CHAPTER XII 
THE HIPPOPOTAMUS 
Africa is the only portion of the world which 
produces this extraordinary animal, and we find it 
distributed in almost all rivers that are comprised 
within 26 degrees of latitude North and South. It 
is supposed that in a remote age the hippopotamus 
of the Nile extended its journey towards the north 
as far as Cairo, but it has been driven towards 
the south by the increase of traffic, and is now 
limited to the distant portion of the Soudan in 
the neighbourhood of Dongola. Even there it 
is scarce, and no great numbers are to be seen 
north of Khartoum, N. lat. 15 0 30', although the 
animals actually exist, and take refuge upon the 
wooded islands of the Nile throughout its course 
from Berber to Abou Hamed. 
It is curious to observe how a comparatively 
short interval of time will effect a change in 
driving animals from a particular neighbourhood, 
and compelling them to seek seclusion by 
travelling distances that would to some persons 
appear incredible. I well remember that twenty- 
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