XII 
THE HIPPOPOTAMUS 
9 
closely resembling lard in consistency when boiled 
and clarified. A well-conditioned hippo will yield 
about 200 lbs. of pure fat, which is much esteemed 
by the Arabs, as their domestic animals are usually 
devoid of anything beyond muscles, both hard 
and lean. 
I have never seen a female with more than 
two young ones, and very frequently with only 
a solitary calf; they are affectionate mothers, and 
the little ones usually stand upon the back of their 
careful parent, who swims about with them and occa¬ 
sionally brings them to the surface in the same 
position, whenever she considers that they require 
fresh air. 
They are pugnacious brutes among themselves, 
and the bulls are constantly fighting during the 
night, roaring bellicose challenges to each other 
in prolonged deep-toned snorts, that vibrate through 
the bottom of the vessel when moored for the night 
on the desolate White Nile. 
I have frequently witnessed tremendous com¬ 
bats between bull hippopotami, when they have 
appeared upon the surface with their huge jaws 
locked together, and utterly regardless in their fury 
of any external danger. Upon one occasion, in a 
very narrow channel of the labyrinth-like branches 
of the White Nile, I found a herd containing 
numerous individuals; and as the channel was 
hardly 30 yards in width, they were completely 
at my mercy whenever their heads were above 
the surface. There are two certain shots with a 
