42 LIVINGSTONE'S LAST JOUENALS. [Chap. IL 



In going north on 1st February we came to some of this 

 horde belonging to Katomba or Moenemokaia, who stated 

 that the leader was anxious for advice as to crossing Lualaba 

 and future movements. He supposed that this river was 

 seven days in front of him, and twelve days in front of 

 us. It is a puzzle from its north-westing and low level :. 

 it is possibly Petheriek's Bahr Ghazal. Could get no 

 latitude. 



2nd February, 1870. — I propose to cross it, and buy an 

 exploring canoe, because I am recovering my strength ; but 

 we now climb over the bold hills Bininango, and turn 

 south-west towards Katomba to take counsel : he knows 

 more than anyone else about the country, and his people 

 being now scattered everywhere seeking ivory, I do not 

 relish their company. 



3rd February. — Caught in a drenching rain, which made 

 me fain to sit, exhausted as I was, under an umbrella for an 

 hour trying to keep the trunk dry. As I sat in the rain a 

 little tree-frog, about half an inch long, leaped on to a 

 grassy leaf, and began a tune as loud as that of many birds, 

 and very sweet; it was surprising to hear so much music 

 out of so small a musician. I drank some rain-water as- 

 I felt faint — in the paths it is now calf deep. I crossed 

 a hundred yards of slush waist deep in mid channel, and 

 full of holes made by elephants' feet, the path hedged 

 in by reedy grass, often intertwined and very tripping. 

 I stripped off my clothes on reaching my hut in a 

 village, and a fire during night nearly dried them. At 

 the same time I rubbed my legs with palm oil, and in 

 the morning had a delicious breakfast of sour goat's milk 

 and porridge. 



5th February. — The drenching told on me sorely, and it 

 was repeated after we had crossed the good-sized rivulets 

 Mulunkula and many villages, and I lay on an enormous 

 boulder under a Muabe palm, and slept during the worst 



