Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1860-01-14
A Letter from DIR. Livingstone.

at meeting of the iengraphical and Stat1sl1-
cal Society last night, letter was read from DR..
Livingstone, the distinguished traveller, under
late Of "Tc,,e, Zambcsi, 22d February, 1859"
from which extract the following interesting
account Of his latest discoveries
1--WE are all quite now that, during nt least
eight months o cacn year, astcamcr Of four five
feet could trade without embarrassment. The rca.
-on why 50 little has been known about the Xam-
bcsi may have been the branching in the stormy
promontory, by which it was hidden from naviga-
tors And these cusv-chair ceographers. dream
ing tho Geography Of ltolomy, actually put
down the Inmbe>i as lowing into the at Gull
limanc, which in his day it probably did though
moi drop of Ambcs water in ordinary crcum-
stances reaches that port. Had some branch of
the Anglo Americans planted their footsteps upon
its banks--we are such babblins, new wspaper set
the world would have known nll about it long
aso; and no one would have ycnturel t" play with
this river has been done, making it Loose itself
ind flow under the kalallnri desert"
pr. Livingstone and his party assembled II branch
Of this river tho "Shirc." and he gives some nc
count OF the people and things along its banks
llesays:
80 far as we can ascertain, this river has never
been explored by Europeans before. One part of
the luxuriant valley of the Shire is marshy and
ahoundins in lagoons. in which grow great guam
ties Of the lotus plant. The people were busy col
Letting the tubors, which, when boiled or roasted
resembed che-tnuts. They are thus real Lotto
phagi, such as are mentioned by Ilerodotus. An.
other part OF the valley nboundcd in elephants
My companion estimated the number at 500.
Herd upon herd appeared as far as the eye could
reach, and noble animals they were. We some
times chased them in our little steamer: for the
Shire branches off occasionally and forms islands.
"1he upper part of the valley pcopled, and
many of the hills are cultivated high up. But
never having seen Europeans before, they looked
on us with suspicion. They watched us constant
ly, well armed with bows and poisoned arrows.
ready to repel any attack but no inciviity was
offered when we landed. nor were our wooding
parties molcsted 4
The greatest coward fires first so thinking we had
as much pluck a. they, we did not lift gun,
though We saw them oyer-ready to fire, or rather
shoot. We did nothing to mako us ashamed to re-
turn. and, if we have their confidence, we may 90
further. They had abundance of provisions, md
sold them at cheap arte also, cotton of two
knds-one Indigenous, short i'll tho staple. but
very strong and woolly ~ tho feelng-.the other
from imported very fine and long in the staple.
I'VE brought number OF specimens OF their
spindles and yarn, and, as it was quite squal to
American uplands. did not offer them any Ameli-
can seed. The cotton plant il met with eyerv-
where, and, though burned down annually,
springs up again as fresh and strong rs ever
They grow sugarcane, too, bananas manioc, Sc.
The men said by the Portuguese to be very
intelligent, but very wild. The woman wear the
lip ornament, which the doctor describes by
diagram. 1t is ring about four inshes in cir
cumlerencs aud nearly aquarter of an inch thick,
passing through. a large hole in the lower lip,
which is thus made to protrnde frightfully. /
am thus particular, says the doctor, in our
own ladies: who show noble perseverance, when
fashion dictates, may wish to adopt lip orna-
ments."