24 LATEST ACCOUNTS FROM DR. LIVINGSTONE [Nov. 28, 1859. 



together they commenced its exploration to (what he believed to be) its source 

 without finding any communication with the Zambesi. It was then decided 

 that Mr. Skead, the Admiralty Surveyor, should leave in the Pearl and 

 endeavour to find an entrance into Parker's Luabo (or Kattrina) mouth, as it 

 is called by the Portuguese, and on the 30th, in company with Her Majesty's 

 Ship Hermes, she steamed to the eastward, and he was left in charge of the 

 steam-launch. 



On the 3rd of June the Hermes returned off the bar and made signals to 

 him to come out to her ; this was not easy for a vessel 75 feet long, and Avhose 

 gunwale was only 18 inches from the water, and it was a pretty severe trial of 

 how her sections were put together ; they got out safely, however, and having 

 been taken in tow by the Hermes, off the bar of the "Kongone" (where the 

 Pearl, having found a channel, was at anchor inside the bar), waited for high- 

 water to make a push in. It had been arranged by Captain Gordon that upon 

 their arrival the master of the Pearl should send down one of his (Cajjtain 

 Bedingfeld's) whaleboats inside the bar to point out the channel to him ; but 

 although the Hermes fired several guns this was not attended to, and as he 

 was obliged to get in at high- water. Captain Gordon endeavoured to point out 

 the way ; unfortunately, and partly owing to the sun shining full in his face, 

 he made a mistake, and after he (Captain Bedingfeld) was well in amongst 

 the breakers, he found he had to haul up to clear a sand-bank or go on shore ; 

 this was a dangerous business, but the little launch behaved nobly, and with 

 the exception of being half swamped, they got in without accident. 



Having sounded the bar of the " Muselo," or " Tinbue " (the Kattrina had 

 been previously sounded by Mr. Skead) and examined the river ahead, it was 

 decided to take the Pearl through the narrow creek, 20 yards wide and about 

 4^ miles long, connecting the Kongone with the Zambesi, in lat. 18° 41' s., 

 long. 3i3° 3' E. ; this was done with some difficulty, and having ascended about 

 9 miles from this entrance, the Pearl was finally brought up by shoal-water 

 on the 13th of June, 20 miles from the mouth of the river. 



After a consultation it was now decided that an island should be selected 

 upon which to land their stores in order that the Pearl might at once proceed 

 on her voyage to Ceylon. The island thus selected was about 20 miles farther 

 up, called Nyeka (or by them Expedition Island). On the 16th he commenced 

 to take the stores out of the Pearl, and by the 26th, iron-house, sugar-mill, 

 sav^-mill, spare engine, numerous stores, including 6 tons of coal, in all at the 

 lowest estimate 40 tons, had been towed up by the steam-launch a distance 

 of 20 miles, against a current averaging 2^ knots an hour ; they had occa- 

 sionally a heavy pinnace, carrying 6 tons, and a cutter with about 2 tons in 

 tow at the same .time, and with a small quantity on board she would keep up 

 a speed of 4^ miles an hour. 



The Pearl was dismissed on the 26th June, and Captain Gordon of the 

 Hermes, his surgeon Dr. Ord, Mr. Skead, and 20 men left in her. To Captain 

 Gordon they were indebted for every assistance in his power, both in men and 

 boats, and he finally left his pinnace, fully rigged, with them ; without her they 

 never could have got up all their stores. 



From this date to the 81st July he was fully employed in exploring and 

 towing up goods as far as Senna, and in making a rough chart of the river ; 

 this latter was not easy, as he had at the same time to watch the ripple closely 

 to avoid running aground, to teach his kroomen to take the helm and lead, and 

 also to get an occasional help with the sails. 



From where the Pearl anchored, almost the whole way to Senna, the river 

 is one labyrinth of islands, shoals, and ledges, the current even at that time of 

 the year (June) running 4 or 5 miles an hour ; they frequently could not find 

 even 3 feet of water, and had to return for miles to grope out a channel, the 

 river in some places being between 2 and 3 miles wide. At Senna itself there 



