Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1863-02-06

DIR. LIVINGSTONE AGAIN ATTACKED IN Az
RIcA.-At the last meeting of the royal geo.
graphical society in London, Sir. Roderick
Murchison read letter from DIR. Livingstone
dated on the river Rovuma, October 10. 1862.
The Doctor has been engaged in another en-
counter with the natives who seem to regard
him as fair object of attack, and pay the
least possible attention to his missionary
character. He writes, that while descending
the Rovuma, Il number of native river pilots
followed his parry until it had entered mar
row passage under high bank, when vol
ley Of arrows was fired. He adds:
eve stopped and expostulated with them
for long time; then got them to one of the
boats and explained to them how easily we
could drive them off with our rifles and revolt
vers, but we wished to be friends, and gave
about thirty yards of calico in presents, in
proof OF friendship. AT this time we were
within forty yards of lot of them, armed
with muskets and bows, on the high bank.
On parting, as we thought, Oh friendly terms,
and moving on, we received a volley of mus
ket balls and arrows, four bullet holes being
made in my sail, and finding that we, instead
Of running away, returned the fire, they took
to their heels, and left the conviction that
these are the border ruflians who at various
points present obstacles to African eXplora-
on-men-stealers, in fact, who care no more
for human life than that respectable party in
London who stuffed the pioneers life buoys
with old straw instead of cork. 1t was sore
against the grain to pay away that calico; it
was submitting to be robbed for the sake OF
peace. 1t cannot be called black mal,' for
that implies the rendering of important SER
vices by Arabs; nor is it custom dues. 1t
is robbery perpetrated by any one who has a
traveller or a trader in his power, and, when
tamely submitted to, increases in amount till
wood, water, grass, and every conceivable
subject of offence is made an occasion for a
fine. On our return we passed quietly
through them ALL and probably the next En-
glish boat will be respected.
Of this part of the country the doctor
says =
''We were on part of the slave route from
the Lake Nyassa to Quiloa tkilwa) about
thirty miles below the station of Monde,
where that route crosses Rovuma, and little
further from the confluence of the Lenda
which, arising from the hill on the east of the
Lake NyaSSa, flows into Rovuma. 1t is said
to be very large, with reeds and aquatic plants
growing in it, but at this time only ankle deep
1t contains no rocks till near its sources on the
mountains, and between it and the lake the
distance is reported to require between two
and three days. At the cataracts where we
turned there is no rock on the shore, as on
the Zambesi, at Ke0rabasa, and Murchisons
Cataracts. The land is perfectly smooth,
and, as far as we could see, the
country presented the same flat appear
ance, with only a very few detached
hills. The Tsetse is met with all along the
Rovuma, and the people have no cattle in con-
sequence. They produce large quantities of
oil yielding seeds, as the Susame or gerzelin
and have hives placed on the trees every few
miles. We never saw ebony of equal size to
what we met on this river; and as to its navi.
gability, as the mark at which water stands for
many months is three feet above what il is
now, and it is now said to be cubit lower
than usual, have no doubt that vessel
drawing, when loaded, about eighteen inches,
would run with ease during many months in
the year. Should English trade be established
on the Lake Nyassa Englishmen will make
this their outlet rather than pay dues to the
Portuguese"