294 THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 



and left it dry on its back ; and another fea 

 came and fetched the boat off, and the beaft 

 was not hurt, as far as I could perceive. Plow 

 his teeth grow in his mouth I could not fee ; 

 only that they were round like a bow, and a- 

 bout fixteen inches long ; and in the biggeft 

 part more than fix inches about. We made 

 feveral mot at him; but to no purpofe, for 

 they would glance from him as from a wall 

 The natives call him kittimpimgo^ and fay he 

 is TetiJJb, which is a kind of god; for no- 

 thing, they fay, can kill him: And, if they 

 mould do to him as the white men do, he 

 would foon deftroy their canoes and fiming 

 nets. Their cuftom is, when he comes near 

 their canoes, to throw him fim; and then he 

 pafieth away, and will not meddle with their 

 fifhing craft. He doth moft mifchief when 

 he can fiand on the ground ; but, when afloat, 

 hath only power to bite. As our boat once 

 lay near the more, I faw him go under her, 

 and with his back lift her out of the water, and 

 overfet her with fix men aboard ; but, as it 

 happened, did them no harm. Whiift we lay 

 in the road, we had three of them, which dil 

 trouble this bay every full and change, and 

 two or three days after. The natives fay, they 

 go together, two males and one female. Their 

 ncife is much like the bellowing of a large 

 calf.' . Thefe fadts are fufficient to give an idea 

 of the flrength of this animal. Many fimilar 



fads 



