The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-01-07
FIGHT WITH A HIPPOPOTAMUS,
The. Monster i'm His Native Haunts---Tena-
ciOus of Life.


A tragical incident occurred not lone
after the establishment of the camp OF
Sir Samuel Baker, in Africa. There was
an old blind sheik who frequently cross
ed the river to visit the newcomers.
One day he was returning with his son,
when the canoe was charged by an angry
hippopotamus. Seizing the frail bark at
| the end where the sheilI was sitting, the
monster crunched it to fragments be-
tween his ponderous jaws, and 80 crushed
and lacerated the poor old man, that, al
though rescued by his comrades, who
hastened to his assistance, he died du-
ring the night. The hippopotamuses
were often the source of great annoyance,
and sometimes of danger, to the expedi-
ton. One beautiful moonlight night,
when the flotilla was quietly at anchor in
lake close to the White Nile, one of
these monsters made most determined
attack upon the diahbeeah belonging to
Sir Samuel Baker. The vessel was close
to mud bank, covered with high grass,
and about thirty yards astern of her was
a shallow part of the lake, about three
feet deep. A light boat of zinc was full
of strips of hippopotamus flesh, and the
dlngy was fastened alongside. Every
one was soundly sleeping, when, says
Sir Samuel, 81 was suddenly awakened
by a tremendous splashing close to the
diahbeeah, accompanied by the hoarse,
wild snorting of furious hippopotamus.
jumped up, and immediately perceived
a hippo, which was apparently about to
attack the vessel. My servant, Suleiman,
was sleeping next to the cabin door. L
called to him for rifle. Before the
affrighted Suleiman could bring it, the
hippopotamus dashed at us with indie
scribable fury. With one blow he cap
sized and sunk the zinc boat, with its
cargo of flesh. In another instant he
seized the dingy in his immense jaws,
and the crash of splintered wood be-
tokened the complete destruction of my
favorite boat BY this time ] had pro
cured n rifle from the cabin, where they
were always kept fixed in a row, loaded,
and ready for action, with bags of breech-
loading ammunition on the same shelf.
The movements of the animal were so
rapid, as he charged and plunged alter
nately beneath the water i'll 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 presently, as he charged
straight at the diahbeeah, l stopped him
with No. 8 Reilly shell. To my sur
prise, he soon recovered, and again COM
menced the attack. L fired shot after
shot at him without apparent effect.
The diahbeeah rocked about upon the
waves raised by the efforts of so large an
animal. This movement rendered my
aim uncertain. At length, apparently
badly wounded, he retired to the high
grass. There he lay by the bank, at
about twenty-five yards distant, snorting
and blowing"
Thinking the creature must be dying,
Sir Samuel went to bed, but i'll about
half an hour was awakened again by an
other furious charge. A rifle ball in the
head rolled the monster over, and he
floated helplessly down the stream.
This time he must surely be dead. To
the amazement of all, he presently re-
covered, and only gave up after receiv-
ing several bullets in his body. On the
following morning a pOSt-mOrtem ex-
animation showed that he had received
three shots in the flank and shoulder
four i'll the head, one of which had
broken his lower jaw; another had pass
ed through his nose, and passing down.
ward, had cut off one of his large tusks. |
Such determined and unprovoked fury
as was exhibited by this animal had never
been witnessed-he appeared to be raw
ing mad. His body was mass Of fright
full scars, the results of continual con-
ficts with bulls of his own species ; |
some of the wounds were still unhealed. |
There was one scar about two feet in
length, and about two inches below the
level of the surface skin, upon the flank.
He was evidentlya character of the worst |
description, but whose madness render
ed him callous to all punishment, The |
attack upon the vessel was probably in
luced by the smell of raw hippopotamus
flesh, which was hung in long strips |
about the rigging, and with which the
zinc boat was filled. The dead hippo
ootamus that was floating astern, lashed
% the diahbeeah, had not been molested. ,