, 1913-05-07

Our Nyasaland prOtectorate was the eyentu-
al outcome, and but for the apathy of our
Foreign Office might have been the imme-
diate outcome, of Livingstone's expedition.
He had spent upon it most of the proceeds
OF his first book. "Missionary Travels" which
brought him 100000. His second DO k,
'The Zambesi and its Tributaries" appeared
in 1865.
But before it's appearance Livingstone
had been persuaded by the Geographical
Society to go back to Africa and endeavour
to find the sources of the Nile. The third
and last period of his African work, which
began when he was nearly So years of age,
was in a sense even more unsuccessful than
the second. The Government made him a
Consul, but without pay, and limited their
help to a grant of $500. The Geographical
Society contributed az much more. Alone,
and thus slenderly equipped, he set out to
enter upon his task. From the early part
Of 1866 he was for five years practically lost
to sight. During that time he wandered on
foot over i'm immense tract of country, max
ing some discoveries of Importance, but gra-
dually losing health and strength from eX-
posture to a trying climate, the effects of
which were aggravated by his own contempt
for all reasonable precautions. In 1871 he
NtD 4clthA ~ N'AiN III AANhO ANAO "HJ ~
almost destitute, and in a pitiable condition
of health. After Stanley had reluctantly
left him he struggled on for a year more,
suffering from several painful complaints,
and growing daily weaker, until at last, in
May, 1878, worn out by the hardships he
had undergone, he died without accomplish
ing the object he had set before himself.
Such were Livingstone's life and death.
1t is deeply interesting to consider what was
the effect of them, and what they have
ment to the world.
The Forerunner of Civilization.
It can hardly be said that as an evangelist,
as a preacher Of the Christian Gospel, he had
any conspicuous success. From that point
Of view he cannot perhaps be called u great
missionary. But he did not regard the
work Of q missionary as consisting solely in
direct conversion. From the beginning,
when he resolved to offer himself to the
cause, his idea had been to become so pio-
neer of ChrIstianity"; and a pioneer he re-
manned to the end. That was the bent of
his mind and character, 1t would be hard
ly possible to enumerute the missions which
have settled themselves in various places as
a result of his explorations and Of the impe-
tus which he gave to the efforts of others.
But as one example, the British Medical
OfD 'ttbtJ WAlCh SPCdAo hlShAJ vi LIE OOlC
work, states that in the "Livingstonia" mis-
sion alone there are SO missionaries, of whom
seven are medical men, q church of over
5000 communicates, and 700 schools with
nearly $4,000 scholars. All Central Africa
is now dotted with mission stations, and
each is a centre of c~ivilizing influence.
The direct and indirect results of his work
were such us few explorers have obtained.
Though he had many disappointments, he
opened up to geographical science a million
square miles Of country, bringing to light
unknown lakes and rivers, and dissipating
once for all the prevailing ideas about Cen
trail Africa and its populations. The slave
trade has been in great measure extirpated.
The unhappy people used to implore Living
stone to help them. Give us Sleep" they
said; "deliver us from the raids and massa-
ores which are making our lives a terror"
And he has given them sleep for his ap.
peals, perhaps more than anything else, led
to the efficient action taken by Great Britain
and other nations forty years ago. In spite
of many mistakes and many crimes for which
the nations have been responsible since his
death, the lot of the African races is incom-
parably happier than it used to be, and the
civilized world has gained access to half a
new continent for it's trade and its settle
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