How I Found Livingstone | Page 2

the
`Herald' and retire from business."
"Whoever told you that is wrong, for there is not, money enough in
New York city to buy the `New York Herald.' My father has made it a
great paper, but I mean to make it greater. I mean that it shall be a
newspaper in the true sense of the word. I mean that it shall publish
whatever news will be interesting to the world at no matter what cost."

"After that," said I, "I have nothing more to say. Do you mean me to go
straight on to Africa to search for Dr. Livingstone?"
"No! I wish you to go to the inauguration of the Suez Canal first, and
then proceed up the Nile. I hear Baker is about starting for Upper Egypt.
Find out what you can about his expedition, and as you go up describe
as well as possible whatever is interesting for tourists; and then write
up a guide-- a practical one--for Lower Egypt; tell us about whatever is
worth seeing and how to see it.
"Then you might as well go to Jerusalem; I hear Captain Warren is
making some interesting discoveries there. Then visit Constantinople,
and find out about that trouble between the Khedive and the Sultan.
"Then--let me see--you might as well visit the Crimea and those old
battle-grounds, Then go across the Caucasus to the Caspian Sea; I hear
there is a Russian expedition bound for Khiva. From thence you may
get through Persia to India; you could write an interesting letter from
Persepolis.
"Bagdad will be close on your way to India; suppose you go there, and
write up something about the Euphrates Valley Railway. Then, when
you have come to India, you can go after Livingstone. Probably you
will hear by that time that Livingstone is on his way to Zanzibar; but if
not, go into the interior and find him. If alive, get what news of his
discoveries you can; and if you find he is dead, bring all possible proofs
of his being dead. That is all. Good-night, and God be with you."
"Good-night, Sir," I said, "what it is in the power of human nature to do
I will do; and on such an errand as I go upon, God will be with me."
I lodged with young Edward King, who is making such a name in New
England. He was just the man who would have delighted to tell the
journal he was engaged upon what young Mr. Bennett was doing, and
what errand I was bound upon.
I should have liked to exchange opinions with him upon the probable
results of my journey, but I dared not do so. Though oppressed with the
great task before me, I had to appear as if only going to be present at
the Suez Canal. Young King followed me to the express train bound for
Marseilles, and at the station we parted: he to go and read the
newspapers at Bowles' Reading-room--I to Central Africa and--who
knows?
There is no need to recapitulate what I did before going to Central

Africa.
I went up the Nile and saw Mr. Higginbotham, chief engineer in
Baker's Expedition, at Philae, and was the means of preventing a duel
between him and a mad young Frenchman, who wanted to fight Mr.
Higginbotham with pistols, because that gentleman resented the idea of
being taken for an Egyptian, through wearing a fez cap. I had a talk
with Capt. Warren at Jerusalem, and descended one of the pits with a
sergeant of engineers to see the marks of the Tyrian workmen on the
foundation-stones of the Temple of Solomon. I visited the mosques of
Stamboul with the Minister Resident of the United States, and the
American Consul-General. I travelled over the Crimean battle-grounds
with Kinglake's glorious books for reference in my hand. I dined with
the widow of General Liprandi at Odessa. I saw the Arabian traveller
Palgrave at Trebizond, and Baron Nicolay, the Civil Governor of the
Caucasus, at Tiflis. I lived with the Russian Ambassador while at
Teheran, and wherever I went through Persia I received the most
hospitable welcome from the gentlemen of the Indo-European
Telegraph Company; and following the examples of many illustrious
men, I wrote my name upon one of the Persepolitan monuments. In the
month of August, 1870, I arrived in India.
On the 12th of October I sailed on the barque 'Polly' from Bombay to
Mauritius. As the 'Polly' was a slow sailer, the passage lasted
thirty-seven days. On board this barque was a William Lawrence
Farquhar--hailing from Leith, Scotland-- in the capacity of first-mate.
He was an excellent navigator, and thinking he might be useful to me, I
employed him; his pay to begin from the date we should leave Zanzibar