186 THE HIPPOPOTAMUS. 
mouth, an instance of which occurred durio» 
the traveller’s residence in the country. 
soon as the animal is fairly struck, the hunt®' 
men in their small canoes cautiously approacl^ 
the floating wood ; and, having fastened a rop® 
to it, they hasten with the other end to tb^it 
companions in a large boat. These pull th® 
rope, when the monster, irritated by the pa^'^j 
will sometimes seize the boat in his teeth aP 
crush or overturn it. Meanwhile the assail 
ants are not idle : four or flve more harpoo*^^ 
are plunged into him ; every effort is made 
draw the beast close to the boat, and to divi*^^ 
the suspensory ligament, which holds the he® 
in its place, with a sharp weapon, or to 
his skull. The body of a full-grown aniiP^ 
being too bulky to be pulled out of the wa^^*^ 
without a great number of hands, they 
rally cut him up in the water and bring 
pieces to land. ^ 
In Dongola not more than one or two ^ 
