duringagreatpartoftheyear;theyextendtheircurrentsononesideatleastoftheequatorquitebeyondthemiddleofthecontinent,andevenuntilinAngolatheymeetthesea-breezefromtheAtlantic。
Ifthereaderrememberstheexplanationgivenatpage109,*
thatthecomparativewantofrainontheKalahariDesertiscausedbythemassofairlosingitshumidityasitpassesupandglidesoverthesubtendingridge,andwillturntothemap,hemayperceivethatthesamecauseisinoperationinanintensedegreebythemountainsofAbyssiniatorendertheregionaboutDarfurstillmorearid,andthattheflankingrangesmentionedliemuchnearertheequatorthanthosewhichrobtheKalahariofhumidity。
TheNile,evenwhilerunningthroughapartofthatregion,receivesremarkablyfewbranchesObservingalsothatthereisnoknownabruptlateralmountain-rangebetween6Degand12DegS。,butthatthereisanelevatedpartitionthere,andthatthesouthingandnorthingofthesoutheastersandnortheastersprobablycauseaconfluenceofthetwogreatatmosphericcurrents,hewillperceiveanaccumulationofhumidityontheflanksandcrownofthepartition,insteadof,aselsewhere,oppositetheKalahariandDarfur,adepositionoftheatmosphericmoistureontheeasternslopesofthesubtendingridgesThisexplanationisofferedwithalldeferencetothosewhohavemademeteorologytheirspecialstudy,andasahinttotravelerswhomayhaveopportunitytoexaminethesubjectmorefullyIoftenobserved,whileonaportionofthepartition,thattheairbynightwasgenerallyquitestill,butassoonasthesun’sraysbegantoshootacrosstheupperstrataoftheatmosphereintheearlymorning,acopiousdischargecamesuddenlydownfromtheaccumulatedclouds。
Italwaysremindedmeoftheexperimentofputtingarodintoasaturatedsolutionofacertainsalt,causinginstantcrystallization。
This,too,wastheperiodwhenIoftenobservedthegreatestamountofcold。
*Sincetheexplanationinpage109[Chapter5Paragraph5]wasprinted,Ihavebeenpleasedtoseethesameexplanationgivenbythepopularastronomerandnaturalphilosopher,MBabinet,inreferencetotheclimateofFranceItisquotedfromaletterofacorrespondentofthe`Times’inParis:
“InthenormalmeteorologicalstateofFranceandEurope,thewestwind,whichisthecounter-currentofthetrade-windsthatconstantlyblowfromtheeastunderthetropics
thewestwind,Isay,afterhavingtouchedFranceandEuropebythewesternshores,re-descendsbyMarseillesandtheMediterranean,ConstantinopleandtheArchipelago,AstrakanandtheCaspianSea,inordertomergeagainintothegreatcircuitofthegeneralwinds,andbethuscarriedagainintotheequatorialcurrent。
Wheneverthesemassesofair,impregnatedwithhumidityduringtheirpassageovertheocean,meetwithanobstacle,suchasachainofmountains,forexample,theyslideuptheacclivity,and,whentheyreachthecrest,findthemselvesrelievedfromaportionofthecolumnofairwhichpresseduponthem。
Thus,dilatingbyreasonoftheirelasticity,theycauseaconsiderabledegreeofcold,andaprecipitationofhumidityintheformoffogs,clouds,rain,orsnowAsimilareffectoccurswhateverbetheobstacletheyfindintheirwayNowthisiswhathadgraduallytakenplacebefore1856Bysomecauseorotherconnectedwiththecurrentsoftheatmosphere,thewarmcurrentfromthewesthadannuallyascendednorthward,sothat,insteadofpassingthroughFrance,itcamefromtheBalticandthenorthofGermany,thusmomentarilydisturbingtheordinarylawofthetemperaturesofEurope。
Butin1856asuddenchangeoccurredThewesterncurrentagainpassed,asbefore,throughthecentreofFranceItmetwithanobstacleintheairwhichhadnotyetfounditsusualoutlettowardthewestandsouth。
Henceastoppage,arising,aconsequentdilationandfalloftemperature,extraordinaryrainsandinundationsBut,nowthatthenaturalstateofthingsisrestored,nothingappearstoprognosticatethereturnofsimilardisastersWerethewesterncurrentfoundannuallytomovefurthernorth,wemightagainexperiencemeteorologicaleffectssimilartothoseof1856Hencetheregularseasonsmaybeconsideredre-establishedinFranceforseveralyearstocome。
TheimportantmeteorologicalcommunicationswhichtheImperialObservatoryisdailyestablishingwiththeothercountriesofEurope,andtheintroductionofapparatusformeasuringthevelocityoftheaerialcurrentsandprevailingwinds,willsoonaffordprognosticssufficientlycertaintoenableanenlightenedgovernmenttoprovideintimeagainstfutureevils。”
AftercrossingtheNorthernLotembwawemetapartyofthepeopleofKangenke,whohadtreateduskindlyonourwaytothenorth,andsenthimarobeofstripedcalico,withanexplanationofthereasonfornotreturningthroughhisvillageWethenwentontotheLakeDilolo。
Itisafinesheetofwater,sixoreightmileslong,andoneortwobroad,andsomewhatofatriangularshapeAbranchproceedsfromoneoftheangles,andflowsintotheSouthernLotembwaThoughlaboringunderfever,thesightofthebluewaters,andthewaveslashingtheshore,hadamostsoothinginfluenceonthemind,aftersomuchoflifeless,flat,andgloomyforestTheheartyearnedforthevividimpressionswhicharealwayscreatedbythesightofthebroadexpanseofthegrandoldocean。
Thathaslifeinit;buttheflatuniformitiesoverwhichwehadroamedmademefeelasifburiedaliveWefoundMoeneDiloloLordoftheLake
afat,jollyfellow,wholamentedthatwhentheyhadnostrangerstheyhadplentyofbeer,andalwaysnonewhentheycameHegaveusahandsomepresentofmealandputridbuffalo’sfleshMeatcannotbetoofargoneforthem,asitisusedonlyinsmallquantities,asasaucetotheirtastelessmanioc。
Theywereatthistimehuntingantelopes,inordertosendtheskinsasatributetoMatiamvoGreatquantitiesoffisharecaughtinthelake;
andnumbersofyoungwater-fowlarenowfoundinthenestsamongthereeds。
Ourprogresshadalwaysbeenslow,andIfoundthatourrateoftravelingcouldonlybefivehoursadayforfivesuccessivedaysOnthesixth,bothmenandoxenshowedsymptomsofknockingupWeneverexceededtwoandahalforthreemilesanhourinastraightline,thoughallwereanxioustogethomeThedifferenceintherateoftravelingbetweenourselvesandtheslave-traderswasourhavingaratherquickerstep,alongerday’sjourney,andtwentytravelingdaysamonthinsteadoftheirtenWhenoneofmymenbecameill,butstillcouldwalk,otherspartedhisluggageamongthem;yetwehadoftentostoponedayaweek,besidesSundays,simplyforthesakeofrestThelatitudeofLakeDilolois11d32’1“S。,long22d27’E。
JUNE14THWereachedthecollectionofstragglingvillagesoverwhichKatemarules,andwerethankfultoseeoldfamiliarfacesagain。
Shakatwalaperformedthepartofachiefbybringingforthabundantsuppliesoffoodinhismaster’snameHeinformedusthatKatema,too,wasouthuntingskinsforMatiamvo。
Indifferentpartsofthiscountry,weremarkedthatwhenoldfriendswereinquiredfor,thereplywas,“Bahola“Theyaregettingbetter;
orifthepeopleofavillagewereinquiredfor,theanswerwas,“Theyarerecovering。”asifsicknesswasquiteacommonthing。
Indeed,manywithwhomwehadmadeacquaintanceingoingnorthwenowfoundwereintheirgravesOnthe15thKatemacamehomefromhishunting,havingheardofourarrivalHedesiredmetorestmyselfandeatabundantly,for,beingagreatman,Imustfeeltired;andhetookgoodcaretogivethemeansofdoingsoAllthepeopleinthesepartsareexceedinglykindandliberalwiththeirfood,andKatemawasnotbehindhand。
Whenhevisitedourencampment,Ipresentedhimwithacloakofredbaize,ornamentedwithgoldtinsel,whichcostthirtyshillings,accordingtothepromiseIhadmadeingoingtoLonda;alsoacottonrobe,bothlargeandsmallbeads,anironspoon,andatinpannikincontainingaquarterofapoundofpowderHeseemedgreatlypleasedwiththeliberalityshown,andassuredmethatthewaywasmine,andthatnooneshouldmolestmeinitifhecouldhelpit。
WewereinformedbyShakatwalathatthechiefneverusedanypartofapresentbeforemakinganofferofittohismother,orthedepartedspirittowhomheprayedKatemaaskedifIcouldnotmakeadressforhimliketheoneIwore,sothathemightappearasawhitemanwhenanystrangervisitedhimOneofthecouncilors,imaginingthatheoughttosecondthisbybegging,Katemacheckedhimbysaying,“Whateverstrangersgive,beitlittleormuch,Ialwaysreceiveitwiththankfulness,andnevertroublethemformore。”Ondeparting,hemountedontheshouldersofhisspokesman,asthemostdignifiedmodeofretiringThespokesmanbeingaslenderman,andthechiefsixfeethigh,andstoutinproportion,therewouldhavebeenabreak-downhadhenotbeenaccustomedtoitWewereverymuchpleasedwithKatema;
andnextdayhepresenteduswithacow,thatwemightenjoytheabundantsuppliesofmealhehadgivenwithgoodanimalfood。
Hethendepartedforthehunting-ground,afterassuringmethatthetownandeverythinginitweremine,andthathisfactotum,Shakatwala,wouldremainandattendtoeverywant,andalsoconductustotheLeeba。
OnattemptingtoslaughterthecowKatemahadgiven,wefoundtheherdaswildasbuffaloes;andoneofmymenhavingonlywoundedit,theyfledmanymilesintotheforest,andwerewithgreatdifficultybroughtbackEventheherdsmanwasafraidtogonearthem。
Themajorityofthemwerewhite,andtheywereallbeautifulanimals。
Afterhuntingitfortwodaysitwasdispatchedatlastbyanotherball。
Herewesawaflockofjackdaws,araresightinLonda,busywiththegrubsinthevalley,whichareeatenbythepeopletoo。
LeavingKatema’stownonthe19th,andproceedingfourmilestotheeastward,wefordedthesouthernbranchofLakeDiloloWefounditamileandaquarterbroad;and,asitflowsintotheLotembwa,thelakewouldseemtobeadrainofthesurroundingflats,andtopartakeofthecharacterofafountainThefordwaswaist-deep,andverydifficult,fromthemassesofarumandrushesthroughwhichwewadedGoingtotheeastwardaboutthreemiles,wecametotheSouthernLotembwaitself,runninginavalleytwomilesbroad。
Itishereeightyorninetyyardswide,andcontainsnumerousislandscoveredwithdensesylvanvegetationIntherainyseasonthevalleyisflooded,andasthewatersdryupgreatmultitudesoffisharecaught。
Thishappensveryextensivelyoverthecountry,andfishing-weirsaremetwitheverywhereAspeciesofsmallfish,aboutthesizeoftheminnow,iscaughtinbagfulsanddriedinthesunThetasteisapungentaromaticbitter,anditwaspartakenoffreelybymypeople,althoughtheyhadnevermetwithitbeforeOnmanyofthepathswhichhadbeenfloodedanastysortofslimeofdecayedvegetablematterisleftbehind,andmuchsicknessprevailsduringthedryingupofthewater。
WedidnotfindourfriendMozinkwaathispleasanthomeontheLokaloeje;
hiswifewasdead,andhehadremovedelsewhereHefollowedussomedistance,butourreappearanceseemedtostiruphissorrows。
Wefoundthepontoonatthevillageinwhichweleftit。
Ithadbeencarefullypreserved,butamousehadeatenaholeinitandrenderedituseless。
WetraversedtheextendedplainonthenorthbankoftheLeeba,andcrossedthisriveralittlefartheronatKanyonke’svillage,whichisabouttwentymileswestofthePerihills,ourformerford。
ThefirststagebeyondtheLeebawasattherivuletLoamba,bythevillageofChebende,nephewofShinte;andnextdaywemetChebendehimselfreturningfromthefuneralofSamoana,hisfather。
Hewasthinandhaggard-lookingcomparedtowhathehadbeenbefore,theprobableeffectoftheorgiesinwhichhehadbeenengaged。
PitsaneandMohorisi,havingconcoctedtheprojectofaMakololovillageonthebanksoftheLeeba,asanapproachtothewhiteman’smarket,spoketoChebende,asaninfluentialman,onthesubject,buthecautiouslyavoidedexpressinganopinionTheideawhichhadsprungupintheirownmindsofanestablishmentsomewhereneartheconfluenceoftheLeebaandLeeambye,commendeditselftomyjudgmentatthetimeasageographicallysuitablepointforcivilizationandcommerce。
TherightbankoftheLeebathereisneverflooded;andfromthatpointthereiscommunicationbymeansofcanoestothecountryoftheKanyika,andalsotoCazembeandbeyond,withbutoneortwolargewaterfallsbetween。
ThereisnoobstructiondowntotheBarotsevalley;andthereisprobablycanoenavigationdowntheKafueorBashukulompoRiver,thoughitisreportedtocontainmanycataractsItflowsthroughafertilecountry,wellpeopledwithBamasasa,whocultivatethenativeproducelargely。
Asthiswasthemiddleofwinter,itmaybementionedthatthetemperatureofthewaterinthemorningwas47Deg。,andthatoftheair50Deg。,which,beingloadedwithmoisture,wasverycoldtothefeelingsYetthesunwasveryhotbyday,andthetemperatureinthecoolestshadefrom88Degto90Deg。;
intheeveningsfrom76Degto78Deg。
BeforereachingthetownofShintewepassedthroughmanylargevillagesoftheBalobale,whohavefledfromthechiefKangenkeTheMambarifromBihecomeconstantlytohimfortrade;and,ashesellshispeople,greatnumbersofthemescapetoShinteandKatema,whorefusetogivethemup。