504 KILLED BY GUNS. 



these parts, has already earned for itself a sufficiently bad 

 name for ferocity, one must not attribute the whole of the 

 casualties that occur on the Teoge to willful attacks on the 

 part of the animal ; for, owing to the narrowness of the 

 stream, it doubtless, at times, happens that, on coming to the 

 surface to breathe, it accidentally encounters a canoe, and in 

 its fright, or, it may be, in playful frolic, upsets it. 



The colonists, and others who are possessed of guns, most 

 commonly shoot the animal from the shore ; and this is not 

 a matter of any great difficulty, for when it comes to the sur- 

 face, either to breathe or for amusement, "a single shot 

 through, or under the ear," as Captain Harris truly says, "is 

 fatal to the Behemoth." If there are several "gunners," 

 and they station themselves on the opposite sides of the pool 

 where the hippopotami are congregated (in which case the 

 animals, when rising to the surface, invariably come within 

 range of one or other of the party), great slaughter may be 

 committed. 



Should the hippopotamus be killed outright, it usually 

 sinks, but in about half a day reappears at the surface ; and, 

 in order eventually to secure the carcass, it is only necessary 

 to keep a sharp look-out in the stream below. 



Shooting the hippopotamus from the shore is attended 

 with but little danger. Accidents, however, do at times 

 occur. 



"A native," says Mr. Moffat, " with his boy, went to the 

 river to hunt sea-cows. Seeing one at a short distance below 

 an island, the man passed through a narrow stream to get 

 nearer to the object of his pursuit. He fired, but missed, 

 when the animal immediately made for the island. The man, 

 seeing his danger, ran to cross to the opposite bank of the 

 river; but, before reaching it, the sea-cow seized him, and 

 literally severed his body in two with his monstrous jaws. 



Various devices are resorted to by the natives of Southern 

 Africa to destroy the hippopotamus. At times he is entrap- 



