6 EXTRACTS FROM DR. KIRK S LETTERS. 



"From Mapoonda, Dr. Livingstone went to Ma- 

 renga. After two days' march west beyond, he 

 crossed in canoes over a marsh. Thus he left the 

 shores of the lake, and as his first object was to settle 

 the extent northwards of Nyassa, we may presume 

 that he had now done so, and was on his way to Ujiji, 

 perhaps by way of Cazembe. He seemed to have 

 followed out the course mentioned in his letter of 

 May 18th, wherein he announced the intention of 

 going on at once from Nyassa to Tanganyika, if his 

 operations on the former were successful. 



" Leaving Marenga, where they were well treated, 

 a desolate country was entered, a region scoured by 

 parties of Mavite, who are at constant war with their 

 neighbours. At the last outpost of the lake people, 

 Livingstone was told that the Mavite were then near. 

 On the morning of the second day's march from 

 Marenga, about 9 a.m., when crossing a level plain 

 with grass three feet high, and scattered bush and 

 forest, a band of Mavite suddenly appeared, and are 

 said at once to have attacked, regardless of the loss 

 of the foremost as they dropped to Dr. Livingstone's 

 shot. The educated African boys were, as usual, 

 near Livingstone ; while Moosa, at the head of the 

 Johanna men, followed at a short distance behind. 

 On seeing that something was wrong, Moosa went 

 forward, and from behind a tree observed the Mavite 

 close on Dr. Livingstone, who was at this time en- 

 deavouring to re-load his gun. While thus occupied, 

 he was cut down by a blow of a battle-axe, which 

 divided the neck bone. Moosa fled, and with him the 



