BEHEMOTH. 487 



frequent occurrence — the raft immediately swung round and 

 thus disengaged itself; but when we came in contact with 

 trees overhanging the river, we were more inconvenienced ; 

 for, before we could get clear of them, ourselves and baggage 

 were at times nearly swept into the water. In this manner, 

 nevertheless, and without serious accident, we accomplished 

 about one hundred and fifty miles in nine days, entu'ely by 

 the force of the current, which rarely exceeded two miles an 

 hour. 



"While descending the Teoge we met several parties of na- 

 tives in pursuit of the hippopotamus ; the men were em- 

 barked on rafts similarly constructed as our own. But, be- 

 fore describing the manner in which the chase is conducted 

 by these people, it may be proper to say a few words regard- 

 ing the natural history of the above animal. 



" Behold now behemoth which I made with thee ; he eat- 

 eth grass as an ox : his bones are as strong pieces of brass ; 

 his bones are like bars of iron ; he lieth under the shady 

 trees, in the covert of the reed and fens. The shady trees 

 cover him with their shadow : the willows of the brook com- 

 pass him about. Behold, he drinketh up a river ; he trusteth 

 that he can draw up Jordan into his mouth. He taketh it 

 with his eyes ; his nose pierceth through snares." 



The above grand and figurative language of the book of 

 Job seems particularly applicable to the hippopotamus, whom 

 most people believe to be identical with the behemoth of tlic 

 sacred writer. Indeed, in his " Systema Naturas," Linnaeus 

 ends his description of the hippopotamus with calling it the 

 '' Behemot JohV 



The hippopotamus is generally distributed in the large 

 rivers and lakes of Africa, from the confines of the Cape 

 Colony to about the 22d or 23d degree of north latitude. It 

 is found in none of the African rivers that fall into the Med- 

 iterranean except the Nile, and in that part of it only which 

 runs through Upper Egypt, or in the fens and lakes of Ethi- 



