Thenightwascold，andthemoonclearandbright。Everyonewaswrappedupinwarmblankets，andIwassosoundasleep，thatIcannotdescribemoreuntilIwassuddenlyawokebyatremendoussplashingquiteclosetothediahbeeah，accompaniedbythehoarsewildsnortingofafurioushippopotamus。Ijumpedup，andimmediatelyperceivedahippowhichwasapparentlyabouttoattackthevessel。Themaindeckbeingcrowdedwithpeoplesleepingbeneaththeirthickmosquitocurtains，attachedtothestairsofthepoop-deck，andtotherigginginalldirections，rendereditimpossibletodescend。Iatoncetoreawaysomeoftheties，andawakenedthesleepypeople。Myservant，Suleiman，wassleepingnexttothecabindoor。Icalledtohimforarifle。BeforetheaffrightedSuleimancouldbringtherifle，thehippopotamusdashedatuswithindescribablefury。Withoneblowhecapsizedandsankthezincboatwithitscargoofflesh。Inanotherinstantheseizedthedingyinhisimmensejaws，andthecrashofsplinteredwoodbetokenedthecompletedestructionofmyfavouriteboat。BythistimeSuleimanappearedfromthecabinwithanunloadedguninhishandandwithoutammunition。Thiswasaverygoodman，buthewasneveroverburdenedwithpresenceofmind；hewasshakingsofearfullywithnervousness，thathissenseshadentirelyabandonedhim。Allthepeoplewereshoutingandendeavouringtoscarethehippo，whichattackeduswithoutceasingwithablindfurythatIhaveneverwitnessedinanyanimalexceptabull-dog。
BythistimeIhadprocuredariflefromthecabin，wheretheywerealwayskeptfixedinarow，loadedandreadyforaction，withbagsofbreechloadingammunitiononthesameshelf。
Themovementsoftheanimalweresorapidashechargedandplungedalternatelybeneaththewaterinacloudoffoamandwave，thatitwasimpossibletoaimcorrectlyatthesmallbutfatalspotuponthehead。
Themoonwasextremelybright，andpresently，ashechargedstraightatthediahbeeah，IstoppedhimwithaNo。8Reillyshell。Tomysurprise，hesoonrecovered，andagaincommencedtheattack。
Ifiredshotaftershotathimwithoutapparenteffect。Thediahbeeahrockedaboutuponthewavesraisedbytheeffortsofsolargeananimal；