LETTER XXV"., 



young one. Dr. Goldsmith says, that an Italian sur- 

 geon having procured one- from the Nile, found it to 

 measure seventeen feet in length, and sixteen round 

 the body. Its height did not exceed seven feet, and 

 the jaws when extended were two feet wide. Ray- 

 says, that its upper jaw is moveable like that of the 

 crocodile. In each jaw is four cutting teeth; it has 

 also four large tusks: those of the under jaw,, which 

 are the largest, are sometimes above two feet long. 

 The canine teeth are said to be so hard as to emit 

 fire, when struck with steel : they are extremely 

 white, and for the purpose of making artificial teeth 

 are preferred to ivory. The grinders are square 

 or oblong, and weigh sometimes more than three 

 pounds. The skin is of a dusky colour, and although 

 less callous, is thicker than that of the rhinoceros, and 

 is manufactured into whips. The tail is about a foot 

 Jong, taper, and flatted at the end, which is thinly 

 planted with bristly hairs. The legs are so short that 

 its belly almost touches the ground, and the hoofs ara 

 divided into four parts unconnected by membranes. 

 Some writers represent the figure of this animal as an 

 intermediate form between the ox and the hog. The 

 hippopotamus, although little inferior in size to th 

 felephant, and of a figure calculated to inspire terror, 

 is formidable in appearance rather than in reality/ 

 Its disposition is mild and gentle, except when pro- 

 voked or wounded. When this happens in the water, 

 where its activity is equal to its courage, it will rise 

 and attack boats or canoes in the most furious and 

 fearless manner. Dampjer, says, that he has known 

 one of these animals sink a boat full of people, by 

 tearing a hole in the bottom with its tusks. On the 

 land, its movements are heavy; and the method of 

 taking it is by digging pits in those parts through 

 which it passes in its way to the river, when it return* 

 from feeding. 



These animals seldom go far from the rivers, unless 

 their banks fail of affording them a sufficiency of food. 

 In that case, they sometimes stray into ^cultivated 

 ground, where, like the rhinoceros and tke 



