It is the chief ivory depot in that province, where large quantities are obtained.
He was here detained six months, suffering severely from ulcers in his feet, which prevented him putting them to the ground, and from thence it was, when again able to set out, that he discovered the course of the Lualaba, which occupied him till the year 1871.
From Nyangwe, as before mentioned, he was compelled to return eastward to Ujiji, a distance of seven hundred miles. Manyema, in the province of Ruo, lying directly to the south of it, is inhabited by heathens, each village governed by its own chief, holding little or no communication with their neighbours. The people appear to be mild and inoffensive, though perfect pagans. They posses a considerable amount of ingenuity, and manufacture a most beautiful fabric from fine grass, equal to the finest grass cloth of India.
So numerous are the elephants which range through the wilds of this region, that until the Arabs unhappily made their way into it, the people were accustomed to form their door-posts and partially to build their houses with ivory tusks. The inhabitants, who were then unacquainted with firearms, were so terrified at hearing the reports of the Arabs' muskets and feeling their effects, that they did not attempt to defend themselves, and already great numbers had been carried off into slavery by the abominable kidnappers.
Dr Livingstone witnessed a horrible massacre committed by one of these wretches, a half-caste Arab, Tagamoyo by name, with his armed slaves, on a number of the helpless inhabitants collected in a market-place on the bank of the Lualaba. While the people, unsuspicious of danger, were assembled, to the number of two thousand, eagerly carrying on their trade, the wretch Tangamoyo suddenly appeared, and opened fire upon them. Numbers were shot down, others rushed to their canoes, and, in their terror, made off without their companions, while many, throwing themselves headlong into the water, were seized by the voracious crocodiles. Upwards of four hundred women and children were killed, while a greater number were carried off into slavery.
The doctor describes the people as of light colour, with well-formed features. Being of gentle manners, they are eagerly sought for by the Arabs, whose wives they sometimes become.
Further to the north he met with a race not darker than the Portuguese, and a remarkably handsome people, who seemed to have a peculiar aptitude for commerce.
In Ruo he discovered some rich copper mines.
On reaching Ujiji, on the 16th of October, 1871, greatly to his dismay he found that Sherrif, into whose charge he had committed his goods, had, believing him to be dead, sold the whole of them for ivory, which he had appropriated.
Thus, the doctor, already suffering fearfully from illness, found himself deprived of the means of purchasing food or paying his way back to the coast. The letters, stores, and provisions sent to him from Zanzibar had been detained on the road.
What might have been his fate had he not been succoured by Mr Stanley, who, as we are about to relate, at the head of the "New York Herald"
expedition, so nobly and gallantly made his way across to find him, it is impossible to say.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX.
STANLEY'S EXPEDITION IN SEARCH OF DR. LIVINGSTONE.
STANLEY SENT OUT BY MR. BENNETT, OF THE "NEW YORK HERALD"--REACHES ZANZIBAR--DR. KIRK--HIS WHITE AND NATIVE ATTENDANTS--BOMBAY ENGAGED-- BOATS PREPARED--CROSSES TO BAGOMOYO--JESUIT MISSION--FINDS CARAVAN FOR RELIEF OF LIVINGSTONE DETAINED--DIFFICULTIES TO BE SURMOUNTED--PORTERS ABSCOND--MISCONDUCT OF WHITE MEN--A STRONGLY FORTIFIED TOWN--ATTACKED BY FEVER--SENDS FARQUHAR SICK TO MPWAPWA, WHERE HE DIES--SHAW FIRES AT STANLEY--STANLEY'S COOL CONDUCT--EXPEDITION ENTERS UGOGO WITH ARAB CARAVAN--HEAVY TRIBUTE DEMANDED BY SULTAN OF MVUMI--DONKEYS DIE--JOURNEY THROUGH JUNGLE--COUNTRY LAID WASTE BY ARAB SLAVE-TRADERS--WELL RECEIVED BY MKASWA--LIVINGSTONE CARAVAN ARRIVES--PREPARES TO START FOR UJIJI-- SOME OF HIS MEN JOIN ARABS IN AN ATTACK ON A TOWN, AND ARE DEFEATED-- STANLEY AND SHAW NARROWLY ESCAPE--RETURNS TO KIVIHARA--THE PLACE THREATENED--PREPARATIONS FOR DEFENCE--HEARS NEWS OF LIVINGSTONE-- RECEIVES PRESENT OF A SLAVE BOY, KIULU--FOLLOWERS PROVE REFRACTORY--SETS OUT--SENDS SHAW BACK--NARROW ESCAPE FROM A CROCODILE--DONKEY SEIZED BY CROCODILE--MEET CARAVAN FROM UJIJI--MORE NEWS OF LIVINGSTONE--THREATENED BY WAHHA--PASS VILLAGE AT NIGHT--NEARLY DISCOVERED--LAKE TANGANYIKA SEEN--DR. LIVINGSTONE FOUND AT LAST--LIVINGSTONE RECOVERS--CHARACTER OF LIVINGSTONE--VOYAGE ON LAKE TANGANYIKA--THE RUSIZI RIVER--LIVINGSTONE AND STANLEY SET OFF FROM UJIJI TOGETHER--JOURNEY TO MKASWA, AND STAY THERE--LIVINGSTONE REMAINS, AND STANLEY PROCEEDS TO ZANZIBAR TO FIT OUT AN EXPEDITION TO ASSIST HIM--FINDS KISALUNGO DESTROYED BY A FLOOD-- DREADFUL FLOODS--ADVENTURES ON JOURNEY--MEETS WITH THE LIVINGSTONE RELIEF EXPEDITION--IT IS DISBANDED--DISBANDS HIS OWN, AND FITS OUT A FRESH ONE--STARTS IT OFF, AND SAILS FOR ENGLAND VIA THE SEYCHELLES-- NOBLE LIBERALITY OF MR. BENNETT.
The spirited proprietor of the "New York Herald," James Gordon Bennett, having become deeply interested in the fate of Dr Livingstone, determined to send out one of his special correspondents, Mr Henry M.
Stanley, then at Madrid, to Africa, in search of the traveller.
Arriving in Paris, Stanley received his instructions, which were, first to ascertain in Egypt what Sir Samuel Baker--then about to start up the Nile--intended to do, and, after visiting a good many other places, to make his way _via_ Bombay, Mauritius, and the Seychelles, to Zanzibar.
He carried out his instructions, and arrived in January, 1871, at Zanzibar, which he found to be a much more beautiful and fertile island than he had supposed.
He soon introduced himself to Dr Kirk, and, without delay, set about making the necessary preparations for his journey.
The great difficulty was to obtain information as to the amount of food, or rather the articles for purchasing it, which would be required for the hundred men he proposed enlisting in his service.
He had engaged at Jerusalem a Christian Arab boy named Selim, who was to act as his interpreter, and he had also on the voyage attached to the expedition two mates of merchantmen, Farquhar and Shaw, who were very useful in constructing tents and arranging two boats and the pack-saddles and packages for the journey, but who proved in other respects very poor travellers. He also secured the services of that now well-known hero, Bombay, captain of Speke's faithfuls, and five of his other followers, Uledi, Grant's valet, and the bull-headed Mabruki, who had in the mean time lost one of his hands, but, notwithstanding, was likely to prove useful. They were the only remains of the band to be found, the rest having died or gone elsewhere. These six still retained their medals for assisting in the discovery of the source of the Nile.
The boats, one of which was capable of carrying twenty people and the other six, were stripped of their planks, the timbers and thwarts only being carried. Instead of the planking it was proposed to cover them with double canvas skin, well tarred. They and the rest of the baggage were carried in loads, none exceeding sixty-eight pounds in weight. Two horses and twenty-seven donkeys were purchased, and a small cart, while the traveller had brought with him a watch-dog, which he hoped would guard his tent from prowling thieves. An ample supply of beads, cloth, and wire were also laid in, with tea, sugar, rice, and medicine. To Bombay and his faithfuls were added eighteen more free men, who were all well-armed, and when mustered appeared an exceedingly fine-looking body of soldiers. These were to act as escort to the _pagazis_, or carriers.
On the 4th of February, 1871, the expedition was ready, and on the 5th embarked in four dhows, which conveyed it across to Bagomoyo on the mainland.
Here it was detained five weeks while its persevering leader was combatting the rogueries of Ali Ben Salim and another Arab, Hadji Palloo, who had undertaken to secure one hundred and forty _pagazis_.
The packages were rearranged, the tents improved, and other necessary arrangements made.
He found here a caravan which had been despatched by the British Consul a hundred days before to the relief of Dr Livingstone; but which, its leader making as an excuse that he was unable to obtain a fresh number of _pagazis_, had hitherto remained inactive.
The climate of Bagomoyo is far superior to that of Zanzibar.
In its neighbourhood a French Jesuit mission has been for some time established, with ten priests and as many sisters, who have been very successful in educating two hundred boys and girls. The priests sumptuously entertained Mr Stanley with excellent champagne and claret, while some of their pupils, among whom they had formed an excellent brass band, amused them with instrumental music and French songs.
He divided his expedition into five caravans, the first of which he started off on the 18th of February, although it was not till March 21st that he with the largest was able to commence his journey westward.
Altogether the expedition numbered on the day of departure, besides the commander and his two white attendants, twenty-three soldiers, four chiefs, one hundred and fifty-three _pagazis_, and four supernumeraries.
Every possible care had been bestowed on the outfit, and in nothing that it needed was it stinted.
Bombay proved to be as honest and trustworthy as formerly, while Ferajji and Mabruki turned out true men and staunch, the latter, on one occasion, finding a difficulty in dragging the cart, having brought it along on his head rather than abandon it.
The Kinganni river was reached by a bridge rapidly formed with American axes, the donkeys refusing to pass through the water.
The country due west of Bagomoyo was found to be covered with towns and villages which were previously unknown.
Soon after starting, Omar, the watch-dog was missing, when Mabruki, hastening back, found him at the previous halting-place.
One of the caravans at the same place was detained by the sickness of three of the _pagazis_, whose places it was necessary to supply.
Stanley soon had to experience the invariable troubles of African travellers. His two horses died within a few hours of each other, both, however, from disease of long standing, and not from the climate.
Few men were better able to deal with the rogueries of the petty chiefs he met with than Mr Stanley. He had always a ready answer, and invariably managed to catch them in their own traps, while the "great master," as he was called, managed to keep all his subordinates in pretty good order.
One of his _pagazis_, Khamisi, under Shaw's command, having absconded, Uledi and Ferajji found him, having fallen into the hands of some plundering Washensi, who were about to kill him. A court of eight soldiers and eight _pagazis_, having been convened, condemned him to be flogged with the "great master's" donkey-whip. As Shaw ought to have kept a better look out, he was ordered to give him one blow and the _pagazis_ and soldiers the remainder. This being done, the man was pardoned.
Moving on, the expedition passed Simbamwenni, the capital of Useguhha, the fortifications of which are equal to any met with in Persia. The area of the town is about half a square mile, while four towers of stone guard each corner. There are four gates, one in each wall, which are closed with solid square doors of African teak, and carved with complicated devices.
It is ruled by the daughter of the infamous Kisalungo, notorious as a robber and kidnapper, another Theodore on a small scale.
Before long Stanley was attacked with fever, which greatly prostrated his strength, though he quickly recovered by taking strong dozes of quinine.
The most painful event which occurred was the flight of Bunda Selim, who had been punished for pilfering rations. The men sent after him were seized and imprisoned by the Sultana of Simbamwenni, and, though ultimately liberated by the interference of an Arab sheikh, nothing could be found of the missing cook. Shaw also fell ill, and left the task of urging on the floundering caravan through marshes and rivers to his superior. Several of the others followed his example, and even Bombay complained of pains and became unserviceable.
The report from Farquhar's caravan was most unsatisfactory, he, as far as Stanley could make out, having lost all his donkeys. The unhappy man, indeed, he found on overtaking him, was suffering from dropsy. He had also given to the _pagazis_ and soldiers no small amount of the contents of the bales committed to his charge, as payment for the services he had demanded of them, and in purchasing expensive luxuries.
As he could not walk and was worse than useless, Stanley was obliged to send the sick man, under the charge of Mabruki, thirty miles away to the village of Mpwapwa, to the chief of which place he promised an ample reward if he would take care of him.
Worse than all the wretched Shaw, after a dispute, during the night fired into his tent, too evidently with the intention of killing him.
He found the intended murderer pretending to be asleep, with a gun by his side yet warm. Unable to deny that he had fired, he declared that in his dreams he had seen a thief pass his door; and then asked what was the matter? "Oh, nothing," answered Stanley; "but I would advise you in future, in order to avoid all suspicion, not to fire into my tent, or at least, so near me. I might get hurt, in which case ugly reports would get about, and this, perhaps, would be disagreeable, as you are probably aware. Good night!"
On reaching Mpwapwa the Chief Lencolo positively refused to take charge of the white man unless an interpreter was left with him, and Jako, who was the only one of the party besides Bombay and Selim who could speak English, was ordered to remain in that capacity.
The expedition was now about to enter Ugogo. During the passage of the intervening desert, five out of the nine donkeys died, the cart having some time before been left behind.
The expedition was now joined by several Arab caravans, so that the number of the party amounted to about four hundred souls, strong in guns, flags, horns sounding, drums, and noise. This host was to be led by Stanley and Sheikh Hamed through the dreaded Ugogo.
On the 26th of May they were at Mvumi, paying heavy tribute to the sultan. Nothing seemed to satisfy him. Stanley suggested that as he had twenty Wazunga armed with Winchester repeating rifles, he might make the sultan pay tribute to him. The sheikh entreated that he would act peaceably, urging that angry words might induce the sultan to demand double the tribute.
While here five more donkeys died, and their bones were picked clean before the morning by the hyaenas.