Volley, the American flag was hoisted up, and we soon
saw the house-roofs and wharves lined with spectators, many of whom
were Europeans, with glasses levelled at us.
We drew ashore slowly; but a boat putting off to take us to land,
we stepped into it, and I was soon in presence of my friend
the Consul, who heartily welcomed me back to Zanzibar; and soon
after was introduced to the Rev. Charles New, who was but a day
or two previous to my arrival an important member of the English
Search Expedition - a small, slight man in appearance, who, though
he looked weakly, had a fund of energy or nervousness in him which
was almost too great for such a body. He also heartily congratulated
me.
After a bounteous dinner, to which I did justice in a manner that
astonished my new friends, Lieut. Dawson called to see me, and
said:
"Mr. Stanley, let me congratulate you, sir."
Lieut. Dawson then went on to state how he envied me my success;
how I had "taken the wind out of his sails" (a nautical phrase
similar to that used by Lieut. Henn); how, when he heard from my
men that Dr. Livingstone had been found, he at once crossed over
from Bagamoyo to Zanzibar, and, after a short talk with Dr. Kirk,
at once resigned.
"But do you not think, Mr. Dawson, you have been rather too hasty
in tendering your resignation, from the more verbal report of my
men?"
"Perhaps," said he; "but I heard that Mr. Webb had received a
letter from you, and that you and Livingstone had discovered that
the Rusizi ran into the lake - that you had the Doctor's letters
and despatches with you."
"Yes; but you acquired all this information from my men; you
have seen nothing yourself. You have therefore resigned before
you had personal evidence of the fact."
"Well, Dr. Livingstone is relieved and found, as Mr. Henn tells
me, is he not?"
"Yes, that is true enough. He is well supplied; he only requires
a few little luxuries, which I am going to send him by an
expedition of fifty freemen. Dr. Livingstone is found and
relieved, most certainly; and I have all the letters and
despatches which he could possibly send to his friends."
"But don't you think I did perfectly right?"
"Hardly - though, perhaps, it would come to the same thing in
the end. Any more cloth and beads than he has already would
be an incumbrance. Still, you have your orders from the Royal
Geographical Society. I have not seen those yet, and I am not
prepared to judge what your best course would have been. But
I think you did wrong in resigning before you saw me; for then
you would have had, probably, a legitimate excuse for resigning.
I should have held on to the Expedition until I had consulted
with those who sent me; though, in such an event as this, the
order would be, perhaps, to `Come home.'"
"As it has turned out, though, don't you think I did right?"
"Most certainly it would be useless for you to go to search for
and relieve Livingstone now, because he has already been sought,
found, and relieved; but perhaps you had other orders."
"Only, if I went into the country, I was then to direct my
attention to exploration; but the primary object having been
forestalled by you, I am compelled to return home. The Admiralty
granted me leave of absence only for the search, and never said
anything about exploration."
That evening I despatched a boy over to the English Consulate
with letters from the great traveller for Dr. Kirk and Mr. Oswell
Livingstone.
I was greeted warmly by the American and German residents,
who could not have shown warmer feeling than if Dr. Livingstone had
been a near and dear relation of their own. Capt. H. A. Fraser
and Dr. James Christie were also loud in their praises. It seems
that both of these gentlemen had attempted to despatch a private
expedition to the relief of their countryman, but through some
means it had failed. They had contributed the sum of $500 to
effect this laudable object; but the man to whom they had
entrusted its command had been engaged by another for a different
purpose, at a higher sum. But, instead of feeling annoyed that
I had performed what they had intended to do, they were among my
most enthusiastic admirers.
The next day I received a call from Dr. Kirk, who warmly
congratulated me upon my success. Bishop Tozer also came,
and thanked me for tie service I had rendered to Dr. Livingstone.
On this day I also discharged my men, and re-engaged twenty of
them to return to the "Great Master." Bombay, though in the
interior he had scorned the idea of money rewards, and though he
had systematically, in my greatest need, endeavoured to baffle me
in every way, received, besides his pay, a present of $50, and
each man, according to his merits, from $20 to $50. For this was
a day to bury all animosities, and condone all offences. They,
poor people, had only acted according to their nature, and I
remembered that from Ujiji to the coast they had all behaved
admirably.
I saw I was terribly emaciated and changed when I presented myself
before a full-length mirror. All confirmed my opinion that I was
much older in my appearance, and that my hair had become grey.
Capt. Fraser had said, when I hailed him, "You have the advantage
of me, sir!" and until I mentioned my name he did not know me.
Even then he jocosely remarked that he believed that it was
another Tichborne affair.
