ON the ninth of November, 1853, accompanied by
the chief and his
principal men to see him off, Livingstone left and embarked
on
the Chobe. The chief danger in navigating this river
is from the
bachelor hippopotami who have been expelled their herd,
and,
whose tempers being soured, the canoes are frequently
upset by them.
One of these misanthropes chased some of his men, and
ran after them
on shore with considerable speed. The banks of the river
were clothed
with trees, among them acacias and evergreens, from the
pink-colored
specimens of which a pleasant acid drink is obtained.
Leaving the Chobe, they entered the Leeambye, up which
they pro-
ceeded at a somewhat slow rate, as they had to wait at
different villages
for supplies of food. Several varieties of wild fruit
were presented to
them. The crews of the canoes worked admirably, being
always in good
humor, and, on any danger threatening, immediately leaped
overboard
to prevent them coming broadside to the stream, or being
caught by
eddies, or dashed against the rocks. Birds, fish, iguanas,
and hippo-
potami abounded ; indeed the whole river teemed with
life.
On November 30th, the Gonye Falls were reached. No rain
having
fallen, it was excessively hot. They usually got up at
dawn — about five
in the morning — coffee was taken and the canoes loaded,
the first two
hours being the most pleasant part of the day's sail.
The Barotse,
being a tribe of boatmen, managed their canoes admirably.
At about eleven they landed to lunch. After an hour's
rest they
embarked, the doctor with an umbrella overhead. Sometimes
they
reached a sleeping-place two hours before sunset. Coffee
was again
served out, with coarse bread made of maize meal, or
Indian corn,
unless some animal had been killed, when a potful of
flesh was boiled.
The canoes were carried beyond the falls; slung on poles
placed on men's
shoulders. Here as elsewhere the doctor exhibited his
magic lantern,
greatly to the delight of the people.
Beautiful Scenery.
Nothing could be more lovely than the scenery of the falls.
The water
rushes through a fissure and, being confined below by
a space not more
than a hundred yards wide, goes rolling over and over
in great masses,
amid which the most expert swimmer can in vain make way.
The doctor was able to put a stop to an intended fight
between the
inhabitants of two villages. -Several volunteers offered
to join him, but
his followers determined to adhere to the orders of Seketelu,
and refused
all other companions. They were treated most liberally
by the inhabi-
tants of all the villages, who presented them with more
oxen, milk and
meal than they could stow away. Entering the Leeambye,
Livingstone
proceeded up that stream in his canoe, while his oxen
and a portion of
his men continued their journey along its banks.
The rain had fallen, and nature had put on her gayest
apparel ; flowers
of great beauty and curious forms grew everywhere, many
of the forest
trees having palmated leaves, the trunks being covered
with lichens,
while magnificent ferns were seen in all the moister
situations. In the
cool morning the welkin rang with the singing of birds,
and the ground
swarmed with insect life.
Combat with a Monstrous Crocodile.
Crocodiles were in prodigious numbers, children and calves
being
constantly carried off by them. One of his men was seized,
but, retaining
his presence of mind when dragged to the bottom, he struck
the monster
with his javelin and escaped, bearing the marks of the
reptile's teeth on
his thigh. The doctor's men had never before used firearms,
and, proving
bad shots, came to him for " gun medicine " to enable
them to shoot
better. As he was afraid of their exhausting his supply
of powder, he was
compelled to act as sportsman for the party.
Leaving Leeambye, he proceeded up the Leeba. Beautiful
flowers
and abundance of wild honey was found on its shores,
and large num-
bers of young crocodiles were seen sunning themselves
on the sandbanks
with their parents.
They had now reached the Balonda country, and received
a visit from
a, chieftainess, Manenko, a tall strapping woman covered
with ornaments
and smeared over with fat and red ochre as a protection
against the
weather. She invited them to visit her uncle Shinti,
the chief of the
country. They set out in the midst of a heavy drizzHng
mist; on, how-
ever, the lady went, in the hghtest marching order. The
doctor enquired'
why she did not clothe herself during the rain; but it
appeared that she
did not consider it proper for a chief to appear effeminate.
The men, in
admiration of her pedestrian powers, every now and then
remarked:
"Manenko is a soldier." Some of the people in her train
carried shields
composed of reeds, of a square form, five feet long and
three broad.
With these, and armed with broadswords and quivers full
of iron-headed
arrows, they looked somewhat ferocious, but are in reality
not noted for
their courage.
A Pompous Chief.
The doctor was glad when at length the chieftainess halted
on the-
banks of a stream, and preparations were made for the
night's lodgings
After detaining them several days, she accompanied them
on foot to
Shinti's town. The chief's .place of audience was ornamented
by two
graceful banyan trees, beneath one of which he sat on
a sort of throne
covered with a leopard-skin. He wore a checked shirt
and a kilt of
scarlet baize, edged with green, numerous ornaments covering
his arms-
and legs, while on his head was a helmet of beads, crowned
with large
goose feathers. At his side sat three lads with quivers
full of arrows
over their shoulders.
Livingstone took his seat under the shade of another tree
opposite to
the chief, while the spokesman of the party, who had
accompanied them,
in a loud voice, walking backwards and forwards, gave
an account of the
doctor and his connection with the Makololo. Behind the
chief sat a.
hundred women clothed in red baize, while his wife was
sitting in front
of him. Between the speeches the ladies burst forth into
a sort of plain-
tive ditty.
Singular Piano.
The party was entertained by a band of musicians, consisting
of three
drummers and four performers on the marimba, a species
of piano. It
consists of two bars of wood placed side by side ; across
these are fixed
fifteen wooden keys, each two or three inches broad and
about eighteen
long, their thickness being regulated by the deepness
of the note required.
Each of the keys has a calabash below it, the upper portion
of which,
being cut off to hold the bars, they form hollow sounding-boards
to the
keys. These are also of different sizes according to
the notes required.
The keys are struck by small drum sticks to produce the
sound. The
Portuguese have imitated the marimba, and use it in their
dances in.
Anerola.
The women in this country are treated with more respect
by the men
than in other parts of Africa. A party of Mambari, with
two native
Portuguese traders, had come up to obtain slaves, and,
while Dr. Living-
stone was residing with Shinti, some young children were
kidnapped,,
evidently to be sold to them.
The day before he was to recommence his journey, the doctor
received
a visit in his tent from Shinti, who, as a mark of his
friendship, presented
him with a shell on which he set the greatest value,
observing : " There,
now you have a proof of my affection." These shells,
as marks of dis-
tinction, are so highly valued that for two of them a
slave may be bought,,
and five will buy an elephant's tusk worth fifty dollars.
The old
chief had provided a guide, Int6mese, to conduct them
to the territory of
the next chief, Katema. He also gave an abundant supply
of food, and
wished them a prosperous journey. Livingstone again started
on the 26th
of January, Shinti sending eight men to assist in carrying
his luggage.
He had now to quit the canoes and to proceed on ox-back,
taking a
northerly direction.
He and his party received the same kind treatment in the
country as
before, the villagers, by command of their chiefs, presenting
them with an
abundance of food. They found English cotton cloth more
eagerly
enquired after than beads and ornaments. On arriving
at a village the
inhabitants lifted off the roofs of some of their huts,
and brought them
to the camp, to save the men the trouble of booth-making.
On starting
again the villagers were left to replace them at their
leisure, no payment
being expected. Heavy rains now came on, and the doctor
and his party
were continually wet to the skin.
Polite as the people were, they were still fearful savages.
Messengers
.arrived from the neighboring town to announce the death
of their chief,
Matiamvo. That individual had been addicted to running
a-muck
through his capital and beheading any one he met, till
he had a large
heap of human heads in front of his hut. Men were also
slaughtered
occasionally, whenever the chief wanted part of a body
to perform cer-
tain charms.
The Balonda appear to have some belief in the existence
of the soul,
and a greater feeling of reverence in their composition
than the tribes to
the eastward. Among their customs they have a remarkable
one. Those
who take it into their heads to become friends, cement
their friendship.
Taking their seats opposite one to the other, with a
vessel of beer by the
side of each, they clasp hands. They then make cuts on
their clasped
hands, the pits of their stomachs, their foreheads, and
right cheeks. The
point of a blade of grass is then pressed against the
cuts, and afterwards
each man washes it in his own pot of beer ; exchanging
pots, the contents
are drunk, so that each man drinks the blood of the other.
Thus they
consider that they become blood relations and are bound
in every possi-
ble way to assist each other. These people were greatly
surprised at the
liberty enjoyed by the Makololo.
Playing Tricks for Money.
The travellers paid a visit to Katema, the chief of the
district, who
received them dressed in a snuff-brown coat, with a helmet
of beads and
feathers on his head, and in his hand a number of tails
oi gnus bound
together. He also sent some of his men to accompany them
on their
journey. The rains continued, and the doctor suffered
much from having
to sleep on the wet ground. Having reached the latitude
of Loanda,
Livingstone now directed his course to the westward.
On the 4th of
March he reached the outskirts of the territory of the
Chiboque.
As he approached the more civilized settlements, he found
the habits
of the people changed much for the worse : tricks of
all sorts were played
to detain him and obtain tribute; the guides also tried
in every way to
impose on him. Even his Makololo expressed their sorrow
at seeing so
beautiful a country ill cultivated and destitute of cattle.
He was compelled to sell one of his riding oxen for food,
as none could
be obtained. The Chiboque coming round in great numbers,
their chief
demanded tribute, and one of their number made a charge
at Livingstone,
but quickly retreated on having the muzzle of the traveller's
gun pointed
at his head. The chief and his councillors, however,
consenting to sit
down on the ground, the Makololo, well drilled, surrounded
them, and
thus got them completely in their power. A mutiny, too,
broke out
among his own people, who complained of want of food;
but it was sup-
pressed by the appearance of the doctor with a double-barrelled
pistol
in his hand. They never afterwards gave him any trouble.
Similar demands for payment to allow him to pass through
the country
were made by other chiefs, his faithful Makololo giving
up their orna-
ments, as he had done nearly all the beads and shirts
in his possession.
The most extortionate of these chiefs was loaga Panza,
whose sons, after
receiving payment for acting as guides, deserted him.
All this time
Livingstone was suffering daily from the attacks of fever,
which rendered
him excessively weak, so that he could scarcely sit upon
his ox.
The country appeared fertile and full of small villages,
and the soil is
so rich that little labor is required for its cultivation.
. It is, however, the
chief district whence slaves are obtained, and a feeling
of insecurity was
evident amongst the inhabitants. A demand was now made
by each
chief for a man, an ox, or a tusk as a tribute. The first,
was of course,
refused, but nearly all the remainder of the traveller's
property had to be
ithus paid away.
On the 4th of April they reached the banks of the Quango,
here one
hundred and fifty yards wide. The chief of the district
— a young man, who
wore his hair curiously formed into the shape of a cone,
bound round
with white thread — on their refusing to pay him an extortionate
demand,,
ordered his people not to ferry them across, and opened
fire on them.
At this juncture a half-caste Portuguese, a sergeant
of militia, Cypriano
Di Abreu, arrived, and, obtaining ferrymen, they crossed
over into the
territory of the Bangala, who are subject to the Portuguese.
They had
some time before rebelled, and troops were now stationed
among them,.
Cypriano being in command of a party of men. Nsxt morning
he pro-
vided a delicious breakfast for his guest, and fed the
Makololo with
pumpkins and maize, while he supplied them with farina
for their journey
to Kasenge, without even hinting at payment.
The natives, though they long have had intercourse with
the Portu-
guese, are ignorant and superstitious in the extreme."
Many parts of the
country are low and marshy, and they suffer greatly from
fever. Of the
use of medicine they have no notion, their only remedies
being charms
and cupping. The latter operation is performed with a
small horn,,
which has a little hole in the upper end. The broad end
is placed on the
flesh, when the operator sucks through the hole; as the
flesh rises, he
gashes it with a knife, then replaces the horn and sucks
again, till finally
he introduces a piece of wax into his mouth, to stop
up the hole, when
the horn is left to allow the blood to gush into it.
It took the travellers four days to reach Kasenge, a town
inhabited by
about forty Portuguese tracers and their servants. Though
told by the
doctor that he was a Protestant minister, they treated
him with the
greatest kindness and hospitality.
A Black Corporal for an Escort.
Here the Makololo sold Sekeletu's tusks, obtaining much
better prices
than they would have done from the Cape traders, forgetting,
however,
that their value was greatly increased by the distance
they had been
brought.
The Makololo here expressed their fears, from what they
had heard,
that they were about to be led down to the sea-coast
to be sold, but when
Livingstone asked them if he had ever deceived them,
and that he would
assure them of their safety, they agreed to accompany
him. The mer-
chants of Kasenge treated the doctor with the most disinterested
kind-
ness, and furnished him with letters to their friends
at Loanda.
He was escorted by a black corporal of militia, who was
carried in a
hammock by his slaves. He could both read and write,
and was
cleanly in all his ways ; he was considerate also to
his young slaves, and
walked most of the way, only getting into his hammock
on approaching
a village, for the sake of keeping up his dignity. He,
however, had the
usual vices of African guides, and did not fail to cheat
those he was sent
to protect.
Sleeping-places were erected on the road about ten miles
apart, as-
there is a constant stream of people going to and coming
from the coast.
Goods are either carried on the head or on one shoulder,
in a sort of
basket, supported by two poles five or six feet long.
When the carrier
feels tired and halts, he plants them on the ground,
allowing his burden
to rest against a tree, so that he has not to lift it
up from the ground to
the level of his head. On arriving at a sleeping-place,
the sheds were
immediately taken possession of by the first comers,
those arriving last
having to make huts with long grass for themselves. Women
might
then be seen coming from their villages with baskets
of manioc meal,,
yams, garlic, and other roots for sale. As Livingstone
had supplied
himself with calico at Kasenge, he was able to purchase
what was
necessary.
The district of Ambaca, through which he now passed, was
excessively
fertile. Large numbers of cattle exist on its pastures,
which are well
watered by flowing streams, while lofty mountains rise
in the distance.
It is said to contain forty thousand souls. The doctor
was delighted with
Golcongo Alto, a magnificent district — the hills bedecked
with trees of
various hues, the graceful oil-yielding palm towering
above them. Here
the commandant. Lieutenant Castro, received him in a
way that won the
doctor's affectionate regard. He calculated that this
district has a popu-
lation of a hundred and four thousand. The lieutenant
regretted, as
does every person of intelligence, the neglect with which
this magnificent
country has been treated.
Natives Astonished by Strange Sights.
As they proceeded, they passed streams with cascades,
on which mills-
might easily be formed; but here numbers of carpenters
were converting
the lofty trees which grew around into planks, by splitting
them with ?.
wedges. At Trombeta the commandant had his garden ornamented
with
rows of trees, with pineapples and flowers growing between
them. A few
years ago he purchased an estate for eighty dollars,
on which he had now
a coffee plantation and all sorts of fruit trees and
grape-vines, besides
grain and vegetables growing, as also a cotton plantation.
As they approached the sea the Makololo gazed at it, spreading
out
before them, with feelings of awe, having before believed
that the whole
world was one extended plain. They again showed their
fears that
they might be kidnapped, but Livingstone reassured them,
telling them
that as they had stood by each other hitherto, so they
wQuId do to the last-
On the 31st of M,ay they descended a declivity leading
to the city of
Loanda, where Livingstone was warmly welcomed by Mr.
Gabriel, the
British commissioner. Seeing him so ill, he benevolently
offered the
doctor his bed. " Never shall I forget," says Livingstone,
" the luxu-
rious pleasure I enjoyed in feeling myself again on a
good English couch^
after for six months sleeping on the ground." It took
many days how-
ever, before the doctor recovered from the exposure and
fatigue he had
endured. All that time he was watched over with the most
generous
sympathy by his kind host. The Portuguese Bishop of Angola,
and
numerous other gentlemen, called on him and tendered
their services.
Her Majesty's ship "Polyphemus" coming in, the surgeon,
Mr..
Cockin, afforded him the medical assistance he so much
required, and
soon he was suficiently recovered to call on the bishop,
attended by his
Makololo followers. They had all been dressed in new
robes of striped
cotton cloth, and red caps, presented by Mr. Gabnel.
The bishop,
acting as head of the provisional government, received
them in form, and
gave them permission to come to Loanda and trade as often
as they
wished, with which they were greatly pleased.
The Makololo gazed with astonishment at all they witnessed,
the
large stone houses and churches especially, never before
having seen a
building larger than a hut. The commanders of the " Pluto
" and "Phil-
omel," which came into the harbor, invited them on board.
Knowing
their fears, Livingstone told them that no one need go
should they en-
tertain the least suspicion of foul play. Nearly the
whole party went.
Jolly Tars and African Natives.
Going forward amongst the men, they were received much
the same as ,
the Makololo would have received them, the jolly tars
handing them a
share of the bread and beef they had for dinner. They
were allowed to
fire off a cannon, at which they were greatly pleased.
This visit had a
most beneficial effect, as it raised Livingstone still
more highly than ever
in the opinion of the natives.
During August the doctor was again attacked by a severe
fit of fever.
His men, while he was unable to attend to them, employed
themselves in
going into the country and cutting firewood, which they
sold to the in-
habitants of the town. Mr. Gabriel also found them employment
in
unloading a collier, at six-pence a day. They continued
at this work for
upwards of a month, astonished at the vast amount of
" stones that burn "
which were taken out of her. With the mone}' thus obtained
they pur-
chased clothing, beads, and other articles to carry home
with them. In
selecting calicoes they Avere well able to judge of the
best, and chose
such pieces as appeared the strongest, without reference
to color.
Saint Paul de Loanda, once a considerable city, has now
fallen greatly
into decay. There are, however, many large stone houses,
and the palace
of the governor, and the government offices, are substantial
structures.
Trees are planted throughout the town for the sake of
shade. Though
the dwellings of the native inhabitants are composed
merely of wattle and
daub, from the sea they present an imposing appearance.
Though at first the government lost its chief revenue
from the sup-
pression of the slave trade, it has again gradually increased
by the lawful
commerce now carried on by its merchants The officers
are, however,
so badly paid that they are compelled to engage in mercantile
pursuits,
and some attempt by bribes to assist the slave-dealers.
From the kind and generous treatment Livingstone received
from the
Portuguese, they rose deservedly high in his estimation.
He now prepared for his departure. The merchants sent
a present to
Sekeletu, consisting of specimens of all their articles
of trade and two
-donkeys, that the breed might be introduced into his
country, as the
venomous fly called the tsetse cannot kill those beasts
of burden. The
?doctor was. also furnished with letters of recommendation
to the Portu-
guese authorities in Eastern Africa. The bishop likewise
furnished him
with twenty carriers, and sent forward orders to the
commandants of the
districts to the east to render him every assistance.
He supplied himself
with ammunition, and bead's, and a stock of cloth, and
he gave each of
liis men a musket. He had also purchased a horse for
Sekeletu. His
friends of the "Philomel" fitted him out also with a
new tent, and, on the
20th of September, 1854, he and his party left Loan da,
escorted by Mr.
Gabriel, who, from his unwearied attentions and liberality
to his men,
had become endeared to all their hearts.
Passing round by the sea, he ascended the River Bengo
to Icollo-i-
Bengo, once the residence of a native king. While Mr.
Gabriel returned
to Loanda, Dr. Livingstone and his party proceeded to
Golcongo Alto,
where he left some of his men to rest, while he took
an excursion to
Kasenge, celebrated for its coffee plantations. On his
return he found
several of them suffering from fever, while one of them
had gone out of
his mind, but in short time recovered.
He had thus an opportunity of watching the workings of
slavery.
The moment their master was ill, the slaves ate up everything
on which
they could lay their hands, till the doctor himself could
scarcely obtain
even bread and butter. Here Sekeletu's horse was seized
with inflamma-
tion, and the poor animal afterwards died on its journey.
On the 28th
of February they reached the banks of the Quango, where
they were
again received by Cypriano.
The colored population of Angola are sunk in the grossest
superstition^
They fancy themselves completely in the power of spirits,
and are con-
stantly deprecating their wrath. A chief, named Gando,
had lately been
accused of witchcraft, and, being killed by the ordeal,
his body was
thrown into the river.
Heavy payment was demanded by the ferrymen for crossing
in their
wretched canoes; but the cattle and donkeys had to swim
across.
Avoiding their friend with the comical head-dress, they
made their
way to the camp of some Ambakistas, or half-caste Portuguese,
who
had gone across to trade in wax. They are famed for their
love of
learning, and are keen traders, and, writing a peculiarly
fine hand,
are generally employed as clerks, sometimes being called
the Jews of
Angola.
Fantastic Head-dresses.
The travellers were now in the country of the Bishinji,
possessing the
lowest negro physiognomy. At a village where they halted,
they were
attacked by the head man^ who had been struck by one
of the Makololo
on their previous visit, although atonement had been
made. A large body
of the natives now rushed upon them as they were passing
through a
forest, and began firing, tl^ bullets passing amid the
trees. Dr. Living-
stone fortunately encountered the chief, and, presenting
a six-barrelled
revolver, produced an. instant revolution in his martial
feelings. The
doctor then, ordering him and his people to sit down,
rode off. They
were now accompanied by their Portuguese friends, the
Londa people^
who inhabit the banks of theLoajima.
They elaborately dress their hair in a number of ways.
It naturally"
hangs down on their shoulders in large masses, which,
with their general
features, gives them a strong resemblance to the ancient
Egyptians.
Some of them adorn their heads with ornaments of woven
hair and hide,,
to which they occasionally suspend the tails of buffaloes.
Another fash-
ion is to weave the hair on pieces of hide in the form
of buffalo horns,
projecting on either side of the head. The young men
twine their hair
in the form of horns projecting in different directions.
They frequently
tattoo their bodies, producing figures in the form of
stars. Although
their heads are thus elaborately adorned, their bodies
are almost destitute
of clothing.
Reaching Calongo, Livingstone directed his course towards
the terri-
tory of his old friend, Katema. They were generally well
received at the
villages. On the 2nd of June they reached that of Kanawa.
This chief,
whose village consisted of forty or fifty huts, at first
treated them very
politely, but he took it into his head to demand an ox
as tribute. On their
refasing it, Kanawa ordered his people to arm. On this,
Livingstone
directed his Makololo to commence the march. Some did
so with
alacrity, but one of them refused, and was preparing
to fire at Kanawa,
when the doctor, giving him a blow with his pistol, made
him go too.
They had already reached the banks of the river when
they found that
Kanawa had sent on ahead to carry off all the canoes.
The ferrymen
supposing that the travellers were unable to navigate
the canoes, left them,
unprotected, on the bank. As soon as it was dark, therefore,
the Mako-
lolo quickly obtained one of them, and the whole party
crossed, greatly
to the disgust of Kanawa when he discovered in the morning
what had
occurred.
They now took their way across the level plain, which
had been flooded
on. their former journey. Numberless vultures were flying
in the air,
showing the quantity of carrion which had been left by
the waters. They
passed Lake Dilolo, a sheet of water six or "eight miles
long and two
broad. The sight of the blue waters had a soothing effect
on the doctor,
who was suffering from fever, after his journey through
the gloomy forest
and across the wide flat. Pitsane and Mohorisi, Livingstone's
chief men,
had proposed establishing a Makololo village on the banks
of the Leeba,
near its confluence with the Leeambye, that it might
become a market
to communicate westward with Loanda, and eastward with
the regions
along the banks of the Zambesi.
Exploits with the Gun.
Old Shinti, whose capital they now reached, received them
as before in
a friendly way, and supplied them abundantly with provisions.
The doc-
tor left with him a number of plants, among which were
orange, cashew,
custard, apple, and fig-trees, with coffee, acacias,
and papaws, which he
had brought from Loanda. They were planted out in the
enclosure of
one of his principal men, with a promise that Shinti
should have a share
of them when grown.
They now again embarked in six small canoes on the waters
of the
Leeba. Paddling down it, they next entered the Leeambye.
Here they
found a party of hunters, who had been engaged in stalking
buffaloes,
hippopotami, and other animals. They use for this purpose
the skin of a
deer, with the horns attached, or else the head and upper
part of the body
of a crane, with which they creep through the grass till
they can get near
enough to shoof their prey.
The doctor, wishing to obtain some meat for his men, took
a small
canoe and paddled up a creek towards a herd of zebras
seen on the shore.
Firing he broke the hind leg of one of them. His men
pursued it, and,
as he walked slowly after them, he observed a solitary
buffalo, which had
been disturbed by others of his party, galloping towards
him. The only
tree was a hundred yards off The doctor cocked his rifle
in the hope of
striking the brute on the forehead. The thought occurred
to him, but
what should his gun miss fire ? The animal came on at
a tremendous
speed, but a small bush a short distance off made it
swerve and expose its
shoulder. The doctor fired, and as he heard the ball
crack, he fell flat on
his face. The buffalo bounded past him towards the water,
near which it
was found dead. His Makololo blamed themselves for not
having been
by his side, while he returned thanks to God for his
preservation.
A Joyous Reception.
On reaching the town of Lebouta, they were welcomed with
the warm-
est demonstrations of joy, the women coming out, dancing
and singing.
Thence they were conducted to the kotlar, or house of
assembly, where
Pitsand delivered a long speech, describing the journey
and the kind way
in which they had been received at Loanda, especially
by the English
chief
Next day Livingstone held a service, when his Makololo
braves, ar-
rayed in their red caps and white suits of European clothing,
attended,
sitting with their guns over their shoulders. As they
proceeded down
Barotse Valley, they were received in the same cordial
manner.
The doctor was astonished at the prodigious quantities
of wild animals
of all descriptions which he saw on this journey, and
also when traversing
the country further to the east — elephants, buffaloes,
giraffes, zebras, an-
telopes, and pigs. Frequently the beautiful springbok
appeared, covering
the plain, sometimes in sprinklings and at other times
in dense crowds, as
far as the eye could reach.
The troops of elephants also far exceeded in numbers anything
which
he had ever before heard of or conceived. He and his
men had often to
shout to them to get out of their way, and on more than
one occasion a
herd rushed in upon the travellers, who not without difficulty
made their
escape. A number of young elephants were shot for food,
their flesh
being 'highly esteemed. To the natives the huge beasts
are a great
plague, as they break into their gardens and eat up their
pumpkins and
other produce; when disturbed they are apt to charge
those interrupting
their feast, and, following them, to demolish the huts
in which they may
have taken refuge, not unfrequently killing them in their
rage.
Resting at Sesheke, they proceeded to Linyanti, where
the wagon and
everything that had been left in it in November, 1853,
perfectly safe.
A grand meeting was called, when the doctor made a report
of his jour-
ney and distributed the articles which had been sent
by the governor and
merchants of Loanda. Pitsane and others then gave an
account of what
they had seen, and, as may be supposed, nothing was lost
in the descrip-
tion. The presents afforded immense satisfaction, and
on Sunday Seke-
letu made his appearance in church dressed in the uniform
which had
been brought down for him, and which attracted every
man's attention.
The Arab, Ben Habed, and Sekeletu arranged with him to
conduct
another party with a load of ivory down to Loanda; they
also consulted
him as to the proper presents to send to the governor
and merchants.
The Makololo generally expressed great satisfaction at
the route which
had been opened up, and proposed moving to the Barotse
Valley^
that they might be nearer the great market. The unhealthiness
of the
climate, however, was justly considered a great drawback
to the scheme-
The doctor afterwards heard that the trading party which
set out reached
Loanda in safety, and it must have been a great satisfaction
to him to feel
that he had thus opened out a way to the enterprise of
these industrious-
and intelligent people.
The donkeys which had been brought excited much admiration,
and,,
as they were not affected by the bite of the tsetse,
it was hoped that they
might prove of great use. Their music, however, startled
the inhabitants
more than the roar of lions.
It is not difficult to believe this statement. It is in
the nature of the
donkey to be heard even farther than he can be seen,
and when he takes in
a full breath and opens his mouth, it is not strange
that those who listen
to his bray are frightened. This animal, however, is
not to be judged
either by his looks or his voice. He is exceedingly useful,
and can be
trained to difficult service and, although he has an
extraordinary temper
and an extraordinary pair of ears, still the world is
better off for the donkey.
He should be looked at as a part of the Divine creation,
and the humbler
animals are certainly deserving of consideration for
the good that they^
render to the human race.
It is not customary in our country to make any great use
of the don-
key. In England, however, and on the Continent of Europe,
as well as
in other eastern countries, the peasants who are too
poor to invest in
horses can yet provide themselves with a beast of burden.
All honor,,
then to the plain, ill-tempered, serviceable, long-eared,
old-fashioned don-
key. He should never be despised after such splendid
services as he has
rendered our Tropical heroes.
CHAPTER VII.
ADVENTUROUS JOURNEY TO THE EAST COAST.
Continued
at ERBzine 6099_07.html
