2 6o DAVID LIVINGSTONE. [chap. xn. 



Society — "I could see nothing encouraging for the gentle- 

 men who are anxious to prove that we are all descended 

 from a race that wore tails." 



In the highland regions of the Shire valley, the 

 party were distinctly conscious of an increase of energy, 

 from the more bracing climate. Dr. Livingstone was 

 thoroughly convinced that these highlands of the Shire 

 valley were the proper locality for commercial and mis- 

 sionary stations. Thus one great object of the Expedition 

 was accomplished. In another point of view, this locality 

 would be highly serviceable for stations. It was the 

 great pathway for conveying slaves from the north and 

 north-west to Zanzibar. Of this he had only too clear 

 evidence in the gangs of slaves whom he saw marched 

 along from time to time, and whom he would have been 

 most eager to release had he known of any way of pre- 

 venting them from falling again into the hands of slave- 

 sellers. In this region Englishmen " might enjoy good 

 health, and also be of signal benefit, by leading the mul- 

 titude of industrious inhabitants to cultivate cotton, 

 maize, sugar, and other valuable produce, to exchange for 

 goods of European manufacture, at the same time teaching 

 them, by precept and example, the great truths of our 

 holy religion." Water-carriage existed all the way from 

 England, with the exception of the Murchison Cataracts, 

 along which a road of forty miles might easily be made. 

 A small steamer on the lake would do more good in sup- 

 pressing the slave-trade than half-a-dozen men-of-war in 

 the ocean. If the Zambesi could be opened to commerce 

 the bright vision of the last ten years would be realised, 

 and the Shire valley and banks of the Nyassa transformed 

 into the garden of the Lord. 



From the very first Livingstone saw the importance 

 of the Shire" valley and Lake Nyassa as the key to 

 Central Africa. Ever since, it has become more and 

 more evident that his surmise was correct. To make the 



