第140章

The "Lady Nyassa" had shown herself to be a good sea-boat.The natives had proved themselves capital sailors, though before volunteering not one of them had ever seen the sea.They were not picked men, but, on paying a dozen whom we had in our employment for fifteen months, they were taken at random from several hundreds who offered to accompany us.Their wages were ten shillings per mensem, and it was curious to observe, that so eager were they to do their duty, that only one of them lay down from sea-sickness during the whole voyage.They took in and set sail very cleverly in a short time, and would climb out along a boom, reeve a rope through the block, and come back with the rope in their teeth, though at each lurch the performer was dipped in the sea.The sailor and carpenter, though anxious to do their utmost, had a week's severe illness each, and were unfit for duty.

It is pleasant enough to take the wheel for an hour or two, or even for a watch, but when it comes to be for every alternate four hours, it is utterly wearisome.We set our black men to steer, showing them which arm of the compass needle was to be kept towards the vessel's head, and soon three of them could manage very well, and they only needed watching.In going up the East Coast to take advantage of the current of one hundred miles a day, we would fain have gone into the Juba or Webbe River, the mouth of which is only 15 minutes south of the line, but we were too shorthanded.We passed up to about ten degrees north of the Equator, and then steamed out from the coast.

Here Maury's wind chart showed that the calm-belt had long been passed, but we were in it still; and, instead of a current carrying us north, we had a contrary current which bore us every day four miles to the south.We steamed as long as we dared, knowing as we did that we must use the engines on the coast of India.

After losing many days tossing on the silent sea, with innumerable dolphins, flying-fish, and sharks around us, we had six days of strong breezes, then calms again tried our patience; and the near approach of that period, "the break of the monsoon," in which it was believed no boat could live, made us sometimes think our epitaph would be "Left Zanzibar on 30th April, 1864, and never more heard of."At last, in the beginning of June, the chronometers showed that we were near the Indian coast.The black men believed it was true because we told them it was so, but only began to dance with joy when they saw sea-weed and serpents floating past.These serpents are peculiar to these parts, and are mentioned as poisonous in the sailing directions.We ventured to predict that we should see land next morning, and at midday the high coast hove in sight, wonderfully like Africa before the rains begin.Then a haze covered all the land, and a heavy swell beat towards it.A rock was seen, and a latitude showed it to be the Choule rock.Making that a fresh starting-point, we soon found the light-ship, and then the forest of masts loomed through the haze in Bombay harbour.We had sailed over 2500 miles.

Footnotes:

{1}A remedy composed of from six to eight grains of resin of jalap, the same of rhubarb, and three each of calomel and quinine, made up into four pills, with tincture of cardamoms, usually relieved all the symptoms in five or six hours.Four pills are a full dose for a man--one will suffice for a woman.They received from our men the name of "rousers," from their efficacy in rousing up even those most prostrated.When their operation is delayed, a dessert-spoonful of Epsom salts should be given.Quinine after or during the operation of the pills, in large doses every two or three hours, until deafness or cinchonism ensued, completed the cure.The only cases in which, we found ourselves completely helpless, were those in which obstinate vomiting ensued.

{2}The late Mr. Robson.

{3}In 1865, four years after these forebodings were penned, we received intelligence that they had all come to pass.Sekeletu died in the beginning of 1864--a civil war broke out about the succession to the chieftainship; a large body of those opposed to the late chief's uncle, Impololo, being regent, departed with their cattle to Lake Ngami; an insurrection by the black tribes followed; Impololo was slain, and the kingdom, of which, under an able sagacious mission, a vast deal might have been made, has suffered the usual fate of African conquests.That fate we deeply deplore; for, whatever other faults the Makololo might justly be charged with, they did not belong to the class who buy and sell each other, and the tribes who have succeeded them do.

{4}It was with sorrow that we learned by a letter from Mr. Moffat, in 1864, that poor Sekeletu was dead.As will be mentioned further on, men were sent with us to bring up more medicine.They preferred to remain on the Shire, and, as they were free men, we could do no more than try and persuade them to hasten back to their chief with iodine and other remedies.They took the parcel, but there being only two real Makololo among them, these could neither return themselves alone or force their attendants to leave a part of the country where they were independent, and could support themselves with ease.Sekeletu, however, lived long enough to receive and acknowledge goods to the value of 50 pounds, sent, in lieu of those which remained in Tette, by Robert Moffat, jun., since dead.

{5} A brother, we believe, of one who accompanied Burke and Willis in the famous but unfortunate Australian Expedition.

{6}Genesis, chap. iii., verses 21 and 23, "make coats of skins, and clothed them"--"sent him forth from the garden of Eden to till the ground" imply teaching.Vide Archbishop Whately's "History of Religious Worship."John W. Parker, West Strand, London, 1849.

{7}"In 1854 the native church at Sierra-Leone undertook to pay for their primary schools, and thereby effected a saving to the Church Missionary Society of 800 pounds per annum.In 1861 the contributions of this one section of native Christians had amounted to upwards of 10,000 pounds."--"Manual of Church Missionary Society's African Missions."