The harpoon is the weapon usually used by the natives of Africa for catching the Hippopotamus. One kind of harpoon consists of a shaft about twelve feet long, at one end of which is a combination of spear and fish-hook, the spear being let into a socket of the shaft and also attached to the shaft by means of cords. At the other extremity is a coil of rope, to which is attached a large float, so that when a Hippopotamus is harpooned the float shows the position of the animal. When an animal is struck, it is followed either by men in canoes or on land, who by means of ropes get possession of the line to which the float is attached, which they entwine round a tree, and every time the animal comes up to breathe he is greeted with a shower of spears until finally finished.
Livingstone in his “African Travels” gives the following interesting account of this instrument and its makers. He relates that on the Zambesi River “beyond Pita lies the little island Nyamotobsi, where we met a small fugitive tribe of Hippopotamus hunters, who had been driven by war from their own island in front. With the civility so common among them, the chief ordered a mat to be spread for us under a shed, and then showed us the weapon with which they kill the Hippopotamus. It is a short iron harpoon inserted in the end of a long pole, but being intended to unship, it is made fast to a strong cord of milola, or hibiscus bark, which is wound closely round the entire length of the shaft, and secured at its opposite end. Two men in a swift canoe steal quietly down on the sleeping animal. The bowman dashes the harpoon into the unconscious victim, while the quick steersman sweeps the light craft back with his broad paddle. The force of the blow separates the harpoon from its corded handle, which, appearing on the surface, sometimes with an inflated bladder attached, guides the hunters to where the wounded beast hides below until they despatch it.” Livingstone then goes on to say:—“These Hippopotamus hunters form a separate people called Akombwi, or Mapodzo, and rarely—the women, it is said, never—intermarry with any other tribe. The reason for their keeping aloof from certain of the natives of the Zambesi is obvious enough, some having as great an abhorrence of Hippopotamus meat as Mohammedans have of swine’s flesh. Our pilot, Scissors, was one of this class; he would not even cook his food in a pot which had contained Hippopotamus meat, preferring to go hungry until he could find another, and yet he traded eagerly in the animals’ tusks, and ate with great relish the flesh of the foul-feeding Marabout.”
Sir Samuel Baker relates from personal observation the capture of a Hippopotamus with the harpoon above described. He says:—“At length we arrived at a large pool, in which were several sand-banks covered with rushes, and many rocky islands. Among these rocks was a herd of Hippopotami, consisting of an old bull and several cows; a young Hippo was standing, like an ugly little statue, on a protruding rock, while another infant stood upon its mother’s back that listlessly floated on the water. This was an admirable place for the hunters. They desired me to lie down, and they crept into the jungle out of view of the river. I presently observed them stealthily descending the dry bed about two hundred paces above the spot where the Hippos were basking behind the rocks. They entered the river, and swam down the centre of the stream towards the rock. This was highly exciting. The Hippos were quite unconscious of the approaching danger, as steadily and rapidly the hunters floated down the strong current; they neared the rock, and both heads disappeared as they purposely sank out of view; in a few seconds later they reappeared at the edge of the rock upon which the young Hippo stood. It would be difficult to say which started first, the astonished young Hippo into the water, or the harpoons from the hands of the howartis! It was the affair of a moment. The hunters dived directly they had hurled their harpoons, and swimming for some distance under water, they came to the surface, and hastened to the shore lest an infuriated Hippopotamus should follow them. One harpoon had missed; the other had fixed the bull of the herd, at which it had been surely aimed.
“This was grand sport! The bull was in the greatest fury, and rose to the surface, snorting and blowing in his impotent rage; but as the ambatch float was exceedingly large, and this naturally accompanied his movements, he tried to escape from his imaginary persecutor, and dived constantly, only to find his pertinacious attendant close to him upon regaining the surface. This was not to last long. The howartis were in earnest, and they at once called their party, who, with two of the aggageers, Abou Do and Suleiman, were near at hand. These men arrived with long ropes that form a portion of the outfit for Hippo hunting. The whole party now halted on the edge of the river, while two men swam across with one end of the long rope. Upon gaining the opposite bank, I observed that a second rope was made fast to the middle of the main line; thus upon our side we held the ends of two ropes, while on the opposite side they had only one. Accordingly, the point of junction of the two ropes in the centre formed an acute angle. The object of this was soon practically explained. Two men upon our side now each held a rope, and one of these walked about ten yards before the other. Upon both sides of the river the people now advanced, dragging the rope on the surface of the water until they reached the ambatch float that was swimming to and fro, according to the movements of the Hippopotamus below. By a dexterous jerk of the main line the float was now placed between the two ropes, and it was immediately secured in the acute angle by bringing together the ends of these ropes on our side. The men on the opposite bank now dropped their line, and our men now hauled in upon the ambatch float that was held fast between the ropes. Thus cleverly made sure, we quickly brought a strain upon the Hippo; and although I have had some experience in handling big fish, I never knew one pull so lustily as the amphibious animal that we now alternately coaxed and bullied.
“He sprang out of the water, gnashed his huge jaws, snorted with tremendous rage, and lashed the river into foam; he then dived, and foolishly approached us beneath the water. We quickly gathered in the slack line, and took a round turn upon a large rock within a few feet of the river.
“The Hippo now rose to the surface about ten yards from the hunters, and jumping half out of the water, he snapped his great jaws together, endeavouring to catch the rope, but at the same instant two harpoons were launched into his side.
“Disdaining retreat, and maddened with rage, the furious animal charged from the depths of the river, and gaining a footing, he reared his bulky form from the surface, came boldly upon the sandbank, and attacked the hunters open-mouthed. He little knew his enemy: they were not the men to fear a pair of gaping jaws, armed with a deadly array of tusks, but half a dozen lances were hurled at him, some entering his mouth from a distance of five or six paces; at the same time several men threw handfuls of sand into his enormous eyes. This baffled him more than the lances: he crunched the shafts between his powerful jaws like straws, but he was beaten by the sand, and, shaking his huge head, he retreated to the river. During his sally upon the shore, two of the hunters had secured the ropes of the harpoons that had been fastened in his body just before his charge. He was now fixed by three of these deadly instruments; but suddenly one rope gave way, having been bitten through by the enraged beast, who was still beneath the water. Immediately after this he appeared on the surface, and without a moment’s hesitation, he once more charged furiously from the water straight at the hunters, with his huge mouth open to such an extent that he could have accommodated two inside passengers. Suleiman was wild with delight, and springing forward lance in hand, he drove it against the head of the formidable animal, but without effect. At the same time, Abou Do met the Hippo sword in hand, reminding me of Perseus slaying the sea-monster that would devour Andromeda; but the sword made a harmless gash, and the lance, already blunted against the rocks, refused to penetrate the tough hide. Once more handfuls of sand were pelted upon his face, and again repulsed by this blinding attack, he was forced to retire to his deep hole, and wash it from his eyes. Six times during the fight the valiant bull Hippo quitted his watery fortress, and charged resolutely at his pursuers; he had broken several of their lances in his jaws; other lances had been hurled, and falling upon the rocks, they were blunted and would not penetrate. The fight had continued for three hours, and the sun was about to set; accordingly the hunters begged me to give him the coup de grâce, as they had hauled him close to the shore, and they feared he would sever the rope with his teeth. I waited for a good opportunity, when he boldly raised his head from the water about three yards from the rifle, and a bullet from the little Fletcher between the eyes closed the last act.”
Another interesting account is also given by Sir S. Baker of the capture of a Hippopotamus by means of the spear. The description conveys a good idea of the habits and wariness of these animals.
“Hippopotami had trodden a path along the margin of the river, as these animals came out to feed, shortly after dark, and travelled from pool to pool. Wherever a plot of tangled and succulent herbage grew among the shady nabbuks, there were the marks of the harrow-like teeth, that had torn and rooted up the rank grass like an agricultural implement.