ABSTRACT
IN a country in which most of the rivel"s are nearly six months of the year dependent for water upon streams that work their way through the sand, few kinds of tIle finny race can be expected to live. The deep and extensive pools so often met with in sandless rivers are, however, not wanting in a few kinds offish. These inlalld l1atural fish ponds are generally well stocked with barbels and a species of trout. At one time, the strong desire for animal food led me to try my hand at fishing. I found the ravenous, reckless barbel ready enough to swallow the bait, hook and all; but the trout was 110t so easily tempted, being much more cautious and particular in the choice of a bait. Although llnable, with our clumsy hooks, rough rod, and tasteless morsel, to secure many of the latter and more tender kind of fish, we adopted a plan by which any quantity might be hauled at once out of the water. Before our house at Inyati there was a waterfurrow, and a bridge made over it. For a few beads and a small quantity of calico, the native boys caught a
number of trout in the Inkwinkwizi river, and brought them into my new fishery. These were not there long before they increased in size and number to such an extent, that the newly made water-course abounded in them. Whell a dinner of trout was desired, the wagon sail was brought, an ox reim attached to each -of its four corllers, and one end of it having been placed upon the bridge, and the other end sunk and kept with stolles under the water at the bottom of the brook, it sel"ved for a net. IlltO this the fisll, slnall and large, ,vere driven like a flock by the native boys, sent to walk down the stream for that purpose. Then suddenly lifting up the end ,vhich was in the water, the whole was dragged out, and having picked as many of the largest as were wanted, the others were put back into the water for another time. Wilen very cold during a winter night, the fish of the shallow water were benumbed, and in the morning we found them all on their backs, and were able to take as InallY of them out with the hand as ,ve pleased.
