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
History
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
On the 30th, H.M.S. "Gorgon" arrived, towing the brig which brought Mrs.
Livingstone, some ladies about to join their relatives in the
Universities' Mission, and the twenty-four sections of a new iron steamer
intended for the navigation of Lake Nyassa. The "Pioneer" steamed out,
and towed the brig into the Kongone harbour. The new steamer was called
the "Lady of the Lake," or the "Lady Nyassa," and as much as could be
carried of her in one trip was placed, by the help of the officers and
men of the "Gorgon," on board the "Pioneer," and the two large paddle-box
boats of H.M.'s ship. We steamed off for Ruo on the 10th of February,
having on board Captain Wilson, with a number of his officers and men to
help us to discharge the cargo. Our progress up was distressingly slow.
The river was in flood, and we had a three-knot current against us in
many places. These delays kept us six months in the delta, instead of,
as we anticipated, only six days; for, finding it impossible to carry the
sections up to the Ruo without great loss of time, it was thought best to
land them at Shupanga, and, putting the hull of the "Lady Nyassa"
together there, to tow her up to the foot of the Murchison Cataracts.
A few days before the "Pioneer" reached Shupanga, Captain Wilson, seeing
the hopeless state of affairs, generously resolved to hasten with the
Mission ladies up to those who, we thought, were anxiously awaiting their
arrival, and therefore started in his gig for the Ruo, taking Miss
Mackenzie, Mrs. Burrup, and his surgeon, Dr. Ramsay. They were
accompanied by Dr. Kirk and Mr. Sewell, paymaster of the "Gorgon," in the
whale-boat of the "Lady Nyassa." As our slow-paced-launch, "Ma Robert,"
had formerly gone up to the foot of the cataracts in nine days' steaming,
it was supposed that the boats might easily reach the expected meeting-
place at the Ruo in a week; but the Shire was now in flood, and in its
most rapid state; and they were longer in getting up about half the
distance, than it was hoped they would be in the whole navigable part of
the river. They could hear nothing of the Bishop from the chief of the
island, Malo, at the mouth of the Ruo. "No white man had ever come to
his village," he said. They proceeded on to Chibisa's, suffering
terribly from mosquitoes at night. Their toil in stemming the rapid
current made them estimate the distance, by the windings, as nearer 300
than 200 miles. The Makololo who had remained at Chibisa's told them the
sad news of the death of the good Bishop and of Mr. Burrup. Other
information received there awakened fresh anxiety on behalf of the
survivors; so, leaving the ladies with Dr. Ramsay and the Makololo,
Captain Wilson and Dr. Kirk went up the hills, in hopes of being able to
render assistance, and on the way they met some of the Mission party at
Soche's. The excessive fatigue that our friends had undergone in the
voyage up to Chibisa's in no wise deterred them from this further attempt
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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