CHAPTER VI.

Leaves for Ujiji.  Dangerous journey through forest.  The Manyuema understand Livingstone’s kindness.  Zanzibar slaves.  Kasongo’s.  Stalactite caves.  Consequences of eating parrots.  Ill.  Attacked in the forest.  Providential deliverance.  Another extraordinary escape.  Taken for Mohamad Bogharib.  Running the gauntlet for five hours.  Loss of property.  Reaches place of safety.  Ill.  Mamohela.  To the Luamo.  Severe disappointment.  Recovers.  Severe marching.  Reaches Ujiji.  Despondency.  Opportune arrival of Mr. Stanley.  Joy and thankfulness of the old traveller.  Determines to examine north end of Lake Tanganyika.  They start.  Reach the Lusize.  No outlet.  “Theoretical discovery” of the real outlet.  Mr. Stanley ill.  Returns to Ujiji.  Leaves stores there.  Departure for Unyanyembe with Mr. Stanley.  Abundance of game.—­Attacked by bees.  Serious illness of Mr. Stanley.  Thankfulness at reaching Unyatiyembe.

20th July, 1871.—­I start back for Ujiji.  All Dugumbe’s people came to say good bye, and convoy me a little way.  I made a short march, for being long inactive it is unwise to tire oneself on the first day, as it is then difficult to get over the effects.

21st July, 1871.—­One of the slaves was sick, and the rest falsely reported him to be seriously ill, to give them time to negotiate for women with whom they had cohabited:  Dugumbe saw through the fraud, and said “Leave him to me:  if he lives, I will feed him; if he dies, we will bury him:  do not delay for any one, but travel in a compact body, as stragglers now are sure to be cut off.”  He lost a woman of his party, who lagged behind, and seven others were killed besides, and the forest hid the murderers.  I was only too anxious to get away quickly, and on the 22nd started off at daylight, and went about six miles to the village of Mankwara, where I spent the night when coming this way.  The chief Mokandira convoyed us hither:  I promised him a cloth if I came across from Lomame.  He wonders much at the underground houses, and never heard of them till I told him about them.  Many of the gullies which were running fast when we came were now dry.  Thunder began, and a few drops of rain fell.

23rd-24th July, 1871.—­We crossed the River Kunda, of fifty yards, in two canoes, and then ascended from the valley of denudation, in which it flows to the ridge Lobango.  Crowds followed, all anxious to carry loads for a few beads.  Several market people came to salute, who knew that we had no hand in the massacre, as we are a different people from the Arabs.  In going and coming they must have a march of 25 miles with loads so heavy no slave would carry them.  They speak of us as “good:”  the anthropologists think that to be spoken of as wicked is better.  Ezekiel says that the Most High put His comeliness upon Jerusalem:  if He does not impart of His goodness to me I shall never be good:  if He does not put of His comeliness on me I shall never be comely in soul, but be like these Arabs in whom Satan has full sway—­the god of this world having blinded their eyes.