The Central Glamorgan Gazette, and General, Commercial, and Agricultural Advertiser. — 1867-03-15 (Bridgend, Mid Glamorgan, Wales)

THE REPORTED DEATH OF DB.  iiff*.osYTAY  A large number of ladies and gentlemen attended the meeting of the Royal Geographical Society on Monday evening, at Burlington-house, expecting to hear some further tidings of the fate of Dr. Livingstone. Sir Roderick Murchison, the president, was prevented from occupying his usual post by an attack of bronchitis, and the chair was accordingly filled by Sir C. H. &seUnion, one of the viee•presidents. This gentleman explaioed the cause of the president's absence, and stated that Sir Roderick had partioalarlt wished to preside at the meeting to make some remarks as to the news from Africa respecting Dr, Livingstone. After stating that the letters that had been referred to in the published cemmnnioations as timing viii St. Helena had not yet arrived, the chairman read the following communication from Sir R. Marohison : " Regretting particularly that, owing to indisposition, I am unable to attend the meeting this day, I beg the fellows of the society to recollect that in announcing the reported death of my dear and valued friend, Dr. Livingstone, I spoke of it as an event which required to be substantiated by better evidence than that of the nine men of Johanna, in the Comoro Islands, who brought the sad intelligenee. lam informed by travellers who know these people well that they are Diahommedans, who, it they became diegusted with, or intimidated by the ferocious pagan natives on the borders of the Lake &vases, may have abandoned their (thief, and having agreed upon the story they were to tell, would hold together firmly in maintaining its truth. There are also several parte of their narrative which seem to me to be difficult to understand—for instance, their being hidden in a wood, and yet their observation of the attack on Livingstone being so accurately described. Again, if, as the Johanna men stated, they buried their leader, is it likely that they would in such case cot have brought away with them some relie to vouch for the truth of their story ? Presuming that if hostile natives had killed Livingstone, they would kayo cared little for his notobook; one of these alone, or even a look of his hair, would have been good auxiliary evidence. Further, when I recollect that many an African traveller who has returned safely to England has been reported to have been killed (usually by runaway natives who had deserted him), I shall not ahem. don all hope until Dr. Kirk, the former devoted companion of Livingstone, and who bee gone towards the scene of the alleged disaster, shall have satisfied himself that the calamity really occurred, and that philanthropists and geographers have lost the great traveller who bad already won for himself imperishable renown. I have only to add that the more detailed account which Dr. Kirk had sent to me before the letter which appeared wag written, will, I apprehend, throw little new light upon the alleged murder, as it can be nothing mere than a detailed sc3ount of the story as related by the Johanna men. The search into the trathfulness or otherwise of the amount reoeived must occupy some time" (cheers.) Sir H. Rawlinson said he agreed fully with Sir Roderick'a views upon this maxima subject. The account of Dr. Livingstone's fate certainly did seem • very lame story as it stood at present, and ought not to be accepted without further verification. At the same time the worst part of the ease was that eight or nine months had now passed since the disaster was Paid to have occurred. If it had been untrue he could not help thinking that some telegraphic) message by the way of Egypt contradicting the original narrative ought to have been revolved by this time. This might be said to be the dark side of the picture to be placed against the bright Nide revealed in the president's letter. In the meantime all that could be done waa to wait the result with patience. If poor Livingstone had weiehed, all printout would feel that not only had science sustained an irreparable disaster, but that each fellow of the Geographical Society had lost a parroted friend (cheers.) The ordinary transectione of the society were Wm proceeded with.