But what an odd place for him to fish in; so far from home; and I wonder what he was fishing for.

When you have time, Komba, you must explain to me what it is that you catch amidst the roots of thick reeds in such shallow water." Komba replied that he would do so with pleasure--when he had time.

Then, as though to avoid further conversation he ran forward, and thrusting the reeds apart, showed me a great canoe, big enough to hold thirty or forty men, which with infinite labour had been hollowed out of the trunk of a single, huge tree.

This canoe differed from the majority of those that personally I have seen used on African lakes and rivers, in that it was fitted for a mast, now unshipped.

I looked at it and said it was a fine boat, whereon Komba replied that there were a hundred such at Rica Town, though not all of them were so large.
Ah! thought I to myself as we walked back to the camp.