240 ANECDOTES OF ANIMALS. 



of in my pages. When I heard praises so lavishly be- 

 stowed upon him, when I became even reproached for 

 not having been to see him, I began to think I had 

 been mistaken, and that my former acquaintance with 

 his brethren must have been made under circumstances 

 which had caused prejudice. I therefore paid him a 

 visit, spent some little time in watching and observing 

 him, and came away more than ever astonished at the 

 marvellous effects which novelty and variety will pro- 

 duce in the minds of men ; throwing beauty and inte- 

 rest over the most ungainly form and good-natured 

 stupidity. He certainly looks to greater advantage in 

 this country than he does in his own ; for here a rose- 

 coloured blush tinges his skin, and there he is too often 

 covered with mud to wear any other appearance than 

 that of a dirty brown. 



The hippopotamus is exclusively a denizen of Africa; 

 and perfectly harmless when unprovoked, except that 

 he sometimes gets into the plantations in the vicinity 

 of his haunts, and crushes and devours a crop of maize 

 or millet. He would rather avoid fighting or quarrelling ; 

 but, like all other brute creatures, can retaliate an injury 

 with a fury which is rendered frightful by his enormous 

 weight. He looks best when walking in the shallow part 

 of a lake or river, just under the water, with his eyes 

 open ; but if there should be a boat or canoe on the sur- 

 face, the sooner it bears its freight to the shore the better, 

 for he is sure at least to try and upset it with his huge 

 back ; not that he has any murderous intentions, but he 

 probably thinks it is an intrusion on his peculiar domains. 



The hide of the hippopotamus, of which tremendous 

 whips are made, is at least two inches thick, and has no 

 hair upon it ; his legs are so short, that the body of one 



