THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 36? 



side, but when pressed by the necessities of hun- 

 ger, or of bringing forth its young. 



The female always comes upon land to bring 

 forth, and it is supposed that she seldom produces 

 above one at a time. Upon this occasion these 

 animals are particularly timorous, and dread the 

 approach of a terrestrial enemy ; the instant the 

 parent hears the slightest noise, it dashes into the 

 stream, and the young one is seen to follow it 

 with equal alacrity. 



The young ones are said to be excellent eat- 

 ing ; but the Negroes, to whom nothing that has 

 life comes amiss, find an equal delicacy in the 

 old. Dr Pococke has seen their flesh sold in the 

 shambles, like beef; and it is said that their 

 breast, in particular, is as delicate eating as veal. 

 As for the rest, these animals are found in great 

 numbers; and as they produce very fast, their 

 flesh might supply the countries where they are 

 found, could those barbarous regions produce 

 more expert huntsmen. It may be remarked, 

 however, that this creature, which was once in 

 such plenty at the mouth of the Nile, is now 

 wholly unknown in Lower Egypt, and is nowhere 

 to be found in that river, except above the cata- 

 racts. 



