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"Doctor Livingstone, I presume"

"Yes"

"I am here to greet you"

"I am here to welcome you"


Upon the meeting of Stanley to Dr Livingston in Ujiji. 

Good story.   and nothing like I imagined.   2 more chapters to finish the book. 

The last chapter before making it to Ujiji was sad.   Stanley's caravan brought several mules. Only two made it this far and one named Simba (swahili for Lion, since he was so strong) was Stanley's favorite.  He survived a lion attack several weeks earlier crossing the tall grasses.   The Mules were too large to put in the rafts to cross the river to Ujiji so they made SImba swim next to the raft as the last one crossed.  Simba was horifically, almost silently pulled under by half dozen crocodiles.   There was nothing Simba could do, despite shaking off 3 lions at his throat earlier.   The crocs were just too strong and too many.

The last Mule made it across as they decided to cross with him the next morning, very early before the crocs were active.   Poor Simba.   Saddened me for the rest of the day.

 This was the second animal story I read that morning.  

The other was about a hiker that left his dog on Mt Bierstadt; 14020 feet, just west of Denver.  . He's apparently hiked it several times with this German sheperd, but this time her heel pads got so bloodied she couldn't walk down.  He tried to carry her a ways but couldn't and left her to die up there.   WTF!  

Geli and I made that hike twice.  There's no way I would have left her.   Or Ben.    Pisses me off.   The guy has recieved letters ranging from outrage to death threats for leaving her up there to die.    

Poor dog.   that's just wrong.