The Livingstone Expedition — Home. 5 1 3 
of confusion prevailed. The Arabs and Wasuahili 
were frantic with despair, all raising their hands 
to heaven, calling upon Allah and Muhammad, 
and repeating whole chapters of the Koran in a 
single breath. The captain shouted in snatches of 
German, English, and Kisuahili ; none of which were 
properly understood. Again and again the little 
vessel thumped upon the bank, and we had given 
ourselves up for lost. So, after all, I was to end my 
career ; and to life in Africa and home I was to bid 
a long farewell. But no ; with steam still up, the 
vessel's keel ground hard upon the bank, and she 
slid over it into deeper water. "Stop her!" Then 
down went the anchor, and we lay to till the morning, 
when, with the light, we picked our way out among the 
shallows, and stood out to sea. Reaching the island 
of Zanzibar, we were surprised to find the vegetation 
presenting a most extraordinary aspect; it looked as 
though it had been blasted by lightning ; the whole 
surface of the channel, too, was bestrewn with broken 
timber, and lower down we passed several vessels 
totally wrecked. It was growing dark, and we could 
see nothing distinctly. By the time we had gained 
the harbour and had dropped anchor, it was quite 
dark ; yet we could see that there was no shipping in 
the harbour. When we left, there were from 1 50 to 200 
native craft, of all kinds ; the whole of the Sultan's 
fleet, and several foreign vessels, among which 
were the ^'LobeHa," the "Adele Oswald," and the 
" Abydos." While wondering what had taken place, 
a boat came alongside us, and a voice was heard. 
''Is Mr. New here } is Mr. New here T It was Captain 
Cummings of the '' Abydos." " Where have you been 
33 
