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
On reaching their companions it was found that the work was not quite
finished, and it became necessary therefore to lay him under the broad
eaves of a native hut till things were ready.
Chitambo's village at this time was almost empty. When the crops are
growing it is the custom to erect little temporary houses in the fields,
and the inhabitants, leaving their more substantial huts, pass the time
in watching their crops, which are scarcely more safe by day than by
night; thus it was that the men found plenty of room and shelter ready
to their hand. Many of the people approached the spot where he lay whose
praises had reached them in previous years, and in silent wonder they
stood round him resting on their bows. Slight drizzling showers were
falling, and as soon as possible his house was made ready and banked
round with earth.
Inside it, the bed was raised from the floor by sticks and grass,
occuping a position across and near to the bay-shaped end of the hut: in
the bay itself bales and boxes were deposited, one of the latter doing
duty for a table, on which the medicine chest and sundry other things
were placed. A fire was lighted outside, nearly opposite the door,
whilst the boy Majwara slept just within to attend to his master's wants
in the night.
On the _30th April, 1873,_ Chitambo came early to pay a visit of
courtesy, and was shown into the Doctor's presence, but he was obliged
to send him away, telling him to come again on the morrow, when he hoped
to have more strength to talk to him, and he was not again disturbed. In
the afternoon he asked Susi to bring his watch to the bedside, and
explained to him the position in which to hold his hand, that it might
lie in the palm whilst he slowly turned the key.
So the hours stole on till nightfall. The men silently took to their
huts, whilst others, whose duty it was to keep watch, sat round the
fires, all feeling that the end could not be far off. About 11 P.M.
Susi, whose hut was close by, was told to go to his master. At the time
there were loud shouts in the distance, and, on entering, Dr.
Livingstone said, "Are our men making that noise?" "No," replied Susi;
"I can hear from the cries that the people are scaring away a buffalo
from their dura fields." A few minutes afterwards he said slowly, and
evidently wandering, "Is this the Luapula?" Susi told him they were in
Chitambo's village, near the Mulilamo, when he was silent for a while.
Again, speaking to Susi, in Suaheli this time, he said, "Sikun'gapi
kuenda Luapula?" (How many days is it to the Luapula?)
"Na zani zikutatu, Bwana" (I think it is three days, master), replied
Susi.
A few seconds after, as if in great pain, he half sighed, half said, "Oh
dear, dear!" and then dozed off again.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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