VOYAGE TO SENEGit. 
its depth, where it doubtless remains more safe, and perhaps' 
more at its ease than it would be between two bodies of water. 
There is some danger in attacking it on the rivers: for if the hun- 
ters miss their aim, it tries to avenge itself, and often does great 
injury to the boats which are in pursuit of it. 
This animal indeed does not want a certain degree of instinct ; 
for example, it evacuates much blood, and it is asserted that it 
often bleeds itself; for this purpose it looks out for a sharp point 
of rock, which is not rare on the banks of rivers> and against this 
it rubs itself quickly till the friction produces an aperture capable 
of admitting the passage of the blood; and it is said to observe 
the discharge with attention and pleasure, and even to agitate it- 
Helf when the stream is not sufficiently copious; but when it 
thinks that enough has been emitted, it goes to lie down in the 
mud, and thus closes up the wound. 
The Negroes of Angola, Congo, and the eastern coasts of 
Africa, consider the river-horse, which they call Fetiso, as a di- 
minutive of some divinity, notwithstandhig which they eat it. 
The other Negroes also think the flesh excellent. The Portu- 
guese, who are rigid observers of Lent and fast days, pretend that 
it is a fish, and as such they eat it. They are doubtless in the 
right, as they find it very palatable. Europeans, on the con- 
trary, have much dltîiculty iu accommodating themselves to such 
a repast, as they find it to possess a gross taste and strong smell. 
Tim skin and teeth of the river-horse are objects of commerce: 
of the former, w hen dried and stretched, they make shields and 
bucklers, which are proof against arrows and bullets ; while the 
teeth fetch a greater price dian those of elephants. The dentists 
buy them up with avidity, as they have found that teeth made of 
this substance do not turn yellow like those of ivory; besides 
which they are much harder. It is also asserted that little plates 
made of these bones, and fixed by a riband round such parts of 
tlie limbs as are attacked by cramp and sciatica, prevent the ex- 
îîcerbation of those disorders, as long as they remain on the skin. 
This is a recipe which I do uot guarantee ; but it may be easily 
tried. 
