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
Wikatani--Bishop Mackenzie's favourite boy--met a brother here, and he
finds that he has an elder brother and a sister at Kabinga's. The
father who sold him into slavery is dead. He wishes to stop with his
relatives, and it will be well if he does. Though he has not much to
say, what he does advance against the slave-trade will have its
weight, and it will all be in the way of preparation for better times
and more light.
The elder brother was sent for, but had not arrived when it was
necessary for us to leave Mponda's on the Rivulet Ntemangokwe. I
therefore gave Wikatani some cloth, a flint gun instead of the
percussion one he carried, some flints, paper to write upon, and
commended him to Mponda's care till his relatives arrived. He has
lately shown a good deal of levity, and perhaps it is best that he
should have a touch of what the world is in reality.
[In a letter written about this time Dr. Livingstone, in speaking of
Wikatani, says, "He met with a brother, and found that he had two
brothers and one or two sisters living down at the western shore of
Lake Pamelombe under Kabinga. He thought that his relatives would not
again sell him. I had asked him if he wished to remain, and he at once
said yes, so I did not attempt to dissuade him: his excessive levity
will perhaps be cooled by marriage. I think he may do good by telling
some of what he has seen and heard. I asked him if he would obey an
order from his chief to hunt the Manganja, and he said, 'No.' I hope
he won't. In the event of any mission coming into the country of
Mataka, he will go there. I gave him paper to write to you,[24] and,
commending him to the chiefs, bade the poor boy farewell. I was sorry
to part with him, but the Arabs tell the Waiyau chiefs that our object
in liberating slaves is to make them our own and turn them to our
religion. I had declared to them, through Wikatani as interpreter,
that they never became our slaves, and were at liberty to go back to
their relatives if they liked; and now it was impossible to object to
Wikatani going without stultifying my own statements." It is only
necessary to repeat that Wikatani and Chuma had been liberated from
the slavers by Dr. Livingstone and Bishop Mackenzie in 1861; they were
mere children when set free.
We must not forget to record the fact that when Mr. Young reached
Maponda, two years afterwards, to ascertain whether the Doctor really
had been murdered, as Musa declared, he was most hospitably received
by the chief, who had by this time a great appreciation of everything
English.]
The lines of tattoo of the different tribes serve for ornaments, and
are resorted to most by the women; it is a sort of heraldry closely
resembling the Highland tartans.
[Illustration: Manganja and Machinga women (from a Drawing by the late
Dr. Meller).]
FOOTNOTES:
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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