The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death, Volume I (of 2), 1866-1868Livingstone, David
History
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 were invited by Gombwa in the afternoon to speak the same words to
his people that we used to himself in the morning. He nudged a boy to
respond, which is considered polite, though he did it only with a
rough hem! at the end of each sentence. As for our general discourse
we mention our relationship to our Father: His love to all His
children--the guilt of selling any of His children--the consequence;
_e.g._ it begets war, for they don't like to sell their own, and steal
from other villagers, who retaliate. Arabs and Waiyau invited into the
country by their selling, foster feuds, and war and depopulation
ensue. We mention the Bible--future state--prayer: advise union, that
they should unite as one family to expel enemies, who came first as
slave-traders, and ended by leaving the country a wilderness. In
reference to union, we showed that they ought to have seen justice
done to the man who lost his wife and child at their very doors; but
this want of cohesion is the bane of the Manganja. If the evil does
not affect themselves they don't care whom it injures; and Gombwa
confirmed this, by saying that when he routed Khambuiri's people, the
villagers west of him fled instead of coming to his aid.
We hear that many of the Manganja up here are fugitives from Nyassa.
_10th October, 1866._--Kawa and his people were with us early this
morning, and we started from Tamiala with them. The weather is lovely,
and the scenery, though at present tinged with yellow from the grass,
might be called glorious. The bright sun and delicious air are quite
exhilarating. We passed a fine flowing rivulet, called Levize, going
into the Lake, and many smaller runnels of delicious cold water. On
resting by a dark sepulchral grove, a tree attracted the attention, as
nowhere else seen: it is called Bokonto, and said to bear eatable
fruit. Many fine flowers were just bursting into full blossom. After
about four hours' march we put up at Chitimba, the village of
Kangomba, and were introduced by Kawa, who came all the way for the
purpose.
_11th October, 1866._--A very cold morning, with a great bank of black
clouds in the east, whence the wind came. Therm. 59 deg.; in hut 69 deg.
The huts are built very well. The roof, with the lower part plastered,
is formed so as not to admit a ray of light, and the only visible mode
of ingress for it is by the door. This case shows that winter is cold:
on proposing to start, breakfast was not ready: then a plan was formed
to keep me another day at a village close by, belonging to one Kulu, a
man of Kauma, to whom we go next. It was effectual, and here we are
detained another day. A curiously cut-out stool is in my hut, made by
the Mkwisa, who are south-west of this: it is of one block, but
hollowed out, and all the spaces indicated are hollow too: about 2-1/2
feet long by 1-1/2 foot high.
[Illustration: Curiously cut-out stool of one block of wood hollowed
out.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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