COUNT DE LAYRADIO'S SPEECH. 241 



I learned that Dr. Livingstone was going to endeavour to traverse Southern 

 Africa from the western to the eastern shore, I wrote to my Government, 

 praying it to dispatch the most positive orders, that all the Portuguese 

 colonies should lend Dr. Livingstone all the protection he should require, to 

 enable him to pursue his travels in a safe and comfortable manner. I am 

 happy to learn that the orders of my Government have been executed. And 

 now, Mr. President, and gentlemen, the members of the Royal Geographical 

 Society, permit me to thank you in my own name, for the honour you have 

 conferred upon me in inviting me to this assembly. At any time I should be 

 very happy and highly honoured to find myself among the elite of the learned 

 English geographers and travellers ; but, to-day, my happiness is still greater 

 since this august assembly is particularly called to celebrate the return of 

 Dr. Livingstone to Europe — this courageous savant — this friend of humanity, 

 who, braving the greatest dangers, exposing himself to all sorts of privations, 

 employed the best years of his life in exploring Central Africa, with the 

 single-minded and noble aim of enriching science and of diffusing in far-off 

 lands the morality of the Gospel, and with it, the benefits of true civilization. 

 Men, such as Dr. Livingstone, are, permit me the expression, veritable 

 Providences, which Heaven, in its mercy grants us, to console us for the 

 many useless or wicked persons who inhabit a part of the earth. Everybody 

 knows that it is nearly four centuries and a half since some Portuguese 

 navigators, as courageous, and as learned, undertook and accomplished some 

 great discoveries. The names of Zamo, of Prestrillo, of Dias, of the great 

 Vasco de Gama, and of many others, are well known ; but everbody does not 

 know, that, at the same time that these navigators were crossing the seas, 

 surveying the coasts, and trying to make the tour of Africa in order to reach 

 Asia, others were endeavouring to arrive at the same result, by crossing the 

 interior of Africa. Before the year 1450, by the orders and instructions of 

 the great and immortal Infante Don Henri of Portugal, the greatest and most 

 learned prince of his time, Jean Fernandez penetrated into the interior of 

 Africa, where, shortly after, he was joined by Anton Gonsalves. Some years 

 after, several other Portuguese penetrated into the interior of Africa ; some 

 searching for Timbuctoo, and others in various other directions. History 

 has preserved the names of several of these travellers, and it may be said 

 that the Portuguese have never relinquished their endeavours to penetrate 

 into the interior of Africa. Towards the end of the last century, the learned 

 Dr. Lacerda, furnished with good instruments, proposed to traverse Southern 

 Africa, from the eastern to the western shore ; unfortunately, death surprised 

 him in the midst of these learned travels, in the country of the King of 

 Cazembe. Afterwards, other travellers undertook to cross Africa, and from 

 1806 to 1811, Pedro Jean Baptista and Amaro Jose, with the instructions of 

 Colonel Francisco de Castro, went from the western to the eastern shore, and 

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