Onemostfrequentlyseeninthisconditionisitselfadestroyeroffish。
Itisastout-bodiedfish,aboutfifteenoreighteenincheslong,ofalightyellowcolor,andgaylyornamentedwithstripesandspots。
Ithasamostimposingarrayofsharp,conicalteethoutsidethelips
objectsofdreadtothefisherman,foritcanusethemeffectually。
Onewhichwepickedupdeadhadkilleditselfbyswallowinganotherfish,which,thoughtoolargeforitsstomachandthroat,couldnotbedisgorged。
Thisfish-hawkgenerallykillsmorepreythanitcandevour。
Iteatsaportionofthebackofthefish,andleavestherestfortheBarotse,whooftenhadaraceacrosstheriverwhentheysawanabandonedmorsellyingontheoppositesand-banks。
Thehawkis,however,notalwayssogenerous,for,asImyselfwasawitnessontheZouga,itsometimesplundersthepurseofthepelican。
Soaringoverhead,andseeingthislarge,stupidbirdfishingbeneath,itwatchestillafinefishissafeinthepelican’spouch;
thendescending,notveryquickly,butwithconsiderablenoiseofwing,thepelicanlooksuptoseewhatisthematter,and,asthehawkcomesnear,hesupposesthatheisabouttobekilled,androarsout“Murder!”
Theopeningofhismouthenablesthehawktowhiskthefishoutofthepouch,uponwhichthepelicandoesnotflyaway,butcommencesfishingagain,thefrighthavingprobablymadehimforgethehadanythinginhispurse。
Afishcalledmosheba,aboutthesizeofaminnow,oftenskimsalongthesurfaceforseveralyards,inordertogetoutofthewayofthecanoe。
Itusesthepectoralfins,astheflying-fishdo,butnevermakesacleanflightItisratherasuccessionofhopsalongthesurface,madebytheaidofthesidefinsItneverbecomeslarge。
Numbersofiguanosmpulusitsunningthemselvesonoverhangingbranchesofthetrees,andsplashintothewaterasweapproach。
Theyarehighlyesteemedasanarticleoffood,thefleshbeingtenderandgelatinousThechiefboatman,whooccupiesthestem,hasinconsequencealightjavelinalwaysathandtospearthemiftheyarenotquicklyoutofsightThese,andlargealligatorsglidinginfromthebankswithaheavyplungeaswecomeroundasuddenbendofthestream,weretheoccurrencesofeveryhouraswespeduptheriver。
TherapidsinthepartoftheriverbetweenKatima-moleloandNametaarerelievedbyseveralreachesofstill,deepwater,fifteenortwentymileslongIntheseverylargeherdsofhippopotamiareseen,andthedeepfurrowstheymake,inascendingthebankstograzeduringthenights,areeverywhereapparentTheyareguidedbacktothewaterbythescent,butalongcontinuedpouringrainmakesitimpossibleforthemtoperceive,bythatmeans,inwhichdirectiontheriverlies,andtheyarefoundbewilderedontheland。
Thehunterstakeadvantageoftheirhelplessnessontheseoccasionstokillthem。
Itisimpossibletojudgeofthenumbersinaherd,fortheyarealmostalwayshiddenbeneaththewaters;butastheyrequiretocomeupeveryfewminutestobreathe,whenthereisaconstantsuccessionofheadsthrownup,thentheherdissupposedtobelargeTheyloveastillreachofthestream,asinthemorerapidpartsofthechanneltheyarefloateddownsoquicklythatmuchexertionisnecessarytoregainthedistancelostbyfrequentlyswimmingupagain:suchconstantexertiondisturbsthemintheirnapTheyprefertoremainbydayinadrowsy,yawningstate,and,thoughtheireyesareopen,theytakelittlenoticeofthingsatadistanceThemalesutteraloudsuccessionofsnortinggrunts,whichmaybeheardamileoffThecanoeinwhichIwas,inpassingoverawoundedone,elicitedadistinctgrunting,thoughtheanimallayentirelyunderwater。
Theyoung,whenverylittle,taketheirstandontheneckofthedam,andthesmallhead,risingabovethelarge,comessoonesttothesurface。
Thedam,knowingthemoreurgentneedofhercalf,comesmorefrequentlytothesurfacewhenitisinhercareButintheriversofLonda,wheretheyaremuchindangerofbeingshot,eventhehippopotamusgainswitbyexperience;for,whilethoseintheZambesiputuptheirheadsopenlytoblow,thosereferredtokeeptheirnosesamongwater-plants,andbreathesoquietlythatonewouldnotdreamoftheirexistenceintheriverexceptbyfootprintsonthebanks。
IncreasingBeautyoftheCountryModeofspendingtheDay
ThePeopleandtheFallsofGonyeAMakololoForayAsecondprevented,andCaptivesdeliveredupPolitenessandLiberalityofthePeople
TheRainsPresentofOxenThefugitiveBarotse
Sekobinyane’sMisgovernmentBee-eatersandotherBirds
Fresh-waterSpongesCurrentDeathfromaLion’sBiteatLibonta
ContinuedKindnessArrangementsforspendingtheNightduringtheJourneyCookingandWashingAbundanceofanimalLife
DifferentSpeciesofBirdsWater-fowlEgyptianGeese
AlligatorsNarrowEscapeofoneofmyMenSuperstitiousFeelingsrespectingtheAlligatorLargeGameThemostvulnerableSpot
GunMedicineASundayBirdsofSongDepravity;itsTreatment
WildFruitsGreenPigeonsShoalsofFishHippopotami。
30THOFNOVEMBER,1853AtGonyeFallsNorainhasfallenhere,soitisexcessivelyhotThetreeshaveputontheirgayestdress,andmanyflowersadornthelandscape,yettheheatmakesalltheleavesdroopatmiddayandlooklanguidforwantofrainIfthecountryincreasesasmuchinbeautyinfrontasithasdonewithinthelastfourdegreesoflatitude,itwillbeindeedalovelyland。
WeallfeltgreatlassitudeintravelingTheatmosphereisoppressivebothincloudandsunshineTheevaporationfromtherivermustbeexcessivelygreat,andIfeelasifthefluidsofthesystemjoinedinthegeneralmotionofwateryvaporupward,asenormousquantitiesofwatermustbedrunktosupplyitsplace。
Whenunderwayourusualprocedureisthis:Wegetupalittlebeforefiveinthemorning;itisthenbeginningtodawnWhileIamdressing,coffeeismade;and,havingfilledmypannikin,theremainderishandedtomycompanions,whoeagerlypartakeoftherefreshingbeverage。
Theservantsarebusyloadingthecanoes,whiletheprincipalmenaresippingthecoffee,and,thatbeingsoonover,weembark。
Thenexttwohoursarethemostpleasantpartoftheday’ssail。
Themenpaddleawaymostvigorously;theBarotse,beingatribeofboatmen,havelarge,deeply-developedchestsandshoulders,withindifferentlowerextremitiesTheyoftenengageinloudscoldingofeachotherinordertorelievethetediumoftheirworkAboutelevenweland,andeatanymeatwhichmayhaveremainedfromthepreviouseveningmeal,orabiscuitwithhoney,anddrinkwater。
Afteranhour’srestweagainembarkandcowerunderanumbrella。
Theheatisoppressive,and,beingweakfromthelastattackoffever,IcannotlandandkeepthecampsuppliedwithfleshThemen,beingquiteuncoveredinthesun,perspireprofusely,andintheafternoonbegintostop,asifwaitingforthecanoeswhichhavebeenleftbehind。
Sometimeswereachasleeping-placetwohoursbeforesunset,and,allbeingtroubledwithlanguor,wegladlyremainforthenight。
Coffeeagain,andabiscuit,orapieceofcoarsebreadmadeofmaizemeal,orthatofthenativecorn,makeupthebilloffarefortheevening,unlesswehavebeenfortunateenoughtokillsomething,whenweboilapotfuloffleshThisisdonebycuttingitupintolongstripsandpouringinwatertillitiscoveredWhenthatisboileddry,themeatisconsideredready。
ThepeopleatGonyecarrythecanoesoverthespacerequisitetoavoidthefallsbyslingingthemonpolestiedondiagonally。
Theyplacetheseontheirshoulders,and,settingabouttheworkwithgoodhumor,soonaccomplishthetaskTheyareamerrysetofmortals;
afeeblejokesetsthemoffinafitoflaughterHere,aselsewhere,allpetitionedforthemagiclantern,and,asitisagoodmeansofconveyinginstruction,Iwillinglycomplied。
ThefallsofGonyehavenotbeenmadebywearingback,likethoseofNiagara,butareofafissureformFormanymilesbelow,theriverisconfinedinanarrowspaceofnotmorethanonehundredyardswide。
Thewatergoesboilingalong,andgivestheideaofgreatmassesofitrollingoverandover,sothateventhemostexpertswimmerwouldfinditdifficulttokeeponthesurfaceHereitisthattheriver,wheninflood,risesfiftyorsixtyfeetinperpendicularheight。
TheislandsabovethefallsarecoveredwithfoliageasbeautifulascanbeseenanywhereViewedfromthemassofrockwhichoverhangsthefall,thescenerywastheloveliestIhadseen。
NothingworthyofnoteoccurredonourwayuptoNameta。
ThereweheardthatapartyoftheMakololo,headedbyLerimo,hadmadeaforaytothenorthanduptheLeeba,intheverydirectioninwhichwewereabouttoproceedMpololo,theuncleofSekeletu,isconsideredtheheadmanoftheBarotsevalley;andtheperpetratorshadhisfullsanction,becauseMasiko,asonofSanturu,theformerchiefoftheBarotse,hadfledhighuptheLeeambye,and,establishinghimselfthere,hadsentmendowntothevicinityofNalieletodrawawaytheremainingBarotsefromtheirallegiance。
Lerimo’spartyhadtakensomeofthisMasiko’ssubjectsprisoners,anddestroyedseveralvillagesoftheBalonda,towhomweweregoing。
ThiswasindirectoppositiontothepolicyofSekeletu,whowishedtobeatpeacewiththesenortherntribes;
andPitsane,myheadman,wasthebeareroforderstoMpololotofurnishuswithpresentsfortheverychiefstheyhadattacked。
Thusweweretogetlargepotsofclarifiedbutterandbunchesofbeads,inconfirmationofthemessageofpeaceweweretodeliver。
WhenwereachedLitofe,weheardthatafreshforaywasincontemplation,butIsentforwardorderstodisbandthepartyimmediately。
AtMa-Sekeletu’stownwefoundtheheadoffender,Mpololohimself,andIgavehimabitofmymind,totheeffectthat,asIwasgoingwiththefullsanctionofSekeletu,ifanyharmhappenedtomeinconsequenceofhisill-advisedexpedition,theguiltwouldrestwithhim。
Ma-Sekeletu,whowaspresent,heartilyapprovedallIsaid,andsuggestedthatallthecaptivestakenbyLerimoshouldbereturnedbymyhand,toshowMasikothattheguiltoftheforaylaynotwiththesuperiorpersonsoftheMakololo,butwithamereservant。
Hergoodsenseappearedinotherrespectsbesides,and,asthiswasexactlywhatmyownpartyhadpreviouslyresolvedtosuggest,wewerepleasedtohearMpololoagreetodowhathewasadvisedHeaskedmetolaythematterbeforetheunder-chiefsofNaliele,andwhenwereachedthatplace,onthe9thofDecember,Ididsoinapicho,calledexpresslyforthepurpose。
Lerimowaspresent,andfeltrathercrestfallenwhenhisexploitwasdescribedbyMohorisi,oneofmycompanions,asoneofextremecowardice,hehavingmadeanattackuponthedefenselessvillagersofLonda,while,aswehadfoundonourformervisit,alionhadactuallykilledeightpeopleofNalielewithouthisdaringtoencounterit。