2 35 



CHAPTER XXXVII. 



A DISCOVERY IN NATURAL HISTORY. 



The hippopotamus I had fired at last evening 

 is reported to be ashore a short distance above the 

 camp. I at once visited the body, and found that the 

 head and shoulders only had grounded. Life had 

 evidently just become extinct. The poor baby still 

 clung to its mother's neck, but the discoverer ot 

 this mountain of human food had thrust his assegai 

 through the little one's body, causing such an un- 

 sightly and serious wound that I felt it a duty to 

 release it at once from further suffering. On receiving 

 the shot that deprived it of life, and not till then, it 

 released itself from its perch. Curiosity, and a 

 desire to become conversant with all matters con- 

 nected with natural history, induced me to examine 

 the infant's feet, for it struck me that, without some 

 unknown aid, it was morally impossible for a creature 

 so young and helpless to retain such an elevated 

 perch, more especially when the mother was passing 

 rapidly through the water. Here is the elucidation : 

 the ball that forms the sole of the foot was hollow, 

 very soft and flexible, thus enabling it to act as a 

 boy's sucker made of leather, which, with the aid of 



