232 DAVID LIVINGSTONE. [chap. xi. 



pose of the King of Portugal, but he had not the same 

 confidence in the Government. From some of the notes 

 written to him at this time by friends who understood 

 more of diplomacy than he did, we can see that little 

 actual help was expected from the local Governors in the 

 Portuguese settlements, one of these friends expressing 

 the conviction that " the sooner those Portuguese dogs- 

 in-the-manger are eaten up, body and bones, by the Zulu 

 Caffres, the better." 



The co-operation of Lord Clarendon was very cordial. 

 " He told me to go to Washington (of the Admiralty) as if 

 all had been arranged, and do everything necessary, and 

 come to him for everything I needed. He repeated, 

 ' Just come here and tell me what you want, and I will 

 give it you.' He was wonderfully kind. I thank God 

 who gives the influence." Among other things, Lord 

 Clarendon wrote an official letter to the chief Sekeletu, 

 thanking him, in the name of the Queen, for his kindness 

 and help to her servant, Dr. Livingstone, explaining the 

 desire of the British nation, as a commerical and Christian 

 people, to five at peace with all and to benefit all ; telling 

 him too what they thought of the slave-trade ; hoping 

 that Sekeletu would help to keep " God's highway," the 

 river Zambesi, as a free pathway for all nations ; assuring 

 him of friendship and good-will ; and respectfully hinting 

 that, "as we have derived all our greatness from the 

 divine religion we received from heaven, it will be well 

 if you consider it carefully when any of our people talk 

 to you about it." 1 



Most men, after receiving such carte blanche as Lord 

 Clarendon had given to Livingstone, would have been 

 drawing out plans on a large scale, regardless of expense. 

 Livingstone's ideas were quite in the opposite direction. 

 Instead of having to press Captain Washington, he had to 

 restrain him. The Expedition as planned by Washington, 



1 See Appendix No. IV., p. 485. 



