1857-58.] FIRST VISIT HOME. 237 



gospel. It was graceful in the Bishop of Oxford (Samuel 

 Wilberforce) to advert to the debt of unparalleled magni- 

 tude which England, founder of the accursed slave-trade, 

 owed to Africa, and to urge the immediate prosecution of 

 Livingstone's plans, inasmuch as the spots in Africa, 

 where the so-called Christian trader had come, were 

 marked, more than any other, by crime and distrust, and 

 insecurity of life and property. It was a good oppor- 

 tunity for Professor Owen to tell the story of the spiral 

 tusk, to rehearse some remarkable instances of Living- 

 stone's accurate observations and happy conjectures on 

 the habits of animals, to rate him for destroying the 

 moral character of the lion, and to claim credit to himself 

 for having discovered, in the bone caves of England, the 

 remains of an animal of greater bulk than any living 

 species, that may have possessed all the qualities which 

 the most ardent admirer of the British lion could desire I 1 

 On no topic was the applause of the company more 

 enthusiastic than when mention was made of Mrs. 

 Livingstone, who was then preparing to accompany her 

 husband on his journey. Livingstone's own words to the 

 company were simple and hearty, but they were the 

 words of truth and soberness. He was overwhelmed 

 with the kindness he had experienced. He did not 

 expect any speedy result from the expedition, but he was 

 sanguine as to its ultimate benefit. He thought they 

 would get in the thin end of the wedge, and that it 

 would be driven home by English energy and spirit. 

 For himself, with all eyes resting upon him, he felt under 

 an obligation to do better than he had ever done. And 

 as to Mrs. Livingstone — 



" It is scarcely fair to ask a man to praise his own wife, but I can 

 only say that when I parted from her at the Cape, telling her that I 



1 Livingstone purposed to bequeath to Professor Owen a somewhat extraordinary- 

 legacy. Writing afterwards to his friend Mr. Young, he said : " If I die at 

 home I would lie beside you. My left arm goes to Professor Owen, mind. That 

 is the will of David Livingstone." 



