THE HIPPOPOTAMUS 



had been complaining bitterly of its depredations, 

 and Government gave a permit for the Hippo's 

 destruction. The bull was of unusual size. 



From the Zambesi it is to be found in suitable 

 localities northwards through Africa to the Sahara 

 Desert and the Nile. 



At the Port Elizabeth Museum we have frag- 

 ments of bones, tusks and teeth of these animals 

 from the majority of the districts of the eastern 

 portion of this province. Some have been found 

 in river-beds, which -have been dry probably for 

 many centuries. They were evidently abundant 

 at one time where the city of Port Elizabeth now 

 stands, for it is a common occurrence to find their 

 remains from a few feet to 40 feet below the surface 

 in the vicinity of, and on the beach. 



A small spruit, known as the Baakens River, runs 

 through the city. At some remote time this spruit 

 was probably a fairly large river, with many deep 

 pools in which Hippos lived. The complete skeleton 

 of one, and a portion of another, was excavated within 

 a hundred yards of the beach at the mouth of this 

 river, which was formerly a large lagoon. 



When excavating kitchen middins at Port Eliza- 

 beth and adjacent districts, it is also a common 

 occurrence to dig out Hippo bones, teeth and tusks ; 

 indicating that probably a pre-bushman race, of which 

 we now possess evidence, and possibly the Bushmen 

 and Hottentots hunted and slew these animals. 



Mr. T. Liefeldt, who was born in Kaffraria in 

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