly behind the first, being using the shortest horn only, for diggi ing up objects it wishes to overturn stance that does not seem to be easily o ed. In time the facts respecting this be more fully explained. OBSERVATIONS ON THE HISTORY OF PORTUGAL. The following LETTER is from another MAY I HAVE the honour of receiving you the 4th inftant; and if I have not soon to you, it was only because I wished to liberately, on the letter of Mr communicated my ideas on that subject communicate them to you. In the first place, all the world know order to write the history of any nation cefsary to be fully acquainted with its to be able to read with ease the authors ginal manuscripts, and memoirs that ten strate the subject. The Portuguese lang experienced the same changes as almo thers; so that the writings of the time o are different from those of the days of Em and there is besides a great difficulty in reading ancient manuscripts; and it would not be well to trust to another for selecting the materials for an authentic history. The writer must, therefore, resolve to submit to the drudgery of reading and selecting these himself, if he hopes to compose a work that shall be fully deserving the public approbation. In the second place, that he may obtain the necefsary manuscripts, he ought to have a friend at court with permission for him to search the Torre do Tombo, the convents of Alcobaça, Batatha, S. Domingos, and other places in which are to be found materials for the history of Portugal. For these reafons, I would advise Mr to undertake a voyage to Portugal, and to cultivate an acquaintance with l'Abbé Ca, who is esteemed by the Duc de Lafoens*, who could lay open to him all the archives in the nation ;-he is a learned man, and has great credit at court. But before he leaves London, he ought to purchafe the Bibliotheca Portugueza de Diego Barbosa; and also at London he might buy other books concerning our history, which, though singular, are not to be had at Lifbon. This book, which is a species of dictionary, will inform him where to look for manuscripts, and give him besides some idea of the authors and their works. I have communicated your letter to Don **This is Don John Braganza, duke of Lafoens, second uncle to her present majesty. him, that he ought to come to Lisbon vate an acquaintance with l'Abbé C— I had begun to make a list of Port thors, but by his advice stop short at I am, &c. ** * The following is the fhort list t along with the above letter just referred Escritores. Jeronimo Ozorio. As decadas de Joao Barros. do Diego de Corto. Os commentarios de Albuquerque por Anto de D. Joao de Castro por Jac de D. Nuno Alvares Poa. de D. Infante D. Henrigue. As Chronicas de D. Joao. 2. de D. Mano d'elrey D. Joao 3. em Almerin. The following Excerpts of Letters are from an Englifh Gentleman, who had resided feveral Years in Portugal. YOUR learned friend Mr has thought of an Herculean labour, and such materials as he |