412 
REMARKS ON THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 
30 Oct. 
its head above the surface of the water, there is no other place left 
for the marksman. For no bullet, owing to its great rapidity, can 
penetrate that element when fired obliquely, but rebounds from the 
surface of it, as from a pavement ; which is a fact frequently proved 
by the common experiment called " making ducks and drakes." 
The animal, when rendered wary by the suspicion of approaching 
danger, raises out of the water only his nostrils, eyes, and ears ; which, 
being all placed in the same horizontal plane towards the upper part 
of the head, it may with probability be concluded that Nature assigned 
them this position, with a view to ensuring his safety, by enabling 
him to breathe, see, and hear, without exposing himself much to the 
observation and attacks of man. On which account, these are not 
so easily shot, as many other animals. Their great size is nothing 
in favor of the marksman ; and, unless he aim with as much 
precision as if it were but a hare, he fires in vain. 
When no more than the upper part of the head is seen above 
the water, it appears very much like the head of a horse, and suf- 
ficiently justifies the name of Hippopotcwms (River-horse) given to it 
by the ancients ; who, as this circumstance seems to prove, could 
rarely have had a sight of the entire animal, otherwise they would have 
discovered that, of all quadrupeds, this one bears, in form and general 
appearance, the least resemblance to a horse. Nor can any thing be 
more inapplicable, than the colonial name of Zeekoe (Sea-cow), to 
which animal, I never could perceive that it had, in any respect, the 
slightest similitude. 
In the present animal there was no hair whatever, on any part 
of the skin, excepting a few scattered short bristles on the muzzle, 
the edges of the ears, and on the tail. The latter was extremely 
short, scarcely exceeding a foot. The eyes and ears were dispropor- 
tionally small, while the mouth was altogether as extraordinarily large. 
Being not yet full grown, its tusks had not made their appearance. 
Three bushels, at least, of half-chewed grass were taken out of its 
stomach and intestines. 
Every man was now turned butcher ; and so eager were they 
at this, to them, most pleasing of all work, that it was some time 
