“Their big, ugly mouths when opened, showed us their tusks”
We approached the hippopotami slowly and with caution, to within fifty yards of the herd, without seeming to attract their attention. “Let us paddle nearer,” I said to the men. We came within twenty-five yards, and then I took “Bulldog,” and aiming at the ear, as one of their vulnerable spots, I fired. The animal sank. I found that it was of no use to kill a hippopotamus in the water, for they sink to the bottom. The whole herd of hippopotami became much excited at the shot, snorted and plunged under the water,—disappearing and reappearing,—and soon the animals were seen scattered in every direction around us. They dived, and when they rose some of them came dangerously near. I became fearful they would upset our canoes, and that if they succeeded in doing so, they would attack us, and their big crooked tusks were sure to make short work of our poor bodies. Oshoria ordered that we should paddle as fast as we could to get out of their way. One of the hippopotami swam under our canoe, and rose about three yards from us. But we kept on our way untouched, and a few miles further upstream we came to another herd of these unwieldy creatures, sporting and snorting in the water, now popping their huge unshapely heads out, then diving to the bottom.
We passed this herd, and after paddling two or three miles further we saw two cow hippopotami, with their little ones apparently resting on their backs.
CHAPTER XXIII
MUDBANKS COVERED WITH CROCODILES—HOW THEY STALK THEIR PREY—AN UNSUSPECTING BOAR SUDDENLY SWALLOWED UP—HABITS OF THE HUGE CREATURES.
We continued on our way, and about two hours afterwards entered a small creek, and then got into very tall and dense reeds, through which we had great difficulty in advancing. Suddenly we emerged into a shallow lake, and I saw a strange sight.
I could hardly believe my own eyes. Hundreds of huge crocodiles, and other hundreds of smaller ones were to be seen everywhere resting on the muddy islands basking in the powerful rays of the sun. At first I thought they were logs of dark wood stranded on the mud. In some places the crocodiles were solitary,—in others, three or four, and sometimes ten or twelve were together. I had never seen so many crocodiles before.
Paddling cautiously, we kept gazing at the crocodiles. I did not wish to fire a shot at them, for I did not want to disturb, but to watch them. Oshoria, who was steering, said: “Oguizi, look there!” pointing at the same time with his finger in the direction towards which he wanted to draw my attention. Following his gesture, I saw a herd of yellow wild boars standing near the shore. Watching them in the water was a large crocodile. His big head was the only part of his body that could be seen. After a while we noticed his head moving slowly towards the shore. He left hardly a ripple behind him. Then the head became stationary once more.
The boars grunted as they advanced towards the water, headed by their leader. Suddenly they stopped and gave peculiar grunts unlike those they had first given. They were talking among themselves. Then all went on the muddy bank. They were evidently having a grand time in the mud.