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
The vegetation of the shores as we proceeded was truly tropical, each
curve revealed new beauties. With the soft chalky stone, of which most
of the cliffs and bluffs are made, seen as we neared the mouth of the
Malagarazi, the surf has played strange freaks.
We arrived at the mouth of the Malagarazi about P.M., having rowed
eighteen miles from Ukaranga. The shore party arrived, very much
fatigued, about 5 P.M.
The next day was employed in crossing the caravan across the broad mouth
of the Malagarazi to our camp, a couple of miles north of the river.
This is a river which a civilised community would find of immense
advantage for shortening the distance between the Tanganika and the
coast. Nearly one hundred miles might be performed by this river, which
is deep enough at all seasons to allow navigation as far as Kiala,
in Uvinza, whence a straight road might be easily made to
Unyanyembe. Missionaries also might reap the same benefit from it for
conversion-tours to Uvinza, Uhha, and Ugala. Pursuing our way on the
30th, and rounding the picturesque capes of Kagongo, Mviga and Kivoe, we
came, after about three hours' rowing, in sight of villages at the
mouth of the swift and turbid Rugufu. Here we had again to transport the
caravan ever the crocodile-infested mouth of the river.
On the morning of the 31st we sent a canoe with men to search for food
in the two or three villages that were visible on the other side.
Four doti purchased just sufficient for four days for our caravan
of forty-eight persons. We then got under weigh, having informed the
kirangozi that Urimba was our destination, and bidding him keep as
closely as possible to the lake shore, where it was practicable, but
if not, to make the best he could of it. From the debouchement of the
Rugufu, the headwaters of which we had crossed on our random route
to Ujiji, to Urimba, a distance of six days by water, there are no
villages, and consequently no food. The shore party, however, before
leaving Ujiji, had eight days' rations, and on this morning four days',
distributed to each person, and therefore was in no danger of starvation
should the mountain headlands, now unfolding, abrupt and steep, one
after another, prevent them from communicating with us. It must be
understood that such a journey as this had never been attempted before
by any Arab or Msawahili, and every step taken was in sheer ignorance
of where the road would lead the men ashore. Rounding Kivoe's steep
promontory, whose bearded ridge and rugged slope, wooded down to the
water's edge, whose exquisite coves and quiet recesses, might well have
evoked a poetical effusion to one so inclined, we dared the chopping
waves of Kivoe's bay, and stood direct for the next cape, Mizohazy,
behind which, owing to wind and wave, we were compelled to halt for the
night.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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