SUCCESS AMONGST THE HIPPOS. 
249 
we all crouched clown, while the men punted me 
cautiously towards them. They did not seem to mind 
our approach in the least degree, but continued to 
enjoy themselves by puffing and snorting and blowing 
water, in jets, from their nostrils, and now and again 
sinking down, to reappear at the end of two or three 
minutes, and, with their heads half out of the water, 
to take a look round. When we were within thirty 
yards, they ceased their gambols to gaze with astonish¬ 
ment at what I suppose was a first attempt to navigate 
these waters. Drawing a bead, on the eye of a big 
fellow quite near me, I fired. The effect was a terrific 
plunge and an immediate absence of anything like a 
hippopotamus’ head to be seen anywhere. After about 
fifteen minutes patient waiting, heads began to pop 
up all round me, but another shot was followed 
by another plunge and another complete disappear¬ 
ance. This time I had only to wait a few minutes 
before the heads reappeared, for I fired my second 
shot before they had time to take in enough air for 
a long dive. After my third shot I think their first 
impulse of curiosity gave way to a sense of danger, 
as, before reappearing, they placed a long distance 
between themselves and the raft, and were making 
hard for the middle of the lake. I now decided 
to give up the hunt and employ my time in fishing, 
while hopefully awaiting the appearance on the 
surface of some hippo carcasses. The fish, however, 
were not hungry, or, if they were, my bait was not 
sufficiently attractive; hut I continued to practise the 
