262 LIVINGSTONE'S LAST JOURNALS. [Chap. X. 



through the stockade in terror when my men broke into a 

 chorus as they were pitching my tent. Cold, cloudy, and 

 drizzling. Much cultivation far from the stockades. 



The sponges here are now full and overflowing, from the 

 continuous and heavy rains. Crops of mileza, maize, cas- 

 sava, dura, tobacco, beans, ground-nuts, are growing finely. 

 A border is made round each patch, manured by burning 

 the hedge, and castor-oil plants, punrpkins, calabashes, are 

 planted in it to spread out over the grass. 



1th January. — A cold rainy day keeps us in a poor village 

 very unwillingly. 3 p.m. Fair, after rain all the morning — 

 on to the Eivulet Kamalopa, which runs to Kamolozzi and 

 into Kapopozi. 



8^ January. — Detained by heavy continuous rains in the 

 village Moenje. We are near Lake Bangweolo and in a 

 damp region. Got off in the afternoon in a drizzle ; crossed 

 a rill six feet wide, but now very deep, and with large 

 running sponges on each side ; it is called the Kamalopa, 

 then one hour beyond came to a sponge, and a sluggish 

 rivulet 100 yards broad with broad sponges on either bank 

 waist deep, and many leeches. Came on through flat forest 

 as usual S.W. and S. 



[We may here call attention to the alteration of the face 

 of the country and the prominent notice of "sponges." 

 His men speak of the march from this point as one continual 

 plunge in and out of morass, and through rivers which were 

 only distinguishable from the surrounding waters by their 

 deep currents and the necessity for using canoes. To a man 

 reduced in strength and chronically affected with dysenteric 

 symptoms ever likely to be aggravated by exposure, the 

 effect may be well conceived ! It is probable that had Dr. 

 Livingstone been at the head of a hundred picked Euro- 

 peans, every man would have been down within the next 

 fortnight. As it is, we cannot help thinking of his company 

 of followers, who must have been well led and under the 



