tangled and succulent herbage grew, there were the marks of the harrow-like teeth, that had torn and rooted up the rank grass like an agricultural implement.

2. After walking about two miles we noticed a herd of hippopotami in a pool below a rapid. This was surrounded by rocks, except upon one side where the rush of water had thrown up a bank of pebbles and sand. Our old Arab guide did not condescend to bestow the slightest attention when I pointed out these animals: they were too wide awake; but he immediately quitted the river's bed, and we followed him quietly behind the fringe of bushes upon the border, from which we carefully examined the water.

3. About half a mile below this spot, as we clambered over the intervening rocks through a gorge which formed a powerful rapid, we observed, in a small pool just below the rapid, an immense head of a hippopotamus close to a perpendicular rock that formed a wall to the river, about six feet above the surface. At once the gravity of the old Arab disappeared, and the energy of the hunter was exhibited as he motioned us to remain, while he ran nimbly behind the thick screen of bushes for about a hundred and fifty yards below the spot where the hippo was unconsciously basking, with his ugly head above the surface. Plunging into the rapid torrent, the veteran hunter was carried some distance down the stream, but breasting the powerful current, he landed upon the rocks on the opposite side, and retiring to some distance from the river, he quickly advanced towards the spot beneath which the hippopotamus was lying.

4. I had a fine view of the scene, as I was lying concealed exactly opposite the river-horse, which had now disappeared beneath the water. The Arab stealthily approached the ledge of rock beneath which he had expected to see the head of the animal; his long sinewy arm

was raised, with the harpoon ready to strike, as he carefully advanced.

5. At length he reached the edge of the perpendicular rock; the hippo had vanished, but far from exhibiting surprise, the old Arab remained standing on the sharp ledge, unchanged in attitude. No figure of bronze could have been more rigid than that of the old river-king, as he stood erect upon the rock with the left foot advanced, and the harpoon poised in his ready right hand above his head, while in the left he held the loose coils of rope attached to the buoy.

6. For about three minutes he stood like a statue, gazing intently into the clear, deep water beneath his feet. I watched eagerly for the reappearance of the hippo. The surface of the water was still barren, when suddenly the right arm of the statue descended like lightning, and the harpoon shot with the speed and directness of an arrow into the pool. In an instant an enormous pair of open jaws appeared, followed by the ungainly head and form of the furious hippopotamus, which springing half out of the water, lashed the river into foam, and disdaining the concealment of the deep pool, charged straight up the violent rapids.

7. With extraordinary power he breasted the descending stream. Gaining a footing in the rapids, about five feet deep, he plowed his way against the broken waves, sending them in showers of spray upon all sides, and gaining the broader shallows he tore along through the water, with the buoyant float hopping behind him along the surface, until he landed from the river, started at full gallop along the dry shingly bed, and at length disappeared in the thorny jungle. I never could have imagined that so

unwieldy an animal could exhibit such speed; no man would have had a chance of escape, and it was fortunate for our old guide that he was secure upon the high ledge of rock, for if he had been in the path of the infuriated beast, there would have been an end of him.

8. The old man plunged into the deep pool just quitted by the hippo, and landed upon our side; while in the enthusiasm of the moment I waved my cap above my head, and gave him a cheer as he reached the shore. His usually stern features relaxed into a grim smile of delight: this was one of those moments when the gratified pride of the hunter rewards him for any risks. I congratulated him upon his dexterity; but much remained to be done. I proposed to cross the river and to follow upon the tracks of the hippopotamus, as I imagined that the buoy and rope would catch in the thick jungle, and that we should find him entangled in the bush; but the old hunter gently laid his hand upon my arm and pointed up the bed of the river, explaining that the hippo would certainly return to the water after a short interval.

9. A few minutes later, at a distance of nearly half a mile, we observed the hippo emerge from the jungle and descend at full trot to the bed of the river, making direct for the first rocky pool in which we had noticed the herd. Accompanied by the old hunter we walked quickly towards the spot. He explained to me that I must shoot the harpooned hippo, for we should not be able to secure him in the usual method by ropes, nearly all our men being absent from camp.

10. Upon reaching the pool, which was about a hundred and thirty yards in diameter, we were immediately greeted by the hippo, which snorted and roared as we approached,

but quickly dived, and the buoyant float ran along the surface, indicating his course in the same manner as the cork of a trimmer with a pike upon the hook. Several times he appeared, but, as he invariably faced us, I could not obtain a favorable shot; I therefore sent the old hunter round the pool, and he, swimming the river, advanced to the opposite side and attracted the attention of the hippo, causing him to turn towards him.

11. This afforded me a good chance, and I fired a steady shot behind the ear, at about seventy yards, with a singlebarreled rifle. As usual with hippopotami, whether killed or not, he disappeared beneath the water at the shot. The crack of the ball and absence of any splash from the bullet told me that he was hit, and the float remained perfectly stationary upon the surface. I watched it for some minutes; several heads of hippopotami appeared and vanished in different directions, but the float was motionless; it marked the spot where the grand old bull lay dead beneath.

SIR SAMUEL BAKER.

68. THE PARADOXICAL ANIMAL.

as-sid'u-ous, industrious.

chan'neled, with channels.

frag'ile, easy broken.
mem'brane, a thin tissue.

1. THERE are few animals that have attracted such universal attention, both from scientific men and the reading world in general as the ornithorhynchus,* or duck-bill. It resembles the bird, the fish, the reptile, and the mammal, and seems to have been created to drive naturalists to despair. It is, however, a true mammal.

* Ornithorhynchus, from Greek ornis, bird, and rhynchos, beak.