390 LIFE OF DAVID LIVINGSTONE, LL.D. 



In a letter to Dr. Seward he gives an account of the cowardly behaviour 

 and desertion of the Sepoys. " The Sepoys," he says, " seem to have plan- 

 ned my compulsory return as soon as they had killed all the beasts of burden ; 

 one camel they beat with the butts of their guns till he expired on the spot, 

 and a mule was killed ; certain sores were cruelly probed and lacerated when 

 I was not in sight, and I came upon them one day when one was mauling a 

 fine camel with a stick, thicker than his arm ; next day he had to leave it 

 with inflammation of the hip-joint, the point where I saw the blow struck. 

 They gave or paid eight rupees into the hands of our Arab guide, to feed and 

 take them down to the coast when the animals were all nearly done for, so 

 sure were they of returning with their scheme triumphant. The Havildar 

 was seen paying the money by one of the Nassick boys. Then, when we 

 came to a part where provisions were scanty, they refused to obey orders to 

 come up to me, whither I had gone to secure provisions ; and they would not 

 rise in the morning, though called by the Havildar, but I saw reason after- 

 wards to believe that the Havildar and Naik were art and part in the plot. 

 A great deal of blubbering took place when I hauled them up, to send them 

 back as prisoners. I sentenced the Naik to disratement, and all to carry 

 small loads as punishment, but they were such a disgraceful-looking lot, and 

 by disobedience had prevented my carrying out the plan of getting pro- 

 visions — namely, by going forward and sending in all directions to purchase 

 them, that they had to suffer hunger. They sold their cartridges, gave their 

 muskets and belts to people to carry for them, telling them that I would pay 

 for carriage, lay down perpetually in the march, and went to sleep. This 

 was the custom all the way from the coast, and they were so filthy in their 

 habits — when we had plenty of food gorging themselves, then putting the 

 finger down the throat to relieve their stomachs, and, lastly, they threatened 

 to shoot the Nassick boys when away from English power in some quiet 

 place, because, as they supposed, the boys were informants. 



"I sent them back from Mataka's, leaving seventy yards of cloth with that 

 chief to give to the trader Suleiman, who was expected, and came a few days 

 afterwards, to convey them to the coast. This oloth was amply sufficient for 

 all their expenses. But I heard that the seven Mohammedans did not go 

 with Suleiman, but remained at Mataka's, where food was abundant, and 

 where their pay would be running on. They had their belts and ammunition- 

 pouches, and muskets and bayonets, all complete then. The Havildar still 

 pretended that he wanted to go on with us ; he thought I did not understand 

 the part he had played. ' They won't obey me, and what am I to do ?' was 

 his way of speaking. ' Bring the first man to me who refuses a lawful order 

 and I shall make him obey.' None was ever brought. When he talked of 

 going to die with us I said nothing. He soon got sulky and was a useless 

 drag. I had to pay two yards of calico per day for carriage of his bed and 



