Economy, Care, Or Forethought Never
Enters His Head; The First Thing To Hand Is The Right Thing For
Him; And
Rather then take the trouble even to look for his own
rope to tie up his bundle, he would cut
Off his master's tent-
ropes or steal his comrade's. His greatest delight is in the fair
sex, and when he can't get them, next comes beer, song, and a
dance.
Now, this is a mild specimen of the "rowdy" negro, who has
contributed more to open Africa to enterprise and civilisation
than any one else. Possessed of a wonderful amount of loquacity,
great risibility, but no stability - a creature of impulse - a
grown child, in short - at first sight it seems wonderful how he
can be trained to work; for there is now law, no home to bind
him - he could run away at any moment; and presuming on this, he
sins, expecting to be forgiven. Great forbearance, occasionally
tinctured with a little fatherly severity, is I believe, the best
dose for him; for he says to his master, in the most childish
manner, after sinning, "You ought to forgive and to forget; for
are you not a big man who should be above harbouring spite,
though for a moment you may be angry? Flog me if you like, but
don't keep count against me, else I shall run away; and what will
you do then?"
The language of this people is just as strange as they are
themselves. It is based on euphony, from which cause it is very
complex, the more especially so as it requires one to be
possessed of a negro's turn of mind to appreciate the system, and
unravel the secret of its euphonic concord. A Kisuahili grammar,
written by Dr. Krapf, will exemplify what I mean. There is one
peculiarity, however, to which I would direct the attention of
the reader most particularly, which is, that Wa prefixed to the
essential word of a country, means men or people; M prefixed,
means man or individual; U, in the same way, means place or
locality; and Ki prefixed indicates the language. Example: -
Wagogo, is the people of Gogo; Mgogo, is a Gogo man; Ugogo, is
the country of Gogo; and Kigogo, the language of Gogo.
The only direction here necessary as regards pronunciation of
native words refers to the u, which represents a sound
corresponding to that of the oo in woo.
Journal of the Discovery
of
The Source of the Nile
Chapter 1
London to Zanzibar, 1859
The design - The Preparations - Departure - The Cape - The Zulu
Kafirs - Turtle-Turning - Capture of a Slaver - Arrive at Zanzibar-
-Local Politics and News Since Last Visit - Organisation of the
Expedition.
My third expedition in Africa, which was avowedly for the purpose
of establishing the truth of my assertion that the Victoria
N'yanza, which I discovered on the 30th July 1858, would
eventually prove to be the source of the Nile, may be said to
have commenced on the 9th May 1859, the first day after my return
to England from my second expedition, when, at the invitation of
Sir. R. I. Murchison, I called at his house to show him my map
for the information of the Royal Geographical Society. Sir
Roderick, I need only say, at once accepted my views; and,
knowing my ardent desire to prove to the world, by actual
inspection of the exit, that the Victoria N'yanza was the source
of the Nile, seized the enlightened view, that such a discovery
should not be lost to the glory of England and the Society of
which he was President; and said to me, "Speke, we must send you
there again." I was then officially directed, much against my
own inclination, to lecture at the Royal Geographical Society on
the geography of Africa, which I had, as the sole surveyor of the
second expedition, laid down on our maps.[FN#4] A council of the
Geographical Society was now convened to ascertain what projects
I had in view for making good my discovery by connecting the lake
with the Nile, as also what assistance I should want for that
purpose.
Some thought my best plan would be to go up the Nile, which
seemed to them the natural course to pursue, especially as the
Nile was said, though nobody believed it, to have been navigated
by expeditions sent out by Mehemet Ali, Viceroy of Egypt, up to
3§ 22ï north latitude. To this I objected, as so many had tried
it and failed, from reasons which had not transpired; and, at the
same time, I said that if they would give me œ5000 down at once,
I would return to Zanzibar at the end of the year, March to Kaze
again, and make the necessary investigations of the Victoria
lake. Although, in addition to the journey to the source of the
river, I also proposed spending three years in the country,
looking up tributaries, inspecting watersheds, navigating the
lake, and making collections on all branches of natural history,
yet œ5000 was thought by the Geographical Society too large a sum
to expect from the Government; so I accepted the half, saying
that, whatever the expedition might cost, I would make good the
rest, as, under any circumstances, I would complete what I had
begun, or die in the attempt.
My motive for deferring the journey a year was the hope that I
might, in the meanwhile, send on fifty men, carrying beads and
brass wire, under charge of Arab ivory-traders, to Karague, and
fifty men more, in the same way, to Kaze; whilst I, arriving in
the best season for travelling (May, June, or July), would be
able to push on expeditiously to my depots so formed, and thus
escape the great disadvantages of travelling with a large caravan
in a country where no laws prevail to protect one against
desertions and theft. Moreover, I knew that the negroes who would
have to go with me, as long as they believed I had property in
advance, would work up to it willingly, as they would be the
gainers by doing so; whilst, with nothing before them, they would
be always endeavouring to thwart my advance, to save them from a
trouble which their natural laziness would prompt them to escape
from.
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