THE RESOURCELESS PETJCAN 251 and now, on our return, the creature was visible, having crawled into the shallows to die, lying distended and bloated, too far advanced in decomposition to touch.

Close by this spot, too, was the place where a lion had recently been shot by the engineer from the steamer, the wound dividing the throat and tearing the main arteries and veins. Even in his dying and desperate condition he managed to make two or three fierce bounds toward his foe on the steamer, when his rage and determination were all the more impressive because he was voiceless through the destruction of his vocal chords and the choking with blood.

Pelicans are prominent in the swampy reaches of the Middle Zeraf, as much on account of their stupidity as of their size and gliding flight. The recreation of chasing hippo unavoidably turned to that of following pelican.

One appeared in the distance, and endeavoured to swim faster in front of us as we came on. His effort, against the stream, was naturally in vain, and, finding his swimming powers overmatched, he slowly unfolded his far-spreading wings, balanced his huge beak and the deep pouch underneath it, gave himself a slight altitude above the water by strongly patting its surface with his broad webbed feet, then heavily yet easily skimmed low in front of us for a few score of yards, repeating the programme time after time. As we progressed, others were similarly overtaken and joined in the flight