in good humour. The water of the river was 70° at sunrise,
which was 23° warmer than the air at the same time, and
this caused fogs, which rose like steam off the river. When
this is the case cold bathing in the mornings at this time of
the year is improper, for, instead of a glow on coming out, one
is apt to get a chill; the air being so much colder than the
water.
A range of hills, commencing opposite Senna, comes to
within two or three miles of Mboma village, and then runs
in a north-westerly direction; the principal hill is named
Malawe; a number of villages stand on its tree-covered
sides, and coal is found cropping out in the rocks. The
country improves as we ascend, the rich valley becoming
less swampy, and adorned with a number of trees.
Both hanks are dotted with hippopotamns traps, over every
track which these animals have made in going up out of the
water to graze. The hippopotamus feeds on grass alone, and,
where there is any danger, only at night. Its enormous lips
act like a mowing-machine, and form a path of shortcropped
grass as it feeds. We never saw it eat aquatic plants or
reeds. The .tusks seem weapons of both offence and defence.
The hippopotamus trap consists of a beam five or six feet
long, armed with a spear-head or hard-wood spike, covered
with poison, and suspended to a forked pole by a cord,
which, coming down to the path, is held by a catch, to be
set free when the beast treads on it. Being wary brutes,
they are still very numerous. One got frightened by the
ship, as she was steaming close to the bank. In its eager
hurry to escape it rushed on shore, and ran directly under
a trap, when down came the heavy beam on its back, driving
the poisoned spear-head a foot deep into its flesh. In
its agony it plunge'd back into the river, to die in a few
hours, and afterwards furnished a feast for the natives. The
poison on the spear-head does not affect the meat, except
the part around the wound, and that is thrown away. In
some places the descending beam is weighted with heavy
stones, but here the hard heavy wood is sufficient.
View of Steamer, Traps, and dead Hippopotamus. ‘
About dusk we were hailed from the bank by an authoritative
voice. “ Where are you going to ? Where are you going
to ? What is all this journeying about ? ” “ You may sleep
there, so dp not trouble yourself,” was the answer returned
by the Makololo.
“ She is leaking worse than ever forward, sir, and there is
a foot of water in the hold,” was our first salutation on the
morning of the 20th. But we have become accustomed
to these things now, and are not surprised to hear of a new
“ cataclysm” at anytime. The cabin-floor is always wet, and
one is obliged to mop up the water many times a day, giving