The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death Volume Ii Part 22

Two pagazi ran away with 24 dotis of the men's calico. Sent after them, but with small hopes of capturing them.

_3rd September, 1872._--Unsuccessful search.

_4th September, 1872._--Leave Chikulu's, and pa.s.s a large puff-adder in the way. A single blow on the head killed it, so that it did not stir.

About 3 feet long, and as thick as a man's arm, a short tail, and flat broad head. The men say this is a very good sign for our journey, though it would have been a bad sign, and suffering and death, had one trodden on it. Come to Liwane; large tree and waters. S.S.W. 4-1/2 hours.

_5th September, 1872._--A long hot tramp to Manyara's. He is a kind old man. Many of the men very tired and sick. S.S.W. 5-3/4 hours.

_6th September, 1872._--Rest the caravan, as we shall have to make forced marches on account of tsetse fly.

_7th September, 1872._--Obliged to remain, as several are ill with fever.

_8th September, 1872._--On to N'gombo nullah. Very hot and people ill.

Tsetse. A poor woman of Ujiji followed one of Stanley's men to the coast. He cast her off here, and she was taken by another; but her temper seems too excitable. She set fire to her hut by accident, and in the excitement quarrelled all round; she is a somebody's bairn nevertheless, a tall, strapping young woman, she must have been the pride of her parents.

_9th September, 1872._--Telekeza[24] at broad part of the nullah, then went on two hours and pa.s.sed the night in the forest.

_10th September, 1872._--On to Mweras, and spent one night there by a pool in the forest. Village two miles off.

_11th September, 1872._--On 8-1/2 hours to Telekeza. Sun very hot, and marching fatiguing to all.

Majwara has an insect in the aqueous chamber of his eye. It moves about and is painful.

We found that an old path from Mwaro has water, and must go early to-morrow morning, and so avoid the roundabout by Morefu. We shall thus save two days, which in this hot weather is much for us. We hear that Simba has gone to fight with Fipa. Two Banyamwezi volunteer. _12th September, 1872._--We went by this water till 2 P.M., then made a march, and to-morrow get to villages. Got a buffalo and remain overnight. Water is in haemat.i.te. I engaged four pagazi here, named Motepatonze, Nsakusi, Muanamazungu, and Mayombo.

_15th September, 1872._--On to near range of hills. Much large game here. Ill.

_16th September, 1872._--Climbed over range about 200 feet high; then on westward to stockaded villages of Kamirambo. His land begins at the M'toni.

_17th September, 1872._--To Metambo River: 1-1/4 broad, and marshy. Here begins the land of Merera. Through forest with many strychnus trees, 3-1/4 hours, and arrive at Merera's.

_18th September, 1872._--Remain at Merera's to prepare food.

[There is a significant entry here: the old enemy was upon him. It would seem that his peculiar liability during these travels to one prostrating form of disease was now redoubled. The men speak of few periods of even comparative health from this date.]

_19th September, 1872._--Ditto, ditto, because I am ill with bowels, having eaten nothing for eight days. Simba wants us to pa.s.s by his village, and not by the straight path.

_20th September, 1872._--Went to Simba's; 3-1/2 hours. About north-west.

Simba sent a handsome present of food, a goat, eggs, and a fowl, beans, split rice, dura, and sesame. I gave him three dotis of superior cloth.

_21st September, 1872._--Rest here, as the complaint does not yield to medicine or time; but I begin to eat now, which is a favourable symptom.

Under a lofty tree at Simba's, a kite, the common brown one, had two pure white eggs in its nest, larger than a fowl's, and very spherical.

The Banyamwesi women are in general very coa.r.s.e, not a beautiful woman amongst them, as is so common among the Batusi; squat, thick-set figures, and features too; a race of pagazi. On coming inland from sea-coast, the tradition says, they cut the end of a cone sh.e.l.l, so as to make it a little of the half-moon shape; this is their chief ornament. They are generally respectful in deportment, but not very generous; they have learned the Arab adage, "Nothing for nothing," and are keen slave-traders. The gingerbread palm of Speke is the _Hyphene_; the Bora.s.sus has a large seed, very like the Coco-de-mer of the Seych.e.l.le Islands, in being double, but it is very small compared to it.

_22nd September, 1872._--Preparing food, and one man pretends inability to walk; send for some pagazi to carry loads of those who carry him.

Simba sends copious libations of pombe.

_23rd September, 1872._--The pagazi, after demanding enormous pay, walked off. We went on along rocky banks of a stream, and, crossing it, camped, because the next water is far off.

_24th September, 1872._--Recovering and thankful, but weak; cross broad sedgy stream, and so on to Boma Misonghi, W. and by S.

_25th September, 1872._--Got a buffalo and M'jure, and remain to eat them. I am getting better slowly. The M'jure, or water hog, was all eaten by hyaenas during night; but the buffalo is safe.

_26th September, 1872._--Through forest, along the side of a sedgy valley. Cross its head water, which has rust of iron in it, then W.

and by S. The forest has very much tsetse. Zebras calling loudly, and Senegal long claw in our camp at dawn, with its cry, "O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o."

_27th September, 1872._--On at dawn. No water expected, but we crossed three abundant supplies before we came to hill of our camp. Much game about here. Getting well again--thanks. About W. 3-3/4 hours. No people, or marks of them. Flowers sprouting in expectation of rains; much land burned off, but gra.s.s short yet.

_28th September, 1872._--At two hills with mushroom-topped trees on west side. Crossed a good stream 12 feet broad and knee deep.

Buffaloes grazing. Many of the men sick. Whilst camping, a large musk cat broke forth among us and was killed. (Ya bude--musk). Musk cat (N'gawa), black with white stripes; from point of nose to tip of tail, 4 feet; height at withers, 1 foot 6 inches.

_29th September, 1872._--Through much bamboo and low hills to M'pokwa ruins and river. The latter in a deep rent in alluvial soil. Very hot, and many sick in consequence. Sombala fish abundant. Course W.

_30th September, 1872._--Away among low tree-covered hills of granite and sandstone. Found that Bangala had a.s.saulted the village to which we went a few days ago, and all were fugitives. Our people found plenty of Batatas[25] in the deserted gardens. A great help, for all were hungry.

_1st October, 1872, Friday_--On through much deserted cultivation in rich damp soil. Surrounded with low tree-covered ranges. We saw a few people, but all are in terror.

_2nd October, 1872._--Obtained M'tama in abundance for bra.s.s wire, and remained to grind it. The people have been without any for some days, and now rejoice in plenty. A slight shower fell at 5 A.M., but not enough to lay the dust.

_3rd October, 1872._--Southwards, and down a steep descent into a rich valley with much green maize in ear; people friendly; but it was but one hour's march, so we went on through hilly country S.W. Men firing off ammunition, had to be punished. We crossed the Katuma River in the bottom of a valley; it is 12 feet broad, and knee deep; camped in a forest. Farjella shot a fine buffalo. The weather disagreeably hot and sultry.

_4th October, 1872._--Over the same hilly country; the gra.s.s is burnt off, but the stalks are disagreeable. Came to a fine valley with a large herd of zebras feeding quietly; pretty animals. We went only an hour and a half to-day, as one sick man is carried, and it is hot and trying for all. I feel it much internally, and am glad to more slowly.

_5th October, 1872._--Up and down mountains, very sore on legs and lungs. Trying to save donkey's strength I climbed and descended, and as soon as I mounted, off he set as hard as he could run, and he felt not the bridle; the saddle was loose, but I stuck on till we reached water in a bamboo hollow with spring.

_6th October, 1872._--A long bamboo valley with giraffes in it. Range on our right stretches away from us, and that on the left dwindled down; all covered with bamboos, in tufts like other gra.s.ses; elephants eat them. Travelled W. and by S. 2-3/4 hours. Short marches on account of carrying one sick man.

_7th October, 1872._--Over fine park-like country, with large belts of bamboo and fine broad shady trees. Went westwards to the end of the left-hand range. Went four hours over a level forest with much haemat.i.te.

Trees large and open. Large game evidently abounds, and waters generally are not far apart. Our neighbour got a zebra, a rhinoceros, and two young elephants.

_8th October, 1872._--Came on early as sun is hot, and in two hours saw the Tanganyika from a gentle hill. The land is rough, with angular fragments of quartz; the rocks of mica schist are tilted up as if away from the Lake's longer axis. Some are upright, and some have basalt melted into the layers, and crystallized in irregular polygons. All are very tired, and in coming to a stockade we were refused admittance, because Malongwana had attacked them lately, and we might seize them when in this stronghold. Very true; so we sit ontside in the shade of a single palm (Bora.s.sus).

_9th October, 1872._--Rest, because all are tired, and several sick.

This heat makes me useless, and constrains me to lie like a log.

Inwardly I feel tired too. Jangeange leaves us to-morrow, having found canoes going to Ujiji.

_10th October, 1872._--People very tired, and it being moreover Sunday we rest. Gave each a keta of beads. Usowa chief Ponda.

_11th October, 1872._--Reach Kalema district after 2-3/4 hours over black mud all deeply cracked, and many deep torrents now dry. Kalema is a stockade. We see Tanganyika, but a range of low hills intervenes. A rumour of war to-morrow.

_12th October, 1872._--We wait till 2 P.M., and then make a forced march towards Fipa. The people cultivate but little, for fear of enemies; so we can buy few provisions. We left a broad valley with a sand river in it, where we have been two days, and climbed a range of hills parallel to Tanganyika, of mica schist and gneiss, tilted away from the Lake. We met a buffalo on the top of one ridge, it was shot into and lay down, but we lost it. Course S.W. to brink of Tanganyika water.

_13th October, 1872._--Our course went along the top of a range of hills lying parallel with the Lake. A great part of yesterday was on the same range. It is a thousand feet above the water, and is covered with trees rather scraggy. At sunset the red glare on the surface made the water look like a sea of reddish gold; it seemed so near that many went off to drink, but were three or four hours in doing so. One cannot see the other side on account of the smokes in the air, but this morning three capes jut out, and the last bearing S.E. from our camp seems to go near the other side. Very hot weather. To the town of Fipa to-morrow. Course about S. Though we suffer much from the heat by travelling at this season, we escape a vast number of running and often muddy rills, also muddy paths which would soon knock the donkey up. A milk-and-water sky portends rain. Tipo Tipo is reported to be carrying it with a high hand in Nsama's country, Itawa, insisting that all the ivory must be brought as his tribute--the conqueror of Nsama. Our drum is the greatest object of curiosity we have to the Banyamwezi. A very great deal of cotton is cultivated all along the sh.o.r.es of Lake Tanganyika; it is the Pernambuco kind, with the seeds clinging together, but of good and long fibre, and the trees are left standing all the year to enable them to become large; grain and ground-nuts are cultivated between them. The cotton is manufactured into coa.r.s.e cloth, which is the general clothing of all.

_14th October, 1872._--Crossed two deep gullies with sluggish water in them, and one surrounding an old stockade. Camp on a knoll, overlooking modern stockade and Tanganyika very pleasantly. Saw two beautiful sultanas with azure blue necks. We might have come here yesterday, but were too tired. Mukembe land is ruled by chief Kariaria; village, Mokaria. Mount M'Pumbwe goes into the Lake. N'Tambwe Mount; village, Kafumfwe. Kapufi is the chief of Fipa.

Noon, and about fifty feet above Lake; clouded over. Temperature 91 noon; 94 3 P.M.