LIVINGSTONE ON THE ZAMBESI 2,^-j 



who hastened to have a stare at the 'chirombo' — wild animals. To 

 see the animals feed was the greatest attraction; never did the Zoo- 

 logical Society's lions or monkeys draw more sightseers than we did. 

 The wondering multitude crowded round us at meal-times and formed 

 a thicket of dark bodies, all looking on, apparently, with the deepest 

 interest ; but they good-naturedly kept each other to a line we made on 

 the sand, and left us room to dine. Twice they went the length of lift- 

 ing up the edge of our sail, which we used as a tent, as boys do the 

 curtains of traveling menageries at home. ... At one village 

 only were they impudent, but they were 'elevated' by beer. . . . 

 They cultivate the soil pretty extensively, and grow large quantities 

 of rice and sweet potatoes, as well as maize, mapira, and millet. In 

 the north, however, cassava is the staple product, which, with fish kept 

 till the flavor is high, constitutes the main support of the inhabitants." 



While Livingstone struck inland for a short trip, the boat with 

 his brother and Dr. Kirk proceeded northward some distance; and 

 where the mountainous coasts seemed, owing to a haze, to draw 

 together, they placed the northern extremity of the lake — that is, 

 about eleven degrees south. As a matter of fact a more careful survey, 

 undertaken later on by Mr. E. D. Young, established the limit as being 

 about nine and one-half degrees south — a clear gain in length to this 

 inland sea of a degree and a half, or rather over a hundred miles. 



The 30th of January, 1862, was a great day for the Doctor. 

 H. M. S. "Gorgon" appeared off the mouth of the Kongone, and Liv- 

 ingstone, steaming out in the "Pioneer," went on board, to find his 

 wife, and a steamer which he had ordered through James Young, and 

 which was intended for work on the Nyassa. Mrs. Livingstone had 

 been in England since parting with her husband at Cape Town, but 

 ,had now come out to join him in his work. She was not to help him 

 for long. 



The unhealthy season was Its height, and the party were delayed 

 at Shupanga by the slow process of conveying the many sections of the 

 "Lady Nyassa" to that place and there fitting them together. The 

 surrounding low land, rank with vegetation, and reeking from the late 

 rainy season, exhaled the malarious poison In enormous quantities. 

 On the 2 1st of April, Mrs. Livingstone fell ill — on the 27th she died. 



