The Leaves Form A Sort Of Mucilage In The Water By
Longer Stirring, Which Is Said To Have Diuretic Properties Besides.
On the 16th April we steamed out from Mosambique; and, the currents
being in our favour, in a week reached Zanzibar.
Here we experienced
much hospitality from our countrymen, and especially from Dr. Seward,
then acting consul and political agent for Colonel Playfair.
Dr. Seward was very doubtful if we could reach Bombay before what is
called the break of the monsoon took place. This break occurs
usually between the end of May and the 12th of June. The wind still
blows from Africa to India, but with so much violence, and with such
a murky atmosphere, that few or no observations for position can be
taken. We were, however, at the time very anxious to dispose of the
"Lady Nyassa," and, the only market we could reach being Bombay, we
resolved to run the risk of getting there before the stormy period
commenced; and, after taking fourteen tons of coal on board, we
started on the 30th April from Zanzibar.
Our complement consisted of seven native Zambesians, two boys, and
four Europeans; namely, one stoker, one sailor, one carpenter, whose
names have been already mentioned, and Dr. Livingstone, as navigator.
The "Lady Nyassa" had shown herself to be a good sea-boat. The
natives had proved themselves capital sailors, though before
volunteering not one of them had ever seen the sea. They were not
picked men, but, on paying a dozen whom we had in our employment for
fifteen months, they were taken at random from several hundreds who
offered to accompany us.
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