Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1882-02-16
HUNTING THE HIPPO.
4 Days Sport With the Mighty African
Amphibian.
London Field.

London Field
Here, on my first day, lost my way in
the jungle, about four miles inland and for
d long time was in a great fright, climbing
trees to try and get 4 view. | fortunately
met some natives, who climbed q cOcOanut
tree and got me some milk, and ON trying to
describe the sea- at once made signs of intel
ligence. Thinking wanted to get to a lake
to hippOpOtami, they took me two more miles
inland, and, on reaching some swampy
ground made signs OF caution. At last, part
ing the foliage, they showed me small Ia
goon, and for the first time | beheld the
mighty hippopotamus in his native lair
never disturbed by white man before. My
disgust may me imagined as had only my
smooth bore, and Oh the opposite side of the
lake lay some eighteen hippOs basking in
the sun, and now and then giving below
that made me laugh much. | took accurate
bearings of the place by the wind and sun,
and at last succeeded atter much fatigue.
walking through swamp and Jungle in
reaching the boat. The next morning at
day break | was under way, with our black
interpreter, and armed with my Martini
rifle We arrived at a village, and some na-
tiyes Immediately volunteered to guide me,
and come and see the fun. They hate hip
poi, which do great mischief to their little
crops sugar-canes, etc, besides frightening
them out of their wits at night, and often
knocking down their houses. When we
reached the lake, there lay the unconscious
hippos, as before, in about six feet of water,
their heads just above the surface. The
blacks guided me round to the outer
side of the lake, where, by wading out
about seventy yards of my quarry, one of
the blacks acting as rest for my rifes-and
very steady he was. 1 selected the biggest
head as my target, and sent my little mess
enger on his fatal journey. 1t passed through
the ramus of the animals lower jar, smash
ing the atlas and axis, and the death strug
gle that ensued gave an idea what a mighty
brute the hippo is Its entire body was
hurled out of the water (feet first), most
fatal sign, and volumes of blood, mud and
water were sent high in the air, obscuring
everything. About twenty seconds after
wards q large one rose to breathe some eighty
yards distant, and l sent No. 2 straight into
his brain between eye and ear Death was
in this case so immediate that the animal
did not make quite so much disturbance as
the first one. The natives were astounded,
and locked on the rifle and me as objects Of
the greatest interest. then shot two more,
and by this time the bodies of the two first
were uIdSSCU ttouolS. ->CAO iLOlAiuS
l was up early to crt off their heads, as l
knew they would be all floating by that
time, and about ten blacks accompanied me,
one of them making fast rope to the leg.
On the first being landed the blacks gave
hearty cheer, something like an Irish "Ulla-
sone," and l. jumping on the huge carcass,
proceeded to make a speech duly rendered
into swahile by my interpreter. That day
spent five hours up to my middle in water
getting the heads off, the skin being about
two and half inches thick and like india
rubber The blacks cut off all the flesh and
bore away all the skulls to the boat | have
now got two heads on board, and the lower
jaw of another; my big head and tusks are
the largest ever seen by any one on board,
the tusks of the lower jaw being about nine
inches long. The night before we left Del
gado, I watched for the panther by moon
light, and on seeing three come out OF the
Jungle, jumped, gun in hand, out of the
stern with bare feet alighting on some corals
which opened an old wound, and cut my foot
badly, so that have now a nasty suppura-
ting hole in my feet.