CHAPTER XII. 



Dr. Livingstone in England — Special Meeting of the Geographical Society — En- 

 thusiastic Reception — Farewell Banquet — Sir Roderick Murchison's Estimate 

 of Dr. Livingstone and his Labours. 



AT Cape Town a meeting was held on the 12th of November, 1856, for the 

 purpose of taking steps to express the public sense of the eminent services 

 rendered to science, civilisation, and Christianity by Dr. Livingstone. Sir 

 George Grey, the governor, who occupied the chair, said : — " I think no man 

 of the present day is more deserving of honour than Dr. Livingstone — a man 

 whom we indeed can hardly regard as belonging to any particular age or 

 time, but who belongs rather to the whole Christian epoch — possessing all 

 those qualities of mind, and that resolute desire at all risks to spread the gospel, 

 which we have generally been in the habit of attributing solely to those who 

 lived in the first ages of the Christian era. Indeed, that man must be of 

 almost apostolic character, who, animated by a desire of performing his duty 

 to his Maker and to his fellow-men, has performed journeys which we cannot 

 but regard as altogether marvellous." The Bishop of Cape Town, the judges, 

 and other government officials took part in the proceedings, which were of a 

 most enthusiastic character. The meeting resolved to enter into a subscrip- 

 tion for a testimonial to the great traveller, which Sir George Grey headed 

 with a donation of £50. 



In England, curiosity had been excited by the appearance of short para- 

 graphs in the newspapers treating of his discoveries, but it was not until a 

 meeting of the Royal Geographical Society on which occasion the Society's 

 gold medal was presented to the distinguished traveller, that the magnitude 

 of his discoveries and the heroic character of the man came to be properly 

 understood. 



It was on the 15th of December, 1856, that the special meeting of the Royal 

 Geographical Society was held to receive and do honour to Dr. Livingstone. 

 The proceedings at this meeting were of so singularly exceptional a character, 

 that we do not hesitate to re-produce the report of it here as it appeared in the 

 " Proceedings of the Royal Geographical Society." 



Sir Roderick Murchison, the President of the Society, was in the chair, 

 and the room was filled with a distinguished assemblage. In opening the 

 meeting the President said : — 



Gentlemen, — We are now specially assembled to welcome Dr. Living- 



