I Often Observed, While On A Portion Of The Partition,
That The Air By Night Was Generally Quite Still, But
As soon as the sun's rays
began to shoot across the upper strata of the atmosphere in the early morning,
A copious discharge came suddenly down from the accumulated clouds.
It always reminded me of the experiment of putting a rod
into a saturated solution of a certain salt, causing instant crystallization.
This, too, was the period when I often observed the greatest amount of cold.
-
* Since the explanation in page 109 [Chapter 5 Paragraph 5] was printed,
I have been pleased to see the same explanation given
by the popular astronomer and natural philosopher, M. Babinet,
in reference to the climate of France. It is quoted from
a letter of a correspondent of the `Times' in Paris:
"In the normal meteorological state of France and Europe,
the west wind, which is the counter-current of the trade-winds
that constantly blow from the east under the tropics -
the west wind, I say, after having touched France and Europe
by the western shores, re-descends by Marseilles and the Mediterranean,
Constantinople and the Archipelago, Astrakan and the Caspian Sea,
in order to merge again into the great circuit of the general winds,
and be thus carried again into the equatorial current.
Whenever these masses of air, impregnated with humidity
during their passage over the ocean, meet with an obstacle,
such as a chain of mountains, for example, they slide up the acclivity,
and, when they reach the crest, find themselves relieved
from a portion of the column of air which pressed upon them.
Thus, dilating by reason of their elasticity, they cause
a considerable degree of cold, and a precipitation of humidity
in the form of fogs, clouds, rain, or snow. A similar effect occurs
whatever be the obstacle they find in their way. Now this is what
had gradually taken place before 1856. By some cause or other connected
with the currents of the atmosphere, the warm current from the west
had annually ascended northward, so that, instead of passing through France,
it came from the Baltic and the north of Germany, thus momentarily
disturbing the ordinary law of the temperatures of Europe.
But in 1856 a sudden change occurred. The western current again passed,
as before, through the centre of France. It met with an obstacle in the air
which had not yet found its usual outlet toward the west and south.
Hence a stoppage, a rising, a consequent dilation and fall of temperature,
extraordinary rains and inundations. But, now that the natural
state of things is restored, nothing appears to prognosticate
the return of similar disasters. Were the western current
found annually to move further north, we might again experience
meteorological effects similar to those of 1856. Hence the regular seasons
may be considered re-established in France for several years to come.
The important meteorological communications which the Imperial Observatory
is daily establishing with the other countries of Europe,
and the introduction of apparatus for measuring the velocity
of the aerial currents and prevailing winds, will soon afford prognostics
sufficiently certain to enable an enlightened government to provide in time
against future evils."
-
After crossing the Northern Lotembwa we met a party of the people of Kangenke,
who had treated us kindly on our way to the north, and sent him
a robe of striped calico, with an explanation of the reason
for not returning through his village. We then went on to the Lake Dilolo.
It is a fine sheet of water, six or eight miles long, and one or two broad,
and somewhat of a triangular shape. A branch proceeds from one of the angles,
and flows into the Southern Lotembwa. Though laboring under fever,
the sight of the blue waters, and the waves lashing the shore,
had a most soothing influence on the mind, after so much of lifeless, flat,
and gloomy forest. The heart yearned for the vivid impressions which
are always created by the sight of the broad expanse of the grand old ocean.
That has life in it; but the flat uniformities over which we had roamed
made me feel as if buried alive. We found Moene Dilolo (Lord of the Lake)
a fat, jolly fellow, who lamented that when they had no strangers they had
plenty of beer, and always none when they came. He gave us a handsome present
of meal and putrid buffalo's flesh. Meat can not be too far gone for them,
as it is used only in small quantities, as a sauce to their tasteless manioc.
They were at this time hunting antelopes, in order to send the skins
as a tribute to Matiamvo. Great quantities of fish are caught in the lake;
and numbers of young water-fowl are now found in the nests among the reeds.
Our progress had always been slow, and I found that our rate of traveling
could only be five hours a day for five successive days. On the sixth,
both men and oxen showed symptoms of knocking up. We never exceeded
two and a half or three miles an hour in a straight line,
though all were anxious to get home. The difference in the rate of traveling
between ourselves and the slave-traders was our having a rather quicker step,
a longer day's journey, and twenty traveling days a month
instead of their ten. When one of my men became ill, but still could walk,
others parted his luggage among them; yet we had often to stop one day a week,
besides Sundays, simply for the sake of rest. The latitude of Lake Dilolo
is 11d 32' 1" S., long. 22d 27' E.
JUNE 14TH. We reached the collection of straggling villages
over which Katema rules, and were thankful to see old familiar faces again.
Shakatwala performed the part of a chief by bringing forth
abundant supplies of food in his master's name. He informed us
that Katema, too, was out hunting skins for Matiamvo.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 198 of 295
Words from 204368 to 205375
of 306638
