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
We embarked quickly in our boat before the Wavira had collected
themselves, and headed south against a strong gale, which came driving
down on us from the south-west. After a hard pull of about two hours in
the teeth of the storm, which was rapidly rising, we pointed the head
of the boat into a little quiet cove, almost hidden in tall reeds, and
disembarked for the night.
Cognizant of the dangers which surrounded us, knowing, that savage
and implacable man was the worst enemy we had to fear, we employed our
utmost energies in the construction of a stout fence of thorn bushes,
and then sat down to supper after our work was done, and turned in to
sleep; but not before we had posted watchmen to guard our canoe, lest
the daring thieves of Uvira might abstract it, in which case we should
have been in a pretty plight, and in most unenviable distress.
At daybreak, leaving Kukumba Point after our humble breakfast of coffee,
cheese, and dourra cakes was despatched, we steered south once more.
Our fires had attracted the notice of the sharp-eyed and suspicious
fishermen of Kukumba; but our precautions and the vigilant watch we
had set before retiring, had proved an effectual safeguard against the
Kivira thieves.
The western shores of the lake as we proceeded were loftier, and more
bold than the wooded heights of Urundi and bearded knolls of Ujiji. A
back ridge--the vanguard of the mountains which rise beyond--disclosed
itself between the serrated tops of the front line of mountains, which
rose to a height of from 2,500 to 3,000 feet above the lake. Within the
folds of the front line of mountains rise isolated hills of considerable
magnitude, precipitous and abrupt, but scenically very picturesque.
The greater part of these hills have the rounded and smooth top, or
are tabularly summited. The ridge enfolding these hills shoots out, at
intervals, promontorial projections of gradual sloping outlines, which
on the map I have designated capes, or points. When rounding these
points, up went our compasses for the taking of bearings, and observing
the directions of all prominent objects of interest. Often these capes
are formed by the alluvial plains, through which we may be sure a river
will be found flowing. These pretty alluvial plains, enfolded on the
south, the west, and the north by a grand mountain arc, present
most luxurious and enchanting scenery. The vegetation seems to be of
spontaneous growth. Groups of the Elaeis Guineansis palm embowering some
dun-brown village; an array of majestic, superb growth of mvule trees;
a broad extent covered with vivid green sorghum stalks; parachute-like
tops of mimosa; a line of white sand, on which native canoes are
drawn far above the reach of the plangent, uneasy surf; fishermen idly
reclining in the shade of a tree;--these are the scenes which reveal
themselves to us as we voyage in our canoe on the Tanganika. When
wearied with the romance of wild tropic scenes such as these, we have
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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