HIPPOPOTAMI FEEDING. 393 



plaited and twisted in a perpendicular form 

 above their heads. The Eboe country is very 

 unhealthy, particularly to Europeans ; and the 

 natives are subject to dysentery, diarrhoea, itch, 

 and a bad description of lepra and ulcers. On 

 my going to and returning from Eboe at night, 

 the atmosphere was loaded with millions of 

 fire-flies, illuminating it as far as the eye could 

 reach. 



On the following morning, we saw three hippo- 

 potami feeding about fifty yards from the water's 

 edge. I had a distinct view of them : they were 

 as large as a cow, with very large heads, ears 

 like a mouse (very small for so large an animal), 

 skin dark, and heavy thick legs. The morning 

 was sultry and showery. I was happy to observe 

 that Mr. Lander was considerably better. As 

 we pursued our journey, we found the width of 

 the river varied from one mile to a mile and a 

 quarter, and even a mile and a half. At noon we 

 observed a little rising ground at Kirree, distant 

 about thirty miles from us. In the morning we 

 had passed a very large island and sandbank, and 

 saw several hundred wild ducks. In the after- 

 noon a violent thunderstorm lasted some time. 

 We noticed a number of birds' nests suspended 



