Guinea-fowl 
during the few days we remained at this place, the 
slightest sign of him! 
The hide of a hippopotamus on the back is 
extraordinarily thick, at least two inches. A 
slab of it when thoroughly dried makes an 
excellent table-top; it is sand-papered and 
French polished, becoming then transparent in 
places. It is usual to cover the hide when used 
for this purpose with a piece of plate glass, 
which prevents any liquid which might be spilt 
on the table from raising the polish and making 
sticky the raw skin beneath. Sjambok, which 
is the Dutch name for narrow strips of this 
beast’s hide, are made as follows: pieces are 
cut longitudinally down the back about three 
inches wide, and the whole length of the beast. 
When a sufficient number have been cut, they are 
suspended to the limb of a tree, a stone or heavy 
weight being affixed at the other end, and they 
are then allowed to dry naturally in the shade. 
After the Boer War a great many hippopota- 
mus-hide walking-sticks were to be seen in 
London. These are easily made from the square 
pieces by whittling them down to the desired 
Shape and thickness with a sharp knife. The 
edge of a piece of broken glass is then used to 
scrape them smooth, when they can be sand- 
papered and polished. Some makers insert a 
steel rod up the centre of the stick, which keeps 
it straight, a necessity perhaps, for it is too 
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