FISH — IGUANOS — HIPPOPOTAMI. 225 



the matter, and, as the hawk comes near, he supposes 

 that he is about to be killed, and roars out " Murder ! " 

 The opening of his mouth enables the hawk to whisk the 

 fish out of the pouch, upon which the pelican does not 

 fly away, but commences fishing again ; the fright having 

 probably made him forget he ever had anything in his 

 purse. 



A fish called mosheba, about the size of a minnow, 

 often skims along the surface for several yards in order 

 to get out of the way of the canoe. It uses the pectoral 

 fins, as the flying fish do, but never makes a clean flight. 

 It is rather a succession of hops along the surface, made 

 by the aid of the side fins. It never becomes large. 



Numbers of iguanos (mpulu) sit sunning themselves on 

 overhanging branches of the trees, and splash into the 

 water as we approach. They are highly esteemed as an 

 article of food, the flesh being tender and gelatinous. The 

 chief boatman, who occupies the stem, has in consequence 

 a light javelin always at hand, tc? spear them if they are 

 not quickly out of sight. These, and large alligators 

 gliding in from the banks with a heavy plunge as we 

 come round a sudden bend of the stream, were the occur- 

 rences of every hour as we sped up the river. 



The rapids in the part of the river between Katima- 

 molelo and Nameta are relieved by several reaches of still 

 deep water, fifteen or twenty miles long. In these, very 

 large herds of hippopotami are seen, and the deep furrows 

 they make, in ascending the banks to graze during the 

 nights, are everywhere apparent. They are guided back 

 to the water by the scent, but a long-continued pouring 

 rain makes it impossible for them to perceive, by that 

 means, in which direction the river hes, and they are 

 found standing bewildered on the land. The hunters 

 take advantage of their helplessness on these occasions 

 to kill them. 



It is impossible to judge of the numbers in a herd, for 

 they are almost always hidden beneath the waters ; but 

 as they require to come up every few minutes to breathe, 

 when there is a constant succession of heads thrust up, 

 then the herd is supposed to be large. They love a still 

 reach of the stream, as in the more rapid parts of the 

 channel they are floated down so quickly, that much 

 exertion is necessary to regain the distance lost, by 

 frequently swimming up again — such constant exertion 



Q 



