132 LIFE WITH THE HAM RAN ARABS. 



are more nearly allied to the heron. Certainly this is a 

 marvellous country for birds, and in a measure gives a 

 direct contradiction to the doctrine that numbers bring 

 disease. Guinea-fowl are apparently in millions here, and 

 in some places the ground is completely covered with 

 them. The doves are only second to them in number, 

 for they swarm by the river-side. The tamest birds are 

 the Marabou storks, and there are generally about a 

 dozen taking a walk leisurely up and down the river in 

 front of us, waiting for anything that chance may bring 

 them from our daily-replenished larder. 



Feb. II. Coke's hippo has not floated, but there are 

 great rejoicings in camp owing to the certainty that 

 Cumming has killed one, if not two, to add to one I shot 

 this morning, and which, to my surprise, floated in about 

 an hour. An expanding bullet from my Rigby ex- 

 press entered the head two inches below the eye, and 

 killed it almost instantaneously ; for after a few seconds' 

 tremendous splashing it turned over, and the legs ap- 

 peared above the surface before it sank. Being close to 

 camp, we were soon able to return to the place with all 

 our Arab men besides our neighbours, who appear now to 

 think they have some claim to a share of the spoils. 

 The hippo was floating in the centre of a large pool, but 

 no hesitation was shown to swim out to it, as with shouts 

 and yells, and cries of ' timsah ' (crocodile), they rushed 

 wildly into the river. Having managed somehow to 



