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David Livingstone was one of the most revered and respected African explorers of his time. He spent almost 30 years exploring a region little known to the outside world. He often put ambition before family and his own personal health in his quest to open the interior of Africa to 'Civilization, Christianity, and Commerce. '; (Hewlett 236) Through his daring explorations into the unknown, he discovered and documented many new landmarks inside the dark continent, and at times became obsessed with his determination to find a single source of the Nile. He had a major impact on later expeditions into central Africa... Livingstone was born to a poor Scottish family in 1813. Starting at age ten, Livingstone worked in a cotton mill while pursuing his studies at night.
He was an avid reader, and would often stay up until twelve or later, buried in a book. Livingstone enjoyed reading on a variety of subjects, but read mostly scientific works and explorer's journals. As a boy, David made few friends. Others described him as quiet, sulky, and unremarkable.
Yet despite this, David was a tireless worker, and extremely motivated toward his goals. By age 17, Livingstone had decided he wanted to leave the mill and become a doctor. Livingstone's father, a deeply religious man, wanted him to go into a religious field, and would not allow him to go. Livingstone eventually convinced his father to let him go to school and become a missionary in China. After finishing school, Livingstone had planned to go to China to perform his missionary duties, but because of the Opium War, Livingstone's plans were altered. He continued his studies, and became a respected member of the medical community.
Soon though, he offered his services to the London Missionary Society, and was assigned to a mission in Africa. Early knowledge and exploration of Africa was confined to desert and coastal regions. The interior humid regions held many difficulties for prospective explorers. This included climate, vegetation, and hostile peoples and creatures.
Throughout the 18 th and 19 th centuries, most of Africa was unexplored, and unmapped. The British were the first Europeans to make a serious attempt at exploration of the interior of Africa. Earlier European contacts were related primarily to the slave trade, which England opposed. This was reinforced in 1814 - 15, at the Congress of Vienna, when Britain and France continually acknowledged that the slave trade should be abolished (Human 21). In 1841, at the age of 27, Livingstone sailed to Africa.
After spending a month in Cape Town with the London Missionary Society Secretary of South Africa, Livingstone sailed to Also Bay. He then trekked 125 miles over land to a missionary camp to wait for Dr. Robert Moffat, a Scottish born missionary who had worked there for over 20 years. Livingstone was deeply disappointed in the mission, a small and very unkempt village.
Despite Moffat's years of work, only a few natives had converted and most of those had done so for material reasons. The thought of working at the mission for so long with nothing to show for it dismayed Livingstone. At the first opportunity he made excursions to the north with another missionary looking for a site for another mission. A new site was found near a region called Mabotsa.
Once the mission had been established, Livingstone found the people of the region to be unresponsive to Christian teachings, and began to realize the enormous difficulties of missionary work. After being attacked by a lion near Mabotsa, which severely damaged his right shoulder and inflicted a wound that would trouble him throughout his life, Livingstone returned to the main mission operated by Robert Moffat. Once there he married the Moffat's eldest daughter, Mary. The marriage was done with little enthusiasm, and Livingstone carried almost no affection for his new bride whom he described as 'stout and stumpy. '; Despite this, Mary Livingstone was a capable and hard working woman who taught in the mission schools and helped the missionaries make soap, clothes, and candles for the local natives. At first David and Mary lived in Mabotsa, but after a conflict between David and a colleague, they moved around until finally settling at Kolobeng. Here, they lived in poverty within a primitive home built by Livingstone.
The family was ever increasing in numbers, and were often hungry. Livingstone's days were filled with translating the local language, teaching, preaching, and carrying out other miscellanies duties. In all the time he spent at Kolobeng, Livingstone made only one convert, his only one ever, and even he relapsed. Perhaps because of these experiences Livingstone decided that it was best that he not settle in one place for too long. He became convinced that the best course of action would be a move to the north to 'extend the gospel to all the surrounding tribes. '; (Hibbert 258) Livingstone's relations with the other missionaries were continually getting worse, and he decided it was time for a change. For a long time he had held a wish to travel across the Kalahari Desert in search of the legendary Lake Ngami.
Livingstone had been previously discouraged by the cost of such an expedition but having met a young English sportsman, Captain Thomas Steele, on one of his previous expeditions, he now approached him with the proposal. Steele had many wealthy friends and was glad to fund the expedition. The funding primarily came from two other sportsman, William Colton, a businessman; and Mungo Murray, a big game hunter. On June 1, 1849 Livingstone, Oswell, and Murray set out across the Kalahari with a guide, Ramotobi, who had spent most of his life there. They traveled along the great border of the desert in their search for Lake Ngami.
The desert was very harsh and without Ramotobi's guidance, Livingstone and the others would certainly have perished. On August 1, 1849, Livingstone and the party finally reached the lake. Although gratified that they had reached the lake, Livingstone was distraught when he discovered that he would not be able to meet Sebituane, the great chief of the Makololo tribe. Sebituane resided almost 200 miles away, on the other side of the lake. The young chief that held the lands between them would not allow Livingstone to pass, because he feared they would trade guns to the Makololo. Livingstone was forced to turn back.
Livingstone tried again to reach the Makololo the next year, but was held back by fever, and the dreaded tsetse fly. In April 1851 Livingstone set out once again, this time accompanied by Oswell. He was also, to Robert Moffat's distress, accompanied by his wife and children. The Moffat's pleaded with him not to take the family, but Livingstone insisted that all of them must go. He promised to deepen the wells along the route through the desert.
Despite this, the entire party nearly died of thirst on the way there. A careless servant allowed the water to drain out of the storage tanks. Then, an incompetent guide took them wandering off in circles while deep in the desert, and after professing ignorance of everything, vanished altogether. (Hibbert 260) The chief of the Makololo finally rendezvoused with the Livingstone party. He had traveled over 100 miles through the burning sands in hope of trading for guns. Sebituane greeted them warmly, and promised to help them on their way.
Much to Livingstone's distress though, Sebituane died of an infection shortly after the meeting took place. Although his daughter, whom he had named as successor, allowed the party to stay within Makololo territory, she would not negotiate trade. Livingstone decided that the party was not yet ready for the long and strenuous journey across the desert, and stayed with the Makololo for about one year. During his time in Makololo country Livingstone explored the middle reaches of the Zambezi river. He discovered that its course lay right through the middle of the country, where it had not been thought to exist at all.
The discovery excited Livingstone, he had always believed that a navigable course from the coast to the heart of Africa existed. Soon though, Livingstone's family, and the rest of the party began contracting the various jungle diseases and the party was forced to return to Cape Town. Once there, Livingstone bid his family farewell, and shipped them home to England. He also began plans on a trans-Africa expedition which was to fortify his reputation.
By the middle of May in 1853, Livingstone had once again come to live among the Mak...
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