AT CLOSE QUARTERS WITH A HIPPOPOTAMUS.

North Otago Times, 3 December 1910, Page 4 (Supplement)

AT CLOSE QUARTERS WITH A HIPPOPOTAMUS.

.''. : —+—r..' Mr, Alfred J,, Swahn, lata senior resident magistrate ■of the.NyaSsaland . Protectorate,, tav* his : book, "Fighting, tho Slave Hunters," describes an' amusing adventure while hunting hippopotami. He writes:Hippopotami abounded, their fat being brought for sale at.all the local markets, I. accepted a cordial invitation to see the people hunt this animal with spears in large'canoes. : It was not comfortable to go among ! a herd of snorting hippo in so ■ frail ! a craft, but they did not seem to ! seo danger, \ did ! Our -canoe cbh.tained eight men beside myself.' One .at each end steered as required; the 1 remainder were armed with stabbing spears and paddles',, ' We slowly approached tho first herd, but none of the huge creatures would let us get very dose to them, .'-.. •■ "How do you -manage to spear them ?" I asked. • ' .' - ■ "It is only possible to do. it when they become fierce and charge!" they answered. I had often shot them,, but that .was a very different thing from enticing! them to charge; it seemed too risky a game, but not wishing, or daring, to show the white feather, I kept silent. It would be stupid to say I was not nervous, for I was, having no rifle and not being a good swimmer. Besides I did not like being) wholly' dependent .on someone else's skill in avoiding danger, I had a longing to get hold of the helm and clear out of an awkward corner, In a moment three men sprang overboard, and quietly swam towards the herd. "What are they up to ?" "Teasing them I" -the skipper replied, they will fiot attack us unless we make them savage." I unlaced my boots andi removed my socks,-an-.

jticipating a bath. It was the only I back door, and I inwardly vowed never to get into such an idiotic position again. On the approach of the swimmers, a wale hippo dived, ■ "Rudi! Rudi!". the others shouted ("Come back, come back !") . i These chaps, knew what that divo meant, and in a few seconds they were back in the canoe. As the last one was dragged in, the hippo rose, with a snort close to the' spot where they had been swimming. Shouts of derision were hurled at him by the crew as they picked up the spears. Down went the great head as the skipper shouted, "Look' out, he's coming I" Sure enough he was, for in a moment he rose a few yards from the canoe, opened his ugly mouth, and giving a vicious snort, flung his great head over the side of the canoe, All axcept two jumped to the opposito Bide to counterbalance the weight; these two dug sharp spears into the softer part of the animal's neck, another hit him over the nose with an axe. This was to make it impossible for him to close the- nostril, so that he could not keep under water. His'' attack had been rather too sudden, for he succeeded in pressing the gunwale under, and the canoe filled, pitching the lot of us into the water.' . What with the shouts of the men and the splashing of the enraged hippo (which could not dive on account of the cut nostril), sending blood flying all over the water, it was an aquatic pandemonium in which no one need desire to be mixed up, I saw the brute make.a plunge at the nearest man, but he simply dived and came up laughing, : out of danger. Such coolness was astonishing. "'Dive, master, if he comes for you.' They can't bite-un-der water,- and he cannot dive; the water would drown him—his nose is dead," This was .the advice tendered me, but I sincerely hoped,'l should not need to put it into practice. The herd answered the grunts of the wounded one which made off to join them, going like a motor-boat along the surface, and blowing jets of blood and water as he swam. It was the work of a second for the men to ,turn over the canoe, and a few vigorous see-saw pulls sent the water flying over the ends'; haling completed the work, and we were all snug, on board again. The Bpears having been fastened to string, were hauled up. Anxious to impress on them that I possessed an inquiring turn of mind, I ventured to say, does'this often happen?" "Yes, but usually we manage to : keep the boat from filling with water to-day we were not quick enough." They certainly spoke the truth for ', [once and I never gave them the

chance to retrieve their character with me as a passenger.