274 DAVID LIVINGSTONE. [chap. xm. 



When the party reached the outskirts of Sekeletu's 

 territory the news they heard was not encouraging. 

 Some of the men heard that in their absence some of 

 their wives had been variously disposed of. One had 

 been killed for witchcraft, another had married again, 

 while Masakasa was told that two years ago a kind of 

 wild Irish wake had been celebrated in honour of his 

 memory ; the news made him resolve, when he presented 

 himself among them, to declare himself an inhabitant of 

 another world ! One poor fellow's wail of anguish for his 

 wife was most distressing to hear. 



But far more tragical was the news of the missionaries 

 who had gone from the London Missionary Society to 

 Linyanti, to labour among Sekeletu's people. Mr. and 

 Mrs. Helmore and several of his party had succumbed to 

 fever, and the survivors had retired. Dr. Livingstone 

 was greatly distressed, and not a little hurt, because he 

 had not heard a word about the mission, nor been asked 

 advice about any of the arrangements. If only the Hel- 

 mores and their comrades had followed the treatment 

 practised by him so often, and in this very valley at this 

 time by his brother Charles, they would probably have 

 recovered. All spoke kindly of Mr. Helmore, who had 

 quite won the hearts of the people. Knowing their 

 language, he had at once begun to preach, and some of 

 the young men at Sesheke were singing the hymns he 

 had taught them. Rumours had gone abroad that some 

 of the missionaries had been poisoned. In some quarters 

 blame was cast on Livingstone for having misled the 

 Society as to the character of Sekeletu and his disposition 

 toward missionaries ; but Livingstone satisfied himself 

 that, though the missionaries had been neglected no foul 

 play had taken place ; fever alone had caused the deaths, 

 and want of skill in managing the people had brought 

 the remainder of the troubles. One piece of good news 

 which he heard at Linyanti was that his old friend 



