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

My boat-manned by Wajiji sailors, whom we had

engaged to take the canoes back from Tongwe Cape to Ujiji Bunder—

came astern, and had a much taller flagstaff, on which was hoisted

the ever-beautiful Stars and Stripes. Its extreme height drew from

the Doctor—whose patriotism and loyalty had been excited—the remark

that he would cut down the tallest palmyra for his flagstaff, as it

was not fitting that the British flag should be so much lower than

that of the United States.

 

Our soldiers were not a whit behind us in lightheartedness at the

thought of going to Unyanyembe. They struck up the exhilarating

song of the Zanzibar boatmen, with the ecstatic chorus—

 

Kinan de re re Kitunga,

 

rowing away like madmen, until they were compelled to rest from

sheer exhaustion, while the perspiration exuded from the pores of

their bodies in streams. When refreshed, they bent back to their

oars, raising the song of the Mrima—

 

O mama, re de mi Ky,

 

which soon impelled them to an extravagant effort again, It was

by this series of ferocious spurts, racing, shouting, singing,

perspiring, laughing, groaning, and puffing, that our people vented

their joyous feelings, as the thought filled their minds that we

were homeward bound, and that by the route I had adopted between

us and Unyanyembe there was not the least danger.

 

We have given the Waha, the slip! ha, ha!

The Wavinza will trouble us no more! ho! ho!

Mionvu can get no more cloth from us! hy,by!

And Kiala will see us no more–never more! he, he!

 

they shouted with wild bursts of laughter, seconded by tremendous

and rapid strokes with their oars, which caused the stiff old

canoes to quiver from stem to stern.

 

Our party ashore seemed to partake of our excitement, and joined

in the wild refrain of the mad African song. We watched them

urging their steps forward to keep pace with us, as we rounded

the capes and points, and rowed across the bays whose margins were

sedge, and rush, and reed; the tiny and agile Kalulu, little

Bilali, and Majwara were seen racing the herds of goats, sheep,

and donkeys which belonged to the caravan, and the animals even

seemed to share the general joy.

 

Nature, also—proud, wild nature-0-with the lofty azure dome

upheaved into infinity—with her breadth and depth of vivid

greenness and enormous vastness on our left—with her immense

sheet of bright, glancing water—with her awful and intense

serenity—she partook of and added to our joy.

 

About 10 A.M. we arrived at Kirindo’s, an old chief, noted for his

singular kindness to Dr. Livingstone, while he bore animosity to

the Arabs. To the Arabs this was unaccountable—to the Doctor it

was plain: he had but spoken kind and sincere words, while all the

Arabs spoke to him as if he were not even a man, least of all a

chief.

 

Kirindo’s place is at the mouth of the Liuche, which is very wide;

the river oozes out through a forest of eschinomenae (pith tree).

This was a rendezvous agreed upon between shore and lake parties,

that the canoes might all cross to the other side, distant a mile

and a half. The mouth of the Liuche forms the Bay of Ukaranga,

so named because on the other side, whither we were about to cross

our party, was situated the village of Ukaranga, a few hundred yards

from the lake. All the baggage was taken out of the largest canoe,

and stowed snugly in the smaller one, and a few select oarsmen

having taken seats, pushed off with the Doctor on board, who was

to superintend pitching the encampment at Ukaranga; while I remained

behind to bind the fractious and ill-natured donkeys, and stow

them away in the bottom of the large canoe, that no danger of

upsetting might be incurred, and a consequent gobbling-up by

hungry crocodiles, which were all about us waiting their opportunity.

The flock of goats were then embarked, and as many of our people

as could be got in. About thirty still remained behind with myself,

for whom my canoe was to return.

 

We all arrived safe at Ukaranga, though we got dangerously near

a herd of hippopotami. The crossing of the wide mouth (the Liuche

being then in flood) was effected in about four hours.

 

The next day, in the same order as on our departure from Ujiji,

we pursued our way south, the lake party keeping as closely as

possible to the shore, yet, when feasible, wind and weather

permitting, we struck off boldly across the numerous small bays

which indent the shores of the Tanganika. The shores were

beautifully green, the effect of the late rains; the waters of

the lake were a faithful reflex of the blue firmament above.

The hippopotami were plentiful. Those noticed on this day were

coloured with reddish rings round the base of their ears and on the

neck. One monster, coming up rather late, was surprised by the

canoe making full for him, and in great fright took a tremendous

dive which showed the whole length of his body. Half way between

the mouth of the Malagarazi and that of the Liuche we saw a camp

on shore—that of Mohammed bin Gharib, a Msawahili, who figured

often in Livingstone’s verbal narrative to me of his adventures

and travels as one of the kindest and best of the Moslems in

Central Africa. He appeared to me a kindly disposed man, with

a face seldom seen, having the stamp of an unusual characteristic

on it—that of sincerity.

 

The vegetation of the shores as we proceeded was truly tropical,

each curve revealed new beauties. With the soft chalky stone, of

which most of the cliffs and bluffs are made, seen as we neared

the mouth of the Malagarazi, the surf has played strange freaks.

 

We arrived at the mouth of the Malagarazi about P.M., having rowed

eighteen miles from Ukaranga. The shore party arrived, very much

fatigued, about 5 P.M.

 

The next day was employed in crossing the caravan across the broad

mouth of the Malagarazi to our camp, a couple of miles north of the

river. This is a river which a civilised community would find of

immense advantage for shortening the distance between the Tanganika

and the coast. Nearly one hundred miles might be performed by

this river, which is deep enough at all seasons to allow navigation

as far as Kiala, in Uvinza, whence a straight road might be easily

made to Unyanyembe. Missionaries also might reap the same benefit

from it for conversion-tours to Uvinza, Uhha, and Ugala. Pursuing

our way on the 30th, and rounding the picturesque capes of

Kagongo, Mviga and Kivoe, we came, after about three hours’

rowing, in sight of villages at the mouth of the swift and turbid

Rugufu. Here we had again to transport the caravan ever the

crocodile-infested mouth of the river.

 

On the morning of the 31st we sent a canoe with men to search for

food in the two or three villages that were visible on the other

side. Four doti purchased just sufficient for four days for our

caravan of forty-eight persons. We then got under weigh, having

informed the kirangozi that Urimba was our destination, and bidding

him keep as closely as possible to the lake shore, where it was

practicable, but if not, to make the best he could of it. From the

debouchement of the Rugufu, the headwaters of which we had crossed

on our random route to Ujiji, to Urimba, a distance of six days by

water, there are no villages, and consequently no food. The shore

party, however, before leaving Ujiji, had eight days’ rations,

and on this morning four days’, distributed to each person,

and therefore was in no danger of starvation should the mountain

headlands, now unfolding, abrupt and steep, one after another,

prevent them from communicating with us. It must be understood

that such a journey as this had never been attempted before by

any Arab or Msawahili, and every step taken was in sheer

ignorance of where the road would lead the men ashore. Rounding

Kivoe’s steep promontory, whose bearded ridge and rugged slope,

wooded down to the water’s edge, whose exquisite coves and quiet

recesses, might well have evoked a poetical effusion to one so

inclined, we dared the chopping waves of Kivoe’s bay, and stood

direct for the next cape, Mizohazy, behind which, owing to wind

and wave, we were compelled to halt for the night.

 

After Mizohazy is the bold cape of Kabogo—not the terrible Kabogo

around whose name mystery has been woven by the superstitious

natives—not the Kabogo whose sullen thunder and awful roar were

heard when crossing the Rugufu on our flight from the Wahha–but

a point in Ukaranga, on whose hard and uninviting rocks many a

canoe has been wrecked. We passed close to its forbidding walls,

thankful for the calm of the Tanganika. Near Kabogo are some very

fine mvule trees, well adapted for canoe building, and there are no

loud-mouthed natives about to haggle for the privilege of cutting

them.

 

Along the water’s edge, and about three feet above it, was observed

very clearly on the smooth face of the rocky slopes of Kabogo

the high-water mark of the lake. This went to show that the

Tanganika, during the rainy season, rises about three feet above

its dry season level, and that, during the latter season,

evaporation reduces it to its normal level. The number of rivers

which we passed on this journey enabled me to observe whether, as

I was told, there was any current setting north. It was apparent

to me that, while the southwest, south, or south-east winds blew,

the brown flood of the rivers swept north; but it happened that,

while passing, once or twice, the mouths of rivers, after a puff

from the northwest and north, that the muddied waters were seen

southward of the mouths; from which I conclude that there is no

current in the Tanganika except such as is caused by the fickle

wind.

 

Finding a snug nook of a bay at a place called Sigunga, we put in

for lunch. An island at the mouth of the bay suggested to our

minds that this was a beautiful spot for a mission station; the

grandly sloping hills in the background, with an undulating shelf

of land well-wooded between them and the bay, added to the

attractions of such a spot. The island, capable of containing

quite a large village, and perfectly defensible, might, for

prudence’ sake, contain the mission and its congregation; the

landlocked bay would protect their fishery and trade vessels;

more than sustain a hundred times the number of the population

of the island. Wood for building their canoes and houses is

close at hand; the neighbouring country would afford game in

abundance; and the docile and civil people of Ukaranga but

wait religious shepherds.

 

From beautiful Sigunga, after a brief halt, we set off, and,

after three hours, arrived at the mouth of the River Uwelasia.

Hippopotami and crocodiles being numerous; we amused ourselves by

shooting at them, having also a hope of attracting the attention

of our shore party, the sound of whose guns we had not heard

since leaving the Rugufu.

 

On the 3rd of January we left Uwelasia, and, passing by Cape

Herembe, were in the bay of Tongwe. This bay is about twenty-five miles broad, and stretches from Cape Herembe to Cape Tongwe.

Finding themselves so near their destination, Urimba being

but six miles from Herembe Point, the men of both boats bent

themselves to their oars, and, with shouts, songs, and laughter,

encouraged each other to do their utmost. The flags of the two

great Anglo-Saxon nations rippled and played in the soft breeze,

sometimes drawing near caressingly together,