The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death | Page 5

is the name of our young Arab host.
_11th March, 1869._--Go over to Kibizé islet, 1-1/2 hour from Kasanga.
Great care is taken not to encounter foul weather; we go a little way,
then wait for fair wind in crossing to east side of Lake.
_12th March, 1869._--People of Kibizé dress like those in Rua, with
cloth made of the Muabé or wild-date leaves; the same is used in
Madagascar for the "lamba."[2] Their hair is collected up to the top of
the head.
From Kibizé islet to Kabogo River on east side of Lake ten hours; sleep
there. Syde slipped past us at night, but we made up to him in four
hours next morning.
_13th March, 1869._--At Rombolé; we sleep, then on.
[At last he reached the great Arab settlement at Ujiji, on the eastern
shore of Tanganyika. It was his first visit, but he had arranged that
supplies should be forwarded thither by caravans bound inland from
Zanzibar. Most unfortunately his goods were made away with in all
directions--not only on this, but on several other occasions. The
disappointment to a man shattered in health, and craving for letters and
stores, must have been severe indeed.]
_14th March, 1869._--Go past Malagarasi River, and reach Ujiji in

3-1/2 hours. Found Haji Thani's agent in charge of my remaining goods.
Medicines, wine, and cheese had been left at Unyanyembé, thirteen
days east of this. Milk not to be had, as the cows had not calved, but a
present of Assam tea from Mr. Black, the Inspector of the Peninsular
and Oriental Company's affairs, had come from Calcutta, besides my
own coffee and a little sugar. I bought butter; two large pots are sold for
two fathoms of blue calico, and four-year-old flour, with which we
made bread. I found great benefit from the tea and coffee, and still
more from flannel to the skin.
_15th March, 1869._--Took account of all the goods left by the
plunderer; sixty-two out of eighty pieces of cloth (each of twenty-four
yards) were stolen, and most of my best beads. The road to Unyembé[3]
is blocked up by a Mazitu or Watuta war, so I must wait till the
Governor there gets an opportunity to send them. The Musa sent with
the buffaloes is a genuine specimen of the ill-conditioned,
English-hating Arab. I was accosted on arriving by, "You must give me
five dollars a month for all my time;" this though he had brought
nothing--the buffaloes all died--and did nothing but receive stolen
goods. I tried to make use of him to go a mile every second day for
milk, but he shammed sickness so often on that day I had to get another
to go; then he made a regular practice of coming into my house,
watching what my two attendants were doing, and going about the
village with distorted statements against them.
I clothed him, but he tried to make bad blood between the respectable
Arab who supplied me with milk and myself, telling him that I abused
him, and then he would come back, saying that he abused me! I can
account for his conduct only by attributing it to that which we call
ill-conditioned: I had to expel him from the house.
I repaired a house to keep out the rain, and on the _23rd_ moved into it.
I gave our Kasanga host a cloth and blanket; he is ill of pneumonia of
both lungs.
_28th March, 1869._--Flannel to the skin and tea very beneficial in the
cure of my disease; my cough has ceased, and I walk half a mile. I am
writing letters for home.

_8th April, 1869._--Visited Moené Mokaia, who sent me two fowls and
rice; gave him two cloths. He added a sheep.
_13th April, 1869._--Employed Suleyman to write notes to Governor
of Unyembé, Syde bin Salem Burashid, to make inquiries about the
theft of my goods, as I meant to apply to Syed Majid, and wished to
speak truly about his man Musa bin Salum, the chief depredator.
Wrote also to Thani for boat and crew to go down Tanganyika.
Syde bin Habib refused to allow his men to carry my letters to the coast;
as he suspected that I would write about his doings in Rua.
_27th April, 1869._--Syde had three canoes smashed in coming up past
Thembwé; the wind and waves drove them on the rocks, and two were
totally destroyed: they are heavy unmanageable craft, and at the mercy
of any storm if they cannot get into a shut bay, behind the reeds and
aquatic vegetation. One of the wrecks is said to have been worth 200
dollars (40_l._).
The season called Masika commenced this month with the usual rolling
thunder, and more rain than in the month preceding.
I have been busy