The steamer, too, though built for the purpose of navigating the shallows of rivers, drew more water than had been expected; the current when among shoals made the descent worse than the ascent; there was a continual necessity for landing to cut wood to feed the engine; and, in five days, the _Pioneer_ had not made ten miles.

The Bishop worked as hard as any of the crew, once narrowly escaped the jaws of a crocodile, and had a slight touch of fever, so trifling that it perhaps disposed him to think lightly of the danger; but he was still weak when he came back to Johanna, and, by way of remedy, set out before breakfast for a mountain walk, and came back exhausted, and obliged to lie still, thoroughly depressed in mind as well as body for two days.

The expedition proved the more unfortunate, that it delayed the start for the Zambesi from February, when the stream was full, till May, when the water was so low that a great quantity of the stores had to be left behind, in order that the _Pioneer_ might not draw too much water.

The chief assistants were the Malokolo, a portion of a tribe who had attached themselves to Dr.Livingstone, and had been awaiting his return on the banks of the river.

The Bishop would fain have gone without weapons of any sort, but Dr.Livingstone decided that this was impracticable.