On The Southern Side We See The Hill Bungwe, And The
Long, Level, Wooded Ridge Nyangombe, The First Of A Series Bending
From The S.E. To The N.W. Past The Zambesi.
We shot an old pallah on
the 16th, and found that the poor animal had been visited with more
than the usual share of animal afflictions.
He was stone-blind in
both eyes, had several tumours, and a broken leg, which showed no
symptoms of ever having begun to heal. Wild animals sometimes suffer
a great deal from disease, and wearily drag on a miserable existence
before relieved of it by some ravenous beast. Once we drove off a
maneless lion and lioness from a dead buffalo, which had been in the
last stage of a decline. They had watched him staggering to the
river to quench his thirst, and sprang on him as he was crawling up
the bank. One had caught him by the throat, and the other by his
high projecting backbone, which was broken by the lion's powerful
fangs. The struggle, if any, must have been short. They had only
eaten the intestines when we frightened them off. It is curious that
this is the part that wild animals always begin with, and that it is
also the first choice of our men. Were it not a wise arrangement
that only the strongest males should continue the breed, one could
hardly help pitying the solitary buffalo expelled from the herd for
some physical blemish, or on account of the weakness of approaching
old age. Banished from female society, he naturally becomes morose
and savage; the necessary watchfulness against enemies is now never
shared by others; disgusted, he passes into a state of chronic war
with all who enjoy life, and the sooner after his expulsion that he
fills the lion's or the wild-dog's maw, the better for himself and
for the peace of the country.
We encamped on the 20th of June at a spot where Dr. Livingstone, on
his journey from the West to the East Coast, was formerly menaced by
a chief named Mpende. No offence had been committed against him, but
he had firearms, and, with the express object of showing his power,
he threatened to attack the strangers. Mpende's counsellors having,
however, found out that Dr. Livingstone belonged to a tribe of whom
they had heard that "they loved the black man and did not make
slaves," his conduct at once changed from enmity to kindness, and, as
the place was one well selected for defence, it was perhaps quite as
well for Mpende that he decided as he did. Three of his counsellors
now visited us, and we gave them a handsome present for their chief,
who came himself next morning and made us a present of a goat, a
basket of boiled maize, and another of vetches. A few miles above
this the headman, Chilondo of Nyamasusa, apologized for not formerly
lending us canoes. "He was absent, and his children were to blame
for not telling him when the Doctor passed; he did not refuse the
canoes." The sight of our men, now armed with muskets, had a great
effect.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 86 of 263
Words from 44617 to 45150
of 136856
