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
_25th February, 1868._--Mohamad called on me this morning to apologise
for the outrage of yesterday, but no one was to blame except the
slaves, and I wanted no punishment inflicted if they were cautioned
for the future. It seems, plain that if they do not wish to buy the
unclean meat they can let it alone,--no harm is done. The Wanyamwesi
kill for all, and some Mohamadans say that they won't eat of it, but
their wives and people do eat it privately.
I asked Mohamad to-day if it were true that he was a prisoner at
Casembe's. He replied, "Quite so." Some Garaganza people, now at
Katanga, fought with Casembe, and Mohamad was suspected of being
connected with them. Casembe attacked his people, and during the
turmoil a hundred frasilahs of copper were stolen from him, and many
of his people killed. Casembe kept him a prisoner till sixty of his
people were either killed or died, among these Mohamad's eldest son:
he was thus reduced to poverty. He gave something to Casembe to allow
him to depart, and I suspect that my Sultan's letter had considerable
influence in inducing Casembe to accede to his request, for he
repeated again and again in my hearing that he must pay respect to my
letter, and see me safe at least as far as Ujiji. Mohamad says that he
will not return to Casembe again, but will begin to trade with some
other chief: it is rather hard for a man at his age to begin _de
novo_. He is respected among the Arabs, who pronounce him to be a good
man. He says that he has been twenty-two years in Africa, and never
saw an outburst like that of yesterday among the Wanyamwesi: it is,
however, common for the people at Ujiji to drink palm toddy, and then
have a general row in the bazaar, but no bad feeling exists next day.
If a child cuts the upper front teeth before the lower, it is killed,
as unlucky: this is a widely-spread superstition. When I was amongst
the Makololo in 1859 one of Sekeletu's wives would not allow her
servant's child to be killed for this, but few would have the courage
to act in opposition to public feeling as she did. In Casembe's
country if a child is seen to turn from one side to the other in
sleep it is killed. They say of any child who has what they consider
these defects "he is an Arab child," because the Arabs have none of
this class of superstitions, and should any Arab be near they give the
child to him: it would bring ill-luck, misfortunes, "milando," or
guilt, to the family. These superstitions may account for the
readiness with which one tribe parted with their children to Speke's
followers. Mohamad says that these children must have been taken in
war, as none sell their own offspring.
If Casembe dreams of any man twice or three times he puts the man to
death, as one who is practising secret arts against his life: if any
one is pounding or cooking food for him he must preserve the strictest
silence; these and other things show extreme superstition and
degradation.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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