Great African Travellers: From Mungo Park to Livingstone and StanleyKingston, William Henry Giles
History
Great African Travellers: From Mungo Park to Livingstone and Stanley
Kingston, William Henry Giles
Africa -- Description and travel; Africa -- Discovery and exploration; Explorers
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, 1856, when it wanted but a
few days of being four years since he started from Cape Town. He was
hospitably received by Colonel Nunes. A severe famine had existed among
the neighbouring population, and food was very scarce. He therefore
advised his men to go 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.
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 revisiting 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, HM brig "Frolic" arrived,
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 acquainted
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
partially using it, the doctor found the greatest difficulty in
expressing himself on board the "Frolic."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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