The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-07-09
Livingstone and Kirk.

Elsewhere will be found letter, now for
the first time made public, from DR..
David Livingstone, the great African explor
er, to his brother, Mr.. John Livingstone OF
Listowell, Ontario. The pretensions OF DR..
John Kirk, H. B. M. Consul at Zanzibar, to
great friendship for DIR. Livingstone, his ac-
companying the body to England and acting
as pall-bearer at the funeral were naturally
very offensive to the Doctor brother, in view
of the statements made i'll this letter. Mr..
Livingstone says that had timely notice
reached him he would have gone over to the
funeral and protested, with his brothers let
ter in his hands, against Kinks acting as pail
bearer. The indignation of Mr. Livingstone
at these assumptions on the part of Kirk
who had represented that DR.. Livingstone
was living like an Arab and travelling aimless-
y through Africa-has led him TO consent to
the publication in the PRESS of this letter,
which shows the strong feeling of the writer
at his i'll treatment by one who was officially
AS well as morally and humanely-bound to
furnish the intrepid explorer with all possible
aid and comfort.
1t will be remembered that Stanley in
letter to the Herald, dated Sept. 81, 1871,
makes set arraignment, with specifications,
of DR.. Kirk for his improper conduct toward
Livingstone, which is here very thoroughly
substantiated by the sufferer himself. 1t re-
mains now to be seen whether DR.. Kirk can
give any satisfactory explanation of his con-
duct, or must stand pilloried for all time as a
man who intensified neglect of official duty
by the desertion of friend and fellow coun-
tryman in distress. Stanley says in sum-
ming up: "The story is told. This is the
Casa case as 1 understand it of the British
Public vs. John Kirk. Does it not appear
to you that DR.. John Kirk never had word
to say, never had word to write to his Old
friend DR.. Livingstone all the time from Nov.
1870, to about Feb. Is, 1871; that, during all
this period of three and half months, DR..
John Kirk showed great unkindness, I'M
frendliness toward the old traveller, his form
er companion, in not pushing the caravan
carrying supplies to the man with whom all,
who have read of him, sympathize so much
Does il not seem to you, as it does to me,
that had d.. John Kirk bestirred himself in
his grand character of English 'Balyuz'-a
noble name and great title out here in these
lands-that that small caravan of thirty-three
men might have been despatched within
week or two after their arrival at Bagamoyo,
by which il would have arrived here in Uny-
anyembe long before Mirambo's war broke
out%' This language was written before
Stanley reached Livingstone, and raust of ne
cessity have been based on his own observa-
ton of the situation.
Stanley parted from Livingstone March
IA, 1872, nine months before the writing of
this letter, in which the Doctor avais him.
self of the freedom of fraternal correspon
dence to declare his grief and indignation at
the shabby and inhumane treatment which
he had encountered at hands from which he
had reason to expect only kindness and help.
1t is pitiful tale, and we may charitably
hope that DR.. Kirk. for his own credit and
that of the nation, will be able to offer some
explanation or excuse in extenuaton.