358 NATURAL HISTORY. 



The Hippopotamus is also captured by means of pitfalls placed in the animal's tracks. The 

 mouth of the pit is carefully concealed by means of boughs of trees, grass, rushes, &c. Usually two 

 and sometimes three of these pits are dug in close proximity to each other, the extreme waiiness 

 of the Hippopotamus causing it to be suspicious of danger, and whilst carefully avoiding one trap 

 it falls into another. 



Sometimes these pits catch a very different kind of animal from that for which they were intended. 

 A good story is told in a book of African travels of a Frenchman who had the misfortune to fall 

 into one, and after spending the whole of the morning in getting out, whilst congratulating himself 

 on his success, and brushing off the mud, he tumbled into another close by, from which he did not 

 escape until late in the evening. 



The Hippopotamus has been considered by travellers and naturalists to be of a mild and in- 

 offensive disposition, retiring and shy in its habits, and unless provoked rarely attacking man. 

 Probably this to a great extent is true of the animal, but numerous instances are recorded of most 

 ferocious and quite unprovoked attacks, and when this is the case few animals are capable of showing 

 such blind rage. 



Canoes ai-e sometimes overturned and crunched between the jaws of this powerful animal 

 without any apparent reason, and even on dry land it occasionally attacks man. Sir S. Baker relates 

 an account of a bull Hippopotamus attacking the proprietor of a melon-garden, and killing him by 

 one crunch of his huge jaws ; and Dr. Moffat, the father-in-law of Livingstone, speaks of a man being 

 literally bitten in half by one which chased him on dry land. The Hippopotamus does not seem 

 at all particular as to the size or nature of the objects it assaults, several instances having been 

 recorded of its charging steamers. Sir S. Baker gives the following account of one of these onslaughts 

 on the Bahir Giraffe: " At one p.m., as we were steaming easily, I happened to be asleep on the poop- 

 deck, when I was awakened by a shock, succeeded by the cry, ' The ship's sinking ! ' A Hippopo- 

 tamus had charged the steamer from the bottom, and had smashed several floats off her starboard 

 paddle. A few seconds later he charged our diahbeeah, and striking her bottom about ten feet from 

 the bow, he cut two holes through the iron plates with his tusks. On examination two clean holes 

 were found punched through the iron as though driven by a sharp pickaxe." 



Another attack of this kind is also related by Sir S. Baker in a lake communicating with the 

 White Nile, which for ferocity and pertinacity is probably unequalled. He says : " The night was 

 cold, and the moon clear and bright. Every one was wrapped up in warm blankets, and I was so sound 

 asleep that I cannot describe more, until I was suddenly awoke by a tremendous splashing quite close 

 to the diahbeeah, accompanied by the hoarse wild snorting of a furious Hippopotamus. I jumped up, 

 and immediately perceived a Hippo, which was apparently about to attack the vessel. The main 

 deck being crowded with people sleeping beneath their thick Mosquito-curtains, attached to the stairs 

 of the poop-deck, and to the rigging in all directions, rendered it impossible to descend. I at once 

 tore away some of the ties, and awakened the sleeping people. My servant, Suleiman, was sleeping 

 next to the cabin door. I called to him for a rifle. Before the affrighted Suleiman could bring the 

 rifle the Hippopotamus dashed at us with indescribable fury. With one blow he capsized and sank 

 the zinc boat with its cargo of flesh. In another instant he seized the dingy in his immense jaws, and 

 the crash of splintered wood betokened the complete destruction of my favourite boat. By this time 

 Suleiman appeared from the cabin with an unloaded gun in his hand, and without ammunition. This 

 was a very good man, but he was never ovei'burdened with presence of mind ; he was shaking so 

 fearfully with nervousness, that his senses had entirely forsaken him. All the people were shouting 

 and endeavouring to scare the Hippo, which attacked us without ceasing, with a blind fury that ] 

 have never witnessed in any animal except a Bulldog. 



" By this time I had procured a rifle from the cabin, where they were always kept fixed in a row, 

 loaded and ready for action, with bags of breech-loading ammunition on the same shelf. The move- 

 ments of the animal were so rapid, as he charged and plunged alternately beneath the water in a cloud 

 of foam and wave, that it was impossible to aim correctly at the small but fatal spot upon the head. 



" The moon was extremely bright, and presently, as he charged straight at the diahbeeah, I 

 stopped him with a No. 8 Beilly shell. To my surprise, he soon recovered, and again commenced the 

 attack. I fired shot after shot at him without apparent effect. 





