Chap. III. TRAPPING HIPPOPOTAMI. 65 



sing and play well to them." A small piece of cloth, 

 however, bought him off, and he moved away 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 hippopotamus 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 short-cropped 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, driving the poisoned spear-head a foot 

 deep into its flesh. In its agony it plunged back into the 



F 



