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
On the ninth day of our march from the shores of the Tanganika we
again perceived our "Magdala Mount," rising like a dark cloud to the
north-east, by which I knew that we were approaching Imrera, and that
our Icarian attempt to cross the uninhabited jungle of Ukawendi would
soon be crowned with success. Against the collective counsel of the
guides, and hypothetical suggestions of the tired and hungry souls of
our Expedition, I persisted in being guided only by the compass and my
chart. The guides strenuously strove to induce me to alter my course and
strike in a south-west direction, which, had I listened to them, would
have undoubtedly taken me to South-western Ukonongo, or North-eastern
Ufipa. The veteran and experienced soldiers asked mournfully if I were
determined to kill them with famine, as the road I should have taken
was north-east; but I preferred putting my trust in the compass. No sun
shone upon us as we threaded our way through the primeval forest, by
clumps of jungle, across streams, up steep ridges, and down into deep
valleys. A thick haze covered the forests; rain often pelted us; the
firmament was an unfathomable depth of grey vapour. The Doctor had
perfect confidence in me, and I held on my way.
As soon as we arrived at our camp the men scattered themselves through
the forest to search for food. A grove of singwe trees was found close
by. Mushrooms grew in abundance, and these sufficed to appease the
gnawing hunger from which the people suffered. Had it not been such
rainy weather I should have been enabled to procure game for the camp;
but the fatigue which I suffered, and the fever which enervated me,
utterly prevented me from moving out of the camp after we once came to
a halt. The fear of lions, which were numerous in our vicinity, whose
terrible roaring was heard by day and by night, daunted the hunters so
much, that though I offered five doti of cloth for every animal brought
to camp, none dared penetrate the gloomy glades, or awesome belts of
timber, outside the friendly defence of the camp.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account