THE ATBARA RIVER 105 



dawn I heard the pebbles crunching on the opposite 

 bank, and by the light of the setting moon could just 

 see the hippo, whose tracks have met me in various 

 places above and below the camp, take the water 

 opposite, the ripples coming right across. Eeturned 

 to camp for chota hazri, and from 7 to 11 thoroughly 

 searched the thick vegetation that lined the hippo's 

 pool for about three-quarters of a mile below the 

 Settit junction along the left bank of the Atbara, 

 there being a meshra on the opposite bank. At 

 11 a.m. I had reached the top end, seeing nothing 

 but old tracks, and matters seemed hopeless. How- 

 ever, I sat down for a last look, and detected the 

 hippo's head close to the opposite bank, the animal 

 having possibly been driven across by the noise made 

 in searching. Presently he settled down to feed in 

 shallow water at the top end of the meshra. There 

 was fortunately a ford just below my machan, for 

 which I made. The water was only knee-deep ; but 

 the stream very strong, and the pebbles made the 

 passage most unpleasant, so that I was glad of a hand 

 from my attendant. However, all went well, and by 

 midday I was established within 40 yards of the hippo, 

 the whole of whose back was visible, though his head 

 only came up occasionally. I waited for some ten 

 minutes, as he was three-quarters away from me, and 

 I wanted to make sure of reaching the brain. At last, 

 when his head was visible, I gave him a '470 solid, 



