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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The
Ferrymen Had Found That Two Fundo Of These Were Of Short Measure,
And Two Fundo More Must Be Paid, Otherwise The Contract For
Ferrying Us Across Would Be Considered Null And Void.
So two fundo
more were added, but not without demur and much "talk," which in
these lands is necessary.
Three times the canoes went backwards and forwards, when, lo!
another demand was made, with the usual clamour and fierce wordy
dispute; this time for five khete # for the man who guided us to
the ferry, a shukka of cloth for a babbler, who had attached
himself to the old-womanish Jumah, who did nothing but babble and
increase the clamor. These demands were also settled.
# Necklaces.
About sunset we endeavoured to cross the donkeys. "Simba," a fine
wild Kinyamwezi donkey, went in first, with a rope attached to his
neck. He had arrived at the middle of the stream when we saw
him begin to struggle - a crocodile had seized him by the throat.
The poor animal's struggles were terrific. Chowpereh was dragging
on the rope with all his might, but to no use, for the donkey sank,
and we saw no more of him. The depth of the river at this place was
about fifteen feet. We had seen the light-brown heads, the glittering
eyes, and the ridgy backs, hovering about the vicinity, but we had
never thought that the reptiles would advance so near such an exciting
scene as the vicinity of the ferry presented during the crossing.
Saddened a little by this loss, we resumed our work, and by 7 P.M.
we were all across, excepting Bombay and the only donkey now left,
which was to be brought across in the morning, when the crocodiles
should have deserted the river.
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