THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 15 



the rhinoceros or the crocodile are of this number, we have 

 not been particularly informed. If this animal be attacked 

 on land, and find itself incapable of vengeance from the 

 swiftness of its enemy, it immediately returns to the river, 

 where it plunges in head foremost, and after a short time 

 rises to the surface, loudly bellowing, either to invite or 

 intimidate the enemy ; but though the Negroes will venture 

 to attack the shark, or the crocodile, in their natural ele- 

 ment, and there destroy them, they are too well apprised 

 of the force of the hippopotamus to engage it ; this animal, 

 therefore, continues the uncontrolled master of the river, and 

 all others ily from its approach or become an easy prey. 



Dr. Sparrman gives the following account of a rencounter 

 he had with a hippopotamus, one night that he had formed 

 a party to intercept it in its way to the higher grounds : 

 " We set ourselves down close by each other's side, in a path 

 made by the animals of this kind, making ourselves pretty 

 sure, as the place was flat, of being able, in case any hip- 

 popotamus should happen to approach, of being able to kill 

 it with a volley of three shot. But, to the great endangering 

 of our lives, we on a sudden found the animal much quicker 

 in its motions, as well as bolder than we had thought it ; 

 for while I was sitting half asleep a river horse came out 

 of the river, rushing upon us with a hideous cry, and as 

 swift as an arrow out of a bow, at the same time I heard 

 the farmer call out to warn me of its approach ; luckily, 

 at the very instant, he discharged his piece, which, flashing 

 full in the animal's face, contributed, perhaps, more than 

 the ball, to make it start back, when, setting up another cry, 

 it threw itself into the water again with as great precipita- 

 tion as it came out." 



As the hippopotamus lives upon fish and vegetables, 

 so it is probable, the flesh of land animals may be equally 

 grateful: the natives of Africa assert, that it has often 

 been found to devour children, and other creatures that it 

 was able to surprise upon land ; yet as it moves but slowly, 

 almost every creature, endured with a common share of 

 swiftness, is able to escape it; and this animal, therefore, 

 seldom ventures from the river side, but when pressed by 

 the necessities of hunger, or of bringing forth its young. 



In order to catch these animals, the natives dig large 

 holes in the- ground along the banks of rivers j in the bot- 

 tom of these pits they place pieces of wood sharpened at 

 the points, and then cover the cavity with branches of trees 

 and turf. When the river horses come out of the river 



