首页 >出版文学> Travels and Researches in South Africa>第88章
  weplacethemnowbeforeyou,andifyouleavethemtoperishtheguiltwillbeyours。”WhentheyhaddepartedtheMakololothoughtbetterofit,and,aftermuchdivination,wentoverwithfearandtrembling,andcarriedthepackagescarefullytoanislandinthemiddleofthestream;then,buildingahutoverthemtoprotectthemfromtheweather,theyleftthem;andthereIfoundtheyhadremainedfromSeptember,1854,tillSeptember,1855,inperfectsafetyHere,asIhadoftenexperiencedbefore,Ifoundthenewswasveryold,andhadlostmuchofitsinterestbykeeping,butthereweresomegoodeatablesfromMrsMoffat。
  Amongotherthings,Idiscoveredthatmyfriend,SirRoderickMurchison,whileinhisstudyinLondon,hadarrivedatthesameconclusionrespectingtheformoftheAfricancontinentasIhadlatelycometoonthespotseenotep512[footnotetoChapter24Paragraph7];
  andthat,fromtheattentivestudyofthegeologicalmapofMrBainandothermaterials,someofwhichwerefurnishedbythediscoveriesofMrOswellandmyself,hehadnotonlyclearlyenunciatedthepeculiarconfigurationasanhypothesisinhisdiscoursebeforetheGeographicalSocietyin1852,buthadeventheassurancetosendmeoutacopyformyinformation!Therewasnotmuchuseinnursingmychagrinatbeingthusfairly“cutout“bythemanwhohadforetoldtheexistenceoftheAustraliangoldbeforeitsdiscovery,forhereitwasinblackandwhiteInhiseasy-chairhehadforestalledmebythreeyears,thoughIhadbeenworkinghardthroughjungle,marsh,andfever,and,sincethelightdawnedonmymindatDilolo,hadbeencherishingthepleasingdelusionthatIshouldbethefirsttosuggesttheideathattheinteriorofAfricawasawateryplateauoflesselevationthanflankinghillyranges。
  HavingwaitedafewdaysatSesheketillthehorseswhichwehadleftatLinyantishouldarrive,weproceededtothattown,andfoundthewagon,andeverythingwehadleftinNovember,1853,perfectlysafe。
  Agrandmeetingofallthepeoplewascalledtoreceiveourreport,andthearticleswhichhadbeensentbythegovernorandmerchantsofLoanda。
  Iexplainedthatnoneoftheseweremyproperty,butthattheyweresenttoshowthefriendlyfeelingsofthewhitemen,andtheireagernesstoenterintocommercialrelationswiththeMakololoIthenrequestedmycompanionstogiveatrueaccountofwhattheyhadseen。
  Thewonderfulthingslostnothinginthetelling,theclimaxalwaysbeingthattheyhadfinishedthewholeworld,andhadturnedonlywhentherewasnomorelandOnegliboldgentlemanasked,“ThenyoureachedMaRobertMrsL。?”TheywereobligedtoconfessthatshelivedalittlebeyondtheworldThepresentswerereceivedwithexpressionsofgreatsatisfactionanddelight;andonSunday,whenSekeletumadehisappearanceatchurchinhisuniform,itattractedmoreattentionthanthesermon;andthekindexpressionstheymadeuseofrespectingmyselfweresoveryflatteringthatIfeltinclinedtoshutmyeyesTheirprivateopinionmusthavetalliedwiththeirpublicreport,forIverysoonreceivedoffersfromvolunteerstoaccompanymetotheeastcoastTheysaidtheywishedtobeabletoreturnandrelatestrangethingslikemyrecentcompanions;
  andSekeletuimmediatelymadearrangementswiththeArabBenHabibtoconductafreshpartywithaloadofivorytoLoandaThese,hesaid,mustgowithhimandlearntotrade:theywerenottohaveanythingtodointhedisposaloftheivory,butsimplylookandlearnMycompanionsweretoremainandrestthemselves,andthenreturntoLoandawhentheothershadcomehomeSekeletuconsultedmeastosendingpresentsbacktothegovernorandmerchantsofLoanda,but,notpossessingmuchconfidenceinthisArab,IadvisedhimtosendapresentbyPitsane,asheknewwhooughttoreceiveit。
  SincemyarrivalinEngland,informationhasbeenreceivedfromMrGabrielthatthispartyhadarrivedonthewestcoast,butthattheivoryhadbeendisposedoftosomePortuguesemerchantsintheinterior,andthemenhadbeenobligedtocarryitdowntoLoanda。
  TheyhadnotbeenintroducedtoMrGabriel,butthatgentleman,havinglearnedthattheywereinthecity,wenttothem,andpronouncedthenamesPitsane,Mashauana,whenallstartedupandcrowdedroundhim。
  WhenMrGobtainedaninterpreter,helearnedthattheyhadbeenorderedbySekeletutobesureandgotomybrother,ashetermedhim。
  MrGbehavedinthesameliberalmannerashehaddonetomycompanions,andtheydepartedfortheirdistanthomeafterbiddinghimaformalandaffectionateadieu。
  Itwastobeexpectedthattheywouldbeimposeduponintheirfirstattemptattrading,butIbelievethatthiscouldnotbesoeasilyrepeated。
  Itis,however,unfortunatethatindealingwiththenativesintheinteriorthereisnoattemptmadeattheestablishmentoffairprices。
  Thetradershowsaquantityofgoods,thenativeasksformore,andmoreisgivenThenative,beingignorantofthevalueofthegoodsorofhisivory,trieswhatanotherdemandwillbring。
  Aftersomehaggling,anadditionismade,andthatbargainisconcludedtothesatisfactionofbothpartiesAnothertradercomes,andperhapsoffersmorethanthefirst;thecustomarydemandforanadditionismade,andheyieldsThenativesbythistimearebeginningtobelievethatthemoretheyaskthemoretheywillget:theycontinuetourge,thetraderburstsintoarage,andthetradeisstopped,toberenewednextdaybyahigherofferThenativesnaturallyconcludethattheywererightthedaybefore,andamostdisagreeablecommercialintercourseisestablishedAgreatamountoftimeisspentinconcludingthesebargains。
  Inotherparts,itisquitecommontoseethenativesgoingfromonetradertoanothertilltheyhavefinishedthewholevillage;
  andsomegivepresentsofbrandytotempttheircustom。
  MuchofthisunpleasantstateoffeelingbetweennativesandEuropeansresultsfromthecommencementsmadebythosewhowereignorantofthelanguage,andfromthewantofeducationbeinggivenatthesametime。
  DuringthetimeofourabsenceatLoanda,theMakololohadmadetwoforays,andcapturedlargeherdsofcattleOne,tothelake,wasinordertopunishLechulatebefortheinsolencehehadmanifestedafterprocuringsomefire-arms;andtheothertoSebolaMakwaia,achieflivingfartotheN。EThiswasmostunjustifiable,andhadbeencondemnedbyalltheinfluentialMakololo。
  BenHabib,however,had,incomingfromZanzibar,visitedSebolaMakwaia,andfoundthatthechieftownwasgovernedbyanoldwomanofthatname。
  Shereceivedhimkindly,andgavehimalargequantityofmagnificentivory,sufficienttosethimupasatrader,ataverysmallcost;
  but,hispartyhavingdischargedtheirguns,BenHabibobservedthatthefemalechiefandherpeoplewereextremelyalarmed,andwouldhavefledandlefttheircattleinapanic,hadhenotcalmedtheirfears。
  BenHabibinformedtheuncleofSekeletuthathecouldeasilyguidehimthither,andhemightgetalargenumberofcattlewithoutanydifficultyThisuncleadvisedSekeletutogo;
  and,astheonlygreatnessheknewwasimitationofhisfather’sdeeds,hewent,butwasnotsosuccessfulaswasanticipated。
  SebolaMakwaiahadfledonhearingoftheapproachoftheMakololo;
  and,asthecountryismarshyandintersectedineverydirectionbyrivers,theycouldnoteasilypursueherTheycapturedcanoes,and,pursuingupdifferentstreams,cametoasmalllakecalled“Shuia“。
  HavingenteredtheLoangwa,flowingtotheeastward,theyfounditadvisabletoreturn,asthenativesinthosepartsbecamemorewarlikethefurthertheywentinthatdirectionBeforeturning,theArabpointedoutanelevatedridgeinthedistance,andsaidtotheMakololo,“Whenweseethat,wealwaysknowthatweareonlytenorfifteendaysfromthesea。”Onseeinghimafterward,heinformedmethatonthesameridge,butmuchfurthertothenorth,theBanyassalived,andthattheriversflowedfromittowardtheS。W。
  HealsoconfirmedtheotherArab’saccountthattheLoapula,whichhehadcrossedatthetownofCazembe,flowedinthesamedirection,andintotheLeeambye。
  SeveraloftheinfluentialMakololowhohadengagedinthesemaraudingexpeditionshaddiedbeforeourarrival,andNokwanehadsuccumbedtohisstrangediseaseRamosantanehadperishedthroughvomitingbloodfromover-fatigueinthemarch,andLerimowasaffectedbyaleprosypeculiartotheBarotsevalleyInaccordancewiththeadviceofmyLibontafriends,Ididnotfailtoreprove“mychildSekeletu“
  forhismaraudingThiswasnotdoneinanangrymanner,fornogoodiseverachievedbyfiercedenunciationsMotibe,hisfather-in-law,saidtome,“Scoldhimmuch,butdon’tletothershearyou。”
  TheMakololoexpressedgreatsatisfactionwiththeroutewehadopeneduptothewest,andsoonafterourarrivala“picho“wascalled,inordertodiscussthequestionofremovaltotheBarotsevalley,sothattheymightbenearerthemarketSomeoftheoldermenobjectedtoabandoningthelineofdefenseaffordedbytheriversChobeandZambesiagainsttheirsouthernenemiestheMatebeleTheMakolologenerallyhaveanaversiontotheBarotsevalley,onaccountofthefeverswhichareannuallyengenderedinitasthewatersdryupTheypreferitonlyasacattlestation;for,thoughtheherdsarefrequentlythinnedbyanepidemicdiseaseperipneumonia,theybreedsofastthatthelossesaresoonmadegoodWhereverelsetheMakolologo,theyalwaysleaveaportionoftheirstockinthechargeofherdsmeninthatprolificvalley。
  Someoftheyoungermenobjectedtoremoval,becausetheranknessofthegrassattheBarotsedidnotallowoftheirrunningfast,andbecausethere“itneverbecomescool。”
  Sekeletuatlaststoodup,and,addressingme,said,“Iamperfectlysatisfiedastothegreatadvantagesfortradeofthepathwhichyouhaveopened,andthinkthatweoughttogototheBarotse,inordertomakethewayfromustoLoandashorter;butwithwhomamItolivethere?
  Ifyouwerecomingwithus,Iwouldremoveto-morrow;butnowyouaregoingtothewhiteman’scountrytobringMaRobert,andwhenyoureturnyouwillfindmeneartothespotonwhichyouwishtodwell。”
  Ihadthennoideathatanyhealthyspotexistedinthecountry,andthoughtonlyofaconvenientcentralsituation,adaptedforintercoursewiththeadjacenttribesandwiththecoast,suchasthatneartotheconfluenceoftheLeebaandLeeambye。
  ThefeveriscertainlyadrawbacktothisotherwiseimportantmissionaryfieldThegreathumidityproducedbyheavyrainsandinundations,theexuberantvegetationcausedbyfervidheatinrichmoistsoil,andtheprodigiousamountofdecayingvegetablematterannuallyexposedaftertheinundationstotheraysofatorridsun,withaflatsurfaceoftencoveredbyforestthroughwhichthewindscannotpass,allcombinetorendertheclimatefarfromsalubriousforanyportionofthehumanfamily。
  Butthefever,thuscausedandrenderedvirulent,isalmosttheonlydiseaseprevalentinitThereisnoconsumptionorscrofula,andbutlittleinsanitySmallpoxandmeaslesvisitedthecountrysomethirtyyearsagoandcutoffmany,buttheyhavesincemadenoreturn,althoughtheformerhasbeenalmostconstantlyinonepartoranotherofthecoastSingularlyenough,thepeopleusedinoculationforthisdisease;andinonevillage,wheretheyseemtohavechosenamalignantcasefromwhichtoinoculatetherest,nearlythewholevillagewascutoffIhaveseenbutonecaseofhydrocephalus,afewofepilepsy,noneofcholeraorcancer,andmanydiseasescommoninEnglandareherequiteunknownItistruethatIsufferedseverelyfromfever,butmyexperiencecannotbetakenasafaircriterioninthematter。
  Compelledtosleeponthedampgroundmonthaftermonth,exposedtodrenchingshowers,andgettingthelowerextremitieswettedtwoorthreetimeseveryday,livingonnativefoodwiththeexceptionofsugarlesscoffee,duringthejourneytothenorthandthelatterhalfofthereturnjourney,andthatfoodthemaniocrootsandmeal,whichcontainsomuchuncombinedstarchthattheeyesbecomeaffectedasinthecaseofanimalsfedforexperimentonpureglutenorstarch,andbeingexposedduringmanyhourseachdayincomparativeinactiontothedirectraysofthesun,thethermometerstandingabove96DegintheshadetheseconstituteamorepitifulhygienethananymissionarieswhomayfollowwilleverhavetoendureIdonotmentiontheseprivationsasifIconsideredthemtobe“sacrifices“,forIthinkthatthewordoughtnevertobeappliedtoanythingwecandoforHimwhocamedownfromheavenanddiedforus;butIsupposeitisnecessarytonoticethem,inorderthatnounfavorableopinionmaybeformedfrommyexperienceastowhatthatofothersmightbe,iflessexposedtothevicissitudesoftheweatherandchangeofdiet。