302 THE TANGANYIKA PROBLEM. 



If we examine the lake in April, we find that there are 

 very few medusae to be obtained ; in fact the natives, who, 

 unlike most Europeans, take a considerable interest in 

 these matters, told me to begin with that there were none to 

 be found at this time of the year, but after I had captured a 

 large specimen myself, they informed me that they knew 

 there were a few, but it took a great deal of trouble to find 

 them till later in the season, and that, considering the state 

 of the weather and the character of their boats, they had 

 thought it better that I should be misinformed. They then 

 volunteered some further rather startling and by no 

 means incorrect, information. A well-made naked old 

 man stood up upon a rock and gave me the following 

 account: — "You white man," he said, "have come from 

 far, from the cold land of the white men who smell 

 like game ; you come here with your long neck stretched 

 out looking on the ground for that which is no use ; 

 you have seen many lakes in the countries to the 

 south, in Nyassa land, where a little childlike white man 

 is chief, but all the lakes you have seen are different 

 from Liemba (Tanganyika) : they are blind lakes, asleep, 

 Liemba, on the other hand, has the eyes, one of which 

 you have just found. In the rain Liemba also sleeps ; but 

 when the clouds dissolve, and the night wind dies down 

 before daylight as at this season, Tanganyika awakes like 

 us, to look at the moon and the stars, and the lake is then 

 full of eyes." This somewhat remarkable native statement 

 I found, however, as a matter of fact, to be true. During 

 the end of the wet season at the south end of Tanganyika, 

 that is in March, only a very few large medusae are to be 

 found. These solitary adults have thick, well-developed 

 manubriums, and, if they are carefully examined, it is found 

 that the outer wall of this structure is studded all over with 



