94 
THE CABINET OF NATURAL HISTORY, 
on all sides. We had remounted, and now surrounded 
the poor animal. As its life depended upon its courage 
and strength, it exercised both in the most energetic man- 
ner. Now and then it seized a dog and killed him by a 
single stroke. A t another time, a well administered blow 
of one of its fore-legs sent an assailant off yelping so pi- 
teously, that he might be looked upon as hors de combat. 
A cur had daringly ventured to seize the Bear by the 
snout and was seen hanging to it, covered with blood, 
whilst a dozen or more scrambled over its back. Now 
and then the infuriated animal was seen to cast a revenge- 
ful glance at some of the party, and we had already de- 
termined to despatch it, when, to our astonishment, it 
suddenly shook off all the dogs, and before we could fire, 
charged upon one of the negroes, who was mounted on a 
pied horse. The bear seized the steed with teeth and 
claws, and clung to its breast. The terrified horse snorted 
and plunged. The rider, an athletic young man, and a 
capital horseman, kept his seat, although only saddled on 
a sheep’s skin tightly girthed, and requested his master 
not to fire at the bear. Notwithstanding his coolness and 
courage, our anxiety for his safety was raised to the high- 
est pitch, especially when in a moment we saw rider and 
horse come to the ground together; but we were instantly 
relieved on witnessing the masterly manner in which 
Scipio despatched his adversary, by laying open his skull 
with a single well-directed blow of his axe, when a deep 
growl announced the death of the bear, and the valorous 
negro sprung to his feet unhurt. 
Day dawned and we renewed our search. Two of the 
remaining bears were soon discovered, lodged in a tree 
about a hundred yards from the spot where the last one 
had been overpowered. On approaching them in a circle, 
we found that they manifested no desire to come down, 
and we resolved to try smoking. We surrounded the 
tree with a pile of brushwood and large branches. The 
flames ascended and caught hold of the dry bark. At 
length the tree assumed the appearance of a pillar of flame. 
The bears mounted to the top branches. When they had 
reached the uppermost they were seen to totter, and soon 
after, the branch cracking and snapping across, they came 
to the ground, bringing with them a mass of broken twigs. 
They were cubs and the dogs soon worried them to death. 
The party returned to the house in triumph. Scipio’s 
horse, being severely wounded, was let loose in the field, 
to repair his strength by eating the corn. A cart was 
afterwards sent for the game. But before we had left the 
field, the horses, dogs, and bears, together with the fires, 
had destroyed more corn within a few hours, than the 
poor hear and her cubs had, during the whole of their 
visits.— Audubon . 
HIPPOPOTAMUS HUNT. 
As all our attempts to obtain a hippopotamus had hither- 
to failed, and as we were not likely to meet with another 
opportunity, this being our last visit to Delagoa Bay, a 
party of officers volunteered for the chase, and were con- 
veyed up the Dundas river in the Albatross. The even- 
ing set in before they reached that part of the river where 
the hippopotami were the most abundant. Three parties 
were however formed, who at midnight commenced their 
pursuit. The scene was novel and imposing; a body of 
men, armed at all points with muskets, harpoons, and lan- 
ces, walking on the shallows of the river, with nothing 
but the moon to light, them, all hallooing and driving be- 
fore them their huge game, who, blowing, snorting, and 
bellowing, were floundering through the mud from the nu- 
merous holes which they had made at the bottom for their 
retreat, but from which the hunters’ lances soon expelled 
them, until ultimately driven upon dry ground; where a 
running contest commenced, the beast sometimes being 
pursued and at others pursuing. 
This lasted for some time; but still there were no signs 
of man’s boasted pre-eminence: not an animal had the party 
secured, dead or alive. As low water was considered the 
best time for the pursuit of their game, when the flood set 
in the party amused themselves until the next ebb by 
scouring the woods for any birds or beasts that they could 
find. The deer, which were very numerous, consisted 
principally of three species, the fallow, spring, and harte- 
bock; but they, as well as the buffaloes and monkeys, were 
so shy that none of the party could get near enough to fire 
with any hope of success. 
During the pursuit, the party were obliged to be careful 
where they trod, as the forest abounded in pits dug by the 
natives to entrap the hippopotami and elephants. These 
were about twelve feet deep, formed like a wedge, and so 
neatly covered with reeds that even some of the hunters, 
notwithstanding their precautions, were caught, but fortu- 
nately not in any armed with spears at the bottom. At 
low water the following morning one party formed a line 
across one of the shallows, were the depth was not above 
two feet, while the boats went up the river and actually 
drove the animals down the stream, another party having 
lined the banks to prevent their taking to the woods and 
reeds. These, whenever the monstrous but timid animals 
attempted to pass them, set up a shout, which in most 
instances proved sufficient to turn them back into the 
water; when, having collected a vast number on one shal- 
low bank of sand, the whole of the hunters commenced 
from all sides a regular cannonade upon the astonished 
brutes. Unwieldy as they appeared still much activity was 
