The Sun.
London, England, 1866-11-28 00:00:00

Dr. Livingstone.

The letter written by Dr. Livingstone to the Earl
of Clarendon, and read at the meeting of the Geo-
graphical Society on Monday evening, is as fol-
lows :

" Ugomano, May 18.

" My Lord,—When we could not discover a path
for camels through the mangrove swamps at the
mouth of the Rovuma, we proceeded about 25 miles
to the north of the river, and at the bottom of
Mikindamy Bay entered a beautiful land-locked
harbour, called Kinday-on-Pemba. The entrance
seems not more than 300 yards wide, and of these
about 150 are deep, the reef on each side of the
channel showing so plainly of a light colour that no
ship ought to touch. The harbour is somewhat of
the shape of the spade' on cards, the entrance
being like the short handle. There is a mile nearly
of space for anchorage, the southern part being
from 10 to 14 fathoms, while the north-western
portion is shallow and rocky. It is a first-rate
harbour for Arab dhows, the land rising nearly all
around from 200 to 300 ft. The water is so calm
that they can draw their craft to the shore to dis-
charge and take in cargo. They are also completely
screened by the masses of trees growing all round it
from seaward observation. The population con-
sists of coast Arabs and their slaves. The six vil-
lages in which they live are dotted all round the
shore, and may contain 300 souls in all. They
seemed to be suspicious; and but for our having
been accompanied by her Majesty's steam-ship Pen-
guin would have given trouble. The ordinary pre-
caution of placing a sentry over our exposed goods
caused a panic, and the sirkar, or bead man, thought
that he gave a crushing reply to my explanations
when he bluttered out ' But we have no thieves
here Our route hence was S.S.W. to the
Rovuma, which we struck at the Tel marked
on the chart as that at which liioiger turned
in 1861. We travelled over the same plateau that
is seen to flank both sides of the Rovuma, like a
chain of hills, from 400 ft. to 600 ft. high. Except
where the natives, who are called Nakonde, reside,
the whole country within the influence of the mois-
ture from the ocean is covered with dense jungle.
The trees in general are not large, and planted so
closely together as generally to exclude the sun. In
many places they raly be said to be woven together
by tangled masses of climbing plants, more resem-
bling the ropes and cables of a ship in inextricable
confusion than the graceful creepers with which we
are familiar in norther climates. They gave impres-
sion of being remnants of the carboniferous .period
referred to by geologists, and the huge pachyder-
mate of that time were the only beings that could
wriaglethroughthern. Tradopathshavealreadybeen
made, but we had both to heighten and widen them
for camels and buffaloes. The people at the
sea coast had declared that no aid could be got from
the natives. When we were 7 miles off we were
agreeably surprised to find that for reasonable wages
we could employ any number of carriers and wood-
cutters we desired. As they were accustomed to
cleaning away the gigantic climbers for their garden
ground, they whittled away with their tomahawks
with remarkable speed and skill. Two days' con-
tinuous hard labour was as much as they could
stand. It is questionable whether any people
(except, possibly, the Chinese) who are not meat-
eaters candid. French
endure
navvies
could
labour oft a
competekid at
h
exactly
fowls, i k
ae the
few
except
where
brings so many muscles into violent action as this
ml)
o o o f
gave
theav
e
latter.t he
EnglishThek ountil
1 a ntheyd w
e
haveerefed
only
otg
hfo
eata
darks
p, andp
ga:
eatenhnce
appearance
foliage,chanceof th
of
an
country. occasionalß y h
theb gorgea
occasional
gild hog of the country.
te
Little can be said about
glimpses we got it seemed covered with great masses
a ligher tint or a sterculia had changed its leaves to
yellow in anticipation of winter. The path we fol-
lowed sometimes went along or across a ' wady,' in
which we were smothered by the grass overhead.
Such rocks as we could see were undisturbed grey
sandstone, capped by ferruginous conglomerate.
Upon this we often stumbled against blocks of silici-
fied wood that any one would be unwilling to
.be-
lieve at sight that they were not stones. This la a
sure indication here of coal being underneath, and
pieces of it were met in the Banda of the river.
When about9o miles from the mouthof the Rovuma
the geological structure changes, and with this change
we have more open vegetation. The chief rock is
fine white dolomite lie
new ayenite, and patches of
asses have been shot
upon it in spots. Granitic
um& in front all the way
up over the plain which exte
of the Rovuma or
to Ugomano—the confluencethe drier country we found
Louma, and Leendi.
111 inexplicable droughts had happened
that one of those Rovuma, and a tribe of
over the north bank of the
probably Zulus, had come down
Mazite or MaZittl, Pr
nd spread away all the food
like a swarm of locusts a.
I bad to make forced
above and in the g
marches withround t
the Makonde in ques of provisions for
with Matumora or Machu-
and am now
party,
(roman° and 'by sending some
the chief at U,
morn,
uth-west I shall soon succour
20 miles to the so
This is the point of confluence, as the name
them.
omano imnlies of the Louma. and
Tegsmano or -g ,
Loemli. The Leoudi is decidedly the parent stream,
and comes from the south-west, where, in addition
to some bold granite peaks, the dim outline of dis-
tant high land appears. Even at that distance they
raise the spirits, but possibly that is caused partly by
the fact that this is about 30 miles beyond our for-
mer turning point and the threshold of the unex-
plored. I propose to make this my head-quarters till
I have felt my way round Lake Nyassa. If prospects
are fair there I need not return, but trust to another
quarter for fresh supplies; but it is best to
say
little about the future. Matumora is an
intelli-
gent man, and one well known to be trust-

worthy. He is appealed to on all hands for his
wise decisions, but he has not much recd power be-
yond what his character gives him. The Makoude
are all independent of each other, but not devoid of

eight, seized
evrsndailee.
znose;edNen
ego,
yidomaufndel
iesejn ul
wereit
li
snc Oure A
or.
awaeynmg
uhaaeobinaduodrestreiei
demanded, and
, ,fa
aonsundt
occurred.
netheu
dr thi
from pursuedtimes
only
eldersotnhee
value of the
article stolen. No other case of theft
fine—a very just" one—was levied. Attempts have
been made to make the Arabs pay, but they have
always been resisted. So much has been said about
Arab proselytism that it was with interest inquiries
were made about their success in converting the
Makonde to the Mohammedan faith. Here, as
elsewhere, no attempts to teach had been made.
SOme Arabs asserted that it would be useless, for
the Makonde had no idea of a Deity. On making
inquiries about the gum copal digging, I was shown
a tree from which the gum was actually dropping,
but they do not dig under the trees at present living.
They choose the vicinity in the belief that near to
the modern trees those which yielded what is now
considered fossil gum must have grown. Here they
dig, and, said the spokesman, ' the first and second
days we may labour in vain, but God may give it
us after that.' To this acknowledgment of a Deity
all responded, 'lt is as He wills it.' The experi-
ment with the buffaloes and tsetse has not been
satisfactory ; one buffalo and two camels died. Had
we not been in the tsetse country I would have as-
cribed this to overwork and bruises received onboard
the dhow which brought them from Zanzibar. These
broke out with large ulcers. The symptoms were
not those I have observed in oxen and horses.
When stung by gadflies blood of the arterial colour
flows from the point. This may be the effect of the
tsetse, for when an ox known to be bitten was killed
its blood was all p 1 the arterial hue. I had but four
buffaloes for the experiments, and as yet, as three
remain, I remain in doubt.;_, hoping that this short
sketch, which I write in haste, for an Arab, who is
r,,,,,zhig (town to the coast, may be appfoie4, I
am, &c.,

"DAVID LIVINGSTONE."

The Projected Reform Demonstration.

A deputation from the committee entrusted with
the carrying out of the arrangements of the proposed
trade reform demonstration waited on the Home
Secretary yesterday afternoon, on the subject of
appointing special constables for that occasion. The
deputation consisted of Messrs. G. Potter, R. Hart-
well, J.Coffey, Jenkins, and Bryan. Sir R. Mayne
was present at the interview.

Mr. G. POTTER explained that a few weeks ago
the committee asked Sir R. Mayne if he would faci-
litate them in the progress of the demonstration,
and in the keeping away of roughs and such like
characters, who infested gatherings in every large
town. Wishing the demonstration to be a peaceable
one, they asked him for the assistance of the police
to protect them from the character's to whom he had
referred, who would not form part of the procession,
but Sir R. Mayne refused to interfere in the matter.
They had therefore come to him (Alr. Walpole) to
ask whether he would allow the swearing in, or ar-
range for the swearing in, of 1,000 of the artisans of
London, who were willing to come forward and act
in that capacity on the day of the proposed demon-
stration. They did not apprehend that anything
would occur calling for their interference during the
otttdhhaffakeey,
eere
vpbute
from
lanci w
demonstration
ine git.nha,errseGitpossibleeuor.i.tyv that so rue disturbance might
committee.l
ei
orn
ndf
erhnoetm d(
i.ftdhae
held.
notTp lh3areecytekhmn,a demonstrationhodiwciwhere
h
did not approve, and which he hoped they would not
be obliged to have recourse to ; but he trusted they
would be able to secure a place of meeting before
the appointed day. _

Mr. JENKINS said the committee were assured the
working men would behave in an orderly manner.
Mr. ITAIITWELL remarked that the police had given
every assistance to those who hal the management
of the reform demonstrations in the provinces.
Sir It. MAYNE said the request that was made
to him was that he should keep one side of the
street clear for the procession. That, he told them, ha
could not do, but added that he would do every-
thing- in his power to preserve the peace. of the me-
tropolis.
Mr. WALPOLE called the attention of the deputa-

tion to the Act of Parliatnenk on pm subject, Which
to
the peace, on the oath of one credible witness, that
hebaepiip,goinntlmadeen'tfanslyrti.alo constables,
on
reasonably be apprehends 1, such justices being of
opinion that the ordinary oflic:!rs appointed for the
aopnir'yo tfdloteiridmu lfato,tri riot,ot or felony hal taken place or might information
preservation of the peace were not sufficient for that
purpose. It was not therefore in his power either to
withhold or grant the appointment of special con-
stables. lle did not suppose they wished him to
assume that they were under au apprehension that
tumult, riot, or felony would take place.
Mr. POTTER pointed out the sort of protection
that was wanted. While the demonstrations were
being held in the summer, bands of men, not con-
nected with reformers, formed themselves into bodies,
broke windows, and committed other acts which
were imputed to those who had taken part in the
processions. They apprehended that something of
that kind would again occur, and they wished to
swear in special. constables, so that they might put
an end to it and free themselves from the stigma of
disorderly proceedings, but they did not want to go
before a magistrate and swear that a riot or a tumult
' would take place.
Mr. WALPOLE did not see, from the information

laid before him, that either Mr. Potter or any one
else could go and swear that they apprehended a
riot, tumult, or felony. (Hear, hear, from the depu-
tation.) If that was so, he did not think they need
deal with this subject at the present moment. if
Sir Richard Mayne had warned thempeoriot
nh e
odanger
pro-
perty
to be apprehended from those whom. the deputa-
tion called roughs, it was only his duty to do so. In
all cases where there was danger
should not
the police would interfere. In conclusion he
recommended the deputation, as soon as they
had made their arrangements, to forward a copy
of the programme to Sir Richard Mayne,
who would take care that as little obstruction
should take place in the streets as possible, and that
those
n
be
unnecessarily taking
yg
The deputation then thanked Mr. Walpole for his
courtesY and withdrew.
urinPartinterferedin the
with.
procession

SETTLEMENT OF THE PLACE OF MEETING.
The adjourned meeting of the Trades' Demon-
stration Committee was held last evening at the
Brougham Hall, Fleet-street—Mr. G. Potter in the
chair—to receive a report from the sub-committee
appointed to secure a suitable place for the meeting
on the 3d of December next.

The CHAIRMAN reported that himself and Mr.
Jenkins had waited upon Lord Ranelagh with respect
to the Beaufort House Rifle Ground, Old Brompton.
They were met in the most frank and gentlemanly
manner, and having stated the object of their visit,
after due consideration his lordship granted their re-
quest, handed to the deputation a letter in which he
stated his political views, carefully guarding himself
from acquiescing in the objects or principles of the
Reform Association. The letter concluded as fol-
lows :

'Conservative ' of my park fencing,
"I take it for granted that you will indemnify me
and prefer it to the
against any possible damage by riot or otherwise. lam
unsightly ' wall-poles' which now surround the place of a
former meeting in anything
but pleasing memorial.—
Yours obediently, " IiANELILOIL."
It was then resolvei that the meeting be held in
the grounds given by Lord Ranelagh, and that the
secretary write a respectful letter to Lord John
Manners thanking his lordship for the offer of
Primrose-hill, but informing him that the committee
had secured private grounds in which to hold the
meeting.
The committee then adjourned with three cheers
for Lord Ranelagh, and thanks to Lord John
Man-
ners
of the deputations who had waited upon
and Al r. Walpole for their courteous:lit-Li:flout

---------
CITANGE RINGING.---On Monday evening eight
members of the Ancient Society of College Youths rang, at
St. Botolph Church, Bishopsgate-street, an excellent peal
of grandsiro triples, Holt's ten part, in 2 hours 56 minutes,
being the quickest ever rung on the bells. Performers
Wm. Kay, treble ; James Pettit, second ; George Mash,
third ; Edwin norms, fourth ; M. A. Wood, fifth ; J.
M.
Hayes, sixth; henry Booth, seventh; A. Hayward, tenor;
conducted by M. A. Wood.

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, NOV. 28, 1866.

It is well known that since the great successes he
met with in the summer Count BISMARCK has not
been so fortunate at home, and ever and anon
sinister remarks have appeared to the effect that
his long career of unbroken triumph was drawing
near to its close. After the lapse of some time there
carne a sort of denial from the semi-official and
other journals in the interest of the Government.
The North German Gazette declares that it affirms
most positively that the rumours afloat as to the
illne s, and alleged disgrace and resignation of
Count BISMARCK, are devoid of foundation. It is,
however, very much to be doubted if this emphatic
statement is true, and at any rate it shows that
there was some occasion for the said reports to
get about, all. From what was said some
time ago we should have been justified in believing
that all was fortunate with the land for the time
being, but we now think that there is more
truth in all these assertions than people would
have us believe. The most dangerous phase
in the career of the Prussian Minister is that
he depends upon chance for support. He has no
foundation to rest upon ; no goodwill and respect
to fall back upon in case of emergency, and if once
the tide of popularity turns he will not be able to
withstand its adverse encroachment. Perhaps in a
few months he may be in a very different position
from that which he now holds, and he may find out
too late that honesty is the best policy. There is
no more contemptible character than a fallen
favourite, and BISMARCK is not likely to be a
very bright exception to the general rule.
" Whero'er he turns ho meets a stranger's eye,
Ills suppliants scorn him, and his follower's
exclaimed the poet, in criticising a greater man
than BISMARCK can ever pretend to be, and he may
yet realise the truth of this description in his own
fall.

Another agkward feature in Prussian politics is
the matter of the Budget, and although the North
German Gazette seems to think that it will soon be

settled in a satisfactory manner, we are scarcely
inclined to think that their sanguine anticipations
will bo fulfilled. The truth is that the Deputies
are beginning shrewdly to suspect that they have
been imposed upon, and therefore they are by no
means prepared to yield a ready assent to all the
propositions that are put before them. We shall no
doubt find that seine sharp recriminations will now
be the order of the day at Berlin. Prince CHARLES
opened the Chambers on Monday, and announced
that they would respect the sovereignty
of the Porte within the limits of the Treaty
of Paris. So far as we can judge from appear-
ances he seems to have acquitted himself in a very
satisfactory manner, and the very arduous
task of making this address under the present cir-
cumstances of the case. There was a debate in the
Lower Austrian Diet on the address to the EstrE-
non, in which one of the members declared that the
exclusion of Austria from Germany could not pos-
sibly prove a permanent reality. Perhaps this
opinion may not hereafter prove so erroneous as
many now think it to be. 11 e have yet to see what
the French will do when the Paris Exhibition is '
over, and they can turn their attention to military
matters.

The arrangements for the Reform demonstration
next Monday are progressing very favourably.
The Managing Committee have set to work in a
prudent and business-like mAnner. They have
found, by unpleasant experience, that it is useless to
rely on the undoubted respectability and steadiness
of the mass of working men to prevent those dis-
turbances so likely to arise from large meetings or
processions through crowded thoroughfares, because
the e.te9.dy and orderly portion or the aSseanny
naturally disperse quietly and retreat to their own
homes, while the turbulent and mischief-
making spirits who find no pleasure equal to " a
row" are left upon the ground to make what dis-
turbance they can. The committee being anxious
that the gathering of next Monday shall be an actual
representation of popular feeling, and not a mere
discreditable riot, have therefore adopted two wise
precautions. They have endeavoured to come to a
preliminary arrangement as to their place of
meeting to put their right of assembly be-
yond doubt or dispute, and they have waited
upon the authorities to come if possible to a dis-
tinct understanding as to the assistance which
they might expect from the police in maintaining
order. It is not a little remarkable, as evidencing
the mutability of popular feeling and the changes
which time works, that whereas after the last meet-
ing the officiousness of the police was the subject of
complaint, Sir RICHARD MAYNE'S reluctance to
undertake any extra responsibility on this occasion
is the difficulty. However, we have no fear but
that all will pass off peacefully and satisfactorily.
The anxiety of the committee to preserve order has
been proved by their waiting upon the Home Secre-
tary, asking permission to swear in 1000 special con-
stables from among the artisans of London. Mr.
WALPOLE explained to the deputation that he had no
power to appoint special constables, but that if any
person apprehended a " tumult or felony," they
could make a deposition to that effect before a jus-
tice of the peace, and apply for the appointment of
special constables. But he did not see that any
one could make such a deposition at present, and
therefore that question was disposed of. With re-
gard to the assistance of the police, Sir R. MAYNE,
though he declined to interfere with the usua
traffic of the streets, said that the force under,
his control were bound to do all in their power
to preserve order. Mr. WALPOLE'S language was
perfectly plain and straightforward. " The Govern-
ment," he said, " had no desire to prevent any
peaceable procession or meeting, but they felt it
right, at the same time, to state that such assem-
blages might lead to disorder, or to obstruction of
the public traffic, or to injury to person or property,
and in any such case it would be the duty of the
police to interfere; but while a meeting or proces-
sion continued to be of an orderly character it would
be the duty of the police to see that those engaged
in it could move about as freely as
could, under the circumstancas, be expected."
This declaration the deputation regarded as
being on the whole satisfactory, and they under-
took to let Sir RICHARD MAYNE know as soon as
possible their line of march and place of assembly.
The difficulty respecting the place of assembly
has also been happily settled. Application having
been made to Lord RANELAGII for permission to
occupy the Beaufort House Rifle Ground, Old
Brompton, that nobleman has frankly and kindly
granted the request, telling them that though he
has always belonged to the Tory side of politics,
he would " extend to all ranks and grades the
utmost rights and privileges consistent with a
free and united monarchy." His lordship at the
same time humorously reminds the committee that
he is " Conservative" of his park fencing as well as
of his politics, and prefers them to wooden palings.
We have no doubt that the hint will be taken, and
that the managers of the meeting will take every
care to avoid doing damage or creating unnecessary
disturbance; and we hope that the whole affair may
Pass off quietly, since anything like riot or turbu-
lence would do much injury to the cause of Reform,
and be on every ground greatly to be regretted.

The weekly return of the Registrar- General gives
satisfactory evidence of the improved condition of
the public health. The deaths registered in London
during the week ending Saturday, the 24th inst.,
were 1,435, being 173 less than the estimated num-
ber. This shows an encouraging contrast to the
returns to which we have lately grown accustomed,
in which the mortality has constantly exceeded the
average. The deaths from cholera were but eight,
and from diarrhoea twenty-six. The Registrar does
not fail to point the moral. "It must be allowed,"
he says, ",that the circumscription of the most dan-
gerous epidemic of the year in London has been
very glitch due to the measures by which it has been
combated ; and the time has now come for the ex-
tension of similar measures to the extinction of other
zymotic diseases, such as typhoid fever." The
Registrar knows too well the numbers that are
annually stricken down by this more stealthy but
not less dangerous enemy. Typhus in all forms is
ever busy among our fever-laden courts and over-
crowded alleys. It cuts off the strong men,
it lays aside the busy, striving mother ; it mows
down the ill-fed, half-clad little ones. Yet
though it is more preventible, more controllable
than cholera, though its causes and origin can
generally be distinctly traceable to unhealthy sani-
tary conditions, we fold our hands, and let the
fever rate of London go on annually increasing.
Surely it is quite time that our public authorities
took this matter vigorously in hand, and the least
that we can do to show our gratitude o PRovi-
DENCE for the removal of the dreaded epidemic is
to use all possible endeavours to remove from our
poorer fellow-citizens this terrible and ever-increas-
ing scourge of Typhus in all its branches.

The Royal Geographical Society held its second
meeting for this session last Monday, and the pre-
sident, Sir R. MURCHISON was in he chair, and
twenty-five new Fellows were elected. A letter
from Dr. Livnicisiaz was read by the Secretary,

in which the traveller said that be had penetrated
thirty miles further than his furthest point in 1861,
and be was then preparing to advance to the un-
known northern extremity of Lake Nyassa. Some
very interesting details were given of the adventures
he had met with in the course of his wan-
derings. Whatever else may or may not be
said as to African travels and explorations
they are always replete with adventures, and those
who sit at home at ease and peruse the exciting
chronicle may well marvel at the zeal and courage
displayed by those daring pioneers of civilisation
and Christianity to the wild and waste places of
those dreary regions. It was found that the natives
--the Makonde tribe—were willing to work, and
assisted in-clearing paths for the men and animals,
and the chief was most friendly at the junction,
so that Dr. LIVINGSTONE has, on the whole,
fared better this time than on former occasions.
It is interesting to notice that Colonel MAY-
FAIR, her MAJESTY'S Consul at Zanzibar, said
that the harbour at which Dr. LIVINGSTONE and
his party had disembarked had only lately been
discovered. Dr. MANN read a paper on the physical
geography of Natal, and in the course of it he gave
many details of the mineral and the vegetable pro-
ductions of that country ; he said that it could
never be a wine-growing country because of the
cloudiness and moisture of the summer. It is
curious to notice that the summer season there is
wet and the winter one dry ; the Dr. showed by
his map and diagrams that the peculiar climate and
fertility of Natal del ended upon its physical con-
figuration. This Society is well calculated to in-
crease the study and knowledge of geography, and
nowhere is such learning more useful than in this
country, or more interesting eitner.