me w ith a b so lu te d e v o tio n , an d so p le a s ed w a s I with him
th a t a t th e en d o f th e jo u rn e y I b ro u g h t h im to E u r o p e ;
th e re h e soon le a rn e d th e w a y s o f c iv iliz a tio n . W h e re v e r
h e w en t h e b e c am e a fa v o u r ite w ith a ll, and, fa r from
g e t t in g sp o iled , h e im p ro v ed h is q u a litie s . S in c e th en
h e h a s n e v e r le ft m e : h e h a s be en w ith me to M a d a g a s c a r ,
an d h e h a s ju s t re tu rn ed w ith m e from m y la s t jo u rn e y to
A f r ic a . H e is d e v o ted to me, an d on m y s id e I co n s id e r
DAVID KAN ISA.
h im m o re a s a ch ild th an a s a^servant. H e n e ith e r sm o k e s
n o r d r in k s , an d h is o n ly am b itio n is to le a rn , w h ich h e d o e s
w ith g r e a t a s s id u ity . S i r H a r r y Jo h n s to n an d M r. S h a rp e ,
w h o h a v e b o th seen h im s in c e he c am e to E u r o p e , h a v e
d e c la re d th a t th e y w o u ld n e v e r h a v e b e lie v e d th a t it w a s
p o s s ib le to m a k e o f an A f r ic a n n a t iv e w h a t I m ad e o f
h im . B u t I m u s t s a y th a t he is a r em a rk a b le e x c e p t io n .
I m a y p e rh a p s a p p e a r to h a v e in s is ted a t to o g r e a t a
le n g th on th is su b je c t, b u t th e b o y ’s d e v o t io n an d q u a litie s
fu l ly ju s t i f y th e n o tic e I h a v e ta k e n o f h im , an d b e s id e s
h e g r e a t ly co n t r ib u te d to th e su c c e s s o f m y jo u rn e y .
280
C H A P T E R X I I I .
F R O M N Y A S A L A N D TO U J I J I
N the, m o rn in g o f M a r ch 2 8 th th e A f r ic a n L a k e s
V V C om p a n y ’s s te am sh ip Domira a r r iv e d from M a to p e .
W e le ft M p im b i n e x t m o rn in g , an d th en b e g a n a s h e a r t b
r e a k in g a v o y a g e a s I e v e r e x p e r ie n c e d . T h e Domira
w a s a d ir t y lit t le b o a t o f a b o u t 80 tons. T h e o n ly
c a b in c o n s is ted o f a k in d o f cu p b o a rd w ith tw o b u n k s ,
th is b e in g co n s id e red p ro p e r a c com m o d a t io n fo r th re e
p a s s e n g e r s — Mr. C raw sh aw , on e o f th e P ro te c to ra te
o f f ic ia l s ; L ie u te n a n t B ro n s a r t vo n S ch e llen d o r f, o f M a jo r
W is sm a n n ’s e x p e d i t io n ; an d m y se lf. N o t th a t th is
m a tte red , fo r th e c ab in w a s so h o t th a t it w a s im p o s s ib le
fo r a n y b o d y b u t a v e r y re so lu te su ic id e to s le e p there.
M e a ls w e re s e r v e d in an o th e r lit t le d e n : w e w e re s i x
a t tab le , an d th e h e a t w a s 9 2 ° ; c o ck ro a ch e s , b u g s , flies,
fle a s, an d an ts fo rm ed a la r g e p a r t o f th e d a ily fare.
B u t th is w a s a ll n o th in g to w h a t w a s to come . W e had
h a rd ly le ft M p im b i w h en th e s te am e r to u ch ed bo ttom ,
arid fin a lly w ith a je r k w e ran fa s t a g ro u n d ju s t a b r e a s t
o f a sm a ll s to c k a d e c a lle d F o r t S h a rp e . T h e r e w e
rem a in ed fo r n in e m o r ta l d a y s . O n e h o u r o r so w a s
sp e n t e v e r y d a y in h a u lin g a t a h aw s e r fa s ten e d roun d
a tree , o r e lse in d ig g in g a t th e s an d w ith sh o v e ls . I t
w a s im p o s s ib le to g e t th e v e s s e l a flo a t without, u n lo ad in g .
S o th e c a p ta in s en t fo r som e b o a ts , an d th en s a t h im s e lf
c a lm ly d ow n to w a it fo r th em. T h e y to o k a w e e k to
a r r i v e ; an d th en a p a r t o f th e c a rg o w a s sh ifted , th e
fire s w e re l i t— b u t th e Domira s t e a d i ly re fu sed to b u d g e .
281