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 



127 



