Dec. 15, 185G.] LIVINGSTON. 28.'i 



must our Medallist have possessed, when — having struggled at the 

 imminent risk of life through such obstacles, and escaping from the 

 interior, he had been received with true kindness by our old allies 

 the Portuguese at Angola — he nobly resolved to redeem his pro- 

 mise, and retrace his steps to the interior of the vast continent. 

 How much, indeed, must the moral influence of the British name 

 be enhanced throughout Africa, where it has been promulgated that 

 our missionary has thus kept his plighted word to the poor natives 

 who faithfully stood by him ! 



Turning to Dr. Livingston, the President then said — Dr. Living- 

 ston, it is now my pleasing duty to present to 3^011 tl is our Patron's 

 or Victoria Medal, as a testimony of our highest esteem. I rejoice 

 to see on this occasion, such a numerous assemblage of geographers 

 and distinguished persons, and that our Meeting is attended by the 

 Ministers of foreign nations.* Above all, I rejoice to welcome 

 the Representative of that nation whose governors and subjects, 

 in the distant regions of Africa, have treated you as a brother, and 

 without whose aid many of your most important results could not 

 have been achieved. Gladdened must be the hearts of all the geo- 

 graphers present, when they see you attended by men, who accom- 

 panied and aided you in your earliest labours. I allude particularly 

 to our own Fellows, Colonel Steele, Mr. Cotton Oswell, and Captain 

 Vardon, who are now with us. As these and other distinguished 

 African travellers are in this room, and among them Dr. Earth, 

 who alone of living men, has reached Timbuctu and returned, 

 may not the Geographical Society be proud of such achievements ? 

 I therefore, heartily congratulate you. Sir, on being surrounded 

 by men, who certainly are the best judges of jour merits, and I 

 present to you this Medal, as a testimony of the high admiration 

 with which we all regard your great labours. 



Dr. Livingston replied : — Sir, I have spoken so little in my own 

 tongue for the last sixteen years, and so much in strange languages, 

 that you must kindly bear with my imperfections in the way of 

 speech-making. I beg to return my warmest thanks for the distin- 

 guished honour you have now conferred upon me, and also for the 

 kind and encouraging expressions with which the gift of the Gold 

 Medal has been accompanied. As a Christian missionary, I onl}^ did 

 my duty, in attempting to open up part of southern intei'-tropical 

 Africa to the sj^mpathy of Christendom ; and I am very much gra- 

 tified by finding in the interest, which you and many others express, 

 a pledge that the true negro family, whose country I traversed, will 



* The Ministers of Russia and Sardinia were also present. 



X 2 



