The Mammoth Book of Travel in Dangerous Places (46 page)

In the evening he sent to say that if I would give him all my people who had guns, he would call his people together, burn off all the vegetation they could fire, and punish our enemies,
bringing me ten goats instead of three milch goats I had lost. I again explained that the attack was made by a mistake in thinking I was Mohamad Bogharib, and that I had no wish to kill men: to
join in his old feud would only make matters worse. This he could perfectly understand.

I lost all my remaining calico, a telescope, umbrella, and five spears, by one of the slaves throwing down the load and taking up his own bundle of country cloth.

9th August
Went on towards Mamohela, now deserted by the Arabs. Monanponda convoyed me a long way, and at one spot, with grass all trodden down, he said, “Here we
killed a man of Moezia and ate his body.” The meat cut up had been seen by Dugumbé.

10th August
In connection with this affair the party that came through from Mamalulu found that a great fight had taken place at Muanampunda’s, and they saw the
meat cut up to be cooked with bananas. They did not like the strangers to look at their meat, but said, “Go on, and let our feast alone,” they did not want to be sneered at. The same
Muanampunda or Monambonda told me frankly that they ate the man of Moezia: they seem to eat their foes to inspire courage, or in revenge. One point is very remarkable; it is not want that has led
to the custom, for the country is full of food: nobody is starved of farinaceous food; they have maize, dura, pennisetum, cassava and sweet potatoes, and for fatty ingredients of diet, the
palm-oil, ground-nuts, sessamum, and a tree whose fruit yields a fine sweet oil: the saccharine materials needed are found in the sugar-cane, bananas, and plantains.

Goats, sheep, fowls, dogs, pigs, abound in the villages, whilst the forest affords elephants, zebras, buffaloes, antelopes, and in the streams there are many varieties of fish. The nitrogenous
ingredients are abundant, and they have dainties in palm-toddy, and tobacco or Bangé: the soil is so fruitful that mere scraping off the weeds is as good as ploughing, so that the reason for
cannibalism does not lie in starvation or in want of animal matter, as was said to be the case with the New Zealanders. The only feasible reason I can discover is a depraved appetite, giving an
extraordinary craving for meat which we call “high.” They are said to bury a dead body for a couple of days in the soil in a forest, and in that time, owing to the climate, it soon
becomes putrid enough for the strongest stomachs.

The Lualaba has many oysters in it with very thick shells. They are called
Makessi,
and at certain seasons are dived for by the Bagenya women: pearls are said to be found in them, but
boring to string them has never been thought of.

The Manyuema are so afraid of guns, that a man borrows one to settle any dispute or claim: he goes with it over his shoulder, and quickly arranges the matter by the pressure it brings, though
they all know that he could not use it.

A ball of hair rolled in the stomach of a lion, as calculi are, is a great charm among the Arabs: it scares away other animals, they say.

Lion’s fat smeared on the tails of oxen taken through a country abounding in tsetse, or buñgo, is a sure preventive; when I heard of this, I thought that lion’s fat would be
as difficult of collection as gnat’s brains or mosquito tongues, but I was assured that many lions are killed on the Basango highland, and they, in common with all beasts there, are extremely
fat: so it is not at all difficult to buy a calabash of the preventive, and Banyamwezi, desirous of taking cattle to the coast for sale, know the substance, and use it successfully (?).

11th August
Came on by a long march of six hours across plains of grass and watercourses, lined with beautiful trees, to Kassessa’s, the chief of Mamohela, who has
helped the Arabs to scourge several of his countrymen for old feuds: he gave them goats, and then guided them by night to the villages, where they got more goats and many captives, each to be
redeemed with ten goats more. During the last foray, however, the people learned that every shot does not kill, and they came up to the party with bows and arrows, and compelled the slaves to throw
down their guns and powder-horns. They would have shown no mercy had Manyuema been thus in slave power; but this is a beginning of the end, which will exclude Arab traders from the country. I
rested half a day, as I am still ill. I do most devoutly thank the Lord for sparing my life three times in one day. The Lord is good, a stronghold in the day of trouble, and He knows them that
trust in Him.

12th August
Mamohela camp all burned off. We sleep at Mamohela village.

13th August
At a village on the bank of River Lolindi. I am suffering greatly. A man brought a young, nearly full-fledged, kite from a nest on a tree: this is the first
case of their breeding, that I am sure of, in this country: they are migratory into these intertropical lands from the south, probably.

14th August
Across many brisk burns to a village on the side of a mountain range. First rains 12th and 14th, gentle; but near Luamo, it ran on the paths, and caused
dew.

15th August
To Muanambonyo’s. Golungo, a bush buck, with stripes across body, and two rows of spots along the sides (?).

16th August
To Luamo River. Very ill with bowels.

17th August
Cross river, and sent a message to my friend. Katomba sent a bountiful supply of food back.

18th August
Reached Katomba, at Moenemgoi’s, and was welcomed by all the heavily-laden Arab traders. They carry their trade spoil in three relays. Kenyengére
attacked before I came, and 150 captives were taken and about 100 slain; this is an old feud of Moenemgoi, which the Arabs took up for their own gain. No news whatever from Ujiji, and M. Bogharib
is still at Bambarre, with all my letters.

19th–20th August
Rest from weakness.
(21st August.)
Up to the palms on the west of Mount Kanyima Pass.
(22nd August.)
Bambarré.
(28th
August.)
Better and thankful. Katomba’s party has nearly a thousand frasilahs of ivory, and Mohamad’s has 300 frasilahs.

29th August
Ill all night, and remain.
(
30
th August.)
Ditto, ditto; but go on to Monandenda’s on River Lombonda.

31st August
Up and half over the mountain range, (1
st September)
and sleep in dense forest, with several fine running streams.

2nd September,
1871 Over the range, and down on to a marble-capped hill, with a village on top.

3rd September
Equinoctial gales. On to Lohombo.

5th September
To Kasangangazi’s.
(6th September.)
Rest.
(7th September.)
Mamba’s. Rest on 8th.
(9th September.)
Ditto ditto. People
falsely accused of stealing; but I disproved it to the confusion of the Arabs, who wish to be able to say, “the people of the English steal too.” A very rough road from
Kasangangazi’s hither, and several running rivulets crossed.

10th September
Manyuema boy followed us, but I insisted on his father’s consent, which was freely given: marching proved too hard for him, however, and in a few
days he left.

Down into the valley of the Kapemba through beautiful undulating country, and came to village of Amru: this is a common name, and is used as “man,” or “comrade,” or
“mate.”

11th September
Up a very steep high mountain range Moloni or Mononi, and down to a village at the bottom on the other side, of a man called Molembu.

12th September
Two men sick. Wait, though I am now comparatively sound and well. Dura flour, which we can now procure, helps to strengthen me: it is nearest to wheaten
flour; maize meal is called “cold,” and not so wholesome as the
Holcus sorghum
or dura. A lengthy march through a level country, with high mountain ranges on each hand; along
that on the left our first path lay, and it was very fatiguing. We came to the Rivulet Kalangai. I had hinted to Mohamad that if he harboured my deserters, it might go hard with him; and he came
after me for two marches, and begged me not to think that he did encourage them. They came impudently into the village, and I had to drive them out: I suspected that he had sent them. I explained,
and he gave me a goat, which I sent back for.

13th September
This march back completely used up the Manyuema boy: he could not speak, or tell what he wanted cooked, when he arrived. I did not see him go back, and
felt sorry for the poor boy, who left us by night. People here would sell nothing, so I was glad of the goat.

14th September
To Pyanamosindé’s.
(15th September.)
To Karungamagao’s; very fine undulating green country.
(16th and 17th September.)
Rest, as we could get food to buy.
(l8th September.)
To a stockaded village, where the people ordered us to leave. We complied, and went out half a mile and built our sheds in the forest: I
like sheds in the forest much better than huts in the villages, for we have no mice or vermin, and incur no obligation.

19th September
Found that Barua are destroying all the Manyue-ma villages not stockaded.

20th September
We came to Kunda’s on the River Katemba, through great plantations of cassava, and then to a woman chief’s, and now regularly built our own
huts apart from the villages, near the hot fountain called Kabila which is about blood-heat, and flows across the path. Crossing this we came to Mokwaniwa’s, on the River Gombezé, and
met a caravan, under Nassur Masudi, of 200 guns. He presented a fine sheep, and reported that Seyed Majid was dead – he had been ailing and fell from some part of his new house at Darsalam,
and in three days afterwards expired. He was a true and warm friend to me and did all he could to aid me with his subjects, giving me two Sultan’s letters for the purpose. Seyed Burghash
succeeds him; this change causes anxiety. Will Seyed Burghash’s goodness endure now that he has the Sultanate? Small-pox raged lately at Ujiji.

22nd September
Caravan goes northwards, and we rest, and eat the sheep kindly presented.

23rd September
We now passed through the country of mixed Barua and Baguha, crossed the River Loñgumba twice and then came near the great mountain mass on west of
Tanganyika. From Mokwaniwa’s to Tanganyika is about ten good marches through open forest. The Guha people are not very friendly; they know strangers too well to show kindness: like Manyuema,
they are also keen traders. I was sorely knocked up by this march from Nyañgwé back to Ujiji. In the latter part of it, I felt as if dying on my feet. Almost every step was in pain,
the appetite failed, and a little bit of meat caused violent diarrhoea, whilst the mind, sorely depressed, reacted on the body. All the traders were returning successful: I alone had failed and
experienced worry, thwarting, baffling, when almost in sight of the end towards which I strained.

3rd October
I read the whole Bible through four times whilst I was in Manyuema.

8th October
The road covered with angular fragments of quartz was very sore to my feet, which are crammed into ill-made French shoes. How the bare feet of the men and
women stood out, I don’t know; it was hard enough on mine though protected by the shoes. We marched in the afternoons where water at this season was scarce. The dust of the march caused
ophthalmia, like that which afflicted Speke: this was my first touch of it in Africa. We now came to the Lobumba River, which flows into Tanganyika, and then to the village Loanda and sent to
Kasanga, the Guha chief, for canoes. The Loñgumba rises, like the Lobumba, in the mountains called Kabogo West. We heard great noises, as if thunder, as far as twelve days off, which were
ascribed to Kabogo, as if it had subterranean caves into which the waves rushed with great noise, and it may be that the Loñgumba is the outlet of Tanganyika: it becomes the Luassé
further down, and then the Luamo before it joins the Lualaba: the country slopes that way, but I was too ill to examine its source.

9th October
On to islet Kasengé. After much delay got a good canoe for three dotis, and on
15th October
went to the islet Kabiziwa.

18th October
Start for Kabogo East, and
19th
reach it 8 a.m.

20th October
Rest men.

22nd October
To Rombola.

23rd October
At dawn, off and go to Ujiji. Welcomed by all the Arabs, particularly by Moenyegheré. I was now reduced to a skeleton, but the market being held
daily, and all kinds of native food brought to it, I hoped that food and rest would soon restore me, but in the evening my people came and told me that Shereef had sold off all my goods, and
Moenyeghere confirmed it by saying, “We protested, but he did not leave a single yard of calico out of 3000, nor a string of beads out of 700 lbs.” This was distressing. I had made up
my mind, if I could not get people at Ujiji, to wait till men should come from the coast, but to wait in beggary was what I never contemplated, and I now felt miserable. Shereef was evidently a
moral idiot, for he came without shame to shake hands with me, and when I refused, assumed an air of displeasure, as having been badly treated; and afterwards came with his “Balghere,”
good-luck salutation, twice a day, and on leaving said, “I am going to pray,” till I told him that were I an Arab, his hand and both ears would be cut off for thieving, as he knew, and
I wanted no salutations from him. In my distress it was annoying to see Shereef’s slaves passing from the market with all the good things that my goods had bought.

24th October
My property had been sold to Shereef’s friends at merely nominal prices. Syed bin Majid, a good man, proposed that they should be returned, and the
ivory be taken from Shereef; but they would not restore stolen property, though they knew it to be stolen. Christians would have acted differently, even those of the lowest classes. I felt in my
destitution as if I were the man who went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves; but I could not hope for Priest, Levite, or good Samaritan to come by on either side, but one
morning Syed bin Majid said to me, “Now this is the first time we have been alone together; I have no goods, but I have ivory; let me, I pray you, sell some ivory, and give the goods to
you.” This was encouraging; but I said, “Not yet, but by-and-bye.” I had still a few barter goods left, which I had taken the precaution to deposit with Mohamad bin Saleh before
going to Manyuema, in case of returning in extreme need. But when my spirits were at their lowest ebb, the good Samaritan was close at hand, for one morning Susi came running at the top of his
speed and gasped out, “An Englishman! I see him!” and off he darted to meet him. The American flag at the head of a caravan told of the nationality of the stranger. Bales of goods,
baths of tin, huge kettles, cooking pots, tents, &c., made me think “This must be a luxurious traveller, and not one at his wits’ end like me.”
(28th October.)
It was
Henry Moreland Morton Stanley, the travelling correspondent of the
New York Herald,
sent by James Gordon Bennett, junior, at an expense of more than 4000
l
., to obtain accurate
information about Dr. Livingstone if living, and if dead to bring home my bones. The news he had to tell to one who had been two full years without any tidings from Europe made my whole frame
thrill. The terrible fate that had befallen France, the telegraphic cables successfully laid in the Atlantic, the election of General Grant, the death of good Lord Clarendon – my constant
friend, the proof that Her Majesty’s Government had not forgotten me in voting 1000
l
. for supplies, and many other points of interest, revived emotions that had lain dormant in
Manyuema. Appetite returned, and instead of the spare, tasteless, two meals a day, I ate four times daily, and in a week began to feel strong. I am not of a demonstrative turn; as cold, indeed, as
we islanders are usually reputed to be, but this disinterested kindness of Mr. Bennett, so nobly carried into effect by Mr. Stanley, was simply overwhelming. I really do feel extremely grateful,
and at the same time I am a litde ashamed at not being more worthy of the generosity. Mr. Stanley has done his part with untiring energy; good judgment in the teeth of very serious obstacles. His
helpmates turned out depraved blackguards, who, by their excesses at Zanzibar and elsewhere, had ruined their constitutions, and prepared their systems to be fit provender for the grave. They had
used up their strength by wickedness, and were of next to no service, but rather downdrafts and unbearable drags to progress.