Scotland/Scots > Last years of Livingstone

THE LAST YEARS OF LIVINGSTONE.
99
In the case in question, indiscriminate slaughter, capture,
and plunder took place. A very large number of very fine
young men were captured and secured in chains and
wooden yokes. I came near the party of Said Bin Habib
close to a point where a huge rent in the mountains of
Rua allows the escape of the great River Lualaba out of
Lake Moero. And here I had for the first time an oppor¬
tunity of observing the difference between slaves and
freemen made captives. When fairly across Lualaba, Said
thought his captives safe, and got rid of the trouble of
attending to and watching the chained gangs by taking
off both chains and yokes. All declared their joy and per¬
fect willingness to follow Said to the end of the world or
elsewhere, but next morning twenty-two made clear off
to the mountains. Many more, on seeing the broad Lua¬
laba roll between them and the homes of their infancy,
lost all heart, and in three days eight of them died. They
had no complaint but pain in the heart, and they pointed
out its seat correctly, though many believe that the heart
is situated underneath the top of the sternum or breast¬
bone. This to me was the most startling death I ever saw.
They evidently died of broken-heartedness, and the Arabs
wondered, “ seeing they had plenty to eat.” I saw others
perish, particularly a very fine boy of ten or twelve years
of age. When asked where he felt ill, he put his hand cor¬
rectly and exactly over the heart. He was kindly carried,
and as he breathed out his soul was laid gently on the side
of the path. The captors were not unusually cruel They
were callous—slaving had hardened their hearts.