Kopas to Mlembo River 



his name and those of his two faithful followers 

 who buried his heart at this spot. 



Livingstone's followers were so devoted to him 

 that they conveyed his body to the nearest post of 

 white men, hundreds of miles away on the Shire 

 river. When one considers the climate and the 

 difficulties of travelling so far in a wild, unsettled 

 country, the devotion these men showed to the 

 great white chief is most remarkable. Perhaps 

 the fear that an accusation of treachery might be 

 brought against them if they failed to produce the 

 body may have had something to do with their 

 action. 



In the evening I gave out "posho," and A 



went to investigate a large dambo running south-, 

 eastward; it was, however, quite dry, and nothing 

 was to be seen in it but a few reed-buck. Here the 

 soil, which was of a peaty nature, was burning or 

 rather smouldering in patches, and had evidently 

 been lit by the natives; but for what reason we did 

 not discover. 



The ant-hills we passed this day were as hard 

 as rock, and so thick that they reminded us of 

 an over-crowded churchyard. They contain some 

 glutinous substance which is used as building 

 material both by Europeans and natives. They 

 were at times ten or twelve feet high, most fantastic 

 in shape, looking like plaster casts of giant forms. 

 Another day we passed a district where every tree 

 was covered with red mud, hiding the ravages of 

 white ants or termites. Dead wood lying on the 

 ground is quickly consumed by these insects, a few 



197 14 



