LIVINGSTONE now began to make arrangements for
perform-
ing another hazardous journey to the East Coast. In the
mean
time he was fully occupied in attending to the sick,
and his other
missionary duties. He was advised, to wait till the rains
had fallen and
cooled the ground ; and as it was near the end of September,
and clouds
were collecting, it was expected that they would soon
commence. The
heat was very great : the thermometer, even in the shade
of his wagon^
was at 100°, and, if unprotected, rose to 110°
; during the night it sank
to 70°.
Among other routes which were proposed, he selected that
by the north
bank of the Zambesi. He would, however, thus have to
pass through
territories in the possession of the Matabele, who, under
their powerful
chief, had driven away the Makololo, its original possessors.
Notwith-
standing this he had no fears for himself, as that chief
looked upon Mr>
Moffatt, his father-in-law, as his especial friend. A
considerable district^
also, of the country was still inhabited by the Makololo,
and by them he
was sure to be kindly treated. The Makololo, it must
be understood, are
a mixed race, composed of tribes of Bechuanas who formerly
inhabited
the country bordering the Kalahara Desert. Their language,
the Bechu-
ana, is spoken by the upper classes of the Makololo,
and into this tongue,
by the persevering labors of Mr. Moffatt, nearly the
whole of the Scrip-
tures have been translated. The bulk of the people are
negroes, and are
an especially fine, athletic, and skilful race.
As soon as Livingstone announced his intention of proceeding
to the
east, numerous volunteers came forward to accompany him.
From
among them he selected a hundred and fourteen trustworthy
men, and
Sekeletu appointed two, Sekwebu and Kanyata, as leaders
of the company.
Sekwebu had been captured, when a child, from the Matabele,
and his
tribe now inhabited the country near Tete ; he had frequently
travelled
along the banks of the Zambesi, and spoke the various
dialects of the
people residing on them, and was, moreover, a man of
sound judgment
and prudence, and rendered great service to the expedition.
A Fearful Storm.
On the 3rd of November Livingstone, bidding farewell to
his frienas at
Linyanti, set out, accompanied by Sekeletu and two hundred
followers.
On reaching a patch of country infested by troublesome
flies it became
necessary to travel at night. A fearful storm broke forth,
sometimes
the lightning, spreading over the sky, forming eight
or ten branches like
those of a gigantic tree. At times the light was so great
that the whole
country could be distinctly seen, and in the intervals
between the flashes
it was as densely dark. The horses trembled, turning
round to search for
each other, while the thunder crashed with tremendous
roars, louder than
is heard in other regions, the rain pelting down, making
the party feel
miserably cold after the heat of the day. At length a
fire, left by some
previous travellers, appeared in the distance. The doctor's
baggage
having gone on before, he had to lie down on the cold
ground, when
Sekeletu kindly covered him with his own blanket, remaining
without
shelter himself. Before parting at Sesheke, the generous
chief supplied
the doctor with twelve oxen, three accustomed to be ridden
on, hoes and
beads to purchase a canoe; an abundance of fresh butter
and honey ; and,
indeed, he did everything in his power to assist him
in his journey.
Bidding farewell to Sekeletu, the doctor and his attendants
sailed down
the river to its confluence with the Chobe. Having reached
this spot, he
prepared to strike across the country to the north-east,
in order to reach
the northern bank of the Zambesi. Before doing so, however,
he deter-
mined to visit the Victoria Falls, of which he had often
heard. The
meaning of the African name is: " Smoke does sound there,"
in reference
to the vapor and noise produced by the falls.
After twenty minutes sail from Kalai they came in sight
of five columns
of vapor, appropriately called " smoke," rising at a
distance of five or six
miles off, and bending as they ascended before the wind,
the tops appear-
ing to mingle with the clouds. The scene was extremely
beautiful. The
banks and the islands which appeared here and there amid
the stream,
were richly adorned with trees and shrubs of various
colors, many being
in full blossom. High above all rose. an enormous baobab-tree
surrounded
by groups of graceful palms.
As the water was now low, they proceeded in the canoe
to an island in
the centre of the river, the further end of which extended
to the edge of
the falls. At the spot where they landed it was impossible
to discover
where the vast body of water disappeared. It seemed,
suddenly to sink
into the earth, for the opposite lip of the fissure into
which it descends
was only eighty feet distant. On peering over the precipice
the doctor
saw the stream, a thousand yards broad, leaping down
a hundred feet and
then becoming suddenly compressed into a space of fifteen
or twenty
yards, when, instead of flowing as before, it turned
directly to. the right
and went boiling and rushing amid the hills.
The vapor which rushes up from this cauldron to the height
of two or
three hundred feet, being condensed, changes its hue
to that of dark
smoke, and then comes down in a constant shower. The
chief portion
falls on the opposite side of the fissure, where grow
a number of ever-
green trees, their leaves always wet. The walls of this
gigantic crack are
perpendicular. Altogether, Livingstone considered these
falls the most
wonderful sight he had beheld in Africa.
Returning to Kalai the doctor and his party met Sekeletu,
and, bidding
him a final farewell, set off northwards to Lekone, through
a beautiful
country,, on the 20th of November. The further they advanced
the more
the country swarmed with inhabitants, and great numbers
came to see the
white man, invariably bringing presents of maize.
An African Salutation.
The natives in this region have a curious way of saluting
a stranger.
Instead of bowing they throw themselves on their backs
on the ground,
rolling from side to side and slapping the outsides of
their thighs, while
they utter the words '' Kina bomba! kma bomba/" In vain
the doctor
implored them to stop. They, imagining him pleased, only
tumbled
about more fiercely and slapped their thighs with greater
vehemence.
These villagers supplied the party abunxiantly with ground
nuts, maize,
and corn. Their chief, Monze, came one Sunday morning,
wrapped in a
large cloth, when, like his followers, he rolled himself
about in the dust,
screaming out " Kina bomba!" He had never before seen
a white man,
but had met with black native traders, who came, he said,
for ivory, but
not for slaves. His wife would have been good looking,
had she not
followed the custom of her country by knocking out her
teeth. Monze
soon made himself at home, and presented the travellers
with as much
food as they required.
As they advanced, the country oecame still more beautiful,
abounding
with large game. Often buffaloes were seen standing on
eminences. One
day, a buffalo was found lying down, and the doctor went
to secure it for
food. Though the animal received three balls they did
not prove fatal,
and it turned round as if to charge. The doctor and his
companions
ran for shelter to some rocks, but before they gained
them, they found
that three elephants had cut off their retreat. The enormous
brutes, how-
ever, turned off, and allowed them to gain the rocks.
As the buffalo was
moving rapidly away the doctor tried a long shot, and,
to the satisfaction
of his followers, broke the animal's fore leg. The young
men soon
brought it to a stand, and another shot in its brain
settled it. They had
thus an abundance of food, which was shared by the villagers
of the
neighborhood. Soon afterwards an elephant was killed
by his men.
Leaving the Elephant Valley, they reached the residence
of a chief
named Semalembue, who, soon after their arrival, paid
them a visit, and
presented five or six baskets of meal and maize, and
one of ground nuts,
saying that he feared his guest would sleep the first
night at his vil-
lage hungry. The chief professed great joy at hearing
the words of the
Gospel of Peace, replying : " Now I shall cultivate largely,
in the hopes
of eating and sleeping in quiet." It is remarkable that
all to whom the
doctor spoke, eagerly caught up the idea of living in
peace as the proba-
ble effect of the Gospel. This region Sekwebu considered
one of the
best adapted for the residence of a large tribe. It was
here that Sebit-
uane formerly dwelt.
They now crossed the Kafue by a ford. Every available
spot between
the river and hills was under cultivation. The inhabitants
selected these
positions to secure themselves and their gardens from
their human enemies.
They are also obliged to make pit-holes to protect their
grounds from the
hippopotami. These animals, not having been disturbed,
were unusually
tame, and took no notice of the travellers. A number
of young ones
were seen, not much larger than terrier dogs, sitting
on the necks of their
dams, the little saucy-looking heads cocked up between
the old one's
ears ; when older they sit more on the mother's back.
Meat being
required, a full-grown cow was shot, the flesh of which
resembles pork.
Great Numbers of Wild Animals.
The party now directed their course to the Zambesi near
its confluence
with the Kafue. They enjoyed a magnificent view from
the top of the
outer range of hills. A short distance below them was
the Kafue, winding
its way over a forest-clad plain, while on the other
side of the Zambesi
lay a long range of dark hills. The plain below abounded
in large game.
Hundreds of buffalo and zebras grazed on the open spaces,
and there
stood feeding two majestic elephants, each slowly moving
its proboscis.
On passing amidst them the animals showed their tameness
by standing
beneath the trees, fanning themselves with their large
ears. A number
also of red-colored pigs were seen. The people having
no guns, they are
never disturbed,
A night was spent in a huge baobab-tree, which would hold
twenty
men inside. As they moved on, a herd of buffaloes came
strutting up to
look at their oxen, and only by shooting one could they
be made to retreat.
Shortly afterwards a female elephant, with three young
ones, charged
through the centre of their extended line, when the men,
throwing down
their burdens, retreated in a great hurry, she receiving
a spear for her
temerity.
They were made aware of their approach to the great river
by the vast
number of waterfalls which appeared. It was found to
be much broader
than above the falls : a person might attempt in vain
to make his voice
heard across it. An immense amount of animal life was
seen both around
and in it. Pursuing their down the left bank, they came
opposite the
island of Menyemakaba, which is about two miles long
and a quarter
broad. Besides its human population it supports a herd
of sixty buffalo.
The comparatively small space to which the animals have
confined them-
selves shows the luxuriance of the vegetation The only
time that the
natives can attack them is when the river is full and
part is flooded : they
then assail them from their canoes.
Both buffalo and elephants are numerous. To kill them
the natives
form stages on high trees overhanging the paths by which
they come
to the water. From thence they dart down their spears,
the blades of
which are twenty inches long by two broad, when the motion
of the
handle, aided by knocking against the trees, makes fearful
gashes which
soon cause death. They form also a species of trap. A
spear inserted
in a beam of wood is suspended from the branch of a tree,
to which a
cord is attached with a latch. The cord being led along
the path when
struck by the animal's foot, the beam falls, and, the
spear being poisoned,
death shortly ensues.
At each village they passed, two men were supplied to
conduct them
to the next, and lead them through the parts least covered
with jungle.
Female Mouths Resembling- Those of Ducks.
The villagers were busily employed in their gardens. Most
of the
men have muscular figures. Their color varies from a
dark to a light
olive. The women have the extraordinary custom of piercing
the upper
lip, and gradually enlarging the orifice till a shell
can be inserted. The
hp appears drawn out bey.ond the nose, and gives them
a very ugly ap-
pearance. As Sekwebu remarked : " These women want to
make their
mouths like those of ducks." The commonest of these rings
are made
of bamboo, but others are of ivory or metal. When the
wearer tries to
smile, the contraction of the muscles turns the ring
upwards, so that its
upper edge comes in front of the eyes, the nose appearing
through the
middle, while the whole front teeth are exposed by the
motion, exhibiting
the way in which they have been clipped to resemble the
fangs of a cat
or a crocodile.
On their next halt Seole, the chief of the village, instead
of receiving
them in a friendly way, summoned his followers and prepared
for an attack!
The reason was soon discovered. It appeared that an Italian,
who had
married the chief's daughter, having armed a party of
fifty slaves with
guns, had ascended the river in a canoe from Tete, and
attacked several
inhabited islands beyond Makaba, taking large numbers
of prisoners and
much ivory. As he descended again with his booty, his
party was dis-
persed and he himself was killed while attempting to
escape on foot.
Seole imagined that the doctor was another Italian.
Had not the chief with whom they had previously stayed
arrived to
explain matters, Seole might have given them much trouble.
Mburuma, another chief of the same tribe, had laid a plan
to plunder
the party by separating them, but the doctor, suspecting
treachery, kept
his people together. They had on a previous occasion
plundered a party
of traders bringing English goods from Mozambique.
Ruins of An Old Town.
On the 14th of January they reached the confluence of
the Loangwa
and the Zambesi. Here the doctor discovered the ruins
of a town, with
remains of a church in its midst. The situation was well
chosen, with
lofty hills in the rear and a view of the two rivers
in front. On one side
of the church lay a broken bell, with the letters I.
H. S. and a cross..
This he found was a Portuguese settlement called Zumbo.
The conduct of Mburuma and his people gave Livingstone
much
anxiety, as he could not help dreading that they might
attack him the
next morning. His chief regret was that his efforts for
the welfare of the
teeming population in that great region would thus be
frustrated by sav-
ages, of whom it might be said: ''They know not what
they do." He
felt especially anxious that the elevated and healthy
district which he had
now discovered, stretching towards Tete, should become
known. It was
such a region as he had been long in quest of as a centre
from which,
missionary enterprise might be carried into the surrounding
country.
While the party were proceeding along the banks of the
river, passing-
through a dense bush, fhree buffaloes broke through their
line. The
doctor's ox galloped off, and, as he turned back, he
saw one of his
men tossed several feet in the air. On returning, to
his satisfaction he
found that the poor fellow had alighted on his face,
and, although he had
been carried twenty yards on the animal's horns, he had
in no way
suffered. On the creature's approaching him he had thrown
down his
load and stabbed it in the side, when it caught him and
carried him off
before he could escape.
Soon after this they had evidence that they were approaching
the Por-
tuguese settlements, by meeting a person with a jacket
and hat on. From
this person, who was quite black, they learned that the
Portuguese set-
tlement of Tete was on the other bank of the river, and
that the inhabi-
tants had been engaged in war with the natives for some
time past.
This was disagreeable news, as Livingstone wished to
be at peace with,
both parties.
As they approached the village of Mpende, that chief sent
out his peo-
ple to enquire who the travellers were. The natives,
on drawing near
uttered strange cries and waved some bright red substance
towards them.
Having lighted a fire, they threw some charms into it
and hastened away,
uttering frightful screams, believing that they should
thus frighten the
strangers and render them powerless. The Makololo, however,
laughed
at their threats, but the doctor, fully believing that
a skirmish would take
place, ordered an ox to be killed to feast his men, following
the plan
Sebituane employed for giving his followers courage.
At last two old men made their appearance and enquired
if the doctor
was a Bazunga, or Portuguese. On showing his hair and
white skin,
they replied : " Ah, you must be one of the tribe that
loves black men."
Finally the chief himself appeared, and expressed his
regret that he had
not known sooner who they were, ultimately enabling them
to cross the
river. After this they were detained for some time by
the rains on the
south bank.
Meeting with native traders, the doctor purchased some
American
calico in order to clothe his men. It was marked " Lawrence
Mills,
Lowell," with two small tusks, an interesting fact.
Game laws existed even in this region. His party having
killed an
elephant, he had to send back a considerable distance
to give information
to the person in charge of the district, the owner himself
living near the
Zambesi. Their messenger returned with a basket of corn,
a fowl, and a
few strings of beads, a thank-offering to them for having
killed it. The
tusk of the side on which the elephant fell belonged
to the owner, while
the upper was the prize of the sportsman. Had they begun
to cut up
the animal before receiving permission they would have
lost the whole.
The men feasted on their half of the carcass, and for
two nights an
immense number of hyaenas collected round, uttering their
loud laughter.
Wonderful Instinct of the Elephant.
All travellers in the Tropics are surprised at the remarkable
intelli-
gence of this animal, and the varied service it can be
made to render.
An elephant can be trained almost as a child is trained,
and appears to
know quite as much.
We have seen in some of the foregoing pages one side of
the elephant's
nature in his wild state, but it is only fair to remember
his gentleness and
friendliness in captivity, which is really voluntary,
because he might with
"a bloW of his trunk annihilate his keepers and escape
to his native jungle.
In his long life he often changes his master, but his
allegiance goes too ;
and he is devoted to each, and figures alike as porter,
wood-cutter, errand-
boy, hunter, gladiator in fights with tigers, and artillery-man.
Says a traveller : I have seen in India, elephants let
out by their owners
as choppers, working as day-laborers and returning at
night to sleep at
home that is, at their master's. These intelligent
animals, armed with
long axes, the use of which they have been taught, cut,
at otherwise
perfectly impracticable heights, the gigantic trees which
are used in the
keels of vessels, carry them to the nearest port, and
deliver them to other
elephants to pile a feat which they accomplish with
the greatest regular-
ity and with a strength that no number of men can equal.
They work
alone, too, without any special oversight on the part
of the keeper, who
often comes but once a day to note their progress; and
yet there is not a
case on record where one of them has attempted to return
to his free life
in the forest, or rejoin his former companions enjoying
themselves in the
neighboring ravines, while he is working hard on the
hills above. Indeed,
they grow to hate their untamed cousins, and fight them
and usually
successfully at every opportunity, bearing them away
in bondage to their
masters.
A Grateful Beast.
The English have made use of their enormous strength in
all the wars
in India and, more recently, in Africa, where without
them the troops
would have been helpless to move the artillery, even
the lighter pieces,
which these dumb allies carried bravely into action on
their backs, while
their courage under fire has been attested by special
mention in the re-
ports from the English officers. One of them says :
"In our marches across Bengal we used elephants in the
baggage train,
so well disposed to us that, without waiting for a command
from the
keeper, if a wagon stuck, one of them would hurry up,
put his mighty
shoulder to the wheel, and never rest till it was rolling
on smoothly again.
Then he would return to his own proper place and duty
in the line again.
One morning, in the press of wagons and animals, one
of the elephants
was hurt by the heavy wheel of a cart running over his
foot. I happened
to be near, and bound it up with a towel dipped in camphorated
brandy,
and tightened the bandage as well as I could, and off
he limped to his
stable. In the afternoon I went to see how he was getting
on. He was
lying on a bed of straw; he recognized me at once, and
held out his
wounded foot for me to see. I renewed the bandage each
day ; and after
that the grateful animal never passed my tent without
a peculiar ciy which
he used for that occasion alone, and when he met me he
always gently rub-
bed my back or shoulders with his trunk, uttering little
sniffs of pleasure."
Major Skinner, of the English Army, vouches for the following
story,
which shows on the part of the elephant intelligence,
memory, comparison,
judgment, and good-nature.
Riding along a very narrow trail near Kandy, in Ceylon,
where he hap-
pened to be stationed, he heard the heavy tread of an
approaching
elephant, uttering discontented grunts which frightened
his rather ner-
vous horse, and made him rear and plunge. He says :
"I soon saw whence these sounds proceeded. A tame elephant
had
undertaken the difficult task of transporting a long
girder, resting on his
tusks, over the narrow road. Between the trees on either
side there was
not room for this to pass, and he could only advance
by turning his head
from side to side and avoiding each tree as he went.
It was a slow
business, and no wonder he complained; but on seeing
how his trumpet-
ings frightened my horse, he ceased instantly, threw
down his load,
and pressed his huge body close up against the trees
on one side of the
road to allow us to pass. My horse trembled all over,
and refused to
move, seeing which, the elephant drew still farther back
and tried to en-
courage the coward by a gentler note.
"Finally the latter plucked up enough heart to dash by
on his way,
when the faithful elephant resumed the laborious errand
in which we had
found him engaged.
"This elephant had, before the campaign, been used as
a watchman by
his owner, whose estates bordered on a river. Marauders
would drop
down the stream in their craft, and rob the gardens and
orchards, and be
off again without leaving any trace of their coming than
the empty trees
and ravaged beds. Tired of losing the fruits of his labor,
the owner had
trained this elephant to perform sentinel duty along
the bank ; and, when
danger threatened, the animal would growl like a dog,
and filling his
huge trunk with water from the stream, would play upon
the rascals like
a fire-engine, drowning them out of their boats like
rats, until they were
glad to hoist sail and make off to the best of their
ability."
How Elephants are Captured.
The art of hunting the elephant, although of most ancient
origin, is
practiced to-day on a larger scale than ever before,
because of the ser-
vices which the English have found he can perform for
them. As long
as elephants were used simply to add splendor to the
suite of a rajah, or
dignity to one of the religious processions, it sufficed
to hunt single
animals, capturing them by a decoy elephant ridden by
a native, who
provoked and held the attention of the game, while another
ran up
behind and cleverly passed a chain around one of his
legs. Bound in
this way the elephant was sure, under the influence of
starvation, and the
example of his former companions, to yield eventually
to his captors.
Now the country is divided into "preserves," over which
a royal officer
is appointed, and immense hunting parties are made up,
and whole herds
captured at once; although it is no easy thing to take
alive and
unwounded an animal that has at once such strength and
such intelli-
gence as the elephant. It could not be done without the
aid of other
?elephants, who bring their attachment to their masters
to this high point,
and having assisted in the capture, go still farther
and instruct the cap-
tives in their future duties. The trait of obedience
is, however, rather the
result of affection than fear, and in this regard the
elephant's docility is
more like that of the dog than of the horse. It even
leads them to bear
the pain of the worst surgical operations, like the burning
out with a hot
iron of tumors or ulcers, or the taking of the most bitter
medicines at
the hands of their " approved good masters."
Dangers Ahead.
Returning to our narrative, the people inhabiting the
country on this
side of the Zambesi are known as the Banyai ; their favorite
weapon is a
huge axe, which is carried over the shoulder. It is used
chiefly for ham-
stringing the elephant, in the same way as the Hamran
Arab uses his
sword. The Banyai, however, steals on the animal unawares,
while the
Hamran hunter attacks it when it is rushing in chase
of one of his com-
rades, who gallops on ahead on a well-trained steed.
Those curious birds, the " honey guides," were very attentive
to them,
and, by their means, the Makololo obtained an abundance
of honey. Of
the wax, however, in those districts no use appears to
be made. Though
approaching the Portuguese settlement, abundance of game
was still
found. The Makololo killed six buffalo calves from among
a herd which
was met with.
They were warned by the natives that they ran a great
risk of being
attacked by lions when wandering on either side of the
line of march in
search of honey. One of the doctor's head men, indeed,
Monahin, hav-
ing been suddenly seized with a fit of insanity during
the night, left the
camp, and as he never returned, it was too probable that
he was carried
off by a lion.
This shows the appalling dangers attending travel in Africa,
another
instance of which is here related.
As the particulars were vouchsafed by spectators of the
drama, it may
be relied upon as true. A lion had been pursued, and
had taken refuge
in a patch of green reeds. This the hunting party surrounded.
" We
now," sa);s the narrator, " ranged ourselves within pistol-shot
of the reeds,
taking care to have a clear view all around us ; we then
rent the air with
deafening shouts, and pierced the brake with numerous
bullets. All in,
vain; the animal remained motionless. The fire which
we had originally-
lighted was now, however, quickly approaching the spot
on which all
eyes were fixed, and we hoped that it might effect what
we had been un-
able to accomplish, when to our great vexation and disappointment,
a
slight veering of the wind drove the flames in another
direction.
Lion Routed by Flames.
"We should now have been fairly baffled if the ingenuity
of a native
had not come to our aid. Collecting a number of dry reeds,
with other
inflammable matter, and setting fire to the same, this
intelligent native
seized the fagots at one end, and, running at the top
of his speed, hurled
the whole lighted mass into the very centre of the lion's
hiding-place.
The effect was almost instantaneous, for in a very few
minutes afterward
we had the satisfaction of seeing the enemy dash through
the flames. It
had been previously agreed on that, upon his first appearance,
those who
possessed double-barreled guns should fire only one barrel,
reserving the
other for the charge should he turn upon us. The mere
sight, however,,
of the lion seemed to have frightened several of the
party and their bar-
rels were indiscriminately fired in every direction,
and some even blazed
away in the empty air.
"On receiving our fire the animal made straight for us,
on which every-
one, with the exception of another and myself, took to
his heels. The
former gentleman, who had never seen a lion in its wild
state, became so
terrified that he was unable even to fire or to attempt
to make his escape.
He remained fixed and motionless on the spot, like one
entranced. I had
by this time taken a few steps backward, yet without
ever averting my
eyes from our foe, who, having approached to within a
few paces, prepared
himself to make the fatal spring. I had already fired
when he burst out
of his cover; but one barrel still remained to me, and
seeing my friend's
imminent danger, I no longer hesitated. Clapping the
gun to my shoulder,
I took a steady aim at the side of his head; unfortunately
just as I pulled
the trigger he made a slight movement, and the consequence
was that
instead of smashing his skull the bullet merely grazed
it, passing in the
same manner all along the left side of his body.
In the Jaws of the Infuriated Beast.
" Quick as thought, the enraged animal left his first
intended victim,,
and turned with a ferocious growl upon me. To escape
was impossible.
I thrust, therefore, no other resource being left me,
the muzzle of my gun
into the extended jaws opened to devour me. In a moment
the weapon
was demolished. My fate seemed inevitable, when, just
at this critical
juncture, I was unexpectedly rescued. One of my nien
fired, and broke
the lion's shoulder. He fell, and, taking advantage of
this lucky incident,
I scampered away at full speed. But my assailant had
not yet done with
me. Despite his crippled condition he soon overtook me.
At that
moment I was looking over my shoulder, when, unhappily,
a creeper caught
my foot and I was precipitated headlong to the ground.
In another in-
stant the lion had transfixed my right foot with his
murderous fangs.
Finding, however, my left foot disengaged, I gave the
brute a severe kick
on the head, which compelled him for a few seconds to
suspend his attack.
" He next seized my left leg, on which I repeated the
former dose on
his head with my right foot; he once more, thereupon,
let go his hold,
but seized my right foot for a second time. Shortly afterward
he drop-
ped the foot and grasped my right thigh, gradually working
his way up
to my hip, where he endeavored to plant his claws. In
this he partially
succeeded, tearing, in the attempt, my trowsers and body
linen, and grazing
the skin of my body. Knowing that if he got a firm hold
of me here it
would surely cost me my life, I quickly seized him by
his two ears, and,
with a desperate effort, managed to roll him over on
his side, which gave
me a moment's respite.
Hair-breadth Escape from a Terrible Death.
"He next laid hold of my left hand, which he bit through
and through,
smashing the wrist, and tearing my right hand seriously.
I was now
totally helpless, and must inevitably have fallen a speedy
victim to his fury
had not prompt assistance been at hand. In my prostrate
position I ob-
served, and a gleam of hope sprung up, my friend advancing
quickly to-
ward me. The lion saw him too, and, with one of his paws
on my
wounded thigh, throwing his ears well back, he crouched,
ready to spring
at his new assailant. Now, if my friend had fired, in
my present position
I should have run great risk of being hit by the bullet;
I hallooed out to
him, therefore, to wait until I could veer my head a
little. In time I suc-
ceeded, and the next instant I heard the click of a gun,
but no report.
"Another moment, and a well-directed ball, taking effect
in his fore-
head, laid the lion a corpse alongside my own bruised
and mutilated body.
Quick as lightning, I now sprang to my feet, and darted
forward toward
my companions, whom I saw at no great distance. Once
or twice I felt
excessively faint, but managed, nevertheless, to keep
my head up.
"No sooner had my companion so successfully finished the
lion than he
mounted a horse hard by, and galoped off in the direction
of our camp.
In the meantime I was lifted upon a tame ox, which was
led by a man
preceding us. At about half-way to our camp two of my
men came to
meet me, bringing with them, to refresh me, some water
and a bottle of
eau-de-cologne. A drinking-cup we had not, but the crown
of a wide-
awake hat was a good substitute for one, and I drank
the mixture of the
two Hquids greedily off A few minutes afterward we were
met by some
of the servants carrying a door. Exchanging then my ox
for this more
commodious conveyance, I was carefully borne into camp.
Up to this
time I had retained perfect self-possession, but the
moment my wounds
were washed and dressed I swooned, and for three entire
weeks re-
mained in a state of complete unconsciousness. I have
since per-
fectly recovered health, but, as you see, I am totally
crippled in my left
arm.
" I must not omit to mention that my brave dog, although
shot through
one of his fore-legs, on seeing the lion rush upon me,
came forward at
the best of his speed, and in his turn sprang upon my
grim assailant, and
clung desperately to him until my companion's bullet
put an end to the combat."
Encounters similar to this are the fate of all travellers
in some parts of
Africa, and many were Livingstone's narrow escapes upon
this journey.
It was not till the 2nd of March that the neighborhood
of Tete was
reached. Livingstone was then so prostrated that, though
only eight
miles from it, he could proceed no further. He forwarded,
however, the
letters of recommendation he received in Angola to the
commandant. The
following morning a company of soldiers with an officer
arrived, bringing
the materials for a civilized breakfast, and a litter
in which to carry him.
He felt so greatly revived by the breakfast, that he
was able to walk the
whole way.
He was received in the kindest way by Major Sicard, the
commandant
of Tete, who provided also lodging and provision for
his men. Tete is a
mere village, built on a slope reaching to the water,
close to which the
fort is situated. There are about thirty European houses;
the rest of the
buildings, inhabited by the natives, are of wattle and
daub.
Town Destroyed by Fire.
Formerly, besides gold-dust and ivory, large quantities
of grain, coffee,
sugar, oil, and indigo were exported from Tete, but,
on the establishment
of the slave trade, the merchants found a more speedy
way of becoming
rich, by selling off their slaves, and the plantations
and gold washings
were abandoned, the laborers having been exported to
the Brazils. Many
of the white men then followed their slaves. After this
a native of Goa,
Nyaude by name, built a stockade at the confluence of
the Luenya and
Zambesi, took the commandant of Tete, who attacked him,
prisoner, and
sent his son Bonga with a force against that town and
burned it. Others
followed his example, till commerce, before rendered
stagnant by the
slave trade, was totally obstructed.
On the north shore of the Zambesi several fine seams of
coal exist,
which Livingstone examined. The natives only collect
gold from the
neighborhood whenever they wish to purchase calico. On
finding a piece
or flake of gold, however, they bury it again, believing
that it is the seed
of gold, and, though knowing its value, prefer losing
it rather than, as
they suppose, the whole future crop.
Livingstone found it necessary to leave most of his men
here, and
Major Sicard liberally gave them a portion of land that
they might culti-
vate it, supplying them in the mean time with corn. He
also allowed the
young men to go out and hunt elephants with his servants,
that they
might purchase goods with the ivory and dry meat, in
order that they
might take them back with them on returning to their
own homes. He
also supplied them with cloth. Sixty or seventy at once
accepted his
offer, delighted with the thoughts of engaging in so
profitable an enter-
prise. He also supplied the doctor with an outfit, refusing
to take the
payment which was offered.
Hunters in the Bushes.
The forests in the neighborhood abound with elephants,
and the natives
attack them in the boldest manner. Only two hunters sally
forth together
one carrying spears, the other an axe of a peculiar
shape, with a long
handle. As soon as an elephant is discovered, the man
with the spears
creeps among the bushes ni front of it, so as to attract
its attention, during
which time the axe-man cautiously approaches from behind,
and, with a
sweep of his formidable weapon, severs the tendon of
the animal's hock.
The huge creature, now unable to move in spite of its
strength and sa-
gacity falls an easy prey to the two hunters.
Among other valuable productions of this country is found
a tree allied
to the cinchona. The Portuguese believe that it has the
same virtues as
quinine. As soon as the doctor had recovered his strength
he prepared
to proceed down the river to Kilimane, or Quillimane,
with sixteen of his
faithful Makololo as a crew. Many of the rest were out
elephant hunting,
while others had established a brisk trade in fire-wood.
Major Sicard
lent him a boat, and sent Lieutenant Miranda to escort
him to the coast.
On their way they touched at the stockade of the rebel,
Bonga, whose
son-in-law, Manoel, received them in a friendly way.
They next touched at Senna, which was found in a wretchedly
ruinous
condition. Here some of the Makololo accepted employment
from
Lieutenant Miranda to return to Tete with a load of goods.
Eight
accompanied the doctor, at their earnest request, to
Quillimane.
He reached that village on the 20th of May, when it wanted
but a few
days of being four years since he started from Cape Town.
He was hos-
pitably received by Colonel Nunes. A severe famine had
existed among
the neighboring population, and food was very scarce.
He therefore
advised his men to turn back to Tete as soon as possible,
and await his
return from England. They still earnestly wished to accompany
him, as
Sekeletu had advised them not to part with him till they
had reached
Ma-Robert, as they called Mrs. Livingstone, and brought
her back with
them.
A Native Bound for England.
With the smaller tusks he had in his possession he purchased
calico
and brass wire, which he sent back to Tete for his followers,
depositing
the remaining twenty tusks with Colonel Nunes, in order
that, should he'
be prevented from visiting the country, it might not
be supposed that he
had made away with Sekeletu's ivory. He requested Colonel
Nunes, in
case of his death, to sell the tusks and deliver the
proceeds to his men,
intending to purchase the goods ordered by Sekeletu in
England with
his own money, and, on his return, repay himself out
of the price of the
ivory. He consented, somewhat unwillingly, to take Sekwebu
with him
to England.
After waiting about six weeks at Quillimane, the brig
" Frolic " ar-
rived, on board which he embarked. A fearful sea broke
over the bar,
and the brig was rolling so much that there was great
difficulty in reaching
her deck. Poor Sekwebu looked at his friend, asking :
" Is this the way
you go?" The doctor tried to encourage him ; but, though
well ac-
quainted with canoes, he had never seen anything like
it.
Having been three and a half years, with the exception
of a short
interval in Angola, without speaking English, and for
thirteen but par-
tially using it, the doctor found the greatest difficulty
in expressing him-
self on board the " Frolic."
The brig sailed on the 12th of July for the Mauritius,
which was reached
on the 12th of August. Poor Sekwebu had become a favorite
both with
men and officers, and was gaining some knowledge of English,
though
all he saw had apparently affected his mind. The sight
of a steamer,
which came out to tow the brig into the harbor, so affected
him that
durine the night he became insane and threatened to throw
himself into
the water. By gentle treatment he became calmer, and
Livingstone tried
to get him on shore, but he refused to go. In the evening
his malady
returned ; and, after attempting to spear one of the
crew, he leaped over-
board and, puUing himself down by the chain cable, disappeared.
The
body of poor Sekwebu was never found.
After remaining some time at the Mauritius, till he had
recovered from -
the effects of the African fever, our enterprising traveller
sailed by way of
the Red Sea for old England, which he reached on the
12th of December,
1856.
Dr. Livingstone, in the series of journeys which have
been described, had
already accomplished more than any previous traveller
in Africa, besides
having gained information of the greatest value as regards
both mission-
ary and mercantile enterprise. He had as yet, however,
performed only
a small portion of the great work his untiring zeal and
energy prompted
him to undertake.
Livingstone's visit to England was one of great interest
to himself and
to the general public. Multitudes had followed his career
in the Dark
Continent, had journeyed with him in all his wanderings,
had shared in
imagination his sufferings and victories, and were ready
to greet him
with enthusiasm upon his return. To the Christian public
the Dark
Continent presented itself as a missionary field ; to
the commercial public
the same continent presented itself as a mart for business
and a market
for trade. Thus the interest awakened by the great explorer's
discover-
ies in the far land was almost universal. Livingstone
was a renowned
character, was invited to participate in various public
meetings, was
sought after by men of celebrity, was a kind of social
lion throughout
the country, while high hopes were entertained of future
exploits, and
free offers of support constantly poured in upon him.
The value of his discoveries can never be estimated. It
will take many-
ages to fully understand what was attempted by this one
man and what
was achieved. He may be considered as a benefactor of
his race ; while
devoted to exploration and scientific discovery, he took
a higher view of
his mission. The fact that the benighted continent of
Africa has within
the last few years been brought into close relations
with the civilized parts
of the world will form the brightest page in modern history.
CHAPTER VIII.
AFLOAT ON THE RIVER ZAMBESI
Continued
at ERBzine 6099_08
