THE BABY HIPPO. 



249 



and coarseness, to say nothing of the musky 

 bouquet, do not recommend it to Europeans. 

 The Washenzi, however, Trill feast royally, grease 

 themselves Avith the diipping, and at sundown 

 bring us, according to agreement, the tusks, 

 teeth, and skull, picked clean as a whistle is said 

 to be. The teeth, especially of young animals, 

 being delicately white and conical, make the 

 prettiest handles for knives. 



The herd no longer rises ; the beasts fear this 

 hulking craft. We must try some other plan. 

 ]\Iy companion, accompanied by Bombay, who 

 strips to paddle, in token of warm work expected, 

 shifts to a small canoe, lashes fast his shooting 

 tackle to the seat, in case of an upset, and whilst 

 I occupy one end of the ' house,' makes for the 

 other. Whenever a head appears an inch above 

 water, a heavy bullet ' puds ' into or near it ; 

 crimson patches marble the stream ; some die 

 and disappear, others plunge in crippled state ; 

 while others, disabled from diving by holes drilled 

 through their snouts, splash and scurry about 

 with curious snorts, caused by the breath passing 

 through the wounds. At last the small canoe 

 ventures upon another experiment. A baby 

 hippo., with the naivete natural to his age, up- 

 rears his crest, doubtless despite the maternal 



