376 HIPPOPOTAMI. 



of the aftermost swivel at them ; on seeing which 

 a general yell was the signal for departure — ca- 

 noes were overturned, and a great number of the 

 natives jumped overboard. One poor fellow, 

 who had dived on the first alarm, ventured his 

 head out of water, and seeing me still at the gun, 

 uttered a cry, and again dived, and arose a con- 

 siderable distance off. The natives paddled off 

 with such rapidity, that it resembled a regatta 

 of canoes. It was an amusing scene ; but the 

 plan effectually relieved us from further impor- 

 tunities, and in a few minutes the canoes were a 

 mile and a half off. 



This morning we observed two hippopotami 

 coming down with the current. We fired canis- 

 ter shot at one, and it seemed to be wounded, 

 as in a few moments we observed two swimming 

 in-shore, and in the next minute we heard one 

 blowing or bellowing something like a cow, near 

 to the boat. We passed sandbanks ten or twelve 

 miles in length. This morning we observed 

 three canoes at a distance : when they saw us, 

 they turned back ; — we concluded they had come 

 from Eboe to reconnoitre. At 11 p.m. we came 

 to an anchor abreast of a sandbank. The wea- 



