i6o 



to surrender the fish to them. He was in a most awkward situation, 

 as his trading depended on the good-will of the French authorities, 

 and he could not afford to offend them. Not one of them would 

 apparently believe that anyone would come from so far off as 

 South Africa just to fetch a fish, certainly not in a special flight 

 such as Hunt visualised and obviously expected. Hunt got 

 the Governor to promise that if I did come to fetch it in person 

 that way, no difficulties would be raised about its being handed 

 over to me. Even when my final cable came there was apparently 

 still scepticism; they were not finally convinced until the roar of the 

 Dakota brought them all running from their homes to look at the 

 skies. It must indeed have been sweet music to Hunt's ears. . . . 



I must have dozed off, for I woke with a start to a shout in my 

 ears. Ralston's head was poked through the door and he was 

 gesturing ahead. 'We can see land,' he shouted and withdrew. 

 I was up in an instant and went forward. Yes, there was the 

 African coast and north of us was a bay, but it was not the bay of 

 Mozambique. We all stared. It proved to be Mokambo, south of 

 Mozambique. The wind up top had been northerly after all, and 

 we had been driven southwards. Swinging round in a wide arc, 

 we soon picked up my beloved isle of Mozambique, and I could 

 see right beyond Fernao Veloso, which is the northern point of 

 Nacala Bay, to the wreck on the end of the Pinda Reef. 



Pinda 1 I have told you something of our life there and of the 

 lions. Pinda ! Where I endured unspeakable agony and nearly 

 died from the stabs of the dreaded Stone-fish; but all that is a 

 story by itself. 



As the air was fairly clear just then and the light good (11.55 

 a.m.), I asked Blaauw to circle close north of Mazambique which 

 enabled me to take the photograph reproduced on Plate 5, 

 showing the whole island, with the famous fort of St. Sebastian 

 at the near, north, end. At 12.05 P-"^- ^^ landed on Lumbo. The 

 *Chefe' of the airport ran out and eagerly sought my news. I 

 told him we had got it and he stared at the box. 'Could he see the 

 fish ?' I shook my head, for on the way over I had resolved that not 

 a single person was going to see that fish until I had shown it to 

 Dr. Malan. 



It was baking hot, the wind from the land almost scorched the 

 skin. I asked the crew their needs, and they voted for iced shandies. 



