1856-57.] FIRST VISIT HOME. 2 1 5 



bearing on its future welfare, but whose full significance 

 in that connection no one might yet be able to perceive. 

 In a sense, the book was a work of faith. He wished to 

 interest men of science, men of commerce, men of philan- 

 thropy, ministers of the Crown, men of all sorts, in the 

 welfare of Africa. Where he had so varied a constituency 

 to deal with, and where the precise method by which 

 Africa would be civilised was yet so indefinite, he would 

 faithfully record what he had come to know, and let 

 others build as they might with his materials. Certainly, 

 in all that Livingstone has written, he has left us in no 

 doubt as to the consummation to which he ever looked. 

 His whole writings and his whole life are a commentary 

 on his own words — "The end of the geographical feat 

 is only the beginning of the enterprise." 



Through the great success of the volume and the 

 handsome conduct of the publisher, the book yielded him 

 a little fortune. We shall see what generous use he 

 made of it — how large a portion of the profits went to 

 forward directly the great object to which his heart and 

 his life were so cordially given. More than half went to 

 a single object connected with the Zambesi Expedition, 

 and of the remainder he was ready to devote a half to 

 another favourite project. All that he thought it his 

 duty to reserve for his children was enough to educate 

 them, and prepare them for their part in life. Nothing 

 would have seemed less desirable or less for their good 

 than to found a rich family to live in idleness. It was 

 and is a common impression that Livingstone received 

 large sums from friends to aid him in his work. For the 

 most part these impressions were unfounded ; but his 

 own hard-earned money was bestowed freely and cheer- 

 fully wherever it seemed likely to do good. 



The complaint that he was not sufficiently a mission- 

 ary was sometimes made of his speeches as well as his 

 book. At Carlisle, a lady wrote to him in this strain. 



