Milford chronicle., 1889-11-01
in THE HEART OF AFRICA.
r. @. ssiOus Describes Trip Over Por-
tion Of DR.. IIvingstOne's Old Route.

2. @. ssiOus Describes Trip Over q PoF-
tiOn Of DR.. IIvingstOne's Old Route.
+. C. Selous attended recent meeting In
Cape Town for the purpose Of describing the
Journey he made last year to the country OF
the Mashukulumbwe, a tribe OF savages whose
habitat is north Of the zambesi The we'll
known African hunter said he left Bamang-
wato early in April, 1883, with everything
well appointed for long expedition into the
interior. He had two wagons well loaded
with all requisites for that sort Of life besides
five well trained horses, sixteen pack donkeys
and dogs, goats, sheep and various other ami
mails. On the journey from Bamangwato it
was only with great difficulty that be man
aged to keep himself and his men alive. In
the middle of May he reached Pandamatenka,
the furthest trading station in central AT
rica, where he learned that be would not be
able to cross the river zambesi, as the coun-
| try beyond was in a disturbed state on ac-
count of one OF the prominent chiefs being
on a hunting and raiding expedition. June 5
/ he finally started, with sixteen donkeys well
loaded with ammunition and trading goods
and about a score of Kafirs, also carrying
loads. June II they got down to the banks
Of the Zanlbesi, and the following day crossed
the river
Four or five days travelling brought them
to the first Batonga town, and here he might
mention that in 1877 be made journey down
the banks of the Zambesi, travelling among
the Batonga the whole time. These people
had never seen a white man since Living
stone and Kirk came up the river in 1861, and
they turned out to be very friendly indeed
After three days of this country they came
into fine land, sort Of high plateau, beau
tifully watered with quite a network OF
q
which explained why there were such large
unwatered stretches in the country he had
Just passed through On the fifth day from
the zambesi they came to a beautiful valley,
with grass, water and trees, and before them
range of hills, at whose foot lay Batonga
village, the people of which were very friend
ly and told them that if they went up the
bills they would come to an open plateau
stretching right away to the Kafukwe The
next morning they ascended the rather steep
hills and came on a fine, open, rolling coun-
try, with plentiful supply Of game. They
then reached the village of the Batonga chief,
Nome.
Nome was a very old, shriveled up man,
but remembered Livingstone's visit quite
we'll, and although it was thirty-fve years
ago he spoke of it as if it had happened but
few years since. Nome told him how Liv-
ingstone had gone on low hill near by, called
Owkessi-Kessi, and had used an instrument,
which, from his description, WAS evidently a
compass or a sextant. In the beginning of July
he left Nome, and in q short time came upon
small village of the dreaded Observation-Disclosures.
They next came to the rivers Magoice and
Ungwessi. DR.. Livingstone marked the lat
ter as tributary of the Kafukwe; but this
was an error, for he followed it up and found
info A.
to another Mashukulumbwe village, the in
habitants of which assumed most threaten.
ing attitude. They then crossed the Ungwessi,
and reached an open tract with nothing but |
long grass, six to eight feet high, upon it. |
Suddenly they found themselves in the midst |
Of villages the inhabitants Of which were to |
all appearance friendly, and the chief manga, |
who owned the whole district as well as the !
canoes on the kafukwe, told them to pitch /
their camp near the huts.
A part of the next day was spent in hunt |
ing, and the whole day their camp was sur
rounded by armed natives with their barbed |
assegais and peculiar head dresses. Night |
approached, and, in contrast to the previous
day, everything was quito still The Katirs .
had their assegais In their hands and looked
uncomfortable He ordered them to throw .
ground ON the fires, intending to creep round /
to the back of the village. Hewas just reach
ing over to take some cartridges out of bag
when three guns went off in his face and
some were fired at the other side. Then the
assegais came pouring in through and over
the ''scherm" by the ton Qaughter). The
enemy then rushed in and all was confusion.
Each one made for the long grass as therein
lay the only hope OF safety.
He also made his way thither, facing them
with his rifle, determined if any man ran
against it to pull the trigger and take the con.
sequences While backing away thus he fell,
and as he did so body Of Observation-Disclosures
rushed from the grass to the camp, two fall
ing upon the top of him. He then turned on
his hands and glided into the long gra $. For
the moment he was safe, but he, however, de-
termined to put long distance between him
self and the village before daylight. He then
swan across the river Magoice, and after
several hairbreadth escapes and thrilling ad.
ventures, during which his rifle was stolen
and an attempt was made to murder him,
reached the village of Sikabenga, whence he
proceeded amidst great hardships to Pauda.
matenka. Here he found the remnants Of his {
party.-Pall Mall Gazette.