288 DA VI D LIVINGSTONE. [chap. xiv. 



An Arab dhow was seen on the lake, but it kept well out 

 of the way. Dr. Livingstone was informed by Colonel 

 Bigby, late British Consul at Zanzibar, that 19,000 slaves 

 from this Nyassa region alone passed annually through 

 the Custom-House there. This was besides those landed 

 at Portuguese slave ports. In addition to those captured, 

 thousands were killed or died of their wounds or of 

 famine, or perished in other ways, so that not one-fifth of 

 the victims became slaves — in the Nyassa district pro- 

 bably not one-tenth. A small armed steamer on the 

 lake might stop nearly the whole of this wholesale robbery 

 and murder. 



Their stock of goods being exhausted, and no pro- 

 visions being procurable, the party had to return, at the 

 end of October. They had to abandon the project of 

 getting from the lake to the Bovuma, and exploring 

 eastwards. They reached the ship on 8th November 

 1861, having suffered more from hunger than on any 

 previous trip. 



In writing to his friend Young, 28th November 1861, 

 Livingstone expresses his joy at the news of the depar- 

 ture of the " Lady Nyassa ; " gives him an account of the 

 lake, and of a terrific storm in which they were nearly 

 lost ; describes the inhabitants, and the terrible slave- 

 trade — the only trade that was carried on in the district. 

 It will take them the best part of a year to put the ship 

 on the lake, but it will be such a blessing ! He hopes 

 the Government will pay for it, once it is there. 



The colonisation project had not commended itself to 

 Sir B. Murchison. He had written of it sometime before : 

 " Your colonisation scheme does not meet with supporters, 

 it being thought that you must have much more hold on 

 the country before you attract Scotch families to emigrate 

 and settle there, and then die off, or become a burden to 

 you and all concerned, like the settlers of old at Darien." 

 It was with much satisfaction that Livingstone now 



