Chuma and Susi

[1] He returned in 1856 to acclaim from the Royal Geographical Society, and his Missionary Travels published in 1857 was a bestselling travelogue with exceptionally sympathetic descriptions of African people.

He raised public demand for missions and "legitimate commerce" by river into central Africa to end the increasing horrors of slave trading.

Livingstone had envisaged another solo journey with African helpers, in January 1858 he agreed to lead a second Zambesi expedition with six specialist officers, hurriedly recruited in the UK.

The riverbanks were a war zone, with Portuguese soldiers and their slaves fighting the Chikunda slave-hunters of Matakenya (Mariano), but both sides accepted the expedition as friends.

This was the first time Susi met Livingstone, who had been welcomed by his old friends Sicard and Nunes,[12][14] after they "put their good-will into action, by cutting wood [as fuel] for the steamer and sending men to help in unloading."

[15] Chuma (also written as Chumah or Juma), was born to Chimilengo, who was a proficient fisherman, and Chinjeriapi, Yao people who lived in Kusogwe near Lake Nyassa.

[17] In July 1861, when Chuma was around 11 years old, he was freed from slavery by Livingstone's expedition and the Universities' Mission to Central Africa (UMCA) led by Bishop Charles MacKenzie.

Next day, they reached the village of Mbame, where they were approached by "a long line of manacled men, women, and children" being marched along by black slave-drivers who scattered when they saw the Europeans.

[19][20] The Bishop set up a Mission Station at Magomero as an interim measure until he had more local knowledge, he "commenced learning the language, Mr. Waller began building, and Mr. Scudamore improvised a sort of infant school for the children".

[21] The expedition left them and Livingstone extended exploration to Lake Nyassa, but found increasing problems of Portuguese and Zanzibar slave raiding, and conflict between Yao, Kololo, Mang'anja and Ngoni people.

On 10 January 1863 they set off, towing Lady Nyasa as its engine was incomplete, and went up the Shire river past scenes of devastation as Mariano's Chikunda slave-hunts left corpses floating downstream.

[25] Rather than sell Lady Nyasa where it could be used by slave traders, Livingstone took the tiny river steamer on to Zanzibar, then on 31 April 1864 set off for the 2,500 miles (4,000 km) voyage under sail to Bombay.

He still had a lot of public support, and in Britain took up the suggestion from Roderick Murchison of the Royal Geographical Society of exploring water systems, hoping to establish the source of the Nile.

[29] He returned on 11 September 1865 to Bombay,[30] where he recruited four of his previous crew members; "two Shupanga men" (Susi and Amoda), and the "two Wayaus, Wakatani and Chuma".

"[38] A Zanzibari slave trader whose large caravan stopped at the next village gave Livingstone and his men food, and asked about English efforts to end the trade.

Livingstone's attempts to train them as domestic servants met "an inveterate tendency to lose my things & preserve their own", and they had to be shouted at to prepare breakfast on time.

[45][46] They struggled on in torrential rain, at times had difficulty getting food, and were joined by two Yao who had been sold as slaves, "but the Mazitu killed all their Manganja masters & now they are free so we engage them".

This reached Ujiji around the end of October and announced his arrival with gunfire, alarming Livingstone's cook Halima (Amoda's wife) who rushed to tell him.

Determined to find the Nile's sources, Livingstone waited at Tabora after Stanley left on 14 March 1872, having asked him to "send men, not slaves, from the coast".

[60] Livingstone reassured Halima after a quarrel, and noted that "She is always very attentive and clever, and never stole, nor would she allow her husband to steal", adding "I shall free her, and buy her a house and garden at Zanzibar, when we get there."

There were around 90 in the expedition, Susi and Chuma got them all together to witness Livingstone's boxes being opened for listing, and were given unanimous agreement that they were to act as chiefs and Captains of the caravan.

[64][65] There were difficulties on this journey of over 1,000 miles (1,600 km), with a battle when drunken villagers refused passage, and delays due to illness including a few days when Susi's wife had to be carried in a kitanda.

[citation needed] The Universities' Mission expected Susi and Chuma to be invited to travel with Livingstone's body from Africa, when the situation was realised, James Young provided funding for them to make the trip, but they missed the state funeral held on 18 April.

On 29 May 1874 Waller announced to the National Temperance League annual meeting (attended by Stanley and Livingstone's son Tom) that Susi and Chuma had arrived at London docks that day but were "not presentable due to lack of clothes" so had not come along.

At a Royal Geographical Society meeting the next day, Sir Henry Bartle Frere introduced Susi and Chuma, praising them for "duties strenuously performed".

Their modest readiness to answer questions "pleased every one, upstairs and downstairs alike", when they dined with the servants the maids were impressed by their good manners.

Young questioned them closely, with particular interest in the hut in which Livingstone had died, and as grass in fields was then similar to that in Africa, they made a facsimile of the one they had built at Ilala.

In his editorial preface to The Last Journal, Waller credits Young with making Chuma and Susi available "so long as I required them to help me amidst the pile of MSS.

Their knowledge of the countries they travelled in is most remarkable, and from constantly aiding their master by putting questions to the natives respecting the course of rivers, &c., I found them actual geographers of no mean attainments."

[68] In January 1879 the Royal Geographical Society’s 1878-80 East African Expedition, led by A. Keith Johnston accompanied by Joseph Thomson, arrived at Zanzibar and employed Chuma as chief headman and caravan leader.