The Sun.
London, England, 1863-03-30 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, MARCH 30, 1863

NEWS FROM DR. LIVINGSTONE.

THE OXFORD, CAMBRIDGE, DUBLIN, AND

DURHAM UNIVERSITIES' MISSION.
(From the south African Advertiser.)

In the course of the month we have received news from
Dr. Livingstone and the Zambezi to the 20th November,
or more than six months later than any previous advices
from that quarter. H.M.S. Rapid, which put into Natal
for English letters and supplies, met the Doctor in Novem-
ber at Quillimaine, and has brought down letters from him
to Sir Thomas Maclear, the Hon. Mr. Rawson, and the
Rev. Mr. Gl,ver, which have been kindly placed at our
disposal. From the letters to Sir Thomas, which we now
reprint and subjoin for the benefit of English readers, it
will be seen that Dr. Livingstone had just returned in the
Pioneer to Quillimaine, after a trip to Johanna for a stock
of supplies. It is not mentioned whether before that ex-
pedition he had effected his meditated advance with the
Lady Nyassa steamer along the Shire from Shupanga to
the Nyassa Lake. It is quite possible that he may have
done this, that afterwards he returned down the Zam-
bezi, crossed over to Johanna, and written letters
there, detailing all his experiences—which, however, have
unfortunately not yet turned up. At all events, if he did
ascend with his little steamer to the Great Lake, there is no
information of it available now; nor is any mention made in
these letters of the Rev; Mr. Stewart, or of any of the mem-
bers of the Livingstone expedition itself. Th.: doctor, as
we have stated, arrived at Quillimaine from Johanna in
November,—the Pioneer deep laden with eight months'
provisions, and her decks all lumbered with draught oxen,
required to carry this inland to convenient points on the
river. Here he met the Rapid, with advices from England
and the Cape, with supplies moreover for the mission and
the expedition, and with intelligence, besides, of the charges
made against the doctor by the Rev. Mr. Rowley in refer-
ence to the unfortunate mission attack on the. Ajawas, and
the alleged example set previously by Livingstone himself.
Of course he is considerably annoyed at the accusation, but
takes it and disposes of it with his usual boldness and good -
humoured banter and bonhommie. It will be sufficient now to
say that Dr. Livingstone denies the charge entirely; and de-
clares it " totally untrue that he ever in any instance adopted
an aggressive policy against the Ajawa or took slaves from
them. He took slaves from Portuguese, but never hunted
the Ajawa, nor took the part of the Maganja against the
Ajawa. In a postscript he adds --" I repeat again that
slaves were taken from Portuguese alone—people of Tette
—some of whom I knew personally; the first party was
left on our hands by the head men running away. There
was no fighting in any case ; and for every act I bear and
will bear the responsibility without shirking.." Of the
missionaries themselves, notwithstanding this passing un-
pleasantness, he speaks kindly, as of old, and expresses the
most unfaltering confidence in the ultimate success of the
great enterprise in which they have embarked. " Re-
cently," he says, " they have been suffering from want of
supplies, as the drought which has so severely visited the
Cape colony, has extended its devastating influence even as
far as the Zambesi highlands." The stores brought up by
the Rapid would, probably, have arrived in the very nick
of time, and thus prove doubly acceptable to those for
whom they were sent.
The following is the first of the letters addressed to Mr.
Sir Thos. Maclear immediately on receiving the news by
the Rapid.

Quillimaine, Nov, 17, 1862.

My dear Friend,—" When coming from Johanna we had
a current through the Mozambique Channel that bore us
along against a light wind ahead over 60 miles a day, It
seems to be the strongest in southing between 39• and 40.
east long. When about 15• north of Kon gone it was carry-
ing up among east winds, so we steamed on, but expended
all our coals, which had been sun-dried, and went very
quickly before we could reach our port. The wind would
not help us to make it, so we bore away to Quillimaine river
to cut wood. Before doing so we looked in at Nyamiara, a
double-mouthed port or creek, on the chart about 30 miles
from Simko, but it looked rough, and we thought best, if
lost, to lose ourselves on a civilised bar. We have been for-
tunate enough to meet a boat from H,M.S. Rapid, and to
find that Capt. Jago has brought some supplies for the Ox-
ford and Cambridge mission, and possibly a few for us. I
always feel exceedingly thankful to these naval gentlemen
when they bring anything for us; they do it with so much in-
convenience to themselves. Nobody would lend a launch or
boat at this time but Col. Nunes, and he did it on account of
my engaging to tow her out and over the bar. We can take
nothing into the Piineer ; we are deeply laden with eight
months' provisions, and our decks are lumbered with
draught oxen. If the supplies were sent to Mozambique,
Mr. Soare's vessel would bring them up here. No one is
willing to risk his launch on the bar, and no wonder. W e
have no insurance companies here. Col. Nunes is very
kind, and will do anything to oblige you, but the use of his
launch without a steamer will be to break the willing horse's
back. His nephew is equally obliging.
" I always imagined that my mistakes were ' the necessary
consequence' of my own stupidity ; in fact, that it would be
unmanly to screen myself behind any mortal man or thing;
but one gets new light as one gets older. So I shall bear
my burden and feel thankful if I can do anything to for-
ward the great work in which all are engaged. I look upon
the work, not of the individuals, but of the great church of
which they are the messengers, and of which the end will
be glorious.
" Waller was down here on Oct. 5, and took up what
supplies he could scrape together here. . .Itis a great
pity they came down to the lowlands. I am anxious to hear
how they get on. Here all I can learn is that they have war
on all sides, and great scarcity of food in consequence of a
drought, The provisions will go up when the river rises
next month, so you need be under no apprehension. The
rumours of war here are generally much worse than the
reality. I feel, as you will readily believe, very anxious to
hear of a new and good bishop. Give him a hint to take
care of himself, Good people are scarce. He will take it
well from you. There is a small knot of Scotch emigrants
at Aliwal North anxious to join us. I have not had time
yet to set my thoughts about it, but I think favourably of
their project if they will work at anything as well as their
trades. "DAVID LIVINGSTONE."

The second was written three days later, after the Doctor
had perused his despatches, and learned, from Sir Thomas'
letters and the articles in this paper, the complaints pre-
ferred against him by the Rev. Mr. Rowley, of the Univer-
sities Mission. It gives a clear and decisive refutation to
the whole charge, as we quite anticipated that it would :
" Quillemaine River, 20th Nov., 1862.

"My dearFriend,—On meeting the boat of the Rapid,
as we were coming down from the village to cut wood, I
took my letters out of the mail and went back in the boat.
Yours of Sept. 15 was left behind, and I did not read it till
last night. My companions tell me that the editor of the
paper* pointed out that the assertion of Rowley, attacked
under Livingstone's direction advisedly, was proved by the
Bishop's journal to be untrue. My advice, which no sane
man would imagine relieved Mu) from person responsibility
for his actions, was pointedly not to act on the offensive;
and the Bishop, in a manly way, recorded in his journal
that in acting in an opposite manner he did so with the con-
sent of his subordinates and on his own responsibilty. The
opinion of all present (even that of our engineer) was asked,
and I believe had Mr. Rowley objected, the attacks 1,2, and
3 would not have been made. I took the responsibility where
I had any hand or word in the actions ; but to blame me for
deeds done contrary to my advice when I was on Lake Nyassa
is rather too hard. And then to attribute motives—' Living-
stone would have withdrawn from the Ajawa from prudence,
not principle,' &c.,— savours little of the tone we expect
from the University mission. It is, moreover, totally un-
true that I ever in one instance adopted an agressive policy
against the Ajawa or took slaves from them. I took slaves
from Portuguese, but never hunted the Ajawa, nor took the
part of Manganja against Ajawa. The pitched battle re-
ferred to took place when I was gone to Nyassa; and from
it our engineer and two quarter-masters maintain that Mr,
Rowley ran away. In this, I believe, every member of the
msision will support my assertion. I repeat again that
slaves were taken from Portuguese alone—people of Tette,
some of whom I knew personally. The first part was left
on our hands by the headmen running away. There wra
no fighting in any case : and for every act I bear, and will
bear, the responsibility without shirking. He must even add
the assertion ' that the highlander a are not cotton-producing
in the sense always understood of them,'--anconscious. pos-
sibly, that his Bishop bought a cot ton gin from me to show
the people around him how much more easily the cleaning
process could be effected by it than by th) slow process
which even Mr. Rowley must have seen in every village he
entered; and a conjecture of ours, made on our first visit
wassh probablyould
probably not
sLuadkeN
andv
e
tt
try more
y Shirwa,
andthan
c a3rtolr lyma tia b
l etshoe a from tail
the
n
p o f hut ,
waythence to Lake
Nyassa, is vaunted as an error, in saying that there existed
but 30 miles between the navigable part of the Ruo and
thatßtao
Shirwa. For what reason this conjecture—which we had
too much wit ever to put to the test, for as you know we
went up the Shire to the Lake—is here held up as an error
it is difficult to say.
" I am glad that some new men are coming with a new
bishop. The messengers of a great and Catholic Church
like that which establishes this mission ought to possess a
larger portion of its spirit. I earnestly hope that the Ox-
ford and Cambridge Mission will look to their mission col-
leges for agents—a special education is required, and they
ought to be enlisted for life. Mr. Glover writes to me apo-
logising for having published Rowley's letter. I answer
him in a jocular style. 'lt will never make me swerve
from doing what I can to assist them, nor from wishing
them all God speed from the bottom of my heart.' Mis-
takes will still be made, though probably not of the same
kind ; but as to the ultimate result I have no sort of appre-
hension.

‘, I cannot add more at present, as we are going out at
high water to the Rapid, with the lighter of Colonel Nunes
in tow, to get the mission goods across the bar, We shall
then proceed to the Zambezi, * * * * *
" DAVID LIVINGSTONE."

The ASouth .4frican
..inlvertiavr and Maid

Naval and Military Intelligence.

THE NAVY.

VALETTA, March 22.—Her Majesty's screw line-
of-battle ship Marlborough, 131, Capt. W. H.
Stewart, C. 8., went out of port on the 17th inst.
for a ci uise, which, it is expected, will extend as far
as the lonian Islands. The Queen, 74, Capt. F. C.
Hillyar, is now flagship pro tern. The St. George,
86, Capt. the Hon. F. Egerton, left port the same
day for target practice, and returned to her moor-
ings in the evening. The St. George is under orders
to proceed to Naples to relieve the Meeanee, 70,
Capt. G. Woodhouse, at Naples. The Surprise, 4,
is under orders to leave for Corfu, and the Trident,
6, Commander C. J. Balf.,ur, for Gibraltar, after the
arrival of the overland mail from Marseilies, due
this evening. The Magioienne, 16, Lieut.-Com-
mander White (temporary), is still here awaiting
the arrival of her captain, the Prince of Leiningen,
expected from England to-day. This vessel will
convey Prince Alfred to Marseilles. Vice-Admiral
Sir Henry B. Martin, K.C.8., who has been here
on a visit to his brother the Commander-in-Chief;
left on Sunday last for Italy, in the French
packet Annie, on his return to England. The
Russian brig Plod, which arrived on Monday last
from Cardiff, had on board the captain and crew
of the Norwegian barque Columba, which was
abandoned in a sinking state on the 12th inst., in
lat. 38 24 N., lat. 640 E. The Columba had
left Trapani on the 27th ult. for Norway, with
a cargo of salt. All the crew were--saved
in the ship's boat. Having fallen in with the Plod,
they were taken on board that vessel. It is feared
other maritime disasters have occurred from the
severe weather which has prevailed in the western
parts of the Mediterranean during the last three
weeks. Here the weather has been very bad, with
violent squalls, accompanied by rain and hail. The
cold has been excessive, and invalids have been suf-
fering somewhat severely from it. The remains of
the late Commander Reid, of her Majesty's ship
Trafalgar, were interred with military ceremony in
the cemetery attached to the Royal Naval Hospital
at Bighi, on the 19th inst. By the decease of Com-
mander Reid, a vacancy for the rank of commander
has become the gift of Vice-Admiral Sir W. T.
Martin, as also one for lieutenant, by the promotion
of the officer to commander. Flag-lieut. P. W.
Pellew, and sub-lieut. R. H. Harris, of her Majesty's
ship St. George, are the officers selected by the
Commander-in-Chief for promotion.

The Firebrand, 6, paddle, Commander S. B. Piers,
arrived at Spithead on Friday morning from the
Mediterranean, and has received orders to proceed
on to Woolwich to pay out of commission. The
following military invalids and passengers arrived
in the ship from Malta and Gibraltar :—Royal Ar-
tillery—Capt. J. B. Richardson, Lieut. R. M. G.
Stewart, one sergeant, two corporals, and four
gunners; Royal Engineers, two privates; 2d bat-
talion 15th Foot, four privates ; Ist battalion 22d
foot, one corporal and five privates; 2d battalion 22d
Foot, three privates ; 2d battalio❑ 23d Foot, three
privates; Ist battalion 25th Foot, one sergeant and
one private; 4th battalion Royal Buffs, two privates.
Sixteen of these men were invalids, and were sent
round in the steam tender Comet to the military hos-
pital at Netley ; the remainder were landed at Ports-
mouth dockyard and will be forwarded to their re-
spective depots. A number of naval invalids were
also brought home in the ship, and were transferred
to her Majesty's ship Victory and the Royal Naval
Hospital at Haslar.
Capt. the Hon, J. R. Drummond, C. 8., one of the
Lords of the Admiralty, arrived at Portsmouth on
Friday from London, and, accompanied by Rear-
Admiral Superintendent Elliot, visited the paddle
yacht Enchantress, of 835 tons and 259-horse power,
Master-Corn. J. E. Petley, now fitting in the steam
basin of the dockyard specially as a yacht for the
Lords of the Admiralty, and afterwards the Os-
borne paddle yacht, Master-Com. Geo. K. Bower,
lying off in the stream.
The plating of the Royal Sovereign turret-ship is
going on in Portsmouth dockyard in the most satis-
factory manner, but the progress of the cupolas or
turrets, and the internal and deck fittings of the
ship is still very slow. Ten times the present num-
ber of men could and should be employed on the
cupolas and 'tween decks. Her side armour consists
of three rows of sk-in. plates, about 15ft. in length,
and 3ft. Gin. breadth, extending from her topsides,
that is level with her upper deck planking, to below
her water line, and about 6-10ths of this will be
above and 4-10ths below the water line. On her
port-side amidships she has &ready bolted in the
places on the lower tier 8, on the middle 7, and on
the upper 3 plates. On the starboard side she has
the same number. A coating of patent waterproof
glue is applied hot to the inner surface of each plate
the plate being slightly warmed by a ship fire, and
also to the diagonal teak planking of the ship's side
before the plate is fixed in its final position.
Tongueing and grooving the edges and butts of the
Plates has been discarded in the Royal Sovereign as
in the other iron-clad vessels now building, and the
Plates now rest with edge and butt against each
other as simple slabs of metal. Great credit is cer-
tainly due to the master shipwright's department
of Portsmouth dockyard for the manner in which
the plates are being put on the ship's side.
The joints, even now, with the plain, uncovered
iron, can scarcely be detected between the plates,
so accurately have they been fitted to each other.
There will certainly be no occasion for cement or
caulking the edges and butts of the Sovereign's
plates, and we would suggest that caulking in this
instance should be dispensed with. If water should
collect between the teak and the plates, the absence
of caulked seams will allow of its escape in a natural
way instead of bring kept at the back of a plate,
ruining its bolt fastenings. A non-caulked plate
would also expand under the influence of heat in a
tropical climate.

The following appointments were made on Friday
at the Admiralty :—Com. C. G. Nelson, to the Gala-
tea ; W. C. Stone, nominated to a naval cadetship ;
Edwin R, Miall, paymaster, to the Archer; R. A.
Fowler, naval instructor, to the Galatea ; and J. L.
Davies, of the Sphinx, promoted to be engineer.

The following appointments were made on Satur-
day at the Admiralty :—Commander James H,
Coxon to the Narcissus ; Lieut. Charles J. Fare, to
the Hogue; Lieut. Henry J. Challis, to the Formid-
able ; Lieut. Henry S. Boger, to the Boscawen ;
Lieut. John A. Fisher, to the Warrior ; Walter H.
Horsield, master, to the Archer; Alfred W. White-
house, paymaster, additional, to the President; Ben-
jamin Wickham, paymaster, additional, to the
Colossus ; Samuel S. Sugden, clerk, to the Anchor ;
and Herbert H. Jollye,assist.-clerk, to the Defence.

employed on the particular service on which they
will be engaged in New Zealand they will receive
an increased rate of pay, besides enjoying other
advantages.

The Royal Marines belonging to the Chatham
division who have volunteered for service in the
Royal Marine Artillery left head-quarters on Fri-
day for Woolwich, where they will be joined by the
volunteers from that division. The whose will pro-
ceed to join the head-quarters of the Artillery divi-
sion at Portsmouth.

On Friday a full-dress parade of the whole of the
officers and men of the Royal Engineers at head-
quarters, Chatham, took place at Brompton Bar-
racks, on the occasion of the promulgation of the
finding and sentence of a court martial, which
assembled a few days previously for the trial of
Colour-Serg. Lendrim, Royal Engineers, on the
cnarge of conduct unbecoming a non-commissioned
officer, in having been drunk and assaulting Serg.
111• Queen, in the non-commissioned officers' mess-
room on the night of the 21st inst. The Court
found the prisoner guilty, and sentenced the pri-
soner, who has been 22 years in the service, and is
decorated with several medals, to be degraded to
the rank of a private sapper. At the promulgation
of the sentence Col. Browne, C. 8., read the follow-
ing remarks on the trial to the assembled troops :
" The commanding officer has been pleased to ap-
prove and confirm the sentence, but in considera-
tion of the strong recommendation of the Court in
the letter addressed to me by the President, and the
good character given to Colour-Sergeant Lendrim
by the officer commanding his company, and by the
Adjutant, I remit the sentence as far as the reduc-
tion is concerned, and he will cease to be colour-
sergeant. The whole transaction is, however, so
discreditable that it is after much hesitation, and
with some reluctance, that I have adopted this
lenient course, feeling that it was due to the other
members of the mess to punish the individual who
had by his drunkenness been the cause of so dis-
graceful a brawl in their premises ; and I cannot
but consider:Sergeant M'Queen to have acted very
improperly in using language which would have
been at any time wrong to employ to his comrades,
and was, under the circumstances of Sergeant Len-
drim's state at the time, very unseemly, and very
imprudent from a non-commissioned officer."
On Thursday the 4th depot battalion arrived at
Colchester from Canterbury. The battalion com-
prises the depots of the 64th, 70th, 82d, 90th, 98. h,
and 103 d Regiments, in all 22 officers, 500 non-
commissioned officers and privates, 55 soldiers' wives,
and 72 children. The drum and fife bands from the
camp met the newly arrived troops at the Colches-
ter station, and in the evening the officers previously
stationed at the camp entertained the officers of the
4th battalion, the sergeants following their example
with regard to the non-commissioned officers