1S41-43O FIRST TWO YEARS IN AFRICA. 39 



his absence. The office was offered to Livingstone, who 

 rejected it with no little emphasis — not for a moment 

 would he think of it, nor would he preach the gospel 

 within any other man's line. He had not been long at 

 the Cape when he found to his surprise and sorrow that 

 the missionaries were not all at one, either as to the 

 general policy of the mission, or in the matter of social 

 intercourse and confidence. The shock was a severe one; 

 it was not lessened by what he came to know of the 

 spirit and life of a few — happily only a few — of his 

 brethren afterwards ; and undoubtedly it had an influence 

 on his future life. It showed him that there were mis- 

 sionaries whose profession was not supported by a life of 

 consistent well-doing, although it did not shake his 

 confidence in the character and the work of missionaries 

 on the whole. He saw that in the mission there was 

 what might be called a colonial side and a native side ; 

 some sympathising with the colonists and some with the 

 natives. He had no difficulty in making up his mind 

 between them ; he drew instinctively to the party that 

 were for protecting the natives against the unrighteous 

 encroachments of the settlers. 



On leaving the ship at Algoa Bay, he proceeded by 

 land to Kuruman or Lattakoo in the Bechuana country, 

 the most northerly station of the Society in South Africa, 

 and the usual residence of Mr. Moffat, who was still 

 absent in England. In this his first African journey, the 

 germ of the future traveller was apparent. " Crossing 

 the Orange Biver," he says, " I got my vehicle aground, 

 and my oxen got out of order, some with their heads where 

 their tails should be, and others with their heads twisted 

 round in the yoke so far that they appeared bent on 

 committing suicide, or overturning the wagon. ... I 

 like travelling very much indeed. There is so much 

 freedom connected with our African manners. We pitch 

 our tent, make our fire, etc., wherever we choose, walk, 



