1873.] THE PREPARATION OF THE CORPSE. 317 



pointed to the state of the lungs, which they describe as 

 dried up, and covered with black and white patches. 



The heart, with the other parts removed, were placed 

 in a tin box, which had formerly contained flour, and 

 decently and reverently buried in a hole dug some four feet 

 deep on the spot where they stood. Jacob was then asked 

 to read the Burial Service, which he did in the presence of 

 all. The body was left to be fully exposed to the sun. 

 No other means were taken to preserve it, beyond placing 

 some brandy in the mouth and some on the hair; nor can 

 one imagine for an instant that any other process would 

 have been available either for Europeans or natives, con- 

 sidering the rude appliances at their disposal. The men 

 kept watch day and night to see that no harm came to their 

 sacred charge. Their huts surrounded the building, and 

 had force been used to enter its strongly-barred door, the 

 whole camp would have turned out in a moment. Once a 

 day the position of the body was changed, but at no other 

 time was any one allowed to approach it. 



No molestation of any kind took place during the fourteen 

 days' exposure. At the end of this period preparations were 

 made for retracing their steps. The corpse, by this time 

 tolerably dried, was wrapped round in some calico, the legs 

 being bent inwards at the knees to shorten the package. 

 The next thing was to plan something in which to carry 

 it, and, in the absence of planking or tools, an admirable 

 substitute was found by stripping from a Myonga tree 

 enough of the bark in one piece to form a cylinder, and 

 in it their master was laid. Over this case a piece of 

 sailcloth was sewn, and the whole package was lashed 

 securely to a pole, so as to be carried by two men. 



Jacob Wainwright was asked to carve an inscription 

 on the large Mvula tree which stands by the place where 

 the body rested, stating the name of Dr. Livingstone and 

 the date of his death, and, before leaving, the men gave 



