THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 313 



try to break his legs by large blunderbufTes, char- 

 ged with iron wedges. When they fucceed, 

 they are full matters of the animal. The Ne- 

 groes, who attack the marks and crocodiles 

 with long knives and javelins, are afraid of the 

 hippopotamus, and would perhaps never attempt 

 to combat him, unlefsthey knew that they could 

 outrun him. They believe, however, that this 

 animal has a ftronger antipathy to the Whkes 

 than to the Blacks. 



The female brings forth on land, where me 

 fuckles her young, and foon teaches it to take 

 refuge in the water, when the fmalleft noife is 

 heard. 



The Negroes of Angola, Congo, Elmina, and, 

 in general, of the whole weft coaft of Africa, 

 regard the hippopotamus as one of thofe infe- 

 rior divinities which they call Fetiches. They 

 fcruple not, however, to eat his flefh, when they 

 can procure it. 



I am uncertain whether I mould here quote 

 a paffage from P. Labat, where he fays that the 

 hippopotamus, who is of a very fanguiferous 

 temperament, knows how to let blood of him- 

 felf. For this purpofe, he remarks, the animal 

 fearches for a (harp pointed rock, and rubs him- 

 felf againft it, till he makes a fufficient aperture 

 for the blood to flow. To promote the flux, he 

 agitates his body ; and, when he thinks he has 

 Joft a fufficient quantity, he rolls in the mud in 



order 



