XII 
THE HIPPOPOTAMUS 
i9 
later will prove that the hippo is in being; after 
which it will rarely expose its head to another aim. 
A No. 10 rifle, very accurately sighted, with 
a powder charge of 10 drams, is the best weapon 
for shooting these animals, as the bullet will crash 
through the skull, and will frequently stun the 
hippo, although it may have escaped the brain. 
Upon such occasions the immense creature will 
roll over, belly uppermost, and the frantic kicking 
of its short legs, and its convulsive struggles, will 
raise an extraordinary commotion in the water; 
until at length this amphibious creature drowns, 
through a long-continued immersion during a 
state of unconsciousness. I have very often 
killed them in this manner with a heavy rifle, 
that has crushed the cranium; and upon one 
occasion the *577 bullet performed unexpectedly 
with the same result, although the skull of the 
animal was only slightly split, and the bullet 
remained wedged and shapeless in the crevice. 
The hippo, after rolling helplessly for several 
minutes, sank to the bottom, reappearing upon 
the surface a couple of hours later. The skull 
of this female hippopotamus is in my possession, 
showing the position of the bullet, which remains 
fixed upon the bone. 
It would be a natural conclusion that the hippo¬ 
potamus, which is a pugnacious creature, would 
occasionally attack the crocodile ; but although these 
reptiles are in great numbers, I have never heard 
of such a conflict. At the same time, I have seen 
