■^^■^rvi^Slltmim. ■^ ^€ ^^ -^■^' 4:^*-.^^ :t^ ^4C^ S^ c< 'cccvCTcc-f cc ^•ci<^ *^ cc Cc ;C C c'^ cc c cv c^:^ d' ^-^ <^cc. ^ ^^■L zc'c<^.<::<< < c c , c^^- ccn «« Zl^'^ c ccc. ^m c:^- V CCC « C^ • c c cc: ^ ^r ' CCC ^ 1^" 7 : vc^c^;^ « ^.' - eOC < it ^_' " - OCXL^ W^~ ^ cn ^n^ "^U^ T ^: ■ ,l 59 Stanley as an Explorer 401 60 View in the " Land of the Moon " 420 61 Stanley, His boy Kalulu and Interpreter Salim 426 62 Giraffe Pits 440 03 Buffalo Hunting 455 64 Among the Mountains 406 65 In the Valley 406 66 Return of a War Party- 4';8 67 The Meeting of Livingstone and Stanley at Ujiji 488 68 Dr.. Livingstone's House at Ujiji 493 69 Dr. Livingstone as an Explorer 499 70 Livingstone and Stanley Navigating Lake Tangany'ika 5'. 8 71 Stanley Returning TO the Coast 539 72 Livingstone and Stanley Receive Newspapers at Unyanyembe 544 73 Stanley's Return to Bagamoyo 548 74 View of British Consulate, Zanzibar 552 75 Private Reception of the Livingstone Expedition at the Sultan's Palace. . . . 553 76 Drilling Nasik boys at Zanzibar 5'il 77 Lip and Nose Ornaments 571 78 Life ON THE Lake Shore 571 79 Reception by' Lotus Club, New York 659 80 Portrait of Henry M. Stanley 671 81 Grant Dancing with the Queen 685 82 Rumanika's Private Band 690 83 The Arrest of the Queen 604 84 At the Court of the Queen 697 85 The Desert Journey 701 86 Close Quarters with the Lion 706 87 Game Returning from the River 7C9 88 Attack op the Rhinoceros. . 709 89 Rhinoceros Hunt 713 90 Durban, from the Botanical Gardens 723 91 Kaffirs at Home 733 92 Procession of the Bride 737 93 Missionary Station .. 741 94 Table Mountain and Kraal 714 95 Portraits of Bishop Colenzo, Rev. James Deue, and Native Kaffirs 750 96 African Diamond Fields . 754 97 Leaving Port Natal 757 98 On the Road 757 99 Scene in tub Diamond Fields 761 100 Slave Market at Zanzibar 767 101 Poktrait of Sib Bartle Frere 776 MAPS AND AUTOGRAPH LETTERS. Map op Africa, with Location of Tribes 18 Map of Explorer's Routes 387 Map of Natal Colony and Surroundings 727 Autograph Letter of Dr. Livinqstonk 549 Autograph Letter of Stanley 679 Map of thk Nile Countey 682 CHAPTER I. THE CONTINENT OF AFEICA. AFEICA, or as raucli of it as the ancients were acquainted with, formed a third part of the then known world, and constituted an important division thereof. It was called Lib- ya, and was inhabited by several different nations, some of which, at a very early period, had made great advancement in the liberal arts. Bordering on the Mediterranean and Red Seas, they enjoyed an extensive commerce, and grew rich and powerful. Egypt, one of the oldest nations of the Avorld, became famous, and Carthage, the rival of Home, sent forth her fleets to every part of the known world. But for the Isthmus of Suez, which connects Egypt, with Arabia, Africa would be an Island. A ship-canal across this Isthmus, connecting the waters of the Mediterranean and Red Seas, lias been lately completed by the French at a cost of $100,000,000. It is said that the Pharaohs made an attempt to build such a canal, and, according to Herodotus, 120,000 men perished upon the work before it was abandoned. Over this Isthmus, before the new route to the Indies via. Cape Horn was discovered, passed much of the commerce of the ancient world. Indian products were brought in the junks of China and Ilindostan to Aden, on the Arabian coast- There the western merchants, reloading them into their own ships, conveyed them up the Red Sea to Suez. Thence, they passed through a canal to the citj of Alexandria. This 19 20 THE CONTIXEXT OF AFRICA. Alexandrian canal, like that of the Pharaohs, is now choked np with sand and rubbish — a ruin as complete as that of the great city itself. The great feature of Northern Africa is the Sahara or Great Desert, the most barren, parched, and terrific waste in the world. The higliest mountains of Africa are along the coast. The Atlas, in Morocco, is thirteen thousand feet high. On the eastern coast, a little north of Zanzibar, are peaks twenty thousand feet high, and covered with perpetual snow. There are several large lakes in the interior, some of which are very- shallow. For so vast a country, Africa has very few rivers, and most of them ai-e unnavigable. The largest are the Nile, the Niger, the Senegal, the Gambia, the Congo, the Orange, which is the northern boundary of the Cape Colony, and the Zambesi on the south eastern coast. The Niger is navigable for six hundred miles. The river Nile has been explored southerly, through thirty degrees of latitude ; and if the streams running northerly, which Dr. Livingstone has lately discovered, and explored in part, prove to be, as he believes, identical with that river, then the Nile extends southerly forty or more degrees of lat- itude. The river Atbara is the last tributary of the Nile, and joins it about eleven hundred miles from its mouth. Thence, the noble flood, fed by never failing supplies, rolls steadily on, through arid sands and burning deserts. The great problem of the Nile has ever been, to find the sources of these sup- plies. In consequence of the unhealthy and sometimes pestilen- tial clinuite of the flat coasts, the difticulties of ascending the rivers, the wild animals which roam over the country in vast numbers, and tlic uncivilized races who inhabit a large portion of it, until recently but little has been really known of Africa ; and what geographers have said of it, especially of the inte- rior, has been little more reliable than ijuess-work. AREA— CLIMATE— POPULATION. 21 The mineral wealth of Africa is as imperfectly known as its geography. Gold dust is found in the sands of many of its streams ; copper and iron are sometimes met with ; and salt is widely diffused. The recently discovered African dia- mond-fields lie near !N^atal, in the Ivaflir country on the south eastern coast. Africa has an area of nearly 12,000,000 square miles, and its population has been roughly estimated at 60,000,000. Its original inhabitants are supposed to have been the descend- ants of Ham. Lying almost wholly in the Torrid Zone it is subject to great heat, and the climate, especially on the sea coast, is very unhealthy for white people. Some portions of the interior, however, are healthy and salubrious. The uplands of the Kalahari desert, in Southern Africa, have a climate of this character. The greatest heat is north of the equator, as the southern portions are more elevated. In the Sahara there is great intensity of radiation, so that very hot days are followed by very cold nights. Africa is said to be the hottest of the continents. It is a common error to look upon all the dark races of Africa as negroes. On the contrary, the area of territory occu- pied by men of the true negro type, black skin, thick lips, depressed noses, and woolly hair, is comparatively snially and lies mostly on, or near, some portions of the western coast. Generally, the African negro is inferior in mind to the other African races, though some of them, like the Bushmen, are more degraded. Still, the negroes have a good deal of inge- nuity, and in some parts of Africa have attained to consider- able knowledge in agriculture and manufactures. Those who have embraced the religion of Mohammed are much ele- vated above those who remain pagans. The other races differ widely, some approaching nearly to the negro, and some to the Arabian type. Many pure Arabs are found scattered over Africa, especially in the northern parts. Considerable numbers live in Eastern Africa, some acting as merchants. The Turks are found mostly in Korth Africa and Egypt. 22 AGRICULTURAL RESOURCES. The surface of the Continent of Africa has been likened to a dish turned upside down, having a high and flat central plateau with a higher rim of hills surrounding it, outside of which is an abrupt slope to a flat strip of land bordering on the sea. There are, however, exceptions to this general form, for in some portions of the interior are high hills, deep depressions, and lakes from which rivers find their way to the sea ; and, instead of a rim at the northern end, the ground slopes gradually down from the equator to the Mediterranean Sea. The agricultural resources of Africa are rich and varied. Cotton, tobacco, indigo, sugar-cane, and tropical fruits and veg- etables grow in many portions of it luxuriantly ; and rice, manioc, Indian corn, and other grains are cultivated success- fully. Extensive coffee plantations are found on the West Coast. The principal exports of Africa are ivory, j^alm-oil, cam- wood, cardimon seed. India-rubber, bees-wax, precious metals, and slaves. The slave trade on the West Coast has been sup- pressed, and an effort is about being made to put an end to it on the East Coast. Beads, cotton fabrics, and brass wire are staple imports. In some portions of uncivilized Africa, a historical thread guides througli a labyrinth of ancient tribes and overthrown kingdoms, relics of which in the form of splendid ruins — the hoary remnants of past splendor — meet the eye. Other por- tions lack antiquarian and historic interest, having few tradi- tions, no annals, no ruins, and no traces of works of useful- ness or ornament. L CHAPTER II. AFKICA AND ITS INHABITANTS. YING along tlie south shore of the MediteiTanean are the . Barbary States— Tripoli, Tunis, Algeria and Morocco, extending westerly from Egypt to the Atlantic Ocean. The population are Moors, Jews, Turks, and Arabs, with many negroes and mixed races. South of the Barbary States lies the Great Desert of Saha- ra, having an average breadth from north to south of one thousand" miles, and a length of over two thousand miles. A portion of this desert consists of high table lands, some- times rising into mountains ; but for the most part it is a desolate, dreary, burning plain of shifting sand and stones. There are however many oases, where water and vegetation are found, some of which are of large extent. Considerable cities are found in these oases, and there is a good deal of commerce carried on between them, camels being the ships of the desert. In the Oasis of Ghat, a fair is annually held which is attended sometimes by caravans to the number of 30,000 camels. Fearful sand-storms sometimes occur on these deserts, when the dry loose sand is carried upward and onward by the wind, filling the air like a terrific thunder-cloud, and in such quantities that sometimes whole caravans have been buried in its drifts. When seen approaching, experienced travelers fall flat on their faces, and camels instinctively put their noses to the ground to prevent suffocation. The mirage is a curious phenomena of the desert, and has 2iO 24 THE GOBLIX OF THE DESERT. been frequently described. Water is a favorite subject of the mirage, and the traveler, as he passes over the burning plain, sees before him a rolling river or a vast lake, the palm trees waving on its edge and reflected on its surface, and the little wavelets rippling along as driven by the wind. Beasts as well as men see it, and it is very difficult to restrain the thirsty camels from rushing to the seeming waters. A vivid account of the phenomena is given in St. John's " Egypt and JS'ubia " : — " I had been riding along in a reverie, when, chancing to raise my head, I thought I perceived, desertwards, a dark strip on the far horizon. AVhat could it be? My companion, who had very keen sight, was riding in advance of me, and, with a sudden exclamation, he pulled up his dromedary and gazed in the same direction. I called to him, and asked him what he thought of yonder strip, and whether he could make out anything in it distinctly. He answered that water had all at once appeared there; that he saw the motion of the waves, and tall palms and other trees bending up and down over them, as if tossed by a strong wind. An Arab was at my side, with his face muffled up in his burnous ; I roused his attention, and pointed to the object of our inquiry. ' Mashallah ! ' cried the old man, with a face as if he had seen a ghost, and stared with all his might across the desert. All the other Arabs of the party evinced no less emotion ; and our intei preter called out to us, that what we saw was the e\'il -spirit of the desert, that led travelers astray, luring them farther and farther into the heart of the waste, ever retreat- ing before them as they pursued it, and not finally disappear- ing till its deluded victims had irrecoverably lost themselves in the pathless sands. This, then, was the mirage. The })hcnomenon really deserves the name the Arabs give it, of Gol)lin of the Desert: an evil spirit that beguiles the wanderer from the safe path, and mocks him with a false show of what his heated brain paints in glowing colors. Whence comes it that this illusion at first fills with uneasi- THE Tir.BOOS AND TUARICKS. 27 ness — I might even say with dismay — those even who ascribe its existence to natural causes ? On a spot where the bare sands spread out for hundreds of miles, where there is neither tree nor shrub, nor a trace of water, there suddenly appeared before us groups of tall trees, proudly girdHng the running stream, on whose waves we saw the sunbeams dancing. Hills clad in pleasant green rose before us and vanished ; small houses, and towns with high walls and ramparts, were visible among the trees, whose tall boles swayed to and fro in the wind like reeds. Far as we rode in the direction of the apparition, we never came any nearer to it ; the whole seemed to recoil step by step with our advance. AVe halted, and remained long in contemplation of the magic scene, until whatever was unpleasant in its strangeness ceased by degrees to aifect us. Never had I seen any landscape so vivid as this seeming one, never water so bright, or trees so softly green, so tall and stately. Everything seemed ftir more charming there than in the real world ; and so strongly did we feel this attraction that, although we were not driven by thirst to seek for water where water there was none, still we would willingly have followed on and on after the phantom ; and thus we could well perceive how the despairing wanderer, who with burn- ing eyes thinks he gazes on water and human dwellings, will struggle onward to his last gasp to reach them, until his fear- ful, lonely doom befiills him." The Great Desert is possessed by three or more different nations. On the M^est are Moors and Arabs, living in tents. In the middle are the Tuaricks, a community of thieves, who never work themselves, but live by plundering those who do. They also live in tents. On the east are the Tibboos, an agri- cultural race, who live in villages which they place on the tops of steep rocks to defend themselves from their enemies, the Tuaricks, who make raids upon them, steal their cattle and property, and carry them off to be sold as slaves. The Moors and Tuaricks are Mohammedans ; the Tibboos are Pagans. The roving Bedouins are the typical Arabs. True Ishmael- 28 THE BEDOUINS— ARAB MAIDS. ites of the desert, their hand is against every man, and ever}'- man's hand against them. They bnild no houses, they culti- vate no hmds, they conduct no merchandise ; but are nomad and predatory, trusting chiefly for their living to the milk of their camels, and looking upon their horses and dromedaries as means whereby they can plunder with greater security. The Bedouin does not fight for his home, he has none ; nor for his country, that is anywhere ; nor for his honor, he has Tiever heard of it ; nor for his religion, he owns and cares for none. His only object in w^ar is the temporary occupation of some bit of miserable pasture-land, or the use of a brackish well ; perhaps the desire to get such a one's horse or camel into his own possession. In person the Bedouins are fine specimens of the human race. They are tall, stately, with well-cut features, and have feet and hands that are proverbial for their beauty. Bred entirely in the open air, the only shelter being the tattered sackcloth of the tent, the true Bedouin can endure no other life. He is as miserable within the walls of a town as a wolf in a trap. His eyes, accustomed to range over the vast expanse of desert, are afiPronted by the walls over which he cannot see. The streets oppress him and within the atmosphere of a room he can scarcely breathe. Both he and his camel are equally out of their element when among civilized people, and they are ever looking forward to the happj'- moment when they may again breathe the free air of the desert. It is popularly thought that Arab manners are like those of the Turk, — grave, polite, and majestic. The fact is far diflferent. Though, like the American Indian, the Arab has a proud and stately walk, and knows well enough how to assume a regally indifferent demeanor on occasion, he is by nature lively and talkative, not caring very much what he talks about ; and fond of singing Arab songs in that curious mixture of high screaming falsetto and guttural intonation which he is pleased to consider vocal music. Then, the " Arab maids," who look so picturesque — in a painting — are not quite so pleasant in reality. Even in youth THE IIAMRAN SWORD-IIUNTERS. 31^ tliG Bedouin girls are not so handsome as is generally thought. They are tall, well made, and graceful, but are deficient in that gentleness and softness which we naturally associate with the feminine nature. They are fond of tattooing them- selves, and cover their arms and chins with blue patterns, such as stars or arabesque figures. Some of them extend the tattoo over the breast nearly as low as the waist. The corners of the eyes are sometimes decorated with this cheap and inde- structible ornament. Unlike the more civilized Mohammedans, they care little about veiling their faces, and, in fact, pass a life nearly as free as that of the men. Another tribe of Arabs, known as the Ilamrans, are cele- brated for their skill as hunters. They permit their hair to grow to a great length, part it down the middle, and carefully train it into long curls. The sword is the chief friend of the Hamran Arab's life, and he looks upon it with a sort of chivalric respect. He keeps both edges literally as sharp as razors, and proves the fact by shaving with rt. When he is traveling and comes to a halt, the first thmg he does after seating himself, is to draw his sword and examine both edges with the keenest attention. He then sharpens the weapon upon his leathern shield, and when he can shave the hair on his own arm with both edges, he carefully returns the blade into the sheath. Armed with merely the sword, these mighty hunters attack all kinds of game, and match themselves with equal coolness against the elephant, the rhinoceros, the giraflfe, the lion, or the antelope. Their mode of procedure is almost invariably the same. They single out some particular ani- mal, and contrive to cut the tendon of the hind leg %vith a blow of the sword, thus rendei'ing tlie unfortunate beast helpless. The rhinoceros gives them far more trouble than the elephant. It is much swifter, more active, and can turn more rapidly, spinning i-oimd as if on a pivot, and baflfling their attempts to get at its hind legs. Easterly of the great desert is N^ubia, lying on both sides of the Nile. The Nubians are very proud of their country, 32 A LAND OF ANCIEXT MYSTERY but much despised by the Arabs. In spite of continual contact witli civilization, cansed by tbeir location, tbey pre- serve their ancient style of dress and much of their ancient manners. A lady traveler says : — " Two beautiful young Nubian women visited me in my boat, with liair in the little plaits finished off with lumps of yellow clay, burnished like golden tags, soft deep bronze skins, and lips and eyes fit for Iris and Athor. Their very dress and ornaments were the same as those represented in the tombs, and I felt inclined to ask them how many thous- and years old tliey were." Abyssinia, lying south of ISTubia, was long a land of mystery, in which the unicorn and the lion held their deadly combats, in which dragons flapped their scaly M'ings through the air, in which the mountains were of gold and the river beds paved with diamonds, and, greatest marvel of all, in which Prcster John, the priest and king, held his court — a Chris- tian Solomon of the middle ages. The desire to reach this great monarch by water, was the passion of the Portuguese navigators. Among the many mixtures which compose the Abyssin- ian nation, the natives, reckon a considerable Jewish element. They claim that the Sheba of Scripture was Abyssinia, and that their Queen who visited Solomon, had a son of whom he was the father. From this prince all the successive kings of Abyssinia claimed to be descended. As a rule the Abyssinians are of moderate stature. Their color varies from a coppery brown to nearly black, but in no other traits do they resemble negroes. The women of the higher class are remarkable for their beauty, not only of feature but of form, and possess singularly small and pretty hands and feet, all of which beauties their style of dress exhibits fi'cely. Their features are almost of the European type, and the eyes are exceedingly large and beautifnl. The illustration exhibits the costume of an Abyssinian lady, and shows the difference in dress between herself and THE ABYSSINIAX CHURCH. 33 licr servants. The latter — who, of course, are her slaves, no other idea of servitude entering the Abyssinian mind — are "vrasliing clothes in a brook, in preparation for the Feast of St. John, the only day in the year when the Abyssinians trouble themselves to wash either their clothes or themselves. Other slaves are carrying water-jars on their backs — not on their heads ; and in the foreground stands their mistress giving her orders The dress of the men is very peculiar, consisting in part of a sash or belt of cotton about one yard wide, and from fifteen to tifty yards long, the length depending on the fineness of the fabric and the wealth of the wearer, who winds himself in it by turning round and round, while a friend stands by to assist. They spend a vast amount of time in dressing and plaiting their hair ; but time is of no value to an Abyssinian. At night they rest their head on a curved support, looking like a short crutch, instead of a pillow, so as not to disarrange their hair, A so-called Christian Church, of extreme antiquity, has existed in Abyssinia to the present day, but it has done scarcely anything to civilize the people as we understand the word, and their Christianity consists chiefly in fasting and feasting, so that an Abyssinian life oscillates between alter- nate severe fasts and inordinate gluttony. During Good Friday and the following Saturday, all who have any preten- sion to religion fast for forty -eight hours. Altogether, two hundred and sixty days of fasting occur in the year. During the long fasts, such as that of Lent, which lasts for fifty-five days, the people are allowed to eat on the mornings of Saturday and Sunday, but, even in that case, meat in any form is strictly forbidden. As soon as the lengthening shadow proclaims the end of the fast, the feasting sets in, and during the season of Epiphany the whole night is passed in a succession of eating, drinking, singing, dancing, and praying, each being consid- ered equally a religious duty. St. John's Day is a great feast among the Abyssinians, 34 FEAST OF MASCAL— FIRE-WORSHIPERS. and has this pre-eminence over the others, that all tlie people not only wash themselves, but their clothes also. In fact, they consider that wasliing the body is a heathenish and un-Christian practice, only to be tolerated by the Mohamme- dans and such like contemptible beings. The day on which the greatest ceremonials take place is the feast of Mascal. On the eve of Mascal every one goes about with torches, first carrying them over the houses, and peering into every crevice like the Jews looking for leaven, and then sallying into the air. The play which ensues mostly turns into a fight ; the boys begin at first to abuse each other, and then to fight. Next, a man sees his son get- ting rather roughly handled, drags him out of the fray, and pommels his antagonist. The father of the latter comes to the rescue of his son, the friends of each party join in the struggle, and a general fight takes place. Mostly, these con- tests are harmless ; but, if the combatants have been indulg- ing too freely in drink, they are apt to resort to their weapons, and to inflict fatal injuries. During the night great stacks of wood are built by the chiefs on the highest hills near the towns, and set on fire before daybreak. Oxen and sheep are then led three times round the fires, slaughtered, and left to be eaten by the birds and beasts of prey. This is distinctly a heathen custom, indica- ting clearly the fire-worshiper. When the people awake in the morning after the fatigue and dissipation of the night, they find the whole country illmninated with these hill-fires. The priesthood are, as may be imagined, no very good examples either of piety or letters. Some of them, but by no means all, can read ; and even of those who do possess this accomplishment, very few trouble themselves to under- stand what they read, but gabble the words in parrot fash- ion, without producing the least impression on the brain. The Abyssinians follow the old Jewish custom of taking their sacred shrine into battle. The illustration represents a battle between the Abyssinians and Gallas ; the king is seen shaded with his umbrellas, giving orders to a mounted chief ^VAbillNl, U\\ W- '^t2^'^- THE BATTLE-FIELD. SCENE AT A WEDDING. 37 whose ornamented shield and silver coronal denote his rank. In the distance may be seen villages on fire, while on the right an attack is being made on one of the lofty strongholds in which the people love to entrench themselves. Several dead Gallas are seen in the foreground, and in front of the king are some of the fallen prisoners begging for mercy. In the right-hand corner of the illnstration is seen a conical object on the back of a mule. This is one of their shrines, Avhich accompanies them as the ark nsed to accompany the Israelites to battle. The shrine mostly contains a Bible or the relics of some favorite saint, and the covering of the mule is always of scarlet cloth. Two priests, with their white robes and turbans, are seen guarding the mule. According to Bruce, the Abyssinians sometimes eat raw flesh cut from living animals. This statement has been much controverted, and no later travelers there have vv'it- nessed such a scene. But it is certain that they eat raw meat in great quantities. Mr. Pai-kyns says of an Abyssin- ian wedding feast : — " The guests are squatted round the tables in long rows, feeding as if their lives depended on the quantity they can devour, and washing it down with floods of drink. Imagine two or three hundred half -naked men and women all in one room, in a scene of the most terrible confusion. All decorum is lost sight of ; and you see the waiters, each with a huge piece of raw beef in his hands, rushing frantic- ally to and fro in his desire to satisfy the voracious appetites of the guests, who, as he comes within their reach, grasp the meat, and with their long crooked swords hack off a lump or strip, as the case may be, in their eagerness not to lose their share." In the Abyssinian province of Shoa, the prince gives a great annual feast at Easter. This hospitable banquet is on a truly royal scale, and is continued for a whole week, so that every free man who can attend the capital may have an opportunity of taking part in it. 38 ^VX EASTERN FEAST. The banqueting room is a very large and lofty chamber, having on one side a curtained alcove, in which the prince sits. Fresh grass is dail}' strewn on the floor, and round the room are set the tables, which are low, circular pieces of wickervvork. Behind the tables and along the walls are the body guards of the prince, armed with shields and a sword much resembling the old Roman weapon. Troops of servants are in waiting, and before the banquet begins they bring in the bread in piles, and place it on the tables. Sometimes as many as thirty loaves will be placed fur each guest, the finest bread being always at the top and the coarsest below. The object of this arrangement is to suit the different ranks of tlie party. Those of highest rank come first, and eat the finest, using the second-class bread as table-napkins. AVhen they have finished, the guests of the next rank come in, eat the second-class bread, and wipe their fingers on the third-class bread, and so on until the whole is consumed. All being ready, the guests assemble, and the prince takes his seat in the alcove, where he gives audience. Professional musicians enliven the scene with their instruments, and pro- fessional dancers aid their efforts. In the meantime, the guests are eating as fast as they can, the servants carrying meat from one guest to the other, and making up neat little sausages of meat, bread, and pepper, which they jjut adroitly into the mouths of the guests. The politer guests, having by means of two or three pounds of meat, a pile of bread, and a gallon or so of mead, taken the edge off their own appetites, make up similarly seasoned balls, and put them into their neighbors mouths. This is done with such rapidity that a man M'ho happens to have made Iiimself agreeable to his right and left-hand neighbors, is nearly choked by the haste with which etiquette requires that he shall des]vatch the highly-spiced morsels. After this preliminary portion of the feast, in Mdn'ch cooked mutton is mostly employed, acting as a provocative to the real banquet which is to follow, the servants bring in raw EASTER BAXyUET. THE STORY OF KASSAI. 4X jncat still -warm with life, and cut from a coav tliat has Lccn slaughtered at the door. It is this part of the scene which has been chosen for the illustration. On the left is the giver of the feast sitting in his alcove, and below him are the armed guards. The guests are sitting at the wickerwork tables, using their curved swords wdth the national adroitness, and servants are seen -s\'aiting on the guests and carrying great pieces of raw beef about. The liquids, by the way, are drunk from horns, which are always served by women. In the centre are seen the musicians, playing the curious iiddle and harp of Shoa, and a little further on are the dancers. The recent invasion of Abyssinia by the English, leads us to speak of the late King Theodore, who came to so tragic an end at the close of the war. His true name was Ivassai, and he was the son of a petty chief whose only distinction was his reputed descent from the Queen of Sheba — a tradition of which Ivassai afterwards took advantage. His father dying and his mother being poor, Kassai took refuge in a monastery, which was attacked by some rebels who burned the huts of which it was composed, and killed nearly all the boys who inhabited it. Kassai fled to a pow- erful relation, who taught him the art of war as then known. Afterwards, he headed a band of followers, much resem- bling robbers, and for several years led a wandering life, and became a man of considerable importance. He quarreled with his mother-in-law, the wife of a great chief, and, in a battle with her followers, captured the lady and her fine province of Dembea. This quarrel involved him in wars with his wife's Mher and other great chiefs ; but he M-as gen- erally victorious, and took possession of the whole of Amhara. He then demanded tribute of Oubi, of Tigre ; but that pi-ince responded by leading his army against Kassai, and lost both his province and his liberty. He was imprisoned until 1860, when his conqueror, whose first wife was dead, married his daughter and released him. 3 42 THEODORE AND UIS LIONS. Ill 1S55, being practically master of the whole country, Kassai had himself crowned by the title of Theodorus, King of the Kings of Ethiopia. From that time to his death he maintained his supremacy, his astonishing personal authority keeping in check the fierce and rebellious spirits by whom he was surrounded. Semi-savage as he was by nature, he pos- sessed many virtues, and, had he known his epoch better, would still have been on the throne, the ruler of a contented instead of a rebellious people. But he was too far ahead of his age. lie saw the necessity for reforms, and impatiently tried to force them on the people, instead of gently paving the way for them. Ilis mind at last gave way under the cares of empire and the continual thwartijigs of his many schemes. Still, even to the last, he never lost his self-reliance nor his splendid courage, and though he alternated between acts of singular kindness and savage cruelty, he fought to the last, and not until he was deserted by his soldiers did he die by his own hand at the entrance of his stronghold. Knowing the character of the people over whom he reigned, Theodore made liberal use of external accessories for the purpose of striking awe into them, such as magnificent robes and weapons adorned with the precious metals. Among the most valued of these accessories were four tame lions, of which he was very fond. These animals traveled about with him, and even lived in the same stable with the horses, never being chained or shut up in cages, but allowed to walk about in perfect liberty. With an idea of impress- ing his subjects with his importance, Theodore was accus- tomed to have his lions with him when he gave audience, and the accompanying portrait was taken from a sketch of the Lion of Abyssinia seated in the audience-chamber, and sur- rounded with the living emblems of the title which he bore, and which he perpetuated in his royal seal. This ])ortrait was taken about ten years before his death, when he was in the enjoyment of perfect health of body and mind, and while he was the irresponsible ruler of his country, knowing of none greater than himself, and having his mind ABYSSINIAN HBAPSL THE GALLA AND SOMAULI TRIBES. 45 filled with schemes of conquest of other lands, and reforms in his own. In spite of the loss of his hair, which he wore short in the last years of his life, and of the ravages which time, anx- iety and misdirected zeal had made in his features, the face is essentially the same as that of the dead man who lay within the gates of Magdala on the fatal Good Friday of 1868. Southerly of Abyssinia and the Gulf of Aden is the country occupied by the Somaulies, who are subdivided into several tribes. Ajan, on the Indian ocean, is the chief dis- trict. Berbera is the chief town. They are a warlike peo- ple, and instead of spears and shields, are armed with bows and arrows. Southerly of Abyssinia, and westerly of the Somauli eountrj^, are the Gallas — a fine, handsome, and warlike race. Though far more courageous than the Abyssinians, they sometimes become their slaves. Female Galla slaves are fre- quently kept in Abyssinian families, and the tM'o races have become cofisiderably mixed. Westward of Abyssinia and the Gallas, and in the regions of the upper Xile and its lake tributaries, are found many different tribes ; the Latooka, the Obbo, the Bari, the Madi, the Dinki, the Shillook ; the Wahuma and the Wanyambo in Karague, and others. Still farther south are the Wagogo ; and the Wanyamuezi, or Weezee, living in Unyamuezi or the Land of the Moon, and several more tribes, through whose territory runs the great caravan route between Zanzi- bai* and Ujiji on lake Tanganyika. Westerly of this lake is the great Manyema country, ' recently brought to light by Dr. Livingstone's travels. Southerly and westerly of Manyema, are the almost unknown regions of Cazembe, Londa, Balonda, etc. These tribes, with some others, will come under our observation in following Livingstone, Stanlej'', Burton, Speke, Grant and Baker, in their travels among them. CHAPTER III. AFRICA AND ITS INHABITANTS. (continued.) IF tlie reader of tlie foregoing pages has consulted the map npon i^age 18, closely, he has been enabled to follow the Nvriter and trace out understandingly the location of the different countries spoken of, and the tribes inhabiting them. That map was designed more particularly, to locate these tribes, rather than to mark out boundaries of countries ; differ- ing in this respect, entirely, from almost any map extant. It will be seen by refering to it, that the reader has been intro- duced to the countries and people located upon the Southern and Western shores of the Mediterranean and Eed Seas, the Gulf of Aden, and also to the inhabitants of the great Desert of Sahara. It will be here noted that although he has approached almost to the Equator on the East coast, which is about the central North and South division of the Continent, he has found no people as yet known as Negroes. This — taken into consideration with the fact that, North Africa has double the breadth of South Africa — clearly demonstrates that the inhabitants of Africa are not Negroes as a general thing, as has often been supposed. On the "Western coast of Africa, at about 15'^ North lati- tude, we note the first ap])earance of the true Negro, and not then in tribes, but in an intermingling with other races. It is not until we reach a latitude still farther South that we find the pure Negro race distinct and clearly developed. 4G THE KINGDOM OF BORNU. 47 It will be sliown hereafter, that most of the tribes of that portion of Africa lying South of the Equator, possess char- acteristics entirely differing from those of the Negro tribes, and are clearly of a different type and race, and it will be plainly seen how erroneous has been the general interpreta- tion of the word African, as meaning the Negro race alone, for, wliile it is true that the Negro is found only in Africa, yet, to call all Africans Negroes, is as improper as it would be to call all Americans Indians. Leaving Abyssinia on the eastern coast, and going westward Ave pass through the southern portion of the Libyan Desert, where are found mixed tribes of Negroes and Arabs. West of this lies Lake Tchad, whose shores form the eastern bound- ary of the Ancient Kingdom of Bornu, which embraces many tribes speaking several different dialects. It contains numerous large cities and towns, wdiich are sm-rounded by high walls. The capital is called Kukawa. The genuine Bornuese are not a handsome people, having many coarse negro features, although their foreheads denote more intellect than the average negroes of Africa possess. In religion they are Mohammedans, and they have some Turkish customs. They tattoo their children profusely when quite young. They have slaves, but generally treat them kindly. As in Manyema, where Dr. Livingtone recently traveled, much of the marketing is said to be done by women, and the markets are well regulated ; every thing that a Bornuese can want is for sale in the stalls, from a piece of indigo, to a tame lion. Polygamy is extensively practiced, and the wives are obliged to be very humble in presence of their husbands, w4iom they always approach on their knees, and they are not allowed to speak to any of the male sex except kneeling, and with their heads and faces covered. An officer who was killed in 1852 left behind him seventy-three Bons and a harem of nearly four hundred females. Marriage is later in Bornu than in many parts of Africa, the girls scarcely ever marrying until they are full fifteen, and mostly being a year or two older. 48 WEDDIXGS— A CAGED SULTAN. AVeddings are conducted in a ceremonious and noisj man- ner. The bride is perched on the back of an ox, and rides to the bridegroom's house attended by her mother and friends, and followed by other oxen carrying her dowry, ^hich mostly consists of toorkadees and other raiment. All her male friends are mounted, and dash up to her at full gallop, this being the recognised salute on such occasions. The bridegroom is in the meantime parading the streets with a shouting mob after liim, or sitting in his house with the same shouting mob in front of him, yelling out vociferous congratulations, blowing liorns, beating drums, and, in fact, letting their African nature liave its full sway. The Bornese are governed at least nominally by a sultan, but the real authority is lodged in the hands of the Sheikh, who commands the army. At a visit made to the sultan by some travelers a few years since, they found him sitting in a 6ort of a cage like a wild beast, no person being allowed to approach him within a certain distance — etiquette requiring each courtier to make his obeisance to his majesty, then seat himself on the ground with his haoh towards the monarch. Those who serve the court of Bornu are, by ancient eti- .< quette, obliged to have veiy large heads and stomachs, and, as such gifts of nature are not very common, an artificial enlargement of both regions is held to be a sutticient compli- ance with custom. Consequently, the courtiers pad themselves with wadding to such an extent, that as they sit on horseback their abdomens seem to protrude over the pommel of the saddle. The sultan accompanies the sheikh to battle, but never gives orders or carries arms, lighting being considered beneath his dignity. One of the sultans lost his life in consequence of this rule, a battle having gone against him, and he was obliged to fly. Unlortunately for him, he was qualified by nature for royalty, being large-bodied and of enormous weight, so that his horse could not carry him fast enough to escape. Finding himselt about to be overtaken, the sultan dis- mounted from his horse, wrapped his face in his shawl, seated himself under a tree, and died as became his rank. s^^^^S^ BORNU SOLDIERS— THE SHOOAS. 51 Theft is punished by wliipping and fine, but in some cases the gnilty party is buried to his neck in the sand, and his liead and face besmeared wdth mohxsses. The swarms of flies that settle npon him soon teach him that " the way of the trans- gressor is hard." The sheikh keeps a barge force of cavalry and infantry on duty constantly. The latter are composed of Kaneniboo ne- groes, and number many thousands. These negroes make fine soldiers. They inhabit a portion of the kingdom bordering on Lake Tchad, and subsist mostly on fish which they obtain in a very ingenious manner. Connecting two gourds 1)y a stout bamboo, they sit astride it, use their hands for paddles, and driving the fish into their nets, raise it carefully, kill the fish with a short club, place them in the gourds, and paddle ashore. (See cut on page 55.) The Shooa tribe is one of the most important of the many absorbed into the Bornuan Kingdom. They are Arabs by descent, and speak the Arab language. They are noted for their horsemanship, and form a large part of the cavalry. They are great hunters, and boldly chase the fierce bufi'a- loes, armed only with a spear. The Shooa horse is trained to run along side of the bufialo, and the hunter froqnently rides like a circus-rider, standing upon both animals, in Avhich position he uses his weapon to the greatest advantage. The Shooas are remarkable for their beauty. Their color is a light, ruddy copper, and tliey have fine, open counte- nances, with acpiiline noses and large eyes. The Shooa women are especially good-looking, and remind the observer of the gipsies. Handsome as they are, their beauty is held in great contempt by the negro tribes among which they live, who naturally think that thick lips, flat noses, and black skins constitute the only real beauty in man or woman. Easterly, southerly, and westerly of Bornu arc other empires — Waday, Adamawa, Sokoto, the Fellatah Dominions, and Songhay, the ancient western rival of Bornu, whose capital is Timbuctoo. Tlie vast territory occupied by these countries, and some others, is called Soudan. 52 SOUDAN— THE MANDINGOES. Here are fertile lands, irrigated by large navigable rivers, and extensive lakes fringed with the finest timber. The region abounds in various kinds of grain, sugar-cane, cotton, and indigo. The natives not only weave their own cotton, but thev dye their own home-made shirts with their own indigo. The eastern branch of the river Niger flows through the country, and affords navigation for six hundred miles. Here exists the greatest diversity of tribes, or rather nations, with idioms entirely distinct. The great and momentous struggle between Islamism and Paganism is continually going on, causing the most painful results, while the miseries arising from slavery and the slave trade are here revealed. The Mandingoes occupy a large tract of country on the West Coast — just south of the great desert — through which flow the Gambia and Senegal rivers. The country is called Senegambia from its two rivers. They are tall and well made, and have the woolly hair of the true negroes, but not all their distinguishing traits. Their prevailing religion is Mohammedanism in a modified form, and it has greatly improved their condition, and caused the total abolishment of human sacrifices. It has not cured them of lying, stealing, and other vices, but it has raised them in the scale of human- ity, and caused them to renounce the system of child-selling, which is so common in Africa. Polygamy is, of course, the fashion, but each wife has her own house, and the women have reason to be contented, as they are not degraded slaves, like many other women in Africa. Mr, Eeade says they are most tyrannical wives, and " know how to make their husbands kneel before their charms, and how to place their little feet upon them." When they are threatened with divorce, they shed tears, and if a man repudiates his wife, they attack him en masse / they hate, but ])rotect, each other. The coast country extending from Senegambia to Ovampo- land, is known as Upper and Lower Guinea, and is inhabited by various negro tribes. Sierra Leone, so called by its discoverer from the roaring LIBERIA— THE NEGROES' PARADISE. 53 of tlumcler whicli lie lieard among its mountains, is the prin- cipal British colony on the west coast, and is as beautiful as it is malarious. Its capital is called Free-town. Sierra Leone has been called the Kegroes' paradise. It was colonized in 1787, by emigrants from England — four hundred negroes and sixty women of the town. The popu- lation was augmented from time to time by liberated slaves. When a slaver is taken it is sent to Sierra Leone. By this means a very mongrel population is introduced, and not a very virtuous one ; for many slaves are sold out of their coun- try for their crimes. The Republic of Liberia, at the upper end of Guinea, is tlie independent colony of free negroes, established by the American Colonization Society. No Avhite persons are allowed to become citizens. Liberia, as an independent state, is now in the twenty-sixth year of its existence. It contains half a million of inhabi- tants, has fifty churches, many schools, and a college attended by fifty students. The president of the republic is J. J. Roberts, who is now serving his fourth or fifth tenn. Most of the colored settlers from this comitry have to pass at first through an acclimating fever. The exports of Liberia are palm-oil, cam-wood, and ivory. Cofiee and sugar are among the products. A party of one hundred and fifty negroes, from J^orth Car- olina and Georgia, sailed from Kew York in jSTovember 1872, for Liberia, under the care of the Colonization Society, which pays all the expenses of transportation, and furnishes stores for the use and support of the party after its arrival out. Each family receives twenty-five acres of land free, and each man is endowed at once with citizenship. The society has sent to Liberia at least one ship-load of emigrants every year since the first company'- sailed from New York in 1820. Upper Guinea extends from Liberia to the mouth of the Niger, and is divided into sections known as the Slave Coast, the Gold Coast, the Ivory Coast and the Grain Coast. Along the Grain Coast, so called from the cardamon seed 54: THE TITAXS OF THE GUAIX COAST. wlilcli grow here abundantly, live the Krnmen, a very ath- letic race, who take naturally to the water and manage their frail canoes with remarkable skill and daring. They dash boldly out to an approaching ship, and make themselves very useful to both trading and government vessels. The Krumen are said to be arrant liars and confirmed thieves, without the slightest notion of morality ; yet they are a cheerful, lively set of fellows, possessing to the full the negro's love of singing, drumming and dancing. Any kind of work that they do is aided by a song, and an expe- rienced traveler who is paddled by Krumen always takes with him a drum of some sort, knowing that it will make the difference of a quarter of the time occupied in the journey. Even after a hard day's work, they M'ill come to their master, ask permission to " make play," and will keep up their sing- ing and dancing until after midnight. The Gold Coast, so called from the gold-dust here found, is inhabited by two tribes, the Fanti and the Ashanti, who are never on peaceable terms. The Fanti are good canoe-men, but their boats are much larger than those used by the Kru- men. Mr. Duncan, a traveler, describes them as the lowest and laziest of Africans. They are very superstitious, and have fetishes, or charms, scattered thickly around. Anything answers for a fetish, but a bundle of rags tied together like a rag-doll is a great favorite. A little clay image sometimes takes the place of the rags. The Ashanti much resemble the Fanti, but are generally the victors in the wars carried on between them. The dress and accoutrements of the Ashanti captains are most fantastic, consisting in part of feathers, horns, horse-tails, bits of leather, red boots, etc. The common soldiers are destitute of uni- forms and almost of clothing, and carry any weapons which they may be able to procure. The caboceers are important personages, and are allowed tlie privilege of sitting on stools when in the presence of the king. They also command the soldiery, and ride at their head on a horse whose trap- KRUMEiM AND THEIR CANOES. FISHING SCENE. INHABITANTS OF THE GOLD COAST. 57 plugs are wonderful to behold. But the cahoceers are poor riders, and are generally held on their horses by two men — one on each side. The women are the chief gold-washers, and tlie quantity of gold anmially found is large, and it is used by the rich natives in. barbaric profusion. The great nobles, on state occasions, wear golden bracelets of such weight that they have to rest their arms on little slave boys who stand in front of them for that purpose. In Ashanti, as in other parts of Africa, the royal succession never lies in the direct line, but passes to the brother or nephew of the deceased monarch, the nephew in question being the son of the king's sister, and not his brother. The reason for this arrangement is, that the people are sure that their future king has some royal blood in his veins, whereas, according to their ideas, no one can be quite certain that the son of the queen is also the son of the king, and, as the king's wives are never of royal blood, they might have a mere plebeian claimant to the throne. Therefore the son of the king's sister is always chosen ; and it is a curious fact that the sister in question need not be married, provided that the father of her child be strong, good-looking, and of tolerable position in life. The king is restricted in the number of his wives. But, as the prohibition fixes the magic number of three thousand three hundred and thirty -three, he has not much to complain of with regard to the stringency of the law. The natives have their legend about gold. They say that when the Great Spirit first created man, he made one black man and one white one, and gave them their choice of two gifts. One contained all the treasures of the tropics — the fruitful trees, the fertile soil, the warm sun, and a calabash of gold dust. The other gift was simply a quantity of white paper, ink, and pens. The Ashanti are very jealous of their own rights, and resent all attempts of foreigners to work their mines. They will rather allow the precious metal to be wasted than permit 58 THE SLAVE COART— DAHOHEY. the white man to procure it. As to the mulatto, thej have the most intense contempt for him who is a " white-black man, silver and copper, and not gold." Dahomev, a kingdom founded in blood and cruelty, has maintained its existence for over two centuries in spite of terrible scenes continually enacted there — scenes w'Jch would drive almost any other people to rebellion. But the fearful human sacriiices for which Dahomey has long been infamous, are fully sanctioned, and often forced upon the king, by his subjects. Dahomey is situated west of Ashanti, on the Slave Coast. The two celebrated ports, Lagos and Whydah, have long been the outlets where slaves, captured in the interior, were put on board vessels. Lagos, however, has been recently ceded to the English. Dahomey is the strangest of countries, and the stories of its wild superstitions and savage idolatry have been the ground work for the general belief in the universal natural cruelty of the natives of Africa. Deeds w^orthy of iiends are openly committed by this people ; hundreds of human beings are yearly executed, in the carrying out of their fetish customs and ceremonies and no feast day passes over but blood flows freely before the people, wdiile loud shouts and frantic gestures add horror to their beastly orgies. Here also the female race loses all its characteristics of gentleness and becomes more sav- age and fierce than the other sex. Here we find the " Ama- zons" or female soldiers of whose cruelties and savage acts all liave heard. No nation has more disgusting superstitions and beliefs, and none more ready to carry them into practice. Snakes are highly venerated throughout Dahomey, and are protected by the severest laws. The turkey-buzzard is also considered holy, and is always supplied with an abundance of food. Dahomey has two kings, one the Bush King who regulates agriculture and commerce, the other the City King who rules over cities and the slave-trade. Tlie City King is the most punctilious with regard to etiquette, and preserves the small- est traditions with a minute rigidity worthy of the court of EFFECT OF A ROYAL DRINK. 59 Louis XI Y. Although he may be sitting on a mere earthen bench, and smoking a dumsy and very plain pipe, all his court wait upon him with a reverence that seems to regard him as a demi-god rather than a man. Should the heat, from which he is sheltered as much as possible by the royal umbrella, produce a few drops on his brow, they are del- icately Aviped oft' by one of his wives with a fine cloth ; if the tobacco prove rather too potent, a brass or even a gold spit- toon is placed before the royal lips. If he sneezes, the whole assembled company burst into a shout of benedictions. The chief ceremony takes place when he drinks. As soon as he raises a cup to his lips, two of his wives spread a white cloth in front of him, while others hold a number of gaudy nmbrellas so as to shield him from view. Every one who has a gun fires it, those who have bells beat them, rattles are shaken, and all the courtiers bend to the ground, clapping their hands. As to the commoners, they turn their backs if sitting, if standing they dance like bears, paddling with their hands as if they were paws, bawling " Poo-oo-oo " at the top of their voices. If he sends a message, he first delivers it to the Dakro, a woman attached to the court. She takes it to the Meu, and the Meu passes it on to the Mingan, and the Mingan delivers it to the intended recipient. When the message is sent to the king, the order is reversed, and, as each officer has to speak to a superior, a salutation is used, neatly graduated according to rank. When the message at last reaches the Dakro, she goes down on all-fours, and whispers the message into the royal ears. " At Kana is seen the first intimation of royalty. A small stream runs by it, which supplies Kana with water. At day- break the women-slaves of the palace are released from the durance in which they are kept during the night, and sent off to bring water for the palace. They are not fighting women, or Amazons as they are generally called, but the slaves of the Amazons, each of these women having at least one female slave, and some as many as fifty. " No man is allowed to look at these slaves, much less to 60 TDE SLAVES OF THE AMAZONS. address them, and in consequence, M'hen the women go to bnng water, they are headed by one of their nnmber carrying- a rude bell suspended to the neck. When the leader sees a man in the distance, she shakes the bell vigorously, and calls out, ' Gan-ja,' i.e. ' the bell comes.' As soon as the tinkle of the bell or the cry reach the ears of any men who happen to be on the road, they immediately run to the nearest footpath, of which a number are considerately made, leading into the woods, turn their backs, aiul wait patiently until the long file of women has passed. " They had need to escape as fast as they can, for if even on of the water-pots should happen to be broken, the near- est man would inevitably be accused of having frightened the woman who carried it, and would almost certainly be sold into slavery, together with his wife and family." The palace walls, which are of great extent, are surrounded by a cheerful adornment in the shape of human skulls, which are placed on the top at intervals of thirty feet or so, and strike the key-note to the Dahomian character. In no place in the world is human life sacrificed with such prodigality and ostentation. The celebrated force known as the Amazons are all women, 'officers as well as j^rivates, and are not allowed to become wives ; and although the king does sometimes take a fancy to' one of them, she may not take the position of a regular wife. About one-tliird of the Amazons have been married, but the rest are unmarried maidens. The spinster soldiers are women who have been selected by the king from the families of his subjects, he having the choice of them when they arrive at marriageable age ; and the once married soldiers are women who have been detected in infidelity, and are enlisted instead of executed, or wives who are vixenish towards their hus- bands. Blood-thirsty and savage as are the Dahomians naturally, the Amazons take the lead in both qualities, seeming to avenge themselves, as it were, for the privations to which they are L.M.\zu.N libViJiW. AN AMAZON REVIEW, G3 (loomed. As a mle, they are more masculine in appearance than the male soldiers, and possessed of imflinching courage and ruthless cruelty, and they arc fond of boasting that they are not women, but men. Of course it is needful that such a body should observe strict celibacy, if their efficiency is to be maintained, and espqcial pains are taken to secure this object. In the first place, the strictest possible watch is kept over them, and, in the second, the power of superstition is invoked. At one of the palace gates, called significantly Agbo-deM^e, i.e. the Discovery Gate, is placed a potent fetish, Avho watches over the conduct of the Amazons, and invarialJy discovers the soldier who breaks the most important of the military laws. The Amazons are so afraid of this fetish, that when one of them has transgressed, she has been known to confess her fault, and to give up the name of her partner in crime, even with the knowledge that he w^ill die a cruel death, and that she will be severely punished, and j)robably executed by her fellow-soldiers. At a review witnessed by Mr. Duncan, model forts were constructed of acacia thorns, which were heaped up into walls of some sixty or seventy feet in thickness, and eight in height, which would seem to be simply impregnable to a barefooted soldiery. Within the forts were built strong pens seven feet in height, inside of which were cooped uj) a vast number of male and female slaves belonging to the king. The review began by the Amazons forming with shouldered arms about two hundred feet in front of the strong fort, and waiting for tlie word of command. As soon as it was given, they rushed forward, charged the solid fence as though thorns were powerless against their bare feet, dashed over it, tore down the fence, and returned to the king in triumph, leading with them the captured slaves, and exhibiting also the scalps of warriors who had fallen in previous battles, but who were conventionally supposed to have perished on the present occasion. So rapid and fierce was the attack, that scarcely a 64 THE KING OF DAHOMEY. minute had elapsed after the word of command was given, before the women were seen returning with their captives. A portion of the Amazons are called the Eazor-women. This curious body is intended for striking terror into the enemy, being armed with a large razor that looks exactly as if it had been made for the clown in a pantomime. The number of the Amazonian army is said to be about five thousand. When any one presents himself before the hing, he ap- proaches on his hands and knees, or wriggling like a snake, and prostrates himself flat on his face, kissing the ground, and throwing dust all over his person. When the king holds his court, several skulls of powerful chiefs whom he has slain are set before him. Their exhibition is considered a mark of honor to their former owners. A procession which escorted the king at Agabome, the real capital, at the commencement of a public celebration lasting several days, has been described as follows : — " First came a long line of chiefs, distinguished by their flags and umbrellas, and after marching once round the large space or square, they crossed over and formed a line of um- brellas opposite the gateway. Then came the royal proces- sion itself, headed by skirmishers, and led by a man carrying one of the skull-topped banners. After these came some five liundred musketeers, and behind them marched two men car- rying leathern shields painted white, and decorated with a pattern in black. These are highly valued, as remnants of the old times when shields were used in warfare, and were accompanied by a guard of tall negroes, wearing brass helmets and black horse-tails. " Next came the kafo, or eml)lem of royalty, namely, an iron fetish-stick enclosed in a white linen case, topped with a white phime ; and after the kafo came the king, riding under the shadow of four white umbrellas, and further sheltered from the sun by three parasols, yellow, purple, and bluish-red. These were waved over him so as to act as fans.'' On a subsequent day there was a procession of hunchbacks, CEREMONIES OF THE EVIL NIGHT. G5 Avlio are fi?scml)lcd in troops of botli sexes at the palace. Tlio chief of thein wielded a formidable whip, and, liaving arms of great length and muscular power, easily cut a way for his followers through the dense crowd. " The evening of the fourth day is the dreaded Evil Night, on which the king walks in solemn procession to the market- place, where the chief executioner with his own hand puts to death those victims who have been reserved. The precise nature of the proceedings is not known, as none are allowed to leave their houses except the king and his retinue ; and any one who is foolish enough to break this law is carried off at once to swell the list of victims. It is said that the king speaks to the men, charging them with messages to his dead father, telling him that his memory is revered, and that a number of new attendants have been sent to him, and witli his own hand striking the first blow, the others being slain by the regular executioner." A fearful series of ceremonies, called the Grand Customs, and occupying several days, take place at the decease of a king, during which some five hundred victims of both sexes are said to be sacrificed. These victims are not simple subjects of the king, selected for the sacrifice, but are generally criminals or prisoners of w^ar, who are reserved for this and other similar occasions. Being intended as attendants of the late king, they are well treated as prisoners, as it would be considered bad policy for a king to send to his father a messenger who Avas ill-disposed toward him, for fear he would give bad reports to the dead sovereign. In spite of their impending fate, the victims are said to be cheerful and contented, and to look upon the pre- ceding ceremonies with manifest curiosity. " On the day of the Grand Custom the king appears on a platform, decorated according to Dahomian ideas in a most gorgeous manner. Around him are his favorite wives and his principal officers, each of the latter being distinguished by his great umbrella. Below is a vast and surging crowd of both sexes, w?[d with excitement and ram, and rending the 4 QQ CELEBKATIOX OF TUE GRAND CUSTOMS. air with their yells of welcome to their sovereign. The cries and yells gradually resolve themselves into praises of the king, and aj^peals to his bounty : — " ' We are hungry, O King,' they cry. ' Feed us, O King, for we are hungry !' " This ominous demand is repeated with increasing fury, until the vast crowd liavfe lashed themselves to a pitch of savage fury, wdiich nothing but blood can appease. And blood they have in plenty. The victims are now brought forward, each being gagged in order to prevent him from crying out to the king for mercy, in which case he must be immediately released, and they are firmly secured by being lashed inside baskets, so that they can move neither head, liand, nor foot. At the sight of the victims the yells of the crowd below redouble, and the air is rent with the cry, " ' We are hungry ! Feed ns, O King.' " Presently the deafening yells are hushed into a death-like silence, as the king rises, and with his own hand or foot pushes one of the victims oif the platform into the midst of the crowd below. The helpless wretch falls into the out- stretched arms of the eager crowd. Sometimes a tower higher than the platform is built, from wdiich the victims are hurled to the crowd below." The whole population of Dahomey proper has been esti- mated at two hundred thousand, and the kingdom is said to be rapidly on the wane. Easterly of Dahomey, and between that kingdom and the Niger, are the countries of Yoruba and Benin, which, w^th Dahomey, occupy all the sea front known as the Slave Coast — so called from the great number of slaves who have been shipped from this section. Yoruba, which adjoins Dahomey, is of large area, and was once united under one sovereign ; subsequently it was divided into several petty tribes and governments. Its predominating inhabitants are now the Egbas, who, worried and thi-eatened by slave hunters, established themselves, some forty-fi\'e years ago, at a place distant from the sea coast, which was afterwards TIIK BASKET SACRIFICE. ATTACKS ON ABEOKUTA, 69 called ITnderstone, or Abeokuta, from a carern wliere they found shelter from the slave-hmiters. In 1S53 the population was estimated at 100,000. Abeokuta, the capital of the Egbas, was watched with a jealous eye by the king of Dahomey, and in March 1851, at the head of fifteen thousand Dahomian soldiers, he made a desperate assault upon the place, but was met with an unex- pected and spirited resistance. A fierce fight ensued, and the Dahomians were oljliged to retreat with a loss of about two thousand. The Amazons fought as usual with great fury, and desperately defended the king when he was in imminent danger of being taken prisoner. The Egba loss was comparatively small, as the place was surrounded with several lines of fortifications. In their emergency, they were trained to defend the place by an American missionary who was residing there at the time. Some fifteen years later another Dahomian army attacked Abeokuta, and was repulsed with a loss of four thousand killed, and fifteen hundred as prisoners. They also left behind them their cannon and other weapons, and the Dahomian king lost several of his wives and daughters, his horse, ward- robe, and — worst of all— his carriages. The Egba loss was very small. In the prime of life the Egba men are remarkable for their fine fomis, and the extreme ugliness of their features. They have thick lips, and receding chins ; they tatto themselves profusely, and when in the fashion, dye their hands and feet with redwood. Every man carries in his hand a club or knob- kerry, which is sometimes bound with wire and studded with nails. Kings of metal are worn on the legs, ankles, arms, etc., and around the neck are strings of beads, and other ornaments. The forms of salutation at meeting are varied and minute. " If an inferior meet a superior, a son meet his mother, a younger brother meet his elder, and so on, an elaborate cer- emony is performed. Any burden that may be carried is placed on the ground, and the bearer proceeds first to kneel 70 THE a\TITAL OF THE EGBAS. on all fours, then to prostrate himself flat in the dust, rubbing the earth with the forehead and each cheek alternately. Tlie next process is to kiss the ground, and this ceremony is fol- lowed by passing each hand down the opposite aiin. The dust is again kissed, and not until then does the saluter resume his feet. " This salutation is only performed once daily to the same person; but as almost every one knows every one whom he meets, and as one of them nnist of necessity be inferior to the otlier, a vast amount of salutation has to be got through in the course of a day. Sometimes two men meet who are nearly equal, and in such a case both squat on the ground, and snap their fingers." Tlie houses in Abeoknta are of tempered mud covered with roofs of thatch. The I'ooms are windowless, and kept dark to keep out the sun. The furniture consists of rude cots, benches, earthen pots, plates, old weapons, and some- times an old musket. There is generally but one outsido door, and that has charms suspended over it. In human sacrifice it is believed the Egbas follow the prac- tices of the Dahomians, though on a much smaller scale ; and they are more reticent on the sul)ject. Victims are sacrificed when a great man dies, and are su})posed to become his attend- ants in the spirit world. " The chief of the Egbas is known by the name of the Alake. lie does not reign supreme, like the King of Da- home or Ashanti, before whom the highest in the realm pros- trate themselves and roll humbly in the dust. He is tram- meled with a number of counselors and officers, and with a sort of parliament called the Bale, which is composed of the head men or chiefs of the various towns. " Okeknnu, the Alake at the time when Captain Burton lived in Abeokuta, M^as an ill-favored, petulent, and cunning old ruler. In his way, he was fond of state, and delighted to exliibit his power. " If he goes to pay a visit, he must needs do so under a huge pink umbrella, at the end of a motley procession. At '^ o 'm^^m^ THE ALAKE. 73 the head is carried tlie sacred emblem of royalty, a wooden stool covered with coarse red serge, which is surrounded Ly a number of chiefs, who pay the greatest attention to it. A long train of ragged swordsmen followed ; and last came the Alake, clothed in a " Guinea-fowl " shirt — a spotted article of some value — and a great red velvet robe under which he tottered along with much difficulty. He wears trousers of good purple velvet with a stripe of gold tinsel, and on his feet are huge slippers, edged with monkey skin. " On his head he wears a sort of fez cap of crimson velvet, the effect of which is ruined by a number of blue beads liuno- fringe-wise round the top. The string of red coral beads hangs round the neck, and a double bracelet of the same material is wound upon each wrist. " When he receives a visitor, he displays his grandeur l)y making his visitors wait for a time proportionate to their rank ; but in case they should be of great consequence, he alleviates the tediousness of the time by sending them rum and gin, both of the very Avorst quality. " To a stranger, the palace presents a mean and ugly appear- ance. It is a tumble-down, long ,and rambling, and has several courts. The veranda, or antechamber, is filled with the great men of Al)eokuta, and they are the most villanous- looking set of men that can well be conceived. " Their skulls were depressed in front, and projecting cocoa-nut-like behind ; the absence of beards, the hideous lines and wrinkles that seared and furrowed the external parch- ment, and the cold, unrelenting cruelty of their physiognomy in repose, suggested the idea of the eunuch torturers over so common in Asia. One was sure that for pity or mercy it would be as well to address a wounded mandril. The atroc- ities which these ancients have witnessed, and the passion which they have acquired for horrors, must have set the mark of the beast upon their brows. " Though the assemblage consisted of the richest men of the Egbas, not a vestige of splendor or wealth appeared about any of them, the entire clothing of the most j)owerful among 74 THE MOUTHS OF THE NIGER. tliein being under sixpence in value. In fact, tliej dare not exhibit wealth, as it would be confiscated if they did so." In the year 1822, an Egba boy, named Ajai, w^as sent off as a slave in a slaver, w^hicli was captured by a government vessel, and sent to Sierra Leone. Here Ajai received a good education, embraced Christianity, and was subsequently ordained as a priest in the Church of England. His influence gradually extended, and he is now know^n as the Right llev. Samuel Crowther, D.D., Lord Bishop of the Niger. Benin, situated on the Gulf of Benin, was discovered by the Portuguese in 18-i5. Soon afterwards Fernando Po, after discovering the island wdiich bears his name, founded a Portuguese settlement on the Benin Kiver at a place called Gaton. Here a Catholic Church was established, which soon had a thousand members. At a later period the King of Benin promised his influence to the missionaries, if they would furnish him w^ith a white wife, and one of the sister- hood who resided at the Island of St. Thomas consented to become the Queen of Benin, and w^as married to the sable monarch. The traveler by sea, on leaving Lagos to sail southerly, leaves behind all signs of civilization, and passes long stretches of flat unhealthy looking shores. Then river after river opens before him — the many mouths by which the fatal Niger pours its dark waters into the sea. The mouth of the Niger is no longer a mystery, but many brave men perished before the problem was solved. Ascending the Bonny Piver, once a great slave-ship harbor, but now the outlet of the palm-oil trade, the traveler reaches Bonny, to which place the oil is brought from the interior in calabashes. It is tlien put in barrels and shipped. This place is the residence of the King of Bonny who visited Eng- land in 1857, where he persuaded a number of Englishmen to return with him as his suite, promising them large salaries and liigh rank. But they found that the city of Bonny con- sisted of huts located on a mud flat, and that the " palace " was two or three hats surrounded by a mud wall. BONNY AND KING rEPPEL. 75 "Wlien Mr. Reade -sasited Bonny, he found King Peppel seated in one of these huts with a pile of old crockery behind him, and before him a calabash of dog-stew and palaver sauce ; and this, notwithstanding he had lived in England, where he became religious, was baj)tized, and joined a temperance society. " The architecture of Bonny country is not very elaborate, being composed of swish and wattle, supported by j^osts. The floors and walls are of mud, which can be obtained in any amount ; the roofs are very high, and the gables very shai-p. " The Ju-ju room is a necessary adjunct to every Bonny house, and within it is the fetish, or ju-ju, which is the guard- ian of the house. The negro contrives to utilize the ju-ju room, making it a store-house for his most valued property, such as cowries or rum, knowing that no one will touch it in so sacred a place. As to the ju-ju itself, anything answers the purpose, and an Englishman is sometimes troubled to preserve his gravity, when he sees a page of Ptinch^ a crib- bage peg, a pill-box, or a pair of braces, doing duty as the household god of the establishment." It is generally believed that the people of Bonny are can- nibals; at all events they once were, and Dr. Hutchinson witnessed there a scene of cannibalism. "All over the country the traveler comes upon scenes of blood, pain, and suffering. There is hardly a village where he does not come upon animals tied in some agonizing position and left to die there." Lower Guinea, extending along the coast from the Cam- eroon Mountains to Avampo-land, is usually divided into five districts, viz. : — the Pongo or Gaboon Coast, extending S'^ be- low the Equator ; Loango, extending to the Congo River ; Congo lying between the Congo and Ambriz Rivers ; Ango- la, through which Livingstone traveled in going to its capital, Loanda, on the sea coast ; and Benguela, through which Magyar traveled on his journey to the Kingdom of Bihe. The interior 76 LOWER GUINEA— NEGRO SUrERSTITIONS. easterly of Lower Guinea is mostly an unexplored region of which little is kno^^ n. That portion of Lower Guinea north of the Equator is oc- cupied by the Mpongwe, Shekiani and other tribes, including the Fans who live on the easterly limits of the Gaboon River. South of the Equator are the Ishogo, Ashango, Obongo, Ap- ongo, Bakalai, Ashira, Gamma, and other scattering negro tribes, having many similar characteristics. These tribes are very superstitious, and have many singular customs and ceremonies. The Mpongwe, when the old King dies, secretly choose a new one, who perhaps has no idea of the honors awaiting him, until at a given signal all the people make a furious rush at him, and insult him in the grossest manner. One throws mud in his face, another kicks him, and a third one slaps his face, and others pelt him with sticks and stones, until his life seems to be worthless ; his parents, and other relatives are treated in the same way. Suddenly the tumult ceases, and the new King is led into the house of his predecessor ; silent respect takes the place of frantic violence. The head men of the tribe rise and say, " now we acknowledge you as our King," and the crown and royal robes are brought. The crown consists of an old silk hat, and the robes of a red dressing-gown. Among the Ishogo's there is a remarkable custom connect- ed with the birth of twins ; a hut is set apart for the family, and it is said that for six years the mother is not allowed to speak to any one but her own family, and the tAvins are not allowed to play with other children. At the expiration of the sixth year a ceremou}'- takes place by which all parties are released from their long confinement, and allowed to enter the society of their fellows. At day- break proclamation is made in the street, and the mother and a friend take their stand at the door of the hut, having pre- viously wliitened their legs and faces. They next march slowly down the village, beating a drum in time to the step, and singing an ai)[)ropriate song. A general dance and feast then takes place, which last throughout the night. MUMBO JUMBO. 79 Mnmbo Jumbo is the name of a semi-lmman demon, who is much feared by the women of the West Coast. His dress hangs on a tree near the entrance of every vilhige, and con- sists of pieces of bark sown together in the shape of a L'lrge cask, with a hole at the top for the head and one on each side for the arms. There is also a fantastic and hideous mask hung beside it. When a woman is ugly or displeases her hus- band, he, or some other man at his request, impersonifies Mumbo Jumbo and puts on his dress. " At night the people assemble as usual to sing and dance, when suddenly faint distant bowlings are heard in the woods. This is the cry of Mumbo Jumbo, and all the women feel hor- ribly frightened, though they are obliged to pretend to be de- lighted. The cries are heard nearer and nearer, and at last Mumbo Jumbo himself, followed by a number of attendants armed with sticks, and clothed in the dress which is kept for liis use, appears in the noisy circle, carrying a rod in his hand. He is loudly welcomed, and the song and dance goes ou around him with delight. Suddenly, Mumbo Jumbo walks up to one of the women and touches her with his rod. His attendants instantly seize the unfortunate woman, tear off all her clothes, drag her to a post which is always kept for such occasions, tie her to it, and inflict a terrible beating on her." Congo, is a celebrated kingdom of the West Coast and, according to tradition, has twice risen to great eminence. Its king is a despot, though secretly controlled by his ministers. Considerable of his revenue is derived by a tax on beds, which is assessed according to their width. The Congoese believe in a Supreme Creator, and in a host of lesser divinities. These last are represented by images which have their temples and priests. The chief priest is called the Chitome, and is scarcely less honored than the king, whose coronation he always conducts. " The new ruler proceeds to the house of the Chitome, attended by a host of his future subjects who utter piercing yells as he goes. Having reached the sacred house, he kneels 80 CONGO AND THE COXGOESE. before tlie door, and asks the Chitome to be gracious to him. The Chitome growls out a flat refusal from within. The king renews his supplications, in spite of repeated rebuffs, enumerating all the presents which he has brought the Chi- tome— which presents, are easily made, as he will extort an equal amount from his subjects as soon as he is fairly installed. " At last, the door of the hut opens, and out comes the Chitome in his white robe of office, his head covered with feathers, and a shining mirror on his breast. The king lies prostrate before the house, while the Chitome pours water on him, scatters dust over him, and sets his feet on him. He then lies flat on the prostrate monarch, and in that posi- tion receives from him a promise to respect his authority ever afterwards. The king is then proclaimed, and retires to wash and change his clothes. "Presently he comes out of the palace, attended by his priests and nobles, gorgeous in all the bravery of his new rank, his whole person covered w^ith glittering ornaments of metal, glass and stone so that the eye can scarcely bear the rays that flash on every side as he moves in the sunbeams. He then seats himself, and makes a speech to the people. AVhen it is finished, he rises, while all the people crouch to the ground, stretches his hands over them, and makes certain prescribed gestures, which are considered as the royal bene- diction. A long series of banquets and revelry ends the proceedings." The Chitome has things pretty much his own way, with one exception. It is believed that if he dies a natural death the universe will immediately dissolve ; accordingly when he falls dangerously ill, the priest w-ho has been appointed as his successor enters his house, and beats out his brains witffa club or strangles him with a bow-string. The people of Congo are a very indolent race ; the women are made to do all the work, while the men lie in the shade and smoke their pipes and drink palm-wine. Their houses are huts of posts and twigs woven together, and their cloth- ing is as simple as their habitations. THE OVAMBO— A QUEER DANCE. 81 Passing southward clown the western coast to about 18° South latitude, we lind the Ovambo tribe ; the name signify- ing " The merry people." They are remarkable for their good qualities, among which is honesty. Theft is a recog- nized crime, punished with death. Stealing is almost unknown among them. They are kind and attentive to their sick and aged, and pauperism is not found with them ; in fact, this people show a moral development far in advance of most African races. Yet in many respects they are like other tribes around them. The Ovambos are allowed as many wives as they can pay for ; the price being about two oxen and one cow each. They are fond of amusing themselves with a dance which seems to be exceedingly agreeable to the performers, but which could not be engaged in by those who were not well practised in its odd evolutions. The dancers are all men and stand in a double row, back to back. The music, consisting of a drum and a kind of guitar, then strikes up, and the per- formers begin to move forward from side to side, so as to pass and repass each other. Suddenly, one of the performers spins round, and delivers a tremendous kick at the individual who happens then to be in front of him ; and the gist of the dance consists in planting your own kick and avoiding that of others. Mr. Anderssen, while traveling in the land of the Ovam- bos, was hospitably received at a house, and invited to din- ner. 'No spoons were provided, and he did not see how he was to eat porridge and milk without such aid. On seeing the dilemma he was in, his host quickly plunged his greasy fingers into the middle steaming mass, and brought out a hand- ful, which he dashed into the milk. Having stirred it quickly round with all his might, he next opened his capacious mouth, in which the agreeable mixture vanished as if by magic. He finally licked his fingers, and smacked his lips with evident satisfaction, looking as much as to say, 'That's the trick, my boys ! " Mr. Anderssen also tells us of the King sending him a fire- 82 THE DAMARA— A DOUBTFUL TRADITIOX. brand, tlie bearer extinguisliing tlie traveler's fire tlien burn- ing,- and rekindling it with his own brand, so that the King and his visitor might warm themselves by the same fire. Quite a poetical idea for a savage. The Ovambos are well formed, particularly the females, and were it not for the tribal disfigurement of their faces they would possess some beauty. We are able to give a sketch of two Ovambo girls aged about fourteen years, vrhicli was taken among them, giving true portraits. South of and adjoining the Ovambo land, lives a tribe called The Damara, which signifies " The People." Who they originally were, how long they have occupied the land, and the place where they originally came from, are rather dubious, and. they themselves can throw no light on the subject. The tribe is a very interesting one. Once of great power and. importance, it spread over a vast tract of country, and developed its own peculiar manners and customs, some of which, as will be seen, are most remarkable. Its day of pros- perity was, however, but a short one, as is the case with most tribes in this part of the world. It has rapidly sunk from its high estate, has suffered from the attacks of powerful and. relentless enemies, and in a few more years will probably per- ish off' the face of the earth. " As far as can be ascertained, the aborigines were a race called, even by themselves, the Ghou Damup— a name quite untranslatable to ears polite, and therefore euphonized by the colonists into Hill Damaras, though in reality there is no con- nexion between them. The Ghou Damup say that their great ancestor was a baboou, M^ho married a native lady, and had a numerous progeny. The union, however, like most unequal matches, was not a happy one, the mother priding lierself on her family, and twitting her sons with their low connexions on the paternal side. Tlie end of the matter was, that a split took place in the family, the sons behaving so badly that they dared no longer face their high-born Ilotten- ■lliW mw jiW hi iimMf ^■.■i^/'/'y EUROPEAN^ SETTLEMENTS AND ADJOINING TRIBES. 85 tot connexions, and fled to tlic hills, where thej have ever since dwelt. This people are not warlike, althongh stalwart and strong. The efteminacy of their weapons renders them unable to cope with other warlike tribes. We give portraits of an armed Damara and his wife. The European settlements known as ISTatal and Cape Colo- ny occupy the extremity of the continent, and extend up its eastern coast to about 28^^ S. Lat. Most of the inhabitants of the large towns are English, while back from the coast we And many Dutch settlements. The description of these col- onies will appear in other chapters. The space north and west of these settlements and south of the Zambesi River, is inhabited by many of the most prominent tribes of Africa. Among them are the Hottentots, Bushman, Bechuanas, Korannas, Kaffirs, etc. As the home of the latter adjoins Natal Colony, and many reside within its limits, the reader will find a minute description of this race in the chapter on that colony, and in the one succeeding it. In Dr. Livingstone's travels will be found full descriptions of most of the other tribes above mentioned, and many of those living north of and upon the Zambesi and its tributaries, as well as of the Belonda and other tribes found west of the head waters of that river, and which he passed through on his route to the Atlantic coast. In the chapters describing his journey ings, much space has been devoted to the habits and customs of each of these tribes. These, read in connec- tion with the personal adventures of the brave explorer, will be more interesting than if given alone. Many of the tribes will therefore only be mentioned here in connection with their locality, and a fuller notice be restricted to those tribes not so fully described elsewhere in the book. The Korannas or Korans are found on the banks of the Narb and Yaal Rivers, directly west of Natal. They are offshoots of the Hottentot tribe. The Namaquas are also members of the same race, and occupy a section north of the 86 THE WOMAN AKD THE LION. Orange Elver. This people are very superstitious. They claim their sorcerers have the power of voluntary transmi- gration, and their followers implicitly believe that they can assume the form of any beast which they choose to select. " Sir J. E. Alexander narrates the following legend in sup- port of this statement. ' Once on a time a certain Namaqua was traveling in company with a woman carrjnng a child upon her back. They had proceeded some distance on their journey when a troop of wild horses (zebras) appeared, and the man said to the woman, ' I am hungry, and as I know you can turn yourself into a lion, do so now, and catch us a wild horse, that Ave may eat.' The woman answered, ' You will be afraid.' " ' No, no,' said the man, ' I am afraid of dying of hunger, but not of you.' " Whilst he was speaking, hair began to appear at the back of the woman's neck, her nails assumed the appearance of claws, and her features altered. She set down the child. " The man, alarmed at the change, climbed up a tree close by, while the woman glared at him fearfully ; and going to one side, she threw oif her skin petticoat, when a perfect lion rushed out into the plain. It bounded and crept among the bushes towards the wild horses, and, springing on one of them, it fell, and the lion lapped its blood. The lion then came back to the place where tlie child was crying, and tlie man called from the tree, ' Enough ! enough ! Do not hurt me. Put off your lion's shape. I will never ask to see this again.' " The lion looked at him and growled. ' I'll remain here till I die !' exclaimed the man, ' if you do not become a wo- man again.' The mane and tail began to disappear, the lion went towards the bush where the skin petticoat lay ; it was slipped on, and the M'oman in licr proper shape took up the child. The man descended, partook of the horse's flesh, but never again asked the woman to catch game for him." One very curious custom prevails among the Kamaquas. Those who visit them are expected to adopt a father and A MOST VALIANT TrJBE. R7 motlier, and tlie newlj made relations are supposed to liave their property in common. This is probably a native prac- tice, but the Namaqnas have had no scruples in extending it to Europeans, finding that in such cases a community of goods becomes rather a hicrative speculation. The Bechuana tribe is a very large and powerful one occu- pying a vast section of country reaching from the Yaal on the south to the Zambesi on the north. The Barolongs, Batlapis, and Bahurotsi, and many others belong to the Bechuana tribe. The great Mokololo Tribe live principally in the neighbor- hood of the Zambesi River. The Bay eye and Makota tribes are found about Lake Ngami. The Bay eye have been conquered by their neighbors and reduced to serfdom. They attribute their defeat to the want of shields, though the superior discipline of their enemies had probably more to do with their victory than the mere fact of possessing a shield. On one notable occasion, the Bay eye prov^ed conclusively that the shield does not make the warrior. Their chief had taken the trouble to furnish them with shields, hoping to make soldiers of them. They received the gift with great joy, and loudly boasted of the prowess which they were going to show. Unfortunately for them, a marauding party of the Makololo came in sight, when the valiant warriors for- got all about their shields, jumped into their canoes, and pad^ died away day and night down the river, until they had put a hundred miles or so between them and the dangerous spot. They are amusing and cheerful creatures, and as arrant thieves and liars as can well be found. If they can only have a pot on the fire full of meat, and a pipe, their happiness seems complete, and they will feast, dance, sing, smoke, and tell anecdotes all night long. Of the Makoba was the noted chief M' Bobo who rendered some service to Messrs. Baines and Chapman, and so also was Makata a noted hunter. This tribe are all famous for hunt- ing the hippopotamus. Dr. Livingstone and other explorers have had unpleasant experiences with this people. 88 HOTTENTOTS AXD BUSHilEX. The Batoka occupy the low hinds along the banks of the Zambesi and its tributaries. The Manganjas are found on the river Shire a tributary of the Zambesi. The Banyai or Badema tribes also inhabit the neighborhood of the Zambesi. About three centuries ago, the Mdiole of Southern Africa was inhabited by various tribes belonging to a large and power- ful nation. ■ This nation, now known collectively under the name of Hottentot, was at that time the owner and master of the land, of which it had held possession for a considerable period. "Whether or not the Hottentots were the aboriginal inhabitants of Southern Africa, is ratlier doubtful ; but the probability is, that they came from a distant source, and that they dispossessed the aborigines, exactly as they themselves were afterwards ejected by the KafHrs, and the Kaffirs sup- planted by the Europeans. The Hottentots inhabit the country north of and adjoining Cape Colony and differ essentially from most of the other tribes. Their skin is light as the Chinese, and the general sim- ilitude between the nations is remarkable. They are bitter foes to the Kaffir tribe although their customs are somewhat sim- ilar. Our illustration of a Hottentot Kraal, shows well their mode of life. "No one — not even the owner — knows, on seeing a Hot- tentot hut, whether he will find it in the same place after a few hours have elapsed. Sometimes, a Hottentot wife will set to work, pull the hut to pieces, but, instead of packing it on the back of an ox, rebuild her house within twenty or thirty yards of its original locality. The object of this strange conduct is to rid herself and family from the fleas, which, together with other vermin, swarm in a Hottentot's home. The Bushman also live in close proximity to Cape Colony. They are a low degraded people, who live in wretched bush- camps, and lead a nomad life. Several of these men accom- panied Dr. Livingstone on some of his long journies. A description of the tribes living in Central Africa near the equator, will be fully given in chapters relating to explore ations in that section. UUTTKNTOT KRAAL. CHAPTER TV. AFKICAX EXPLOKATIONS. SLOWLY but steadily, the exploration of Africa goes on. Many travelers have perished, victims to their zeal ; but the thirst for discovery is not quenched, and new recruits are entering the field, and enlarging yearly the sphere of our knowledge. Of the ancient attempts to explore Africa we have little information that can be relied on. There were Phoenician settlements on the northern coasts, three thousand years ago, and Egypt is one of the oldest of nations. But it is not certain that they had much knowledge of the interior, though the old geographers speculated considerably about the origin of the Nile, and the river Xiger was a matter of interest to them. But generally, the interior was thought of as a vast burning plain, without vegetation, and without inhabitants, or, as peo- pled with men endowed with strange attributes ; the singular stories thus originating were handed down to later times. There were, in the second century, Christian churches established in the northern part, where are now the Barbary States, and in times of persecution, the Christians fled into the desert ; but we have very little additional information from this source. It was not till the invasion by the Arabs in the seventh century that the darkness began to be really dispelled. Tak- ing possession of the region north of the desert, they were able by means of the camel to penetrate south, and hold inter- course with the negro tribes that lived along the southern, bor- 5 91 92 EARLY rOETUGUESE EXPLORERS. der. In consequence of this influx of the Arabs, the reIi';ion of Mohammed became diffused among these tribes, and is found^. more or less cori-upted, to this day, over a very wide region of Central Africa. There was also a mixture of Arab and negro blood, by which the characteristics of the native races were much modified, and their general condition improved. Modern European discovery may be said to date from the fifteenth century. At this period the Portuguese were among the most adventurous explorers. They sailed, in tliis cen- tury, along the western coast, going each voyage farther and farther south, till in 1497, Yasco De Gama doubled the Cape of Good Hope, and sailed up on the eastern side. Then the shape and outline of this great continent was known, but no travelers had yet penetrated its dark wilds. The Portuguese, while prosecuting these discoveries along the western coast, attempted at certain points along the Gulf of Guinea, to establish commercial relations with the natives, and formed settlements for this purpose. So, also, the zeal of the Roman Catholic church led it to fonn missionary set- tlements. After the slave trade ^begun, other Eurox)ean nations hastened to occupy stations on the same coast. In this way something was learned of the interior, but the slave traders cared more for their profits than for the interests of discovery ; nor was much of geograpliical knowledge gained by the missionaries. It was in 1788, that the Royal Geographical Society of Great Britain was formed, and the real work of African exploration began. The first travelers it sent forth were cut off by death. The next was the famous Mungo Park, who reached Africa in 1795, and whose travels are read with great interest even to this day. He discovered the I^iger, and sev- eral large trading cities in the interior, and returned in safety. But in 1805, making a second attempt, although lie again reached the Niger in safety, he was attacked on the river, and, endeavoring to escape by swimming, was drowned. Other expeditions were sent out, starting at the same point on the western coast, but they all accomplished little. EXGLISU EXPEDITIOXS. 95 These attempts to reach the central parts of the continent from the coasts of Senegambia and Guinea having failed, it was proposed, about 1819, to try a new route proceeding from Tripoli through the Great Desert. The first expedition failed. A second was undertaken in 1822, under Major Denham and others. This was very successful. Lake Tchad was discovered, the region around it visited, and the names and bomidaries of the tribes and kingdoms ascertained. Some of the cities were found to be quite populous ; one of them, Sackatoo, had about forty thousand inhabitants, and was laid out with regular streets. In general, these countries were much more advanced in civilization than was expected. A companion of Major Denham, Captain Clapperton, in 1826, determined, with two or three others, to try again to reach the Niger, and to start where Park had started, from the northern coast of the Gulf of Guinea. In this attempt all died but Lander, the servant of Clapperton, who returned to the coast, though not till the K^iger had been reached and crossed. Lander, with a younger brother, made a second attempt in 1830, following the same route. They again reached the river, and sailed down it in a canoe, and finally came to its mouth in the Gulf of Guinea. This was the solution of one of the great African mysteries. The real cause of the difficulty in finding where the Is'iger emptied was, that it divided into many streams as it came towards the sea, some of them a hundred miles distant from others, and each of the larger ones seemed as if it was an independent stream. So soon as the mouth of the ]^iger was found, some British merchants determined to send an expedition up it, to ascer- tain its course and capabilities for navigation and commerce. Accordingly two steamers, one of them of iron, were sent out in 1832. But the steamers did not ascend far. Many of the crews were cut off by disease, and Eichard Lander, who accompanied them, was mortally wounded in a fight with the natives. In every point of view the expedition was a failure. In 1811 the British sent three iron steamers, intending to 96 T)\j CEAILLU'S TRAVELS. establi.sli a colony somewhere on tlie banks of tlie Xiger. One of the steamers went as far np as Egga, about three hun- dred and fifty miles from the sea, but was compelled to return through the sickness of the crew. The whole expe- dition ended in disaster ; many died of the river fever, and the colony was abandoned. A later expedition was sent out in ISoi by the same gov- ernment, and was much more successful, and since that time the river has been explored by several parties, and found to offer no impediment to navigation that may not easily be overcome. It has been navigated for four hundred and forty seven geographical miles, and with rising waters, or in a full flood, is believed to be navigable to a much higher point, and at such stages of water the river is comparatively healthy. Another traveler from the western coast, M. Du Chaillu, an American, has excited much interest by his discoveries. He reached Africa in December, 185.5, and started inward from the neighborhood of the Gaboon river. Proceeding into the interior, he discovered a range of mountains rising in terraces to the heighth of six thousand feet. This range was cov- ered with dense and almost impenetrable forests, which are nearly devoid of animal life. The thick jungles and rugged steeps are almost incapable of cultivation, and are inhabited by savages and by apes. In these mountains are the sources of most of the rivers which here enter into the Atlantic. He discovei'ed a large river which he ascended three hundred and fifty miles from the coast, and wdiich he thinks one of the most important streams of Western Africa. He also discovered a fine lake, the country around wliich was filled with India-rubber vines and ebony trees. On a second visit the lake was in part dried up, and its surface dotted with islets of black mud, on which crocodiles were basking in vast numbers, many of them twenty feet long. M. Du ('haillu visited several of the negro tril)es, aiul had many interesting and exciting experiences. Ashango-land was the limit of liis second expedition, which was suddenly checked l)y a sad accidtnit. The people had been rather sus- AX UXFORTUXATE AFFAIR. 97 picioiis of his motives, and harassed him in his camp, so tliat a few shots were fired in the air by way of warning. Unfor- tunately, one of the gtms was discharged before it was raised, and the bidlet struck an unfortunate man in the head, kill- ing him instantly. The whole village flew to arms, the war- drum sounded, and the warriors crowded to the spot, with their barbed spears, and bows and poisoned arrows. For a moment there was a lull : the interpreter, whose hand fired the unlucky shot, explained that it was an accident, and that the price of twenty men should be paid as compen- sation. Beads and cloth were produced, and one of the head- men had just assented to the proposal, when a loud M'ailing was heard, and a woman rushed out of a hut, announcing that the favorite wife of the friendly head-man had been killed by the same fatal bullet, which had passed through the thin walls of the hut, and killed the poor woman within. After this announcement all hopes of peace were at an end ; the husband naturally cried for vengeance; and, amid a shower of arrows, one of which struck the intei'preter, and another nearly severed M. Du Chaillu's fiuger, the party retreated as they best could, refraining from firing as long as they could, but at last being forced to fire in self-defence. In order to escape as fast as they could, the porters were obliged to throw away the instruments, specimens of natural history, and photographs, so that the labor of months was lost, and scarcely anything except the journal was saved. Each village to which they came, sent out its warriors against them. M. Du Chaillu was dangerously wounded in the side, and had at last to throw away his best but heaviest rifle. It was only after the death of several of their number that the Ashangos perceived that they had to contend with a foe who was more than a match for them, and at last gave up the pur- suit. On his retreat from Ashango-land, Du Chaillu was received with even more than usual hospitality by the Isho- gos, who live M'estward of the Ashangos. They arranged his journey westwards, and the whole population of the vil- 08 AN ASHIRA GREETING. lages went witli liim a little distance when lie started off. Some of the Ishogos accompanied him on his expedition. On their meeting Olenda, the head chief of a tribe of the Ashira, a singular scene took place. It seems that each •Ashira chief has a sort of salutation called "Koniho," which he addresses to every one of importance whom he meets for the first time. The ringing of the " kando " or sacred hell, which is the emblem of royalty in this land, and which is only sounded on occasions of ceremony, announced the approach of Olenda. lie was a very old man of venerable asj^ect. Ilis Avoolly hair was perfectly white, his body bent almost double with age, and his face one mass of wrinkles. By way of adding to the beauty of his countenance, he had covered one side of his lace with red and the other with white stripes. He was so old that he was accompanied by many of his children, all old, white-headed, and wrinkled men. The natives held him in great respect, believing that he had a powerful fetish against death. As soon as he had recovered from the sight of a clothed man w^ith straight hair, steady eyes, and a white face, he proceeded to make a speech which, when translated, was as follows : — "I have no bowels. I am like the Ovenga river; I cannot be cut in two. But also, I am like the Niembar and ■Ovenga rivers, which unite together. Thus my body is united, and nothing can divide it." Tliis address was rather puzzling because no sense could be made from it ; but the interpreter explained that this was merely the kombo, and that sense was not a necessary ingre- dient in it. According to the etiquette of the country, after Olenda had made his salutation, he offered his presents, consisting of three goats, twenty fowls, twenty bunches of plantain, several bas- kets of ground-nuts, some sugar-cane, and two slaves. That the last-mentioned articles should be declined was a most astonishing phenomena to the Ashira. THE rRIGHTENED APONOS. 101 The manner in which Olenda dismissed his quests -was not less curious. Gathering his old and wliite-liaired sons around him, he addressed the travelers, wishing them success, and uttering a sort of benediction. He then took some sugar- cane, bit a piece of the pith out of it, chewed it, and spat a small portion into the hand of each of the travelers, mutter- ing at the same time, some words to the effect that he hoped all things would go pleasantly with them, and be sweet as the breath which he had blown on their hands. Advanced as he was in age, he lived some years longer, until he succumbed to the small-pox in common with many of his relatives and people. Another tribe, the Aponos, although at first terribly fright- ened, proved honest and friendly, and so good natured, that when he dispersed some night revelers who disturbed his sleep, by going to their hut and kicking over their vessels of palm-wine and ordering the chiefs and his attendants out of the hut, they grumbling obeyed, although much vexed at the loss of so much liquor. When the traveler first entei-ed the Apono village, there was a general consternation, the men running away as fast as their legs could carry them, and the women fleeing to their huts, clasping their children in their arms, and shrieking with terror. The village was, in fact, deserted, in spite of the ex- ample of the chief, who, although as much frightened as any of his subjects, bore in mind the responsibilities of his ofiice, and stood in front of his house to receive his visitor. In order to neutralize as much as possible the effect of the white man's witchery, he had hung on his neck, body, and limbs all the fetishes which he possessed, and had besides covered his body with mysterious lines of alumbi chalk. Thus fortified, he stood in front of his hut, accompanied by two men, who bravely determined to take part with their chief in his j^eril- ons adventure. M. Du Chaillu claims to have had much experience and success at fighting gorillas — gigantic apes, about which there has been considerable controversy. Some claim that the 102 HUNTIXG THE GORILLA. gorilla is the king of the forest, supplanting all otlier wild animals, and even attacking and driving away the elephant itself ; that it has no fear of man, but lies in wait for him and attacks him whenever the opportunity offers, and that in such a duel the man or the gorilla must perish. Others claim that the gorilla is timid and retiring, and that he naturally runs away from man. There is no doubt however that it is a fierce and savage beast when attacked. ]\Ir. Winwood Eeade, an Englishman, who traveled extensively along the coast of Western Africa, says that no white man has ever yet bagged a gorilla. To a party of native hunters unprovided with fire-arms, the chase of the animal is a service of real difficulty and dan- ger. They are obliged to seek it in the recesses of its own haunts, and to come to close quarters with it. The spear is necessarily the principal weapon employed, as the arrow, even though poisoned, does not kill at once, and the gorilla is only incited by the pain of a wound to attack the man who inflicted it. Their fear of the animal is also increased by the supersti- tion that a man is sometimes transformed into a gorilla, and becomes thereby a sort of sylvan demon, who cannot be killed — at all events, by a bl^tck man — and who is possessed with a thirst for killing every human being that he meets. Mr. Reade, the traveler referred to above, visited, among other tribes, the Fans, who hve just above the equator, on the Gamboon River. They are coffee-colored, and in other respects not to be classed with negroes. They are fierce and cruel in battle, yet in private life said to be polite and hospitable — a race of cannibal gentlemen ; for cannibalism is their chief characteristic. Mr. Reade questioned an old and very polite Fan on the subject. Ills answers were plain enough. Of course they all ate men. He ate men himself, and they were very good. They mostly a^ prisoners of war, but some ate executed wiz- ards— a food wliich he was rather afraid to eat, as it might not This Fan, supposed of course, that white men were canni- TALK WITH A CANNIBAL. 105 bals, and asked Mr, Ileadc avIiv they took the trouhlc.to send to Africa for negroes when they had a plenty of wliite nicu to eat at home. Mr. Reade, having an eye to the futnrc, discreetly replied that they were obliged to do so, because the flesh of white men was deadly poison. This answer wasi satisfactory to the Fan. Mr. Reade, however, when traveling' in the company of cannibals thought it good policy not to let them ever got very hungry The Fans are very superstitious,and, as far as they wor- ship anything, are idolaters. Like many other African tribes, they have a custom of celebrating by some kind of religious ceremony, the first appearance of the new moon. Mr. Reade graphically describes the proceedings on such an occasion : — " The full moon began to rise. When she was high in the heavens, I had the fortune to witness a religious dance in her honor. There were two musicians, one of whom had an instrument called handja, constructed on the principle of an harmonicon ; a piece of hard wood being beaten with sticks, and the notes issuing from calabashes of d liferent sizes fast- ened below. The other instrument was a drum, which stood upon a pedestal, its skin made from an elephant's ear. The dull thud of this drum, beaten with the hands, and the harsh rattle of the handja, summoned the dancers. They came singing in procession from the forest. The dance was uncouth ; their song a solemn tuneless chant ; they revolved in a circle, clasping their hands as we do in prayer, with their eyes fixed always on the moon, and sometimes their arms flung wildly towards her. The youth who played the drum assumed a glorious atti- tude. As I looked upon him — his head thrown back, his eyes upturned, his fantastic head-dress, his naked, finely- moulded fonn — I saw beauty in the savage for the first time. The measure changed, and two women, covered with green leaves and the skins of wild beasts, danced in the midst, where they executed ?i pas-de-deux which would have made a jpreTuiere danseuse despair. They accompanied their intri- cate steps with miraculous contortions of the body, and 106 BARGAIXING FOE A WIFE. obtained small presents of white beads from the spectatorSo" Bargaining for a wife, is often a very amusing scene, especially if the father has been sufHcientl j sure of his daugh- ter's beauty to refrain from betrothing her as a child, The dusky suitor dresses himself in his best apparel, and waits on the father, in order to open the negotiations. His business is, of course, to depreciate the beauty of the girl; to represent that, although she may be yery pretty as a child of eleven or twelve, she will have fallen off in her good looks when she is a mature woman of fourteen or fifteen. The father, on the contrary, extols the value of his daughter, speaks slightingly of the suitor as a man quite beneath his notice, and forthwith sets a price on her that the richest warrior could not hope to pay. At last, the affair is settled, and the price of the girl agreed upon. Part is generally paid at the time, and the bridegroom promises to pay the remainder when he comes for his wife. He and his friends then begin to make prepa- rations for a grand feast with which they are expected to entertain a vast number of guests. When the day is fixed, all the inhabitants of the village assemble, and the bride is handed over to her husband, who has already paid her price. Both are, of course, dressed in their very best. The bride wears, as is the custom among unmarried females, nothing but red paint and as many orna- ments as she can manage to procm-e. Her hair is decorated with great quantities of white beads, and her wrists and ankles are hidden under a profusion of brass and copper rings. The bridegroom oils his body until his skin shines, like a mirror, blackens and polishes his well filed teeth, adorns his head with a tuft of brightly-colored feathers, and ties round his waist the handsomest skin which he possesses. A scene of unrestrained jollity then commences. The guests, sometimes several hundred in number, keep up the feast for three or four days in succession, eating elephants' flesh, drinking palm-wine, and dancing, until the powers of nature are quite exhausted, and then sleeping for an hour or DAt^Lli JN liOiNuljU Uic lua \L\M JIou.m THE GAMMAS— BARTH'S TRAVELS. 109 two with the happj facility that distinguishes the native African. Awaking- from tlieir brief shmiber, they begin to feast afresh, and after the first few hours scarcely one of the guests are sober, or indeed are expected to be so. At last, however, all the wine is drunk, and then the guests return to an involuntary state of sobriety. Mr. Eeade also visited the Gammas, who live in a large disti'ict through w^hich runs the river Rembo, the great high- way into Central Africa. Like most tribes which live on the banks of rivers, the Gamma are good boatman and fine swim- mers— the women taking to the water as natm^ally as the men. Along the river Rembo are certain sacred spots, on which the natives think themselves bound to land and dance in honor of the spirit. When any one passes the spot for the first time, he is obliged to disembark, to chant a song in praise of the local deity, to pluck a bough from a tree and plant it in the mud. When Du Ghaillu passed the spot, he was requested to follow the usual custom, but refused, on the ground of disbelief in polytheism. As usual, the Ashira admitted his plea as far as he was concerned. He was a great white man, and one God was enough for the rich and white men. But black men were poor and ignorant, and therefore wanted plenty of gods to take care of them. When a canoe starts on a long journey, a curious ceremony is enacted. Each man dips his paddle in the water, slaps it on the surface, raises it in the air, and allows one drop of the water to fall into his mouth. After a good deal of singing, shouting, and antic-playing, they settle down to their work, and paddle on steadily for hours. An important expedition under Messrs. Eichardson, Barth, and Overweg, was sent out by the British and Prussian Gov^ ernments in 1849. Starting from Tripoli, in March, 1850, the travelers proceeded from the Arab villages, relics of the middle ages, into a country dotted with ruins of the Boman dominion, and through the wild hordes of Tuaricks who inhabit the desert, to the Negro tribes and native races south of the desert. 110 EXPLORATIONS IX SOUTH ^VTRICA. They found a great diversity of people and customs, Mohammedan knowledge ingrafted on ignorance, and magnifi- cent ceremonies side by side with the simplicity of barbarous !N"egro tribes. They arrived on the borders of Soudan on the first day January 1851. Here the travelers separated, and Richardson died in the following March. Overweg and Barth met again in July, at Kuta, near Lake Tchad. Here Overweg died in September. Dr. Barth then turned his steps towards the Xiger. He started from Kuta in ISTovember 1852, reached Sackatoo in April, 1853, and arrived at the famous city of Timbuctoo in September. He remained in Timbuctoo near- ly one year, explored the middle course of the Xiger, and. returned to Europe in 1855. As early as 1630, the Dutch founded Cape Town in South Africa, the capital of Cape Colony. This colony became, and is, the most flourishing of all the European settlements on the Continent. The Dutch early extended their rule in all direc- tions, and became masters of a large section of country. The Colony was taken by the English in 1795, and restored to the Dutch in 1800 ; it was taken again by the English in whose hands it now remains. From this end of the continent many explorations were made, some by merchants and traders, and some by missionaries. As early as 1Y77, the Orange river was visited, and an attempt made to cross over to Mozambique on the east coast, but the travelers were killed on the way. Mr. Campbell, a missionary, penetrated further into the interior, and came to, the border of an immense desert, which he supposed rivaled in extent the desert of Sahara. This desert was crossed by Livingstone, as we shall see in following his journeys. Another missionary, Rev. Robert Moffat, lived in South Africa over fifty years, and has given us a very interesting account of his experiences and discoveries. Li 1818, he took up his abode in Great Namaqua-land, just north of the Orange River, dwelling for six months in a Hottentot hut. This station being almost uninhabitable on account of the MOFFAT'S TRAVELS/ HI vrant of rain, lie went to explore the conntry northward on the border of the Damara land, bnt without success. Soon after he took a journey eastward, along the Orange River, and gives a glowing account of the river scenery and tlie denizens thereof— birds of rare plumage but without a sono-, o-eese ducks, flamingoes, swallows, ravens, etc. Tigers lions, and hyenas also abounded, and he was surrounded onemornino-by a hundred baboons, of gigantic size and threatening aspect. Passing on over a hot plain without water, the delusive mirage tantilized him with exhibitions of the lovliest pic- tures of lakes and pools studded with islets. Sometimes when his companions and horses were in advance, they appeared as if lifted from the earth, or moving like dark living j)ictures in the air. So intense was the heat that he often thrust his head into an old ant-hill excavated by the ant-eater, to have something solid between the fevered brain and the piercing rays of the sun. When water was reached he was unable to speak, but soon revived on drinking some. Several years later, Mr. Moflat went about four hundred miles north-east from Kuruman into the country of the Matsebele, whose king's name was Mosilikatse. On reaching his capital, Moffat was met by a thousand warriors whose kilts were of ape skins, their legs and arms adorned with the hair and tails of oxen. After uttering some hideous yells, all was silent as at midnight, and the men as motionless as stat- ues. Then came a war song, some parts of its music befitting the neither regions, then a pause, and then out marched the monarch. But he was very friendly, and gave Mr. Moffat a clumsy but hearty shake of the hand. "Whenever he arose or sat down all within sight hailed him with a shout, folloAved by a number of his high sounding titles, such as Great King, King of Heaven, the Elephant, the Lion's Paw and the like. His government was the very essence of despotism. In 1854, Mr. Moftat visited again the same region, to help forward some supplies for Livingstone then on a journey to the Zambesi, and met this same chief, now old and infirm. In 1821, Mr. Moffiit established himself as a missionary, at 1-12 ANECDOTES OF A RAIN-MAKER. Kuruman, wliieli was for a long time the most inland station from Cape Town. Here Dr. Livingstone came, on his first arrival in Africa, and from this point he started northward On his first explorations. Subsequently he married Mr. Moflat's daughter. In Southern Africa rain is the very life of the country, and should it be delayed beyond the usual time the dread of famine agitates the people. Consequently, good rain-makers are in great demand. Mr. Moffat relates, that on one occa- sion when a drought threatened, the Bechuanas, among whom he lived, sent two hundred miles for a renowned rain-maker. He came, but found the clouds rather hard to manage, and the drought continued. One day, as he was taking a sound sleep, a shower fell, on which one of the principal men entered his house to congrat- ulate him, but to his utter amazement, found him totally insensible to what was transpiring. "Helaka rare!" (Hallo, by my thither!) "I thought you were making rain," said the intruder ; when, arising from his slumbers, and seeing his wife sitting on the floor, sliaking a milk-sack in order to obtain a little butter to annoint her hair, he rephed, pointing to the operation of churning, "Do you not see my wife churning rain as fast as she can ?" This reply gave entire satisfaction, and it presently spread through the entire length and breadth of the town, that the rain-maker had charmed the shower out of a milk-sack. This shower, howevei', furnished no relief, and for many a long week afterward not a cloud appeared. The women had planted extensive fields, but the seed would not sprout ; the cattle were dying for want of pasture, and hundreds of ema- ciated men were seen going to the fields in quest of roots and reptiles, while others were perishing with hunger. All these circumstances irrated the rain-maker, and he said that secret rogues were disobeying his proclama- tions. He complained that the people had only given him gwits to kill, and asked for fat oxen, promising then to let them see ox-rain. BRINGING THE BABOON. ANDERSSEX'S TRAVELS. 115 Finding that his chiinns and ceremonies produced no effect, and that the people were getting impatient, the impostor liad resource to another strategem. He M^ell knew that baboons were not very easily caught among rocky glens and shelving precipices, and, therefore, in order to gain time, he informed the men that, to make rain, he must have a baboon ; more- over, that not a hair on his body was to be wanting ; in short, the animal should be free from blemish. After a long and severe pursuit, and with bodies much lacerated, a band of chosen runners succeeded in capturing a young baboon, which they brought back triumphantly and exultingly. On seeing the animal, the rogue put on a countenance exhibiting the most intense sorrow, exclaiming, ''My heart is rent in pieces! I am dumb with grief!" Pointing at the same time, to the ear of the baboon, that was slightly scratched, and the tail, which had lost some hair, he added, " Did I not tell you I could not bring rain if there w^as one hair wanting ?" In consequence of Livingstone's discovery of Lake Ngami in lS-19, a Swedish Naturalist, C. J. Anderssen, with Francis Galton, an Englishman, started an expedition which left Cape Town in August, 1850. They sailed up the Western Coast to Walfisch Bay, and from this point started for the interior on the 19th of September. They passed through the Coast country inhabited by the ISTamatpia Hottentots, into the land of the Damaras. Being told by the natives that there w\as a lake, " as large as the sky," far to the northward, they determined to explore it, and after a long journey, were greatly disappointed at finding that a dried-up water course, about a mile long, and a patch of weeds " was the only reward for months of toil and anxiety." At this point the travelers determined to continue north- wards, where lived a nation called Ovambo, which means in their language " The merry people," and started from the great lake on the 12tli of April. On reaching the Damara border, the native chief refused to give them a guide, or any 116 AXDERSSEX'S TRATELS. information. Thoy finally joined an Ovambo trading cara- van, and journeyed with it to the residence of the Ovambo king, Nangoro, with whom they had an interview. He was a very fat man, and had one hundred and six wives. This tribe are remarkable for their many good qualities. They are so lionest that if a man is detected in stealing, he is brought before the house of the king, and there speared to death. They surround their dwellings with palisades, made of poles fixed firmly in the ground. The interior arrange- ments of these inclosures were most intricate. They com- posed the dwellings of masters and servants, open places devoted to amusements and consultations, graineries, pig-pens, roosting places for fowls, the cattle kraal, etc. The travelers set out on their return June 15th, and reached Okamabuti— the place were they joined the Ovambo caravan — on the first of July. On the 4tli of Angust they arrived at the Mission station of Barmen, and Mr. Galton soon afterwards returned to England. Mr. Anderssen drove a herd of cattle down the coast to Cape Town, where he sold them. He then returned to Walfisch Bay by boat, and started towards Lake Ngami, which he reached after a variety of adventure. One day as he ^as cantering along, he found himself all at once on the verge of a pitfall, which had been made by the natives to entrap the girafte. It was too late to retreat, and he and his horse went with a crash through the light net- work of sticks and grass that covered it, to the bottom of the pit, which was about ten feet deep, but escaped without much injury. While at Lake Xgami, Anderssen started to ascend the river Teoge, to a place called Libebe ; but after a voyage of twelve days, the natives M-ould go no further. So he returned to tlie lake, and subsequently to (lape Town. In 1858, Anderssen fitted out a new expedition, and again started on his travels into the Damara and Ovambo countries, and discovered a large river which the natives called the Oka- vango. Here he was taken sick, and after waiting a month M, .iir,^7-if,> J I ifp AXDERSSEN'S TRAVELS. 119 ■svitlioiit getting any better, he started back upon his old trail. This was his last journey in Africa. Mr. Andcrssen traveled afoot, on horse-back, or ox-back, and rode one ox over two thousand miles. lie closes his book of experiences in Africa as follows : — - " Tongue is too feeble to express what I suffered at times. To say nothing of narrow escapes from lions, and other dan- gerous beasts, I was constantly enduring the cravings of hun- ger, and the agonies of tliirst. Occasionally I was as much as two days without tasting food ; and it not unfrequently happened that in the course of the twenty-four hours I could only once or twice moisten my parched lips. Sometimes I was so overcome by these causes, coupled with bodily fiitiguc, that I fainted. Once, both my steed and myself dropped down in the midst of a sand-plain, where we remained a long time, in a state bordering on unconsciousness, and exposed to all the injurious effects of a tropical sun. I would at times pursue my course with a pained and listless step, scarcely knowing what I was about, and staggering like a drunken man, ' This,' says Captain Messum, when si^eaking of the hardships he had undergone in a short tour info the interior of the West Coast, " was the pleasure of traveling in Africa. It requires the endurance of a camel, and the courage of a Hon.' " In 184:8, Ladislaus Magyar, a Hungarian, visited Benguela, the most southern Portuguese port on the western coast of Africa. It contains about three thousand inhabitants, and has a very unhealthy climate for white men. Magyar found that a caravan of native or half-caste traders \vas about starting for the native kingdom of Bihe, which is situated on the high table-lands of the interior. Having obtained leave to join the caravan, Magyar hired an intei-preter, three slaves, six hammock bearers, and also a man to act as guard and overseer. The road is a very hard one, leading as it does up and over high mountain ranges. All kinds of goods are slung on poles and carried on the shoulders of porters, and travelers lie in hammocks and are carried in the same manner. 120 MAGYAR'S JOURNEY TO BIHE. The caravan, consisting of about two thousand persons, left BengueUi on the 15th of January, 1849, crossed a barren level, to the foot-hills of the mountains, and soon began the ascent of the first mountain range. It then passed through Kissangi land. The people here are bandit robbers, and Mag- yar took command of the caravan at the request of their leaders. After passing Kissangi land, they came to Kubale Rivei and valley — a beautiful and luxuriant country, abounding iu picturesque mountain streams and cataracts. Then one mountain range after another "was passed, each one higher than the last, with vast plains at the base of each range, where herds of buifaloes, zebras, and antelopes were seen. After passilig the Djamba Range, and the high table-land of Sambos, they arrived at the borders of Bihe. Here Mag- yar visited the king, and was permitted to settle in the coun- try. He selected lands, built him a large establishment, employed many servants, and became an honored citizen of Bihe. Some time after this the king, unsolicited by Magyar, sent him as a M-ife, his daughter, the Princess Osoro. She was fourteen years old, very pretty, and came attended by her brothers, and a large number of slaves. Magyar accepted the situation, and the wedding was immediately celebrated. The marriage was a happy one, and the princess proved to be a good wife and mother. In 1850, Magyar led a caravan of four hundred persons into the Moluwa country, which lies north-east of Bihe, and, probably, on the western borders of Cazembe. After remain- ing with the Moluwa people for over a year, he returned to Bihe. Afterward, Magyar made several other journeys from Bihe, but nothing very definite is known of them. It is sup- posed that he died about 1856, leaving children M'ho may perhaps inherit the throne of their grandfather, the king of Bihe. The inland exploration of Eastern Africa may be dated BURTON, SPEKE AND GRANT. 121 from 1S44, when Dr. Krapf , of the Church Missionary Society, established himself at Ilabbai Mpia, near Mombaz, about two degrees north of Zanzibar. This place subsequently became the starting-point for several journeys into the interior, under- taken by Krapf and his fellow-laborers. The maps of these missionaries attracted the attention of the Eoyal Geographical Society, who, aided by the Govern- ment, resolved to send out an expedition to Eastern Africa. Major Kichard F. Burton was intrusted with its direction, and having been joined by Captain Speke, a former traveling companion, he set out for Zanzibar, where lie arrived on the 19th of December, 1850. The expedition started from Ivaole, opposite Zanzibar, for the interior, on the 2Tth of June, 1857. Traversing a moim- tainous track, which begins about a hundred miles from the coast, and nowhere exceeds six thousand feet in height, they reached the great inner plateau of Unyamwezi which, at Kazeh, an Arab trading-post, has an elevation of three thousand, four hundred feet, and arrived at Ujiji, on Lake Tanganyika, on the l-lth of February, 1858. The lake extends three hundred miles to the north of Ujiji. The travelers crossed it in boats, and visited Uvira, near its north end. On their joiu-ney back from Tanganyika, Burton remained at Kazeh, while Speke proceeded northward, and discovered the lake Yictoria N'yanza, on the 30th of July, 1858. Speke then returned to Kazeh, and the expedition returned to Zan- zibar. Burton and Speke then went to England, where they arrived in May, 1859. Another expedition under Captain Speke was immediately projected, its object being, as was avowed, to establish the truth of Speke's assertion that the Yictoria Nyanza was the source of the Nile. In this journey Speke was accompanied by his old friend. Captain Grant. The expedition started from Bagamoyo, opposite Zanzibar, on the 2nd of October, 1860, and proceeded to Kazeh, in Unyamwezi. It then started northward, explored the region west of Lake Yictoria N'yanza, and passed along the western 122 BAKER'S EXPLORATIONS and nortliern borders of tlie lake to its outlet, at what tliey supposed was the White Nile. The travelers then went northward to Gondokoro, the head of ISTile navigation, where tliey arrived February 15th, 1863. At Gondokoro, Speke and Grant met Samuel W. Baker, an Englishman, who was about starting into the interior in search of the sources of the Nile. Mr. Baker, accompanied by his wife, started from Cairo April 15th, 1861, to sail up the Nile. They reached the junction of the Atbara and Nile on the 13th of June. They then traveled along the banks of the Atbara, and explored the Nile tributaries of Abyssinia, reached the Blue Nile, and descended that river to its junction with the Nile at Khar- toum, where they arrived on the 11th of June, 1862. From Khartoum, they started, December 18th, 1862, and went up the Nile to Gondokoro. Mr. Baker was the first Englishman who visited that place. The travelers left Gondokoro on the night of March 26th, 1863, traveled eastward to Latooka, then southward to Obbo, where they were detained for months by the severe illness of both. They finally continued their journey, and on the l-lth of March, 1864, discovered a great lake, which they named the Albert N'yanza. Setting out to return home, they traveled up the lake in canoes for thirteen days, and then journeyed by land eastwai'd and northward to Gondokoro. Here they took a boat for Khartoum, at which place they arrived May 5th, 1865. As Burton, Sjjeke, and Grant traveled over much of the same road which Stanley took in searching for Livingstone, and as Baker is now in Central Africa, and so near Living- stone that a meeting between the explorers is quite possible, their ex]Jorations will be spoken of again in another portion of this book. CHAPTER V. LIFE AND TEAYELS OF DAVID LIVINGSTONE. (eaely life.) DA YID LIVINGSTONE, the greatest of modern travelers, Avas born at Blantyre, on the banks of the river Clyde, near Glasgow, in 181Y. In his autobiography, which forms the introduction to his first book of travels, he speaks of his ancestry as being of the genuine Puritan Scotch stock. His great-grandfather fell at the battle of Culloden, fighting for the independence of Scotland. His grandfather, if not "the chief of Ulva's isle," was a landlord on that island — one of the Hebrides — a former on a small scale. The autobiographer makes no claim to a noble ancestry, as the world generally counts nobility, but speaks of one of them as remarkable for his wisdom and integrity, who, on his death-bed, called his children around him and said : — " Now, in my life-time, I have searched most carefully through all the traditions I could find of our family, and I never could discover that there was a dishonest man among our forefathers. If, therefore, any of you or any of your children should take to dishonest ways, it will not be because it runs in our blood. It does not belong to you. I leave this precept with you : ' Be honest.' " What makes this declaration the more remarkable is, that the Highlanders of this period, according to Macaulay, were as much freebooters as the Cafires of South Africa, and any one could escape punishment for cattle stealing, by sharing his plunder with his chieftain. 123 12-1: LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. The Hebrides furnislied meagre advantages for education, but such as they were the Livingstone's prized them ; and when the grandfather of" Dr. Livingstone, compelled by the wants of his large family, removed from Ulva to the vicinity of Glasgow, so that his children might find employment in the factories, his sons soon found situations as clerks ; and such was his reputation for honesty that the proprietors, Monteith & Co., entrusted him with the conveyance of large sums of money from the city to the factory, and in compen- sation for his faithful services, made his old age comfortable by granting him a pension. The father of David Livingstone became a tea-merchant iu Hamilton, near Glasgow, and was highly respected as a man, though he never succeeded in acquiring wealth. The Doctor says of him : — " He was too conscientious ever to become rich, but by his kindliness of manner and winning ways, he made the heart-strings of his children twine around him, as firmly as if he had possessed and could have bestowed upon them every worldly advantage." For the last twenty years of his life he was deacon in an Independent church, but in his younger days he was connect- ed \Wth the regular Kirk of Scotland. The son acknowledges his lasting gratitude for the consistent pious example set before him by his father, such as is beautifully portrayed in Burns' " Cotter's Saturday Night." He also speaks of his mother, as the anxious housewife striving to make both ends meet. At the age of ten years David was put to work in the fac- tory, as' a "piecer," that he might eke out the scanty supplies of the family. His account of this period of his life is so inter- esting and so full of encouragement to poor boys, that we give it entire in his own words. "With a part of my first week's wages I purchased Kuddi- man's " Rudiments of Latin," and pursued the study of that language for many years afterward, with unabated ardor, at an evening school which met between tlie hours of eight and ten. The dictionary part of my labors was followed up till HIGHLAND ANCESTORS— EARLY EDUCATION. 125 twelve o'clock, or later, if my mother did not interfere by jumping np and snatching the books out of my hands. I had to be back in the factory by six in the morning, and con- tinue my work, with intervals for breakfast and dinner, till eight o'clock at night. I read in this way many of the class- ical authors, and knew Yirgil and Horace better at sixteen than I do now. Our school-master was supported in part by the company ; he was attentive and kind, and so moderate in his charges that all who wished for an education might have obtained it. Some of my school-fellows now rank in posi- tions far above what they appeared ever likely to come to when in the village school. "In reading, every thing that I could lay my hands on was devoured except novels. Scientific works and books of travel were my especial delight, though my father believing, with many ot his time wdio ought to have known better, that the former were inimical to religion, would have preferred to have seen me poring over the " Cloud of "Witnesses," or Burton's " Fourfold State." Our difference of opinion reached the point of open rebellion on my part, and his last application of the rod was on my refusal to peruse Wilber- force's " Practical Christianity." This dislike to dry doctrinal reading, and to religious reading of every sort, continued for years after^-ard ; but having lighted on those admirable works of Dr. Thomas Dick, " The Philosophy of a Future State," and " The Philosophy of Eeligion," it was gratifying to find my own ideas, that religion and science are not hos- tile, but friendly to each other, fully proved and enforced." The seeds of Christian truth so faithfully sown by the parents took early root in the heart of the child. He com- prehended from childhood the theory of free salvation by the atonement of Christ, but it was not till he was almost sixteen years of age that he began to feel the necessity and value of a personal application of the provisions of this atone- ment. He describes the change which came over his feelings and purposes as similar to what may be supposed would take place were it possible to cure a case of " color blindness." 126 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. In the glo^y of love which Christianity inspired, he resolved to devote his life to the alleviation of human misery. His lirst desire and purpose were to be a pioneer of Christianity in China, and jn order to be qualified for the enterprise, he set himself to the study of medicine. The medical books, among other sciences, led him to the study of botany, and he scoured the whole country in search of medicinal plants, " collecting simples," as he expresses it. In these excursions, which gratified his intense love of nature, he was often accompanied by his brothers, and they wandered far and wide till fatigue and hunger compelled them to desist. He was thus unconsciously fitting himself for long marches in the jungles and sands of Africa. An incident in one of these excursions around Glasgow, in search of geological and botanical specimens, so aptly illus- trates his own investigating disposition, and the 'blunt char- acter of the Scotchman, that we must give it in his own words : — "' It is impossible to describe the delight and wonder with which I began to collect the shells in the carboniferous lime- stone, which crops out in High Blantyre and Cambuslang. A quarry-man, seeing a little boy so engaged, looked with that pitying eye, which the benevolent assume when viewing the insane. Addressing him with : — " ' However did those shells come into these rocks V " ' When God made the rocks. He made the shells in them,' was the damping reply of the quarry-man. " What a deal of trouble geologists might have saved them- selves by adopting the Turk-like philosophy of this Scotch- man !" " While at work in the factory, his custom was to place a book on the spinning-jenny, so that he could read a sentence each time he passed back and forth. Keeping his attention thus fixed in the midst of a cotton factory, was a source of mental discipline which few enjoy ; but some of our mothers ])racticed on a similar plan in the early history of our country, as they frecpiently placed a book over the distaft' as they spun LOTE OF READING— YOUTIUbX'L TIIAVELS. 127 tlieii- flax, or over the spindle as tliey spun wool, and thus read Milton, Young, and all the old English authors, with will 'h they became more familiar than are some of their daughters, who know nothing of spinning or weaving, and have three-fold advantages for acquiring an education. By such economy of his time, and by such habits of abstrac- tion, young Livingstone fitted himself for his career among the barbarians of Africa, where he says he could read and write with perfect comfort amid the play of children, or near the dancing and songs of the savages. In his nineteenth year he was promoted to the duties of cotton-spinning, for which he vras well paid, though the labor was severe on a slim, loose-jointed lad as he was. He thus laid up something to support himself, while attending medi- cal and Greek lessons in Glasgow, and the Divinity lectures of Dr. Wardlaw. Tip to this time he had never received a farthing of aid from any one, and fully intended to carry out his plan of fit- ting himself for a missionary to China, without assistance from others. Some friends, however, persuaded him to apply to the London Missionary Society, representing that it was a perfectly unsectarian organization. " It sends neither Epis- copacy, nor Presbyterianism, nor Independency, but the Gos- pel of Christ to the heathen." This exactly coincided with what he thought a missionarj^ society ought to be, and with some pangs of regret at losing his independence, he offered his services to this society, and was accepted. In looking over his early life of toil and self denial, he says, " I can not but feel grateful that labor formed such a material part of ray education, and were it possible, I should like to begin life over again in the same lonely style, and to pass through the same hardy training." Dr. Livingstone ever retained pleasant remembrances of his childhood, and much respect for the humble, but honest and intelligent inhabitants of his native village, and in after life, ever spoke of them as good specimens of the Scottish poor. Among them -were some characters of stei-ling worth 128 LIVIXGSTOXE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. and ability, who exerted a most beneficial influence on tlie children and youth of the place, by imparting gratuitous religious instruction. In a note to his first book of travels, lie refers particularly to one of them, David Hogg, who thus addressed him on his dying bed : — " Xow, lad, make religion the every day business of yonr life, and not a thing of fits and starts ; for if you do not, temptation and other things will get the better of you." Good, sound advice, this, adapted to all times and all climes. It is not difficult to trace the origin of Dr. Livingstone's pro- clivities to a missionary life. The twig was early bent in this direction. After having been accepted by the London Missionary Society, young Livingstone spent two years at Chipping Ongar, England, a training school for missionary candidates. Here, he pursued with ardor the study of theology, and fur- ther perfected himself in medicine, and was admitted as a licentiate of the faculty of physicians and surgeons, and was also regularly ordained as a clergyman. It w^as with unfeigned delight that he found himself a member of these professions, which he esteemed as prominently devoted to practical benev- olence. Having finished the curriculum of studies designed espe- cially for missionary culture, he was full of zeal to devote his energies to the cause of God and humanity in heathen lands. China was his favorite field, but the opium war was now raging, and it was deemed expedient that his destination shovild be changed to Africa. For this latter country he accordingly embarked in 1840, and never regretted that this unexplored continent was desig- nated as the field of his life-long, self-denying labors. REV. ROBERT MOFFAT, LL. D. MiSSIUNARY I.N .SoUTHIiUN AkkIC.\ FROM 1S17 TO 1870. CHAPTER YI. LIYINGSTONE'S YISIT TO THE BAKWAIK COUJSTTKY. AFTEE. a voyage of tliree months Livingstone landed at Cape Town, whence, withont delay, he started for the interior, going by water to Algoa Bay. The general instruc- tions which he had received from the Missionary Society, were that he should proceed to Kuruman, the farthest inland station from the Cape, where was located the veteran Afri- can missionary Dr. Motfat, and thence strike out for the unexplored regions of the north and establish a new station wherever he considered it most advisable. In Dr. Moffat, the young missionary found a true friend and wise counsellor. The Dr. had been more than twenty years in the field, and understood the African character well. Kuruman was a delightful station, selected by Dr. Moffiit on account of the ever-flowing fountain of that name, which issues from beneath the trap rock, and irrigates the country for miles below. The temptation to remain in this pleasant place, and in the delightful family of Dr. Moftat, must have been great to the young missionary, especially when we consider that here he first saw her who was to be the future companion of his life — the daughter of his host, whom four years afterward he married. Without waiting longer at Kuruman than was necessary to recruit the oxen after their long journey from Algoa Bay, he pushed on north, exploring as far as the B^kwain country. Here he made the acquaintance of Sechele, a chief of the tribe, a remarkably good specimen of the African, who 131 132 LiviycsTOXE's life and travels. with Ills tribe was located at Sliokuane. Livingstone was from the first struck with the manliness and intelligence of Sechele, who was also favorably impressed with the young missionary, and afterwards embraced Christianity. As Sechele was among the first fruits of Livingstone's labors, and as his story will illustrate the character and mode of life of an African chief, we give it in Livingstone's words. " Ilis great-grandfather Mochoasele was a great traveler, and the first that ever told the Bakwains of the existence of white men. In his father's lifetime two white travelers, whom I suppose to have been Dr. Cowan and Captain Donovan, passed through the country (in 180S), and, descend- ing the River Limpopo, were, with their party, all cut off by fever. The rain-makers there, fearing lest their wagons might drive away the rain, ordered them to be thrown into the river. This is the true account of the end of that expe- dition, as related to me by the son of the chief at whose vil- lage they perished. He remembered, when a boy, eating part of one of the horses, and said it tasted like zebra s flesh. Thus they were not killed by the Bangwaketse, as reported, for they passed the Bakwains all well. The Bakwains were then rich in cattle ; and as one of the many evidences of the desiccation of the country, streams are pointed out where thousands and thousands of cattle formerly drank, but in which water now never flows, and where a single herd could not find fluid for its support. • "When Sechele was still a boy, his father, also called Mochoasele, was murdered by his own j)eople for taking to liimself the Avives of his rich under-chiefs. The children being spared, their friends invited Sebituane, the chief of the Makololo, who was then in those parts, to reinstate them in the chieftainsliip. Sebitnane surrounded the town of the Bakwains by night ; and just as it began to dawn, his herald proclaimed in a loud voice that he had come to revenge the death pf Mochoasele. This was followed by Sebituane's people beating loudly on their shields all round the town. The panic was tremendous, and the rush like that from a AN EXCURSION TO THE BAKWAIN COUNTRY. 133 theatre on fire, while the Makololo used their javelins on the terrified Bakwains with a dexterity which they alone can employ. " Sebituane had given orders to his men to spare the sons of the chief ; and one of them, meeting Sechele, pnt him in ward by giving him such a blow on the head with a club as to render him insensible. The usurper was put to death ; and Sechele, reinstated in his chieftainship, felt much attached to Sebituane. The circumstances here noticed ulti- mately led me, as will be seen By-and-by, into the new, well- watered country to which this same Sebituane had preceded me by many years. " Sechele married the daughters of three of his under-chiefs, who had, on account of their blood relationship, stood by him in his adversity. This is one of the modes adopted for cementing the allegiance of a tribe. " The government is patriarchal, each man being, by virtue of paternity, chief of his own children. They build their huts around his, and the greater the number of cliildren, the more his importance increases. Hence children are esteemed one of the greatest blessings, and are always treated kindly. Near the centre of each circle of huts, there is a spot called a " kotla," with a fire-place ; here they work, eat, or sit, and gossip over the news of the day. A poor man attaches him- self to the kotla of a rich one, and is considered a child of the latter " An under-chief has a number of these circles around his ; and the collection of kotlas around the great one in the mid- dle of the whole, that of the principal chief, constitutes the town. The circle of huts immediately around the kotla of the chief, is composed of the huts of his wives, and those of his blood relations. He attaches the under-chiefs to himself and liis government by marrying, as Sechele did, their daugh- ters, or inducing his brothers to do so. They are fond of tlie relationship to great families. If you meet a party of stran- gers, and the head man's relationship to some uncle of a cer- 134 LrV'IXGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. tain cliief is not at once proclaimed by his attendants, yon may hear him whispering, ' Tell him who I am.' " This nsnally involves a connting on the fingers of a part of his genealogical tree, and ends in the important announce- ment, that the head of the party is half-consin to some Avell- known rnler. "' Sechele was thns seated in his chieftainship when I made his acquaintance. On the first occasion in which I ever attempted to hold a public religious service, he remarked that it was the custom of his nation, when any new subject was brought before them, to put questions on it ; and he begged me to allow him to do the same in this case. On expressing my entire willingness to answer his questions, he inquired if my forefathers knew of a future judgment. I replied in the afiirmative, and began to describe the scene of the 'great white throne, and Him who shall sit on it, from whose face the heaven and earth shall flee away,' etc. " lie said, ' You startle me : these words make all my bones to shake ; I have no more strength in me ; but my forefathers were living at the same time yours were, and how is it that they did not send them word about these terrible things sooner ? They all passed away into darkness, without know- ing whither they were going.' " I got out of the difliculty by exj)laining the geographical barriers in the Korth, and the gradual spread of knowledge from the South, to which we first had access by means of ships ; and I expressed my belief that, as Christ had said, the whole world would yet be enlightened by the Gospel. Point- ing to tlie great Kalahari Desert, he said, " ' You never can cross that country to the tribes beyond ; it is utterly impossible even for us black men, except in cer- tain seasons, when more than the usual supply of rain falls, and an extraordinary growth of watermelons follows. Even we who know the country would certainly perish without them.' " Eeasserting my belief in the words of Christ, we parted ; and it will be seen fiirthcr on, that Sechele himself assisted LIFE OF AN AFRICAN CHIEF, 135 ]ne in crossing that desert which had previously proved an insurmountable barrier to so many adventurers. " As soon as he had an opportunity of learning, he set hini- Belf to read with such close application that, from being com- paratively thin, the effect of having been fond of the chase, lie became quite corpulent from want of exercise. Mr. Oswell gave him his first lesson in figures, and he acquired the alpha- bet on the first day of my residence at Chonuane. He was by no means an ordinary specimen of the people, for I never went into the town, but I was pressed to hear him read some chapters of the Bible. Isaiah was a great favorite with him ; and he was wont to use the same phrase nearly, which the professor of Greek at Glasgow, Sir D. K. Sandford, once used respecting the Apostle Paul, when reading his speeches in the Acts : — " ' He was a fine fellow, that Paul !' " ' He was a fine man, that Isaiah ; he knew how to speak,' " Sechele invariably offered me something to eat on every occasion of my visiting him. "Seeing me anxious that his people should believe the words of Christ, he once said, ' Do you imagine these people will ever believe by your merely talking to them ? I can make them do nothing except by thrashing them ; and if you like, I shall call my head men, and with our litupa (whips of rhinoceros hide) we will soon make them all believe togeth- er.' " The idea of using entreaty and persuasion to subjects to become Christians — whose opinion on no other matter would he condescend to ask — was especially surprising to him. He considered that they ought only to be too happy to embrace Christianity at his command. During the space of two years and a half he continued to profess to his people his full conviction of the truth of Christianity ; and in all dis- cussions on the subject he took that side, acting at the same time m an upright manner in all the relations of life. He felt the difficulties of his situation long before I did, and often said, 136 LIVIXGSTOXE LIFE AXD TRAVELS. '" Oh, I Avisli you had come to this conntiy before I became entangled in the meshes of our customs ! ' In fact, lie could not get rid of his superfluous wives, without appear- ing to be ungrateful to their parents, who had done so much for him iii his adversity. " In the hope that others would be induced to join him in his attachment to Christianity, he asked me to l)egin family worship with him in his house, I did so; and by-and-by was surjOTsed to hear how well he conducted the p>rayer in his own simple and beautiful style, for he was quite a master of his own language. At this time we were suffering from the effects of a drought, which will be described further on, and none except his family, whom he ordered to attend, came near his meeting. '* ' In former times,' said he, ' when a chief was fond of hunting, all his people got dogs, and became fond of hunting too. If he was fond of dancing or music, all showed a liking to these amusements too. If the chief loved beer, they all rejoiced in strong drink. But in this case it is different. I love the Word of God, and not one of my brethren will join me.' One reason why we had no volunteer hyjJocrites w^as the hunger from drought, which was associated in their minds Mnth the presence of Christian instruction ; knd hyjDoc- ocrisy is not prone to profess a creed which seems to insure an empty stomach. " Sechele continued to make a consistent profession for about three years ; and perceiving at last some of the difficulties of his case, and also feeling compassion for the poorM"omen, wlio were by far the best of our scholars, I had no desire that he shoidd be in any hurry to make a full profession by baptism, and putting away all wives but one. His principal wife, too, was about the most unlikely subject in the tribe ever to become any thing else than an out-and-out greasy disciple of the old school. She has since become greatly altered, I hear, for the better ; but again and again have I seen Sechele send her out of church to put her gown on, and away she would SCIIELE AND HIS SUPERFLUOUS WIVES. 137 go witli lior lips shot out, the very picture of imTitteraole dis- gust at his new fangled notions. "When he at last applied tor baptism, I simply asked him liow he, having the Bible in his hand, and able to read it, thought he ought to act. lie went home, gave each of Ins superiluous wives new clothing, and all his own goods, which they had been accustomed to keep in their huts for him, and sent them to their parents with an intimation that he had no fault to. find with them, but that in parting with them he wished to follow the will of God. On the day on which he and his children were baptized, great numbers came to see the ceremony. Some thought, from a stupid calumny circu- lated by enemies to Christianity in the south, that the con- verts would be made to drink an infusion of "dead men's brains," and were astonished to find that water only M^as used at baptism. Seeing several of the old men actually in tears during the service, I asked them afterward the cause of their weeping ; they were crying to see their father, as the Scotch remark over a case of suicide, " so far left to himself P They seemed to think that I had thrown the glamour over him, and that he had become mine. "Here commenced an opposition which we had not previous- ly experienced. All the friends of the divorced wives became the opponents of our i-eligion. The attendance at school and church diminished to very few besides the chiefs own fam- ily. They all treated us still with respectful kindness, but to Sechele himself they said things which, as he often remarked, had they ventured on in former times, would have cost them their lives. It was trying, after all we had done, to see our labors so little appreciated ; but we had sown the good seed, and have no doubt but it will yet spring up, though we may not live too see the fruits." CHAPTER YII. LIVINGSTONE AT IvOLOBENG. HAVING explored the Bakwain conntiy and made a favor- able impression on the natives, Livingstone returned to Kuruman to counsel with his friend Dr. Moifat, and learn what he could from the veteran missionary, before he settled down in a station of his own. Possibly the attractions of Miss Moffat had some influence in inducing him to make the parsonage at Kuruman his head-quarters for study. He remained at Kuruman three months, and then finding that the best mode for learning the language of the natives w^as to cut himself off from all European society, he took a fresh start into the interior, and settled at a place called Lepelole, about fifteen miles south of Shokuane, the residence of his friend Sechele. In this seclusion, he gained a pretty thorough insight into the ways of thinking, habits, laws, and language of that section of the Bechuanas, called Bakwain s. After preparing for a permanent settlement at Lepelole by making a canal to irrigate gardens, Livingstone started on another exploring expedition northward, to visit the Bakaa and Bamang^vato, and the Makalaka. "The Bakaa Mountains had been visited before by a trader, who, with his people, all perished from fcvei-. In going round the northern part of these basaltic hills no.ir Letloche I was only ten days distant from the lower part of of the Zouga, which passed by the same name as Lake Ngami; and 1 might then (in 1842) have discovered that lake, 138 A JOUIIXEY OX OX-BACK. 139 had discovery alone been my object. Most part of tlils jour- ney beyond Shokuane was performed on foot, in consequence of the draught oxen having become sick. Some of my companions who had recentl}^ joined us, and did not know that I understood a httle of their speech were overheard by me discussing my appearance and powers : — " 'He is not strong ; he is quite slim, and only appears stout because he puts himself into those bags (trowsers) ; he will soon knock up.' " This caused my Highland blood to rise, ana made me despise the fatigue of keeping them all at the top of their speed for days together, and until I heard them expressing proper opinions of my pedestrian powers. " Keturning to Kuruman, in order to bring my luggage to our proposed settlement, I was followed by the news that the Bakwains, who had shown themselves so friendly toward me, had been driven from Lepelole by the Barolongs, so that my prospects, for the time, of forming a settlement there were at an end. " One of those periodical outbreaks of war, which seem to have occurred from time immemorial for the possession of cattle, had burst forth in the land, and had so changed the relations of the tribes to each other, that I was obliged to set out anew to look for a suitable locality for a mission station. "As some of the Bamangwato people had accompanied me to Kuruman, I was obliged to restore them and their goods to their chief Sekomi. This made a journey to the residence of that chief again necessary', and, for the first time, I performed a distance of some hundred miles on ox-back. "Returning towards Kuruman, I selected the beautiful valley of Mabotsa, as the site of a missionary station, and thither I removed in 1843. Here an occurrence took place concerning which I have been frequently questioned in England, and which, but for the importunities of friends, I meant to have kept in store to tell my children when in my dotage. The Bakatla of the village of Mabotsa, were much troubled by lions, which leaped into tlie cattle-pens by night, 14r0 LIVINGSTONE AND HIS TRAVELS. and destroyed their cows. They even cattacked the herds in open day. This was so unusual an occurrence that the peo- ple believed they were bewitched— " given," as they said, •' into the power of the lions by a neighboring tribe." They went once to attack the animals, but being rather a cowardly people compared to Bechuanas in general on such occasions, they returned without killing any, " It is well known that if one of a troop of lions is killed, the others take the hint and leave that part of the country. So, the next time the herds were attacked, I went with the people, in order to encourage tliem to rid themselves of the anno^'ance by destroying one of the marauders. We found the lions on a small hill about a quarter of a mile in length, and covered with trees. A circle of men was formed round it, and they gradually closed up, ascending pretty near to each other. Being down below on the plain with a native schoolmaster, named Mebalwe, a most excellent man, I saw one of the lions sitting on a piece of rock within the now closed circle of men. Mebalwe fired at him before I could, and the ball struck the rock on which the animal was sitting. He bit at the spot struck, as a dog does at a stick or stone thrown at him ; then leaping away, broke through the open- ing circle and escaped unhurt. The men were afraid to attack him, perha^^s on account of their belief in witchcraft. When the circle was re-formed, we saw two other lions in it ; but we were afraid to fire lest we should strike the men, and they allowed the beasts to burst through also. If the Bakatla had acted according to the custom of the country, they would have speared the lions in their attempt to get out. " Seeing we could not get them to kill one of the lions, we bent our footsteps towards the village ; in going round the end of the hill, however, I saw one of the beasts sitting on a piece of rock as before, but this time he had a little bush in front. Being about tliirty yards off, I took a good aim at his body through tlie bush, and fired both barrels into it. The men then called out " He is shot, he is shot ! " Others cried, " He has been shot by another man too ; let us go to him I ^ ADVENTURE WITH A LIOX. I-J.3 I did not see any one else shoot at him, but I saw the li()n'ji tail erected in anger behind the bush, and turning to tlie people, said " Stop a little, till I load again." " When in the act of ramming down the bullets, I heard a shout. Starting, and looking half round, I saw the lion just in the act of springing upon me. I was upon a little height ; he caught my shoulder as he sprang, and we both came to the ground below together. Growling horriljly close to my ear, he shook me as a terrier dog does a rat. The shock produced a stupor similar to that which seems to be felt by a mouse after the first shake of the cat. It caused a sort of dreaminess, in which there was no sense of pain nor feeling of terror, though quite conscious of all that was liappening. It was like what patients partially under the influence of chloroform describe, who see all the operation, but feel not the knife. This singular condition was not the result of any mental process. The shake annihilated fear, and allowed no sense of horror in looking round at the beast. This peculiar state is probably produced in all animals killed by the car- nivora ; and if so, is a merciful provision by our benevolent Creator for lessening the pain of death. " Turning round to relieve myself of the weight, as he had one paw on the back of my head, I saw his eye directed to Mebalwe, who was trying to shoot him at a distance of ten or fifteen yards. His gun, a flint one, missed fire in both barrels ; the lion immediately left me, and, attacking Mebalwe, bit his tliigh. Another man, whose life I had saved before, after he had been tossed by a buffalo, attempted to spear the lion while he was biting Mebalwe. He left Mebalwe and caught this man by the shoulder, but at that moment the bullets he had received took effect, and he fell down dead- Tlie whole was the work of a few moments, and must have been his paroxysms of dying rage. In order to take out the charm from him, the Bakatla on the following day made a huge bonfire over the carcass, which was declared to be tliat of the largest lion they had ever seen." Dr. Livingstone thus graphically describes the Bakwains, and his mode of dealing with them :— 144 LIVINGSTONE AND HIS TRAVELS. " A small piece of land, sufficient for a garden, was pur- chased when we first went to live with them, though that was scarcely necessary in a country where the idea of buying land was quite new. It was expected that a request for a suitable spot would have been made, and that we should have pro- ceeded to occupy it, as any other member of the tribe would. But we explained to them that we wished to avoid any cause of future dispute, when land had become more valuable ; or when a foolish chief began to reign, and we had erected large or expensive buildings, he might wish to claim the whole. These reasons were considered satisfactory. About £5 worth of goods were given for a piece of land, and an arrangement was come to, that a similar piece should be allotted to any other missionary, at any other place to which the tribe might remove. The particulars of the sale sounded strangely in the ears of the tribe, but were nevertheless readily agreed to. '' In our relations with this people, we were simply stran- gers, exercising no authority or control whatever. Our influ- ence depended entirely on persuasion ; and having taught tliem, by kind conversation as well as by public instruction, I expected them to do what their own sense of right and wrong dictated. AVe never wished them to do right merely because it would be pleasing to us, nor thought ourselves to blame when they did wrong, although we were quite aware of the absurd idea to that efiect. We saw that our teaching did good to the general mind of the people, by bringing new and better motives into play. Five instances are positively known .to me in which, by our influence on public opinion, war was ])revented ; and where, in individual cases, we failed, the people did no worse than they did before we came into the country. " In general they were slow, like all the African people hereafter described, in coming to a decision on religious sub- jects; but in questions affecting their worldly affairs, they were keenly alive to their own interests. They might be called stupid in matters which had not come within the sphere of their observation, but in other things they showed more LIVINGSTONE HOME AT MABOTSA. l-iS intelligence than is to be met with in our own nneducated peasantry. They are remarkably accurate in their knowledo-o of cattle, sheep, and goats, knowing exactly the kind of pas- turage suited to each ; and they select with great judgment the varieties of soil best suited to different kinds of grain. They are also familiar with the habits of wild animals, and in general are well up in the maxims which embody their ideas of political wisdom. " The place where we first settled with the Bakwains is called Chonnane, and it happened to be visited, during the first year of our residence there, by one of those droughts which occur from time to time, in even the most favored dis- tricts of Africa. " The belief in the gift or power of rain-mahing, is one of the most deeply-rooted articles of faith in this country. The chief, Sechele, was himself a noted rain-doctor, and believed in it implicitly. He has often assured me that he found it more difficult to give up his faith in that, than in anything else which Christianity rec|uired him to abjure. I pointed out to him that the only feasible way of watering the gardens, was to select some good, never-failing river, make a canal, and irrigate the adjacent lands. This suggestion was imme- diately adopted, and soon the whole tribe was on the move to the Kolobeng, a stream about forty miles distant. " The experiment succeeded admirably during the first year. The Bakwains made the canal and dam, in exchange for my labor in assisting to build a square house for their chief. They also built their own school, under my superintendence. Our house at the River Kolobeng, which gave a name to the set- tlement, w^as the third which I had reared with my own hands. A native smith taught me to weld iron ; and having improved by scraps of informatipn in that line from Mr. Mof- fat, and also in carpentering and gardening, I was becoming handy at almost any trade, besides doctoring and j) reaching ; ?jid as my wife could make candles, soap, and clothes, we came nearly up to what may be considered as indispensable in the accomplishments of a missionary family in Central Africa, 146 LIVINGSTONE AND HIS TRAVELS namely, tlie husband to be a jack-of-all-trades without doors, and the wife a maid-of-all-work within. " But in our second year again no rain felL In tlie tliird the same extraordinary drought followed. Indeed, not ten inches of water fell during these two years, and the Kolobeng ran dry. The fourth year was equally unpropitious, the fall of rain being insufficient to bring the grain to maturity. "Nothing could be more trying. We dug down in the bed of the river deeper and deeper as the water receded, striving to get a little to keep the fruit-trees alive for better times, but in vain. Needles lying out of doors for n:kontlis did not rust ; and a mixture of sulphuric acid and water, used in a galvanic battery, parted with all its water to the air, instead of imbibing more from it, as it would have done in England. The leaves of indigenous trees were all drooping, soft, and shriveled, though not dead ; and those of the mimos^e were closed at midday, the same as they are at night. " In the midst of this dreary drought, it was wonderful to see those tiny creatures, the ants, running about with their accustomed vivacity. I put the bulb of a thermometer three inches under the soil, in the sun, at midday, and found the mercury to stand at 132° to 134" ; and if certain kinds of beetles were placed on the surface, they ran about a few seconds and expired. But this broiling heat only augmented the activity of the long-legged black ants. " Where do these ants get their moisture ? Our house was built on a hard ferruginous conglomerate, in order to be out of the -way of the white ant, but they came in despite the precaution ; and not only were they, in this sultry weather, able individually to moisten soil to the consistency of mortar for the formation of galleries, which, in their way of working, is done by night (so that they are screened from the observa- tion of birds by day in passing and repassing toward any vegetable matter they may wish to devour), but, when their inner chambers were laid open, these were also surprisingly humid. Yet there was no dew, and, the house being placed on a rock, they could have no subterranean passage to the THE GREAT DROUGHT— RAIX-MAKERS. 147 bed of tlie river, which ran about three hundred yards below the hilh Can it be that they have the power of combining the oxygen and hydrogen of their vegetable food by vital force so as to form water ? " Rain, however would not fall. The Bakwains believed that I had bound Sechele with some magic spell, and I received deputations, in the evenings, of the old counselors, entreating me to allow him to make only a few showers : " ' The corn will die if you refuse, and we shall become scattered. Only let him make rain this once, and we shall all, men, women, and children, come to the school, and sing and pray as long as you please.' " It was in vain to protest tliat I wished Sechele to act just according to his own ideas of what was right, as he found the law laid down in the Bible, and it was distressing to appear hard-hearted to them. The clouds often collected promisingly over us, and rolling thunder seemed to portend refreshing showers, but next morning the sun would rise in a clear, cloudless sk}" ; indeed, even these lowering appearances were less frequent by far than days of sunshine are in London." The following is Dr. Livingstone's account of the mode which the Bakwains practiced in securing the game, that grazed in large numbers on the African plains. : — ■ " Yery great numbers of the large game, buifaloes, zebras, giraffes, tsessebes, kamas or hartebeests, kokongs or gnus, pallahs, rhinoceroses, etc., congregated at some fountains near Kolobeng, and the trap called '• Iwpo " was constructed, in the lands adjacent, for their destruction. The hopo consists of two hedges in the form of the letter Y, which are very high and thick near the angle. Instead of the hedges being joined there, they are made to form a lane of about fifty yards in length, at the extremity of which a pit is formed, six or eight feet deep, and about twelve or fifteen in breadth and length. Trunks of trees are laid across the margins of the pit, and more especially over that nearest the lane, where the animals are expected to leap in, and over that farthest from the lane, where it is supposed they will attempt to escape 148 LIVINGSTONE AND HIS TRAVELS. after tliej are In. The trees form an overlapping border, and render escape almost impossible. The whole is carefully decked with short green rushes, making the pit like a con- cealed pitfall. "As the hedges are frequently about a mile long, and Jibout as much apart at their extremities, a tribe making a circle three or four miles round the country adjacent to the opcn- iug, and gradually closing up, are almost sure to inclose a large body of game. Driving it up Avith shouts to the nan-ow part of the hopo, men secreted there throw their javelins into the aifrighted herds, and on the animals rush to the opening presented at the converging hedges, and into the pit, till that is full of a living mass. Some escape by running over the others, as a Smithfield market-dog does over the sheep's backs. It is a frightful scene. The men, wild with excitement, spear the lovely animals with mad delight ; others of the poor crea- tures, borne down by the weight of their dead and dying companions, every now and then make the whole mass heave in their smothering agonies. " The Bakwains often killed between sixty and seventy head of large game at the diiFerent hopes in a single week ; and as every one, both rich and poor, partook of the prey, the meat counteracted the bad effects of an exclusively vege- table diet. When the poor, who had no salt, were forced to live entirely on roots, they were often troubled with indiges- tion. Such cases we had frequent opportunities of seeing at otlier times, for, the district being destitute of salt, the rich alone could afford to buy it. "The native doctors, aware of the cause of the malady, usually ]->rescribed some of that ingredient with their medi- cines. The doctors themselves had none, so the poor resorted to us for aid. We took the liint, and thenceforth cured the disease by giving a teaspoonf ul of salt, minus the other reme- dies. Either milk or meat had the same effect, thougli not so ]-apidly as salt. Long afterward, when I was myself deprived of salt for four months, at two distinct periods, 1 felt no desire fur that condiment. % THE BOERS. 151 " This continued as long as I was confined to an exclusively vegetable diet, and when I procured a meal of flesli, thougli hoiled in perfectly fresh rain-water, it tasted as pleasantly saltish as if slightly impregnated with the condiment. Milk or meat, obtained in however small quantities, removed entirely the excessive longing and dreaming about roasted ribs of fat oxen, and bowls of cool, thick milk gurgling forth from the big-bellied calabashes ; and I could then imderstand the thank- fulness to Mrs. L. often expressed by poor Bakwain women, in the interesting condition, for a very little of either. " In addition to other adverse influences, the general uncer- tainty, though not absolute want of food, and the necessity of frequent absence, for the purpose of either hunting game or collecting roots and fruits, proved a serious barrier to the progress of the people in knowledge. Ragged schools would have been a failure, had not the teachers wisely jDrovided food for the body as well as food for the mind ; and not only must we show a friendly interest in the bodily comfort of the objects of our sympathy, as a Christian duty, but we. can no more hope for healthy feelings among tlie poor, either at home or abroad, without feeding them into them, than we can hope to see an ordinary working-bee reared into a queen- mother by the ordinary food of the hive." One of the adverse influences which Dr. Livingstone had to encounter in his mission enterprise was the opposition of the Boers. These were white settlers — refugees from justice, deserters from English and other armies, and of course a very degraded class. They must not be confounded with the Dutch Boors, for the latter were a sober, industrious and hos- pitable body of peasantry. Living at a distance from civiliz- ation, the Boors could not be expected to be very refined in their manners, or style of living, but they were honest and peaceable. " One section of this body, penetrated the interior as far as the Cashan Mountains, whence a Zulu or Caffre chief, Tiamed Mosilikatze, had been expelled by the well-known Caftre Dingaan ; and a glad welcome was given them by the Bechu- 152 LIVINGSTONE AND IIIS TRAVELS. ana tribes, who had just escaped the hard sway of that cruel chieftain. They came with tlie prestige of white men and deliverers ; but the Bechuanas soon found, as they expressed it, ' that Mosilikatze was cruel to his enemies, and kind to those he conquered ; but that the Boers destroyed their enemies, and made slaves of their friends.' " To meet their demand for domestic and field servants, they were accustomed to make forages on the Bechuanas, and the })lan most approved by the long-headed among tlie Boers was, to take children so young that they soon forgot their parents and their native language. Dr. Livingstone, of course, opposed the barbarous practices of the Boers, and this opposition provoked their vengeance. During his absence they descended upon the missionaiy sta- tion, and plundered his home. The nations under Sechele defended themselves to the best of their ability, and slew a number of the Boers, but finally had to flee before them, and retire to the mountains. This marauding band of Boers numbered four hundred, and carried off two hundred Bak- wain children that were in the mission school. This plundering of the Boers broke up the mission station among the Bakwains, and left Dr. Livingstone free to carry out his long cherished wish of exploring the interior of Africa. Before leaving this interesting people, however, we must give the doctor's account of their housekeeping, and his mode of employing his time, while laboring among them : — " The entire absence of shops led us to make every thing we needed from the raw materials. You want bricks to build a house, and must forthwith proceed to the field, cut down a tree, and saw it into planks to make the brick-moulds; the materials for doors and windows, too, are standing in the forest ; and, if you want to be respected by the natives, a liouse of decent dimensions, costing an immense amount of manual labor, must be built. The people cannot assist you much ; for, though most willing to labor for wages, the Bak- wains have a curious inability to make or put things square: like all Bechuanas, their dwell inirs are made round. In the THE MISSION APwIES LIFE AT KOLOBENG. 153 case of three large houses, erected by myself at different times, every brick and stick had to be put square by my own right hand. " Having got the meal ground, the wife proceeds to make it into bread ; an extempore oven is often constructed by scooping out a large hole in an ant-hill, and using a slab of stone for a door. Another plan, which might be adopted by the Australians, to produce something better than their ' dam- pers,' is to make a good fire on a level piece of ground, and, when the ground is thoroughly heated, place the dough in a small, short-handled frying-pan, or simply on the hot ashes ; invert any sort of metal pot over it, draw the ashes around, and then make a small fire on the top. Dough, mixed with a little leaven from a former baking, and allowed to stand an hour or two in the sun, will by this process become excellent bread. " "We made our own butter, a jar serving as a churn ; and our own candles by means of moulds ; and soap was |)rocured from the ashes of the plant salsola, or from wood-ashes, which in Africa contain so little alkaline matter that the boiling of successive leys has to be continued for a month or six weeks, before the fat is saponified. There is not much hardship in being almost entirely dependent on ourselves ; there is some- thinoc of the feelino' which must have animated Alexander Selkirk, on seeing conveniences springing up before him from his own ingenuity ; and married life is all the sweeter when so many comforts emanate directly from the thrifty, striving housewife's hands. " To some it may appear quite a romantic mode of life ; it is one of active benevolence, such as the good may enjoy at home. Take a single day as a sample of the whole. "We rose early, because, however hot the day may have been, the evening, night, and morning at Kolobeng were deliciously refreshing; cool is not the word, where you have neither an increase of cold or heat to desire, and where you can sit out till midnight, with no fear of coughs or rheumatism. After family worship and breakfast between six and seven, we went 154 LITIXGSTOXE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. to keep scliool for all who would attend — men, women, and children being all invited. School over at eleven o'clock, while the missionary's wife was occupied in domestic matters the missionary himself had some manual labor as a smith, carpenter, or gardener, according to whatever was needed for ourselves or for the people ; if for the latter, they worked for us in the garden, or at some other employment ; skilled labor was thus exchanged for the unskilled. " After dinner and an hour's rest, the wife attended her infant-school, wdiich the young, wdio were left by their parents entirely to their own caprice, liked amazingly, and generally mustered a hundred strong ; or she varied that with a sewing- school, having classes of girls to learn the art ; this, too, was equally well relished. During the day every operation must be superintended, and both husband and wife must labor till the sun declines. After sunset the husband went into the town to converse with any one willing to do so, sometimes on general subjects, at other times on religion. " On three nights of the week, as soon as the milking of the cows was over, and it had become dark, we had a public religious service, and one of instruction on secular subjects, aided by pictures and specimens. These services were diver- sified by attending upon the sick, and prescribing for them, giving food, and otherwise assisting the poor and wretched. We tried to gain their affections by attending to the wants of the body. The smallest acts of friendship, an obliging word and civil look, are, as St. Xavier thought, no despicable part of the missionary armor. !Nor ought the good opinion of the most abject to be uncared for, when politeness may secure it. Their good word in the aggregate forms a reputation which may be well employed in procuring favor for the Gospel. Show kind attention to the reckless opponents of Christianity on the bed of sickness and pain, and they never can become your personal enemies. Here, if any where, love begets love." CHAPTER VIII. DISCOVERY OF LAKE NGAMI. THE Boers were determined that no missionary stations should be established on their flanks or in their rear, as these would interfere with their "peculiar institution." Living- stone was equally determined to open all Africa to the light of the gospel, and thus put a stop to the system of unrequited labor and other iniquities incident to barbarism. Obstacles only stimulated him to further exertions, and he immediately set about collecting all the information he could about the desert which lay between the Bakwain country and Lake Ngami. Sekomi, the chief of the Bamangwato, was acquainted with a route which he kept carefully to himself, because the Lake country abounded in ivory and he drew large quantities thence periodically at a small cost to himself. Although Sechele sent men with a present of an ox to Sekomi to ask permission that Livingstone might pass along over his path, it was refused. Sechele, who was fully alive to his own interest, was naturally anxious to get a share of that inviting field and was ready to accompany Livingstone on the expedition, but was dissuaded from this as he was needed at home to guard against the attack of the Boers. Livingstone was finally fortunate in securing for compan- ions two English gentlemen, Messrs. Oswell and Murray, who were full of zeal for African hunting and discovery, and kindly offered to pay all expenses for guides across the great Kalahari Desert, which lies between the Orange River and 155 156 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. Lake Ngami, and extends from 24:*^ cast longitude to near tlio west coast. This region is called a desert simply because it contains no running water and very little water in wells ; it is by no means destitute of vegetation and inhabitants. It was form- erly a region of terror to the Bechuanas from the number of serpents which infested it, and from the intense thirst which they often experienced there. " The human inhabitants of this tract of country consist of Bushmen and Bakalahari. The former are probably tlie aborigines of the southern portion of the continent, the latter the remnants of the first emigration of Bechuanas. The Bushmen live in the desert from choice, the Bakalahari from compulsion, and both possess an intense love of liberty. " The Bushmen are excejDtions in language, race, habits, and appearance. They are the only real nomades in the country ; they never cultivate the soil, nor rear any domestic animals save wretched dogs. They are so intimately acquainted with the habits of the game that they follow them in their migrations, and prey upon them from place to place, and tlms prove as complete a check upon their inordinate increase as the other carnivora. The chief subsistence of the Bushmen is the flesh of game, but that is eked out by what the M'omen collect of roots and beans, and fruits of the desert. They possess gen- erally thin, wiry forms, capable of great exertions and of severe privations." Messrs. Oswell and Murray arrived at Kolobeng, the latter part of May. Just before their arrival, a party from the Lake country came to Livingstone, stating that they were sent by Lechulatebe, their chief, to ask him to visit the lake. This party brought such flaming accounts of the quantities of ivory to be found there, that the Bakwain guides were quite as eager to reach the lake as were the explorers. All things being ready, Livingstone started northward on the 1st of June, 1849, accompanied by Messrs. Oswell and Murray, a score of Bakwains, twenty horses and eighty oxen, rrocceding four or five days towards the Bamangwato hills, ACROSS THE KALAUARI DESERT. 157 tliey struck boldly to the north into the desert. The soil -was a soft white sand, very trying to the strength of the oxen, as the wheels sank into it over the felloes. At Serotli they had their first experience of a real Kalahari fountain : — " We found only a few hollows like those made by the buffalo and rhinoceros when they roll themselves in the nmd. In a corner of one of these there appeared water, which would have been quickly lapped up by our dogs, had we not driven them away. And yet this was all the apparent sup- ply for some eighty oxen, twenty horses and about a score of men. Our guide, Ramotobi, who had spent his youth in the desert, declared that, though appearances were against us, there was plenty of water at hand. We had our misgivings, for the spades were soon produced ; but our guides, despising such new-fangled aid, began in good earnest to scrape out the sand with their hands. The only water we had any promise of for the next seventy miles— that is, for a journey of three days with the wagons — was to be got here. '' By the aid of both spades and fingers two of the holes were cleared out, so as to form pits six feet deep and about as many broad. Our guides were especially earnest in their injunctions to us not to break through the hard stratum of sand at the bottom, because they knew, if it were broken through, " the water would go away." They are quite cor- rect, for the water seems to lie on this flooring of incipient sandstone. The value of the advice was proved in the case of an Englishman whose wits were none of the brightest, who, disregarding it, dug through the sandy stratum in the •wells at Mohotluani; the water immediately flowed away downward, and the well became useless. When we came to the stratum, we found that the water flowed in on all sides close to the line where the soft sand came in contact with it. Allowing it to collect, we had enough for the horses that evening ; but as there was not sufficient for the oxen, w^e sent them back to Lobotani, M-here, after thirsting four full days (ninety -six hours), they got a good supply. The horses- were 8 158 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. kept by ns as necessary to procure game for tlie sustenance ©f our numerous party. " Next morning we found tlie water had flowed in faster than at first, as it invariably does in these reservoirs, owing to the passages widening by the flow. Large quantities of the sand come into the well with the water, and in the course of a few days the supply, which may be ecpial to the wants of a few men only, becomes sufficient for oxen as well. In these sucking-places the Bakalahari get their supplies ; and as they are generally in the hollows of ancient river-beds, they are probably the deposits from rains gravitating thither ; in some cases they may be the actual fountains, which, though formerly supplying tlie river's flow, now no longer rise to the surface. " On the evening of the second day at Serotli, a hyena appearing suddenly, raised a panic among the cattle. This cowardly animal always endeavors to produce a stampede among anmials and then attacks them in the rear. His cour- age resembles that of a turkey-cock. He will bite if an ani- mal is running away, but if the animal stands still, the hyena does also. Seventeen of the oxen ran off and came into the possession of Sekomi, who honestly sent them back with a message strongly dissuading them against crossing the desert. They however, persevered, traveling mornings and eve- nings ; in the middle of the day the hot sun and heavy sand would have overpowered the oxen. Miles beyond Serotli one clump of trees and bushes seemed exactly like another ; but the guide, Eanujtobi, had an admirable knowledge of his course, though to the explorers it seemed a trackless waste. One morning as he was walking by Livingstone's side he remarked : — " When we come to that hollow we shall light upon the liighway of Sekomi ; and beyond that again lies the river Mokoko. " Fact verified his statement for soon the men who were in advance cried out " metse, metse," water, Avater. The oxen daslicd into tlie river till the water was nearlv level with A BUSinVOMAN-DECEIVED BY MIRAGE. 159 tlieir throats, and then drew in the refresliing niouthfuls till their collapsed sides distended almost to bursting. After leaving Mokoko, Raniotobi seems for the first time to be at a loss which direction to take. He had only once passed to the west of this side on the banks of which he had spent his childhood bnt, fortunately, Mr. Oswell, while riding in front of the wagon, spied a Bushwoman running away in a bent position in order to escape observation. Taking her for a lion he galloped up to her, and she, thinking herself captured, began to deliver up her poor little property consist- ing of a few traps made of cords. When made to understand that the party wanted water, and would pay her for guiding them, she consented to con- duct them to it, and, though late in the afternoon, walked eight miles to the spring called Xchokotsa. 'A piece of meat and a bunch of beads were sufficient to allay all her suspicion and to make her laugh with joy. At Nchokotsa the party first came upon the salinas, or salt plain, covered with an efflorescence of lime. This salina was twenty miles in circumference, and at the time it first burst upon the view of the explorers, the setting sun was casting a beautiful blue haze over the white incrustation, making the whole look exactly like a lake. Oswell threw up his hat in the air at the sight, and shouted out a huzza which made the poor Bushwoman and the Bakwains think him mad. Livingstone was a little behind, and was as much deceived as was Oswell, and not a little chagrined to think that his companion had the first sight of Lake Ngami. They had no idea that the long looked for lake was three hundred miles distant. They were simply deluded by a mirage. " The mirage on these salinas was marvelous. It is never, I believe, seen in perfection, except over such saline incrusta- tions. Here not a particle of imagination was necessary for realizing the picture of large collections of water ; the waves danced along above, and the shadows of the trees were vivid- ly reflected beneath the surface in such an admirable manner, that the loose cattle, whose thirst had not been slaked suffi- 160 LIVINGSTONE'S LITE AXD TRAVELS. ciently by the very brackish water of !N"chokotsa, with the horses, dogs, and even the Hottentots, ran off toward the deceitful pools. A herd of zebras in the mirage looked so exactly like elephants that Oswell began to saddle a horse in order to hnnt them ; but a sort of break in the haze dispelled the illusion. Looking to the west and northwest from Xcho- kotsa, we could see columns of black smoke, exactly like those from a steam-engine, I'ising to the clouds, and were assured that these arose from the burning reeds of the Xoka ea Bat- letli, (" Eiver of the Batletli ") Again and again were the party deceived by similar delu- sions. On the fourth of July a company of horsemen felt confident that they saw the lake and started forward to reach it, but came instead upon the water of the Zonga river, which the natives said flowed from Xgami. Tliis gladdened their hearts and they felt sure of reaching their goal. The people were friendly, and told them that by following the Zouga they would at last reach the head waters, though they might be " a moon " on their journey. The Bechuana chief of the Lake country who had sent an embassy to Sechele, inviting Livingstone to visit the lake had also sent orders to all the people on the river to assist him, so that the remaining part of the route along the beautifully wooded stream was one of unalloyed pleasure. So peaceable M'ere the Bakobas who reside on the Zonga, that Livingstone calls them the Quakers of Africa. They had never been known to fight and had a tradition that their forefathers in their first essays at war, made their bows of tho Palma Christi, and Avhen these broke, they gave up fighting altogether. "While ascending the Zouga Livingstone discovered a large tributary to it, called the Tamunakle, and incpiiring of the Bakobas whence it came they replied : — " Oh ! from a country full of rivers, and full of large trees." Tliis information compared with the statements of the Bak- wains, that the country on the north was not the large sandy plateau generally supposed. The idea of a highway capable DISCOVERY OF LAKE NGAMI. 161 of being traversed by boats, to an unexplored, rich, and popu- lous country, so filled Livingstone's mind, that the actual dis- covery of the lake seemed of but little importance. On the first of August 1849, Lake Kgami was first viewed by European eyes. It is a shallow sheet of water, some sev- enty or eighty miles in circumference, with boggy, weedy banks. The whole region Avas a basin, and Livingstone des- cended over two thousand feet in approaching it from Kolobeng. " My chief object in coming to the lake was to visit Sebit- uane, the great chief of the Makololo, who was reported to live some two hundred miles beyond. On the day after our arrival at the lake, I applied to Lechulatebe for guides to Sebituane. As he was much afraid of that chief, he objected, fearing lest other white men should go thither also, and give Sebituane guns : whereas, if the traders came to him alone, the possession of fire-arms would give him such a superiority that Sebituane would be afraid of him. It was in vain to explain that I would inculcate peace between them — that Sebituane had been a father to him and Sechele, and was as anxious to see me as he, Lechulatebe, had been. lie ofiered to give me as much ivory as I needed, without going to that chief; but when I refused to take any, he unwillingly con- sented to give me guides. " Next day, however, when Oswell and I were prepared to start, with the horses only, we received a senseless refusal ; and like Sekomi, who had thrown obstacles in our way, he sent men to the Bayeiye with orders to refuse us a passage across the river. Trying hard to form a raft at a narrow part, I worked many hours in the water; but the dry wood Avas so worm-eaten it would not bear the weight of a single person. I was not then aware of the number of alligators which exist in the Zouga, and never think of my labor in the w^ater without feeling thankful that I escaped their jaws. " The season was now far advanced ; and as Mr. Oswell, with his wonted generous feelings, volunteered on the spot, to go down to the Cape and bring up a boat, we resolved to make our wav south again." 162 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. In April, 1850, Livingstone set out on another expedition north, this time accompanied bj his wife, three children, and the chief, Sechele. Thev reached Lake Kgami withont serions difficulty, and Sechele used all his power of eloquence witli Lechulatebe to induce him to furnish guides for Dr. Living- stone to visit Sebituane. The wily chief made the same objection as before, fearing lest Sebituane would in some way get a supply of guns, and thus become a more formidable foe ; but at last he yielded. Livingstone had a very superior London-made gun, with which Lechulatebe fell in love, and he offered for it whatever number of elephant's tusks the explorer might ask, though he had no ivory on hand.. The bargain was made. Mrs. Liv- ingstone was to remain at the lake with her children, and be furnished with provisions in her husband's absence. But " the best laid plans oft gang awry." The children were taken sick with a fever on the day Dr. Livingstone was to take his departure, and on the next day all the servants were prostrate with the same complaint ; and a return to the pure air of the desert became necessary. Foiled in this second attempt to reach Sebituane, Living- stone again returned to Kolobeng, whither he was soon fol- lowed by messengers from that chief. When he heard of Livingstone's attempts to visit him, he dispatched three detachments of his men with thirteen brown cows to Lechu- latebe, thirteen white cows to Sekomi, and thirteen black cows- to Sechele, with a request to each to assist the white men to reach him. Their policy, however, was to keep him out of view, and act as his agents, in purchasing with his ivory the goods he wanted. A third attempt was more successful, and in company with his wife and children, and Mr. Oswell, Dr. Livingstone finally succeeded in interviewing Sebituane in his own home on the banks of the river Chobe. " Sebituane was about forty-five years of age ; of a tall and wiry form, an olive or coffee-and-milk color, and slightly bald ; in manner cool and collected, and more frank in his answers VISIT TO SEBITUAXE— HIS DEATH. 163 than any other chief I ever met. lie was the greatest war- rior ever heard of beyond the colony ; for, nnlike Mosihkatse, Dingaan, and others, he always led his men into battle him- self. AVhen he saw the enemy, he felt the edge of his battle- axe, and said, ' Aha ! it is sharp, and whoever tnrns his back on the enemy will feel its edge.' So fleet of foot was he, that all his people knew there was no escape for the coward, as any such would be cut down without mercy. In some in- stances of skulking, he allowed the individual to return home ; then calling him, he would say, 'Ah! you i:)refcr dying at home to dying in the field, do you I You shall have your desire.' This was the signal for his immediate execution. " He was much pleased with the j)roof of confidence we had shown in bringing our children, and promised to take us to see his country, so that we might choose a part in which to locate ourselves. Our plan was, that I should remain in the pursuit of my objects as a missionary, while Mr. Oswell explored the Zambesi to the east. Poor Sebituane, however, just after realizing what he had so long ardently desired, fell sick of inflammation of the lungs, which originated in, and extended from an old wound got at Melita. I saw liis dan- ger, bnt, being a stranger, I feared to treat him medically, lest, in the event of his death, I should be blamed by his peo- ple. I mentioned this to one of iiis doctors, who said, " ' Your fear is prudent and wise ; this people would blame you.' " He had been cured of this complaint, during the year before, by the Barotse making a large number of free incisons in the chest. The Makololo doctors, on the other hand, now scarcely cut the skin. " On the Sunday afternoon in which he died, wiien our usual religious service was over, I visited him with my little boy, Robert. " ' Come near,' said Sebituane, ' and see if I am any longer a man. I am done.' " He was tlms sensible of the dangerous nature of his disease. 164 LrV'INGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. 60 I ventured to assent, and added a single sentence regarding hope after death. " ' "Why do you speak of death V said one of a relay of fresh doctors ; ' Sebituane will never die.' " If I had persisted, the impression would have been pro- duced that by speaking about it I wished him to die. After sitting with him some time, and commending him to the mercy of God, I rose to depart, when the dying chieftain, raising himself up a little from his prone position, called a servant, and said, " ' Take Kobert to Maunku (one of his wives), and tell her to give him some milk.' " These were the last words of Sebituane. " We Avere not informed of his death until the next day. The burial of a Bechuana chief takes place in his cattle-pen, and all the cattle are driven for an hour or two around and over the grave, so that it may be quite obliterated. ~We went and spoke to the people, advising them to keep together, and support the heir. They took this kindly ; and in turn told us not to be alarmed, for they would not think of ascribing the death of their chief to us ; that Sebituane had just gone the way of his fathers ; and though the father had gone, he had left children, and they hoped that we would be as friendly to his children as we intended to have been to him. " He was decidedly the best specimen of a native chief I ever saw. I never felt so much grieved by the loss of a black man before, and it was impossible not to follow him in thought into the world of which he had just heard before he was called away, and to realize somewhat the feelings of those who pray for the dead. The deep, dark question of what is to become of such as he, must, however, be left where we find it, believing most assuredly the Judge of all the earth will do I'ight. " At Sebituane's death, the chieftainship devolved, as her father intended, on a daughter named Mamochisane. lie luid promised to show us his country, and to select a suitable local- ity for our settlement. We had now to look to the daughter, DISCOVERY OF TUE ZAMBESI. 165 wlio was living twelve days to the north, at Naliele. AYe were obliged, therefore, to remain till a message came from lier, and when it did, she gave us perfect liberty to visit any part of the country we chose. " Mr. Oswell and I then proceeded one hundred and fifty miles to the northeast, to Sesheke, and in the end of June, 1S51, we were rewarded by the discovery of the Zambesi in the centre of the continent. This was a most important point, for that river was not previously known to exist there at all. " We saw it at the end of the dry season, at the time when the river is about at its lowest, and yet there was a breadth of from three hundred to six hundred yards of deep flowing water. Mr. Oswell said he had never seen such a fine river, even in India. At the period of its annual inundation, it rises fully twenty feet in perpendicular height, and floods fifteen or twenty miles of lands adjacent to its banks." Livingstone's love of adventure and exploration was now thoroughly roused, and as the inquiry is often asked M^hy he let his family return to England and remained himself a "grass widower" in Africa, we will let him tell his own story : — " As there M^as no hope of the Boers allowing the peace- able instruction of the natives at Kolobeng, I at once resolved to save my family from exposure to this unhealthy region by sending them to England, and to return alone, with a view to exploring the country in search of a healthy district that might prove the centre of civilization, and open up the interior by a path to either the east or west coast. This res- olution led me to the Cape in April, 1852, the first time dur- ing eleven years that I had visited the scenes of civilization. " Our route to Cape Town led us to pass through the centre of the colony during the twentieth month of a Cafire war ; and our little unprotected party traveled quietly through the heart of the colony to the capital, with as little sense or sign of danger as if we had been in England. " Having placed my family on board a homeward-bound ship, and promised to rejoin them in two years, Ave parted, for, as it subsequently proved, nearly five years." CHAPTER IX JOTJENEY FROM CAPE TOWN TO LINYAIS^TI. HAYIN'G sent his family to England, Livingstone started on his last jonrncy from Cape Town in June 1852. This journey extended from the southern extremity of the Continent to St. Paul de Loanda, the eg,pital of Angola, on the west coast, and thence across South Central Africa in an oblique direction to Kilimane on the eastern coast. He traveled in the common conveyance of the country, a heavy lumbering Cape wagon drawn by ten oxen, and w-as accompanied by two Christian Pechnanas, two Eakwains, and two young girls who had gone downi to the Cape as nurses to Mrs. Liv- ingstone, and were returning to their home at Kolobeng. At Kuruman, the residence of his father-in-law, Dr. Moifat, he was detained a fortnight by the breaking of a wagon wheel. Here he found five children of his friend Sechele, who had been sent to Dr. Moffat for education when he found that Livingstone w^as determined to abandon his residence among the Pakwains. AVith the true missionary spirit, Mr. Mofiat had received them into his family, where they were enjoying the benefits of civilized life, and were taught to read the Pible in their native language. The fact of the complete translation of the Pible into the Pechuana tongue by Dr. Mofiat, at a missionary station seven hundred miles from the Cape, suggested to Livingstone the iiKjuiry whether Christianity, ]">lanted by modern missions, is likely to retain its vitalitv witliout constant supplies of for- 16G MEETING WITH SECIIELE. 1G7 eign teaching. If the Bechuana Bible was to meet tlie fate of Elliot's Indian translation, it would not be a cause for great congratulation ; but Livingstone's opinion was that tlio Bechuana possess that imperishability which forms so remark- able a feature in the entire African race. This opinion throws some light on the future destiny of the freedmen in onr country, and is an encouragement to effort in behalf of Africans both at home and abroad. Livingstone found some difficulty in procuring servants for further explorations at the Xortli, as the ravages of the Boers had impressed the Bechuanas with terror; but he finally succeeded in securing three, and was also favored with the company of George Fleming, a man of color, who was endeavoring to establish a trade with the Makololo, and who also had three attendants. This party left Kuruman, ]S"ovember 20th, 1852, and at Motito, distant forty miles, met Sechele on his way to lay his grievances before the Queen of England. Sechele was fully imbued with the common notion of the country, that England was powerful, just, and genei'ous ; and he employed all his eloquence to induce Livingstone to accompany him to her majesty, but without avail. Livingstone was equally unable to persuade Sechele to desist from his enterprise ; he proceeded as far as the Cape, and there, finding his resources exhausted, retraced his fruit- less journey of a thousand miles. Livingstone's party continued northward, skirting along the Kalahari desert, and giving the Boers a wide berth. On the 31st of Deceml)er he reached Litubaruba, in Sechele's domin- ions, and found the Bakwains looking disconsolate. Most of their cattle and many of their children had been carried off by tlie Boers. The Bakwains are much attached to their children. A little child toddling near a party of men, while they are eating, is sure to get a handful of the food. " This love of children may arise, in a great measure, from the patriarchal system under which they dwell. Every little stranger forms an increase of property to the whole commu- 168 LIVIXGSTONF/S LIFE AND TRAVELS. nity, and is duly reported to the cliief — boys being more welcome than girls. The parents take the name of the child, and often address their children as Ma (mother), or Ra (father). Our eldest boy being named Eobert, Mrs. Living- stone was, after his birth, always addressed as Ma-Eobert, instead of Mary, her Christian name." On the 15th of January 1853, Livingstone left the country of the Bakwains, deeply impressed with their miseries lie succeeded in avoiding the Boers, and had little dread of the lions and other carnivorous beasts which abound in this region. " When a lion is met in the daytime, a circumstance by no means unfrequent to travelers in these parts, if preconceived notions do not lead them to expect something very "noble" or "majestic," they will see merely an animal somewhat larger than the biggest dog they ever saw, and partaking very strongly of the canine features ; the face is not much like the nsual drawings of a lion, the nose being prolonged like a dog's ; not exactly such as our painters make it — though they might learn better at the Zoological Gardens — their ideas of majesty being usually shown by making their lions' faces like old women in nightca])s. "When encountered in the day- time, the lion stands a second or two, gazing, then turns slowly round, and Avalks as slowly away for a dozen paces, looking over his shoulder ; then begins to trot, and, when he thinks himself out of sight, bounds off like a greyhound. By day there is not, as a rule, the smallest danger of lions, which are not molested, attacking man, nor even on a clear moonlight night. " On the plain, south of Sebituane's ford, a herd of buffa- loes kept a number of lions from their young by the males turning their heads to the enemy. The young and the cows were in the rear. One toss from a bull would kill the strong- est lion that ever breathed. I have been informed that in one part of India even the tame buffaloes feel their superior- ity to some wild animals, for they have been seen to chase a tiger up the hills, bellowing as if they enjoyed the sport. Lions never go near any elephants except the calves, which, c 1 A//^-^ OSTRICH UUNlliNG. HUNTING OSTRICHES. 171 wlien young, are sometimes torn by tliera ; every living thing retires before the lordly elephant, yet a full-grown one M'ould be an easier prey than the rhinoceros; the lion rushes oft' at the mere sight of this latter beast," Many of the plains over which the party passed had largo expanses of grass without trees, but a treeless horizon wao seldom found. The ostrich was often seen feeding on some spot where no one could approach him without detection. As the wagon moved along far to the windward, he would rush off a mile or so. When he began to run, all the game in sight followed his example. It was very difficult to get a shot at one. It requires the utmost address of the Bush- men, crawling for miles on their stomachs, to stalk him suc- cessfully; yet the cpiantity of feathers collected annually, show^s that many are slain, as each bird has only a few in the wings and tail. An ingenious plan for beguiling the ostrich to its destruc- tion, is practiced by the Bushmen. The hunter whitens his legs, places a feathered saddle on his shoulders, takes a stuffed head and neck of an osti-ich in his right hand, and his bows and poisoned arrows in his left. At a distance it is impossible for the eye to detect the fraud. " This human bird appears to pick away at the verdure, turning the head as if keeping a sharp look-out, shakes his feathers, now walks, and then trots till he gets within bow- shot ; and when the flock runs from one receiving an arrow, he runs too. The male ostriches will, on some occasions, give chase to the strange bird, when he tries to elude them in a way to prevent them catching his scent ; for when once they do, the spell is broken. Shoum one happen to get too near in pursuit, he has only to run to windward, or throw off his saddle, to avoid a stroke from a wing which would lay him prostrate." . "When w^e reached the Bamangwato, the chief, Sekomi, was particularly friendly, collected all his people to the relig- ious services we held, and explained his reasons for compel- ling some Englishmen to pay him a horse. 172 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. " ' They vroiild not sell him any powder, though they had plenty ; so he compelled them to give it and the horse for nothing. He would not deny the extortion to me ; that would be 'boherGhere' (swindling).' " Livingstone here witnessed the second part of a ceremony called " sechu," which was practiced by the Bechuana and Caffre tribes, the rites of which are carefully concealed. " Just at the dawn of day, a row of boys of nearly fourteen years of age, stood naked in the kotla, each having a pair of sandals as a shield on his hands. Facing them stood the men of the town in a similar state of nudity, all armed with long, thin wands, of a tough, strong, supple bush called moretloa {Greioia flava\ and engaged in a dance named 'koha,' in which questions are put to the boys, as ' Will you guaixl the chief well V ' Will you herd the cattle well V and, while the latter give an affirmative response, the men rush forward to them, and each aims a full-weight blow at the back of one of the boys. Shielding himself with the sandals above his head, lie causes the supple wand to descend and bend into his back, and every stroke inflicted thus makes the blood sc[uirt out of a wound a foot or eighteen inches long. At the end of the dance, the boys' backs are seamed with wounds and weals, the scars of which remain through life. This is intended to liarden the 3'onng soldiers, and prepare them for the rank of men. After this ceremony, and after killing a rhinoceros, they may marry a wife. " A somewhat analogous ceremony (boyale) takes place for young women, and the protegees appear abroad, drilled under the sui'v^eillance of an old lady, to the carrying of water. They are clad during the whole time, in a dress composed of ropes made of alternate pumpkin-seeds and bits of reed strung together, and wound i*ound the body in a figure-of-eight fashion. They are inured in this way to bear fatigue, and carry large pots of water under the guidance of the stern old liag. They have often scars from bits of burning charcoal liaving been applied to the forearm, which must have been done to test their power of bearing pain. THE GIRL'S ORDEAL 1T3 On the 8tli of February, Livingstone left ]\rotLtl:sci, and passed down the dry bed of the Mokoko which, in tlie mem- ory of persons now living, was a flowing stream. At Ncho- kotsa the thermometer stood at 96® during the day in the coolest shade ; the country was parched, and water scarce. " AYe dug out several wells ; and as we had on each occasion to wait till the water flowed in again, and then allow our cat- tle to feed a day or two, and slake their thirst thoroughly, as far as that could be done, before starting, our progress was but slow. At Koobe there was such a mass of mud in the pond, worked up by the wallowing rhinoceros to the consis- tency of mortar, that only by great labor could we get a space cleared at one side for the water to ooze through and collect in for the oxen. Should the rhinoceros come back, a single roll in the great mass we had thrown on one side, would have rendered all our labor vain. It was therefore necessary for us to guard the spot at night. On these great flats all around we saw in the white, sviltry glare, herds of zebras, gnus, and occasionally bufialoes, standing for days, looking wistfully toward the wells for a share of the nasty water. " As we went north the country became very lovely ; many new trees appeared ; the grass was green, and often higher than the wagons ; the vines festooned the trees, among which appeared the real banian, with its drop shoots, and the wild date and palmyra, and several other trees which were new to me; the hollows contained large patches of water. Next came water-courses, now resembling small rivers, twenty yards broad and four feet deep. The further we went, the broader and deeper these became ; their bottoms contained great num- bers of deep holes, made by elephants wading in them ; in these the oxen floundered desperately, so that our wagon-pole broke, compelling us to work up to the breast in water for three hours and a half ; yet I suffered no harm. " The forest, through which we were slowly toiling, daily became more dense, and we were kept almost constantly at work with the axe ; there was much more leafiness in the trees here than farther south. 174 LIYIXGSTOXE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. " Fleming had until tliis time always assisted to drive liis own wagon, but about the end of March he knocked up, as well as his people. As I could not drive two wagons, I shared with him the remaining water, half a caskfnl, and went on, with the intention of coming back for him as soon as we should reach the next pool. Heavy rain now commenced ; I Avas employed the whole day in cutting down trees, and every stroke of the axe brought down a thick shower on my back, which in the hard work was very refreshing, as the water found its way down into my shoes. In the evening we met some Bushmen, who volunteered to show us a pool ; and hav- ing unyoked, I walked some miles in search of it. As it became dark they showed their politeness — a quality which is by no means confined entirely to the civilized — by walking in front, breaking the branches which hung across the path, and pointing out the fallen trees. On returning to the w^agon, we found that being left alone had brought out some of Flem- ing's energy, for he had managed to come up. " As the water in this pond dried up, we were soon obliged to move again. One of the Buslnnen took out his dice, and, after throwing them, said that God told him to go home. He threw again in order to show me the command, but the oppo- site result followed ; so he remained and was useful, for we lost the oxen by a lion driving them oif a great distance. " The Bechuanas will keep on the sick-list as long as they feel any weakness ; so I at last began to be anxious that they should make a little exertion to get forward on our way. One of them, however, happening to move a hundred yards from the wagon, fell down, and, being unobserved, remained the whole night in the pouring rain totally insensible ; another was subjected to frequent swooning ; but, making beds in the wagons for these our worst cases, with the help of the Bak- wain and the Bushmen, we moved slowly on. "We had to nurse the sick like children ; and, like children recovering from illness, the better they became the more impudent they grew. This was seen in the peremptory orders they would give with their now piping voices. Nothing that we did ARRIVAL AT LINYANTI. 175 pleased them ; and the laughter with which I received their ebullitions, though it was only the real expression of gladness at their recovery, and amusement at tlie ridiculous part they acted, only increased their chagrin. " "We at last came to the Sanshureh, which presented an impassable barrier, so we drew up under a magnificent baobab- tree, and resolved to explore the river for a ford. The great quantity of water we had passed through was part of the annual inundation of the Chobe ; and this, which appeared a large, deep river, filled in many parts wdth reeds, and having hippopotami in it, is only one of the branches by which it sends its superabundant w^ater to the southeast. In company with the Bushmen I explored the banks of the Sanshureh. We waded a long way among the reeds in water breast deep, but always found a broad, deep space free from vegetation and unfordable." After much delay and trouble, Livingstone and one of his men took a pontoon to the junction of the Sanshureh with the Chobe, and launched themselves on a deep river from eighty to one hundred yards wide. " I gave my companion strict injunctions to stick by the pontoon in case a hippo^jotamus should look at us ; nor wa:* this caution unnecessary, for one came up at our side, and made a desperate plunge off. We had passed over him. The wave he made caused the pontoon to glide quickly away from him. "We paddled on from midday till sunset. There was nothing but a wall of reed on each bank, and we saw every prospect of spending a supperless night in our float ; but just as the short twilight of these parts was commencing, we per- ceived on the north bank the village of Moremi, one of the Makololo, whose acquaintance I had made on our former visit, and who was now located on the island Mahonta (lat. IT*^ 58 ' S., long. 24° 6 ' E.). The villagers looked as we may suppose people do who see a ghost, and in their figurative way of speaking said, " ' lie has dropped among us from the clouds, yet came 9 176 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. riding on the back of a hippopotamus ! We Makololo thoiiglit no one could cross the Chobe without our knowledge, b\it here he drops among us like a bird.' "Next day we returned in canoes across the flooded lands, and found that, in our absence, the men had allowed the cat' tie to wander into a very small patch of wood to the we&t containing the tsetse : this carelessness cost me ten fine large oxen. After remaining a few days, some of the head men of the Makololo came down from Linyanti, with a large party of Barotse, to take us across the river. This they did in fine style', swimming and diving among the oxen more like alli- gators than men, and taking the wagons to pieces and carry- ing them across on a number of canoes lashed together. We were now among friends ; so going about thirty miles to the north, in order to avoid the still flooded lands on the north of the Chobe, w^e turned w^estward toward Linyanti (lat. 18" 17' 20" S., long. 23'=' 50' 9" E.), where we arrived on the 23d of May, 1853. This is the capital town of the Makololo and only a short distance from our wagon-stand of 1S51." CHAPTER X. LIFE IN THE MAKOLOLO CAPITAL. THE whole population of Linyanti, numbering between six and seven thousand souls, turned out en masse to see the wagons in motion. They had never witnessed the phe- nomenon before, we having on the former occasion departed by night. Sekeletu, now in power, received us in what is con- sidered royal style, setting before us a great number of pots of boyaloa, the beer of the country. These were brought by women, and each bearer takes a good draught of the beer when she sets it down, by way of ' tasting,' to show that there is no poison. " The court herald, an old man who occupied the post also in Sebituane's time, stood up, and after some antics, sucli as leaping and shouting at the top of his voice, roared out some adulatory sentences, as, " ' Don't I see the white man ? Don't I see the comrade of Sebituane ? Don't I see the father of Sekeletu ?'— ' We want sleep.' — ' Give your son sleep, my lord,' etc., etc. " The perquisites of this man are the heads of all the cattle slaughtered by the chief, and he even takes a share of the tribute before it is distributed and taken out of the kotla. He is expected to utter all the proclamations, call assemblies, keep the kotla clean, and the fire burning every evening, and when a person is executed in public, he drags away the body. " I found Sekeletu a young man of eighteen years of age, of that dark yellow or coffee-and-milk color, of which the 177 178 LIVIXGSTOXE'S LIFE AXD TRAVELS. Makololo are so proud, because it distinguislies tliem consid- erably from tlie black tribes on the river. He is about five feet seven in height, and neither so good looking nor of so mucli ability as his father was, but is equally friendly to the English. " Sebituane installed his daughter Maniochisane, into the chieftainship long before his death, but, with all his acute- iiess, the idea of her having a husband who should not be her lord did not seem to enter his mind. He wished to make her his successor, probably in imitation of some of the negro tribes with whom he had come into contact ; but, being of tlie Bechuana race, he could not look upon the husband except as the woman's lord ; so he told her all the men were hers — she might take any one, but ought to keep none. In fact, he thought she might do with the men M'hat he could do with the women ; but these men had other wives ; and, according to a saying in the country, " the tongues of women can not be governed," they made her miserable by their remarks. One man whom she chose was even called her wife, and her son the child of Mamochisane's wife ; but the arrangement was so distasteful to Mamochisane herself that, as soon as Sebituane died, she said she never would consent to govern the Makololo so long as she had a brother living. " Sekeletu, being afraid of another member of the family, Mpepe, who had pretensions to the chieftainship, urged his sister strongly to remain as she had always been, and allow him to support her authority by leading the Makololo when they went forth to war. Three days were spent in public discussion on the point. Mpepe insinuated that Sekeletu was not the lawful son of Sebituane, on account of his mother having been the wufe of another chief before her marriage with Sebituane; Mamochisane, however, upheld Sekeletu's claims, and at last stood up in the assembly and addressed him with a womanly gush of tears. " ' I have been a chief only because my father wished it. I always would have preferred to be married and have a family like other women. You, Sekeletu, must be chief, and build up your father's house. ' THE MAKOLOLO LADIES. 179 " Soon after our arrivcal at Linyanti, Sckeletn took me asidc^, and pressed me to mention those things I liked best and hoped to get from him. Any thing, either in or out of his town, should be freely given if I would only mention it. I explained to him that my object was to elevate him and his people to be Christians ; but he replied he did not wish to learn to read the Book, for he was afraid ' it might change his heart, and make him content with only one wife, like Sechele.' "It was of little use to urge that the change of heart implied contentment with one wife equal to his present com- placency in polygamy. Such a preference after the change of mind could not now be understood by him any more than the real, unmistakable pleasure of religious services can by those who have not experienced what is known by the term the " new heart." I assured him that nothing was expected but by his own voluntary decision. 'JSTo, no; he wanted always to have five wives at least.' I liked the frankness of Sekeletu, for nothing is so wearying to the spirit as talk- ing to those who agree with every thing advanced. " The Makololo ladies are liberal in their presents of milk and other food, and seldom require to labor, except in the way of beautifying their own huts and court-yards. They cut their woolly hair quite short, and delight in having the whole person shining with butter. Their dress is a kilt reaching to the knees ; its material is ox-hide, made as soft as cloth. It is not ungraceful. A soft skin mantle is thrown across the shoulders wdien the lady is unemployed, but when engaged in any sort of labor she throws this aside, and works in the kilt alone. The ornaments most coveted are large brass anklets as thick as the little finger, and armlets of both brass and ivory, the latter often an inch broad. Strings of beads are hung around the neck, the fashionable colors being ' light green and pink. " The women have somewhat the same ideas with ourseh'cs of what constitutes comeliness. They came frequently and asked for the looking-glass ; and the remarks they made — 180 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TEAYELS. while I was engaged in reading, and apparently not attend- ing to them — on first seeing themselves therein, M-ere amus- ingly ridicnlous. "Is that me?" "What a big niouih I Jiave? " "My ears are as big as pumpkin-leaves." " I have no chin at all." Or, " I would have been pretty, but am spoiled by these high cheek-bones." " See how my head shoots up in the middle ! " laughing vociferously all the time at their own jokes. They readily perceive any defect in each other, and give nick-names accordingly. One man came alone to have a quiet gaze at his own features once, when he thought I was asleep ; after twisting his mouth about in various directions, he remarked to himself, " ' People say I am ugly, and how very ugly I am indeed ! ' " My object being first of all to examine the country for a healthy locality, before attempting to make a path to either the East or West Coast, I proposed to Sekeletu the plan of ascending the great river which we had discovered in 1851. He volunteered to accompany me, and, when we got about feixty miles away, on the road to Sesheke, we encountered Mpepe. Sekeletu and his companions were mounted on oxen, though, having neither saddle nor bridle, they were perpetually falling oW. " Mpepe, armed with a little axe, came along a path parallel to, but a quarter of a mile distant from, that of our party, and, when he saw Sekeletu, he ran Avith all his might toward us ; but Sekeletu, being on his guard, galloped off" to an adja- cent village. He then withdrew somewhere till all our party came up. Mpepe had given his own party to understand that he would cut down Sekeletu, either on their first meet- ing, or at the breaking up of their first conference. The former intention having been thus frustrated, he then deter- mined to efi'ect his purpose after their first interview. I happened to sit down between the two in the hut where they met. Being tired with riding all day in the sun, I soon asked Sekeletu where I should sleep, and he replied : — " ' Come, I will show you.' "As we rose together, I unconsciously covered Sekelctu's ^ MPEPE EXECUTED. 181 body witli mine, and saved liim from the blow of the assassin. I knew nothing of the plot, but remarked that all Mpepe's men kept hold of their arms, even after we had sat down — a thing quite unusual in the presence of a chief; and when Sekeletu showed me the hut in which I was to spend the night, he said to me : — " ' That man wishes to kill me.' " I afterward learned that some of Mpepe's attendants had divulged the secret ; and, bearing in mind his father's instruc- tions, Sekeletu put Mpepe to .death that night. It was man- aged so quietly, that, although I was sleeping within a few yards of the scene, I knew nothing of it till the next day. Xokuane went to the fire, at which Mpepe sat, with a hand- ful of snuff, as if he were about to sit down and regale him- self therewith. Mpepe said to him, "Nsepisa" (cause me to take a pinch) ; and, as he held out his hand, Nokuane caught hold of it, while another man seized the other hand and leading him out a mile speared him. " This is the common mode of executing criminals. They are not allowed to speak; though on one occasion a man, feeling his wrist held too tightly, said, 'Hold me gently, can't you ? you will soon be led out in the same way your- selves.' "Mpepe's men fled to the Barotse, and, it being unad- visable for us to go thither during the commotion whicli followed on Mpepe's death, we returned to Linyanti. " Having waited a month at Linyanti, we again departed, for the purpose of ascending the river from Sesheke. To the Barotse country, the capital of which is Nariele or Naliele (lat. 15^ 21' 17" S., long. 23« 5' 54" E.), I went in company with Sekeletu and about one hundred and sixty attendants. "We had most of the young men with us, and many of tho under-chief besides. " It was pleasant to look back on the long-extended line of our attendants, as it twisted and bent according to the curves of the footpath, or in and out behind the mounds, the ostrich feathers of the men waving in the wind. Some had the 182 LIYIXGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. white ends of ox-tails on their heads, Hussar fashion, and others great bunches of black ostrich feathers, or caps made of lions' manes. Some wore red tunics, or various-colored prints which the chief had bought from Fleming ; the com- mon men carried burdens; the gentlemen walked with a small club of rhinoceros-horn in their hands, and had servants to carry their shields ; while the " Machaka," battle-axe men, carried their own, and were liable at any time to be sent off a hundred miles on an errand, and expected to run all the way. *'Sekeletu is always accompanied by his own ]VIo2:)ato, a number of young men of his own age. When he sits down they crowd around him ; those who are nearest eat out of the same dish, for the Makololo chiefs pride themselves on eat- ing with their people. " When we arrived at any village the women all turned out to lulliloo their chief. Their shrill voices, to which they give a tremulous sound by a quick motion of the tongue, peal forth, " Great lion ! " " Great chief ! " " Sleep, my lord ! " etc. The men utter similar salutations ; and Sekeletu receives all with becoming indifference. After a few min- utes' conversation and telling the news, the head man of the village, who is almost always a Makololo, rises, and brings forth a number of large pots of beer. Calabashes, being used as drinking-cups, are handed round, and as many as can par- take of the beverage do so, grasping the vessels so eagerly that they are in danger of being broken. " Sekeletu and I had each a little gypsy-tent in which to sleep. The Makololo huts are generally clean, while those of the Makalaka are infested with vermin. The cleanliness of the former is owing to the habit of frequently smearing the floors with a plaster composed of cowdung and earth. If we slept in the tent in some villages, the mice ran over our faces and disturbed our sleep, or hungry prowling dogs would eat our shoes and leave only the soles. When they were guilty of this and other misdemeanors, we got the loan of a hut. The best sort of Makololo huts consist of three circular AN EXCURSIOX WITH SEKELETU. 183 walls, with small holes as doors, each similar to that in a dog- house ; and it is necessary to bend down the body to get in, even when on all-fours. The roof is formed of reeds or straight sticks, in shape like a Chinaman's hat, bound firmly together wath circular bands, which are lashed with the strong inner bark of the mimosa-tree. When all prepared except the thatch, it is lifted on to the circular wall, the rim resting on a circle of poles, between each of which the third wall is built. The roof is thatched w^ith fine grass, and sewed with the same material as the lashings ; and, as it projects far be- yond the walls, and reaches within four feet of the ground, the shade is the best to be found in the country. These huts are very cool in the hottest day, but are close and deficient in ventilation by night. " The river at Katonga is somewhat broader than at Sesheke, and certainly not less than six hundred yards. It flows some- what slowly in the first part of its eastern course. When the canoes came from Sekhesi to take us over, one of the comrades of Sebituane rose, and, looking to Sekeletu, called out, " ' The elders of a host always take the lead in an attack.' " This was understood at once ; and Sekeletu, with all the young men, were obliged to give the elders the precedence, and remain on the southern bank and see that all went order- ly into the canoes. " Having procured a sufficient number of canoes, we began to ascend the river. I had six paddlers, and the larger canoe of Sekeletu had ten. They stimd upright, and keep the stroke with great precision, thongh they change from side to side as the course demands. The men at the head and stern are selected from the strongest and most expert of the whole. The canoes, being flat-bottomed, can go into very shallow w^ater ; and whenever the men can feel the bottom, they use the paddles, which are about eight feet long, as poles to punt with. Our fleet consisted of thirty-three ca^noes, and about one hundred and sixty men. We proceeded rapidly up the river, and I felt the pleasure of looking on lands which had never been seen by a European before. 184 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. " Thw visit was the first Sekeletn had made to tliese parts since he attained the chieftainship. Those who had taken part with Mpepe were conse(iuentlj in great terror. When we came to tlie town of Mpepe's father, as he and another man had counseled Mamocliisane to put Sekeletu to death and marry Mpepe, the two were led forth and tossed into the river. Nokuany v, as again one of the executioners. When I remonstrated against human blood being shed in the oft-hand way in which they were proceeding, the counselors justified their acts by the evidence given by Mamocliisane, and calmly added, 'You sec we are still Boers; we are not, yet taught.' "Before reaching the Loeti we came to a number of people from the Lobale region, hunting hippopotami. Tliey fled precipitately as soon as they saw the Makololo, leaving their utensils and clothing. My own Makalaka, who were accus- tomed to plunder wherever they went, rushed after them like furies, totally regardless of my shouting. As this pro- ceeding Avoukl have destroyed my character entirely at Lobale, I took my stand on a commanding position as they returned, and forced them to lay down all the plunder on a sand-bank, and leave it there for its lawful owners. "An incident, which occurred at the confluence of the Leeba and Leeambyc, may be mentioned here, as showing a more vivid perception of the existence of spiritual beings, and greater proneness to worship than among the Bechuanas. Having taken lunar observations in the morning, I was wait- ing for a meridian altitude of the sun for the latitude ; my chief boatman was sitting by, in order to pack up the instru- ments as soon as I had finished ; there was a large halo, about 20° in diameter, round the sun ; thinking that the humidity of the atmosphere, which this indicated, might betoken rain, r asked him if his experience did not lead him to the same view. " ' Oh no,' replied he ; ' it is the Barimo (gods or departed spirits), who have culled a piclio ] don't you see they have the Lord (sim) in the centre?' " It was now quite evident that no healthy location could SI'LVUING THE HIPPOPOTVMUS A NINE WEEKS' TOUR. 187 be obtained in which the Makololo would be allowed to live in peace. I had thus a fair excuse, if I had chosen to avail myself of it, of coming home and saying that the " door was shut," because the Lord's time had not yet come. But believ- ing that it was my duty to devote some portion of my life to these (to me at least) very confiding and affectionate Makololo, I resolved to follow out the second part of my plan, though I had failed in accomplishing the first." The party then proceeded to the town of Ma-Sekeletu, (mother of Sekeluta) opposite the island of Loyela where they Avere received with great rejoicings ; soon afterwards they returned to Linyanti. Of this trip Livingstone says : — " I had been, during a nine Aveeks' tour, in closer contact with heathenism than I had ever been before ; and though all, including the chief, were as kind and attentive to me as pos- sible, and there was no want of food (oxen being slaughtered daily, sometimes ten at a time, more than sufficient for the wants of all), yet to endure the dancing, roaring, and singing, the jesting, anecdotes, grumbling, quarreling, and murdering of these children of nature, seemed more like a severe pen- ance than anything I had before met with in the course of my missionary duties. I took thence a more intense disgust at heathenism than I had before, and formed a greatly ele- vated opinion of the latent effects of missions in the south, among tribes which are reported to have been as savage as the Makololo. " The longitude and latitude of Linyanti (lat. 18^ 17' 20" S., long. 23^ 50' 9" E.) showed that St. Philip de Eenguela was much nearer to us than Loanda ; and I might have easily made arrangements with the Mambari to allow me to accom- pany them as far as Bihe, which is on the road to that port ; but it is so undesirable to travel in a path once trodden by slave-traders that I preferred to find out another line of march. " Accordingly, men were sent at my suggestion to examine all the country to the west, to see if any belt of country free from tsetse could be found to afford us an outlet. The search ISS LIVIXGSTONES LIFE AND TRAVELS. ■vvas fruitless. The town and district of Linyanti are sur- rounded by forests infested by this poisonous insect, except at a few points, as that by which we entered at Sanshureh and another at Sesheke. But the lands both east and west of the Barotsc valley are free from this insect plague. There, how- ever, the slave-trade had defiled the path, and. no one ought to follow in its w^ake unless well-armed. The Mambari had informed me that many English lived at Loanda, so I pre- pared to go hither. The prospect of meeting with country- men seemed to overbalance the toils of the longer march, " A ' picho ' was called to deliberate on the steps proposed. In these assemblies great freedom of speech is allowed ; and on this occasion one of the old divinei's said : — " 'Where is he taking you to? This white man is throw- ing you away. Your garments already smell of blood.' " This man was a noted croaker. He always dreamed something dreadful in every expedition, and was certain that an eclipse or comet betokened the proj^riety of flight. But Sebituane formerly set his visions down to cowardice, and Sekeletu only laughed at him now. The general voice was in my favor ; so a band of twenty-seven w^ere appointed to accompany me to the west. These men were not hired^ but sent to enable me to accomplish an object as much desired by the chief and most of his people as by me. They were eager to obtain free and profitable trade with white men. The desire of the Makololo for direct trade with the sea-coast coin- cided exactly with my own conviction that no permanent ele- vation of a people can be effected without connnercc. "The tlirce men M-hom I had brouglit f rom Kuraman had frcHjucnt relapses of the fever; so, finding that instead of serving me I had to wait on them, I decided that they should return to the south with Fleming as soon as he had finished his trading. I was then entirely dependent on my twenty- seven me!i, whom I might name Zambesians, for there were two ]\rokololo only, while the rest consisted of Barotse. Batoka, liashubia, and two of the Ambonda. " The fever had caused, considerable wakeness in my own TRIP TO LOANDA DECIDED ON". 189 frame, and a strange giddiness wlien I looked np Rnddonly to any celestial object, for every thing seemed to rush to the left, and if I did not catch hold of some object, I fell heavily on the ground. The Makololo now put the question, ' In the event of your death, will not the white people blame us for having allowed you to go away into an unhealthy, unknown country of enemies V "I replied that none of my friends would blame them, because I would leave a book with Sekeletu, to bo sent to Mr. Moffat in case I did not return, which would explain to him all that had happened until the time of my departure. The book was a volume of my Journal; and, as I was detained longer than I expected at Loanda, this book, with a letter, was delivered by Sekeletu to a trader, and I have been unable to trace it. I regret this now, as it contained valuable notes on the habits of wild animals, and the recpiest was nuido in the letter to convey the volume to my family. " The prospect of passing away from this fair and beautiful world thus came before me in a plain, matter-of-fact fonn, and it did seem a serious thing to leave wife and child ren- te break up all connection with earth, and enter on an untried state of existence ; and I find myself in my journal pondering over that fearful migration which lands us in eternity, won- dering whether an angel will soothe the fluttering soul, sadly flurried as it must be on entering the spirit world, and hoping that Jesus might speak but one word of peace, for that M'ould establish in the bosom an everlasting calm. But as I had always believed that, if we serve God at all, it ought to be done in a manly way, I wrote to my brother, commending our little girl to his care, as I was determined to " succeed or perish " in the attempt to open up this part of Africa. The Boers, by taking possession of all my goods, had saved me the trouble of making a will; and considering the light heart now left in my bosom, and some faint efforts to perform the duty of Christian forgiveness, I felt that it was better to be the plundered party than one of the plunderers." CHAPTER XT. LIVIXGSTOI^E'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. (journey from linyakti to shente.) Ox the lltli of November, 1S53, we left tlie town of Lin- yaiiti, accompanied by Sekeletu and his principal men, to embark on the Chobe. The chief came to the river in order to see that all was right at parting. The chief lent me his own canoe, and, as it was broader than usual, I could turn about in it with ease. " The Chobe is much infested by hippopotami, and, as cer- tain elderly males are expelled the herd, they become soured in their temper, and so misanthropic as to attack every canoe that passes near them. The herd is never dangerous, except when a canoe passes into the midst of it when all are asleep, and some of them may strike the canoe in terror. To avoid this, it is generally recommended to travel by day near the bank, and by night in the middle of the stream. "After spending one night at the Makololo village on Mpariaj we left the Chobe, and, turning round, began to ascend the Leeambye; on the 19th of November, we again reached the town of Seshekc. " 1 gave many public addresses to the people of Sesheke under the outspreading camel-thorn-tree, which serves as a fihado to the kotla on the high bank of the river. It was pleasant to seo the long lines of men, women, and children winding along from ditForent quarters of the town, each party following behind their respective head-men. They often amounted to between live and six hundred, and required an 190 UP THE LEEAMBYE. 191 exertion of voice which brought back the complaint for whicli I had irot the uvula excised at the Cape. They were always very attentive; and Moriantsane, in order, as he thought, to please me, on one occasion rose up in the middle of tlie dis- course, and hurled his staff at the heads of some young fellows whom he saw working with a skin instead of listening, " The rapids in tlie part of the river between Katima-molelo and ]!!s^ameta are relieved 'by several reaches of still, deep water, fifteen or twenty miles long. Jn these, very large herds of hippopotami are seen, and the deep furrows they make, in ascending the banks to graze during the nights, are every where apparent. They are guided back to water by the scent, but a long continued pouring rain makes it impossible for them to perceive, by that means, in which direction the river lies, and they are found bewildered on the land. The hunters take advantage of their helplessness on these occa- sions to kill them." Dr. Livingstone describes the every day life of their voy- age up the river as follows : — - " We get up a little before five in the morning ; it is then beginning to dawn. "While I am dressing cofi'ee is made ; and, having filled my pannikin, the remainder is handed to my companions, who eagerly partake of the refreshing bev- erage. The servants are busy loading the canoes, while the principal men are sipping the coffee, and, that being soon over, we embark. The next two hours are the most pleasant part of the day's sail. The men paddle away most vigorously ; the Barotse, being a tribe of boatmen, have large, deeply- developed chests and shoulders, with indifferent lower extrem- ities. They often engage in loud scolding of each other in order to relieve the tedium of their work. About eleven we land, and eat any meat which may have remained from the previous evening meal, or a biscuit with honey, and drink water. " After an hour's rest we again embark and cower under an uml)rella. The heat is oppressive, and, being weak from the last attack of fever, I cannot land and keep the camp 192 LIVIXGSTOXE'S LITE AXD TRAVELS, supplied with flesh. The men, being quite uncovered in the sun, perspire profusely, and in the afternoon begin to stop, as if waiting for the canoes which have been left behind. Sonielimjs we reach a sleeping-place two hours before sunset, and, all being troubled with languor, we gladly remain for the night. Coftee again, and a biscuit, or a piece of coarse bread made of maize meal, or that of the native corn, make up the bill of fare for the evening, unless we have been fort- unate enough to kill something, when we boil a potful of flesh. This is done by cutting it up into long strips and pouring in water till it is covered. When that is boiled dry, the meat is considered ready. "Part of our company marched along the banks with the oxen, and part went in the canoes, but our pace was regulated by the speed of the men on shore. The number of alligators is prodigious, and in this river they are more savage than in some others. Many children are carried o& annually at Sesheke and other towns ; for, notwithstanding the danger, when they go down for water they almost always must play a while. I never could avoid shuddering on seeing my men swimming across these branches, after one of them had been caught by the thigh and taken below. He, however, retained, as nearly all of them in the most trying circumstances do, his full presence of mind, and, having a small, square, ragged- edged javelin with him, when dragged to the bottom gave the alligator a stab behind the shoulder. The alligator, writh- ing in pain, left him, and he came out with the deep marks of the reptile^s teeth on his thigh. " On the 27th of December, we were at the confluence of the Leoba and Lecambye. Masiko, the Barotse chief, for whom we had some captives, lived nearly due east of this point. They were two little bovs, a little girl, a young man, and two middle-aged women. One of these was a member of a Babimpe tribe, wlio knock out both upper and lower front teeth as a distinction. As we had been informed by the captives on the previous Snndiy, tli;\t Masiko M'as in the luibit of seizing all orphans and those who have no pov/erful 'iiiN«llP||f|%IWI* m llilllliill 1 1 III III I 1 1 II lll^^lllli'llhi^ I 4 i lUiJJlii!;,!: CAPTIVES RETURNED TO TnEIR nOMES 195 friend in tliC triho, and selling them for clothing to the Manibari, Vre thought the objection of the women to go first to his town before seeing their friends quite reasonable, and resolved to send a party of our own people to see them safely among their relatives. We sent Mosantu, a Batoka maji, and his companions, with the captives. The party now began to ascend the Leeba, which wound slowly through the most charming meadows. The trees were covered with a profusion of the freshest foliage, and the grass, which had been burned off was starting up luxuriantly. " The forests became more dense as we went north. We travel much more in the deep gloom of the forest than fn open sunlight. No passage existed on either side of the nar- row path made by the axe. Large climbing plants entwined themselves around the trunks and branches of gigantic trees like boa constrictors, and they often do constrict the trees by which they rise, and, killing them, stand erect themselves. " There was a considerable pleasure, in spite of . rain and fever, in this new scenery. The deep gloom contrasted strongly with the shadeless glare of the Kalahari, which had left an indelible impression on my memory. Though drenched day by day at this time, and for months afterward, it was long before I could believe that we were getting too much of a good thing. Kor could I look at water being thrown away without a slight, quick impression flitting across the mind that we were guilty of wasting it." On arriving at a part of the river opposite the village of Manenko, the first female chief whom the party encountered, two of the people called Balonda, visited them in a small canoe, and then went away to report to Manenko. They were also visited by a number of the people of an Ambonda chief named Sekelenke, who lived far to the northwest. " On the 6th of January we reached the village of another female chief, named Nyamoana, who is said to be the mother of Manenko, and sister of Shinte or Kabompo, the greatest Balonda chief in this part of the country. Her people had but recently come to the present locality, and had erected 10 196 LIYIXGSTONE'S LIM AND TRAVELS. only twenty lints. Her linsband, Samoana, was clothed in a kilt of green and red baize, and was armed with a spear, and a broadsword of antiqne form about eighteen inches long and three broad. The chief and her husband were sitting on skins placed in the middle of a circle thirty paces in diameter, a little raised above the ordinary level of the ground, and havino- a trench round it. Outside the trench sat about a hundred persons of all ages and both sexes. " The men were well armed with bows, arrows, spears, and broadswords. Beside the husband sat a rather aged woman, having a bad outward squint in the left eye. We put down our arms about forty yards off, and I walked up to the centre of the circular bench, and saluted him in the usual way by clapping the hands together in their fashion. He pointed to his wife, as much as to say, the honor belongs to her. I saluted her in the same way, and a mat having been brought, I squatted down in front of them. "The talker was then called, and I was asked who was my spokesman. Having pointed to Kolimbota, who knew their dialect best, the palaver began in due form. I explained the real objects I had in view. Kolimbota repeated to ISTyamoa- na's talker what I had said to him. He delivered it all ver- batim to her husband, who repeated it again to her. It was thus rehearsed four times over, in a tone loud enough to be heard by the whole party of auditors. The response came back by the same roundabout route, beginning at the lady to her husband, etc. " As the Leeba seemed still to come from the direction in which we wished to go, I was desirous of proceeding farther up with the canoes; but Nyamoana w^as anxious that we ghould allow her people to conduct us to her brother Shinte ; and when I explained the advantage of water-carriage, she represented that her brother did not live near the river, and, moreover, there was a cataract in front, over which it would be dilhcult to convey the canoes. She was afraid, too, that the lialoljalc, whose country lies to the west of the river, not knowing the objects for which we had come, wquld kill us. INTERVIEW WITH FEMALE CHIEFS. 197 " This produced considerable effect 6n my companions, and inclined them to the plan of J^yamoana, of going to the town of her brother rather than ascending the Leeba. The arrival of Manenko herself on the scene threw so mnch weight into ♦the scale on their side that I was forced to yield the point. " Manenko was a tall, strapping woman about twenty, dis- tinguished by a profusion of ornaments and medicines hung round her person ; the latter are supposed to act as charms. Her body was smeared all over W' ith a mixture of fiit and red ochre, as a protection against the weather ; a necessary pre- caution, for like most of the Balonda ladies, she was otherwise in a state of frightful nudity. This was not from want of clothing, for, being a chief, she might have been as well clad as any of her subjects, but from her peculiar ideas of elegance in dress. " When she arrived with her hnsband, Sambanza, they lis- tened for sometime to the statements I was making to the people of Nyamoana, after which the husband, acting as spokesman, commenced an oration, stating the reasons for their coming, and during every two or three seconds of the delivery, he picked up a little sand, and rubbed it on the upper part of his arms and chest. This is a common mode of salutation in Londa. "On the evening of the day in which Manenko arrived, we were deliglited by the appearance of Mosantu and an impos- ing embassy fi-om Masiko. It consisted of all his under-chiefs, and they brought a tine elephant's tusk, two calabashes of honey, and a large piece of blue baize, as a present. The last was intended perhaps to show me that he was a truly great chief, who had such stores of white men's goods at hand that he could afford to give presents of them. Masiko expressed delight, by his principal men, at the return of the captives, and at the proposal of peace and alliance with the Makololo. " Manenko gave us some manioc roots in the morning, and had determined to carry our baggage to her uncle's, Kabompo or Shinte. We had heard a sample of what she could do with her tongue ; and as neither my men nor myself had 198 LIYIXGSTOXE'S LIFE .\^'D TRAVELS. * much iucliiicatiou to encoiniter a scolding from this black Mrs. Caudle, we made ready the packages ; but she came and said the men whom she had ordered for the service had not yet come ; they would arrive to-morrow. Being on low and dis- ao-reeable diet, I felt annoyed at this further delay, ancV ordered the packages to be put into the canoes to proceed up the river without her servants ; but Manenko was not to be circumvented in this way ; she said her uncle would ,be very angry if she did not carry forward the tusks and goods of ISekeletu, seized the luggage, and declared she would carry it in spite of me. My men succumbed to this petticoat govern- ment sooner than I felt inclined to do, and left me no power ; and, being unwilling to encounter her tongue, I was moving oft' to the canoes, when she gave me a kind explanation, and, with her hand on my shoulder, put on a motherly look, saying, " Now, my little man, just do as the rest have done." My feelings of annoyance of course A'^anished, and I went out to try to get some meat." A visit to Shinte being finally decided on, the party started on the 11th of January, 185-4. "AVe had to cross, in a canoe, a stream which flows past the village of Nyamoana. Manenko's doctor waved some charms over her, and she took some in her hand and on her body before she ventured upon the water. One of my men spoke rather loudly when near the doctor's basket of medicines. The doctor reproved him, and always spoke in a whisper him- self, glancing back to the basket as if afraid of being heard by something therein. "Manenko was accompanied by her husband and her drum- mer; the latter continued to thump most vigorously until a lieavy, drizzling mist set in and compelled him to desist. Ilcr luisband used various incantations and vociferations to drive away the rain, ])ut down it poured incessantly, and on our Amazon went, in the very liglitest marching order, and at a pace tliat few of the men could keep up with. Being on 4)x-back, I kept pretty close to our leader, and asked licr Mhy she did not clothe herself during the rain, and learned that it MANEXKO ON THE MARCH. 201 is not considered proper for a chief to appear effeminate. Tie or she must always wear the appearance of robust youtli, and bear vicissitudes without wincing. Mj men, in admiration of her pedestrian powers, every now and then remarlced, ' Manenko is a soldier ;' and thoroughly wet and cold, we were all glad when she j)roposed a halt to prepare our niglit's lodging on the banks of a stream. " We found that every village had its idols near it. This is the case all through the country of the T>alonda. so that when we came to an idol in the woods, we always knew that we were within a quarter of an hour of human habitations. "One niglit we were all awakened by a terrible shriek from one of Manenko's ladies. She piped out so loud and long that we all imagined she had been seized by a lion, and my men snatched up their arms, which they always place so as to be ready at a moment's notice, and ran to the rescue ; but we found the alarm had been caused by one of the oxen thrust- ing his head into her hut and smelling her : she had put her hand on his cold, wet nose, and thought it was all OA'er with her. " On Sunday afternoon messengers arrived from Shinte, expressing his approbation of the objects we had in view in our journey through the country, and that he was glad of the prospect of a way being opened by which white men might visit him, and allow him to purchase ornaments at pleasure. "Our friends infonned us that Shinte would be highly honored by the presence of three white men in his town at once. Two others had sent forward notice of their approach from another quarter (the west) ; could it be Earth or Krapf ? How pleasant to meet with Europeans in such an out-of-the- way region ! The rush of thoughts made me almost forget my fever. Are they of the same color as I am ? ' Yes ; exactly so.' And have the same hair ? ' Is that hair ? we thought it was a wig ; we never saw the like before ; this white man must be of the sort that lives in the sea.' Hence- forth my own men took the hint, and always sounded my praises as a true specimen of the variety of white men who 202 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. live in the sea. ' Only look at liis Lair ; it is made quite btraiglit by the sea-water I' " On the IGth, after a short marcli, we came to a most lovely valley about a mile and a half wide, and stretching away eastward up to a low prolongation of Monahadzi. A small stream meanders down the centre of this pleasant glen ; and on a little rill, M-hich flows into it from the western side, stands the town of Kabompo, or, as he likes best to be called, Shinte. . (Lat.l2° 37 ' 35/ ' S., long. 22"' 47 ' E.) AVhen Man- enko thought the sun was high enough for us to make a lucky entrance, we found the town embowered in banana and other tropical trees having great expansion of leaf ; the streets are straight, anf? present ? complete contrast to those of the Bechuanas, which are all very tortuous. Here, too, we first saw native huts with square walls and round roofs. The two native Portuguese traders of whom we had heard, had erected a little encampment oppqsite the place where ours was to be made. " The Balonda are generally very dark in color, but sever- al are to be seen of a lighter hue ; many of the slaves who have been exported to Brazil have gone from this region ; but while they have a general similarity to the typical negro, I never could, from my own observation, think that our ideal negro, as seen in tobacconists' shops, is the true type. " On the 17th, we were honored with a grand reception by Shinte about eleven o'clock. Sambanza claimed the honor of presenting us, Manenko being slightly indisposed. The native- Portuguese and Mambari went fully armed with guns, in order to give Sninte a salute ; their drummer and trumpet- er making all the noise that very old instruments would pro- duce. The kotla, or place of audience, was about a hundred yards square, and two graceful specimens of a species of ban- ian stood near one end ; under one of these sat Shinte, on a sort of throne covered with a leopard's skin. He had on a clicckcil jacket, and a kilt of f-carlet baize edged with green ; many strings of large beads hung from his neck, and his limbs were covered with iron and copper armlets and brace- 6^^/V:'' RECEniOX BY SniXTE. 205 lets ; on his head he wore a hehnet made of beads woven neat- ly together, and crowned with a great bunch of goose-feathers. Close to him sat three hids with largo sheaves uf arrou's over their shoulders. "When we entered the kotla, the whole of Manenko's party saluted Shinte by clapping their hands, and Sambanza did obeisance by rubbing his chest and arms with ashes. One of the trees being unoccupied, I retreated to it for the shade, and my whole party did the same. We were now about forty yards from the chief, and could see the whole ceremony. " The different sections of the tribe came forward in the same way that we did, the head man of each making obeisance with ashes which he carried with him for the purpose ; then came the soldiers, all armed to the teeth, running and shout- ing toward us, with their swords drawn, and their faces screw- ed up so as to appear as savage as possible, for the purpose, I thought, of trying whether they could not make us take to our heels. As we did not, they turned round toward Shinte and saluted him, then retired. When all had come and were seated, then began the curious capering usually seen in pichos. A man starts up, and imitates the most approved attitudes observed in actual fight, as throwing one javelin, receiving another on the shield, springing to one side to avoid a third, ninning backward or forward, leaping, etc. " This over, Sambanza and the spokesman of Nyamoana stalked backward and forward in front of Shinte, and gave forth, in a loud voice, all they had been able to leam, either from myself or people, of my past history and connection with the Makololo ; the return of the captives ; the wish to open the country to trade ; the Bible as a word from heaven ; the white man's desire for the tribes to live in peace : he ought to have taught the Makololo that first, for the Balonda never attacked them, yet they had assailed the Balonda : per- haps he is fibbing, perhaps not; they rather thought he was; but as the Balonda had good hearts, and Shinte had never done harm to any one, he had better receive the white man 206 LIYIXGSTOXE'S LU'E AND TRAVELS. well, and send liini on bis way. Sanibanza was gayly attired, and, besides a profusion of beads, had a cloth so long that a boy carried it after him as a train. "Behind Shinte sat about a hundred women, clothed in their best, which happened to be a profusion of red baize. The chief wife of Shinte, one of the Matebele or Zulus, sat in front with a curious red cap on her heatl. During the inter- vals between the speeches, these ladies burst forth into a sort of plaintive ditty ; but it was impossible for any of us to catch whether it was in praise of the speaker, of Shinte, or of themselves. This was the first time I had ever seen females present in a public assembly. In the south tlie women are not permitted to enter the kotla ; and even when invited to come to a religious service there, would not enter until order- ed to do so by the chief ; but here they expressed approbation by clapping their hands, and laughing to different speakers ; and Shinte frequently turned round and spoke to them. " A party of musicians, consisting of three drummers and four performers on the piano, went round the kotla several times regaling us with their music. Their drums are neatly carved from the trunk of a tree ; the ends are covered with the skin of an antelope. " The piano, named " marimba," consists of two bars of v/ood placed side by side, here quite straight, but, farther north, bent round so as to resemble half the tire of a car- riage-wheel ; across these ai'e placed about fifteen wooden keys, each of which is two or tliree inches broad, and fifteen or eighteen inches long ; their thickness is regulated accord- ing to the deei)ness of the note required : each ot the keys lias a calabasli beneath it; from the upper part of each a por- tion is cut oft' to enable them to embrace the bars, and form liollow sounding-boards to the keys, which also are of difter- ent sizes, according to the note required; and little drum- sticks elicit the music. Rapidity of execution seems much admired among them, and the music is j^leasant to the ear. In Angola tlie Portuguese use the marimba in their dances. " ^\'hcn nine speakers luid concluded their orations, Shinte ENTERTAIN] XG THE COURT BEAUTIES. 207 stood up, and so did all tlie people. lie liad maintained true African dignity of manner all the while, but my people remarked that he scarcely ever took his eyes oli' me for a moment. About a thousand people were jDresent, according to my calculation, and three hundred soldiers. The sun had now become hot ; and the scene ended by the ]Maml>ari dis- charging their guns." Livingstone afterwards had the honor of exhibiting the pic- tures of the magic lantern, before Shinte and his court beauties. " The first picture exhibited was xlbraham about to slaugh- ter his son Isaac ; it was shown as large as life, and the uplift- ed knife M-as in the act of striking the lad ; the Balonda men remarked that the picture was much more like a god than the things of wood or clay they worshiped. I explained that this man was the first of a race to whom God had given the Bible we now held, and that among his children our Saviour appeared. The ladies listened with silent awe ; but, when I moved the slide, the uplifted dagger moving toward them, they thouglit it was to be sheathed in their bodies instead of Isaac's. " Mother ! mother !" all shouted at once and off they rushed helter-skelter, tumbling pell-mell over each other, and over the little idol-huts and tobacco-bushes : we could not get one of them back agaiu. Shinte, however, sat bravely through the whole, and afterward examined the instrument with interest. " Yv^e several times saw the woman who occupies the office of drawer of water for Shinte ; she rings a bell as she passes along to give warning to all to keep out of her way ; it would be a grave offense for any one to come near her, and exercise an evil influence by his presence on the drink of the chief." Livingstone remained at Kabompo till the 26th of Jan- uary, and although Shinte was at times troublesome they parted on good terms ; and as a proof of Shinte's friendship for Livingstone, he hung around his neck a string of beads and a very valuable shell. "At our last interview old Shinte pointed out our principal 208 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. guide, Intemese, a man about fifty, who was, lie said, ordered to remain by ns till we should reach the sea ; that I had now left Sekeletu far behind, and must henceforth look to Shinte alone for aid, and that it would always be most cheerfully rendered. This was only a polite way of expressing his wish- es for my success. It was the good words only of the guides which were to aid me from the next chief, Ivatema, on to the sea ; they were to turn back on reaching him ; but he gare a good supply of food for the jonrney before us, and, after mentioning as a reason for letting ns go even now, that no one could say we had been driven away from the town, since we had been several days with him, he gave a most hearty salutation, and we parted with the wish that God might bless him." CHAPTER XIT. LIYIXGSTOXE'S LIFE AXD TRAA^ELS. (jOUEXEY FEOM SHIXTE TO CASSANGE.) THE party left Sliinte on the 26tli of January, accompanied by eight of Shinte's men as porters, and proceeded in a northerly direction down a lovely valley, and passed the night at a village of Balonda. In the morning there was a fine range of green hills to be seen, which abounded in iron ore, and were said to be thickly inhabited by iron-workers. The chief guide, Interaese, sent orders to the villages on the route to bring food for 'Shinte's' friends, and it was furnished in abundance. " The Balonda are very punctilious in their manners to each other. Each hut has it own fire, and when it goes out they make it afresh for themselves rather than take it from a neighbor. I believe much of this arises from superstitious fears. In the deep, dark forests near each village, as ah-eady mentioned, you see idols intended to represent the human head, or a lion, or miniature huts with little mounds of earth in them. But in the darker recesses we meet with human faces cut in the bark of trees, tlio outlines of which, with the beards, closely resemble those seen on Egyptian monuments. Frequent cuts are made on the trees along all the paths, and offerings of small pieces of manioc roots or ears of maize are placed on branches. There arc also to be seen every few miles heaps of sticks, which are treated in cairn fiishion, by every one throwing a small branch to the heap in pas:>ing ; or a few sticks are placed on the path, and each passer-by turns S09 210 LIYIXGSTOXE'S LIFE AXD TRAVELS. from Lis course, and forms a sudden bend in tlie road to one side. It seems as if their minds were ever in doubt and dread in these gloomy recesses of the forest, and that they were striving to propitiate, by their offerings, some superior beings residing there. " The dress of tlie Ealonda men consists of the softened skins of small animals, as the jackal or wild cat, hung before and behind from a girdle round the loins. The dress of the women is of a nondescript character ; but they were not immod- est. They stood before us as perfectly unconscious of any indecorum as we would be with our clothes on. But, while ignorant of their own deficiency, they could not maintain their gravity at the sight of the nudity of my men behind. Much to the annoyance of my companions, the young girls laughed outright whenever their backs were turned to them. " The town of the Balonda chief Cazembe, was pointed out to us as lying to the N. E. and by E. from the town of Shinte, and great numbers of people in this quarter have gone thither for the purpose of purchasing copper anklets, made at Cazembe's, and report the distance to be about five days' journey. I made inquiries of some of the oldest inhab- itants of the villages at which we were staying, respecting the visit of Pereira and Lacerda to that town. An old gray- headed man replied that they had' often heard of white men before, but never had seen one, and added that one had come to Cazembe when our informant was 3'oung, and returned again without entering this part of the countr3\ Some of the young men remarked that they were the true ancients fcr they had now seen more wonderful things than their forefathers. " In the midst of a heavy rain, which continued all the morning, Intemese sent to say he was laid up with pains in the stomach, and must not be disturbed ; but when it cleared lip, about eleven, I saw our friend walking off to a village, and talking with a very loud voice. On reproaching him for telling an untruth, he turned it off Avith a laugh by say- ing he really had a complaint in his stomach, which 1 might CROSSING THE LEEBA. 211 cure by .slaiiglitcnng one of the oxen and allowing liim to eat beef. " As the i")eople on the banks of the Lcel)a were the last of Shinte's tribe over which Intemese had power, he was naturally anxious to remain as long as possible. lie was not idle, but made a large wooden mortar and pestle for his wife during our journey. lie also carved many wooden spoons and a bowl ; then commenced a basket ; but as what he con- sidered good living was anything but agreeable to us, who had been accustomed to milk and maize, we went forward on the 2d of February without him. " He soon followed, but left our pontoon, saying it would be brought by the head man of the village. This was a great loss, as we afterward found ; it remained at this village more than a year, and when we returned a mouse had eaten a hole in it." It took the travelers four hours to cross the Leeba ; beyond it, was a level twenty miles broad covered with water, ankle deep in the shallowest places. The continual splashing of the oxen kept the feet of the riders constantly wet. The people of the villages which they now came to, viewed the Makololo as great savages ; one of the chiefs, Soana Mo- lopo, the elder brother of Katema, after hearing some account of the expedition, said : — '' The journey of the white man is very proper, but Shinte has disturbed us by showing the path to the Makololo who accompany him. lie ought to have taken them through the country witliout showing them the towns. We are afraid of the Makololo." Sometimes the caravan would come suddenly upon a whole village in a forest, enjoying their mid-day nap, and its appear- ance M'ould be so terrifying that some of the women would nearly go into convulsions from fear. When they saw and heard Intemese, their terror would subside. Being caught by rain on one occasion, Livingstone stopped at the house of JMozinkwa, who had a line garden, well hedged in, in which his wife cultivated cotton, sweet potatoes, etc. 212 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. " Several trees were planted in the middle of the yard, and in the deep shade they gave stood the huts of his tine family. His children, all by one mother, very black, but comely to view, were the finest negro family I ever saw. We were much pleased with the frank friendship and liberality of this man and his wife. She asked me to bring her a cloth from the white man's country ; but when we returned, poor Mo- ziukwa's wife was in her grave, and he, as is the custom, had abandoned trees, garden, and huts to ruin. They cannot live on a spot where a favorite wife has died, probably because unable to bear the remembrance of the happy times they have spent there, or afraid to remain in a spot where death has once visited the establishment. If ever the place is revisited, it is to pray to her, or make some offering. This feelijig ren- ders any permanent village in the country impossible." After leaving Mozinkwa, and while crossing a stream about forty yards wide in canoes, they were joined b}^ Shakatwala, a messenger from Katema, in whose country they now Avcre. " Shakatwala informed us that Katema had not received precise information about ns, but if we were peaceably dis- posed, as he loved strangers, we were to come to his town. We proceeded forthwith, but were turned aside, by the strat- egy of our friend Intemese, to the village of Quendende, the father-in-law of Katema. He had just come from attending the funeral of one of his people, and I found that the great amount of drum-beating which takes place on these occasions, was with the idea that the Barimo, or spirits could be drummed to sleep. There is a drum in every village, and we often hear it going from sunrise to sunset. Tiiey seem to look npon the departed as vindictive beings, and, I suspect, are more influenced by fear than by love. " In beginning to speak on religious subjects with tliose who have never heard of Christianity, the great fact of the Son of God having come down from heaven to die for us, is the prominent theme. No fact more striking can be men- tioni'd. ' He actually came to men. He liim'^clf told ua about liis I' ather. and the dwelling-place whither he has gone We INTERVIEW WITC THE GREAT KATE.MA. 213 have his words in this book, and he really endured punish- ment in our stead from pure love,' etc. If this fails to interest them, nothing else will succeed. " A'Ve left Quendende's village in company with Qucndende himself, and the principal embassador of Matiamvo, and after two or three miles' march, came to the ford of the Lotembwa, which flows southward. A canoe was waiting to feriy us over, but it was very tedious work ; for the Mdiole valley was flooded, and we were obliged to paddle more than half a mile to get free of the water. A fire was lit to warm old Quen- dende, and enable him to dry his tobacco-leaves. The leaves are taken from the plant, and spread close to the fire until they are quite dry and crisp ; they are then put into a snufl'-box, which, with a little pestle, serves the purpose of a mill to grind them into powder ; it is then used as snuff". As we sat by the fire, the embassadors communicated their thoughts freely respecting the customs of their race. When a chief dies, a number of servants are slaughtered with him to form his company in the other world. " After crossing the River Lotembwa, we traveled about eight miles, and came to Katema's straggling toAvn. We were led about half a mile from the houses, that we might make for ourselves the best lodging we could of the trees and grass, while Intemese was taken to Katema to undergo the usual process of pumping as to our past conduct and profess- ions. Katema soon afterward sent a handsome present of food. " 'Next morning we had a formal presentation, and found Katema seated on a sort of throne, with about three hundred men on the ground around, and thirty women, who were said to be his wives, close behind him. Intemese gave our history, and Katema placed sixteen large baskets of meal before us, half a dozen fowls, and a dozen eggs, and expressed regret that we had slept hungry ; he did not like any stranger to suffer want in his town ; and added, " ' Go home and cook and eat, and you will then be in a fit state to speak to me at an audience I will give you to-mor- 214 LIVIXGSTOXE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. row.' Katema seemed in good spirits, langliing heartily several times. This is a good sign, for a man who shakes his sides with mirth is seldom dithcidt to deal with. When v/c rose to take leave all rose with ns. " Returning next morning, Katema addressed me thus : — " ' I am the great Moene (lord) Katema, the fellow of T^ratiamvo. There is no one in the country equal to Matianivo and me. I have always lived here, and my fore- fathers too. There is the house in which my father lived. You found no human skulls near the place where you encamped. I never killed any of the traders ; they all come to me. I am the great Moene Katema, of whom you have heard.' He looked as if he had fallen asleep tipsy, and dreamed of his greatness. " On explaining my objects to him, he promptly pointed out three men who Avould be our guides, and explained that the northwest path was the most direct, and that by which all traders came, but that the water at present standing on the j)lains would reach up to the loins ; he would therefore send us by a more northerly route, which no trader had yet traversed. This was more suited to our wishes, for we never found a path safe that had been trodden by slave-traders. " One of the affairs which had been intrusted by Shinte to Intemese, was the rescue of a wife who had eloped with a young man belonging to Katema. As this was the only case I have met with in the interior in which a fugitiA-e was sent back to a chief against his own will, I am anxious to mention it. On Intemese, claiming her as his master's wife, she pro- tested loudly against it, saying ' she knew she was not going back to be a wife again ; she was going back to be sold to the Mambari.' My men formed many friendships with the peoj)le of Katema, and some of the poorer classes said in contidence. '"We wish our children could go back with you to the Makololo country ; lierc we are in danger of being sold.' " An old man, who said he had been born about the same time as the late Matiamvo, and had been his constant com- ORIGIN OF LAKE DILOLO. 215 panion tlirougli life, visited us; and as I was sitting on some grass in front of the little gipsy tent mending my camp-stool, I invited liim to take a seat on the grass beside me. This was peremptorily refused ; ' he had never sat on the ground during the late chief s reign, and lie was not going to degrade himself now.' One of my men handed him a log of Avood taken from the fire, and helped him out of the difficulty. " On Sunday, the 19th, both I and several of our party were seized with fever, and I could do nothing but to^-s about in my little tent, with the thermometer above 90°, though this was the beginning of winter, and my men made as mucli shade as possible by planting branches of trees all round and over it. "\Ye have, for the first time in my experience in Africa, had a cold wind from the north. On the 20th we were glad to get away, and traveled several miles to Lake Dilolo. " When asked the meaning of the name Dilolo, Shakatwala gave the following account of the formation of the lake. A female chief, called Monenga, came one evening to the vil- lage of Mosogo, a man who lived in the vicinity, but M'ho had gone to hunt with his dogs. She asked for a suj^ply of food, and Mosogo's wife gave her a sufhcient quantity. Pro- ceeding to another village standing on the spot now occupied by the water, she preferred the same demand, and was not only refused, but, when she uttered a threat for their nig- gardliness, was taunted with the question, ' "What could she do though she were thus treated ? ' In ortler to show what she could do, she began a song, in slow time, and uttered her own name, Monenga-woo. As she prolonged the last note^ the village, people, fowls, and dogs sank into the space now called Dilolo. Monenga was put to death." Beyond Dilolo is a large watery flat about twenty miles wide. On the 21:th of February Livingstone reached unflooded lands beyond the plain, and discovered to his sur- prise that the plain they had just crossed was the watershed between the northern and southern rivers. The rivers here- tofore had all run southerly, now they all ran northerly. 11 216 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. The inliabitants of the villages were friendly, and led the travelers northwesterly into the first deep valley they had Been since leaving Kolobeng. The guides sent by Katema here started on their return home. On reaching the village of a chief named Kabinje in the evening, he sent Livingstone a present of tobacco and maize. "When wo wished to move on, Kabinje refused a guide to the next village because he was at war with it ; but, after much persuasion, he consented, provided that the guide should be allowed to return as soon as he came in sight of the enemy's village. This we felt to be a misfortune, as the peo- ple all suspect a man who conies telling his own tale ; but there being no help for it, we went on, and found the head man of a village on the rivulet Kalomba, called Kangenke, a very diiferent man from what his enemy represented. We found, too, that the idea of buying and selling took the place of giving for friendship. As I had nothing with which to purchase food except a parcel of beads which were preserved for worse times, I began to fear that we should be compelled to suifer more from hunger than we had done. The people demanded gunpowder for everything; so money was of no value whatever. Gold is quite nnknown ; it is thought to be brass ; trade is carried on by barter alone. "Kangenke promptly furnished guides in the morning; so we went briskly on a short distance, and came to a part of tlie Kasyo, Kasai, or Loke, where he had appointed two canoes to convey us across. This is a most beautiful river, and very much like the Clyde in Scotland. The slope of the valley down to the stream is about five hundred yards, and finely wooded. It is perhaps, one hundred yards broad, and was winding slowly from side to side in the beautiful green glen, in a course to the north and northeast. In both the directions from which it came and to which it went, it seemed to be alternately embowered in sylvan vegetation, or rich meadows covered with tall grass. The men pointed out its course, and said : — "A MAK, A TUSK, OR AX OX." 217 " ' Tliongli yoii sail along it for months, you M-ill turn without seeing the end of it.' " Wiiile at the ford of tlie Kasai a knife was purposely dropped by one of the natives, and found by one of Living- stone's young men. The owner charged that it was stolen from him, and would not receive it back unless accompanied by a heavy tiue. The lad ofiered beads, but they were refused with scorn ; and he was obliged to give a costly shell which he wore as an ornament around his neck. " I felt annoyed at the imposition, but the order we invariably followed in crossing a river, forced me to submit. The head of the party remained to be ferried over last ; so if I had not come to tenns, I would have been, as I always was in crossing rivers which we could not swim, completely in the power of the enemy." On the 20th the travelers approached the village of Katende. Here one of the guides caught a mole and two mice for his supper, and no other animals were to be seen. " Katende sent for me on the day following our arrival, and, being quite willing to visit him, I walked, for this purpose, about three miles from our encampment. When we approached the village we were desired to enter a hut, and, as it M'as raining at the time, we did so. After a long time spent in giving and receiving messages from the great man, we were told that he wanted either a man, a tusk, beads, copper rings, or a shell, as payment for leave to pass through his countrj^ No one, we were assured, was allowed that liberty, or even to behold him, without something of the sort being presented. Having humbly explained our cir- cumstances, and that he could not expect to ' catch a humble cow by the horns,' we were told to go home, and he would speak again to us next day." The next day Livingstone sent Katende, as a present, an old shirt, which was accepted, and guides and provisions were promised. But after waiting two days in a heavy rain, the travelers proceeded. " Passing onward without seeing Katende, we crossed a 2 IS LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AXD TRAVELS, small rivulet, by wliicli we had encamped, and after two liom's came to another, the Totelo, which was somewhat larger, and had a bridge over it. At the farther end of this structure stood a negro, who demanded fees. He said the bridge was his ; the path his ; the guides were his children ; and if we did not pay him he Avould prevent farther progress. This piece of civilization I was not prepared to meet, and stood a few seconds looking at our bold toll-keeper, when one of my men took otf three copper bracelets, which paid for the M'hole party. Tlie negro M'as a better man than he at first seemed, for he immediately M-ent to his garden and brought us some leaves of tobacco as a present. "In the afternoon we came to another stream, with a bridge over it. The men had to swim off to each end of the bridge, and Avhen on it were breast deep ; some preferred holding on l)y the tails of the oxen, the whole way across. I intended to do this too ; but, riding to the deep part, before I t?ould dismount and seize the helm the ox dashed off with his companions, and his body sank so deep that I failed in my attempt even to catch the blanket belt, and if I pulled the bridle the ox seemed as if he would come backward upon me, so I struck out for the opposite bank alone. My poor fellows were dreadfully alarmed when they saw me parted from the cattle, and about twenty of them made a simulta- neous rush into the water for my rescue, and just as I reached the opposite bank one seized my arm, and another threw his around my l)ody. "Some had leaped off the bridge, and allowed their cloaks to float down stream. Part of my goods, abandoned in the hurry, were brought up from the bottom after I was safe. Great was the pleasure expressed when they found that I could swim, like themselves, without a tail." Having reached the village of Njambi, one of the chiefs of the Chiboque, an ox was killed, and some of it sent as a present to Njambi. He returned thanks, and promised to send food. Next morning he sent some meal, and demanded either a TROUBLE WITU THE CHIBOQUE. 219 man, an ox, a gun, powder, cloth, or a shell, and threatened to prevent their further progress if he was refused. " About midday, Njambi collected all his people, and sur- rounded our encampment. Their object was evidentlj to plunder us of everything. My men seized their javelins, and stood on the defensive, while the Chiboque had drawn their swords, and brandished them with great fury. Some even pointed their guns at me, and nodded to each other, as much as to say, " ' This is the way we shall do with him.' " I sat on my camp-stool, with my double-barreled gun across my knees, and invited the chief to be seated also. When he and his counselors had sat down on the ground in front of me, I asked what crime we had committed that he had come armed in that way. He replied that one of my men, Pitsane, while sitting at the fire that morning, had, in spit- ting, allowed a small quantity of the saliva to fall on the leg of one of his men, and this 'guilt' he wanted to be settled by the fine of a man, ox, or gun. Pitsane admitted the fact of a little saliva having fallen on the Chiboque, and in proof of its being a pure accident, mentioned that he had given the man a piece of meat, by way of making friends, just before it happened, and wiped it oft" with his hand as soon as it fell. " In reference to a man being given, I declared that we were all ready to die, rather than give up one of our number to be a slave ; that my men might as well give me as I give one of them, for we were all free men. " ' Then you can give the gun with which the ox was shot.' "As we heard some of his people remarking even now that we had only ' five guns,' we declined, on the ground that, as they were intent on plundering us, giving a gun would be helping them to do so. " This they denied, saying they wanted the customary tribute only. I asked what right they had to demand ]>ay- ment for leave to tread on the ground of God, our connnou Father. If we trod on their gardens, we would pay, but not 220 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. for inarching on land whicli was still God's and not tlieirs. They did not attempt to controvert this, because it is in accordance with their own ideas, but reverted again to the pretended crime of the saliva. " My men now entreated me to give something ; and after asking the chief if he really thought the aftair of the spitting a matter of guilt, and receiving an answer in the affirmative, I gave him one of my shirts. The young Chiboque were dissatisfied, and began shouting and brandishing their swords for a greater fine. " As Pitsane felt that he had been the cause of this disacrree- able affair, he asked me to add something else. I gave a bunch of beads, but the counselors objected this time, so I added a large handkerchief. The more I yielded, the more unreasonable their demands became, and at every fresh demand a shout was raised by the armed party, and a rush made around us with brandishing of arms. One young man made a charge at my head from behind, but I (piickly brought round the muzzle of my gun to his mouth, and he retreated. I pointed him out to the chief, and he ordered him to retire a little. I felt anxious to avoid the effusion of blood ; and though sure of being able, with my Makololo, who had been drilled by Sebituane, to drive off twice the number of our assailants, though now a large body, and well armed with spears, swords, arrows and guns, I strove to avoid actual collision. " My men M-ere quite unprepared for this exhibition, but behaved with admirable coolness. The chief and counselors, by accepting my invitation to be seated, had placed themselves in a trap, for my men very quietly surrounded them, and made them feel that there was no chance of escaping their spears. I then said that, as one thing after another had failed to satisfy them, it was evident that tliey wanted to fight, while we only wanted to pass peaceably through the country ; that they must begin first, and bear the guilt before God : we would not fight till they had struck the first blow. I then Bat silent for some time. It was rather trying for me, because A MUTINY QUELLED. 221 I knew that the Chiboque would aim at the white man first ; but I was careful not to appear flurried, and, havin_<^ four bar- rels ready for instant action, looked quietly at the savage scene around. " The Chiboque at last put the matter before us in this way:— " ^ You come among us in a new way, and say you are quite friendly : how can we know it unless you give us some of your food, and you take some of ours ? If you give us an ox, we will give you whatever you maj- wish, and then we shall be friends.' " In accordance with the entreaties of my men, I gave an ox ; and when asked what I. should like in return, mentioned food as the thing which we most needed. In the evening^, Xjambi sent us a very small basket of meal, and two or three pounds of the flesh of our own ox, with the apology that he had no fowls, and very little of any other food." On Saturday, the 11th of March, Livingstone reached a small village, where he was quite ill. Here a mutiny began^ to show itself among some of his men, who thought he had been partial in distributing beads. " On Sunday the mutineers were making a terrible din in preparing a skin they had procured. I requested them twice, by the man who attended me, to be more quiet, as the noise pained me ; but as they paid no attention to this civil request, I put out my head, and, repeating it myself, was answered by an impudent laugh. Knowing that discipline would be at an end if this mutiny were not quelled, and that our lives depended on vigorously upholding authority, I seized a dou- ble-barreled pistol, and darted forth from the domicile, look- ing, I suppose, so savage as to put them to a precipitous flight. As some remained within hearing, I told them that I must maintain discipline, though at the expense of some of their limbs ; so long as we traveled together they must remember that I was master, and not they. There being but little room to doubt my determination, they became very obedient, and 222 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TllAYELS. never afterwai-J gave me any trouble, or imagined that they had any right to my property. " loth. We -went forward some miles, but were brought to a stand by the severity of my fever on the banlcs of a branch of the Loajima, another tributary of the Kasai. I was in a state of partial coma until late at night, when it became necessary for me to go out ; and I was sui-prised to find that my men had built a little stockade, and some of them took their spears and acted as a guard. I found that we were sur- rounded by enemies, and a party of Chiboque lay near the gateway, after having preferred the demand of ' a man, an ox, a gun, or a tusk."' " After long negotiations with the messengers of the chief, as there was no help for it without bloodshed, Livingstone gave them a tired riding ox, although the late chief mutineer objected, and armed himself and stood at the gateway, declaring that he would rather die than see his father imposed on. ''We prepared for defense by marching in a compact body, and allowing no one to straggle far behind the others. We marched through many miles of gloomy forest in gloomier silence, but nothing disturbed us. We came to a village, and found all the men absent, the guides thought, in the forest, with their countrymen. I was too ill to care much whether Ave were attacked or not. Though a pouring rain came on, as we were all anxious to get away out of a bad neighborhood, we proceeded. The thick atmosphere prevented my seeing the creeping plants in time to avoid them ; so Pitsane, Moho- insi, and I, who alone were mounted, were often caught ; and as there is no stopping the oxen when they have the prospect of giving the rider a tumble, we came frequently to the ground. " In addition to these mishaps, Sinbad went off at a plung- ing gallop, the bridle broke, and I came down backward on the crown of my head. lie gave me a kick on the thigh at the same time. I felt none the worse for this rough treat- ment, but Would not recommend it to others as a palliative in SIXBAD TEE OX— HOSTILE NATIVES. 223 eases of fever! This last attack of fever was so obstinate that it reduced me ahnost to a skeleton." Coming to a ford, some hostile natives with gnns and iron- headed arrows refused passage, but Livingstone moved on Avithout heeding them to the edge of a forest, for protection in case of attack, which appeared imminent. At this junc- ture a venerable negro came up and invited them to be seated, and after a talk, he invited them to his village. It was a small one, embowered in lofty evergreen trees hung with fine festoons of creepers. Here the same demand of payment for leave to pass was made as by the other Chiboc^ue. A valua- ble shell, beads, shirts etc., were offered, but notliing would do but an ox, which was accordingly given. " One of the oxen offered was rejected because he had lost part of his tail, as they thought it had been cut off and witch- craft medicine inserted ; and some mirth was excited by my proposing to raise a similar objection to all the oxen we still had in our possession. The remaining four soon presented a singular shortness of their caudal extremities, and we were no more troubled by the demand for an ox. " longa Panza's sons agreed to act as guides into the terri- tory of the Portuguese if I would give them the shell given me by Shinte. I was strongly averse to this, and especially to give it beforehand, but yielded to the entreaty of my people to appear as if showing confidence in these hopeful youths. They urged that they wished to leave the shell with their wives, as a sort of payment to them for enduring their hus- bands' absence so long. Having delivered the precious shell, we went west-by-north to the River Chikapa. We were fer- ried over in a canoe, made out of a single piece of bark sewed together at the ends, and having sticks placed it it at different parts to act as ribs. " One could detect, in passing, the variety of character found among the owners of gardens and villages. Some vil- lages were the picture of neatness. We entered others enveh oped in a wilderness of weeds, so high that, when sitting on ox-back in the village, we could only see the tops of the huts. 224: LIVIXGSTOXE'S LIFE AND TRA\T:LS. If we entered at midday, tlie owners would come lazily forth, pipe in hand, and leisurely puff away in dreamy indifference. ''In some villages weeds are not allowed to grow ; cotton, tobacco, and different plants used as relishes are planted round the huts ; fowls are kept in cages, and the gardens present the pleasant spectacle of different kinds of grain and pulse at vari- ous periods of their growth. I sometimes admired the one class, and at times wished I could have taken the world easy for a time like the other. Every village swarms with chil- dren, who turn out to see the white man pass, and run along with strauge cries and antics ; some run up trees to get a good view : all are agile climbers throughout Londa. At friendly villages they have scampered alongside our party for miles at a time. " "We usually nuide a little hedge around our sheds ; crowds of women came to the entrance of it, with children on their backs, and long pipes in their mouths, gazing at us for hours. The men, rather than disturb them, crawled through a hole in the hedge, and it was common to hear a man running off to say to them, ' I am going to tell my mamma to come and see the white man's oxen.' " On Sunday, April 2d, we rested beside a small stream, and our hunger being now very severe, from having lived on manioc alone since leaving lonza Panza's, we slaughtered one of our four remaining oxen. " Sansawe, the chief of a portion of the Bashinje, having sent the usual formal demand for a man, an ox, or a tusk, spoke very contemptuously of the poor things we offered him instead. We told his messengers that the tusks were Sekcle- tu's: everything was gone except my instrunjents, which could be of no use to them whatever. One of them begged some meat, and, when it was refused, said to my men, ' You may as well give it, for we shall take all after we have killed you to-morrow.' The more humbly we spoke, the more insolent the Bashinje became, till at last we were all feeling savage and sulky, but continued to speak as civilly as we could. They are fond of argument, and when I denied their ATRICVN SOPHISTRY. 225 right to demand tribute from a white man, who did not trade in slaves, an old white-headed negro put rather a posing question : — " ' You know that God has placed chiefs among us whom Ave ought to support. How is it that you, who have a book that tells yon about him, do not come forward at once to pay this chief tribute like every one else V " I replied by asking, ' How could I know that this was a chief, who had allowed me to remain a day and a half near him without giving me any thing to eat V This, which to the uninitiated may seem soj)histry, was to the Central Africans quite a rational question, for he at once admitted that food ought to have been sent, and added that probably his chief was only making it ready for me, and that it would come soon. " As soon as day dawned we were astir, and, setting off in a drizzling rain, passed close to the village. This rain proba- bly damped the ardor of the robbers. We, however, expect- ed to be fired upon from every clump of trees, or from some of the rocky hillocks among which we were passing ; and it was only after two hours' march that we began to breathe freely, and my men remarked, in thankfulness, " ' "We are children of Jesus.' " CHAPTER XIII. LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. (tHKOUGH angola to ST. PAUL DE LOANDA.) ON the loth, of April Livingstone reached Cassange, in Angohi, the farthest inland station of the Portuguese in Western Africa. Llere lived about forty Portuguese tra- ders, all of whom were officers in the militia, and many of them had become rich by sending native traders with goods, to trade in the interior. " I made my entrance in a somewhat forlorn state as to clothing among our Portuguese allies. The first gentleman I met in the village asked if I had a passport, and said it was necessary to take me before the authorities. As I was in the same state of mind in which individuals are who commit a petty depredation in order to obtain the shelter and food of a prison, I gladly accompanied him to the house of the com- mandant Senlior de Silva Rego. Having shown my passport lie politely asked me t>o supper. Captain Antonio Neves then kindly invited me to take up my abode in his house. Next morning this generous man arrayed me in decent cloth- ing, and continued during the whole period of my stay to treat me as if I had been his brother, I feel duly grateful to liim for his disinterested kindness. " As I always preferred to ap})ear in my own proper char- acter, I was an object of curiosity to these hospitable Portu- guese. They evidently looked upon me as an agent of the English government, engaged in some new movement for the suppression of slavery. They could not divine what a " mis- sionario" had to do with the latitudes and longitudes, which 226 PORTUGUESE CURIOSITY. 227 I -was intent on observing. When we became a little famil- iar, the questions put were rather annising : ' Is it common for missionaries to be doctors V ' Are jou a doctor of medicine and a ' dontor mathematico' too ? You must be more than a missionary to know how to calculate the longitude! Come, tell us at once what rank you hold in the English army.' " They may have given credit to my reason for wearing the moustache, as that explains why men have beards and women have none ; but that which puzzled many besides my Cassange friends was the anomaly of my being a' sacerdote,' with a wife and four children ! I usually got rid of the last question by putting another : ' Is it not better to have children with a wife, than to have children without a wife V But all were most kind and hospitable ; and as one of their festivals was near, they invited me to partake of the feast. " As far as a traveler could judge they seemed to be polite and willing to aid each other. They had neither doctor, apothecary, school, nor priest, and when ill trust to each other and to Providence. " None of these gentlemen had Portuguese wives. They usually come to Africa in order to make a little money and return to Lisbon. It is common for them to have families by native women. Instances, so common in the South, in which half-caste children are abandoned, are here extremely rare. They are acknowledged at table, and provided for by their fathers as if European. The colored clerks of the merchants sit at the same table Avith their employers without any embar- rassment. The civil manners of superiors to inferiors is prob- ably the result of the position they occupy — a few whites among thousands of blacks ; but nowhere else in Africa is there so much good-will between Europeans and natives as here. " The anniversary of the Resurrection of our Saviour was observed on the 16th of April as a day of rejoicing, though the Portuguese have no priest at Cassange. The colored population dressed up a figure intended to represent Judas Iscariot, and paraded him on a riding-ox about the village ; 22S LIVINGSTONES LIFE AND TRAVELS. sneers and maledictions were freely bestowed on the poor wretch thus represented. The slaves and free colored popu- lation, dressed in their gayest clothing, made visits to all the principal merchants, and wishing them ' a good feast ' expected a present in return. " As the traders of Cassange were the first white men we had come to, we sold the tusks belonging to Sekeletu, which had been brought to test the difference of prices in the Mako- lolo and white men's country. The result was highly satis- factory to my companions, as the Portuguese give much larger prices for ivory than traders from the Cape can possi- bly give, who labor under the disadvantage of considerable overland expenses and ruinous restrictions. Two muskets, three small barrels of gunpowder, and English calico and baize sufficient to clothe my whole party, with large bunches of beads, all for one tusk, were quite delightful to those who had been accustomed to give two tusks for one gun. AYith another tusk we procured calico, which here is the chief cur- rency, to pay our way down to the coast. The remaining two were sold for money to purdiase a horse for Sekeletu at Loanda. •' The superiority of this market was quite astounding to the Makololo, and they began to abuse the traders by whom they had, while in their own country, been visited, and, as they now declared, ' cheated.' " At this place Livingstone's men told him that they had been thinking it would be better not to go any further, as the colored people there had told them that Livingstone was leading them to the sea-coast only to sell them, and that they would be put on board ship, fattened, and eaten by the Avhite men. Livingstone had no trouble in convincing them that the English never bought or sold people, and they told him that they would follow wherever he led the way. This ail'air lieing disposed of for the time, the commandant gave Living- stone a parting dinner and an ox to his men, and the travel- ers left Cassange on the 21st of April. '•' All the merchants of Cassange accompanied us in their LEAVE CASSANGE— OUR GJJTDE. 229 hammocks carried by slaves, to the edge of tlie plateau on wliich the village stands, and we parted with the feeling in my mind that I should never forget their disinterested kind- ness. May God remember them in their day of need ! " The latitude and longitude of Cassange, the most easterly station of the Portuguese in Western Africa, is lat. 9* S^' 36" S., and long. 17^ 49/ E. ; consequently we had still about three hundred miles to traverse before we could reach the coast. We had a black militia corporal as a guide. He was a native of Arabaca, and, like nearly all the inhabitants of that district, known by the name of Ambakistas, could both read and write. lie had three slaves with him, and was carried by them in a " tipoia," or hammock slung to a pole. His slaves were young, and unable to convey him far at a time, but he was considerate enough to walk except when we came near to a village. He then mounted his tipoia and entered the village in state ; his departure was made in the same manner, and he continued in the hammock till the village was out of sight. " It was interesting to observe the manners of our soldier- guide. Two slaves were always employed in carrying his tipoia, and the third carried a wooden box, about three feet long, containing his writing materials, dishes, and clothing. He was cleanly in all his ways, and, though quite black him- self, when he scolded any one of his own color, abused him as a ' negro.' When he wanted to purchase any article from a village, he would sit down, mix a little gunpowder as ink, and write a note in a neat hand to ask the price, addressing it to the shopkeeper with the rather pompous title " Illiistris- simo Senhor " (Most Illustrious Sir). This is the invariable mode of address throughout Angola. The answer returned would be in the same style, and, if satisfactory, another note followed to conclude the bargain. There is so much of this note correspondence carried on in Angola, that a very large quantity of paper is annually consumed. Some other pecu- liarities of our guide were not so pleasing. " A gentleman of Cassange described Tala Muugongo as a 230 LIVINGSTONES LIFE AND TRAVELS. ranire of very hiiirh mountains, which it Avould take four hours to climb. Tlie patli was steep and slippery ; deep gorges appear on each side of it, leaving but a narrow path along cei-tain spurs of the sieri-a for the traveler ; but we accom- plished the ascent in an hour, and when there, found we had just got on to a table-land similar to that we had left before we entered the great Quango valley. We had come among lofty trees again. One of these, bearing a fruit about the size of a thirty -two pounder, is named Mononga-zambi. " We took a glance back to this valley, which equals that of the Mississippi in fertility, and thought of the vast mass of material which had been scoped out and carried away in its formation. This naturally led to reflection on the count- less ages required for the previous formation and deposition of that same material (clay shale), then of the rocks, whose abrasion formed that, until the mind grew giddy in attempt- ing to ascend the steps which lead up through a portion of the eternity before man. The different epochs of geology are like landmarks in that otherwise shoreless sea. Our own epoch, or creation, is but another added to the number of that wonderful series which presents a grand display of the mighty power of God ; every stage of progress in the earth and its habitants is such a display. So far from this science liaving any tendency to make men undervalue the power or love of God, it leads to the probability that the exliibition of mercy we have in the gift cf his Son may possibly not be the oidy manifestation of grace which has taken place in the countless ages during which works of creation have been going on. " Passing through a fine, fertile, and well-peopled country to Sanza, we found the Quize River again touching our path, and here we had the pleasure of seeing a field of wheat grow- ing luxuriantly without irrigation. The ears were upward of four inches long, an object of great curiosity to my com- panions, because they had tasted my bread at Linyanti, but had never before seen wheat growing. This small field was cultivated by Mr. Miland, an agreeable Portuguese merchant MORE TROUBLE WITH SINBAD. 231 " "We Etpent Sunday, tlie 30th of April, at Nlgo, close to the ford of the Quize as it crosses our path to fall into the Coanza. The country hecomes more open, but is still abund- antly fertile, with a thick crop of grass between two and three feet high. It is also well wooded and watered. Vil- lages of Basongo are dotted over the landscape, and frequently a square house of wattle and daub, belonging to native Port- uguese, is placed, beside them for the purposes of trade. The people here possess both cattle and pigs. The different sleep- ing-places on our path, from eight to ten miles apart, are marked by a cluster of sheds made of sticks and grass. There is a constant stream of people going and returning to and from the coast. The goods are carried on the head, or on one shoulder, in a sort of basket attached to the extremities of two poles between five and six feet long, and called Motete. " It would have afforded me pleasure to have cultivated a more intimate acquaintance with the inhabitants of this part of the country, but the vertigo produced by frequent fevers made it as much as I could do to stick on the ox, and crawl along in misery. In crossing the Lombe, my ox, Sinbad, in the indulgence of his propensity to strike out a new path for himself, plunged overhead into a deep hole, and so soused me that I was obliged to move on to dry my clothing, w^ith- out calling on the Europeans who live on the bank." At Ambaca, a Portuguese village a few miles beyond the river Lucalla, Livingstone was kindly received by the com- mandant, who spoke a little English. " He recommended wine for my debility, and here I took the first glass of that beverage I had taken in Africa. I felt much refreshed, and could then realize and meditate on the weakening effects of the fever. They were curious even to myself; for, though I had tried several times since we left Nigo to take lunar observations, I could not avoid confusion of time and distance, neither could I hold the instrument steady, nor perform a simple calculation ; hence many of the positions of this part of the route were left till my return 12 232 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. from Loanda. Often, on getting Tip in the mornings, I found my clothing as wet from perspiration as if it had been dipped in water. In vain had I tried to learn or collect words of the Biinda, or dialect spoken in Angola. I forgot the days of the week and the names of ray companions, and, had I been asked, I probably could not have told my own. The complaint itself occupied many of my thoughts. One day I supposed that I had got the true theory of it, and would certainly cure the next attack, whether in myself or compan- ions ; but some new symptoms would appear, and scatter all the fine speculations which had sprung up, with extraordina- ry fertility, in one department of my brain. '' We spent Sunday, the 14:th of May, at Cabinda, which is one of the stations of the sub-commandants, who are placed at different points in each district of Angola as assistants of the head commandant, or cliief It is situated in a beautiful glen, and surrounded by plantations of bananas and manioc. The country was gradually becoming more picturesque the farther we proceeded west ; we were entering upon a wild-look- ing mountainous district called Gohmgo Alto. "There is something so exhilarating to one of Highland blood in being near or on high, mountains, that I forgot my fever as we wended our way among the lofty tree-covered masses of mica schist. "We left Golungo Alto on the 24th of May, the winter in these parts. Every evening, clouds come rolling in great masses over the mountains in the west, and pealing thunder accompanies the fall of rain during the night or early in the morning. The clouds generally remain on the hills till the morning is well spent, so that we become familiar with morn- ing mists, a thing we never once saw at Kolobeng. The ther- mometer stands at 80° by day, but sinks as low as 76^ by night. 'As we were now drawing near to the sea, my companions Avere locking at every thing in a serious light. One of them asked me if we should all have an opportunity of watching each other at Loanda. ' Suppose one went for water, would FIRST VIEW OF TOE ATLANTIC. 235 the others see if he were kidnapped V I replied, ' I see what you are driving at ; and if you suspect me, you may return, for I am as ignorant of Loanda as you are ; but nothing, will happen to you but what happens to myself. We have stood by each other hitherto, and will do so to the last.' The plains adjacent to Loanda are somewhat elevated and comparatively sterile. On coming across these we first beheld the sea : my companions looked upon the boundless ocean with awe. "On describing their feelings afterward, they remarked that ' we marched along with our father, believing that what the ancients had always told us was true, that the world has no end ; but all at once the world said to us, ' I am finished ; there is no more of me !' ' They had always imagined that the world was one extended plain without limit. " As we came down the declivity above the city of Loanda on the 31st of May, I was laboring under great depression of spirits, as 1 understood that, in a population of twelve thou- sand souls, there was but one genuine English gentleman. I naturally felt anxious to know whether he were possessed of good-nature, or was one of those crusty mortals one would rather not meet at all. " This gentleman, Mr. Gabriel, our commissioner for the suppression of the slave-trade, had kindly forwarded an invi- tation to meet me on the way from Cassange, but, unfortu- nately, it crossed me on the road. When we entered his porch, I was delighted to see a number of flowers cultivated carefully, and inferred from this circumstance that he was, what I soon discovered hiin to be, a real whole-hearted Englishman. " Seeing me ill, he benevolently ofiered me his bed. Never shall I forget the luxurious pleasure I enjoyed in feeling myself again on a good English couch, after six months' sleep- ing on the ground. I was soon asleep ; and Mr. Gabriel, coming in almost immediately, rejoiced at the soundness of my repose." At Loanda, Livingstone found himself among friends. Several Portuguese gentlemen called on him, and the Bishop 236 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. of Angola, then the acting governor of tlie province, sent his secretary to do the same, and offer the services of the govern- ment physician. Some English cruisers also came into the port, and seeing Livingstone's emaciated condition, offered to convey him to St. Helena, or homeward. But as he had brought with him a party of Sekeletu's people, who could not possibly return home alone, on account of the unfriendliness of the tribes near the western coast, he resolved to return with them. Dr. Livingstone's health improved under medical treatment, and on the 1-ith he was able to call on the bishop accompa- nied by his men, who were dressed in robes of striped cotton cloth and red caps, all presented to them by Mr. Gabriel. "Every one remarked the serious deportment of the Mako- lolo. They viewed the large stone houses and churches in the vicinity of the great ocean with awe. A house with two stories was, until now, beyond their comprehension. Some Makololo, who had visited my little house at Kolobeng, in trying to describe it to their countiymen at Linyanti, said, ' It is not a hut ; it is a mountain with several caves in it.' " The party were invited to visit an English cruiser, and nearly all of them went, as Livingstone assured them there was no danger in doing so. When safely aboard, finding that the men were all like tjieir leader, their fears vanished, and they were soon on intimate terms with the jolly tars, who shared with them their dinner of bread and beef. A cannon was fired off, which gave them exalted ideas of its power, and they were greatly pleased when told that it was what the slave-trade was put down with. Dr. Livingstone speaks of St. Paulde Loanda as follows: — " It has been a v^ery considerable city, but is now in a state of decay. It contains about twelve thousand inhabitants, most of whom are people of color. There are various evi- dences of its former magnificence, especially two cathedrals, one of which, once a Jesuit college, is now converted into a work-sho}) ; and in passing the other, we saw with sorrow a number of oxen feeding within its stately walls. Three forts LIFE IN ST. PAUL DE LOANDA. 237 continue in a good state of repair. Many large stone liouse^i are to be found. The palace of the governor and government offices are commodious structures, but nearly all the houses of the native inhabitants are of wattle and daub. Trees are planted all over the town for the sake of shade, and the city presents an imposing appearance from the sea. "In 1839, my friend, Mr. Gabriel, saw thirty -seven slave- ships lying in this harbor, waiting for their cargoes, under the protection of the guns of the forts. At that time slavers had to wait many months at a time for a human freight, and a certain sum per head was paid to the government for all that were exported." In the beginning of August, Livingstone had a relapse, which reduced him to a mere skeleton, but he slowly recov- ered. During his sickness, his men employed themselves in collecting fire-wood in the country and selling it in the city. They also earned something in unloading coal from a ship, and were greatly astonished at the quantity of ' stones that burn ' which the ship held. "With the money thus earned they bought clothing, beads, etc., to take home with them. CHAPTER XIY. LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAYELS. (across the CONTDSTENT LOANDA TO LINYANTI.) ON the 20tli of September 1854, Livingstone set out on his return journey, having been supplied with a good tent and other necessaries and comforts by his Enghsh and Portuguese friends. He also carried with him, as a present to Sekeletu from the government and merchants of Loanda, a colonel's complete uniform and a horse, with other articles. The party proceeded by sea as far as the mouth of the river Bengo, thence up the river to Icallo i Bengo, accompanied thus far by his friend and generous host, Edmund Gabriel. The Governor of Angola had furnished the explorer with twenty attendants, and sent forward orders to all the com- mandants of the districts through which he was to pass to render him every assistance in their power. II is general route was the same as on the advance across the conthient to the Atlantic coast. He, however, made several detours, one of which was to the famous rocks of Pungo Andongo, which he thus describes : — "In all my previous inquiries respecting the vegetable pro- ducts of Angola, I was invarial)ly directed to Pungo Andongo. Do you grow wheat? 'Oh, yes, in Pungo Andongo.' — Grapes, figs, or peaches ? ' Oh, yes, in Pungo Andongo.' — Do you make butter, cheese, etc.? The uniform answer was, *0h, yes, there is an abundance of all these in Pungo Andongo.' But when we arrived here, we found that the answers all referred to the activity of one man, Colonel Man- 238 AGRICULTURE IN ANGOLA. 239 iiel Antonio Pires. The presence of the wild grape show that vineyar^ls could be cultivated with success ; the wheat grows well without irrigation ; and one who tasted the butter and cheese at the table of Colonel Pires would prefer them to the btale produce of the Irish dairy, in general use throughout that province. The cattle in this country are seldom milked, on account of the strong prejudice which the Portuguese entertain against the use of milk. They believe that it may be used with safety in the morning, but if taken after midday, that it will cause fever. " The fort of Pungo Andongo is situated in the midst of a group of curious columnar-shaped rocks, each of which is upward of three hundred feet in height. They are conglom- erate, made up of a great variety of rounded pieces in a matrix of dark red sandstone. They rest on a thick stratum of this last rock, with very few of the pebbles in its substance. On this a fossil palm has been found, and if of the same age as those on the eastern side of the continent, on which similar palms now lie, there may be coal underneath this, as Avell as under that at Tete. " The gigantic pillars of Pungo Andongo have been formed by a current of the sea coming from the S. S. E. ; for, seen from the top, they appear arranged in that direction, and must have withstood the surges of the ocean, at a period of our \vorld's history M-hen the relations of land and sea were totally different from Mhat they are now. "Colonel Pires is a good example of what aahonest, indus- trious man in this country may become. He came as a ser- vant in a ship, and, by a long course of persevering labor, has raised himself to be the richest merchant in Angola. He possesses some thousands of cattle ; and on any emei-gency, can appear in the tield with several hundred armed slaves. "While enjoying the hospitality of this merchant-prince in his commodious residence, which is outside the rocks and commands a beautiful view of all the adjacent country, I learned that all my despatches, maps, and journal had gone to the bottom of the sea in the mail-packet " Forerunner." I 240 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. felt SO glad that mj friend Lieutenant Bedingfeld, to whose care I had committed them, though in the most imminent danger, had not shared a similar fate, that I was at once rec- onciled to the labor of rewriting. I availed mjself of the kindness of Colonel Pires, and remained till the end of tlie year reproducing my lost papers. " It is surprising that so little has been done in the way of agriculture in Angola. Raising wheat by means of irrigation has never been tried ; no plo^4' is ever used ; and the only instrument is the native hoe in the hands of slaves. The chief object of agriculture is the manioc, which does not contain, nutriment sufficient to give proper stamina to the people. The half-caste Portuguese have not so much energy as their fathers. They subsist chiefly on the manioc, and, as that can be eaten either raw, roasted, or boiled, as it comes from the ground ; or fermented in water, and then roasted or dried after fermentation, and baked or pounded into line meal ; or rasjDcd into meal and cooked as farina ; or made into confec- tionery with butter and sugar, it does not so pall upon the palate as one might imagine, when told that it constitutes their principal food. The leaves boiled make an excellent vegetable for the table ; and when eaten by goats, their milk is much increased." Marriages and funerals in Angola are thus described. It will be seen that the folly of expensive funerals is not con- fined to civilization. " The chief recreations of the natives of Angola are mar- riages and funerals. When a young woman is about to be married, she is placed in a hut alone and anointed with vari- ous unguents, and many incantations are employed in order to secure good fortune and fruitfulness. Here, as almost every where in the south, the height of good fortune is to bear sons. They often leave a husband altogether if they have daughters only. In their dances, when any one ma}' wish to deride another, in the accompanying song a line is introduced, ' So and so has no children, and never wiD get RECREATIONS OF THE NATIVES. 241 any.' She feels the insult so keenly that it is not uncommon for her to rush away and commit suicide. '* After some days tlie bride elect is taken to another hut, and adorned with all the richest clothing and ornaments that the relatives can either lend or borrow. She is then placed in a public situation, saluted as a lady, and presents made by all her acquaintances are placed around her. After this slie is taken to the residence of her husband, where she has a hut for herself, and becomes one of several wives, for polygamy is general. Dancing, feasting, and drinking on such occasions are prolonged for several days. In case of separation, the woman returns to her father's family, and the husband receives back what he gave for her. " In cases of death tlie body is kept several days, and there is a grand concourse of both sexes, with beating of drums, dances, and debauchery, kept up with feasting, etc., according to the means of the relatives. The great ambition of many of the blacks of Angola is to give their friends an expensive funeral. Often, when one is asked to sell a pig, he replies,'! am keeping it in case of the death of any of my friends.' A pig is usually slaughtered and eaten on the last day of the ceremonies, and its head thrown into the nearest stream or river. A native will sometimes appear intoxicated on these occasions, and, if blamed for his intemperance, will reply, * Why ! my mother is dead !' " Livingstone left Pungo Andongo on the first day of Janu- ary 1S55. At Tala Mungongo he met a native of Bihe who had visited the country of Shinte three times : — • " He gave us some of the news of that distant part, but not a word of the Makololo, who have always been represented in the countries to the north as a desperately savage race, whom no trader could visit with safety. The half-caste tra- ders whom we met at Shinte's had returned to Angola with sixty -six slaves and upward of fifty tusks of ivory. As we came along the path, we daily met long lines of carriers bear- ing large square masses of beeswax, each about a hundred pounds weight, and numbers of elephants' tusks, the property 242 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE A>sD TRAVELS. of Angolese merchants. Many natives were proceeding to the coast also on tlieir own account, carrying beeswax, ivory, and sweet oil. " They appeared to travel in perfect security ; and at diiTerent parts of the road we purchased fowls from them at a penny each. My men took care to celebrate their own daring in having actually entered ships, while the natives of these parts, who had endeavored to frighten them on their way down, had only seen them at a distance. Poor fellows ! they were more than ever attentive to me ; and, as they were not obliged to erect sheds for themselves, in consecpience of finding them already built at the different sleeping-places, all their care was bestowed in making me comfortable. Mashanana, as usual, made his bed with his head close to my feet, and never dur- ing the entire journey did I have to call him twice for any thing I needed." About the middle of April, Livingstone was taken sick at a village in the Chiboque territory. When about to start on again he had some trouble with the natives: — " It happened that the head man of the village where I had lain twenty-two days, while bargaining and quan-eling in my camp for a piece of meat, had been struck on the mouth by one of my men. My principal men paid five pieces of cloth and a gun as an atonement ; biit the more they yielded, the more exorbitant he became, and he sent word to all the sur- rounding villages to aid him in avenging the affront of a blow on the beard. As their courage usually rises with suc- cess, I resolved to yield no more, and departed. In passing through a forest in the country beyond, we were startled by a body of men rushing after us. They began by knocking down the burdens of the hindermost of my men, and several shots Avcrc fired, each party spreading out on both sides of the path. " I fortunately had a six-barreled revolver. Taking this in my hand, and forgetting fever, I staggered quickly along the path with two or three of my men, and fortunately encountered the chief. The sight of the six barrels gaping ATTACKED IN A FOREST. 243 into Ins stomach, with my own ghastly visage looking dag- gers at his face, seemed to produce an instant revolution in his martial feelings, for he cried out, ' Oh ! I have only come to speak to you, and wish peace only.' Mashauana had hold of him by the hand, and found him shaking. We examined his gun, and found that it had been discharged. Both par- ties crowded up to their chief. One of the opposite party coming too near, one of mine drove him back with a battle- axe. The enemy protested their amicable intentions, and my men asserted the fact of having the goods knocked down as evidence of the contrary. " Without waiting long, I requested all to sit down, and Pit- sane, placing his hand upon the revolver, somewhat allayed tlieir fears. I then said to the chief, ' If you have come with peaceable intentions, we have no other ; go away home to your village.' He replied, ' I am afraid lest you shoot me in the back.' I rejoined, ' If I wanted to kill you, I could shoot you in the face as well.' Mosantu called out to me, ' That's only a Makalaka trick ; don't give him your back ' But I said, ' Tell him to observe that I am not afraid of him ;' and, turning, mounted my ox. There was not much danger in the fire that was opened at first, there being so many trees. The enemy probably expected that the sudden attack would make us forsake our goods, and allow them to plunder with ease. The villagers were no doubt pleased with being allowed to retire unscathed, and we were also glad to get away without having shed a drop of blood, or having compromised ourselves for any future visit. My men were delighted with their own bravery, and made the woods ring with telling each _ other how 'brilliant their conduct before the enemy ' would have been, had hostilities not been brought to a sudden close." The party traveled some distance with a company of Pom- beiros or native traders. " One of them had eight good-looking women in a chain, whom he was taking to the country of Matiamvo to sell for ivory. They always looked ashamed when I hapj^ened to 244 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. come near them, and must have felt keenly their forlorn and degraded position." On the 30th of April Livingstone crossed the Loajima, and we must not fail to give his account of the people of this region, and of their mode of head-dressing, that our ladies may take some hints : — " The people in these parts seemed more slender in form, and their color a lighter olive, than any we had hitherto met. The mode of dressing the great masses of woolly hair which lay upon their shoulders, together with their general features, again reminded me of the ancient Egyptians. A few of the ladies adopt a curious custom of attaching the hair to a hoop which encircles the head, giving it somewhat the ajjpearance of the glory round the head of the Yirgin. Others wear an ornament of woven hair and hide adorned with beads. The hair of the tails of buffaloes, which are to be found farther east, is sometimes added. While others weave their own hair on pieces of hide into the form of buffalo horns, or make a single horn in front." The party made another detour southward to get provisions in a cheaper market, and found the people timid and very civil. Their teeth were filed to a point, and many of the men were dandies, who put so much oil on their hair that it run down on their shoulders. Some thrummed a musical instru- ment the livelong day, and whenever they woke at night. Ladies were seen carefully tending little lap-dogs, which were destined to be eaten. The air was oppressively hot, and game very scarce. Cabango (lat. 9^ 31' S., long. 20^ 31' E.) was the town of Muaiizanza, one of Matiamvo's subordinate chiefs. About thirty-four miles east of the Lolua, and a hundred and thirty- two miles E. N. E. of Cabango was the town of Matiamvo, the paramount chief of all the Balonda. Livingstone was anxious to visit Matiamvo, but did not think it prudent to do so. Leaving Cobango on the 21st of May, Livingstone passed through many villages of friendly natives, and reached the TERROR INSPIRED BY WHITE MEN. 24:5 town of the chief, Bango, whose people looked upon cattle as human, and would not partake of the beef offered them. Here he remained three days, and on the 30th of May proceeded toward the river Loembwy. " The villages are widely apart and difficult of access, from the paths being so covered with tall grass that even an ox can scarcely follow the track. The grass cuts the feet of the men ; yet we met a woman with a little child, and a girl, wend- ing their way home w^ith loads of manioc. The sight of a white man always infuses a tremor into their dark bosoms, and in every case of the kind they appeared immensely relieved when I had fairly passed without having sprung upon them. In the villages the dogs run aw^ay with their tails between their legs, as if they had seen a lion. The women peer from behind the walls till he comes near them, and then hastily dash into the house. When a little child, unconscious of danger, meets you in the street, he sets up a scream at the apparition, and conveys the impression that he is not far from going into fits. The dreary uniformity of gloomy forests and open flats must have a depressing influence on the minds of the people. Some villages appear more superstitious than others, if we may judge from the greater number of idols they contain. " At every village attempts were made to induce us to remain a night. Sometimes large pots of beer were offered to us as a temptation. Occasionally the head man would peremptorily order us to halt under a tree which he pointed out. At other times young men volunteered to guide us to the impassable part of the next bog, in the hope of bringing us to a stand, for all are excessively eager to trade ; but food was so veiy cheap that we sometimes preferred paying them to keep it, and let us part in good humor." On the evening of the 20th of June, Livingstone reached the village of a chief named Kawawa, and on the next day had a long and very friendly talk with him. But when the travelers were ready to start, Kawawa sent a messenger demanding an ox or a man, and then came himself to say that 246 LIVmGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. he had seen all the goods, and must have all of them that he wanted, as a tribute for crossing the Kasai. " I replied that the goods were my property and not his ; that I would never hai'e it said that a white man had paid tribute to a black, and that I should cross the Kasai in spite of him. He ordered his people to arm themselves, and when some of my men saw them rushing for their bows, arrows, and spears, they became somewhat panic-stricken. I ordered them to move away, and not to fire unless Kawawa's people struck the first blow. I took the lead, and expected them all t£> follow, as they usually had done, but many of my men remained behind. AVhen I knew this, I jumped off the ox, and made a rush to them with the revolver in my hand. Ivawawa ran away among his people, and they turned their backs too. I shouted to my men to take up their luggage and march ; soine did so with alacrity, feeling that they had disobeyed orders by remaining ; but one of them refused,^and was preparing to fire at Kawawa, until I gave him a punch on the head ^\'ith the pistol, and made him go too. I felt here, as elsewhere, that subordination must be maintained at all risks. We all moved into the forest, the people of Kaw^aw- a standing about a hundred yards off, gazing, but not firing a shot or an arrow.-' On the 14th of June, Livingstone was gratified to see some old familiar faces among the straffelinc villages over which Katema rules, though many whose acquaintance he had made in going noi'th he now found in their graves. Katema came to see him, and was presented w^ith a cloak of red baize trimmed with gold tinsel. He departed mounted on the shoulders of his spokesman, who was a nnich more slender man tiian his chief. Before reaching the town of Shinte many laige villages were passed through, inhabited by Balobale who had fled from the chief, Kingenke, because he sold his people to the traders Avho came from Bilie. The travelers received a hearty welcome from Shinte, and after remaining with him till the Gth of July, parted with CEMEXTLVG FRIENDSHIP. 247 liim on the best possible terms. They then proceeded to the village of his sister, Nyamoana. Here they borrowed five canoes and began the descent of the Leebe. On arriving- in the territory of their old friend, Manenko, they sent a messenger to her town, which was fifteen miles from the river. Her husband, Sambanza, went at once to see Livingstone with presents of food. He gave an account of the aft'airs of the country, and next morning performed the ceremony called " kasendi," for cementing friendship. It is performed as follows : — " The hands of the parties are joined (in this case Pitsane and Sambanza Avere the parties engaged) ; small incisions are made on the clasped hands, on the pits of the stomach of each, and on the right cheeks and foreheads. A small quantity of blood is taken oif from these points in both parties by means of a stalk of grass. The blood from one person is put into a pot of beer, and that of the second into another ; each then drinks the other's blood, and they are supposed to become perpetual friends or relations. During the drinking of the beer, some of the party continue beating the ground with short clubs, and utter sentences by way of ratifying the treaty. TJae men belonging to each then finish the beer. The prin- cipals in the performance of ' kasendi ' are henceforth con- sidered blood-relations, and are bound to disclose to each other any impending evil. They now presented each other with the most valuable presents they had to bestow, " In creating these friendships, my men had the full inten- tion of returning ; Mohorisi even married a wife in the town of Katema, and Pitsane took another in the town of Shiute. " We reached the town of Libonta July 27th, and were received with demonstrations of joy such as I had never wit- nessed before. The women came forth to meet us, making their dancing gestures and loud lulliloos. Some carried a mat and stick in imitation of a spear and shield. Others rushed forward and kissed the hands and cheeks of the diifer- ent persons of their acquaintance among us, raising such a dust that it was quite a relief to get to the men assembled 218 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. and sitting witli proper African decorum in the kotla. We were looked npon as men risen from the dead, for the most skillful of their diviners had pronounced us to have perished long ago. After many expressions of joy at meeting, I arose, and, thanking them, explained the causes of our long delay, hut left the report to be made by their own countrymen. Pitsane then delivered a speech of upward of an hour in length, giving a highly flattering picture of the whole jour- ney, of the kindness of the white men in general, and of Mr. Gabriel in particular. " Tlie following day we observed as our thanksgiving to God for his goodness in bringing us all back in safety to our friends. My men decked themselves out in their best, and I found that, although their goods were finished, they had managed to save suits of European clothing, which, being white, with their red caps, gave them rather a dashing appear- ance. They tried to walk like the soldiers they had seen in Loanda, and called themselves my ' braves.' During the ser- vice they all sat with their guns over their shoulders, and excited the unbounded admiration of the women and children. I addressed them all on the goodness of God in preserving us from all the dangers of strange tribes and diseases. We had a similar service in the afternoon." The progress of the travelers down the Barotse valley was equally pleasant. Every village gave an ox, and the people were wonderfully kind. " On reaching Naliele on the 1st of August, we found Mpo- lolo in great affliction on account of the death of his daugliter and her child. She had been lately confined ; and her father naturally remembered her when an ox was slaughtered, or when the tribute of other food, which he receives in lieu of Sekeletu, came in his way, and sent frequent presents to her. This moved the envy of one of the Makololo who hated Mpo- lolo, and, wishing to vex him, he entered the daughter's hut by niglit, and strangled both her and her child. He then tried to make fire in the hut and burn it, so that the murder might ]iot be known ; but the squeaking noise of rubbing the REJOICINGS AT OUR RETURN. 249 eticks ciTvakoned a servant, and the murderer was detected. Both he and his wife were thrown into tlie river; the latter having 'known of her hnsband's intentions, and not revealing them.' She declared she had dissuaded him from the crime, and, had any one interposed a word, slic might have been sj^arcd. " My men were exceedingly delighted with the cordial reception we met with every where ; but a sonrce of annoy- ance was found where it was not expected. Many of their wives had married other men during our two years' absence. Mashuana's wife, who had borne him two children, was among the number. He wished to appear not to feel it much, say- ing, ' Why, wives are as plentiful as grass, and I can get another : she may go ;' but he would add, ' If I had that fel- low, I would open his ears for him.' " As most of them had more wives than one, I tried to console them by saying that they had still more than I had, and that they had enough yet ; but they felt the reflection to be galling, that while they were toiling, another had been devouring their corn. Some of their M'ives came with very young infants in their arms. This excited no discontent ; and for some I had to speak to the chief to order the men, who liad married the only wives some of my companions ever had, to restore them." On arriving at Sesheke, Livingstone heard' that some goods which Dr. Moffiit had sent to him were on an island in the Zambesi, where the natives had put them and built a hut over them to protect them from the weather. These articles were found all safe in September 1855, having been stored there just one year. From Sesheke, Livingstone went to Linyanti and found his wagon and other things which he had left there all safe. A grand meeting of all the people was called to hear reports and receive the presents sent by the government and merchants of Loanda. Sekeletu appeared at church the next Sunday in his colonel's uniform, and drew more attention than the sermon. 13 250 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. Selceletu immediately made arrangements with an Arab from Zanzibar, named Ben Ilabib, to conduct a fresli party with a load of ivory to Loanda. Before starting for Loanda, Ben liabib asked the dangh- ter of Sfebituane in marriage. Her name was Manchunjane (a little black) and her age was about twelve years, but as Livingstone did not approve of the match, Ben Ilabib's suit was rejected. Another love affair resulted differently. " A maid-servant of Sekeletu, was at this time sought in marriage by five young men. Sekeletu, happening to be at my wagon when one of these preferred his suit, very coolly ordered all five to stand in a row before the young woman, that she might make her choice. Two refused to stand, apparently, because they could not brook the idea of a repulse, although willing enough to take her if Sekeletu had acceded to their petition without reference to her will. Three dandified fellows stood forth, and she unhesitatingly decided on taking one who was really the best looking. It was amus- ing to see the mortification exliibited on the black faces of the unsuccessful candidates, while the spectators greeted them with a hearty laugh." Livingstone thus sums up the result of his observations of this journey to the West Coast : — " I believe that the interior of this country presents a much more inviting field for the philanthropist than does the west coast, where missionaries of the Church Missionary, United Presbyterian, and other societies have long labored with most astonisliing devotedness and never-flagging zeal. But I am not to be understood as intimating that any of the numerous tribes are anxious for instruction ; they are not the inquiring spirits we read of in other countries ; they do not desire the Gospel, because they know nothing about either it or its benefits ; but there is no impediment in the way of instruction. Every head man would be proud of a European visitor or resident in his territory, and there is perfect secu- rity for life and property all over the interior country. " The great barriers which have kept Africa shut are the AT LINYANTI— A LOVE AFFAIR. 251 unheal tliiness of the coast, and the exclusive, illiberal dispo- sition of the border tribes. It has not within the historic period been cut into by deep arms of the sea, and only a small fringe of its population have come into contact with the rest of mankind. Eace has much to do in the present circumstances of nations ; yet it is probable that the unhealthy coast-climate has reacted on the people, and aided both in perpetuating their own degradation and preventing those more inland from having intercourse with the rest of the world. It is to be hoped that these obstacles will be over- come by the more rapid means of locomotion possessed in the present age, if a good highway can become available from the coast into the interior." CHAPTER XV. LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. (across the CONTIifENT LINYANTI TO TETE.) HAVING- found it impracticable to open a carriage path to the West Coast, Livingstone now turned his attention in search of a route to the East. Two courses presented themselves ; one to Zanzibar, advocated by the Arabs as pass- ing through a peaceful country, and the other down the Zam- besi, which w^as known further up as the Leeambye — Zambesi and Leeambye meaning the same thing, viz., " The River." The latter route was recommended by the Makololo, who knew all the country eastward as far as the Kafue, from having lived in former times near the confluence of that river with the Zambesi. As the prospect of permanent water conveyance was good, Livingstone decided on going down the Zambesi. " On the 3rd of November we bade adieu to our friends at Linyanti, accompanied by Sekeletu and about two hundred followers. We were all fed at his expense, and he took cat- tle for this purpose at every station we came to. ""We passed through the patch of the tsetse, which exists between Linyanti and Sesheke, by night. The majority of the company went on by daylight, in order to prepare our beds. Sekeletu and I, with about forty young men, waited outside the tsetse till dark. "\Ve then went forward, and about ten o'clock it became so pitchy dark that both horses and men were comj)letely blinded. The lightning spread over the sky, forming eight or ten branches at a time, in shape exactly like 252 A MEMORABLE NIGHT. 253 those of a tree. This, with great volumes of sheet-lightning, enabled ns at times to see the whole countr}'^. The intervals between the flashes were so densely dark as to convey the idea of stone-blindness. The horses trembled, cried out, and turned round, as if searching for each other, and every new flash revealed the men taking different directions, laughing, and stumbling against each other. The thunder Avas of that tremendous loud kind only to be heard in ti'opical countries. Then came a 2:)elting rain, which completed our confusion. " After the intense heat of the day we soon felt miserably cold, and turned aside to a fire we saw in the distance. My clothing having gone on, I lay down on the cold ground, expecting to spend a miserable night ; but Sekeletu kindly covered me with his own blanket, and lay uncovered himself. I was much affected by this act of genuine kindness. "AVhile at Sesheke, Sekeletu supplied me Avith twelve oxen — three of which were accustomed to being ridden upon — hoes, and beads to purchase a canoe when we should strike the Leeambye beyond the falls. He likewise presented abundance of good fresh butter and honey, and did every thing in his power to make me comfortable for the journey. I was entirely dependent on his generosity, for the goods I originally brought from the Cape were all expended by the time 1 set off from Linyanti to the west coast. 1 there drew £70 of my salary, paid my men with it, and purchased goods for the return journey to Linyanti. These being now all expended, the Makololo again fitted me out and sent me on. I was thus dependent on their bounty, and that of other Afri- cans, for the means of going from Linyanti to Loanda, and again from Linyanti to the east coast, and I feel deeply grate- ful to them." The party left Sesheke on the 13th of iS'ovember, some sail- ing down the river in canoes, and others driving cattle along the banks. They soon came to the commencement of the rapids above the great falls of the Zambesi, and had to leave their canoes. Livinc^stone liad often heard of these f;dls. 254 LIVINGSTONE'S LITE AND TRAVELS. The natives always viewed them with awe at a distance, and spoke of them as ' the smoke that sounds.' The party proceeded along the hanks of the river on foot, and on crossing the Lekone were on an island called Kalai. At tills point they were to leave the Zambesi for a while, and strike oft- to the northeast. Before doing so, Dr. Livingstone visited the falls ; he named them Victoria, and speaks of them as the most wonderful sight he had seen in Africa. " Sekeletu intended to accompany me, hut, one canoe only having come instead of the two he had ordered, he resigned it to me. After twenty minutes' sail from Kalai we came in sight, for the first time, of the columns of vapor appropriately called ' smoke,' rising at a distance of five or six miles, exactly as when large tracts of grass are burned in Africa. Five col- umns now arose, and, bending in the direction of the wind, they seemed placed against a low ridge covered with trees ; the top of the columns at this distance appeared to mingle with the clouds. They were white below, and higher up became dark, so as to simulate smoke very closely. " The whole scene was extremely beautiful. It had never been seen before by European eyes ; but scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight. The only want felt is that of mountains in the background. The falls are bounded on three sides by ridges three or four hun- dred feet in height, which are covered with forest, with the red soil appearing among the trees. " When about half a mile from the falls, I left the canoe by which we had come down thus far, and embarked in a lighter one, with men well acquainted with the rapids, who, by passing down the centre of the stream in the eddies and still places caused by many jutting rocks, brought me to an island situated in the middle of the river, and on the edge of the lip over which the water rolls. In coming hither there was danger of being swept down by the streams which rush- ed along on each side of the island ; but the river was now low, and we sailed where it is totally impossible to go when the water is high. But, though we had reached the island, VICTORIA FALLS. 255 and were 'wltliin a few yards of the spot, a view from which would solve the whole problem, I believe that no one could perceive where the vast body of water went ; it seemed to lose itself in the earth, the oi)posite lip of the fissure into which it disappeared being only 80 feet distant. At least I did not comprehend it until, creeping with awe to the verge, I peered down into a large rent which had been made from bank to bank of the broad Zambesi, and saw that a stream of a thousand yards broad leaped down a hundred feet, and then became suddenly compressed into a space of fifteen or twenty yards. The entire falls are simply a crack made in a hard basaltic rock from the right to the left bank of the Zam- besi, and then prolonged from the left bank away through thirty or forty miles of hills. " In looking down into the fissure on the right of the island, one sees nothing but a dense white cloud, which, at the time we visited the spot, had two bright rainbows on it. From this cloud rushed up a great jet of va])or exactly like steam, and it mounted 200 or 300 feet high ; there condensing, it changed its hue to that of dark smoke, and came back in a constant shower, which soon wetted us to the skin. This shower falls chiefly on the opposite side of the fissure, and a few yards back from the lip there stands a straight hedge of evergreen trees, whose leaves are always wet. " On the left of the island we see the water at the bottom, a white rolling mass moving away to the prolongation of the fissure, which branches ofi" near the left bank of the river. A piece of the rock has fallen off a spot on the left of the island, and juts out from the water below, and from it I judged the distance which the water falls to be about 100 feet. The walls of this gigantic crack are pei-pendicular, and composed of one homogeneous mass of rock. The rock is dark brown in color, except about ten feet from the bottom, which is discolored by the annual rise of the water to that or a greater height. " On the left side of the island we have a good view of the mass of water which causes one of the columns of vapor to 250 LIYIXGSTOXE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. ascend, as, it leaps quite clear of tlie rock, and forms a tliick unbroken fleece all the "vvay to the bottom. Its whiteness gave the idea of snow, a sight 1 had not seen for many a day. As it broke into (if I may use the term) pieces of water, all rushing on in the same direction, each gave otf several rays of foam, exactly as bits of steel, when burned in oxygen gas, give oif rays of sparks. The snow-white sheet seemed like myriads of small comets rushing on in one direction, each of which left behind it nucleus rays of foam. " At three spots near these falls, one of them the island in the middle, on which we were, three Batoka chiefs oft'ered up prayers and sacrifices to the Barimo. They chose their places of prayer within the sound of the roar of the cataract, and in sight of the bright bows in the cloud. They must have looked upon the scene with awe. Fear may have induced the selection. The river itself is to them mysterious. The words of the canoe song are : — ' The Leeambye ! Xobody knows Whence it comes and whither it goes.' " On the 20th of November, Sekeletu and his large party started on their return home, and Livingstone, with a compa- ny of one hundred and fourteen ^men furnished by Sekeletu to carry tusks to the coast, bade adieu to the Makololos, and proceeded northward through a beautiful country, once densely inhabited by the Batoka tribe, who had suffered much from former wars with the victorious Makololo. On the 24:th, they reached the village of Moyara, whose father had been a powerful and cruel Batoka chief ; but Moyara sat among the ruins of the village, with four or five wives and very few people. At his hamlet a number of stakes were planted in the ground, and on them hung over fifty skulls of Matebele whom the former chief had put to death. On the 2Sth of November, Livingstone entered a beauti- ful country from which Sebituane had been formerly driven by the Matebele; his people all considered it a perfect paradise. On the 4th of December they approached the first village of a portion of the Batoka whom the Makololo's con- LIVINGSTONE'S COURAGE TESTED. 257 sidered rebels, and were of course anxious as to tlic way tlicy would be received. " Remaining at a distance of a quarter of a mile, we sent two men to inform them who we were, and that our purposes were peaceful. The head man came and spoke civilly, but, when nearly dark, the people of another village arrived and behaved very differently. They began by trying to spear a young man who had gone for water. Then they approached us, and one came forward howling at the top of his voice in the most hideous manner ; his eyes were shot out, his lips covered with foam, and every muscle in his frame quivered, lie came near to me, and, having a small battle-axe in his hand, alarmed my men lest he might do violence ; but they were afraid to disobey my previous orders, and to follow their own inclination by knocking him on the head. I felt a little alarmed too, but would not show fear before my own people or strangers, and kept a sharp look-out on the little battle-axe. " It seemed to me a case of ecstasy or prophetic i)hrensy, voluntarily produced. I felt it would be a sorry way to leave the world, to get my head chopped by a mad savage, though that, perhaps, would be preferable to hydrophobia or delir- ium tremens. Sekwebu took a spear in his hand, as if to pierce a bit of leather, but in reality to plunge it into the man if he offered violence to me. After my courage had been sufficiently tested, I beckoned with the head to the civil head man to remove him, and he did so by drawing him aside. This man pretended not to know what he was doing." The party proceeded without molestation, as the head man ran ahead of them and quieted the people who lined their path tlirough a forest, and soon came among more friendly Batokas. "The farther we advanced, the more we found the country swanning with inhabitants. Great numbers came to see the white man, a sight they had never beheld before. They always brouglit presents of maize and masuka. Their mode of salutation is quite singular. They throw themselves on their backs on the ground, and, rolling from side to side, slap 258 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAYELS. tlie outside of their tliiglis as expressions of tliankfulncss and welcome, nttering tlie words ' Kina bomba.' This method of sahitation was to me very disagreeable, and I never conld get reconciled to it. I called out,' Stop, stop ; I don't want that ;' but they, imagining I was dissatisfied, only tumbled about more furiously, and slapped their thighs with greater vigor. The men being totally unclothed, this performance imparted to my mind a painful sense of their extreme degradation." The Batoka of the Zambesi are generally very dark in color and negro like in appearance. Some who live on the higher rec'ions are of a lighter color. Several of this tribe accompa- nied Livingstone to the west coast, and on his subsequent ■journeyings on the Zambesi. One of them, named Mantan- yani, was a very skillful boatman, and was at first supposed to be one of the Makololo. The engraving, from a drawing by Mr. Baines, represents Mantanyani sitting on the edge of his boat. Sunday the 10th was spent at the village of Monze, who was considered the chief of all the Batoka, He came to see Livingstone, wrapped in a large cloth, and rolled himself about in the dust, screaming ' Kina bomba.' A wife accompanied him, with a battle-axe in her liand, and helped her husband scream. They were greatly excited, having never seen a white man before. On the 14th Livingstone entered a most beautiful valley, abounding in large game and thus describes his adventures, and an elephant liunt by the natives. "Finding a buffalo lying down, I went to secure him for our food. Three balls did not kill him, and, as he turned round as if for a charge, we ran for the shelter of some rocks. Before we gained them, we found that three elej^hants, prob- ably attracted by the strange noise, had cut oflT our retreat on that side ; they, however, turned short off, and allowed us to gain tlic rocks. We then saw that the buffalo was moving off quite briskly, and, in order not to be entirely balked, I tried a long shot at the last of the elephants, and to the great joy of my people, broke his fore leg. The young men soon wsdimM^ HVIXGSTO.VE S BOATMEX. A NATIVE ELEPHANT HUNT. 2G1 bronglit liim to a stand, and one shot in tlie brain dispatched him. I Avas right glad to see the joy manifested at sucli an abundant supply of meat. "On the following day, while my men were cutting up tlie elephant, great numbers of the villagers came to enjoy the feast. AVe w-ere on the side of a fine green valley, studded here and there with trees, and cut by numerous rivulets. I had retired from the noise, to take an observation among some rocks of laminated grit, when I beheld an elephant and her calf at the end of the valley, about two miles distant. The calf M^as rolling in the mud, and the dam w^as standing fan- ning herself with her great ears. As I looked at them through my glass, I saw a long string of my own men appear- ing on the other side of them, and Sekwebu came and told me that these had gone off saying,' Our father will see to-day what sort of men he has got.' I then went higlier up the side of the valley, in order to have a distinct view of their mode of hunting. " The goodly beast, totally unconscious of the approach of an enemy, stood for some time suckling her young one, which seemed about two years old ; they then went into a pit con- taining mud, and smeared themselves all over with it, the lit- tle one frisking about his dam, flapping his ears and tossing his trunk incessantly, in elephantine fashion. She kej^t flap- ping her ears and wagging her tail, as if in the lieight of enjoyment. Then began the piping of her enemies, which was performed by blowing into a tube, or the hands closed together, as boys do into a key. They call out to attract the animal's attention : — "0 chief! chief! we have come to kill you. 0 chief! chief! many more will die besides you, etc. The gods have said it," etc., etc. "Both animals expanded their ears and listened, then left their bath as the crowd rushed toward them. Tlie little one ran forward toward the end of the valley, but, seeing the men there, returned to his dam. She placed herself on the dan- ger side of her calf, and passed her proboscis over it again 2G2 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. and again, as if to assure it of safety. She frequently looked back to the men, who kept up an incessant shouting, singing, and piping ; then looked at her young one and ran after it, sometimes sideways, as if her feelings were divided between anxiety to protect her offspring, and desire to revenge the temerity of her persecutors. The men kept about a hundred yards in her rear, and some that distance from her flanks, and continued thus until she was obliged to cross a rivulet. The time spent in descending and getting up the opposite bank allowed of their coming up to the edge, and discharg- ing their spears at about twenty yards distance. After the first discharge she appeared with her sides red with blood, and, beginning to flee for her own life, seemed to think no more of her young. " I had previously sent off Sekwebu with orders to spare the calf. It ran very fast, but neither young nor old ever enter into a gallop ; their quickest pace is only a sharp walk. Before Sekwebu could reach them, the calf had taken refuge in the water, and was killed. The pace of the dam gradually became slower. She turned with a shriek of rage, and made a furious charge back among the men. They vanished at right angles to her course, or sideways, and, as she ran straight on, she went through the whole party, but came near no d?ie except a man who wore a piece of cloth on his shoulders. Bright clothing is always dangerous in these cases. She charged three or four times, and, except in the first instance, never went farther than one hundred yards. She often stood after she had crossed a rivulet, and faced the men, though she received fresh spears. It was by this pro- cess of spearing and loss of blood that she was killed ; for at last, making a short charge, she staggered round and sank down dead in a kneeling posture. I did not see the whole hunt, having been tempted away by both sun and moon appearing unclouded. I turned from the spectacle of the destruction of noble animals, which might be made so useful in Africa, with a feeling of sickness, and it was not relieved *- ' ^*»^^>^/^»/^M)>'y^-wg^m;;^5 "^ A DESERTED HAMLET. 265 by tlie recollection tliat the ivory was mine, though that was the case. " As we approached nearer the Zambesi, the country became covered with broad-leaved bushes, pretty thickly planted, and we had several times to shout to elephants to get out of our way. At an open space, a herd of buffaloes came trotting uj) to look at our oxen, and it was only by shooting one that I made them retreat. Each village we passed furnished us with a couple of men to take us on to the next. Tliey were useful in showing us the parts least covered with jungle. When we came near a village, M'e saw men, women, and children employed in weeding their gardens, they being great agriculturists. The women are in the habit of piercing the upper lip, and gradually enlarging the orifice until they can insert a shell. The lip then appears drawn out beyond the perpendicular of the nose, and gives them a most ungainly aspect. Sekwebu remarked, ' These women want to make their mouths like those of ducks.' " We reached the confluence of the Loangwa and the Zam- besi, on the 14th of January 1856, most thankful to God for his great mercies in helping us thus far. The people tell us that this was formerly the residence of the Bazunga, and maintain silence as to the cause of their leaving it. I walked about some ruins I discovered, built of stone, and found the remains of a church, and on one side lay a broken bell, with the letters I. II. S. and a cross, but no date. There were no inscriptions on stone, and the people could not tell what the Bazunga called their place. AVe found afterward it was Zuml)o. Next morning we passed along the bottom of the range called Mazanzwe, and found the ruins of eight or ten stone houses. " The situation of Zumbo was admirably well chosen as a site for commerce. The merchants, as they sat beneath the verandas in front of their houses, had a magnificent view of the two rivers at their confluence ; of their church at the angle ; and of all the gardens which they had on both sides of the rivers. From this point the merchants had water 266 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. communication in three directions beyond. Several expedi- tions went to the north as far as to Cazembe, one of which was led by Dr. Larcerda, the connnandant of Tete, who was cut off wliile there. " On the morning of the 17th, we were pleased to see a person coming from the ishmd of Shibanga with jacket and hat on. He was quite black, but had come from the Portu- guese settlement at Tete ; and now, for the fii'st time, we understood that the Portuguese settlement was on the other bank of the river, and that they liad been lighting with the natives for the last two years. We had thus got into the midst of a Caffre war, without any particular wish to be on either side. lie advised us to cross the river at once, as Mpende lived on this side. "We had been warned by the guides against him, for they said that if we could get past Mpende we might reach the white men, but that he was determined that no white man should pass him. Wishing to follow this man^s advice, we proposed to borrow his canoes ; but, being afraid to offend the lords of the river, he declined. Finding no one willing to aid us in crossing the river, we pro- ceeded to the village of the chief Mpende. " At sunrise, a party of Mpende's people came close to our encampment, uttering strange cries and waving some bright red substance toward us. They then lighted a lire with charms in it, and departed, uttering the same hideous screams as before. This was intended to render us powerless, and probably also to frighten us. Ever since dawn, parties of armed men have been seen collecting from all quarters, and numbers passed us while it was yet dark. Had we moved down the river at once, it would have been considered an indication of fear or defiance, and so would a retreat. I therefore resolved to wait, trusting in Him who has the hearts of all men in His hands. They evidently intended to attack- us, for no friendly message was sent ; and when throe of the Batoka fhe night before entered the village to beg food, a man went romul about each of them, making a noise like a lion. The villagers then called upon them to do homage, PRErARATIOXS FOR A BATTLE. 2G7 and, when they complied, the chief ordered some cliaff to he given them, as if it had heen food. " As we were now pretty certain of a skirmish, I ordered an ox to he sUiughtered, as this is a means which Sehituano employed for inspiring courage. I have no douht that we should have been victorious ; indeed my men, who were far better accjuainted with fighting than any of the people on the Zambesi, were rejoicing in the prospect of securing captives to carry the tusks for them. ' We shall now,' said they, ' get both corn and clothes in plenty.' They were in a sad state, poor fellows ; for the rains we had encountered had made their skin-clothing drop oif piecemeal, and they were looked upon with disgust by the well-fed and well-clothed Zambesians. '• They were, however, veterans in marauding, and the head men, instead of being depressed by fear, as the people of Mpende intended should be the case in using their charms, hinted broadly to me that I ought to allow them to keep Mpende's wives. The roasting of meat went on fast and furious, and some of the young men said to me : — " ' You have seen us with elej^hants, but you don't know yet what we can do with men.' " Mpende's whole tribe was assembled at about the dis- tance of half a mile. As the countr}- is covered with trees, we did not see them ; but every now and then a few came about us as spies, and would ansM-er no questions. I handed a leg of the ox to two of these, and desired them to take it to Mpende. After waiting considerable time in suspense, two old men made their appearance, and said they had come to inquire who I was. "I replied, ' I am Lekoa'(an Englishman). " They said, 'We don't know that tribe. We suppose yon are a Mozunga, the tribe with which we have been fighting.' "■ As I was not yet aware that the term Mozunga was applied to a Portuguese, and thought they meant half-castes. I showed them my hair and the skin of my bosom, and asked if the Bazunga had hair and skin like mine. As the Portu- 268 Ln'iXGSTOXE's life and travels. gneso have the custom of cutting the hair close, and are also somewhat darker than we are, they answered : — " ' !N^o ; we never saw skin so white as that ; ' and added, ' Ah ! you must be one of tribe that loves the black men.' I of course gladly responded in the affirmative." The messengers returned to Mpende, and after a long discussion between him and his comrades it was decided to let Livingstone pass, Mpende expressed regret that he had not known Livingstone sooner, as then he would have prevented his enchanter from coming near him. He did every thing possible to help on the travelers, and ordered the people to ferry them across the river, and on the 29th of Jan- uary, Livingstone was sincerely thankful to find himself on the south side of the Zambesi, Lie sent back to Mpende as a thank-oifering, a shirt and one of his two spoons. They now continued on through a country wdiose inhabitants were innured to the slave trade ; here the character of the English, who were known to be opposed to the system, was much extolled, several of the natives declaring that the Eng- lish were men. The people were very liberal and friendly to the travelers. " The real politeness with which food is given by nearly all the interior tribes, who have not had much intercourse with Europeans, makes it a pleasure to accept. Again and again I have heard an apology made for the smallness of the present, and generally they readily accepted our excuse at having nothing to give in return, by saying that they were quite aware that there are no white men's goods in the interior. When I had it in my power, I always gave something really useful, " How some men can offer three buttons, or some other equally contemptible gift, while they have abundance in their ])ossession, isto me unaccountable. The people receive the offering with a degree of shame, and ladies may be seen to Iiand it quickly to the attendants, and, when they retire, laugh until the tears stand in their eyes, saying to those about AFRICAN rOLITENESS— A STANDING JOKE. 269 them, *' Is that a white man? then there are niggards among them too. Some of them are born without hearts !' " One white trader, having presented an old gun to a chief, became a standing jolce in the tribe : ' The white man who made a present of a gun that was new when his grandfather was sucking his great-grandmother.' " On the 14th of February the party entered the Mopanc country. Here an elephant was espied and the men went in pursuit. The desire for animal food made them eager to kill him, and one of them rushed up and hamstrung the beast while standing still by a blow with an axe. " Some Banyai elephant-himters happened to be present when my men were fighting with him. One of them took out his snuff-box, and poured out all its contents at the root of a tree as an oifering to the Barimo for success. As soon as the animal fell, the whole of my party engaged in a wild, savage dance round the body, which quite frightened the Ban- yai, and he who made the offering said to me : — " ' I see you are traveling with people who don't know how to pray : I therefore offered the only thing I had in their behalf, and the elephant soon fell.' " Another Banyai who remained with me, ran a little for- ward, when an opening in the trees gave us a view of the chase, and uttered loud prayers for success in the combat. My own people, who are rather a degraded lot, remarked to me as I came up : — " ' God gave it to us. He said to the old beast, ' Go up there ; men are come who will kill and eat you,' " The birds of the tropics have been described as generally wanting in power of song. I was decidedly of opinion that this was not applicable to many parts in Londa, though birds there are remarkably scarce. Here the chorus, or body of song, was not much smaller in volume than it is in England. It was not so harmonious, and sounded always as if the birds were singing in a foreign tongue. " These African birds have not been wanting in song ; they 14 270 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. have only lacked poets to sing their praises, which ours have had from the time ot Aristophanes downward. Ours have both a classic and a modern interest to enhance their fame. In hot, dry weather, or at midday when the sun is fierce, all are still : let, however, a good shower fall, and all burst forth at once into merry lays and loving courtship. The early mornings and the cool evenings are their favorite times for singing. There are comparatively few with gaudy plumage, being totally unlike, in this respect, the birds of the Brazils. The majority have decidedly a sober dress, though collectors, having generally selected the gaudiest as the most valuable, have conveyed the idea that the birds of the tropics for the most part possess gorgeous plumage." Livingstone thus describes the peculiar habits of one of the African birds: — "Standing by a tree, a native looked behind me and exclaimed, ' There is the nest of a korwe.' I saw a slit only, about half an inch wide and three or four inches long, in the slight hollow of the tree. Thinking the word korwe denoted some small animal, I waited with interest to see what he would extract; he broke the clay w^hich sur- rounded the slit, put his arm into the hole, and brought out a TocTcus, or red-'beaked hornhilly which he killed. He informed me that, when the female enters her nest, she submits to a real confinement. The male plasters up the entrance, leaving only a narrow slit by which to feed his mate, which exactly suits the form of his beak. The female makes a nest of her own feathers, lays her eggs, hatches them, and remains with the young till they are fully fledged. During all this time, which is stated to be two or three months, the male continues to feed lier and the young family. The prisoner generally becomes quite fat, and is esteemed a very dainty morsel by the natives, while the poor slave of a husband gets so lean that, on the sudden lowering of the temperature which sometimes happens after a fall of rain, he is benumbed, falls down and dies. '' The black rhinoceros is remarkably scarce in all the coun- try north of the Zambesi. The white I'hiiioccros is quite extinct here, and will soon become unknown in the country RIIIXOCEROS nUXTLVG. 273 to tlie south. It feeds almost entirely on grasses, and is of a timid, unsuspecting disposition : this renders it an easy prey, and they are slaughtered without mercy on the introduction of fire-arms. The black possesses a more saA-agc nature, and, like the ill-natured in general, is never found with an ouiu-o of fat in its body. '' Mr. Oswell was once stalking two of these beasts, and, as they came slowly to him, he, knowing that there is but little chance of hitting the small brain of this animal by a shot in the head, lay expecting one of them to give his shoulder till he was within a few yards. The hunter then thought that by making a rush to his side he might succeed in escaping, but the rhinoceros, too quick for that, turned upon him, and, though he discharged his gun close to the animal's head, lie was tossed in the air. My friend was insensible for some time, and, on recovering, found large wounds on the thigh and body : I saw that on the former part still open, and five inches long. The w^hite, however, is not always quite safe, for one, even after it was mortally wounded, attacked Mr. Oswell's horse, and thrust the horn through to the saddle, tos^ ing at the time both horse and rider. I once saw a white rhinoceros give a buffalo, which was gazing intently at myself, a poke in the chest, but it did not wound it, and seemed only to hint to get out of the way."" The travelers now came among the Ijanyai, a people whose government is a sort of feudal republicanism. The chief is elected ; the candidate is usually a son of the deceased chief's brother or sister, but never his o-^n son or daughter. At first, the successor chosen considers himself unworthy of the honor, but finally accepts the position, and M'ith it all the goods, wives, and children of his predecessor, and the latter are kept in a dependent position and have fewer privileges than com- mon freemen. One of the chiefs, Monina, near whose village the party encamped at night, was dissatisfied because Livingstone had nothing to give him, and said that he had absolute power over the country in front of them. 274 LIYIXGSTOXE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. " In the evening a war dance was got up about a hundred yards from our encampment, as if to put us in fear and force us to bring presents. They beat their drums furiously, and occasionally fired a gun. As this sort of a dance is never got up unless there is an intention to attack, my men expected an assault. We sat and looked at them for some time, and then, as it became dark, lay down, all ready to give them a warm reception. But an hour or two after dark the dance ceased, and as we saw no one approaching us, we went to sleep. " During the night, one of my head men, Monahin, was seen to get up, look toward the village, and say to one who was half awake : — ' Don't you hear what these people are say- ing? Go and listen.' He then walked off in the opposite direction, and never returned. It was probably either a sud- den fit of insanity, or, having gone a little way out from the camp, he may have been carried off" by a lion, as this part of the country is full of them. 1 felt his loss greatly, and spent three days in searching for him. He was a sensible and most obliging man. " As we came away from Monina's village, a witch-doctor, who had been sent for, arrived, and all Monina's wives went forth into the fields that morning fasting. There they would be compelled to drink an infusion of a plant named ' goho,' which is used as an ordeal. This ceremony is called ' muavi,' and is performed in this way. When a man suspects that any of his wives has bewitched him, he sends for the witch- doctor, and all the wives go forth into the field, and remain fasting till that person has made an infusion of the plant. They all drink it, each one holding up her hand to heaven in attestation of her innocency. Those who vomit it are con- sidered innocent, while those whom it purges are pronounced guilty, and put to death by burning. The innocent return to their homes, and slaughter a cock as a thank-ofiering to their guardian spirits. The practice of ordeal is common among all the negro nations north of the Zambesi. "When in Angola, a half-caste was j)ointcd out to me who THE ORDEAL. 2(0 is one of the most successful merchants in that country ; and the mother of this gentleman, Avho was perfectly free, went, of her own accord, all the way from Ambaca to Cassange, to be killed by the ordeal, her rich son making no objection. The same custom prevails among the Barotse, Bashubia, and Batoka, but with slight variations. The Barotse, for instance, pour the medicine down the throat of a cock or of a dog, and judge of the innocence or guilt of the person accused according to the vomiting or purging of the animal. I hap- pened to mention to my own men the w^ater-test for witches formerly in use in Scotland ; the supposed witch, being bound hand and foot, was thrown into a pond ; if she floated, she was considered guilty, taken out and burned ; but if slie sank and was drowned, she was pronounced innocent. The wis- dom of my ancestors excited as much wonder in their minds as their custom did in mine. " At the village of Nyakoba, the person appointed to be our guide, came and bargained that his services should bo rewarded by a hoe. I had no objection to give it, and showed him the article ; he was delighted with it, and went off to show it to his wafe. He soon afterward returned, and said that, though he was perfectly willing to go, his wife would not let him. I said, ' Then bring back the hoe ; ' but lie re23lied, ' I want it.' 'Well, go with us, and you shall have it.' ' But my wife won't let me.' I remarked to my men, ' Did you ever hear such a fool ? ' They answered, ^ Oh, that is the custom of these parts ; the wives are the masters.' " When a young man takes a liking for a girl of another village, and the parents have no objection to the match, he is obliged to come and live at their village. He has to perform certain services for the mother-in-law, such as keeping her well supplied with firewood ; and when he comes into her presence he is obliged to sit with his knees in a bent position, as putting out his feet toward the old lady would give her great offense. If he becomes tired of living in this state of vassalage, and wishes to return to his ovm. family, he is 276 LIVINGSTONE'S LITE AND TRAVELS. olDliged to leave all his children behind — tliej belong to the "wife. My men excited the admiration of the Bambiri who took them for a superior breed on account of their bravery in elephant hunting, and wished to get them as sons-in-law on the usual conditions, but none yielded to the temptation. *' We passed several villages by going roundabout ways through the forest, and continued a very winding course in order to avoid the chief Katolosa, who is said to levy large sums upon those who fall into his hands. *' As we were now near Tete, we were congratulating our- selves on having avoided those who would only have plagued us ; but next morning some men saw us, and ran off to inform the neighboring villages of our passing. A party imme- diately pursued us, and, as they knew we were within call of Katolosa, they threatened to send inf onnation to that chief of our offense, in passing through the country without leave. We were obliged to give them two small tusks ; for, had they told Katolosa of our supposed offense, we should, in all prob- ability, have lost the whole. We then went through a very rough, stony country without any path. " Being pretty well tired out in the evening of the 2d of March, J remained at about eight miles distance from Tete, Tette, or Nyungwe. My men asked me to go on ; I felt too fatigued to proceed, but sent forward to the commandant the letters of recommendation with which I had been favored in Angola by tlie bishop and others, and lay down to rest. Our food having been exhausted, my men had been subsisting for some time on roots and honey. '• Al)out two o'clock in the morning of the 3d, we were aroused by two officers and a company of soldiers, who had been sent with the materials for a civilized breakfast and a " masheela " to bring me to Tete. My companions thought that we were captured by the armed men, and called me in alarm. "When I understood the errand on which they had come, and had partaken of a good breakfast, though I had just before been too tired to sleep, all my fatigue vanished. It was the most refreshing breakfast I ever partook of, and I ARRIVAL AT TETE. 277 walked the last eight miles without the least feeling of wea- riness, although the path was so rough that one of the officers remarked to me, ' This is enough to tear a man's life out of him.' The pleasure experienced in partaking of that hreak- fasf was only equaled by the enjoyment of Mr. Gabriel's bed on my arrival at Loanda. It was also enhanced by the newa that Sebastopol Lad fallen and the war was finished." CHAPTER XYI. LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. (across the continent FROM TETE TO THE EAST COAST.) DR. LIVINGSTONE was most kindly received at Tete by the commandant, Major Sicard, who did everything in his power to restore him from his emaciated condition, and invited him to remain for a month, when it would be healthier down the Zambesi. On the day of his arrival he was visited by all the gentlemen of the village, both white and colored. " The village of Tete is built on a long slope down to the river, the fort being close to the water. There are about thirty European houses ; the rest are native, and of wattle and daub. A wall about ten feet high is intended to inclose the village, but most of the native inhabitants prefer to live on different spots outside. There are about twelve hundred huts in all, which with European households M^ould give a popula- tion of about four thousand five hundred souls. Only a small proportion of these, however, live on the spot ; the majority are engaged in agricultural operations in the adjacent country. Generally there are not more than two thousand people resi- dent, for, compared with what it was, Tete is now a ruin. The number of Portuguese is very small ; if we exclude the military, it is under twenty. In former times, considerable quantities of grain, .is wheat, millet, and maize, were exported; also coffee, sugar, oil, and indigo, besides gold-dust and ivory. The gold-dust was procured by washing at various points on the north, south, and west of Tete." The fort at Tete lias proved the salvation of the power of 278 TETE— A JESUIT MISSION. 279 the Portuguese in that section. On one occasion its com- mandant armed the whole body of slaves and marched against the stockade of a man named Nyaude, who had established himself a short distance up the Zambesi, and repudiated the Portuguese authority. Kyaude, in the meantime, dispatched a strong party to attack Tete, which was undefended except by a few soldiers in the fort. The force plundered and burned nearly the whole town, excepting the fort, and the church into which the the women and children all fled. Here they were safe, for the natives of this region never attack a church. Nyaude kept the Portuguese shut up in their fort for two years. Living- stone M'as approaching Tete just after peace had been estab- lished, and the Portuguese had not deemed it possible that any Eurojitean could come safely through the tribes at that time. As Livingstone was to leave most of his men at Tete, the commandant gave them land to cultivate, and allowed them to hunt elephants with his servants. He also supplied their wants abundantly. They were delighted at the liberality shown them, and engaged successfully in hunting and agri- culture. "While at Tete, Livingstone went about ten miles to visit the former site of a Jesuit settlement. He was accompanied by an officer, whose great-grandfather, when a captain at Tete, received sealed orders to be opened only on a certain day. "When that day arrived, he found the command to go with his company, seize all the Jesuits of this establishment, and march them to the coast. The riches of the fraternity, which M^ere immense, were taken possession of by the state. Large quantities of gold had often been sent to their superiors at Goa, inclosed in images. The Jesuits here do not seem to have possessed the sympathies of the people as their brethren in Angola did. They were keen traders in ivory and gold- dust. All praise their industry. Whatever they did, they did with all their might, and probably their successful labors in securing the chief part of the trade to themselves had 280 LIYINGSTOXE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. excited the envy of the laity. None of the natives here can read ; and though the Jesuits are said to have translated some of the prayers into the language of the country, I was unable to obtain a copy. *' The only religious teachers now in this part of the coun- try are two gentlemen of color, natives of Goa. There is but a single school in Tete, and it is attended only by the native Portuguese children, who are tajight to read and write. The black population is totally nncared for. The soldiers are inarched every Sunday to hear mass, and but few others attend church. During the period of my stay, a kind of the- atrical representation of our Savior's passion and resurrection was performed. The images and other paraphernaha used were of great value, but the present riches of the Church are nothing to what it once possessed." Livingstone had made preparation to leave Tete early in April, but on the 4th he and the commandant were taken down by a fever, \vhich caused a further delay. " A Portuguese lady who had come with her brother from Lisbon, having been suffering for some days from a severe attack of fever, died about three o'clock in the morning of the 20th of April. I attended the funeral in the evening, and was struck by the custom of the country. A number of slaves preceded us, and fired off many rounds of gunpowder in front of the body. When a person of much popularity is buried, all the surrounding chiefs send deputations to tire over the grave. On one occasion at Tete, more than thirty barrels of gunpowder were expended. Early in the morning of the 21st, the slaves of the deceased lady's brother went round the village making a lamentation, and drums were beaten all day, as they are at such times among the heathen." Livingstone left Tete on the 22d of April. He selected sixteen of his men who could manage canoes, to convey him down the river. The commandant provided for the journey abundantly. Three large canoes were procured ; they were strongly built, and the men sat at the stem when paddling. DOWN THE ZAMBESI— AT SEXXA, 281 A little slied was erectod over a part of the canoe in which Livingstone went, rendering it quite comfortable. On the 24th, they passed thi-ongh the gorge of Lupata. Its western side rises perpendicular from the water to a height of about six hundred feet. The stream here is about three hundred yards wide, and said to be very deep. Below the gorge, the river spreads out to a breadth of more than tM'O miles and is full of islands. On the 27th, Livingstone reached Senna, about twenty- four hours sail from Tete. Here everything was in a state of stagnation and ruin. " The Landeens visit the village periodically, and levy fines upon the inhabitants, as they consider the Portuguese a conquered tribe, and very rarely does a native come to trade. When I was there, a party of Kisaka's people were ravaging the fine country on the oppo- site shore. They came down with the prisoners they had captured, and forthwith the half-castes of Senna went over to buy slaves. " Encouraged by this, Kisaka's people came over into Senna, fully armed and beating their drums, and were received into the house of a native Portuguese. They had the village at their mercy, yet could have been driven ofi" by half a dozen policeman. The commandant could only look on with bitter sorrow. lie had soldiers it is true, but the native militia never think of standing fight, but invariably run away, and leave their ofiicers to be killed. " The common soldiers sent out from Portugal received some pay in calico. They all marry native women, and, the soil being very fertile, the wives find but little difSculty in supporting their husbands. There is no direct trade with Portugal. A considerable number of Banians, or natives of India, come annually in small vessels with cargoes of English and Indian goods from Bombay. " On the 11th of May, the whole of the inhabitants of Senna, with the commandant, accompanied us to the boats. A venerable old man, son of a judge, said they were in much sorrow on account of the miserable state of deeav into which 2S2 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TKAVELS. tliey had sunk, and of the insolent conduct of the people of Ivisaha now in the village. We were abundantly supplied with provisions by the commandant and Senhor Ferrao, and sailed pleasantly down the broad river. About thirty miles below Senna we passed the mouth of the River Zangwe on our right, which farther up goes by the name of Pungwe ; and about five miles farther on our left, close to the end of a low range into which Morumbala mei'ges, we crossed the mouth of the Shire, which seemed to be about two hundred yards broad. " A little inland from the confluence there is another rebel stockade, wdiich was attacked by Ensign Rebeiro with three European soldiers, and captured; they disarmed the rebels and threw the guns into the Avater. This ensign and Miranda volunteered to disperse the people of Kisaka who were riding rough shod over the inhabitants of Senna ; but the offer was declined, the few^ real Portuguese fearing the disloyal half- castes among whom they dwelt. Slavery and immorality have here done their work ; nowhere else does the European name stand at so low an ebb ; but what can be expected ? " Few Portuguese women are ever taken to the colonies, and here I did not observe that honorable regard for the offspring which I noticed in Angola. The son of a late governor of Tete was pointed out to me in the condition and habit of a slave. There is neither priest nor school at Senna, though there are ruins of churches and convents. " A few miles beyond the Shire Ave left the hills entirely, nnd sailed between extensive flats. The banks seen in the distance are covered with trees. We slept on a large iidial)- ited island, and then came to the entrance of the River Mutu ; tlie point of departure is called Mazaro, or Mnouth of the Mutu.' "The Zambesi at Mazaro is a magnificent river, more than half a mile Avide, and without islands. The opposite bank is covered with forests of fine timber; but the delta Avhich begins here is only an immense flat, covered Avith high, coarse DOWN TUE MUTU. 283 grass and reeds, with here and there a few mango and cocoa- nut trees. "I was seized by a severe tertian fever at Mazaro, but went along the right bank of the Mutu to the N. N. E. and E. for about fifteen miles. We then found that it was made navi- gable by a river called the Pangazi, which comes into it from the north. Another river, flowing from the same direction, called the Luare, swells it still more ; and last of all, the Lik- uare, with the tide, make up the river of Kilimane. The Mutu at Mazaro is simply a connecting link, such as is so often seen in Africa, and neither its flow nor stoppage affects the river of Kilimane. At the point of departure, it was only ten or twelve yards broad, shallow, and filled with aquatic plants. Trees and reeds along the bank overhang it so much, that, though we had brought canoes and a boat from Tete, we were unable to enter the Mutu with them, and left them at Mazaro. During most of the year this part of the Mutu is dry, and we were even now obliged to carry all our luggage by land for about fifteen miles. As Kilimane is called, in all the Portuguese documents, the capital of the rivers of Senna, it seemed strange to me that the capital should be built at a point where there was no direct water conveyance to the magnificent river whose name it bore ; and, on inquiry, I was informed that the whole of the Mutu was large in days of yore, and admitted of the free passage of great launches from Kilimane all the year round, but that now this part of the Mutu had been filled up. " At Interra we met Senhor Asevedo, a man who is well known by all who visited Kilimane, and who was presented with a gold chronometer watch by the Admiralty for his attentions to English officers. He immediately tendered his large sailing launch, which had a house in the stern. This M-as greatly in my favor, for it anchored in the middle of the ^itream, and gave me some rest from the musquitoes, which in the whole delta are something frightful. " Sailing comfortably in this com-modious launch along the river of Kilimane, we reached that village on the 20th of 284 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. May, 1856, which -vvaiited only a few days of being four years since I started from Cape Town. Here I was received into the house of Colonel Galdino Jose Nunes, one of the best men in the country. I had been three years without hearing froni my family ; letters having frequently been sent, but somehow or other, with but a single exception, they never reached me. I received, however, a letter from Admiral Trot- ter, conveying information of their welfare, and some news- papers, which were a treat indeed. " Eight of my men begged to be allowed to come as far as Kilimane, and, thinking that they would there see the ocean, I consented to their coming, though the food was so scarce in consequence of a dearth that they were compelled to suffer some hunger. They would fain have come farther ; for when Sekeletu parted w^ith them, his orders were that none of them should turn until they had reached Ma Eobert and brought her back with them. On my explaining the difficulty of cross- ing the sea, he said, ' "Wherever you lead, they must follow.' " As I did not know well how I should get home myself, I advised them to go back to Tete, where food was abundant, and there await my return. I bought a quantity of calico and brass wire with ten of the smaller tusks which we had in our charge, and sent the former back as clothing to those who remained at Tete. As there were still twenty tusks left, I deposited them with Colonel Nunes, that, in the event of any thing happening to prevent my return, the impression might not be produced in the country that I had made away with Seke]etu's ivory. I instructed Colonel Nunes, in case of my death, to sell the tusks and deliver the proceeds to my men ; but I. intended, if my life should be prolonged, to purchase the goods ordered by Sekeletu in England with my own money, and pay myself on my return out of tlie price of the ivory. This I explained to the men fully, and they, under- standing tlic matter, replied, 'Nay, father, you will not die; you will return to take us back to Sekeletu.' They promised to wait till I came back, and, on my part, I assured them that nothing but death would prevent my return." ARRIVAL AT THE EAST COAST. 285 Having reached the East Coast, Livingstone thns graj)hi- cally sums up the noble and unselfish ends he had in view in his late journeyings across the continent. " As far as I am concerned, the opening of the new central country is a matter for congratulation only in so far as it opens up a prospect for the elevation of the inhabitants. As I have elsewhere remarked, I view the end of the geographi- cal feat as the beginning of the missionary enterprise. I take the latter term in its most extended signification, and include every effort made for the amelioration of our race, the promO' tion of all those means by which God in His providence is working, and bringing all His dealings with man to a glori- ous consummation. Each man in his sphere, either knowingly or unwittingly, is performing the will of our Father in heaven. Men of science, searching after hidden truths, which, when discovered, will, like the electric telegraph, bind men more closely together — soldiers battling for the right against tyr- anny— sailors rescuing the victims of oppression from the grasp of the heartless men-stealers — merchants teaching the nations lessons of mutual dependence — and many others, as well as missionaries, all work in the same direction, and all efforts are overruled for one glorious end." The village of Kilimane is situated on a great mud bank, surrounded by extensive swamps and rice grounds. The houses are well built of brick and lime, the latter brought from Mozambique. The houses, however, rest on an uncer- tain foundation, for, by digging down two or three feet in any part of the village, water is reached ; lience the walls of houses are apt to settle. Of course the place is very unhealthy. A man with plethoric habits is sure to be sick with fever. Quinine is the great febrile remedy in Africa, and is indispen- sable to all travelers. ' After waiting six weeks at this unhealthy spot, in which, by the kind attentions of Colonel Nunes and his nephew, I partially recovered from my tertian, H.M. brig ' Frolic,' arrived off Kilimane. As the village is twelve miles from the bar, and the weather was rough, she was at anclior ten days 286 LIVIXGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. Lefore we knew of her presence about seven miles from the entrance to the port. She brought abundant supplies for all my need, and £150, to pay my passage home, from my kind friend Mr. Thompson, the Society's agent at the Cape. The admiral at the Cape kindly sent an offer of a passage to the Mauritius, which I thankfully accepted. " Sekwebu and one attendant alone remained with me now. lie was very intelligent, and had been of the greatest service to me ; indeed, but for his good sense, tact, and command of the language of the tribes through which we passed, I believe we should scarcely have succeeded in reaching the coast. I naturally felt grateful to him ; and as his chief wished allmj companions to go to England with me, and would probably be disappointed if none went, I thought it would be beneficial for him to see the effects of civilization, and report them to his countrymen ; I wished also to make some return for his very important services. The only other one who remained begged so hard to come on board ship, that I greatly regret- ted that the expense prevented my acceding to his wish to visit England. I said to him, ' You M'ill die if you go to such a cold country as mine.' 'That is nothing,' he reiterated; ' let me die at your feet.' " When we parted from our friends at Kilimane, the sea on the bar was frightful even to seamen. This was the first time Sekwebu had seen the sea. Captain Peyton had sent two boats in case of accident. The waves were so high that, when the cutter was in one trough, and we in the pinnace in another, her mast was hid. We then mounted to the crest of the wave, rushed down the slope, and struck the water again with a blow which felt as if she had struck the bottom. Ijoats must be singularly Avell constructed to be al^le to stand these shocks. Three breakers swept over us. The men lift up their oars, and a M'avo comes sweeping over all, giving the impression that the boat is going down, but she only goes beneath the top of the M-ave, comes out on the other side, and swings down the slope, and a man bales out the water with a bucket Poor Sekwebu looked at me when ON THE FROLIC— SEKWEBU'S FATE. 2^7 these terrible seas broke over, and said, 'Is this the way you go? Is this tlie way you go?' I smiled and said, ' Yes ; don't you see it is?' and tried to encourage him. He was acquainted with canoes, but never had seen aught like this. " When we reached the ship — a fine, large brig of sixteen guns and a crew of one hundred and thirty — she M'as rolling so that M'e could see a part of her bottom. It was quite impossible for landsmen to catch the ropes and climl) up, so a chair was sent down, and we were hoisted in as ladies usu- ally are, and received so hearty an English welcome from Captain Peyton and all on board, that I felt myself at once at home in every thing except my own mother tongue. I seemed to know the language perfectly, but the words I wanted would not come at my call. Wlien I left England I had no intention of returning, and directed my attention earnestly to the languages of Africa, paying none to English composition. "We left Kilimane on the 12th of July, and reached the Mauritius on the 12th of August, 1856. Sekwebu was pick- ing up English, and becoming a favorite with both nu^n and officers. He seemed a little bewildered, every thing on board a man-of-war being so new and strange; but he remarked to me several times, ' Your countrymen are very agreeable,' and, 'What a strange country this is all water together!' IIo also said that he now understood why I used the sextant. When we reached the Mauritius a steamer came out to tow us into the harbor. The constant strain on his untutored mind seemed now to reach a climax, for during the night he became insane. I thought at first he was intoxicated. He had descended into a boat, and, Avhcn I attempted to go down and bring him into the ship, he ran to the stern and said, 'No! no! it is enough that I die alone. You must not perish ; if you come, 1 shall throw myself into the water.' " Perceiving that his mind was affected, I said, ' Xow, Sekwebu, we are going to Ma Kobert.' This struck a chord in his bosom, and he said, ' Oh yes ; where is she, and wlicre is Kobert ? ' and seemed to recover. 15 2S8 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. " The officers proposed to secure liim by putting liim in irons ; but, being a gentleman in his own country, I objected, knowing that the insane often retain an impression of ill treatment, and I could not bear to have it said in Sekeletu's country that I had chained one of his principal men as they had seen slaves treated. I tried to get him on shore by day, but he refused. In the evening a fresh accession of insanity occurred ; he tried to spear one of the crew, then leaped overboard, and, though he could swim well, pulled liiniself down hand under hand l^y the chain cable. "We never found the body of pour Sekwebu. "At the Mauritius I was most hospitably received by Major General C. M. Hay. In IN'ovember I came up the Eed Sea ; escaped the danger of shipwreck through the admi- rable management of Captain Powell of tlie Peninsular and Oriental Steam Company's sliip ' Candia,' and on the 12th of December was once more in dear old England. The Company most liberally refunded my passage-money. I have not mentioned half the favors bestowed, but I may just add that no one has cause for more abundant gratitude to his fellow-men and to his Maker than I have ; and may God grant that the eifect on my mind be such that I may be more humbly devoted to the service of tlie Author of all our mercies ! '' CHAPTER XVII. LIYINGSTONFS LIFE AXD TEAYELS. (second expedition to afkica.) LIVINGSTONE remained in England only sixteen months. Byron, more poetically than truthfully, sang of England: — " Where'er I roam, whatever lands to see, My heart untraveled still returns to thee." Of Livingstone we may truly say, his traveled heart found his true home in Africa. Much of the short time he i-emained in England ^vas spent in the preparation of his fir.-t book of travels. The publication of this book, from which we have made such copious extracts, excited great public interest in his researches. He was no longer considered a poor missionary, but a public benefactor ; one who had dis- pelled darkness from benighted Africa, and opened new cliannels for English commerce. Previous to the publication of his travels, the idea prevailed that the interior of Africa consisted of vast sandy deserts, into which rivers ran and were lost. Livingstone astounded the world by descriljing the south intertropical part of the continent — the region extending from Lake Ngami north and east up to the equator — as well watered, abounding with large tracts of very fertile soil, large forests, extensive grassy plains, and as being quite thickly populated. The commonly accepted theory of a great desert of l)iirn- ing sand, was found to be fabulous, and the country really abounded in fresh-water lakes and rivers, in this respect 2S9 290 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. resembling North America ; wliile in its liot, luimid lowlands and jungles, and cool highland plains it resembled India. On his journey across the continent in order to find a path to the sea by which the rich products of the interior might find an outlet and thus lawful commerce be introduced as a forerunner of Christian missions, he noticed with pecu- liar interest the climate, soil, productions, the inhabitants, their diseases and customs. This was the first observation of any white man in some parts of the route, and no wonder that it excited and filled his whole soul. He, however, never lost sight of the great ()l)ject of his exj)loration, the suppres- sion of the slave trade and the introduction of a Christian civilization, and he was delighted to find on the West Coast so much evidence of the beneficial influence of v.-liat was known as Lord Palmerston's policy. He could discern its workings hundreds of miles back in the interior. Piracy had been abolished, and the slave trade so far suppressed that even the Portuguese, who held nominal possession of the country, and had themselves been slave-traders, spoke of it as a thing of the 'past. Commerce had increased from an annual total or £20,000 in ivory and gold-dust to betAveen two and three millions, of which one million was in palm oil. Over twenty missions had been established, with schools in which more than twelve hundred pupils were taught. Life and jDroperty had been .rendered comparatively secure, and peace imj)arted to mil- lions of people in the interior. On the East Coast, Livingstone had found an entirely different state of affairs. Notwithstanding the efforts of Her Majesty's cruisers, this region was yet sealed up against both commerce and missions. The trade continued to ])e only in ivory, gold-dust and slaves ; and only a meagre allowance of these ; and this, not\vithstanding the Portuguese authorities were willing and even anxious that the country should be opened to the influence of civilization and lawful commerce. The natiA^es were agricultural and fond of trading ; the soil was fertile and the products abundant. Indigo, cotton, OBJECTS OF THE EXPEDITION. 291 tobacco, sngar-cane and other articles of value were either cultivated or growing wild. Livingstone's soul burned with the desire to open this region to civilization, and the Zambesi seemed to him the natural highway to the interior. lie therefore longed to make a more thorough exploration of this large river, which he thought would be of inestimable service to Africa and Europe. His project received the approbation of the English government, and under its auspi- ces and those of the Royal Geographical Society, an expedi- tion was fitted out with Livingstone at its head. The objects of this second Zambesi Expedition, as explicitly stated in the instructions of government were, '* To extend the knowledge already attained, of the geography and min- eral and agricultural resources of Eastern and Central Africa ; to improve our acquaintance with the inhabitants, and to endeavor to engage them to apply themselves to industrial pursuits, and to the cultivation of their lands, with a view to the production of raw material to be exported to Eng- land in return for British manufactures. It is hoped that by encouraging the natives to occupy themselves in the devel- opment of the resources of the country, a considerable advance may be made towards the extinction of the slave trade." Lord Clarendon was then at the head of the Foreign Office, and the expedition was fitted out under his immediate care. The objects which Livingstone himself proposed in the Zambesi Expedition, he thus states: — " I have a twofold object in view, and believe that, by guiding our missionary labors so as to benefit our own coun- try, we shall thereby more effectually and permanently ben- efit the heathen. Seven years were spent at Kolobeng in instructing my friends there ; but the country being incapable of raising materials for exportation, when the Boers made their murderous attack and scattered the tribe for a season, none sympatbized except a few Christian friends. Had the people of Kolobeng been in the habit of raising the raw materials of English commerce, the outrage would have been felt in England ; or, what is more likely to have been the 292 LIVINGSTOXE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. case, the people would have raised themselves in the scale by barter, and have become, like the Basutos of Moshesh and people of Kuruman, possessed of fire-arms, and the Boers would never have made the attack at all. We ought to encourage the Africans to cultivate for our markets, as the most effectual means, next to the Gospel, of their elevation. " It is in the hope of working out this idea that I propose the formation of stations on the Zambesi beyond the Portu- guese territory, but having communication through them with the coast. A chain of stations admitting of easy and speedy intercourse, such as might be formed along the flank of the eastern ridge, would be in a favorable position for carrying out the objects in view." Associated with Dr. Livingstone in this Zambesi Explora- tion, were his brother, Kev. Charles Livingstone, formerly a clergyman in Massachusetts, and Dr. Kirk, an accomplished botanist, who is now the British Consul at Zanzibar. The Expedition left England on the lOtli of March, 1858, in Her Majesty's steamer, " Pearl," commanded by Capt. Dun- can. At Cape Town it was joined by Mr. Francis Skead, R. N., a surveyor, and arrived at the mouth of the Zambesi in May. As we have already given Livingstone's explorations of this river, it is not our intention to follow him minutely in this second expedition. He traversed much the same region as l)efore, and though he added greatly to his knowledge of the river, the surrounding country and its inhabitants, the minute recital of the story of his adventures would not be of great interest to the general reader. The book which he published on his return to England in 1864, after an absence of. nearly six years, entitled "Narra- tion of an Expedition to the Zambesi and its Triljutaries," did not meet the public expectations, and the Government was disappointed in the accomplishment of the great results which the ex])cdition had promised. Charles Livingstone and Dr. Kirk made many magnetic meteorological observations, photographed numerous places, THE MA EGBERT. 293 persons and things, endeavored to promote the culture of cotton, indigo and other staples of commerce, and collected a large number of birds, insects, and other objects of interest, which were forwarded to the British Museum and the lioyal Botanic Gardens at KeM^ One beneficial result of the expe- dition undoubtedly was the moral intluence exerted on the natives by the teachings and practices of a well regulated intelligent party of Europeans, who explained to them the arts of peace, gave religious instruction, and conciliated their good will by acts of charity and kindness. This was one of the primary objects which the government had in mind in sending out the expedition, and from this point of view the second mission of Livingstone was a success. Mr. Skead, the surveyor, examined thoroughly the mouths of the Zambesi, Avhich are obstructed by bars of sand brought down by the current of the river in the course of ages, and piled up by the swell of the Indian Ocean. This skillful and energetic surveyor decided that of the three prominent mouths which form the delta of the Zambesi, the Kongone is the most feasible for commerce. Livingstone's outfit on this expedition was a liberal one. Among other things the English government furnished him with a small steamer, named " Ma Robert," a name given to Mrs. Livingstone by the Makololos, on her first visit to Lake Ngami. This steamer was brought out in sections on the " Pearl," and put together after the party reached the Zam- besi. It was designed to aid in the explorations of that river and its tributaries. Ma Bobert was found hardly suffi- cient to stem the current of the Zambesi, and it was the 8th of September 1858 before he reached Tete, where he had left his faithful Makololo attendants two years previous. No sooner did they recognize him, than they ran with great joy to embrace him, but when they saw that he was dressed in fresh clothes they refrained from touching him lest they should soil his new suit. Thirty of their number had died in Livingstone's absence. They heard the story of Sekwebu's death with quiet sadness, merely remarking, "Men die in 294 LIYIXGSTOXE'S LIFE ^IXD TR-iYELS. cveiy coimtiy." They liad not been assisted by the Portn- giiese government as promised, but had mostly sustained themselves by cutting wood in the forests and hawking it around the village. To the credit of Major Sicard, it must bo added that lie had generously aided the faithful Makololo from his own purse. An attempt was made with the Ma Robert to ascend the Kebrabasa Rapids, some forty miles above Tete, but it proved an utter failure, Avhereupon Livingstone petitioned the Eng- lish government for a more powerful steamer, and in the mean time prosecuted his researches up the Shire. . This river had never been explored by the Portuguese, who represented that it was so full of water plants that no boat could push its way through them. Livingstone started up this river with the Ma Robert in iJanuary 1859, and found no serious obstruction.' For the first twenty -five miles, " duckweed " was floating down in considerable quantities, but not sufficient to impede naviga- tion even with canoes. Livingstone ascended the river over two hundred miles, and found the natives suspicious of him as a slave-dealer. On his explaining that he merely came as an explorer, and to open a w^ay for legitimate trade, they treated him and his company in a very friendly manner. Li latitude 15° 15' S. his further progress was impeded by the magnificent cataracts of the Murchisom In March 1859, the party started for a second trip up the Shire, and on the 18tli of April discovered Lake Sliirwa, a body of bitter water eighty miles long by twenty broad, filled with fish, crocodiles and hippopotami. The taste of the water was like a weak solution of Epsom salts. Its elevation above the sea, is about one thousand and eight hundred feet. The country on its border is beautiful and fertile, and lofty mountains probably about eight thousand feet high stand near the eastern shore. In August 1859, Livingstone again ascended the Shire and found the valley of tlie river to be generally from fifteen to twenty miles wide and exceedingly fertile, Lenu)n aiul UP THE SHIRE. 205 orange trees grew wild, and pine-apples were cultivated. The Shire marshes were found to support prodigious num- bers of water fowls, which were startled by the noise of the steamer. The timid ones flew off, while the bolder only spread their wings ready for instant flight. On the 28tli of August, the party left the steamer en route for Lake Nyassa, crossing the liighlands in a northerly direc- tion towards the Upper Shire valley, which they found also to be wonderfully fertile. The country is inhabited by a race called the Manganja, who are industrious tillers of the soil and are also workers of ii'on and cotton, each village hav- ing its blacksmith, who makes axes, shears, etc. The cotton raised here is of excellent quality. It is perennial, but is better if replanted once in three years. The Manganjas are great dandies. Foppery is not con- fined to white folks. The negroes of Africa are as fond of ornament as are the ladies of Europe, or America. The Manganjas, especially', delight in adorning their bodies extravagantly, wearing rings on their fingers, necklaces, bracelets and anklets. A peculiar ornament — if it may be called an ornament — of the Mangan- ja women is the pelele, or upper lip ring, which Dr. Living- stone thus describes. " The middle of the upper lip of the girls is pierced close to the septum of the nose, and a small pin inserted to prevent the puncture closing up. After it has healed, the pin is taken out and a larger one is pierced into its place, and so on successively for weeks and months and years. '' The process of increasing the size of the lip goes on till its capacity becomes so great that a ring of two inches diameter can be introduced with ease. All the highland women wear the pelele and it is common both on the Upper and Lower Shire. The poorer classes make them of bamboo, but the wealthier of ivory, or tin. The tin pelele is often made in the form of a small dish. The ivory one is not unlike a nap- kin ring. No woman ever apj>ears in jjublic without the pelele." 296 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAYELS. It is friglitfullj ugly to see the upper lip projoctlng two inches bejoiid the tip of the nose. Dr. Livingstone speaks of the pelele of an old lady, a chieftainess, as hanging down below her chin with, of course, a piece of her upper lip around its border. The absurdity of the pelele is manifest, but the Manganja plead the same excuse for it that white women, plead for similar follies, "It is the fashion." Dr. Livingstone rather ungallantlj suggests that the pelele was invented to give employment to the " unruly member " as he noticed that the women were continually twirling their peleles with their tongues. " Why do the women wear these things ?" he inquired of the old chief Chibisa. Evidently surprised at such a question, he re^^lied ; " For beauty to be sure ! men have beards and whiskers ; and what kind of a creature would a woman be without wl^skers and without a pelele? She would have a mouth like a man and no beard, ha ! ha ! ha !'' The valley of the Shire was filled with elej)hants, aiid Dr. Livingstone reckoned that he saw eight hundred at one time. They soon learned to keep at a distance from the steamer, but at first he steamed into a herd, av.^ some were shot from the deck. He thus describes the mode of hunting the hippo- potami which abound in the river. " The hippopotamus feeds on grass alone, and when there is any danger, only at night. Its enormous lips are like a mowing machine, and form a path of short cropped grass as it feeds. The hippopotamus trap consists of a beam five or six feet long, armed with a spear- head covered with poison, and suspended to a forked pole by a cord which, coming down to the path, is held by a catch to be let free when the beast treads upon it. One got fright- ened by the ship as she was steaming close to the bank. In its eager hurry to escape, it rushed on shore, and ran directly under a trap, when down came the heavy beam on its l)ack driving the poisoned spear-head a foot deep into its flesli. In its agony it plunged back into the river, to die in a few hours, and afterwards furnished a feast for the natives." On the lOth of Septeml)er 1859, Dr. Livingstone discover- ed Lake Nyassa. Its southern end is in latitude 1-^^ 25 ' S., and LAKE NYASSA DISCOVERED. 297 its longitude 35° 30 ' E. A German explorer, Albert Rosclier, reached tlie lake on the 19th of Noveniljcr following. It is not known where Dr. Eoscher first saw its waters. His explorations Avere never pul)lished as he was soon after nnir- dered. No thorough examination of Lake Nyassa was mado at this time and the party soon retraced their steps towards Tete, where they arrived on the 2d of February 1860. Dr. Livingstone's next expedition was to the Makololo country, partly for the pui-pose of returning his faithful attend- ants to their native country, and partly to examine the mis- sionary stations which had been established on the Upper Zambesi. Some of the Makololos were quite unwilling to return home, as they had been captivated with the slave- women of Tete and fourteen children had been born to them whom the slave owners claimed, though not in accordance with Portuguese law, which pronounces the baptized children of slave women free. When this law was referred to, the natives laughed, saying, " Those Lisbon-born laws are very stringent, but somehow, possibly from the heat of the climate, here they lose all their force." On the 15th of May the party, consisting of Dr. Living- stone, his brother, Dr. Kirk, the remaining Makololo who had come down in 1856, one woman, and six men sent by Major Sicard and a Portuguese merchant to assist the party on its return, left Tete. The expedition was a successful one, but revealed nothing particuhirly new. At Sesheke, tliey found Sekeletu still alive but suffering from leprosy. The wagon left at Linyanti eight years l)etbi-e, still remained, with the scientific instruments and goods. The missions had proved a failure, and the missionaries had either died or departed. Livingstone evidently did not fall in love with the Mako- lolos on further acquaintance with their habits and character- istics, though they are acknowledged to be a most favora- ble specimen of the African race. Their dancing, singing, roaring, grumbling and quarreling were a severe penance to 298 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. cnunre daih'. The ^vomen he represents as always quarrel- ing among themselv^es. Many of the Makololo are inveterate smokers, and, gener:^ ally prefer hemp to tobacco as it is more intoxicating. . They delight in smoking themselves into a perfect frenzy, which passes off in a rapid stream of unmeaning vrords, or short sentences such as, " The green grass grows," " The fat cattle tlirive." ISTo one pays the least attention to the ntterances of the intoxicated smoker, who tinally stops his chant and looks foolish. The women smoke as well as the men, but do it secretly as their husbands forbid their smoking. The indul- gence has an injurious influence, and its effects cannot be mis- t-aken. " Both in color and general manners, the Makololo women are superior to most of the tribes. This superiority is partly due to the light brown of their complexion, and partly to their mode of life. T^nlike the women of ordinary African tribes, those of the Makololo lead a com^^aratively easy life, having their harder labors shared by their husbands, who aid in digging the ground, and in other rough work. Even the domestic work is done more by servants than by the mistresses of the household, so that the Makololo women are not liable to that rapid deterioration which is so evident among other tribes. "The only hard work that falls to the lot of the Makoh.lo women is that of house-building, which is left entirely to them and their servants. " The mode of making a house is rather remarkable. The first business is to build a cylindrical tower of stakes and reeds, plastered with mud, and some nine or ten feet in height, the walls and floor being smoothly plastered, so as to prevent them from harboring insects. A large conical roof is then put together on the ground, and completely tliatcliecl witli reeds. It is then lifted by many hands, and lodged on the top of the circular tower. As the roof projects far beyond the central to"\ver, it is supported by stakes, and as a general rule the spaces between these stakes are filled up with a wall VISIT TO THE ilAKOLOLO. 301 or feTice of reeds j)lastered with mud. Tliis roof is not per- manently lixed either to the supporting stakes or the central tower, and can he removed at pleasure. " AYhen a visitor arrives among the Mahololo, he is often lodged hy the simple process of lifting a finished roof off an unfinished house, and putting it on the ground. Although it is then so low that a man can scarcely sit, nnich less stand upright, it answers very well for Southern Africa, where the whole of active life is spent, as a rule, in the open air, and where houses are only used as sleeping-hoxes. The doorway that gives admission into the circular chamher is always small. In a house that was assigned to Dr. Livingstone, it was only nineteen inches in total height, twenty-two in width at the floor, and twelve at the top. Except through this door, the tower has neither light nor ventilation. Some of the best houses have two, and even three of these towers, built con- centrically within each other, and each having its entrance about as large as the door of an ordinary dog-kennel. Of course the atmosphere is very close at night, but the people care nothing about that.'" An elephant's foot prepared according to tli3 custom of the country is considered food fit for a king. It is cooked by digging a large hole in the ground, in which a roaring fii-e is kindled. When the hole is thoroughly heated, the entire foot, sometimes of the size of a hall-bushel, is thrown in and covered over with ashes and soil. Over this pile another fire is built and the whole left for several hours. Livingstone had for breakfast one morning, an elephant's foot thus cooked and found it delicious. It was a whitish, glutinous nuiss, sweet like marrow. Lie recommends a long march after a meal of elephant's foot to prevent its bilious effect. Elephant's trunk and tongue he also speaks of as good eating, but all the other meat is tough. Many of the waves of the Makololo who went doAvn the Zambesi with Dr. Livingstone became weary of their long widowhood, and petitioned Sekeletu for permission to marry again. They said it was no use waiting any longer — their 302 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS, liusbands must be dead. But the cliief had promised the absent men that their waves should be kept for them, and would not allow them to marry. Some of them, howoA'er, eloped with other men, and, among others, the wife of Maut- lanyane ran off and left his little boy among strangers. He was not in a situation to throw stones at her, for he had mar- ried two other wives at Tete ; but he w-as very angry at her abandoning his boy. " Among the Makololo, as well as among Europeans, the spirit of play is strong in children, and they engage in various games, chiefly consisting in childish imitation of the more serious pursuits of their parents. " The children have merry times, especially in the cool of the evening. One of their games consists of a little girl being carried on the shoulders of two others. She sits with out- stretched arms, as they walk about w'ith her, and all the rest clap their hands, and stopping before each hut, sing pretty airs, some beating time on their little kilts of cow-skin, and others making a curious humming sound between the songs. Except- ing this and the skipping-rope, the play of the girls consists in imitation of the serious work of their mothers, building little huts, making small pots, and cooking, pounding corn in miniature mortars, or hoeing tiny gardens. " The boys play with spears of reeds pointed with wood, and small shields, or bows and arrows ; or amuse themselves in making little cattle-pens, or cattle in clay, — they show great ingenuity in the imitation of variously shaped horns. Some, too, are said to use slings, but as soon as they can watch the goats or calves, they are sent to the field. We saw many boys riding on the calves they had in charge, but this is an innova- tion since the arrival of the English with their horses. " Tselane, one of the ladies, on observing Dr. Livingstone noting observvation on the wet and dry bulb thermometers, thought that he too was engaged in play. On receiving no reply to lier question, which was rather difficult to answer, as their native tongue has no scientific terms, she said with roguisli glee, ' Poor thing ! })laying like a little child !' V '> WRECK OF THE MA ROBERT. 303 As a whole, the expedition to tlie Makololo county is devoid of interest to tliose who have followed Livingstone in his trip down the Zambesi. In attempting to pass the Kebra- basa Eapids in canoes on their retnrnj the l>arty was upset, and unfortunately, Dr. Kirk lost his botanical collections, his manuscripts and his instruments. Their troubles did not end on reaching their steamer. The Ma Robert had nlways been a leaky craft, and on the twenty-first of December grounded on a sand-bank and went to pieces. This was the last of the old "Asthmatic" as Livingstone called her. The Christmas of 1860 he spent on the island of Chimba, and arrived at Tete on the 4th of January, 1861. On the thirty -first of January, a new steam-ship " The Pioneer,"which Livingstone had requested should be sent out to him, arrived. Two of her Majesty's cruisers came at the same time, bringing Bishop Mackenzie, and M'hat was called the " Universities' Mission to the tribes of the Shire and Lake ISTyassa. The Mission consisted of six Englishmen, and five colored men from the Cape. The Bishop, anxious to commence his work, wished the Pioneer to carry the Mission up the Shire as far as Chibisa's. Livingstone opposed this, and advised the Bishop to ascend the Rovuma which empties into the Indian Ocean between the parallels of 10*^ and 11'' S., and proceed thence over- land to his destination. The Bishop yielded to what he con- sidered superior wisdom, and on the eleventh of March the Pioneer entered the Rovuma. The river was low, and after an ineifectual attempt of ten days to ascend, the Pioneer turned back to the Zambesi. The Pioneer proved to be a well-built boat, designed to draw only three feet of water, but when heavily laden sank five feet. She, however, went up the Zambesi very well. On the Upper Shire, navigation was more difficult. The party was at one time a fortnight on a bank of soft, yielding sand, but reached Chibisa's in July, 1861. Bishop Mackenzie accepted the invitation of one of the Manganja chiefs to settle near his village, called Magomero — a beautiful and apparently 304 LIYIXGSTONES LIFE .iJN'D TllAVELS. Iiealtliy place, while Dr. Li^'ingstone and liis party returned to the Pioneer, and made preparations to visit Lake Njassa. A four-oared boat, which had been brought out in the Pioneer in sections, Avas carried around the falls of the Upper Shire, a distance of forty miles, by the natives, who were hired for a little cotton clotli. On the 2d of September the party rowed into Lake ISTyassa, and spent the months of September and October in its thor- ough exploration. Abundance of excellent fish were found in the lake, mostly varieties new to the travelers. The Lake people were kind, but by no means handsome. The jDclele was universally worn by the women. Some, not content with one pelele, put another in the lower lip. All the nation are tattooed from head to foot. The Mazitu, who live on the highlands, are lawless, and make marauding excursions to the villages on the plains. The Lake slave trade was going on at a terrible rate, nineteen thousand slaves from I^s^yassa country being annually exported from Zanzibar. The Lake seemed to be the fountain head of the slave trade. The party reached their ship on the 8th of November, 1861, in a reduced condition, having suffered much from hunger. Descending the Shire, they reached the Zambesi on the lltli of January, and steamed down that river to the coast, where they anchored on the Great Luabo mouth of the Zambesi. On the 30th of January, 1862, H. M. S. Gorgon arrived, bringing Mrs. Livingstone, a reinforcement for the Bishop's mission, and a new iron steamer, in sections, called the " Lady of the Lake," intended for the navigation of I*N"yassa. Rev. James Stuart also came in the Gorgon, with a view of explor- ing the interior for further mission sites. Mrs. Livingstone did not long survive. About the middle of the following April, while the party were at Shupanga, she was taken down with the African fever, and although her husband and Dr. Kirk did all that medical skill could do for her restoration, this brave and unselfish woman closed lier eyes in death on the eve of the Sabbath, April 27, 1862. "With sympathizing hearts, the little band of his countrymen DEATH OF MRS. LIVINGSTONE. 305 assisted the bereaved husband in burying liis dead. Ilev. ]^>Ir. Stewart read the burial service. Mrs. Livingstone knew well the hardships 'of African life ; in behalf of this benighted land she had spent most of her days, and in the attempt to renew her self-denying labors was called to a better country. May her memory be cherished. The brief story of the Universities' Mission may as well be told here. Bishop Mackenzie found the Manganjas friendly, and for a time the Mission flourished. In their zeal for the suppression of the slave-trade, the missionaries allowed them- selves to be drawn into a war with the Ajawas. The mis- sionary station was changed from the highlands to the Lower Shire valley, where the malarious atmosphere soon swept olT the devoted company. The Bishop, worn out with privations and sickness, died in January, 1862, and three of his compai> ions soon followed him to the spirit land. The remainder, deprived of their head, became discouraged, and returned to England. The different sections of " The Lady of the Lake " alias " Lady IS^yassa " were taken up the Zambesi to Slnipanga. Here she was put together, and safely launched on the 23d of June. The natives were much astonished to see an iron vessel -floating. They had predicted that as soon as it touched the river it would sink, alfirming : — " If we put a hoe or any other piece of iron into the water it sinks immediately. How, then, can such a mass of iron float ?" "When they saw the Lady Xyassa floating at Shupanga, tliey attributed it to the " white man's medicine." The launching was accomplished so late in the season that the Shire river was too low to be navigated, and Dr. Living- stone determined to make one more attempt to ascend the Rovuma. This river M-as reported to be the outlet of Lake Xyassa, and hence was supposed to be the natural highway from the coast to the Lake region. Dr. Livingstone's party reached the mouth of the Hovuma early in September, but found its waters very low. Proceed- 1(3 306 LIVINGSTONE'S LIFE AND TRAVELS. ing in liis steamer up the river some thirty or forty miles, he was compelled to abandon the steamer, and push on, as best he could, in small row boats, resolved to ascertain whether he could make communication, by this route, with Lake iNyassa. The valley of the Rovuma Avas found to be from two to four miles wide, bounded on either side by highlands. Few natives were seen. They hid themselves in the thick jungle on the hill-sides for fear of slave-traders. The absence of birds and land animals was also remarkable. Ebony trees of large size were abundant within eight miles of the coast. The party ascended the river one hundred and fifty-six miles, to Lat. 11^ 53', Long. 38° 36', when their further progress by boats was impeded by falls. The distance from I^gomano, a place twenty miles farther up the river, to the lake, was said by the natives to be a twelve-day journey. Dr. Livingstone therefore concluded that the best route to the interior was by the Zambesi and Shire rivers, and he accord- ingly returned to Shupanga, where he arrived December 19th 1862. Still determined to carry out his favorite project of launch- ing his "Lady" on Lake Kyassa, Livingstone set about devis- ing ways and means to transport the steamer above the falls of the Shire. In January 1863, he went up the Shire, and visited the remains of the Universities' Mission. Desolation marked the whole region. The river banks, once so pop- ulous, were silent. The sight and smell of dead bodies were everywhere. The majority of the population was dead. Ghastly, living forms of boys and girls, with dull, dead eyes, were crouching beside some of the huts. The corpse of a boy floated past the ship ; a monstrous crocodile rushed at it with the speed of a greyhound, caught it and shook it, as a terrier •dog does a rat. The sight was frightful. All this did not frighten or discourage our intrepid traveler. At a rivulet a little below the first cataract of the Shire, lie commenced unscrewing his steamer for her transportation by piece-meal over tliirty-five or forty miles of land, for which FATE OF TUE MISSIONARIES. 307 purpose a road must be built for a part of the distance. The difficulties of the undertaking only stimulated him to renewed effort to introduce light and liberty into this fair portion of the earth, now " filled with the habitations of cruelty." No fresh meat could be obtained, excepting by hunting, and food had to be brought one hundred and fifty miles from tlio; Zambesi. The diet of salt food without vegetables, brought on attacks of dysentery, and Dr. Kirk and Charles Livingstone, having suffered severely, determined to abandon the expedi- tion and return to England. Dr. Livingstone was himself reduced to a shadow, and Dr. Kirk would not leave him till he became convalescent. The two gentleman left for home on the 19th of May. After a few miles of road had been constructed, Dr. Liv- ingstone resolved to try to render himself independent of the South for provisions, by going in advance above the cata- racts, to the tribes around the lake which had not been desolated by the Ajawa w^ar. On the 16th of June, he started for the upper cataracts, his course lying a mile west from the river. Near the uppermost cataract, the merry voices of children at play fell on his ear. They were Manganjas who had fled there from fear of the Ajawas, and had lost all heart and all confidence. The boat which Dr. Livingstone had left at the cataract, and by means of which he hoped to prosecute his journey, had been burned, probably accidentally, about three months previously, and he was compelled to turn back. On arriving at the ship, on the 2d of July, he found a dispatch from Earl Kussell ordering an abandonment of the Expedition. As it was impossible to take the " Pioneer" down the Zam- besi till the floods of December, Livingstone ordered the iron boat to be screwed together and, in order to improve the time, resolved to make another excursion to Lake Nyassa. Sending some men down to Shupanga for the necessary provisions, who returned on the 15th of August with coffee, etc., he started off on his long march the lOtli of that 308 LIVINGSTOXFS LIFE AND TKAYELS. month, accompanied by a small party, and arrived at Kota- kota Bay on the lOtli of September, where he sat down weary under a magnificent wild fig tree with leaves ten inches long by live broad. lie had rested but a short time, when Juma ben Saida the chief person of the region, whom he had met on his first visit to the lake, followed by about fifty people came ^to salute him, and invited him to make his quarters in the village. The chief offered Livingstone a hut, and presented him with rice, meal and sugar-cane. The hut was so small and dirty that our traveler preferred sleeping in the open air. Juma was engaged in building a boat, called a " dhow," fifty feet long, twelve broad, and five deep. The planks were of a wood resembling teak and the timbers of a closer grained wood. The sight of this dhow convinced Livingstone of the folly of attempting to carry an iron vessel to the lake. Juma was very busy in transporting slaves across the lake, and Livingstone saw several gangs of stout young men, all secured by chains and waiting for exportation. Leaving Kota-kota Bay, with a servant of Juma's for a guide, Livingstone turned inland, due west, on tlie great slave route to Cazembe's country in Loanda. A part of the journey led over a rich, well cultivated plain, and a part over mountains between three and four thousand feet high. On the summit of Ndonda, where the boiling point of water showed an altitude of three tliousand four hundred and forty feet above the sea, the air was delightful to Livingstone but depressing to his attendants, who had lived on the delta of the Zambesi, and they became sick, apparently from a change from a malarious to a pure atmosphere, and one of them actually died. The people on this slave route were churlish, having been made wary of foreigners by those who came to purchase slaves. The views of the lake and the surrounding country were charming from these mountain-tops. A^illages were numerous and much grain was cultivated. DomCvStic fowls were plenty, and pigeons, with dove-cots like those in Egypt, were seen. The people call themselves Matumboka. , THE ExrEDiTioN i;::cALLEi). 309 On the 21st of September, Livingstone arrived at the vil- lage of the chief Muazi, and as his men were sick, he remained there two days. He was anxious to get off the slave route and among a people never visited by slave-traders. Miiazi feared that if he went to the north, to a well watered country, where elephant's abounded, he would interfere with the trade in ivory, but at last consented, warning him of the dangers. Livingstone made a long detour to the northwest, finding the people civil enough, but they declined to sell him food. The prospect of finding provisions farther north was poor, and his men were too feeble to carry their burdens. The lit- tle coarse meal they obtained caused dysentery, being full of sharp, angular particles. He was also crippled for time, as his orders had been received to return to England. In his journal he remarks: "Neither want of food, dysentery, nor slave wars would have prevented our working our way around the lake in some other direction had we had time." Such is the indomitable spirit of Dr. Livingstone, but " Avhat can be done when an irresistible force strikes against an immovable body ?" Livingstone felt that the orders of gov- ernment wfti'e imperative, turned back, and, by a more south- erly route, reached his ship on the Shire, on the 1st of November, after a journey of seven hundred miles. His cha- grin at being compelled to return was not concealed, and lii.s regret was increased by the fact that the water was still so low that he could not immediately descend the river. It was not till the 19tli of January, 18G4, that he was able to leave the Shire. He hastened on his journey down that river and the Zambesi to the ocean, and was fortunate in meeting, at the mouth of the Zambesi, II.M.S. " Orestes," on the 13th of February. II.M.S. "Ariel" joined the Orestes the next day. The Orestes took the Pioneer, and the Ariel the Lady Xyassa, and started for Mozambique. The vessels encountered a hurricane, and the Lady Nyassa, on board of which was Livingstone, came near being swamped, but outrode the storm, and was pronounced by the naval ofii- cers to be a remarkably fine sea boat. After the gale sub- 310 LIVIXGSTOXE'S LffE AND TRAA^ELS. sided, Livingstone was transferred to the Ariel. ' On tlie IGtli of April he left Mozambiqne for Zanzibar, where he arrrived in a week, and left for Enghmd, via Bombay, on the 30tli of the same montli. In snmming up the results of the Zambesi Expedition, Dr. Livingstone enumerates the disrcovery of a port whicli could be made available for commsrcial purposes ; the conclu- sion that the E-ovuma river is not the true highway to the rich fields of Central Africa ; the thorough exploration of the Zambesi and Shire rivers, the latter of which is the outlet of Lake Kyassa and navigable to it excepting for a space of thirty-five miles, where are the cataracts, falling twelve hundred feet ; that Central Africa is a fertile country — where cotton, tobacco, indigo, sugar-cane, castor-bean and other tropical plants as also all tropical fruits grow indigenously and luxuriantly ; and, what is of paramount importance to the Christian and philanthropist, that the natives are peace- ably disposed and susceptible of civilization. Geographical and natural science also received important acquisitions. The expedition occupied nearly six years of time, and cost much money and some valuable lives ; but no great good is accomplished without some sacrifice. Neither the English gov- ernment, nor Dr. Livingstone was fully satisfied with the results, but their expectations were probably too high. In the preparation of his second book of travels, entitled " A jSTarrative of an Expedition to the Zambesi and its Tributaries." Dr. Livingstone was assisted by his nephew, Charles Living- stone', who had left his family in Massachusetts to accompany the Zambesi Expedition. Soon afterward, he was appointed British Consul, and now fills that position at the Island of Eernando Po, at the mouth of the Niger. The book was dedicated to his warm friend. Lord Palmerston, then prime minister. In the preface of this book, he thus announces his intention to make a third expe- dition to Africa and his pui-jioses in so doing: — " I propose to go inland, north of the territory which the Portuguese in Europe claim, and endeavor to commence that LIVINGSTONE IN ENGLAND. 311 system on tlic East which has been so successful on tlie "West Coast. I hope to ascend tlie liovunia, or some other river north of Cape Degaldo, and, in addition to my other work, shall strive, by passing along the northern end of Lake Nyassa and round the southern end of Lake Tanganyika, to ascertain the water-shed of that part of Africa." It is very manifest that the travels of Speke, Grant, and Bakei*, M'ho had undertaken to explore the head w^aters of the classic Kile, stimulated Livingstone to renewed effort in his favorite African field. He w^as determined to ascer- tain whether the waters of Lake Nyassa communicate in any way with those of Tanganyika, which he felt confident flowed through the great Eiver of the ISTorth to the Mediterranean Sea. After having come so near to the goal of his hopes, it was mortifying to have himself outstripped in the race of dis- covery by others. He was also, doubtless, led to undertake his last expedition by the restless spirit of adventure, which seems to be generated in the breast of every traveler, and to grow upon what it sees. " The eye is never satisfied with seeing," says the wise man. As wishes on wishes grow, so the love of sight-seeing increases the more the sights are seen. So long as Living- stone was occupied in the preparation of liis book, he was apparently contented ; but this work having been accom- j^lished, he became uneasy, and turned his face again towards the tropics. Of Livingstone's last expedition to Africa, Iiis start into the interior where he becomes finally lost to the civilized world, his long absence and unaccountable silence, his reported murder, the English Expeditions for his rescue, his discovery by the gallant Stanley, and the great explorer's adventures and wanderings in the unexplored regions of Iimer Africa, subseq^uent chapters will treat. CHAPTER XYIII. LIYINGSTOXE'S THIRD EXPEDITION. TTvP. LIVINGSTONE, having been appointed Consul for XJ Central Africa, left England on his third journey to Africa, Aug. 14, 1805. His daughter accompanied him as far as Paris. He arrived in Bombay Jan, 3, 1866, and com- menced his preparations for exploring a portion of Africa north of Lake Nyassa, the country south of that lake hav- ing been pretty well examined. From Bombay he proceeded to Zanzibar, accompanied by two boys he had picked up in the Shire countrj^ — Chanma and Wakotani — as well as by a number of men from Johanna Island (one of the Comoro Isles), a native Havildar (a Sepoy sergeant of India), a few enlisted Sepoys and some Suahili from a school at Bombay. On the 28th of March, 1866, the great explorer and his motley followers crossed over to the main-land, from the island of Zanzibar, and at once started for the interior by way of the river Rovuma, which flows into' the Indian Ocean at Mikindany, about five degrees south of Zanzibar. In May 1866, he was at a point thirty miles up the Rovuma river. As he journeyed on, letters came from him occasion- ally, informing the delighted public of his progress, and of f!ie extremely interesting incidents which would naturally characterize his lonely march to the interior. But in Decem- ber of the same year, Moosa, the leader of the Johanna men who had accompanied the Doctor, arrived at Zanzibar with a tale which saddened all who heard it — that Dr. Livingstone, 312 6D^-'V-lA^ -^E^-^i-n^^^^Tftij^^ LIVINGSTONE KEPORTED DEAD. 315 the great African traveler, liad been murdered on tlic shores of Lake Nyassa, by a band of the Ma-zitus. lie, Moosa, alone of all Livingstone's party, had escaped to convey the grievous tidings. The following is the copy of a letter written by Dr. Seward, the English Consul at Zanzibar, to Lord Stanley, conveying the particulars of Moosa's story : ZA^-ZIB.VE, Dee. 10, ISGG. My Lord — I send you the saddest news. ' Dr. Livingstone, in his despatch from l^yomano, informed your Lordship that he stood " on the threshold of the unexplored." Yet, as if that which should betide him had already thrown its shadow, he added : — ^" It is but to say little of the future." My Lord — if the report of some fugitives from his party be true, this brave and good man has " crossed the threshold of the unexplored " — he has confronted the future and will never return. lie was slain, so it is alleged, during a sudden and unprovoked encounter with those very Zulus of whom ho says, in his despatch, that they had laid waste the country round about him, and had " swept away the food i'roui above and in the ground." With an escort reduced to twenty by desertion, death and dismissals, he had traversed, as I believe, that teri'ti incognita between the confluence of the Loende and Eovuma rivers, at ISTyomano, and the eastern or northeast- ern littoral of Lake Nyassa ; had crossed the lake at some point as yet unascertained ; had reached a station named Kompoonda or Mapoonda, on its western, probably its north- western, shore, and was pushing west or northwest, into dan- gerous ground, when between Marenga and Mukliosowa a band of implacable savages stopped the way — a mixed horde of 2^ulu3, or Mafilte and Nyassa folk. The Nyassa folk were armed with bow and arrow, the Zulus with the traditional shield, broad-blades, spears and axes. With Livingstone there were nine or ten muskets; his Johanna men were rest- ing with their loads far in the rear. The Mafilte instantly came on to fight ; there was no par- ley, no avoidance of the combat ; they came on with a rush, 316 MOOSA'S STORY. witli war cries, and rattling on tlieir sliields tlieir spears. As Livingstone and his party raised their pieces their onset was for a moment checked, but oidy for a moment. Livingstone fired and two Zuhia were shot dead ; his boys fired too, but their fire was harndess ; he was in the act of reloading when three Mafilte leaped upon him through the smoke. There was no resistance — there could bo none — and one cruel axe- cut from behind him put him out of life. lie fell, and when he fell his terror-stricken escort fled, hunted by the Mafilte. One at least of the fugitives escaped ; and he it is who tells the tale — Ali Moosa, chief of his escort of porters. The party had left the western shores of jS'yassa about five days. They had started from Ivompoonda, on the lake's bor- ders (they left the havildar of Sepoys there dying of dysentery ; Livingstone had dismissed the other Sepoys of the Bombay Twenty-first at Mataka), and had rested at Marenga, where Livingstone was cautioned not to advance. The next station was Mahlivoora ; they were traversing a fiat country, broken by small hills, and abundantly wooded. Indeed, the scene of the tragedy so soon to be consummated would appear to have been an open forest glade. Livingstone, as usual, led the way, his nine or ten unpractised musketeers at his heels. Ali Moosa had nearly come up with them, bav- in"" left his own Johanna men resting with their loads far in the rear. Suddenly he heard Livingstone warn the boys that the Ma-zitus were coming. The boys in turn beckoned Moosa to press forward. Moosa saw the crowd here and there between the trees. lie had just gained the party and sunk down behind a tree to deliver his own fire when his leader fell. Moosa fled for his life along the path he had come. Meeting his Johanna men, who threw down their loads and in a body really passed Moosa, his escape and that of his party verges on the marvel- ous. However, at sunset, they, in great fear, left their fprest refuge, and got back to the place where they hoped to find their baggage. It was gone, and then, with increasing dread, they crept to where the slain traveler lay. MOOSA'S STORY. 317 ]S'car liim, in front, lay the grim Zulus who were killed under his sure aim ; here and there lay scattered some four dead fugitives of the expedition. That one blow had killed him outright ; he had no other wound but this terrible gash. It must have gone, from their description, through the neck Hud spine up to the throat in front, and it had nearly decapi- tated him. Death came mercifully in its instant suddenness, for David Livingstone was ever ready. They found him stripped of his upper clothing ; the Ma-zitus had respected him when dead. They dug with some stakes a shallow grave, and hid from the starlight the stricken tem- ple of a grand spirit — the body of an apostle, whose martyr^ dom should make sacred the shores of that sea wdiich his labors made known to us, and which now, baptized with his life's blood, men should henceforth know as '' Lake Livingstone." The names of those who stood before the Ma-zitus with Livingstone should not be unremembered : — ■ Adams, JxUies Chooma, Walkek, Abraham Pariella, Seviox Pkice, Edward Gardner, Albert Burahee, Lacoombo, Maeowou Jooma, Ali Moosa. Of these, four were seen dead near the corpse of Living- stone ; the rest, save Ali Moosa, are missing. The Johanna men made the best of their way back to Kompoonda, or Mapoonda, not venturing near any village or station. They lost themselves in the jungle and were four- teen days on their way. At Kompoonda they witnessed the end of the Ilavildar of Sepoys, Bombay Twenty-first native infantry. He alone of all the Indians was faithful. On the threshold of this Consulate at Zanzibar he pledged himself at the moment of starting never to forsake his leader. Nor did he. To the last he struggled on, Avorn with dysentery, but broke down hopelessly on the road to Marenga. A day or two later and he would have shared his leader's fate. Insub- ordinate, lazy, impracticable and useless, Livingstone had dis- missed the other Sepoys at Mataka. Had they been faithful, 318 MOOSA'S STORY. like tlieir Ilavildar, I should not liave liad to inscribe a record of this sad happening. Their unfitness for African travel might have been predicted. At Ivompoonda the Johanna men were deprived of their weapons bj the chief, who also kept the Ilavildar's. Here they joined an Arab slave caravan, recrossed the jSTjassa, and made for KeelM^a, the great slave outlet on the Zanzi- bar coast. But ' here again, and when least expected, they encountered the Ma-zitus. They had reached Keepareygree, eight days southwest of Keelwa, when the appearance of a band of these savages scattered the caravan. Abandoning ivory, slaves, their all, the Arab leaders thought but of saving their lives. The Johanna men again made their escape and reached Keelwa, whence, by the kindness of the Customs people, tliey were at once sent on to Zanzibar. They arrived here on the Gth of December. It will be gratifying to the many and true friends of Dr. Livingstone to learn that when his sad end was known the British Hag was lowered at this Consulate ; the French, the American, and Ilanseatic flags were at once flown half-mast high, the Consuls paying a spontaneous tribute to his memory — an example shortlj^ follo^ved by all the foreign vessels in the harbor. The Sultan's flag was also lowered. I must reserve other details for a subsequent letter; but I may state that no papers, effects or relics of Livingstone are likely to be recovered. G. Edward Seward. Such was the story of Livingstone's death, as told by Moosa on his return to Zanzibar. Everybody believed or feared it was true, because there could be no reason suggested for unbe- lief. The sorrow felt at the reading of this dispatch was deep and world-wide. A good man, a brave Christian, the most indefatigable of travelers had died a martyr, just as he stood on the threshold of the unexplored. Dr. Kirk, of Zanzibar, a companion in former years of some of Livingstone's travels in South Africa, took Moosa under Lis own special attention, questioned him and cross-examined TUB ENGLISH .SEARCH EXrEDITION". 319 Iiim in every way, but was obliged to believe liis story, and wrote a long letter confirming Mr, Seward's dispatcli. And so it became a deep-settled conviction in the minds of almost all, that David Livingstone, the great traveler, was dead. But the story was doubted by Sir Koderick Murchlson, President of the Geographical Society, and others, including Mr. Young, an African traveler or trader, who testified that lie had once a servant who was a Mahometan, who was a perfect rascal of a fellow, and that the Mahometans of South- ern Africa were all very similar in disposition and character to Ali Moosa. Mr. Young believed the story to be a cun- ning fabrication ; and so it was. Moosa and his companions had deserted the doctor, and without such a tale as this to justify their return could not claim their jxiy of an English Consul. An expedition to search for Dr. Livingstone was started in England, and on the 25tli of July 18G7, the steamship Petrel, which conveyed the party, arrived at the mouth of the Zambesi. On tlie 8tli of August, the party, with Mr. E. D. Young as leader, started up the river in a small steel boat, named the Search. On the 4th of September, the expedition heard that a white man had been seen at Pamfunda, on Lake Pamalombi, and that he had two Ajawa boys with him. But as this hike is far south of Lake Nyassa, it was barely possible that Living- stone had drifted so far from the destination agreed upon before the Geographical Society. On the Tth of September, Mr. Young arrived at Lake Pamalombi, and became convinced that the white man seen south of Lake Nyassa Avas Livingstone himself Livingstone had not gone northward, as it was expected he would, but to make his travels and researches complete he had proceeded southward. Thus it was the Doctor was found out in several ways — by his naval cap, his mustache, his size, the color of his hair, and the goodness that never left him. The two boys also who accompanied him were instantly identified by their names, which the old chief remembered as Chuma and Wako 320 ox THE EXPLORER'S TRACK. (short for "Wakotani). Moosa was also known ; the Ilaviklar ol' the Sepoys, and a little dog named Chitani were recognized by the accurate pantomimic description given by the chief. On the 10th of the same month other reports, confirmatory of those previously received, were hailed by the " searchers " as indubitable proofs that Moosa's story was an able and most cunning conception of a brain j)rompted by a most cowardly heart. An empty cartridge case and an iron spoon of Eng- lish make, marked " Patent," were brought to Mr. Young. A photographic album Avitli Livingstone's picture in it, was handed to one of the natives, who remembered the "good white man" who had given him these things, and he was asked to show the man among all those pictures who mostly resembled him. The native turned over the leaves curiously, and when he came to Livingstone's said triumphantly, " That is like him ; that is like him, only his dress was not like that." On the 13th, a small English prayer book was brought. Two days afterwards a knife was produced to the searchers, which the natives said the white man had exchanged for some rice. A village where the Ajawa boy AVakotani had been very ill, and had laid several weeks while the Doctor had continued his discoveries northward, was found. Mr. Young crossed Lake Nyassa at the Arab ferry where Dr. Livingstone crossed. At Marengas an account of a white man was had, who was immediately identified again as Livingstone, with his dog and his servants, from a native who had helped him over with his luggage. Mr. Young was directed from here to a village called Pacahoma, where the white man had only seven men with him carrying guns— " Moosa and company being conspic- uously absent in this enumeration of his followers." When Mr. Young told the people at Pacahoma that he had come to look after him, the natives said, laughing, "Why he is gone to the Bahisa country ; how ai-e you to catch him up ? It would take three moon's journey to reach it." Mr. Young replied that he had heard he liad been killed by the Ma-zitus; but they said, " Oh, no; why, he went that THE GRATE OF MRS. LIVINGSTONE. 321 way on purpose to avoid tliem, and we know lie went fiu- beyond, where it would take month's to walk." On the 25th of September the searchei'S reached Mapunda. At this place a book entitled "The First Footsteps in the Way of Knowledge" was exhibited, on which was written. " This book belongs to Wakotani ; Bombay, 15th December, 1864." The boy had left Mapunda — after long waiting for Livingstone — for the coast. At Chibissa, on the Shire Eiver, on the 18th of October, the party of Mr. Young heard that Dr. Livingstone had shot one of the principal chiefs of the Ma-zitu tribe in an encoun- ter he had with him, and the Ma-zitus had run away from him in consequence, leaving him to pursue his travels unmolested. When going up the Zambesi River the expedition visited, at Shupanaza, the grave of Mrs. Livingstone — the faithful and courageous wife of a noble man. Along both banks of the Zambesi, the dark natives of the country flocked to see their friends, the English, with many anxious inquiries as to the whereabouts of the " Father " (Dr. Livingstone). The good seed sown by this eminent missionary had fallen on ground where it brought forth fruit abundantly. Much evil had been abolished, and blessed tranquility reigned in conse- quence in many portions of the continent which he had visited. Much of the slave trade had diminished ; in short, Livingstone had morally revolutionized the country. The expedition becoming satisfied that Livingstone was alive, but far to the northward, returned to Zanzibar. In addition to the information obtained by this ex2:)edition, something was known concerning Dr. Livingstone at the time Mr. Stanley reached Zanzibar, from earlier letters wi-it- ten by himself, and from occasional rumors from the interior. The following letter was addressed to a friend in Scotland. Bemba, Inner Africa, Latitude 10® 10' South, Longitude 31® 50' East, March 2, 1867. I have been unable to send anything to coast since I left it till now, and have heard nothing from the coast. "We 322 AX OLD LETTER. have been very long in onr pi-ogress liitlier, but I tbink we are now on the watershed between the Zambesi and Isaputi, which flows, as repoi't says, into Tanganyika. I have only nine following nie, but hope to get on in time and do what I have midertaken. In some parts we had plenty of meat ; I could easily supply the pot with my rifle. In other parts nothing could be procured, and we had to go on as best we could. It is the rainy season, and we had a long trudge through dripping forest, with the soil often so sloppy the feet were constantly wet. This was made worse by want of food — not of fine dishes, but of even a little por- ridge. The people could not sell grain ; they were subsist- ing themselves on mushrooms, which are very good as catsup, but wretched, watery food, producing vivid visions of the roast beef of bygone days. Here we have come to a land where food is to be bought, and mean to rest a little. When we get to Tanganyika Lake we hope for news, and to find a second supply of goods. I shall write to you from thence. Tell ■ — - that his dog turned out a famous one, and I was never so sorry for any animal as when we lately lost him. He had more spunk than fifty country dogs ; and as soon as we got a hut in a village he kept it clear of all curs, and never stole himself. He was as much of an atti*action as the white man himself; took charge of the whole line of march, and was so spirited he went at anything. We had to wade a marsh a mile wide and waist deep— a peaty bottom, with holes made by buffaloes' feet, made us all flounder. I went first and forgot the poor doggie. He must liave swam among the dogs, each one minding himself till he was drowned ; no one noticed him. I am unable to write to Dr. Wilson, though I ought, but the slave trader will not give me more time. I consumed Mr. 's extract of meat from real gnawing hunger, and found it excellent. I have lost all my medicines — the sorest loss of goods I ever sustained. You will excuse my brevity. The slavery party leaves, and I must write several letters. Blessings from the Highest be on you all, my dear friends. David Livinostone. RUMORS -FROM TUE INTERIOR. 323 In the month of April, 1SG7, Livingstone discovered Lake Liemba, south of Tanganyika, and going westward thence found Lake Moero on the 8tli of September. In December, 1867, he was at the Cazembe's town. From this point he made an attempt to go northward in the country west of Tanganyika, intending to cross tlie lake to Ujiji, but was brought to a standstill by the abundance of water which flooded the country, and returned to Cazembe's in February or March, 1868 Then he went south of Lake Bangweolo, whence he sent his last important letters in July, 1868. From this he appears to have repassed the Cazembe's town, and to have gone north to Ujiji, along the eastern shore of Tanganyika. He had probably made an excursion to the north of Tanganyika before this time, and announced his intention of going to Manyema, on the west of Tanganyika^ where there was said to be a great lake to which the waters of the western drainage converge. The last letter received from Dr. Livingstone was dated May 30, 1869, from Ujiji, Lake Tanganyika. In it he speaks of the unwillingness of the Arab traders to take charge ofhia lettere to Zanzibar. He writes for fresh stores and men, and says that in the meantime he may explore the Manyema country and the lakes west of Tanganyika. In June 1870, the English government granted £1,000 to supply him with fresh stores and men — not by means of a relief expedition sent from England, but by parties of natives sent by the Consul from Zanzibar to the interior. One only of these native parties, with a portion of the stores, had suc- ceeded in attaining a point within reach of Livingstone at Manyema ; but neither letters from Livingstone, nor proof of the stores having reached him, had reached Zanzibar. The native in charge of the stores simply stated that he had recei- ved a letter from Livingstone dated October 15, 1870, which letter he had not transmitted to Zanzibar. It was doubted, therefore, M'hether the traveler had been ])rovided with tho means either of continuing his explorations or returning to 17 324 I'OST DISPATCHES. the coast ; and it was probable he was detained against his will. In June, 1869, according to information received by Bishop Tozer, at Zanzibar, Livingstone was gtill at Ujiji. In June, 1870, Sheikh Said, writing from Unjanyembe, gave the news that Dr. Livingstone had gone westward to Manimes(Manyema,) and was expected to return soon. March 10, 18T1, Dr. Kirk had letters from two Arab traders in Ujiji, announcing that Dr. Livingstone was at a place named Manakoso, in Menama (Manyema), with Mohammed Bin Gharib, during October or November, 1870, "helpless, without means and with few followers." Of the last thirty-four letters which Dr. Livingstone had written to Great Britain before June, 1869, not one came to hand. He was, at that date, about to explore a lake whicli lies westward of Tanganyika, in the Manyema country, in the hope of connecting it with the Nile. A report reached Eng- land at the end of 1870, that he was at Manakoso, waiting for Bupplies, and unable to move. The above is about all that was known concei-ning Dj". Livingstone at the commencement of the year 1871, when the Herald Expedition for his aid was in preparation at Zanzibar. CHAPTER XIX THE HERALD LIVINGSTONE EXPEDITION. IN an age when philanthropic sentiments, through the extension of Christianity and civilization, are on the increase, a fit occasion for their display is offered in the perils of a bold and daring explorer, who, taking his life in his hand and without hope of pecuniary reward, goes forth in the service of Humanity and his Master. The life of such a man is sacred and most valuable, and his death a great loss to all the nations of the earth. Dr. Livingstone was reported dead — murdered in cold blood on the shores of Lake Nyassa by a band of the Mazitus. For a long time no letters had been received from him, and nothing definite had been heard respecting him. Although the report was somewhat indefinite, it was sufiicient to sadden the thoughts, to moisten the eye, and to send a pulsation to the great heart of the civilized world. Such an event was not at all improbable. Alone among savages, who could at any moment sacrifice him as a victim to their passions, among the wild beasts of the forests which tracked his every footstep, in a country where fevers raged, malignant diseases prevailed, and storms were most terrific, how easily his life could have been taken and the shadow of death fallen upon him, had he not been protected by a wise and good Providence. The world is governed by ideas, and Providence selects fit occasions and men for their illustration. Although tlie great mass of people believed that Livingstone had shared 0^5 ' 326 THE HERALD EXPEDITION. the fiite of many other renowned explorers, and like Sir John Franklin disappeared to be seen no more, there were some ■who in the absence of material facts and positive testimony thought otherwise. Among this latter class was James Gordon Bennett Jr., manager of the New York Herald. The intense, popular, and scientific interest in Livingstone's fate and in the vexed problem of the sources of the Nile, suggested to Mr. Bennett the grand idea, that the bounteous means of a great newspaper might be worthily, and perhaps advantageously employed, in the humanitarian, scientific, but exceedingly dangerous and expensive task of discovering the gi'eat explorer. To Mr. James Gordon Bennett is due the credit of originating the Herald Expedition — an enterjDrise unequaled in the annals of journalism. The objects of the expedition, as stated in the Herald, were two. " First, to carry relief to the explorer, in the confi- dence that the rumors of his death were unfounded, in the fear that he must be undergoing privations and perhaps ill treatment in his unprotected condition, and in the conviction that it needed only energy and courage to follow the track he had pursued to find him, if living, or, in the sadder event, to obtain certain proof of his death ; and, second, to secui-e the credit and advantage that would assuredly follow success in such an enterprise." Having determined on an expedition in search of Dr. Livingstone, Mr. Bennett naturally selected Henry M. Stanley as a fit person to lead it. Mr. Stanley had been for several years on the staff of the Herald as one of its special traveling correspondents. In 1868 he was with the English Army in Abyssinia, and exhibited such enterprise and enei-gy in forwarding the war news, that the British Government frequently received important intelligence through his dis- patches, in advance of its transmission to London by oflicial couriers. In 1869, Mr. Bennett, who was then in Paris, sent a dispatch to Mr. Stanley, wlio was in Madrid engaged in the service of the Herald as a correspondent from Spain, summon- JAMES QORDOX BENNETT. STANLEY SUMMONED TO PARIS. 329 ing him to Paris. Mr. Stanley, in a speech at Brighton, as reported in the London Mail, describes his interview with Mr. Bennett and the circumstances under which lie imder- took the expedition, as follows : — " Before I started for Central Alrica I knew nothing about that great broad plain in the centre of the Continent, and I cared less for it. My duty led me to the fields of jour- nalism ; my duty carried me far away from Central Africa ; yet had I even dreamed that I should visit the heart of Africa, I should have smiled at myself. "While following my duty in Madrid I received a tele- gram : — " Come to Paris on important business." 1 found Mr. James Gordon Bennett, the young manager of the New York Herald, in bed at the Grand Hotel. I knocked at the door; he said " Come in," and demanded my name. "My name is Stanley," I said. "Oh, you are the man I want ; do you know where Livingstone is ?" I said, " I declare to you I don't." " Do you supjDosc he is alive ?" " I really don't know." " What do you think?" " It is past my comprehension." " Well, I think he is alive, and I want you to lind him." I thought it was a most gigantic task, but I dared not say so to Mr. Bennett ; so I said. " If you send me to the centre of Africa I will go there," and he said, " Well, go. I believe he is alive, and you can find him." " But," said I, " Mr. Bennett, have you the least idea how much that little journey will cost?" lie said, "What will it cost?" "Well, Burton and Speke's expedition cost some- thing like between 2,000Z. and 4,()00Z. ; are you ready to incur that expense ?" lie said, " Draw 1,000?. now, and when that is finished draw another 1,000Z., and when that i.s finished draw another, and when that is finished draw another 1000?., but find Livingstone." What could a man in my position say, when he was deter- mined I should go and find him, and would take no apologies and excuses?" I said, "What is in the power of human nature to do I will do ; I will bid you good night." I had received merely verbal instructions ; I had never read in were books wrillcn about him, and newspapers were talkin-;- about liiiii. an.l ;ill men were <5lorying in him ; still the man was not liviii>;-, ;uid 1 thought, therefore, he must be a nn th. However, that same night I was on u\\ wav ; but first of all I had to go and discover the operations of the Sue/. Canal; secondly, visit the temple of Solomon iiiulerground, where you see the marks of the Syrian worknuMi ; tluMi I had to go to the Dead Sija, then up to Damascus, then to Constantinople, then to the Crimea, then to the Caucasus, then to the Caspian Sea, Persia, I'agdad, the valley of the Euphrates, and iiiudly the Mauritius. AVhcu I reached Zanzibar, and began to study books on Central Africa, and to draw up an estimate of the cost of my expedition in search of Livingstone, 1 first put it down at $3,000, but I had to increase it several times until it reached $20,000." Tlio object proposed was one worthy oi' Stanley's matured i>i>wers and noblest aims, and he gave himself \o the task of preparation with the zeal of a votary. A\'liat dis- couragements, what disappointnuMits lay before him and were to enter into that great undertaking, he cordd not foresee; nor did he care. "With liim, '' suilii'ient to the day was the evil thereof," and liaving been selected to superin- tend and carry out this humane iuu\ stu]iendons task, he commenced it with a Mill, and tlirc^w into it all his energy and enterprise. It was a diflicnlt thing l\)r l\Ir. Stanley \o decide whether he should go to Zan/.ibar, on the east co Africa, or to Khartoum at the continence oi' the two N upper Xnbia. If he went one way, the lost explorer be coming out by the other. lie had nothing deiinite to guide him on this point. Finally, at>er fullilHng his other engagements, he telegraphed to a Greek gentleman at Khartoum to send word at once if anything slundd be heard from Livingstone in that quarter, and proceeded to Zanzibar. as to ist (^f ies, in u.ight ARRIVAL AT ZANZIBAR. 33^ For over two years the Herald obtained only a very- scanty return for its lavish expenditures. The fact was well understood that it had set an expedition on foot, hut the chances of success in a field where so many others had failed were few. Even now, after all that has heen accorn])lished, we cannot see how a lame and impotent conclu- sion could have been avoided, if Bennett had not backed the undertaking with extraordinary liberality, and if Stanley had not been one of the rare living exemplars of the liopeful doc- trine, that in the bright lexicon of youth there is no such word as fail. Having reached Zanzibar, Mr. Stanley took active measures for prosecuting the enterprise zealously and fear- lessly. He investigated the many rumors about the explorer, and acquainted himself with all that was known about him since he left Zanzibar in 1800. Mr. Stanley arrived at the conclusion, that though he might .really know no more of the whereabouts of Dr. Livingstone than people did in the United States, still he had better reasons forjudg- ing thereof, and he believed that it would be a long time before Livingstone would be seen, and that he would eventu- ally return by way of the River Nile. CHAPTER XX ZANZIBAR AND THE MRIMA. The island of Zanzibar, situated on the east coast of Africa, a few degrees below the equator, is forty miles long and fifteen miles in breadth, and is the metropolis of the Imaum of Muscat's possessions on the east coast. Its popu- lation is about two hundred thousand, made up of Arabs, Sowily Africans and negro slaves. The town of the same name has a considerable trade with Arabia and the ports of the Red Sea, Like all the islands on the east coast of Africa, Zanzibar is of coral formation and comparatively low; conse- quently it is often seriously damaged by the action of the waves. On the 15th of April 1873, a tcriffic hurricane burst over the Island, destroying a hundred and fifty vessels in the harbor, some houses in the town, and a large extent of the sugar and clove plantations, and cocoanut groves, with two hundred of the native people killed. The storm began at six o'clock in the morning, from the west-south-west, but showed its utmost violence at noon, then blowing from the Bouth. There was a dead calm at half -past one, but at half- past two began a furious gale from the north, backing to^v'- ards the west ; in the evening it subsided to a moderate breeze. The Sultan of Zanzibar lost half a dozen ships, amongst which was the Sea King, formerly the Shenandoah, one of the steamers built in England for the Confederate Southern States of xVmerica, whose depredations are included with 332 TERRIBLE HURRICAXE. 335 those of the Alabama in the claims now 2:)ending their settk'- ment by treaty. The Abydos, which had brought Lieutenants Dawson aiid Henn, officers in charge of the English Expedition I'roiu England, was saved by steaming with full power against the storm, to ease the strain on her anchors. Lieutenant Ilenn's sketch, M'hich we giv^e shows the scene of havoc after tlio storm. The Lobelia, of London, was on shore, lying on her broadside, off the Custom House pier, bilged and a complete wreck. The steamer Star was sunk off the Sultan's Palace. The native huts w^ere almost all destroyed ; all the trees were torn mangled, or uprooted ; the beach was strewn "uith wreck and damaged merchandise ; the streets were blocked M'ith rubbish of all kinds, and almost every large house was more or less damaged. This is the first hurricane known at Zanzi- bar in the memory of the present generation. The coast country opposite the island of Zanzibar, and extending' from the towns of Mombasah on the north to Kilwa at the delta of the Rufiji River on the south, is known as the Mrima, or hill-land, and its native people are called the Wamrima, or hill-men. The Mrima has no history beyond its name, and is so designated from the elevation of the coast. >■ As the dhow which conveys the traveler to Bagamoyo, slowly glides out of Zanzibar harbor, the traveler has a fare- well view of the whitewashed mosques and houses of the Arabs, the cadjan-huts, the cocoa-grown coast, and the ruddy hills striped with long lines of cloves. Then the white sand- strip seems to mingle with the blue ocean, the gleaming lines of red clifi" drop into the water, the land fades from emerald to brown and from brown to hazy purple, the trees seem to wade in the waves, and finally a dimly discernible cloud-like ridge is all that remains of Zanzibar. " There is something peculiarly interesting in the first aspect of the ' Mrima,' On one side lies the Indian Ocean, illimita- ble toward the east, dimpled with its ' auerithmon gelasma,' and broken westward by a thin line of foam, creaming upon 336 VIEWS FROM THE SEA. the whitest and finest of sand. It dents the coast deeply, forming bays, bayous, lagoons, and back-waters, where, after breaking their force upon bars and black ledges of sand and rock, upon diabolitos, or sun-stained masses of a coarse conglomerate, and upon strong weirs planted in crescent shape, the waters lie at rest in the arms of the land like sheets of oil. The points and islets formed by these sea-streams are almost flush with the briny surface, yet they are over- grown with a profuse vegetation, the result of tropical suns and copious showers, which supply the want of rich soil. The banks of the back-waters are lined with forests of white and red mangrove. When the tide is out, the cone-shaped root-work sup- porting each tree rises naked from the deep sea-ooze ; parasitical oysters cluster over the trunks at water-level, and between the adults rise slender young shoots, tipped with bunches of brilliant green. The pure white sand is bound together by a kind of convolvulus, whose lai'ge fleshy leaves and lilac-colored flowers creep along the loose soil. Where raised higher above the ocean-level, the coast is a wall of verdure. Plots of bald old trees, bent by the regular breezes, betray the positions of settlements which, generally sheltered from sight, besprinkle the coast in a long straggling line like the suburbs of a populous city. " The monotony of green that clothes the soil is relieved in places by dwarf earth-cliffs and scaurs of rufous hue, and behind the foreground of littoral or alluvial plain, at a dis- tance varying from three to five miles, rises a blue line of higher level, conspicuous even from Zanzibar Island, the sandy raised beach now the frontier of the wild men. To this sketch add its accompaniment ; by day, the plashing of the wave and the scream of the gull, with the perpetual hum and buzz of insect life ; and, after sunset, the dec]), dead silence of a tropical night, broken only by the roar of the old bull-crocodile at his resting-time, the qua-qua of the night- heron, and the shouts and shots of the watchmen, who know from the grunts of the hippopotamus, struggling up the bank, A PORT OX TUE MRIMA. 337 that lie is quitting his watery home to pay a visit to their fields." The voya'ge from Zanzibar ended, the traveler lands, if the tide is out, upon half a mile of muddy sand, and if a " swell," is carried by four men upon a kitaiida, or cot, which is slung along the side of the craft. " Arrived at the strip of dry ground that marks the limit of the tide, you are let down, and amid the shouts of the men, the shrieks of the women, and the naive remarks of the juvenile population, you ascend by a narrow foot-path, worn through the thick jungle and through the millet-lields which press upon the tattered palisade, a dwarf steep bank, on whose summit the settlement lies. Inside the fence are a dozen pent- roofed houses, claret-chests of wattle and daub, divided into three or four compartments by dwarf party -walls of the same material ; each messuage is jealously separated from its neighbor by large ' compounds,' or court-yards appropriated to the women and children. The largest timber is that of the mangrove ; the flying thatch-roof, so raised that, thougli windows are unknowm the interior enjoys tolerable ventila- tion, is of jauli, or rude cocoa-plaits, and under the long and projecting eaves, which rest upon strong perpendiculars, are broad earth benches, divided by the entrance, and garnished with mats; these form the shops and sitting-rooms of the settlement. Some houses have a partial second story, like a ship's bunk, a planking supported by rafters, and used as a store-closet or a dormitory. " Around the larger habitations cluster masses of hovels, and the characteristic African haycock huts. With closed doors in still weather, these huts are unendurable to a Euro- pean ; the people, however, fearing thieves and wild beasts, never fail to barricade themselves within at night. The only attempt at masonry in the settlement is the ' gurayza,' or fort, a square of lime and coralline, with store-rooms for the Banyan's goods below, and provided with a creneled terrace for watchmen. " In the ' garrison-towns ' of the Mrima, the soldiers, who S38 SOLDIERS OF THE GARRISOX-TOWNa call tliemselves Balocb, and their families form the principal part of the popnlation. Many of them were born and bred in Arabia. In former days their fathers migrated from their starving homes to Maskat, in the Arab dhows which visited their ports to buy horses and to collect little cargoes of wheat and salt. In Arabia they were fakirs, sailors, porters, and day-laborers, barbers, date-gleaners, beggars, and thieves. " The Baloch are rather hated than feared. Loud in debate, and turbulent in demeanor, they are called by the Arabs a ' light folk,' and are compared to birds fluttering and chirrup- ing round a snake. In camp they are commanded by a jemadar, and live the life of the Anglo-Indian soldier of the past generation, drinking beer when they can ' come by it.' smoking, chatting, and arguing ; the yoimger wrestle, shoot, and exchange kit; and the silly babbling patriarchs, with white beards and venerable brows, tell wondrous tales of Bcenes long gone by, and describe to unbelieving ears the ice and snow, the luscious fruits and the sweet waters of the mountains and valleys of far Balochistan. " The other items of the population are the Wamrima — Western negroids of a mixed Arab and African descent, who fringe the shore in a thin line. These ' coast-clans ' support themselves in idleness and comparative luxury, by amicably plundering the down-caravans, and by large plantations of cereals and vegetables, with which they, or rather their slaves, supply the Island of Zanzibar, and even the shores of Arabia. " The Wamrima are ruled by diwans, or headmen ; these officials are sul)ject to Zanzibar. The diwan enjoys the priv- ileges of ' dash,' fines and extortions ; he has also certain marks of distinction. At the ngoma ku, or great dance, which celebrates every event in this land of revelry, only the diM'an may perform the morris with drawn sword hefore the admiring multitude. AVith this amount of dignity Ihe diwan naturally expects to live, and to support his family with the fat of the land, and without sweat of brow. When times are hard, he organizes a kidnapping expedition against a weaker neighbor, and fills his purse by selling the proceeds. -^^■^^■«^--^IB ilill llllllilf:'. ^ i, ■ik' iii/i« ^ . '' m : m ill t liilLlI ,,.... lisia ARRIVAL OF A CARxWAJf. 3J,1 But his income Is derived chiefly from the down -caravans bringing ivory and slaves from Unyamwezi and the far inte- rior. He sends large armed parties of his kinsmen and friends, his clients and serfs, as far as two hundred miles inland, where they act less like touters than highwaymen. By every petty art of mercantile diplomacy they induce the caravan to enter the village. " Arrived within two marches of the coast town, the head of the caravan calls a halt till the presents promised by an escort of touters have arrived and have been approved of. He then delays as long as possible, to live gratis upon those with whom he proposes to deal. After a time, the caravan enters in stately procession. Having settled the exorbitant claims of the headmen and the chai-ges of the Zanzibar gov- ernment, which are usually levied in duplicate by the local authorities, the barbarian has recourse to the Indian Banyan. Bargains are usually concluded at night ; to a civilized man the work would be an impossible trial of patience. A lot of two hundred tusks is rarely sold under four months. Each article is laid upon the ground, and the purchaser begins by placing handsome cloths under the point and bamboo of the tusk, and by covering its whole length with a third ; these form the first prequisites of the seller. "After a few days, during which rice and ghee, sugar and sweetmeats must be freely supplied, commences the chaffer- ing for the price. The Banyan becomes excited at the ridic- ulous demand of his client, screams like a woman, pushes him out of doors, and receives a rettirn of similar treatment with interest. He takes advantage of his knowledge that the African in making a bargain is never satisfied with the first offer, however liberal ; he begins with a quarter of the worth, then he raises it to one half, and, when the bar- barian still hesitates, he throws in some flashy article which turns the scale. " The Wamrima are of darker complexion, and are more African in appearance than the coast Arabs. The popular color is a dull yellowish bronze. The dress is a fez, or a Surat 342 HALF-CASTE AIIABS. cap ; a loin-cloth, wliich among the wealthy, is generally an Arab check or an Indian print, with a similar sheet thrc)wn over the shoulders. Men seldom appear in public without a spear, a sword, or a staff; and priding themselves upon the possession of umbrellas, they may be seen rolling barrels, or otherwise working upon the sands, under the luxurious shade. " In early j-outh, many of the girls liave a pretty piquancy, a coquettishness, a natural grace, and a caressing look, which might become by habit exceedingly prepossessing. In later life their charms assume that peculiar solidity M'liich is said to characterize the beauties of MuUingar, and, as a rule, they are shockingly ugly. " The Castilian proverb says that the English woman should be seen at the window, the French woman on the promenade, and the Spanish woman every where — the Afri- can woman should be seen nowhere, or in the dark. The children mostly appear in the graceful costume of the Belvi- dere Apollo ; not a few of them have, to the European eye, that amusing prettiness which we admire in pug-pups. The uncle sells his nephews and nieces by a vested right, and society justifies the abomination. ' What ! exclaim the peo- ple, shall a man want, when his brothers and sisters have children ? ' " Besides the Baloch and the Wamrima, the settlements usually contain a few of the ' Washenzi," or barbarians from the interior, who visit them to act as day-laborers, and who sometimes, by evincing a little disrespect for the difference between the 'mine' and the 'thine' leave their heads to dec- orate tall poles. " The Mrima is also inhaljited by half-caste Arabs. The coast Arab has little education. In eai'ly life he aids his father in the shop or plantation, and gives himself up to intoxication and intrigue. After suffering severely from his excesses, at the age of seventeen or eighteen he takes unto liimself a wife. Estranged from the land of his forefathers, he rarely visits Zanzibar, where the restraints of semi-civili- zation, the decencies of Oriental society, and the low estinui- LIFE OX THE MRIMA— " SPEKE'S FAITHFULS." 343 tion in which the bhick skin is held, weary and irritate him. His point of honor seems to consist chietiy in wearinii^ pub- licly, in token of his Arab descent, a turban and a long yellow shirt." The mode of life on the Mrima is simple. Men rise early and repair to the shop, the hunt, or the plantation ; or, fre- quently, they waste the niorning going from house to house to salute the neighbors. They enter abruptly, place their spears in the corner, and without invitation extend themselves on the floor. When tired with conversation, they take " French leave." Life to the European so real and earnest, is with them a continued scene of drumming, dancing, and drinking ; of gossip, squabble, and intrigue. Kaole and Bagamoyo are little ports on the Mrima, some two miles apart, at which merchandise from Zanzibar is landed, and from which caravans for the interior take their start. Speke and Grant, and Stanley made Bagamoyo their point of departure. Burton and Speke started from Kaole. As one explorer prepares the way for another, Mr. Stanley, on his journey to Unyanyembe, Ujiji and Lake Tanganyika, doubt- less derived much benefit from studying the narrative of their journey to the same places. As the reader, too, who is famil- iar with Burton and Speke's discoveries, will be able to fol- low Mr. Stanley's narrative more understandingly than he otherwise could, a synopsis of their trip to Ujiji is here given. Mr. Stanley was also fortunate in securing the services of several of Burton and Speke's most faithful men, among whom were " Seedy Bombay," " Bull-headed Mabruki," and other of " Speke's Faithfuls." They considered any white explorer as a " brother of Speke's," and gladly joined Mr. Stanley's expedition. Being acquainted with the ways of white men, they made themselves very useful. It wnll interest the reader also to know that Said bin Selim, governor of Unyanyembe when Stanley arrived there, was the caravan captain of both Burton and Speke's and Speke and Grant's expeditions. CHAPTER XXI. BUETOX AND SPEKE'S JOURXEY TO UJLII. BURTOX and Speke's Expedition started from Kaole on the 27tli of June 1857. An African caravan takes three departures before it gets fairly under way — the little start, the great start, and the final start which, in this case, was made on the 1st of July from a village four hours march from Kaole. On the evening previous a medicine-man had been summoned, to whom a Surat skull-cap was ofiered for a favor- able prophecy. The members of the caravan were then called together, and after the usual ceremonies the Mganga announced that the journey would be prosperous — much talk- ing, but little killing — successful voyage on the lake— plenty of ivory and slaves — happy return, etc. The caravan consisted of five asses, thirty-six Wanyamwezi porters ; a headman named Said bin Salim with several of his slaves ; a guard of native Baloch from Zanziljar, servants of tlie Sultan commanded by a jemadar ; Muinyi, the inter- preter ; " Seedy Bombay " and " Bull-headed Mabriki," gun carriers of the travelers, and two Portuguese half-castes as their servants. Then there were ten hired slaves — " Sons of Ramji." Pamji was the Banyan clerk of the customs at Zanzibar, and his " sons "had been received by him as collaterals from their parents and uncles, who had forgotten to redeem their pledges. Some thirty of the garrison at Kaole also escorted them during the first twenty days of the journey. " It was a gallant sight to see the Baloch, as with trailed matchlocks, 344 DEPARTURE OF THE CARAVAN. 345 and in bravery of shield, sword, and dagger, tliey hurried in Indian file out of the Kaole cantonments, following their blood-red flag, and their high-featured, snowy-bearded chief, the " Sahib Mohammed" — old Mohammed. Issuing from the little palisade of Kaole, the path winds in a southwesterly direction over a sandy soil, thick %vith thorns and bush, which in places project across the w^ay. Thence ascending a wave of ground where cocoas and the wild arrow-root flourish, it looks down upon park land like that described l)y travelers in CafTraria, a fair expanse of sand veiled with humus, here and there growing rice, with mangoes and other tall trees regu- larly disposed as if by the hand of nian." " The departure from Bomani was effected on the 1st of July with some trouble ; it was like driving a herd of wild cattle. At length, by ejecting skulkers from their huts, by dint of promises and threats, of gentleness and violence, of soft words and hard words, occasionally backed by a smart application of the ' bakur ' — the local ' cat ' — by sitting in the sun, in fact by incessant worry and fidget from 6 A.M. to 3 P. M., the sluggish and unwieldy body acquired some momentum, " Kzasa is the first district of independent Uzaramo. Here I was visited l^y three p'hazi, or headmen. They came to ascertain whether I was bound on peaceful en-and or march- ' ing to revenge the murder of my ' brother,' (M. Maizan.) Assured of our unwarlike intentions, they told me that I must halt on the morrow and send forward a message to the next chief. I replied through Said that I could not be bound by their rules, but was ready to pay for their infraction. "During the debate upon this fascinating proposal for breaking the law, Yusuf, one of the most turbulent of the Baloch, drew his sword on an old woman because slie refused to give up a basket of grain. She rushed, with the face of a black Medusa, into the assembly, and provoked not very peaceable remarks concerning the peaceful nature of our intentions. When the excitement was allayed, the principal p'hazi began to ask what had brought the white man into 18 34(3 UPROAR IN THE VAN. their countiy, and in a breath to predict the loss of their gains and commerce, their land and liberty. " ' I am old,' pathetically quoth the p'hazi, ' and my beard is gray, yet I have never beheld such a calamity as this !' " ' These men,' replied Said, ' neither buy nov sell ; they do not inquire into price, nor do they covet profit. More- over,' he pursued, ''what have ye to lose V "A present opened the headmen's hearts: they privily termed me Murungwana Sana, a real freeman, and detached Kizaya to accompany me as far as the western half of the Kingani Yalley. At 4 P. M. a loud drumming collected the women, who began a dance of ceremony with peculiar vigor. " The next day there was an uproar in the van of the cara- van ; Moiran, a petty lord, had barred the road with a dozen men, demanding ' dash.' Speke, who was attended only by ' Bombay,' his gun-carrier, and a few Baloch, remarked to the interferers that he had been franked through the country by paying at Nzasa. To this they obstinately objected. The Baloch began to light their matches and to use hai-d Avords. A fight appeared imminent. Presently, however, when the "Wazaramo saw my flag rounding the hill-shoulder with a fresh party, whose numbers were exaggerated by distance, they gave way ; and finally, when Muinyi Wazira opened upon them the invincible artillery of his tongue, they fell back and stood off the road to gaze. The linguist returned to the rear in great glee, blowing his finger-tips, as if they had been attached to a matchlock, and otherwise deriding the overboil- ing valor of the Baloch, who, not suspecting his })nrport, indulged in the wildest outbreak of boasting, offering at once to take the whole country and to convert me into its sultan. "Several down-caravans were halted at Tumba There. The slaves brought from the interior were tied together by tlieir necks, and one obstinate deserter was so lashed to a forked pole with the bifurcation under his chin, that when once on the ground he could not rise without assistance. These wretches scarcely appeared to like the treatment ; they were not, however, in bad condition, \ A WILD DAY. 34-7 " On the 6tli of July, wa entered the fine grain-fields that gird the settlements of Muhogwe, one of the most dreaded in dreaded U^aramo. In our ease, however, the only peril was the levee in masse of the fair sex in the villages, to stare, laugh, and wonder at the white men. ' What should you think of these whites as husbands V asked Muinyi "Wazira of the crowd. ' With such things on their legs ? Sivyo ! not by any means !' was the unanimous reply, accompanied with peals of^merrriment. " On the 8th of July we fell into the malarious river plain of the Kingani River. It was a wild day. From the black brumal clouds driven before furious blasts battered rain-drops like musket bullets, splashing the already saturated ground. The tall stiif trees groaned and bent before the gusts ; the birds screamed as they were driven from their perching-places ; the asses stood with heads depressed, ears hung down, and shrinking tails turned toward to the weather, and even the beasts of the wild seemed to have taken refuge in their dens. "At the junction of the Mbuamaji trimk-road M'ith the other lines branching from various minor sea-ports, Speke found his passage barred by about fifty Wazaramo standing across the path in a single line that extended to the travelers' right, while a reserve party squatted on the left of the road. Their chief stepping to the front and quietly removing the load from the foremost porter's head, signaled the strangers to halt. Prodigious excitement of the Baloch, whose loud 'Hai, Imi !' and nervous anxiety contrasted badly with the perfect sang froid of the barbarians. Presently Muinyi Wazira, coming up, addressed to the headman a few words, promising cloth and beads, when this African modification of the 'pike' was opened, and the guard moved forward as before. As I passed, the Wazaramo stood under a tree to gaze. I could not but admire the athletic and statuesque figures of the 3'oung warriors and their martial attitude, grasping in one hand their full-sized bows, and in the other sheaths of grinded arroM's, whose black barbs and necks showed a fresh layer of poison. 34:8 MURDER OF A FREXCH EXPLORER. " On tlie eleventh day after leaving Kaole, I was obliged to mount by a weakness which scarcely allowed me to stand. We passed a well-palisaded village, belonging formerly to Mazungera, and now occupied by his son Ilembe. Eeports of our warlike intentions had caused Ilembe to ' clear decks for action ;' the women had been sent from the village, and .some score of tall youths, archers and spearmen, admirably appointed, lined the hedges, prepared, at the leveling of the tirst matchlock, to lot loose a flight of poisoned arrows, which would certahily have dispersed the whole party. A halt was called by the trembling Said, who at such conjunctures would cling like a woman to my companion or to me. Daring the few minutes' delay the ' sons of Ramji,' who were as pale a? blacks could be, allowed their asses to bump off half a dozen loads. Presently Ilembe, accompanied by a small guard, came forward, and after a few words with Wazira and Said, the donkey, from which I had not dismounted, was hurried forward by the Baloch." Tliis village, Dege la Mhora, vv-as the place whereM. Maizan the French explorer, was murdered in 18-15. He had come to visit Mazungera escorted by Frederique, a Madagascar man and a few followers. "After some days of the most friendly inter- course, during which the villain's plans were being matured, Mazungera, suddenly sending for his guest, reproached him as he entered the hut with giving away goods to other chiefs. Presently working himself into a rage, the African exclaimed, ' Thou shalt die at this moment !' At the signal a crowd of savages rushed in, bearing two long poles. Fredericpie was saved by the p'hazi's wife : he cried to his master to run and touch her, in which case he would have been under her pro- tectiun ; but the traveler had ])robably lost his presence of mind, and the woman was removed. The unfortunate man's arms were tightly bound to a pole lashed crosswise upon another, to which his legs and head were secured by a rope tied across iIh; bi-ow. In this state he was carried out of the village to a calal)ash-tree, and inhumanly murdered. "The lower portion of the Mgeta's bed was unfordable after CROSSING THE MGETA. 351 the heavy rains : other caravans, however, liad made a rude bridge of trees, felled on each side, lashed with creepers, and jammed together by the force of the current. The men, j^erched upon the trunks and boughs, tossed or handed to one another the loads and packages while the asses, pushed by force of arra down the banks, were driven w^ith sticks and stones across the stream. Suddenly a louder cry than usual arose from the mob ; my double-barreled elephant-gun found a grave below the cold and swirling waters. " Resuming our march on the 15th July, we entered the * Doab,' on the western bank of the Mgeta, where a thick and tangled jungle, with luxuriant and putrescent vegetation, is backed by low grassy grounds, frequently inundated. Pres- ently, however, the dense thicket opened out into a fine park country, peculiarly rich in game, where the calabash and the giant trees of the sea-board gave way to mimosas, gums, and stunted thorns. Large gnus, whom the porters regard with wholesome awe, declaring that they are capable of charging a caravan, pranced about, pawing tlie ground, and shaking their formidable manes ; hartebeest and other antelopes clus- tered together on the plain, or traveled in herds to slake their thirst at the river. The travelers were detained at Dut'humi a week, both of them being down with fever. They resumed their journey on the 24th of July, being carried in hammocks slung on poles and carried by slaves who were there hired as porters. "On the next day we came, after a long tramp, to the nearest outposts of the Zungomero district ; here were sev- eral caravans with pitched tents, piles of ivory and crowds of porters. The gang of thirty-six Wanyamwezi, who had pre- ceded us, having located themselves at a distant hamlet, we resumed our march, and presently were met by a number of our men headed by their guard, the two ' sons of Eaniji.' Ensued a general sword and spear play, each man with howls and cheers brandished his blade or vibrated his missile, rush- ing about in all directions, and dealing death among ideal foes with such action as may often be observed in poultry -yards 352 ZUXGOMERO. ^vllen llic liens indulge in a little merry pugnacity. Tlie inarch had occuj)ied us four weeks — about douljle the nsual time — and the porters had naturally begun to suspect acci- dents from the AVazaramo. " Zungomero, the head of the great river-valley, is a plain of black earth and sand, prodigiously fertile. It is the great bandari or centre of trafBc in the eastern, as are Unyanyembe and Ujiji in the middle and the western regions. Lying upon the main trunk-road, it must be traversed by the up and down caravans, and, during the traveling season, between June and April, large bodies of some thousand men pass through it every week. " The Arab merchants usually pitch tents, preferring them to the leaky native huts, full of hens and pigeons, rats and mice, snakes and lizards, crickets and cockroaches, gnats and flies, "and spiders of hideous appearance, where the inmates are often routed by swarms of bees, and are ever in imminent danger of flres. The armed slaves accompanying the caravan seize the best huts, which they either monopolize or share with the hapless inmates, and the porters stow themselves away, under the projecting eaves of the habitations. The main attraction of the place is the plenty of provisions. " The first country west of the Mrima is Uzaramo ; next comes Kliuta, at the westerly side of which is Zungomero. The principal inhabitants of this section, are the Wazaramo and the AYakhuta, the latter a timid race have no Sultan, and are much abused by bands of touters from the coast towns. Their settlements are composed of a few straggling hovels of the humblest description, with doors little higher than an English pig-sty, and caves so low that a man can not enter them except on all fours. In the middle of the settlement there is usually a tall tree, under which the men lounge upon cots scarcely large enough for an English child ; and where the slaves, wrangling and laughing, husk their holcus in huge wooden mortars. These villages can scarcely be called per- manent : even the death of a chief causes them to be aban- TDE WAZARAMO. 353 doned, and in a few montlis long grass waves over the circlets of cliarred stakes and straw. " The AVazaranio are a noisy, violent and impracticable race. Sometimes thej act as porters to Arabs. The p'hazi usually fills a small village with his wives and families ; he has also large estates, and he personally superintends the the labor of his slave gangs. He can not sell his subjects except for two oifenses — ugoni or adultery, and uchawi or black magic. The latter crime is usually punished by the stake ; in some parts of the country the roadside shows at every few miles a heap or two of ashes, with a few calcined and blackened human bones mixed with bits of half consumed charcoal, telling the tragedy that has been enacted there. Here and there, close to the larger circles where the father and mother have been burnt, a smaller heap shows that souie wretched child has- shared their terrible fate, lest growing up he should follow in his parents' path. " The East Africans, are fond of calling their children after Arabs and other strangers ; they will even pay a sheep for the loan of a merchant's name. There must be many hun- dred Sayyid Saids and Bayyid Majids now in the country ; and as during the eighteen months' peregrination of the East African Expedition every child born on and near the great trunk-line was called Muzungu, the 'white,' the Englishman has also left his mark in the land." The party halted at Zungomero two weeks to obtain new porters, and left there on the Tth of August. " Life at Zun- gomero, was the acme of discomfort. The weather was, as usual at the base of the mountains, execrable ; pelting show- ers descended in a succession, interrupted only by an occa- sional burst of fiery sunshine, Avhich extracted steam from the thiek covert of grass, bush, and tree. The party, dispersing throughout the surrounding villages — in which, it was said, about one thousand travelers were delayed by the inunda- tions— drank beer, smoked bhang, quarreled among them- selves, and. by their insolence and violence, caused continual complaints on the part of the villagers. 35J: A CHANGE OF SCENE. "From Central Zimgomero to the nearest ascent of the Usagara Mountains is a march of nearly five hours. About noon we diverged a few yards from the Mgeta, and ascended the incline of the first gradient in Usagara, rising about 300 feet from the plain below. This, the frontier of the second region, or ghauts, and the debris encumbering the lowest escarj)ment, is called Mzizi Mdogo. "There was a wondrous change of climate at Mzizi Mdogo; strength and liealth returned as if by magic. Truly delicious was the escape from the cruel climate of the river valley, to the pure sweet mountain-air. Dull mangrove, dismal jungle, and monotonous grass, were supplanted by tall solitary trees, among which the lofty tamarind rose conspicuously graceful, and a card-table-like swamp, cut by a net-work of streams, nullahs, and stagnant pools, gave way to dry, healthy slopes, with short steep pitches and gently shelving hills. The beams of the large sun of the ecpiator — and nowhere have I seen the rulers of night and day so large — danced gaily upon blocks and pebbles of red, yellow, and dazzling snowy quartz, and the bright sea-breeze waved tlie summits of the trees, from which depended graceful llianas, and wood-apples large as melons, while creepers, like vine tendrils, rising from large bulbs of brown-gray wood, clung closely to their stalwart trunks. Monkeys played at hide-and-seek, chattering behind the bolls, as the iguana, with its painted scale-armor, issued forth to bask upon the sunny bank ; white-breasted ravens cawed when disturbed from their perching-places ; doves cooed on tlie well- clothed boughs, and hawks soared high in the transparent sky. The field-cricket chirped like the Italian cigala in the shady bush, and everywhere, from air, from earth, from the hill slopes al)ove, and from the marshes below, the hum, the buzz, and the long continuous voiceof insect life, through the length of the day, Ki)oke out its natural joy. Our gypsy encamp ment lay 'By shallow rivers, to whose falls Melodious birds sing madrigals.' "13y night, the soothing murmurs of the stream at the hill's DESERTED BY THE GUARD. 355 base rose mingled with the faint rustling of the breeze, which at times broken by the scream of the night-heron, the bellow of the bull-frog in his swampy home, the cynhyena's whim- per, and the fox's whining bark, sounded through the silence most musical, most melancholy. Instead of the cold night rain, and the soughing of the blast, the view disclosed a peace- ful scene, the moonbeams lying like sheets of snow upon the ruddy highlands, and the stars hanging like lamps of gold from the dome of infinite blue. 1 never wearied with con- templating the scene, for, contrasting with the sjjlendors around me, still stretched in sight the Slough of Despond, un- happy Zungomero, lead-colored above, nmd-colored below, wind-bwept, fog-veiled, and deluged by clouds that dared not approach these delectable mountains." " Zonhwe was the turning-point of the expedition's difficul- ties. Another ass had died, reducing the number to twenty- three, and the Baloch, at first contented with two, doubled their requirements, and on the 1-ith of August took a fifth, besides placing their powder on our hard-worked animals. I therefore proposed to the jemadar that the cloth, the beads, and the other similar luggage of his men, should be packed, sealed up, and inserted into the porter's loads, of which sev- eral had shrunk to half weight. While I was explaining the object of the measure, the escort appeared in mass, and, with noise sufficient for a general action, ostentatiously strewed their old clothes upon the ground, declaring that at Zanzibar they M^ere honorable irien. The jemadar accused me of starv- ing the party. I told him not to eat abominations, upon which, clapping hand to hilt, he theatrically forbade me to repeat tlie words. Being prostrated at the time by fever, I could only show him how little dangerous he was by using the same phrase half a dozen times. He then turned fiercely upon the timid Said bin Salim, and having safely vented the excess of his wrath, he departed to hold a colloquy with his men. " Presently Said bin Salim was deputed by them to state that for the future they would require one sheep per diem — 350 KETUnX OF THE DESERTERS. men m-1io, ^vllen at Zanzibar, saw flesli probably once a year on the Eed. This being inadmissible, they demanded thiee cloths daily instead of one. They declared that in ease of refusal they would sleep at the village, and on the next day would return to Zanzibar. Ileceiving a contemptuous answer, they marched away in a body, noisily declaring that they were going to make instant preparation for departure. "After the disappearance of the Baloch, the sons of Eamji were snmmoned. The slaves, when they heard the state of the case, cheerfully promised to stand by ns, but on the same evening, they agreed to follow the example of the escort on the first justifiable occasion. I did not learn this till some days afterward, and even if I had been told it on the spot it would have mattered little. My companion and I had made np our minds, in case of the escort and the slaves deserting, to bury our baggage, and to trust ourselves in the hands of the "VVanyamwezi porters. " A march was ordered for the next day — the ITth of August. As the asses were being loaded, appeared the one- ejed jemadar, with i^ ray-beard Musa and Darwaysh, looking more crestfallen and foolish than they had ever looked before. They took my hand with a polite violence, begged suppliantly for a paper of dismissal to ' cover their shame,' and declared that, so far from deserting me, I was deserting them. As this required no reply, I mounted and rode on. " About noon, I lay down half-fainting in the sandy bed of the Muharaa Nullah — and retaining Wazira and Mabruki, I urged the caravan forward, that my companion might send me back a hammock from the halting-place. Suddenly appeared the whole body of deserters shouldering — as porters and asses had been taken from them — their luggage, which outwardly consisted of cloth, dirty rags, green skins, old earthen pots, and greasy gourds and calabaslies. They led mc to a part of the nullah where stagnant water was found, and showing abundant penitence, they ever and anon, attempted excuses, which were reserved for consideration. At 3 P.M., the hammock appearing, I remounted, and pur- THE AFTERNOON MARCH. 357 sued a putli over rolling ground, which renewed the scenerj of the 'Slough of Despond' — Zungomero. Then appeared on a hill-side the kraal in which the caravan had halted; the partly- had lost the road, and had been dispersed by a swarm of bees, an accident even more frequent in East Africa than in India. "Xext morning the Baloch professed themselves profoundly- penitent, and attributing their unsoldierlike conduct to opium and to the wiswas, the temptations of Sathanas, they promised to reform. The promise was kept till we reached Ugogo. "We left Kadetamare on the 25tli of August, to asceud the valley of the Mukondokwa. Crippled by the night-cold that rose from the river-bed, and then wet through with the dew that di-ipped from the tall grass, we traversed, within ear-shot of the frightened villagers who hailed one another from the heights, some fields of grain and tobacco that had been lately reaped. " Rumuma is a favorite resting-place with caravans, on ac- count of the comparative abundance of its supplies. Here, for the first time, the country people descended in crowds from the hills, bringing fowls, hauling along small but beautifully- formed goats, lank sheep, and fiue bullocks. The Wasagara of Kumuma are short, black, beardless men. They wear their hair combed off the forehead, and twisted into a fringe of little pig-tails, wdiich extend to the nai)e of the neck. Few boast of cloth, the general body contenting themselves with a goat-skin flap somewhat like a cobbler's apron tied over one shoulder, as we sling a game-bag. I was visited by their Sul- tan ISTjasa, a small grizzled old man, with eyes reddened by liquor, a wide mouth, a very thin beard, a sooty skin, and long straggling hair. "For many miles beyond Marenga Mk'hali water is rarely found. Caravans, therefore, resort to what is called a 'tiri- keza,' or afternoon march. The tirikeza is one of the severest inflictions that African traveling knows. At 11 A. M. every thing is thrown into confusion, although two or thrre hours must elapse before departure. Loads are bound u]). kitchen batteries are washed and packed, tents are thrown, and stools 358 DOWX TOE USAGARA MOUNTAINS. are caiTied oft" bv fidgeting porters and excited slaves. Hav- ing drank fur the last time, and filled their gourds for the night, the wayfarers set out "when the midday ends. The sun is far more severely felt after the sudden change from shade, than during the morning marches, when its increase of heat is slow and gradual. They trudge under the fire-ball in the fir- mament, over ground seething with glow and reek, through an air which seems to parch the eye-balls, and they endure the affliction till their shadows lengthen out upon the ground. The tirikeza is almost invariably a lengthy stage, as the por- ters wish to abridge the next morning's march, which leads to water. It is often bright moonlight before they arrive at the ground. " The basin of Inenge lies at the foot of the westernmost range of the Usagara Mountains. The climate, like that of Ilmnuma, is ever in extremes — during the day a furnace, and at night a refrigerator — the position is a funnel, which alter- nately collects the fiery sunbeams and the chilly winds that pour down from the misty highlands. The halt was celebra- ted with abundant drumming and droning, which lasted half the night ; it served to cheer the spirits of the men, who had talked of nothing the whole day but the danger of being at- tacked by the Wahumba. On tlie next morning arrived a caravan of about -iOO Wanyamwezi porters, marching to the coast, under the command of Isa bin Ilijji and three other Arab traders ; an exchange of civilities took place. " On the 1-ith of September we left the hill-top and broke ground .upon the counter slope of the Usagara Mountains. Kext day I set out about noon, through hot sunshine temper- ed by the cool hill-breeze. Emerging from the grassy holloM*, the path skirted a well-wooded hill and traversed a small sa- vanna, overgrown with stunted straw and hedged in by a bushy forest. The savanna extended to the edge of a step, which, falling deep and steep, suddenly disclosed to view, be- low and far beyond the shaggy ribs and the dark ravines and folds of the foreground, the })lateau of Ugogo and its Eastern desert. FIRST VIEW OF UGOGO. 359 "The spectacle was truly impressive. The vault above seemed ' an ample agtlier,' raised by its exceeding transparency higher than it is wont to be. Up to the curved rim of the western horizon lay, burnished by the rays of a burning sun, plains rippled like a yellow sea by the wavy reek of the danc- ing air, broken toward the north by a few detached cones ris- ing island-like from the surface, and zebra'd with long black lines, where bush and scrub and strip of thorn jungle, sup- planted upon the water-courses, trending in mazy net-work soutliward to the llwaha River, the scorched grass and with- ered cane-stubbles, which seemed to be the staple growth of the land. There was nothing of effeminate or luxuriant beau- ty, nothing of the flush and fullness characterizing tropical na- ture, in this first aspect of Ugogo. It appeared, what it is, stern and wild — the rough nurse of rugged men — and perhaps the anticipation of dangers and difficulties ever present to the minds of those pre])aring to endure the waywardness of its children, contributed not a little to the fascination of the scene. " Ugogo is the half-way district between the coast and Un- yanyembe, and it is usually made by up-caravans at the end of the second month. The people of this 'no man's land ' are a mongrel race ; the Wasagara claim the ground, but they have admitted as settlers many Wahehe and Wagogo, the latter, for the most part, men who have left their country for their country's good. The plains are rich in grain. The nights are fresh and dewless, and the rays of a tropical sun are cool- ed by the gusts which sweep down the sinuosities of the Dun- gomaro. " Before settling for the niglit Kidogo stood up, and to loud cries of ' Maneno ! maneno!' — equivalent to our parliamentary hear ! hear ! — delivered himself of the following speech : — " ' Listen, O ye whites ! and ye children of Sa3'yidi Majidi ! and ye sons of Ramji ! hearken to my words, O ye offspring of the night ! The journey entereth Ugogo — Ugogo. Beware, and again beware. You don't know the Wagogo, they are s and s ! Speak not to those "Washcnzi pagans ; enter 300 AX ARAB CARAVAX. not into their liouses. Have no dealings with them, show no cloth, wire, nor beads. Eat not with them, drink not Mitli tliem, and make not love to their women. Kirangozi of the "Wanyamwezi, restrain your sons ! Suffer them not to stray into the villages, to buy salt out of camp, to rob provisions, to debauch with beer, or to sit by the wells.' "At the Ziwa the regular system of kuhonga, or black-mail, so much dreaded by travelers, begins in force. Up to this point all the chiefs are contented with little presents ; but in Ugogo tribute is taken by force, if necessary. None can evade payment ; the portei-s, fearing least the road be cut off to them in future, would refuse to travel miless each chief is satisfied ; and when a quarrel arises they throw down their packs and run away. "On the 30th of September, the last day of our detention at the Ziwa, appeared a large caravan headed by Said bin Moluimmed of Mbuamaji, with Khalfan bin Ivhamis, and sev- eral other coast Arabs. They proposed that for safety and ecouomy the two caravans should travel together under a sin- gle flag, and thus combine to form a total of one hundred and ninety men. " These coast Arabs traveled in comfort. All the chiefs of the caravan carried with them wives and female slaves, negroid beauties, tall, bulky, and ' plenty of them,' attired in tulip hues, cochineal and gamboge, who walked the whole way, and who, when we passed them, displayed an exotic modesty by drawing their head-cloths over cheeks which we were little ambitious to profane. They had a multitude of fundi, or managing men, and male slaves, who bore their personal bag and baggage, scrip and scrippage, drugs and comforts, stores and provisions, and who were always early at tlie ground to j)itch, to surround with a 'pai,' or dwarf drain, and to bush for privacy, with green boughs, their neat and light ridge- tents of American domestics. Their bedding was as heavy as ours, and even their poultry traveled in wicker cages. This caravan was useful to us in dealing with the Wagogo : it ■ BLACK-MAIL. 361 always managed, however, to prccedo us on tlio march, and to monopohze the best kraals. " On the 1st of October, 1857, we left the Ziwa, and, after passing through the savannas and the brown jungles of the lower levels, wdiere giraffe again appeared, the path crested a wave of ground and debouched upon the table-land of Ugogo. The aspect was peculiar and unprepossessing. Behind still towered in sight the delectable mountains of Usagara, mist- crowned and robed in the lightest azure, with streaks of deep plum-color, fronting the hot low land of Marcnga llk'hali, whose tawny face was wrinkled with lines of dark jungle. On the north was a tabular range of rough and rugged hill, above which rose three distant cones pointed out as the haunts of the robber Wahumba ; at its base was a deep depres- sion, a tract of brown brush patched with yellow grass, inhab- ited only by the elephant, and broken by small outlying hillocks. Southward, scattered eminences of trce-crov/ned rock rose a few yards from the plain which extended to the front, a clearing of deep red or wdiite soil, decayed vegetation based upon rocky or sandy ground, here and there thinly veiled with brown brush and golden stubbles ; its length, about four miles, was studded with square villages, and with the stately but grotesque calabash. " We were received with the drumming and tlie ringing of bells attached to the ivories, with the yells and frantic shouts of two caravans halted at Kif ukuru ; one was that of Said Mohammed, who awaited our escort, the other a return ' safari,' composed of about one thousand Wanyamwezi por- ters, headed by four slaves of Salim bin Eashid, an Arab merchant settled at Unj-anycmbe. The country people also flocked to stare at the phenomenon. " From the day of our entering to that of our leaving the country, every settlement turned out its swarm of gazers, men and women, boys and girls, some of whom Avould follow us for miles with explosions of Hi ! — i ! — i ! screams of laugh- ter and cries of excitement, at a lung high trot — most 362 TRANSIT OF THE "FIERY FIELD." ungraceful of motion ! — and with a scantiness of toilette uliicli displayed tniely nnseemlj spectacles. "At Kanyenje I was delayed fonr days to settle black- mail with Magomba, a powerful Wagogo chief. " Accompanied by a mob of courtiers, appeared in person the magnifico. He was the only sultan that ever entered my tent in Ugogo — pride and a propensity for strong drink pi-e- vented other visits. He was much too great a man to call upon the Arab merchants, but in our case curiosity had mas- tered state considerations. Magomba was a black, wrinkled elder, driveling and decrepit, with a half-bald head, from whose back and sides depended a few straggling corksci'ews "of iron gray. He demanded and received articles worth here at least fifty dollars, and exhausted nearly two thirds of a porter's load. His return present was the leanest of calves ; when it was driven into camp with much parade, his son, who had been looking out for a fit opportunity, put in a claim for three cottons. Magomba, before our departui'e, exacted from Kidosfo an oath that his Wazuno;u would not smite the land with drought or with fatal disease, declaring that all we had was in his hands. " On the 20th of October we began the transit of the ' Fiery Field ' whose' long broad line of brown jungle, painted blue by the intervening air, had, since leaving K'hok'ho, formed our western horizon. The waste here appeared in its most horrid phase. We halted through the heat of the day at some water-pits in a broken course ; and resuming our tedious march early in the afternoon, we arrived about sun- set at the bed of a shallow nullah. " The 22d of October, saw us at Jiwe la Mkoa. The jun- gle seemed interminable. The shadows of the hills length- ened out uj)on the plains, the sun sank in the glory of purple, crimson, and gold, and the crescent moon rained a flood of silvery light upon the topmost twig-work of the trees ; we passed a dwarf clearing, where lodging and perhaps provis- ions were to be obtained, and we sped by water near the road wliere the frogs were chauting their vesper hymn ; still Aimn^AL AT UNYANYEMBE. 365 fai", far ahead we heard tlie liorns and the faint march-cries of the porters. " On the 7th of November, 1857 — the one hundred and thirty-fourth day from the date of our leaving tlie coast- after marching at least six hundred miles, we prepared to enter Kazeh, the principal bandari of Eastern Unyamwezi, and the capital village of the Omani merchants. We left Hanga at dawn. The Baloch were clothed in that one fine suit without which the Eastern man rarely travels ; after a few displays the dress will be repacked, and finally disposed of in barter for slaves. About 8 A. M. we halted for strag- glers at a little village, and when the line of porters, becom- ing compact, began to wriggle, snake-like, its long length over the plain, with floating flags, booming horns, muskets ringing like saluting-mortars, and an uproar of voice which nearly drowned the other noises, we made a truly splendid and majestic first appearance. " The road was lined with people who attempted to vie with lis in volume and variety of sound ; all had donned their best attire, and with such a luxury my eyes had been long unfamiliar. Advancing, I saw several Arabs standing by the wayside ; they gave the Moslem salutation, and courte- ously accompanied me for some distance. Among them were the principal merchants, Snay bin Amir, Said bin Majid, a young and handsome Omani of noble tribe, and Said bin Ali el Ilinawi, whose short, spare but well-knit frame, pale face, small features, snowy beard, and bald head surmounted by a red fez, made him the type of an Arab old man. " The Arabs live comfortably, and even splendidly, at TJnyanyembe. The houses, though single-storied, are large, substantial, and capable of defense. Their gardens are exten- sive and well planted ; they receive regular supplies of mer- chandise, comforts, and luxuries from the coast; they are surrounded by troops of concubines and slaves, whom they train to divers crafts and callings ; rich men have riding-asses from Zanzibar, and even the poorest keep flocks and herds." 19 CHAPTER XXII. BUETON AND SPEKE'S EXPEDITION. (continued.) THE Land of the Moon, which is the garden of Central Inter-tropical Africa, presents an aspect of peacefiJ rural beauty which soothes the eye like a medicine after the red glare of barren Ugogo, and the dark monotonous verdure of the western provinces. The inhabitants are comparatively numerous in the villages, which rise at short intervals above their impervious walls of the lustrous green milk-bush, with its coral-shaped arms, variegating the well-hoed plains ; while in the pasture-lands frequent herds of many-colored cattle, plump, round-barreled, and high-humped, like the Indian breeds, and mingled flocks of goats and sheep dispersed over tlie landscape, suggest ideas of barbarous comfort and plenty. There are few scenes more soft and soothing than a view of Unyamwezi in the balmy evenings of spring. "At eventide, when the labors of the day were past and done, the villagers came home in a body, laden with their imple- ments of cultivation, and singing a kind of " dulce donum " in a simple and i)leasing recitative. The sunset hour in the " Land of the Moon," is replete with enjoyments. The sweet and balmy breeze floats in waves like the draught of a fan ; the sky is softly and serenely blue ; the fleecy clouds, station- ary in the upper firmament, are robed in purple and gold, and the beautiful blush crimsoning the west is reflected by all the features of earth. At this time all is life. The \mlturc soars with sdlcnt flight high in the blue expanse; the small birds 366 THE WANYAMWEZI TORTERS. 3G9 preen themselves for the night, and sing their evening hymns ; the antelopes prepare to couch in the bush ; the cattle and flocks frisk and gambol while driven from their pastures ; and the people busy themselves with the simple pleasures that end the day." The travelers were detained at Unyanyembe for five weeks, and though comfortably housed the delay was a long trial of patience. Their gang of "Wanyamwezi porters took their pay out of their loads as soon as they reached Unyanyembe, aud started for their Unyamwezi homes without a word of farewell to their late employers, and the rest of the party considered the exploration at an end. These Wanyamwezi porters are cordially welcomed home after their long walk to and from the coast. As soon as a wife hears that her husband is about to arrive home, she puts on all her ornaments, decorates herself with a feathered cap, gathers her friends round her, and proceeds to the hut of the chief's principal wife, before whose door they all dance and sing. Dancing and singing are with this tribe, as well as many others, the chief amusements. On the 14tli of November, the rainy season set in, the place became more nnhealthy. Burton, Speke, Bombay and many of the other Zanzibar men were taken sick, porters could not be obtained, Said bin Salim began to " put on airs," and it was not till the 14th of December, that Burton started from Unyanyembe, and even then Speke remained at Kazeh to secure supplies. Mr. Burton halted two days at Yambo, and soon after- ward reached Irora, a village in Mfuto, belonging to an Arab, who was naked to the waist and armed with bow and arrows. He received the travelers surlily, and when they objected to a wretched cow-shed outside his palisade, he suddenly waxed furious, raved like a madman, shook his silly bow, and declared himseK as good a "sultan" as any other. He became pacified on perceiving that his wrath excited nothing but the ridicule of the Baloch, found a better lodging, sent a 3 TO WESTERN UXYAMWEZI. bowl of fresli milk wherein to drown differences, and behaved more like an Arab shaykh than an African headman. On the 30th of December, the travelers reached Msene, the chief bandari of Western Unjamwezi ; like Unyanyembe it is not a town but a mass of detached settlements. Its Arab inhabitants are mostly natives of the coast, with a natm'al antipathy to the pure Omani. Here the travelers were delayed twelve days. Only two or three of the Arabs paid them any civilities. The native sultan visited them several times. His first greeting was : — " White man, what pretty thing hast thou brought up from the shore to me ? " " As might be expected from the constitution of its society, Msene is a place of gross debauchery most grateful to the African mind. All, from sultan to slave, are intoxicated whenever the material is forth-coming. The drum is never silent, and the dance fills up the spare intervals of carouse till exhausted nature can bear no more. The consequence is, that caravans invariably lose numbers by desertion when pass- ing through Msene. Even household slaves, born and bred upon the coast, cannot tear themselves from its Circean charms. The temptations of the town rendered it almost impossi- ble to keep a servant or slave within doors ; the sons of Ramji vigorously engaged themselves in trading, and Muinyi Wazira in a debauch which ended in a dismissal." On leaving Msene, the sons of Ramji lingered behind, contrary to orders, and on appearing three days afterwards, were dismissed and sent back to Kazeh. At Wanyika the travelers were black-mailed by the Sultan Uvinzi, the lord of the Malagarazi River ; afterward on arriving at the ferry, they were told that the sultan had sold his permission to cross, and were required to pay additional toll. " The route before us lay through a howling wilderness, once popular and fertile, but now laid waste by the fierce AVatuta. Snay bin Amir had warned me that it would be our greatest trial of patience. " We followed the southern line which crosses the Rusugi River at the branch islet. Fords are always picturesque. The FORDING THE RUSUGL 371 men seemed to enjoy the washing ; their nnmbers protected them from the crocodiles, which fled from their shouting and splashing ; and they even ventured into deep water, where swimming was necessary. "We crossed, as usual, on a 'uni- corn ' of negroids, the upper jiart of the body supported by two men, and the feet resting upon the shoulders of a third — a posture somewhat similar to that afi'ected by gentlemen who find themselves unable to pull off' their own boots. Then re- mounting, we ascended the grassy rise on the right of the stream, climbed up a rocky and bushy ridge, and found our- selves ensconced in a ragged and comfortless kraal upon the western slopes, within sight of some deserted salt-pans below. " On the 13th of February we resumed our travel through screens of lofty grass, which thinned out into a straggling forest. After about an hour's march we entered a small sa- vanna and presently ascended a steep hill, and halted for a few moments upon the summit. " ' What is that streak of light which lies below V I inquir- ed of Seedy Bombay. ' I am of opinion,' quoth Bombaj^, ' that that is the water.' 1 gazed in dismay ; the remains of my blindness, the veil of trees, and a broad ray of sunshine illuminating but one reach of the lake, had shrunk its fair proportions. Somewhat prematurely I began to lament my folly in having rit^ked life and lost health for so poor a prize. Advancing, however, a few yards, the whole scene suddenly burst upon my view, filling me with admiration, wonder, and delight. " Nothing, in sooth, could be more picturesque than this first view of the Tanganyika Lake, as it lay in the lap of the mountains, basking in the gorgeous tropical sunshine. Below and beyond a short foreground of rugged and precipitous hill-fold, down which the footpath zigzags painfully, a narrow strip of emerald green, never sere and marvelously fertile, shelves toward a ribbon of glistening yellow sand, here bor- dered by sedgy rushes, there cleanly and clearly cut by the breaking wavelets. Farther in front stretch the waters, an 372 FIRST VIEW OF LAKE TANGANYIKA, expanse of the lightest and softest blue, in breadth A^arying from thirty to thirty-five miles, and sprinkled by the crisp east wind witli tiny crescents of snowy foam. The background in front is a high and broken wall of steel-colored mountain, here flecked and capped with pearly mist, there standing sharply penciled against the azure air ; its yawning chasm, marked by a deeper plum-color, fall toward dwarf hills of mound-like proportions, which apparently dip their feet in the wave. To the south, and opposite the long low point be- hind which the Malagarazi River discharges the red loam suspended in its violent stream, lie the bluft' headlands and capes of Uguhha, and as the eye dilates, it falls upon a clus- ter of outlying islets speckling a sea-horizon. Villages, cul- tivated lands, the frequent canoes of the fishermen on the waters, and on a nearer approach the murmurs of the waves l)reakiug upon the shore, give a something of variety, of movement, of life to the landscape. " Truly it was a revel for soul and sight. Forgetting toils, dangers, and the doubtfulness of return, I felt willing to en- dure double what I had endured ; and all the party seemed to join with me in joy. My purblind companion found no- thing to grumble at except the ' mist and glare before his eyes.' Said bin Salim looked exulting — Tie had procured for me this pleasure — the monocolous jemadar grinned his con- gratulations and even the surly Baloch made civil salams. The travelers struck the lake a short distance below Ujiji ; there a boat was obtained, and on the 14tli of February, they rowed along the coast to Ujiji. " Presently mammoth and behemoth shrank timidly from exposure, and a few hollowed logs, the monoxyles of the fishermen, the wood-cutters, and the market-people, either cut the water singly, or stood in crowds drawn up on the patches of yellow sand. The craft was poled through a hole in a thick welting of coarse reedy grass and flaggy aquatic plants to a level landing-place of flat shingle, where the water shoaled off rapidly. Such was the ghaut or disembarkation quay of the great Ujiji. " Around the ghaut a few scattered huts, in the humblest '4m iv---c---7 V WH /I I II MI I- ARIUV.VL AT UJIJI. 375 bee-hive shape, represented the . port-town. Advancing through a din of shouts and screams, tom-toms, and trumpets, which defies description, and mobbed by a swarm of black beings, whose ' eyes seemed about to start from their heads with surprise, I passed a rehc of Arab civilization, the ' bazar,' where, weather permitting, a mass of standing and squatting negroes. buy and sell, barter and exchange, offer and chaffer with a hubbub heard for miles, and where a spear or dagger thrust brings on, by no means unfrequeutly, a skirmishing faction-fight. " I was led to a ruinous tembe, built by an Arab merchant, Ilamid bin Salim, wlio had allowed it to be tenanted by ticks and slaves. Situated, however, half a mile from, and backed by the little village of Kawele, whose mushroom-huts barely protruded their summits above the dense vegetation, and placed at a similar distance from the water in front, it had the double advantage of proximity to provisions, and of a view which at first was highly enjoyable. The Tanganyika is ever seen to advantage from its shores ; upon its surface the sight vrearies with the unvarying tintage — all shining greens and hazy blues — while continuous parallels of lofty hills, like the sides of a huge trough, close the prospect and suggest the idea of confinement. '• On the second day after my arrival I was called upon by "Kannena," the headman of Kawele, imder Eusimba, the principal chief of Ujiji. On this occasion he behaved with remarkable civility, and he introduced, as the envoys commis- sioned by the great Eusimba to receive his black-mail, two gentlemen a quarter clad in the greasiest and scantiest bark- aprons, and armed with dwarfish battle-axes." The announcement that the new comers were not mer- chants or traders was received with distrust and ill-will by the native Ujijians. "These are the men who live by doing no- thing," they said, and lost no time in requesting them to leave the territory. To this they objected, offering, however, com- pensation for loss of perquisites usually received from trading 376 VISIT FROM THE HEADMAN. caravans. Claims were at once made and paid. Insults and injuries followed. " On one occasion, a young person went to tlie huts of the Balocb, and, snatcliing up a line cloth, which she clasped to her bosom, delied them to recover it by force, and departed, declaring that it was a line for bringing ' whites ' into the country. At first our heroes spoke of much slaughter likely to arise from such procedure, and with theatrical gesture made ' rapiere an vent ;' presently second thoughts suggested how beautiful is peace, and thirdly, they begged so hard that I was compelled to ransom for them the article purloined. I had unwittingly incurred the animosity of Kannena. On the day after his appearance in rich clothing, he had entered un- announced with bare head, a spear or two in hand, and a bun- dle of wild-cats' skins by way of placket ; not being recog- nized, he was turned out, and the ejectment mortally offended his dignity." The travelers, too, and many of their men, were taken sick at Ujiji ; all energy seemed to have abandoned them. Bur- ton lay for two weeks, " too blind to read or write except with long intervals, too weak to ride, and too ill to converse." Speke suffered from a painful opthalmia, and otherwise. Be- ing determined to explore the northern part of the lake, they finally shook off the lethargy, and Speke started on the 2d of March, in a small boat with four of his men, to cross the lake for the purpose of hiring from an Arab the only dliow, or sailing craft, then in existence on the lake, in which they might start on their explorations northward. Mr. Burton re- mained behind, and thus speaks of his residence there : — "During my twenty-seven days of solitude the time sped quickly ; it was chiefly spent in eating and drinking, smoking and dozing. Awaking at 2 or 3 A. M., I lay anxiously ex- pecting the gray light creeping through the door-chinks and making darkness visible ; the glad tidings of its approach were announced by the cawing of the crows and the crowing of the village cocks. "When the golden rays began to stream over the red earth, the torpid Valentine was called up ; he LIFE AT ujur. 3Y7 brought Tvitli him a mess of siiji, or rice-flour hoiled in water, ■with a little cold milk as a relish. Then entered Muhabanja, armed with a leafy branch, to sweep the floor and to slay the huge Masps that riddled the walls of the tenement. This done he lit the fire. Ensued visits of ceremony from Said bin Sahm and the jemadar, who sat, stared, and, somewhat disap- pointed at seeing no fresh symptoms of approaching dissolu- tion, told me so with their faces, and went away. '•From Y A. M. till 9 A. M., the breakfast hour, Valentine was applied to tailoring, gun-cleaning, and similar light work, over which he groaned and grumbled, while I settled down to diaries and vocabularies, a process interrupted by sundry pipes. Breakfast was again a mess of suji and milk — such civilized articles as tea, coffee, and sugar had been unknown to me for months. Again the servants resumed their labor, and they worked, with the interval of two hours for sleep at noon, till 4 P. M. During this time the owner lay like a log upon his cot, smoking almost uninterruptedly, dreaming of things past, and visioning things present, and sometimes in- dulging himself in a few lines of reading and wiiting. Din- ner was an alternation of fish and fowl, game and butcher's meat being rarely procurable at Ujiji. "As evening approached I made an attempt to sit under the broad eaves of the tembe, and to enjoy the delicious spec- tacle of this virgin Nature and the reveries to which it gave birth. " A pleasing land of drowsihed it was,- Of dreams that wave before the half-shut eye, And of gay castles in the clouds that pass, i'orever flushing round a summer sky." " It reminded me of the loveliest glimpses of the Mediter- ranean ; there were the same ' laughing tides,' pellucid sheets of dark blue water borrowing their tints from the vinous shores beyond ; the same purple light of youth upon the cheek of the earlier evening, the same bright sunsets, with their ra- diant vistas of crimson and gold opening like the portals of a world beyond the skies; the same short-lived grace and love- liness of the twilight ; and, as night closed over the earth, the 378 LIFE AT UJIJI. same cool flood of transparent moonbeam pouring on the tufty heights and bathing their sides with the whiteness of virgin snow. "At 7 P. M., as the last flush faded from the Occident, the lamp — a wick in a broken pot of palm-oil — was brought in ; Said bin Salim appeared to give the news of the day — how A. had abused B., and how C. had nearly been beaten by T>., and a brief conversation led to the hour of sleep. A dreary, dis- mal day, you will exclaim, gentle reader ; a day that " Lasts out a night in Russia, Where days are longest there." Yet it had its enjoyments. There were no post-offices, and this African Eden had other advantages which, probably, I might vainly attempt to describe. " On the 29th of March, the rattling of matchlocks announc- ed my companion's return. The masika had done its worst upon him. I never saw a man so thoroughly moist and mildewed ; he justified even the French phrase ' wet to the bone.' His paraphernalia were in a similar state ; his guns were grained with rust, and his fire-proof powder-magazine had admitted the monsoon-rain. Captain Speke having returned without the dhow, Kannena, the headman, who was preparing for a cruise on the lake, was hired to convey the travelers and seven of their men on a voyage up the lake. The expedition started from Ujiji on the 12th of April 1S58. There were two boats, paddled by fifty-five Wajiji. Kannena also accompanied them. " The Wajiji, and indeed all these races, never work silently or regularly. The paddling is accompanied by a long monot- onous melancholy howl, answered by the yells and shouts of the clioriis, and broken occasionally by a shrill scream of deliglit from the boys which seems violently to excite the adults. The bray and clang of the horns, shaums, and tom- toms, blown and banged incessantly by one or more men in the bow of each canoe, made worse by brazen-lunged imita- tions of these instruments in the squeaking trebles of the younger paddlers, lasts throughout the livelong day, except CRUISE ON THE LAKE. 379 •when terror induces a general silence These " "Wana Maji" — sons of water — work in " spirts," applying lustily to the task till the perspiration pours down their sooty persons. Despite my remonstrances, they insisted upon splashing the water in shovelfuls over the canoe. They make terribly long faces, however, they tremble like dogs in a storm of sleet, and they are ready to whimper when compelled by sickness or accident to sit with me under the endless cold wave-bath in the hold. " After a few minutes of exertion, fatigued and worn, they stop to quarrel, or they progress languidly till recruited for another cfibrt. AVheu two boats are together they race continually till a bump — the signal for a general grin — and the difficulty of using the entangled paddles affords an excuse for a little loitering, and for the loud chatter and violent abuse, without which apparently this people can not hold con- verse. At times they halt to eat, drink, and smoke : the bhang-pipe is produced after every hour, and the paddles are taken in while they indulge in the usual screaming convulsive w^hooping-cough. They halt for their own purposes but not for ours." On the 2Gtli of April the two boats arrived at Uvira, the most northern station to which merchants had then been admitted. " Great rejoicings ushered in the end of our outward-bound voyage. Crowds gathered on the shore to gaze at the new merchants arriving at Uvira, with the usual concert, vocal and instrumental, screams, shouts, and songs, shaums, horns, and tom-toms. The captains of the two canoes performed with the most solemn gravity a bear-like dance upon the mat-cov- ered benches which form the ' quarter-decks,' extending their arms, pirouetting upon both heels, and springing up and squatting down till their hams touched the mats. The crews, with a general grin which showed all their ivories, rattled their paddles against the sides of their canoes in token of greeting, a custom derived probably from the ceremonious 3S0 ARRIVAL AT UVIRA. address of the lakists, wliicli is performed by rapping their elbows against their ribs." The travelers pitched their tents on the sands, and made preparation for exploring the head of the lake which extends a few miles north of Uvira, They had been told at Ujiji, by an Arab, that a river flowed out of the lake, and were greatly disappointed when the three line sons of the Sultan Maruta, visited them, and declared unanimously that they had visited the river, and that the Eusizi entered into and did not flow out of Tanganyika. Burton and Speke remained nine days at Uvira, and found it impossible to proceed further north. " Majid and Bekkari, the Arab agents of Said bin Majid, replied to the offer of an exorbitant sum, that they would not undertake the task for ten times that amount. The sons of Maruta had volunteered their escort ; when I wanted to close with them, they drew off". Kannena, when summoned to perform his promise, and reminded of the hire that he had received, jumped up and ran out of the tent ; afterward at Ujiji he declared that he had been willing to go, but that his crews were unanimous in declining to risk their lives, which was perhaps true. Toward the end of the halt I suffered so severely from ulceration of the tongue that articulation was nearly impossible, and this was a complete stopper to progress. It is a characteristic of African travel that the explorer may be arrested at the very bourne of his journey, on the very threshold of success, by a single stage, as effectually as if all the waves of the Atlantic or the sands of Arabia lay between." The party started from Uvira on the 6th of May, and pro- ceeded witliout adventure. On the 10th of May, at sunset, they left Mzimu, an island, and two hours after sunset struck out boldly towards the eastern shore of Tanganyika. Before reaching the mid-channel they were overtaken by a terrific storm of wind, rain, thunder and lightning ; the crew, thougli blinded by the shower, and frightened by the gusts, worked gallantly, some of them now and then exclaiming, " Oh, my wife !" Bombay spent the whole wild night in saying remi- A FATAL AFFRAY. 381 niscences of prayers. At seven a. m., they landed safely on the coast of Urundi. Here the travelers pitched tlieir tents and retired to sleep. " I was suddenly aroused by Mabruki, who, rushing into the tent, thrust my sword into my hands, and exclaimed that the crews were scrambling into their boats. I went out and found everything in dire confusion. The sailors, hurrying here and there, were embarking their mats and cooking-pots, some were in violent parley with Kannena, while a little knot was carrying a man, mortally wounded, down to the waters of the lake. I saw at once that the affair was dangerous. On these occasions the Wajiji, whose first impulse is ever flight, rush for safety to their boats, and push off, little heeding whom or what they leave behind. We therefore hurried in without delay, " When both crews had embarked, and no enemy appeared, Kannena persuaded them to reland, and, proving to them their superior force, induced them to demand, at the arrow's point, satisfaction of Kanoni, the chief, for the outrage com- mitted by his subjects. During our sleep a drunken man had rushed from the crowd of Warundi, and, knobstick in hand, had commenced dealing blows in all directions. A general melee ensued, Bombay, when struck, called to the crews to arm. The Goanese, Yalentine, being fear-crazed, seized my pistol and probably fired it into the crowd ; at all events, the cone struck one of our own men below the right pap, and came out two inches to the right of the backbone. Fortunately foi us he was a slave, otherwise the situation would have been desperate. As it was, the crowd became violently excited ; one man drew his dagger upon Yalentine, and with difficulty I dissuaded Kannena from killing him." Kannena succeeded in obtaining from the sultan of the coun- try, a small girl and a large sheep as a recompense for the trou- ble occasioned by his drunken subject. The wounded man died after reaching Ujiji, where the boats arrived on the 13th of May, The travelers joined a homeward bound caravan, and left 382 EETURN TO UNYANYEMBE. ITjiji on their return trip May 26th, 1858 ; their departure resembled a flight more than a j)eaeeable expedition. " Kan- ncna," says Burton, " showed no pity to the homeless stran- ger— may the world show none to him !" There was little novelty in the return march to Unyanyem- be. The Rusigi River was forded on the 1st of June. At the salt-pass, where a short halt was made to lay in a supply of salt, several porters deserted. "The guide, who had accompanied the expedition from the coast, remained behind, because his newly-purchased slave girl had become foot-sore, and unable to advance; finding the case hopeless, he cut off her head, lest of his evil,good might come to another. The bull-headed Mabruki had invested his capital in a small ser- vile, an infant phenomenon, who, apparently under six years, trotted manfully alongside the porters, bearing his burden of hide-bed and water-gourd upon his tiny shoulder. For some days he was to his surly master as her first doll to a young girl : when tired he was mounted upon the back, and after crossing every swamp his feet were carefully wiped. When the novelty, however, wore off, the little unfortunate was so savagely beaten that I insisted upon his being committed to the far less hard-hearted Bombay. " The land in the higher levels was already drying up, the vegetation had changed from green to yellow, and the strips of grassy and tree-clad rock, buttressing the left bank of the river, afforded those magnificent spectacles of conflagration which have ever been favorite themes with the Indian muse : " ' Silence profound Enwraps the forest, save where bubbling springs Gush from the rock, or where the echoing hills Give back the tiger's roar, or where the boughs Burst into crackling flame and wide extends The blaze the dragon's fiery breath has kindled.' " The travelers reached Kazeh on tlie 20th of June, and were "warndy welcomed by Snay bin Amir, and reinstated in their old quarters. On the 10th of July Captain Speke started from Kazeh on DISCOVERY OF VICTORIA NTAXZA. 333 an excursion nortli-ward to visit a sea or lake wliicli the Arabs said they had discovered. The trip was a very successful one and resulted in the discovery, on the 30th of July, of Victoria N'yanza. Speke rejoined Burton at Kazeh on the 25th of August, and on the 2Gth of September they started for the coast. At Ilanga, Speke was dangerously ill, which occasioned a halt of nine days. On the third of l^ovember, the caravan issuing from Tura plunged manfully into the Fiery Field, and after seven marches in as many days, halted for breath and forage at Jiwe la Mkoa, the Round Stone. " The transit of Ugogo occupied three weeks, from the 14th of November to the 5th of December. In Kanyenye we were joined by a large down-caravan of Wanyamwezi, carrying ivories ; the musket-shots which announced the con- clusion of certain brotherly ties between the sons of Eamji and the porters, sounded in my ears like minute-guns announc- ing the decease of our hopes of a return to the coast via Kilwa. " The morning of the 15th of December commenced with a truly African scene. The men were hungry, and the air was chill. They prepared, however, to start quietly betimes. Suddenly a bit of rope was snatched, a sword flashed in the air, a bow-horn quivered with nocked arrow, and the whole caravan rushed frantically with a fearful row to arms. As no one dissuaded the party from ' fighting it out,' they apparently became friends, and took up their loads. My companion and I rode quietly forward : scarcely, however, had we emerged from the little basin in which the camp had been placed, than a terrible hubbub of shouts and yells announced that the sec- ond act had commenced. After a few minutes. Said bin Salim came forward in trembling haste to announce that the jemadar had again struck a pagazi, who, running into the nullah, had thrown stones with force enough to injure his assailant, consequently that the Baloch had drawn their sabres and had commenced a general massacre of porters. " Well understanding this misrepresentation, we advanced 384 RETURN TO THE COAST. about a mile, and thence sent back two of the sons of Eamji to declare that we would not be delayed, and that if not at once followed, we would engage other porters at the nearest village. This brought on a denouement : presently the com- batants appeared, the Baloch in a high state of grievance, the Africans declaring that they had not come to fight but to carry. I persuaded them both to defer settling the business till the evening, when both parties, well crammed with food, listened complacently to that gross personal abuse, which, in these lands, represents a reprimand." Proceeding onward, the travelers reached Zumgomero on the 29th of December, and remained there till January 21st. Twelve marches brought them to the East Coast, at a place a few miles southerly of Bagamoyo. " There was but little of interest or adventure on this return line." " On the 30th of January our natives of Zanzibar scream- ed with dehglit at the sight of the mango-tree, and pointed out to one another, as they appeared in succession, the old fa- miliar fruits, jacks and pine-apples, limes and cocos. On the 2d of February w^e greeted, with dolFed caps and three times three and one more, as Britons will do on such occasions, the kindly smiling face of our father Keptune, as he lay basking in the sunbeams between earth and air. Finally, the 3d of Februan,', 1859, saw us winding through the poles decorated with skulls — a negro Temple-bar wdiich pointed out the way into the little maritime village of Konduchi. " Our entrance was attended with the usual ceremony, now familiar to the reader ; the warmen danced, shot, and shout- ed, a rabble of adults, youths, and boys crowded upon us, the fair sex lulliloo'd with vigor, and a general procession con- ducted their strangers to the hut sw^ept, cleaned, and garnish- ed for us by old Premji, the principal Banyan of the head- quarter village, and there stared and laughed till they could stare and laugh no more." CHAPTER XXIII. FKOM ZANZIBAR TO UXYAXYEMBE. MR. STANLEY arrived cat Zanzibar on the 6tli of January 1871, and after preparing for his journey as far as it could be done on the island, he sailed over to Bagarnojo, a distance of about twenty-five miles, where he completed his outfit and final arrangements. On the first day of April he started from Bagamoyo, bringing up the rear of his caravan, portions of which had been sent ahead, with orders to proceed to Unyanyembe as fast as possible and there await the arrival of the balance of the caravan. Unyanyembe, the central and principal province of Unyam- wezi, is the great bandari or meeting place of traders, going from the Coast to Lake Tanganyika, and the point of depart- ure for caravans, which thence radiate into the interior of Central Intertropical Africa. Here it is customary for travelers to take a long rest before resuming the journey, and caravans are frequently delayed here from two to three months. Between the two places are three or more well-worn cara- van routes, which occasionally meet and again diverge. Mr. Stanley's route, for a portion of the way, was a little north- erly of that taken by Mr. Burton, and consequently some- what shorter. Burton and Speke were one hundred and thirty-four days in making the journey, but were delayed some by" sickness. 20 ^^^ 386 • STANLEY'S EASTERN TRAVELS. Kwiliara, -where the Stanley Expedition was quartered during its stay at Unyanyenibe, is a little settlement situated a short distance from tlie larger village of Tabora. The follow- ing narrative of the journey from Bagamoyo to Unyanyenibe, was written at Kwihara, July 4th, 1871, and forwarded to the Herald. " Your Expedition, sent out under me, has arrived in Unyan- yembe. Were you living at Zanzibar, or on the East African coast, you would have a much better idea what the above few words meant than you have now. You M'ould know, with- out any explanation, that it had traveled live hundred and twenty-five and one-half miles, and if you heard that we had traveled that great distance within eighty-two days — a little under three months — you would at once know that we had marched it in a very short time ; but since you and your readers live in America, I must return to the Island of Zan- zibar, close to the coast of East Africa, whence we started, and give you a brief summary of the incidents and misfor- tunes which befell us throughout the march. The instnictions which I received from you close on two years ago, were given with the usual brevity of the Herald. They were, " Find out Livingstone, and get what news you can relating to his discoveries." But before seeking Livingstone in the unknown wilds of Africa, I had other orders to fulfill which you had given me. I had to be present at the inauguration of the Suez Canal ; I had to ascend the Nile to the first cataract ; I had to write full accounts of what I had seen and what was done — a guide to Lower and Upper Egypt. From Egypt I was instructed to go to Jerusalem, write up what Warren was discovering under that famous city ; tlicncc I had to proceed to the Crimea, whence I was to send you descriptions of Sebastopol as it stands to-day, of the grave- yards in and about it, of the battle-fields where England and France met Kussia in the shock of war. This done, I had to travel through the Caucasus, visit Turkestan, find out what MAP OF EXPLOKER'S ROUTES. 388 PREPARATIONS AT ZANZIBAR— BUYING BEADS. Stoletoff and the Hussians were doing towards the conquest of the Oxias Yalley, and then advance towards India. Isext I had to travel through the length of Persia, and write about the Euphrates Valley, the railroad that has been on the tapis so long, and its prospects. Lastly, I had to sail to the African Coast, and, according as circumstances guided me, seek out Livingstone, and ascertain from him what discoveries he had made — only such facts as he would be pleased to give to one who had made such efforts to reach him, Quichly and briefly as the instructions were given by you, their performance recj^uired time, and a large expenditure of money. What I have already accomplished has required nineteen months. I arrived at Zanzibar on the 6th of January of this year, and at once set about making the necessary inquiries from parties who ought to know about the whereabouts of Dr. Liv- ingstone. The most that I could glean was, that he was in the neighborhood of Ujiji, which was a little over nine hun- dred miles from the coast. It would never do to return to Bombay or Aden with such scanty and vague news, after tlie time and money expended in reaching Zanzibar. Why, all the world knew or supposed such to be the fact. What was I to do ? Go by all means, and never to return unless I coukl better such information. Go I did. It occupied me a month to jDurchase such things as were necessary, and to organize an expedition to collect such infor- mation as would be useful to me in the long march, and would -guide me in the new sphere in which I found myself. The expense which you were incurring frightened me consid- erably ; but then " obey orders if you break owners " is a proverb among sailors, and one which I adopted. Besides, I was too far from the telegraph to notify you of suclx an expense, or to receive further orders from you ; the prej)ara- tions for the cxpcditimi therefore went on. Eight tliousnnd dollars wen; cxpciKlcil in purchasing the cloth, beads, and wire necessary in my dealings with the savages of the terri- tories through which I would have to traverse. As each SPEKE'S FAITHFULS— THE GUARD AND THEIR ARMS. 389 tribe lias its peculiar clioice of cloth, beads, and wire, mv.dx care was to be bestowed in the selection and arrangement of these things ; also, one had to be careful that an over-great quantity of any one kind of cloth or beads should not be pur- chased, otherwise such things would soon become a mere impediment of travel, and cause a waste of money. Tlie various kinds of beads required great time to learn, for the women of Africa are as fastidious in their tastes for beads as the women of New York are for jewelry. The measures also had to be mastered, which, seeing that it was an entirely new business in which I was engaged, were rather complicated, and perplexed me considerably for a time. These things having been purchased, arranged, and adjusted in bales and packages, there remained for me to raise a small company of faithful men, who should act as soldiers, guai'ds to the caravan, and servants when necessary. Some of Speke's faitlifuls and Burton's soldiers yet lived in Zanzibar. These were found out by Johari, the American Consul's dragoman, and, as they were w^illing to accompany me, were immediatelv engaged. Bombay, the honestest of black men, who served with Burton, and subsequently with Speke, was commissioned captain, and ordered to collect a conq^any of twenty men, in which he succeeded most admirably. All these men are with me to-day. I could not have been better served by any set of men than I have by these faithful people. By tAvos and threes I sent them out with the carriers as they were collected, and entrusted to them my bales of cloth, bags of beads, and coils of wire, which you must recollect are as gold, silver, and copper money in Africa. Three months afterward I found every bale, every bag of beads, every coil of wire, in Unyan- yembe, five hundred and twenty-five and one-half miles from Bagomoyo, their initial point on the African coast. Arms were purchased for these men who were to be my soldiers ; a musket, a hatchet, a knife, a shot pouch, and pow- der flask, flints, bullets, and powder were to be served out to each man. Then there were cooking utensils and dishes, tents to cover the property during the rainy season, which 390 MAKING SADDLES— DONKEYS. was fast approacliing, to be required. lu order to guard against such contingencies as might very possibly arise — viz : lack of carriers on the coast, one very grave one — I was obliged to purchase twenty-five donkeys, in which task I had to be careful lest any worthless animals might be passed on me. Twenty-five saddles for the donkeys had to be manu- factured by myself, or by such men as could understand what kind of saddles I needed, for there were nothing of the kind obtainable at Zanzibar. To assist me in such work, and in tasks of similar nature, I hired two white men, sailors, who had been mates of ships — one an Englishman and the other a Scotchman — and having cut the canvas for the saddles, and cloth for the tents, gave to these practical men the task to sew them up. After they had finished their work I re-engaged them to accompany me to Africa, to fill the respective duties of first and second mates. As I had the success of the New York Herald Expedition near and dear to my heart, constant thinking about it, and the contingencies that might arise to prevent its success, over and over I had long sketched its march from the sea coast to Ujiji, and knew almost as well as if I had been there before, what kind of difiiculties I should meet. The following is one of my sketches made on board ship, while coming to Zanzi- bar : — " One hundred pagazis will be required to convey cloth, beads, and wire enough to keep me and my soldiers for one year, and to pay expenses, such as hire of fresh pagazis, etc. ; twenty men, to act as guards or soldiers ; fifty bales of cloth, ten bags of beads, and five loads of wire, for food and pagazi hire. In three months I will try to reach Unyanyembc. Shall stop in Unyanycmbe two weeks probably. From Unyanyembe is one month's march to ITjiji, on the Tangan- yika Lake. And after ! — where is Livingstone ? If Living- stone is at Ujiji my work is easy. I will get what informa- tion I can, and return to Unyanyembe. The race is now for the telegraph. It is three months to Zanzibar and from Zan- zibar; as I was three months coming to Zanzibar from Bom- ,,..=11 ;i,, fnfiTfii'V'V"^'^/ PLANS FOR THE JOURNEY. 393 hay, I may be three months going from Zanzibar to Bombay. That will not do. We will try another road. To Lake Vic- toria N'Yanza from Unyanyembe is twenty-six days. By boat to Uganda would be fifteen days. From Uganda to Gondokoro twenty days. From Gondokoro by Dahabech down the Nile to Cairo, forty or fifty days. I have then the telegraph from Unyanyembe to Bombay from five to six months, from Unyanyembe three to four months. The latter route is the best by far. " Again : I have reached Ujiji. Where is Livingstone ? lie may be in Marimgu, Ubembe, Ugahha, Usige, Urundi, or somewhere else on the other side of the Lake Tanganyika. Shall I expose my mission, which requires speed, to the caprice of a King Kanuena, or a Hamed Bin Sulayyam ? No ! I shall take my own boat from Zanzibar, carry it with me to Ujiji, and with it search its coast from Ujiji to Marungn, Marungu to Usige, Usige to Ujiji, for the long absent Living- stone ; and the same boat shall carry me from Muanza, at the southern extremity of the lake, to the Ripon Falls, the point where the Nile issues out of the N'Yanza." This was one of many sketches I made, and the one I adopted for my guidance. I purchased two boats in Zanzi- bar— one twenty-five feet long and six feet wide, the other ten feet long and four and a half feet wide. I stripped them of their boards, and packed up the timbers, or ribs, with a few of the boards, keel, stem and stern pieces, thwarts and knees, which should be screwed together as the boat was required, and covered with double canvas skins well tarred. These were my boats, and having such men as sailors with me I doubted not but they could be made to answer. In the absence of anything better they must be made to answer. Before leaving Zanzibar, Captain Francis R. Webb, United States Consul, introduced me to Syed Barghash, Sultan of Zanzibar and Pemba. After a very kind reception, besides furnishing me with letters to Said Bin Salim (formerly Ras Cafilah to Burton,) now Governor of Unyanyembe, and Sheikh Bin Nasib and to all his Arab subjects, he presented 394: DEPARTURE FROM ZANZIBAR. me with an Arab liorse. Mr. Goodhue, an American gentle- man, residing at Zan^^iibar, also made me a present of a blood- ed horse, imported from the Cape of Good Hope. To the other American gentlemen — Mr. Spalding, Mr. Morse and Mr. Sparhawk — I am indebted for many courtesies, but more particularly to Captain Webb and Mrs. Webb, whose many kindnesses were innumerable. It was at Captain Webb's house I lived for a month, and duiing that time his for- bearance knew no bounds; for, as you may imagine, I littered his house with tons upon tons of bulk}' material of cloth, beads, wire, tar, canvas, tents, utensils and a thousand other things. On the morning of the 5th of February, one month after arriving at Zanzibar, a fleet of dhows bore the expedition and its effects from the Island of Zanzibar to Bagomoyo, on the main-land, distant about twenty-five miles from the island. We were detained at Bagomoyo nearly two months for lack of sufficient pagazis ; but as fast as they were obtained a small number was at once fitted out, and despatched to the interior under guard of two or three soldiers. But despite the utmost efibrts and double prices which I paid in order to induce the pagazis or carriers, the collecting together of over a hundred men proceeded but slowly. The reason of this was, that the cholera, which last year desolated Zanzibar and the coast, had frightened the Wanyamuezi from coming to a place where they were almost certain to meet their fate. They were but just recovering from the effects of their fear, when the expe- dition disembarked at Bagomoyo. As I must employ the word pagazi often in this letter, I had best explain what it means. A pagazi is a Wanyamuezi word for " carrier " — one who carj'ies ivory or any other goods on his shoulders. This useful person is the camel, the horse, the mule, the ass, the train, the wagon, and the cart of East and Central Africa. Without him Salem would not obtain her ivory, Boston and New York their African ebony, their frankincense, myrrh, and gum copal. He travels regions where the camel eould not enter, and where the horse and THE HALT AT BAGOMOYO. 305 the ass could not live. He carries the maximum weight of seventy pounds on his shoulders from Bagomoyo to Unyan- yembe, where he belongs, for which he charges from iifteen doti to twenty -live doti of American sheeting or Indian calico, dyed blue, called kam ki, mixed with other cloths, imported from Muscat and Cutch, equal to from $7.50 to $12.50. He is therefore very expensive to a traveler. For the carriage of my goods I had to disburse nearly two thousand dollars' worth of cloth. The pagazi belongs to Unyamuezi (Land of the Moon), an extensive country in Central Africa, in which Unyanyembe, the central depot of the Arabs, is situated, and which all car- avans for the interior must reach, and where they must obtain fresh relays of carriers before they can proceed further.. The doti in which he is paid, and which is equivalent to his dollar, measures four yards. A shukka is half a doti, or two yards. The proprietor of a caravan purchases his cloth by the bale, or gorah. A gorah of Merikani (a corrupted name for Amer- ican sheeting), means a piece of Merikani of thirty yards, into which they are folded ^^p by the mills of Salem and Nashua, 'N. H. The gorah, therefore, contains seven and a half doti, or fifteen shukka. During the two months we were halted at Bagomoyo there was plenty of work for us. The eight thousand yards of American sheeting which I had purchased, had to be made into bales for the pagazis. A bale is a package of cloth weighing not more than seventy pounds, wherein pieces of American sheeting must be laid in layers alternately with the cloths of India, Cutch, and Muscat ; so that if one bale or two are lost, you do not lose too much of one thing, which might by and by prove fatal to your enterprise. AVhen the cloths are thus laid in alternate layers, and the scale indicates the maximum weight, a doti of cloth spread out receives them, and after being tied or pinned over it neatly, it is then bound as firmly as possible with coil rope, and pounded by two men until the bail is one solid roll, three and a half feet long, a foot wide, and a foot deep. It is then taken and put 396 A niXT TO SUICIDES. in a makanda, or a mat bag, until the pagazi coming for his load and hire, cradles it in three long sticks arranged in a fork to receive it, and binds the fork iirmlj on the bale, for the purpose of protecting the bale from injury from rain, moisture, and white ants, and for the convenience of lifting it on his shoulder and stacking it when his day's march is over. Beads are placed in long narrow bags of domestics, and not more than sixty-two pounds are put into one bag, as the bead load is not so flexible as the cloth bale. Wire is conveyed in coils — six coils generally considered a handsome load ~ averaging sixty pounds. It is arranged for carriage, in three coils, at each end of a five-foot pole. My life at Zanzibar I thought hard, but my two months at Bagamoyo a convict at Sing Sing would not have envied. It was work all day, thinking all night ; not an hour could I call my own. It was a steady grind on body and brain, this work of starting. I state with truth, now resting at Unyan- yembe, after the fatigues of the long march, after the dangers and vexations we have suffered, that I would prefer the three months' march, with all its horrors, anxieties, swamps, and fevers, to the two months' preparation for the expedition I liad at Bagamoyo. The greatest trouble of all that I endured at Bagamoyo — I am sure you will smile at the thought — wag with my agent, who obtained me my pagazis, without whom I could not have started even to this day— probably never ; for had I stayed so long, I would have thrown up the job as impracticable, and would have committed suicide by putting my head in a barrel of sand, which I imagine to be a most easy death, and one I gratuitously recommend to all would-be sui- cides. Smile now, please, vi^hen I tell you that his name was Soor Iladji Palloo, and his age nineteen. During my whole stay at Bagamoyo, this young lad gave me more trouble than all the scoundrelism of the city of New York gives to its Chief of Police. Half a dozen times a day I found him in dishonesty, yet the boy was in no way abashed by it ; otherwise there had been hopes for him. Each day he conceived a new system of roguery. Every instant of his A YOUNG RASCAL. 397 time seemed to he devoted to devising how to phmder me, niitil I was at my wits' end how to thwart or check liim. Exposure hefore the people brought no shame to his cheeks. A mere shrug of the shoulders, which I was to interpret any- way I pleased, was the only proof he gave that he heard me. A threat to reduce his present had no effect on him — " a bird in the hand was worth two in the bush ;" so ten dollars worth of goods stolen from me was worth the promise of twenty dollars when his work should be finished. Several times a day the young Hindoo dog escaped a thrashing, because I knew his equal for collecting pagazis was not to be found. "Will you believe it, that after the most incompar- able rascality, at the end of two months he had escaped a flogging and received a present of money for his services ? The reason was, at last he had released me from torment, and I was free to go. The convict free to go after a protracted imprisonment — the condemned man on the scaffold, with the awful cord danof- ling before his eyes, the executioners of the dread sentence of the law ready to perform their duties, when told he was at liberty to depart, could not feel keener pleasure than I felt when my business was concluded with Soor Hadji Palloo, and I felt myself at liberty to depart on my mission. Five cara- vans had already been dispatched — four under the protection of soldiers, the fifth under the Scotchman who acted as my first mate. The sixth and last was to be led by myself. Burton and Speke arrived at Zanzibar in 1857, in January — the same month that I, fourteen years later, had arrived. But as the masika, or rainy season, which lasts for forty days, was then drawing near, they preferred to wait on the coast, and defer their departure until after the masika. It was not until the 16th of June that they left Zanzibar for Kaole (three miles l)elow Bagomoyo), and not until the 27th of the same month that they made the great start, the pagazis, soldiers, and donkeys having been collected for them by Ladha Danyee, the most influential man in Zanzibar, second only to the Sul- tan of the island. But my mission was one that required 398 THE CARAVAN OX THE MARCH. speed ; any delay would render it valueless ; immediate depart- ure was essential to success — departure from the coast — after which my movements would depend, in a great measure, on my own energy. Forty days' rain, and a two hundred mile swamp, must not prevent the ]^ew York Herald correspondent from marching, now that the caravan is ready. On Saturday, the 1st of April, exactly eighty-three days after arrival at Zanzibar, the sixth caravan, led by myself, left the town of Bagomoyo for our first journey westward, with " Forward " for its mot de guet, and the American flag borne aloft by the Kirangozi, or guide of the caravan. As it defiled out of the town, we bid a long farewell to the dolce far niente of civilization, to the blue sea and its open road to home, and to the hundreds of dusky sj^ectators, who' were gathered to witness our dejDarture with repeated salvos of musketry. The caravan which I led consisted of ten pagazis, cari-ying the boats ; nine soldiers, under Captain Bombay, in charge of seventeen donkeys and their loads ; Selim, my boy inter- preter; a Christian Arab from Jerusalem, who had l)een with me through Persia ; one cook and sub from Malabar, and Shaw, the English sailor, now transformed into a rear guard and overseer, mounted on a good riding donkey ; one dog from Bombay, called Omar, from his Turkish origin, who was to guard my tent at night, and bark at insolent Wagogo, if not to bite their legs — a thing he is very likely to do — and, lastly, myself, mounted on the splendid bay horse given me by JMr. Goodhue, the mtongi leader, the thinker, and reporter of the expedition. Altogether, the expedition numbers three white men, twen- ty-two soldiers, four supernumeraires, with transport train of eighty-two pagazis, twenty-seven donkeys and two horses, conveying fifty-two bales of cloth, seven man-loads of wire, sixteen man-loads of beads, twenty loads of boat fixtures, three loads of tents, four loads of clothes and personal bag- gage, two loads of cooking utensils and dishes, one load of medicines, three of powder, five of bullets, small shot, and FAREWELL TO BAGOMOYO. 399 iiictallic cartridges ; tliree of instruments and small necessaries, siicli as soap, sugar, tea, coffee, Liebig's extract of meat, pem- 111 lean, candles, etc., which make a total of one hundred and .sixteen loads — equal to eight and a half tons of material. The weapons of defence which the expedition possesses consist of one double-barrelled smooth bore N^o. 12, two American Winchester rifles or " sixteen shooters," two Starr s breech- loading carbines, one Jocelyn breech-loader, one elephant rifle, carrying balls eight to the pound ; two breech- loading revolvers, twenty-four flint-lock muskets, six single- barrelled pistols, one battle-axe, two swords, two daggers, one boar spear, two American axes, twenty -four hatchets, and twenty -four long knives. The expedition has been fitted up with care ; whatever was needed for its success was not stinted ; everything was pro- vided ; nothing was done too hurriedly, yet everything was purchased, collected, manufactured, and compounded, with the utmost despatch consistent with efiiciency and means. Should it fail of success in its errand, of rapid marching to Ujiji and back, it must simply haj)pen from an accident which could not be controlled. So much for the jpersonnel of the expedition and its purpose. "We left Bagomoyo, the attraction of all the curious, with noisy eclat^ and defiled up a narrow lane, shaded to twilight by the dense umbrage of two parallel hedges of murlosas. "We were all in the highest spirits — the soldiers sang extem- pore, the Ivirangozi lifted his voice into a loud, bellowing note, and fluttered the American flag, which told all on-look- ers, " Lo, a musungre's (white man) caravan," and my heart, I thought, palpitated much too quickly for the sobriety of a leader. But I could not help it. The enthusiasm of youth still clung to me despite my traveled years, my pulses bounded with the full glow of staple health ; behind me were the troubles which had harassed me for over two months ; with Soor Hadji Palloo I had said my last word ; Avith the blatant rabble of Banyans, Arabs, and Beloochees, 1 had taken my last look, and before me beamed -the sun of promise as he 400 THE CAMP AT NIGHT. sped toward tlie Occident. Loveliness glowed around me as I looked at the fertile fields of manioc, the riant vegetation of the tropics, the beautiful, strange trees and flowers, plants, and herbs, and heard the cry of pee-wit and cricket, and the noisv sibiUmce of many insects ; methought each and all whis- pered to me, " At last you are started." At such a time what more appropriate could I do than lift up my face toward the pure, glassy dome of heaven, and cry " God be thanked !" AVe camped that night on the banks of the Kingani, our dreams being sadly disturbed by the sportive hippopotami, which emerged at night for their nocturnal feed on the tall, high grass that grows on the savannahs to the westward of the Kingani Eiver. "Sofari, Sofari, leo — a journey, a journey to-day," shouted the Kirangozi, as he prepared to blow his kudu horn — the usual signal for a march. " Set out, set out," rang the cheery voice of Captain Bom- bay, echoed by that of my drum major, servant, general help, and interpreter, Selim. As I hurried my men to their work, lent a hand with energy to drop the tents, I mentally resolved that if my caravans ahead gave me clear room for travel, I should be in Unyanyembe before that day three months. By six o'clock A. M. our early breakfast was despatched, and the pagazis and donkeys were en route for Kikoka. Even at this early hour there were quite a collection of curious natives, to whom we gave the parting " quahary " with sincerity. My bay horse was found to be invaluable for the service of a quartermaster of a transport train, for as such was I compelled to compare myself. I could stay behind until the last strag- gler had left the camp, and by a few moments' gallop, put myself at the head of the caravan, leaving the white man, Shaw, to bring up in the rear. Tlie road, as it is, throughout Afi-ica, was a mere footpatli, leading over a sandy soil of surprising fertility — producing grain a hundred fold, though the sowing of it might be done in the most unskillful manner. In their fields, at heedless labor, were men and women in the scantiest costumes, com- -I \\M \ A-- \N J M CLOTIIELESS MEX .VSB WOMEX. 403 pared to wliicli the fig-leaf aj^parel of our first parents nuist have been e?i (jrande tenue. ]N"or were they at all abashed by the devouring gaze of men who w^ere strangers to clothe- less living men and women ; nor did they seem to understand why their inordinate curiosity should be returned with more than interest. They left their work as the Wasungu drew near • — such hybrids were they in white flannels, solar topees, and horse boots ! But were the Wasungu desirous of studying the principles of comparative anatomy and physiology, what a rich field for study ! "We passed them with serious faces enough, while they giggled and laughed outright, pointing with their index fingers at this or that thing in our dress which to them seemed so strange and bizarre. The western side of the Kingani was a considerable improve- ment upon the eastern. AVe were traveling over a forest-clad and jungly plain, which heaved upward as smoothly as the beach of a watering place, culminating at intervals in rounded ridges, whence fair views might be obtained of the new and strange land. The scenery was as beautiful as that which many an English nobleman is proud to call his '' park." On the M'liole, it was lawn and sward, with boscage sufficient to agreeably diversify it. Passing Kikoka, we traversed on the next day, a young forest of ebony trees, where guinea fowl were seen, besides pigeons, jays, ibis sacra, golden pheasants, quails, moorhens, florican, hawks, eagles, and now and then a solitary pelican winged itsM-ay to the distance. As we advanced further into the interior, antelopes bounded away to our right and left, the steinbok and noble kudu fled in terror, girafies rushed away from us like moving forests, and zebra galloped frantic toward the far horizon at the sound of the strange noises which the caravan made. By Sunday, the 23d of April, we had traveled one hundred and tM^enty-five miles, and had reached Simbawenni, situated in longitude 37° 42' east, latitude 6* 20' south. We had experienced no trouble on the road up to this place. The country was like that above described— park-like — abounding 404 AN ATRIC^^' SULTANA DEMANDS TRIBUTR in large and noble game. Not until we liad left Simbawenni did we experience any trouble. TJie lirst wliicli we experienced was from the Sultana of Simbawenni, in Usaerre, wliicli we found to be a larije and well built town, fortified by four towers and a stone wall, having considerable pretensions to architectural skill. The Sultana sent her ambassadors to demand tribute from me. I refused to pay, though she possessed three hundred muskets and five hundred slaves, on the ground that as my caravans had iy:il(l already, I was exempted from it according to her custom. The ambassadors retired M'ith a '" IS^gema " — very well. Soon after passing the .town we arrived at Simbo Kliombi, and here I was compelled to order my cook to be flogged for his incorrigible dishonesty and waste. Upon leaving Simbo for the wilderness and swamp of Makata, I was made aware that the cook had deserted. I despatched three soldiers in pursuit, who, in the ardor of following his tracks, fell into tho hands of the Sultana of Simbawenni, who robbed them of their guns and put them in chains. Some Arabs happen- ing to see them in this condition, and knowing they were my men, made haste to inform the Sultana that she did not know what white people were capable of doing if they were angered ; that I had guns with me that would kill her in her house at the distance of half a mile. This extraordinary announcement caused her to mitigate her anger against me, and to release my soldiers, returning one gun and retaining twoj as just and equitable tribute. The cook was afterward reported to me to be murdered. From Simbo to Kebenneko in Usagre, extends tlie terrible Makata Swamp, a distance of twenty-five miles. It is knee deep of water and black mire, and for five days we marched through this cataclysm. From here commenced the list of calamities which afterwards overtook me. First, the white man, Shaw, caught the terrible fever of East Africa, then the Arab boy, Sclim, then myself, then the soldiers, one by one, and small pox and dysentery raged among us. As soon as I IN DISTRESS— xV MISERABLE PLIGnT. 405 liad recovered from the effects of tlie fever, I was attacked with dysentery, which brought me to the verge of the grave. From a stout and fleshy person, weighing one hundred and seventy pounds, I was reduced to a skeleton, a mere frame of bone and skin, weighing one hundred and thirty pounds. Two pagazis fell victims to this dysenterj'. Even the dog, '•' Omar," was attacked by it, and presently died. At Eebenneko we experienced the last of the rainy season. It had rained almost every day since we had left Bagomoyo, but until we had arrived at the verge of the Makata Swamp, we did not experience much inconvenience from it. Two days beyond Kebenneko we caught up with the fourtli caravan, which had been sent out under the leadership of the Scotchman. I found the white man in a most miserable plight. All the donkeys — numbering nine — that I had sent out with him were dead, and he was attacked by dropsy, or elephantiasis — a disease of which he has since died. He had wasted upward of six bales of cloth, five of which had been entrusted to him to convey to Unyanyembe. An Arab pro- prietor would have slaughtered him for his extravagance and imbecility ; but I — I had no other course but to relieve him of all charge of such goods. Had I not foreseen some such mismanagement, and provided plenty of cloth against such loss, I should have been compelled to return to the coast for more bales to replace them. By the 24th of May we had traveled two hundred and seventy-eight miles, and had entered the dangerous land of the Wagogo. We had passed through the territories of the Wakarai, "Wakwere, Wadoe, Wasegura, Wasagara, and "Wahehe. We had crossed the rivers Kingani, Ilngerengeri, Little Makata, Great Makata, Rudewa, and Mukondokwa. We had discovered the sources of the Kingani, Wami, and Mukondokwa rivers, and the Lake of ITgombo, three miles long by two and one-half miles wide. Our losses up to this date were seventeen donkeys dead, one coil of wire stolen, one tent eaten up by Mdiite ants, one tent lost ; also one axe, one pistol, twenty pounds of bullets, and Captain Bombav's 21 406 IN THE MAKATA SWAMP— WAGOGO LAXD. stock of uniform clothes, all of which losses I ascribe to the fatigues experienced during the transit of the Makata Swamp. Three pagazis had deserted, two were dead ; also, one white man and two natives of Malabar had died. The two horses died on the third day after leaving Bagonioyo — so fatal is this land to both men and animals. In entering Ugogo we were entering a new land, to meet with different dangers, different accidents from those Ave had now left behind us. We had ascended a plateau three thousand seven hundred to four thousand two hundred feet above the level of the sea ; the extraordinary fertility and rivers of the maritime region we should not see in Ugogo, but a bare and sterile plateau, though cultivated by the Wagogo. The Wagogo are the Irish of Africa — clanish and full of ■fight. To the Wagogo all caravans must pay tribute, the refusal of which is met by an immediate declaration of hostil- ities. The tribute which I alone paid to these people, amounted to one hundred and seventy doti (one hundred and geventy dollars in gokl), for the mere privilege of travelin'^" through their country to Unyanyembe beyond. On the thirtieth day after entering Ugogo we arrived in Unyanyembe, at the Arab village of Kwihara — so called from the plain of Kwihara, in which it is situated. The march of this last month had been very rapid, we having traveled two hundred and forty-seven and one-half miles, while the pre- vious march of two hundred and seventy-eight miles, viz., from Bagomoyo to Ugogo, had occupied fifty-four days. Altogether we had traveled five hundred and twenty -five and one-half miles in eighty-four days, including halts, which makes our rate of marching per day six and a quarter miles. Burton and Speke traveled the same distance, from Kaolo to Unyanyembe, in one hundred and thirty-four days, which is at the rate of three and one-sixth miles per day. Yon innsf not imagine that I am stating this in order to make an invid- ious comparison, but simply to show you how expeditiously we have traveled. The Arabs travel the distance in from two RUMOKS OF LIVINGSTONE—" VERY EAT." 407 months and twelve days to four months. On the second visit of Speke with Grant to Unyanjembe, he made the march in one hundred and fifteen days. I shall here proceed to relate what I have heard of Living- stone, verbatim. On the 12th of April I met at Moussoudi, on the Ungcren- geri River, four marches from Senibawenni, Salini bin Easheed, who gave me the following intelligence concerning Livingstone : — " I saw the musungu, who came up from the Nyassa a long time ago, at Ujiji last year. He lived in the next tembe to me. lie has a long white mustache and beard, and was veiy fat. He was then about going to Marungu and Uniema." On the 18th of May, Sheikh Abdullah bin Wasib found me encamped at Mpwapwa, and gave me the following : — " The musungu (white man) has gone to Manieraa, a month's march from Ujiji. He has met with a bad accident, having shot himself in the thigh while out hunting buifalo. When he gets well he will return to Ujiji. There are many lakes on the other side of the Tanganyika. Lake Ujiji is very great ; Lake Uruwa is also great, Lake Bangucolo is great, but Lake Maniema is great, exceedingly great." At Kusuri, in Mgunda Mkhali, or the land of the Wayanzi, on the 13th of June, I met Sheikh Thani bin Massoud, who imparted the following : — " You are asking me about the musungu whom people call ' Dochter Fellusteen ' (Dr. Livingstone) V "Yes." " I lived near him about three months at Ujiji. His men have all deserted him, except three slaves, whom he was obliged to buy." " Why ?" " He used to beat his men very hard, if they did not do instantly what he told them. At last they all ran away ; no one would stop with him. He had nofhing with him, no cloth nor beads, to buy food for a long time ; so he had to go out and hunt buftalo every day. He is a very old man, 408 STANLEY'S PROMISE. and very fat, too ; lias a long white beard. lie is a gi-eat eater, Masliallah ! He would eat a pot of ghee and a big plate- ful of rice three or four times a day. Mashallah ! but do you see this thing (pointing to a tea saucer) ?" " Yes." " Well, he would eat that full of butter, with a pot-full of ugali (porridge)." On the 16th of June I met Hassan, a Balooch soldier of Sheikh Said bin Salim, of Unyanyembe, who gave news about Livingstone to this effect : — " He is a very old man, with a beard nearly white. His left shoulder is out of joint from a fight he had with a suriba (lion). He has gone to Maniema with some Arabs. Maniema is three months' march from Ujiji. He is about returning to Ujiji soon, owing to a letter he received from tlie ' Balyuz ' (Consul). They say that although he has been out here so long he has done nothing. He has fifteen bales of cloth at Llnyanyembe, not yet sent to him." At this place I have received the following additional infor- mation : — "He is on the road to ITjiji from Lake Maniema, which is west of Ugubba. The lake is fifteen camps from the Tanganyika, in a south-southwest direction." AVitli me are going to Ujiji, for him, fifteen loads of cloth, eight loads of beads, and twelve boxes, containing wine, provis- ions—such as sugar, tea, salt, pepper, spices, and such little lux- uries— besides clothes, books, and newspapers. If at LTji ji in one month more I shall see him, the race for home shall begin. Until I hear more of him, or see the long absent old man face to face, I bid you farewell ; but wherever he is, be sure I shall not give up the chase. If alive, you shall hear what he has to say ; if dead, I will find and bring his bones to you. CHAPTER XXIV. THE WAE IN UNYANYEMBE. UNYAMWEZI, Country of tlie Moon, must have once been one of the largest kingdoms of Africa ; but instead of being united, it is now cut up into petty states, the results of quarrels and wars. The largest and most central district is Unyanyembe, which has a native ruler called a sultan, aud also a governor of the Arab colony there located. The central position and comparative safety of Unyau- yembe have made it the head-quarters of the Omani, or pure Arabs, who in many cases live here for years, while their slaves and agents penetrate the interior. This part of Unyanyembe was first colonized about 1852, when the Arabs who had been settled for nearly ten years at Ivegandu, a long day's march northward from Tabora, wei"e induced by the African ruler of the district to aid them against Msimbira, a rival chief. The Arabs, after five or six days of skirmishing, were upon the point of carrying the palisade of Msimbira, when sudden- ly at night their slaves, tired of eating beef and raw ground- nuts, secretly deserted to a man. The masters awaking in tlie morning found themselves alone, and made up their minds for annihilation. Fortunately for them, the enemy, suspect- ing an ambuscade, remained behind their walls, and allowed the merchants opportunity to withdraw to central Unyan- yembe, where they located themselves. In such a countrv and surrounded by such people, wars and 409 410 WARS IX UNY.iNYEMBE. rumors of wars are no novelty to the Arabs of Unyan jembc. They are frequently involved in the quarrels between the na- tive tribes around them, and sometimes badly defeated. When Speke visited Unyanyembe in 1861, the Arabs were at war with Sera, a young Wanyamuezi chief, who had attempted to iAx them. The Arabs had an army of four liundred slaves ready to take the field against Sera when Speke arrived, and he endeavored unsuccessfully to effect a reconciliation between them, as Sera's father who was dead, had been his friend. The quarrel, however, went on. The Tura people who had sheltered Sera, were attacked by the Arabs, shot and murdered and their district plundered ; a report that Sera Avas about to attack Tabora, recalled the Arabs and set the place in a blaze of excitement. Much fighting ensued, and when Speke left the neighborhood the Arabs were boasting that if Sera " ran to the top of the highest mountain or down into hell, they would follow him and put him to death." It is not strange therefore that Mr. Stanley soon after his arrival at Unyanyembe, found himself in tlie midst of a war between the Arabs and a native chief. lie had intended to remain at this place only long enough to rest his men and obtain such supplies as woukl be necessary on his journey to Ujiji on Lake Tanganyika, where he expected to find Living- stone or obtain news of him. The Expedition up to its arrival at Unyanyembe, had suffered considerably in its j^ersonnel and transport. Mr. Farquhar, the Scotchman, was dead ; two of the armed escort and eight of the porters had also died from dysentery and small-pox. Two horses and twenty seven donkeys had either died or strayed away. As a consequence a considerable quantity of the goods were either lost or wasted ; but the rolls of cloth, beads and wire had been as far as possible pre- served, they being the only money current in Central Africa. Early in July, every thing w'as prepared for a start, but before long it was found that almost insuperable diftieulties were interposed. The country there is composed of thick MIl^UIBO'S THREATS. 411 jungle, with large clearings for the cultivation of holcns. The utmost alarm and excitement were sj^read through the native villages at the expectation of a war. The inhaljitants were shy of intercourse, and it was with great difficulty that supplies could be obtained. A little further on, the villages on either side of the track were found to be filled with Arab caravans, afraid to advance and gathered together for security • the cause of all this alarm was soon discovered. Mirambo, king of Uyoweh, in western TJnyamwezi, had been levying black-mail to an unconscionable amount, upon all caravans bound westward to Ujiji, the lake and the regions lying beyond ; to Urundi, to Karague, Uganda and ITnj^oro. The road to these countries led through his country — a serious misfortune not only to the expedition but to all caravans bound anywhere westward. About the time the expedition arrived, Mirambo capped his arbitrary course by taking from a caravan tive bales of cloth, five guns and five kegs of powder, and then refusing it permission to pass, declaring that none should do so except over his body. The cause of Mirambo's conduct was this : — Having an old grudge against Mkasiwa, sultan of Unyanyembe — with whom the Arabs were living on extremely friendly terms — Mirambo proposed to the Arabs that they should join with him in a campaign against Mkasiwa. The Arabs refused to do this, as Mkasiwa was their friend with whom they were living on peaceable terms. Mirambo then sent a message to them as follows: — " For many years I have fought against Washeuse (the natives), but this year is a great year with me. I intend to fight all the Arabs, as well as Mkasiwa, King of Unyan- yembe." This of course led to a declaration of war on the part of Arabs, who were so confident of easy victory over the Afri- can Sultan, declaring that fifteen days at the most would suf- fice to settle him, that Stanley was tempted in an unlucky moment, to promise them his aid, hoping that by this means, lie would be enabled to reach Livingstone sooner than by 412 STANLEY JOINS THE ARABS. stopping at Unyanyerabe, awaiting the turn of events. Mirambo was twentj-seven hours march from Unyanyembe. The Arabs appeared to anticipate a speedy victor)', and preparations for a jungle fight were accordingly made. The ammunition M'as looked to, muskets inspected, and matchlocks cleaned. The superior armament of the Herald Expedition made their assistance a matter of great importance to the Arabs. An address was delivered to the members of the expedi- tion through Selim, the interpreter, and the forces, with the American flag flying, were marshalled by Captain Seedy Bombay. At daybreak on the day following, according to previous arrangement, the armed men were divided into three parties. The van-guard for attack, the rear guard as immediate reserve, and the remainder, consisting of the less active, were stationed with the impedimenta and slaves in the kraals. Mr. Stanley gives the incidents of the campaign as follows : — "On the 20th of July, a force of two tliousand men, the slaves and soldiers of the Arabs, marched from Unyanyembe to fight Mirambo. The soldiers of the Herald Expedition to the number of forty, under my leadership, accompanied them. Of the Arabs' mode of fighting I was totally igno- rant, but I intended to be governed by circumstances. We made a most imposing show, as you may imagine. Every slave and soldier was decorated with a crown of feathers, and had a lengthy crimson cloak flowing from his shoulders and trailing on the ground. Each was armed with either a flintlock or percussion gun — the Baloches with matchlocks, profusely decorated with silver bands. Our progress was noisy in the extreme — as if noise would avail much in the expected battle. While traversing the Unyanyembe plains the column was very irregular, owing to the extravagant show of wild fight which they indulged in as we advanced. On the second day we arrived at Mfuto, where we all feasted on meat freely slaughtered for the braves. Here I was attacked with a severe fever, but as the army THE riGHT WITH MIRAMBO. 413 was for advancing I had myself carried in my hammock, almost delirious. On the fourth day we arrived at tlie vil- lage of Zimbizo, which was taken without much trouble. "We had arrived in the enemy's country. I was still suffer- ing from fever, and while conscious had given strict orders that unless all the Arabs went together none of my men should go to light with any small detachment. On the morning of the fifth day a small detachment went out to recoTinoitre, and while out captured a spy, who was thrown on the ground and had his head cut off immediately. Growing valiant over this little feat, a body of Arabs under Soud, son of Said bin Majio, volunteered to go and capture Wilyankuru, where Mirambo was just then Avith several of his principal chiefs. They were five hundred in number and very ardent for the fight. I had suggested to the Gov- ernor, Said bin Salim, that Soud bin Said, the leader of the five hundred volunteers, should deploy his men and fire the long dry grass before they went, that they might rout all the forest thieves out and have a clean field for action. But an Arab will never take advice, and they marched out of Zimbizo without having taken this precaution. They arrived before Wilyankuru, and after firing a few volleys into the village, rushed in at the gate and entered the village. While they entered by one gate Mirambo took four hun- dred of his men out by another gate, and instructed tliem to lie down close to the road that led from AYilyankuru to Zimbizo, and when the Arabs would return to get up at a given signal, and each to stab his man. The Arabs found a good deal of ivory and captured a large number of slaves, and, having loaded themselves with everything they thought valuable, prepared to return by the same road they had gone. When they had arrived opposite to where the ambush party was lying on each side the road, Mirambo gave the signal, and the forest thieves rose as one man. Each taking hold of his man speared him and cut ofi:' his head. Not an Arab escaped, but some of their slaves managed to 414 A PANIC— STANLEY DESERTED escape and bring the news to us at Zimbizo. There was great consternation at Zimbizo when the news was brought, and some of the principal Arabs were loud for a retreat, but Khamis bin Abdallah and myself did our utmost to prevent a disgraceful retreat. Next morning, however, when again incapacitated bj fever from moving about, the Gov- ernor came and told me the Arabs were going to leave for Unyanyembe. I advised him not to think of such a thing, as Mirambo would then follow them to Unyanyembe and tight them at their own doors. As he retired I could hear a great noise outside. The Arabs and Wanyamwezi auxiliaries were already running away, and the Governor, without say- ing another word, mounted his donkey and put himself at their head, and was the first to reach the strong village of Mfuto, having accomplished a nine hours' march in four liours, which shows how fast a man can travel when in a hurry. One of my men came to tell me there was not one soldier left ; they had all run away. With difficulty I got up, and I then saw the dangerous position I had placed myself in through my faith in Arab chivalry and bravery. I w^as deserted except by one Khamis bin Abdallah, and he was going. I saw one of my soldiers leaving without taking my tent, which lay on the ground. Seizing a pistol, I aimed it at him and compelled him to take up the tent. The white man, Shaw, as well as Bombay, had lost their heads. Shaw had saddled his donkey with my saddle and Avas about leav- ing his chief to the tender mercies of Mirambo, when Selim, the Arab boy, sprung on him, and, pushing him aside, took the saddle off, and told Bombay to saddle my donkey. Bombay I believe would have stood by me, as well as three or four others, but he was incapable of collecting his senses. He was seen viewing the flight of the Arabs witli an angelic smile, and with an insouciance of manner which can only be accounted for by the charitable supposition that his senses had entirely gone. With bitter feelings toMard the Arabs for having deserted me, I gave the order to march, MIRAMBO INVADES UNYANYEMBE. 415 and in company witli Sclini, the brave Arab boy ; SliaM', who was now penitent ; Bombay, wlio had now regained liis wits; Inabraki, Speke, Chanda, Sarmeen and Uredi Manu-a-Sera, arrived at Mfuto at midnight. Four of my men had been slain by Mirambo's men. The next day was bnt a continuation of tlie retreat to Unyanyembe with tlie Arabs ; bnt I ordered a halt, and oti the third day went on leisurely. The Arabs had become demoralized; in their hurry they had left their tents and ammunition for Mirambo. Ten days after this, what I had forewarned the Arabs of, came to pass. Mirambo, with one thousand guns, and one thousand and five hundred Watulas, his allies, invaded Unyanyembe, and pitched their camp insolently within view of the Arab capital of Tabora. Tabora is a large collection of Arab settlements, or tembes, as they are called here. Each Arab house is isolated by the fence which surrounds it. Not one is more than two hundred yards off from the other, and each has its own name, known, however, to but a fe^v outsiders. Thus the house of Amram bin Mousoud is called by him the " Two Seas," yet to outsiders it is only known as the " tembe of Amram bin Mousoud," in Tabora, and the name of Kaze, by which Burton and Speke have designated Tabora, may have sprung from the name of the enclosed grounds and settlement wherein they were quartered. South by west from Tabora, at the distance of a mile and alialf, and in view of Tabora, is Kwihara, where the Herald expedi- tion has its quarters. Kwihara is a Kinyamwezi word, mean- ing the middle of the cidtivation. There is quite a largo settlement of Arabs here — second only to Tabora. But it was Tabora and not Kwihara that Mirambo, his for- est thieves and the "Watula came to attack. Khamis bin Abdallah, the bravest Trojan of them all — of all the Arabs — went out to meet Mirambo with eighty armed slaves and five Arabs, one of whom was his little son, Khamis. As Khamis bin Abdallah's party came in siglit of ]\rirambo's people, Khamis' slaves deserted him, and Mirambo then gave the 416 KWIHARA FORTIFIED— DEATH OF ABDALLAH. order to surround tlie Arabs and press on them. This little group in this manner became the targets for about one thou- sand guns, and of course, in a second or so were all dead — not, however, without having exhibited remarkable traits of character. They had barely died, before the medicine-men came up, and with their scalpels skinned their faces and their abdom- inal portions, and extracted what they call " mafiita," or fat, and their genital organs. With this matter which they had extracted from the dead bodies, the native doctors, or waganga made a powerful medicine, by boiling it in large earthen pots for many hours, with many incantations and. shakings of the wonderful gourd that was only tilled with peb- bles. This medicine was drunk that evening with great cer- emony, with dances, drum beating and general fervor of heart. Khamis bin Abdallah dead, Mirarabo gave his orders to plunder, kill, burn and destroy, and they went at it with a will. When I saw the fugitives from Tabora coming by the hundred to our quiet valley of Ivwihara, I began to think the matter serious, and commenced my operations for defence. First of all, however, a lofty bamboo polo was procured, and planted on the roof of our fortlet, and the American flag was run up, where it waved joyously and grandly, an omen to all fugitives and their hunters. Then began the work of making ditches and rifle pits all around the court or enclosure. The strong clay walls were pierced in two rows for the muskets. The great door was kept open, with material close at hand to barricade it when the enemy came in sight, watchmen were posted on top of the house, every pot in the house was filled with water, pro- visions were collected, enough to stand a siege of a month's duration, the ammunition boxes were unscrewed, and when T saw the three thousand bright metallic cartridges for the Amer- ican carbines, I laughed within myself at the idea that, vA'tcv all, Mirambo might be settled with American lead, and all this furor of war be ended without much trouble. Jjcfui-e PLUNDER AND BURNING OF TABORA. 417 six P. M. I had one liundred and twenty-five musTccts and stout fellows who had enlisted from the fugitives, and the house, which only looked like a f ortlet at first, became a fort- let in reality — impregnable and untakable. All night we stood on guard ; the suburbs of Tabora were in flames ; all the Wanyamwezi and Wanguana houses were destroyed, and the fine house of Abid bin Sulemian had been ransacked and then committed to the flames, and Mirambo boasted that " to-morrow " Kwihara should share the fate of Tabora, and there was a rumor that that night the Arabs were going to start for the coast. But the morning came, and Mirambo departed, with the ivory and cattle he had captured, and the people of Kwihara and Tabora breathed freer. And now I am going to say farewell to Unyanyembe for a while. I shall never help an Arab again. He is no fighting man, or, I should say, does not know how to fight, but knows, personally, how to die. They will not conquer Mirambo within a year, and I cannot stop to see that play out. There is a good old man waiting for me somewhere, and that impels me on. There is a journal afar off" which expects me to do my duty, and I must do it. But Mr. Stanley did not succeed in getting away from Fnyanyembe as quickly as he anticipated. Severe attacks of sickness, the cowardice of his men, and the importunities of the Arabs who predicted ruin and death for the whole expedition if it started for Ujiji, conspired to detain him at Kwihara. His life and experiences there, are described in the next chapter. M' CHAPTER XXY. LIFE AT UNYANYEMBE. "R. STANLEY describes Unyanyembe and his expe- _LtJL riences at Kwiliara as follows : — "Unyamwezi is a romantic name. It is "Land of the Moon" rendered into English — as romantic and sweet in Ivinyamwezi as any that Stamboul or Ispahan can boast is to a Turk or a Persian. The attraction, however, to a European lies only in the name. There is nothing of the mystic, nothing of the poetical, nothing of the romantic, in the country of Unyam- wezi. I shudder at the sound of the name. It is pregnant in its every syllable to me. Whenever I think of the word, immediately come thoughts of colycinth, rhubarb, calomel, tartar emetic, ipecacuanha and quinine into my head, and I feel qualmish about the gastric regions, and I wish I were a thousand miles away from it. If I look abroad over the coun- try I see the most inane, and the most prosaic country one could ever imagine. It is the most unlikely country to a European for settlement ; it is so repulsive, owing to the notoriety it has gained for its fevers. A white missionary would shrink back with horror at the thought of settling in it. An agriculturist might be tempted ; Init then there are so many better countries where he could do so nnieh better, he would be a madman if he ignored those to settle in this. And, supposing it were necessary to send an expedition, such as that which boldly entered Abyssinia, to Unyamwezi, the results would be worse tlian the retreat of Napoleon from Moscow. No, an ordinary English soldier could never live here. 418 Ill imm I UNYAMWEZI SCENERY. 421 Yet you must not think of Unyamwezi as you would of an American swamp ; you must not imagine Unyamwezi to have deep morasses, slushy beds of mud, infested witli all abominable reptiles, or a jungle where the lion and the leop- ard have their dens. Nothing of the kind. Unyamwezi is a different kind of country altogether from that. To know the general outline and pliysieal features of Unyamwezi, you must take a look around from one of the noble coigns of van- tage ofltered by any of those hills of syenite, in the debatable ground of Mgunda Makali, in Uyanzi. From the summit of one of those natural fortresses, if you look w^est, you will see Unyamwezi recede into the tar, blue, mysterious distance in a succession of blue waves of noble forest, rising and subsiding like the blue waters of an ocean. Such a view of Unyamw^ezi is inspiring ; and, were it possi- ble for you to wing yourself westward on to another vantage coign, again and again the land undulates after the same fash- ion, and still afar off is the same azure, mystic horizon. As you approach Unyanyembe the scene is slightly changed. Hills of syenite are seen dotting the vast prospect, like islands in a sgm, presenting in their external appearance, to an imaginative eye, rude imitations of castellated fortresses and embattled towers. A nearer view of these hills discloses the denuded rock, disintegrated masses standing on end, boulder resting upon boulder, or an immense towering rock, tinted wiih the sombre color age paints in these lands. Around these rocky hills stretch the cultivated fields of the Wanyamwezi — fields of tall maize, of holcus sorghum, of millet, of vetches, etc. — among which you may discern the patches devoted to the cul- tivation of sweet potatoes and manioc, and pasture lands where browse the hump-shoiddered cattle of Africa, flocks of goats and sheep. This is the scene which attracts the eye, and is accepted as promising relief after the wearisome march- ing through the thorny jungle plains of Ugogo, the primeval forests of Uyanzi, the dim plains of Tura and Rubuga, and when we have emerged from the twilight shades of XigMU. J^o caravan or expedition views it unwelcomed by song and tumultuous chorus, for rest is at hand. 422 A FEVER-STRICKEN COUNTRY. It is only after a long lialt that one begins to weary o£ Unjanyenibe, the principal district of Unyaniwezi. It is only when one has been stricken down almost to the grave, by the fatal, chilly winds which blow from the heights of the mount- ains of Usagara, that one begins to criticise the beauty which at first captivated. It is found, then, that though the land is fair to look upon ; that though we rejoiced at the sight of its grand plains, at its fertile and glowing fields, at sight of the roving herds, which ])romised us abundance of milk and cream — that it is one of the most deadly countries in Africa ; that its fevers, remittent and intermittent, are unequaled in their severity. Unyamwezi, or the Land of the Moon — from IT (country), nya (of the), mwezi (moon) — extends over three degrees of latitude in length, and about two and a half degrees of longi- tude in breadth. Its principal districts are Unyanyembe, Ugunda, Ugara, Tura, Rubuga, Ivigwa, Usagozi, and Uyoweh. Each district has its own chief prince, king, or nite7ni, as he is called in Kinyamwezi. Unyanyembe, however, is the prin- cipal district, and its king, Mkasiwa, is generally considered to be the most important person in Unyamwezi. The other kings often go to war against him, and Mkasiwa often gets the worst of it ; as, for instance, in the present war between the King of Uyoweh (Mirambo), and Mkasiwa. All this vast country is drained by two rivers — the North- ern and Southern Gombe, which empty into the Malagarazi River, and thence into Lake Tanganyika. On the east, Unyamwezi is bounded by the wilderness of Mgunda Makali, and Ukmibu, on the south by Urori and Ukonongo, on the west by Ukawendi and Uvniza, on the north by several small countries and the Ukereweh Lake. Were one to ascend by a balloon, and scan the whole of Unyamwezi, he would have a view of one great forest, broken here and there by the little clearings around the villages, especially in and around Unyanyendje. The forests of Southern Unyamwezi contain a large variety of game and wild beasts. In these, may be found herds of LIFE IN UNYANYEMBE. 423 Repliants, buffaloes, giraffes, zebras, elands, liartbcests, spring- boks, pallalis, black bucks, and a score of other kinds. In the neighborhood of the Gombe (Southern), may be seen any number of wild boars and hogs, lions and leopards. The Gombe itself is remarkable for the number of hippopotami and crocodiles to be found in it. I have been in Unyanyembe close on to three months now. By and by I shall tell you why ; but first I should like to give you a glimpse of our life here. The Herald Expedition has its quarters in a large, strong house, built of mud, with walls three feet thick. It is of one story, with a broad mud veranda in front, and a broad, fiat roof. The great door is situated directly in the centre of the front, and is the only one possible means of ingress and egress. Entering in at this door, we find a roomy hall-way ; on our right is the strong store-room, where the goods of the Herald Expedition and Livingstone's caravan are kept well padlocked up, to guard against burglars. Soldiers at night occupy this hall-way with loaded guns, and during the day, there are always two men on guard, ])esides Burton's bull-headed Mabrouki, who acts as my porter or policeman. On our left is a room open to the hallway, on the floor of which are spread straw mats, and two or three Persian carpets, where the Arab sheikhs squat, when they come to visit me. Passing through the hallway, we come to the court yard, a large quadrangle, fenced in and built around with houses. There are about a dozen pomegranite trees planted in the yard, more for their shade than for their fruit. The houses around consist, first, of the grainery, where we keep the rice, the matama, the Indian corn, the sweet pota- toes, etc, ; next comes the very much besmoked kitchen, a primitive affair, merely a few stones on which the pots are ])laced. The cook and his youthful subs are protected from tlie influences of the weather by a shed. Next to the kitchen is the stable, where the few remaining animals of the expedi- tion are housed at night. These are two donkeys, one milch cow, and six milch goats. The cow and the goats furnish me 22 42i STANLEY'S QUARTERS. with milk for my gruel, my puddings, my sauces, and my tea. (I was obliged to atteud to my comfort, and make use of the best Africa offers.) Next to the stable is another large shed, which serves as barracks for the soldiers. Here they stow themselves and their wives, their pots and beds, and find it pretty comfortable. Next to this is the house of the white man, my nautical help, where he can be just as exclusive as he likes, has his own bed- room, veranda, bathroom, etc. ; his tent serves him for a curtain, and, in English phrase, he has often declared it to be "jolly and no mistake." Occupying the half of one side of the house are my quar- ters, said quarters consisting of two well-plastered and neat rooms. My table is an ox-hide stretched over a wooden frame. Two portmanteaus, one on top of the other, serve for a chair. My bedstead is only a duplicate of my table, over M-hich I spread my bearskin and Persian carpet. "When the very greatest and most important of the Arab sheikhs visit me, Seliui, my invaluable adjunct, is always told to fetch the bearskin and Persian carpet from the bed. Hecesscs in the solid wall answer for shelves and cupboards, where I deposit my cream-pots, and butter, and cheese (which I make myself), and my one bottle of Worcestershire sauce, and my tin candlestick. Behind this room, which is the bed, reception, sitting, drawing room, office pantry, etc., is my bath-room, where are my saddle, my guns, and ammunition .always ready, my tools, and the one hundred little things which an expedition into the country must have. Adjoining my quarters is the jail of the fortlet, called " tembe " here — a small room, eight by six feet, lit up by a small air hole, just large enough to put a rifle through — where my incorrigibles are kept for forty hours, without food, in solitary confinement. This solitary confinement answers admirably, about as well as being chained when on the road, and much better than brutal flogging. In the early morning, generally about lialf-past five or six o'clock, I begin to stir the soldiers up, sometimes with a long ^1 \\I I ■! 1,1- Mi\ Is \M I I WD I\ 11 Kl 1:1 II K Si LIM A BLACK MERCURY. 427 "bamboo, for you know they are such hard sleepers they require a good deal of poking. Bombay has his orders given him, and Feragji, the cook, who, long ago warned by the noise I make M-hen I rouse up, is told in unmistaken tones, to bring " chai " (tea), for I am like an old woman, I love tea very much, and can take a quart and a half M'ithout any incon- venience. Kalulu, a boy of seven, all the way from Cazembe's country, is my waiter and chief butler. lie understands my ways and mode of life exactly. Some weeks ago he ousted Selim from the post of chief butler, by sheer diligence and emartness. Selim, the Arab boy, cannot wait at table. Kalulu — young antelope — -is frisky. I have but to express a wish, and it is gratified. He is a perfect Mercury, though a mar- velously black one. Tea over, Kalulu clears the dishes, and retires under the kitchen shed, where, if I have a curiosity to know what he is doing, he may be seen with his tongue in the tea-cup, licking up the sugar that was left in it, and look- ing very much as if he would like to eat the cup for the sake of the divine element it has so often contained. If I have any calls to make, this is generally the hour ; if there are none to make, I go on the piazza and subside quietly on my bearskin to dream, may be, of that far off land I call my own, or to gaze towards Tabora, the Kaze of Burton and Speke, though why they should have called it Kaze, as yet I have not been able to find out, (I have never seen the Arab or Msawabili who had ever heard of Kaze. Said bin Salim, who had been traveling in this country Avith Burton, Sjjeke and Grant, declares he never heard of it) ; or to look towards lofty Zimbili and wonder why the xVrabs, at such a crisis as the present, do not remove their goods and chattels to the summit of that natural fortress. But dreaming and wondering, and thinking and marveling, are too hard for me ; this constitution of mine is not able to stand it ; so I make some ethnological notes, and polish up a little ray geographi- cal knowledge of Central Africa. I have to greet about four hundred and ninety-nine people 42S VISITING TOE ARABS. of all sorts, with tlie salutation " Yambo.'" Tliis " Yambo " is a great word. It may mean "How do you do?" "How are you ?" " Thy health ?" The answer to it is " Yambo !" or " Yambo Sana !" (" How are you ; quite well ?") The Kinyamwezi — the language of the Wanyamwezi — of it is " Moholo," and the answer is " Moholo." The Arabs, when they call, if they do not give the Arabic " Spal-kher," give you the greeting " Yambo ;" and I have to say " Yambo." And, in order to show my gi'atitude to them, I emphasize it with " Yambo Sana ! Sana! Sana?" (" Are you well? Quite well, quite, quite well ?") And if tliov repeat the words I am more than doubly grateful, and invite them to a seat on the bearskin This bear-skin of mine is the evidence of my respectability, and if ^\-c are short of common-place topics, we invariably refer to the bear-skin, where there is room for much discus- sion. If I go to visit the Arabs, as I sometimes do, I find their best Persian caipets, their silk counterpanes and kitandas gorgeously decorated in my honor. One of the principal Arabs here is famous for this kind of honor-doing. I^o sooner did I show my face than I heard the order given to a slave to produce the kitanda, that the Muzungu — white man — might lie thereon, and that the populous village of Maroro might behold. The silk counterpane was spread over a cot- ton-stuffed bed ; the enormously fat pillows, covered with a vari-colored stuff, invited the weary head ; the rich carpet of Ajim spread alongside of the kitanda was a great temptation, but I Avas not to be tempted ; I could not afford to be so effeminate as to lie down while four hundred or five hundred looked on to see how I went through the operation. Having disposed of my usual number of " Yambos " f or tlie morning, I begin to feel " peckish," as the sea skipper says, and Fcragji, the cook, and youthful Kalulu, the chief butler, are again called and told to bring " chukula " — food. This is the breakfast put down on the table at the hour often punctually every morning: — Tea, (ugali, a native pomdge made out of the flour of dourra, holcus sorghum or matama. BREAKFAST, AND AFTERWAED. 429 as it is called here ; a dish of rice and curry. Unyanyerabc is famous for its rice, fried goat's meat, stewed goat's meat, roast goat's meat, a dish of sweet potatoes, a few " slajDJacks" or specimens of the abortive etibrts of Feragji to make dampers or pancakes, to be eaten with honey. But neithcj- Feragji's culinary skill nor Kalulu's readiness to w^ait on nic can tempt me to eat. I have long ago eschewed food, and only drink tea, milk and yaourt — Turkish word for "clabber' or clotted milk. Plenty of time to eat goat meat when we shall be on the march ; but just now — no, thank you. After breakfast the soldiers are called, and together we begin to pack the bales of cloth, string beads and apportion the several loads, which the escort must carry to TTjiji some way or another. Carriers come to test the weight of the loads, and to inquire about the inducements offered by the " Muzungu." The indiicements are in the shape of so many pieces of cloth, four yards long, and I offer double what any Arab ever oftered. Some are engaged at once, others say they w^ill call again, but they never do, and it is of no use to expect them when there is war, for they are the cowardliest people under the sun. Since we are going to make forced marches, I must not overload my armed escort, or we shall be in a pretty mess two or three days after we start ; so I am obliged to reduce all loads by twenty pounds, to examine my kit and personal baggage carefully, and put aside anything that is not actually and pressingly needed. As I examine my fine lot of cooking utensils, and consider the fearfully long distance to Ijiji, I begin to see that most of them are superfluous, and I vow- that one saucepan and kettle for tea shall sufiice. I must leave half my bed and half my clothes behind ; all my per- sonal baggage is not to weigh over sixty -four pounds. Then there are the ammunition boxes to be looked to. Ah, me ! "When I started from the coast I remember how ardently I pursued the game ; how I dived into the tall, wet grass ; how I lost myself in the jungles ; how I trudged over tlie open plains, in search of vert and venison. And what 430 A TALK WITH MR. SHAW. cliJ it all amount to? Killing a few inoffensive animals, the meat of which was not worth the trouble. And shall I waste luy strength and energies in chasing game ? JS^o, and the man Avho would do so at such a crisis as the present is a . But 1 have my private opinion of him, and I know whereof I speak. Very well ; all the ammunition is to be left behind except one hundred rounds to each man. No one must lire a shot without permission, nor waste his ammunition in any way, under penalty of a heavy fine for every charge of pow- der wasted. These things require time and thought, for the Herald Expedition has a long and far journey to make. It intends to take a new road — a road with which few Arabs are acquainted — despite all that Skeikh, the son of Nasib, can say against the project. It is now the dinner hour, seven P. M. ; Feragji has spread himself out, as they say. He has all sorts of little fixings ready, such as indigestible dampers, the everlasting ngali, or ])orridge, the sweet potatoes, chicken and roast quarter of a goat; and lastly, a custard, or something just as good, made out of plantains. At eight P. M. the table is cleared, the candles are lit, pipes are brought out, and Shaw, my white man, is invited to talk. But poor Shaw is sick and has not a grain of spirit or energy k'ft in him. All I can do or say does not cheer him up in the least. lie hangs down his head, and with many a sigh declares his inability to proceed with me to Hjiji. " Not if you have a donkey to ride ?" I ask. " Perhaps in that way I may be able," says Shaw in a most melancholy tone. "Well, my dear Shaw," I begin," you shall have a donkey to ride and you shall have all the attendance you require. I believe you are sick, but what this sickness of yours is I can- not make out. It is not fever, for I coubl have cured you by this, as I have cured myself and as I have cured Selim ; besides, this fever is a contemptible disease, though danger- ous sometimes. I think if you were to exert your will — and say you will go, say you will live— there would be less chance niS IMPENDING FATE. 431 of your being nnable to reach the coast again. To Lo left beliin J, ignorant of how mucli medicine to take or wlien to take it, is to die. Remember my words — if you stop behind in Unyanyembe, I fear for you. Why, how can you pass the many months that must ekapse before I can return to Unyan- yembe? No man knows where Livingstone is. lie may be at Ujiji, he may be in Manyema, he may be going down tho Congo River for the West Coast, and if I go down the Congo River after him I cannot return to Unyanyembe, and in that event where would you be ?" " It is very true, Mr. Stanley. I shall go with you, but I feel very bad here (and he put his hand over his liver) ; but, as you say, it is a great deal better to go on, than stop behind." Rut the truth is, that like many others starting from tho coast with superabundant health, Shaw, soon after realizing what travel in Africa M-as, lost courage and heart. The ever- present danger from the natives and the monotony of the country, the fatigue one endures from the constant marches which every day take 3^0 u further into the uninteresting country, all these combined had their effect on him, and when he arriv^ed in Unyanyembe, he was laid up. Then his inter- course with the females of Unyanyembe put the last finishing touch to his enfeebled frame, and I fear if the medicines I have sent for do not arrive in time that he will die. It is a sad fate. Yet I feel sure that in another expedition, fitted out with all the care that the Herald Expedition was, regard- less of expense, if the members composing it are actuated by uo higher motives than to get shooting, or to indulge their lust, it would meet with the same fate which has overtaken my white man Farquhar, and which seems hkely will over- take Shaw. If on the day I depart from here, this man is unwilling or unable to accompany me-, I shall leave him here under charge of two of my soldiers, with everything that can tend to promote his comfort. CHAPTER XXVI. PERPLEXITIES AND RESOLVES. "TTTHEN Mr. Stanley was at Zanzibar, he of conrse funned T T the acquaintance of Dr. John Kirk, the Englit.li Con- sul at that port. Dr. Kirk had ti-aveled extensively "with Dr. Lrv'ingstone, and they had alwa^-s been on the most friendly tenns. This fact, as well as his official position which ren- dered it his duty, should have made him zealous in seeing that supplies for Livingstone were entrusted to reliable par- ties, and forwarded from Zanzibar with prouiptness. In several of Dr. Livingstone's letters he censures, or seems to censure Dr. Kirk for neglect or inefficiency in attending to his wants. In a recent conmiunication to Sir Bartle Frere, Dr. Livingstone expresses regret at learning that Dr. Kirk viewed his "formal complaint against Ban- ians as a covert attack upon himself ;" and says further, that if he could have foreseen this, he should have borne all his losses in silence, and that he had no intention of giving Dr. Kirk offence. This letter shows great magnanimity on the part of Dr. Livingstone. In a communication to the New Yorlz Herald^ which is given below, Mr. Stanley tells wdiat he knows about the mat- ter. It is probable that this letter occasioned much of the ill-feeling toward him which was manifested when he first reached England, as Dr. Kirk has very many warm friends there. Mr. Stanley also describes some of the discouraging cir- cumstances attending his search for Livingstone, which the 432 STANLEY ADVISED TO GO BACK. 433 Expedition encountered while it was detained at Unyanyenibe, KwiHARA, Unyanyembe, Sept. 21, 1871. How can I describe my feeling to you, that you may com- prehend exactly the condition that I am in, the condition that I have been in, and the extremely wretched condition that the Arabs and slave trading j)eople of the Mrima — the hill land or the coast — would fain keep me in ? For the last two months I have been debating in my own mind as to my best course. Resolves have not been wanting, but up to to- day they have failed. I am no nearer the object of my search apparently than I was two years ago, when you gave me the instructions at the hotel in Paris, called the " Grand Ilotel.^' This object of my search you know is Livingstone — Dr. David Livingstone— r. R. G. S., LL. D., etc. Is this Dr. David Livingstone a myth ? Is there any such person liv- ing'^ If so where is he? I ask everybody — Oiiiani, Arab- half-caste, Wamruia-pagazis — but no man knows. I lift up my head, shake ofi' day dreams and ask the silent plains around and the still dome of azure upheaving to infinity above, where can he be ? No answer. The attitude of my people, the asinine obstinacy of Bombay, the evidently deter- mined opposition of the principal Arabs to my departure from here, the war with ]\Iirambo, the other unknown road to Central Lake, the impossibility of obtaining pagazis, all combine, or seem to, to say : — " Thou shalt never find him. Thou shalt neither hear of him. Thou shalt die here." Sheikh, the son of Xasib, one of the ruling powers here, declares it an impossibility to reach Ujiji. Daily he vexes me with, " There is no road ; all roads are closed ; the "Wakonongo, the Wagara and Wawendi are coming from the south to help Mirambo ; if you go to the north, ITgukuma is the country of Mirambo's mother; if you take the AVildjankuru road, that is Mirambo's own country. You see, then, sir, the impossibility of reaching the Tanganyika. My advice is that 434 RESOLVE TO GO ON you wait until Mirambo is killed, then, Inliallali (please God), the road will be open, or go back." And oftentimes i explode, and cry out : — "What! wait here until Mirambo is killed? You were five years fighting Manua Sora ! Go back ! after spending twenty thousand dollars ! O Sheikh, the son of Nasib, no Arab can fathom the soul of a rauzungu (white man) ! I go on, and will not wait until you kill Mirambo. I go on, and will not go back until I shall have seen the Tanganyika," and this morning I added, " and day after to-morrow I start." " Well, master," he replied, " be it as you say ; but put down the words of Sheikh, the son of Nasib, for they are worthy to be remembered." He has only just parted from me, and to comfort myself after the ominous words, I write to you. I wish I could write as fast as the thoughts crowd my mind. Then what a wild, chaotic and incoherent letter you would have ! But my pen is stiff, the paper is abominable, and before a sentence is framed the troubled mind gets somewhat calmer. I am spiteful, I candidly confess, just now ; I am cynical — I do not care who knows it. Fever has just made me so. My wliin- ing white servant contributes toward it. The stubbornness of Bombay — "incarnation of honesty" Burton calls him — is enough to make one cynical. The false tongues of these false-hearted Arabs drive me on to spitefulness ; the coward- ice of my soldiers is a proverb with me. The rock daily, liourly growing larger and more formidable against which the sliip of the expedition nmst split — so says everybody, and what everybody says must be true — makes me fierce and savage-hearted. Yet I say, that the day after to-morrow every man Jack of us who can walk shall march. But before the expedition tries the hard road again — before it commences the weary, weary march once more — can I not gain some information about Livingstone from the scraps of newspapers I have been industriously clipping for some time back ? May they not, with the more mature knowledge I have obtained of the interior since I went on this venture, give me IGNORANCE IN HIGH PLACES. 435 a hint which I might advantageously adopt ? Here they are, a dozen of them, fifteen, twenty, over thirty bits of paper. Here is one. Ah, dolor of heart, where art thou? Tlds mirth-provoking bit of newspaper is almost a physician to nic. I read : — Zanzibar Feb. G, 1870, " I am also told by Ludha Damjee, that a large caravan, laden with ivory, and coming from ISTayamweze, has com- pletely perished from this disease in ITjiji." To you who stay at home in America, may be accorded forgiveness if you do not quite understand where " Kayam- weze" or "Ujiji" is; but to the British politico and Her Britannic Majesty's Consul, Dr. John Kirk, a former com- panion of Livingstone, a man of science, a member of the Boyal Geographical Society, and one who is said to be in constant communication with Livingstone, forgiveness for such gross ignorance is impossible. A parallel case of igno- rance would be in a New York editor writing, " I am also told by Mr. So and So, that a large wagon train, bringing silver bricks from Montana, has perished in Alaska." Ujiji, you must remember, is about a month's march west- ward of Unyamwezi — not " !Nayamweze " — and to me it is inconceivable how a person in the habit of writing weekly to his government about Livingstone, should have conceived Ujiji to be somewhere between the coast and " Nayamweze." as he calls it. But then I am spiteful this morning of Sep- tember 21st, and there is nothing lovable under the sun at this present time except the memory of my poor little dog " Omar," who fell a victim to the Makata Swamp. Poor Omar ! Amid these many scraps or clippings all about Livingstone, there are many more which contain as ludicrous mistakes, mostly all of them having emanated from the same scientific pen as the above. I find one wherein Sir R. IMurchisun, President of the Royal Geographical Society, stoutly main- tains that Livingstone's tenacity of purpose, undying resolu- tion, and herculean frame will overcome every obstacle. 436 HOPEFUL SIR RODERICK. Tlirougli several scraps runs a vein of doubt and unbelief in the existence of the explorer. The writers seem to incline that he has at last succumbed. But to the very latest date Sir Roderick rides triumphant over all doubts and fears. At the very nick of time he has always a letter from Livingstone himself, or a despatch from Livingstone to Lord Clarendon, or a private note from Dr. Livingstone to his friend Kirk at Zanzibar. Happy Sir Roderick ! Good, Sir Roderick ! a healthy, soul-inspiring faith is thine. Well, I am, to tell you the outspoken truth, tormented by the same doubts and fears that people in America and Eng- land are — to-day unconnnonly so. I blame the fever. Yet, though I have heard nothing that would lead me to believe Livingstone is alive, I derive much comfort from reading Sir Roderick's speech to the society of which he is President. But though he has tenacity of puqjose and is the most resolute of travelers, he is but a man, who, if alive, is old in years. I have but to send for Said bin Habib, who claims to be the Doctor's best friend, and who lives but a rifle shot from the camp of the Herald and Livingstone expedi- tions, and he will tell me how he found him so sick with fever that it seemed as if the tired spirit was about to take its eternal rest. I have but to ask Suliman Dowa, or Thomas, how he found " old Daond Fellasteen " — David Livingstone — and he will tell me he saw a very old man, with veiy gray beard and mustache, who ought to be home now instead of wandering among those Avild cannibals of Manyema. "What made me to-day give way to fears for Livingstone's life, was that a letter had reached Unyanyembe, from a man called Shereef, who is in charge of Livingstone's goods at Ujiji, wherein he asked permission from Said bin Salim, the Governor here, to sell Livingstone's goods for ivory ; wherein he states further, that Shereef had sent his slaves to Manyema to look for the white man, and that these slaves had returned without hearing any news from him. lie (Shereef), was therefore tired of waiting, and it M-ould l)e much better if he were to receive orders to disjxjsc of the white man's cloth and beads for ivorv. STOREROOMS OF THE EXPEDITION. 437 It is strange that these goods, which were sent to TTjiji over a year ago, have not yet been touched, and the fact tliat Livingstone has not been in Ujiji to receive his hist year's suppHes puzzles also Said bin Salini, Governor of Unyan- yembe, or rather, of Tabora and Kwihara, as well as it })uz- zles Sheikh, son of Nasib, accredited Consul of Syed Burghash, Sultan of Zanzibar and Pemba at the Courts of Rumanika and Mtesa, Kings respectively of Karagwah and Uganda. In the storeroom where the cumbersome moneys of the New York Herald Expedition lie piled up, bale upon bale, sack after sack, coil after coil, and the two boats, are this year's supplies sent by Dr. Kirk to Dr. Livingstone — seven- teen bales of cloth, twelve boxes of wine, provisions, and little luxuries such as tea and cofiee. "When I came up witli my last caravan to Unyanyembe, I found Livingstone's liad arrived but four weeks before, or about May 23d last, and had put itself under charge of a half-caste called Thani Kati-Kati, or Thani, "in the middle," or "between." Before he could get carriers he died of dysentery. He was succeeded in charge by a man from Johanna, who, in something lilce a week died of smallpox ; then Mirambo's war broke out, and here we all are, September 21s<-, both expeditions halted. But not for long, let us hope, for the third time I will make a start the day after to-morrow. To the statement that the man Shercef makes, that he has sent slaves to Manyema to search for Dr. Livingstone, I pay not the slightest attention. Shereef, I am told, is a half-caste. Half Arab, half -negro. Happy amalgamation ! All Arabs and all half-castes, especially when it is in their interest to lie, lie without stint. What and who is this man Shereef, that he should, unasked, send his slaves twenty days off to search fur a white man ? It was not for his interest to send out men, but it was policy to say he had done so, and tlu.t his slaves had returned without hearing of him. He is, therefore, in a hurry to sell off and make money at the expense of Livingstone. 438 ARRAIGNMENT OF DR. KIRK. This man has treated the ohl traveler shamefully — like some other men I know of, who, if I live, will be exposed through your columns. But why should I not do so jv.nv i What better time is there than the present ? Well, here it is — coolly, calmly, and deliberately. I have studied the whole thing since I came here, and cannot do better than give you the result of the searching inquiries instituted. It is the case of the British Public vs. Dr. John Kirk, Actiug Political Agent and her Britannic Majesty's Consul at Zanzibar, as I understand it. The case is briefly this : — - Some time in October, 1870, Henry Adrian Churchill, Esq., was Her Britannic Majesty's Consul at Zanzibar. He fitted out during that month a small expedition to carry supplies to Dr. Livingstone, under the escort of seven or eight men, who were to act as armed soldiers, porters or servants. They arrived at Bagamoyo, on the the mainland, during the latter 2)art of October. About the latter part of October, or the early part of IRovember, Mr. Churchill left Zanzibar for England, and Dr. John Kirk, the present occupant of the consular chair, succeeded him as " acting" in the capacity Mr. Churchill heretofore had done. A letter bag, containing letters to Dr. Livingstone, was sealed up by Dr. John Kirk at Zanzibar, on which was written " November 1, 1870 — Registered letters for Dr. David Livingstone, Ujiji ;" from which it appears that the letter bag was closed on the 1st of November, 1870. On the 6th of January, 1871, your correspondent arrived at Zanzibar, and then and there heard of a caravan being at Bagamoyo, bound for the intei'ior wath supplies for Dr. Livingstone. On the 4th of February, 1871, your corre- spondent in charge of the Herald Expedition, arrived at Bagamoyo, and found this caravan of Dr. Livingstone's still at Bagamoyo. On or about the 18th of February. 1871, there appeared, off Bagamoyo, Her Britannic Majesty's gunboat Colum- bine, Captain Tucker, having on board Dr. John Kirk, acting Her Britannic Majesty's Consul. Three days before GIRAFFES IN PITFALL. SHOOTING IIAIITBEESTS. 441 Dr. John Kirk arrived at Bagamoyo, Livingstone's caravan started for tlie interior, hurried, no doubt, hy the report tliat the Enghsh Consul was coming. That evening about the hour of seven P. M. your correspondent dined at the French Mission in company with the peres, Dr. Kirk and Captain Tucker of the Cohunbine. The next morning Dr. Kirk and Captain Tucker and another gentleman from the Columbine, and Pere Homer, Superior of the French mission, left for Kikoka, first camp on the Unyanyenibe road beyond the Knigani River; or, in other words, the second camp for the up caravans from Bagamoyo. Pere Homer returned to Pagamoyo the evening of that same day ; but Messrs. Kirk and Tucker, the French Consul, M. Diviane, and, I believe, the surgeon of the Columbine, remained bcliiud that they might enjoy the sport which the left bank of the Knigani ofi'ered them. A good deal of ammunition was wasted, I heard, by tlie naval officers, because, ''You know, they have only pea rliles ;"' so said Dr. Kirk to me. But Dr. Kirk, the companion of Livingstone and sometliing of a sportsman, I am told, bagged one hartbeest and one giraffe only in the four or five days tjie party was out. M. Diviane, or Divien, hurried back to Bag- amoyo and Zanzibar v/ith a piece of the aforesaid hartbeest, that the white people on that island might enjoy the sight, and hear how the wondrous animal fell before the unerring rifle of that learned showman of wild beasts, Dr. John Kirk. Showman of wild beasts did I say? Yes. Well, I adhere to it and repeat it. But to proceed. At the end of a week or thereabouts the party were said to have arrived at the French Mission again. I rode np from the camp of the Herald Expe- dition to see them. They were sitting down to dinner, and we all heard the graphic yarn about the death of the hart- beest. It was a line animal they all agreed " But, Doctor, did you not ha\e something else ?" (Question by leader of Herald Expedition.) '' No ! we saw lots of game, you know — giraffe, zebra, wild boar, &c. — but they were made so wild, you know, by the 44:2 ABOUT Till- LIVINGoTONE CARAVAX. liring of 2^ea rifles by the officers, tliat immediately one began to stalk them, otf they went. I would not have gut the hartbeest if I had not gone alone." "Well, next morning Dr. Kirk and a reverend jyadre came to visit the camp of the Herald Expedition, partook of a cup of tea in my tent, then went to see Moussoud about Dr. Liv- ingstone's things. They were told that the caravan had gone several days before. Satisfied that nothing more could be done, after a dejeuner at the French Mission, Dr. Kirk about eleven A. M. went on board the Columbine. About half-past three P. M. the Columbine steamed for Zanzibar. On the 15th of March your correspondent returned to Zan- zibar, to settle up the last accounts connected with the expe- dition. While at Zanzibar your correspondent heard that the report had industriously been spread among those inter- ested in Livingstone, the traveler, that Dr. Kirk had hurried off the Livingstone caravan at once, and that he had accom- panied the said caravan beyond the Knigani, and that your correspondent could not possibly get any pagazis whatever, as he (Dr. Kirk) had secured them all. I wondered, but said notliing. Really, the whole w^ere marvelous were it not opposed to fact. Livingstone's caravan needed but thirty- three men ; the Herald Expedition required one hundred and forty men, all told. Before the Livingstone caravan had started, the first caravan of the Herald Expedition had pre- ceded them by four days. By the 15th of March, one hun- dred and eleven men were secured for the Herald Expedition, and for the remainder, donkeys were substituted. June saw us at Unyanyembe, and there I heard the ropoi-ts of the chiefs of the several caravans of the Herald Expedition. Livingstone's caravan was also there, and the men in charge were interrogated by me with the following questions : — Q. " When did you see Dr. Kirk last V A. "1st of November, 1870." Q. "Where?" A. " At Zanzibar." Q, " Did you not see him at Bngamoyo ?'' THE SUMMING UP. 443 A. '' Xo ; but M'o heard tliat he had been at Bagamojo." Q. " Is this true ; quite, quite true V A/' Quite true, Wallali " (by God). The story is told. This is the case — a ease, as I understand it to be, of the British Pubhc vs. Jolm Kirk. Does it not appear to you that Dr. John Kirk never had a word to say. never liad a word to write to his old friend Dr. Livingstone all the time from the 1st of N'overaber, 1S70, to about the 15th of February, 1871 ; that during all this period of three and a half months. Dr. John Kirk showed great unkindness, unfriendliness towards the old traveler, his former companion, in not pushing the caravan carrying supplies to the man with whom all, who have read of him, sympatliize so much ? Does it not seem to you, as it does to me, that had Dr. John Kirk bestirred himself in his grand character of English "Bal- yuz " — a noble name and great title out here in these lands — that that small caravan of thirty-three men might have been despatched within a week or so after their arrival at Baga- moyo, by which it would }ia\e arrived here in Unyanj-embe long before Mirambo's war broke out ? This war broke out June 15th, 1871. "Well, I leave the case in your hands, assured that your intelligence, your natural power of discrimination, your fine sense of justice, will enable you to decide whether this man Dr. John Kirk, professed friend of Dr. Livingstone, has shoAvn his friendship for Livingstone in leaving his caravan three and a half months at Bagamoyo ; whether, when he went over to Bagamoyo in the character of showman of wild beasts, to gratify the sporting instincts of the officers of Her Britannic Majesty's ship Columbine, did he show any very kindly feeling to the hero traveler, when he left the duty of looking up that caravan of the Doctor's till the last thing on the programme. 23 CIIAPTEIl XXVII. FROM KWIIIARA TO UYIXZA. UJIJI is the name of a province, not of a single to\m. It was first visited by the Arabs about 1840, ten years after they had penetrated to Unyamvrezi ; they found it con- veniently situated as a mart upon the Tanganyika Lake, and a central point where their depots might be established, and whence their factors and slaves could navigate the waters, and collect slaves and ivory from the tribes upon its banks. But the climate proved unhealthy, the people dangerous, and the coasting-voyages frecpiently ended in disaster; Ujiji, there- fore, never rose to the rank of Unyan^-embe or Msene. The land of Ujiji is bounded on the north by the lieights of Urundi, and on the south by the Ukaranga country ; east- ward it extends to Ubuha, and westward it is washed by the waves of the Tanganyika Lake. On its northeast lies Uhha, DOW reduced by the predatory Watuta to a luxuriant desert. The Watuta are a tribe of robbers, originally settled upon the soutliern extremity of Tanganyika Lake. Subsequently they migrated northward. Then they crossed tlie IMalaga- razi River and laid waste the lands of Uhha and Ubuha. About 1855 tliey attacked Msene, and were only repulsed by the Arabs after a week of liard skirmishing. In 1858, shortly after Burton and Speke's departure from Ujiji, the Watuta marched against that place, and but for the assistance rendered to the natives by the Arabs who h;id just arrived with a large number of slaves, Ujiji Avould doubtless have been converted into a grizzly solitude. 414 THE ROUTE TO UJIJI. 445 'Mr. Stanley had good reasons for expecting to find Dr. Livingstone at Ujiji, or to liear from Ijini definitely at that place. Dr. Livingstone had, in letters written in 1868, requested the Geographical Societ}- to forward snj)plies to him at Ujiji ; and it was known that supplies thus sent in 1869, actually reached liim there. The caravan road from Zanzibar was a well-worn one, and had been traversed by IJnrton and Speke, from whose labors Mr. Stanley, in his speech before the Geographical Society, acknowledged to have received assistance. Di'. Livingstone, if alive, would therefore, probably, be in the vicinity of Ujiji ; and here Stanley found him on the 10th of November 1871, after his journey from Unyanyembe as narrated in the following pages. " Only two months gone, and Avhat a change in my feelings ! But two months ago, M'hat a peevish, fretful soul was niine ! AVhat a hopeless prospect presented itself before your cor- respondent! Arabs vowing that 1 would never behold the Tanganyika ; Sheikh, the son of Nasib, declaring me a mad- man to his fellows, because I would not heed his M-ords. Mr men deserting, my servants whining day by day, and my white man endeavoring to impress me with the belief that w^e were all doomed men ! And the only answer to it all is, Livingstone, the hero traveler, is alongside of me, writing as liard as he can to his friends in England, India, and America, and I am quite safe and sound in health and limb. Wonderful, is it not, that such a thing should be, Mdicn the seers had foretold that it would be otherwise — that all my schemes, that all my determination Avould avail me nothing ? But probably you are in as much of a hurry to know how it all took place as I am to relate. So, to the recital. September 23d, I left Unyanyembe, driving before me fifty well-armed black men loaded with the goods of the expedi- tion, and dragging after me one white man. Several Arabs stood by my late residence to see the last of me and mine, as they felt assured there was not the least hope of their ever seeing me again. Shaw, the white man, was |)ale as death, and would willingly have received the order to stoj) behind 416 STARTING niOM UXYA.XYEMBE. in UnyanjxiiiLe, only lie had not quite the courage to ask ■Dermission, from the fact that only the night before, he had expressed the hope that I would not leave him behind, and I had promised to give him a good riding donkey, and to walk after him, until he recovered perfect health. However, as I gave the order to march, some of the men, in a hurry to obey the order, managed to push by him sud- denly, and down he went like a dead man. The Arabs, thinking, doubtless, that I would not go now, because my white subordinate seemed so ill, hurried in a body to the fallen man, loudly crying at what they were pleased to term my cruelty and obstinacy ; but, pushing them back, I mounted Shaw on his donkey, and told them that I must see the Tan- ganyika first, as I had sworn to go ofi". Putting two soldiers, one on each side of him, I ordered Shaw to move on, and not to l>lay the fool before the Arabs, lest they should triumph over us. Three or four black laggards, loth to go, (Bombay was one of them,) received my dog-whip across their shoulders, as a gentle intimation that I was not to be baulked after having fed them so long and paid them so much. And it was thus we left Unyanyembe. Kot in the best humor, was it ? How- ever, where there is a will there is a way. Once away from the hateful valley of Ivwihara, once out of sight of the obnoxious fields, my enthusiasm for my work rose as new-born as when I left the coast. But my enthusiasm was short-lived, for before reaching camp, I was almost delir- ious with fever. Long before I reached the camp, I saw from a ridge overlooking a fair valley dotted with villages and green with groves of plantains and fields of young rice, my tent, and from its tall pole, the American flag, waving gaily before the strong breeze which blew from the eastward. When I had arrived at the camp, burning with fever, my jjulse bounding many degi-ees too fast, and my temper made more acrimonious by my sufferings, I found the camp almost deserted. The men as soon as they liad arrived at JMkvrenkwe, the A HUNT FOR DESERTERS. 447 village agreed upon, had hurried back to Ivwihara. Living- etone's letter-carrier had not made his appearance — it was an abandoned camp. I instantly despatched six of the best of those who had refused to return, to ask Sheikh, the son of Nasib, to lend or sell me the longest slave chain he had, then to hunt up the runaways and bring them back to camp bound, and promised them that for every head captured, they should have a bran new cloth. I also did not forget to tell my trusty men to tell Livingstone's messenger that if he did not come to camp before night, I would return to Unyanyembe — or Ivwihara rather, for I was yet in Unyanyembe — catch him, and put him in chains, and never release him, until his master saw him. My men went off in high glee, and I went off to bed, passing long hours groaning and tossing about, for the deadly sickness that had overtaken me. 'Next morning, fourteen out of twenty of those who had deserted back to their wives and huts, (as is generally the custom,) had reappeared, and, as the fever had left me, I only lectured them, and they gave me their promise not to desert me again under any circumstances. Livingstone's messenger had passed the night in bonds, because he had resolutely refused to come. I unloosed him, and gave him a paternal lecture, painting in glowing colors the benefits he would receive, if he came along quietly, and the horrible punish- ment of being chained up until I reached l"^'iji, if hcAvas still resolved not to come, " Kaif Ilalleck," (Arabic for " How do you do ?") melted, and readily gave me his promise to come and obey me as he Avould his own master — Livingstone — ^until we should see him, " which Inshallah we shall !" '' Please God, please God, we shall," I replied, " and you will be no loser." During the day my soldiers had captured the others, and as they all promised obedience and fidelity in future, they escaped punishment. But I was well aware that so long as I remained in such close proximity, the temptation to revisit the fat pasture grounds of Unyanyembe, where they had luxuriated so long, would be too strong ; and to enable thera 443 PUNISHMENT OF THE RUNAWAYS to resist I ordered a luarcli towards evening, and two hours after dark we arrived at the village of Kasegera. It is possible for any of your readers so disposed, to con- struct a map of the road on which the Herald expedition was now journeying, if they draw a line one hundred and lifty miles long, south by west from Unyanyembe, tlien one hun- dred and Hfty miles west northwest, then ninety miles north, half east, then seventy miles west by north, and that will take them to Ujiji. Before taking up the narrative of the march, I must tell you that during the night, after reaching Kasegera, two deserted, and on calling the men to fall in for the road, I detected two more trying to steal away behind some of the huts of the village wherein we encamped. An order quietly given to Chowperch and Bombay soon brought them back, and without hesitation I had them tied up and flogged, and then adorned their stubborn necks with the chain kindly lent by Sheikh bin Nasib. I had good cause to chuckle complacently for the bright idea that suggested the chain as a means to check the tendency of the bounty jumpers to desert ; for these men were as much bounty jumpers as our refractory roughs during the war, who pocketed their thousands, and then coolly deserted. These men, imitating their white prototypes, had received double pay of cloth, and double rations, and, imagining they could do with me as they could with the other good white men, whom tradition kept faithfully in memory, who liad proceeded your correspondent in this country, waited for opportunities to decamp ; but I was determined to try a new method, nut having the fear of Exeter Ilall before my eyes, and I :uu happy to say to-day, for the benefit of all future travelers, that it is the best method yet adopted, and that I will never travel in Africa again, without a good, long chain. Cliowperch and Bombay retm-ned to Unyanyendje, and the " Herald Expedition " ke})t on its way south, for I desired to put as many miles as ])ussible between tliat district and ourselves, for I perceived that few were inclined for the road, Mil. SHAW SENT BACK. 419 my wliite inaiij I am soriy to say, least of all. The village of Kigandii was reached, after four hours' march from Kase- gera. As we entered the camp, Shaw, the Englishman, fell from his donkey, and, despite all endeavors to raise him up, refused to stand. When his tent was pitched, I had him carried in from the sun, and after tea was made, I persuaded him to swallow a cup, which seemed to revive him. He then said to me : — " Mr. Stanley, I don't believe I can go further with you. I feel very much worse, and I beg of you to let me go back." This was just what I expected. I knew perfectly well what was coming, while he was drinking his tea, and, with the illustrious example of Livingstone traveling by himself before me, I was asking myself, would it not be just as Avell for 2ne to try to do the same thing, instead of dragging an unwilling man -with me, who would, if I refused to send him back, be only a hindrance ? So I told him : — " Well, my dear Shaw, I have come to the conclusion that it is best you should return, and I will hire some carriers to take you back in a cot, which I will have made immediately to carry you in. In the meanwhile, for your own sake, I would advise you to keep yourself as busy as possible, and follow the instructions as to diet and medicine which I will write out for you. You shall have the key to the store-room, and you can help yourself to anything you may fancy." These were the words with which I parted from him — as next morning I only bade him good bye, besides enjoining on him to be of good hope, as, if I was successful, not more than five months would elapse before I would return to Unyan- jembe. Chowperch and Bombay returned before I stai-ted from Kigandu, with the runaways, and after administei'ing to them a sound flogging, I chained them, and the expedition was once more on its way. We were about entering the immense forest that separates XJnyanyembe from the district of Ugunda. In lengthy, 450 A PLUNGE INTO THE WILDERNESS. undulating waves, tlie land stretclies before us — tlie new land which no European knew, the unknown, mystic land. The view which the eyes hurry to embrace, as we ascend some ridge higher than another, is one of the most disheartening that can be conceived. Away, one beyond another, wave the lengthy rectilinear ridges, clad in the same garb of color. Woods, woods, w^oods, forests, leafy branches, green and sere, yellow and dark red and purple, then an indefinable ocean, bluer than the bluest sky. The horizon all around shows the same scene — a sky dropping into the depths of the endless forest, with but two or three tall giants of the forest higher than their neighbors, which are conspicuous in their outlines, to break the monotony of the scene. On no one point do .our eyes rest with pleasure; they have viewed the same out- lines, the same forest, and the same horizon, day after day, week after w^eek ; and again, like l^oah's dove from wander- ing over a world without a halting place, return wearied with the search. Mukunguru, or fever, is very plentiful in these forests, owing to their density preventing free circulation of air, as well as want of drainage. As we proceed on our journey, in the dry season, as it is with us now, we see nothing very offensive to the sight. If the trees are dense, imj)eding fresli air, we are shaded from the sun, and may often walk long stretches with the hat off. ISTumbers of trees lie about, in the last stages of decay, and working with might and main, are numberless ants of various species, to clear the encumbered ground, and thus they do such a country as this great service. Impa'lpably, however, the poison of the dead and corrupting vegetation is inhaled into the system, with often as fatal result as tliat which is said to arise from the vicinity of the upas tree. The first evil results experienced from the presence of malaria, arc confined bowels, an oppressive languor, excessive drowsiness, and a constant disposition to yawn. The tongue lias a sickly yellow hue, or is colored almost to blackness ; even the teeth assume a yellow color, and become coated with THE STRONG FORTRESS OF UGUNDA. 451 an offensive matter. The eyes sparkle witli a lustre wliicli is an nnniistakable symptom of the fever in its incipient state, which presently will rage through the system, and lay the sufferer prostrate, quivering with agony. This fever is sometimes proceeded by a violent shaking fit, during which period blankets may be heaped upon the sufferer with but little amelioration of his state. It is then succeeded by an unusually severe headache, with excessive pains about the loins and spinal column, spreading gradually over the shoulder blades, and which, running up the nape of the neck, finally find a lodgment in the posterior or front parts of the head. This kind is generally of the intermittent type, and is not considered dangerous. The remittent form — the most dangerous — is not proceeded by a fainting fit, but the patient is at once seized with excessive heat, throbbing temples, loin and spinal aches ; a raging thirst takes possession of him, and the brain becomes clouded with strange fancies, wliich some- times assume most hideous shapes. Before the darkened \^sion, float in a seething atmosj^hero figures of created and uncreated, possible and impossible figures, which are meta- morphosed every instant into stranger shapes and designs, growing every instant more confused, more complicated, hideous, and terrible, until the sufferer, unable to bear longer the distracting scene, with an effort opens his eyes and dis- solves it, only to glide again unconsciously into another dreamland, where a similar unreal inferno is dioramically revealed. It takes seven hours to traverse the forest between Tvigandu and TJgunda, when we come to the capital of the new district, wherein one may laugh at Mirambo and his forest thieves. At least the Sultan, or Lord of TJgunda, feels in a laughing mood while in his strong stockade, should one but hint to him that Mirambo might come to settle up the long debt that Chieftain owes him, for defeating him the last time — a year ago — when he attempted to storm his place. And M-ell may the Sultan laugh at him, and all others Mdiich the hospitable Chief may permit to reside within, for it Is the 452 A BELLIGERENT CHIEFTAIN. strongest place — except Simba-Moeni and Ivwihara, in Unyanyenibe — I have as yet seen in Africa. Tlie defences of the capital consist of a strong stockade surrounding it, or tall, thick poles j)lanted deep in the earth, and so close to each other in some places, that a spear head could not be di'iven between. At intervals, also, rise vrooden towers above the palisade, where the best marksman, known for their skill with the musket, are posted, to pick out the foremost or most prominent of the assailants. Against such forces as the African chiefs could bring against such palisaded villages, Ugunda may be considered impregnable, though a few white men with a two-pounder might soon effect an entrance. Having arrived safely at Ugunda, we may now proceed on our journey fearless of Mirambo, though he has attacked places four days south of this ; but as he has already at a former time, felt the power of the Wanyamwezi of Ugunda, he will not venture again in a hurry. On the sixth day of our departure from Uuyanyembe, we continued our journey south. Three long marches, under a hot sun, through jungly plains, heat-cracked expanses of prairie land, through young forests, haunted by the tsetse and sword flies, considered fatal to cattle, brought us to the gates of a village called Manyara, whose chief was determined not to let us in nor sell us a grain of corn, because he had never seen a white man before, and he must know all about this wonderful specimen of humanity, before he would allow us to pass through his country. My men were innnediately dismayed at this, and the guide, whom I had already marked as a coward, and one I mistrusted, quaked as if he had the ague. The chief, however, expressed his belief that we should find a suitable camping-place near some pools of water distant half a mile to the right of his village. Having arrived at the khambi, or camp, I despatched Bom- bay with a propitiating gift of cloth to the chief — a gift at once so handsome iijid so munificent, consisting of no less than two royal cloths and three common dotis, that the chief STANLEY ASTOXISnES THE NATIVES. 453 surrendered at once, declaring that tlie white man was a supe- rior being to anj he liad ever seen. " Surely," said he, " he must have a friend ; otherwise how came he to send me such fine clothes ? Tell the white man that I shall come and see him." Permission was at once given to his people to sell us as much corn as we needed. We had barely finished distribu- ting five days' rations to each man when the chief was announced. Gun-bearers, twenty in number, preceded him, and thirty spear-men followed him, and behind these came eight or ten men, loaded with gifts of honey, native beer, holcus sorghum, beans and maize. I at once advanced and invited the chief to my tent, which had undergone some alterations, that I might honor him as much as lay in my power. Ma-manyara was a tall, stalwart man, with a very pleasing face. lie car- ried in his hand a couple of spears, and, with the exception of a well-worn barsati around his loins, he was naked. Three of his principal men and himself were invited to sit on my Persian carpet. They began to admire it excessively, and asked if it came from ray country ? AVhere was my country ? Was it large ? How many days to it ? 'Was I a king ? Had I many soldiers ? were questions quickly asked, and as quickly answered, and the ice being broken, the chief being equal 'y candid as I was myself, he grasped my fore and middle fin- gers, and vowed we were friends. The revolvers and Win- chester's repeating rifies were things so V\-onderful, thiil to attempt to give you any idea of how awe-struck he and Lis men were, would task my powers. The chief roared with laughter; he tickled his men in the ribs with his fore-finger, he clasped their fore and middle fin- gers, and vowed that the Muzungu was a wonder, a marvel, and no mistake. Did they ever see anything like it ? '* IS^o," his men solemnly said. Did they ever hear anything like it before I " No." as solemnly as before. 454 THE WHITE MAN'S TOMBE. " Is he not a wonder ? Quite a wonder — ^positively a wonder !" My medicine cliest was opened next, and I nneorked a small pliial of medicinal brandy, and gave tliem each a spoon- ful. The men all gazed at their chief, and he gazed at them ; they were questioning each other with their eyes. What was it? "Pombe," was my reply. " Pombe Idsungu." (The white man's pombe.) " Surely this is also wonderful, as all things belonging to him are," said the chief. " Wonderful," they echoed ; and then all burst into another series of cachinnations, ear-splitting, almost. Smelling at the ammonia bottle was a thing all must have ; but some were fearful, owing to the eifects produced on each man's eyes, and the facial contortions which followed the olfactory effort. The chief smelt three or four times, after which he declared his headache vanished, and that I must be a great and good white man. Suftice it, that I made myself so popular with Ma-manyara and his people, that they will not forget me in a hurry. Leaving kind and hospitable Ma-manyara, after a four hour's march, we came to the banks of the Gombe Xullah, not the one which Burton and Speke have described, for the Gombe which I mean is a1)out one hundred and twenty-fi\^e miles south of the Northern Gombe. The glorious park land spreading out north and south of the Southern Gombe is a hunter's paradise. It is full of game of all kinds— herds of buffalo, giraffe, zebra, pallah, water buck, springbok, gcms- bok, blackbuck, and kudu, besides several eland, warthog, or wild boar, and hundreds of the smaller antelope. We saw all these in one day, and at night heard the lions roar, and the low of the hippopotamus. I halted here three days to shoot, aiul there is no occasion to boast of what I shot, considering the myriadi of game I saw at every step I took, Not half the animals shot here by myself and men w^ere nuide use of. Two buffaloes and one kudu were brought to camp the first day, besides a wild boar, nUNTIXG ADVENTURES. 457 uiiieli my mess finished up in one niglit. My boy gnn-bear- ci'jj rfut lip the whole night eating boar meat, and until I went to sleep, I could hear the bufi'alo meat sizzing over the lire, as the Islamized soldiers prepared it for the road. The second day of the halt, I took the Winchester rille, or the iifteen shooter, to prey on the pojjulous plain, but I only bagged a tiny blue buck by shooting it through the head. I had expected great things of this rifle, and am sorry I was disappointed. The Winchester rifle cartridges might as well have been filled up with sawdust, as with the powder the New York Ammunition Company put in them. Only two out of the ten would fire, Avhich so spoiled my aim that noth- ing could be done with the rifle. The cartridges of all the English rifles always went olf, and I c(.)nimend Eley, of Lon- don, to everybody in need of cartridges to explode. The third day, arming myself with a double-barreled English smooth-bore, I reaped a bountiful harvest of meat, and having marched over a larger space, saw a much larger variety of game than on any preceding day. The Gombe Nullah, dur- ing the dry season, is but a system of long, nari'ow pools, full of crocodiles and hippopotami. In the wet season, it over- flows its banks, and is a swift, broad stream, emptying into the Malagarazi, thence into the Lake Tanganyika. From Manyara to Marefu, in Lkonongo, are five days' marches. It is an uninhabited forest now, and is about eighty miles in length. Clumps of forest, and dense islets of jungle dot plains, which separate the forests proper. It is monoto- nous, owing to the sameness of the scenes. And throughout this length of eighty miles, there is nothing to catch a man's eye in search of the picturesque or novel, save the Gombe's pools, with their amphil)ious inhabitants, and the variety of noble game which inhabit the forests and plain. A traveling band of Wakonongo, bound to Ukonongo from Manyara, prayed to have our escort, which was readily granted. They were famous foresters, who knew the various fruits fit to eat ; who knew the cry of the honey bird, and could follow it to the treasure of honey which it wished to show its human 45 S THE nONEY BIRD— BOMBAY SULKY. friends. It is a pretty bird, not mucli larger than a wren, and, " tweet-tweet," it immediately cries when it sees a human heing. It becomes very busy all at once, hops and skips, and files from braiich to branch with marvelous celerity. The traveler lifts up his eyes, beholds the tiny little bird, hopping about, and hears its sweet call — " twect-twect-tweet," If he h a "Wakonongo he follows it. Away flies the bird on to another tree, springs to another branch nearer to the lagging man, as if to say, " Shall I, must I come and fetch you ?" but assured by his advance, is a\vay again to another tree, coquets about, and tweets his call rapidly ; sometimes more earnest and loud, as if chiding him for being so slow ; then off again, until at last the treasure is found and secured. And as he is a very busy little bird, Avliile the man secures his treasure of honey, he plumes himself, ready for another flight, and to discover another treasure. Every evening the Wakonongo brought us stores of beautiful red and white honey, which is only to be secured in the dry season. Over pancakes and fritters the honey is very excellent ; bat it is apt to distiu'b the stomach ; I seldom rejoiced in its sweetness, without suf- fering some indisposition afterwards. As we were leaving the banks of the Gombe at one time, near a desolate looking place, fit scene for a tragedy, occurred an incident which I shall not readily forget. I had given three days' rest to the soldiers, and their cloth-loads were fur- nished with bountiful supplies of meat, which told how well they had enjoyed themselves during the halt ; but the guide, a stubborn fellow, one inclined to be impertinent whenever he had the cliance, wished for another day's hunting. lie selected Bombay as his mouth piece, and I scolded Bombay for being the bearer of such an unreasonable demand, when lie knew very well I could not possibly allow it, after halting already three days. Bombay became sulky, said it was not his fault, and that he could do nothing more than come and tell me, which I denied in toto, and said to him that he could have done much, very much more, and better, by telling the f.uide that another day's halt was impossible; that we had STANLEY QUELLS A MUTINY. 459 not come to liiint, but to march and find the white mini, Liv- ingstone ; that if he had spoken to the gnide against it, as it was his dut}^, he being cajitain, instead of accepting the task of conveying unpleasant nevrs to nic, it would have been much better. I ordered the horn to sound, and the expedition had gone but three miles, when I found they had come to a dead stand. As I was walking up to see what was the matter, I saw the guide and his brother sitting on an ant-hill, apart from the other j^eople, fingering their guns in what appeared to me a most suspicious manner. Calling Selim, I took the double- barreled smooth-bore, and slipped in two charges of buck- shot, and then walked on to my people, keeping an eye, how- ever, upon the guide and his brother, I asked Bombay to give ;ne an explanation of the stoppage. He would not ansM'er, though he mumbled something sullenly, which was unintelligible to me. I looked to the other people, and perceived that they acted in an irresolute maimer, as if they feared to take my part, or were of the same mind as the party on the ant-hill. I was but thirty paces from the guide, and throwing the barrel of the gun into the hollow of my left hand, I ])resented it cocked at the guide, and called out to him, if he did not come to me at once I would shoot him, giving him and his com- panion to understand that I had tM'enty-four small bullets in the gun, and that I could blow them to pieces. In a very reluctant manner they advanced toward me. "When they were sufficiently near, I ordered them to halt ; but the guide, as he did so, brought his gun to the present, M-ith his finger on the trigger, and, with a treacherous and cunning smile which I perfectly understood, he asked what I wanted of him. His companion, while he w^s speaking, was sidling to my rear, and was imprudently engaged in filling the pan of hij nmsket with powder ; but a threat to finish him if he did not go back to his companion, and there stand until I gave liini permission to move, compelled this villainous Thersites to ■iGO A TRAGEDY ADVERTED. execute the " riglit about " with a promptitude which earned coiumendatioii from me. Then, facing my Ajax of a guide with my gun, I next requested him to lower his gun, if he did not wish to receive the contents of mine in liis liead ; and I do not know but what the terrible catastrophe warranted by stern necessity had occurred then and there, if Mabouki (" bull-headed " Mabouki, but my faithful porter and faithful soldier), had not dashed tlie num's gun aside, asking him how he dared level his gun at his master, and then thrown himself at my feet, praying me to forgive him. Mabouki's action and sub- sequent conduct somewhat disconcerted myself, as well as the murderous -looking guide, but I felt thankful that I had been spared shedding blood, though there %vas great provo- cation. Few cases of homicide could have been more justified than this, and I felt certain that this man had been seduc- ing my soldiers from their duties to me, and was the cause, principally, of Bombay remaining in the background during this interesting episode of a march through the wilderness, instead of acting the part which Mabouki so readily undertook to do. "When Mabouki's prayer for forgiveness was seconded by that of the piincipal culprit, that I would overlook his act, I was enabled to act as became a prudent commander, though I felt some remorse that I had not availed myself of the opportunity to punish the guide and his companion as they eminently deserved. But perhaps had I proceeded to extrem- ities, my people — fickle enough at all times — would have taken the act as justifying them for deserting In a body, and the search after Livingstone had ended there and then, which would have been as nnwelcome to the Herald as unhappy to myself However, as Bombay could not bend himself to ask for- giveness, I came to the conclusion that it were best he should be made to feel tlie penalty for stirring dissensions in the expedition, and be brought to look with a more amiable face OLD IIASSAX'S PATIENCE AND WOES. 461 upon the scheme of proceeding to Ujiji, through Uhonongo and Ukawcndi, and I at once proceeded about it ^-ith such vigor, that Bombay's back will for as long a time bear traces of the punishment which I administered to him, as his front teeth do of that which Speke rightfully bestowed on him some eleven years ago. And here I may as well interpolate by way of parenthesis, that I am not at all obliged to Captain Burton for a recomendation of a man who so ill deserved it as Bombay. Arriving at Marefu, we overtook an embassy from the, Arabs at Unyanyembe to the chief of the ferocious "Watuta, who live a month's march southwest of this frontier village of Ukonongo. Old Hassan, the Mseguhha, was the person who held the honorable post of chief of the embassy, who had volunteered to conduct the negotiations which were tO' secure the Watuta's services against Mirambo, the dreaded chief of IJyowa. Assured by the Arabs that there was no danger, and having received the sum of forty dollars for his services, he had gone on, sanguine of success, and had arrived at Marefu, where we overtook him. But old Hassan was not the man for the position, as I per- ceived, when, after visiting me in my tent, he began to unfold the woes which already had befallen him, which were as nothing, however, to those sure to happen to him if he went on much farther. There were only two roads by which he might hope to reach the Watuta, and these ran through countries where the people of Mbogo of Ukonongo were at war with Niongo, the brother of Manua Sera, (the chief who disturbed Unyanyembe during Speke's residence there,) and the Wasavira contended against Simba, son of King Mkasiva. He was eloquent in endeavoring to dissuade me from the attempt to pass through the country of the Wasavira, and advised me, as an old man who knew well whereof he was speaking, not to proceed farther, but wait at Marefu until better times ; and, sure enough, on my return from Ujiji with Livingstone, I heard that old Hassan was still encamped at Marefu, waitiuiz; patiently for the better times he hoped to see. 24 4,62 THE IXC0EPJGIBLE3 IX CHAINS. "We left old Hassan — after earnestly commending liini to tlie care of " Allah" — the next day, for the prosecution of the work of the expedition, feeling much happier than \:g had felt for many a day. Desertions had now ceased, and there remained in chains but one incorrigible, whom I had appre- hended twice after twice deserting. Bombay and his sympa- thizers were now beginning to perceive that after all there was not much danger — at least not as much as the Arabs desired us to believe — and he was heard expressing his belief, in his broken English, that I would " catch the Tanganyika after all," and the standing joke was now that we could smell the fish of the Tanganyika Lake, and that we could not be far from it. New scenes also met the eye. Here raid there were upheaved above the tree tops sugar-loaf hills, and, darkly blue, west of, us loomed up a noble ridge of hills which form- ed the boundary between Kamirabo's territory and that of Utende. Elephant tracks became numerous, and bufialo met the delighted eyes everywhere. Crossing the mountainous ridge of Mwaru, with its lengthy slope slowly descending westward, the vegetation became more varied and the out- lines of the land before us more picturesque. We became sated with the varieties of novel fruit wliicli we saw hanging thickly on trees. There was the mbembn with the taste of an over-ripe peach ; the tamarind pod and beans, with their grateful acidity, resembling somewhat the lemon in its flavor. The matonga, or mix vomica, was wel- come, and the luscious singwe, the plum of Africa, was tlie most delicious of all. Ptarmigans and ducks supplied our table, and often tlie lump of a bufialo or an extravagant piece of venison filled our camp kc^ttlcs. My health was firmly established. The faster we prosecuted our journey the better I felt. I had long bidden adieu to the nauseous calomel and rhubarb com- pounds, and had become a stranger to quinine. There was only one drawback to it all, and that was the feeble health of the Arab boy Selini, who was sidicring from an attack of AX OMINOUS fIGIIT. 463 acute dysentery, caused by inordinate drinking of tlic Lad water of the pools at which we had camped bctvreen Man- yara and Mrera. But judicious attendance and Dover's povv'- ders brought the boy around again. Mrera, in Ukonongo, nine days southwest of the Gombe Nullah, brought to our minds the jungle habitats of the Wawkwere on the coast, and an ominous sight to travelers were the bleached skulls of men Avliich adorned the tops of tall poles before the gates of the village. The Sultan of Mrera and myself became fast friends after he had tasted of my liberality. After a halt of three days at this village, for the benefit of the Arab boy, we proceeded westerly, with the understanding that we should behold the waters of the Tanganyika within ten days. Traversing a dense forest of young trees we came to a plain dotted with scores of ant-hills. Their uniform height, about seven feet high above the plain, leads me to believe that they were constructed during an unusually wet season, and Vv'hen the country was inundated for a long time in consequence. The surface of the plain also bore the appearance of being subject to such inundations. Beyond this plain about four miles, we came to a running stream of purest vrater — a most welcome sight after so many months spent by brackish pools and nauseous swamps. Crossing the stream, which ran northwest, we immediately ascended a steep and lofty ridge, whence we obtained a view of grand and imposing mountains, of isolated hills, rising sheer to great heights from a plain stretching far into the heart of ITfipa, cut up by numerous streams flowing into the Rungwa Bivcr, which during the rainy season overflows this plain and forms the lagoon set down by Speke as the Rikwa. The sight was encouraging in the extreme, for it was not to be doubted now that we were near the Tanganyika. "We continued still westward, crossing many a broad stretch of marsh and oozy bed of mellahs, whence rose the streams that formed tlie Bungwa some forty miles south. At a camping place beyond Mrera, we heard enough from 464 DONKEY ATTACKED BY A LEOPAKD. some natives who visited us to assure us that we were rush- ing to our destruction if we still kept westward. After receiving hints of how to evade the war-stricken country in our front, we took a road leading north-northwest. "While continuing on this course we crossed streams running to the Kungwa south, and othei's running directly north to theMal- agarazi, from either side of a lengthy ridge which served to separate the country of Unyamwezi from Ukawendi. We were also attracted for the first time by the lofty and tapering moule tree, used on the Tanganyika Lake for the canoes of tlie natives who dwell on its shores. The hanks of the numerous streams were lined with dense growths of these shapely trees, as w^ell as of sycamore, and gigantic tamarinds, which rivalled the largest sycamore in their breadth of shade. The undergrowth of bushes and tall grass, dense and impenetrable, likely resorts of leopard and lion and wild boar, were enough to appall the stoutest heart. Ono of my donkeys, while being driven to w^ater along a narrow path, hedged by the awesome brake on either side, was attacked by a leopard, which fastened its fangs in the ])oor animals neck, and it would have made short work of it had not its companions set up such a braying chorus as might well have terrified a score of leopards. And that same night, while encamj^ed contiguous to that limpid stream of Mtambu, with that lofty line of enormous trees rising dark and awful above us, the lions issued from the brakes beneath and prowled about the well-set bush defence of our camj), venting their fearful clamor without intermission until morn- ing. Towards daylight they retreated to their leafy cav- crna, for There the lion dwells, the monarch, Mightiest among the brutes; There his right to reign suprcmest, Never one his claim disputes. There he layeth down to slumber, Having slain and ta'en his till, There he roamcth, there he croucheth, As it suits his lordly will. A PICTURE OF THE FUTURE. 467 And ievr, I believe, would venture therein to dispute it ; not I, " i'faitli " when searching after Livingstone. Our camps by these thick belts of timber, peopled as they were with the wild beasts, my men never fancied. But Southern Ukawendi, with its fair, lovely valleys and pellucid streams, nourishing vegetation to extravagant growth, density and height, is infested with troubles of this kind. And it is probable, from the spread of this report among the natives, that this is the cause of the scant population of one of the loveliest countries Africa can boast. The fairest of Califor- nia scenery cannot excel, though it may equal, such scenes as Ukawendi can boast of, and yet a land as large as the State of New York is almost uninliabited. Days and days one may travel through primeval forests, now ascending ridges overlooking broad, well watered valleys, with belts of valua- ble timber crowning the banks of the rivers, and behold exquisite bits of scenery — wild, fantastic, picturesque and pretty — all within the scope of vision whichever way one may turn. And to crown the glories of this lovely portion of earth, underneath the surface but a few feet is one mass of iron ore, extending across three degrees of longitude and nearly four of latitude, cropping out at intervals, so that the traveler cannot remain ignorant of the wealth lying beneath. Ah, me ! "What wild and ambitious projects till a man's brain as he looks over the forgotten and unpeopled countiy, containing in its bosom such store of wealth, and with such an expanse of fertile soil, capable of sustaining millions! What a settlement one could have in this valley ! See, it is broad enough to support a large population ! Fancy a church spire rising where that tamarind rears its dark crown of foli- age, and think how well a score or so of pretty cottages would look, instead of those thorn clumps and gum trees ! Fancy this lovely valley teeming with herds of cattle and fields of corn, spreading to the right and left of this stream 1 How much better would such a state become this valley, rather than its present deserted and wild aspect ! T^ot be hopeful. The day will come and a future year 468 MORE TliOUULE BREWING. will see it, wlien happier lands have become crowded and nations have become so overgrown that they have no room to turn about. It only needs an Abraham or a Lot, an x\laric or an Attila to lead their hosts to this land, which, perhaps, has been wisely reserved lor such a time. After the warning so kindly given by the natives soon after leaving Mrera, in Ukonongo, live days' marches brought us to Mrera, in the district of Kusawa, in Ukawendi. Arri- ving here we questioned the natives as to the best course to pursue — should we make direct for the Tanganyika or go north to the Malagarazi Eiver ? They advised us to the lat- ter course, though no Arab had ever taken it. Two days through the forest, they said, would enable us to reach the Malagarazi. The guide, who had by this time forgotten our disagree- ment, endorsed this opinion, as beyond the Malagarazi lie was sufficiently qualified to show the way. We laid in a stock of four-days' provisions against contingencies, and bid- ding farewell to the hospitable people of Rusawa, continued our journey northward. After finding a pass to the wooded plateau above Mrera, through the arc of mountains which environed it on the north and west, the soldiers improved another occasion to make themselves disagreeable. One of their number had shot a bufililo towards night, and the approaching darkness had prevented him from following it up to a clump of jungle, whither it had gone to die, and the black soldiers, ever on the lookout for meat, came to me in a body, to request a day's halt to cat meat and make them- selves strong for the forest road, to which I gave a point- ])]ank refusal, as I vowed 1 would not halt again nntil I did It oil tli(.' Itauks of tlie Malagarazi, where I would give them as much meat as their hearts could desire. There was an evident disposition to resist; but I held up a warning finger, as an indication that I would not suffer any grumbling, and told them I had business at Ujiji, which the AVasungu expected I would attend to, and that if I failed to perform it they would take no excuse, but condemn me at once. THE CARAVAN IX DISTRESS. 409 I saw that tliey were in an excellent mood to rebel, and the guide, who seemed to be ever on the lookout to revenge his humiliation on the Gombe, was a fit man to lead them ; but they knew I had more than a dozen men upon whom I could rely at a crisis, and besides, as no harsh word or offen- sive epithet challenged them to commence an outbreak, the order to march, though received with much peevishness, was obeyed. This peevishness may always be expected when on a long march. It is much the result of fatigue and monotony, every day being but a repetition of j)i"evious days, and a prudent man will not pay much attention to mere growling and surli- ness of temper, but keep himself prepared for an emergency which might possibly arise. By the time we had arrived at camp we were all in excellent humor with one another, and confidently laughed and shouted until the deep woods rang again. The scenery was getting more sublime eveiy day as we advanced northward, even approaching the terrible. "We seemed to have left the monotony of a desert, for the wild, picturesque scenery of "Abyssinia and the terrible mountains of the Sierra Xevadas. I named one tabular monntain, which recalled memories of the Abyssinian campaign, Magdala, and as I gave it a place on my chart it became of great use to me, as it rose so prominently into view that I was enabled to lay down our route pretty accurately. The four days' provisions we had taken with us were soon consumed, and still we were far from the Malagarazi River. Though Ave eked out our own stores with great care, as ship- wrecked men at sea, these also gave out on the sixth day, and still the Malagarazi was not in sight. The country was get- ting more diflicult for travel, owing to the numerous ascents and descents we had to make in the course of a day's march. Bleached and bare, it was cut up by a thousand deep ravines, and intersected by a thousand dry water courses, whose beds were filled with immense sandstone rocks and boulders washed away from the great lieights which rose above us on every 470 A VILLAGE OX A MOUNTAIN. Bide. "We were not protected now by the shades of the forest, and the heat became excessive and water became scarce. But we still held on our way, as a halt would be death to lis, lioping that each day's march would bring us in sight of the long-looked for and much-desired Malagarazi. Fortunately, we had filled our bags and baskets with the forest peaches ■with which the forests of Rusawa had supplied us, and these sustained us in this extremity. On the seventh day, after a six hours' march, during which we had descended more than a thousand feet, through rocky ravines, and over miles of rocky plateaus, above which pro- truded masses of hematite of iron, we arrived at a happy camping place, situated in a valley which was seductively pretty, and a hidden garden. Deserted bomas told us that it had once been occupied, and that at a recent date, which we took to be a sign that we were not far from habited dis- tricts. Before retiring to sleep, the soldiers indulged them- selves in prayer to Allah for relief. Indeed, our position was most desperate and unenviable ; yet, since leaving the coast when had it been enviable, and when had traveling in Africa ever been enviable ? Proceeding on our road on the eighth day, everything we saw tended to confirm ns in the belief that food was at hand. Rhinoceros tracks abounded, and the hois de vache, or buiialo droppings, were frequent, and the presence of a river or a body of water was known in the humidity of the atmosphere. After traveling two hours, still descending rapidly towards a deep basin which we saw, the foremost of the expedition ]ialted, attracted by the sight of a village situated on a table- topped mountain on our right. The guide told us it must be that of the Son of Nzogera, of TJvinza. We followed a road leading to the foot of the mountain, and camped on the edge of an extensive morass. Though we fired guns to announce our arrival, it -was unnecessary, for the people were already hurrying to our camps to in(piire about our intentions. Tlie explanation was Batisfactory, but they said that they had taken us to be ene- PAYIXG TRIBUTE-A XATURAL BRIDGE. 471 mies — few friends having ever come along our road. In a few minutes there was an abundance of meat and grain in the camp, and the men's jaws were busy in the process of mastication. During the whole of the afternoon we were engaged upon the terms Nzogera's son exacted for the privilege of passing through his country. We found him to be the first of a tribute-taking tribe, which subsequently made much havoc in tlie bales of the expedition. Seven and a half doti of cloth were what we were compelled to pay, whether we returned or proceeded on our way. CHAPTER XXYIII. TKOM UVmZA TO UJIJI. AFTEE a days halt, we proceeded, under the guidance of two men granted to me as quahfied to lead ns to the Mala- garazi River. We had to go east-northeast for a considerable time, in order to avoid the morass that lay directly across the country that intervened between the triangular mountain on whose top Nzogera's son dwelt. This marsh drains three extensive ranges of mountains which, starting from the west- ward, separated only by two deep chasms from each other, run at wide angles — one southeast, one northeast, and the other northwest. From a distance this marsh looks foir enough ; stately trees at intervals rise seemingly from its bosom, and between them one catches glimpses of a lovely champaign, bounded by perpendicular mountains, in the far distance. After a wide detour we struck straight for this marsh, which presented to us another novelty in the water- shed of the Tanganyika. Fancy a river broad as the Hudson at Albany, though not near so deep or swift, covered over by water plants and grasses, which had become so interwoven and netted together as to form a bridge covering its entire length and breadth, under which tlie river flowed calm and deep below. It was over this natural bridge we were expected to cross. Adding to tlie tremor which one naturally felt at having to cross this frail bridge, was the tradition that only a few yards higher up an Arab and bis donkey, thirty -five slaves and sixteen tusks of ivory had budduiilv sunk forever out of sisfht. "DO, DARE AND ENDURE." 473 As one-half of our little column had already arrived at the center, we on the shore could see the network of grass waving on either side and between each man, in one place like the swell of a sea after a storm and in another like a small lake violently ruffled by a squall. Hundreds of yards away from it, ruffled and undulated one wave after another. As we all got on it we perceived it to shik about a foot, forcing the water on which it rested into the grassy channel formed by our footsteps. One of my donkeys broke through and it recpiired tlie united strength of ten men to extricate him. The aggregate weight of the donkey and men caused that portion of the bridge on which they stood to sink about two feet, and a circular pool of water was formed, and I expected every minute to see them suddenly sink out of sight. Fortunately we managed to cross the treacherous bridge with- out accident. Arriving on the other side, vre struck north, passing througli a delightful country, in every way suitable for agricultural settlements or happy mission stations. The primitive rock began to show itself anew in eccentric clusters, as a flat-topped rock, on which the villages of the Wavinza were seen, and where the natives prided themselves on their security and conducted themselves accordingly, ever insolent and forward, though I believe that with forty good rifles I could have made the vain fellows desert their country en masse. But a white traveler's motto in their lands is, " Do, dare and endure," and those who come out of Africa alive have gener- ally to thank themselves for their prudence rather than their temerity. We were halted every two or three miles by the demand for tribute, which we did not, because we could not, pay, and they did not press it overmuch, though we had black looks enough. On the second day after leavmg Kzogera's son, we commen- ced a series of descents, the deep valleys on each side of us astonishing us by their profundity ; and the dark gloom pre- vailing below, amid their wonderful dense forests of tall trees, and glimpses of plains beyond, invited sincere admiration. 4:14: NEGOTIATING WITH THE SULTAN. In about a couple of lionrs we discovered the river we were looking for below, at the distance of a mile, running like a silver vein through a broad valley. Halting at Kiala's, eldest son of Xzogera, the principal sultan of Uvinza, M'e waited an hour to see on what terms he would ferry us over the Mala- garazi. As we could not come to a definite conclusion respecting them, we were obliged to camp in his village. Late in the afternoon Kiala sent his chiefs to our camp with a bundle of short sticks, fifty-six in number. Each stick, w^e were soon informed, represented a doti, or four yards of cloth, which were to consist of best, good, bad and indifferent. Only one bale of cloth was the amount of the tribute to be exact- ed of us ! Bombay and the guide were told by me to inform Kiala's ambassadors that I would pay ten doti. The gentlemen del- egated by Kiala to receive the tribute soon made us aware what thoughts they entertained of us, by stating that if we ran away from Mirambo, we could not run away from them. Indeed, such was the general opinion of the natives of Uvin- za ; for they live directly west of Uyowa, Mirambo's country, and news travels fast enough in these regions, though there are no established post offices or telegraph stations. In two hours, however, we reduced the demand of fifty-six doti to twenty-three, and the latter number was sent and received, not for crossing the Malagarazi, but for the privilege of passing through Okidla's country in peace. Of these twenty -three cloths, thirteen were sent to Nzogera, the sultan, while his affectionate son retained ten for himself. Towards midnight, about retiring for the night after such an eventful day, while congratulating ourselves that Nzogera and Kiala were both rather moderate in their demands, con- sidering the circumstances, came another demand for four more cloths, with a promise that we might depart in the mor- ning, or when we pleased ; but as poor IJombay said, from sheer weariness, that if we had to talk longer he would bo driven mad, I told him he might pay them, after a little hag- CROSSING THE RIVER. 475 gling, least tlicj, imagining that they had asked too httlc, would make another demand in the morning. Until three o'clock P. M. the following day continued tho negotiations for ferrying us across the Malagarazi, consisting of arguments, threats, quarrels, loud shouting and stormy debate on both sides. Finally, six doti and ten f undo of sami- sami beads were agreed upon. After which we marclicd to the ferry, distant half a mile from the scene of so much con- tention. The river at this place was not more than thirty yards broad, sluggish and deep ; yet I would prefer attempt- ing to cross the Mississippi by swimming, rather than the Malagarazi. Such another river for the crocodiles, cruel as death, I cannot conceive. Their long, tapering heads dotted the river everywhere, and though I amused myself, pelting them with two-ounce balls, I made no effect on their numbers. Two canoes had discharged their live cargo on the other side of the river, when the story of Captain Burton's passage across the Malagarazi higher up, was brought vividly to my mind by the extortions which the mutware now commenced. About twenty or so of his men had collected, and, backed by these, he became insolent. If it were worth while to connnence a struggle for two or three more doti of cloth tho mere firing of one revolver at such close quarters would have settled the day ; but I could not induce myself to believe that it was the best way of proceeding, taking in view the object of our expedition, and accordingly this extra demand was set- tled at once with as much amiability as I could muster ; but I warned him not to repeat it, and, to prevent him from doing so, I ordered a man to each canoe, to be seated there with a loaded gun in each man's hands. After this little episode we got on very well until all the men excepting two, besides Bombay and myself, were safe on the other side. We then drove a donkey into the river, having first tied a strong halter to his neck ; but he had barely reached the mid- dle of the i-iver when a crocodile, darting beneath, seized him by the neck and dragged him under, after several frantic but 476 A CROCODILE DINES OX DONKEY. ineffectual endeavors to draw him ashore. A sadness stole over all after witnessing this scene, and as the shades of niglit had now drawn around us, and had tinged the river to a black, dismal color, it was with a feeling of relief that the fatal river was crossed, that we all set foot ashore. In the morning the other donkey swam the river safe enough, the natives firmly declaring that they had so covered him with medicine, that though the crocodiles swarmed around him they did not dare attack the animal, so potent was the medicine — for which I had to give a present, such as became a kindness. I rather incline to the belief, however, that the remaining donkey owed his safety to the desertion of the river for the banks,, where they Io^'e to bask in the sun undisturbed, as the neighborhood of tlie ferry was con- stantly disturbed, and the donkey consequently escaped the jaws of the crocodiles. The notes in my journal of what occurred on the following day read as follows — IvATALAMTJULA, In". jS". W., IJ hourS. ) November 3d, Friday, 1871. \ "What talk ! "What, excitement, so grotesque, yet so fren- zied ! AVithal what anxiety have we suffered since we came to Uvinza 1 These people are worse than the "Wagogs, and their greed is immeasui-able. They are more noisy and intolerable, especially those who dwell close to the river. Their pride, the guide says, is because they have possession of the river, and all men have to speak them fair, pay high tribute, etc. On the northern side, though, I find the Wavinza more amiable and more favorably disjDosed towards caravans, because they bring terms, and might on a pinch lielp them against their cruel neighbors, the "Watuta. ]{efore crossing the river a native guide, procured from the son of Nzogera, who lives on the frontier, M'as recog- nized as a spy in the service of Lokandamira, who is at Avar against King Nzogera. The cry for rope to bind him was quickly responded to, for every tree in their vicinity was furnisljed with enough strong bark to tie a dozen A CARAVAN FROM UJIJI. 479 spies. They afterwards conveyed liiin to Kwi-Ivnrn, or the capital of Nzogera, whicli is situated a few miles below here, on an island well guarded by crocodiles. Lokandaniira is at war with Nzogera about certain salt-pans which must, of course, belong to the strongest party, for might is right in this world. We set out from the banks of the river with two new guides, furnished us by the old man (Usenge is his name) of the ferry. Arriving at Isinga after traversing a saline plain, which, as we advanced into the interior, grew wonderfully fertile, we Avere told by the native Kirangozi that to-morrow's mardi would have to be made with great caution, for Makumbi, a great warrior chief of ISTzogera, w\as returning triumphantly from war, and it was his custom to leave noth- ing behind him at such times. Intoxicated with victory, he attacked villages and caravans, and of whatever Mve stock, slaves or bales he met, he took what he liked. The result of a month's campaign against Lokandamira, were two villages captured, several men and a son of ISTzogera's enemy being killed, while Makuuibi only lost three men in battle and two from drinking too much water. So the Kirangozi sa^'s. Near Isinga, met a caravan of eighty waguhha direct from Ujiji, bearing oil, and bound for Unyanyembe. They report that a white man was left by them five days ago at Ujiji. He had the same color as I have, wears the same shoes, the same clothes, and has hair on his face like 1 have, only his is white. This is Livingstone. Hurrah for Ujiji! My men share my joy, for we shall be coming back now directly ; and, being so happy at the prospect, I buy three goats and five gallons of )iati\-e beer, which will be eaten and drank directly,"" Two marches from Malagarazi brought us to Uliha. Kawanga was the first place in Uhha where Ve halted. It is the village where resides the first mutware, or chief, to whom caravans have to pay tribute. To this man we paid twelve and a half doti, upon the understanding that we would have to pay no more between here and Ujiji. Next morning, 4S0 A SLIGHT TO THE KING OF UHHA. buoyed up by the hope that we should soon come to our journey's end, we had arranged to make a long march of it that day. We left Kawanga cheerfully enough. The country undu- lated geutly before us like the prairie of Nebraska, as devoid of trees almost as our own plains. The top of every wave of land enabled us to see the scores of villages which dotted its surfiiee, though it required keen eyes to detect at a distance the bee-hive and straw-thatched huts from the bleached grass of the plain. We marched an hour, probably, and were passing a large village, with populous suburbs about it, when we saw a large party pursuing us, who, when they had come up to us, asked us how we dared j)ass by without paying the tribute to the king of Uhha. " We have paid it ! " we said quite astonished. "To whom?" " To the chief of Kawanga." "IIow much?" " Twelve and a haK doti." " Oh, but that is only for himself. However, you had better stop and rest at our village until we find all about it." But we halted in the middle of the road until the messen- gers they sent came back. Seeing our reluctance to halt at their village, they sent men also to Mionvu, living an arrow's flight from where we were halted, to warn him of our con- tumacy. Mionvu came to us, robed most royally, after the fashion of Central Africa, in a crimson cloth, arranged toga- like over his shoulder and depending to his ankles, and a bran new piece of Massachusetts sliceting folded around his head. lie greeted us graciously — he was tlie prince of polite- ness— shook hands first M'ith myself, then with my head men, and cast a keen glance around, in order, as I thought, to measure our strength. Then seating himself, he spoke with deliberation something in this style : — " Why does the white man stand in the road ? The sun is hot; let him seek the shelter of my village, where we can FLEECED BY MIONVU— ON THE VERGE OF RUIX. 481 arrange this little matter between us. Does he not know that there is a king in Uhha, and that I, Mionvu, am his servant ? It is a custom with us to make friends with great men, such as the white man. All Arabs and Wanguana stop here and give us cloth. Does the white man mean to go on without paying ? Why should he desire war ? T know he is stronger than we are here, his men have guns, and we have but spears and arrows; but Uhha is large, and has plenty of people. The children of the king are many. If he comes to be a friend to us he Avill come to our village, give us something, and then go on his way." The armed warriors around applauded the verv common- 2)lace speech of Mionvu, because it spoke the feelings with which they viewed our bales. Certain am I, tliough, that one portion of his speech — that which related to our being stronger than Wahha — was an untruth, and that he knew it, and that he only wished us to start hostilities in order that he might have good reason for seizing the whole. I submitted to Mionvu' s proposition, and went with him to his village, where he fleeced me to his heart's content. Ilis demand, which he adhered to like a man who knew what . he was about, was sixty doti for the king, twelve doti for himself, three for his wife, three each to three makko, or sub- chiefs, one to Mibruri's little boy ; total eighty five doti, or one good bale of cloth. JSTot one doti did he abate, though I talked from ten A. M. until six P. M. I went to bed that night like a man on the verge of ruin. However, Mionvu said that we would have to pay no more in IThha. Pursuing our way next day, after a four hours' march, we came to Kahirigi, and quartered ourselves in a large village, governed over by Mionvu's brother, who had already been advised by Mionvu of the windfall in store- for him. This man, as soon as we had set the tent, put in a claim for thirty doti, which I was able to reduce after much eloquence, last- ing over five hours, to twenty-six doti. I am short enough in relating it because I am tired of the theme ; but there lives not a man in the whole United States with whom I would 25 482 A NIGHT MARCH. not lim'e gladly exchanged positions had it been possible. 1 saw my fine array of bales being reduced fast. Four more such demands as Mionvu's, would leave me, in unclassic phrase, " cleaned out." After paying this last tribnte, as it was night, I closed my tent and, lighting my pipe, began to think seriously upon my position and how to reach Ujiji without paying more tribute It was high time to resort either to battle or to strategy of some kind, possibly, to striking into the jungle; but there was no jungle in Uhha, and a man might be seen miles off on its naked plains. At least this last was the plan most likely to succeed, without endangering the prospects almost within reach of the expedition. Calling the guide, I questioned him as to its feasibility, first scolding him for leading me to such a strait. He said there was a Mguana, a slave of Thani Bin Abdullah, in the Coma, with whom I might consult. Sending for him, lie presently came, and I began to ask him for how much he would guide us out of Uhha without being comj)elled to pay any more muhongo. He replied that it was a hard thing to do, unless I had complete control over my men and they could be got to do exactly as I told them. Whan satisfied on this point he entered into an agreement to show me a road — or rather to lead me to i|; — that might be clear of all habitations as far as Ujiji, for twelve doti, paid beforehand. The cloth was paid to him at once. At half-past two A, M. the men were ready, and, stealing silently past the huts, the guide opened the gates, and we filed out one by one as quietly as possible. The moon was bright, and by it we perceived that we were striking across a burned plain in a southerly direction, and then turned west- ward, parallel with the high road, at the distance of four miles, sometimes lessening or increasing that distance as cir- cumstances compelled us. At dawn we crossed the swift Rusizi, which flowed south- ward into the Malagarazi, after which we took a northwesterly A woirAX'S fi:eak— HER husband's threat. 483 direction tlirongh a thick jungle of bamboo. Tlicrc Avas no road, and bcliind us we left but little trail on the liard, dry ground. At eight A, M. we halted for breakfast, having inarched nearly six hours within the jungle which stretched for miles around us. We were only once on the point of being discovered through the mad freak of a weak-brained woman, who was the wife of one of the black soldiers. We were crossing the knee-deep Eusizi, when this Avoman, suddenly and without cause, took it into her head to shriek and shout as if a croco- dile had bitten her. The guide implored me to stop her shrieking, or she would alarm the whole country, and we would have hundreds of angry Wahlia about us. The men were already preparing to bolt — several being on the run with their loads. At my order to stop her noise, she launched into another fit of hysterical shrieking, and 1 was com2)elled to stop her cries with three or four smart cuts across her shoulders, though I felt rather ashamed of myself; but our lives and the success of the expedition was worth more, in my opinion, than a hundred of such women. As a further precaution she was gagged and her arms tied behind her, and a cord led from her waist to that of her liege lord's, who gladly took upon himself the task of looking after her, and who threat- ened to cut her head off if she attempted to make another outcry. At ten A.M. we resumed our journey, and after three houi'S camped at Lake Musunia, a body of water which during the rainy season, has a length of three miles and a breadth of two miles. It is one of a group of lakes which fill deep hollows in the plain of Uhha. They swarm with hippopotami, and their shores are favorite resorts of large herds of l)uftalo and game. The eland and buffalo especially are in large num- bers here, and the elephant and rhinoceros are exceedingly numerous. We saw several of these, but did not dare to fire. On the second morning after crossing the Sunuzzi and Hugufu Rivers, we had just started from our camp, and as 4.84: AX ALAini— ArrnoACH to ujiji. there was no moonliglit tlie head of the column came to a village, whose inhabitants, as we heard a few voices, were about starting. We were all struck with consternation ; but, consulting with the guide, we despatched our goats and chickens, and leaving them in the road, faced about, retraced our steps, and after a quarter of an hour struck up a ravine, and descended several precipitous places ; about half-past six o'clock we found ourselves in Ukaranga — safe and free from all tribute taking "VYahha. Exultant shouts were given — equivalent to the Anglo- Saxon hurrah — upon our success. Addressing the men, I asked them : — " Why should we halt when but a few hours from T'jiji ? Let us march a few hours more, and to-morrow we shall see the white man at Ujiji, and who knows but this may be the man we are seeking ? Let us go on, and after to-moi-row we shall have fish for dinner, and many days' rest afterwards, e\ery day eating the fish of the Tanganyika. Stop ; I think I smell the Tanganyika fish even now," This speech was hailed with what the newspapers call " loud applause, great cheering," and " ISTgenui — very well, master ; " '•liyah Barak- Allah — Onward, and the blessing of God be on you." "\Ve strode from the frontier at the rate of four miles an hour, and, after six hours' march, the tired caravan entered the woods which separate the residence of the chief of L^karanga from the villages on the Mkuti Hiver. As we drew near the village we went slower, unfurled the Ameri- can :iii him from Zanzibar. In the meantime he was very busy writing letters to be forwarded by Mr. Stanley. Christmas was at hand, and of course had to be celebrated in the good old English way. Kor can we doubt that an invit- ing feast was spread out for the occasion. " The best which the Ujijian markets offered," added to the stores brought by Stanley, furnished ample material for a Christmas dinner such as was never before seen at Ujiji, and Livingstone and his guest did full justice to the good things provided. Wliat a contrast between this Christmas dinner and that to which Dr. Kane and his homesick crew sat down seven- teen years before amid the darkness of an Arctic winter, where they had been imprisoned for over fifteen months with no possibility of escaping for many more ! " We passed around merrily our turkeys roast and boiled, roast-beef, onions, pota- toes and cucumbers, water-melons, and God knows what other cravings of the scurvy-sickened palate, with entire exclusion ot the fact that each one of these was variously represented 53S T\yO CHRISTMAS DINNERS. 541 by pork and beans. Lord Peter bimself -was not more cor- dial in bis dispensation of pbnn-pudding, mutton, and custard to bis unbelieving brotbers. " McGarj, of course, told us bis story : we bear it every day, and laugh at it almost as beartily as be does bimself. Caesar Jobnson is tbe guest of ' Ole Ben,' colored gentlemen botb, wbo do occasional wbite-wasbing. Tbe worthies have dined staunchly on the dish of beans, browned and relished by its surmounting cube of pork,. A hospitable pause, and, with a complacent wave of the hand, Ole Ben addresses the lady hostess : — ' Ole woman ! bring on de resarve.' ' Ila'n't got no resarve.' 'Well, den,' — with a phicid smile, — 'bring de beans ! " The Christmas festivities over, everything was ready for a start, which was made on tbe 26th of December, ISTl It had been decided to leave Ujiji by another route than that by which Stanley bad entered it, in order to escape the wars and avaricious tribes as far as possible. It will be remembered that when tbe expedition was going to Ujiji, a question arose, on its arrival in the Eusawa dis- trict, as to which of two routes it was tben best to take — the one leading northward to the Malagarazi Biver, and thence westward to Ujiji ; or the one leading directly west to tbe Tanganyika, which would strike the hike at Urimba. In going to Ujiji the former route was taken ; in returning tlie latter one was decided on. Tbe road as sketched out and accomplished by the travel- ers was as follows : — Seven days by water south to Urimba. Ten days across the uninhabited forests of Ukawendi. Twenty days through Ukonongo, directly east. Twelve days north through Ukonongo. Thence five days into Unyanyembe. Urimba is the name of a village situated on the eastern coast of Lake Tanganyika sixty miles south of Ujiji. To this place tbe travelers were rowed in canoes, and here Stanley bade farewell to the jungles of Ukawendi. 542 PICTURES OF TRAVEL. On reaching tlie Rnsawa district, the party fonnd them- selves in their old tracks, and from this time their route to Unyanjembe was the same as that by which they had come. The travelers arrived safely at Unyanyembe on the 18th of February, " without," as Mr. Stanley says, " adventures of any kind excepting killing zebras, buftaloes, and girattes, after fifty -four days' travel." The expedition sufiered considerably from scarcity of food, and fever, but Dr. Livingstone walked the whole distance. Mr. Stanley, in one of his speeches in England, thus graph- ically pictures the feelings and life of men tramping onward through the wilds of Inner Africa, as he and Livingstone did all the way from Ujiji to Unyanyembe : — " You are constantly thinking of your own country. Half of the day, even on the march, you put your head down, and, with your stick in your hand, you march on. The sun beats on you and the great forest rubs you up. The men are all silent, too, and their nature is to think of their wives and the little ones they left behind. In the same way, when you think also of that country you love to call your own, you show yourself part and parcel of the human nature with which you are surrounded. " When we start from our camp in the morning, and give the word to march, it is tramp, tramp, tramp in dead silence, in Lidian file, through the forest. Every now and then some fellow has a happy thought, and immediately breaks into a song. Then the whole caravan breaks out into song, and the great forest rings with the chorus. When the song is ended we go on in that silent Indian file again till perhaps we siglit a village. We do not know what the \allage is. Is it hostile, or is it friendly ? Those are the first questions we ask each other. And the way to find that out is to break into song. The natives hear the strains. If they are friendly they come out and join us ; if the}' are hostile they shut the doors, and as we file past the wicket and the fences we see the scowling faces behind the palisades. " Then we get into camp. 'Now, boys,' I say, 'pitch the NEWS FROM HOME— THE DIARY SAVED. 5^5 tent and let us have a cup of tea.' That tea is all our re- freshment. It is our beer, our champagne and our wine ; and after the tea we lie down on the katanda, take out our pipes and smoke. After a smoke we take out our note books and make a record of everything we have found out on the road. That would probably take an hour or half an hour, and it is hard work." The travelers w^ere cordially w'elcomed at Unyanyembe, and were soon comfortably ensconced in Stanley's former quar- ters at Kwihara, where they enjoyed a season of rest after their long march from Ujiji. Here, too, they were rejoiced to find letters and newspapers awaiting them, all of which were perused with much relish. They were saddened, however, at learning that Mr. Shaw- had died in about one month after returning to Unyanyembe, as well as two others of the expedition, who had been left be- hind at that place sick. The Mirambo panic had abated. As Dr. Livingstone could not be induced to accompany Stanley to the coast, the travelers were now obliged to part — one to rush to the nearest telegraph station, the other to plunge again into the howling wilderness. On the fourteenth day of March, 1872, Mr. Stanley started from Unyanyembe on his return to the coast. lie was the bearer of many letters written by Livingstone, and also of his diary, which w-as carefully sealed up, put in a box, and carried by one of the most reliable men. It was directed to Livingstone's daughter in Scotland, with instructions that it should not be opened until after his return or death. This diary came near being lost. In fording the Mukon- dokwa River, the man who was carrying it on his head got into deep water, and came near being overwhelmed by the flood. Mr. Stanley, fearing that he was about to let go, pre- sented a cocked pistol at his head, and threatened to blow out his brains if he yielded his hold. The pistol had a greater terror than the water ; and the man, making a desperate struggle, got the box safely ashore. As the men were homeward bound their progress was 546 LT. HENN'S WELCOME. rapid. Messengers, however, were sent ahead to announce the approach of the expedition. When four days from the coast Stanley heard that there were many white men at Bag- amoyo, and on asking wlio they were, was assured that " they were about starting to hunt up Stanley." This was a great surprise to the traveler, for till then he had not been aware that he was lost. The strangers proved to be members of the English Search Expedition, then quartered at Bagamoyo. At sunset on the sixth of May, shots, accompanied by the blowing of horns, were heard outside of the village, and soon Mr. Stanley and his party were seen approaching, the Amer- ican flag carried at the front. As Stanley approached the quarters of the English Expe- dition, he saw a white man, in white flannels, with a sort of ornamental air about him, standing on the door step, who came forward, grasped his hand, and said : — *'I congratulate you upon your success. You have done a great work. Will you have a glass of beer ?" " Thank you," said Stanley. Upon inquiry, he was inform- ed that he was conversing with Lieut. Henn of the Royal Navy, then commanding the Expedition. Lieutenant Henn continued : — "Has Dr. Livingstone got all he wants ?" "Yes." " Does he want anything else ?" "No." " You are sure he has got everything ?" " Well, I have got a list in my pocket of a few things that he desires to have ; if you have these he will take them." " Oh," said Lieut. Henn, " I don't see the use of my going." " To tell the truth," replied Stanley, " I don't either ; but perhaps you have got your own orders, and I don't know what they arc." " This is a Livingstone Search Expedition, and if he is searched for and relieved— M-hy, the object of the expedition is ended. I know what I will do ;" I will go back to Zanzi- bar and resign ; but I should like to shoot an elephant." \NLKVb KtfbRN lO HAl.A.AiOYO LIVINGSTONE'S AUTOGRAPH LETTER. 549 Mr. Stanley then showed to Lieut. ITenn a letter which Dr. Livingstone had given him on parting with him at Un- yanyembe, of which the following is a f ac-simile. X/uLn^^ l^j^^. %j,^^ CuA- ^ — /JW^ \\/^tLyt4ju cwi^hAG^ On the 7th of May, Mr. Stanley, accompanied by all the 550 ARRIVAL AT ZAXZIBAR. " survivcrs of the expedition, went over to Zanzibar. "When the dhow neared the island a gun was fired, and the American colors were soon visible, proudly flying from the gaff. The beach was lined with people, native and white, who testified their delight by an unceasing discharge of small arms. The guns in the Sultan's batteries fired repeated salutes, and, in fact, the enthusiasm was something unparalleled. There was never anything seen like it in Zanzibar, and the Americans in particular were joyful in the extreme. Mr. Stanley was again the guest of the American Consul, and all the American residents visited him. Though suffering from fever on his arrival he soon recovered, and there was a season of general rejoicing. The Sultan of Zanzibar gave a fete in honor of Mr. Stanley, which was a grand affair. The American Consul gave a dinner, to which all the Americans were invited, as well as the members of the English Expedi- tion, including Dr. Livingstone's son, Mr. "W. Oswald Living- stone. Mr. Stanley immediately set to work organizing the new expedition, and selected fifty men, including six Nasik boys and many of his own guard. These men were armed, paid and equipped by the English Expedition, and left Zanzibar May 28th, for TJnyanyembe, where Dr. Livingstone was to await their arrival. On the 28th of May 1872, Mr. Stanley, with Dr. Living- stone's son and other members of the English Expedition, sailed from Zanzibar for Seychelles in the screw steamer Star. His faithful ebony boy Kalulu, accompanied him. I"l.::.." -.'■'il-.v';-W.::H:- CHAPTER XXXIII. THE LIYmGSTOXE SEARCH AND RELIEF EXPEDITION. THE "Livingstone Search and Relief Expedition," left England under the direction of the Geographical Society, though a large portion of the necessary funds were raised by private subscriptions. It comprised, when it left England, Lieutenants Dawson and Ilenn, of the Royal Xavy, and Mr. "W. Oswald Livingstone. These gentlemen reached Zanzibar, by steamer Ahydos, on the 17th of March, 1S72, and made their head-quarters, as all previous English East African Explorers had done, at the British Consulate, which is built of coral on the northern edge of the sand-flat upon which the town is located, and overlooks the harbor. Lieutenant Dawson brought a letter from the Society, inviting Rev. Charles Xew, an African Missionary and trav- eler of ten years experience, to accompany the expedition. He had arrived at Zanzibar two days previous on his way to England, but decided to join the expedition as interpreter and third in command. Ilis services were to be gratuitous, but he was to be free from personal expenses, and a passage to England was to be furnished him. Before leaving England Lieutenant Dawson had been put on half-pay, and both he and Lieutenant Henn received an intimation that tlieir period of absence would not be allowed to be counted as " sea time." Sayid Bergash, Sultan of Zanzibar, returned to his domiil- 653 551 PRESEXT TO THE SULTAN— NASIK BOYS. ions on the 29tli of March, from a visit to Mecca. On hear- ing of the arrival of the expedition, he at once invited its members to a private reception and durbar at his palace. On this occasion a handsome gift from the Geographical Society was presented to his Highness. It consisted of a silver salver and cofl'ee-pot in a polished oak case, Uned with red velvet, and bearing a suitable inscription. The Sultan seemed much pleased, expressed a strong inter- est in Dr. Livingstone, and said he would do all he could to assist his visitors. He also put his steam yacht, Darra Salam,, at their disposal. The Sultan is thirty -two years of age, and succeeded his brother in 1870. He is much respected both by foreigners and natives. The Grand Yizier, Sayid Suli- man, takes the management of aifairs in the Sultan's absence, and is his counselor on all state questions, (cut, page 391.) Preparations for the journey were at once made. Goods were purchased and packed, and a head-man and guard engaged. Six of the guard were Nasik boys, originally slaves, who had been released by II. M. cruisers, and educated by the Mombas Mission at their school near Bombay. Hav- ing volunteered their services they had been sent to Zanzibar in February. They were handy and willing, averaging about twenty years of age, a]5t pupils, and a credit to the Mission which had rescued them from their ignorant state, educated them, and converted them to Christianity, They had been taught trades, and could speak and write in English. They were at once drilled in the use of fire arms and made good soldiers,and subsequently composed a part of the force which was sent to Dr. Livingstone at Unyanyembe. (cut, page 561 ) The following is an interesting account of the collapse of the Expedition as given by Mr. New : — • "All ready. Lieutenant Dawson, Lieutenant Ilenn and myself embarked on board a native dhow, with the material of the expedition, for Bagamoyo. This was on Saturday, the 27th of April. It was late in the afternoon, and the wind had died away, in consequence of which we made but httle progress, and were obliged to drop anchor at dusk near the READY TO START— NEWS OF STA^'LEY. 5 J i coast of Zanzibar, in fall sight of the town. The boat was an open one, and rain began to fall. Our condition that night beggars description, and I will not attempt it. " We reached Bagamoyo on the following day at evening. We were received by Hindoos, Banians and Balocli with ' open arms,' and were conducted to our quarters with the most exuberant protestations of respect, good will and assur- ance of ready help of every sort. Could anything be more satisfactory? Why, we had already half discovered Living- stone. AYliat could it be to travel in Africa, where the peo- ple were almost ready to carry ns about on their very shoul- ders? But our fate was approaching. The Livingstone Search and Relief Expedition was to receive its death blow in its most propitious moments. "Before we had been many minutes in Bagamoyo, we were told that two men had arrived there two days before with news of Stanley and Livingstone. The travelers had met ; Livingstone was in Unyanyembe, alive and well, while Stan- ley had reached Ugogo on his way to the coast, and might be expected in Bagamoyo in two or three days. ' Who are the men who have brought this news, and where are they ? ' we inquired. ' They are the American's servants, and we will soon bring them to you,' was the reply. Accordingly the men were brought to us. They were questioned with as much care as eagerness. It was all true. Stanley had met Livingstone at Ujiji. ***** " Of course, we were all more or less excited, but Lieuten- ant Dawson looked unutterable things. He instantly told us that the work he had undertaken to do had already been done ; that nothing remained to him but to return to England ; the expedition so far as he was concerned was at an end. He said he had not come to East Africa to explore, but to search for Dr. Livingstone. Dr. Livingstone had been found, and his work was done ; he should certainly give up the expedition. Lieutenant Ilenn expressed the same intention. My own first thoughts were that the expedition was at an end ; but upon reconsideration it occurred to me that, though 558 COLLAPSE OF THE EXPEDITION. Dr. Livingstone liad been found, lie had not been relieved, and tliat it was the duty of some one to carry on relief. I resolved, if no one else would do this, to do it myself. * * -X- * * * * " On the following morning, Monday, April 29th, Lieutenant rienn and I saw Lieutenant Dawson off to Zanzibar. On "Wednesday evening. May 1st, I received letters from Dr. Ivirk and Lieutenant Dawson, offering me the charge of the Eelief Expedition. Dr. Kirk wrote as follows :^ '" Zanzibar, April 30, 1872. De-^ Mr. New — Mr. Dawson astonished us with his news yesterday, which upsets all previous arrangements, the notice of Dr. Livingstone being confirmed by Arab letters. Mr. Dawson now determines to go home, and I thinks acts well, as an observer could onl}^ be looked upon as a rival in the field Dr. Livingstone has chosen and still desires to fol- low. Mr. Livingstone goes on under all circumstances, and wdll take to his father the stores. Mr. Ilenn, I dare say, has no desire to take Dawson's place, but I feel less sure whether you may not feel that your own object — that of making a missionary survey of a new field — may not still commend itself to you, and, if so, you might go on in charge of the Kelief Expedition, the Search Expedition having ceased. The relief, would in my opinion, be to deliver our stores to the Doctor, who, being then joined by his son, would act as he pleased, and you too be free to return, taking stores for this purpose. This is a matter for yon seriously to think over. That young Livingstone goes on is settled. If you go he will be happy to have you as his leader in charge. " * The expedition w^ill cease on reaching LTnyanyembe, and you might then come back with some or all of the Mombas men. Think over all this and let me know. Ever yours, in haste. John Kirk.' " On receiving these letters from Kirk and Dawson, both suggesting that he should lead the expedition, Mr. New deter- mined to accept the charge ; but Lt. Ilenn had changed his mind, and ho now expressed his resolution to assume the THE LEADERS RESIGN. bod command of the expedition, insisting on his right to do so as second in command. So Mr. New wrote to Dr. Kirk that Lt. Ilenn did not wish to give up command, and that he (New) did not wish to struggle with him for the position; Init, all things considered, he did not feel hke taking a second place in such an expedition as the Search Expedition had become. Mr. New and Lt. Ilenn then went over to Zanzibar, and a meeting of the members of the expedition was held. Of this meeting Mr. New says : — " Lt. Dawson said his mind was thoroughly made up, and that he intended to retire from the expedition. He then said, ' I now feel it to be my duty to offer the expedition to each member of it, according to his position in connection therewith, and I therefore first appeal to Mr. Henn.' Mr. Ilenn instantly replied, ' I will take it.' I must say that these tactics greatly amused me, because they were so totally unnecessary. Mr. Ilenn having accepted the connnand, I was appealed to as to what course I would take. I repeated what I had said in my note. Still, my great anxiety to be of service to the expedition inclined me to accept the humili- ating position now ofiered me ; and, after some hesitation, I gave a verbal consent to take it. But the decision was pre- mature. My knowledge of Mr. Henn compelled me to the conclusion that I could not act in concert with him. On the following morning I sent in my resignation to Mr. Henn. * ***** * * " On Monday, May 6, Lt. Henn and Mr. Livingstone left Zanzibar once more for Bagamoyo, with the view of engag- ing porters, and leaving for the interior immediately. At Bagamoyo, on the very day of their arrival, they met Mr. Stanley. On Tuesday, May 7th, Mr. Stanley reached Zanzibar, accompanied by Lt. Henn and Mr. Livingstone. I met these gentlemen at the landing stage. Another change had come over the spirit of Mr. Ilenu's dream. He said he had now decided to give up the expedition, and inquired as to what prospect there was of getting away from Zanzibar in a home- ward direction. Mr. Livingstone, however, announced it to 560 EXPEDITIOX ABA^^'DONED, Le liis intention to go on alone. Had he done this, however much I might have admired his corn-age, I could not have commended his prudence. " In my opinion, it would have been wrong for him to have gone alone ; his youth, his unacclimatized constitution, and his ignorance of the languages and customs of the people wei-e against him, and to have attempted such a task under such circumstances, single-handed, would probably have led to disaster the most serious. I felt this so strongly that I ventured to express this view to Dr. Kirk. At the same time I felt that the expedition ought not to be given up, and I volunteered even then to take <2harge of it. Alone, or in connection with Mr. Livingstone, I would have done my best to push it to a successful issue. Dr. Kirk, however, said that such was the state of things then that he could do nothing ; that Mr. Livingstone was quite determined to go on alone, and that things must take their own course. " Two or three days after, Mr, Livingstone went to Baga- moyo once more, with the intention, as every one thought, of proceeding to Unyanyembe. But in a few days more he was back again in Zanzibar, and then it was reported that he, too, would give up the expedition. Thus the collapse of what might have been a grand expedition was complete. In the meantime Mr. Stanley was perfecting his own great achieve- ments by organizing a native caravan, with the view of send- ing it immediately to the relief of Dr. Livingstone. By the exercise of uncommon energy Mr. Stanley effected this ; and before we left Zanzibar, a caravan numbering fifty-seven men was packed, signed, sealed, addressed, and despatched, like so many packets of useful commodities, to the service and succor of Dr. Livingstone, Unyanyembe, Unyamwezi, or the Land of the Moon ; and I sincerely hope they may not fail to reach their destination." CHAPTEPv XXXIY. DR. LIVINGSTONE'S LETTER TO MR. BENNETT. WHEN the news of Mr. Stanley's success in discovering Dr. Livingstone first reached this country, there were people both here and in England who more than insinuated a doubt as to whether the newspaper correspondent had really been to the interior of Africa. The ample evidence which afterwards came to hand removed any genuine doubts of the fact, although some " Doubting Thomas's " still thought, or pretended to think, that the Livingstone's letters were a humbug. There are mean, suspicious and jealous natures in all classes of society, and if reports be true these qualities especially abound in the scientific and artistic world. Some, however, doubted honestly, and frankly apologized for the manner in which they received the first news from the lost explorer. Mr. Stanley was the bearer of numerous letters from Dr. Livingstone, among which was the following addressed to Mr. Bennett : — IJjIjr, ON TANGAJrriKA, ) East Africa, November, 1871, f James Gordon Bennett, Jr., Esq. : — My Dear Sir — It is in general somewhat difiicult to "write to one we have never seen — it feels so much like ad- dressing an abstract idea — but the presence of your repre- sentative, Mr. H. M. Stanley, in this distant region takes away the strangeness I should otherwise have felt, and in writing to thank you for the extreme kindness that prompted you to send him, I feel quite at home. 563 564 LIVINGSTONE IN DISTRESS AT UJIJI. If I explain the forlorn condition in which he found me, you will easily perceive that I have good reason to use very strong expressions of gratitude. I came to Ujiji off a tramp of between four hundred and five hundred miles, beneath a blazing vertical sun, having been baffled, worried, defeated and forced to return, when almost in sight of the end of the geographical part of my mission, by a number of half- caste Moslem slaves sent to me from Zanzibar, instead of men. The sore heart, made still sorer by the woful sights I had seen of man's inhumanity to man, reached and told on the bodily frame and depressed it beyond measure. I thought that I was dying on my feet. It is not too much to say that almost every step of the weary, sultry way was in pain, and I reached Ujiji a mere " ruckle " of bones. There I found that some five hundred pounds sterling worth of goods which I had ordered from Zanzibar, liad unaccountably been entrusted to a drunken half-caste Moslem tailor, who, after squandering them for sixteen months on the way to Ujiji, finished up by selling off all that remained for slaves and ivory for himself. He had " divined " on the Koran and found that I was dead. He had also written to the Governor of Unyanyembe that he had sent slaves after me to Manyema who returned and I'eported my decease, and begged permission to sell off the few goods that his drunken appetite had spared. He, however, knew perfectly well, from men who had seen me, that I was alive, and waiting for the goods and men; but as for morality, he is evidently an idiot, and there being 110 law here except that of the dagger or musket, I had to sit down in great weakness, destitute of everything save a few barter cloths and beads, which I had taken the precaution to leave here in case of extreme need. Tlie near prospect of beggary among Ujijians made me miserable. I could not despair, because I laughed so much at a friend who, on reaching the mouth of the Zambesi, said that he was tempted to despair on breaking the photograph of his wife. STANLEY COMES TO THE RESCUE. 565 We could have no success after that. Afterward, the idea of despair had to me such a strong smack of the hidicrous that it was out of the question. Well, when I had got to about the lowest verge, vague rumors of an English visitor reached me. I thought of myself as the man who went down from Jerusalem to Jeri- cho ; but neither priest, Levite nor Samaritan could possibly pass my way. Yet the good Samaritan was close at hand, and one of my people rushed up at the top of his speed, and, in great excitement gasped out, " An Englishman coming 1 I see him !" and off he darted to meet him. An American flag, the first ever seen in these parts, at the head of a caravan, told me the nationality of the stranger. J am as cold and non-demonstrative as we islanders are usually reputed to be ; but your kindness made my frame thrill. It was, indeed, overwhelming, and I said in my soul, " Let the richest blessings descend from the Highest on you and yours !" The news Mr. Stanley had to tell was thrilling. The mighty political changes on the Continent ; the success of the Atlantic cables ; the election of General Grant, and many oth- er topics riveted my attention for days together, and had an immediate and beneficial effect on my health. I had been without news from home for years save what I could glean from a few Saturday Reviews and Punch of 1868. Tlie appetite revived, and in a week I began to feel strong again. Mr. Stanley brought a most kind and encouraging despatch from Lord Clarendon, whose loss I sincerely deplore, the first I have received from the Foreign Office since 1866, and infor- mation that the British government had kindly sent a thou- sand pounds sterling to my aid. Up to his arrival I was not aware of any pecuniary aid. I came unsalaried, but this want is now happily repaired, and I am anxious that 3^ou and all my friends should know that, though uncheered by letter, I have stuck to the task which my friend Sir Roderick Murch- ison set me, with " John Bullish " tenacity, believing that all would come right at last. 29 5 GO THE COUNTRY OF THE CANNIBALS. The waterslied of South Central Africa is over seven hun- dred miles in length. The fountains thereon are almost innumerable — that is, it would take a man's lifetime to count them. From the watershed they converge into four large rivers, and these again into two mighty streams in the great Nile valley, which begins in ten degrees to twelve degrees south latitude. It was long ere light dawned on the ancient problem and gave me a clear idea of the drainage. I liad to feel my way, and every step of the w^ay, and was generally groping in the dark, for who cared where the rivers ran ? We drank our fill and let the rest run by. The Portuguese who visited Cazembe asked for slaves and ivory, and heard of nothing else. I asked about the waters, questioned and cross-questioned, until I was almost afraid of being set down as afflicted with hydrocephalus. My last work, in which I have been greatly hindered from want of suitable attendants, was following the central line of drainage down through the country of the cannibals, called Manyuema, or, shortly, Manyema. This line of drainage has four large lakes in it. The fourth I was near when obliged to turn. It is from one to three miles broad, and never can be reached at any point or at any time of the year. Two western drains, the Lupera, or Bartle Frere's Eiver flow into it at Lake Kamolondo. Then the great Eiver Lomaine flows through Lake Lincoln into it, too, and seems to form the western arm of the Nile, on which Petherick traded. Now, I knew about six hundred miles of the watershed, and unfortunately the seventh hundred is the most interest- ing of the whole ; for in it, if I am not mistaken, four fount- ains arise from an earthen mound, and the last of the four becomes, at no great distance off, a large river. Two of these run north to Egypt, Lupera and Louraine, and two run south into inner Ethiopia, as the Liambai, or upper Zambesi, and the Kafneare. Are not these the sources of the Nile mentioned by the Secretary of Minerva, in the city of Sais, to Herodotus ? THE FOUR MYSTERIOUS FOUNTAINS. 5G7 I have heard of them so often, and at great distances olT, that I cannot doubt their existence, and in spite of the sore longing for liome that seizes me eveiy time I think of my lamily, I wisli to finisli up by their re-discovery. Five hundred pounds sterling worth of goods have again unaccountably been entrusted to slaves, and have been over a year on the way, instead of four montlis. I must go where they lie at your expense, ere I can put the natural comj)le- tion to my work. And if my disclosures regarding the terrible Ujijian slavery should lead to the suppression of the East Coast slave trade, I shall regard that as a greater matter by far than the discov- ery of all the Nile sources together. K'ow that you have done with domestic slavery forever, lend us your powerful aid toward this great object. This fine country is blighted, as with a curse from above, in order that the slavery privi- leges of the petty Sultan of Zanzibar may not be infringed, and the rights of the Crown of Portugal, which are mythical, should be kept in abeyance till some future time when xVfrica will become another India to Portuguese slave traders. I conclude by again thanking you most cordially for your great generosity, and am. Gratefully yours, David Ln^nsrosTONE. This letter when first published in the Xew York Herald, drew many comments like the following from the press: — '• Dr. Livingstone evidently intends to finish up the work he has undertaken, and accordinglj^ he waves a farewell to Stanley, and the civilized world generally, bows his thanks to all, and singular, turns his back, and j)lunges again into the dense African jungles, to hunt for a seventh-hundred of the long line of watershed, that he is convinced holds the secret of the Xile. His letter is a curiosity in more ways than one — and it has the further advantage of restoring men's fiiith in human nature, for shall we say that very many per- sons have been inclined to jeer at the IIekald, and to poke fun at Stanley ? Let all the carpers hide their diminished heads. There is but one IIekald, and Stanley is its profit." CHAPTER XXXY. LIVINGSTONE'S SECOND LETTEK TO BENNETT. DE. LIVINGSTONE also wrote and, sent by Stanley, a second letter to Mr. Bennett. The first one was intended, doubtless, as an acknowledgment of Mr. Bennett's kindness and enterprise. In the second one, dated at Ujiji, November, IStl, Avhich is given below, he relates some of his experiences and adventures, and speaks forcibly of the evils of the slave trade. James Gordon Bennett, Jk., Esq. : — My dear Sir — I wish to say a little about the slave trade in Eastern Africa. It is not a very inviting subject, and to somo I may appear very much akin to the old lady who relished her paper for neither births, deaths, nor marriages, but for good, racy, bloody murder. I am, however, far from fond of the horrible. I often wish I could forget scenes I have seen, and will certainly never try to inflict on others the sorrow which being witness of man's inhumanity to man has often entailed on myself. Some of your readers know that about five years ago I undertook, at the instigation of my very dear old friend. Sir Eodcrick Murchison, the task of examining the watershed of South Central Africa. The work had a charm for my mind because the -dividing line between the North and South was unknown, and a fit object for exploration. Having other work on hand I at first recommended another for the task, but on his declining to go without a handsome salary and something to fall back upon afterwards, I agreed to go myself, 508 HARDSHIPS OF THE EXPLORER. 669 and was encouraged Ity Sir Roderick Murcliison, saying in a warm, jovial manner, " You will be the real discoverer of the sources of the Nile." I thought that two years would he sufficient to go from the coast inland across the head of Lake Nyassa to the watershed, wherever that might bo, and after examination try to begin a benevolent mission with some tribe on the slope back to the coast. Had I known all the time, toil, hunger, hardship and weary hours involved in that precious water parting, I might have preferred having my head shaved and a blister put on it, to grappling with my good old friend's task ; but having taken up the burden I could not bear to be beaten by it. I shall tell you a little about the progress made by and by. At present let me give a glimpse of the slave trade, to which the search and discovery of most of the Nile fountains have brought me face to face. The whole traffic, whether by land or ocean, is a gross outrage on the common law (»f man- kind. It is carried on from age to age, and, in addition to the untold evils it inflicts, pi-esents almost insurmountable obstacles to intercourse between different portions of the human family. This open sore in the world is partly owing to human cupidity, partly to the ignorance of the more civil- ized of mankind of the blight which lights chiefly on more degraded piracy on the high seas. It was once as common as slave trading is now, but as it became thoroughly known the whole civilized world rose against it. In now trying to make Eastern African slave trade better known to Americans, I indulge the hope I am aiding on, though in a small degree, the good time coming yet, when slavery as well as piracy will be chased from the woi'ld. Many have but a faint idea of the evils that trading in slaves inflicts on the victims and authors of its atrocities. Most peo- ple imagine that negroes, after being brutalized by a long course of servitude, with but few of the ameliorating influences that elevate the more favored races, are fair average specimens of the African man. Our ideas are derived from slaves of the west coast, who have for ages been subject to domestic 570 A GLDirSE AT THE SLATE TRADE. bondage, and all the depressing agencies of a most unliealtliy climate. These have told most injurionsly on their physical frames, while frand and the rum trade have ruined their moral natures so as not to discriminate the difference of the mon- strous injustice. The main body of the population is living free in the inte- rior, under their own chiefs and laws, cultivating their own farms,/eatching fish in their own rivers, or fighting bravely with the grand old denizens of the forests, which, in more recent continents, can only be reached in rocky strata or under perennial ice. "Winwood Eeade hit the truth when he said the ancient Egyptian, with his large, round, black eyes, full luscious lips, and somewhat depressed nose, is far nearer the typical negro than the west coast African, who has been debased by the unhealthy land he lives in. The slaves gen- erall}^, and especially those on the east coast at Zanzibar and elsewhere, are extremely ugh\ I have no prejudice against their color ; indeed, any one who lives long among them for- gets they are black and feels they are just fellow men ; but the low, retreating forehead, prognathous jaws, lark heels and other physical peculiarities common among slaves and West African negroes, always awaken some feelings of aversion akin to those with which we view specimens of the Bill Sykes and " Bruiser " class in England. I would not utter a syllable calculated to press down either class more deeply in the mire in which it is already sunk, but I wish to point out that these are not typical Africans any more than typical Englishmen, and that the natiyes on nearly all the high lands of the inte- rior Continent arc, as a rule, fair average specimens of humanity. I happened to be present when all the head men of the great Chief Msama — who lives west of the south end of Tan- ganyika— had come together to make peace with certain Arabs who had burned their chief town, and I am certain one could not see more finely formed, intellectual heads in any assembly in London or Paris, and the faces and forms corresponded with the finely shaped heads. Msama himself had been a k-%t ■ LIFE \i\ Tlir 1 Vkl viioi I THE QUEEX OF CAZEM3E— .VTFJCAX BEAUTIES. 573 sort of Kapolcoi) fur fig-lithig and confj[uering in Lis younger days. He was exactly like the ancient Assyrians sculptured on the Nineveh marbles, as Ninirod and others, and he showed himself to be one of ourselves by habitually indulging in copious potations of beer, called ponibe, and had become what Nathaniel Hawthorne called " bulbous below the ribs." I do not know where the phrase " bloated aristocracy " arose. It must be American, for I have had glimpses of a good many English noblemen, and Msama was the only specimen of a " bloated aristocrat " on whom I ever set eyes. Many of the women are very pretty, and, like all ladies, would have been much prettier if they had only let them- selves alone. Fortunately the dears could not change charm- ing black eyes, beautiful foreheads, nicely rounded limbs, well shaped forms and small hands and feet, but must adorn them- selves, and this they do — " oh, the hussies !" — hy filing splen- did teeth to points like cats' teeth. It was distressing, for it made their smile — which had so much power over us he donkeys — like that of crocodile ornaments, scarce. What would our ladies do if they had none, but pout and lecture us on woman's rights. But these specimens of the fair sex make shift by adorning fine warm brown skins, tattooing various pretty devices without colors, that, besides purposes of beauty, serve the heralding uses of our Highland tartans. They are not black, but of light, warm brown color, and so very sister- ish, if I may use the word, like a new coinage, it feels an injury done one's self to see a bit of grasp stuck through the cartilage of the nose so as to bulge out the aim nasi, or wing of the nose of the anatomists. Cazembe's Queen, Moaria Nyombe by name, would be esteemed a real beauty either in London, Paris, or New York, and yet she had a small hole through the cartilage, near the tip of her fine, slightly aquiline nose. But she had only filed one side of two of the front of her superb snow-white teeth, and then, what a laugh she had ! Let those who wish to know go see her. She was carried to her farm in a pony photon, 674: A TRAGEDY AND ITS CONSEQUENCES. •whicli is a sort of throne, fastened in two very long poles, and carried by twelve stalwart citizens. If they take the Punch motto of Cazembe — " Niggers don't require to be shot here " as their own, they may show them- selves to be men ; but Avhether they do or not, Cazembe will show himself a man of sterling good sense. Now, these people, so like ourselves internally, have brave, genuine human souls. Rua, large sections of country north- west of Cazembe, but still in the same inland region, is peo- pled with men very like those of Msama and Cazembe. An Arab, Seyd Ben Habib, was sent to trade in Rua two years ago, and, as Arabs usually do where natives have no guns, Seyd Ben Habib's elder brother carried matters with a high liandc The Rua men observed the elder brother slept in a white tent, and, pitching spears into it by night, killed him. As Moslems never forgive blood, the younger brother forth- with " ran a muck " on all indiscriminately in a large dis- trict. "Let it not be supposed any of these people are, like Amer- ican Indians, insatiable, blood-thirsty savages, who will not be reclaimed or entertain terms of lasting friendship with iliir-dealing strangers. Had the actual murderers been demanded, and a little time granted, I feel morally certain, from many other instances among tribes who, like the Ba Rua, have not been spoiled by Arab traders, they would all have been given up. The chiefs of the country would, first of all, have specified the crime of which the elder brother was guilty, and who had been led to avenge it. It is very likely they would have stipulated no other should be punished but the actual perpe- trator, the domestic slave acting under his orders being con- sidered free of blame. I know nothing distinguishes the uncontaminated African from other degraded peoples more than their entire reasona- bleness and good sense. It is difi'erent after they have had wives, children, and relatives kidnapped, but that is more than human nature, civilized or savage, can bear. In the BROKEX-HEARTED CAPTIVES. 575 cliase in question indiscriminate slaughter, capture, and plun- der took place. A very large number of very fine young men were captured, and secured in chains and wooden yokes. I came near the party of Seyd Ben Ilabib, close to a point where a huge rent in the Mountain of Eua allows the escape of the great river Lualaba out of Lake Moera, and here I had for the first time an opportunity of observing the difference between slaves and freemen made captive. When fairly across the Lualaba, Seyd Ben Habib thought his captives safe, and got rid of the trouble of attending to and watching the chained gangs by taking off both chains and yokes. All declared joy and a perfect willingness to follow Seyd to the end of the world or elsewhere, but next morning twenty-two made clear of two mountains. Many more, seeing the broad Lualaba roll between them and the homes of their infancy, lost all heart, and in three days eight of them died. They had no complaint but pain in the heart, and they pointed out its seat correctly, though many believe the heart situated underneath the top of the sternum, or breast bone. This to me was the most startling death I ever saw. They evidently died of broken hearted- ness, and the Arabs wondered, seeing they had plenty to eat. I saw others perish, particularly a very fine bo}^ ten or twelve years of age. When asked where he felt ill, he put his hand correctly and exactly over the heart. lie was kindly carried, and, as he breathed out his soul, was laid gently on the side of the path. The captors were not unusually cruel. They were callous. Slaving hardened their hearts. When Seyd, an old friend of mine, crossed Lualaba, he heard I was in the village, where a company of slave traders were furiously assaulted for three days by justly incensed Bobemba. I would not fight nor allow my people to fire if I saw them, because Bobemba had been especially kind to me. Seyd sent a party of his own people to invite me to leave the village and come to him. lie showed himself the opposite of hard-hearted ; but slavery hardens within, petrifies 576 LAUGHTER TELLING NOT OF MIRTH. the feelings, is bad for the victims and ill for the victiniizers. Once, it is said, a party of twelve, who had been slaves in their own country — Cunda or Conda, of which Cazenibe is chief or general — were loaded with large, heavy yokes, which were forked trees, about three inches in diameter, and seven or eight feet long, the neck inserted in the fork, and an iron bar driven across one end of the fork to the other, and riveted to the other end, tied at night to the tree or ceiling of the hut, and the neck being firm in the fork, and the slave held oif from unloosing it, was excessively troublesome to the wearer, and, when marching, two yokes were tied together by tree ends, and loads put on the slaves' heads beside. A womati, having an additional yoke and load, and a child on her back, said to me on passing, " They are killing me. If they would take oif the yoke I could manage the load and child ; but I shall die with three loads." The one wdio sjDoke this did die ; poor little girl ! Her child perished from star- vation. I interceded some, but when unyoked, off they bounded into the long grass, and I was greatly blamed for not caring in presence of the owners of the property. After the day's march, under a broiling, vertical sun, with yokes and heavy loads, the strongest were exhausted. The party of twelve, above mentioned, were sitting down singing and laughing. " Hallo," said I, " these fellows take to it kindly. This must be the class for whom philosophers say slavery is the natural state ;" and I went and asked the cause of their mirth. I had asked aid of their owner as to the meaning of the word " Rukha," which usually means fly or leap. They were using it to express the idea of haunting, as a ghost, inflicting disease or death, and the song was : — " Yes, me going awaj to Manga, abroad, or white man's land, with yoke on our necks ; but we shall have no yokes in death, and shall return and haunt and kill you." Chorus then struck in, which was the name t)f the man who had sold each of them, and then followed the general laugh, in which at first I saw no bitter- THE MANYEMA MAX-EATERS. 577 ness. Tarembee, an old man, at least one hnndred and four years, being one of the sellers, in accordance -with African belief, they had no doubt of being soon able, by giiost power, to kill even him. Their refrain was as if: — " Oh ! oh ! oh ! binl of fieedoni, you sold nie !'' " Oh ! oh ! oh ! I shall haunt you ! Oh ! oh ! oh !" Laugh- ter told not of mirth, but of tears, such as were oppressed, and they had no comforter. He that is higher than the high- est regardeth. About northeast of Eua we have a very large country called Mauyuema, but by Arabs shortened into Manycma. It is but recently known. The reputation which the Manyemas enjoyed, of being cannibals, prevented half-caste Arab traders from venturing among them. The circumstantial details of practices as man-eaters given by neighboring tribes, were con- firmed by two Arabs who, two years ago, went as far as Bani- barre, and secured the protection and friendship of the Moerekues, Lord of Light Grey Parrott, with Scarlet Tail, who was a very superior man. The minute details of canni- bal orgies given by the Arabs' attendants, erred by the sheer excess of the shocking details. LLad I believed a tenth part of what I was told, I might never have ventured an inch in Manyema ; but fortunately my mother never frightened me in infancy with " bogie " and stuff of that sort, and I am not liable to fits of bogiephobia, in which disease the poor patient believes everything awful, if only it is attributed to the owner of a black skin. I have heard that the complaint was epidemic lately in Jamaica, and the planter's mothers have much to answer for. I hope that the disease may never spread in the Ignited States. The people there are believed to be inoculated with common sense. But why go among the cannibals at all? "Was it not like joining the Alpine Club, in order to be lauded if you don't break your neck where your neck ought to be broken ? This makes me turn back to the watershed, as I promised. 578 THE WATERSHED— UNKNOWN LAKE. It is a broad belt of tree-covered upland, some seven hundred miles in length from west to east. The general altitude is between four thousand and five thousand feet above the sea, and mountains stand on it at various points which are between six thousand and seven thousand feet above the ocean level. On this watershed, springs arise wdiicli are w^ell nigh innumer- able ; that is, it would take half a man's life to count them. These springs join each other and form brooks, which again converge and become rivers, or say streams of twenty, forty, or eighty yards, that never dry. All flow towards the centre of an immense valley, which I believe to be the Valley of the Nile. In this trough we have at first three large rivers ; then all unite into one enormous lacustrine river, the central line of drainage, which I name "Webb's Lualaba. In this great valley there are five great lakes. One near the upper end is called Lake Bemba, or, more properly, Bangweolo, but it is not a source of the Nile, for no large river begins in a lake. It is supplied by a river called Chambezi, and several others which may be considered sources, and out of it flows the larger river, Luapula, which enters Lake Moera, and comes out as the great lake river, Lualaba, to form Lake Komolondo. "West of Komolondo, but still in the great valley, lies Lake Lincoln, which I name as my tribute of love to the great and good man America enjoyed for some time and lost. One of the three great rivers I mentioned, Bartle Frere's or Lufira, falls into Komolondo, and Lake Lincoln becomes a lacustrine river, and it too joins the central line of drainage, but lower down, and all these united form the fifth lake, which the slaves, sent to me instead of men, forced me, to my great grief, to leave as the Unknown Lake. By my reckoning, the chronometers being all dead, it is five degrees of longitude west of Speke's position at Ujiji. This makes it probable that the great lacustrine river in the valley is the western branch of Petherick's Nile, the Bahar Ghazal, and not the eastern branch, which Speke, Grant, and Baker believed to be the river of Egypt. If correct, this would make it the Nile, only, after all, the Bahar Ghazal enters the eastern arm. DOUBTS AXD PERPLEXITIES. 579 But though I found a watershed between ten degrees and twelve degrees south — that is a long way further up the val- ley than any one had dreamed — and saw the streams of some six hundred miles of it converging into the centre of the great valley, no one knew where it went after that departure of Lake Moera. Some conjectured that it went into Tanganyika ; but I saw that to do so it must run up hill. Others imagined tliat it might flow into the Atlantic. It was to find out where it actually did go tliat took me into Manyema. I could get no information from traders outside ; and no light could be obtained from the Manyema within. They never travel, and it was so of old. They consist of petty headmanships, and each hugs his grievance from some old feud, and is worse than our old Highland ancestors. Every head man of a hamlet would like to see every other ruling blockhead slain ; but all were kind to strangers, and, thougli terrible fellows among themselves, with their large spears and huge wooden shields, they were never known to injure for- eigners till slaves tried the effects of gun shots upon them, and captured their women and children. As I could get no geograplucal information from them, I had to feel my way and grope in the interminable forests and prairies, and three times took the wrong direction, going northerl}', not knowing that the great river makes immense sweeps to the west and southwest. I felt as if I were running my head against a stone wall. It might, after all, turn out to be the Congo, and who would risk being eaten and con- verted into black man for it ? I had serious doubts, but I stuck to it like a Briton, and at last found that the mighty river left its washing and flowed right away to the nortli, the two great western drains, the Lufira and Lomaine, running northeast before joining the central line or main. Webb's Lualaba told that the western side of the great valley was high like the eastern, and as this main is reported to go into large, reedy lakes, it can scarcely be aught else than the western arm of the Nile. But besides all this, in which it is quite possible I may be mistaken, we 580 THE TREACHEROUS BAXIANS. have two fountains on, probably, the seventh hundred miles of the watershed, and giving rise to the two rivers, the Loam- hai, or the Upper Zambesi, and the Kafne, which flow into inner Ethioj)ia ; and two fountains are reported to rise in the same quarter, and, forming Lufira and Lomaine, flow, as we have seen, to the north. These, from full-grown, gushing fountains, rising so near each other, and giving origin to four large rivers, answer in a certain degree to the description given of the unfathomable fountains of the Kile, by the Sec- retary of Minerva, in the city of Sais, in Egypt, to the father of all travelers, Herodotus ; but I have to confess that it is a little presumptuous in me to put this forward in Central Africa, and without a single book of reference, on the dim recollection of reading the ancient historian in boyhood. The waters were said to well up from an unfathomable depth, and then part ; half north to Egypt, and half south to inner Ethiopia. Kow, I have heard of the fountains afore- mentioned so often that I cannot doubt their existence, and I wish to clear up the point in my concluding trip. I am not to l)e considered as speaking without hesitation ; but prepared, if I see reason, to confess myself wrong. Xo one would like to be considered a disciple of the testy old "would-be geographer who wrote " Inner Africa Laid Open," and swore to his fancies until he became blue in the face. The work would all have been finished long ago, had the matter of supplies of men and goods not been entrusted by mistake to Banians and their slaves, whose eflforts were all faithfully directed towards securing my failure. These Ban- ians are protected English subjects, and by their money, their muskets, and their amnmnition, the East African Moslem slave trade is mainly carried on. The cunning East Indians secure most of the profits of the slave trade, and adroitly let odium rest on their Arab agents. The Banians will not harm a flea or a mosquito, but my progress in geography has led me to the discovery that they are by far the worst cannibals in all Africa. They compass, by means of Arab agents, the destruction of more human lives for gain, in one year, than ABUNDANCE OF IVORY. 5S1 tlie Manjemas do for their flesh pots in ten. The matter of suppHes and men was unwittingly committed to these, our Indian fellow subjects, who hate to see me in their slave mar- ket, and dread my disclosures on the infamous part they play. The slaves were all imbued with the idea that they were not to follow, but force me back, and, after rioting on my goods for sixteen months on the way, instead of three months, the whole stock of goods was sold off for slaves and ivory. Some of the slaves who came to Manyema so baffled and M'orried me that I had to return 500 or 600 miles. The only help I have received, except half a supply which I despatched from Zanzibar, in 186G, has been from Mr. Stan- ley, your correspondent, and certain remains of stores, which I seized from the slaves sent from Zanzibar seventeen months ago, and I had to come back 300 miles to effect the seizure. I am here at Unyanyembe only till Mr. Stanley can send me fifty men from the coast, and then I proceed to finish up the geographical part of my mission. I come back to the slavery question, and if I am permitted in any way to promote its suppression, I shall not grudge the toil and time I have spent. It would be better to lessen human woe than discover the sources of the jSTile. When parties leave Ujiji to go westward into Manyema, the question asked is not what goods they take, but how many guns and kegs of powder. If they have 200 or 300 muskets, and ammunition in proportion, they think success is certain, l^o traders having ever before entered Manyema, the value of ivory was quite unknown ; indeed, the tusks were left in the forests with the otlicr bones, where the animals had been slain. Many were rotten ; others were gnawed by a rodent animal to shai-j^en his teeth, as London rats do on leaden pipes. If civilly treated, the people went into the forest to spots where they knew elephants had been killed, either by traps or spears, and bought the tusks for a few copper brace- lets. I have seen parties return Avith so much ivory that they carried it by three relays of hundreds of slaves, but even this did not satisfy human ^reed. 582 THE PRETTY MANYEMA WOMEN". The Manjenia were found to be terrified by the report of guns. Some, I know, believe them to be supernatural, for when the effects of a musket ball were shown on a goat, they looked up to the clouds, and offered to bring ivory to hnj the charm by which lightning was brought from the skies. When a village was assaulted the men fled in terror, and the w^omen and children were captured. Many of the Manyema women, especially far down the Lnalaba, are very pretty, light-colored and lovely. It was common to hear the Zanzibar slaves — whose faces resemble the features of London door knockers, wdiich some atrocious iron founder thought were like those of lions — say to each other : — " Oh, if we had Manyema wives, what pretty children we should get !" Manyema men and women were all vastly superior to the slaves, wdio evidently felt the inferiority they had acquired by wallowing in the mire of bondage. Many of the men were tall, strapping fellows, with but little of what we think distinctive of the negro about them. If one relied on the teachings of phrenology, the Manyema men would take a high place in the human family. They felt their superiority, and often said, truly, " Were it not for fire- arms, not one of the strangers would ever leave our country." If a comparison were instituted, and Manyema taken at random, placed opposite, say the members of the Anthropo- logical Society of London, clad in kilts of grass cloth, I should like to take my place alongside the Manyema, on the princi- ple of preferring the company of my betters. The pliilosophers ^vould look wofuUy scraggy ; but though the inferior race, as we compassionately call them, have finely formed heads, and often handsome features, they are undoubt- edly cannibals. It was more difficult to ascertain this than may be imagined. Some think that they can detect the gnawings of the canine teeth of our cannibal ancestry on fossil bones. Though the canine teeth of dogs are pretty much like human, for many months all the evidence I could collect amounted to what would lead a Scotch jury to give a verdict of " not proven." This arose partly from the fellows being A LAXD OF PLENTY. 583 fond of a joke, and they liked to horrify any one who seemed credulous. They led one of my people, who believed all they said, to see the skull of a recent human victim, and he invited me in triumph. I found it to be the skull of a gorilla, here called goko, and for the first time became aware of the exist- ence of the animal there. The country abounds in food of all kinds, and a rich soil raises everything planted in great luxuriance. A friend of mine tried rice, and in between three and four months the crop increased one hundred and twenty fold. Three measures of seed yielded three hundred and sixty measures. Maize is so abundant that I have seen forty-live loads, each about sixty pounds weight, given for a single goat. The maize .dura or holcus sorghum, hennistum, cassava, sweet potatoe, and yams furnish in no stinted measure farinaceous ingredients for diet ; the palm oil, groundnuts, and a forest tree afford fatty mate- rial food ; bananas and plantains, in great profusion, and the sugar cane the saccharine ; the palm toddy, beer of bananas, tobacco, and vange canabis salina the luxuries of life, and the villages swarm with goats, sheep, hogs, pigs, and fowls, while elephants, buffaloes, zebras, and gokos, or gorillas, yield to expert hunters plenty of the nitrogenous ingredients of human food. It was puzzling to see why they should be cannibals. New Zealanders, we are told, were cannibals because they had killed all their gigantic birds, the moa, etc., and they were converted from the man-eating persuasion by the intro- duction of pigs ; but the oManyema have plenty of pigs, and other domestic animals, and yet they are cannibals. Into the reason for their cannibalism they do not enter. They say that human flesh is not equal to that of goats or pigs. It is saltish, and makes them dream of the dead. Why fine-looking men like them should be so low in the moral scale, can only be attributed to the non -introduction of that religion which makes those distinctions among men which phrenology and other " ologies,' cannot explain. The religion of Christ is unquestionably the best for man. I refer to it not as the Protestant, the Catholic, the Greek, or any 30 584 SCENES IX THE MARKET. other, but to the compreliensive iliith which has spread more widely over the world than most people imagine, and whose votaries, of whatever name, are better men than any outside the pale. We have, no doubt, grievous faults, but these are in part owing to want of religion. Christians generally are better than the heathen, but often don't know it, and they are immeasurably better than they believe each other to be. The Manyema women, especially far down the Lualaba, are very pretty and very industiious. The market with them is a great institution, and they work hard and carry far in order to have something to sell. Markets are established about ten or fifteen miles apart. There those who raise cas- sava, maize, grain, and sweet potatoes exchange them for oil, salt, pepper, fish, and other relishes. Fowls, also pigs, goats, grass-cloth, mats, and other articles change hands. All dressed in their best candy-colored, many-folded kilts, that reach from waist to knee ; when two or three thousand are together they form an interesting sight. They enforce jus- tice, though chiefly women, and they are so eager traders that they set off in companies by night, and begin to run as soon as they come within the hum arising from hundreds of voices. To haggle, and joke, and laugh, and cheat, seem the dear- .est enjoyments of life. They confer great benefit upon each other. The Manyema women are expert divers for oysters, and they sell tliem and fish in excluinge for farinaceous food from the women in the East, the Lualaba, who prefer culti- vating the soil to fishing. The Manyema have always told us that women going to market are never molested. When the men of two districts were engaged in actual open hostilities, the women passed through from one market to another unharmed. To take away her goods, even in war, was a thing not to be done ; but at these market women the half-castes directed their guns. Two cases that came under my own observation were so sickening that I cannot allow my mind to dwell upon or write about them. Many of both sexes were killed, but the women HORRORS OF THE SLAVE-TRADE. 585 nnd ohildrcii chiefly made captives. No matter how much ivory they obtained, these nigger Moslems must liave slaves, and they assaulted market people and villages, and made cap- tives, chiefly of women and cliildren, as it appeared to me, and because, as men ran off" at the report of guns, they could do it without danger. I had no idea before how bloodthirsty men can be wlien tliey can pour out tlie blood of their fellow men in safety ; and all this carnage is going on in Manycnia at the very time I write. It is the Banians, our protected Indian fellow sub- jects, that indirectly do it. Ail we have conceded the Sultan of Zanzibar has been a right which it was not ours to give, of a certain amount of slave trading, and that amount has been from twelve thousand to twenty thousand slaves a year, as we have seen. These are not traded for but murdered ; they are not slaves, but free people made captive. A Sultan with a sense of justice would, instead of taking head money, declare that all were free as soon as they reached his territory ; but Banians have the Cus- tom House and all the Sultan's revenue entirely in their hands. He cannot trust his Mohammedan subjects, even of the better class, to farm the income, because, as they tliem- selves say, he would get nothing in return but a crop of lies. The Banians actually work the Custom House so as to screen their own slave agents, and so long as they have power to promote it, their atrocious system of slavery will never cease for sake of lawful commerce. It would be politic to insist that the Sultan's revenue by the Custom House should be placed in the hands of an Englisli or American merchant of known reputation and uprightness. By this arrangement the Sultan would be largely beneflted, legal commerce be exalted to a position it has never held since the Banians and Moslems emigrated into Eastern Africa, and Christianity, to which the slave trade is an insm-mountable barrier, would find an open door. David Livingstone. CHAPTER XXXVI. LIVINGSTONE'S STORY OF IIIS DISCOVERIES, rpWO letters from Dr. Livingstone to Lord Clarendon, were X also brought to England by Mr. Stanley. They were written only a few days before the an-ival of the Expedition at Ujiji. In one of them, Dr. Livingstone explains quite fully liis geographical discoveries ; in the other, he refers to Musa's story of his assassination, and thanks all who assisted iu sending out the iii-st English Expedition for his relief. Ujiji, Nov. 1, ISTl. My Lord — I wrote a very hurried letter on the 28th ult., and sent it by a few men, who had resolved to run the risk of passing through contending parties of Banyainwezi and mainland Arabs at Unyanyembe, which is some twenty days east of this. I had just come off a tramp of more than four hundred miles, beneath a vertical torrid sun, and was so jaded in body and mind by being forced back by faithless, cowardly attendants, that I could have written little more, even if the messengers had not been in such a hurry to depart as they were. I have now the prospect of sending this safely to the coast by a friend ; but so many of my letters have disappeared at Unyanyembe when entrusted to the care of the Lewale, or Governor, who is merely the trade agent of certain Banians, that I shall consider that of the 28th as one of the unfortun- ates, and give in this as much as I can recall. I have ascertained that the watershed of the Nile is a broad upland, between ten degrees and twelve degrees south latitude^ 68G PRIMARY SOURCES OF THE NILE. 587 and from four thousand to five thousand feet above the level of the sea. Mountains stand on it at various points, wliich, though not apparently very high, are between six thousand and seven thousand feet of actual altitude. The watershed is over seven hundred miles in length, from west to east. The springs that rise on it are almost innumerable — that is, it would take a large part of a man's life to count them. A bird's-eye view of some parts of the watershed would resem- ble the frost vegetation on window-panes.- They all begin in an ooze at the head of a slightly depressed valley. A few hundred yards down, the quantity of water from oozing earthen sponge forms a brisk perennial burn or brook, a few feet broad, and deep enough to require a bridge. These are the ultimate or primary sources of the grejir, rivers that flow to the north, in the great ISTile Yalley. Tlie primeries unite and form streams in general larger than the Isis at Oxford, or Avon at Hamilton, and may be called sec- ondary sources. They never dry, but unite again into four large lines of drainage, the head waters or mains of the river of Egypt. These four are each called by the natives Lualaba, which, if not too pedantic, may be spoken of as lacusti'ino rivers, extant specimens of those which, in pre-historic times, abounded in Africa, and Mdiich in the south are still called by Bechuanas " Melapo," in the north, by Arabs, " Wadys ;" both words meaning the same thing — river l)ed in which no water ever now flows. Two of the four great rivers men- tioned fall into the central Lualaba, or "Webb's Lake Eiver, and then we have but two main lines of drainage, as depicted nearly by Ptolemy. The prevailing winds on the watershed are from the south- east. This is easily obseiwed by the direction of the branches, and the humidity of the climate is apparent in the numbers of linchens, which make the upland forest look like the man- grove swamps on the coast. In passing over sixty miles of latitude I waded thirty-two primary sources, from calf to waist deep, and requiring from twenty minutes to an hour and a quarter to cross stream and 588 LAKE BANGWEOLO. sponge. This would give about one source to every two miles. A Sualieli friend, in passing along part of the Lake Bang- weolo, during six days counted twenty-two from thigh to waist deep. This lake is on the watershed, for the village at which I observed, on its northwest shore, was a few seconds into eleven degrees south, and its southern shores, and springs and rivulets are certainly in twelve degrees south. I tried to cross it in order to measure the breadth accurately. The first stage to an inhabited island was about twenty-four miles. From the highest point here, the tops of the trees, evidently lifted by the mirage, could be seen on the second stage and the third stage ; the mainland was said to be as far as this beyond it. But my canoe men had stolen the canoe, and got a hint that the real owners were in pursuit, and got into a flurry to return home. " They would come back for me in a few days truly," but I had only my coverlet left to hire another' craft, if they should leave me in this wide expanse of water, and being four thousand feet above the sea, it was very cold ; so I returned. The length of this lake is, at a very moderate estimate, one hundred and fifty miles. It gives forth a large body of water in the Luapula ; yet lakes are in no sense sources, for no large liver begins in a lake ; but this and others serve an important purpose in the phenomena of the Nile. It is one large lake, and, unlike the Okara, which, according to Suaheli, who traveled long in our company, is three or four lakes run into one huge Victoria Nyanza, gives out a large river which, on departing out of Moero, is still larger. These men had spent many years east of Okara, and could scarcely be mistaken in Baying that of the three or four lakes there, only one (the Okara) gives off its waters to the north. The White Nile " of Speke, less by a full half than the Shire at Nyassa, (for it is only eighty or ninety yards broad), can scarcely be named in comparison with the central or Webb's Lualaba, of from two thousand to six thousand yards, in relation to the phenomena of the Nile. The structure and ANCIENT GEOGRAPHY-MODERN TllASII. 589 economy of the watershed answer very much the same end as the great hxcustrine rivers, hut I cannot at nresent copy a lost despatch which explained that. The mountains on the water- shed are probably what Ptolemy, for reasons now unknown, called the Mountains of the Moon. From their bases I found that the springs of the Nile do unquestionably arise. This is just what Ptolemy put down, and is true geography. We must accept the fountains, and nobody but Philistines will reject the mountains, though we cannot conjecture a reason for the name. * * ****-)(■ Many a weary foot I trod ere I got a clear idea of the drainage of the gi'eat Nile Yalley. The most intelligent natives and tradei-s thought that all the rivers of the upper part of that valley flowed into Tanganyika. But the barom- eters told me that to do so the water must flow up hill. The great rivers and the great lakes all make their waters converge into the deep trough of the valley, which is a full inch of the barometer lower than the Upper Tanganyika. It is only a sense of duty, which I trust your lordship will approve, that makes me remain, and, if possible, flnish the geographical question of my mission. After being thwarted, baffled, robbed, worried almost to death in following the central line of drainage down, 1 have a sore longing for home ; have had a perfect surfeit of seeing strange, new lands and people, grand mountains, lovely valleys, the glorious vegetation of primeval forests, wild beasts, and an endless succession of beautiful man ; besides great rivers and vast lakes — the last most inter- esting from their huge outflowings, which explain some of the phenomena of the grand old Nile. Let me explain, but in no boastful style, the mistakes of others who have bravely striven to solve the ancient problem, and it will be seen that I have cogent reasons for following the painful, plodding investigation to its conclusion. Poor Speke's mistake was a foregone conclusion. When he discov- ered the Victoria Nyanza, he at once jumped t<» the conclu- 590 MISTAKES OF SPEKE AND BAKER. Bion that therein lay the sources of the river of Egypt ; " twenty thousand square miles of water " confused hy sheer immensity. Ptolemy's small lake, " Coloc," is a more correct represent- ation of the actual size of that one of three or four lakes, which alone sends its outflow to the nortli. Its name is Okara. Lake Kavirondo is three days distant from it, but connected by a narrow arm. Lake Xaibash, or ]^eibash, is four days from Kavirondo. Baringo is ten days distant, and discharges by a river, the Xagardabash, to the north-east. These three or four lakes, which have been described by several intelligent Suaheli, who have lived for many years on their shores, were run into one huge A^ictoria Kyanza. But no sooner did Speke and Grant turn their faces to this lake, to prove that it contained the Xile fountains, than they turned their backs to the springs of the river of Egypt, which are between four hundred and five hundred miles south of the most southerly portion of the Victoria Lake. Every step of their heroic and really splendid achievement of following the river down, took them further and further from the sources they sought. But for the devotion to the foregone conclu- sion, the sight of the little "White Xile,'' as, unable to account for the great river, they must have turned oif to the west, down into the deep trough of the great valley, and there found lacustrine rivers amply sufficient to account for the Nile and all its phenomena. The next explorer, Baker, believed as honestly as Speke and Grant, that in the Lake River Albert he had a second source of the Xile to that of Speke. lie came further up the Nile than any other in modern times, but turned when between six hundred and seven miles short of the cajyut Nill. lie is now employed in a more noble work than the discovery of Nile sources ; and if, as all must earnestly wish, lie succeeds in suppressing the Nile slave trade, the boon he will bestow on humanity will be of far higher value than all my sources together. When iiitelli