The Sun.
London, England, 1867-03-27 00:00:00

Royal Geographical Society.

The ordinary meeting of this society was held
on Monday at Burlington-house, when despatches
from Dr. G. E. Seward and Dr. J. Kirk, concerning
the reported death of Dr. Livingstone, were read.
Before the reading of these documents Sir R. Mur-
chison, president of the society, addressed the meet-
ing, observing that he had already ventured to offer
several reasons for disbelieving the testimony of the
Johanna men, who were the baggage-carriers of
Dr. Livingstone, concerning the death of the great
traveller, and when the documents had been read,
and the map on which Dr. Livingstone's route was
marked, as prepared by Dr. Kirk, had been examined,
he hoped the following data would be considered :
First, if the tale were true, that the spot indicated
by the Johanna men as that where Livingstone fell
was but little more than a day's march from the
frontier of a friendly country, in which the expedi-
tion had been well received. Such being the case,
might not some one or more of the five negroes who
escaped have readily found their way back into that
same friendly tract? and, if so, why should not one
or more of them have as easily reached the coast as
all the nine Johanna men ? Secondly, on the other
band, if the story of the Johanna men were a fabri-
cation, as the Arabs who traded with the Lake
Nyassa seemed to think—if, in short, Livingstone
forced his way through the limited tract occupied
by the Mavite savages (the Johanna men flying
from the danger) might he not have been pushed on
to Lucenda, the capital of Cazernbe ? Might he not
even, for aught they knew, be now in the great in-
terior lake of Tanganika, the main object of his
expedition ? Under such circumstances no news of
him could be received for many months, except ac-
cidentally through some Arab trader coming from
the vast interior. In the meantime, while cherish-
ing these rays of hope, he had to congratulate the meet-
ing on the very important addition made to their geo-
graphical knowledge by this last exploit of Living-
stone, defining, as it did, the northern end of his
own Lake Nyassa. Finally, he would submit to the
meeting that if no one of his negro followers should
return within reasonable time to verify or contra-
dict the tale of the Johanna men, and no intelli-
gence reached them from other sources, why then
it would become the earnest endeavour of the Royal
Geographical Society—and, he should hope, of her
Majesty's Government—to send out an expedition,
which could easily traverse the same friendly coun-
tries that Livingstone passed over and ascertain the
truth concerning the end of the undaunted Christian
pioneer, who was not merely their geographical
envoy, but who was also gazetted by their Sove-
reign as her Majesty's Consul to all the native chiefs.
in the interior of Southern Africa.

The Secretary then read the documents, of which
there were five. The fullest and most important of
these was Dr. Seward's despatch to the Foreign-
office. It was dated Dec. 10, 1866, and the follow-
ing are extracts :—" If the story of some fugitivcs
from Dr. Livingstone's party be true, he was slain
during a sudden and unprovoked encounter with the
very Zulus of whom, in the last despatch received
from him (dated Ngomana, May 18) he said that
they had laid waste the country round about him.
With an escort reduced to 20 by desertions, deaths,
and dismissals, he had traversed, as I believe, terra
incognita between the confluence of the Leonde and
Rovuma rivers at Ngomana and the eastern or north-
eastern shore of Lake Nyassa, had crossed the lake
at some point not yet ascertained, had reached a
station named Karnpunda, on its western or north-
western shore, and was pushing westward or north-
westward into dangerous ground, when between
Marenga and Maklisoora a band of implacable
savages stopped the way, a mixed herd of Zulus or
Mafite and Nyassa folk. The Nyassa folk were
armed with bow and arrow, the Zulus with the
traditional shield, broad-bladed spears, and axes.
With Livingstone there were nine or ten mus-
keteers ; his Johanna men were resting with their
loads far in the rear. The Mafite instantly came
on to fight. There was no parley, no avoidance of
the combat. They came on with a rush, with war
cries, rattling their shields with their spears. As
Livingstone and his party raised their pieces the
onset was for a moment checked. Livingstone fired,
and two Zulus were shot dead. His boys fired, but
their fire was harmless. lie was in the act of re-

loading, when three Mafites leaped upon him through
the smoke. There was no resistance, there could be
none ; one cruel axe cut from behind put him out
of life. He fell, and his terror-stricken escort fled.
One of the fugitives escaped, and he it is who tells
the tale—Ali Moosa, chief of his escort of porters.
The party had left the western shore of Nyassa about
five days. They had started from Kampunda, on
the lake's borders, and left there the havildar of
Sepoys dying of dysentery. Livingstone had dis-
missed the other Sepoys at Mataka, and had rested
at Marenga, where he was cautioned not to advance.
The next station was at Makli:oora. They were
traversing a flat country, broken by small hills, and
abundantly wooded. Indeed, the scene of the tragedy
would appear to have been as open forest glade.
Livingstone, as usual, led the way, his nine or ten
unpractised musketeers at his heels. Ail Moosa li.ed
nearly come up with them, having left his own
Johanna men resting with thAr loads far in the rear.
Suddenly he heard Livingstone warn the boys that
Mafite were coming. The boys in turn beckoned
Moosa to press forward. Moosa had just gained the
party and sank down behind a tree to deliver his
own fire when his leader fell. Moosa fled for his
life along the path he had come. His Johanna men
threw down their loads and with him fled into the
deeper forest. If the Mafite really passed Moosa his
escape and that of his people really verges on the
marvellous. However, at sunset they in great fear
left their forest refuge and got back to the place
where they hoped to find their baggage. It was gone,
and then with increasing dread they crept to where
their slain leader lay. Near him, in front, lay the
grim Zulus who were killed under his sure aim.
Here and there lay scattered some four dead mem-
bers of the expedition. One blow had killed Living-
stone outright. He had no other wound but this terri-
ble gash. From their description it must have gone
through the neck and spine up to the throat in front.
It had nearly decapitated him. Death came merci-
fully in its suddenness, for David Livingstone was
ever ready.' fhe Mafite respected him when dead,
for he was stripped only of his outer clothing. A
grave was dug with sticks and the body buried."
Ten, whose names are given, stood before the Mafite
with Livingstone ; of these four were seen dead, and
the rest, save Ali 11.loosa, are missing. The Johanna
men made their way back to Kampunda. The jour-
ney occupied 14 days, for, not venturing near a vil-
lage or station, they lost their way in a jungle. At
Kampunda they were deprived of their weapons by
the chief, who also kept those of the deceased havil-
dar of sepoys. The Johanna men found an Arab
slave caravan, recrossed Nyassa, and, making for
Keetwa, a great slave outlet on the coast, they again
encountered Zulus, who scattered the caravan. The
Arabs abandoned the ivory and slaves, which con-
stituted their all, and thought only of saving their
lives. The Johanna men escaped, reached Keetwa,
and were sent on to Zanzibar, which they reached
on 6th Dec. When their story was known the
flags were lowered by the foreign vessels in the har-
bour, and at the English, French, American, Han-
seatic, and the Sultan's consulates. "The date of
Livingstone's death," observes Mr. Seward, " is left
to conjecture." Ile infers that Livingstone left
Malaka about the middle:of July, and that the fatal
encounter took place during September. The Johanna
men name six weeks as about the probable time of
their journey, but their statements are vague and
untrustworthy.

The PRESIDENT, in moving a vote of thanks to
Lord Stanley for having communicated the despatches
to the society, said he clung to the hope that Dr.
Livingstone was still alive, and considered they were
not justified in believing him to be dead until they
had better evidence than that which was at present
in their possession.

Sir SAMUEL BAKER said it was with great pain
that he entertained a different opinion from that
which had been expressed by their distinguished
President, but from the experience he had had in
Africa for some five years he felt perfectly certain
of what had been Dr. Livingstone's fate. The
natives were exceedingly brutal and savage, and
instead of its being a matter of wonder that Dr.
Livingstone should have been killed it was only a
wonder that one out of a hundred should ever re-
turn
.from that abominable country.

The PRESIDENT said there was a practicable route
which was traversed by the Portuguese as far back
as 1796, and which he thought it possible Dr. Liv-
ingstone had taken, and so that would account for
no letters having as yet reached this country.
Mr. CRAWFORD was sorry to say that he agreed
with Sir Samuel Baker in the belief that Dr. Liv-
ingstone was dead. Dr. Kirk was a man of great
discrimination, and he expressed no hope whatever
as to the safety of the eminent explorer.
Mr. IVALLEtt, who had been attached to one of
the early missions of Dr. Livingstone at Zanzibar,
said that it had been stated in some of the news-
papers that Dr. Livingstone had been iu collusion
with the slave traders in Africa ; but he had the
pleasure to inform the meeting that from letters he
had received from Zanzibar he could positively assert
that Dr. Livingstone bad not been at any time in
collusion with the slave traders, and that it was a
calumny set on foot by the Arabs without the least
foundation. The real danger to all African explora-
tion was the accursed slave trade. Ile knew as a
fact that 25,000 slaves passed through Zanzibar in
a year. His apprehension was that Dr. Livingstone
had fallen with his face to the enemy, and that that
enemy had been the slave trade.

Captain SIIERARD OSBORNE would not express an
opinion as to what had been the fate of Dr. Living-
stone ; but he considered it to be the duty of
that Society not to wait but to explore, and if it
should have happened that Dr. Livingstone had
perished in Central Africa he hoped it might be at-
tended with the same result as had followed the fate
of Franklin in another part of the globe, and that it
would lead men on to the solution of the great geo-
graphical problem of that vast portion of the earth.
The vote of thanks was adopted, and the meeting
adjourned.

POSTAGE TO TIIE UNITED STATES.—The official
correspcudence on this subject has been laid
befcre Parliament. The result is that the post-
office of each country is to make its own arrange-
ments for the despatch of its mails to the other and
receive the postage, the other country making no
charge for delivery; and after this year, the Cunard
contract then expiring by notice given to that effect,
the entire postage on a single international letter is
to be Gd. if despatched from the United Kingdom, and
12c. from the United States. It is proposed that the
charge for through territorial transit in closed mails
be one-tenth of a penny per oz. of letters, and per
10oz. of newspapers, books, or patterns, for every 19
miles travelled ; of single letters, Id. or 2c. for tran-
sit through either country. It was agreed to fix an
earlier date than next New Year's-day for a reduc-
tion of the rates charged ou printed matter and
patterns, and the territorial transit charges on closed
mails.

Instructions have been remitted from the War
Department to the Board of Works at Woolwich
Arsenal, to make arrangements for the speedy erec-
tion of an additional shipping pier to extend 300
feet into the river beyond the quay facing the
Royal gun factories, so as to facilitate the shipment
of heavy materials from the factories direct. The
new pier will be built on the plan already adopted
with acknowledged success on designs, it is stated,
submitted by Mr. Anderson, superintending engi-
neer, and other officers, somewhat resembling the
old T pier, and will be fitted with a crane worked
by hydraulic power, capable of lifting about 35 tons
weight. The sum of £6,000 has been granted to
meet the first year's expenditure on that head, and
a further sum will be required for its completion the
following year, 1868-9.
Rowlands' three great preparations for the hair, the
complexion, and the teeth aro known in all quarters of the
globe. Their famous "Macassar Oil" has been counter-
feited in France, Germany, and elsewhere, but none of the
spurious preparations have possessed the extraordinary
properties of the genuine article. Rowlands' " Kalydor"
for the complexion has retained its prominent place among
fashionable cosmetics, notwithstanding the numerous new
articles introduced for the complexion. The " Odouto"
for the teeth is highly prized by thousands who have used
no other dentifrice for years. Rowlands' great success
during the past two generations, and their present
prominent position as manufacturers, may justly be attri
buted to the oxcellent character of their articles, and to
the fact that, unlike many other proprietors of established
fame, they do not allow their cosmetics to deteriorate in
quality.—Doston l'odeript.