520 THE SKY DARKENS. 



He did not attempt to explore this region very extensively at 

 this time, knowing that he would, if spared to reach Ujiji, be 

 again on its shores, and indeed on its beautiful surface. He 

 was suffering very severely all the time ; twice he was seized 

 with most distressing fits of insensibility, in which he was en- 

 tirely helpless. On one of these occasions he says : " I found 

 myself floundering outside my hut and unable to get in ; I tried 

 to lift myself from my back by laying hold of two posts at the 

 entrance, but when I got nearly upright I let them go, and fell 

 back heavily on my head on a box. The boys had seen the 

 wretched state I was in, and hung a blanket at the entrance of 

 the hut, that no stranger might see my helplessness ; some hours 

 elapsed before I could recognize where I was." 



On the 20th of May, 1867, we find him at Chitimba's 

 village, about thirty miles southwest from the southeastern 

 shore of the lake, with his heart set on reaching Lake Moero. 

 He had come to this village particularly because it was at 

 present the head-quarters of a large party of Arabs, who he had 

 heard were in a dispute with the powerful chief ruling the wide 

 expanse of country which must be crossed between the Lakes 

 Liemba and Moero. The news of this difficulty had weighed 

 considerably to check his advances down the Liemba, for it 

 would certainly have been exceedingly unsafe for him to have 

 attempted a passage through the territory of Nsama under the 

 circumstances. The rumor was, that Nsama's son was killing 

 all the Arabs he could find, in revenge for some wrong that 

 had been done to his father's people by them. 



The Arabs were found occupying an important portion of the 

 stockaded village, and when Dr. Livingstone arrived he was 

 politely shown to a large shed where they were in the habit of 

 meeting. The principal man of the party was Hamees Wodim 

 Tagh. He was accompanied by Sydebin Allebin Mansure. 

 They were connected with one of the most influential native 

 mercantile houses in Zanzibar. 



When the doctor had explained whence he had come he showed 

 the letter which had been furnished him by the sultan at Zanzi- 

 bar. He was treated with great kindness. Hamees presented a 

 goat and a quantity of flour, and such other commodities as he 

 possessed, but it was next to impossible to get at the truth about 



