94 TEAPPING HIPPOPOTAMI. Chap. IV. 



in good humour. The water of the river was 70° at sunrise, 

 which was 23° warmer than the air at the same time, and 

 this caused fogs, which rose like steam off the river. When 

 this is the case cold bathing in the mornings at this time of 

 the year is improper, for, instead of a glow on coming out, one 

 is apt to get a chill ; the air being so much colder than the 

 water. 



A range of hills, commencing opposite Senna, comes to 

 within two or three miles of Mboma village, and then runs 

 in a north-westerly direction ; the principal hill is named 

 Malawe ; a number of villages stand on its tree-covered 

 sides, and coal is found cropping out in the rocks. The 

 country improves as we ascend, the rich valley becoming 

 less swampy, and adorned with a number of trees. 



Both banks are dotted with hippopotamns traps, over every 

 track which these animals have made in going up out of the 

 water to graze. The hippopotamus feeds on grass alone, and, 

 where there is any danger, only at night. Its enormous lips 

 act like a mowing-machine, and form a path of shortcropped 

 grass as it feeds. We never saw it eat aquatic plants or 

 reeds. The tusks seem weapons of both offence and defence. 

 The hippopotamus trap consists of a beam five or six feet 

 long, armed with a spear-head or hard-wood spike, covered 

 with poison, and suspended to a forked pole by a cord, 

 which, coming down to the path, is held by a catch, to be 

 set free when the beast treads on it. Being wary brutes, 

 they are still very numerous. One got frightened by the 

 ship, as she was steaming close to the bank. In its eager 

 hurry to escape it rushed on shore, and ran directly under 

 a trap, when down came the heavy beam on its back, driv- 

 ing the poisoned spear-head a foot deep into its flesh. In 

 its agony it plunged back into the river, to die in a few 



