o on, because the mosquitoes
rendered rest impossible. He thought moving on in the dark imprudent,
but gave up his own will, and even wrote jestingly afterwards on the
convenience of making the mosquitoes act as a spur. The consequence was
that they came suddenly upon a projecting bend; the boat upset, and
everything they had was in the water. They spent more than an hour in
recovering what could be brought up; but their powder and their
provisions were spoilt, and, what was still worse, their medicines:
including the quinine, almost essential to life, and that when they were
thoroughly drenched in the middle of an African night.

Making sure, however, of speedily meeting Dr. Livingstone, they pushed
on; but when they came to Malo, the isle at the confluence of the Ruo and
Shire, they learnt from the natives that the _Pioneer_ had gone down the
stream. The negroes could give no clear account of how long ago it had
been. If they had known that it had been only five days, they would
probably have put forth their speed and have overtaken her, but they
thought that a much longer time was intended, and that waiting for the
return would be not only more prudent, but might enable them to make
friends with the chief, and prepare for a station to be established on
the island. A hut was given them, and there was plenty of wholesome food
on the island.

Inaction, is, however the most fatal curse in that land of fever. There
is a cheerful letter written by the Bishop to his home friends, on the
14th and 15th of January; but his vigour was flagging. He spoke with
disappointment of the inability of Dr. Livingstone to bring up stores to
Chibisa's, and longed much for his sisters' arrival, telling his
companion it would break his heart if they did not now come. He also
wrote a strong letter to the Secretary of the Universities' Mission,
begging for a steam launch to keep up the supplies, where the _Pioneer_
had failed. Soon after this, both became grievously ill; the Bishop's
fever grew violent, he perceived his danger, and told the Malokolo that
JESUS would come to take him, but he presently became delirious and
insensible, in which condition he lay for five days, the Malokolo waiting
on him as well as they could under Burrup's superintendence.

The negro tribes have an exceeding dread of death, and a hut which has
had a corpse in it is shut up for three years. Probably for this reason
the chief begged that the dying man