The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1891-04-28
THE HlPPOPOTAMUS.
Sir S. Baker Declares That It's Flesh Il
Palatable and Tender.

Sir S. Baker Declares That It's Flesh Il
Palatable and Tender.
Although the hippopotamus may be less
loathsome than the crocodile, Sir ). Baker
writes that there is no animal that he
disliked more than the hippopotamus, if
ne was compelled TO travel at night upon
an African river in an ordinary boat. !"
Even without this limitation the hippopot-
anus seems remarkably dangerous. Sir
S. Baker tells how in broad daylight hip
popotamus charged the steamer that was
towing his diahbeeah 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 latter the manner of these beasts)
under water along the bed of the river.
the steamer of los tons gave leap into the
air, as the water was too shallow 10 permit
the hippopctamus to pass beneath the
keel. What became of the hippopotsmus
was not ascertained.
On another occasion bull hippopotamus
charged the diah beeah in the middle of
the night and sank a small boat that was
fastened alonside by biting large piece
out of it. Not satisfied with this success,
1T then charged the iron vessel, and would
assuredly have sunk her if had not stop
ped the onset by shot in the skull with
No. s rife" Sir 5. Baker calls the animal
stupidity ferocious" when it is in the
water, thought it is comparatively timorous
on land On one occasion he saw a man in
boat wantonly attacked and killed by a
hippopotamus.
The Hamran Arabs and some OF the
tribes attack the hippopOtamus with their
'harpoons, and when the beast has been
thus securely hooked they drag it on shore
and Stay it with their spears, while they
half blind it Icy throwing sand into its eyes
But the hippopotamus sometimes gets the
better Of them and escapes Sir 5. Baker
states a curious fact concerning a com
mercial change that has affected the hip
popotamus. Formerly its tusks, or large
prominent teeth, were in great request by
dentists to make artificial teeth. They
were superior to ivory in the permanence
Of their color, and they never turned vel
low. But the American invention Of Dor
celain enamel for artificial teeth has de
stroyed the value of the APPROPRIATENESS
tusks, and they are now cheaper than
ivory.
Some people may have wondered for
what good purpose such an uug1inly and
seemingly useless beast as the hippopota-
mus was created. Sir :. Baker writes that
"a young calf hippopotamus is delicious
eating. The feet when stewed are far su-
perior TO those of any other animal, ana
the skin makes excellent turtle soup. The
flesh Of the animal is always palatabe. and
although the meat OF an Old bull Is tough
II can ne successfully treated 10y pounding
and beating it on fat stone until the
fiber is totally destroyed If it is then
mixed with chopped onions, pepper and
salt and wild thyme 1t will form either
rissoles or cotelettes de veau by pleasing
transformation" What pity it is that
Sir ,. Baker was no4 at hand to act as cook |
when DR.. auckland, the dean of Westmin- |
ster, unfortunately made the archbishop |
Of Canterbury seriously I'll By inducing |
him TO partake Of plain roast hippopota- |
mus,-Longman's Magazine.