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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Fat Broad-Tailed
Sheep, Goats, Zogga And Pombe, Eggs, Fresh Milk, Plantains, Singwe,
Fine Cornflour, Fish, Onions, Sweet Potatoes, &C., &C., Were
Procured In The Ujiji Market, And From Good Old Moeni Kheri.
But, Alas!
For my weakness.
Ferajji spoiled the roast, and our
custard was burned - the dinner was a failure. That the fat-brained
rascal escaped a thrashing was due only to my inability to lift
my hands for punishment; but my looks were dreadful and alarming,
and capable of annihilating any one except Ferajji. The stupid,
hard-headed cook only chuckled, and I believe he had the subsequent
gratification of eating the pies, custards, and roast that his
carelessness had spoiled for European palates.
Sayd bin Majid, previous to his departure, had left orders that
we should be permitted to use his canoe for our homeward trip,
and Moeni Kheri kindly lent his huge vessel for the same purpose.
The Expedition, now augmented by the Doctor and his five servants,
and their luggage, necessitated the employment of another canoe.
We had our flocks of milch-goats and provision of fat sheep for
the jungle of Ukawendi, the transit of which I was about to attempt.
Good Halimah, Livingstone's cook, had made ready a sackful of fine
flour, such as she only could prepare in her fond devotion for her
master. Hamoydah, her husband, also had freely given his
assistance and attention to this important article of food.
I purchased a donkey for the Doctor, the only one available in
Ujiji, lest the Doctor might happen to suffer on the long march
from his ancient enemy. In short, we were luxuriously furnished
with food, sheep, goats, cheese, cloth, donkeys, and canoes,
sufficient to convey us a long distance; we needed nothing more.
The 27th of December has arrived; it is the day of our departure
from Ujiji. I was probably about to give an eternal farewell to
the port whose name will for ever be sacred in my memory. The
canoes - great lumbering hollow trees - are laden with good things;
the rowers are in their places; the flag of England is hoisted at
the stern of the Doctor's canoe; the flag of America waves and
rustles joyously above mine; and I cannot look at them without
feeling a certain pride that the two Anglo-Saxon nations are
represented this day on this great inland sea, in the face of
wild nature and barbarism.
We are escorted to our boats by the great Arab merchants, by the
admiring children of Unyamwezi, by the freemen of Zanzibar, by
wondering Waguhha and Wajiji, by fierce Warundi, who are on this
day quiet, even sorrowful, that the white men are going-"Whither?"
they all ask.
At 8 A.M. we start, freely distributing our farewells as the
Arabs and quidnuncs wave their hands. On the part of one or two
of them there was an attempt to say something sentimental and
affecting, especially by the convicted sinner Mohammed bin Sali;
but though outwardly I manifested no disapprobation of his words,
or of the emphatic way in which he shook my hand, I was not sorry
to see the last of him, after his treachery to Livingstone in
1869.
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