412 
AFRICA AND ITS EXPLORATION. 
they suspect that I am about to attempt the cannibal 
lands beyond Nyangwe. On the day that we propose 
to begin our journey, we shall have no Expedition. 
“ On the other hand, I am confident that, if I am 
able to leave Nyangwe with the Expedition intact, and 
to place a breadth of wild country between our party 
and the Arab depot, I shall be able to make men of 
them. There are good stuff, heroic qualities, in them ; 
but we must get free from the Arabs, or they will be 
very soon demoralized. It is for this purpose I am 
negotiating with Tippu-Tib. If I can arrange with him 
and leave Nyangwe without the dreadful loss we ex- 
perienced at Ujiji, I feel sure that I can inspire my men 
to dare anything with me. 
“ The difficulty of transport, again, is enormous. We 
cannot obtain canoes at Nyangwe. Livingstone could 
not. Cameron failed. No doubt I shall fail. I shall 
not try to obtain any. But we might buy up all the 
axes that we can see between here and Nyangwe, and 
travelling overland on this side the Lualaba, we might, 
before Tippu-Tib’s contract is at an end, come across a 
tribe which would sell their canoes. We have sufficient 
stores to last a long time, and I shall purchase more at 
Nyangwe. If the natives will not sell, we can make 
our own canoes, if we possess a sufficient number of axes 
to set all hands at work. 
“ Now, what I wish you to tell me, Frank, is your 
opinion as to what we ought to do.” 
Frank’s answer was ready. 
“ I say, ‘ Go on, sir. ’ ” 
“ Think well, my dear fellow ; don’t be hasty ; life and 
death hang on our decision. Don’t you think we could 
explore to the east of Cameron’s road ? ” 
“But there is nothins; like this areat river, sir.” 
“ What do you say to Lake Lincoln, Lake Kamolondo, 
Lake Bemba, and all that part, down to the Zambezi ? ” 
“ Ah ! that is a fine field, sir, and perhaps the natives 
would not be so ferocious. Would they ? ” 
“ Yet, as you said just now, it would be nothing to 
the great river, which for all these thousands of years 
