Judge — May 24, 1890 — page 16: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This is a satirical comic strip spoofing African exploration narratives, likely referencing Henry Morton Stanley's famous travels. The repeated scenes show a man (Stanley) encountering a rhinoceros in various confrontational situations—attacking with weapons, being charged, falling, and fleeing—yet the rhinoceros remains unaffected and "impervious" to all attempts. The satire mocks the grandiose adventure tales popular in late 19th-century magazines, where explorers claimed dramatic confrontations with dangerous wildlife. By showing Stanley repeatedly failing to harm or intimidate the rhino despite escalating efforts, Judge ridicules the exaggerated heroism of such travel narratives. The subtitle "suppressed chapter" adds ironic humor—suggesting this embarrassing truth was omitted from actual accounts. It's essentially a deflating parody of colonial adventure mythology.