The Conquest of the Desert 

 Further on he writes : 



" My reading in the factory was carried on by 

 placing the book on a portion of the spinning 

 jenny, so that I could catch sentence after 

 sentence as I passed at my work. I thus kept 

 up a pretty constant study undisturbed by the 

 roar of the machinery. To this part of my 

 education I owe my power of completely ab- 

 stracting my mind from surrounding noises, so 

 as to read and write with perfect comfort amidst 

 the play of children or the dancing and songs of 

 savages. " 



• •••••• 



Having qualified in due course as a medical 

 missionary, Dr Livingstone embarked for Africa 

 in the year 1840, and after a voyage of three 

 months reached the Cape. From thence he 

 proceeded to Algoa Bay and a little later trekked 

 inland to the Kuruman mission station in 

 Bechuanaland. Having rested his oxen he next 

 turned his attention to the north. The chief of 

 the Bakwains was Sechele, who lived at a place 

 called Shokuane. When Livingstone stated his 

 determination to go north, Sechele pointed to 

 the great Kalahari Desert and replied : " You 

 can never cross that country to the tribes beyond. 



182 



