The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death, Volume II (of 2), 1869-1873: Continued By A Narrative Of His Last Moments And Sufferings, Obtained From His Faithful Servants Chuma And SusiLivingstone, David
History
The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death, Volume II (of 2), 1869-1873: Continued By A Narrative Of His Last Moments And Sufferings, Obtained From His Faithful Servants Chuma And Susi
Livingstone, David
Africa, Central -- Description and travel
One sees interminable grassy prairies with lines of trees, occupying
quarters of miles in breadth, and these give way to bouga or prairie
again. The bouga is flooded annually, but its vegetation consists of dry
land grasses. Other bouga extend out from the Lake up to forty miles,
and are known by aquatic vegetation, such as lotus, papyrus, arums,
rushes of different species, and many kinds of purely aquatic subaqueous
plants which send up their flowers only to fructify in the sun, and then
sink to ripen one bunch after another. Others, with great
cabbage-looking leaves, seem to remain always at the bottom. The young
of fish swarm, and bob in and out from the leaves. A species of soft
moss grows on most plants, and seems to be good fodder for fishes,
fitted by hooked or turned-up noses to guide it into their maws.
One species of fish has the lower jaw turned down into a hook, which
enables the animal to hold its mouth close to the plant, as it glides up
or down, sucking in all the soft pulpy food. The superabundance of
gelatinous nutriment makes these swarmers increase in bulk with
extraordinary rapidity, and the food supply of the people is plenteous
in consequence. The number of fish caught by weirs, baskets, and nets
now, as the waters decline, is prodigious. The fish feel their element
becoming insufficient for comfort, and retire from one bouga to another
towards the Lake; the narrower parts are duly prepared by weirs to take
advantage of their necessities; the sun heat seems to oppress them and
force them to flee. With the south-east aerial current comes heat and
sultriness. A blanket is scarcely needed till the early hours of the
morning, and here, after the turtle doves and cocks give out their
warning calls to the watchful, the fish-eagle lifts up his remarkable
voice. It is pitched in a high falsetto key, very loud, and seems as if
he were calling to some one in the other world. Once heard, his weird
unearthly voice can never be forgotten--it sticks to one through life.
We were four hours in being ferried over the Loitikila, or Lolotikila,
in four small canoes, and then two hours south-west down its left bank
to another river, where our camp has been formed. I sent over a present
to the headman, and a man returned with the information that he was ill
at another village, but his wife would send canoes to-morrow to transport
us over and set us on our way to Muanazambamba, south-west, and over
Lolotikila again.
_14th April, 1873._--At a branch of the Lolotikila.
_15th April, 1873._--Cross Lolotikila again (where it is only fifty
yards) by canoes, and went south-west an hour. I, being very weak, had
to be carried part of the way. Am glad of resting; _aíµa_ flow
copiously last night. A woman, the wife of the chief, gave a present of
a goat and maize.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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