How I Found Livingstone Travels, Adventures And Discoveries In Central Africa Including Four Months Residence With Dr. Livingstone By Sir Henry M. Stanley
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After A Hard Pull Of About
Two Hours In The Teeth Of The Storm, Which Was Rapidly Rising, We
Pointed The Head Of The Boat Into A Little Quiet Cove, Almost
Hidden In Tall Reeds, And Disembarked For The Night.
Cognizant of the dangers which surrounded us, knowing, that savage
and implacable man was the worst enemy we had
To fear, we employed
our utmost energies in the construction of a stout fence of thorn
bushes, and then sat down to supper after our work was done, and
turned in to sleep; but not before we had posted watchmen to guard
our canoe, lest the daring thieves of Uvira might abstract it, in
which case we should have been in a pretty plight, and in most
unenviable distress.
At daybreak, leaving Kukumba Point after our humble breakfast of
coffee, cheese, and dourra cakes was despatched, we steered south
once more. Our fires had attracted the notice of the sharp-eyed
and suspicious fishermen of Kukumba; but our precautions and the
vigilant watch we had set before retiring, had proved an effectual
safeguard against the Kivira thieves.
The western shores of the lake as we proceeded were loftier, and
more bold than the wooded heights of Urundi and bearded knolls of
Ujiji. A back ridge - the vanguard of the mountains which rise
beyond - disclosed itself between the serrated tops of the front
line of mountains, which rose to a height of from 2,500 to 3,000
feet above the lake. Within the folds of the front line of
mountains rise isolated hills of considerable magnitude, precipitous
and abrupt, but scenically very picturesque. The greater part of
these hills have the rounded and smooth top, or are tabularly
summited. The ridge enfolding these hills shoots out, at intervals,
promontorial projections of gradual sloping outlines, which on the
map I have designated capes, or points. When rounding these points,
up went our compasses for the taking of bearings, and observing
the directions of all prominent objects of interest. Often these
capes are formed by the alluvial plains, through which we may be
sure a river will be found flowing. These pretty alluvial plains,
enfolded on the south, the west, and the north by a grand mountain
arc, present most luxurious and enchanting scenery. The vegetation
seems to be of spontaneous growth. Groups of the Elaeis Guineansis
palm embowering some dun-brown village; an array of majestic,
superb growth of mvule trees; a broad extent covered with vivid
green sorghum stalks; parachute-like tops of mimosa; a line of white
sand, on which native canoes are drawn far above the reach of the
plangent, uneasy surf; fishermen idly reclining in the shade of a
tree; - these are the scenes which reveal themselves to us as we
voyage in our canoe on the Tanganika. When wearied with the romance
of wild tropic scenes such as these, we have but to lift our eyes
to the great mountain tops looming darkly and grandly on our right;
to watch the light pencilling of the cirrus, brushing their summits,
as it is drifted toward the north by the rising wind:
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