SHOOTING HIPPOPOTAMI. 181 



man-cater was dead, they all commenced dancing about 

 with joy, calling me their father. 



On tlie Cth of September, there being no flesh in 

 camp, I galloped up the river side to slay a hippopot- 

 amus, and presently heard a troop of them chanting 

 behind me : I had ridden past them and not observed 

 them. With these I was unlucky : I wounded six or 

 seven, but did not bag one ; they became very shy and 

 cunning after the first shot, only protruding their noses. 

 At mid-day I returned to camp and drank tea, after 

 which I galloped down the river to a favorite sea-cow 

 pool about a mile below my wagons : I was accompa- 

 nied by natives carrying my rifles. I found an im- 

 mense herd of at least thirty hippopotami lying upon 

 the rocks in the middle of the river. I shot the best 

 bull and two fine old cows, and wounded a fourth. Tho 

 bull and the two cows soon floated, and all three rest- 

 ed together on a ledge of rocks in the middle of the riv- 

 er. I then sent for John and Adonis, and with the as- 

 sistance of the Bakalahari we got them into shallow 

 water, where we could work upon them. 



I was occupied most of the next day in superin- 

 tending the cutting up of the flesh of the sea-cows, 

 and reducing the same to biltongue, which we hung 

 in garlands upon ox-rheims stretched- between the 

 trees, surrounding them by a strong kraal of thorn- 

 trees. 



In the evening a large party of Seleka's Bechuanas 

 arrived at my camp. On the 8th one of my horses died 

 of horse-sickness ; it was, of course, my favorite, being 

 my best shooting-horse. On reaching camp after my 

 last hunting excursion, " Lion," my very best dog, was 

 reported consumed by a huge crocodile, who frequented 

 the spot where we drew water : for such little pleasing 



