A Popular Account of Dr. Livingstone's Expedition to the Zambesi and Its Tributaries: And of the Discovery of Lakes Shirwa and Nyassa, 1858-1864Livingstone, David
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A Popular Account of Dr. Livingstone's Expedition to the Zambesi and Its Tributaries: And of the Discovery of Lakes Shirwa and Nyassa, 1858-1864
Livingstone, David
Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Africa, Central -- Discovery and exploration
The half-caste partner of Sequasha and a number of his men were staying
near. The fellow was very munch frightened when he saw us, and trembled
so much when he spoke, that the Makololo and other natives noticed and
remarked on it. His fears arose from a sense of guilt, as we said
nothing to frighten him, and did not allude to the murder till a few
minutes before starting; when it was remarked that Dr. Livingstone having
been accredited to the murdered chief, it would be his duty to report on
it; and that not even the Portuguese Government would approve of the
deed. He defended it by saying that they had put in the right man, the
other was a usurper. He was evidently greatly relieved when we departed.
In the afternoon we came to an outlying hamlet of Kambadzo, whose own
village is on an island, Nyampungo, or Nyangalule, at the confluence of
the Kafue. The chief was on a visit here, and they had been enjoying a
regular jollification. There had been much mirth, music, drinking, and
dancing. The men, and women too, had taken "a wee drap too much," but
had not passed the complimentary stage. The wife of the headman, after
looking at us a few moments, called out to the others, "Black traders
have come before, calling themselves Bazungu, or white men, but now, for
the first time, have we seen the real Bazungu." Kambadzo also soon
appeared; he was sorry that we had not come before the beer was all done,
but he was going back to see if it was all really and entirely finished,
and not one little potful left somewhere.
This was, of course, mere characteristic politeness, as he was perfectly
aware that every drop had been swallowed; so we proceeded on to the
Kafue, or Kafuje, accompanied by the most intelligent of his headmen. A
high ridge, just before we reached the confluence, commands a splendid
view of the two great rivers, and the rich country beyond. Behind, on
the north and east, is the high mountain-range, along whose base we have
been travelling; the whole range is covered with trees, which appear even
on the prominent peaks, Chiarapela, Morindi, and Chiava; at this last the
chain bends away to the N.W., and we could see the distant mountains
where the chief, Semalembue, gained all our hearts in 1856.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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