SECOND EXPEDITION TO-SOUTH AFRICA 113 
by a rope attached to a catch, the other end of the rope being 
brought down, fixed about a foot from the ground, across the path, 
and tied to one of the trees opposite. As the animal presses 
against the rope the catch is freed, and down comes the spike. 
The northerners, who live on the shores of the lakes, Kamadou 
particularly, kill them from canoes with spears like harpoons, 
which, once firmly fixed, serve to show by their shafts the 
direction taken by the wounded beast, and enable the men to 
follow him and repeat the attack until, utterly weakened from 
loss of blood, he is secured by ropes and drawn ashore. This 
plan, which seems to me to have its drawbacks and dangers, 
is not attempted on the rivers, and I was never an eye witness 
of it, even on the lakes; but I have two or three of the 
harpoon assegais, and this was the story of the hunting as 
told to Livingstone. — 
_ On the low Siloquana hills near this we made our acquaint-- 
ance with the Tsétsé fly, which we were the first to bring to 
_ notice ; Vardon taking or sending to England some he caught 
on his favourite horse. They have now been thoroughly 
discussed entomologically, and I would only very lightly 
touch uponthem. The Glossina morsitans is a dusky grey, long- 
_ winged, vicious-looking fly, barred on the back with striz, and 
about the size of the fly you so often see on dogs in summer. 
Small as he is, two to three will kill your largest ox, or your 
_ strongest horse—for the poison introduced by the proboscis 
_ is zymotic ; the victims sicken in a few days, the sub-lingual 
: glands and muscles thicken, the eyes weep, a defluxion runs 
_ from the nostrils, the coat stares, and in periods varying 
_ from a fortnight to three months death ensues. On examina- 
tion after death the blood is found to have diminished won- 
derfully in quantity, to have become gelatinous in appear- 
_ance, and to have parted with its colouring property. You 
_ may plunge your hands into it and it runs off like tapioca, without 
q Staining them. The vital organs, lungs and heart, are flaccid 
_ and anzemic, but show no further sign of disease. The flesh 
has a peculiar glairy appearance. Wild animals are not 
L. I 
