praised as a delightful shady path, now was viewed as the lurking
place of lions and of every formidable beast of prey. Hitherto, he
had always lagged the hindmost; but now, I found some difficulty
in keeping pace with him. This acceleration, combined with the
heat of the sun, pouring down upon us through the unshaded
spaces, which, as we advanced, became more and more frequent,
made us feel the latter part of this walk excessively fatiguing; though
the distance was probably not more than five miles. In this part no
rain could have fallen for several months, as the earth was every
where divided by wide gaping cracks occasioned by excessive drought.
Having no other guide than the river itself, we continued walking
on, still wondering that we did not reach the place, as we had
been told that it was no more than an hour distant, and we had
already been an hour and a half on the way. But our apprehensions
that we had missed the spot, were relieved by the distant sound of
voices, wafted down the stream to us, along the surface of the water.
Listening as we advanced, we plainly distinguished the tone of the
Bushman language, and were hesitating whether to go on, or to take
a circuitous path to avoid them ; as they might happen to be some
unfriendly kraal, who would be tempted to take advantage of us,
thus alone, and beyond the reach of all help. But a few hundred
paces more, enabled us to distinguish the less vociferous tongues of
our own people; and, quickening our steps, in five minutes we
caught sight of them through the stems of the trees.
The busy party were surrounded by the sweetest scenery that
landscape can produce. They had floated the animal to the bank,
and were labouring hard to get it out of the water ; for, although it
was but half grown, and only, what they called, a calf, its bulk being
equal to two oxen at least, was more than they could manage; till
the Bushmen came to their assistance. At last it was rolled on to
the grassy bank; and immediately, all who had knives, fell to work
in cutting it up.
The monstrous size, and almost shapeless mass, of even a small
Hippopotamus, when lying on the ground, and compared with the
people who stood about it, appeared enormous. While they were
employed in taking off the immoderately thick skin, I judged it would
be making the best use of my time, to place the strange groupe in
my sketch book; as their haste to cut up and dry the meat before it
was spoilt by the heat of the weather, left me little opportunity for
examination. At all times a sketch is a most faithful and comprehensive
memorandum, and describes most things much more fully
than the pen can ever do. Whenever time will not admit of using
both, there never can be a doubt whether the pencil should be preferred
to the pen : it is in fact often the most expeditious mode of
making a description.
This animal is entirely of one uniform color, which may be
correctly imitated by a light tint of China-ink. The hide, above an
inch in thickness and hardly flexible, was dragged off, as if they had
been tearing the planks from a ship’s side. It was carefully divided
into such pieces, as would best admit of being cut into shamboks ;
as these constituted, to the Klaarwater people, the greatest part of the
profits. The ribs are covered with a thick layer of fat, celebrated as
the greatest delicacy ; and known to the colonists as a rarity by the
name of* Zeekoe-speV (Seacow-pork). This can only be preserved by
salting; as, on attempting to dry it in the sun in the same manner
as the other parts of the animal, it melts away. The rest of the
flesh consists entirely of lean; and was, as usual with all other game,
cut into large slices, and dried on the bushes % reserving only enough
for present use. This latter portion, however, was no small quantity
; as, in addition to a considerable number of self-invited Hottentots,
who all of course expected a feast, there was also a party of
Bushmen, consisting of six men and five women, whom the report of
the muskets had attracted to the spot.
This animal had been killed by only tw6 balls, both of which
entered the head. It is very seldom that they are wounded in any
other part; but this does not happen from the impenetrable nature
of the rest of the hide, a reason which has often been assigned, and
originally invented, like many other such tales, for the purpose of exciting
wonder. The truth is, that, as the Hippopotamus hardly ever
quits the river but at night; and by day, seldom ventures more than
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