How I found Livingstone : $b Travels, adventures, and discoveres in Central Africa, including an account of four months' residence with Dr. LivingstoneStanley, Henry M. (Henry Morton)
History
How I found Livingstone : $b Travels, adventures, and discoveres in Central Africa, including an account of four months' residence with Dr. Livingstone
Stanley, Henry M. (Henry Morton)
Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Livingstone, David, 1813-1873
follow wet feet and wet clothes.
At Nyabigma we prepared, by distributing ten rounds of ammunition to
each of our men, for a tussle with the Warundi of two stages ahead,
should they invite it by a too forward exhibition of their prejudice to
strangers.
At dawn of the fifth day we quitted the haven of Nyabigma Island, and
in less than an hour had arrived off Cape Kitunda. This cape is a low
platform of conglomerate sandstone, extending for about eight miles from
the base of the great mountain curve which gives birth to the Luaba and
its sister streams. Crossing the deep bay, at the head of which is the
delta of the Luaba, we came to Cape Kasofu. Villages are numerous in
this vicinity. From hence we obtained a view of a series of points or
capes, Kigongo, Katunga, and Buguluka, all of which we passed before
coming to a halt at the pretty position of Mukungu.
At Mukungu, where we stopped on the fifth day, we were asked for honga,
or tribute. The cloth and beads upon which we subsisted during our
lake voyage were mine, but the Doctor, being the elder of the two,
more experienced, and the "big man" of the party, had the charge of
satisfying all such demands. Many and many a time had I gone through the
tedious and soul-wearying task of settling the honga, and I was quite
curious to see how the great traveller would perform the work.
The Mateko (a man inferior to a Mutware) of Mukungu asked for two and a
half doti. This was the extent of the demand, which he made known to us
a little after dark. The Doctor asked if nothing had been brought to us.
He was answered, "No, it was too late to get anything now; but, if we
paid the honga, the Mateko would be ready to give us something when we
came back." Livingstone, upon hearing this, smiled, and the Mateko being
then and there in front of him, he said to him. "Well, if you can't get
us anything now, and intend to give something when we return, we had
better keep the honga until then." The Mateko was rather taken aback
at this, and demurred to any such proposition. Seeing that he was
dissatisfied, we urged him to bring one sheep--one little sheep--for our
stomachs were nearly empty, having been waiting more than half a day for
it. The appeal was successful, for the old man hastened, and brought us
a lamb and a three-gallon pot of sweet but strong zogga, or palm toddy,
and in return the Doctor gave him two and a half doti of cloth. The lamb
was killed, and, our digestions being good, its flesh agreed with us;
but, alas, for the effects of zogga, or palm toddy! Susi, the invaluable
adjunct of Dr. Livingstone, and Bombay, the headman of my caravan, were
the two charged with watching the canoe; but, having imbibed too freely
of this intoxicating toddy, they slept heavily, and in the morning
the Doctor and I had to regret the loss of several valuable and
indispensable things; among which may be mentioned the Doctor's
900-fathom sounding-line, 500 rounds of pin, rim, and central-fire
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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