The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1882-01-26
SHOOTING THE HIPPOPOTAMUS,
EAST COAST OF AFRICA.

London Field: Here, on my first day,
I lost my way in the jungle, about four
miles inland, and for long time was in
a great fright, climbing trees to try and
get view. / fortunately met some ma
tives, who climbed a cocoanUt tree and
got me some milk, and on my trying to
describe the sea, at once made signs of
intelligence. Thinking I wanted to get
to lake TO shoot hippopotami, they took
me two more miles inland, and, on reach
ing some swampy ground, made signs of
caution. At last, parting the foliage.
they showed me small lagoon, and for
the first time beheld the mighty hip
popotamus in his native lair, never dis
turbed by white man before. My dis
gust may be imagined as had only my
smoothbore, and on the opposite side of
the lake lay some Is hippos basking in
the sun, and now and then giving bel
lo1 that made me laugh much. 1 took
accurate bearings of the place by the
wind and sun, and at last succeeded (af-
ter much fatigue, walking through swamp
and iungle) in reaching the boat.
The next morning at daybreak I was
under way, with our black interpreter,
and armed with my Martini rife. We
arrived at village, and some native i'm
mediately volunteered to guide nee, and
come and see the fun. They hate hip
pos, which do great mischief to their lit
tie crops, sugar canes, &C., besides fright
ening them out of their wits at night, and
often knocking down their houses. When
we reached the lake there lay the uncon-
scious hippos as before, in about six feet
of water, their heads just above the sur
face. The blacks guided me round to
the other side of the lake, where, by
wading out through the thick, high
sedge, got within about seventy yards
of my quarry, one of the blacks acting as
rest for my rifle, and very steady he
was. selected the biggest head as my
target, and sent my little messenger on
his fatal journey. 1t passed through the
ramus of the animals lower jaw, smash
ing the atlas and axis, and the death
struggle that ensued gave me an idea of
what mighty brute the hippo is. Its
entire body was hurled out of the water
feet frstl a most fatal sign, and volumes
of blood, mud, and water were sent high
in the air, obscuring everything. About
20 seconds afterward large one rose to
breathe some so yards distant, and I sent
No. straight into his brain between eve
and ear. Death was in this case so i'm
mediate that the animal did not make
quite so much disturbance as the first
one. The natives were astounded. and
looked on me and the rifle as objects of
the greatest interest. I then shot two
more, and by this time the bodies of the
two first were being dragged ashore.
Next morning I was up early to cut off
their heads, as 1 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
"Ullagone, and I, jumping on the huge
carcaa, proceeded to make speech duly
rendered into Swahile by my interpreter.
That day I spent five hours up to. nv
middle in water getting the heads off,
the skin being about two and half inch
es thick, and like India rubber. The
blacks cut off all the flesh. and bore away
the skulls to the boat. l 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 Delgado watched for the panthers
by moonlight, and. on seeing three come
out of the jungle, jumped, gun in hand,
ont of the stern with bare feet, alighting
on some coral which opened an old
wound, and cut my foot badly, SO that I
have now nasty suppurating hole in my
foot