regret ^ that they were unable to secure the
meat which was running away from them.
Finally we discovered a channel flowing between
a series of islands, which we gladly entered,
and our young tormentors turned back and
left us to pursue our way alone. From Bem-
efri the course of the great river varied from
north-west by north half north, north-north-west,
north by west, and north-west. I missed the
latitude on February 2.
The following entries are from my notebook:—
“February 3.— General course of river from morning until
noon, north-west. At noon ascertained our latitude to be
north of the equator i° 29' 1".
“We endeavoured to do our best to avoid conflict with
the savages, and this required great judgment and constant
watching of the channels. We happily succeeded, though a
little after noon it became extremely doubtful, for it Seems
that we edged a little too much to the left bank in our eagerness
to avoid all channels that might take us to the right.
The Barundu, of whom we heard yesterday, sighted us, as
we passed a gap between the islands, and instantly manned
eighteen large war-canoes. But as we had obtained a start
of them we pulled desperately down river among the islands,
leading them a chase of eight miles or so, when they returned.
“ Livingstone, called floating down the Lualaba a foolhardy
feat. So it has proved, indeed, and I pen these lines with
a feehng' that they will never be read by any man; still,
as we persist in floating down according to our destiny, I
persist in writing, leaving events to an all-gracious Providence.
r Feb. 4, 1877. 1THE PLEASURES OF Li°45/4°",N.LatJ OUR RIVER LIFE. 3 6 1
Day and night we are stunned with the dreadful drumming
which announces our arrival and presence on their waters.
Either bank is equally powerful. To go from the right bank
to the left bank is like jumping from the frying-pan into the
¿•e. As we row down amongst these islands, between the
savage countries on either side of us, it may well be said
that we are ‘ running the gauntlet.’
“ February 4.—We had a glimpse of numerous villages between
the island gaps, but we pushed rapidly through, and
at nooq had attained to north latitude i° 45' 40". The general
course of the river since noon yesterday has been north-
horth-west.
|February 5.— At noon to-day we obtained by solar observation
north latitude x° 51' 17". General course of the
river was north-north-west.
’■'■February 6. — A little before we sought our camp amid
the islands, the river for the first time deflected west. All
this morning its course was from west half south to west by
north. Our observations at noon showed we had not made
quite a mile of northing, for our north latitude was i°, 51' 59” -
The Livingstone is now from four to seven miles across from
bank to bank. So far as we can see through a glass, the
banks are very low, from 6 to 10 feet high, capped with
woods. The islands are also densely wooded.
“We have had in this extraordinary journey by river all
the terrors as well as pleasures of river life. We now glide
down narrow streams, between palmy and spicy islands, whose
s,weet fragrance and vernal colour causes us to forget at moments
our dangerous life. We have before us the winding
shores of islands crowned with eternal spring-life and verdure.
Teak and cotton wood, the hyphene, borassus, wild date, and
Guinea oil-palms, the tall serpent-like rattan, with its pretty,
drooping feathery leaves; the bushy and many - rooted mangrove,
the towering gum, the shea-butter tree, the Ficus
Koischyana, the branchy Tamar Indica, with an undergrowth