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
_9th April, 1873._--After two hours' threading the very winding, deep
channel of this southern branch of the Muanakazi, we came to where our
land party had crossed it and gone on to Gandochité, a chief on the
Lolotikila. My men were all done up, so I hired a man to call some of
his friends to take the loads; but he was stopped by his relations in
the way, saying, "You ought to have one of the traveller's own people
with you." He returned, but did not tell us plainly or truly till this
morning.
[The recent heavy exertions, coupled with constant exposure and extreme
anxiety and annoyance, no doubt brought on the severe attack which is
noticed, as we see in the words of the next few days.]
_10th April, 1873._--The headman of the village explained, and we sent
two of our men, who had a night's rest with the turnagain fellow of
yesterday. I am pale, bloodless, and; weak from bleeding profusely ever
since the 31st of March last: an artery gives off a copious stream, and
takes away my strength. Oh, how I long to be permitted by the Over Power
to finish my work.
_12th April, 1873._--Cross the Muanakazi. It is about 100 or 130 yards
broad, and deep. Great loss of _aíµa_ made me so weak I could hardly
walk, but tottered along nearly two hours, and then lay down quite
done. Cooked coffee--our last--and went on, but in an hour I was
compelled to lie down. Very unwilling to be carried, but on being
pressed I allowed the men to help me along by relays to Chinama, where
there is much cultivation. We camped in a garden of dura.
_13th April, 1873._--Found that we had slept on the right bank of the
Lolotikila, a sluggish, marshy-looking river, very winding, but here
going about south-west. The country is all so very flat that the rivers
down here are of necessity tortuous. Fish and other food abundant, and
the people civil and reasonable. They usually partake largely of the
character of the chief, and this one, Gondochité, is polite. The sky is
clearing, and the S.E. wind is the lower stratum now. It is the dry
season well begun. Seventy-three inches is a higher rainfall than has
been observed anywhere else, even in northern Manyuema; it was lower by
inches than here far south on the watershed. In fact, this is the very
heaviest rainfall known in these latitudes; between fifty and sixty is
the maximum.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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