ATTACKED BY A HIPPOPOTAMUS. 
127 
May lUh . — A lovely day; all hands working gaily. Everything 
goes well when the snn shines ; when obscured and the atmosphere 
is heavy^ these people are depressed and morose. Dr. Murie is 
better; but Dr. Brownell is very ill^ and he will not permit his 
brother practitioner to prescribe for him^ refusing medicine^ &c. 
Petherick sees him much changed ; but he would listen to no 
advicC;, saying that in the Brazils he had been similarly attacked^ 
and that he cured himself. 
May \^th . — Another beautiful day. Dr. Murie reports that 
Dr. Brownell is a little better. At an early hour the small boat 
was sent down stream to an island on which firewood could be 
procured^ two or three soldiers accompanying the crew_, and Eox- 
croft with his gun_, hoping to bag a few birds. All took their 
dinners with them^ as they did not expect to return until a little 
before sunset. 
At noon a favourable wind; and as one boat was prepared to 
start,, she did so at once. The sun had long gone down^ and the 
felucca not having come back,, we felt an uneasiness. At nine p.m. 
a gun was discharged apparently some distance olF^ then another^ 
and another. From our dahahyeh a volley was fired,, and lanterns 
were placed in the rigging. Preparations were made for the Lady 
of the Nile to float down stream to seek the missing ones. Pre- 
sently the sound of their voices was borne by the wind to us^ and 
soon she neared. Foxcroft^ springing on boards shouted;, 
“li is all right;, sir ! but we have had a narrow escape from a 
hippopotamus. We left the island about four o^clock, and soon 
observed that a hippo^ was following us. For a long time we were 
on our guards and were prepared to pepper him ; but when the sun 
was nearly down^ and the hippo^ had done us no mischief^ we forgot 
