Fighting the Slave-hunters in Central Africa: A Record of Twenty-six Years of Travel & Adventure Round the Great Lakes and of the Overthrow of Tip-pu-tib, Rumaliza, and Other Great Slave-traders |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Africa amongst Arabs asked assegais attack Blantyre boat British bush calico called camp canoe Captain carried chief civilisation coast Congo crocodiles dhow elephant Emin Pasha enemy escape Europeans eyes face fight fire fish flag followed forest girl grass hands heard HIPPOPOTAMUS ivory Johnston journey killed knew Lake Nyasa Lake Tanganyika land leopards lion live load London Missionary Society looked maize Manyema master medicine miles Mirambo missionaries morning Mpezeni natives never night numbers Nyasaland once passed porters Quelimane realised reeds replied rifle river Rumaliza rushed sand seemed sent Shire Highlands Shire River shore shot shouted side slave slave-trade sleep soon spear stockade stop Tanganyika tell tent Tip-pu-Tib to-day trees tribe trouble Uganda Ujiji Urambo vessel village Walungu whilst women wound yards young Zambezi Zanzibar
Popular passages
Page 48 - It is difficult adequately to describe the filthy state of their bodies; in many instances, not only scarred by the cut of a chikote (a piece of hide used to enforce obedience) , but feet and shoulders were a mass of open sores, made more painful by the swarms of flies which followed the march and lived on the flowing blood. They presented a moving picture of utter misery, and one could not help wondering how many of them had survived the long tramp from the Upper Congo, at least 1,000 miles distant.
Page 48 - As they filed past we noticed many chained together by the neck. Others had their necks fastened into the forks of poles about 6 feet long, the ends of which were supported by the men who preceded them. The women, who were as numerous as the men, carried babies on their backs in addition to a tusk of ivory or other burden on their heads. They looked at us with suspicion and fear, having been told...
Page 175 - Who is to be my judge?' to which Swann replied, emphatically, 'Europe'. They had got down to bed-rock at last. 'Aha!' Tippu replied, 'now you speak the truth. Do not let us talk of justice ; people are only just when it pays. The white man is stronger than I am; they will eat my possessions as I ate those of the pagans, and ' Here he paused. Swann asked : 'Well— and what?
Page 338 - In the building up of our world-wide empire we have no doubt done many things which we ought not to have done, and left undone many things which we ought to have done.
Page 174 - Do these pagans try to rob you of Ujiji? The jackal cannot rob the lion.' " 'Very well, then! I came here as a young man, fought these natives and subdued them, losing both friends and treasure in the struggle. Is it not, therefore, mine by both your law and ours?' " 'It is only yours so long as you govern and use it properly!
Page 48 - They looked at us with suspicion and fear, having been told, as we subsequently ascertained, that white men always desired to release slaves in order to eat their flesh, like the Upper Congo cannibals. It is difficult adequately to describe the filthy state of their bodies; in many instances, not only scarred by the cut of a 'chikote...
Page 49 - ... Addressing one, I pointed out that many of the slaves were unfit to carry loads. To this he smilingly replied: " They have no choice! They must go, or die!" Then ensued the following conversation :— " Are all these slaves destined for Zanzibar ? " " Most of them, the remainder will stay at the coast." " Have you lost many on the road ?" " Yes! numbers have died of hunger!
Page 50 - The many skeletons we have seen amongst rocks and woods, by the little pools, and along the paths of the wilderness, attest the awful sacrifice of human life which must be attributed, directly or indirectly, to this trade of hell.
Page 174 - Without my help he [Stanley] could never have gone down the Congo ; and no sooner did he reach Europe than he claimed all my country. Surely your people must be unjust.
Page 173 - Who helped Cameron, Speke, Livingstone ? Who sent Gleerup from the Congo to Sweden ? Who saved your life, and those of all your party; was it not me ? Have I attempted to hinder any missionaries, although they are not of my religion and hate my business of catching slaves ? Tell me! Is there a single European traveller who can honestly say I was not his friend ? " I assured him that all had spoken of his kindness and help.