How I Found Livingstone, Henry M. Stanley [best fantasy books to read txt] 📗

The Mshala River is

considered by both nations to be the proper divisional line;

though there are parties of Warundi who have emigrated beyond the

frontier into Ujiji; for instance, the Mutware and villagers of

populous Kagunga, distant an hour north from Zassi. There are also

several small parties of Wajiji, who have taken advantage of the

fine lands in the deltas of the Kasokwe, Namusinga, and Luaba

Rivers, the two first of which enter the Tanganika in this bay,

near the head of which Nyabigma is situated.

 

From Nyabigma, a pretty good view of the deep curve in the great

mountain range which stretches from Cape Kazinga and terminates at

Cape Kasofu, may be obtained—a distance of twenty or twenty-five

miles. It is a most imposing scene, this great humpy, ridgy, and

irregular line of mountains. Deep ravines and chasms afford outlets

to the numerous streams and rivers which take their rise in the

background; the pale fleecy ether almost always shrouds its summit.

From its base extends a broad alluvial plain, rich beyond description,

teeming with palms and plantains, and umbrageous trees. Villages

are seen in clusters everywhere. Into this alluvial plain run the

Luaba, or Ruaba River, on the north side of Cape Kitunda, and the

Kasokwe, Namusinga, and Mshala Rivers, on the south side of the cape.

All the deltas of rivers emptying into the Tanganika are hedged

in on all sides with a thick growth of matete, a gigantic species

of grass, and papyrus. In some deltas, as that of Luaba and

Kasokwe, morasses have been formed, in which the matete and papyrus

jungle is impenetrable. In the depths of them are quiet and deep

pools, frequented by various aquatic birds, such as geese, ducks,

snipes, widgeons, kingfishers and ibis, cranes and storks, and

pelicans. To reach their haunts is, however, a work of great

difficulty to the sportsman in quest of game; a work often

attended with great danger, from the treacherous nature of these

morasses, as well as from the dreadful attacks of fever which,

in these regions, invariably follow wet feet and wet clothes.

 

At Nyabigma we prepared, by distributing ten rounds of ammunition

to each of our men, for a tussle with the Warundi of two stages

ahead, should they invite it by a too forward exhibition of their

prejudice to strangers.

 

At dawn of the fifth day we quitted the haven of Nyabigma Island,

and in less than an hour had arrived off Cape Kitunda. This cape

is a low platform of conglomerate sandstone, extending for about

eight miles from the base of the great mountain curve which gives

birth to the Luaba and its sister streams. Crossing the deep bay,

at the head of which is the delta of the Luaba, we came to Cape

Kasofu. Villages are numerous in this vicinity. From hence we

obtained a view of a series of points or capes, Kigongo, Katunga,

and Buguluka, all of which we passed before coming to a halt at

the pretty position of Mukungu.

 

At Mukungu, where we stopped on the fifth day, we were asked for

honga, or tribute. The cloth and beads upon which we subsisted

during our lake voyage were mine, but the Doctor, being the elder

of the two, more experienced, and the “big man” of the party, had

the charge of satisfying all such demands. Many and many a time

had I gone through the tedious and soul-wearying task of settling

the honga, and I was quite curious to see how the great traveller

would perform the work.

 

The Mateko (a man inferior to a Mutware) of Mukungu asked for two

and a half doti. This was the extent of the demand, which he made

known to us a little after dark. The Doctor asked if nothing had

been brought to us. He was answered, “No, it was too late to get

anything now; but, if we paid the honga, the Mateko would be ready

to give us something when we came back.” Livingstone, upon hearing

this, smiled, and the Mateko being then and there in front of him,

he said to him. “Well, if you can’t get us anything now, and

intend to give something when we return, we had better keep the

honga until then.” The Mateko was rather taken aback at this,

and demurred to any such proposition. Seeing that he was

dissatisfied, we urged him to bring one sheep—one little sheep—

for our stomachs were nearly empty, having been waiting more than

half a day for it. The appeal was successful, for the old man

hastened, and brought us a lamb and a three-gallon pot of sweet

but strong zogga, or palm toddy, and in return the Doctor

gave him two and a half doti of cloth. The lamb was killed, and,

our digestions being good, its flesh agreed with us; but, alas,

for the effects of zogga, or palm toddy! Susi, the invaluable

adjunct of Dr. Livingstone, and Bombay, the headman of my

caravan, were the two charged with watching the canoe; but, having

imbibed too freely of this intoxicating toddy, they slept heavily,

and in the morning the Doctor and I had to regret the loss of

several valuable and indispensable things; among which may be

mentioned the Doctor’s 900-fathom sounding-line, 500 rounds of pin,

rim, and central-fire cartridges for my arms, and ninety musket

bullets, also belonging to me. Besides these, which were

indispensable in hostile Warundi, a large bag of flour and the

Doctor’s entire stock of white sugar were stolen. This was the

third time that my reliance in Bombay’s trustworthiness resulted

in a great loss to me, and for the ninety-ninth time I had to

regret bitterly having placed such entire confidence in Speke’s

loud commendation of him. It was only the natural cowardice of

ignorant thieves that prevented the savages from taking the boat

and its entire contents, together with Bombay and Susi as slaves.

I can well imagine the joyful surprise which must have been

called forth at the sight and exquisite taste of the Doctor’s

sugar, and the wonder with which they must have regarded the

strange ammunition of the Wasungu. It is to be sincerely hoped

that they did not hurt themselves with the explosive bullets and

rim cartridges through any ignorance of the nature of the deadly

contents; in which ease the box and its contents would prove a

very Pandora’s casket.

 

Much grieved at our loss, we set off on the sixth day at the usual

hour on our watery journey. We coasted close to the several low

headlands formed by the rivers Kigwena, Kikuma, and Kisunwe; and

when any bay promised to be interesting, steered the canoe

according to its indentations. While travelling on the water—each

day brought forth similar scenes—on our right rose the mountains

of Urundi, now and then disclosing the ravines through which the

several rivers and streams issued into the great lake; at their

base were the alluvial plains, where flourished the oil-palm and

grateful plantain, while scores of villages were grouped under

their shade. Now and then we passed long narrow strips of pebbly

or sandy beach, whereon markets were improvised for selling fish,

and the staple products of the respective communities. Then we

passed broad swampy morasses, formed by the numerous streams

which the mountains discharged, where the matete and papyrus

flourished. Now the mountains approached to the water, their sides

descending abruptly to the water’s edge; then they receded into

deep folds, at the base of which was sure to be seen an alluvial

plain from one to eight miles broad. Almost constantly we

observed canoes being punted vigorously close to the surf,

in fearless defiance of a catastrophe, such as a capsize and

gobbling-up by voracious crocodiles. Sometimes we sighted a canoe

a short distance ahead of us; whereupon our men, with song and

chorus, would exert themselves to the utmost to overtake it.

Upon observing our efforts, the natives would bend themselves to

their tasks, and paddling standing and stark naked, give us ample

opportunities for studying at our leisure comparative anatomy.

Or we saw a group of fishermen lazily reclining in puris naturalibus

on the beach, regarding with curious eye the canoes as they passed

their neighbourhood; then we passed a flotilla of canoes, their

owners sitting quietly in their huts, busily plying the rod and

hook, or casting their nets, or a couple of men arranging their

long drag nets close in shore for a haul; or children sporting

fearlessly in the water, with their mothers looking on approvingly

from under the shade of a tree, from which I infer that there are

not many crocodiles in the lake, except in the neighbourhood of

the large rivers.

 

After passing the low headland of Kisunwe, formed by the Kisunwe

River, we came in view of Murembwe Cape, distant about four or five

miles: the intervening ground being low land, a sandy and pebbly

beach. Close to the beach are scores of villages, while the

crowded shore indicates the populousness of the place beyond.

About half way between Cape Kisunwe and Murembwe, is a cluster of

villages called Bikari, which has a mutware who is in the habit of

taking honga. As we were rendered unable to cope for any length

of time with any mischievously inclined community, all villages

having a bad reputation with the Wajiji were avoided by us.

But even the Wajiji guides were sometimes mistaken, and led us

more than once into dangerous places. The guides evidently had

no objections to halt at Bikari, as it was the second camp from

Mukungu; because with them a halt in the cool shade of plaintains

was infinitely preferable to sitting like carved pieces of wood

in a cranky canoe. But before they stated their objections and

preferences, the Bikari people called to us in a loud voice to

come ashore, threatening us with the vengeance of the great Wami

if we did not halt. As the voices were anything but siren-like,

we obstinately refused to accede to the request. Finding threats

of no avail, they had recourse to stones, and, accordingly, flung

them at us in a most hearty manner. As one came within a foot of

my arm, I suggested that a bullet be sent in return in close

proximity to their feet; but Livingstone, though he said nothing,

yet showed plainly enough that he did not quite approve of this.

As these demonstrations of hostility were anything but welcome,

and as we saw signs of it almost every time we came opposite a

village, we kept on our way until we came to Murembwe Point,

which, being a delta of a river of the same name, was well

protected by a breadth of thorny jungle, spiky cane, and a thick

growth of reed and papyrus, from which the boldest Mrundi might

well shrink, especially if he called to mind that beyond this

inhospitable swamp were the guns of the strangers his like had

so rudely challenged. We drew our canoe ashore here, and, on

a limited area of clean sand, Ferajji, our rough-and-ready cook,

lit his fire, and manufactured for us a supply of most delicious

Mocha coffee. Despite the dangers which still beset us, we were

quite happy, and seasoned our meal with a little moral philosophy,

which lifted us unconsciously into infinitely superior beings to

the pagans by whom we were surrounded—upon whom we now looked down,

under the influence of Mocha coffee and moral philosophy, with

calm contempt, not unmixed with a certain amount of compassion.

The Doctor related some experiences he had had among people of

similar disposition, but did not fail to ascribe them, with the

wisdom of a man of ripe experiences, to the unwise conduct of

the Arabs and half-castes; in this opinion I unreservedly concur.

 

From Murembwe Point, having finished our coffee and ended our

discourse