The Sun.
London, England, 1862-08-13 00:00:00

DR. LIVIAGSTONES EXPEDITION.

The following letter has been received by the
Rev. William Monk, of Cambridge, from Dr. Liv-
ingstone :
"Her Majesty's Ship Pioneer, River Shire, Jan. 2.

"My dear Mr. Monk,—l have very little inclination to
enter into details concerning the commencement of the
Oxford and Cambridge Mission, because I am sure that
accounts have been furnished by abler hands, and I am not
very partial to works of supererogation. I may say, how-
ever, that I am thankful in having contributed in some
degree to precautions against a fate similar to that at Lin-
yanti ; and I think if the missionaries follow the dictates of
common sense, they are.likely to enjoy good health while
pursuing their noble enterprise.
" It was very annoying to find that the people of Tette
had come along the path followed by Dr. Kirk along the
Shire to that village, and set up an extended system of
slave hunting in the very-country to which the mission had
come. A tribe called Ajnwn had been employed to attack
the Manganj a villages, kill the men, and sell the women and
children to the Portuguese lei a mere trifle in calico. Four
parties, with -about 140 captives, fell into our hands, and
were handed over to the bigh6p as a beginning to his flock.
They were chiefly women and children ; many will probably
leave and settle in the country adjacent, but the remainder,
entirely free from parental control, may be trained accord-
ing to the will of the missionaries. In respect to these freed
captives, the mission is more highly favoured than any
modern one, except, perhaps, that of the Independents in
Madagascar. King Radama presented a number of youths
for instruction, but more for his own political ends than
from respect to Christianity. In that island, however, the
fruits have been unmistakeably good, for the converts have
stood the test of cruel persecutions after the missionaries
had left Madagascar. I earnestly hope and pray that simi-
lar or more abundant success may be awarded to this new
effort to spread our common faith. The good Lord bless the
work of their hands.

"You cannot well conceive the state of disunion among
the Manganja (in mercy call them Man-anja, not as we
sometimes hear it Mang-ganja) ; the destruction of village
after village produced no effort at union against the common
foe. A message only was sent down to Chibisa, as he is be-
lieved to possess medicine capable of ensuring victory. The
paramount chief, instead of aiding his subjects, kindly
helped the slave hunters across the Shire. We found that
the whole nation u ere fleeing, and hoping to stop this and
the effusion of blood, went to hold a parley with the Ajawa.
Unfortunately, we came to them when in the act of burn-
ing three villages. The bishop then offered up a fervent
prayer, and with the accents of that prayer we could dis-
tinctly hear the wail of the dead, and the shrill scream for
victory. As we advanced to their villages our assurances
that we came peamably were nullified by some Manganja
followers calling out " Chibisa has come ;" and very un-
fortunately, though I heard it distinctly, it did not strike
the mind till afterwards, that we were thereby deprived of
the protection of our English name. They attacked us on
all sides with poisoned arr4s, and four muskets, and I feel
very sure that the latter wdfe handled byPortuguese slaves.
They certainly had the dress common among slaves at Tette,
and there was a square house, such as slaves often build near
the Ajawa villages. We retired slowly from the village,but
this only made them bolder; they came within 50 yards of
us, and it was only by recourse to our firearms that we
avoided all becoming food for the vultures. lam sorry that
it was necessary,for it was the first hostile encounter I have
had in Africa. Had I anticipated an attack I should have
used fair words and presents first. We are, however, in the
slave market. We were twice robbed in the sphere of an 1.
Arab dhow's slaving operation, about half way up lake
Nyassa—the first loss by robbers I have sustained in the
continent. Slaving is the parent of every other vice. Life
is of no value in the trader's eye. A short time before we
caught the first slave -hunting party. they shot two women
on pretence that they were trying to loose the thongs with
which they were bound; and I suspect the Ajawa, seeing
us a very small body, and elated with continual success,
thought it would be a clever thing to make an example of
us. We had ammunition with us barely sufficient to drive
them off, their attack was so unexpected.
" Leaving the missionaries at a spot which to the eye
looks as if 15 miles south of Mount Zomba, and which will
serve till a better locality is selected, we returned to the
ship, and in the beginning of August carried a boat past
Murchison's Cataracts. When we launched her on the
upper Shire we were virtually on the lake, though still 60
miles distant, because the river is all smooth and deep, and
has a gentle current. On the 2d September we sailed into
that island sea. It is surrounded with mountains, and from
them rush down furious tempests with great suddenness.
Tremendous swells get up in 15 or 20 minutes, and had you
ever crossed the bar at Quilliraane you would know what
I mean when I say that terrific rollers come across the lake
with wall-like sides and hairy heads, breaking in from
7to 14 fathoms. We were once caught a mile from the
shore, and could neither advance nor recede for six weary
hours. The men all dreadfully
sea sick did not care how
soon they went down, as they were dead already.' The
rollers broke either before they reached or after they had
passed our anchorage. The boat behaved admirably,
mounting up the steep billows like a sea-bird, but one
roller breaking on her would have ended our explora-
tion. After this we were less venturesome, and listened
to the utterance of our seaman, John Neil, as if he had
been an oracle. We sailed along the western shore
and found that side to be a succession of bays. The south-
ern end is shaped somewhat like Italy on the map. The
ankle of the boot is the narrowest part, 18 or 20 miles wide.
It expands towards the north to 35, then to 50 or 60 miles.
The length is over 200 miles, probably 225. The depth is
very great. A fishing line found bottom in a bay at 100
fathoms or 600 feet ; but a mile outside none was felt at
116 fathoms, or 696 feet. There are several small rounded
rocky islands in this lake which are covered with forests,
uninhabited, and used only as fishing stations. Detached
rocks jut out adjacent to these islands, and to all the rocky
headlands, which will be dangerous to navigators. With
our present knowledge, a ship could find anchorage only
near the shore. Fish abound, and a prodigious population
inhabits the shores, and they catch fish by large nets, creels,
hooks, torches, or poison. Alligators, very w ell fed on fish,
seldom or never molest nun, so we could bathe in the
delicious cool waters whenever we chose—a great luxury
not to be enjoyed in the Shire or the Zambesi.

" The people were civil—no dues were levied or fines
demanded ; but slaving is the only trade. Colonel Rigby,
our Consul at Zanzibar, says, in a letter to Sir George Grey,
that 19,000 slaves pass through the Custom-house there
annually—all, or nearly all, from Nyassa or Shire ; and he
adds, If it should ever be possible to place a steamer on
Lake Nyassa it will cut off the chief supply of slaves to the
east coast. Without knowing that gentleman's opinion,
we have ordered a steamer from Glasgow in 24 parts, which
we hope to carry past the Cataracts as our next work. We
expect her soon, and I shall not pen a syllable to yon or
anyone else till it is accomplished..l pray to
Him in whose
hand are' our times' to permit me to accomplish this great
service. Then a path to the sea by Rovtuna, or some river
in the dominions of the Sultan of Zanzibar, for we must
have an outlet to the sea uncontrolled by the Portuguese.
Fancy the folly of our allies ; the Government builds a
post at the mouth of the Shire, to be enriched by cotton
dues, while the people of Tette do all in their power to de-
populate the country from which the cotton is to come. If
we have our own outlet, the cotton field, now 400 miles
long, will be prolonged far to the north and west, and our
own English honest poor may live on the islands and be-
come blessings to Africa, our own sweet home, and to
Ps) and it ought to be borne
themselves. These are my ho
in mind that my expedition should be dated only from the
possession of the Pioneer. We were forced to return by
want of food, when, as we have reason to believe, we wore
in sight of the dark mountain masses in. which Lake Nyassa
ends.
" A tribe of Zulus originally from the south, had made
terrible havoc among the Lake people. We don't know
why, as we received only one-sided statements, and never
form an opinion on that sort of evidence ; but human skele-
tons and putrid bodies of the slain strewed the shores—
' man's inhumanity to man makes countless thousands
mourn.' I met seven of these Marite or Zulus ; they be-
haved much as we may suppose old women of either sex
would do if they fancied they had seen a ghost. In view of
this tribe wandering up so far it strikes me that the more
work Christian people attempt the mare their Master gives
them to perform. The bishop at the Cape, with his Kaffir
College, is probably fitting missionaries to labour much
nearer the equator than he ever contemplated. I always
rejoice to hear of efforts to spread our blessed religion, no
matter by whom, for I am sure that lie who is head over
all things
to His Church condescends to accept the hearty,
though otten feeble, offering of His people, and will guide
all to a glorious consummation. This college seems an ad-
mirable institution.
tc Frequent storms rendered it 'inadvisable for us to at-
tempt crossing to find out all about the matter for
..
our-
selves. It was the first time I ever was forced back with
out accomplishing what I had to do, but had I time tovntell

you all you would see that further progress might have
proved fatal to us. We returned to the uppermost cataract
slung our boat to a shady tree, and walked home, having
in three months travelled, in going and coming, 600 miles.
Anything ' anent' a growing interest in the mission of the
Church will be always welcome ; systematic efforts to dif-
fuse information ought to be made. Without.being particu-
larly prone to grumble, I think there is room for a growl
at the missionaries enlisting for three or five years only. It
is probably from want of knowledge of missionary work .in
Africa ; very few leave Africa without wishing to come
back again, so it may all turn out right at last. I hear
that the Free Church of Scotland contemplates a mission
out here, and the United Free Methodists are sending
another mission under Dr. Krapf to the east coast. There
is room for all and for more than will ever come.

"Burrup, Dickenson, and Clarke came up the Shire in
common country canoes, without knowing a word of the
language or a bit of the way. Btu rup came first. In the
dusk of the evening of Nov. 13th I discerned a canoe strng-
gling down a point of the pland DakanamOis. Some Eng.
lish words emitted therefrom made me prick up my ears,
and I said,
`pull to the port side.' What side is that ?'
responded Burrup. A capital fellow is he.
"I am extremely obliged by the kind greetings which
you send me of Professors Sedgwick, Selwyn, Browne, and
ateful.—With kind regards to you all, I am, &c.,
the Master of Trinity. An approving nod from such men
is very gr
DAVID LIVINGSTONE.
" To the Rev. William Monk, Aubrey
Villa, Cambridge.

Age st lb
The Wizard a 9 9
Dictator 4 8 9
The Monk 5 8 5
Lady Ripen
Pancake
C by West Austra-
lian—Clarissa
Flash in the Pan 6 7 7
Useless Brute
Wombat
Master George 3 6 12

Age st lb
Gardener
Pilot
Crusade 4 6 10
Tulip
Ace of Clubs 3 6 9
Griniston
Bolero . .
Staple Oak
Deceptive ... . .
Pretty Girl colt 3 6 2
Fontenot'

711 E NAVY.

The Mersey, 40, screw frigate, Capt. H. Caldwell,
C. 8., will be paid out of commission-at Portsmouth
to-day. During the presence of the British con.,
tingent of Royal Marine Artillery and Light In-
fantry at Vera Cruz, Mr. Austen, chief engineer of
the Mersey, was placed by the Commodore of the
English squadron in charge of the railway leading
am Iron
Th e
from Vera Cruz to the interior. :4' • ,
The Stork gunboat, tender to the -ki6ellent gun-
nery ship at Portsmouth, was engaged yesterday in
Porchester Creek testing three 4,-1-inch armour
plates, as sample armour for ships' broadsides, and
a 3-inch plate as armour plating for bow and stern
armour. The 41-inch plates were supplied by the
T
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eh
ti
tpebru
ai llds
oi n
sguCp
po ml i
epda :bye,
3J. oi
nhenh Bp
lraot
ew.
The Psyche, I,n
and Co.
Works.heßeale, Parkgate
the trial of speed paddleon Monday, d
being completed in her outfit at Portsmouth as
rapidly as possible, and, unless '
in consequence of
al t
ereas
tpiaotncshatVeeSorsdele,reiSd
to be made.to her paddle-floats, it is
n o eto
thel t
is said
may be sent on a cruise westward for
a few days.
t
P .1
The Shannon, 34; screw, Ca • 0. -. Jones, is
:
ordered from Portsmouth harbour into Spithead, to
receive her Admiralty pattern screw,
storesfa ce
rf
so r
iforeign
fe r
e r reference service.
probable bl e
fill sheu
p
state-
ments which have been made respecting this ship,
that Capt. Jones, and not the officers and men of
provisions
many naval and o
the Shannon, has most cause to oomplain of the
present state of the ship, and of the notoriety she
has gained since he has taken command. It is said
that from the time Capt. Jones issued his first orders
on board, a portion of the officers and men, finding
that they would no longer be able to do as they had
done hitherto, set themselves up in opposition.
Capt. Jones, however, is said to be an officer of much
firmness of character, and hence the conflict between
him and his subordinates. That the Admiralty are
determined to support Capt. Jones in his authority
is evident from the fact of the Shannon being or-
dered from the home station on foreign service.
The paddlewheel-
steam sloop Hydra, 0,"-Comman-
der R. Y. Hamilton, from the West Indies, last from
Halifax, arrived at Plymouth yesterday afternoon.
We are requested to publish the subjoined noti
fication, dated yesterday, from the Admiralty,
Whitehall:—
" Channel Squadron—Letters for the ships of war
under the orders of Rear-Admiral Smart, in the
Baltic, should be addressed to Copenhagen up tothe
end of the present month." •
Letters received from her Majesty's screw store-
ship Wye, Master-Commander Valentine G.
Roberts, announce the capture by that vessel, on the
West Coast of Africa, of a slaver, with 300 slaves
on board.