CHAPTER XIV. 



LECTURE BEFORE CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY. 



[Delivered before the University of Cambridge, in the Senate-House, on Friday, 

 December 4, 1857. Dr. Philpott, Master of St. Catharine's College, Vice- 

 Chanceilor, in the chair. The building was crowded to excess with all ranks 

 of the University and their friends. The reception was so enthusiastic that 

 literally there were volley after volley of cheers. The Vice-Chancellor intro- 

 duced Dr. Livingstone to the meeting, who spoke nearly as follows :] 



When I went to Africa about seventeen years ago I re- 

 solved to acquire an accurate knowledge of the native tongues ; 

 and as I continued, while there, to speak generally in the African 

 languages, the result is that I am not now very fluent in my 

 own ; but if you will excuse my imperfections under that head, 

 I will endeavor to give you as clear an idea of Africa as I can. 

 If you look at the map of Africa you will discover the shortness 

 of the coast-line, which is in consequence of the absence of deep 

 indentations of the sea. This is one reason why the interior 

 of Africa has remained so long unknown to the rest of the world. 

 Another reason is the unhealthiness of the coast, which seems to 

 have reacted upon the disposition of the people, for they are very 

 unkindly, and opposed to Europeans passing through their 

 country. In the southern part of Africa lies the great Kalahari 

 desert, not so called as being a mere sandy plain, devoid of vege- 

 tation : such a desert I never saw until I got between Suez and 

 Cairo. Kalahari is called a desert because it contains no streams, 

 and water is obtained only from deep wells. The reason why so 

 little rain falls on this extensive plain is, because the winds pre- 

 vailing over the greater part of the interior country are easterly, 

 with a little southing. The moisture taken up by the atmos- 

 phere from the Indian ocean is deposited on the eastern hilly 

 slope ; and when the moving mass of air reaches its greatest 

 elevation, it is then on the verge of the great valley, or, as in the 

 case of the Kalahari, the great heated inland plains there meeting 



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