THE GREATEST TRIAL. 161 



The borders of the Portuguese settlement were almost at hand. 

 The grand object for which the wonderful man had toiled and 

 suffered during nearly two years, in which he had wandered 

 amidst the perils of wilds where no white man had ever ven- 

 tured, was almost accomplished. The highway for civilization 

 and truth was almost open. And now the thought of abandon- 

 ing all and going back. It was enough to overcome him in his 

 best and most vigorous days. It could not be, it should not be 

 he was determined, and after using all his powers of persuasion 

 he declared to them that though they returned he should go on 

 alone. The great man retired into his little tent and cast his 

 eyes toward God for help. They loved him too strongly, 

 though, those friends of the year of trial. Soon they began to 

 gather about him, vowing that they would die before they 

 would forsake him; they would go with him anywhere; "they 

 had only spoken in the bitterness of their spirits, and feeling 

 that they could do nothing." After this they were themselves 

 again, ready for any toil, for any danger ; and were frequently 

 overheard, when threatened by enemies, saying to each other, 

 "That is just what we want ; let them begin." They seemed 

 really anxious to reassure their "father," as they called Dr. 

 Livingstone, of their love and courage. 



Although they were now so near the borders of the Portu- 

 guese settlement, the natives seemed singularly ignorant of 

 white men, and the straight hair of Livingstone was almost as 

 much a curiosity as it had been far back in the interior. The 

 Mambari do nearly all the trading between the whites along the 

 coasts and the more central tribes, so that even where there are 

 found many articles of European manufacture there is the same 

 absolute ignorance of the sort of people who make the wonderful 

 things. 



It was the 4th of April when the party reached the banks of 

 the Quango, which bounds the territory of the Bangala, who 

 are the subjects of the Portuguese. On the east side they were 

 still in the country of the Bashange, the last of the border 

 tribes, and were suffering every form of extortion. They were 

 determined to make Livingstone pay for his passage over the 

 river by giving them one of his men to be a slave ; while any- 

 body who has followed the life history of the man to this point 



