Luis del Mármol Carvajal
Text[]
Descripción general de África, vol. 1, fol. 30[]
Spanish original[]
En las sierras de Beht, o de la Luna, que son en la alta Ethiopia, se cria vn animal llamado Vnicornio, que es del tamaño de un potro de dos años, y de color ceniziento, y de la propria forma, y hechuraq̃ el. Tiene clines y una barba larga como el cabron. En la frente tiene vn cuerno liso, y blanco, del color del marfil, tan largo como dos cobdos, y partido en vnas canals amarillas que van desde el cascimiento hasta la punta. Este cuerno es contra ponçoña, y dizen que los otros animals le esperan a que llegue y meta el cuerno donde han de beuer, y que luego llegan y beuen todos. Es tan astuto animal, y tan ligero, que no se puede matar, ni tomar con ningun engaño, muda los cuernos como el cieruo, y los caçadores los hallan por el desierto. Algunos dizen que el Monocerote es differente de el Vnicornio, y que no es de tanta virtud contra ponçoña. Elia no escriptor Griego haze mucha mencion deste animal, y de la vir tud del cuerno del.
English translation (John Harris, 1705)[]
The Unicorn is found in the Mountains of High Ethiopia: "'Tis of an Ash colour, and resembles a Colt of two Years old, excepting that it has the Beard of a Goat, and in the middle of its Forehead a Horn three Foot long, which is smooth and white like Ivory, and has yellow streaks running along from top to bottom. This Horn is an Antidote against Poyson; and 'tis reported, that other Animals delay drinking till it has soak'd its Horn in the Water to purify it. This Animal is so nimble, that it can neither be kill'd nor taken, but it casts its Horn like a Stag, and the Hunters find it in the Desarts. But the Truth of this is call'd in question by some Authors.
English translation (Odell Shepard)[]
Among the Mountains of the Moon in High Ethiopia, there is found a beast called the unicorn which is as large as a colt of two years and of the same general shape as one. Its colour is ashen and it has a mane and a large beard like that of a he-goat; on its brow it has a smooth white horn of the colour of ivory two cubits long and adorned with handsome grooves that run from base to point. This horn is used against poison, and people say that the other animals wait until this one comes and dips its horn in the water before they will drink. It is such a clever beast and so swift that there is no way of killing it, but it sheds its horns like the stag and the hunters find these in the wilderness.