220 LIFE OF DA VID LIVINGSTONE, LL.D 



Major Sicard, the Portuguese commandant at Tete, treated Livingstone 

 and his men with the greatest generosity. He clothed himself and his men, 

 and provided them with food and lodgings, declining to receive several tusks 

 which were offered in compensation. As the most of his men were to be left 

 here, Major Sicard gave them a portion of land on which to cultivate their 

 own food, and permission to hunt elephants — the money they made from the 

 tusks and dried meat to be used for the purchase of articles to take to Sekeletu 

 on their return. 



Had Livingstone set out on his journey several months earlier he would 

 have arrived in the neighbourhood of Tete during the war between the natives 

 and the Portuguese, when he would have had little chance of escaping with 

 his life. His arrival was not unexpected at Tete, as through Lord Clarendon 

 and the Portuguese minister, Count de Lavradio, the Portuguese authorities 

 on the Zambesi were warned of his expected appearance. A short time 

 previous to his arrival, some natives came down the river to Tete and said, 

 alluding to the sextant and artificial horizon, " that the Son of God had come ;" 

 and that he was " able to take the sun down from the heavens and place it 

 under his arm." Major Sicard then felt sure that this was the man mentioned 

 in Lord Clarendon's despatch. 



