The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death | Page 9

take me down to the Rovuma River, and land me
there. I have a dhow to take my animals: six camels, three buffaloes,
and a calf, two mules, and four donkeys. I have thirteen Sepoys, ten
Johanna men, nine Nassick boys, two Shupanga men, and two Wayaus,
Wekatani and Chuma.[3]

[It may be well to point out that several of these men had previously
been employed by Dr. Livingstone on the Zambesi and Shiré; thus
Musa, the Johanna man, was a sailor on the Lady Nyassa, whilst Susi
and Amoda were engaged at Shupanga to cut wood for the Pioneer.
The two Waiyau lads, Wakatani and Chuma, were liberated from the
slavers by the Doctor and Bishop Mackenzie in 1861, and lived for
three years with the Mission party at Chibisa's before they were
engaged by Livingstone. The Nassick lads were entire strangers, and
were trained in India.]
_19th March, 1866._--We start this morning at 10 A.M. I trust that the
Most High may prosper me in this work, granting me influence in the
eyes of the heathen, and helping me to make my intercourse beneficial
to them.
_22nd March, 1866._--We reached Rovuma Bay to-day, and anchored
about two miles from the mouth of the river, in five fathoms. I went up
the left bank to see if the gullies which formerly ran into the bay had
altered, so as to allow camels to cross them: they seemed to have
become shallower. There was no wind for the dhow, and as for the
man-of-war towing her, it was out of the question. On the 23rd the
cutter did try to tow the dhow, but without success, as a strong tide runs
constantly out of the river at this season. A squall came up from the
S.E., which would have taken the dhow in, but the master was on board
the Penguin, and said he had no large sail. I got him off to his vessel,
but the wind died away before we could reach the mouth of the river.
_24th March, 1866._--I went to the dhow, and there being no wind I
left orders with the captain to go up the right bank should a breeze arise.
Mr. Fane, midshipman, accompanied me up the left bank above, to see
if we could lead the camels along in the water. Near the point where the
river first makes a little bend to the north, we landed and found three
formidable gullies, and jungle so thick with bush, date-palms, twining
bamboo, and hooked thorns, that one could scarcely get along. Further
inland it was sticky mud, thickly planted over with mangrove roots and
gullies in whose soft banks one sank over the ankles. No camels could
have moved, and men with extreme difficulty might struggle through;

but we never could have made an available road. We came to a
she-hippopotamus lying in a ditch, which did not cover her; Mr. Fane
fired into her head, and she was so upset that she nearly fell backward
in plunging up the opposite bank: her calf was killed, and was like
sucking-pig, though in appearance as large as a full-grown sow.
We now saw that the dhow had a good breeze, and she came up along
the right bank and grounded at least a mile from the spot where the
mangroves ceased. The hills, about two hundred feet high, begin about
two or three miles above that, and they looked invitingly green and
cool. My companion and I went from the dhow inland, to see if the
mangroves gave way, to a more walkable country, but the swamp
covered over thickly with mangroves only became worse the farther we
receded from the river. The whole is flooded at high tides, and had we
landed all the men we should have been laid up with fever ere we could
have attained the higher land, which on the right bank bounds the line
of vision, and the first part of which lies so near. I thought I had better
land on the sand belt on the left of Rovuma Bay, and then explore and
get information from the natives, none of whom had as yet come near
us, so I ordered the dhow to come down to the spot next day, and went
on board the Penguin. Lieutenant Garforth was excessively kind, and
though this is his best time for cruising in the North, he most patiently
agreed to wait and help me to land.
_24th March, 1866._--During the night it occurred to me that we
should be in a mess if after exploration and information from the
natives we could find no path, and when I mentioned this, Lieutenant
Garforth suggested that we should proceed to Kilwa, so at 5 A.M. I
went up to the dhow with