326 LIFE OF DA VID LIVINGSTONE, LL.D. 



to them ; but, rallying and forming themselves into a body, they began to shoot 

 at them with their poisoned arrows, until the party were reluctantly compelled 

 in self-defence to fire upon their assailants, who fled, shouting back that they 

 would follow and kill them while they slept. This was the first occasion on 

 which, in all his wanderings, Dr. Livingstone had felt compelled to use force; 

 and it was with sad hearts that he and his companions returned to the village 

 they had left in the morning, having failed in their attempt at conciliation, 

 and having been compelled reluctantly to take a step which might subject 

 them to much blame and misconstruction at the hands of lukewarm friends, and 

 the secret enemies of the cause they had at heart. 



As the bishop had made up his mind to settle among the Manganja at 

 Magomero, he felt naturally indignant at the idea of the people in his charge 

 being swept away into slavery in hordes, and proposed that they should at once 

 follow the triumphant Ajawa, and drive them out of the country, and liberate 

 the captives they might have in their possession. All were in favour of this 

 course save Dr. Livingstone, who saw clearly what would be the result if a 

 Christian missionary took such a step as this, and he cautioned them not in 

 any circumstances to interfere by force in any of these wars, even although 

 called upon by the Manganja to go to their assistance in their extremity. It 

 is necessary to mention this, because, many people ignorantly blamed Dr. Liv- 

 ingstone for having given him different counsel. The site chosen for the 

 mission settlement was on a small promontory, formed by the windings of the 

 little clear stream called the Magomero. It was completely surrounded by 

 stately trees. The weather was delightful, and provisions were cheap and 

 abundant ; and when Dr. Livingstone and his friends left them to proceed to 

 Lake Nyassa, the bishop had commenced to learn the languages, Mr. Waller 

 was busy superintending the building operations, and Mr. Scudamore was 

 getting together the members of an infant school. They were full of hope 

 and ardour, and saw nothing before them but success in the noble work they 

 had sacrificed home and comfort to carry out. 



The disastrous end of the mission may as well be told here. After 

 labouring for some time with much acceptation among the neighbouring 

 tribes, and being anxious to discover a nearer route to the Shire, Messrs. 

 Proctor and Scudamore, with a number of Manganja carriers, left in 

 December to explore the country for a new route. Their guides misled them, 

 and they found themselves in a slave-trading village, where the threatening 

 aspect of the people boded mischief. Warned by a woman that if they slept 

 there they would be all killed, they prepared to leave, when the Anguro 

 followed, shooting their arrows at the retreating party. Two of the carriers 

 were taken prisoners, and the two missionaries, barely escaping with their 

 lives, swam a deep river, and made their way with great difficulty to 

 Magomero, where they arrived exhausted with their exertions. 



