1841-43.] FIRST TWO YEARS IN AFRICA. 45 



her cause. He being the son of a chief, and possessed of some little 

 authority, managed the matter nicely. She had been loaded with 

 beads to render her more attractive, and fetch a higher price. These 

 she stripped off and gave to the man, and desired him to go away. I 

 afterwards took measures for hiding her, and though fifty men had 

 come for her, they would not have got her." 



The story reads like an allegory or a prophecy. In 

 the person of the little maid, oppressed and enslaved 

 Africa comes to the good Doctor for protection ; instinc- 

 tively she knows she may trust him ; his heart opens at 

 once, his ingenuity contrives a way of protection and 

 deliverance, and he will never give her up. It is a little 

 picture of Livingstone's life. 



In fulfilment of a promise made to the natives in the 

 interior that he would return to them, Livingstone set 

 out on a second tour into the interior of the Bechuana 

 country on 10th February 1842. His objects were, first, 

 to acquire the native language more perfectly, and 

 second, by suspending his medical practice, which had 

 become inconveniently large at Kuruman, to give his 

 undivided attention to the subject of native agents. He 

 took with him two native members of the Kuruman 

 church, and two other natives for the management of 

 the wagon. 



The first person that specially engaged his interest in 

 this journey was a chief of the name of Bubi, whose 

 people were Bakwains. With him he stationed one of 

 the native agents as a teacher, the chief himself collecting 

 the children and supplying them with food. The honesty 

 of the people was shown in their leaving untouched all 

 the contents of his wagon, though crowds of them 

 visited it. Livingstone was already acquiring a powerful 

 influence, both with chiefs and people, the result of his 

 considerate and conciliatory treatment of both. He had 

 already observed the failure of some of his brethren to 

 influence them, and his sagacity had discerned the cause. 

 His success in inducing Bubi's people to dig a canal was 



