290 DEPARTURE ON THE "FROLIC." 



And his heart was full of devout thanks to the Gracious One 

 who had watched over him in every position, and influenced 

 hearts of both black and white to regard him with favor. 



It must have seemed a long six weeks that he was waiting at 

 Kilimane. But at length the "Frolic" arrived, bringing 

 abundant supplies for him and ,£150 to pay his passage to 

 England. The eight of his followers who had been allowed to 

 accompany their " father " to the coast were eager to follow him 

 still. The order of Sekeletu to them was that none of them 

 should turn back until they had reached " Ma Robert." The 

 simple resolution of these men, accustomed to absolute obe- 

 dience, could hardly submit to the difficulty of crossing the sea. 

 They only knew that wherever their " father " might lead they 

 were to follow. But Livingstone prevailed on them to go back 

 to Tete, where food was more abundant, and await his return 

 to them. He was constrained, however, to allow the Sekwebu 

 to accompany him. This man had been of great service, and it 

 was hoped that it would be beneficial to him to be brought in 

 contact with thorough civilization. And being a man of re- 

 markable intelligence, it could hardly fail to be of great service 

 to have him return filled with respect and love for the English 

 and aspirations for a nobler life ; but how sadly the hopes of the 

 missionary were disappointed shall be seen. 



It will be remembered that Sekeletu had committed large 

 quantities of ivory to Dr. Livingstone, and commissioned him 

 to procure a few articles. A man less sincerely interested in 

 the heathen, or less conscientious, might have acted differently. 

 This man was too anxious that no hurtful impressions should 

 be made on the minds of the people — whose salvation he sought, 

 and not their substance — to take the slightest advantage of his 

 position ; and although the larger portion of the ivory was a 

 gift to himself, he stored it all at Kilimane, that he might not 

 be thought to have made off with Sekeletu's property, and deter- 

 mined to purchase the articles he had ordered with his own 

 means, if he should return as he expected. 



They left Kilimane on the morning of July 12th. The sea 

 was in a rage, and the little boats were tossed like straws on the 

 mighty waves. One moment they were trembling on some 

 lofty crest, then rushing down the slope the next moment, they 



