SHOOTING THE RAPIDS. 313 



Dr. Livingstone and his English friends had news also to receive of a pain- 

 ful character. An attempt to establish a mission at Linyanti under the Rev. 

 F. C. Helmore had failed. The mission originally consisted of nine Europeans 

 and thirteen coloured people from the neighbourhood of Kuruman. Of these, 

 five Europeans, including Mr. Helmore and his wife, and four natives, died 

 within three months, and the survivors retreated disheartened from the region 

 which had been so deadly to their devoted companions. Sekeletu had behaved 

 very badly to the members of the mission, and got into trouble on account of 

 his conduct with Sechele, who considered himself the guardian and protector 

 of the white men in these parts. 



The various headmen of Sekeletu having been holding forays among the 

 Batoka, had to be lectured by Dr. Livingstone — a discipline which they took 

 in good part, excusing themselves by endeavouring to prove that they were 

 in the right, and could not avoid fighting. 



On the 9th of August, 1860, the party reached the Victoria Falls, and 

 Dr. Livingstone and his two companions were rowed through the rapids to 

 Garden Island, to obtain a view of the falls. The canoe in which they sat 

 was owned by Tuba Mokoro, which means " Smasher of canoes," a somewhat 

 ominous title, which his success and skill on the present occasion belied. The 

 party had to embark several miles above the falls, and were strictly enjoined 

 to maintain silence. For a considerable distance the river was smooth and 

 tranquil, the beautiful islands, densely covered with tropical vegetation, 

 adding to the pleasure felt in the rapid and easy movement of the craft. 

 Near the falls the surface of the river is broken by rocks, which, as the 

 water was then low, protruded their heads above the stream, breaking the 

 current into boiling and foaming eddies, which required all the skill of the 

 boatmen to pilot their way through. " There were places " — Livingstone 

 says — " where the utmost exertion of both men had to be put forth in order to 

 force the canoe to the only safe part of the rapids, and to prevent it from 

 sweeping down broadside, when in a twinkling we should have found ourselves 

 floundering among the plotuses and cormorants, which were engaged in 

 diving for their breakfast of small fish. At times it seemed as if nothing 

 could save us from dashing in our headlong race against the rocks, which, 

 now that the river was low, jutted out of the water ; but, just at the very nick 

 of time, Tuba passed the word to the steersman, and then with ready pole 

 turned the canoe a little aside, and we glided smoothly past the threatened 

 danger. Never was canoe more admirably managed. . . . We were 

 driving swiftly down. A black rock, over which the foam flew, lay directly in 

 our path. The pole was planted against it as readily as ever, but it slipped just 

 as Tuba put forth his strength to turn the bow off. We struck hard, and were 

 half full of water in a moment. Tuba recovered himself as speedily, shoved off 

 the bow, and shot the canoe into a still shallow place, to bale out the water." 

 Q 1 



