CHAPTER XXII. 



Account of the last Illness and Death of Dr. Livingstone — Funeral Procession- 

 Burial Service in Westminster Alley, etc. — Letter to Mr. Gordon Bennett — 

 An Aral Prince's Opinion of Women — Domestic Life of a Central African 

 Harem — Polygamy and Monogamy — Tendency of Slavery — Christian Mis- 

 sions, etc. 



THE following brief account of the last moments of Dr. Livingstone, which 

 reached England on the 29th March, 1874, was sent by the correspondent 

 of the " New York Herald " at Suez : — 



"The Malwa (Peninsular and Oriental steamer) arrived off Suez at eleven 

 o'clock on Saturday night, having Mr. Arthur Laing and Jacob Wainwright 

 on board, with the body of Livingstone. 



"The great traveller had been ill with chronic dysentery for several 

 months past, although well supplied with stores and medicines, and he seems 

 to have had a presentiment that this attack would prove fatal. 



"He rode on a donkey at first, but was subsequently carried, and thus 

 arrived at Ilala, beyond Lake Bemba (Bangweolo), in Bisa Country, when 

 he said to his followers, ' Build me a hut to die in.' The hut was built by 

 his men, who first of all made him a bed. It is stated that he suffered greatly, 

 groaning night and day, On the third day he said, ' I am very cold ; put 

 more grass over the hut.' 



"His followers did not speak to or go near him. Kitumbo, chief of Bisa, 

 however, sent flour and beans, and behaved well to the party. On the fourth 

 day Livingstone became insensible, and died about midnight. Majwara, his 

 servant, was present. His last entry in the diary was on April 27. He spoke 

 much and sadly of home and family. When first seized, he told his followers 

 he intended to exchange everything for ivory to give to them, and to push 

 on to Ujiji and Zanzibar, and try to reach England. On the day of his death 

 these men consulted what to do, and the Nassick boys determined to pre- 

 serve the remains. They were, however, afraid to inform the chief of Living- 

 stone's death ; and the secretary therefore removed the body to another hut, 

 around which he built a high fence to ensure privacy. Here they opened the 

 body, and removed the internals, which were placed in a tin box, and buried 

 & 2 



