The chronicle=news., 1913-02-18

London. Feb s.-TIr approach
ing centenary Uf David Livingstone.
the great Af-ican missionary. which
will he held hArn ID Marcl ls. next.
brings into in reSilnS relief tie
only survivor rf The Livingstone
party. Sir John Eirk. Sir John is now
living In retir"m"nt at seven caks
and Is aproachlus his eishiy-first
year. lie was ne zeal originator o.
the British empire la East Africa.
and when seen recently at ,his home
he talked most "Gtcr,ain-nsly of his
experiences with Livingstone.
You sec the" arrows." remarked
Sir John. As h. spoke lie poiatcd TO
sheaf OF arrows h'nLinH IN the
wall OF his dining room.
Most OF them, IL confirmed.
We're sho, at Livingstone ana my
self. as we explored the lto,uinn. !
picked them from the deck OF the
boat
lie sat resting his hands on his
ebony stick. his eyes cleaning mo-
mentarily as h" told stories OF his
wonderful life In Africa. whs-. n!t-
or Livingstone had been laid In West
minister abbey. he himself carried On
the great work by putting an end TO
the slave trade on the east coast md
by helping to lay the foundations or
railway and commercial expansion
In Uganda and Nigeria.
As he strollcd In his garden. he
tho side OF the path-thc skulls OF
nm elephant and hlppopotamuS.
Il think I am III. only man." said
he. who has hah this thigh between
the jnwR Of n hippOpotamns and .s-
capped.
Livingstone and I were travelling
In boats up in the Shire. ! was lying
back In the punwale steering. and
taking little notice OF anything. save
to keep the boat from running Into II
bunch OF reeds. letting my leg rest
carclessiy the Will. along III. cde.
OF IN. boat.
suddenly n buckctfuI Of water
was hurled into the bont by tho snou'
OF hippoDntamus. lie opened his
enormous jaws-the lawcr Jaw un-
der the boat. the upper over my leg.
Had he closed his Jaws he would
hHv. crushed til" boat and carried
away my leg. but for some mystcr-
ious reason he turned and divcd. We
never saw him again. On" OF our
Makololo men turned TO me and said
OF the dclivcranc". IT'S Gods Provi-
d.nc" only
''LivinGstonc's lack Of any sens.
Of fear amounted almost TO n weak
ness remarked Sir John. "IIc would
go intc the most perilous positions
without n trcmor or n touch OF hcsi.
inston. ! never knew him TO show
u sign OF iimorousncss In any cir
cumstnnccs whatever.
Yes" no continued. with growing
,.n n ,tssct tsNt,
AIRY. though no, In any narrow sense.
II" had no prcsoAnl ambition. His
one idea was to benefit Africa and
Africans
Then Sir John told the wonderful
story OF how he ended the slave
trade on the east coaAt-a traffic
which nd left deserts In place Of
populous Villages and was attended
by horrible intcrrnciai destruction
and dcpopulatcd the Central African
lake plateau.
Sir Bartle Frcre had failed to In
ducc tho Sultan of Zanzibar TO sign
tho treaty for tho stoppasc OF the
slave trade. Tho sultan knew that
with the local Arab chiefs taking
their existing view OF the traffic. his
signature OF tho treaty would he fol-
lowed by his death within As hours.
Sir Bartle Frere went and the
matter was left to me-" said Sir
John.
II go: together the Independent {
Arab chiefs. who were largely in
control OF the trade. and said to
them. In the presence OF the sultan:
- have seen what the slave trade
means in the country around the
lakes. and have seen whot you do
shall cease.
II told them what blockade was.
that had one xunboat there. that
eight more sunboats were coming.
and tina; II they wished their ordin-
iEy trade. apart from the slave trade.
to 20 on. and their own power to
continue. they had better come to
PLANTING THE ENIISH WALNUT