CHAPTER XI.

Arrival of H.M.S.  “Gorgon”—­Dr. Livingstone’s new steamer and Mrs. Livingstone—­Death of Mrs. Livingstone—­Voyage to Johanna and the Rovuma—­An attack upon the “Pioneer’s” boats.

We anchored on the Great Luabo mouth of the Zambesi, because wood was much more easily obtained there than at the Kongone.

On the 30th, H.M.S.  “Gorgon” arrived, towing the brig which brought Mrs. Livingstone, some ladies about to join their relatives in the Universities’ Mission, and the twenty-four sections of a new iron steamer intended for the navigation of Lake Nyassa.  The “Pioneer” steamed out, and towed the brig into the Kongone harbour.  The new steamer was called the “Lady of the Lake,” or the “Lady Nyassa,” and as much as could be carried of her in one trip was placed, by the help of the officers and men of the “Gorgon,” on board the “Pioneer,” and the two large paddle-box boats of H.M.’s ship.  We steamed off for Ruo on the 10th of February, having on board Captain Wilson, with a number of his officers and men to help us to discharge the cargo.  Our progress up was distressingly slow.  The river was in flood, and we had a three-knot current against us in many places.  These delays kept us six months in the delta, instead of, as we anticipated, only six days; for, finding it impossible to carry the sections up to the Ruo without great loss of time, it was thought best to land them at Shupanga, and, putting the hull of the “Lady Nyassa” together there, to tow her up to the foot of the Murchison Cataracts.

A few days before the “Pioneer” reached Shupanga, Captain Wilson, seeing the hopeless state of affairs, generously resolved to hasten with the Mission ladies up to those who, we thought, were anxiously awaiting their arrival, and therefore started in his gig for the Ruo, taking Miss Mackenzie, Mrs. Burrup, and his surgeon, Dr. Ramsay.  They were accompanied by Dr. Kirk and Mr. Sewell, paymaster of the “Gorgon,” in the whale-boat of the “Lady Nyassa.”  As our slow-paced-launch, “Ma Robert,” had formerly gone up to the foot of the cataracts in nine days’ steaming, it was supposed that the boats might easily reach the expected meeting-place at the Ruo in a week; but the Shire was now in flood, and in its most rapid state; and they were longer in getting up about half the distance, than it was hoped they would be in the whole navigable part of the river.  They could hear nothing of the Bishop from the chief of the island, Malo, at the mouth of the Ruo.  “No white man had ever come to his village,” he said.  They proceeded on to Chibisa’s, suffering terribly from mosquitoes at night.  Their toil in stemming the rapid current made them estimate the distance, by the windings, as nearer 300 than 200 miles.  The Makololo who had remained at Chibisa’s told them the sad news of the death of the good Bishop and of Mr. Burrup.  Other information received there awakened fresh anxiety