on taking leave of his guest, that he had been
obliged to follow the cortége) was under the
necessity of applying to the Governor of
Alexandria for an escort of troops. This was
forthwith granted, and down they came
galloping along the streets of Alexandria,
with waving scimetars! It was well the
hippopotamus did not see them from his
padded cart, where he lay asleep—it might
have caused a little misunderstanding.

Order being restored, and a great lane made
in the crowd, Hamet San Cannana
commenced the gradual and delicate process of
awaking the great personage. In the course
of an hour or so, during which time the escort
of soldiers all "stood attention," the excited
feelings of the anxious lane of population were
gratified by the sight of the Arab
ceremoniously advancing in gentleman-usher
fashion, while close behind him slowly lounged
the hippopotamus.

He embarked on board the Ripon, where
he was soon joined by his Excellency General
Jung Bahadoor Ranajee, and the Nepaulese
princes, his brothers. These latter personages
would have been great objects of attraction
under any other circumstances; but what
could stand against such a rival as the
occupant of the great house and bath on the
main-deck?

During the voyage, "our fat friend"
attached himself yet more strongly to his
attendant and interpreter, Hamet; indeed, the
devotion to his person which this assiduous
and thoughtful person had manifested from
his first promotion to the office, had been of a
kind to secure such a result from any one at
all accessible to kindly affections. Hamet
had commenced by sleeping side-by-side with
his charge in the house at Cairo, and adopted
the same arrangement for the night during
the first week of the voyage to England.
Finding, however, as the weather grew
warmer, and the hippopotamus bigger and
bigger, that this was attended with some
inconvenience, Hamet had a hammock slung
from the beams immediately over the place
where he used to sleep—in fact, just over his
side of the bed—by which means he was
raised two or three feet above his usual
position. Into this hammock got Hamet, and
having assured the hippopotamus, both by
his voice, and by extending one arm over the
side so as to touch him, that he was there as
usual at his side, and "all was right," he
presently fell asleep. How long he slept
Hamet does not know, but he was awoke by
the sensation of a jerk and a hoist, and found
himself lying on the bed in his old place, close
beside our fat friend. Hamet tried the
experiment once more: but the same thing
again occurred. No sooner was he asleep than
the hippopotamus got up—raised his broad
nose beneath the heaviest part of the hammock
that swung lowest, and by an easy and adroit
toss, pitched Hamet clean out. After this,
Hamet, acting on his rule of never thwarting
his charge in anything reasonable, abandoned
the attempt of a separate bed, and took up
his nightly quarters by his side as before.

As for the voyage, it was passed pleasantly
enough by the most important of the
illustrious strangers on board. His Excellency
the Nepaulese ambassador, together with
the prince his brother, were uncommonly
seasick; but as for our fat friend, he enjoyed
himself all the way. He liked his bath, for
which there was no lack of fresh water
supplies, and his provisions were equally
satisfactory. Two cows and ten goats had been
taken on board for his sole use and service;
these, however, not being found sufficient for a
"growing youth," the ship's cow was confiscated
for the use of his table; and this addition,
together with we forget how many dozen
sacks of Indian corn meal, enabled him to reach
our shores in excellent health and spirits.

A word as to the title of "river-horse,"
when taken in conjunction with his personal
appearance, his habits, and his diet. The,
hippopotamus has nothing in common with
the horse; he seems to us rather an aquatic
pig, or a four-footed land porpoise. In fact,
he appears to partake of the wild boar, the
bull, and the porpoise—the latter predominating
at present, but when he gets his tusks,
we much fear there will be an alteration in
liis manners for the worse. As to his eventual
size, the prospect is alarming. He is at
present only seven months old, and he will
continue growing till he is fifteen years of
age. What news for the London cows!

Arrived at Southampton, our hippopotamus,
house and all, with Hamet Safi
Cannana at his side, was hoisted up at the vessel's
yard-arm, and gradually lowered upon a great
iron truck, which was then wheeled off to the
railway station. The whole concern was
deposited in the special carriage of a special
train, and on this he travelled from
Southampton to London. He arrived at the Zoological
Gardens in the Regent's Park at ten
o'clock at night, and found Lord Brougham,
Professor Owen, Thomas Bell, and Mr.
Mitchell all waiting (we believe they were not in
court dresses) to receive him. They were
presently joined by the learned Editor of the
"Annals of Natural History," the learned
Editor of the "Zoologist," in company with
Mr. Van Voorst, and several artists who made
sketches by the light of a lanthorn. Doyle,
Wolff, Harrison Weir, Foster, (for the
"Illustrated London News ") and others, were all in
assiduous attendance, watchful of every varying
outline. The illustrious stranger descended
from his carriage, and entered the gardens.
First went the lanthorn; then Hamet Safi
Cannana with a bag of dates slung over his
shoulder; and after him slowly lounged our
uncouth treasure, with a prodigy of a grin
such as he alone can give, expressive of his
humorous sense of all the honours and
luxuries that awaited him.

We understand it is a cabinet secret, that