"
The country was very populous, and Livingstone so excited the curiosity
of the people that he could hardly get quit of the crowds. It was not so
uninteresting to be stared at by the women, but he was wearied with the
ugliness of the men. Palm-toddy did not inspire them with any social
qualities, but made them low and disagreeable. They had no friendly
feeling for him, and could not be inspired with any. They thought that
he and his people were like the Arab traders, and they would not do
anything for them. It was impossible to procure a canoe for navigating
the Lualaba, so that there was nothing for it but to return to Bambarre,
which was reached on the 19th December, 1869.
A long letter to his son Thomas (Town of Moenekuss, Manyuema Country,
24th September, 1869) gives a retrospect of this period, and indeed, in
a sense, of his life:
"My dear Tom,--I begin a letter, though I have no prospect of
being able to send it off for many months to come. It is to
have something in readiness when the hurry usual in preparing
a mail does arrive.
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