of it; again open tracts of grass bleached white were passed: now it led
through thickets of gums and thorns, producing an odour as rank as a
stable; now through clumps of wide-spreading mimosa and colonies of
baobab-trees across a country teeming with noble game, which, though
frequently seen, were yet as safe from their rifles as if they had been
on the Indian Ocean. But the road they were on admitted of no delay;
water had been left behind at noon; until noon the next day not a drop
was to be obtained, and unless they marched fast and long, raging thirst
would demoralise everybody.
After this wearisome journey Stanley was again attacked by fever, which
it required a whole day's halt and fifty grains of quinine to cure.
As may be supposed they were thankful when Ugogo was passed, and they
entered Unyanyembe.
As the caravan resumed its march after halting at noon, the Wanyamuezi
cheered, shouted, and sang, the soldiers and _pagazis_ shouting in
return, and the _kirangoza_ blew his horn much more merrily than he had
been wont to do in Ugogo.
A large district, however, presented the sad spectacle of numerous
villages burnt down, cattle carried off, and the grain-fields overrun
with jungle and rank weeds--too common a sight in that part of the
country.
The expedition at length entered Kivihara, the capital of the province
ruled over by the aged Sultan Mkaswa, who received Stanley in a friendly
way. The Sheikh Said Ben Salim invited him to take up his quarters in
his _tembe_, or house, a comfortable-looking place for the centre of
Africa. Here his goods were stored, and his carriers paid off.
His three other caravans had arrived safely. One had had a slight
skirmish, a second having shot a thief, and the third having lost a bale
when attacked by robbers.
This is the place, to the southward of Victoria Nyanza, where Captains
Burton, Speke, and Grant remained for a considerable time at different
periods during their expeditions.
Soon after, the Livingstone caravan arrived, and the goods were stored
with those of Stanley, the men being quartered with his. The chief of
the caravan brought Stanley a package of letters directed to Dr
Livingstone at Ujiji, when, to his surprise, he found that it was marked
outside: "November 1st, 1871." What a cruel delay was this!
After his long journey, Stanley was now laid completely prostrate, and
for two weeks was perfectly senseless. The unhappy Shaw was also again
taken ill. The fever rapidly destroyed both his memory and his reason.
Selim, who had hitherto faithfully watched over his master and treated
him according to the written directions he had received, was also
prostrated, and in a state of delirium for four days.
On the 28th of July, however, all had again recovered, and on the 29th
fifty _pagazis_ were ready to start with bales, beads, and wire for
Ujiji.
Three days after this, Shaw again broke down, asserting he was dying,
and he had to be carried on the backs of his men till brought into his
leader's hut.
The road, however, ahead was closed by the chief Mirambo, who declared
that no Arab caravan should pass that way. The Arabs, therefore, had
resolved to attack him, and mustered an army of upwards of two thousand
men. Stanley, with his followers, determined to join them, to assist in
bringing the war to a speedy conclusion.
The palace was soon surrounded, and, though the party were received with
a volley, the fire of the defenders was soon silenced. They took to
flight, and the village was entered.
Notwithstanding the heavy fire which had been kept on it, twenty dead
bodies only were found.
Other villages were attacked and burned.
A more serious affair occurred soon afterwards. When Stanley was again
attacked with fever, a number of his men, notwithstanding his orders to
the contrary, joined the Arabs in an attack on a more important place,
Wilyankuru, commanded by Mirambo himself. The result was that, though
the place was taken, the Arabs fell into an ambush, laid by Mirambo, and
were completely defeated, many of them, including some of Stanley's
soldiers, being killed. Mirambo, following up his successes, pursued
the Arabs, and Stanley had to mount his donkey, Shaw being lifted on
his, and to fly at midnight for their lives. His soldiers ran as fast
as their legs could carry them, the only one of his followers who
remained by his master's side being young Selim. At length they reached
Mfuto, from which they had issued forth so valiantly a short time
before.
Stanley had felt it his duty to assist the Arabs, though he had now
cause to regret having done so.
From the last-mentioned place he returned to Kivihara. Here he was
detained a considerable time, during which he received authentic news of
Livingstone from an Arab, who had met with him travelling into Manyema,
and who affirmed that, having gone to a market at Liemba in three
canoes, one of them, in which all his cloth had been placed, was upset
and lost. The news of Farquhar's death here reached him.
As he had expected, Mirambo advanced; and one of the leading Arabs and
his adopted son, who had gone out with their slaves to meet him, the
slaves having deserted, were killed.
The neighbouring village of Tabora was burned, and Kivihara itself was
threatened. Stanley made preparations for defence, and, having
collected a hundred and fifty armed men, bored loopholes for the muskets
in the clay walls of the _tembe_, formed rifle-pits round it, torn down
the huts, and removed everything which might afford shelter to the
enemy, felt little fear for the consequences. Mirambo, however, seemed
to have thought better of it, and marched away with his troops,
satisfied with the plunder he had obtained.
Month after month passed away, and he had great difficulty in obtaining
soldiers to supply the places of those who had been killed or died,
which was the fate of several.
He one day received a present of a little slave boy from an Arab
merchant, to whom, at Bombay's suggestion, the name of Klulu, meaning a
young antelope, was given.
On the 9th of September Mirambo received a severe defeat, and had to
take to flight, several of his chief men being slain.
Shaw gave Stanley a great deal of trouble. Again he himself was
attacked with fever, but his white companion in no degree sympathised
with him, even little Klulu showing more feeling. Weak as he was, he,
however, recommenced his march to the westward, with about forty men
added to his old followers.
Bombay, not for the first time, proving refractory and impudent,
received a thrashing before starting, and when Stanley arrived at his
camp at night, he found that upwards of twenty of the men had remained
behind. He, therefore, sent a strong body back, under Selim, who
returned with the men and some heavy slave-chains, and Stanley declared
that if any behaved in the same way again he would fasten them together
and make them march like slaves. Shaw also showed an unwillingness to
go forward, and kept tumbling from his donkey, either purposely or from
weakness, till at last Stanley consented to allow him to return to
Unyanyembe.
On the 1st of October, while he and his party lay encamped under a
gigantic sycamore-tree, he began to feel a contentment and comfort to
which he had long been a stranger, and he was enabled to regard his
surroundings with satisfaction.
Though the sun's rays were hot, the next day's march was easily
performed. On the roadside lay a dead man; indeed, skeletons or skulls
were seen every day, one, and sometimes two, of men who had fallen down
and died, deserted by their companions.
While encamped near the Gambe, its calm waters, on which lotus-leaves
rested placidly, all around looking picturesque and peaceful, invited
Stanley to take a bath. He discovered a shady spot under a
wide-spreading mimosa, where the ground sloped down to the still water,
and having undressed, was about to take a glorious dive, when his
attention was attracted by an enormously long body which shot into view,
occupying the spot beneath the surface which he was about to explore by
a header. It was a crocodile! He sprang back instinctively. This
proved his salvation, for the monster turned away with a disappointed
look, and he registered a vow never to be tempted again by the
treacherous calm of an African river.
As war was going on in the country, it was necessary to proceed with
caution. Some of his followers also showed a strong inclination to
mutiny, which he had to quell by summary proceedings, and Bombay
especially sank greatly in his good opinion.
As they approached Lake Tanganyika all got into better humour, and
confidence returned between them. They laughed joyously as they glided
in Indian file through the forest jungle beyond the clearing of Mrera,
and boasted of their prowess.
An ambassador from Simba, the Lion of Kasera, received two gorgeous
cloths, and other articles, as tribute--Stanley thus making that chief a
friend for ever.
After having encamped one evening, Stanley went out with his rifle,
accompanied by Klulu, to shoot some animal or other for supper. After
in vain searching, he was returning, when he encountered a wild boar,
which, although it received several bullets after it had fallen, at the
last moment started up, and escaped into the wood. On his return to the
camp, from which he was then three miles off, he was followed by some
large animal, which it was too dark to see plainly, but it must have
been either a lion or the ghost of the dead boar. At all events, during
the night, the party were startled by the roar of a lion, which was soon
joined by another and another. He turned out to shoot them, but not a
bullet took effect. At length he went to sleep with the roar of the
monster as a lullaby.
On the evening of the 2nd of November the left bank of the Malagarazi
river was reached. The greater part of the day had been occupied in
negotiating with the ambassador of the great Mzogera, chief of the
greedy Wavinza tribe, who demanded an enormous _hongo_. This being
settled, the ferrymen demanded equally preposterous payment for carrying
across the caravan. These demands, however, having at length been
settled, the next business was to swim the donkeys across. One fine
animal, Simba, was being towed with a rope round its neck, when, just as
it reached the middle of the stream, it was seen to struggle fearfully.
An enormous crocodile had seized the poor animal by the throat; in vain
it attempted to liberate itself. The black in charge tugged at the
rope, but the donkey sank and was no more seen. Only one donkey now
remained, and this was carried across by Bombay the next morning, before
the voracious monsters were looking out for their breakfasts.
The next day was an eventful one. Just before starting, a caravan was
seen approaching, consisting of a large party of the Waguhha tribe,
occupying a tract of country to the south-west of Lake Tanganyika.
The news was asked. A white man had been seen by them who had lately
arrived at Ujiji from Manyema. He had white hair and a white beard, and
was sick. Only eight days ago they had seen him. He had been at Ujiji
before, and had gone away and returned. There could be no doubt that
this was Livingstone. How Stanley longed for a horse! for on a good
steed he could reach Ujiji in twelve hours.
In high spirits he started, pushing on as fast as his men could move.
There were dangers, however, still in the way. A war party of Wavinza
was out, who would not scruple even to rob their own villages when
returning victorious from battle.
Next day they travelled on in silence, but on the 5th fell in with a
party of the Wahha, who soon brought a band of warriors down upon them,
at the head of which appeared a fine-looking chief, Mionvu by name,
dressed in a crimson robe, with a turban on his head, he and his people
being armed with spears, and bows and arrows. He asked whether it
should be peace or war? The reply was, of course, peace. At the same
time Stanley hinted that his rifles would quickly give him the victory
should war be declared. Notwithstanding this Mionvu demanded a hundred
cloths as _hongo_. Ten were offered. Rather than pay the hundred,
Stanley asked his followers if they would fight, but Bombay urged
pacific measures, remarking that the country was open--no places to hide
in, and that every village would rise in arms.
"Pay, Bana, pay: it is better to get along quietly in this country," he
observed.
Mabruki and Asmani agreed with him. The _hongo_ was paid. Stanley
wisely resolved, if possible, not to come back that way.
A night march was determined on, and sufficient grain was purchased to
last the caravan six days through the jungle. They hoped thus to escape
the extortions of other chiefs to the westward. The men bravely toiled
on, without murmuring, though their feet and legs bled from the cutting
grass.
The jungle was alive with wild animals, but no one dared fire.
As they were halting in the morning near the Rusugi river, a party of
natives were seen, who detected them in their hiding-place, but who fled
immediately to alarm some villages four miles away. At once the caravan
was ordered to move on, but one of the women took to screaming, and even
her husband could not keep her quiet till a cloth was folded over her
mouth.
At night they bivouacked in silence, neither tent nor hut being erected,
each soldier lying down with his gun loaded by his side, their gallant
leader, with his Winchester rifle and its magazine full, ready for any
emergency.
Before dawn broke, the caravan was again on its march. The guide having
made a mistake, while it was still dark, they arrived in front of the
village of Uhha. Silence was ordered; goats and chickens which might
have made a noise had their throats cut, and they pushed boldly through
the village. Just as the last hut was passed, Stanley bringing up the
rear, a man appeared from his hut, and uttered a cry of alarm.
They continued their course, plunging into the jungle. Once he believed
that they were followed, and he took post behind a tree to check the
advance of their foes; but it proved a false alarm.
Turning westward, broad daylight showed them a beautiful and picturesque
country, with wild fruit-trees, rare flowers, and brooks tumbling over
polished pebbles.
Crossing a streamlet, to their great satisfaction they left Uhha and its
extortionate inhabitants behind, and entered Ukaranga.
Their appearance created great alarm as they approached the village, the
king and his people supposing them to be Rugruga, the followers of
Mirambo, but, discovering their mistake, they welcomed them cordially.
On the 10th of November, just two hundred and thirty-six days after
leaving Bagomoyo, and fifty-one since they set out from Unyanyembe,
surmounting a hill, Tanganyika is seen before them. Six hours' march
will bring them to its shores.
On they push, the air fresh and cool--a glorious morning. The "stars
and stripes" float out in the breeze; repeated volleys are fired. The
village is reached. The faithful Chumah and Susi, Dr Livingstone's old
followers, rush out to see who the stranger is, and in a short time
Stanley is rewarded for all the dangers and hardships he has gone
through by meeting the long-looked-for traveller face to face.
His own book must give the description of the meeting; it is not the
least graphic portion of his deeply interesting work.
At the time, when reduced almost to death's door by sickness and
disappointment, the assistance thus brought to Dr Livingstone was of
inestimable worth. What might have been his fate had he not been
relieved, it is impossible to say. The society of his new friend, the
letters from home, the well-cooked meal which the doctor was able to
enjoy, and the champagne quaffed out of silver goblets, and brought
carefully those hundreds of miles for that especial object, had a
wonderfully exhilarating influence.
Some days were spent at Ujiji, during which the doctor continued to
regain health and strength. Future plans were discussed, and his
previous adventures described. The longer the intercourse Stanley
enjoyed with Livingstone, the more he rose in his estimation.
He formed, indeed, a high estimate of his character, though, he fully
believed, a just one.
"Dr Livingstone," he says, "is about sixty years old. His hair has a
brownish colour, but here and there streaked with grey lines over the
temples. His beard and moustache are very grey. His eyes, which are
hazel, are remarkably bright: he has a sight keen as a hawk's. His
frame is a little over the ordinary height; when walking, he has a firm
but heavy tread, like that of an over-worked or fatigued man. I never
observed any spleen or misanthropy about him. He has a fund of quiet
humour, which he exhibits at all times when he is among friends. During
the four months I was with him I noticed him every evening making most
careful notes. His maps evince great care and industry. He is
sensitive on the point of being doubted or criticised. His gentleness
never forsakes him, his hopefulness never deserts him; no harassing
anxiety or distraction of mind, though separated from home and kindred,
can make him complain. He thinks all will come out right at last, he
has such faith in the goodness of Providence. Another thing which
especially attracted my attention was his wonderfully retentive memory.
His religion is not of the theoretical kind, but it is constant,
earnest, sincere, practical; it is neither demonstrative nor loud, but
manifests itself in a quiet, practical way, and is always at work. In
him religion exhibits its loveliest features; it governs his conduct not
only towards his servants, but towards the natives. I observed that
universal respect was paid to him; even the Mahommedans never passed his
house without calling to pay their compliments, and to say: `The
blessing of God rest on you!' Every Sunday morning he gathers his
little flock around him, and reads prayers and a chapter from the Bible
in a natural, unaffected, and sincere tone, and afterwards delivers a
short address in the Kisawahili language, about the subject read to
them, which is listened to with evident interest and attention.
"His consistent energy is native to him and his race. He is a very fine
example of the perseverance, doggedness, and tenacity which
characterises the Anglo-Saxon spirit. His ability to withstand the
climate is due not only to the happy constitution with which he was
born, but to the strictly temperate life he has ever led.
"It is a principle with him to do well what he undertakes to do, and, in
the consciousness that he is doing it, despite the yearning for his
home, which is sometimes overpowering, he finds to a certain extent
contentment, if not happiness.
"He can be charmed with the primitive simplicity of Ethiopia's dusky
children, with whom he has spent so many years of his life. He has a
sturdy faith in their capability--sees virtue in them, where others see
nothing but savagery; and wherever he has gone among them, he has sought
to ameliorate the condition of a people who are apparently forgotten of
God and Christian men."
In another place Stanley says: "Livingstone followed the dictates of
duty. Never was such a willing slave to that abstract virtue. His
inclinations impel him home, the fascinations of which it requires the
sternest resolution to resist. With every foot of new ground he
travelled over he forged a chain of sympathy which should hereafter bind
the Christian nations in bonds of love and charity to the heathen of the
African tropics. If he were able to complete this chain of love by
actual discovery, and, by a description of them, to embody such people
and nations as still live in darkness, so as to attract the good and
charitable of his own land to bestir themselves for their redemption and
salvation, this Livingstone would consider an ample reward.
"Surely, as the sun shines on both Christian and infidel, civilised and
pagan, the day of enlightenment will come; and though the apostle of
Africa may not behold it himself, nor we younger men, nor yet our
children, the hereafter will see it, and posterity will recognise the
daring pioneer of its civilisation."
Yes, and Stanley might have added: with his enlarged and far-seeing
mind, this it is what encourages Livingstone to persevere in his task to
do what he knows no other man can do as well. It might be far
pleasanter to tell crowded congregations at home about the wrongs of the
sons and daughters of Africa, but, with the spirit of a true apostle, he
remains among those whose wrongs it is the ardent desire of his soul to
right, that he may win their love and confidence, and open up the way by
which others may with greater ease continue the task he has commenced.
After they had been some weeks together at Ujiji, Stanley and
Livingstone agreed to make a voyage on Lake Tanganyika, one of the chief
objects of which was to settle the long mooted point as to whether the
Rusizi river is an effluent or an influent. They embarked in a somewhat
cranky canoe, hollowed-out of a mvule-tree, which carried sixteen
rowers, Selim, Ferajji, the cook, and two guides, besides themselves.
The lake was calm, its waters of a dark green colour, reflecting the
serene blue sky above. The hippopotami came up to breathe in close
proximity to the canoe, and then plunged down again, as if playing at
hide and seek with them.
At one place where they sounded, the depth was found to be thirty-five
fathoms near the shore, and further out a hundred and fifteen fathoms of
line was let down without finding bottom, and the doctor stated that he
had sounded opposite the lofty Kabogo, and attained the depth of three
hundred fathoms.
A range of hills, beautifully wooded and clothed with green grass,
sloping abruptly--almost precipitately--into the depth of the
fresh-water, towered above them, and as they rounded the several capes
or points, high expectations of some new wonder or some exquisite
picture being revealed to them were aroused: nor were they disappointed.
However, we must not venture to attempt a description of the magnificent
scenery of this enormous lake. Each night they landed and encamped,
continuing their voyage the next day.
Generally they were well received by the natives, though they had to
avoid one or two spots where the people were said to be treacherous and
quarrelsome.
On reaching the mouth of the Rusizi, they pushed up it a short distance,
but were stopped by its shallowness, it not being navigable for anything
but the smallest canoes. It, however, abounds in crocodiles, though not
one hippopotamus was seen.
The most important point, however, which they discovered was that the
current was flowing, at the rate of six to eight miles an hour, into the
lake. Still the doctor asserted that there must be an outlet somewhere
to the Tanganyika, from the fact which he adduced that all fresh-water
lakes have outlets.
Coasting round the north shore, they paddled down the west coast till
nearly opposite the island of Muzimu, when they crossed back to the
shore from whence they had come, and steered southward beyond Ujiji till
they reached nearly the sixth degree of latitude, at a place called
Urimba.
Their voyage, altogether, took twenty-eight days, during which time they
traversed over three hundred miles of water.
On their return to Ujiji, they resolved to carry out one of the several
plans which Stanley had suggested to Livingstone. One of them was to
return to Unyanyembe to enlist men to sail down the Victoria Nyanza in
Stanley's boats, for the purpose of meeting Sir Samuel Baker; but this,
with several others, was dismissed. Livingstone's heart was set on
endeavouring to settle numerous important points in Manyema connected
with the supposed source of the Nile. He, therefore, finally agreed to
allow Stanley to escort him to Unyanyembe, where he could receive his
own goods and those which Stanley proposed to deliver up to him, and
where he could rest in a comfortable house, while his friend would hurry
down to the coast, and organise a new expedition, composed of fifty or
sixty men, well-armed, by whom an additional supply of needful luxuries
might be sent.
Christmas Day was kept with such a feast as Ujiji could furnish them,
the fever from which Stanley had lately been suffering having left him
the night before.