296 ANNOYED BY THIEVES. CHAP. XL 



down-trodden land. She knew them all, and, in the dis- 

 interested and dutiful attempt to renew her labours, was 

 called to her rest instead. " Fiat, Domine, voluntas tua I " 



On the 5th of May Dr. Kirk and Charles Livingstone 

 started in the boat for Tette, in order to see the property 

 of the Expedition brought down in canoes. They took 

 four Mazaro canoe-men to manage the boat, and a white 

 sailor to cook for them ; but, unfortunately, he caught 

 fever the very day after leaving the ship, and was ill most 

 of the trip ; so they had to cook for themselves, and to 

 take care of him besides. 



We now proceeded with preparations for the launch of 

 the " Lady Nyassa." Ground was levelled on the bank at 

 Shupanga, for the purpose of arranging the compartments 

 in order : she was placed on palm-trees which were brought 

 from a place lower down the river for ways, and the 

 engineer and his assistants were soon busily engaged ; 

 about a fortnight after they were all brought from Kon- 

 gone, the sections were screwed together. The blacks are 

 more addicted to stealing where slavery exists than else- 

 where. We were annoyed by thieves who carried off the 

 iron screw-bolts, but were gratified to find that strychnine 

 saved us from the man-thief as well as the hyena-thief. 

 A hyena was killed by it, and after the natives saw the 

 dead animal and knew how we had destroyed it, they con- 

 cluded that it was not safe to steal from men who possessed 

 a medicine so powerful. The half-caste, who kept 

 Shupanga-house, said he wished to have some to give to 

 the Zulus, of whom he was mortally afraid, and to whom 

 he had to pay an unwilling tribute. 



The " Pioneer" made several trips to the Kongone, and 

 returned with the last load on the 12th of June. On the 

 23rd the " Lady Nyassa " was safely launched, the work of 

 putting her together having been interrupted by fever 

 and dysentery, and many other causes which it would 



