Page:Dictionary of National Biography volume 33.djvu/393

 Livingstone influence he had acquired over the natives as a missionary.

Livingstone remained at Koloheñ until April 1850, when, with his wife and three children, he again started for the north to visit Sebituane. He took the more eastern route, through the Bamangwato and by Letloche, the chief Setshele accompanying him to the Zuga. He travelled along the woody northern bank of that river to its confluence with the Tamunakle, where the activity of the dangerous tsetse fly compelled him reluctantly to recross the Zuga. Here he learnt I that a party of Englishmen, who had come to the lake in search of ivory, were ill with fever, and he hastily travelled some sixty miles to their succour. Alfred Ryder, a young artist, died before he arrived, but the others recovered under Livingstone's nursing. When Livingstone was ready to resume his journey, two of his children and three of his servants were seized with fever. He therefore abandoned his journey for that year and returned to Kolobeñ, where a fourth child was born, but only lived a few weeks. Mrs. Livingstone being seriously ill, they went to stay with Dr. Moffat at Kuruman to recruit her health.

Accompanied by his wife and children and Mr. Oswell, to whose pecuniary assistance he was greatly indebted, Livingstone in April 1851 succeeded in visiting Sebituane, who received him with kindness, but a fortnight later died of inflammation of the lungs. The chieftainship devolved upon his daughter, Ma-mochisane, who lived twelve days' march to the north, at Na-liele. She gave Livingstone and Oswell leave to visit any part of her territory, and they made an expedition 130 miles to the north-east through Linyanti. They travelled by a more easterly route than they had hitherto tried, and crossed the network of rivers, streams, and marshes called Tshobe. At the end of June they were rewarded by the important discovery of the Zambesi at Sesheke, in the centre of the continent. Setting out on 13 Aug., the party proceeded slowly homeward. On 15 Sept. Livingstone's son, William Oswell, was born on the journey, while his son Thomas was down with fever. They reached Kolobeñ safely in October.

As there was no hope that the Boers would allow the instruction of the natives to proceed peaceably,a strong desire moved Livingstone to explore to the north; so in the spring of 1852, after a short stay with the Moffats at Kuruman, he took his family to Cape Town, and on 23 April, assisted by Oswell's liberality, he sent them to England. Livingstone's uvula had long been troublesome, and he seized this opportunity to have it excised. While staying at Cape Town, among other occupations, he put himself under the instruction of the astronomer-royal, Mr. (afterwards Sir) Thomas Maclear, who became one of his most esteemed friends, and Livingstone named after him Cape Maclear, the most striking promontory on Lake Nyasa. Under Maclear's instructions he perfected himself in astronomical observations, and acquired in this respect a skill and accuracy which few subsequent travellers have possessed in a like degree.

After procuring stores, he left Cape Town on 8 June 1852, and arrived at Kuruman about the end of August. Here a broken wheel detained him for a fortnight, and this detention probably saved his life, for the Boers had attacked the Ba-kwena at Kolobeñ, sacked the place, and, gutting Livingstone's house, destroyed his personal property and manuscripts. He made a formal representation of his losses both to the Cape and the home authorities, but never received any compensation. The country was so unsettled that it was not until 20 Nov. that he was able to secure servants, and, in company with George Fleming, a trader, to leave Kuruman. He skirted the Kalahari desert, giving the Boers a wide berth. On 31 Dec. he reached Litubaruba, and on 23 May 1853 arrived at Linyanti, the capital of the Makololo. Mamochisane had made over the chieftainship to her brother, Sekeletu, who received them most cordially. Here Livingstone had his first attack of fever, and he spent a month in preparing for his exploration northwards, while at the same time he assisted Fleming to establish himself as a trader.

At the end of June 1853, accompanied by Sekeletu, Livingstone proceeded to Sesheke, where a fleet or thirty-three canoes and 160 men was collected to ascend the Zambesi as far as the confluence of the Kabompo and the Liba. But in all this district the tsetse fly prevailed. They ascended the Liba to the confluence of the Loeti, and returned to Linyanti in September, having failed to discover a suitable and healthy site for a station. Livingstone now determined to open a path to the west coast. He sent back his Kuruman servants, who had had frequent relapses of fever, and induced Sekeletu to assist him with twenty-seven men and canoes, with the hope of opening up trade between the Makololo and the Portuguese colonies. Having committed his wagon and goods to the care of Sekeletu, he started on 11 Nov. 1853, with a very modest outfit, for his journey to the west coast. Although Livingstone travelled with so little baggage, he was always careful to maintain