THE WORLD'S WONDERS. 123 



trusting in the guidance of a Divine Providence, and the good 

 fortune that sometimes attends tenacity of purpose. I weighed 

 carefully the chances of the undertaking. Before me untrodden 

 Africa ; against me the obstacles that had defeated the world 

 since its creation ; on my side a somewhat tough constitution, 

 perfect independence, a long experience in savage life, and both 

 time and means which I intended to devote to the object without 

 limit. England had never sent an expedition to the Nile sources 

 previous to that under the command of Speke and Grant. 

 Bruce, ninety years ago, had succeeded in tracing the source of 

 the Blue or Lesser Nile : thus the honor of that discovery 

 belonged to Great Britain ; Speke was on his road from the 

 South, and I felt confident that my gallant friend would leave 

 his bones upon the path rather than submit to failure. I trusted 

 that England would not be beaten ; and although I hardly dared 

 to hope that I could succeed where others greater than I had 

 failed, I determined to sacrifice all in the attempt. Had I been 

 alone it would have been no hard lot to die upon the untrodden 

 path before me ; but there was one who, although my greatest 

 comfort, was also my greatest care ; one whose life yet dawned 

 at so early an age that womanhood was still a future. I shud- 

 dered at the prospect for her should she be left alone in savage 

 lands at my death ; and gladly would I have left her in the 

 luxuries of home instead of exposing her to the miseries of 

 Africa. It was in vain that I implored her to remain, and that I 

 painted the difficulties and perils still blacker than I supposed 

 they really would be : she was resolved, with woman's constancy 

 and devotion, to share all dangers and to follow me through 

 each rough footstep of the wild life before me. And Ruth said, 

 ' Entreat me not to leave thee, or to return from following after 

 thee : for whither thou goest I will go, and where thou lodgest 

 I will lodge ; thy people shall be my people, and thy God rny 

 God : where thou diest will I die, and there will I be buried : 

 the Lord do so to me and more also, if aught but death part 

 thee and me.' 



"Thus accompanied by my wife, on the 15th of April, 1861, 



