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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He Appeared To Me A Kindly Disposed Man, With
A Face Seldom Seen, Having The Stamp Of An Unusual Characteristic
On It - That Of Sincerity.
The vegetation of the shores as we proceeded was truly tropical,
each curve revealed new beauties.
With the soft chalky stone, of
which most of the cliffs and bluffs are made, seen as we neared
the mouth of the Malagarazi, the surf has played strange freaks.
We arrived at the mouth of the Malagarazi about P.M., having rowed
eighteen miles from Ukaranga. The shore party arrived, very much
fatigued, about 5 P.M.
The next day was employed in crossing the caravan across the broad
mouth of the Malagarazi to our camp, a couple of miles north of the
river. This is a river which a civilised community would find of
immense advantage for shortening the distance between the Tanganika
and the coast. Nearly one hundred miles might be performed by
this river, which is deep enough at all seasons to allow navigation
as far as Kiala, in Uvinza, whence a straight road might be easily
made to Unyanyembe. Missionaries also might reap the same benefit
from it for conversion-tours to Uvinza, Uhha, and Ugala. Pursuing
our way on the 30th, and rounding the picturesque capes of
Kagongo, Mviga and Kivoe, we came, after about three hours'
rowing, in sight of villages at the mouth of the swift and turbid
Rugufu. Here we had again to transport the caravan ever the
crocodile-infested mouth of the river.
On the morning of the 31st we sent a canoe with men to search for
food in the two or three villages that were visible on the other
side. Four doti purchased just sufficient for four days for our
caravan of forty-eight persons. We then got under weigh, having
informed the kirangozi that Urimba was our destination, and bidding
him keep as closely as possible to the lake shore, where it was
practicable, but if not, to make the best he could of it. From the
debouchement of the Rugufu, the headwaters of which we had crossed
on our random route to Ujiji, to Urimba, a distance of six days by
water, there are no villages, and consequently no food. The shore
party, however, before leaving Ujiji, had eight days' rations,
and on this morning four days', distributed to each person,
and therefore was in no danger of starvation should the mountain
headlands, now unfolding, abrupt and steep, one after another,
prevent them from communicating with us. It must be understood
that such a journey as this had never been attempted before by
any Arab or Msawahili, and every step taken was in sheer
ignorance of where the road would lead the men ashore. Rounding
Kivoe's steep promontory, whose bearded ridge and rugged slope,
wooded down to the water's edge, whose exquisite coves and quiet
recesses, might well have evoked a poetical effusion to one so
inclined, we dared the chopping waves of Kivoe's bay, and stood
direct for the next cape, Mizohazy, behind which, owing to wind
and wave, we were compelled to halt for the night.
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