1873.] THE LAKE FISH. 291 



nesses. Made stirrups of thick brass wire four-fold ; they 

 promise to do well. Sent Kabinga a cloth, and a message, 

 but he is evidently a niggard, like Matipa : we must take 

 him as we find him, there is no use in growling. Seven 

 of our men returned, having got a canoe from one of 

 Matipa's men. Kabinga, it seems, was pleased with the 

 cloth, and says that he will ask for maize from his people, 

 and buy it for me ; he has rice growing. He will send a 

 canoe to carry me over the next river. 



3rd April, 1873. — Very heavy rain last night. Six inches 

 fell in a short time. The men at last have come from 

 Matipa's. 



Mh April. — Sent over to Kabinga to buy a cow, and got 

 a fat one for 2^ dotis, to give the party a feast ere we start. 

 The kambari fish of the Chambeze is three feet three 

 inches in length. 



Two others, the "polwe" and " lopatakwao," all go up 

 the Chambeze to spawn when the rains begin. Casembe's 

 people make caviare of the spawn of the " pumbo." 



[The next entry is made in a new pocket-book, numbered 

 XVII. For the first few days pen and ink were used, 

 afterwards a well-worn stump of pencil, stuck into a steel 

 penholder and attached to a piece of bamboo, served his 

 purpose.] 



5th April. — March from Kabinga's on the Chambeze, 

 our luggage in canoes, and men on land. We punted on 

 flood six feet deep, with many ant-hills all about, covered 

 with trees. Course S.S.E. for five miles, across the River 

 Lobingela, sluggish, and about oOO yards wide. 



6th April. — Leave in the same way, but men were sent 

 from Kabinga to steal the canoes, which we paid his brother 

 Mateysa handsomely for. A stupid drummer, beating the 

 alarm in the distance, called us inland ; we found the main 



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