1849-52] KOLOBENG—LAKE 'NGAMI. 105 



ning to find that in a missionary point of view, the pre- 

 sence of his wife and children was a considerable advan- 

 tage ; it inspired the natives with confidence, and pro- 

 moted tender feelings and kind relations. The chief, 

 Lechulatebe, was at last propitiated at a considerable 

 sacrifice, having taken a fancy to a valuable rifle of 

 Livingstone's, the gift of a friend, which could not be re- 

 placed. The chief vowed that if he got it, he would give 

 Livingstone everything he wished, and protect and feed 

 his wife and children into the bargain, while he went on 

 to Sebituane. Livingstone at once handed him the gun. 

 " It is of great consequence," he said, " to gain the con- 

 fidence of these fellows at the beginning." It was his 

 intention that Mrs. Livingstone and the children should 

 remain at Lechulatebe's until he should have returned. 

 But the scheme was upset by an outburst of fever. 

 Among others, two of the children were attacked. There 

 was no help but to go home. The gun was left behind 

 in the hope that ere long Livingstone would get back to 

 claim the fulfilment of the chief's promise. It was plain 

 that the neighbourhood of the lake was not habitable by 

 Europeans. Hence a fresh confirmation of his views as 

 to the need of native agency, if intertropical Africa was 

 ever to be Christianised. 



But Livingstone was convinced that there must be a 

 healthier spot to the north. Writing to Mr. Watt (18th 

 August 1850), he not only expresses this conviction, but 

 gives the ground on which it rested. The extract which 

 we subjoin gives a glimpse of the sagacity that from 

 apparently little things drew great conclusions ; but more 

 than that, it indicates the birth of the great idea that 

 dominated the next period of Livingstone's life — the 

 desire and determination to find a passage to the sea, 

 either on the east or west coast : — 



" A more salubrious climate must exist farther up to the north, and 

 that the country is higher, seems evident from the fact mentioned by 



