The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1913, Page 19

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The Lutheran Pioneer,

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19

the oldest daughter of Dr. Moffat. While at Ma-
botsa, he also had a most wonderful escape from
being killed by a lion. Later he removed to Cho-
nuane, and from there to Kolobeng, where he re-
mained till 1852. At Kolobeng his work was very
successful, the chief of the tribe among whom he
worked becoming a Christian. From this station
he made various trips southward with the intention
of starting new stations and manning them with
native workers, but he was not very successful in
his attempts, because the Boer settlers from the
Cape of Good Hope who had settled here not only
discouraged him, but even did their utmost to
thwart his plans.

After this, Livingstone turned to the north,
crossed the dangerous Kalahari Desert, and entered
the territories of a mighty chief by the name of
Sebituane, who received him with great kindness
and invited him to stay. Though the chief died a
few days after Livingstone’s arrival, the latter never-
theless determined to locate a new station in the
territory. It seemed to him, however, that it would
he of great importance for the people of this“coun-
try, and also for the success of his work among
them, if a direct way to the sea could be found.
Returning to Kolobeng, he sent his wife and four
children to England by way of Cape ‘Town, and got
ready to make the long and dangerous journey of
-exploration. Just before he was ready, his house and
all his property was destroyed by the Boers.

About four hundred miles north of Kolobeng
and one thousand miles north of Cape ‘Town, lies
Linyanti; from this place it was that Livingstone
started out on his westward journey to the sea with
twenty-seven native companions. Weary unto death,
after passing through untold hardships, he finally
reached the western coast at Loando. But having
promised his attendants that he would bring them
home again, Livingstone, instead of going to Eng-
Jand, turned back to Linyanti, and from there con-
tinued castward till he reached the eastern coast of
the continent at the mouth of the Zambesi River, on
May 26, 1856. During this extensive journey across
Africa, Livingstone made many important discoy-
cries; but he never forgot that he was a missionary.
Not to explore Africa was his main purpose, but
to help the poor Africans out of their night of
heathenism. He looked upon his explorations as
the entering wedge, as a necessary preparation for
the great work of evangelizing that he hoped would
follow.

Livingstone now returned to England. He was
received with the greatest enthusiasm, and honors

upon honors were poured upon him. His presence,
together with his first book, Missionary Travels,
aroused a great interest in Africa, and new mis-
sionary societies were founded to carry on the work
of evangelizing the Dark Continent.

Returning to Africa, he led an expedition which
was to explore the region along the Zambesi River.
This expedition was attended by incredible difficul-
ties and extraordinay hardships. Portuguese traders
along the Zambesi, who were carying on a shameful
traffic in slaves, did all they could to arouse the
natives against Livingstone. On this journey Lake
Nyassa was discovered and the territory around it
explored. This country Livingstone was very de-
sirous to see occupied by missionaries as soon as

DAVID LIVINGSTONE.

possible, since he regarded it as the key to Central
Africa. A mission station was planted at Lake
Nyassa; but the bishop at the head of this mission
and several of the missionaries were killed at the
very beginning. This had a very discouraging effect
upon Livingstone. Another great grief came to him
through the death of his faithful wife -and com-
panion at Shupango, on the Zambesi. But all
these trials and discouragements did not prevent
him from continuing his work; even when the
expedition was recalled, he remained, and pursued
the work alone. Finally, in 1864, he decided to
return; and what determined him to do so was the
desire to expose the shameful slave-traffic carried
on by the Portuguese along the Zambesi and around
Lake Nyassa, and to gather funds to found mission
stations in this region. “(To be concluded.)