How I Found Livingstone Travels, Adventures And Discoveries In Central Africa Including Four Months Residence With Dr. Livingstone By Sir Henry M. Stanley
- Page 240 of 310 - First - Home
To Watch The
Changing Forms Which The Clouds Assume, From The Fleecy Horizontal
Bars Of The Cirrus, To The Denser,
Gloomier cumulus, prognosticator
of storm and rain, which soon settles into a portentous group - Alps
above Alps, one above another
- And we know the storm which was
brewing is at hand, and that it is time to seek shelter.
Passing Muikamba, we saw several groves of the tall mvule tree.
As far as Bemba the Wabembe occupy the mountain summits, while
the Wavira cultivate the alluvial plains along the base and lower
slopes of the mountain. At Bemba we halted to take in pieces of
pipe-clay, in accordance with the superstition of the Wajiji, who
thought us certain of safe passage and good fortune if we complied
with the ancient custom.
Passing Ngovi, we came to a deep bend, which curved off to Cape
Kabogi at the distance of ten miles. About two-thirds of the way
we arrived at a group of islets, three in number, all very steep
and rocky; the largest about 300 feet in length at the base, and
about 200 feet in breadth. Here we made preparations to halt for
the night. The inhabitants of the island were a gorgeously-feathered
old cock, which was kept as a propitiatory offering to the spirit
of the island, a sickly yellow-looking thrush, a hammer-headed
stork, and two fish-hawks, who, finding we had taken possession of
what had been religiously reserved for them, took flight to the
most western island, where from their perches they continued
to eye us most solemnly. As these islands were with difficulty
pronounced by us as Kavunvweh, the Doctor, seeing that they were
the only objects we were likely to discover, named them the
"'New York Herald' Islets;" and, in confirmation of the new
designation given them, shook hands with me upon it. Careful
dead-reckoning settled them to be in lat. 3 degrees 41 minutes S.
The summit of the largest island was well adapted to take bearings,
and we improved the opportunity, as most extensive views of the
broad and lengthy lake and surrounding lines of imposing mountains
were attainable. The Ramata Hills were clearly visible, and bore
N.N.E. from it; Katanga Cape, S.E. by S.; Sentakeyi, E.S.E.;
Magala, E. by N.; south-western point of Muzimu bore S., northern
point of Muzimu island, S.S.E.
At dawn on the 9th December we prepared to resume our voyage.
Once or twice in the night we had been visited by fishermen, but
our anxious watchfulness prevented any marauding. It seemed to me,
however, that the people of the opposite shore, who were our
visitors, were eagerly watching an opportunity to pounce upon
our canoe, or take us bodily for a prey; and our men were
considerably affected by these thoughts, if we may judge from
the hearty good-will with which they rowed away from our late
encampment.
Arriving at Cape Kabogi, we came to the territory of the Wasansi.
We knew we were abreast of a different tribe by the greeting
"Moholo," which a group of fishermen gave us; as that of the
Wavira was "Wake," like that of Urundi, Usige, and Uhha.
Enter page number
PreviousNext
Page 240 of 310
Words from 125598 to 126139
of 163520