Xlviii INTRODUCTION. 



clammed to prevent the fish escaping, and then the men entered the water and began 

 moving towards the other end in extended order, shouting and plunging their spears 

 (straight ones) into the water in front of them. The chief object was to drive the 

 fish into the clumps of vegetation dotted about near the swampy banks, and when 

 one was reached they spread out in a semicircle (see PL F), gradually drawing 

 together as they nearecl the clump of rushes, which was surrounded, when the whole 

 party worked their way towards the middle, plying the spears more vigorously and 

 shouting louder until the clump had been thoroughly speared through. Notwithstanding 

 the excitement and energy with which the spears were employed no one seemed to 

 receive any injury. When the end of the kore had been reached they commenced to 

 work back again in canoes, two men in each, one to paddle and the other to fish with 

 the bow-shaped spear, The party worked in extended order. The canoes were simply 

 dug-outs made from the trunk of the Dom palm, 10-15 feet in length. 



The catch was small considering the number of men employed. I noticed several 

 medium-sized Polypterus senegalus and a few large Clarias. The entire absence of 

 quarrelling and prevalent good*humour was a striking feature, and in marked contrast 

 to what is usual where Arabs are concerned. 



On another occasion a large party collected to fish a kore at Kaka, 70 miles N. 

 of Fashoda ; it was composed of Shilluks and Dinkas, with some women of the 

 former tribe. The men, using the bow-shaped spear, moved up the 

 £' '' kore in extended order (PL F) and the women followed with 



large cup-shaped wicker baskets open at both ends, which they 

 kept on thrusting into the water down to the bottom, on the 

 chance of enclosing a fish, which could be removed by putting 

 the arm through the small hole at one end, just large enough for 

 this purpose (fig. 27). 



1 have occasionally seen this basket Used in Egypt, but never as a serious method 

 of catching fish. Other women Used a rough kind of net with large mesh, made of 

 twisted fibre, about 3 yards long and 2 wide, attached to two poles, one woman to each 

 pole. It was held obliquely and pushed along the bottom, being lifted up every now 

 and then. The method of spearing fish is very picturesque, but not very efficient. 

 Time is no object, however, among these people, and it does not matter whether a man 

 spends half a day or a whole day in providing for his supper. 



If any native is seen by chance using a rod and line on the White Nile, the idea has 

 been taken from the Arabs, as hooks are unknown to the natives. 



I reached Fashoda on January 18th, 1901, and Lake No on the 28th. After leaving 

 Goz abu Gumah the vegetation on the river-banks became dense, and a fringe of forest 

 marked the higher ground. The river winds through reedy islands and masses of swamp- 

 grass. The "serut" fly now makes its appearance; it is about three times the size 

 of a house-fly and has a very sharp bite : the mosquito appears at night. The forest 



