Chap. III. 
FISHING-CANOES. 
73 
wMch readily floats on the surface. They show great dexterity 
in harpooning the hippopotamus; and, the barbed blade of the 
spear being attached to a rope made of the young leaves of the 
palmyra, the animal cannot rid himself of the canoe, attached to 
him in whale fashion, except by smashing it, which he not un- 
frequently does by his teeth or by a stroke of his hind foot. 
On returning to the Bakurtitse, we found that their canoes for 
fishing were simply large bundles of reeds tied together. Such a 
canoe would be a ready extemporaneous pontoon for crossing any 
river that had reedy banks. 
