Beforedaylightthefollowingmorninghewasarousedbytwoofficersandacompanyofsoldiers,whobroughtthematerialsforacivilizedbreakfastthefirstofwhichhehadpartakensinceheleftLoanda,eighteenmonthsbefore“Itwas。”hesays,“themostrefreshingbreakfastofwhichIeverpartook。”
TetestandsontheZambesi,threehundredmilesfromitsmouth。
ThecommandantreceivedLivingstonekindly,suppliedhismenwithprovisionsforimmediateuse,gavethemlanduponwhichtoraisefuturesupplies,andgrantedthempermissiontohuntelephantsintheneighborhoodontheirownaccountBeforelongtheyhadestablishedabrisktradeinfire-wood,astheircountrymenhaddoneatLoanda。
TheycertainlymanifestednoneofthelazinesswhichhasbeensaidtobecharacteristicoftheAfricanracesThirtyelephanttusksremainedofthoseforwardedbySekeletuTenoftheseweresoldforcottonclothforthemenTheothersweredepositedwiththeauthorities,withdirectionsthatincaseLivingstoneshouldneverreturntheyshouldbesold,andtheproceedsgiventothemen。
Hetoldthemthatdeathaloneshouldpreventhimfromcomingback。
“Nay,father。”saidthemen,“youwillnotdie;youwillreturn,andtakeusbacktoSekeletu。”
HeremainedatTeteamonth,waitingforthecloseofthesicklyseasoninthelowdeltaatthemouthsoftheriver,andthendescendedtothePortuguesetownofKilimaneHereheremainedsixweeks,whenanEnglishvesselarrivedwithsuppliesandmoneyforhim。
TwoofhisattendantsonlyhadcomedowntheriverTheybeggedhardtobeallowedtoaccompanyhimtoEnglandInvainLivingstonetoldthemthattheywoulddieiftheywenttosocoldacountry。
“Thatisnothing。”saidone;“letmedieatyourfeet。”
HeatlastdecidedtotakewithhimSekwebu,theleaderoftheparty,towhosegoodsense,bravery,andtactheowedmuchofhissuccess。
Thesea-wavesrosehigh,astheboatconveyedthemtotheshipSekwebu,whohadneverseenalargerbodyofwaterthantheshallowLakeNgami,wasterrified。
“Isthisthewayyougo?”heinquired。
“Yes;don’tyouseeitis?”repliedLivingstone,encouragingly。
WhenLivingstonereachedhiscountrymenontheshiphecouldscarcelyspeakhisnativelanguage;thewordswouldnotcomeathiscall。
Hehadspokenitbutlittleforthirteenyears;andforthreeandahalf,exceptforashorttimeatLoanda,notatall。
Sekwebubecameagreatfavoriteonshipboard,buthewasbewilderedbythecrowdofnewideasthatrusheduponhismind。
“Whatastrangecountrythisis。”hesaid,“allwater!”
WhentheyreachedMauritius,hebecameinsane,andtriedtojumpoverboard。
Livingstone’swifehad,duringhervisittotheircountry,becomeagreatfavoritewiththeMakololo,whocalledher`MaRobert’
“Robert’sMother“inhonorofheryoungson。
“Come,Sekwebu。”saidLivingstone,“wearegoingtoMaRobert。”
Thisstruckachordinhisbosom。
“Ohyes。”saidhe;“whereisshe?WhereisRobert?”Andforthemomentheseemedtorecover。
Butintheeveningafreshaccessionofinsanityoccurred。
Heattemptedtospearoneofthecrew,andthenleapedoverboard,and,thoughhecouldswimwell,pulledhimselfdown,handoverhand,bythecableHisbodywasneverrecovered。
FromMauritiusLivingstonesailedforEngland,whichhereachedonthe12thofDecember,1856fourandahalfyearsafterhehadpartedfromhisfamilyatCapeTown。
HewasreceivedwithunwontedhonorsThePresidentoftheRoyalGeographicalSociety,ataspecialmeetingheldtowelcomehim,formallyinvitedhimtogivetotheworldanarrativeofhistravels。
Someknavishbooksellerspaidhimthelessacceptablecomplimentofputtingforthspuriousaccountsofhisadventures,oneatleastofwhichhasbeenrepublishedinthiscountryLivingstone,solongaccustomedtoalifeofaction,foundthepreparationofhisbookahardertaskthanhehadimagined“Ithink。”hesays,“thatIwouldrathercrosstheAfricancontinentagainthanundertaketowriteanotherbook。”
WetrustthathewillyetdobothHewouldindeedhavesetoutonanotherAfricanjourneynearlyayearagotoconducthisfaithfulMakololoattendantsbacktotheirowncountry,hadnottheKingofPortugalrelievedhimfromallanxietyontheiraccount,bysendingoutdirectionsthattheyshouldbesupportedatTeteuntilhisreturn。
Ourabstractdoes,atbest,butscantyjusticetothemostinteresting,aswellasmostvaluable,ofmodernworksoftravelIthasrevolutionizedourideasofAfricancharacteraswellasofAfricangeography。
ItshowsthatCentralAfricaispeopledbytribesbarbarous,indeed,butfarfrommanifestingthosesavageanddegradingtraitswhichwearewonttoassociatewiththenegroraceInallhislongpilgrimageLivingstonesawscarcelyatraceofthebrutalritesandbloodysuperstitionsofDahomeyandAshantiThenativeseverywherelongforintercoursewiththewhites,andeagerlyseektheproductsofcivilizedlaborInregionswherenowhitemenhadeverbeenseenthecottonsofLowellandManchester,passedfromtribetotribe,areevennowthestandardcurrency。
Civilizednationshaveanequalinterestinopeningintercoursewiththesecountries,fortheyarecapableofsupplyingthosegreattropicalstapleswhichtheindustrioustemperatezonesmusthave,butcannotproduceLivingstonefoundcottongrowingwildallalonghisroutefromLoandatoKilimane;thesugar-caneflourishesspontaneouslyinthevalleyof“TheRiver“;coffeeaboundsonthewestcoast;andindigoisaweedinthedeltaoftheZambesiBarthalsofindstheseproductsabundantonthebanksoftheBenuweandShari,andaroundLakeTsad。
TheprevalentideaoftheinherentlazinessoftheAfricansmustbeabandoned,for,scatteredthroughthenarrativesofboththeseintrepidexplorersareabundanttestimoniesoftheindustriousdispositionofthenatives。
Livingstone,asbefitshisprofession,regardshisdiscoveriesfromareligiousstand-point“Theendofthegeographicalfeat。”hesays,“isthebeginningofthemissionaryenterprise。”Butheisaphilosopheraswellasapreacher,recognizingastruemissionariesthemanofsciencewhosearchesafterhiddentruths,thesoldierwhofightsagainsttyranny,thesailorwhoputsdowntheslave-trade,andthemerchantwhoteachespracticallythemutualdependenceofthenationsoftheearth。
Hisideaofmissionarylaborlookstothisworldaswellasthenext。
HadtheBakwainspossessedriflesaswellasBibleshadtheyraisedcottonaswellasattendedprayer-meetingsitwouldhavebeenbetterforthem。
Heisclearlyoftheopinionthatdecentclothingisofmoreimmediateusetotheheathenthandoctrinalsermons“Weought。”hesays,“toencouragetheAfricanstocultivateforourmarkets,asthemosteffectualmeans,nexttotheGospel,oftheirelevation。”HispracticalturnofmindsuffershimtopresentnofancypicturesofbarbarousnationslongingfortheGospelHisMakololofriends,indeed,listenedrespectfullywhenhediscoursedoftheSaviour,butwereallearnestnesswhenhespokeofcottonclothsandmusketsSekeletufavoredthemissionary,notasthemanwhocouldgivehimBiblesandtracts,butastheonebywhosehelphehopedtosellhisivoryforarifle,asugar-mill,andbrasswire。
Livingstone’smissionaryschemeisaccommodatedtotheactualstateofthings。
ItrestsquiteasmuchupontradersaspreachersHewouldopenacommunicationbytheZambesitotheheartofthecontinent。
Uponthehealthy,elevatedregionoverlookingthelow,fertilebasinhewouldestablishtradingposts,suppliedwithEuropeanwares。
WecannotwonderthatthedirectorsoftheMissionarySocietylookedcoldlyuponthisscheme,andwrotetohimthattheywere“restrictedintheirpowerofaidingplansconnectedonlyremotelywiththespreadoftheGospel;“norcanweregretthatLivingstone,feelinghisoldloveofindependencerevive,withdrewfromhisconnectionwiththeSociety,forthepurposeofcarryingouthisownplans。
Withallrespectfortheworthypersonswhomanagemissionarysocieties,wecannotbutbelievethatthemanwholedsolargeapartyacrosstheAfricancontinentwillaccomplishmoreforthegoodcausewhenworkingouthisownplansthanhewoulddobyfollowingouttheirideas。
End