After it had been decided that these two officers, and all the whites who could be spared, should be sent down to the sea for a passage to England, Dr.Livingstone was seized in May with a severe attack of dysentery, which continued for a month, and reduced him to a shadow.

Dr.Kirk kindly remained in attendance till the worst was passed.

The parting took place on the 19th of May.
After a few miles of road were completed, and the oxen broken in, we resolved to try and render ourselves independent of the south for fresh provisions, by going in a boat up the Shire, above the Cataracts, to the tribes at the foot of Lake Nyassa, who were still untouched by the Ajawa invasion.

In furtherance of this plan Dr.Livingstone and Mr.Rae determined to walk up to examine, and, if need be, mend the boat which had been left two seasons previously hung up to the limb of a large shady tree, before attempting to carry another past the Cataracts.

The "Pioneer," which was to be left in charge of our active and most trustworthy gunner, Mr.Edward D.Young, R.N., was thoroughly roofed over with euphorbia branches and grass, so as completely to protect her decks from the sun: she also received daily a due amount of man-of-war scrubbing and washing; and, besides having everything put in shipshape fashion, was every evening swung out into the middle of the river, for the sake of the greater amount of air which circulated there.