David 1813-1873 Livingstone

For Livingstoae's purposes the route to the west was unavail able, and he decided to follow the Zambezi to its mouth. With a numerous following, he left Linyante on Nov. 8, 1855. A fort night afterwards he discovered the famous "Victoria" falls of the Zambezi. Livingstone reached the Portuguese settlement of Tete on March 2, 1856, in a very emaciated condition. Here he left his men and proceeded to Quilimane, where he arrived on May 20, thus having completed in two years and six months one of the most remarkable and fruitful journeys on record. The results in geography and in natural science in all its departments were abun dant and accurate ; his observations necessitated a reconstruc tion of the map of Central Africa. When Livingstone began his work in Africa the map was virtually a blank from Kuruman to Timbuktu, and nothing but envy or ignorance can throw any doubt on the originality of his discoveries.

The Zambezi Expedition.

On Dec. 12 he arrived in Eng land, after an absence of sixteen years. He told his story in Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa (1857) with straightforward simplicity, and with no effort after literary style, and no apparent consciousness that he had done anything extra ordinary. In 1857 he left the London Missionary Society, with which, however, he remained on the best of terms, and in February 1858 he accepted the appointment of "Her Majesty's consul at Quilimane for the eastern coast and the independent districts in the interior, and commander of an expedition for exploring eastern and central Africa." The Zambezi expedition, of which Living stone thus became commander, sailed from Liverpool in H.M.S. "Pearl" on March Io, 1858, and reached the mouth of the Zam bezi on May 14. The party, which included Dr. (afterwards Sir) John Kirk and Livingstone's brother Charles, ascended the river from the Kongone mouth in a steam launch, the "Ma-Robert"; reaching Tete on Sept. 8. Livingstone then explored the river above Tete, and especially the Kebrabasa rapids. The year 1859 was spent in exploring the river Shire and Lake Nyasa, which was discovered in September; and during a great part of the year 186o Livingstone was engaged in repatriating such of the Makololo as cared to go home. In January of next year arrived Bishop C. F. Mackenzie and a party of missionaries sent out by the Universities Mission to establish a station on the upper Shire.

After exploring the river Rovuma for 3o m. in his new vessel

the "Pioneer," Livingstone and the missionaries proceeded up the Shire to Chibisa's ; there they found the slave trade rampant. On July 15 Livingstone, accompanied by several native carriers, started to show the bishop the country, and after seeing the mis sionary party settled in the highlands to the south of Lake Chilwa (Shirwa) Livingstone explored (Aug.–Nov.) Lake Nyasa. While the boat sailed up the west side of the lake to near the north end, the explorer marched along the shore. He returned more resolved than ever to rouse the civilized world to put down the desolating slave-trade. On Jan. 3o, 1862, at the Zambezi mouth, Livingstone welcomed his wife and the ladies of the mission, with whom were the sections of the "Lady Nyassa," a river steamer which Living stone had had built at his own expense. When the mission ladies reached the mouth of the Ruo tributary of the Shire, they were stunned to hear of the death of the bishop and one of his com panions. This was a blow to Livingstone, seeming to have rendered all his efforts to establish a mission futile. A still greater loss to him was that of his wife at Shupanga, on April 27, 1862.

The "Lady Nyassa" was taken to the Rovuma. Up this river Livingstone managed to steam 156 m., but farther progress was arrested by rocks. Returning to the Zambezi in the begin ning of 1863, he found that the desolation caused by the slave trade was more horrible and widespread than ever. It was clear that the Portuguese officials were themselves at the bottom of the traffic. Kirk and Charles Livingstone being compelled to return to England on account of their health, the doctor resolved once more to visit the lake, and proceeded some distance up the west side and then north-west as far as the watershed that separates the Loangwa from the rivers that run into the lake. Meanwhile a letter was received from Earl Russell recalling the expedition by the end of the year. In the end of April 1864 Livingstone reached Zanzibar in the "Lady Nyassa." He reached England on July 23. The geographical results of this expedition, though not comparable in extent to those of his first and his final expeditions, were of high importance, as were those in various departments of science, and he had unknowingly laid the founda tions of the British protectorate of Nyasaland Details will be found in his Narrative of an Expedition to the Zambesi and its Tributaries (1865).