02.06 - The Source of the Nile

6. The source of the Nile. The source of the Nile From Bombay, Livingstone returned to England, arriving in London on 23 July 1864, and staying just long enough to put together his second book - The Zambesi and its Tributaries. He spent as much time as he could with his children, but when the opportunity to return to Africa presented itself, he readily accepted it. In August 1865, Livingstone sailed, for the third and last time, for Africa. This journey, which lasted for seven years, had much greater appeal to him. The Royal Geographical Society had asked him to explore the great African watersheds - especially the sources of the Nile - but this time he would be alone and not hampered by restrictions. From Zanzibar he made his way up the Ruvuma River and on to the Lake Tanganyika and round the country of the great lakes of Mweru and Bangweulu. But this was country devastated by the slave traders, and Livingstone was frequently held back by suspicious and hostile tribes who mistook him for a slave trader. It demanded great courage to face these people in their angry mood; even his own followers were often mutinous and unfaithful. At one point, Livingstone’s drugs were stolen, leaving him nothing to counteract fever and dysentery, yet still he carried on. The map of Africa was no longer just a coastline; slowly but surely light was beginning to fall on the ’dark continent’, as hills and valleys, rivers and lakes were carefully plotted. Even the supposedly ’negative’ discoveries of the Kebrabasa Rapids and Murchison Cataracts, which had seemed to contribute to the failure of the second expedition, were clearly indicated on maps so that others who followed might be aware of what lay ahead and could choose their route. The age-old mystery, the source of the Nile, seemed close to being solved, and Livingstone became obsessed with the idea of accomplishing this but, although frequently convinced that he was on the verge of success, he always remained baffled. Eventually, with his few faithfuls - Susi, Chuma and the others - he made his way back to Ujiji. Just a few days after arriving in Ujiji,

Susi came running to tell him of the approach of ’a white man’ - Stanley, the journalist who had been sent by his paper, the New York Herald, to find Livingstone. Stanley’s arrival was welcome; he had brought with him stores and medicines, news and letters from home, and although Stanley was only just over half Livingstone’s age, the two men quickly developed a great respect for each other during the brief four months of Stanley’s stay at Ujiji. Livingstone felt greatly refreshed; Stanley tried to persuade him to return home, or at least to the coast for medical attention and supplies, but Livingstone would not give in.

After Stanley left him, he set out again, travelling South down the east bank of Lakes Tanganyika and Bangweulu, but torrential rains and swampy conditions sapped his energy. His followers eventually had to carry him in a litter, but he was determined to go on until, at Ilala, his followers realised that Livingstone had neither the strength nor the will to urge them on. At the village of Chief Chitambo they built a hut for him to rest in, knowing well that the end was near. At four o’clock on the morning of 1 May 1873, they found him kneeling by his bedside having died in prayer. In accordance with their beliefs, Livingstone’s heart was buried under a Mvula tree near the spot where he died; but his body had to go back to Britain and so Susi, Chuma, Jacob Wainwright and others set out on the remarkable epic journey which ultimately brought them to the coast at Bagamoyo. The body reached England on board the steamer Malwa, and on 18 April 1874 - a day of national mourning - Livingstone was buried in Westminster Abbey.