station among the Bakwains'. During this time the attack is made on Sechele, and Dr Livingstone's property, much of which he so highly valued, destroyed. We may conclude almost positively that the Boers would have killed him, since they hated him with so cordial a hatred. Here is another instance.

He has just compassed his ardent purpose of visiting Sebituane. This done, he proposes to settle with him. The chief is quite as desirous for such a settlement as he. No. "To every man his work." The chief's is done: he dies. Our traveller's plan of settlement is set aside; once more he is a wanderer, and soon afterwards in company with Mr Oswell discovers the Zambesi, a full deep flowing river as broad as the Thames at London bridge, 1500 miles inland. Again, when at Linyanti he deliberates, like Abraham and Lot, whether he shall turn to the right hand or to the left. He knows himself to be in central South Africa, and that the ocean is on both hands to the East and to the West. We may try to picture him in our mind's eye, thousands of miles away from European civilization, in the midst of African barbarism. God watches him there; not a hair of his head shall be injured. By faith only is he able to know this; sense and sight never can divine what a day may bring forth; faith trusts and hopes. He deliberates anxiously and prayerfully, then tries first to find a path to the sea towards the West. It turns out in the event, after going first from Linyanti to the West, and then from Loanda back again across the continent almost to the Eastern Coast, that had he first gone to the East he must inevitably have Ibid. p. 89.

1 See Travels, p. 118.

been cut off in the war then raging between some hostile native tribes and the Portuguese, which was over when he got there, after having gone to the West. Once more. When at Loanda, he falls in with several of Her Majesty's cruisers'. In these he has an opportunity of returning to England: his ill health seemed imperatively to demand this, Moreover, the entreaties of officers and men, desire of visiting home, and especially of meeting those whom nature and affection drew nearest to him, all powerfully impel him to embark, But no; with him, as with all noble-minded men, duty and honour stand first. He is bound to return to Sekeletu; and also to provide for the safety of the faithful companions of his perilous pilgrimage. This is not all. The great work of opening up Africa is not accomplished. He may be sick in body, and more sick at heart, as he turns his back upon the ocean, but is inflexible, and sends his journal, letters, &c. on board the Forerunner, and apparently goes from comparative safety to certain destruction. Not so: that ship, with nearly every person on board, was lost. That man accomplished his journey and his object, and has just left his native country nerved and prepared for encountering new dangers, and we may reasonably hope destined to achieve new and more splendid successes.

There is something so striking in these occurrences, that their being thus brought together is of more consequence than a strict adherence to chronological order. The object of sending a book into the world should be not alone to amuse, or even instruct, after one stereotyped fashion, but to cause the reader to rise from its perusal a BETTER MAN.

1 p. 396, &c,

2 See Memoir of Captain Bedingfeld, p. 26, note.

ary

We now resume the thread of his life. His first missionStation was at Kuruman in the Bechuana country, about 700 miles from Cape Town. In 1844, he here married. the eldest daughter of Mr Moffat, the well-known African missionary and traveller, by whom he has five children. The following quotation from his book will give in his own words a concise outline of his life from 1840 till his return home :

--

"If the reader bears in mind that from 1840 to 1845 I was employed in preparatory labours and associated with other missionaries at Kuruman and Mabotsa; then from 1845 to 1849 continued to work at Chonuane and Kolobeng, aided only by Mrs Livingstone and two native teachers; that in 1849 the journey to discover Lake Ngami was undertaken; and that in the following pages a sketch of our labours at Kolobeng is given, as well as an account of the journey to Lake Ngami, and finally the last great journey which occupied the years 1852-6 detailed, he will have a clear idea of the arrangement of this book. Speaking generally, I have spent sixteen years of my life, namely, from 1840 to 1856, in medical and missionary labours in Africa without cost to the inhabitants."

It is impossible to overrate his gigantic labours as a traveller. The British character is eminently marked by hardihood, endurance and perseverance. The same spirit sent the Pilgrim Fathers to America, prompted the attempt to find a north-west passage round that Continent, traversed the South Pacific, conquered India, colonized Australia, and now crosses Africa. These qualifications, combined with high intellect, have made the Briton a pioneer

in almost every department of social, national, intellectual, moral and religious progress. No one can say that such is not the case in South Central Africa. An examination of the route delineated on the map will shew that Dr Livingstone has travelled in that country almost eleven thousand miles. Under what circumstances? read his book and you will see. Now prostrate with fever, overcome with fatigue, beset with difficulties, and tried by untoward events. One day, untutored companions have to be managed, savage tribes propitiated; and another, trackless forests must be threaded, bridgeless rivers, swamps and prairie lands, crossed, and dangers on all hands overcome. Nearly every day subsistence had to be obtained by hunting, or received as presents from the natives. His most usual way of travelling was in a waggon, walking, in canoes, or on ox-back. The ox Sinbad is rather a celebrity in the book; he carried our traveller all the way from Linyanti to Loanda, and back again. Women were generally kind. The Bushmen were cordial, but occasionally somewhat cold; as well as the Bechuanas. He received unkindness and insolence from the Boers; unvarying hospitality and confidence among the Makololo; general kindness among the Balonda; and decided hostility among the slavedealing tribes, and along the slave-dealers' trail.

Professor Sedgwick's letter gives a complete account of the two great journeys. The book of travels alone gives the detail of these. It is a book which, for its literary merit, new and valuable information, candour, uprightness, and Christian spirit, must commend itself, and be commended. Therein the incidents of the first journey, from 1840-52, are to be found in pp. 1-93; and those of the second from 1854-6, from p. 94

to the end. The last journey necessarily occupies most of the book, and absorbs public attention, since during its progress the great discoveries were made of so much consequence to Africa and the world. Preparatory to this, he sent his family home to England from Cape Town. This journey extended from the southern extremity of the Continent to St Paul de Loanda, the capital of Angola on the West coast, and thence across South Central Africa in an oblique direction to Quillimane in Eastern Africa'. On his arrival at Teté, the most inland settlement of the Portuguese, he left there 113 of his native attendants lent to him by Sekeletu, and proceeded down the Zambesi to Quillimane; thence, on the 12th of July, he set sail in Her Majesty's brig "Frolic," for the Mauritius, accompanied by Sekwebu, his native interpreter, where he arrived on the 12th of August. He staid here with Major-General C. M. Hay until November, and then came home by way of the Red Sea, arriving in England on the 12th of December, 1856.

His residence at home has been gratifying both to him and to the public at large; and has been usefully spent. He wisely determined on preparing and publishing his book before making any public appearances. To commit to paper so valuable a mass of information, in a manner intelligible to all, was a matter of first importance; accident, sickness, or death might have prevented him. He has lectured many times in public, and has been enthusiastically received. Societies have elected him an honorary member of their bodies; towns and cities have presented him with their

1 Travels, p. 94.

2 See an account of the death of Sekwebu, note, p. 158.