Nov. 28, 1859.] OF THE CENTRAL AFRICAN EXPEDITION. 23 



and should be seen by those who think that East Africa does not produce 

 timber. The Lords of the Admiralty were convinced to the contrary, and they 

 had given him a commission to assist in obtaining timber from the east coast to 

 rebuild our navy. Along the whole of the east-coast rivers immense forests of 

 timber were to be found, and much of the wood was admirably adapted for ship- 

 building purposes. To return to the question of the navigability of the Zambesi. 

 If they went up in the rainy season, when the deltas were covered with water — 

 and a steamer could then go right through that belt of death before the malaria 

 could affect those on board of her — he saw no reason whatever why they could 

 not reach Tete from Quillimane in five or six days' time. It had been imagined 

 that there was only one mouth to the Zambesi, but the Portuguese had known 

 of the other mouths, through which Dr. Livingstone went, for thirty years, 

 and by means of that knowledge they had been enabled to escape with their 

 cargoes of slaves from the English cruisers. They had led the commanders of 

 the cruisers to suppose that they would obtain a prize at the Quillimane 

 mouth of the river, and, while they were watching there, the slave-ships 

 escaped by the other outlets. Now that Dr. Livingstone had discovered their 

 secret, the Portuguese had established custom-houses at the Loando mouths 

 of the river for the purpose of preventing English commerce. The ques- 

 tion therefore arose, are we to open the interior of Africa for the benefit 

 of the Portuguese ? The sooner the question was settled, the better for 

 the commerce of this country and the interests of the people of Africa. What 

 we were doing now in the interior of Africa was simply for the benefiit of the 

 Portuguese, and this state of things must not be allowed to continue. 



Captain Bedingfeld, r.n., f.r.g.s., said, — that it was with feelings of 

 considerable mortification that after a voyage of 10,000 miles and back he was 

 unable to give as much information as he could have wished upon a subject of 

 such interest to the Society. It was, however, well known that, owing to 

 misunderstanding between Dr. Livingstone and himself, he was sent home 

 soon after he arrived in the Zambesi. 



He was aware that that was not the time or place to enter into particulars 

 as to the cause of his leaving the expedition, and that were he to do so it 

 might appear like putting a man on his defence during his absence, which he 

 did not wish to do, but asked the indulgence of the Meeting while he endea- 

 voured to show that he did not desert the expedition when in difficulty, or as 

 Dr. Livingstone expressed it in his published letters, " when he thought they 

 could not move hand or foot without him." 



The Chairman said, — he was sure that all present entertained the greatest 

 respect for Captain Bedingfeld's former services on the western coast of Africa, 

 whilst they must have regretted that any misunderstanding should have 

 occurred between Dr. Livingstone and himself. This, however, was not the 

 proper time and place for any explanation, because Dr. Livingstone had not 

 preferred a word of complaint against Captain Bedingfeld in any Memoir read 

 before the Koyal Geographical {Society. It was therefore to be hoped that the 

 gallant officer would not proceed further in his personal explanation, but confine 

 his remarks to points purely geographical. 



Captain Bedingfeld. — So long a time had elapsed since his return that 

 the earlier events would have lost much of their interest ; without therefore 

 entering into detail he Avould endeavour to mention such as are connected in 

 some way with the navigability of the river. 



The expedition arrived off the river on the 14th May, 1858, but, owing to 

 a gale of wind from the south-east, did not get into the " Luawe," or West 

 Luabo, until the following day. They were directed to examine this river in 

 the first instance, as it was then supposed to commimicate with the Zam- 

 besi, and to have a better bar than the other mouths. 



On the 16th the steam-launch was hoisted out, and having been put 



