Page:Popular Science Monthly Volume 2.djvu/354

 338 mouth bar, and lying beyond Portuguese territory, it would afford a better entrance to the Shiré country than the Zambési. Starting from Zanzibar, he found no connection to exist between the Rovuraa and Lake Nyassa, and, from a thorough examination of its north end, that there was no communication between that lake and Tanganyika. Livingstone's idea has been mentioned, on first hearing of these lakes in the interior, that, on the supposition of a central dividing line, between the north and south river systems, the region about them would be found to be the water-shed of the Nile. This theory it seems to have been his object now to establish, by tracing, if he could, a northern outflow from Tanganyika into Sir S. Baker's great lake, the Albert Nyanza. "Go," said Sir Roderick, even before he left England, "and you will then be the real discoverer of the sources of the Nile!"

Soon after starting toward Tanganyika, a little to the west of Nyassa, the men he had engaged at Johanna were frightened by a report of native ferocity, and, deserting him in a body, returned to the coast with the story that he had been murdered. The story ran, that in marching westward from the north end of the lake, the party was attacked by a body of Mazitu—a Kaffre tribe, who are known to have emigrated from the south side of the Zambési. The Johanna men were some distance behind with unloaded guns, and saw three men attack the doctor, who had fired, and was trying to reload. One struck him behind the head with an axe; he gave a loud cry and fell dead. Two of the Mazitu were found lying near him, shot with his revolver, and the bodies of some boys he had brought with him from Bombay. The Johannese hid in the bush till the Mazitu had retreated, and then, having buried their master, travelling by night made the best of their way back to Zanzibar.

The murder was said to have taken place in August, 1866, and the details were circumstantial. In July, 1867, an expedition left the mouth of the Zambesi, dispatched by the Royal Geographical Society, under the leadership of Mr. Young, formerly master of the Pioneer, with a view of obtaining some clew to Livingstone's fate. The voyage to Nyassa and back was accomplished in a little steel boat which could be taken to pieces, and on November 11th they were once more at the Zambesi mouth. On his return to England, Mr. Young gave his report. He had ascertained the route taken by Livingstone in crossing Lake Nyassa, and had been able to trace him to the village of a chief, Marenga, at least five days' journey beyond the point of the reported murder! The chief was an old friend of Livingstone's, and assured Mr. Young that, if the doctor had been killed one month's journey beyond his village, he, Marenga, must have heard of it. Mazitu had never been seen in that part of the country; and the story of the Johanna men was a gross fabrication to cover their own cowardice!