When all London, and half England, have been to see the Hippopotamus, at
the Zoological Gardens, I feel as if a work on animals, written at the
present moment, would be incomplete unless it contained some notice of
this animal. Nevertheless, in spite of research into old and new books,
into private reminiscences, and personal recollections, I find it
difficult to raise him to the intellectual place of those which have
been, or will be treated of in my pages. When I heard praises so
lavishly bestowed upon him, when I became even reproached for not having
been to see him, I began to think I had been mistaken, and that my
former acquaintance with his brethren must have been made under
circumstances which had caused prejudice; I therefore paid him a visit,
spent some little time in watching and observing him, and came away,
more than ever astonished at the marvellous effects which novelty and
variety will produce in the minds of men; throwing beauty and interest
over the most ungainly form and good-natured stupidity. He certainly
looks to greater advantage in this country than he does in his own; for
here a rose-coloured blush tinges his skin, and there he is too often
covered with mud, to wear any other appearance than that of a dirty
brown.
The hippopotamus is exclusively a denizen of Africa; and perfectly
harmless when unprovoked; except that he sometimes gets into the
plantations in the vicinity of his haunts, and crushes and devours a
crop of maize, or millet. He would rather avoid fighting or quarreling;
but, like all other brute creatures, can retaliate an injury with a
fury, which is rendered frightful by his enormous weight. He looks best
when walking in the shallow part of a lake or river, just under the
water, with his eyes open; but if there should be a boat, or canoe on
the surface, the sooner it bears its freight to the shore the better;
for he is sure at least to try and upset it with his huge back; not that
he has any murderous intentions, but he probably thinks it is an
intrusion on his peculiar domains.
The hide of the hippopotamus, of which tremendous whips are made, is at
least two inches thick, and has no hair upon it; his legs are so short,
that the body of one that is full grown, almost reaches the ground, and
sometimes measures five feet across; his tail is very short and
insignificant, and his eyes and ears are very small. They live together
in small numbers, feed chiefly on grass and aquatic plants, and come
forth at night. Each foot has four toes, and each toe a separate hoof;
the nostrils open on the top of the muzzle; their flesh is thought to be
very good to eat, and to resemble pork. A thick layer of fat lies just
under the skin, which the Africans look upon as a great delicacy for the
table. The male is the largest; and two species are said to exist. The
exploits of Mr. Gordon Cumming give us a lively picture of their habits;
but there is nothing in his work which affords the slightest interest in
their mental faculties. The following account from the pen of Captain
Owen who explored so large a portion of the African shores, is the only
instance I have met with which wears the semblance of almost unprovoked
anger on the part of a hippopotamus:--"While examining a branch of the
Temby river, in Delagoa Bay, a violent shock was suddenly felt from
underneath the boat, and in another moment, a monstrous hippopotamus
reared itself up from the water, and in a most ferocious and menacing
attitude rushed open-mouthed at the boat; with one grasp of its
tremendous jaws it seized and tore seven planks from her side; the
creature disappeared for a few seconds, and then rose again, apparently
intending to repeat the attack, but was fortunately deterred by the
contents of a musket discharged in its face. The boat rapidly filled;
but, as she was not more than an oar's length from the shore, they (the
crew) succeeded in reaching it before she sank. The keel, in all
probability, had touched the back of the animal, which, irritating him,
occasioned this furious attack; and had he got his upper jaw above the
gunwale, the whole broadside must have been torn out. The force of the
shock from beneath, previously to the attack, was so violent, that her
stern was almost lifted out of the water, and Mr. Tambs, the midshipman
steering, was thrown overboard, but fortunately rescued before the
irritated animal could seize him."
The hippopotamus, with his shy and secluded habits, may be easily passed
as he lies concealed among the reeds which grow by the side of the
river, but if once he gets into the water, he is always to be detected
by the blowing noise which he makes.