364 TRAVELS IN 
part, which induced me to believe that it was 
a young one. I found no foetus in it ; and 
its ftomach contained nothing but fome leaves 
and a few chewed reeds. I even obferved 
pieces of branches of the fize of a goofe quill, 
w^hich were only flatted. In the ftomach or 
excrements, it is generally remarked that 
large animals, fuch as the rhinoceros and the 
elephant, triturate very flightly the different 
kinds of food which they eat. 
All the figures of the hippopotamus hitherto 
given are very imperfeft ; the beft I know 
is undoubtedly that of Mr. Allaman, profefTor 
of medicine at Leyden. It was engraved 
from a drawing fent to him by Mr. Gordon. 
In my defcrlption of animals, I fhall copy that 
which I executed myfelf, and I hope that it 
will give fatisfadion to naturalifts, "When I 
had finilhed my obfervations, I immediately 
difpatched a Hottentot to bring two yoke of 
ftrong oxen next morning, to tranfport our 
capture ; and, as it was now dark, we chofe out 
a large tree, at the root of which we propofed 
to pafs the night : but we did not go far from 
the banks of the river ; for as we could not 
roll the animal farther, and were unwilling to 
expofe it to the chance of being devoured by 
v/ild 
