HIPPOPOTAMUS HUNTS. 355 



" The Hippo now rose to the surface about ten yards from the hunters, and jumping half out of 

 the water, he snapped his great jaws together, endeavouring to catch the rope, but at the same instant 

 two harpoons were launched into his side. 



" Disdaining retreat, and maddened with rage, the furious animal charged from the depths of the 

 river, and gaining a footing, he reared his bulky form from the surface, came boldly upon the sand- 

 bank, and attacked the hunters open-mouthed. He little knew his enemy : they were not the men 

 to fear a pair of gaping jaws, armed with a deadly array of tusks, but half a dozen lances were hurled 

 at him, some entering his mouth from a distance of five or six paces ; at the same time several men 

 threw handfuls of sand into his enormous eyes. This baffled him more than the lances : he crunched 

 the shafts between his powerful jaws like straws, but he was beaten by the sand, and, shaking his 

 huge head, he retreated to the river. During his sally upon the shore, two of the hunters had secured 

 the ropes of the harpoons that had been fastened in his body just before Ms charge. He was now 

 fixed by three of these deadly instruments ; but suddenly one rope gave way, having been bitten 

 through by the enraged beast, who was still beneath the water. Immediately after this he appeared 

 on the surface, and without a moment's hesitation, he once more charged furiously from the water 

 straight at the hunters, with his huge mouth open to such an extent that he could have accommodated 

 two inside passengers. Suleiman was wild with delight, and springing forward lance in hand, he 

 drove it against the head of the formidable animal, but without effect. At the same time, A.bou Do 

 met the Hippo sword in hand, reminding me of Perseus slaying the sea-monster that would devour 

 Andromeda ; but the sword made a harmless gash, and the lance, already blunted against the rocks, 

 refused to penetrate the tough hide. Once more handfuls of sand were pelted upon his face, and again 

 repulsed by this blinding attack, he was forced to retire to his deep hole, and wash it from his eyes. 

 Six times dui-ing the fight the valiant bull Hippo quitted his watery fortress, and charged resolutely 

 at his pursuers ; he had broken several of their lances in his jaws ; other lances had been hurled, and 

 falling upon the rocks, they were blunted and would not penetrate. The fight had continued for three 

 hours, and the sun was about to set ; accordingly the hunters begged me to give him the coup de grdce, 

 as they had hauled him close to the shore, and they feared he would sever the rope with his teeth. I 

 waited for a good opportunity, when he boldly raised his head from the water about three yards from 

 the rifle, and a bullet from the little Fletcher between the eyes closed the last act." 



Another interesting account is also given by Sir S. Baker of the capture of a Hippopotamus 

 by means of the spear. The description conveys a good idea of the habits and wariness of these 

 animals. 



" Hippopotami had trodden a path along the margin of the river, as these animals came out to 

 feed, shortly after dark, and travelled from pool to pool. Wherever a plot of tangled and succulent 

 herbage grew among the shady nabbuks, there were the marks of the harrow-like teeth, that had 

 torn and rooted up the rank grass like an agricultural implement. 



" After walking about two miles, we noticed a herd of Hippopotami, in a pool below a rapid, where 

 the rush of water had thrown up a bank of pebbles and sand. Our old Neptune did not con- 

 descend to bestow the slightest attention when I pointed out these animals they were too wide 

 awake ; but he immediately quitted the river's bed, and we followed him quietly behind the fringe of 

 bushes upon the border, from which we carefully examined the water. 



" About half a mile below this spot, as we clambered over the intervening rocks through a gorge 

 which formed a powerful rapid, I observed, in a small pool just below the rapid, an immense head 

 of a Hippopotamus close to a perpendicular rock that formed a wall to the river, about six feet 

 above the surface. I pointed out the Hippo to old Abou Do, who had not seen it. At once the 

 gravity of the old Arab disappeared, and the energy of the hunter was exhibited as he motioned 

 us to remain, while he ran nimbly behind the thick screen of bushes for about a hundred and 

 fifty yards below the spot where the Hippo was unconsciously basking, with his ugly head above 

 the surface. Plunging into the rapid torrent, the veteran hunter was carried some distance down 

 the stream, but breasting the powerful current, he landed upon the rocks on the opposite side, 

 and retiring some distance from the river, he quickly advanced towards the spot beneath which 

 the Hippopotamus was lying. I had a fine view of the scene as I was lying concealed exactly 

 opposite the Hippo, who had disappeared beneath the water. Abou Do now stealthily approached 



