breechloader，andstartedinthelittledingybelongingtothediahbeeah。Havingpaddledquietlyalongtheedgeofthegrassforacoupleofhundredyards，Iarrivednearthespotfromwhichthehippopotamushademerged。”Itisthegeneralhabitofthehippopotamiinthesemarshdistrictstolieinthehighgrassswampsduringtheday，andtoswimoramusethemselvesintheopenwateratsunset。”IhadnotwaitedlongbeforeIheardasnort，andIperceivedthehippopotamushadrisentothesurfaceaboutfiftyyardsfromme。Thisdistancewasalittletoogreatfortheaccuratefiringnecessarytoreachthebrain，especiallywhentheshotmustbetakenfromaboat，inwhichthereisalwayssomemovement。Ithereforeallowedtheanimaltodisappear，afterwhichIimmediatelyorderedtheboatforward，toremainexactlyoverthespotwherehehadsunk。Afewminuteselapsed，whenthegreatuglyheadofthehippopotamusappearedaboutthirtypacesfromtheboat，andhavingblownthewaterfromhisnostrils，andsnortedloudly，heturnedroundandseemedastonishedtofindthesolitarylittleboatsonearhim。Tellingthetwoboatmentositperfectlyquiet，soastoallowagoodsight，Iaimedjustbelowtheeye，andfiredaheavyshell，whichcontainedaburstingchargeofthreedrachmsoffine-grainedpowder。Theheaddisappeared。Alittlesmokehungoverthewater，andI
couldnotobserveothereffects。Thelakewasdeep，andaftervainsoundingforthebodywithaboathook，Ireturnedtothediahbeeahjustasitbecamedark。”March18——Aheavyshowerofrainfell，whichlastedforanhourandahalf。Whentherainceased，thedaycontinuedcloudywithvariablewind。
Thebodyofthehippopotamuswasdiscoveredatdaybreakfloatingnearus，thereforeallhandsturnedouttocuthimup，delightedattheideaoffreshmeat。Therewasaboutanacreofhighanddrygroundthatborderedthemarshinonespot；tothisthecarcaseofthehippopotamuswastowed。Iwasanxioustoobservetheeffectsoftheexplosiveshell，asitwasaninventionofmyownthathadbeenmanufacturedbyMr。
Reilly，[*]thegunmaker，ofLondon。Thisshellwascomposedofiron，coveredwithlead。Theinteriorwasacast-ironbottlesimilarinshapetoastonewareSeltzerwaterbottle；theneckformedanippletoreceiveapercussion-cap。Theentirebottlewasconcealedbyaleadencoating，whichwascastinamouldtofitaNo。8，ortwo-ouncerifle。
Theironbottlecontainedthreedrachmsofthestrongestgunpowder，andasimplecappresseddownuponthenipplepreparedtheshellforservice。