10 EXTRACTS FROM DR. KIRk's LETTERS. 



what happened at this thue, I may state that he was 

 about fifty yards behind Dr. Livingstone when the 

 boys passed the word from the doctor that the Ma- 

 vite were seen a Httle distance oif. On this he ran 

 forward, having with him his loaded rifle. When he 

 had reached within ten paces of Dr. Livingstone, the 

 Mavite were near and charging, their heads dressed 

 with feathers, visible above the large Kaffir shields of 

 oxhide. Their arms were spears and battle-axes. On 

 seeing Dr. Livingstone and his boys with levelled 

 muskets, they checked their charge for a moment, 

 and came on with a hissing sound when they found 

 they were not fired on. Dr. Livingstone then shot 

 the foremost man ; he dropped dead. The others 

 fired, and as the smoke cleared away Moosa saw 

 three men facing Dr. Livingstone. Moosa was at this 

 time standing behind a tree in order to fire. Seeing 

 the Mavite suddenly so close, he appears to have 

 been panic-stricken. Dr. Livingstone had emptied 

 his gun, and was endeavouring to reload when faced 

 by these three Mavite, who cut him down with a blow 

 from a battle-axe, which severed the neck-bone, so 

 that the head dropped forward, and he fell instantly. 

 What happened on the field after this is unknown. 

 Moosa ran off, and having been behind, probably was 

 unseen, while the Mavite attacked those who were 

 with the doctor and had fired. 



" 11. Moosa in his flight met his men ; they had al- 

 ready heard the firing a little way in front, and were 

 prepared to throw down their loads and make off. 

 This they now did, and ran to a distance, where they 

 liid themselves in the bush. Near sunset they came 



