From Pole to Pole: A Book for Young PeopleHedin, Sven Anders
General
From Pole to Pole: A Book for Young People
Hedin, Sven Anders
Geography -- Juvenile literature; Voyages and travels -- Juvenile literature
This spectacle made Livingstone ill and depressed. The description of
the scene which afterwards appeared in all the English journals awakened
such a feeling of horror that a commission was appointed and sent out to
Zanzibar to inquire into the slave-trade on the spot, and with the
Sultan's help devise means of suppressing it. But we know that in
Gordon's time the slave-trade still flourished in the Sudan, and several
decades more passed before the power of the slave-dealers was broken. As
for Livingstone, it was fortunate that he did not accompany Dugumbe, for
the natives combined for defence, attacked the chiefs party and slew 200
of the slave-dealing rabble.
Thus the question of the Lualaba remained unsolved, but Livingstone
began to suspect that his theory of the Nile sources was wrong. He heard
a doubtful tale of the Lualaba bending off to the west, but he still
hoped that it flowed northwards, and that therefore the ultimate source
of the Nile was to be found among the feeders of Lake Bangweolo. When
difficulties sprang up around him, his determination not to give in was
only strengthened. But he could do nothing without a large and
well-ordered caravan, and therefore he had to return to Ujiji, whither
fresh supplies ought to have arrived from the coast. And amidst a
thousand dangers and lurking treachery he effected his return through
the disturbed country. Half dead of fever and in great destitution he
arrived at Ujiji in October.
There a fresh disappointment awaited him. His supplies had indeed come,
but the Arabian scoundrel to whose care the goods had been consigned had
sold them, including 2000 yards of cloth and several sacks of glass
beads, the only current medium of exchange. The Arab coolly said that he
thought the missionary was dead.
We read in Livingstone's journal that in his helplessness he felt like
the man who went down to Jericho and fell among thieves. Five days after
his arrival at Ujiji he writes as follows: "But when my spirits were at
their lowest ebb, the good Samaritan was close at hand, for one morning
Susi came running at the top of his speed and gasped out 'An Englishman!
I see him!' and off he darted to meet him. The American flag at the head
of a caravan told of the nationality of the stranger. Bales of goods,
baths of tin, huge kettles, cooking pots, tents, etc., made me think
'This must be a luxurious traveller, and not one at his wits' end like
me!'"
HOW STANLEY FOUND LIVINGSTONE
Now we must go back a little and turn to another story.
Henry Stanley was a young journalist, who in October happened to be in
Madrid. He was on the staff of the great newspaper, the _New York
Herald_, which was owned by the wealthy Gordon Bennett. One morning
Stanley was awakened by his servant with a telegram containing only the
words: "Come to Paris on important business." Stanley travelled to Paris
by the first train, and at once went to Bennett's hotel. Bennett asked
him, "Where do you think Livingstone is?"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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