The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death, Volume II (of 2), 1869-1873: Continued By A Narrative Of His Last Moments And Sufferings, Obtained From His Faithful Servants Chuma And SusiLivingstone, David
History
The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death, Volume II (of 2), 1869-1873: Continued By A Narrative Of His Last Moments And Sufferings, Obtained From His Faithful Servants Chuma And Susi
Livingstone, David
Africa, Central -- Description and travel
of foreign attendants, implies coarse country fare, it is true, but this
would be nothing to those who, at home amuse themselves with fastings,
vigils, &c. A great deal of power is thus lost in the Church. Fastings
and vigils, without a special object in view, are time run to waste.
They are made to minister to a sort of self-gratification, instead of
being turned to account for the good of others. They are like groaning
in sickness. Some people amuse themselves when ill with continuous
moaning. The forty days of Lent might be annually spent in visiting
adjacent tribes, and bearing unavoidable hunger and thirst with a good
grace. Considering the greatness of the object to be attained, men
might go without sugar, coffee, tea, &c. I went from September 1866 to
December 1868 without either. A trader, at Casembe's, gave me a dish
cooked with honey, and it nauseated from its horrible sweetness, but at
100 miles inland, supplies could be easily obtained.
The expenses need not be large. Intelligent Arabs inform me that, in
going from Zanzibar to Casembe's, only 3000 dollars' worth are required
by a trader, say between 600_l._ or 700_l._, and he may be away three or
more years; paying his way, giving presents to the chiefs, and filling
200 or 300 mouths. He has paid for, say fifty muskets, ammunition,
flints, and may return with 4000 lbs. of ivory, and a number of slaves
for sale; all at an outlay of 600_l._ or 700_l._ With the experience I
have gained now, I could do all I shall do in this expedition for a like
sum, or at least for 1000_l._ less than it will actually cost me.
_12th July, 1872._--Two men come from Syde bin Habib report fighting as
going on at discreet distances against Mirambo.
Sheikh But, son of Mohamad bin Saleh, is found guilty of stealing a tusk
of 2-1/2 frasilahs from the Lewalé. He has gone in disgrace to fight
Mirambo: his father is disconsolate, naturally. Lewalé has been
merciful.
When endeavouring to give some account of the slave-trade of East
Africa, it was necessary to keep far within the truth, in order not to
be thought guilty of exaggeration; but in sober seriousness the subject
does not admit of exaggeration. To overdraw its evils is a simple
impossibility. The sights I have seen, though common incidents of the
traffic, are so nauseous that I always strive to drive them from memory.
In the case of most disagreeable recollections I can succeed, in time,
in consigning them to oblivion, but the slaving scenes come back
unbidden, and make me start up at dead of night horrified by their
vividness. To some this may appear weak and unphilosophical, since it is
alleged that the whole human race has passed through the process of
development. We may compare cannibalism to the stone age, and the times
of slavery to the iron and bronze epochs--slavery is as natural a step
in human development as from bronze to iron.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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