178 PIGEONS— FISH. Chap. XV. 



along the banks, and the notes of many birds told nie that we 

 were among strangers. The beautiful trogon, with bright 

 scarlet breast and black back, uttered a most peculiar note, 

 similar to that said to have been emitted by Memnon, and 

 compared to the tuning of a lyre. The boatmen answered it 

 by calling "Kama, nama!" — meat, meat — as if they thought 

 that a repetition of the note would be a good omen for our 

 success in hunting. Many more interesting birds were met ; 

 but as I wished to avoid exciting the cupidity of those 

 through whose country we intended to pass by having much 

 luggage, I refrained from making any collection. 



Vast shoals of fish come down the Zambesi with the rising 

 waters, as in the Zouga. They probably make this migration 

 in consequence of the increased rapidity of the current, by 

 which they are dislodged from their old pasture-grounds 

 higher up the river. Insects constitute but a small portion 

 of the food of many fish. Fine vegetable matter, such as 

 slender mosses, forms another article of their diet, and, when 

 they are dislodged from the main stream by the force of the 

 current, they find abundant pasture on the flooded plains. 

 The mosala (Clarias Capensis and Giants siluris), the mullet 

 (Mugil Africanus), and other fishes, spread over the Barotse 

 valley in such numbers that, when the waters retire, all the 

 people are employed in cutting them up and drying them. 

 The supply exceeds the demand, and a most offensive smell is 

 generated by the putrefying masses. The Zambesi is every- 

 where remarkable for the abundance of animal life in and 

 upon its waters, and on the adjacent banks. 



CHAPTEE XV. 



Ascent of the Leeba. — The Balonda and Ambonda. — Female 



chiefs. 



On the 27th December we reached the confluence of the Leeba 

 and Zambesi (lat. 14° 10' 52" S., long. 23° 35' 40" E.). Masiko, 

 the Barotse chief, for whom we had some captives, consisting 

 of two boys, a girl, a young man, and two women, lived nearly 



