360 TRADE IN DRIED FISH. Chap. XIII. 



did not see any streams flowing into it. It is quite remark- 

 able for the abundance of fish; and we saw upwards of fifty 

 large canoes engaged in the fishery, which is carried on by 

 means of hand-nets with side-frame poles about seven feet 

 long. These nets are nearly identical with those aow in 

 use in Normandy — the difference being that the African 



Chia Hand Net. 



net has a piece of stick lashed across the handle-ends of 

 the side poles to keep them steady, which is a great im- 

 provement. The fish must be very abundant to be scooped 

 out of the water in such quantities as we saw, and by so 

 many canoes. There is quite a trade here in dried fish. 



The country around is elevated, undulating, and very 

 extensively planted with cassava. The hoe in use has a 

 handle of four feet in length, and the iron part is exactly 

 of the same form as that in the country of tie Bechuanas. 

 The baskets here, which are so closely woven together as 

 to hold beer, are the same with those employed to hold 

 milk in Kaffirland — a thousand miles distaiit. 



Marching on foot is peculiarly conducive to meditation 

 — one is glad of any subject to occupy the mind, and 

 relieve the monotony of the weary treadmill-like trudge- 

 trudging. This Chia net brought to our mind that the 

 smith's bellows made here of a goatskin bag, with sticks 

 along the open ends, are the same as those in use in the 

 Bechuana country far to the south-west. These, with the 

 long-handled hoe, may only show that each successive horde 



