246 Livingston; [dec. 15, i856. 



the western portion of Bihe to the Indian Ocean, which is important. The 

 land to the east of Bilie is very high. It is, properly speaking, the Lihale. 

 In July and August, the hills are reported to be covered with snow, and the 

 lakes and rivers to be completely frozen over. This degree of cold so near the 

 equator (14° to 15*^ s. lat.) gives a very high elevation. Ladislaus in his 

 southern journey penetrated to 20° 5' s. lat., and 22° 43' e. long., at which 

 point he must have been at one time only aWit three days' journey distant 

 from the point where Dr. Livingston was at that time, and who was probably 

 the white man of a party described as riding on an ox. Ladislaus has also 

 penetrated northwards and north eastwards around the Cassaby to 4° 41' s. 

 lat., and 25° 43' e. long. 



It affords me great pleasure to see Dr. Livingston among us. I have 

 closely followed his journeys since I heard of him on the top of the volcanic 

 Bakkaluka hills riding on the ox, convinced that he would soon send us most 

 important information. Dr. Livingston has travelled more in Africa than any 

 other traveller ancient or modern, while he has laid down with geographic 

 accuracy every point over which he travelled from sea to sea — the Atlantic to 

 the Indian Ocean. 



Captain Vaedon, f.r.g.s. — I beg to supply an omission which my friend, 

 Dr. Livingston, has made this evening. He has expatiated at great length on 

 the amiability of the African ladies ; but there is one lady whom I met in 

 South Africa, and from whom, I believe, many South African travellers, 

 whom I see in this room, experienced the greatest kindness and hospitality. 

 Dr. Livingston has not made any allusion to her, and I rise to do so. This 

 lady, I need scarcely say, is his own wife. I observe here Colonel Steele, Mr. 

 Oswell, Mr. Gordon Gumming, and others, who will bear me out in saying 

 that we received the greatest kindness from Dr. and Mrs. Livingston ; their 

 hospitality was unbounded, and I am glad of having this opportunity of 

 publicly thanking them before the Royal Geographical Society. Dr. Livingston 

 has said, with his usual modesty, that he has not done much, that any 

 of us might have done as much. I beg to differ from him. As to my own 

 small excursion on the Limpopo, after what I have heard to-day, I feel so 

 ashamed of myself, that I fancy I have only just returned from Blackheath. 



Colonel Steele, f.r.g.s. — My travels in South Africa were much like Cap- 

 tain Vardon's. Dr. Livingston was my earliest companion in Africa, but we tra- 

 velled such a short distance in company, that I am afraid any remarks I could 

 offer, beyond again returning my best thanks to Dr. and Mrs. Livingston for 

 their hospitality, would be of no importance to the Society. 



The President. — Colonel Steele's modesty has prevented him from stating 

 that without the instruments with which he had provided Dr. Livingston, 

 he could not have made the excellent observations which have been obtained. 



Mr. Gordon Gumming begged to confirm what Captain Vardon had said 

 with respect to the kindness with which Dr. Livingston received all parties 

 who visited him. He was not aware that Dr. Livingston had alluded to the 

 insect (the tsetse) whose bite is fatal to cattle. One year, while hunting in 

 the mountains, he, Mr. Gumming, lost all his horses and oxen from the bites of 

 this fly, and if it had not been for the kindness of Dr. Livingston in at once 

 sending him his own cattle, he would scarcely have been able to have extricated 

 himself from his dilemma and returned to Europe. 



Mr. J. Crawfurd, f.r.g.s. — Perhaps Dr. Livingston will have the goodness 

 to give us some notion of the state of society among these people, especially 

 among the tribes that inhabit the plateau valley. That ought to be a place 

 in which there is a considerable civilization with a decent form of government. 

 They seem to have many advantages, an excellent climate, excellent soil, and 

 an excellent supply of water. What is the state of the arts among those 

 people ? Do they understand the art of making malleable iron or steel ? Do 



