THE FAIR. 



131 



a large quantity of ivory found its way to the 

 ' Golio ' ; now it is purchased in the interior by 

 trading parties. The groups, gathered under the 

 several trees, were noisy, but civil to us. Often, 

 however, a lively scene, Avorthy of Donnybrook 

 in its palmiest days, takes place, knobstick and 

 dagger being used by the black factions as freely 

 as fists and shillelaghs in more civilized lands. 

 At noon we returned over the sands which were 

 strewed with sea-slugs, and in places choetodons 

 lay dead in the sun. The heat of the ground 

 made my bare-footed companions run from time 

 to time for the shade, like the dogs in Tibet. 



Sundry excursions delayed us six days at 

 Tanga. We failed to bag any hippopotamus, the 

 animals being here very timid. A herd of six, 

 commanded by a large black old male, gave us a 

 few long shots ; at first the beasts raised the whole 

 head and part of the neck ; afterwards nothing but 

 the eyes were exposed. The people declare that 

 they always charge a man who has left a preg- 

 nant wife at home. Our only result was the 

 dropping of my big Beattie (2 barrelled, 24 lbs.) 

 into the water. I had fired it when sittins; in a 

 mangrove tree, and ' purchase ' being wanted, I 

 narrowly escaped following it. The river, how- 

 ever, was only 2 fathoms deep, and we presently 



