AT CLOSE QUARTERS WITH A HIPPOPOTAMUS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 451, 27 March 1912, Page 6

AT CLOSE QUARTERS WITH A HIPPOPOTAMUS.

———+ I Mr. Alfred J. Swaiin, late seniorresident magistrate of the Nyassaland Protectorate, in his book, "Fighting the Slave Hunters," describes au amusing adventure while bunting 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 see danger. I did ! Our canoe contained eight men beside myself. One at each end steered as required ; the remainder were armed with stabbing spears and paddles. We slowly approached the first herd, but none of the huge creatures would let us get very close 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 !" the skipper replied, they will not attack us unless >ve make them savage;." I unlaced my boots ancJ removed my socks, anticipating a bath. It was the only back door, and I inwardly vowed never to get into such an idiotic position again. On the approach of the swimmers,, a male hippo dived. "Rudi ! Rudi !" the others shoutsd ("Corae back, come back !") These chaps knew what that dive 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 !" 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 opposite side 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 foi him to close the nostril, so that he jould 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 under water, and he cannot dive ; the water would drown him —his nose is dead." This was the advice tendered me, but I sincerely hoped! I 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 ; baling ! completed the work, and we were all | snug on board again. The spears j 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 ware not quick enough." | They certainly spoke the truth for | once and I never gave them the I chance to retrieve their character : with me as a passenger.