144 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH Al'RICA. 



gave her a mortal wound, knocking loose a great plate 

 on the top of her skull. She at once commenced plung- 

 ing round and round, and tlien occasionally remained 

 still, sitting for a few minutes on the same spot. On 

 hearing the report of my rifle two of the others took up 

 stream, and the fourth dashed down the river ; they trot- 

 ted along, like oxen, at a smart pace as long as the wa- 

 ter was shallow. I was now in a state of very great 

 anxiety about my wounded sea-cow, for I feared that 

 she would get down into deep water, and be lost like 

 the last one ; her struggles were still carrying her down 

 stream, and the water was becoming deeper. To set- 

 tle the matter, I accordingly fired a second shot from 

 the bank, which entering the roof of her skull, passed 

 out through her eye ; she then kept continually splash- 

 ing round and round in a circle in the middle of the 

 river. I had great fears of the crocodiles, and did not 

 know that the sea-cow might not attack me. My anx- 

 iety to secure her, however, overcame all hesitation ; 

 so, divesting myself of my leathers, and armed with a 

 sharp knife, I dashed into the water, which at first took 

 me up to my arm-pits, but in the middle was shal- 

 lower. 



As I approached Behemoth her eye looked very wick- 

 ed. I halted for a moment, ready to dive under the 

 water if she attacked me ; but she was stunned, and 

 did not know what she was doing; so, running in upon 

 her, and seizing her short tail, I attempted to incline 

 her course to land. It was extraordinary what enor- 

 mous strength she still had in the water. I could not 

 guide her in the slightest, and she continued to splash, 

 and plunge, and blow, and make her circular course, 

 carrying me along A'ith her as if I was a fly on her tail. 

 Finding her tail gave me but a poor hold, as the cnly 



