128 THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 



was discharged. Happily, the shot the flash rather 

 than the hall had caused the animal to turn round and 

 plunge into the water as precipitately as he had come 

 out of it. Here the hunt finished. Our Nimrods 

 passed the rest of the night in laughing at each other, 

 and smoked their pipes whilst listening to the roaring 

 of the lions. 



This is all ridiculous enough ; hut at all events one 

 sees here pictured with naivete the impressions of a 

 novice who for the first time found himself in the 

 presence of a hippopotamus. 



II. 



AN encounter with him on land is not without peril. 

 An instance is related of a hippopotamus which pur- 

 sued a native for a long time, who escaped from him 

 with the greatest difficulty. But it is only in cer- 

 tain critical moments, when beasts ordinarily timid 

 become dangerous, that the hippopotamus, unprovoked, 

 shows any aggressive disposition ; it is otherwise 

 when he has been provoked and wounded, then he 

 charges upon the hunter with all his force. Where, 

 however, the species has been subjected to a long and 

 active persecution, they lose all self-confidence ; this 

 is always the case where firearms are generally used. 

 In a locality where the introduction of firearms was 



