The Last Journals of David Livingstone, in Central Africa, from 1865 to His Death | Page 2

help in the laborious task of
deciphering this portion of the Doctor's journals. Their knowledge of
his handwriting, their perseverance, coupled with good eyes and a
strong magnifying-glass, at last made their task a complete success.
In comparing this great mass of material with the journal brought home
by Mr. Stanley, one finds that a great deal of most interesting matter
can be added. It would seem that in the hurry of writing and copying
despatches previous to his companion's departure, the Doctor rapidly
entered up as much from his note-books as time and space permitted.
Most fortunately, he still carried the greater part of these original notes
till the time of his death, so that they were forthcoming when his effects
were subsequently saved.
This brings us to the second instalment of the journals, for we have thus
acknowledged the first to have reached us on Mr. Stanley's return.
When the battered tin travelling-case, which was with Livingstone to
the last, was opened at the Foreign Office in the spring of this year, not
only were these valuable papers disclosed which I have mentioned, but
it was found also that Livingstone had kept a copious journal during his
stay at Unyanyembé in some copy-books, and that when his stock of
note-books was replenished a daily record of his subsequent travels had
been made.
It was with fear and trembling that one looked to see whether all had
been saved or only part, but with satisfaction and thankfulness I have

subsequently discovered that his men preserved every single line,
besides his maps, which now come to light for the first time.
Thus much on the material of the diaries: it remains to say a few words
on the Map which accompanies these journals. It has been compiled
from Dr. Livingstone's original drawings and note-books, with the
corrections and additions he made from time to time as the work of
exploration progressed, and the details of physical geography became
clearer to him. The compiler, Mr. John Bolton[1], implicitly following
the original outline of the drawing as far as possible, has honestly
endeavoured to give such a rendering of the entire work, as the Doctor
would have done had he lived to return home, and superintend the
construction; and I take this opportunity of expressing my sincere
gratification that Mr. Bolton's rare technical skill, scientific knowledge,
and unwearying labour have been available for the purpose.
Amongst almost the last words that Livingstone wrote, I find an
unfinished letter to myself, in which he gives me very clear and explicit
directions concerning the geographical notes he had previously sent
home, and I am but carrying out the sacred duty which is attached to a
last wish when I call attention to the fact, that he particularly desired in
this letter that _no positions gathered from his observations for latitude
and longitude, nor for the levels of the Lakes, &c., should be
considered correct till Sir Thomas Maclear had examined them_. The
position of Casembe's town, and of a point near Pambetté at the S.E.,
and of Lake Liemba (Tanganyika), have been computed and corrected
by Sir T. Maclear and Dr. Mann. The observations for latitude were
taken at short intervals, and where it has been possible to test them they
have been found very correct, but I repeat that until the imprimatur of
his old friend at the Cape of Good Hope stands over the whole of
Livingstone's work, the map must be accepted as open to further
corrections.
The journey from Kabwabwata to Mparru has been inserted entirely
from notes, as the traveller was too ill to mark the route: this is the only
instance in all his wanderings where he failed to give some indication
on his map of the nature of the ground over which he passed. The

journey front Mikindany Bay to Lake Nyassa has also been laid down
from his journal and latitudes in consequence of the section of this part
of his route (which he left at Ujiji) not having arrived in England at this
date.[2] It will be observed that the outline of Lake Nyassa differs from
that on any published map: it has been drawn from the original
exploratory survey of its southern shores made by Dr. Livingstone in
1861-3. For some reason this original plan was not adhered to by a
former draughtsman, but the Lake has here been restored to a more
accurate bearing and position.
How often shall we see in the pages of this concluding chapter of his
life, that unwavering determination which was pre-eminently the great
characteristic of David Livingstone!
Naturally endowed with unusual endurance, able to concentrate
faculties of no ordinary kind upon whatever he took in hand, and with a
dread of exaggeration which at times almost militated against the