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... ooo. He had been forced to leave Cape Town, due to suspicions that he was partial to the northern tribes, and in the business of selling guns. He had then arrived at the mission at Kolobeng, only to find it had been looted and destroyed.
Livingstone was not discouraged. He preferred to travel light, and was happy to live among the natives, eating their food, and existing with what could be found in the jungle. Livingstone had always had little pity for those who could not exist as he did, living off what could be found in the current environment, and enduring what had to be endured. (Hibbert 262) In May 1853, Livingstone and a party consisting mostly of Makololo, began an expedition to find a link between the Zambezi River and the west coast of Africa. Livingstone's goal had always been to have a trade route, and a way for missionaries to reach the African interior. A link between west Africa and the Zambezi would accomplish that goal. When the party had finally reached the upper part of the Zambezi, Livingstone began searching for a suitable site for a mission station.
While in his various wanderings throughout the area, Livingstone discovered a huge waterfall which he named Victoria Falls. From then on, the journey along the Zambezi was disastrous. Tolls were demanded by hostile tribes, and the party was often pursued and confronted by natives who were often cannibals. Rain poured steadily, and members of the party came down with fever and other disorders.
Livingstone himself was plagued by malaria, and was often too weak to walk by himself. 'We were becoming exhausted, '; wrote Livingstone in his account of the last days of the journey. Many of the members of Livingstone's party talked of abandoning their leader to return home. Livingstone stated, 'And my people were now so much discouraged that they proposed to return home... After using all my powers of persuasion, I declared that I would go on alone, and trudged into my tent... '; Livingstone was soon followed by one of the men who proclaimed, 'We will never leave you. Do not be disheartened.
Wherever you lead, we will follow. '; (Hibbert 256) By 1856 Livingstone had returned to England to share his experiences and information with colleagues and other members of the Royal Geographical Society. One of his main objectives was to persuade his compatriots to return to Africa and spread 'Civilization'; (Hugon 76). He was given a hero's reception in England and received many honors and medals. He also gave lectures and conferences about the importance of African exploration. An account of his voyages to date was published in Missionary Travels, which became an instant best seller (Hugon 76). Despite this, Livingstone had lost all support from the London Missionary Society which had funded his first journey to Africa.
The Society felt that Livingstone was placing his explorations over his missionary duties. This fact became even more evident years later when Livingstone acknowledged in his memoirs that his pursuit to understand, cooperate, and assist the native peoples was second to none. Livingstone returned to Africa in 1858 with government and public support behind him. (Hugon 80). His second expedition was backed by the British Foreign Office which had requested that he establish a base on the Zambezi for the 'Civilized Mission'; (Hugon 80). The second expedition had far more resources (funds, supplies, and porters) than any previous. Accompanying Livingstone this time was his brother, as well as a Thomas Baines, a known painter at the time.
Despite the discovery of a new lake, Lake Nyasa, the second expedition was a failure overall. Although an effective explorer, Livingstone had trouble working with others, was a poor team leader, and manager. Livingstone's wife Mary returned to Africa to join him on the Zambezi, but succumbed to malaria and died in April 1862. Livingstone was summoned back to England in 1863.
While there he completed another book, The Zambezi and it's Tributaries, which was an instant success despite the lack of any meaningful scientific advances on the second expedition (Hugon 80). In January 1866, Livingstone received funding from the Royal Geographic society to once again lead an African expedition. This time the expedition landed further north, at the mouth of the Ruvuma River with the objective of exploring the region of Lake Tanganyika. The party instead ended up around Lake Nyasa and it's affluent, the Lualaba River, which they thought to be the Nile.
Despite sickness and lack of proper supplies, Livingstone continued to explore the area around the Tanganyika and Lualaba regions. His supporters in England failed to get news of his progress. Rumor began to spread concerning his death. Livingstone was exhausted by disease and travel.
The porters and guides of the expedition were increasingly unreliable. This third expedition was becoming much like the second as the days passed. Livingstone's hope lay in a shipment of supplies he had ordered sent to Ujiji. Traveling was difficult though, as the tribes in the surrounding country were constantly at war. On September 22, 1867, Livingstone had a chance meeting with an Arab merchant.
Although the Arab slave merchants were distrusted by the majority of the party, Livingstone was greatly helped by him, as he used the medicines and tonics provided to nurse himself back to health. On November 10, 1871, Henry Morton Stanley arrived in Ujiji. (Moorehead 105) As an American journalist born in Wales, Stanley had been sent by the proprietor of the New York Herald newspaper, James Gordon Bennett, who was quite certain that Livingstone was still alive despite the absence of any confirmed news for almost two years (Hugon 83). The legendary meeting took place on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. In an excited but controlled tone, Stanley stated, 'Dr.
Livingstone, I Presume?' ; 'Yes'; , replied the missionary explorer (Moorehead 108). Despite some major differences of opinion and character, Livingstone and Stanley set out together on Lake Tanganyika in their quest to solve the mystery of the source of the White Nile. They discovered that the Rusizi River flowed into, and not out of the lake, and thus had to admit that it could not be related to the Nile. This enforced Livingstone's belief more than ever that the Lualaba River was the Nile.
He and Stanley walked from Ujiji to Tabor late in 1871 in order to get additional supplies and porters for a return trip to the Lualaba region. (Moorehead 111) Livingstone was insistent on continuing his search to confirm the source of the Nile despite his continued physical decline. He refused to return to England as Stanley recommended. Livingstone and Stanley departed company at Kate in March 1872 (Hugon 84). Livingstone's health continued to deteriorate, as was noted in his journal, 20 April 1873, 'Utterly Worn Out And Excessively Weak'; (Hugon 84). He was experiencing hemorrhages and was having trouble consuming food.
He had difficulty maintaining his bearings during his slow movement in the Lake Bangweula area (Northern Zambia). He had become obsessed with documenting the source (s) of the Nile before his death, regardless of his personal well being. Livingstone died on the morning of 1 May 1873 in a small village in what is now Zambia. His African companions found him at the foot of his bed. News of Livingstone's death reached England on 28 January 1874. His body was carried to London for burial in Westminster Abbey on April 18, 1874. (Moorehead 310) Despite having convinced himself that the Lualaba River was the source of the Nile, it was not confirmed until after Livingstone's death that Lake Victoria and the Mountains of the Moon were the actual sources of the Nile.
Livingstone's missions began and ended in Africa. His explorations were primarily in the Lake Tanganyika and Lualaba River regions. He enjoyed living with the native peoples, eating their food, sleeping in their huts, and without losing his own identity, he made their life his own. He probably understood the African people; their beliefs, fears and needs better than anyone outside of Africa at that time. He sacrificed personal needs for what he believed was his mission to Africa, and was probably more spiritually content to meet his death there than any place else.
David Livingstone's three works on South and South Central Africa had major impacts on the worlds understanding of, and social and political attitudes and policy towards Africa. Although his books made him one of the most famous and respected explorers, he was not as concerned with fame and riches as much as having the backing and resources to pursue his objectives in the then dark continent of Africa.
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Research essay sample on Native Peoples Return Home
