HIPPOPOTAMUS. 
and go in troops, to the distance of five or six 
^ miles, in search of food, or to some other 
^) river, doing great damage to sugar canes, and 
" plantations of rice, millet, &;c. They also 
feed on roots of trees, v^hich they loosen with 
their great teeth. It is asserted however, that 
f they will not eat fish. They swim very 
• swifdy ; but are clumsy on land, and walk 
slowly. V/hen\, pursued, they take to the 
.water, plunge in, and precipitate to the bot- 
■ itom, where they are seen walking quite at their 
' ibase. They cannot, however, remain long 
' under water, but often rise to the surface; and. 
In the day-time, are so extremely timid, that 
the spot where they rise to take in fresh air 
k scarcely perceptible : they do not, in general, 
bn such occasions, even venture to put the 
lose out of water. In the unfrequented rivers, 
lowever, they are said to be less cautious, and 
0 raise the entire head above the surface, 
piis opportunity is watched for by the hun- 
fers, and they are thus frequently shot. 
1 They make deep holes in the bottom of 
pallow rivers, the' better to conceal their great 
ttlL When about to leave the water, they 
I commonly 
