Abandoned morsel lying on the opposite sand-banks.
The hawk is, however, not always so generous, for, as I myself was a witness
on the Zouga, it sometimes plunders the purse of the pelican.
Soaring over head, and seeing this large, stupid bird fishing beneath,
it watches till a fine fish is safe in the pelican's pouch;
then descending, not very quickly, but with considerable noise of wing,
the pelican looks up to see what is the matter, and, as the hawk comes near,
he supposes that he is about to be killed, and roars out "Murder!"
The opening of his mouth enables the hawk to whisk the fish out of the pouch,
upon which the pelican does not fly away, but commences fishing again,
the fright having probably made him forget he had any thing in his purse.
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.
