Fragment of 1870 Field Diary (I-IV)
David Livingstone

Date of composition: 18, 24 August 1870
Place of composition: Bambarre
Repository: British Library, London, United Kingdom
Shelfmark: Add.MS.50184, f. 169
Clendennen & Cunningham number(s): Field Diaries, 037
Digital edition and date: Livingstone Online, 2016
Publisher: University of Maryland Libraries, College Park, MD, USA
Project id: liv_000201
TEI encoding: Adrian S. Wisnicki, Megan Ward, Heather F. Ball, Alexander Munson

[liv_000201_0001]

Bambarre 18 August 1870 – I learn from Josuf & Moenepembe
who have been to Katanga and beyond that there is a Lake N N W
of the copper mine and 12 days distant – It is called Chibungo and is
said to be large – seven days West of Katanga flows another Lualaba
5the dividing line between Rua and Lunda or Londa - It is very large
and as the Lufira flows into Chibungo it is probable that the Lualaba
West and Lufira form the Lake = Lualaba West and Lufira rise by
fountains South of Katanga 3 or 4 days. Liambai and Lunga ftns
are only about 10 miles distant from Lualaba West & Lufira fountains.
10a mound rises between them the most remarkable in Africa
Were this spot in Armenia it would serve exactly the description
of the garden of Eden in Genesis with its four rivers – the
Gihon – Pison Hiddekel and Euphrates – As it is it possibly
gave occasion to the story told Herodotus by the secretary of
15 Minerva in the city of Sais about two hills with conical tops
Crophi and Mophi – midway between them ^ said he are the fountains of the
Nile – fountains which it is impossible to fathom - Half the
water runs Northward into Egypt - half to the South towards Ethiopia.
Four fountains rising so near to each other would readily be supposed to
20have one source and half the water flowing into the Nile – the other
have{lf} to the Zambesi required but little imagination to originate, seeing
the actual visitor would not feel bound to say how the division
was effected He could only know the fact of waters rising at one
spot and separating to flow North and South – The conical
25tops to the mound looks like invention as also do the names.

A slave bought on Lualaba East came from Lualaba
West in about twelve days – These two Lualabas may form
the loop depicted by Ptolemy and upper and lower Tanganyika
be a third arm of the Nile – Patience is all I can exercise – these
30irritable ulcers hedge me in now as did my attendants in June
but all will be for the best for it is in Providence & not in me

[liv_000201_0002]

II. The watershed is between 700 and 800 miles long from West to East
or say from ^ 22°- 23° –- to 34° ^ -35 East longitude – Parts of it are enormous
sponges - In other parts innumerable rills unite into rivulets which ^ again
form rivers – Lufira for instance has nine rivulets and Lekulwe other
5nine – The Rose of a garden watering can is a not very apt similitude as
the rills do not spring off the face of it, and it is 700 miles across the circle
but in the numbers of rills coming out at different heights on the slope
there is a faint resemblance, and I cant at present think of no other – I am
a little thankful to old Nile for so hiding his head that all "theoretical dis-
10-coverers" are left out in the cold With all real explorers I have
a hearty sympathy, and I have some regret at being in a manner compelled obliged to speak
somewhat disparagingly of the opinions formed by my predecessors
The work of Speke and Grant is part of the history of this region and since
the discovery of the sources of the Nile was asserted so positively
15in making a somewhat similar claim it seems necessary to
explain –, not offensively I hope, wherein their mistake lay – My
opinions may yet be shewn to be mistaken too – but at present I cannot
concieve how - When Speke discovered Victoria Nyanza in 1858
he at once concluded that therein lay the sources of the Nile His
20work after that was simply following a foregone conclusion and
subsequently as soon as he and Grant looked towards the
Victoria Nyanza they turned their backs on the Nile fountains
and so every step of their splendid achievement of following
the river down took them further & further away from the Caput
25 Nili – As soon as When it was percieved that the little river that leaves
the Nyanza though called they called it the White Nile would not account
for that great river they might have gone West and found
Head waters as the Lualaba to which it can bear no comparison
Taking ^ their White Nile 80 or 90 yds or say 100 yds as its breadth the Lualaba
30far south of the North end Latitude of its point of departure
shews and average breadth of ^ from 4000 to 6000 yards and always deep.
Baker discovered the lower portion of Tanganyika – He
came farther up the Nile than any traveller in modern times
but turned when about 700 miles short of the sources

[liv_000201_0002]

III. a Dutch lady explorer deserves our sympathy more than any
other for after the loss of he severest domestic afflictions, the loss of her
two aunts by fever she nobly persevered until after she was assured
by Speke and Grant that they had already discovered in Victoria
5Nyanza the sources she sought – that they not, honestly enough no
doubt, given their own mistaken views - She had shewn so much
wise foresight in providing not only a steamer but means of
further progress by land and water she must inevitably have
reached the true head waters – I cannot concieve of her stopping
10short of Lake Bangweolo – We great He donkeys say exploration
was not becoming her sex – considering that more ^ than sixteen hundred
years have elapsed since Ptolemy put down the results ^ of early
explorers, and Emperors, Kings, Philosophers – all the great
men of antiquity longed to know the fountains whence flowed
15the famous river – and long in vain – exploration does not
seem to have been very becoming the other sex either – she came
further up the river than the centurions sent by Nero Caesar
and shewed such indomitable pluck as to reflect honour on her race
I know nothing about her save by what has appeared in the public
20papers but taking her exploration along with what was done
no long time could have elapsed before the laurels
by Lady Baker I am proud to think that [ ] a
worthy part for ^ the modern rediscovery of the sources of the
Nile should have been plucked by the ladies -

25

In 1841 the ^ 2nd Egyptian ^ 2nd expedition ^ [ ] under D'Arnauld & Sabatier
reached North Lat. 4° 42' - This was a great advance into the
the Interior as compared with Linant in ^ 1827 13° 30' N. and even on
the explorations of Jomard but it turned when nearly a thousand miles from the sources

[liv_000201_0001]

IV. #57B 24 August 1870 = Four gorillas or soko's were killed 169
yesterday an extensive grass burning forced them out of
their usual haunt and coming on the plain they were soon
speared – they often go erect but place the hands on the head
5as if to steady the body - When seen thus he is an ungainly
beast - The most sentimental young lady would not call him
a "dear" but a bandy legged – pot-bellied – low looking villain
without a particle of the gentleman in him – other animals
especially the antelopes are graceful and it is pleasant to
10see them either at rest or moving in motion – the natives
also are well made, lithe and comely to behold – Soko
if large would do well to stand for a picture of the Devil.
He takes away my appetite by his disgusting bestiality
of appearance - His light yellow face shews off his ugly
15whiskers and faint apology for a beard – The forehead
villainously low with high ears is well in the background
by the great dog mouth – teeth slightly human but the
canines shew the beast by their large development – the
hands or rather the fingers are like those of the natives
20The fat of the flesh is yellow and the eagerness with
which the Manyuema devour it leaves the impression
that eating Sokos was one sta[ ]ge by which they arrived
at being cannibals – they say the flesh is delicious –