Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa by David Livingstone (fun to read .txt) 📕

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This etext was prepared by Alan. R. Light ([email protected] --

formerly [email protected]). To assure a high quality text, the original was typed in (manually) twice and electronically compared.

[Note on text: Italicized words or phrases are CAPITALIZED.

Some obvious errors have been corrected.]

Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa.

Also called, Travels and Researches in South Africa; or, Journeys and Researches in South Africa.

By David Livingstone [British (Scot) Missionary and Explorer--1813-1873.]

David Livingstone was born in Scotland, received his medical degree from the University of Glasgow, and was sent to South Africa by the London Missionary Society. Circumstances led him to try to meet the material needs as well as the spiritual needs of the people he went to, and while promoting trade and trying to end slavery, he became the first European to cross the continent of Africa, which story is related in this book. Two appendixes have been added to this etext, one of which is simply notes on the minor changes made to make this etext more readable, (old vs. new forms of words, names, etc.); the other is a review from the February, 1858 edition of Harper's Magazine, which is included both for those readers who want to see a brief synopsis, and more importantly to give an example of how Livingstone's accomplishments were seen in his own time. The unnamed reviewer was by no means as enlightened as Livingstone, yet he was not entirely in the dark, either.

The casual reader, who may not be familiar with the historical period, should note that a few things that Livingstone wrote, which might be seen as racist by today's standards, was not considered so in his own time.

Livingstone simply uses the terms and the science of his day --

these were no doubt flawed, as is also seen elsewhere, in his references to malaria, for example. Which all goes to show that it was the science of the day which was flawed, and not so much Livingstone.

I will also add that the Rev. Livingstone has a fine sense of humour, which I hope the reader will enjoy. His description of a Makololo dance is classic.

Lastly, I will note that what I love most about Livingstone's descriptions is not only that he was not polluted by the racism of his day, but that he was not polluted by the anti-racism of our own.

He states things as he sees them, and notes that the Africans are, like all other men, a curious mixture of good and evil. This, to me, demonstrates his good faith better than any other description could.

You see, David Livingstone does not write about Africa as a missionary, nor as an explorer, nor yet as a scientist, but as a man meeting fellow men.

I hope you will enjoy his writings as much as I did.

Alan R. Light

Monroe, N.C., 1997.

Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa; Including a Sketch of Sixteen Years' Residence in the Interior of Africa, and a Journey from the Cape of Good Hope to Loanda on the West Coast; Thence Across the Continent, Down the River Zambesi, to the Eastern Ocean.

By David Livingstone, LL.D., D.C.L.,

Fellow of the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons, Glasgow; Corresponding Member of the Geographical and Statistical Society of New York; Gold Medalist and Corresponding Member of the Royal Geographical Societies of London and Paris F.S.A., Etc., Etc.

Dedication.

To SIR RODERICK IMPEY MURCHISON, President Royal Geographical Society, F.R.S., V.P.G.S., Corr. Inst. of France, and Member of the Academies of St. Petersburg, Berlin, Stockholm, Copenhagen, Brussels, Etc., This Work

is affectionately offered as a Token of Gratitude for the kind interest he has always taken in the Author's pursuits and welfare; and to express admiration of his eminent scientific attainments, nowhere more strongly evidenced than by the striking hypothesis respecting the physical conformation of the African continent, promulgated in his Presidential Address to the Royal Geographic Society in 1852, and verified three years afterward by the Author of these Travels.

DAVID LIVINGSTONE.

London, Oct., 1857.

Preface.

When honored with a special meeting of welcome by the Royal Geographical Society a few days after my arrival in London in December last, Sir Roderick Murchison, the President, invited me to give the world a narrative of my travels; and at a similar meeting of the Directors of the London Missionary Society I publicly stated my intention of sending a book to the press, instead of making many of those public appearances which were urged upon me. The preparation of this narrative* has taken much longer time than, from my inexperience in authorship, I had anticipated.

--

Several attempts having been made to impose upon the public, as mine, spurious narratives of my travels, I beg to tender my thanks to the editors of the Times' and of theAthenaeum' for aiding to expose them, and to the booksellers of London for refusing to SUBSCRIBE

for any copies.

--

Greater smoothness of diction and a saving of time might have been secured by the employment of a person accustomed to compilation; but my journals having been kept for my own private purposes, no one else could have made use of them, or have entered with intelligence into the circumstances in which I was placed in Africa, far from any European companion. Those who have never carried a book through the press can form no idea of the amount of toil it involves.

The process has increased my respect for authors and authoresses a thousand-fold.

I can not refrain from referring, with sentiments of admiration and gratitude, to my friend Thomas Maclear, Esq., the accomplished Astronomer Royal at the Cape. I shall never cease to remember his instructions and help with real gratitude. The intercourse I had the privilege to enjoy at the Observatory enabled me to form an idea of the almost infinite variety of acquirements necessary to form a true and great astronomer, and I was led to the conviction that it will be long before the world becomes overstocked with accomplished members of that profession.

Let them be always honored according to their deserts; and long may Maclear, Herschel, Airy, and others live to make known the wonders and glory of creation, and to aid in rendering the pathway of the world safe to mariners, and the dark places of the earth open to Christians!

I beg to offer my hearty thanks to my friend Sir Roderick Murchison, and also to Dr. Norton Shaw, the secretary of the Royal Geographical Society, for aiding my researches by every means in their power.

His faithful majesty Don Pedro V., having kindly sent out orders to support my late companions until my return, relieved my mind of anxiety on their account. But for this act of liberality, I should certainly have been compelled to leave England in May last; and it has afforded me the pleasure of traveling over, in imagination, every scene again, and recalling the feelings which actuated me at the time.

I have much pleasure in acknowledging my deep obligations to the hospitality and kindness of the Portuguese on many occasions.

I have not entered into the early labors, trials, and successes of the missionaries who preceded me in the Bechuana country, because that has been done by the much abler pen of my father-in-law, Rev. Robert Moffat, of Kuruman, who has been an energetic and devoted actor in the scene for upward of forty years. A slight sketch only is given of my own attempts, and the chief part of the book is taken up with a detail of the efforts made to open up a new field north of the Bechuana country to the sympathies of Christendom.

The prospects there disclosed are fairer than I anticipated, and the capabilities of the new region lead me to hope that by the production of the raw materials of our manufactures, African and English interests will become more closely linked than heretofore, that both countries will be eventually benefited, and that the cause of freedom throughout the world will in some measure be promoted.

Dr. Hooker, of Kew, has had the kindness to name and classify for me, as far as possible, some of the new botanical specimens which I brought over; Dr. Andrew Smith (himself an African traveler) has aided me in the zoology; and Captain Need has laid open for my use his portfolio of African sketches, for all which acts of liberality my thanks are deservedly due, as well as to my brother, who has rendered me willing aid as an amanuensis.

Although I can not profess to be a draughtsman, I brought home with me a few rough diagram-sketches, from one of which the view of the Falls of the Zambesi has been prepared by a more experienced artist.

October, 1857.

Contents.

Introduction.

Personal Sketch -- Highland Ancestors -- Family Traditions --

Grandfather removes to the Lowlands -- Parents -- Early Labors and Efforts -- Evening School -- Love of Reading -- Religious Impressions --

Medical Education -- Youthful Travels -- Geology -- Mental Discipline --

Study in Glasgow -- London Missionary Society -- Native Village --

Medical Diploma -- Theological Studies -- Departure for Africa --

No Claim to Literary Accomplishments.

Chapter 1.

The Bakwain Country -- Study of the Language -- Native Ideas regarding Comets -- Mabotsa Station -- A Lion Encounter --

Virus of the Teeth of Lions -- Names of the Bechuana Tribes --

Sechele -- His Ancestors -- Obtains the Chieftainship --

His Marriage and Government -- The Kotla -- First public Religious Services -- Sechele's Questions -- He Learns to Read -- Novel mode for Converting his Tribe -- Surprise at their Indifference --

Polygamy -- Baptism of Sechele -- Opposition of the Natives --

Purchase Land at Chonuane -- Relations with the People --

Their Intelligence -- Prolonged Drought -- Consequent Trials --

Rain-medicine -- God's Word blamed -- Native Reasoning -- Rain-maker --

Dispute between Rain Doctor and Medical Doctor -- The Hunting Hopo --

Salt or animal Food a necessary of Life -- Duties of a Missionary.

Chapter 2.

The Boers -- Their Treatment of the Natives -- Seizure of native Children for Slaves -- English Traders -- Alarm of the Boers -- Native Espionage --

The Tale of the Cannon -- The Boers threaten Sechele --

In violation of Treaty, they stop English Traders and expel Missionaries --

They attack the Bakwains -- Their Mode of Fighting --

The Natives killed and the School-children carried into Slavery --

Destruction of English Property -- African Housebuilding and