The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death Volume Ii Part 15

_30th January, 1872._--At Merera's, the second of the name. Much rain and very heavy; food abundant. Baniayamwezi and Yukonongo people here.

_31st January, 1872._--Through scraggy bush, then open forest with short gra.s.s, over a broad rill and on good path to village Mwaro; chief Kamirambo.

_1st February, 1872._--We met a caravan of Syde bin Habib's people yesterday who reported that Mirambo has offered to repay all the goods he has robbed the Arabs of, all the ivory, powder, blood, &c., but his offer was rejected. The country all around is devastated, and Arab force is at Simba's. Mr. Stanley's man Shaw is dead. There is very great mortality by small-pox amongst the Arabs and at the coast. We went over flat upland forest, open and bushy, then down a deep descent and along N.E. to a large tree at a deserted stockade.

_2nd February, 1872._--Away over ridges of cultivation and elephant's footsteps. Cultivators all swept away by Basavira. Very many elephants feed here. We lost our trail and sent men to seek it, then came to the camp in the forest. Lunched at rill running into Ngombe Nullah.

Ukamba is the name of the Tsetse fly here.

_3rd February, 1872._--Mr. Stanley has severe fever, with great pains in the back and loins: an emetic helped him a little, but resin of jalap would have cured him quickly. Rainy all day.

_4th February, 1872._--Mr. Stanley so ill that we carried him in a cot across flat forest and land covered with short gra.s.s for three hours, about north-east, and at last found a path, which was a great help. As soon as the men got under cover continued rains began. There is a camp of Malongwana here.

_5th February, 1872._--Off at 6 A.M. Mr. Stanley a little better, but still carried across same level forest; we pa.s.s water in pools, and one in haemat.i.te. Saw a black rhinoceros, and come near people.

_6th February, 1872._--Drizzly morning, but we went on, and in two hours got drenched with cold N.W. rain: the paths full of water we splashed along to our camp in a wood. Met a party of native traders going to Mwara.

_7th February, 1872._--Along level plains, and clumps of forest, and hollows filled at present with water, about N.E., to a large pool of Ngombe Nullah. Send off two men to Unyanyembe for letters and medicine.

_8th February, 1872._--Removed from the large pool of the nullah, about an hour north, to where game abounds. Saw giraffes and zebras on our way. The nullah is covered with lotus-plants, and swarms with crocodiles.

_9th February, 1872._--Remained for game, but we were unsuccessful. An eland was shot by Mr. Stanley, but it was lost. Departed at 2 P.M., and reached Manyara, a kind old chief. The country is flat, and covered with detached ma.s.ses of forest, with open glades and flats.

_10th February, 1872._--Leave Manyara and pa.s.s along the same park-like country, with but little water. The rain sinks into the sandy soil at once, and the collection is seldom seen. After a hard tramp we came to a pool by a sycamore-tree, 28 feet 9 inches in circ.u.mference, with broad fruit-laden branches. Ziwane.

_11th February, 1872._--Rain nearly all night. Scarcely a day has pa.s.sed without rain and thunder since we left Tanganyika Across a flat forest again, meeting a caravan for Ujiji. The gra.s.s is three feet high, and in seed. Reach Chikuru, a stockaded village, with dura plantations around it and pools of rain-water.

_12th February, 1872._--Rest.

_13th February, 1872._--Leave Chikuru, and wade across an open flat with much standing-water. They plant rice on the wet land round the villages.

Our path lies through an open forest, where many trees are killed for the sake of the bark, which is used as cloth, and for roofing and beds.

Mr. Stanley has severe fever.

_14th February, 1872._--Across the same flat open forest, with scraggy trees and gra.s.s three feet long in tufts. Came to a Boma. N.E. Gunda.

_15th February, 1872._--Over the same kind of country, where the water was stagnant, to camp in the forest.

_16th February, 1872._--Camp near Kigando, in a rolling country with granite knolls.

_17th February, 1872._--Over a country, chiefly level, with stagnant water; rounded hills were seen. Cross a rain torrent and encamp in a new Boma, Magonda.

_18th February, 1872._--Go through low tree-covered hills of granite, with blocks of rock sticking out: much land cultivated, and many villages. The country now opens out and we come to the Tembe,[16] in the midst of many straggling villages. Unyanyembe. Thanks to the Almighty.

FOOTNOTES:

[14] The reader will best judge of the success of the experiment by looking at a specimen of the writing. An old sheet of the _Standard_ newspaper, made into rough copy-books, sufficed for paper in the absence of all other material, and by writing across the print no doubt the notes were tolerably legible at the time. The colour of the decoction used instead of ink has faded so much that if Dr.

Livingstone's handwriting had not at all times been beautifully clear and distinct it would have been impossible to decipher this part of his diary.--Ed.

[15] Thus the question of the Lusize was settled at once: the previous notion of its outflow to the north proved a myth.--ED.

[16] Tembe, a flat-roofed Arab house.

CHAPTER VII.

Determines to continue his work. Proposed route. Refits.

Robberies discovered. Mr. Stanley leaves. Parting messages.

Mteza's people arrive. Ancient geography. Tabora. Description of the country. The Banyamwezi. A Baganda bargain. The population of Unyanyembe. The Mirambo war. Thoughts on Sir S. Baker's policy. The cat and the snake. Firm faith. Feathered neighbours.

Mistaken notion concerning mothers. Prospects for missionaries.

Halima. News of other travellers. Chuma is married.

By the arrival of the fast Ramadan on the 14th November, and a Nautical Almanac, I discovered that I was on that date twenty-one days too fast in my reckoning. Mr. Stanley used some very strong arguments in favour of my going home, recruiting my strength, getting artificial teeth, and then returning to finish my task; but my judgment said, "All your friends will wish you to make a complete work of the exploration of the sources of the Nile before you retire." My daughter Agnes says, "Much as I wish you to come home, I would rather that you finished your work to your own satisfaction than return merely to gratify me." Rightly and n.o.bly said, my darling Nannie. Vanity whispers pretty loudly, "She is a chip of the old block." My blessing on her and all the rest.

It is all but certain that four full-grown gus.h.i.+ng fountains rise on the watershed eight days south of Katanga, each of which at no great distance off becomes a large river; and two rivers thus formed flow north to Egypt, the other two to Inner Ethiopia; that is, Lufira or Bartle Frere's River, flows into Kamolondo, and that into Webb's Lualaba, the main line of drainage. Another, on the north side of the sources, Sir Paraffin Young's Lualaba, flows through Lake Lincoln, otherwise named Chibungo and Lomame, and that too into Webb's Lualaba.

Then Liambai Fountain, Palmerston's, forms the Upper Zambesi; and the Lunga (Lunga), Oswell's Fountain, is the Kafue; both flowing into Inner Ethiopia. It may be that these are not the fountains of the Nile mentioned to Herodotus by the secretary of Minerva, in Sais, in Egypt; but they are worth discovery, as in the last hundred of the seven hundred miles of the watershed, from which nearly all the Nile springs do unquestionably arise.

I propose to go from Unyanyembe to Fipa; then round the south end of Tanganyika, Tambete, or Mbete; then across the Chambeze, and round south of Lake Bangweolo, and due west to the ancient fountains; leaving the underground excavations till after visiting Katanga. This route will serve to certify that no other sources of the Nile can come from the south without being seen by me. No one will cut me out after this exploration is accomplished; and may the good Lord of all help me to show myself one of His stout-hearted servants, an honour to my children, and, perhaps, to my country and race.

Our march extended from 26th December, 1871, till 18th February, 1872, or fifty-four days. This was over 300 miles, and thankful I am to reach Unyanyembe, and the Tembe Kwikuru.

I find, also, that the two headmen selected by the notorious, but covert slave-trader, Ludha Damji, have been plundering my stores from the 20th October, 1870, to 18th February, 1872, or nearly sixteen months. One has died of small-pox, and the other not only plundered my stores, but has broken open the lock of Mr. Stanley's storeroom, and plundered his goods. He declared that all my goods were safe, but when the list was referred to, and the goods counted, and he was questioned as to the serious loss, he at last remembered a bale of seven pieces of merikano, and three kanike--or 304 yards, that he evidently had hidden. On questioning him about the boxes brought, he was equally ignorant, but at last said, "Oh! I remember a box of brandy where it went, and every one knows as well as I."

_18th February, 1872._--This, and Mr. Stanley's goods being found in his possession, make me resolve to have done with him. My losses by the robberies of the Banian employed slaves are more than made up by Mr.

Stanley, who has given me twelve bales of calico; nine loads = fourteen and a half bags of beads; thirty-eight coils of bra.s.s wire; a tent; boat; bath; cooking pots; twelve copper sheets; air beds; trowsers; jackets, &c. Indeed, I am again quite set up, and as soon as he can send men, not slaves, from the coast I go to my work, with a fair prospect of finis.h.i.+ng it.

_19th February, 1872._--Rest. Receive 38 coils of bra.s.s wire from Mr.

Stanley, 14-1/2 bags of beads, 12 copper sheets, a strong canvas tent, boat-trowsers, nine loads of calico, a bath, cooking pots, a medicine chest, a good lot of tools, tacks, screw nails, copper nails, books, medicines, paper, tar, many cartridges, and some shot.

_20th February, 1872._--To my great joy I got four flannel s.h.i.+rt from Agnes, and I was delighted to find that two pairs of fine English boots had most considerately been sent by my friend Mr. Waller. Mr. Stanley and I measured the calico and found that 733-3/4 yards were wanting, also two frasilahs of samsam, and one case of brandy. Othman pretended sickness, and blamed the dead men, but produced a bale of calico hidden in Thani's goods; this reduced the missing quant.i.ty to 436-1/2 yards.

_21st February, 1872._--Heavy rains. I am glad we are in shelter. Masudi is an Arab, near to Ali bin Salem at Bagamoio. Bus.h.i.+r is an Arab, for whose slave he took a bale of calico. Masudi took this Chirongozi, who is not a slave, as a pagazi or porter. Robbed by Bus.h.i.+r at the 5th camp from Bagamoio. Othman confessed that he knew of the sale of the box of brandy, and brought also a shawl which he had forgotten: I searched him, and found Mr. Stanley's stores which he had stolen.

_22nd February, 1872._--Service this morning, and thanked G.o.d for safety thus far. Got a packet of letters from an Arab.

_23rd February, 1872._--Send to Governor for a box which he has kept for four years: it is all eaten by white ants: two fine guns and a pistol are quite destroyed, all the wood-work being eaten. The brandy bottles were broken to make it appear as if by an accident, but the corks being driven in, and corks of maize cobs used in their place, show that a thief has drunk the brandy and then broken the bottles. The tea was spoiled, but the china was safe, and the cheese good.

_24th February, 1872._--Writing a despatch to Lord Granville against Banian slaving, and in favour of an English native settlement transfer.

_25th February, 1872._--A number of Batusi women came to-day asking for presents. They are tall and graceful in form, with well-shaped small heads, noses, and mouths. They are the chief owners of cattle here. The war with Mirambo is still going on. The Governor is ashamed to visit me.

_26th February, 1872._--Writing journal and despatch.

_27th February, 1872._--Moene-mokaia is ill of heart disease and liver abscess. I sent him some blistering fluid. To-day we hold a Christmas feast.

_28th February, 1872._--Writing journal. Syde bin Salem called; he is a China-looking man, and tried to be civil to us.