Hippopotamus. 



CHAPTER XXXVIII. 



THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 



Behemoth — Its Diminishing Numbers and Contracting Empire — Its Ugliness — 

 A Rogue Hippopotamus or Solitaire — Dangerous Meeting — Intelligence and 

 Memory of the Hippopotamus — Methods employed for Killing the Hippopota- 

 mus — Hippopotamus Hunting on the Teoge — The Hippopotamus in Eegent's 

 Park — A Young Hippo born in Paris. 



" T)EHOLD now Behemoth, which I made with thee : he eateth 

 JL) grass as an ox ; his bones are as strong pieces of brass ; 

 his bones are like bars of iron ; he lieth under the shady trees 

 in the covert of the reed and fens. The shady trees cover him 

 with their shadow ; the willows of the brook compass him about 

 Behold he drinketh up a river ; he trusteth that he can draw 

 up Jordan into his mouth." 



Thus, in the book of Job, we find the Hippopotamus portrayed 

 with few words but incomparable power. How tame after this 

 noble picture must any lengthened description appear ! 



According to the inspired poet, the hippopotamus seems an- 

 ciently to have inhabited the waters of the Jordan, but now it is 

 nowhere to be found in Asia ; and even in Africa the limits of 

 its domain are perpetually contracting before the persecutions of 

 man. It has entirely disappeared from Egypt and the rivers 

 of the Cape Colony, where Le Vaillant found it in numbers 

 during the last century. In many respects a valuable prize; 



