THE COMMON HIPPOPOTAMUS. 155 



be obtained. By the natives they are trapped 

 in pits, while the colonists use the rifle. They 

 are valuable both on account of the uses to which 

 their skins are applied, their much esteemed meat, 

 and particularly for the estimation in which the 

 ivory of their teeth is held. 



Burchell describes the colour of the animal 

 as of an uniform hue, correctly imitated by a 

 light tint of China ink, and having the skin des- 

 titute of hair, except a few scattered bristles on 

 the muzzle, edges of the ears, and tail. The 

 eyes and ears were disproportionally small ; the 

 mouth altogether disproportionally large. The 

 animal alluded to was the first of the kind Mr 

 Burchell had seen newly killed. It was said only 

 to be half grown, yet its bulk was equal to twc 

 oxen. Upon arriving at the spot, they were 

 floating the animal to the bank, and were labour- 

 ing hard to get it out of the water ; the mon- 

 strous size, and almost shapeless mass of even a 

 small Hippopotamus, when lying on the ground, 

 compared with the people who stood around it, 

 appeared enormous. When rolled upon the 

 grassy bank, all who had knives immediately fell 

 to work in cutting it up. The hide, above an 

 inch in thickness, and hardly flexible, was dragged 

 off, as if they had been tearing the planks from a 

 ship's side ; it was carefully divided into pieces, 

 that would best admit of being cut into shamboks, 



