A FIGHT WITH "HIPPOS" 185 



the dark-green tasselled stalks, ten feet tall, 

 swayed in the breeze like a gigantic field of 

 rye. 



"Hippopotami were abundant and were 

 known frequently to upset native canoes. To 

 guard against losing the mail by such accidents, 

 the government supplied me with water-tight 

 rubber bags. The sacks were placed in these 

 bags and there was a wooden float with seventy- 

 five feet of stout cord attached to each bag. 

 Thus we could easily recover the sacks in case 

 of a mishap. 



"As we paddled slowly against the rapid cur- 

 rent of the muddy river, noisy fish-eagles with 

 white heads and tails circled overhead or settled 

 in the trees, sometimes not more than thirty 

 feet away. Myriads of cormorants and snake- 

 birds, perched in clusters along the banks, 

 stretched out their wings as if taking a sun-bath; 

 as we drew near they took flight or plunged 

 into the water. Occasionally we saw a troop 

 of baboons running along a high, stony bank, 

 playing with one another. 



"Now and then we came upon a herd of 

 hippos. Some were floating leisurely on the sur- 

 face, others were huddled close together on a 



