1G2 ADVENTURES IN SOUTH AFRICA 



him in dense wait-a-bit jungle from half past eleven till 

 the sun was under, when his tough old spirit fled, and 

 the venerable monarch of the forest fell, pierced with 

 fifty-seven balls. On the 17th I inspanned and trekked 

 about five miles down the stream, when I halted beside 

 a long, deep hippopotamus hole, in which were two 

 bulls and one cow, but it being late I did not trouble 

 them. ■• 



The next day I rode down the river to seek sea-cows, 

 accompanied by my two after-riders, taking, as usual, 

 my double-barreled rifles. We had proceeded about 

 two miles when we came upon some most thoroughly- 

 beaten, old-established hippopotamus paths, and present- 

 ly, in a broad, long, deep, and shaded pool of the river, 

 we heard the sea-cows bellowing. There I beheld one 

 of the most wondrous and interesting sights that a 

 sportsman can be blessed with. I at once knew that 

 there must be an immense herd of them, for the voices 

 came from different parts of the pool ; so, creeping in 

 through the bushes to obtain an inspection, a large 

 sandy island appeared at the neck of the pool, on which 

 stood several large shady trees. 



The neck of the pool was very wide and shallow, 

 with rocks and large stones ; below it was deep and 

 still. On a sandy promontory of this island stood about 

 thirty cows and calves, while in the pool opposite, and 

 a little below them, stood about twenty more sea-cows, 

 with their heads and backs above water. About fifty 

 yards further down the river again, showing out their 

 heads, were eight or ten immense fellows, which I think 

 were all bulls ; and about one hundred yards below 

 these, in the middle of the stream, stood another herd 

 of about eight or ten cows with calves, and two huge 

 bulls. The sea-cows lay close together like pigs ; a 



