THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 141 



but fired the moment after him ; and before I could get 

 ready to run, in which I had not Igala's practice, I saw 

 there was no need to do so ; the beast tottered for a 

 moment, and then fell over dead." 



These results are very different from the ineffective 

 shots of Sparrman. 



Le Vaillant, met with success equal to that of M. clu 

 Chaillu. An old Namaquois spoke to him one day of 

 the trouble he was in. 



"He was only a short distance from the river. 

 Hippopotami swarmed there ; his companions and he 

 had wished to take some from time to time for their 

 food ; but although they had dug pits and laid traps 

 along the shore, they had only succeeded in taking 

 three animals during the two years they had dwelt 

 in the canton. 



" The animals, he said, were too sharp for them ; 

 and he did not doubt but that, with my guns, the effect 

 of which he had heard, I might kill as many as I 

 pleased. 



" My plan was to start in the afternoon of the 

 same day, to pass the night near the river, and to 

 begin the hunt on the following day at dawn, I took 

 with me all my hunters. A detachment of the horde 

 followed me, with some baggage oxen to carry the 

 produce of our sport ; and at day break we were all in 

 active motion. 



" One half of the troop crossed the river by swim- 



