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
Before he left England in 1865, Dr. Livingstone arranged that his
travelling equipment should be as compact as possible. An old friend
gave him some exceedingly well-made tin-boxes, two of which lasted out
the whole of his travels. In these his papers and instruments were safe
from wet and from white ants, which have to be guarded against more than
anything else. Besides the articles mentioned below, a number of letters
and despatches in various stages were likewise enclosed, and one can
never sufficiently extol the good feeling which after his death
invested all these writings with something like a sacred care in the
estimation of his men. It was the Doctor's custom to carry a small
metallic note-book in his pocket: a quantity of these have come to hand
filled from end to end, and as the men preserved every one that they
found, we have a daily entry to fall back upon. Nor was less care shown
for his rifles, sextants, his Bible and Church-service, and the medicine
chest.
Jacob's entry is as follows, and it was thoughtfully made at the back
end of the same note-book that was in use by the Doctor when he died. It
runs as follows:--
"11 o'clock night, 28th April.
"In the chest was found about a shilling and half, and in other chest
his hat, 1 watch, and 2 small boxes of measuring instrument, and in each
box there was one. 1 compass, 3 other kind of measuring instrument. 4
other kind of measuring instrument. And in other chest 3 drachmas and
half half scrople."
A word is necessary concerning the first part of this. It will be
observed that Dr. Livingstone made his last note on the 27th April.
Jacob, referring to it as the only indication of the day of the month,
and fancying, moreover, that it was written on the _preceding day,_
wrote down "28th April." Had he observed that the few words opposite the
27th in the pocket-book related to the stay at Kalunganjovu's village,
and not to any portion of the time at Chitambo's, the error would have
been avoided. Again, with respect to the time. It was about 11 o'clock
P.M. when Susi last saw his master alive, and therefore this time is
noted, but both he and Chumah feel quite sure, from what Majwara said,
that death did not take place till some hours after.
It was not without some alarm that the men realised their more
immediate difficulties: none could see better than they what
complications might arise in an hour.
They knew the superstitious horror connected with the dead to be
prevalent in the tribes around them, for the departed spirits of men are
universally believed to have vengeance and mischief at heart as their
ruling idea in the land beyond the grave. All rites turn on this belief.
The religion of the African is a weary attempt to propitiate those who
show themselves to be still able to haunt and destroy, as war comes or
an accident happens.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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