The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death, Volume I (of 2), 1866-1868Livingstone, David
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The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death, Volume I (of 2), 1866-1868
Livingstone, David
Africa, Central -- Description and travel
We can scarcely enter into the feelings of those who are harried by
marauders. Like Scotland in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries
harassed by Highland Celts on one side and by English Marchmen on the
other, and thus kept in the rearward of civilisation, these people
have rest neither for many days nor for few. When they fill their
garners they can seldom reckon on eating the grain, for the Mazitu
come when the harvest is over and catch as many able-bodied young
persons as they can to carry away the corn. Thus it was in Scotland so
far as security for life and property was concerned; but the Scotch
were apt pupils of more fortunate nations. To change of country they
were as indifferent as the Romans of the olden times; they were always
welcome in France, either as pilgrims, scholars, merchants, or
soldiers; but the African is different. If let alone the African's
mode of life is rather enjoyable; he loves agriculture, and land is to
be had anywhere. He knows nothing of other countries, but he has
imbibed the idea of property in man. This Kangene told me that he
would like to give me a slave to look after my goats: I believe he
would rather give a slave than a goat!
We were detained by the illness of Simon for four days. When he
recovered we proposed to the headman to start with five of his men,
and he agreed to let us have them; but having called them together
such an enormous demand was made for wages, and in advance, that on
the 7th of November we took seven loads forward through a level
uninhabited country generally covered with small trees, slept there,
and on the morning of the 8th, after leaving two men at our depot,
came back, and took the remaining five loads.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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