[Illustration]
Of all the ugly-looking animals the hippopotamus is certainly one of
the ugliest. Its name means the river-horse, and was given it because
it is generally found either in rivers or their neighborhood, but the
hippopotamus is nothing like a horse, either in its form or its habits.
Though it rarely exceeds five feet in height, it is of vast bulk, and,
when full grown, will weigh, it is said, as much as four or five oxen.
The head is of enormous size, and provided with a mouth of alarming
width. The skin, which is of a dark color and thinly covered with short
white hairs, is, in places, nearly two inches thick. The feet are large
and divided into four parts, each of which is protected by a hoof.
The hippopotamus lives entirely upon vegetable food, of which it eats
vast quantities, as much as six bushels of grass having been found
in its stomach. But it is not so much the amount of food which it
consumes, as what it destroys, that makes the African dread its visits
to the standing crops. Its body is so huge and its legs are so short
that it tramples down far more than it eats. It is provided with a
tremendous array of teeth, some of which weigh from five to eight
pounds. With these it cuts down the grass and shrubs on which it lives
as if they were mown with a scythe.
The hippopotamus, in spite of its awkward form, is an excellent swimmer
and diver, and can remain under water for as much as ten minutes.
During the first few months of its life the young hippopotamus is
carried upon its mother’s neck. When born it is not much larger than a
terrier dog.
The hippopotamus is caught in various ways. Sometimes several pitfalls,
having sharp stakes at the bottom, are dug across the path which it
pursues. In the darkness of the night it falls into one of these, and
is impaled on the stakes. This is a very cruel mode of capture, and
it is to be hoped that the natives who employ it, soon put the poor
animal out of its misery. It is not easy to shoot it fatally, for,
once it is alarmed, it does not readily show itself. It just pushes up
its nostrils above the water to take in air, often selecting for this
purpose some spot where the reeds conceal its movements, and then sinks
again. Sometimes the hippopotamus is harpooned like a whale. As soon
as it is struck with the harpoon the hunters fasten the line round a
neighboring tree, and so hold their prey tight until it is despatched.
Or, if there is no time for them to get to land, they throw the line,
with a buoy attached to it, into the water. The hippopotamus is then
pursued in canoes, and every time it rises to the surface it is pierced
with javelins, until, at length, it dies from loss of blood. This is
dangerous sport, for it sometimes turns upon the hunters and crushes
in or capsizes their canoes. Once a hippopotamus, whose calf had
been speared on the previous day, attacked a boat in which was Dr.
Livingstone. She struck it with such violence that the forepart was
lifted clean out of the water, one of the negro boatmen was thrown into
the river, and the whole crew were forced to jump ashore.
Between the skin and the flesh is a layer of fat, which is considered
a great delicacy. The flesh also is very good eating. The hide is made
into shields, whips, and walking-sticks. The teeth yield a beautiful
white ivory, which is much valued on account of its never losing color.
_Word Exercise._
buoy (_bwoi_)
pit´falls
javelins (_jăv´lĭns_)
e-nor´mous
ter´ri-er
har-pooned´
scythe
pierced
nŏs´trils
neighborhood (_nā´bur-_)
i´vo-ry
mĭs´er-y
hĭp-po-pot´a-mus
_Phrase Exercise._
1. Either in its _form_ or its _habits_.--2. Rarely
exceeds.--3. Vast bulk.--4. Alarming width.--5. Lives entirely
upon vegetable food.--6. Food which it _consumes_.--7.
Tremendous array.--8. Awkward form.--9. _Impaled_ on
the stakes.--10. Cruel mode of capture.--11. Shoot it
_fatally_.--12. The reeds _conceal its movements_.--13. The
hunters fasten the line.--14. Dangerous sport.--15. _Capsizes_
their canoes.--16. Lifted _clean_ out of the water.--17.
Considered a delicacy.