HIPPOPOTAMUS. 
mi 
Not only grass, but bougbs and roots of trees and 
shrubs are articles of his ordinary food. In cul- 
tivated tracts, it is commonly in the night that the 
hippopotamus leaves his retreats in the rivers, and 
wanders into the fields. He descends to the bottom 
of the deepest river, and walks along it with the 
same slow, stately pace, as if on land, and breath- 
ing the open air. But he cannot continue under 
water beyond a certain length of time. He must 
ascend at intervals to the^ surface to discharge the, 
contents of his lungs, and draw in fresh air. He 
appears at times in the sea, and is seen going out 
with the tide ; but it appears probable, that sea- 
water does not serve him to drink; for Sparrman 
relates, that a hippopotamus, who, having been 
disturbed in the rivers, bad taken refuge in the 
sea, was observed to come every night on shore to 
drink water out of a neighbouring well, till he 
•was at last shot. It has been pretended, that the 
hippopotamus devours great quantities of fish ; 
but it appears with the fullest evidence, both from 
the relations of many travellers, and from the 
structure of the stomach in specimens which have 
been dissected, that he is nourished solely, or al- 
most solely, on vegetable food. He walks with a 
tardy pace ; and is capable of so little agility, that 
even a hillock, or wall of a very moderate height, 
preseuts to him an insurmountable barrier. Unless 
when accidentally provoked or wounded, he is 
never offensive. But, when his fury is provoked, 
revenge is easily in his power. With his teeth he 
easily breaks a boat in pieces ; or where the river 
is not too deep, he will raise it on his back, and 
overset it. 
The Egyptians practise a very artful contrivance 
for destroying this animal. On some place where 
they expect an hippopotamus to pass, they throw a 
large quantity of peas ; these the hungry animal 
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