46 
FISHING ON LAKE VICTORIA 
trackless waste. The owners of these cleverly constructed 
rafts sit singly in the stern, and proving bolder, put out further 
into the lake and anchor their rafts by means of a large stone. 
At last in a break in the long line of Mirindi trees ( ambatch ) 
which grow in the water a few yards from the shore one sees 
the seiners at work. Carefully coiled on two broad rafts of 
dry Raphia fronds are two long ropes made of a tough fibrous 
grass characteristic of this region. When plaited, it forms 
light but strong rope ; one end of each is fixed to the row of 
twelve or more fish traps, linked together sideways. Each 
basket is about four feet in diameter and six to ten feet long, 
tapering to a blunt point, and each has an internal conical 
member forming the doorway of the trap. To the top of each 
basket to mark its position is fixed a bunch of leaves from 
the wild date palm, and for thirty to fifty yards on each side 
of the line of baskets pieces of banana leaves are fixed to the 
rope as a fringe to direct the fish to the baskets. All being 
ready, the baskets are placed on a raft and a man to each raft 
with a long pole then punt the rafts into the lake, which at 
this part has a sandy bottom and is scarcely more than ten to 
sixteen feet deep. When sufficiently far out the baskets are 
shoved off into the water and each raft makes a detour in 
an opposite direction and returns to the shore, where a score 
or more of men, nude save for a fringe of banana leaves girt 
round their loins, catch hold of the free ends of the ropes 
and steadily haul in the seine. Excitement grows as the tufts 
of palm leaves indicate the near approach of the baskets. 
When close enough in, some men enter the water and with 
great splashings drive the fish towards the baskets, which are 
then drawn round into a circle to enclose the whole catch, 
which a man standing in the middle drives in. When the 
circle has been narrowed down as far as possible, each trap 
is picked up in turn and tilted so that the fish are poured into 
a small basket held ready below. When all are emptied, the 
glittering silvery mass is placed into a shallow hollow scooped 
in the sand and the fish sorted, while the rafts set out once more. 
A crackling fire behind, tended by a youngster, is soon 
requisitioned, and any special tasty fish toasted over it to 
cheer the patient toilers. 
