Not a bit of it, man; I was
told to find Livingstone. It is to find Livingstone I am here.
It is to find Livingstone I am going. Don't you see, old fellow,
the importance of the mission; don't you see what reward you will
get from Mr. Bennett, if you will help me? I am sure, if ever you
come to New York, you will never be in want of a fifty-dollar bill.
So shake yourself; jump about; look lively. Say you will not die;
that is half the battle. Snap your fingers at the fever. I will
guarantee the fever won't kill you. I have medicine enough for a
regiment here!"
His eyes lit up a little, but the light that shone in them shortly
faded, and died. I was quite disheartened. I made some strong
punch, to put fire in his veins, that I might see life in him.
I put sugar, and eggs, and seasoned it with lemon and spice.
"Drink, Shaw," said I, "and forget your infirmities. You are not
sick, dear fellow; it is only ennui you are feeling. Look at
Selim there. Now, I will bet any amount, that he will not die;
that I will carry him home safe to his friends! I will carry you
home also, if you will, let me!"
September 1st: - According to Thani bin Abdullah whom I visited
to-day, at his tembe in Maroro, Mirambo lost two hundred men in
the attack upon Tabora, while the Arabs' losses were, five Arabs,
thirteen freemen and eight slaves, besides three tembes, and over
one hundred small huts burned, two hundred and eighty ivory
tusks, and sixty cows and bullocks captured.
September 3rd. - Received a packet of letters and newspapers from
Capt. Webb, at Zanzibar. What a good thing it is that one's
friends, even in far America, think of the absent one in Africa!
They tell me, that no one dreams of my being in Africa yet!
I applied to Sheikh bin Nasib to-day to permit Livingstone's
caravan to go under my charge to Ujiji, but he would not listen
to it. He says he feels certain I am going to my death.
September 4th. - Shaw is quite well to-day, he says. Selim is down
with the fever. My force is gradually increasing, though some of
my old soldiers are falling off. Umgareza is blind; Baruti has
the small-pox very badly; Sadala has the intermittent.
September 5th. - Baruti died this morning. He was one of my best
soldiers; and was one of those men who accompanied Speke to Egypt.
Baruti is number seven of those who have died since leaving
Zanzibar.
To-day my ears have been poisoned with the reports of the Arabs,
about the state of the country I am about to travel through.
"The roads are bad; they are all stopped; the Ruga-Ruga are out
in the forests; the Wakonongo are coming from the south to help
Mirambo; the Washensi are at war, one tribe against another."
My men are getting dispirited, they have imbibed the fears of the
Arabs and the Wanyamwezi. Bombay begins to feel that I had better
go back to the coast, and try again some other time.
We buried Baruti under the shade of the banyan-tree, a few yards
west of my tembe. The grave was made four and a half feet deep
and three feet wide. At the bottom on one side a narrow trench was
excavated, into which the body was rolled on his side, with his
face turned towards Mecca. The body was dressed in a doti and
a half of new American sheeting. After it was placed properly
in its narrow bed, a sloping roof of sticks, covered over with
matting and old canvas, was made, to prevent the earth from
falling over the body. The grave was then filled, the soldiers
laughing merrily. On the top of the grave was planted a small
shrub, and into a small hole made with the hand, was poured
water lest he might feel thirsty - they said - on his way to
Paradise; water was then sprinkled all ever the grave, and
the gourd broken. This ceremony being ended, the men recited
the Arabic Fat-hah, after which they left the grave of their
dead comrade to think no more of him,
September 7th. - An Arab named Mohammed presented me to-day with a
little boy-slave, called "Ndugu M'hali" (my brother's wealth).
As I did not like the name, I called the chiefs of my caravan
together, and asked them to give him a better name. One suggested
"Simba" (a lion), another said he thought "Ngombe" (a cow)
would suit the boy-child, another thought he ought to be called
"Mirambo," which raised a loud laugh. Bombay thought "Bombay
Mdogo" would suit my black-skinned infant very well. Ulimengo,
however, after looking at his quick eyes, and noting his celerity
of movement, pronounced the name Ka-lu-la as the best for him,
"because," said he, "just look at his eyes, so bright look at his
form, so slim! watch his movements, how quick! Yes, Kalulu is his
name.""Yes, bana," said the others, "let it be Kalulu."
"Kalulu" is a Kisawahili term for the young of the blue-buck
(perpusilla) antelope.
"Well, then," said I, water being brought in a huge tin pan,
Selim, who was willing to stand godfather, holding him over the
water, "let his name henceforth be Kalulu, and let no man take it
from him," and thus it was that the little black boy of Mohammed's
came to be called Kalulu.
The Expedition is increasing in numbers.
We had quite an alarm before dark.
