0543
537

                            Bambarre = Manyuema country
        say, about 150 W. of Ujiji 15 November 1870

                    The Right Honourable
5                                                Lord Stanley

                                                        My Lord -

                                                                As soon as
I recovered sufficiently to be able to march from
Ujiji - I went up Tanganyika about sixty
10miles, and thence struck away Nor West into
the country of the Manyuema or Manyema =
the reputed cannibals - My object was to follow
down the central line of drainage of the Great
Nile valley which I had seen passing through
15the great lake Bañgweolo, and changing its
name from Chambeze to Luapula = then
again on passing through Lake Moero, assum-
ing Lualaba and after forming a third
Lake = Kamolondo becoming itself a great
20Lacustrine river or Riverein lake with
many islands in it - I soon found myself
in the large bend which this great Lacustrine
river makes by flowing West about 180
miles then sweeping round to the North -
25Two hours were the utmost I could accomplish
in a day but by persevering I gained
strength, and came up to the trading party
of Muhamad Bogharib who by native
medicines and carriage saved my life in
30my late severe illness in Marungu = Two
days before we reached Bambarre - the residence
of the most sensible chief in Manyema
called Moenekuss, we met a band of Ujijian
traders carrying 18,000 lbs weight of ivory
35bought in this new field for a mere trifle
in thick copper bracelets and beads - the
traders had been obliged to employ their
slaves to collect the ivory, and slaves with 0544
538
with guns in their hands are often no better
than Demons - We heard but one side of
the story = the slaves version - and such as
5would have appeared in the Newspaper
if they had one - "the Manyema were very
bad = were always in the wrong = wanted
in fact to eat the slaves = and always gave
them just reason to capture women and
10children, goats, sheep, fowls and grain - "
The masters did not quite approve of this,
but the deeds had been done - and then
masters and men joined in one chorus
"the Manyema are bad, bad, bad, awfully
15bad, and cannibals" - In going West of
Bambarre in order to embark on the
Lualaba, I went down the Luamo - a
river of from 100 yards to 200 yards
broad which rises in the mountains
20opposite Ujiji and flows across the
great bend of the Lualaba - When near its
confluence, I found myself among
people who had been maltreated by the
slaves, and they naturally look on me as
25of the same tribe with their cruel per-
-secutors - Africans are not generally
unreasonable though smarting under
wrongs if you can fairly make them
understand your claim to innocence
30and do not appear as having your "back"
"up" - the women were particularly out
spoken in asserting our identity with
the cruel strangers - on calling to one vocifer
-ous lady who gave me the head traders
35name to look at my colour, and see if
it were the same as his - she replied
with a bitter little laugh - "then you must
be his father"! the worst the men did was 0545
539
to turn out in force armed with their large
spears and wooden shields, and shew us out
of their districts - Glad that no collision took
5place, we returned to Bambarre = and then
with our friend Muhamad struck away due
North = He to buy ivory, and I to reach
another part of the Lualaba and buy a
canoe -

10

The country is extremely beautiful, but
difficult to travel over - the mountains
of light grey granite stand like islands in
New Red sandstone, and mountain and
valley are all clad in a mantle of different
15shades of green - The vegetation is indescri-
-bably rank - through the grass, if
grass it can be called which is over half
an inch in diameter in the stalk, and
from ten to twelve feet high, nothing but
20elephants can walk = the leaves of this
Megatherium grass are armed with -
minute spikes which as we worm our
way along elephant walks rub disagreably
on the side of the face where the gun is held
25and the hand is made sore by fending it
off the other side for hours - the rains
were fairly set in by November; and in
the mornings or after a shower the leave's
were loaded with moisture which wet us
30to the bone - the valleys are deeply undu-
-lating, and in each innumerable dells
have to be crossed - there may be only a
thread of water at the bottom, but the mud,
mire, or scotticé "glaur" is grievous -
35thirty or forty yards of the path on each
side of the stream are worked by the feet
of passengers into an adhesive com-
-pound - By placing a foot on each 0546
540
side of the narrow way, one may waddle a
little ^
distance along, but the rank crop of grasses, gingers
5and bushes cannot spare the few inches
of soil required for the side of the foot, and
down he comes into the slough - the path
often runs along the bed of the rivulet for
sixty or more yards, as if he who first
10cut it out went that distance along seeking
for a part of the forest less dense for his
axe - In other cases the "Muale" palm
from which here as in Madagascar grass
cloth is woven and called by the same
15name "Lamba", has taken possession
of a valley - the leaf stalks as thick as a
strong man's arm fall off and block up
all passage save by a path made and
mixed up by the feet of elephants and
20buffaloes - the slough therein is groan
compelling and deep - Every now and
then the traders with rueful faces stand
panting = the sweat trickles down my
face and I suppose that I look as grim
25as they though I try to cheer them with
the hope that good prices will reward
them as the coast for ivory obtained with
so much toil - In some cases the
subsoil has given way beneath the
30elephants enormous weight - the deep hole
is filled with mud, and one taking it
all to be about calf deep, steps in to
the top of the thigh, and flaps on to a
seat soft enough but not luxurious
35a merry laugh relaxes the facial muscles
though I have no better reason for it
than that it is better to laugh than to cry
⁋/^ Some of the numerous rivers which in
this region flow into Lualaba - 0547
541
are covered with living vegetable bridges -
a species of dark glossy leaved grass with
its roots and leaves felts itself into a mat
5that covers the whole stream = When stepped
upon it yields twelve or fifteen inches and
that amount of water rises up on the leg -
At every step the foot has to be raised high
enough to place it on the unbent mass in
10front - This high stepping fatigues like
walking on deep snow - Here and there
holes appear which we could not sound
with a stick six feet long - they gave the
impression that anywhere one might
15plump though and finish the chapter -
There the water is shallow the Lotus or
sacred lilly sends its roots to the bottom,
and spreads its broad leaves over the
floating bridge so as to make believe that
20the mat is its own, but the grass referred to
is the real felting and supporting agent,
for it often performs duty as bridge where no
lillies grow - The bridge is called by the
Manyema - "Kintefwetefwe" as if he
25who first coined it was grasping for
breath after plunging over a mile of it

Between each district of Manyema
large belts of the primeval forest still stand
into these the sun though vertical cannot
30penetrate except by sending down at
midday thin pencils of rays into the
gloom - The rain water stands for months
in stagnant pools made by the feet of
elephants - and the dead leaves decay
35on the damp soil and make the water
of the numerous rivulets of the colour
of strong tea - The climbing plants
from the size of whip cord to that of a
man of war's hawsers are so numerous 0548
542
The ancient path is the only passage - When
one of the giant trees falls across the
road, it forms a wall breast high to be
5climbed over - and the mass of tangled
ropes brought down makes cutting a
path round it a work of time which
travellers never undertake - the shelter of
the forest from the sun makes it
10but the roots of trees high out of the soil
across the path keep the eyes oxlike on
the ground - The trees are so high that
a good shotgun does no harm to
parrots or guinea fowls on their tops
15and they are often so closely planted
that I have heard gorillahs here called
Sokos - growling about 50 yards off
without getting a glimpse of them -
His nest is a poor contrivance
20It exhibits no more arch^ itectural skill
than the nest of our Cushat dove -
Here he sits in pelting rain with his
hands over his head - The natives give
[#] Soko a good character and from
25what I have seen he deserves it but
they call his nest his house, and
laugh at him for being such a fool as
to build a house and not go beneath it
for shelter -

30

Bad water and frequent wettings
told on us all by choleraic symptoms
and loss of flesh - Meanwhile the news
of cheap ivory caused a sort of Californi
-an gold fever at Ujiji and we were
35soon overtaken by a herd numbering
600 muskets all eager for the precious
tusks - these had been left by the Man
yema in the interminable forests 0549
543
where the animals had been slain - the
natives knew where they lay and if
treated civilly readily brought them many
5half rotten or gnawed by a certain
Rodent to sharpen his teeth as London
rats do on leaden pipes - I had already in
this journey two severe lessons that
travelling in an unhealthy climate in the
10rainy season is killing work - By
getting drenched to the skin once too often
in Marungu I had pneumonia = the illness
to which I have referred, and that was worse
than ten fevers - That is, fevers treated by
15our medicine, and not by the dirt sup-
-plied to Bishop Mackenzie at the Cape as
the same - Besides being unwilling to bear
the newcomers company, I feared
that by further exposure in the rains
20the weakness might result in something
or a
little
back
wards worse - I went seven days South West
25to a camp formed by the headmen of
the ivory horde, and on the 7th February
went into winter quarters - I found these men
as civil and kind as I could wish - A letter
from the Sultan of Zanzibar which I owe to
30the kind offices of Sir Bartle Frere has been
of immense service to me with most of his
subjects - I had no medicine but rest -
shelter, boiling all the water I used, and a
new potato farmed among the natives as
35restorative soon put me all right - the rains
continued into July and fifty eight inches
fell - The mud from the clayey soil of
Manyema was awful, and laid up some
of the strongest men in spite of their
40intense eagerness for ivory - I lost
no time after it was feasible to travel 0550
544
in preparing to follow the river but my
attendants were fed and lodged by the
from
5the
camp slave women whose husbands were
away ^ on trade and pretended to fear going
into a canoe - I consented to refrain from
buying one - They then pretended to fear the
10people though the inhabitants all along
the Lualaba were reported by the slaves to
be remarkably friendly - I have heard
both slaves and freemen say "No one
will every attack people so good" as they
15found them - Elsewhere I could employ
the country people as carriers but was
comparatively independent though deserted
by some four times over - but in
Manyema no one can be induced to go
20into the next district for fear they say
of being killed and eaten - I was at the
mercy of those who had been Moslem
slaves and knew that in thwarting me
they had the sympathy of all that class
25in the country, and as many others
would have done took advantage of the
situation - I went on with only three
attendants - and this time North West
in ignorance that the great river
30flowed West and by South - but no one
could tell me anything about it - a
broad belt of Buga or Prairie lies
along the right bank - Inland from
this it is all primeval forest with
35villages from eight to ten miles apart
one sees the sun only in the cleared
spaces around human dwellings
From the facilities for escaping the
forest people are wilder and more
40dangerous than those on Buga lands 0551
545
Muhamad's people went further on in the
rest than I could, and came to the mount
ainous country of the Balegga who collected
5in large numbers and demanded of the
strangers why they came - "We came to buy
ivory" was the reply, "and if you have
none no harm is done we shall return"
"Nay" they shouted - "you came to die and
10this day is your last, you came to die, you
came to die" - When forced to fire on the
Balegga - the Terror was like their insolence -
extreme - and next day when sent for to
take away the women and children who
15were captured, no one appeared - Having
travelled with my informants I know
their accounts to be trustworthy - The rivers
crossed by them are numerous and
large - One was so tortuous they were five
20hours in water waist and often neck
deep with a man in a small canoe
sounding for places which they could
pass, and could see nothing in the forest
and nothing in the Balegga country but
25one mountain packed closely to the back
of another without end, and a very hot
fountain in one of the valleys - I found
continued wading in mud grievous -
For the first time in my life my feet
30failed - When torn by hard travel
instead of healing kindly as here to fore
irritable eating ulcers fastened on each
foot - The people were invariably civil
and even kind for curiously enough
35to Zanzibar slaves propagated every
where glowing of my goodness and
of the English generally because
they never made slaves - A trading 0552
546
party passed us, and one of their number
was pinned to the ground at dead of night
while I was sleeping with my three -
5attendants at a village close by - Nine
villages had been burned and as the author
of the outrage told me at least forty men
killed because a Manyema man tried
to steal a string of beads - The midnight
10assassination was revenge for the loss
of friends there - It was evident that
reaction against the bloody Ujijian
slaving had set in - The accounts
evidently truthful given by Muhamad's
15people shewed that nothing would be
gained by going further in our present
course, and now being very lame I
limped back to Bambarre and here
I was laid up by the eating ulcers for
20many months - they are common in
the Manyema country and kill many
slaves - If the foot is placed on the
ground blood flows, and every night
a discharge of bloody ichor takes place
25with pain that prevents sleep - The
wailings of poor slaves with ulcers that
eat through everything even bone
is one of the night sounds of a slave
camp - They are probably allied to Fever

30

I have been minute even to
triviality that your Lordship may
have a clear idea of the difficulties of
exploration in this region - satisfactory
progress could only be made in canoes
35with men accustomed to work - I tried
hard to get others at Ujiji, but all the
traders were eager to secure all the
carriers for themselves, and circulated 0553
547
the report that I would go away from Man-
-yema to my own country and leave my people
to shift for themselves "like Speke"- they
5knew perfectly that Speke's men left him
first - It was like the case of certain Makololo
who left me on the Shire, and refused to
carry back the medicine to their chief for which
they had come = I was afterwards accused by
10men of similar to the Ujijians of having
abandoned them though I gave them cattle
even after they deserted me - these being the
wealth that they value most highly - Failing
to obtain other men ^ # at Ujiji, for whom I
15had written I might have waited in comfort
there till those for whom I had written should
come from the coast, and my great weak
ness almost demanded that I should do
so, but I had then as now an intense
20desire to finish the work and retire - But
on learning some parts of the history of
of the Lewale or Arab governor of
Unyinyembe I had grave suspicions
that my letters would be destroyed = He
25conducted the first English Expedition
from Zanzibar to Ujiji and Uvira, and
back again to the coast - and was left un
-paid till the Indian Government took
the matter up and sent him a thousand
30dollars - He seems ^ to be naturally an ill conditioned
mortal = a hater of the English - When I
sent a stock of goods to be placed indepot
at Ujiji to await my arrival - The
Banyamwezi porters as usual brought
35them honestly to Unyinyembe - The
governor then gave them in charge
to his slave Saloom who stopped the
caravan ten days in the way hither
while he plundered it, and then went
40off to buy ivory for his master in
Karagwe = It was evident that he would
do what he could to prevent evidence 0554
548
of the plundering going to the coast - and his
agent at Ujiji who knew all this though
I did not - after I had paid him in full
5all he asked to send the packet with
about forty letters, returned it back to me
with the message that "he did not know
what words these letters contained = Two
of my friends protested strongly and he
10took the packet - When I learned the
character of the governor I lost hope
of any letters going to the coast and took
back my deserters, making allowance
for their early education and for the
15fact that they did well after Musa fled
up to the time that a black Arab who had
long been a prisoner with Cazembe found
us - He encouraged them to desert
and harboured them, and when they
20relented on seeing me go off to Bañgweolo
with only four followers and proposed
to follow me he dissuaded them by the
gratuitous assertion that there was war
in the country to which I was going
25and he did many other things which we
think discreditable though he got his
liberty solely by the influence I brought
to Cazembe, yet judged by the East
African Moslem standard as he ought
30to be and not by ours, he is a very
good man and as I have learned to
keep my own counsel among them,
I never deemed it prudent to come to
a rupture with the old "Neer do weel"-

35

Compelled to inactivity ^ here for many
months I offered a thousand dollars
to several of the traders for the loan of
ten of their people - This is more than
that number of men ever obtained but
40the imaginations were inflamed, and 0555
549
each expected to make a fortune by in ivory
now lying rotting in the forests, and
no one would consent to my propositions
5till his goods should be all expended and
no hope of more ivory remained. I
lived in what may be called the Tipperary of
of Manyema and they are certainly a bloody
people among themselves But they are very
10far from being in appearance like the ugly
negroes of the West Coast - Finely formed
heads are common, and generally men &
women are vastly superior to the Zanzibar
slaves and elsewhere = We must go deeper than phrenology
15to account for their low moral tone -
If they are cannibals they are not ostentatious
-ly - The neighboring tribes all assert
that they are men eaters and they themselves
laughingly admit the change but they like to
20impose on the credulous, and they shewed
the skull of a recent victim to horrify one
of my people - I found it to be the skull of
a gorillah or Soko the first I knew of its
existence here and this they do eat - If
25I had believed a tenth of what I heard from
traders I might never have entered the
country - Their people told tales with
shocking circumstantiality as if of eye
witnesses that could not be committed
30to paper or even spoken about beneath the
breath - Indeed one wishes them to vanish
from memory - But fortunately I was
never frightened in infancy with "Bogie"
and am not liable to attacks of what may
35almost be called "Bogiephobia" for
the patient in a paroxysm believes everything
horrible if it be ascribed to the possessor
of a -black skin- I have not yet been
able to make up my mind as to whether 0556
550
the Manyema are cannibals or not - I
have offered goods of sufficient value
to tempt any of them to call me to see
5a cannibal feast in the dark forests
where these orgies are said to be held
but hitherto in vain ^ all the real evidence
yet ^
obtained would elicit form a Scotch Jury the
10verdict ^ only of "not proven" -

Although I have not done half I
hoped to accomplish I trust to your
Lordship kind consideration to
award me you approbation
15    and am your most obedient servant

                    David Livingstone
                            H M Consul
                                    Inner Africa

0620
614
[...]

July
23d
51870 The sores on my feet laid me up
as irritable eating ulcers - if the foot were
put to the ground a discharge of bloody ichor
flowed and the same discharge happened
every night with considerable pain that
10prevented sleep - the wailing of the slaves
is one of the night sounds of a slave camp
they eat through everything muscle tendon
bone and often lame permanently if they
do not kill the poor things - medicines
15have very little effect - their periodicity
seems to say that they are allied to Fever
The Arabs make a salve of Bees wax and
sulphate of copper and this applied hot
and held on by a bandage affords support
20but the necessity of letting the ichor
escapes renders it a painful remedy.
I had three ulcers and no medicine the
native plan of support by means of a
stiff leaf or bit of calabash was too irritating
25they continued to eat in and enlarge
in spite of everything - the vicinity was
Septr
6th hot and the pain increased with the size
I was at last advised to try Malachite
30rubbed down with water on a stone and
applied with a feather - this was the
only thing that had any beneficial effect
Copper rubbed down in the same way is
a remedy of good repute but malachite
35alone proved beneficial in my case
26th I have been able now to report the
ulcers healing - For eighty days I was
completely laid up by them and it was
long ere the lost substance was replaced
40they kill many slaves - and an
epidemic came to us which carried
October off thirty in our small camp - it was
Choleraic and how many Manyema 0621
615
Nov.
1870 died of it we could not ascertain - While this
epidemic raged here we heard of cholera terribly
5severe on the way to the coast

Another disease called Safura or earth eating
attacks great numbers of both slaves & freemen
on seeing it on the West coast I imagined that
it was a mode of suicide adopted by the slaves
10and their Portuguese masters shared the opinion
and punished any one guilty of clay eating
but here I found it to be a disease per se
and it attacks even rich men at Zanzibar
who have none of the reasons that might
15make slaves desire to quit life - the earth
of old walls is preferred and to the sufferer
it smells and tastes pleasantly - Muhamad's
brother was attacked and his wife told him
of it on enquiry his brother was ashamed &
20denied it but his wife repeated - It is false
he is constantly picking out earth out of the
garden wall or little clods on the surface
and eating them - the symptoms are swelling
of the face hands and feet - If the fingernail
25is squeezed it is bloodless - the patient is
oppressed with breathlessness and easily
fatigued - though he is supplied with plenty
of food he constantly picks up dirt and
it appears in his dejections unchanged -
30the swelled face feet & hands & bloodlessness
continue to the end and many slaves die of
Safura - A remedy got from Muhamads
father - iron scales from smithy - sulphate
of copper and the strongest vinegar was
35allowed to stand a few days and a wine
glassful given morning and evening
It produced profuse vomiting & purging
and eggs milk fish had to be abstained
from for years afterward

0622
616

Decr
1870. But the strangest disease I have seen in
this country seems really to be broken hearted
5 [-] ness, and it attacks freemen who have
been captured and made slaves - My
attention was drawn to it when the elder
brother of Syde bin Habib was killed in Rua
by a night attack when a spear was pitched
10through his tent into his side - Syde then
vowed vengeance for the blood of his
brother and assaulted all he could find
killing the elders and making the young
men captives - He had secured a very large
15number and they endured the chains
untill they saw the broad river Lualaba
roll between them and their free homes
they then lost heart - twenty one were
unchained as being now safe but all ran
20away at once while eight with many others still in chains
died in three days after crossing - they
ascribed their only pain to the heart, and
placed the hand correctly on the spot though
many think that the organ stands high
25up under the breast bone - some expressed
surprise to me that they should die seeing
they had plenty to eat and no work - one
fine boy of about 12 years was carried
and when about to expire was kindly
30laid down on the side of the path and
a hole dug to deposit the body - he too
said he had nothing the matter with
him except pain in his heart - as it
attacks only the free who are captured
35and never slaves it seems to be really a
broken hearts

0623
617

Dec r
1870. Rice sown on 19th October was in ear in 70 days
a leopard killed my goat and a gun set for
5him went off at 10 PM - the ball broke both
hind legs and one foreleg yet he had power to
spring up and bite a man badly afterwards
He was a male 2 ft. 4 in. - at whithers and 6 ft.
8 in. from tip of nose to end of tail -

10

                        1st January 1871 - Oh Father help
me to finish this work to thy honour - still
detained at Bambarre - but a caravan of
500 muskets is reported from the coast -
Jany
1527th
1871 It may bring me other men and goods
Safari or caravan reported to be near and
my men and goods at Ujiji

February 4th 7 slaves come to me from
20the coast and three Pagazi - I was overjoyed
but did not then know that I had recieved
slaves instead of men - they called them
selves Laskars and came without loads -
of eight pieces of calico & 7 of Kanike I
25clothed them all gratuitously - on the day of
their arrival one of my worthless lot from
Nassik who refused to go North for fear
of death was killed by the Manuy{yu}ema as he
went to buy food - the murderer was caught
3010 the slaves mutiny and refuse to go North
swore that the consul had told them not to go
forward but to force me back and they
had spread this tale all over the country and
that a certain letter had been sent to me
35with orders to return forthwith - they
swore so positively that I actually looked
again at to Kirk's letter to see his orders
had been rightly understood by me -
But for Muhamad Bogharib and fear
40of pistol shot they would have gained
their own and their Banian masters
end to baffle me - completely - they 0624
618
Feby
11th
1871. demanded an advance of one dollar
5or six dollars a month though this was double
freeman's pay at Zanzibar - their two
headmen Shereef and Awathe had refused
to come past Ujiji - and were revelling on
my goods there - I might have returned
10at once and deposed these worthless leaders
but I had a sore longing to finish my work
and retire and going back to Ujiji would
probably have occupied five or six months
in which time, I hope my work would be
15finished if I went North and got a canoe -
I hoped to gain influence over these slaves
in the way, and do all I required but I
never had experience with Banian slaves
before, nor did I concieve it possible for
20British subjects to do all they could to
baffle me by lies and low cunning
so that their slave trading should not be
injured by my disclosures -

Went North to Luamo and across
25it - I was very anxious to embark on it
but was also disinclined to force - the
slaves who are excessively afraid of
Manyuema and everything in their
country - so we went on to Mamohela
3025th and found that it was now known
that Lualaba flowed West South West
and that our course was to be West
across this other great bend of the
mighty river - I had to suspend my
35judgment so as to be prepared to
find it after all perhaps the Congo -
No one knew anything about it
except that when at Kasongo's nine
days West and by South it came
40sweeping round and flowed North
and North and by East -

0625
619

Feby
1871 Katomba presented a young Soko or gorillah
that had been caught while its mother was
5killed - she sat 18 inches high had fine
long black hair all over which was pretty
so long as it was kept in order by her dam -
she was the least mischievous of all the
monkey tribe I have seen - seemed to know
10that in me she had a friend and came &
sat quietly on the mat beside me - In
walking the first thing observed is that
she does not tread on the palms of her hands
but on the backs of the second line of
15bones of the hands - In doing this the
nails do not touch the ground nor do the
knuckles - she uses the arms thus supported
crutch fashion and hitches herself along
between them - occasionally one hand
20is put down before the other and alter-
nates with the feet - or she walks upright
and holds up a hand to any one to carry
her - if refused she turns her face down
and makes grimaces of the most bitter
25human weeping - wringing her hands &
sometimes adding a fourth hand or foot
to make the appeal more touching - with
grass or leaves she draws them around
her to make a nest - and resents anyone
30meddling with her property - she began in
a very business like way to unloose her
string using the thumbs not fingers in
the usual monkey fashion and when
one interfered with the operation she
35struck out with her hand in a way
that shewed that an adult could give a
very severe slap - they apportion parts
of the forests to certain companies
as street dogs do in Cairo & Istanbul 0626
620
Feby
1871 and intruders from other societies are very
promptly expelled with well slapped checks -
5and sometimes bitten - When seen in the
forests they sometimes walk erect with the
hands on the head as if to steady the loins
but when they see man they take to all fours
and rarely attack except when molested they
10resent spears but do not touch women
who have none - When stabbed he pulls the
spear out yet never uses it against his
enemy - stuffs leaves into a wound to
staunch the flow of blood - to me he seems
15very ugly - a baudy legged - pot bellied - low
browed villain without a particle of the
gentlemen in him - one newly killed is
perfectly appalling - He would do to sit at
the Royal Academy in a portrait of Satan
20a statue intended for the Lord of all evil in
the Nineveh marbles is not half so ugly
as Soko yet he has a good character
from the natives "Soko is a man" they
say "We trouble Soko but he never resents
25it" - We hear him drumming on hollow
trees and at once go to try & kill him -
he hears our drumming and never comes
to injure man - "he does not steal from
our gardens but is content with his own
30wild fruits" - when drum is beaten by
Soko his yelping as music is like that
of spaniels when whipped or giving tong
His nest is a poor contrivance with no
more skill shewn in contrivance than
35the nest of our Cushat dove - here he sits
in pelting rain with his arms over his
head - the natives call it his house and
laugh at him for being such a fool and
after building it not to go beneath
40for shelter - !

[...]

0646
646
[...]

It has been somewhat difficult to
ascertain the cannibalism of the Manyuema
5by reasonable evidence - If I had believed
all tenth part of the tales of native traders
and even of the adjacent tribes I might
never have entered the country - but having
come and being anxious to give a true
10report on the matter any mind has veered
from scepticism to faith and back again
to doubt of all but a modified use of human
flesh as charms - and then to the opinion
that in some districts of Bambarre human
15flesh is devoured in horrible nocturnal
ogres in the dark forests - I gave a large
sum to be privately invited to witness
one of these feasts, and though sufficient
to be a strong temptation to Manyuema,
20it lay in a village for many months
in rain - there being no lack of food in
the country the only reason for the horrible
custom I could discover was a
depraved taste for meat in the state which
25we call high - the body is said to be kept
for three days slightly covered over with
soil in the forest - in this climate this
causes putridity and then cooked in
large pots with bananas and plantains
30the men gorge themselves with the disgusting
mess - Human flesh they say requires but
little salt as it is saltish - the hands
and feet are tidbits - the first traders
three of four years ago, say that dead
35slaves were openly purchased from
them - now they are ashamed of a
practice which all strangers denounce
but it is still common to devour
the dead in Bambarre - Women are
40debarred from partaking of human flesh -

0647
647

Three slaves belonging to our camp were exhumed
by night - the foot marks shewed that the body
stealers were men and not beasts - When the
5matter was complained of to the chief he said
that hyaenas had done it but neither hyaenas
nor leopards came near us - all the goats
stand unbound in the midst of out huts and no
animal comes near them - some said that
10people in the vicinity were guilty of stealing our
dead - but they were innocent - they were
threatened with reprisals of their living children
if they stole our dead - Posho's wife died, and
in Banyamwezi fashion she was thrown
15away about 200 yards from the camp un-
-buried - the threat was effectual neither men
nor hyaenas touched her body though we
watched for seven or eight days - A very
fine fair woman far gone in pregnancy
20was killed close to our camp by the sons of
Moenekuss because she belonged to a chief
who killed their elder brother - Her blood
stained all the path - and her body was
hid in the forest for a feast - Another slave
25was killed and dismembered for the same
purpose - it is this custom that prevents
the people of one district going into other districts
they say that they will be killed and eaten - a man
came from Kasangañgazi to trade and was killed
30by Kandawara the old brother of the late Moenekuss
and no one will ever punish except by war -
A woman was killed near to us, and the
young man who did the deed went home and
boasted of what he had done - her relatives came
35in great numbers to demand justice and a fight
would have ensued in which the guilty one
would probably escape - we advised them to
demand the culprit alone - His father & he 0648
648
offered the grandmother, and said if we
wished to kill anyone she would do as well
as any other! The murderer escaped - He
5said that he thought the woman killed meant
to bewitch - The foregoing refers to Bambarre
alone, in other districts graves appear -
here none are seen. A chief about a day
distant killed eleven persons when we
10were away - Monanyembo as he was called
became a nuisance and Muhamad sent
a party to punish him - He soon afterwards
came and brought two goats - one he gave
to Muhamad - The other to Moenekuss' sons
15acknowledging that he had killed their
elder brother - on these occasions they reveal
each other's deeds and it transpired from
Monanyembo's statements that old Kanda-
-wara in addition to the trader from Kasang-
20-añgazi ^ killed three women and a child for no
other reason than to eat the bodies = They
disclose a horrid state of bloodthirsty
callousness - the people over the hill
Kanyima on our N.N.E - killed a person
25when hoeing his field - If a cultivator
is alone he is almost sure of being
slain - the Soko is not so bad as man -
women often lay down their babies to
sleep under a shady tree while they con-
30-tinual hoeing - Soko stalks the child &
runs up a tree with it evidently amused
with its screaming - a wise woman
runs off at once and brings a bunch
of small bananas which he is very
35fond off - lays it on the ground
in his sight and retires a little way
off. Soko comes down and in lifting
up the bait which is heavy drops the child 0649
649
Men are worse than brutes - This which have
often heard on native testimony seems to be true.

18711st March 1871. I was to start today
5from Mamohela but the Arabs begged me
to take seven of their men going to buy
"Viramba" or grass cloths and they had to
grind flour. The offer was gladly accepted
for they know a new route West which
10has lately been opened - Gave Katomba a
note empowering him to take a double barrelled
gun out of my long detained long box for
all his kindness which has been very
great - supplying me on every occasion
15with the finest maize flour which I
could obtain nowhere else - nuts - bananas
meat and never begging any return -
He promised to carry the young Soko he
gave me to Ujiji but the poor thing had
20no mothers call and soon died - I have
invariably tried to refund handsomely
all the Arab kindness but Katomba's
good will exceeds my ability - one of
his sayings is worthy of being recorded
25for he has travelled further than most
Arabs - "If you have a civil friendly
tongue and smiling face you may go
anywhere in Africa in safety - Do not
be in too great a hurry but tell the
30people your objects frankly and give
them time to understand them and no
harm will ever befall you"

0650
650

1871
2 March Left Mamohela and travelled over fine
grassy plains crossing in six hours
5fourteen running rills from three
to ten or fifteen feet broad and from
calf to thigh deep - Tree covered mountains
on both sides - the natives know the
rills by names and readily tell their
10courses and which falls into which
before all go into the great Lualaba
but without one as a guide no one
can put them in a map. We came to
Monanbunda's villages & spent the
153th night - our next stage was at Monangongo
a small present of a few strings of
beads satisfies but is not asked -
I give it invariably as acknowledge
ment for lodgings - the Arabs never
20do but use the clean houses - pots
baskets and leave only a litter of
broken food & filth behind them in
4th the morning = the headman of our
next stage hid himself in fear as we
25were near to the scene of bin Juma's
unprovoked slaughter of five men
for tusks that were not stolen but
thrown down - Path lay through dense
5 th forest and again on 5th our march
30was in the same dense jungle of lofty
trees and vegetation that touch our
arms on each side - We came to
some villages among beautiful
tree covered hills called Basilañge
35or Mobasilange - villages very
pretty and standing on slopes - the
main street generally lies East &
West to allow the bright sun to
stream his clear hot rays from 0651
651
1871
5th
March one end to the other and lick up quickly
5the moisture from the frequent showers
which is not drained off by the slopes -
A little verandah is often made in front
of the door - Here at dawn the family
gathers round a fire and while enjoying
10the heat needed in the cold that always
accompanies the first darting of the
light of Sun's rays across the atmos-
-phere inhale the delicious air and talk
over their little domestic affairs - the
15carriers shaped leaves of the forest all
around their village & near their nestlings
are bespangled with myriads of dew-
drops - the cocks crow vigorously &
strut and ogle - the kids gambol and
20leap on the backs of their dams quietly
chewing the cud - other goats make believe
fighting - thrifty wives often make the
heap of grass roots which bake new
clay pots and the ashes of which give -
25solid? serve as the morning fire - Two
birds are killed with one stone - the beauty
of this morning scene of peaceful enjoyment
is indescribable - Infancy guilds the
fairy picture with its own hives and it
30is probably never forgotten for the young
taken up from Slavers and treated
with all the philanthropic missionary -
care and kindness still revert to the
period of infancy as the finest and
35fairest they have known - they would
go back to freedom and enjoyment
as fast as would our own sons of
the soil and be heedless to the charms
of hard work and no play which
40we think so much better for them
(if not for us)

0652
652

1871
March In some cases we found all the villages
deserted - the people had fled at our
5approach in dread of repetitions of the
outrages of Arab slaves - the doors were
all shut and a bunch of the leaves of
reeds or of green reeds placed across
them, mean "no entrance here" - A few
10stray chickens wander about ^ wailing having
hid themselves while the rest were caught
and carried off into the deep forest -
the still smoking fires tell the same tale
of recent flight from the slave traders
15Many have found out that I am not
one of their number so in various
cases they stand up and call out
loudly "Boloñgo - Bolongo"! Friend-
"ship, Friendship" They sell their fine
20iron bracelets eagerly for a few
beads - They seem out of fashion since
beads came in but are of the finest
quality of iron and were they nearer
Europe would be as eagerly sought
25and bought as horse shoe nails
are for the best gun barrels - I over
hear the Manyema telling each
other that I am the "good one" I have
no slaves and I owe this character
30to the propagation of a good name by
the slaves of Zanzibar who are
anything but good themselves -
I have seen slaves belonging to the
seven men now with us slap the
35cheeks of grown men who had offered
food for sale - It was done in sheer
wantoness till I threatened to thrash
them if I saw it again - but out
of my sight they did it still and 0653
653
1871
March
5th and when I complained to the masters
5they confessed that all the mischief was
done by slaves - for the Manyuema on
being insulted lose temper and use their
spears on the nasty curs and their vengeance
is taken with guns - Free men behave
10better than slaves - the bondmen are not
responsible - The Manyuema are far
more beautiful than either the bond or
free of Zanzibar - I over hear the
remark often - "If we had Manyuema
15wives what beautiful children we
should beget." The men are usually hand-
-some and many of the women are very
pretty - Hands feet limbs and forms
perfect in shape - The colour light brown
20the orifices of the nose are widened by
snuff takers who ram it up as far as
they can with the finger & thumb - The teeth
are not filed except a small space
between the two upper front teeth -

25

5th Our course was mainly West but we
heard today that Muhamad Bogharib's
people passed us still further to the West
with much worry and an immense
number of captive Manyuema - The
30ivory did not satiate their greed but
they seized women & children and
slaughtered men because it could be
done without danger - The best men
have often the very worst attendants
35but they take their share of the spoil
and remark "The Manyuema are
bad bad bad" - By the passage West
I miss some things promised as
notes of all the rivers crossed &c

0654
654

1871
March
6th Passed through large villages with many
5forges at active work - the forest
country beautifully undulating and
well watered everywhere. The men
followed us in large numbers and my
Banian slaves were in terror believing
10that the men meant to fight - I pointed
out that they were without spears "but
their spears are hid in the grass said
they" We got them to turn peaceably
but so many have been maltreated
15we never know who are friends or
who have lost friends relatives and
children by the slavers -

7th The rain of yesterday made the clayey
paths in the forests so slippery that the
20feet of all were sorely fatigued and on
coming to Mangara an influential
and friendly chief I resolved to rest
a day. We were near to a remarkable
Mountain with its top bent over and
25called "Kimazi" - It has a large cave
in its side with a pillar apparently
stalagmite in its mouth but we did not
climb up to it - Gave a cloth and
beads to Mangara a good sensible
30man and he presented a fine fat goat
The house wife whose hut I occupied
was overflowing in her kind wishes
to serve me when she recieved a
small present and was told that I
35always paid for my lodging - Wood
water fire carefully provided and
some bananas presented in return
She was pretty but a woman whose
house was nearly opposite was a
40perfect queen for stateliness and
beauty - she fondled a child 0655
655
1871
March
9th belonging to a neighbour though covered
5with a loathsome skin disease in entire
ignorance that she was thereby risking
the spoiling of her own beautiful skin

On leaving Mangara's we marched
about five hours across Buga or
10Prairie covered with grass but without
bushes or trees - The torrid sun from
which we had often been sheltered in the
forests was now nearly vertical and sent
down his fierce rays without a cloud
15and sorely fatigued us all - crossed two
streams - one called Sokoye by bridges &
slept at a village on a ridge of woodland
overlooking Kasonga's - and after two
[10th] hours this morning came among the
20numerous villages of this chief - We here
found a caravan of Arabs under Salem
Mokadam who lent a house - Kasongo is
a good looking young man with nearly
European features but rather small eyes
25He is clever asand is pronounced good because
he eagerly joins the Arabs in marauding
seeing the advantage of fire arms he has
bought four muskets - We were now only
six miles from Lualaba and yet south of
30Mamohela - This great river in fact
makes a second great sweep to the
West of some 130 miles and there at
least 30' of Southing - but now it comes
rolling majestically to the North and again
35makes even Easting - It is a mighty stream
with many islands in it, and is never
wadeable at any point or at any
time of the year - I now wanted to
buy a canoe and explore by means
40of it but my Banian slave drag
was against every effort I made

0656
656

1871
March
11th Kasongo had no canoes but said that
5he knew a man who had one for sale
He pretended that it was one of his people
and when I proposed to send men to
examine it he gave a guide = When
they went the slaves shewed that they
10were as eager for bloodshed as other
slaves where no danger has to be en-
-countered for after staying away ten
days they came back and reported
that they had killed three Manyuema
15and the guide given by Kasonga had
bullet hole through his shoulder -
they seem to have been firing at random
among the Manyuema and hit their
best friend - Kasonga said little
20about it save that it was an accident
and I would never trust them out
of my sight again - The canoe was not
for sale so I resolved to go further
down the river -

25

This caravan at Kasonga's had but
little success because they sent
slaves to trade and they themselves
lay and feasted here - They were the
agents of Banians at Zanzibar
30without whose money they could
neither trade nor share - and towards
the Banians they acted exactly as
their slaves did to them - When they
sent slaves with five frasilahs
35of beads to trade two & a half
Frasilahs disappeared on the
on the road and very little ivory
returned to the lazy masters -
one of the traders a Muscat Arab
40entertained me with a long fierce
oration in which I was told again 0657
657
1871
March and again that I should certainly be
killed and eaten - The Manyuema
5now wanted a white man to eat -
I needed 200 guns for so perilous a
journey - I must not go to die - &c - I told
him that I was always thankful for
advice if given by one who had knowledge
10but his vehement threats were the mere
dreams of one who had never gone any-
where but sent his slaves instead of going
himself like a man - He was only trying
to frighten my people who were cowardly
15enough already and thereby doing me an
injury - said that Baker had come near
to this with but twelve people - "Were these
cannibals? shouted the blatant Amur - I left
him after thanking him for warnings
20in which it was plain he knew not
what he was saying - He never launched
forth again but tried to be extra civil -
these traders are simply marauders and
their slaves become worse than them-
25-selves in thirst for blood. Each longs to
be able to sit at home and tell how
much blood he has shed the Manyuema
as an easy prey - they are so terrified
by the loud reports of guns they dash at
30once into the forest & the women and
children are caught -

Muhamad's chief man Hassani
advanced 25 copper rings to the people
near Moene Lualaba to be paid for
35they say in ivory which all knew
they had not to give - On returning
the ivory was demanded and not
forthcoming Hassani assaulted them
for three days and took off a very 0658
658
March
1871
12th large number of captives - the same
5Hassani promised to me not to begin
hostilities but he began little else - the
prospect of securing slaves overpowers
everything else and blood blood blood
flows in horrid streams. The Lord look
10on it. All flee from this bank of the
Lualaba now and I am prevented from
getting a canoe.

This spot is pretty - much of the undu-
-lating land is cultivated and there are
15trees enough near the hills & on the ridges
to give the scene a beautiful park like
appearance - Rice grows well and
food of all kinds is brought to the
markets at different points in abundance
20Kasonga says that "he has but one
tongue and never lies" He is contrast
to these Arabs who are very untruthful
the only difference between their so
called prophet and them is that he
25lied and forced his countrymen to give
up idolatry - they lie because it is
ingrained in their constitutions
and they prefer falsehood to truth - the
impudence of Muhamad's lies is their
30chief feature. Proceeding to Damascus
as a trader he heard of St. Pauls
translation the like of which had never
before it happened entered into the
human mind - He at once concieved
35the idea of a pretended visit to not the
third but the seventh heaven - but
many Moslems disbelieve this and say
it is not in the Koran of the prophet
having no miracle to attest his pro-
40phetic mission without shame he 0659
659
1871
March tried to appropriate that of Moses bringing
water out of the rock but unconsciously
5gave it the stamp of all false miracles
by pretending performance where it was
not needed - no multitude was athirst - He
alone had neglected to follow the example
of his company in providing supplies in
10their skin bottles - His followers are all
faithful liars - religion & morality are quite
disjoined. Kasonga declared that he did
not lie like Moslems but his goodness
consists in helping them against all
15other Manyuema who have ivory - By his
guidance Hassani's party slew many of the
people of Luapanga called Bahika -
The Bahika blame Kasonga only as the cause
of their losses - I told Kasonga that he was
20safe only so long as many other Manyuema
were with reach of the slavers, They would
yet turn round on him and I would see
him in the slave stick going to the coast
He laughed - in scepticism - Now they
25say we are fighting Kasonga's enemies
Marvel not at the matter - There be higher
than they -

15th In conformation of what I write some
of the party here assaulted a village of
30Kasongo killed three men & captured women
and children - pretended that they did not
know them to be his people - but did not
return the captives

21st Kasonga's brothers child died & he asked
35me to wait over the funeral & then he
would give a guide to go North to the
great market place of this region -
Nyangwe - cold rain from Sou
West detained us again