562 YANKEES OF AFRICA. 



country between Kabwabwati and Ujiji at such a season, and 

 he soon learned that an inevitable delay confronted him. 



The town in which he had this gloomy prospect presented an 

 unusually motley appearance, and cherished ills of darker shade 

 than belong to a purely African village. Indeed, it was only 

 where the native African had been corrupted by unprincipled 

 agents of the outside world that Dr. Livingstone experienced 

 much difficulty, except such as was inseparable from his manner 

 of life and his purposes. This place was a principal depot in 

 the Arab trade. One of old Mohamad's sons lived there, and 

 his subjects made a great demonstration on the approach of the 

 old man. Besides the Arabs, there were present in the town 

 a number of Wanyamwezi, those " born traders of central Africa," 

 who are described so ably by Mr. Stanley as the " Yankees of 

 Africa," the invariable attendants of Arab expeditions. These, 

 added to the natives of the town, made a population as unprom- 

 ising as could be desired. The universal testimony was, how- 

 ever, that it was impossible to reach the Tanganyika during the 

 rainy season. The low lands were all flooded and in many 

 places would be found deeper than a man's head. If the doctor 

 had only known this while at Casembe's he might have remained 

 there, which would have been infinitely preferable if he must 

 be delayed ; but he had hastened from them, and turned his back 

 on the Lake Bangweolo in his eagerness to reach Ujiji. And it 

 was exceeding unpleasant to know that he had been deceived 

 into this mistake by Mohamad. Those who are peculiarly 

 sincere themselves are more easily the victims of insincerity. 

 The most generous are often the readiest prey of the selfish. 

 Much as Dr. Livingstone had travelled, and skilful as he may 

 have been in analyzing human nature, his own actions always 

 displayed the frank, almost childlike, beauty of simplicity and 

 confidence. So far was he from meriting suspicion, he could 

 suspect no one. 



The old man who had welcomed him so cordially at Casembe's, 

 and who professed great pleasure in the hope of having his com- 

 pany to Ujiji, who seemed to postpone his own departure in 

 regard for the wishes of Livingstone, had really been a prisoner 

 at large in the town many years, and had only seized the occasion 

 presented by the coming of an Englishman to secure his release. 



