The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-04-18 00:00:00

DR. LIVINGSTONE.

A paper entitled "The Last Journey and Death of
Dr. Livingstone," was read on Monday evening at the
meeting of the Royal Heographical Society, held in the
theatre of the London triliN entity, Burlington-gardens,
London. Sir Bartle Frere, the President of the
Society, took the chair, and, as was to be expected,
with the promise of such an evening, there was a
large attendance. The chair was taken at 8.30, and,
after the Minutes of the last meeting had been read,
The Chairman rose to introduce the subject of the
evening. He informed his audience that her Majesty's
Government had made every preparation to receive,
with all the respect that was their due, the remains
of the great traveller who had passed away fromamong
them. By their order certain members of the Society
had been deputed to act in concert with the family of
Dr. Livingstone in arranging the details of the reception
and the funeral, and for that end a sum of money, by the
same order, had been placed at the disposal of these
gentlemen. He wished also, to show the general feel-
ing prevalent in London, to state that a certain in-
fluential merchant of London had, through Mr. Russell
Gurney, expressed a desire to defray all expenses, but
the Government had thought it right that the funeral
of such a man should be at the public charge. The paper
which they were to hear that night was, he said, 'but a
mere sketch, but many papers and letters had been
received which would, in the course of time, be laid be-
fore the public, and would throw considerable light on
the last years of Livingstone's life, and which, showing,
as they would show, the unflinching courage and per-
severance with which he worked to the great end he
always held in view, would form a monument to his
memory such as hardly any traveller of any age left
behind him.

In answer to the Rev. Dr. Badger, who had heard
that the sum voted by the Government for the expenses
of the funeral was very insufficient, the Chairman
stated that the BIM was one which they had every
reason to believe would be found sufficient, and that in
any case he was confident what was necessary would
certainlybe forthcoming.

Mr. Markham (one of the Secretaries of the Society)
then read the following extracts from a letter addressed
to Sir Bartle Frere by Mr. F. Holmwood, of Her
Majesty's Consulate at Zanzibar, and drawn up by
him from the examination of Majwara, one of Dr.
Living,stone's laxly servants :

"I briefly summarize what! have been able to glean from
a careful cross-examination of Ilajwara, who was always at
his side during his last days, and Susi, as well as the Nassick
boys, have generally confirmed what he says.

" The party sent by Stanley left Tnyanyembe with the
Doctor about the end of August, 1572. am! marched straight
to the south of Lake Tanganyika, through Unita, crossing
the Rungwa river, where they met with natural
stings of boiling water, bubbling up high above the
ground. On reaching the Chambezi, or Kambezi, river,
they crossed it about a week's jounsey from lake
Bensba, also crossing a large feeder; but, by Susi's ad-
vice, Livingstone again turned northward, and recrossed
the Kambezi, or Luapula, as he then called it, just before It
entered the lake. Ile could not, however, keep close to
the north shore of Lake Bemba. owing to the numerous
creeks and streams, which were hidden in forests of high
grass and rushes. After making a detour, he again struck
the lake at a village, where he got canoes across to an
inland in the centre, called Matija. Here the shores on
either hand were not visible, and the Doctor was put to
groat straits by the natives declining to let Min use their
canoes to cross to the opposite shore. He therefore seized
seven canoes by force. and when the natives made a show
of resistance he fired his pistol over their heads, after which
they ceased to obstruct bins. Crossing the lake diagonally,
he arrived in a long valley, and the rains having now net in
fully, the caravan had to wade, rather than walk, constantly
crossing blind streams, and, its fact, owing to the high
rushes and grass, hardly being able to distinguish at times
the land, or, rather, what w-as generally dry laud, from the
lake.

" Dr. Livingstone had bees weak and ailing since leaving
Unyanyembe, awl when passing through the country of
Ukabende, at the south-west of the lake, he told MajWara
(the boy given him by Stanley, who is now in my service) that
he felt unable to go on with his work, but should try and
cross the hills to Katanga (Katanda ?) and there rest endeav-
ouring to buy ivory, which in all this country is very
cheap (three yards of merikani buying a slave urn tuskt
and returning to UAL through klanyuema to recruit
and re-organise. But as he approached the northern
part of Bisa (a very large country), arriving in the Pro-
vince of nada, he first had to take to riding a donkey,
and then suffer himself to be carried on a kitan&
(native bedstead, which at first went touch against the grain.
During this time he never allowed the boy Majwara to leave
him, and he then told that faithful and honest fellow that he
should never cross the high hills to Katenda. lie called for
Susi, and asked how for it was to the Luapula, and, on his
answering 'Three days,' remarked ' he should never see Ms
river again. On arriving at Data, the capital of the district.
where Kitambo, the Sultan, lived, the party were refused per-
mission to stay, and they carried Livingstone three hours*
march back towards Kabende. Here they erected for him a rude
hut and fence, and he would not allow any one to approach
him for the remaining days of his life except Majwara and
Susi, except that every morning they were all desired to come
to the door and say • Good morning !' During these few days
he was in great pain, and could keep nothing on his stomach.
Ile lost Ins sight so far as hardly to be able to distinguish
when a light was Mantled, and gradually sank during the
night of the 4th of May, 1873. Only Majwara was present
when he died, and he is unable to say when he ceased to
breathe

" Susi, hearing, that he was dead, told Jacob Wainwright
to make a note in the Doctor's diary of the things found by
him Wainwriaht was not quite certain as to the day of
the month, and as Susi told him the Doctor had
last written the day before, and he found this entry to be
dated April 27, he wrote April 28 ; but, on comparing
his own diary on arrival at ruyanyembe, he found it to be
the 4th of May, and this is confirmed by Majwara, who
gays Livingstone was unable to write for the last four or five
days of his life. I fancy the spot where Livingstone died is
about 11 25 deg. S. and 27 deg. E., but of course the whole et
this is subject to correction, and, although I have anent
many hours in finding It all out, the Doctor's diary may show
it to be very imperfect."

Mr. Laing, who has come back to England with the
remains of Livingstone, corroborated, so far as he
could, all that Mr. Holnawood's letter had said. He
had had, he said, many opportunities of talking to
Jacob Wainwright, and could speak of the affection
all the boys felt for Livingstone, who would always
stay his march when any one of them fell sick, but
would never allow them to be in any way hindered by
his own ill-health.