In Wildest Africa -^ 



it needs, too, a trained eye to enjoy all the separate 

 impressions in their combined effect, as making- up one 

 masterpiece of Nature. But often, too, an almost too great 

 wealth of beauty gathered together in a small space 

 presents itself to our eyes. Thus, more especially, I 

 keep a memory of these small idyllic lakes of the wilder- 

 ness, that are hidden away here and there in the Nyika 

 district, and give a home to a wealth of animal life that 

 often seems almost too abundant. We sometimes find 

 one of the most interesting species of the larger mammalia, 

 the hippopotamus, living herein somewhat narrow quarters, 

 but thus more easily accessible to observation than in 

 the great lake basins, where it lives in hundreds or 

 thousands, but where also it can much more easily get 

 away from the sight of the observer. It is true that 

 one can see numerous heads emerging from the water 

 in the distance, one can mark the thin spray of water 

 blown from their nostrils, forming numbers of little fountain 

 jets that glitter in the sun. But the peculiar life and 

 activity of these giants of the animal world goes on chietly 

 at night, invisible to our eyes. In th(j smaller lakes it is 

 all different. 



I remember with pleasure a certain gathering of 

 hippopotami in one of the lakes th.it lie hidden away 

 betw(;en Kilimanjaro and Mount Meru, and which were 

 discover(?d some years ago by Captain Mcrker. \\ hen 

 I saw ihcni there were still living in them some lumtlreds 

 of hippopotami, and it was easy to watch their doings 

 in the water. Ciathered in herds they played about in 

 the water under the bright sunlight, showing little sign 



J42 



