Htinting.

41 narrower till it was only sufficiently wide to allow tlie steamer to pass, tlie wlieels of wliicli frequently touched the grass on the sides. Hippopotami in immense numbers fled on every side before the prow of the vessel ; they could not turn back because the space was insufficient, and they were obliged to swim before us with a velocity which was surprising, being against the current.

Although the Saphia was making eight knots an hour, the hippopotami were always a hundred yards ahead. One of these animals, remarkable for his enormous proportions, swam before us for five hours without ever allowing himself to be overtaken by the vessel ; but then, being exhiusted by fatigue, we began to gain upon him. Our guns were ready, and we all took our stations at the prow, ready to receive him Avith a salute.

Having arrived at fifteen yards distance, he tried to go back, passing between the paddle-box and the shore ; by this manoeuvre he was only ten metres from us, and we sent four balls after him. All struck, and those from my Reilly gun made great wounds in his head. The captain stopped the steamer, and the body of the monster broke four spokes of the wheels in passing, and the iron circle was twisted in several points, so as to oblige us to immediately undertake temporary repairs. Notwithstanding the four bullets, the hippopotamus was able to swim for about a thousand yards farther, and then with difficulty regained the grasses of the marsh, among which we lost sight of him.

The repairs lasted till next day, when we started once more. The water was transparent but bad in quality, and the current hardly perceptible. The following morning we discovered a herd of thirty-seven large elephants. Anson, who had first caught sight of them, could not make out what they were, and mistook them for a village. They were near the river, having perhaps come to drink, and as the steamer