A Fish Called Mosheba, About The Size Of A Minnow, Often Skims Along
The Surface For Several Yards, In Order To Get Out Of The Way Of The Canoe.
It Uses The Pectoral Fins, As The Flying-Fish Do, But Never Makes
A Clean Flight.
It is rather a succession of hops along the surface,
made by the aid of the side fins.
It never becomes large.
Numbers of iguanos (mpulu) sit sunning themselves on overhanging
branches of the trees, and splash into the water as we approach.
They are highly esteemed as an article of food, the flesh being
tender and gelatinous. The chief boatman, who occupies the stem,
has in consequence a light javelin always at hand to spear them
if they are not quickly out of sight. These, and large alligators
gliding in from the banks with a heavy plunge as we come round
a sudden bend of the stream, were the occurrences of every hour
as we sped up the river.
The rapids in the part of the river between Katima-molelo and Nameta
are relieved by several reaches of still, deep water, fifteen or twenty
miles long. In these very large herds of hippopotami are seen,
and the deep furrows they make, in ascending the banks to graze
during the nights, are every where apparent. They are guided
back to the water by the scent, but a long continued pouring rain
makes it impossible for them to perceive, by that means,
in which direction the river lies, and they are found bewildered on the land.
The hunters take advantage of their helplessness on these occasions
to kill them.
It is impossible to judge of the numbers in a herd, for they are almost always
hidden beneath the waters; but as they require to come up every few minutes
to breathe, when there is a constant succession of heads thrown up,
then the herd is supposed to be large. They love a still reach of the stream,
as in the more rapid parts of the channel they are floated down so quickly
that much exertion is necessary to regain the distance lost
by frequently swimming up again: such constant exertion disturbs them
in their nap. They prefer to remain by day in a drowsy, yawning state,
and, though their eyes are open, they take little notice of things
at a distance. The males utter a loud succession of snorting grunts,
which may be heard a mile off. The canoe in which I was,
in passing over a wounded one, elicited a distinct grunting,
though the animal lay entirely under water.
The young, when very little, take their stand on the neck of the dam,
and the small head, rising above the large, comes soonest to the surface.
The dam, knowing the more urgent need of her calf, comes more frequently
to the surface when it is in her care. But in the rivers of Londa,
where they are much in danger of being shot, even the hippopotamus gains wit
by experience; for, while those in the Zambesi put up their heads openly
to blow, those referred to keep their noses among water-plants, and breathe
so quietly that one would not dream of their existence in the river
except by footprints on the banks.
Chapter 14.
Increasing Beauty of the Country - Mode of spending the Day -
The People and the Falls of Gonye - A Makololo Foray - A second prevented,
and Captives delivered up - Politeness and Liberality of the People -
The Rains - Present of Oxen - The fugitive Barotse -
Sekobinyane's Misgovernment - Bee-eaters and other Birds -
Fresh-water Sponges - Current - Death from a Lion's Bite at Libonta -
Continued Kindness - Arrangements for spending the Night
during the Journey - Cooking and Washing - Abundance of animal Life -
Different Species of Birds - Water-fowl - Egyptian Geese -
Alligators - Narrow Escape of one of my Men - Superstitious Feelings
respecting the Alligator - Large Game - The most vulnerable Spot -
Gun Medicine - A Sunday - Birds of Song - Depravity; its Treatment -
Wild Fruits - Green Pigeons - Shoals of Fish - Hippopotami.
30TH OF NOVEMBER, 1853. At Gonye Falls. No rain has fallen here,
so it is excessively hot. The trees have put on their gayest dress,
and many flowers adorn the landscape, yet the heat makes all the leaves
droop at midday and look languid for want of rain. If the country
increases as much in beauty in front as it has done within
the last four degrees of latitude, it will be indeed a lovely land.
We all felt great lassitude in traveling. The atmosphere is oppressive
both in cloud and sunshine. The evaporation from the river
must be excessively great, and I feel as if the fluids of the system
joined in the general motion of watery vapor upward,
as enormous quantities of water must be drunk to supply its place.
When under way our usual procedure is this: We get up a little before
five in the morning; it is then beginning to dawn. While I am dressing,
coffee is made; and, having filled my pannikin, the remainder is handed
to my companions, who eagerly partake of the refreshing beverage.
The servants are busy loading the canoes, while the principal men
are sipping the coffee, and, that being soon over, we embark.
The next two hours are the most pleasant part of the day's sail.
The men paddle away most vigorously; the Barotse, being a tribe of boatmen,
have large, deeply-developed chests and shoulders, with indifferent
lower extremities. They often engage in loud scolding of each other
in order to relieve the tedium of their work. About eleven we land,
and eat any meat which may have remained from the previous evening meal,
or a biscuit with honey, and drink water.
After an hour's rest we again embark and cower under an umbrella.
The heat is oppressive, and, being weak from the last attack of fever,
I can not land and keep the camp supplied with flesh. The men,
being quite uncovered in the sun, perspire profusely, and in the afternoon
begin to stop, as if waiting for the canoes which have been left behind.
Sometimes we reach a sleeping-place two hours before sunset,
and, all being troubled with languor, we gladly remain for the night.
Coffee again, and a biscuit, or a piece of coarse bread made of maize meal,
or that of the native corn, make up the bill of fare for the evening,
unless we have been fortunate enough to kill something, when we boil
a potful of flesh.
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