How I Found Livingstone - Henry M. Stanley (best ereader for comics txt) 📗
- Author: Henry M. Stanley
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to Itara, Unyoro, and Baker.
For either course, whichever he thought most expedient, I and my
men would assist him as escort and carriers, to the best of our
ability. If he should elect to go home, I informed him I should
be proud to escort him, and consider myself subject to his
commands—travelling only when he desired, and camping only when
he gave the word.
6th. The last course which I suggested to him, was to permit me to
escort him to Unyanyembe, where he could receive his own goods,
and where I could deliver up to him a large supply of first-class
cloth and beads, guns and ammunition, cooking utensils, clothing,
boats, tents, &c., and where he could rest in a comfortable house,
while I would hurry down to the coast, organise a new expedition
composed of fifty or sixty faithful men, well armed, by whom I
could send an additional supply of needful luxuries in the shape
of creature comforts.
After long consideration, he resolved to adopt the last course,
as it appeared to him to be the most feasible one, and the best,
though he did not hesitate to comment upon the unaccountable apathy
of his agent at Zanzibar, which had caused him so much trouble and
vexation, and weary marching of hundreds of miles.
Our ship—though nothing more than a cranky canoe hollowed out of
a noble mvule tree of Ugoma—was an African Argo bound on a nobler
enterprise than its famous Grecian prototype. We were bound upon
no mercenary errand, after no Golden Fleece, but perhaps to
discover a highway for commerce which should bring the ships of
the Nile up to Ujiji, Usowa, and far Marungu. We did not know
what we might discover on our voyage to the northern head of
the Tanganika; we supposed that we should find the Rusizi to be
an effluent of the Tanganika, flowing down to the Albert or the
Victoria N’Yanza. We were told by natives and Arabs that the
Rusizi ran out of the lake.
Sayd bin Majid had stated that his canoe would carry twenty-five
men, and 3,500 lbs. of ivory. Acting upon this information, we
embarked twenty-five men, several of whom had stored away bags of
salt for the purposes of trade with the natives; but upon pushing
off from the shore near Ujiji, we discovered the boat was too
heavily laden, and was down to the gunwale. Returning in-shore,
we disembarked six men, and unloaded the bags of salt, which left
us with sixteen rowers, Selim, Ferajji the cook, and the two
Wajiji guides.
Having thus properly trimmed our boat we again pushed off, and
steered her head for Bangwe Island, which was distant four or
five miles from the Bunder of Ujiji. While passing this island
the guides informed us that the Arabs and Wajiji took shelter on
it during an incursion of the Watuta—which took place some years
ago—when they came and invaded Ujiji, and massacred several of
the inhabitants. Those who took refuge on the island were the
only persons who escaped the fire and sword with which the Watuta
had visited Ujiji.
After passing the island and following the various bends and
indentations of the shore, we came in sight of the magnificent bay
of Kigoma, which strikes one at once as being an excellent harbor
from the variable winds which blow over the Tanganika. About
10 A.M. we drew in towards the village of Kigoma, as the east wind
was then rising, and threatened to drive us to sea. With those
travelling parties who are not in much hurry Kigoma is always
the first port for canoes bound north from Ujiji. The next
morning at dawn we struck tent, stowed baggage, cooked, and
drank coffee, and set off northward again.
The lake was quite calm; its waters, of a dark-green colour,
reflected the serene blue sky above. The hippopotami came up
to breathe in alarmingly close proximity to our canoe, and then
plunged their heads again, as if they were playing hide-and-seek
with us. Arriving opposite the high wooded hills of Bemba, and
being a mile from shore, we thought it a good opportunity to sound
the depth of the water, whose colour seemed to indicate great depth.
We found thirty-five fathoms at this place.
Our canoeing of this day was made close in-shore, with a range of
hills, beautifully wooded and clothed with green grass, sloping
abruptly, almost precipitously, into the depths of the fresh-water
sea, towering immediately above us, and as we rounded the several
capes or points, roused high expectations of some new wonder, or
some exquisite picture being revealed as the deep folds disclosed
themselves to us. Nor were we disappointed. The wooded hills with
a wealth of boscage of beautiful trees, many of which were in
bloom, and crowned with floral glory, exhaling an indescribably
sweet fragrance, lifting their heads in varied contour—one
pyramidal, another a truncated cone; one table-topped, another
ridgy, like the steep roof of a church; one a glorious heave with
an even outline, another jagged and savage-interested us
considerably; and the pretty pictures, exquisitely pretty, at
the head of the several bays, evoked many an exclamation of
admiration. It was the most natural thing in the world that
I should feel deepest admiration for these successive pictures
of quiet scenic beauty, but the Doctor had quite as much to say
about them as I had myself, though, as one might imagine, satiated
with pictures of this kind far more beautiful—far more wonderful—
he should long ago have expended all his powers of admiring scenes
in nature.
From Bagamoyo to Ujiji I had seen nothing to compare to them—none
of these fishing settlements under the shade of a grove of palms
and plantains, banians and mimosa, with cassava gardens to the
right and left of palmy forests, and patches of luxuriant grain
looking down upon a quiet bay, whose calm waters at the early morn
reflected the beauties of the hills which sheltered them from the
rough and boisterous tempests that so often blew without.
The fishermen evidently think themselves comfortably situated.
The lake affords them all the fish they require, more than enough
to eat, and the industrious a great deal to sell. The steep slopes
of the hills, cultivated by the housewives, contribute plenty of
grain, such as dourra and Indian corn, besides cassava, ground-nuts
or peanuts, and sweet potatoes. The palm trees afford oil, and the
plantains an abundance of delicious fruit. The ravines and deep
gullies supply them with the tall shapely trees from which they
cut out their canoes. Nature has supplied them bountifully with
all that a man’s heart or stomach can desire. It is while looking
at what seems both externally and internally complete and perfect
happiness that the thought occurs—how must these people sigh,
when driven across the dreary wilderness that intervenes between
the lake country and the seacoast, for such homes as these!—
those unfortunates who, bought by the Arabs for a couple of doti,
are taken away to Zanzibar to pick cloves, or do hamal work!
As we drew near Niasanga, our second camp, the comparison between
the noble array of picturesque hills and receding coves, with
their pastoral and agricultural scenes, and the shores of old
Pontus, was very great. A few minutes before we hauled our canoe
ashore, two little incidents occurred. I shot an enormous
dog-faced monkey, which measured from nose to end of tail 4 feet
9 inches; the face was 8 1/2 inches long, its body weighed
about 100 lbs. It had no mane or tuft at end of tail, but
the body was covered with long wiry hair. Numbers of these
specimens were seen, as well as of the active cat-headed and
long-tailed smaller ones. The other was the sight of a large
lizard, about 2 ft. 6 in. long, which waddled into cover before
we had well noticed it. The Doctor thought it to be the Monitor
terrestris.
We encamped under a banian tree; our surroundings were the now
light-grey waters of the Tanganika, an amphitheatral range of
hills, and the village of Niasanga, situated at the mouth of the
rivulet Niasanga, with its grove of palms, thicket of plantains,
and plots of grain and cassava fields. Near our tent were about
half-a-dozen canoes, large and small, belonging to the villagers.
Our tent door fronted the glorious expanse of fresh water,
inviting the breeze, and the views of distant Ugoma and Ukaramba,
and the Island of Muzimu, whose ridges appeared of a deep-blue
colour. At our feet were the clean and well-washed pebbles, borne
upward into tiny lines and heaps by the restless surf. A search
amongst these would reveal to us the material of the mountain
heaps which rose behind and on our right and left; there was schist,
conglomerate sandstone, a hard white clay, an ochreish clay
containing much iron, polished quartz, &c. Looking out of our tent,
we could see a line on each side of us of thick tall reeds, which
form something like a hedge between the beach and the cultivated
area around Niasanga. Among birds seen here, the most noted were
the merry wagtails, which are regarded as good omens and
messengers of peace by the natives, and any harm done unto them
is quickly resented, and is fineable. Except to the mischievously
inclined, they offer no inducement to commit violence. On landing,
they flew to meet us, balancing themselves in the air in front,
within easy reach of our hands. The other birds were crows,
turtledoves, fish-hawks, kingfishers, ibis nigra and ibis
religiosa, flocks of whydah birds, geese, darters, paddy birds,
kites, and eagles.
At this place the Doctor suffered from dysentery—it is his only
weak point, he says; and, as I afterwards found, it is a frequent
complaint with him. Whatever disturbed his mind, or any
irregularity in eating, was sure to end in an attack of dysentery,
which had lately become of a chronic character.
The third day of our journey on the Tanganika brought us to Zassi
River and village, after a four hours’ pull. Along the line of
road the mountains rose 2,000 and 2,500 feet above the waters of
the lake. I imagined the scenery getting more picturesque and
animated at every step, and thought it by far lovelier than
anything seen near Lake George or on the Hudson. The cosy nooks
at the head of the many small bays constitute most admirable
pictures, filled in as they are with the ever-beautiful feathery
palms and broad green plantain fronds. These nooks have all been
taken possession of by fishermen, and their conically beehive-shaped huts always peep from under the frondage. The shores are
thus extremely populous; every terrace, small plateau, and bit of
level ground is occupied.
Zassi is easily known by a group of conical hills which rise near
by, and are called Kirassa. Opposite to these, at the distance of
about a mile from shore, we sounded, and obtained 35 fathoms, as on
the previous day. Getting out a mile further, I let go the whole
length of my line, 115 fathoms, and obtained no bottom. In drawing
it up again the line parted, and I lost the lead, with three-fourths
of the line. The Doctor stated, apropos of this, that he had
sounded opposite the lofty Kabogo, south of Ujiji, and obtained the
great depth of 300 fathoms. He also lost his lead and 100 fathoms
of his line, but he had nearly 900 fathoms left, and this was in
the canoes. We hope to use this long sounding line in going across
from the eastern to the western shore.
On the fourth day we arrived at Nyabigma, a sandy island in
Urundi. We had passed the boundary line between Ujiji and Urundi
half-an-hour before arriving at Nyabigma.
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