Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa Part 40

When we parted from our friends at Kilimane, the sea on the bar was frightful even to the 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. Boats must be singularly well constructed to be able to stand these shocks. Three breakers swept over us. The men lift up their oars, and a wave comes sweeping over all, giving the impression that the boat is going down, but she only goes beneath the top of the wave, 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 these terrible seas broke over, and said, "Is this the way you go? Is this the way you go?" I smiled and said, "Yes; don't you see it is?" and tried to encourage him. He was well acquainted with canoes, but never had seen aught like this. When we reached the s.h.i.+p--a fine, large brig of sixteen guns and a crew of one hundred and thirty--she was rolling so that we could see a part of her bottom. It was quite impossible for landsmen to catch the ropes and climb up, so a chair was sent down, and we were hoisted in as ladies usually 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. When I left England I had no intention of returning, and directed my attention earnestly to the languages of Africa, paying none to English composition. With the exception of a short interval in Angola, I had been three and a half years without speaking English, and this, with thirteen years of previous partial disuse of my native tongue, made me feel sadly at a loss on board the "Frolic".

We left Kilimane on the 12th of July, and reached the Mauritius on the 12th of August, 1856. Sekwebu was picking up English, and becoming a favorite with both men 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!" He also said that he now understood why I used the s.e.xtant. 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 that he was intoxicated. He had descended into a boat, and, when I attempted to go down and bring him into the s.h.i.+p, he ran to the stern and said, "No! no! it is enough that I die alone. You must not perish; if you come, I shall throw myself into the water." Perceiving that his mind was affected, I said, "Now, Sekwebu, we are going to Ma Robert." This struck a chord in his bosom, and he said, "Oh yes; where is she, and where is Robert?" and he seemed to recover. The officers proposed to secure him by putting him 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 princ.i.p.al men as they had seen slaves treated. I tried to get him on sh.o.r.e 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 himself down hand under hand by the chain cable. We never found the body of poor Sekwebu.

At the Mauritius I was most hospitably received by Major General C. M.

Hay, and he generously constrained me to remain with him till, by the influence of the good climate and quiet English comfort, I got rid of an enlarged spleen from African fever. In November I came up the Red Sea; escaped the danger of s.h.i.+pwreck through the admirable management of Captain Powell, of the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Company's s.h.i.+p "Candia", and on the 12th of December was once more in dear old England.

The Company most liberally refunded my pa.s.sage-money. I have not mentioned half the favors bestowed, but I may just add that no one has cause for more abundant grat.i.tude to his fellow-men and to his Maker than I have; and may G.o.d grant that the effect on my mind be such that I may be more humbly devoted to the service of the Author of all our mercies!

Appendix.--Lat.i.tudes and Longitudes of Positions.

[The "Remarks" column has been replaced, where needed, with remarks listed below the corresponding line, and inclosed in square brackets.]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Positions. Lat.i.tude. Longitude. Date. No. of Sets South. East. of Lunar Distances.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ d ' " d ' " W. E.

Manakalongwe Pa.s.s. 22 55 52 . . . 1853, Jan. 26 Letloche. 22 38 0 . . . Jan. 28 Kanne. 22 26 56 . . . Jan. 31 Lotlokane, where the first 21 27 47 . . . Feb. 11, 12 Palmyra-trees occur.

Hence path to Nchokotsa N.N.W., thence to Kobe N.W.

Kobe (1st group). 20 53 14 24 52 0 Feb. 18, 19 Kama Kama, from whence 19 52 31 . . . Mar. 2 traveled in magnetic meridian (1st group).

Fever Ponds (1st group). 19 15 53 24 55 0 Mar. 11, 28 Ten miles S. of hill N'gwa 18 38 0 24 26 0 Apr. 14 (1st group).

N'gwa Hill (a central 18 27 50 24 13 36 Apr. 15, 16 occultation of B.A.C. 2364 Gemini).

N'gwa Valley, half mile 18 27 20 24 13 36 Apr. 17 N. of hill.

E. of and in parallel of 18 20 0 . . . Apr. 17 Wagon Station of 1851.

Wagon Station on the Chobe, 18 20 0 23 50 0 . . .

three miles S.

of Sekeletu's Town.

Sekeletu's Town (1st group). 18 17 20 23 50 9 June 13 July 14, 17 [ Boiling-point of water = 205-1/3 Deg.; Alt. = 3521 feet. ]

Island Mahonta. The Chobe 17 58 0 (24 6) Apr. 26 runs here in 17d 58'.

Banks of Sanshureh River, 18 4 27 24 6 20 Apr. 26 a branch of the Chobe (1st group).

[ At a well-known Baobab-tree 9' south of Mahonta island. ]

Town of Sesheke 17 31 38 25 13 0 1855, Aug. 31 . 1 on the Zambesi.

Sekhosi's Town on 17 29 13 . . . 1853, July 26, 27 the Zambesi (about 25 miles W. of Sesheke).

Cataract of Nambwe. 17 17 16 . . . July 31 Confluence of 17 7 31 . . . 1855, Aug. 22 . 1 Njoko and Zambesi.

Cataract of Bombwe. 16 56 33 . . . 1853, Aug. 1 Kale Cataract. 16 49 52 . . . 1855, Aug. 21 . 1 Falls of Gonye. 16 38 50 23 55 0 1853, Aug. 2 1855, Aug. 19 1 2 Nameta. 16 12 9 . . . Aug. 17 . 2 Seori sa Mei, 16 0 32 . . . 1853, Aug. 5 or Island of Water.

Litofe Island, town of. 15 55 0 . . . Aug. 6 Loyela, S. end of this 15 27 30 . . . Aug. 9 island, town of Mamochisane.

Naliele or Nariele, 15 24 17 23 5 54 Aug. 10, 13 chief town of Barotse (occultation of Jupiter) (1st group).

Linangelo, old town 15 18 40 . . . Aug. 19 of Santuru (site nearly swallowed up).

Katongo (near Slave 15 16 33 . . . Aug. 30 Merchants' Stockade).

Point of Junction of Nariele 15 15 43 . . . Aug. 29 Branch with the Main Stream.

Quando Village. 15 6 8 . . . Aug. 28 Town of Libonta. 14 59 0 . . . Aug. 21 Island of Tongane. 14 38 6 . . . Aug. 23 Cowrie Island. 14 20 5 . . . Aug. 24 Junction of the Loeti 14 18 57 . . . Aug.

with the Main Stream (Leeambye, Zambesi).

[ Boiling-point of water = 203 Deg. = 4741 feet. ]

Confluence of the Leeba 14 10 52 23 35 40 Aug. 24, 25 or Lonta with the Leeambye (1st group).

Kabompo, near the Leeba. 12 37 35 22 47 0 1854, Jan. 1 1855, July 3 . 3 Village about 2' N.W. 12 6 6 22 57 0 1854, Feb. 1 of the Leeba after leaving Kabompo town: the hill Peeri, or Piri, bearing S.S.E., distant about 6'.

Village of Soana Molopo, 11 49 22 22 42 0 Feb. 7 3' from Lokalueje River.

Village of Quendende, 11 41 17 . . . Feb. 11 about 2' S.E. of the ford of the Lotembwa, and about 9' from the town of Katema.

Banks of the Lovoa. 11 40 54 . . . 1855, June 20 2 .

Lofuje River flows into 12 52 35 22 49 0 July 7 . 3 the Leeba; Nyamoana's village.

Confluence of the Makondo 13 23 12 . . . July 13 and Leeba Rivers.

Katema's Town, 5' S. of Lake 11 35 49 22 27 0 1854, Feb. 17 . 2 Dilolo, the source of the Lotembwa, one of the princ.i.p.al feeders of the Leeba.

Lake Dilolo (station about 11 32 1 . . . 1855, June 18 . 2 half a mile S. of the lake). June 13 . .

[ Boiling-point of water = 203 Deg. = 4741 feet. ]

Village near the ford of 11 15 55 . . . 1854, Feb. 28 the River Kasai, Kasye, or Loke. The ford is in lat.i.tude 11d 17'.

Bango's Village, about 10' 10 22 53 20 58 0 1855, May 28 3 .

W. of the Loembwe.

Banks of the Stream Chihune. 10 57 30 (20 53)*1* 1854, Mar. 8 [ The longitude doubtful. ]

Ionga Panza's village. 10 25 0 20 15 0 *2* Mar. 20 Ford of the River Quango. 9 50 0 (18 27 0) Apr. 5 Ca.s.sange, about 40 or 50 9 37 30 17 49 0 Apr. 13, 17 3 2 miles W. of the River Quango, and situated in a deep valley.

Tala Mungongo, 2' E. 9 42 37 (17 27) Jan. 11, 14 of following station.

[ Longitude not observed: Water boils-- Top of = 206 Deg., height 3151 feet.

Bottom of descent = 208 Deg. = 2097 feet.

Bottom of east ascent = 205 Deg. = 3680 feet.

Top " " " = 202 Deg. = 5278 feet. ]

Banks of the Quinze, 9 42 37 17 25 0 1855, Jan. 10 . 1 near the source, 2' W. of the sudden descent which forms the valley of Ca.s.sange.

Sanza, on the River Quize 9 37 46 16 59 0 Jan. 7 . 4 (about 15 yards wide).

Pungo Andongo, 9 42 14 15 30 0 1854, Dec. 11 . 4 on the River Coanza.

[ On the top of the rocks water boils at 204 Deg. = 4210 feet. ]

On the River Coanza, 9 47 2 . . . Dec. 22 2' W. of Pungo Andongo.

Candumba, 15 miles E. of 9 42 46 . . . 1855, Jan. 2 Pungo Andongo, 300 yards N. of the Coanza.

Confluence of the Lombe 9 41 26 . . . Jan. 3 and Coanza, 8' or 10' E.

of Candumba, and at house of M. Pires, taken at about half a mile N. of confluence.

[ Here the Coanza takes its southern bend. ]

Golungo Alto, about midway 9 8 30 14 51 0 1854, Oct. 27 between Ambaca and Loanda. May 14 "Aguaes doces" in Ca.s.sange, 9 15 2 . . . Oct. 6, 7 . 2 10' W. of Golungo Alto.

[ At the confluence of the Luinha and Luce. ]

Confluence of the Luinha 9 26 23 . . .

and Lucalla.

Confluence of the Lucalla 9 37 46 . . . Oct. 11, 12 and Coanza, Ma.s.sangano town and fort.

[ A prominent hill in Cazengo, called Zungo, is about 6'

S.S.W. of "Aguaes doces", and it bears N.E. by E.

from the house of the commandant at Ma.s.sangano. ]

Ambaca, residence of the 9 16 35 15 23 0 Dec. 6 commandant of the district.

Kalai, 17 51 54 25 41 0 1855, Nov. 18 2 3 near the Mosioatunya Falls.

Lekone Rivulet. 17 45 6 25 55 0 Nov. 20 4 1 [ Water boils at 204-1/2 Deg. = 3945 feet. Between Lekone and Kalomo, Marimba 203-1/4 Deg. = 4608 feet. ]

Kalomo River. (17 3 0) . . . Nov. 30 . 1 [ The lat. and long. doubtful. Top of ridge, water boils at 202 Deg. = 5278 feet. ]

Rivulet of Dela, 16 56 0 26 45 0 Dec. 2 . 3 called Mozuma.

Kise Kise Hills. 16 27 20 . . . Dec. 3 Nakachinto Rivulet. 16 11 24 . . . Dec. 11 [ On eastern descent from ridge, water boils at 204 Deg. = 4210 feet. ]

Elephant's Grave. (16 3 0) (28 10) Dec. 14 1 .

[ The lat.i.tude not observed. ]

Kenia Hills, Rivulet Losito (15 56 0) (28 1) Dec. 16 3 .

on their western flank.

[ The lat.i.tude not observed. ]

6' E. of Bolengwe Gorge, 15 48 19 28 22 0 Dec. 18 3 3 and on the banks of the Kafue.

7' or 8' N.E. or E.N.E. (15 49 0) (28 34) *3* Dec. 29 . 4 of the confluence of the Kafue and Zambesi, at a rivulet called Kambare.

[ The lat. not observed; water boils 205-1/2 Deg. = 3415 feet.

Top of the hills Semalembue, water boils 204-1/2 Deg. = 4078 feet.

Bottom of ditto, 205-3/4 Deg. = 3288 feet. ]

Confluence of Kafue 15 53 0 . . .

and Zambesi.

Banks of Zambesi, 15 50 49 . . . Dec. 30 8' or 10' below confluence.