Marshall, Of Leeds, Who Have Kindly Favored Us
With The Following Observations On Them:
"We have examined the samples you sent us yesterday,
and think the Conge or aloe fibre would be of
No use to us,
but the Buaze fibre appears to resemble flax, and as prepared by you
will be equal to flax worth 50 Pounds or 60 Pounds per ton,
but we could hardly speak positively to the value unless we had
1 cwt. or 2 cwt. to try on our machinery. However, we think the result
is promising, and we hope further inquiry will be made
as to the probable supply of the material."
We are, dear sir, your very obedient servants,
Pye, Brothers.
The Rev. Dr. Livingstone.
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A representation of the plant is given in the annexed woodcut,*
as a help to its identification. I was unable to procure
either the flowers or fruit; but, as it is not recognized at sight
by that accomplished botanist and eminent traveler, Dr. J. D. Hooker,
it may safely be concluded that it is quite unknown to botanists.
It is stated by the Portuguese to grow in large quantities
in the Maravi country north of the Zambesi, but it is not cultivated,
and the only known use it has been put to is in making threads on which
the natives string their beads. Elsewhere the split tendons of animals
are employed for this purpose. This seems to be of equal strength,
for a firm thread of it feels like catgut in the hand,
and would rather cut the fingers than break.
-
* Unfortunately, this woodcut can not be represented in this ASCII text,
but buaze, or bwazi, is `Securidaca longipedunculata'. - A. L., 1997.
-
Having waited a month for the commencement of the healthy season at Kilimane,
I would have started at the beginning of April, but tarried a few days
in order that the moon might make her appearance, and enable me to take
lunar observations on my way down the river. A sudden change of temperature
happening on the 4th, simultaneously with the appearance of the new moon,
the commandant and myself, with nearly every person in the house,
were laid up with a severe attack of fever. I soon recovered
by the use of my wonted remedies, but Major Sicard and his little boy
were confined much longer. There was a general fall of 4 Deg. of temperature
from the middle of March, 84 Deg. at 9 A.M., and 87 Deg. at 9 P.M.;
the greatest heat being 90 Deg. at midday, and the lowest 81 Deg. at sunrise.
It afforded me pleasure to attend the invalids in their sickness,
though I was unable to show a tithe of the gratitude I felt
for the commandant's increasing kindness. My quinine and other remedies
were nearly all expended, and no fresh supply was to be found here,
there being no doctors at Tete, and only one apothecary with the troops,
whose stock of medicine was also small.
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