572 THE CHOICE GROVE. 



frequently seen, surrounded by high hedges, and one day his 

 attention was drawn to a solitary forest-grave, a little rounded 

 mound, strewn over with flowers, and a number of large blue 

 beads ; and there was a path which showed there were those 

 who loved the spot. How naturally his thoughts flew away 

 across the broad wilderness, and rivers, and valleys, to the grave 

 under the great baobab tree, where he had laid the body of his 

 own " Mary." And it was not strange either, that he thought 

 of his own death, and it was like him to say, just what he did 

 say : " This is the sort of grave I should prefer : to lie in the 

 still, still forest, and no hand ever disturb my bones. The 

 graves at home always seemed to me to be miserable, especially 

 those in the cold damp clay, and without elbow-room : but I 

 have nothing to do but wait till He, who is over all, decides 

 where I have to lay me down and die." There were some 

 scenes of this journey which had stamped themselves on his 

 memory among the things never to be forgotten, ever burning 

 memories which every day impelled him to greater exertion and 

 more earnest prayers in behalf of Africa. Never had he been 

 more affected by the horrors of the slave-trade. In one party 

 he says : 



" 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 I had to inquire about ; 

 for instance, the meaning of the words 'to haunt and kill by 

 spirit power ; ' then it was, ' Oh, you sent me off to Manga (sea- 

 coast), but the yoke is off when I die, and back I shall come to 

 haunt and to kill you.' Then all joined in the chorus, which 

 was the name of each vendor. It told not of fun, but of the 

 bitterness and tears of such as were oppressed, and on the side 

 of the oppressor there was a power; there be higher than 

 they." 



It is indeed, as Mr. Waller says, " extraordinary to notice 

 the total absence of all pride and enthusiasm " with which Dr. 

 Livingstone records the discovery of the great lake, for a sight 

 of which he had travelled so far and endured so much. He 

 simply writes : " On the 18th I walked a little way out (from 



