The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1875-02-05
THE HGTS-
BEL AIR, FRIDAY, February 9Th, 1878
Fight with a Hipp0pOtamuS.

A tragical incident occurred not long af !
Ter the establishment of tho camp. There |
was an old blind sheik who frequently |
crossed the river to visit the newcomers |
One day he was returning with his son,
when the canoe was charged by an angry |
hippopotamus. Selling the frail bark at
the end where the sheik was sitting, the
monster crunched it to fragments between
his ponderous jaws, and SO crushed and
lacerated the poor old man that, although
rescued by his comrades, who fastened to
his assistance, he died during the night.
The appropriateness were often the source
OF great annoyance, and sometimes of dan
ger, TO the expedition. One beautiful
moonlight night, when the flotilla was
quietly at anchor in a lake close to the
White Nile, one of these monsters made
most determined attack upon the diah-
beeah belonging to Sir Samuel. The YES
sci was close to mud bank covered with
high grass, and about thirty yards astern OF
her was shallow part of the lake, about
three feet deep. A light boat OF zinc was
full OF strips ofhippopotamus flesh, and the
dingy was fastened alongside. Every one
was soundly sleeping, when, says Sir SAM
rel, u was suddenly awakened by ire
mendous splashing close TO the diahbccah,
accompanied by the hoarse wild snorting
OF furious hippopotamus. jumped up,
and Immediately perceived q hippo, which
was apparently about to attack the vessel.
My servant, Suleiman, was sleeping
next to tie cabin door, called to him for
rifle. Before the aflrigbtcd Suleiman
could bring it, tho hippopotamus dashed
at us with Undesirable fury. With one
blow he capsized and sank the zinc boat,
with its cargo of tlesh In another instant
he seized the dingy in his immense jaws,
and the crash of splintered wood betoken-
cd the complete destruction of my iavorite
boat. By this time l had procured q
rifle from the cabin, where they were al
ways kept fixed in q row, loaded and ready
for action, with bags Of brcech-loading
ammunition on the same shelf The move
mcnts of the animal were so rapid as he
charged and plunged alternately beneath
the water in cloud of foam and wave,
that it was impossible to aim correctly at
the small but fatal spot upon the head
The moon was extremely bright, and pres
emily, as he charged straight at the diah-
heeah, l stopped him with No. 8 Reilly
shell. To my surprise, he soon recovered,
and again commenced the attack. | fired
shot after shot at him without apparent ef-
fct. The diahbeeah rocked about upon
the waves raised by the efforts of so large
an animal. This movement rendered the
aim uncertain. at length, apparently bad
Iy wounded he retired to the high grass
, There he lay by the bank, at about twenty
five yards distance, snortinG and blowing
Thinking the creature must be dying
Sir Samuel went to bed, but in about hall
an hour was awakened again by another
furious charge. A rifle ball in the head
rolled the monster over, and he tloatco
helplessly down stream. This time he surely
must be dead. To the amaZemcnt OF all
lie presently recovered, and only gave VI
after receiving several bullets in his body
On the following morning post-morten
examination showed that he had received
three shots in the flank and shoulder; fou
III the head, one of which had broken hi
lower jaw; another had passed through
his nose, and passing downward, had Gu
OFT one Of his large tusks. Such detcrmin
ed and unprovoked fury as was exhibited
by this animal had never been Witnessed
he appeared to be Iaying mad. His bod
was mass of frightful scars, the result o
continual conflicts with bulls Of his OWL
species; some of these wounds were still
unhealed. There was one scar about tW
feet in length, and about two inches beloy
the level of the surface skin, upon the flank
lie was evidently character of the wors
description, but whose madness rendere
him callous to all punishment. The attac
upon the vessel was probably induced b.
the smell of raw hippopotamus flesh, whic
was hung in long strips about the rigging
and with which the zinc boat was tileC
The dead hippopotamus that was foatin
astcrn lashed to the diahbeeah had nc
been molested.- From "Ismailia," by S.
Conant, in Harper's Nogaeinet9r January.