CH. IX] HTPrOPOTAMUS 217 



floating leaves, tilled the shallows. At the mouth of 

 the main bay we passed a floating island, a mass of 

 papyrus perhaps a lumdred and fifty acres in extent, 

 which had been broken off from the shore somewhere, 

 and was floating over the lake as the winds happened to 

 drive it. 



In an opening in the dense papyrus masses we left 

 the lainich moored, and Cuninghame and I started in 

 the row-boat to coast the green wall of tall, thick- 

 growing, feather-topped reeds. Under the bright sun- 

 shine tlie shallow flats were alive with bird life. Gulls, 

 both the grey-hooded and the black-backed, screamed 

 harshly overhead. The chestnut-coloured lily trotters 

 tripped dahitily over the lily-pads, and when they flew, 

 lield their long legs straight beliind them, so that they 

 looked as if they had tails like pheasants. Sacred ibis, 

 white, with naked black head and neck, stalked along 

 the edge of the water, and on the bent papyrus small 

 cormorants and herons perched. Everywhere there 

 were coots and ducks, and crested grebes, big and little. 

 Huge white pelicans floated on the water. Once we 

 saw a string of flamingos fly by, their plumage a 

 wonderful red. 



Immediately after leaving the launch we heard a 

 hippo, iiidden in the green fastness on our right, 

 uttering a meditative soliloquy, consisting of a succes- 

 sion of squealing grimts. Then we turned a point, 

 and in a little bay saw six or eight hippo, floating 

 with their heads above water. There were two much 

 bigger than the others, and Cuninghame, while of 

 course unable to be certain, thought these were probably 

 males. The smaller ones, including a cow and her calf, 

 were not much alarmed, and floated quietly, looking at 

 us, as we cautiously paddled and drifted nearer ; but the 



