The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death Volume Ii Part 16

_5th March, 1872._--My friend Moene-mokaia came yesterday; he is very ill of abscess in liver, which has burst internally. I gave him some calomel and jalap to open his bowels. He is very weak; his legs are swollen, but body emaciated.

_6th March, 1872._--Repairing tent, and receiving sundry stores, Moenem-okaia died.

_7th March, 1872._--Received a machine for filling cartridges.

_8th and 9th March, 1872._--Writing.

_10th March, 1872._--Writing. Gave Mr. Stanley a cheque for 5000 rupees on Stewart and Co., Bombay. This 500_l._ is to be drawn if Dr. Kirk has expended the rest of the 1000_l._ If not, then the cheque is to be destroyed by Mr. Stanley.

_12th March, 1872._--Writing.

_13th March, 1872._--Finished my letter to Mr. Bennett of the _New York Herald_, and Despatch No. 3 to Lord Granville.

_14th March, 1872._--Mr. Stanley leaves. I commit to his care my journal sealed with five seals: the impressions on them are those of an American gold coin, anna, and half anna, and cake of paint with royal arms.

Positively not to be opened.

[We must leave each heart to know its own bitterness, as the old explorer retraces his steps to the Tembe at Kwihara, there to hope and pray that good fortune may attend his companion of the last few months on his journey to the coast; whilst Stanley, duly impressed with the importance of that which he can reveal to the outer world, and laden with a responsibility which by this time can be fully comprehended, thrusts on through every difficulty.

There is nothing for it now but to give Mr. Stanley time to get to Zanzibar, and to shorten by any means at hand the anxious period which must elapse before evidence can arrive that he has carried out the commission entrusted to him.

As we shall see, Livingstone was not without some material to afford him occupation. Distances were calculated from native report; preparations were pushed on for the coming journey to Lake Bangweolo; apparatus was set in order. Travellers from all quarters dropped in from time to time: each contributed something about his own land; whilst waifs and strays of news from the expedition sent by the Arabs against Mirambo kept the settlement alive. To return to his Diary.

How much seems to lie in their separating, when we remember that with the last shake of the hand, and the last adieu, came the final parting between Livingstone and all that could represent the interest felt by the world in his travels, or the sympathy of the white man!]

_15th March, 1872._--Writing to send after Mr. Stanley by two of his men, who wait here for the purpose. Copied line of route, observations from Kabuire to Casembe's, the second visit, and on to Lake Bangweolo; then the experiment of weight on watch-key at Nyangwe and Lusize.

_16th March, 1872._--Sent the men after Mr. Stanley, and two of mine to bring his last words, if any.

[Sunday was kept in the quiet of the Tembe, on the 17th March. Two days after, and his birthday again comes round--that day which seems always to have carried with it such a special solemnity. He has yet time to look back on his marvellous deliverances, and the venture he is about to launch forth upon.]

_19th March, 1872._--Birthday. My Jesus, my king, my life, my all; I again dedicate my whole self to Thee. Accept me, and grant, Gracious Father, that ere this year is gone I may finish my task. In Jesus' name I ask it. Amen, so let it be.

DAVID LIVINGSTONE.

[Many of his astronomical observations were copied out at this time, and minute records taken of the rainfall. Books saved up against a rainy day were read in the middle of the "Masika" and its heavy showers.]

_21st March, 1872._--Read Baker's book. It is artistic and clever.

He does good service in exploring the Nile slave-trade; I hope he may be successful in suppressing it.

The Batusi are the cattle herds of all this Unyanyembe region. They are very polite in address. The women have small compact, well-shaped heads and pretty faces; colour, brown; very pleasant to speak to; well-shaped figures, with small hands and feet; the last with high insteps, and springy altogether. Plants and gra.s.s are collected every day, and a fire with much smoke made to fumigate the cattle and keep off flies: the cattle like it, and the valleys are filled with smoke in the evening in consequence. The Baganda are slaves in comparison; black, with a tinge of copper-colour sometimes; bridgeless noses, large nostrils and lips, but well-made limbs and feet.

[We see that the thread by which he still draws back a lingering word or two from Stanley has not parted yet.]

_25th March, 1872._--Susi brought a letter back from Mr. Stanley. He had a little fever, but I hope he will go on safely.

_26th March, 1872._--Rain of Masika chiefly by night. The Masika of 1871 began on 23rd of March, and ended 30th of April.

_27th March, 1872._--Reading. Very heavy rains.

_28th March, 1872._--Moenyembegu asked for the loan of a "doti." He is starving, and so is the war-party at M'Futu; chaining their slaves together to keep them from running away to get food anywhere.

_29th, 30th, 31st March, 1872._--Very rainy weather. Am reading 'Mungo Park's Travels;' they look so truthful.

_1st April, 1872._--Read Young's 'Search after Livingstone;' thankful for many kind words about me. He writes like a gentleman.

_2nd April, 1872._--Making a sounding-line out of lint left by Mr.

Stanley. Whydah birds are now building their nests. The c.o.c.k-bird brings fine gra.s.s seed-stalks off the top of my Tembe. He takes the end inside the nest and pulls it all in, save the ear. The hen keeps inside, constantly arranging the gra.s.s with all her might, sometimes making the whole nest move by her efforts. Feathers are laid in after the gra.s.s.

_4th April, 1872._--We hear that Dugumbe's men have come to Ujiji with fifty tusks. He went down Lualaba with three canoes a long way and bought much ivory. They were not molested by Monangungo as we were.

My men whom I had sent to look for a book left by accident in a hut some days' journey off came back stopped by a flood in their track. Copying observations for Sir T. Maclear.

_8th April, 1872._--An Arab called Seyed bin Mohamad Magibbe called. He proposes to go west to the country west of Katanga (Urange).

[It is very interesting to find that the results of the visit paid by Speke and Grant to Mteza, King of Uganda, have already become well marked. As we see, Livingstone was at Unyanyembe when a large trading party dropped in on their way back to the king, who, it will be remembered, lives on the north-western sh.o.r.es of the Victoria Nya.s.sa.]

_9th April, 1872._--About 150 Waganga of Mteza carried a present to Seyed Burghash, Sultan of Zanzibar, consisting of ivory and a young elephant.[17] He spent all the ivory in buying return presents of gunpowder, guns, soap, brandy, gin, &c., and they have stowed it all in this Tembe. This morning they have taken everything out to see if anything is spoilt. They have hundreds of packages.

One of the Baganda told me yesterday that the name of the Deity is Dubale in his tongue.

_15th April, 1872._--Hung up the sounding-line on poles 1 fathom apart and tarred it. 375 fathoms of 5 strands.

Ptolemy's geography of Central Africa seems to say that the science was then (second century A.D.) in a state of decadence from what was known to the ancient Egyptian priests as revealed to Herodotus 600 years before his day (or say B.C. 440). They seem to have been well aware by the accounts of travellers or traders that a great number of springs contributed to the origin of the Nile, but none could be pointed at distinctly as the "Fountains," except those I long to discover, or rather rediscover. Ptolemy seems to have gathered up the threads of ancient explorations, and made many springs (six) flow into two Lakes situated East and West of each other--the s.p.a.ce above them being unknown. If the Victoria Lake were large, then it and the Albert would probably be the Lakes which Ptolemy meant, and it would be pleasant to call them Ptolemy's sources, rediscovered by the toil and enterprise of our countrymen Speke, Grant, and Baker--but unfortunately Ptolemy has inserted the small Lake "Coloe," nearly where the Victoria Lake stands, and one cannot say where his two Lakes are. Of Lakes Victoria, Bangweolo, Moero, Kamolondo--Lake Lincoln and Lake Albert, which two did he mean? The science in his time was in a state of decadence. Were two Lakes not the relics of a greater number previously known? What says the most ancient map known of Sethos II.'s time?

_16th April, 1872._--Went over to visit Sultan bin Ali near Tabora--country open, plains sloping very gently down from low rounded granite hills covered with trees. Rounded ma.s.ses of the light grey granite crop out all over them, but many are hidden by the trees: Tabora slopes down from some of the same hills that overlook Kwihara, where I live. At the bottom of the slope swampy land lies, and during the Masika it is flooded and runs westwards. The sloping plain on the North of the central drain is called Kaze--that on the South is Tabora, and this is often applied to the whole s.p.a.ce between the hills north and south. Sultan bin Ali is very hospitable. He is of the Bedawee Arabs, and a famous marksman with his long Arab gun or matchlock. He often killed hares with it, always. .h.i.tting them in the head. He is about sixty-five years of age, black eyed, six feet high and inclined to stoutness, and his long beard is nearly all grey. He provided two bountiful meals for self and attendants.

Called on Mohamad bin Na.s.sur--recovering from sickness. He presented a goat and a large quant.i.ty of guavas. He gave the news that came from Dugumbe's underling Nserere, and men now at Ujiji; they went S.W. to country called Nombe, it is near Rua, and where copper is smelted. After I left them on account of the ma.s.sacre at Nyangwe, they bought much ivory, but acting in the usual Arab way, plundering and killing, they aroused the Bakuss' ire, and as they are very numerous, about 200 were killed, and none of Dugumbe's party. They brought fifty tusks to Ujiji.

We dare not p.r.o.nounce positively on any event in life, but this looks like prompt retribution on the perpetrators of the horrible and senseless ma.s.sacre of Nyangwe. It was not vengeance by the relations of the murdered ones we saw shot and sunk in the Lualaba, for there is no communication between the people of Nyangwe and the Bakuss or people of Nombe of Lomame--that ma.s.sacre turned my heart completely against Dugumbe's people. To go with them to Lomame as my slaves were willing to do, was so repugnant I preferred to return that weary 400 or 600 miles to Ujiji. I mourned over my being baffled and thwarted all the way, but tried to believe that it was all for the best--this news shows that had I gone with these people to Lomame, I could not have escaped the Bakuss spears, for I could not have run like the routed fugitives. I was prevented from going in order to save me from death. Many escapes from danger I am aware of: some make me shudder, as I think how near to death's door I came. But how many more instances of Providential protecting there may be of which I know nothing! But I thank most sincerely the good Lord of all for His goodness to me.

_18th April, 1872._--I pray the good Lord of all to favour me so as to allow me to discover the ancient fountains of Herodotus, and if there is anything in the underground excavations to confirm the precious old doc.u.ments (t? ???a), the Scriptures of truth, may He permit me to bring it to light, and give me wisdom to make a proper use of it.

Some seem to feel that their own importance in the community is enhanced by an imaginary connection with a discovery or discoverer of the Nile sources, and are only too happy to figure, if only in a minor part, as theoretical discoverers--a theoretical discovery being a contradiction in terms.

The cross has been used--not as a Christian emblem certainly, but from time immemorial as the form in which the copper ingot of Katanga is moulded--this is met with quite commonly, and is called Handiple Mahandi. Our capital letter I (called Vigera) is the large form of the bars of copper, each about 60 or 70 lbs. weight, seen all over Central Africa and from Katanga.

_19th April, 1872._--A roll of letters and newspapers, apparently, came to-day for Mr. Stanley. The messenger says he pa.s.sed Mr. Stanley on the way, who said, "Take this to the Doctor;" this is erroneous. The Prince of Wales is reported to be dying of typhoid fever: the Princess Louise has hastened to his bedside.

_20th April, 1872._--Opened it on 20th, and found nine 'New York Heralds' of December 1-9, 1871, and one letter for Mr. Stanley, which. I shall forward, and one stick of tobacco.

_21st April, 1872._--Tarred the tent presented by Mr. Stanley.

_23rd April, 1872._--Visited Kwikuru, and saw the chief of all the Banyamwezi (around whose Boma it is), about sixty years old, and partially paralytic. He told me that he had gone as far as Katanga by the same Fipa route I now propose to take, when a little boy following his father, who was a great trader.

The name Banyamwezi arose from an ivory ornament of the shape of the new moon hung to the neck, with a horn reaching round over either shoulder.

They believe that they came from the sea-coast, Mombas (?) of old, and when people inquired for them they said, "We mean the men of the moon ornament." It is very popular even now, and a large amount of ivory is cut down in its manufacture; some are made of the curved tusks of hippopotami. The Banyamwezi have turned out good porters, and they do most of the carrying work of the trade to and from the East Coast; they are strong and trustworthy. One I saw carried six frasilahs, or 200 lbs., of ivory from Unyanyembe to the sea-coast.

The prefix "_Nya_" in Nyamwezi seems to mean place or locality, as Mya does on the Zambesi. If the name referred to the "moon ornament," as the people believe, the name would be Ba or Wamwezi, but Banyamwezi means probably the Ba--they or people--Nya, place--Mwezi, moon, people of the moon locality or moon-land.