54 
EASTERN ETHIOPIA 
IV 
Many of the large rivers and lakes of the Ethiopian 
Region are inhabited by the hippopotamus. This huge 
pig is the largest mammal which lives in fresh water, 
as the sperm whale is the biggest mammal known to 
live in salt water. It is by no means difficult to shoot, 
and this form of sport is as devoid of danger as 
pigeon shooting. The natives endeavour to hunt the 
hippopotamus with the harpoon. The method appears 
to be this :— 
The harpoon is a piece of barbed iron with a cord 
and wooden float attached. * The line traverses a hollow 
handle made of bamboo several feet long. When 
ready for use, the harpoon is drawn up to the end of 
the hollow handle by means of the line attached to it. 
The wily native conceals himself along the track used 
by the hippopotamus, and as the animal passes it 
receives a forcible thrust which fixes the harpoon in 
the thick hide. The wounded beast rushes into the 
water, but the hollow handle is retained in the hands of 
the hunter, and the line runs along it; the float 
attached to it indicates the position of the animal, 
which immediately seeks refuge in deep water. The 
second part of the hunt is performed in the water. 
The hunters go out in boats, and, on finding the float, 
await the harpooned beast as it rises from the depths. 
When the hippopotamus comes to the surface and opens 
his enormous mouth to seize the boat and overturn it, 
the hunters inflict serious damage, especially on the 
animal’s nose, with their spears. In this way, as the 
result of repeated attacks, the animal succumbs, and 
forms the material for a native debauch. 
It does not necessarily follow when a hunter implants 
a harpoon into a hippopotamus that he secures the 
object of his ambition. The line may break, and the 
iron which enters the animal’s body may fail to entail 
its destruction. I have had an opportunity of 
examining an iron harpoon, removed from the body of 
a hippopotamus, which had been thrust into its 
