Stanley's Story; Or, Through the Wilds of Africa: A Thrilling Narrative of His Remarkable Adventures, Terrible Experiences, Wonderful Discoveries and Amazing Achievements in the Dark ContinentFeather, A. G., Col.
History
Stanley's Story; Or, Through the Wilds of Africa: A Thrilling Narrative of His Remarkable Adventures, Terrible Experiences, Wonderful Discoveries and Amazing Achievements in the Dark Continent
Feather, A. G., Col.
Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Livingstone, David, 1813-1873; Stanley, Henry M. (Henry Morton), 1841-1904
“Dr. Livingstone had been weak and ailing since leaving Unyanyembe;
and when passing through the country of Ukabende, at the southwest of
the lake, he told Majwara (the boy given him by Stanley, who is now in
my service) that he felt unable to go on with his work, but should try
and cross the hills to Katanga (Katanda?) and there rest, endeavoring
to buy ivory, which in all this country is very cheap (three yards of
_merikani_ buying a slave or a tusk), and returning to Ujiji through
Manuema to recruit and reorganize.
“But as he approached the northern part of Bisa (a very large
country), arriving in the province of Ulala, he first had to take to
riding a donkey, and then suffer himself to be carried on a _kitanda_
(native bedstead), which at first went much against the grain. During
this time he never allowed the boy Majwara to leave him, and he then
told that faithful and honest fellow that he should never cross the
high hills to Katanda. He called for Susi, and asked how far it was to
the Luapula, and on his answering ‘three days’ remarked ‘he should
never see his river again.’
“On arriving at Ilala, the capital of the district, where Kitambo the
Sultan lived, the party were refused permission to stay, and they
carried Livingstone three hours’ march back toward Kabende. Here they
erected for him a rude hut and fence, and he would not allow any to
approach him for the remaining days of his life except Majwara and
Susi, except that every morning they were all desired to come to the
door and say ‘Good-morning!’
“During these few days he was in great pain, and could keep nothing,
even for a moment, on his stomach. He lost his sight so far as hardly
to be able to distinguish when a light was kindled, and gradually sank
during the night of the 4th of May, 1873. Only Majwara was present
when he died, and he is unable to say when he ceased to breathe. Susi,
hearing that he was dead, told Jacob Wainwright to make a note in the
Doctor’s diary of the things found by him. Wainwright was not quite
certain as to the day of the month; and as Susi told him the Doctor
had last written the day before, and he found this entry to be dated
27th April, he wrote 28th April; but, on comparing his own diary on
arrival at Unyanyembe, he found it to be the 4th of May; and this is
confirmed by Majwara, who says Livingstone was unable to write for
the last four or five days of his life. I fancy the spot where
Livingstone died is about 11.25 degrees south and 27 degrees east;
but, of course, the whole of this is subject to correction, and,
although I have spent many hours in finding it all out, the Doctor’s
diary may show it to be very imperfect.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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