m LIVINGSTONE'S LAST JOURNEY. 



Livingstone, who was to be taken over when the rough work was 

 done, rested on his Utter in a shady place. 



The canoes not being wide enough to admit of the htter being 

 laid in any one of them, it was now a difficult question how best to 

 get the doctor across. Taking his bed off his litter, the men placed 

 it in the strongest canoe and tried to lift him on to it, but he "could 

 not bear the pain of a hand being placed under his back." Making 

 a sign to Chumah, our hero then faintly whispered a request to 

 him "to stoop down over him as low as possible, so that he might 

 clasp his hands together behind his head," at the same time begging 

 him "to avoid putting any pressure on the lumbar region of the 

 back." His wishes were tenderly carried out, and in this manner 

 he was laid in the canoe, ferried over as rapidly as possible, and 

 once more placed in his litter on the other side. 



LIFE FAST EBBING AWAY. 



Susi now hastened on with several servants to the next village, 

 the now celebrated Chitambo's, to superintend the building of a 

 house for the reception of his beloved master, the rest of the party 

 following more slowly, and bearing their precious charge "through 

 swamps and plashes," till they came, to their great relief, to some- 

 thing "like a dry plain at last." 



The strength of the great explorer was now ebbing rapidly 

 away. Chumah, who helped to carry him on this the very last 

 stage of his journey, says that he and his comrades were every 

 now and then "implored to stop and place their burden on the 

 ground." Sometiuies a drowsiness come over the sufferer, and he 

 seemed insensible to al^ that was going on; sometimes he suffered 

 terribly for want of waier, of which, now that it was so sorely 

 needed, not a drop could be obtained, until, fortunately, they met 

 a member of their party returning from Chitambo's, with a supply 

 thoughtfully sent off by Susi. 



A little later, a clearing was reached, and Livingstone again 

 begged to be set down and left alone, but at that very moment the 

 first huts of Chitambo's village came in sight, and his bearers begged 

 him to endure yet a h'^tle longer. 



