584 LIFE OF DA VID LIVINGSTONE, LL.D. 



Dr. Livingstone told his bearers to take him to a tree at a little distance off, 

 that he might rest in the shade till most of the men were on the other side. 

 A good deal of care was required, for the river, by no means a large one in 

 ordinary times, spread its waters in all directions, so that a false step, or a 

 stumble in any unseen hole, would have drenched the invalid and the bed also 

 on which he was carried. The passage occupied some time, and then came 

 the difficult task of conveying the Doctor across, for the canoes were not wide 

 enough to allow the kitandi to be deposited in the bottom of either of them. 

 Hitherto, no matter how weak, Livingstone had always been able to sit in 

 the various canoes they had used on like occasions, but now he had no power 

 to do so. Taking his bed off the kitandi, they laid it in the bottom of the 

 strongest canoe, and tried to lift him ; but he could not bear the pain of a 

 hand being passed under his back. Beckoning to Chumah, in a faint voice 

 he asked him to stoop down over him as low as possible, so that he might 

 clasp both his hands together behind his head, directing him at the same time 

 how to avoid putting any pressure on the lumbar region of the back ; in this 

 way he was deposited in the bottom of the canoe, and quickly ferried across 

 the Molilamo by Chowpere, Susi, Farijala and Chumah. The same precautions 

 were used on the other side ; the kitandi was brought close to the canoe so 

 as to prevent any unnecessary pain in disembarking. Susi now hurried on 

 ahead to reach Chitambo's village and superintend the building of another 

 house. For the first mile or two they had to carry the Doctor through swamps 

 and plashes, glad to reach something like a dry plain at last. It would seem 

 that his strength was here at its very lowest ebb. Chumah, one of his bearers 

 on these the last weary miles the great traveller was destined to accomplish, 

 says that they were every now and then implored to stop and place their 

 burden on the ground. So great were the pangs of his disease during this 

 day that he could make no attempt to stand, and if lifted for a few yards a 

 drowsiness came over him, which alarmed them all excessively. This was 

 specially the case at one spot, where a tree stood in the path. Here one of 

 his attendants was called to him, and, on stooping down, he found him unable 

 to speak from faintness. They replaced him in the kitandi, and made the 

 best of their way on the journey. Some distance further on great thirst op- 

 pressed him ; he asked them if they had any water, but, unfortunately for 

 once, not a drop was to be procured. Hastening on for fear of being too far 

 separated from the party in advance, to their great comfort they now saw 

 Farijala approaching with some, which Susi had thoughtfully sent off from 

 Chitambo's village. Still wending their way on, it seemed as if they would 

 not complete their task, for again, at a clearing, the sick man entreated them 

 to place him on the ground, and to let him stay where he was. © Fortunately, 

 at this moment some of the outlying huts of the village came in sight, and 

 they tried to rally him by telling him that he would quickly be in the house 



