284 DAVID LIVINGSTONE. [chap. xiv. 



Mackenzie to accompany him, Dr. Livingstone lost the 

 most favourable part of the season, and found that he 

 could not get with the " Pioneer" to the top of the 

 Rovuma. He might have left the ship and pushed for- 

 ward on foot ; but, not to delay Bishop Mackenzie, he left 

 the Rovuma in the meantime, intending, after making 

 arrangements with the Bishop, to go to Nyassa, to find 

 the point where the Rovuma left the lake, if there were 

 such a point, or, if not, get into its head-waters and 

 explore it downwards. 



Dr. Livingstone, as we have seen, welcomed the 

 Mission right cordially, for indeed it was what he had 

 been most eagerly praying for, and he believed that it 

 would be the beginning of all blessing to Eastern and 

 Central Africa, and help to assimilate the condition of the 

 East Coast to that of the West. The field for the cultiva- 

 tion of cotton which he had discovered along the Shire and 

 Lake Nyassa was immense, above 400 miles in length, 

 and now it seemed as if commerce and Christianity were 

 going to take possession of it. But it was found that 

 the turning-point of prosperity had been reached, and it 

 was his lot to encounter dark reverses. The navigation 

 of the Shire was difficult, for the " Pioneer " being deep in 

 the water would often run aground. On these occasions 

 the Bishop, Mr. Scudamore, and Mr. Waller, the best and 

 and bravest of the missionary party, were ever ready with 

 their help in hauling. Livingstone was sometimes scan- 

 dalised to see the Bishop toiling in the hot sun, while 

 some of his subordinates were reading or writing in the 

 cabin. As they proceeded up the Shire it was seen that 

 the promises of assistance from the Portuguese Government 

 were worse than fruitless. Evidently the Portuguese 

 traders were pushing the slave-trade with greater eager- 

 ness than ever. Slave-hunting chiefs were marauding 

 the country, driving peaceful inhabitants before them, 

 destroying their crops, seizing on all the people they 



