1857-58-] FIRST VISIT HOME. 231 



him, and congratulated him on going out in the way now 

 settled. So did the Lord Chancellor (Cran worth), Sir 

 Culling Eardley, and Mr. Calcraft, M.P. 



Dr. Livingstone was on the most friendly terms with 

 the Portuguese Ambassador, the Count de Lavradio, who 

 ever avowed the highest respect for himself, and a strong 

 desire to help him in his work. To get this assurance 

 turned into substantial assistance appeared to Living- 

 stone to be of the very highest importance. Unless 

 strong influence were brought to bear on the local Portu- 

 guese Governors in Africa, his scheme would be wrecked. 

 The Portuguese Ambassador was then at Lisbon, and 

 Livingstone had resolved to go there, to secure the in- 

 fluence from headquarters which was so necessary. The 

 Prince Consort had promised to introduce him to his 

 cousin, the King of Portugal. There were, however, 

 some obstacles to his going. Yellow fever was raging at 

 Lisbon, and moreover, time was precious, and a little 

 delay might lead to the loss of a season on the Zambesi. 

 At Lady Palmerston's reception, Lord Palmerston had said 

 to him that Lord Clarendon might manage the Portuguese 

 affair without his going to Lisbon. A day or two after, 

 Livingstone saw Lord Clarendon, who confirmed Lord 

 Palmerston's opinion, and assured him that when Lavradio 

 returned, the affair would be settled. The Lisbon journey 

 was accordingly given up. The Count returned to London 

 before Livingstone left, and expressed a wish to send 

 a number of Portuguese agents along with him. But 

 to this both Lord Clarendon and he had the strongest 

 objections, as complicating the expedition. Livingstone 

 was furnished with letters from the Portuguese Govern- 

 ment to the local Governors, instructing them to give 

 him all needful help. But when he returned to the 

 Zambesi he found that these public instructions were 

 strangely neutralised and reversed by some unseen pro- 

 cess. He himself believed to the last in the honest pur- 



