首页 >出版文学> Travels and Researches in South Africa>第44章
  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。