The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1868-05-13
DIR. Livingstone Letter from the Great
African Explorer.
letter was received in Edinburgh from DR..
Livingstone by friend of the celebrated traveller.
The following are extracts:

A letter received in Edinburgh from DR..
Livingstone. by friend of the celebrated traveller.
The following are extracts: 4ft
COUNTRY OF THE CmPErA,
November 10, 1866.
IT has been quite impossible 20 send letter
coastwise ever since we left the hovuma. The
Arab slave traders take to their heels soon as
they hear that the English are on the road. | am
a perfect bugbear to them. Eight parties thus
skedSddled, and last of all my Johanna men,
frightened out Of their wits by stories told them
by q member Of q ninth party who had been
plundefed OF his slaves, walked of aud left me to
iace the terrible Mszitu with nine Nassck boys.
The fear which the English name has struck into
the souls of the slave traders has thus been an
inconvenience. could not go round the north
end Of the lake for fear that my Johanna men,
at sight Of danger would do there what they
actually did at the southern end, and the
owners of the two dhows on the lake kept
them out OF sight, lest l should burn them as
slavers, and | could not cross in the middle.
Round the southern end, we got up Kinks range,
and among Manganja not yet made slave sellers.
This was great treat, for like all who have not
been contaminated by that blight, they were very
kind, and, having been worried enough by unwil-
ling Sepoys and cowardly Johanna men, | fol-
lowed my bent by easy marches among friendly
generous people, to whom tried to impart some
new ideas 10 return for their hospitality. The
country is elevated and the climate cool. One
Of the wonders told of US in successive villages
was that we slept without fires. The boys having
blankets did not need fire, while the Inhabitants,
being scantily clad, have their huts plastered in
side and out, and even the roofs, 10 make them
selves comfortable. Our progress since has been
slow from other and less agreeable causes. Some
parts have been denuded Of food by maraudng
Mazitu or Zulus we have been fain to avoid these
and gone zigzag. Once we nearly walked into
the hands OF party, and several times we have
been detained by rumors of the enemy in front.
January, lS67.-l mention several causes Of de.
lay. must add the rainy season Is more potent
than all, except hunger. In passing through the
Babisa country, we found that food was not TO be
had. The Bsbisa are great slave-traders and have,
IN consequence. little industry. This seems TO be
the cause of their having no food TO spare. The
rains, too. are more c0pous than ever saw them
anywhere in Africa; but we shall get on in time.
February IL am in Bemba or Lobemba, and at
the chief mans place, which has three stockades
around it, and deep dry ditch round the inner
one. He seems a fine fellow, and gave us a cow
to slaughter on our arrival yesterday. We are go
ing to bold Christmas feast to morrow, as
promised the boys blow out when we came TO
place of plenty. We have had precious hard
lines; and would not complain If it had not been
gnswiDg hunger for many day, aud our bones
sticking through as if they would burst the skin.
When we were in part where game sbounded /
filed the pot with first-rate rife given me by
Captain Fraser; but elsewhere we had but very
short rati0ns of q species of millet called ma
ere, which passed the stomach almost unchanged.
The sorest grief of all was the loss Of the medi.
cine box which your friend at Apothecaries' Hall
20 kindly fitted up. All other things divided
among the bundles so that II one or two we're lost
we should not be rendered destitute of such arti-.
Giles; but this gave to a steady boy, and trusted
him. He exchanged for march with two volun-
teers. who behaved remarkably WELL till at last
hungry marches through dripping forests, cold
hungry nights, and fstiguing days overcame
their virtue, and they made Of with Steady'sr
load-a his clothes, oil plates. dishes, much Of
our powder, and two guns, and il was impossible
TO track them after the first drenching shower,
which fell Immediately after they left us. The
forests are so dense and leay that one cannot see
dfty yards on any side. This loss, with all our
medicine, fell on my heart like q sentence OF
death by tfever, as Ewas the case with poor
Bishop Mckenzie; but shall try native remedies,
trusting Him who has led me hitherto TO help me
still. We have been mostly on elevated land, be-
tween 5000 and 5000 feet above the sea. / think
we are now on the water shed for which was to
seek. We are $500 feet above the sea level aud
will begin to descend when we 60. This may be
put down as l0deg. l0min. south lat, and long
3ldeg. 50min 2sec. We found party of black
nalf caste Arab slaves here, and one promises TO
axe letters to Zanzibar, but they give me ony
half day TO write. shall send what can, and
hope they will be as good as their word We
have not had single difficulty with the people,
but we have been very slow. Eight miles day is
good march for US, loaded as tie boys are and
We have often been obliged TO go zigzag, as
mentioned. Blessings on you all. Love to
Mrs. -. From yours, ever afectiouatey,
DAVID LIVINGSTONE.