Hippopotamus 



I then entered into conversation with the chief, 

 and told him how the Shilluks, further down the 

 Nile, who are past-masters in the mysteries of a 

 hippo hunt, always manage to have an ambatch 

 float (made of very light wood, almost altogether 

 pith) attached to the moribund carcase, and he 

 answered, " I know ! " 



After a lot of jabber and chatter the swimmers, 

 each supported on his own log of ambatch, reached 

 terra firma. I said I hoped the hippo would 

 soon be hauled to shore, as I wished to take a 

 photograph of him ; and they said, " Oh, no ! we 

 haven't sfot him ! " 



He had sunk again, they informed me ; and on 

 being questioned as to the method of procedure, 

 whether they had tied the rope to his leg (Yes !), 

 whether anyone had hold of the rope, or had 

 attached a float thereto, they said, *' No ! We 

 ouofht to have ! " 



In a white-hot rage I stormed, " You have lost 

 him ? " and I'll be hanged if they didn't reiterate, 

 " I know ! " 



Grand finale ! Coloured lights, and air of varied 

 hues ! 



I roared with laughter and hopeless disgust ! 

 By Gad ! It makes one sick to think of it ! What 

 can one do with such extraordinary wooden- 

 headed, know-all people as savages ? They are 

 bred savages, born savages, dragged up as 

 savages, and they always will be savages. 



207 



