1811. 
FIRST HIPPOPOTAMUS KILLED. — LIONS. 
409 
who ran the greater risk of incurring harm ; for had the man died 
shortly afterwards, or met with any accident or sickness, my draw- 
ing would have been pronounced to be the cause, and myself 
devoted to the revenge of his relations, and a poisoned arrow have 
been my fate. 
Just after they were gone, intelligence reached us of a Hippopo- 
tamus having been shot at a little distance up the river, by our Klaar- 
water captain. Without waiting an instant, away scampered every 
hungry Hottentot ; and presently we were left quite alone, excepting 
a few who prudently stayed behind to guard the waggons. Mr. 
Jansz set out on horseback, while I followed pn foot with Gert, 
preferring the walk along the side of the river, to a circuitous ride 
over the dry plain, where few birds or plants were likely to be 
met with. 
Having quickly armed ourselves, and left Philip in charge of 
my waggons, we briskly pushed our way between the thickets, wind- 
ing through the willow grove, and crossing many a deep ravine. 
Every where the enormous foot of this animal had imprinted the 
earth with holes. Gert, who had never seen a Zee-koe (Sea-cow), 
as the colonists call the Hippopotamus, enjoyed the trip as 
much as myself, both equally anxious to gratify our curiosity. He 
had been less a traveller than the rest of my men ; and, therefore, 
like myself, had the greater novelty to expect. As we hurried on, 
our conversation was on nothing but the sea-cow ; and his animation, 
excited by the subject to a higher pitch than usual, exceedingly 
pleased and amused me. Thus beguiling the time, my attention 
was diverted from the flowers that decked our path, or the birds 
that enlivened the branches above our heads. 
Suddenly he stopped : and, crying out with some emotion, 
' Look here ! Sir,' I turned my eyes downwards, and saw the recent 
foot-marks of a lion which had been to drink at the river, apparently 
not more than an hour before. This gave a check to our dialogue 
on the Hippopotamus, and in a lower and graver tone of voice, he 
talked now only of lions, and the danger of being alone in a place 
so covered with wood. That, which a minute before, had been 
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