CHAPTER IX. 



SPARRMAN, accompanied by some farmers and Hot- 

 tentots, had gone for the second time to hunt the 

 hippopotamus : his first attempt had proved unsuccess- 

 ful. This new enterprise took place in the night, and 

 the method adopted was that of lying in ambush. 



Our adventurers were divided, in order to multiply 

 the chances of an encounter. Spamnan, accompanied 

 by two colonists, father and son, was posted on a dry 

 portion of the bed of a river inhabited by hippopotami. 

 A European, and the son-in-law of one of the colo- 

 nists, occupied a second post, and the natives a third. 

 Sparrman and his two companions had behind them 

 the banks of the water-course, which at that spot were 

 very high. The ground was level, and the night 

 sufficiently bright. Moreover, they were on the path 

 made by the hippopotami. All the chances were 

 therefore in favour of the hunters. They sat down 

 and waited. Sparrman, tormented by mosquitoes, had 



