surface, but merely protrude tbe nose to breathe
through the nostrils; it is then impossible to shoot
them. Then' food consists of aquatic plants, and
grasses of many descriptions. Not only do they
visit the margin of the river, but they wander at
night to great distances from the water if attracted
by good pasturage, and, although clumsy and ungainly
in appearance, they clamber up steep banks
and precipitous ravines with astonishing power and
ease. In places where they are perfectly undisturbed,
they not only enjoy themselves in the sunshine
by basking half asleep upon the surface of
the water, but they lie upon the shore beneath the
shady trees, upon the river’s bank : I have seen
them, when disturbed by our sudden arrival during
the march, take a leap from a bank about twenty
feet perpendicular depth into the water below, with
a splash that has created waves in the quiet pool,
as though a paddle-steamer had passed by. The
Arabs attached no value to the tusks; these are far
more valuable than elephant ivory, and are used
by dentists in Europe for the manufacture of false
teeth, for which they are admirably adapted, as
they do not change colour. Not wishing to destroy
the remaining hippopotami that were still within
the pool, I left my men and old Abou Do busily
engaged in arranging the meat, and I walked quietly
homeward.
CHAPTER XIY.
A FOREBODING OF EVIL.
I h a d been for some hours in the camp, but none
of the aggageers had returned, neither had we received
any tidings of our people and camels that
had left us at daybreak to search for the dead
elephants. Fearing that some mishap might have
occurred in a collision with the Basé, I anxiously
looked out for some sign of the party. At about
4 p .m . I observed far up the bed of the river
several men, some mounted, and others upon foot,
while one led a camel with a curious-looking load.
Upon a nearer approach I could distinguish some
large object upon the camel’s back, that was steadied
by two men, one of whom walked on either side.
I had a foreboding that something was wrong, and
in a few minutes I clearly perceived a man lying
upon a make-shift litter, carried by the camel, while
the Sheik Abou Do and Suleiman accompanied the
party upon horseback ; a third led Jali s little grej
mare.