I hope I can make it readable.

But, much of its pleasure was personal.
I have just had to stop writing this, for what when I get back to New York will seem a perfectly good reason for interrupting a letter to even you.

A large hippopotamus has just pushed past us with five baby hippos in front of her.

She is shoving them up stream, and the papa hippo is in the wake puffing and blowing.

They are very plenty here and on the way up stream, I saw a great many, and every morning and evening went hunting for them on shore.