268 LIFE OF DA VID LIVINGSTONE, LL.D. 



that great continent. For we, as a nation, were of old the great founders 

 and the great conductors of the accursed slave-trade. Complete at last, thank 

 Grod ! hut late as well as complete, was our repentance, and all that we can 

 do we are bound to do to remedy the wrongs we have inflicted. And fearful 

 have they been. How humiliating is it to us in our talk of the onward march 

 of civilization, and of piercing with our discoveries into the heart of African 

 barbarism, to learn from Dr. Livingstone that he can trace by the presence of 

 vice, and crime, and rapine, and distrust, and insecurity of property and life, 

 the very limits of the past intercourse of the black savages of Africa with the 

 white Christians of Europe ! (Cheers.) For it was not only on the coast 

 line that deep injury was inflicted by that accursed trade; but far within 

 that coast line, wherever the agents of that traffic penetrated, there were 

 contamination and destruction. And how can this evil be undone ? Much 

 may be done by our naval squadron, and for doing anything by any means I 

 am convinced that its vigorous maintenance is essential ; but the best successes 

 of that blockade can only create the calm necessary for the working of other 

 influences, and amongst the very first, if not actually as the very first, of 

 those influences I esteem the establishment of lawful commerce. (Cheers.) 



" Now, this Livingstone had the grasp of mind to perceive ; to see that 

 he should be most effectually opening the way for the future evangelisation of 

 Africa, if he first opened a path by which lawful Christian commerce could 

 pass and repass into those hitherto separated regions. (Cheers.) 



" Well, but in addition to this he had many other faculties, which all 

 made up together the combination necessary to qualify him to act as the true 

 discoverer of Africa. For, besides what I have named already, he had a clear, 

 shrewd, strong understanding, great simplicity, great power of mastering 

 languages, great courage, great power of influencing others, great gentleness 

 by which he won on their affections, and, above all, he had, to qualify him 

 for his work, downright, straightforward, sterling British truth and honesty. 

 (Great cheering.) 



" For supporting, then, this man as he has supported him, we owe, I 

 think, all thanks and honour to our chairman, and I call upon you to drink 

 with all the honours long life and happiness to him." 



Professor Owen, in proposing the toast of " The Universities and 

 Scientific Bodies," which have united the geographers to honour Livingstone, 

 said : — 



" I rise to express the pleasure with which I avail myself of the oppor- 

 tunity I am favoured with of publicly acknowledging the deep sense of the 

 obligation which, in common with all men of science, and more especially the 

 cultivators of natural history, I feel towards the distinguished traveller we 

 have this day assembled to honour. (Cheers.) 



" During the long and painful journeyings by which the great geographi- 



