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
[The road lay through the same country among low hills, for several
miles, till they came on the _1st December_ to a rivulet called Lovu
Katanta, where curiously enough they found a nutmeg-tree in full
bearing. A wild species is found at Angola on the West Coast and it was
probably of this description, and not the same species as that which is
cultivated in the East. In two places he says:--]
Who planted the nutmeg-tree on the Katanta?
[Passing on with heavy rain pouring down, they now found themselves in
the Wemba country, the low tree-covered hills exhibiting here and there
"fine-grained schist and igneous rocks of red, white, and green
colour."]
_3rd December, 1872._--No food to be got on account of M'toka's and Tipo
Tipo's raids.
A stupid or perverse guide took us away to-day N.W. or W.N.W. The
villagers refused to lead us to Chipwité's, where food was to be had; he
is S.W. 1-1/2 day off. The guide had us at his mercy, for he said, "If
you go S.W. you will be five days without food or people." We crossed
the Kañomba, fifteen yards wide, and knee deep. Here our guide
disappeared, and so did the path. We crossed the Lampussi twice; it is
forty yards wide, and knee deep; our course is W.N.W. for about 4-1/2
hours to-day. We camped and sent men to search for a village that has
food. My third barometer (aneroid) is incurably injured by a fall, the
man who carried it slipped upon a clayey path.
_4th December, 1872._--Waiting for the return of our men in a green
wooded valley on the Lampussi River. Those who were sent yesterday
return without anything; they were directed falsely by the country
people, where nought could be bought. The people themselves are living
on grubs, roots, and fruits. The young plasterer Sphex is very fat on
coming out of its clay house, and a good relish for food. A man came to
us demanding his wife and child; they are probably in hiding; the slaves
of Tipo Tipo have been capturing people. One sinner destroyeth much
good!
_5th December, 1872._--The people eat mushrooms and leaves. My men
returned about 5 P.M. with two of Kafimbé's men bringing a present of
food to me. A little was bought, and we go on to-morrow to sleep two
nights on the way, and so to Kafimbé, who is a brother of Nsama's, and
fights him.
_6th December, 1872._--We cross the Lampussi again, and up to a mountain
along which we go, and then down to some ruins. This took us five hours,
and then with 2-1/4 more hours we reach Sintila. We hasten along as fast
as hungry men (four of them sick) can go to get food.
_1th December, 1872._--Off at 6.15 A.M. A leopard broke in upon us last
night and bit a woman. She screamed, and so did the donkey, and it ran
off. Our course lay along between two ranges of low hills, then, where
they ended, we went by a good-sized stream thirty yards or so across,
and then down into a valley to Kafimbé's.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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