Missionary Travels and Researches in South AfricaLivingstone, David
Religion
Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa
Livingstone, David
Missions -- South Africa; South Africa -- Description and travel
The Lokalueje winds from northeast to southwest into the Leeba. The
country adjacent to its banks is extremely fine and fertile, with
here and there patches of forest or clumps of magnificent trees. The
villagers through whose gardens we passed continue to sow and reap all
the year round. The grains, as maize, lotsa ('Pennisetum typhoideum'),
lokesh or millet, are to be seen at all stages of their growth--some
just ripe, while at this time the Makololo crops are not half grown. My
companions, who have a good idea of the different qualities of soils,
expressed the greatest admiration of the agricultural capabilities of
the whole of Londa, and here they were loud in their praises of the
pasturage. They have an accurate idea of the varieties of grasses best
adapted for different kinds of stock, and lament because here there
are no cows to feed off the rich green crop, which at this time imparts
special beauty to the landscape.
Great numbers of the omnivorous feeding fish, 'Glanis siluris', or
mosala, spread themselves over the flooded plains, and, as the waters
retire, try to find their way back again to the rivers. The Balonda make
earthen dikes and hedges across the outlets of the retreating waters,
leaving only small spaces through which the chief part of the water
flows. In these open spaces they plant creels, similar in shape to our
own, into which the fish can enter, but can not return. They secure
large quantities of fish in this way, which, when smoke-dried, make a
good relish for their otherwise insipid food. They use also a weir of
mats made of reeds sewed together, with but half an inch between each.
Open spaces are left for the insertion of the creels as before.
In still water, a fish-trap is employed of the same shape and plan as
the common round wire mouse-trap, which has an opening surrounded with
wires pointing inward. This is made of reeds and supple wands, and food
is placed inside to attract the fish.
Besides these means of catching fish, they use a hook of iron without a
barb; the point is bent inward instead, so as not to allow the fish to
escape. Nets are not so common as in the Zouga and Leeambye, but they
kill large quantities of fishes by means of the bruised leaves of a
shrub, which may be seen planted beside every village in the country.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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