Great African Travellers: From Mungo Park to Livingstone and Stanley

by William Henry Giles Kingston

The arrangements for the march were well devised. The animals as well as their loads were marked and numbered with red paint, and a certain number allotted to the care of each of the six messes into which the soldiers were divided. Mr Scott and Isaaco generally led, Lieutenant Martyn marched in the centre, and Anderson and Park brought up the rear.

All their forethought, however, could not guard them against the deadly attacks of the climate. The asses from the first gave them a great deal of trouble—many, from being overloaded, lying down in the road, while others kicked off their bundles—so that the caravan made but slow progress.

They had not gone far when two of the soldiers died, and, a few days afterwards, another lost his life.

At most of the places through which they passed they were well received; but at the town of Bady the chief man demanded enormously high duties, and sent a large band of armed followers to collect them. When Isaaco was sent over to Bady to enquire the reason of this conduct, he was seized, his weapons taken from him, and he was tied to a tree and flogged. It was proposed to attack the place; but early the next day the guide was sent back, and the matter was settled by payment of a portion of the duties demanded.

While halting at a creek, the asses being unloaded, some of the men went in search of honey. Unfortunately they disturbed a large swarm of bees, which, rushing out, attacked both men and beasts. The asses, being loose, galloped off, but the horses and people were fearfully stung.

A fire, which had been kindled for cooking, being deserted, spread in all directions, setting the bamboos in flames and very nearly destroying their luggage. Two of the asses died here, and others were missing.

Several of the soldiers now fell sick, and were mounted on the horses and spare asses.

At Toombin, which the caravan reached on the 16th of June, in the neighbourhood of Malacotta, the good old schoolmaster, Park’s former friend, arrived just as the baggage had started, having travelled all night to visit him. Park invited him to go forward to the next place where they should halt, that he might reward him for his former kindness.

After leaving the village he found Hinton, one of the party, to whom Mr Anderson had lent his horse, lying under a tree, and the horse grazing at a little distance. Park put the sick man on the horse and drove it before him, but was at length compelled to leave him. A mile further on he came to two others lying in the shade of a tree, whom he placed on his own and Mr Anderson’s horses, and carried on to the next village. Hence he sent back for poor Hinton, and left the three in charge of the dooty, giving him beads to purchase provisions for them should they live, and to bury them if they died.

On the 22nd one of the carpenters was also left behind at his own request. A soldier, Bloore, lost his way in the woods while looking for an ass which had strayed, and in the search another sick man, Walter, was found. He had laid himself down among the bushes. He died soon after being taken up, and Park with his sword, and two of the soldiers with their bayonets, dug his grave in the desert, covering it over with a few branches.