242 LIFE OF DAVID LIVINGSTONE, LL.D. 



returned to Loanda by the same road, after an absence of more than four 

 years. The journal of their travels has been printed, but, unfortunately, 

 they were not sufficiently well-informed to be able to determine astronomically 

 the position of the different places they had crossed.* Gentlemen, I must 

 conclude, and if I have cited these facts and these names, it is by no means 

 for the purpose of diminishing the glory that belongs to Dr. Livingstone ; 

 but, on the contrary, to recognise that he has obtained results more complete 

 than those who preceded him. The name of Dr. Livingstone is already 

 inscribed in the history of the civilization of Southern Africa, and it will 

 always cccupy a very distinguished place there. 



" Honour then to the learned Dr. Livingstone ! 



" Mr. President and gentlemen, I beg your pardon for having trespassed 

 bo long on your time and attention, and thank you for the kindness with 

 which you have condescended to listen to me ; but before sitting down, 

 allow me to ask you to accept of my best wishes for the prosperity of the 

 Royal Geographical Society, which has rendered so many and such great 

 services to science, to commerce, and to civilization. Accept also my best 

 wishes for the British Empire — may this land of order and of liberty— this 

 country, where all the unfortunate find a safe and generous asylum, always 

 preserve its power I I offer these wishes as the representative of the oldest, 

 most constant, and most faithful ally of England ; I offer them also as a 

 private individual." 



The Seceetaey then read extracts from the three last communications, 

 addressed by Dr. Livingstone from Africa to Sir Roderick Murchison, which 

 had been reserved for that occasion. They were full of minute and graphic 

 details relating to the regions explored by the traveller, and were listened to 

 with the utmost interest. (In the preceding chapter we have drawn largely 

 upon these letters.) 



The President said : We return thanks to Dr. Livingstone for having 

 communicated these able documents to us, a very small portion of which has 

 been read by Dr. Shaw. It is impossible, on an occasion like the present, 

 fully to estimate the value of Dr. Livingstone's communications ; but there 

 are so many subjects, some of them of deep interest to persons here assembled, 

 and others of vast importance to the world at large, that I hope Dr. Livingstone 

 will explain to us, viva voce, some of those remarkable features in his travels, on 

 which he would wish most to dwell. I particularly invite him to indicate to 

 the meeting, those portions of the country, the produce of which is likely to 



* In regard to this Dr. Livingstone said afterwards : — " After the first European had traversed 

 the African continent the Portuguese Minister claimed the honour for two black men (trading per- 

 sons of colour), and these blacks, in the memory of a lady now living at Tete, came thither dressed 

 and armed as the people of Loanda, but proceeded no further. They thus failed by about 400 miles 

 of what was claimed for them." 



