138 DAVID LIVINGSTONE. [chap. vn. 



large lion, but seeing the wagon, she turned back." 

 Though he escaped fever at first, he had repeated attacks 

 afterwards, and had to be constantly using remedies 

 against it. The unhealthiness of the region to Europeans 

 forced itself painfully on his attention, and made him 

 wonder in what way God would bring the light of the 

 gospel to the poor inhabitants. As a physician his mind 

 was much occupied with the nature of the disease, and 

 the way to cure it. If only he could discover a remedy 

 for that scourge of Africa, what an invaluable boon would 

 he confer on its much-afflicted people ! 



" I would like," he says in his Journal, " to devote a portion of my 

 life to the discovery of a remedy for that terrible disease, the African 

 fever. 1 I would go into the parts where it prevails most, and try to 

 discover if the natives have a remedy for it. I must make many 

 inquiries of the river people in this quarter. What an unspeakable 

 mercy it is to be permitted to engage in this most holy and honourable 

 work ! What an infinity of lots in the world are poor, miserable and 

 degraded compared with mine ! I might have been a common soldier, 

 a day-labourer, a factory operative, a mechanic, instead of a missionary. 

 If my faculties had been left to run riot or to waste as those of so 

 many young men, I should now have been used up, a dotard, as many 

 of my school-fellows are. I am respected by the natives, their kind 

 expressions often make me ashamed, and they are sincere. So much 

 deference and favour manifested without any effort on my part to 

 secure it comes from the Author of every good gift. I acknowledge 

 the mercies of the great God with devout and reverential gratitude." 



Dr. Livingstone had declined a considerate proposal 

 that another missionary should accompany him, and 

 deliberately resolved to go this great journey alone. He 

 knew in fact that except Mr. Moffat, who was busy with 

 his translation of the Bible, no other missionary would 

 go with him. 2 But in the absence of all to whom he 

 could unburden his spirit, we find him more freely than 



1 Livingstone's Remedy for African fever. See Appendix No. II., p. 479. 



2 Dr. Moffat informs us that Livingstone's desire for his company was most 

 intense, and that he pressed him in such a way as would have been irresistible, 

 had his going been possible. But for his employment in translating, Dr. Moffat 

 would have gone with all his heart. 



