362 LIFE OF DA VID LIVINGSTONE, LL.D. 



shore was of white sand, with plains to the west, hut no hills visible, although 

 high mountains appeared to the south. 



"That night they slept at a small village on the western shore, and, 

 leaving the water behind, marched west to Kampunda. The people of this 

 place possess only a few cattle, but they gave a goat to Dr. Livingstone, and 

 he remained one day. One of the Zambesi boys, "Wekotani by name, 

 deserted him ; and the Havildar, worn out by disease, which attacked him in 

 crossing the Nyassa, lagged behind and was left. Dr. Livingstone's party 

 was thus reduced to twenty men, all told ; of these, however, very few knew 

 how to handle fire-arms, and could be of no service in case of a determined 

 attack by natives. They left Kampunda, and arrived at Marenga after two 

 days' march over level land, journeying west. After remaining a day at 

 Marenga, they again followed a westerly course over smooth ground. 

 Marenga, who was civil to the party, ferried them in canoes over a muddy 

 channel or swamp, rather than a river. Soon after this they passed Maksura, 

 still keeping west, and slept one night in the jungle. They had been told 

 that the Mazitu were fighting in this part, but they had been so long near them 

 that Dr. Livingstone seemed not to regard it. This was to the men, hut no doubt 

 he was aware that suddenly he might find himself face to face with them, as had 

 happened to us on a former occasion on Lake Nyassa, not far south of this very 

 place. 



"The fatal attack occurred at 9 a.m. on the morning march. As to the 

 date it is doubtful. If the data such as I have been able to elicit, from a mass of 

 contradictory evidence, is to be relied on, it would he about the 15th of July; 

 not before then, but possibly, if there had been stoppages, of which no account 

 has been taken, as late as the end of that month. A great difficulty here occurs; 

 for, on reckoning back on the date of arrival of the Johanna men at Zanzibar, 

 we find a discrepancy of nearly a month unaccounted for. And whether this 

 is to be intercalated before or after the fight, I am as yet unable to determine ; 

 but if the meeting with the Mazitu and Dr. Livingstone's death did not happen 

 in July, it must have been in the following month. As I was saying, about 

 9 a.m. on the morning's march, they found themselves traversing a plain 

 country, covered with grass as high as a man's waist, and abounding in low 

 bushes, with forest trees and dense wood at intervals, such, indeed, as is seen 

 a little further south, where the country is known. Livingstone led the way, 

 having next to him, as usual, the Zambesi boys and the Bombay educated 

 Africans, while Moosa, the head of the Johanna men, drew up the rear. As 

 Moosa is our only authority for what happened at this time, I may state that 

 he was about fifty yards behind Dr. Livingstone, when the boys passed the 

 word for the Doctor in front that the Mazitu were seen a little distance off. 

 On this he ran a little forward, having with him his loaded rifle. When he 

 had reached within ten paces of Dr. Livingstone, the Mazitu were near and 



