February, 1874I found it impossible to remain in the house which the Arabs had lent me at Kawélé. It was very wretched, and the only place where I could stand was under a verandah open to the market-place and exposed to the gaze of the whole populaton. I therefore moved into another which I rented for two doti a month.

This house, although not as large as the one I occupied at Unyanyembé was much more comfortable, and a table placed under the verandah enabled one to work at ease.

My first enquiries were for Dr. Livingstone's papers, and I was greatly rejoiced to find hem safe in the charge of Mohammed ibn Salib, who - although holding no authority from Siud Burghash - was looked upon by the traders here as their practical head to whom they always referred in any matter of dispute.

I now took the opportunity of overhauling my loads to discover what I had lost by theft, and found that no fewer than thirty-two frasilah of beads, weighing thirty-five pounds each and equal to sixteen loads, had been stolen.

Only one load remained intact and that had been carried the whole way by a pagazi named Suliman, who was a very good, honest fellow.

Owing to the frequent desertions and my many illnesses, I had been unable to keep the men to the same loads throughout the journey, and therefore could not detect the thieves unless I actually found the stolen property in their possession. But I had little or no doubt that there were barely half-a-dozen men in the caravan who had not robbed me at one time or another.

I discharged those whom I had caught thieving and gave notice that I would flog the next offender.

And scarcely had I said the words when I detected a man coming out of the store-room - which had been left open by Bombay with his usual carelessness - having several strings of mymost valuable beads and three coloured cloths partially hidden under his loin cloth. Instantly I ordered him to be seized up and given the flogging I had promised, and discharged him on the spot with a warning that if he or nay other detected thief came near my house he should receive similar treatment.

The result of enquiries as to the prospects of continuing my journey on the other side of the lake, and the best method of sending Livingstone's papers safely to the coast was not encouraging.

I was assured that no travelling would be possible to the west of the Tanganyika for at least three months, and that it would be most unsafe for a small party carrying the box of papers to leave Ujiji for the East Coast on account of the disturbances on the road to Unyanyembé. It therefore appeared better to wait until the convoy of a caravan could be obtained.

I then turned my thoughts to the subject of a cruise round the Tanganyika, and immediately set about making preparations.

Before proceeding with my narrative I will endeavour to describe Kawélé and its residents, both native and foreigns.

Giving preference to the traders, there was first Mohammed ibn Salib, a fine portly old half-caste Arab with a very good presence, who had not been to the east of Ujiji since the year 1842. Trading at that time in Ma Kasembé's country he had been detained prisoner for more than twenty years, most of which he passed either in chains or with a slave fork round his neck. He had now settled permanently at Ujiji.

The next in importance were Muinyi Heri, a rich Mrima trader who married the daughter of the chief of Ujiji during my stay; Mohammed ibn Gharib, a great friend of Livingstone, whom he had often assisted, and who, as a token of friendship, had presented him with a gun; and his brother Hassani.

These were the principal traders; but there were also Syde Mezrui, a half-caste, and as it afterwards turned out, a bankrupt; Abdallah ibn Habib, a Mrima trader, and several men who acted as agents for large merhants, besides blacksmiths, carpenters, and sandal-makers.

The natives are rather a fine-looking race, but have the reputation of being a very drunken and thieving lot, yet I scarcely think they are as bad in either respect as the lower orders of the coast natives. They are good smiths and porters and expert fishermen and canoe-men.

Their dress usually consists of a single piece of bark cloth with two corners tied in a knot over one shoulder and passing under the opposite armpit. It is often dyed in stripes and spots of black and yellow and cut to imitate the shape of a leopard's skin. It leaves one side of the body perfectly naked, and in a breeze flaps about in such a manner that it barely satisfies the commonest requirements of decency.

Their special ornaments are made of beautifully white and wonderfully polished hippopotamus ivory. In shape and size they represent the blade of a sickle and are worn hung round the neck. They also wear a profusion of sambo, small bells and wire bracelets. The men usually carry a spear.

Their hair is clipped and shaved into most peculiars patterns, such as spirals, zigzags, tufts left on a bare scalp or round patches shaven in the centre of the crown of the head, and, in short, every conceivable vagary in shaving in fancy devices.

The chiefs among them may be distinguished by their wearing coloured trade cloths - after the same fashion as their poorer countrymen wear their bark cloth - and by having heavy penannular bracelets with a projection at the back.

The head chief or Mtémé of Ujiji lives in a village in the mountains some distance from the lake; but every small district is ruled over by a Mutwalé or headman, whose office is often hereditary, assisted by three or four Watéko or elders.

These people arrange disputes, collect all tributes, and remit the proceeds to the Mtémé after deducting a certain amount for their trouble.

One of the sights at Kawélé is the market held daily, between half-past seven and ten in the morning and again in the afternoon, in an open space in the town close to the shore. The more important is that in the morning, which presents an interesting and lively scene.

It is attended by the people of Uguhha, Uvira, Urundi, and many tribes dwelling on the shores of the lake.

The Waguhha are easily distinguished by the elaborate manner in which both sexes dress their hair and the fanciful and extensive tatooing of the women; while the Warundi may be known by their being smeared with red earth and oil, giving their bodies a bright bronze colour. They are called by the Arab traders a "red people," meaning light-coloured.

Women of Kawélé and surrounding hamlets bring baskets of flour, sweet potatoes, yams, fruit of the oil-palm - which is here seen for the first time - bananas, tobacco, tomatoes, cucumbers, and a great variety of vegetable products, besides pottery and huge gourds of pombé and palm wine.

The men sell fish - both dried and fresh - meat, goats, sugar-canes, nets, baskets, spear and bow staves, and bark cloth.

The Warundi principally deal in corn and canoe paddles, and from the island of Ubwari is brought a species of hemp used by the Wagogo in making their nets; while Uvira furnishes pottery and ironwork, Uvinza salt, and various other places large gourds of palm oil.

Each vendor takes up the same position daily, and many build small arbours of palm-fronds to shelter them from the burning rays of the sun.

Among the crowd of buyers and sellers there circulate parties who have travelled from a distance to this central mart to endeavour to dispose of their slaves and ivory; and the whole of the bargaining being carried on at the top of the voice the noise is almost deafening.

A curious currency is in vogue here, everything being priced in beads called sofi, something in appearance like small pieces of broken pipe-stem.

At the commencement of the market, men with wallets full of these beads deal them out in exchange for others with people desirous of making purchases; and when the mart is closed they receive again from the market-people and make a profit on both transactions, after the manner usual amongst money-changers.

To obtain boats to proceed on my Tanganyika cruise was my first consideration; but the owners of two promised me by Said ibn Salim at Unyanyembé were away, and therefore I could not procure them. I discovered a good one, however, belonging to Syde ibn Habib - who had met Livingstone both in Sékélétu's country and in Manyuéma - and managed to hire it from his agent though at an extortionate rate.

The arrangement at the hiring was rather amusing. Syde's agent wished to be paid in ivory, of which I had none; but I found that Mohammed ibn Salib had ivory, and wanted cloth. Still, as I had no cloth, this did not assist me greatly until I heard that Mohammed ibn Gharib had cloth and wanted wire. This I fortunately possessed. So I gave Mohammed ibn Gharib the requisite amount in wire, upon which he handed over cloth to Mohammed ibn Salib, who in turn gave Syde ibn Habib's agent the wished-for-ivory. Then he allowed me to have the boat.

The agreement was that she should be handed over to me fit for sea, and having been a long time hauled up she required caulking, which was a tedious business.

A sail was supposed to be forthcoming, but all that appeared was a few tattered rags of cloth which they informed me would be quite sufficient for all sailing purposes. I could get nothing better out of this agent, who, not contended with having received as hire quite enough to buy two or three canoes in honest trade, now wanted to cheat me in every petty detail.

In addition to his impudence in calling these rags a sail, he stated that the oars were not included in the bargain and I must give a further amount for them.

But I appealed to Mohammed ibn Salib in this matter, and he decided that I was to have the oars without payment. The question of the sail he gave against me.

I therefore set to work cutting out and making a lateen sail which frightened nearly every one in the place out of their senses owing to what they considered its enormous size; but the boat was a great lumbering craft and needed a large sail, so I held to my own ideas.

Whilst these matters were progressing I learnt that a small party were going to Unyanyembé in company with a caravan of Waguhha, intending to travel by night through the unsettled districts. I determined to seize this opportunity to despatch three men to Said ibn Salim with letters for the coast, and to urge on him the immediate necessity of forwarding at the earliest opportunity the beads I had left at Mrima Ngombé''s.

I did not venture to trust Dr. Livingstone's papers to such a poor chance of arriving at Unyanyembé.

My first trip was to Bangwé, a small island which is the northernmost land on the eastern shore visible fom Kawélé, though owing to the lay of the lake it only bears N.W. by W. ¾ W. from that place.

Here I got a set of bearings, and having carefully calculated the distance from another point of observation at Kawélé, I was able by cross bearings to point in the principal points with considerable accuracy so as to serve as a base for my survey of the lake.

Just before starting on a surveying cruise I heard by chance that the wife of one of those men who, according to Said ibn Salim, would readily lend me a boat, was at Ujiji. And on making my request known to her she immediately complied, giving me one in good order, but without a sail. The first boat I named Betsy, and the second, which was to be the tender, Pickle.

It now became necessary to engage men from whom I might learn the names of the different places round thelake, and to point out the nightly camps and act as interpreters.

Two who went to the north end with Livingstone and Stanley were brought to me. But in the weighty matter of engaging them, the Mutwalé and Watéko of course had a finger and charged more for their fees than the men received as hire.

In consequence of my being attacked by fever, which lasted two or three days, these fellows, in the belief that I was unlucky, threw up their engagement and refused to accompany me.

Their pay and the elders' fees were returned, on the principle of "no work, no pay;" and three days afterwards I obtained the services of two very decent men, Parla and Régwé, of whom the last-named was the principal but by no means the better.

The amount they were to receive for the journey was seventeen and a half dollars each, whilst the fee to the elders amounted to thirty-four.

It was rather a long price to pay two naked fellows for about a couple of months; but it must be remembered that uncivilised countries are always the most expensive for the traveller, though they may not be for the settler.

Whilst at Ujiji I met with great civility from the traders who frequently sent me cooked food, and Mohammed ibn Salib gave me a bullock and half-a-dozen sheep. I naturaly made them presents in return, and was the more inclined to do so from having heard that they had befriended Livingstone.

Syde Mezrui was expecting a caravan from Unyanyembé with stores exchanged for ivory; but was good enough to say that, whether it had arrived or not when I returned, he would be ready to show me the way to Nyangwé.

I should mention that I was visited here by three mountebanks or minstrels who were walking about the country much after the fashion of Italian organ-grinders in England, seeking whom they might render miserable with their noise.

They were furnished with enormous rattles made of gourds filled with pebbles, and with these they ascented their songs and dances. The noise was something deafening when all three rattled away at once; for these instruments were far more powerful and effective than the bones of Christy Minstrels.

They treated me with break-downs and walk-rounds which might well be the original of our music-hall style; while the songs, solos with chorus, had the "yah yah" accompaniment precisely as given by the state nigger.

March, 1874At last, on the 13th of March, I managed to get away with Bombay and thirty-seven men, leaving Bilâl in charge of the remainder and some stores. But having served our beads to enable the crews to buy five days' rations in advance, all hands took the opportunity of getting drunk early in the morning, and it was afternoon before I could collect them or they could collect their senses.

I selected the Betsy for my flag-ship, and over a sort of poop of which she boasted. fitted up a waggon-roof awning, hoping it would serve for me to live under altogether; but it proved anything but weather-proof, and it was fortunate I took my tent on board.

A light, fair wind enabled us to make sail, and that evening we ran down past the settlement of Jumah Merikani - of whom I shall have to speak hereafter - in Ukaranga, and camped at Point Mfomdo.

After proceeding a short distance the next day, passing lovely country with small cliffs and hanging woods reminding me very much of Mount Edgcumbe, I made for the shore for the purpose of beaching the Betsy, as water was leaking through a considerable hole in her stern and damaging cargo. Defects having been made good, we again got under way and camped near Ugunya.

The beauty of the scenery along the shores of the lake requires to be seen to be believed. The vivid greens of various shades amongst the foliage of the trees, the bright red sandstone cliffs and blue water, formed a combination of colour seeming gaudy in description, but which was in reality harmonious in the extreme.

Birds of various species - white gulls with grey backs and red legs and beaks , long-necked black darters, divers, grey and white kingfishers, and chocolate-coloured fishhawks with white heads and necks, were most numerous; whilst the occasional snort of a hippopotamus, the sight of the long back of a crocodile looking like a half-tide rock, and the jumping of fish, reminded one that the water as well as the air was thickly populated.

During the night I was knocked over by a serious attack of fever, but tried to go on the next day. However, I soon found my head and compass spinning in opposite directions, so was compelled to give in and camped at Kabongo, where I remained two days before I was sufficiently recovered to take a bearing.

Some very curious sensations were experienced by me whilst laid up with this attack. One night I thought I was at least twenty people, all of whom were in pain, and that each one had the same feeling as all the rest.

Another night the fancies were more distinct and I experienced a complete sense of duality; I imagined that another person, a second self, was lying on the opposite side of the boat, and I was perfectly conscious of every shake of ague and pang of headache that he suffered. I thought, too, that the teapot full of cold tea which had been placed on that side of the boat was for his sole benefit. And when in my tossing about I rolled over to that side I seized the teapot and drank like a whale and chuckled at the idea of the other thirsty mortal having been done out of some of his tipple.

Notwithstanding being so incoherent in my ideas whilst alone, yet whenever my servant came to me I managed to pull myself together and talk to him somewhat sensibly, although feeling decidedly dazed. When I began to recover we moved again and camped at Ras Kébwé.

My boats' crews were not a plucky order of men, for a thunderstorm and a little squall so frightened them in the morning that they refused to stir till it had passed off, when an hour's pulling brought us to Machachézi, a deep inlet.

The pilots now showed the white feather, and made me camp because they would not pass Ras Kabogo - where a devil and his wife were supposed to reside - until the next day, and the men being equally superstitious believed every word of this story.

Here three small canoes of Wajiji going south to exchange goats for slaves joined us; and when I found that Régwé's father was of the party I arrived at the conclusion that family affection as well as superstition might have had something to do with our stopping.

Ras Kabogo was passed on the following day without either the he or she devil being visible; but the pilots stood together in the bow of the canoe to make an offering to these evil spirits.

One held out a paddle on the blade of which a few common beads had been placed and both said together, as nearly as it can be translated, "You big man, you big devil , you great king, you take all men, you kill all men, you now let us go all right," and after a little bowing and gesticulation the beads were dropped into the water and the dreaded devil propitiated.

There is some kind of double cape at this place, one being supposed to be the residence of the male devil and the other that of his wife, and the spot is therefore believed to be doubly dangerous.

Having rounded Ras Kabogo we skirted a large bay lying between it and Ras Kungwé - the southermost point visible from Kawélé - then passed along the base of fine bold hills sloping down to the water, and put up for the night in a splendid little harbour into which two rivers fell.

I now began to regain my appetite and directed Sambo to kill and cook a fowl, when, to my atonishment, I found there was not one in the boat although I had given him beads and cloth to lay in stock. To save himself trouble he bought a coupe of goats instead, as they could easily be procured in the market while fowls could only be obtained by a house to house visitation.

One would scarcely have thought that his tupidity would have led him into still further errors. But he explained that one goat was killed the day fever attacked me, and that on the meat turning bad he killed the other, in order to have something ready for me if I got better. That having also become too "high" to eat, it was plain that of the two goats not a single mouthful would fall to my share.

Happily the Wajiji were persuaded to sell me a good milch goat; and her milk was as nourishing and good for me at that time as meat would have been.

The next two days saw us nearly round the bay. On the first night we camped at the mouth of a river, close to the spot where Stanley landed when he came south from Ujiji with Livingstone on his return to Unyanyembé.

Here we met with a few wretched natives who declared themselves to be in great fear of a party of Wanyamwési slave-hunters who had built a village on the shore, from which they used to sally forth and harass the whole surrounding country.

On the second day I received a visit from the chief of these slave-traders, and he seemed quite annoyed at my not having brought corn and goats to trade for slaves. The natives then at my camp run away in abject terror directly they saw his canoes approaching, although I assured them that they should not be harmed whilst I was there.

I have not mentioned the numerous rivers we passed on this cruise, for a glance at the map will suffice to show that to do so would render this account monotonous in the extreme. They bring an enormous quantity of water into the lake and many floating islands, principally composed of vegetation like that by which we crossed the Sindi; but a few had bushes and even trees upon them.

Their appearance is most peculiar, as many as fifty or sixty being sometimes in sight; and at a distance they bear a striking ressemblance to vessels under sail.

On the 23rd of March we rounded Ras Kungwé, and entered upon that part of the lake which had hitherto been unexplored, and indeed unseen, by any white man.