Chap. XXII. HIS DEATH AND GRAVE. 455 



then directed to examine geologically, the Cataract district, 

 but not to expose himself to contact with the Ajawa until the 

 feelings of that tribe should be ascertained. 



The members of Bishop Mackenzie's party had, on the loss 

 of their head, fled from Magomero on the highlands, down to 

 Chibisa's, in the low-lying Shire Valley ; and Thornton, finding 

 them suffering from want of animal food, kindly volunteered 

 to go across thence to Tette, and bring a supply of goats 

 and sheep. We were not aware of this step, to which the 

 generosity of his nature prompted him, till two days after 

 he had started. In addition to securing supplies for the 

 Universities' Mission, he brought some for the Expedition, and 

 took bearings, by which he hoped to connect his former work 

 at Tette with the mountains in the Shire district. The 

 toil of this journey was too much for his strength, as with 

 the addition of great scarcity of water, it had been for 

 that of Dr. Kirk and liae, and he returned in a sadly 

 haggard and exhausted condition ; diarrhoea supervened, 

 and that ended in dysentery and fever, which terminated 

 fatally on the 21st of April, 1863. He received the un- 

 remitting attentions of Dr. Kirk, and Dr. Meller, surgeon 

 of the Pioneer, during the fortnight of his illness ; and as 

 he had suffered very little from fever, or any other disease, 

 in Africa, we had entertained strong hopes that his youth 

 and unimpaired constitution would have carried him through. 

 During the night of the 20th, his mind wandered so much, 

 that we could not ascertain his last wishes ; and on the morn- 

 ing of the 21st, to our great sorrow, he died. He was buried 

 on the 22nd, near a large tree on the right bank of the Shire, 

 about five hundred yards from the lowest of the Murchison 

 Cataracts — and close to a rivulet, at which the Lady Nyassa 

 and Pioneer lay. 



No words can convey an adequate idea of the scene of wide- 



