THE ORIGIN OF THE SUEZ CANAL. 13 



ceeded in wounding the crocodile in the vulnerable 

 part of the neck, which has no scales, whereupon the 

 animal made at once for the Nile. He told me that 

 there was another way to make the crocodile let go of 

 you if he seized you in the water, and that was to 

 push your fingers into his eyes, if your position 

 allowed you to do so.* 



" We re-embark and continue our journey down 

 the river, remaking several traces of the hippopota- 

 mus. It is evident that we are in the region frequented 

 by these amphibious creatures, and we soon see in 

 mid stream a sort of floating island, blackish in colour, 

 and with its surface shining in the sun. This was the 

 back of an enormous hippopotamus. We soon saw 

 another one not so large. When we got quite close 

 to the larger one, the sailors shouted in a peculiar 

 manner, and we saw the hippopotamus rapidly plunge 

 to the bottom, and then come up again to the surface 

 and expose all the upper part of his body and the 

 hind legs. We were told that this was a family party, 

 and that the mother, believing her young to be in 

 danger from the boats, had sprung out of the water 

 in this way to see what her enemies were and, if 

 necessary, defend herself. 



u This reminded me of a story which had been told 

 me, upon my arrival at Khartoum, by Father Knoble- 



* Note of the Translator. This must be almost as effective a 

 mode of self-preservation as putting salt upon birds' tails is of 

 catching them. 



