The National tribune., 1891-03-26
THE HIPP0POTAMUS.
a Lnaths0me and Dangerous Beast Whick
Yet May Furnish a steak To "A Hungry
Longiaaa's nogazine.l

Man.
iLoHgmaR'E Nogaeinel
Although the bippopotauus may be less
l0athsOme than the crocodile Sir s. Baker
writes that there is no animal that be disi6Ud
more than the hippopoiamus, if be was COM
PEELED TO travel al night upon an African river
In fn ordinary boat. Even without this limi-
tatiOn the hippopotamus seems remarkably
dangerous. Sir = Baker tells how Ia broad
daylight hippapotamus charged the steamer
that was towing his dia!IbecaH, and perforated
The iron plates Of the vessel in two places with
its projecting tusks, SO that it made a dangerous
leak. On another occasion, when the steamer
passed over hippopotamus that was walking
laltcr the manner Of these bcasts) under water
along the bed Of the river. the steamer Of JOS
tons gave a leap into tho air, ar the water WAS
too shallow to permit the hippopoiamus to pass
beneath the keel What bcrame Of the hip
popoamus WAS not asceTtaiBcd.
On another DcCasiOu bull hippOpoiamus
charged the diahbccab in the middle Of the
night aud sank small boat that was fastened
alongside by biting a large piece out II il.
. Not satisfied with this sUcccss it then charged
tue iron FeSscl, Hid WOnld Hssurudly have sunk
her II ] had not stopped the onset by a shot in
the skull with a No. 2 rife" Sir s. Baker cal Is
the animal "siupdly fcrociousp when IL is in
The water, though n is comparatively timorous
or land. Hconcc Saw man in q boat wautonly
attacked and killed by hipporotamus. Tie
humrau Arabs and sDutc 81 the tribes attack
them with their hatVOons aud when the
beast has been thus security hooked they drag
it on shore and slay il with their spears. while
they half bind il by throwing sand into its
eyes. But the hiPpopUtamus sometimes gets
the better Of them and escapes SIR T. Baker
states a curious fact concerning a commercial
change that has afieucd the hippupUtamus
Formerly IT. tasks, large prominent teeth,
were m great r~quest by dentists % make arii.
hclal teeth. They were superior 10 ivory in
the permHnCuce OF their color. and they never
turned yellow. Eut the American invention
ol porcelain enamel for art lcial teeth has de-
str0ycd the value uf the hippoP0tamus's tusks
aud they are B0w cheaper Than ivory.
Some peapie may have wondered for what
good purpose sHca an uHgaiuly and sccmingly =
useless beast as the hiVpJp0tatnus was created
Sir = Baker writes THAI a young calf hippo
pdtamus Is delicious eating The feet when
sleWed are far superior 90 those at any other
animal, uud the skin makes cxcelleut tufiit
soup. The iiesh oi The animal Is always palata
ble, and although the meat Of an old bull ],
/ tough u can be- successfully treated by pound
4 ing and beating it fiat stone until the fhei
4 Is totally destroyed. IL u is then mixed with
chupped onions pepper aud salt, aud wild
thyme Il will form either rjss0'cs or cOtelrfics d
rem by a pleasing Transformation" What q
( pity u Is that SiT =, Baker WAS not at hand 4,
/ act rs cook when Dr. Buckland the Dean al
+ Westminster. unfortunately made the Arch
4 bishop Ol Canterbury seriously ill by iuduciuI
him 10 partake Of plain roast hippopOtamus!