three of my young men, natives of Zanzibar, with]
a boy named Robert Feruzi, of the English]
Mission at Zanzibar, with this letter, craving relief]
from you. I do not know you; but I am told]
there is an Englishman at Embomma, and as]
you are a Christian and a gentleman, I beg you]
not to disregard my request. The boy Robert]
will be better able to describe our lone condition]
than I can tell you in this letter. We are in]
a state of the greatest distress; but if your supplies I
arrive in time, I may be able to reach Embomma I
within four days. I want three hundred cloths, j
each four yards long, of such quality as you]
trade with, which is very different from that we I
have; but better than all would be ten or fifteen!
man-loads of rice or grain to fill their pinched I
bellies immediately , as even with the cloths it I
would require time to purchase food, and starving j
people cannot wait. The supplies must arrive ]
within two days, or I may have a fearful time]
of it among the dying. Of course I hold myself I
responsible for any expense you may incur in a
this business. What is wanted is immediate |
relief; and I pray you to use your utmost energies ]
to forward it at once. For myself, if you have ]
such little luxuries as tea, coffee, sugar, and
biscuits by you, such as one man can easily I
carry, I beg you on my own behalf that you j
will send a small supply, and add to the great I
debt of gratitude due to you upon the timely
¿rrival of the supplies for my people. Until that
time I beg you to believe me,
“ Yours sincerely,
“H. M. S t a n l e y ,
“ Commanding Anglo-American Expedition
for Exploration of Africa.
“P. S. You may not know me by name; I
therefore add, I am the person that discovered
Livingstone in 1871.— H. M. S.”
f I also wrote a letter in French, and another
in Spanish as a substitute for Portuguese, as I
heard at Nsanda that there was one Englishman,
one Frenchman, and three Portuguese at
Embomma; but there were conflicting statements,
[some saying that there was no Englishman, but
[a Dutchman. However, I imagined I was sure
jto obtain provisions— for most European merchants
understand either English, French, or
Spanish.
The chiefs and boat’s crew were called to my
¡tent. I then told them that I had resolved to
¡despatch four messengers to the white men at
[Embomma, with letters asking for food, and
wished to know the names of those most likely
to travel quickly and through anything that interposed
to prevent them; for it might be possible
that so small a number of men might be subjected
to delays and interruptions, and that the
guides might loiter on the way, and so protract
the journey until relief would arrive too late.
THROUGH THE DARK CONTINENT. VOL. TV. P