COLONEL ROOSEVELT A REMARKABLE HUNTER. 167 



In absolute height it is not very remarkable, as its legs are extremely 

 short, but the actual bulk of its body is very great indeed. 



The average height of a full-grown hippopotamus is about five 

 feet. Its naked skin is dark brown, curiously marked with innumer- 

 able lines like those on "crackle" china or old oil-paintings, and is 

 also dappled with a number of sooty black spots, which cannot be 

 seen except on a close inspection. 



A vast number of pores penetrate the skin, and exude a thick, 

 oily liquid, which effectually seems to protect the animal from the 

 injurious effects of the water in which it is so constantly immersed. 

 The mouth is enormous and its size is greatly increased by the odd 

 manner in which the jaw is set in the head. 



There are various modes of hunting the mischievous but val- 

 uable animals, each of which is in vogue in its own peculiar region. 



DIFFICULT TO KILL THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 



The white hunter of course employs his rifle and finds that the 

 huge animal affords no easy mark, as unless it is hit in a mortal spot 

 it dives below the surface and makes good its escape. Mortal spots, 

 moreover, are not easy to find, or when found, to hit ; for the animal 

 soon gets cunning after it has been alarmed, and remains deeply 

 immersed in the water as long as it is able, and when it at last comes 

 to the surface to breathe, it only just pushes its nostrils above the 

 surface, takes in the required amount of air, and sinks back again 

 to the river bed. 



News filtered into Nairobi from the Roosevelt camp of a thrill- 

 ing adventure of Kermit Roosevelt. He was lost for a whole night 

 in the walds and wandered about until daylight when he stumbled 

 on Kiu Station and soon got his bearings. Kermit had been hunting 

 by himself considerably since the party went to Machakos, and was 

 out in search of big game when he was surprised by sudden dark- 

 ness, nightfall in this region coming without much preliminary 

 twilight. 



Kermit who was on horseback, turned in what he thought was 

 the direction of the camp, but lost his direction, and wandered west- 

 ward toward the Ferman boundary. He soon found himself in the 



