248 Wild Life in Central Africa. 



home. Tomatoes are found everywhere of a small variety, 

 and they grow in the native gardens. 



A vegetable which has a hard, shell-like skin is grown, 

 and these are made into gourds for carrying water and for 

 drinking it. They call the large gourds " chipanda," and 

 the small ones for drinking out of " tumo." 



In some districts with large lakes and rivers in the 

 vicinity they catch and eat a quantity of fish, and the 

 ordinary barbel or mud-fish is the commonest. 



It has a very muddy taste and is rather full of bones, 

 and the European will think them but poor eating compared 

 to the delicious fish he gets at home. There are many 

 other kinds of fish, but as I have never lived on Lake 

 Nyasa, which I believe is full of fish, I do not know the 

 names of the commonly used kinds. 



In the large rivers, such as the Zambesi and Luangwa, 

 there are several sporting fish, including the tiger fish, 

 which needs the strongest piano wire traces to hold him, 

 as he has jaws like a pair of nippers, and will go through 

 an ordinary gimp trace without the least effort. I have 

 never had the necessary equipment there to go in for 

 fishing, and, except for a year spent on the Luangwa River 

 in 1905, I have not lived near any very large river which 

 could afford good fishing. Doubtless there are a number 

 of fish in this country that would give good sport, and I 

 believe spoons are the best lure, although minnows might 

 be useful also. For bait, the entrails of fowls are good. 



The hooks should be pretty large, and, for ordinary 

 mudfish, twisted wire is better than gut. The latter 

 deteriorates here very quickly when exposed to heat, 

 and is not strong enough for African fish. 



The following are the usual prices away from a township 

 for the livestock and foodstuffs sold by the natives : 



Cattle, bulls (depends on age) \ to 3 each 



cows ( ,, ,, ) 2 to 4. 



Sheep, rams 75. to los. 



,, ewes 8s. to 125. 



Goats, billies 25. to 55. 



,, nannies (sometimes with kid) ... 4$. to js. 



