FIRST HIPPOPOTAMUS BAGGED. 195 and exciting day after a herd of buffaloes on the opposite side of the river ; and, although they had each wounded one, they failed to bring either to bag. A native whom they had taken with them had succeeded in spearing a calf, which had been left behind during the general stampede of the herd, so that a new delicacy in the shape of veau saiivage was that night added to our Dicmi.

The following day Colvin and I went out together. We determined to try to take up again the tracks of yesterday's wounded bull. Vain endeavour ! countless guinea-fowl had crossed and re-crossed the trail ; and, although we found it every now and then, we lost it again almost directly. I never, either before or since, came across these birds in such numbers ; the ground, for almost six miles, was literally covered with them. Past experience had taught us that it was next to useless to attempt sport where they were very numerous, as they are as great a plague to the African sportsman as ptarmigan or grouse frequently are to the deer-stalkcx* in the Highlands. We pushed forward as quickly as possible, so as to get out of their region ; and hardly had we e.one so, when we found fresh tracks of a small herd ; these we pursued for some distance, until, finding that they were evidently bent on a long journey and travelling away from the river, we gave up the chase.

The same day Aylmer secured the first hippopotamus, a fairsized bull. His first shot had, apparently, half-stunned it ; but several more bullets were required before life was extinct.

" Hippos " were scarce in that part of the Settite, and we did not care to shoot many ; the flesh was, however, greatly appreciated by the Arabs, although we found it somewhat strong in flavour, and very tough. After having gorged themselves with as much of the fresh meat as they could manage to swallow,