76 BIG GAME SHOOTING 



water for as much as five minutes without coming 

 to the surface, but as a general rule it rises to take 

 breath every two minutes, or rather less. Where 

 these animals are undisturbed they remain floating 

 upon the top of the water for hours together, their 

 young often to be seen standing or resting upon the 

 broad backs of their mothers. 



On land hippos are far more active beasts than 

 their cumbrous aspect would lead one to suppose. 

 Nocturnal in their habits, they emerge from the 

 water to feed after night has fallen, their sustenance 

 consisting chiefly of grass and reeds ; where native 

 crops happen to be near, they have no objection to 

 raiding these food supplies, and incur the bitter 

 hatred of the unfortunate Africans by doing so. In 

 these night journeys they travel long distances and 

 exhibit considerable activity, climbing rocky hills and 

 plunging through bush and jungle. When disturbed 

 they can gallop at quite a good pace. Occasionally, 

 as will sometimes happen, the river in which they are 

 located dries up or becomes much reduced, and they 

 will, in such a case, undertake a land journey of a 

 night and day, or even more, if necessary, in search of 

 fresh waters. In their own element they are first- 

 rate swimmers, and can usually travel at the ordinary 

 pace of a native canoe. Occasionally they go out to 

 the salt water, and will even move for a short dis- 

 tance by sea from one river mouth to another. 

 Where they have not been disturbed by fire-arms, 

 hippos may be seen in troops of from half a dozen 

 to as many as twenty or thirty, and in a stretch of 



