The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1902-01-18
MR.. LA|NG'S
LECTURE
Interestin Talk
at Research
Club.

! search Club were delightfully."- enter
tanned last evening at the residence OF
George b. Mcclellan. on Anapuni
street, by Mr.. j. A Laing, who gave
an interesting account of his connec-
ton with the removal of the remains
of Explorer Livingston from Zanzibar
to London, where they were inferred
in Westminster Abbey. The gentleman
related ms experiences in an easy con-
VerSaIIOnal manner, ana told OIL what
he knew of Livingstone, Stanley, and
other great men connected with the
opening up OF the Dark Continent, in
a way winch captlVated the memDerS
| of the club and It's invited guests. Mr..
Laing SAID that the African boys who
had Deen with Livingstone during his
lifetime and brought his body out of
the very heart OF the country to cIYili-
cation, had done this act merely for
the purpose of establishing beyond
doubt their right to claim the wages
due them for services. This was some
thing new to the audience, as most of
those present had been led to believe
from books on the subject that IT was
done because of the natlye devotion to
the explorer.
At the business meeting preceding
the address, Mr.. Mcclellan resigned as
president OF the club, owing 10 MS bus
mess requiring all his time, and Mr.
for the same reason. Percy Pond, as
president, and w. A. Bryan, as secre-
tary, were unanimously elected to fill
the vacancies. Mr.. Laing was intro
duced by Mr.. Mcclellan. He gave
graphic account or his experiences in
Zanzibar thirty years ago. He told OF
the time DR.. Livingstone first lett Lon
don and entered the Dark Continent, in
1866 how he was lost to society for
many years, when his family seldom
saw him, and how he devoted his last
years to attempting to find the head
waters of the Niger. Mr.. Laing told
of Stanley'S expedition sent in 1870 to
find Livingstone; how he met the eX-
piorer at Dill; the trials of explorers
were narrated, and the great loads
which had to be carried on the heads
of natives into the interior as barter.
were described. Mr.. Laing went to
Zanzibar in March, with letters to Sir |
John Kirk. He was in charge of the !
business of Mr.. Frazier there at the |
time the fleets of England, France, |
Germany and Austria met to coerce the |
Sultan into signing a treaty preventing
the trading in slaves. AS to the native |
boys who brought the news of Liv-
death, Mr.. Laing said the
first ones who came were awful liars
Those who We're with the explorer at
his death had not the best of reputa-
tons for honesty and truthfulness. TO
|
5usi, Jacob wainwright and a few other
native boys decided that the best proof
IF LivingStOneS death was to produce
ais body before the consul at Zanzibar.
They removed the stomach, heart and
ungs and placed them in a biscuit can,
which was buried, and the body was
Tried in a tree and brought to the sea
oast, wrapped in cloths. They travel
ID for six months before coming to a
'lace where they could send word that
hey had the body in their keeping. |
Jpon arrival at the coast, the body was
ent across Zanzibar, and was there eX-
'osed to the view of five gentlemen 6
onnected with the consulate, among
yhom was Mr.. Laing. What he saw
TaS a Shrivelled form, the face easily a
recognizable as that of white man.
lie also read Livingstone's diary in
hitch the last entry was that he was
ok and was going to die. a few pages
ack he read that his boy Jacob VAIN
right was thorough thief, as he had
,olen COW from an Arab beauty and =
Did it to the doctor, for which the
octor had given his boy a threshing.
was in London that Sir William
erguson established the identity of
livingstone by a broken arm, sustain -
several years before his death. Act
g Consul General PrideauX offered n
+. Laing the honor of escorting the
mains to London, to be given into
e keeping of the Foreign Office. He
arted on his journey on March 10,
"a, with Jacob Wainwright accom-
,nying him. He fastened on to Lon
n across the continent, the remains
ing by steamer through the Mediter-
mean. He was received by high dig
taries of the British government, and "a
e thanks of Queen Victoria were -
Dveyed TO him by Lord Derby He %
ked of his experiences before an au-
,nce of 1000 people When the body
rived the highest honors We're paid
? remains. Enormous crowds gath
d to see the caSket. Mr.. Laing was
'eiged by autograph hunters until he
8 tired of writing his name. The
satest respect and reverence was
-en the remains until at last they
re laid away in Westminster Abbey
IN Dean Stanley officiating. This n
s on April %, 1874. Mr.. Laing was ~
eived by the Baroness Burdett-
tits, who did him many favors, and
mbers of Parliament gave him every
ention in acknowledgment of his
vices. Mr.. Laing returned to Fan of
ar in August, 1874, a fellow passen- in
with Stanley, who was about to the
on his Niger expedition and cross dis
lea. at
II. Laing spoke of an interview fro
Ich Gambetta had with Stanley mo
ut this time, in which he prophe- fro
| the greatest results would be sole
ieved by Stanleys expeditions, and G
1 the prophecy had come true. The ane
aker also attended the funeral of Gre
Livingstone's son. Bro
the conclusion of the address light Rib
eshments were served by the host. visi
j. Austin. G. B. Gere and L. L. teri
| Dine We're elected to membership. Raj
49, Wa