David Livingstone Was An Explorer Missionary And

David Livingstone Was An Explorer Missionary And
Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, Scotland
Chief Chitambo's Village (formerly North Rhodesia), Zambia
David Livingstone was a Scottish missionary, abolitionist and physician known for his explorations of Africa, having crossed the continent during the mid-19th century.
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David Livingstone pursued training in medicine and missionary work before moving to Africa in 1841. He crossed the continent from east to west and would ultimately come across many bodies of water previously uncharted by Europeans, including the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls. He was a staunch abolitionist after witnessing the horrors of the African slave trade, and returned to the region twice after his initial voyage.
David Livingstone was born on March 19, 1813, in Blantyre, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, and grew up with several siblings in a single tenement room. He started working at a cotton mill company as a child and would follow his long work schedule with schooling during evenings and weekends. He eventually studied medicine in Glasgow before going on to train with the London Missionary Society for a year. He completed his medical studies at various institutions in 1840 in London, England.
In the official role of a "medical missionary," he set forth to Africa, arriving in Cape Town, South Africa in March 1841. A few years later, he married Mary Moffat; the couple would have several children.
Livingstone eventually made his way north and set out to trek across the Kalahari Desert. In 1849, he came upon Lake Ngami and, in 1851, the Zambezi River. Over the years, Livingstone continued his explorations, reaching the western coastal region of Luanda in 1853. In 1855, he came across another famous body of water, the Zambezi falls, called by native populations "Smoke That Thunders" and which Livingstone dubbed Victoria Falls, after Queen Victoria .
By 1856, Livingstone had gone across the continent from west to east, arriving at the coastal region of Quelimane in what is present-day Mozambique.
Upon his return to England, Livingstone received accolades and, in 1857, published Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa . The following year, Livingstone was appointed by British authorities to lead an expedition that would navigate the Zambezi. The expedition did not fare well, with squabbling among the crew and the original boat having to be abandoned. Other bodies of water were discovered, though Livingstone's wife, Mary, would perish from fever upon returning to Africa in 1862.
Livingstone returned to England again in 1864, speaking out against slavery, and the following year, published Narrative of an Expedition to the Zambesi and Its Tributaries. In this book, Livingstone also wrote about his use of quinine as a malarial remedy and theorized about the connection between malaria and mosquitoes.
Livingstone undertook another expedition to Africa, landing at Zanzibar in early 1866 and going on to find more bodies of water, with the hope of locating the source of the Nile River. He eventually ended up in the village of Nyangwe, where he witnessed a devastating massacre where Arabic slave traders killed hundreds of people.
With the explorer thought to be lost, a transatlantic venture was developed by the London Daily Telegraph and New York Herald , and journalist Henry Stanley was sent to Africa to find Livingstone. Stanley located the physician in Ujiji in late 1871, and upon seeing him, uttered the now-well-known words, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"
Livingstone chose to stay, and he and Stanley parted ways in 1872. Livingstone died from dysentery and malaria on May 1, 1873, at the age of 60, in Chief Chitambo's Village, near Lake Bangweulu, North Rhodesia (now Zambia). His body was eventually transported to and buried at Westminster Abbey.
Livingstone has been positioned as a staunch abolitionist who believed in the dignity of Africans, the viability of commercial enterprises for the continent and the imposition of Christianity, despite Indigenous spiritual beliefs. His findings contained hitherto unknown details about the continent that led to European nations seizing African land in imperialistic zeal, which some speculate Livingstone would have opposed.
A copy of Livingstone's 1871 diary entries can be found at the website of the David Livingstone Spectral Imaging Project , which chronicles his time in Nyangwe and sheds light on his place as a complex historical figure.
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A charity fair for Charing Cross Hospital, 1830

David Livingstone's travels from Port Elizabeth to Kurman - 1841

The Chobe River
photo credit: Markus Trachsel

David Livingstone's Expedition from Linyanti to Luanda. 1853-1854

Illustration of Victoria Falls by Thomas Baines
photo credit: Smithsonian Libraries

David Livingstone's Expedition from Linyanti to Quelimane. 1855-1856

Livingstone Cottage, Barnet, England

The Royal Geographical Society in London

David Livingstone's Journey to Ujiji, Tanzania

David Livingstone's Final Journey 1865-1873

David Livingstone's Journeys in Africa 1841-1873

David Livingstone was a famous British explorer and missionary during the 19 th century. His primary focus was within the continent of Africa, and his initial motivation was missionary work. In time he became determined to end the slave trade entirely, and saw Christianity and an expanding economy as a means to achieve this goal.
David was born in Scotland in 1813 to a family of modest means. His father bought tea wholesale, and sold it in small bags door to door. He had three younger siblings, and the whole family lived in a single room apartment in the town of Blantyre. His grandfather had a large collection of books, which David borrowed regularly.
He started working in a local factory at the age of 10 to help support the family and pay for his younger sibling's education. His shift was from 6 AM to 8 PM, six days a week. Britain had recently passed a law requiring all factories employing children to offer free education after working hours. After working a 14 hour shift, Livingstone would attend classes.
In 1832, the pastor of his family's church, Reverend Moore, loans David a book titled, Philosophy of a Future State by Dr. Thomas Dick. The book argued that since all of nature was created by God, studying science would draw people closer to God. This served to encourage David's natural interest in science and nature.
When David was 19 years old, Reverend Moore read a letter to his church's congregation. The letter was written by Dr. Charles Gutslaf, a missionary in China, and addressed to all Christians in Europe and America. It stated that missionaries were badly needed, and the best way to serve as a missionary was to study medicine.
David was still working to support his family. He prays about God's plan for his life and feels that God is calling him to be a missionary. He begins thinking of how he could receive training in the medical field. He researched the cost of local medical schools, and determined that he could afford one term with three years of savings.
After years of working, he had saved up enough to attend one semester at Anderson College in Glasgow. What a change it was to be able to study full time, without being exhausted after working 14 hour days. He loved his time at university immensely, and made many friends.
But after one semester, he had run out of funds. So he returned to his job at the factory, eager to save up enough to return to his studies. After one year of working, he still had not saved up enough to return to school. So his older brother generously provided the remaining funds needed.
David Livingstone had completed his coursework at Anderson College by September of 1838. He was immediately offered a job as an instructor at the college with a 150£ per year salary. But he instead applied with the London Missionary Society, in order to receive training as a missionary. He is accepted and studies in London for six years. His final course work was completed at Charing Cross Hospital.
David now felt he was close to beginning his dreams of exploration and spreading the gospel. This whole time he believed he would end up in China. But the opium wars had broken out, and there could be no more missionaries admitted into the country. He would have to find another mission field.
At this time it was believed that only the coasts of Africa were populated, and that the interior of the continent was a barren wasteland. While in London, he speaks with Reverend Moffat who had worked as a missionary for years in southern Africa. Moffat states he is certain that native tribes had yet to be contacted deep within the interior of Africa.
This fascinated David and he immediately contacted the London Missionary Society, requesting to be sent to Africa. His requests are granted and he is assigned to Reverend Moffat's station in Kuruman, about 500 mi (900 km) north of the southern African coast.
On December 8 th of 1840, at 27 years old, David is off to Africa aboard The George under Captain Donnelson. He was filled with excitement. The captain taught David how to navigate by the stars along their way. This skill would become essential when later exploring the interior of Africa.
Along their way, a major storm strikes and the ship loses its main mast and all of its sails. Slowly they drift across the Atlantic towards South America. They land in Rio de Janeiro and are stuck there for a week while the ship is repaired. Livingstone spent his short time there spreading the Christian faith wherever he could, including local taverns.
The ship is repaired and the crew finally arrives in Port Elizabeth in 1841, on the southern coast of Africa. A wagon and a team of oxen are purchased, and the team begins their journey north to Kuruman. David was thrilled by the unknown he was facing ahead of him. They hunted all sorts of wild game along their journey, and David took notes describing this fantastic new land.
Continuing north, they stopped at various missionary settlements along the way. When they reached Kuruman, the most northern missionary outpost, David meets with the few missionaries presently at the station. Robert Moffat was still in London. Moffat founded the mission station 20 years ago, and although they regularly had 400 in attendance for church services, they had only converted 40 people to Christianity.
Livingstone immediately asked why missionaries had not pushed farther north, into the heart of Africa. Roger Edwards explains that the area north of Kuruman was uncharted desert, and they did not know what the territory or locals were like or if they could even survive in that region. Moffat also had a wife and children to look after, and they were quite well situated at Kuruman.
Livingstone uses this unsupervised time to explore the areas to the north, building relationships with many tribes. Traveling to the north east about 200 miles, he contacts a Bantu tribe and spends five days in the village of Mabotsa, near the modern day border of Botswana (near Zeerust, South Africa). Many reach out to him for medicine to cure various ailments. David and his party travel a little further north, nearing the edge of the Kalahari Desert, contacting Bakwain tribes. He does what he can to introduce people to the teachings of Jesus.
David and Roger know they need to get back to the mission station at Kuruman before the Reverend Moffat returns from England. The locals are sad to see them leave, but David assures them that they will return and stay longer.
They had traveled south a great distance when they noticed a young girl hiding in their wagon. The girl explains that her parents and older sister had recently died, and that her uncle had traded her to become a local warrior's wife. She begged David to take her to Kuruman since she had friends there. He agrees but soon the warrior tracks them down and demands the girl be returned to him. After a heated exchange, the warrior accepts some beads instead, and they part ways.
Upon returning to Kuruman, a letter is received from Robert Moffat. It appears he will be staying in London much longer than expected. This leaves David as the only Western doctor in the region. People from all over flock to Kuruman to receive medical treatment and to hear the gospel. Here he helps cure many people and learns a great deal about treating malaria and many other diseases native to Africa.
The year is 1842 and David begins planning his next trip north, this time taking a new route. With help from the locals, he is becoming fluent in the Bantu language. He settles in at the town of Lepelole , and soon notices that the town has serious water issues. He begins to dig a channel from a spring to a newly planted village garden. This gives him days of working alongside the locals. Building relationships with them and helping lead them to a relationship with God.
Weeks later, he looks at his maps, it is only uncharted territory to the north. No Christian missionaries had yet crossed the Kalahari Desert. The group abandons their wagons, as the wheels would only sink into the sand of the desert. They load the backs of their oxen and walked north, directly into the desert.
After traveling for two weeks, they contact the Bamangwato people, with their main settlement containing 3,000 people. David meets with the local chief, who says he wants his heart changed. He explains how he is cruel to his people, and wants help treating them with more love. David teaches him the teachings of Jesus, and that accepting Christ is the only way to change his heart.
After some time, the party plans a journey to the neighboring town. The chief explains that the people there are vicious and will certainly kill him. He says that two white people visited the town years ago and were killed. When David decides to go anyway, the chief asks him why he would be willing to risk certain death. David explains that it is his calling to spread the word of God to as many people as he can, at whatever cost. The chief loans him four warriors, but expects them all to die.
When David arrives at Mabotsa, the villagers immediately flee. The local chief approaches David and tells him to leave, thinking he is there to avenge the killing of the other white traders. David pours a bag of corn meal into a pan, and asks for water, knowing that rumor has it that the previous white people to visit this village were poisoned with water. He cooks and eats the corn meal.
This wins the trust of the entire village. David climbs on top of a pile of rocks and tells the people the message of Christ.
After several days spent in this village, David and his party travel back through the Kalahari Desert. The chief's son travels with them, teaching them which plants are safe to eat and how to find water along the way. David notes everything in his journals.
After being away for five months, the group arrives back at Kuruman in July of 1842. Word comes that fighting has broken out between the tribes in the surrounding area. This leaves David stuck in Kuruman for eight months, during which he works hard converting new Christians and helping them grow in their faith.
David embarks on yet another expedition. He finds his old friend, chief Sechele, who has now settled a new town, as his old village was destroyed in the fighting. The chief's son is sick with what appears to be dysentery. He waits until the boy is cured before heading east.
While on his journey, David spends his evenings sitting by the fire chatting with locals, listening to their stories and legends. Sometimes he would tell his own stories, including his story of becoming a Christian.
After traveling all over the region to the north, David travels 400 miles back to Kuruman. He has now been in Africa for two years, and Reverend Moffat is still not back from London. David receives a letter from the London Missionary Society granting him permission to build a new missionary settlement at a place of his choosing. He knows just where to go. People from his home town had also raised 12£ to hire a new pastor.
It is now winter and David is putting together a team to found the new missionary station, when three English hunters pass through Kuruman, led by Captain Thomas Steel. The group travels with David for two weeks until they reach the location of the new missionary station at Mabotsa.
It is now December of 1843 and David receives a letter informing him that Robert and Mary Moffat, and their three daughters, have landed at Port Elizabeth. David races off to meet them on their journey inland. They meet at the Vaal River, 150 miles south of Kuruman. Traveling back together, David and the Moffat family get to know each other.
David was back at Mabotsa by January of 1844. He founded a new missionary station here, building a new church and hiring a local pastor.
The region was infested with lions. One day, word came that a lion was attacking the sheep in one of the pastures. Livingstone races out to the pastures, scouts the area, and spies one lion in the grass. He sights his rifle, and shoots the lion in the shoulder. The lion pounces, grabbing him by the arm and shaking him aro
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David Livingstone Was An Explorer Missionary And

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