, 1913-05-07

tain but throughout the Empire and in the
United States, show the hold which his life
and character have obtained upon all Eng
disappearing nations.
The early life Of David Livingstone him
self is well known. Employed at the age
of ten in a cotton factory at BIantyre on the
Clyde, and kept at work from 6 in the morn
ing till s at night, he entered at once upon
a systematic course of reading, which made
him at 16 a respectable Latin scholar. He
has left it on record that in his youth he
was chiefly attracted by scientific works and
books of travel, and had a dislike for every
sort of religious reading. But eventually
some books which fell into his hands con-
WINGED him that science and religion were
not hostile and from that time religious
feeling took a strong hold upon him. Under
its influence be determined to devote his
life to the alienation Of human misery, and
with that object to become a pioneer of
Christianity In China" After some further
study, especially IN medicine, he offered
himself in 1887 for service under the Lon
don Missionary Society, which appealed to
HIM by It's unsectarian character; and with
considerable hesitation, for he did not shine
III preaching or ~eXtempore prayer, his offer
was accepted. Then followed a course of
regular training III medicine and theology;
and in 1910, having received a diploma from
the Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons,
lie found himself fully qualified for the work
of q medical missionary. But, as Great
Britain was then at war with China, that
field Of enterprise was closed to him and,
having mot the famous Moffat. who had
lately returned from South Africa, Living
stone decided to follow in Moffat's steps.
He landed at Cape Town early in 1841,
and the rest of his life was bound up with
Africa. 1t divides itself naturally into three
periods.
His Work.
During the first period, from 1871 to 1856,
he received G100 a year as a missionary of
the London Missionary Society. But this
was q loosely organized body, which
left to its men a large measure of indie
pendence, and after o few years spent
III the restricted field of Bechunnaland
Livingstone was able to follow his
own bent. Opposed by the Beers of the
Transvaal, who were determined to close the
interior to British missionaries, he struck out
across The edge Of the Kalahayi desert, aud
in 1849, accompanied by the great hunter
Oswell, who then and after wards Helped him
generously, he discovered Lake Ngami. He
had now been for some years married, to q
daughter of the missionary Moffat; but, after
a journey to the Upper Zambesi, which he
first saw in 1851, he decided to send his
wife and children to England, and then to
open out a direct road westward or eastward
from the Zambesi to the sea coast. Between
1852 and 1856 he made two great journeys
of exploration, first to the west coast at
Loanda, and then right across the continent
TO the east coast of Quilimoue, discovering
on his way the Victoria Falls.
He was now recalled to England, the
society not wholly approving his devotion to
the work of oil explorer. But the work had
been done, and on his arrival IN England
Livingstone found himself famous. It is
difficult to exoggerato the enthusiasm with
which he was received, not only by scientific
and missionary bodies, but by the whole
nation. His adventurous journeys had lift
ed the veil which until then had hidden
Central Africa and from that time his name
was a household word.
In 1857 he quietly severed his connection
with the London Missionary Society, and,
though still regarding himself as a missiona-
ry, was for the future connected rather with
the Geographical Society than with any
evangelizing body. In 1853, having been
appointed q Consul, with a salary of $500
a year, he left England for the second time,
charcoal with tho command of ~, oD,o1:.:..