Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1858-02-04
skettbes Of Grabel.
From the London Illustrated News.
IININGSTONE'S
TRAVELS IN SOUTH AFRICA


largely add to his well-earned reputation.
On his arrival in England, after an absence
of sixteen years passed in danger in the pur,
suit of the noblest objects, he was honored
with special meeting of welcome by the
Royal Geographical Society; and publicly
announced his intention of communicating
to the world narrative of his adventures;
investigations and discoveries. He has re-
deemed his promise in manner that will
elicit universal admiration. Though mod
estly decaiming all literary pretensions, DR..
Livingstone has displayed the capabilities of
an accomplished writer-his style being clear
and vigorous, and clear from all meretrlcious
decoration. But the great charm of the
book, which imparts to it an enduring inter
est, is the novelty of the materials of which
it is composed. He has penetrated into re-
gions on which the foot of the white man
had never before trod and beheld flowing
rivers where only sandy deserts were supposed
to exist. Races of men with whom no Eu-
ropean had communicated had been his
friends, companions, and disciples. We con-
slider this work of such novelty and impor-
tance, both as regards the narrative and the
illustrations, as (by consent of the publisher
to transfer to our pages few of the scenes
of vivid interest which DR.. Livingstone has
pictured and to quote them with these en-
cravings his life-like descriptions.
Before entering upon the details of this
volume, it will crafty our readers if we give
q slight sketch of this benefactor of mankind
He is native of Scotland, descended from
respectable, though not opuleut, line of an
cestors; one of whom on his death-bed called
his children around him, and said that he
could not discover dishonest man among
their forcfathers. He parted from them with
these words, "Be honest" The father of
DR.. Livingstone was farmer of Ulva; but
the expense of large family induced him
to remove to the Blantyre cotton factory,
near Glasgow. There his son was placed as
weaver, at ten years of age; but attended
school where he was taught Latin. At nine
teen, he became a cotton-spinner, and his
wages enabled him to attend Medical,
Greek, and Divinity class at Glasgow, where
he was subsequently admitted licentlate OF
the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons. 1t
was his intention to have gone to China, but
he was prevented by the opium war. Elm
barking for Africa in 1910, after voyage OF
three months he reached Cape Town, where
he started for the interior, travelling around
Algoa Bay. From 1910 to 1877, he devoted
his time to medical and missionary labors,
without cost to the inhabitants. Shortly at
ter his arrival in Africa, he determined to
obtain general knowledge of the language,
and especially of that spoken by the Bechu-
ans, called Bakwains. and to make himself
acquainted with their laws and customs,
their habits and modes of thinking, for which
purpose he secluded himself for six months,
from European society. In 1853 he removed
to the beautiful valley of Mabotsa, selecting
it as the site of missionary station; and
there his first perilous adventure occurred
!. The lions of the neighborhood not only at
t.. '"d the cattle pensby night, butthe herds
in open day. 1t was known that, if one in
troop of these animals is killed, the whole
quit that part of the country. The Doctor
determined personally to assist the people in
making war against the common enemy
and the native leader of the party was the
schoolmasters, named Mebalwe. The en-.
counter, in which Dr. Livingstone narrowly
escaped from death, (Which we have illustra'
ted, is thus related:
ESCAPE FROM THE LION.
'Startling aud looking half round, saw
the lion just in the act of springing upon
me was upon little height; he caught
my shoulder as he sprang, and we both came
to the ground below, together. Growing
horribly, close to my ear, he shook me as q
terrier dog does rat This shock produced
stupor, similar to that which seems to be
felt by mouse, after the first shake of the
cat, 1t caused sort of dreaminess, in which
there was no sense of pain, nor feeling Of
terror, though quite conscious of all that was
happening. 1t was like what patients par
TALLY under the influence of chloroform des
cribe, who see all the operation, but feel moi
the knife This singular condition was moi
the result of any mental process. The shake
annihilated fear, and allowed no sense of hor
ror in looking around at the beast. This pc
culiar state is probably produced in all ami
mails killed by the carnivora and, if so, i:
merciful provision by our benevolent Crea
tor, for lcsseuiug the pain of death. Turn
ing round to relieve myself of the weight
as he had one paw on the back of my head
7 saw his eyes directed towards Mebalwe
who was trying 10 shoot him at distance O
fifteen yards. His gun, flint one, missed
fire in both barrels; the lion immediatel,
left me, and attacking Mebalwe, bit his thigh
Another man, whose life | had saved, afte
he had been tossed by buffalo, attempted
to spear the lion while he was biting Mebal
we. He left Mebalwe and caught this MAJ
by the shoulder, but at this moment the bul
lets he had received took effect, and he fel
down dead. The whole was the work of
few minutes, and must have been the parox
ysm of dying rage. In order to take out th
charm for him, the Bakatia on the followin!
day, made huge bonfire over the carcass
which was declared to be that of the larges
lion they had ever seen. Besides crushin!
the hone info snlinterS he left elnvan tnntl