about eight yards of the crocodile, when the creature
either saw them, or obtained their wind; in an instant
it rushed to the water ; at the same moment, the two
harpoons were launched with great rapidity by the
hunters. One glanced obliquely from the scales ; the
other stuck fairly in the tough hide, and the iron,
detached from the bamboo, held fast, while the
ambatch float, running on the surface of the water,
marked the course of the reptile beneath.
The hunters chose a convenient place, and recrossed
the stream to our side, apparently not heeding the
crocodiles more than we should fear pike when
bathing in Englahd. They would not waste their
time by securing the crocodile at present, as they
wished to kill a hippopotamus; the float would mark
the position, and they would be certain to find it
later. We accordingly continued our search for
hippopotami; these animals appeared to be on the
qui vive, and, as the hunters once more failed in an
attempt, I made a clean shot behind the ear of one,
and killed it dead. At length we arrived at a large
pool in which were several sandbanks covered with
rushes, and many rocky islands. Among these rocks
was a herd of hippopotami, consisting of an old bull
and several cows ; a young hippo was standing, like
an ugly little statue, on a protruding rock, while
another infant stood upon its mother’s back that
listlessly floated on the water.
This was an admirable place for the hunters. They
desired me to lie down, and they crept into the jungle
out of view of the river; I presently observed them
stealthily descending the dry bed about two hundred
paces above the spot where the hippos were basking
behind the rocks. They entered the river, and swam
down the centre of the stream towards the rock.
This was highly exciting:—the hippos were quite
unconscious of the approaching danger, as, steadily
and rapidly the hunters floated down the strong
current; they neared the rock, and both heads disappeared
as they purposely sank out of view ; in
a few seconds later they reappeared at the edge of
the rock upon which the young hippo stood. It
would be difficult to say which started first, the
astonished young hippo into the water, or the harpoons
from the hands of the howartis! It was
the affair of a moment; the hunters dived directly
they had hurled their harpoons, and, swimming for
some distance under water, they came to the surface,
and hastened to the shore lest an infuriated hippopotamus
should follow them. One harpoon had missed;
the other had fixed the bull of the herd, at which it
had been surely aimed. This was grand sport! The
bull was in the greatest fury, and rose to the surface,
snorting and blowing in his impotent rage; but as
the ambatch float was exceedingly large, and this
naturally accompanied his movements, he tried to
escape from his imaginary persecutor, and dived constantly,
only to find his pertinacious attendant close
to him upon regaining the surface. This was not to
last long; the howartis were in earnest, and they