_27th January, 1871._--Safari or caravan reported to be near, and my men
and goods at Ujiji.

_28th January, 1871._--A safari, under Hassani and Ebed, arrived with
news of great mortality by cholera (_Towny_), at Zanzibar, and my
"brother," whom I conjecture to be Dr. Kirk, has fallen. The men I wrote
for have come to Ujiji, but did not know my whereabouts; when told by
Katomba's men they will come here, and bring my much longed for letters
and goods. 70,000 victims in Zanzibar alone from cholera, and it spread
inland to the Masoi and Ugogo! Cattle shivered, and fell dead: the
fishes in the sea died in great numbers; here the fowls were first
seized and died, but not from cholera, only from its companion. Thirty
men perished in our small camp, made still smaller by all the able men
being off trading at the Metamba, and how many Manyuema died we do not
know; the survivors became afraid of eating the dead.

Formerly the Cholera kept along the sea-shore, now it goes far inland,
and will spread all over Africa; this we get from Mecca filth, for
nothing was done to prevent the place being made a perfect cesspool of
animals' guts and ordure of men.[11] A piece of skin bound round the
chest of a man, and half of it hanging down, prevents waste of strength,
and he forgets and fattens.

Ebed's party bring 200 frasilahs of all sorts of beads; they will cross
Lualaba, and open a new field on the other, or Young's Lualaba: all
Central Africa will soon be known: the evils inflicted by these Arabs
are enormous, but probably not greater than the people inflict on each
other. Meréré has turned against the Arabs, and killed one; robbing
several others of all they had, though he has ivory sufficient to send
down 7000 lbs. to the coast, and receive loads of goods for 500 men in