HIPPOPOTAMUS. 
99 
and herbage. In the evening, when returning to 
the river, they both fell into the ditch. I was im- 
mediately informed of the event, and hastened to 
the place along with my janissary. We killed both 
the animals by pouring three shot into each of 
their heads with a large arquebuse. They almost 
instantly expired, after uttering a cry which had 
more resemblance to the bellowing of a buffalo 
than to the neighing of a horse. This exploit was 
performed on the 20 th day of July, 1600 . The 
following day they were drawn out of the ditch, 
and carefully skinned. The one was a male, and 
the other a female. 1 caused these skins to be 
salted, and stuffed with the leaves of the sugar- 
cane, in order to transport them to Cairo ; where 
they were salted a second time with more attention 
and convenience. Each skin required 400 pounds 
of salt.” 
This manner of taking the hippopotamus is oc- 
casionally practised in the Caffre country ; but the 
usual gait of this animal, when not disturbed, is so 
cautious and slow, that he generally finds out the 
snare and avoids it. The more certain method of 
destroying him is to watch at night behind a bush 
close to his path, and as he passes to wound him in 
the tendons of the knee joint, by which he is im- 
mediately rendered lame, and unable to escape from 
the numerous hassagais (spears) with which he i§ 
assailed by the natives. Hasselquist gives an ac- 
count of another method of taking them (the truth 
