Chapter Twenty.
Travels of Dr Livingstone, continued.
Prepares for a journey to the East Coast—Leaves Linyanti—A storm—The Victoria and Mozioatunya Falls—From Kalai sets off for Lekone—Cross the Kafue—The Zambesi—Down its banks—Reach the confluence of the Loangwa—Mburuma’s Plot—Zumbo, a ruined Portuguese settlement—A curious reception—Arrival at Tete—A good breakfast—Tete described—Down the Quillimane—Embarks with Sekwebu on board the “Frolic”—Arrives at Mauritius—Sekwebu drowns himself—Livingstone arrives in England.
Dr Livingstone now began to make arrangements for performing another adventurous journey to the East Coast. In the mean time he was fully occupied in attending to the sick, as also in preaching the Gospel to the people generally.
He was advised to wait till the rains had fallen and cooled the ground; and as it was near the end of September, and clouds were collecting, it was expected that they would soon commence. The heat was very great: the thermometer, even in the shade of his wagon, was at 100 degrees, and, if unprotected, rose to 110 degrees; during the night it sank to 70 degrees.
His notes made during the time abound with descriptions of the habits and customs of the people. The children strongly resemble in many respects those of other nations. “They have merry times, especially in the cool of the evening. One of their games consists of a little girl being carried on the shoulders of two others. She sits with outstretched arms as they walk about with her, and all the rest clap their hands and, stopping before each hut, sing pretty airs, some
beating time on their little skirts of cow-skin, and others making a curious humming sound between the songs. Excepting this and the skipping-rope, the play of the girls consists in imitating the serious work of their mothers—building little huts, making small pots and cooking, pounding corn in miniature mortars, or hoeing tiny gardens. The boys play with small spears and shields, or bows and arrows, or make little cattle-pens and cattle in clay, often showing much ingenuity in their imitations of the animals, especially of their horns.” However, we must accompany Dr Livingstone on his journey. Among other routes which were proposed, he selected that by the north bank of the Zambesi. He would, however, thus have to pass through territories in the possession of the Matabele, who, under the powerful Chief Mozelekatse, had driven away the Makololo, its original possessors.