1S66-69.] FROM ZANZIBAR TO UJIJL 385 



the discovery of Lake Bemba, or, as it may more properly 

 be called, Lake Bangweolo. Early in the year he heard 

 accounts of what interested him greatly — certain under- 

 ground houses in Rua, ranging along a mountain side for 

 twenty miles. In some cases the doorways were level 

 with the country adjacent ; in others, ladders were used 

 to climb up to them ; inside they were said to be very 

 large, and not the work of men, but of God. He became 

 eagerly desirous to visit these mysterious dwellings. 



Circumstances turning out more favourable to his 

 going to Lake Bangweolo, Dr. Livingstone put off his 

 journey to Ujiji, on which his men had been counting, 

 and much against the advice of Mohamad, his trader 

 friend and companion, determined first to see the lake of 

 which he had heard so much. The consequence was, a 

 rebellion among his men. With the exception of five, 

 they refused to go with him. They had been considerably 

 demoralised by contact with the Arab trader and his 

 slave-gang. Dr. Livingstone took this rebellion with 

 wonderful placidity, for in his own mind he could not 

 greatly blame them. It was no wonder they were tired 

 of the everlasting tramping, for he was sick of it him- 

 self. He reaped the fruit of his mildness by the men 

 coming back to him, on his return from the lake, and 

 offering their services. It cannot be said of him that he 

 was not disposed to make any allowance for human weak- 

 ness. When recording a fault, and how he dealt with it, 

 he often adds, " consciousness of my own defects makes 

 me lenient." " I also have my weaknesses." 



The way to the lake was marked by fresh and lament- 

 able tokens of the sufferings of slaves. " 2<Lth June, — 

 Six men-slaves were singing as if they did not feel the 

 weight and degradation of the slave-sticks. I asked the 

 cause of their mirth, and was told that they rejoiced at 

 the idea of ' coming back after death, and haunting and 

 killing those who had sold them.' Some of the words 



2 B 



