SHUPANGA. 21 



we came to a perpendicular bank of about fifty feet 

 high. The men were walking along under it at the 

 edge of the water, when a great part of the bank 

 above them gave way, and down it came right over 

 them. Some were forced into the river, and others 

 were covered with sand. The boat swung round- un- 

 der the bank, which was threatening another fall. 

 Letting go the tiller, I seized an oar, and just suc- 

 ceeded in pushing her off about three yards, when 

 down came several tons of sand, quantities of which 

 fell into the boat even at that distance, and sent the 

 water flying all over me, drenching everything. Had 

 I not succeeded in getting her thus far clear, she must 

 have been swamped. I then counted the men, who 

 were scrambling up as best they could, and still held 

 the rope. They were all there, though I scarcely 

 hoped to find it so. 



At 11.30 (2nd August) we arrived at Shupanga, 

 and were soon surrounded by flocks of natives, who 

 had known Livingstone and the missionaries, and se- 

 veral of whom spoke a few words of English. Here 

 I visited Mrs. Livingstone's grave. A raised tomb of 

 brick and mortar, with a large wooden cross, under a 

 fine baobab tree, marks the spot where repose the 

 remains of the great traveller's wife. All was in 

 good order, and the natives, having heard of our ap- 

 proach, had cleared a walk to the place through the 

 long grass. Shupanga house was quite deserted, as 

 was also the villao^e in its rear. 



In the evening I took a long walk to look for an- 

 telope, and, after a tedious stalk, succeeded in killing 

 a bushbock. 



