SPLENDID METEOR. 323 



the back of his massive head, and a fine bull hippo- 

 potamus lay dead. 



During the following w.eek I had several similar 

 adventures with hippopotami, but did not succeed in 

 bagging another, chiefly m consequence of want of 

 light, as they never come ashore till long after dark, 

 and the moon did not prove favourable. 



One day a Portuguese came to visit us from the 

 east Luabo, bringing a sheep as a present. The man 

 was looking very ill, and evidently suffering from 

 liver complaint. He was given a supply of medicine, 

 and seemed very grateful. 



On the evening of the 27th, about 9.30 p.m., the 

 whole heavens and surrounding country were illu- 

 mined by a magnificent meteor, of which I had a good 

 view, sitting at the time smoking outside the hut. A 

 large ball of fire rose swiftly in the south-west, and 

 bearing north-east, shot througli the heavens, turning 

 night into day with its light, and leaving a splendid 

 streak of fire in its wake, which remained visible for 

 nearly a minute after the globe of fire had vanished, 

 or, rather, burst, which it did immediately overhead. 

 Mr. Young, who was at the time sitting inside his hut, 

 and consequently only saw the surrounding land 

 lighted up, fancied it was a twenty-four pound rocket 

 from the ship w^e had been daily expecting. 



On the 2nd December, at 2 p.m., while sleeping in 

 my hut, I was startled by a loud cry of " Ship ahoy !" 

 from Reid, who had seen her first. In an instant I 

 was out, and to my great delight saw an English man- 

 of-war steaming down from the east Luabo, and an- 

 choring off the mouth of the Kongoni, about six miles 



