58 LIFE OF DA TIB LIVINGSTONE, LL.D. 



Central Africa were handed over by the secretary to the Geographical Society, 

 and they were published in its journals. The notion that Livingstone had 

 proved unfaithful to his calling as a missionary when he started upon his 

 career as an explorer is held by many otherwise good and sensible people 

 even now. The extract from the letter to his brother, which we have given 

 above, puts the matter in its proper light. He knew that the great ones of the 

 earth would become interested in new peoples living in novel conditions in 

 hitherto unexplored territory, who could not be got to feel any great interest 

 in savage tribes living on the outskirts of civilization. 



In telling the wonderful story of vast peopled regions hitherto unknown, 

 he got the opportunity — which he never let slip — of telling them of the spiritual 

 and physical needs of their inhabitants, and of pointing out how easy a matter 

 it would be for the people in more favoured countries to help them. His dis- 

 coveries, while no doubt intensely interesting to himself, were most valuable in 

 his sight, because, to use his own words, they enabled him " to open his mouth 

 among men." To the directors of the London Missionary Society the account 

 of the conversion or awakening of a single savage Bakwain appeared to be of 

 far more consequence to Christianity than the discovery of the River Zouga, 

 Lake Ngami, and the Zambesi ; and it was in all likelihood years before they 

 became aware of the fact that these and such like discoveries would do more 

 for the cause they had at heart than years of missionary enterprise further to 

 the South. Of all the services which the London Missionary Society have 

 rendered to humanity and the cause of Christianity, the placing of Dr. 

 Livingstone in South Africa in circumstances which enabled him to drift 

 into the great work which occupied every hour of his after life is undoubtedly 

 the greatest. The Christian and charitable public will not, we believe, be 

 slow to remember this, nor that their efforts in christianising the heathen in 

 Africa and elsewhere have for many years been attended with a success 

 hitherto unexampled in the history of missionary labour. 



The following is Livingstone's report to the London Missionary Society, 

 published in 1843, after his second tour among the tribes to the north of 

 Kuruman : — 



" The population is sunk in the very lowest state both of mental and 

 moral degradation : it would be difficult, if not impossible, for Christians at 

 home to realise anything like an accurate notion of the grossness of that 

 darkness which shrouds their minds. I could not ascertain that they had the 

 least idea of a future state ; and though they have some notions which seem 

 to be connected with a belief in its existence, I have not met one who could 

 put the necessary links together in the chain of reasoning, so as to become 

 possessed of the definite idea. In some countries, the light which the Gospel 

 once shed has gone out, and darkness has succeeded. But though eighteen 

 centuries have elapsed since life and immortality were brought to light, there 



