posterity's applause. 323 



of the river rendered it navigable ; and only when the enterprise 

 of Livingstone had associated the discovery of the Zambesi with 

 his name, were the "authorities" provoked to confess that the 

 harbor of the Kongone had been for years a place of refuge for 

 their slave-ships from the " persecutions of English cruisers." 

 If we may depend on a statement which confesses such nefarious 

 deceptions and such selfish disregard of the progress of geograph- 

 ical science and the anxieties of all Christendom besides, in 

 order to recover the forfeited glory of discovery, we cannot 

 award them a prize which shall be any glory to them, except as 

 it is glorious to emulate the selfishness and falseness of the arch 

 enemy of human happiness, who labors always to divert the 

 rays of heavenly light from human souls, that a darkened realm, 

 where sin and sorrow struggle helplessly, may recognize his vile 

 dominion and pay him tribute. It is certain that Christian 

 people all over the world, whose hearts are swelling with hope 

 and joy while they trace the advance of African missions, will 

 think of David Livingstone when they pray for their sons and 

 daughters ascending the Zambesi. It is certain that thoughtful 

 men, the world over, will never erect their monuments to the 

 Portuguese when they realize the benefits of African commerce. 

 Whatever knowledge of the real highway may have been care- 

 fully treasured at Lisbon, and turned to the account of selfish 

 officials, the Governor of Tete testified, on the 9th of July, 

 1859, in a letter addressed to a brother official of Portugal, that 

 Dr. Livingstone was the first man who had passed from the sea 

 to Tete over the real outlet of the Zambesi. He claims the 

 glory of first exploring the mouths through which the great 

 river, which has come into such prominence in connection with 

 his travels, pours its waters into the ocean. He reported four 

 distinct outlets— the Milambe, which is the most westerly ; the 

 Kongone, the Luabo, and the Timbwe (or Muselo). Of these 

 mouths the "report" says: "After the examination of three 

 branches by the able and energetic surveyor, Francis Skead, 

 R. N., the Kongone was found to be the best entrance. The 

 immense amount of sand brought down by the Zambesi has in 

 the course of ages formed a sort of promontory, against which 

 the long swell of the Indian ocean, beating during the prevail- 

 ing winds, has formed bars, which, acting against the waters of 



