How I Found Livingstone Travels, Adventures And Discoveries In Central Africa Including Four Months Residence With Dr. Livingstone By Sir Henry M. Stanley
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The 20th of September had arrived. This was the day I had decided
to cut loose from those who tormented me with their doubts, their
fears, and beliefs, and commence the march to Ujiji by a southern
route. I was very weak from the fever that had attacked me the
day before, and it was a most injudicious act to commence a march
under such circumstances. But I had boasted to Sheikh bin Nasib
that a white man never breaks his word, and my reputation as a
white man would have been ruined had I stayed behind, or postponed
the march, in consequence of feebleness.
I mustered the entire caravan outside the tembe, our flags and
streamers were unfurled, the men had their loads resting on the
walls, there was considerable shouting, and laughing, and negroidal
fanfaronnade. The Arabs had collected from curiosity's sake to see
us off - all except Sheikh bin Nasib, whom I had offended by my
asinine opposition to his wishes. The old Sheikh took to his bed,
but sent his son to bear me a last morsel of Philosophic
sentimentality, which I was to treasure up as the last words of
the patriarchal Sheikh, the son of Nasib, the son of Ali, the son
of Sayf. Poor Sheikh! if thou hadst only known what was at the
bottom of this stubbornness - this ass-like determination to proceed
the wrong way - what wouldst thou then have said, 0 Sheikh?
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