David Livingstone

: True Stories Of Wonderful Deeds

At one time many people believed that the middle of Africa was a sandy

desert, where nothing could live but camels and ostriches. But they were

mistaken. The great traveller, David Livingstone, journeyed into this

unknown country, and he found that it was not a desert but a beautiful

land, where many tribes of black people dwelt. He also saw that these

people were often seized by strangers, and taken away to be sold as

slaves. This sight filled him with sadness, and he made up his mind to

put a stop to this cruel traffic. He worked hard, tracing the courses of

the rivers, finding the best tracts of land, and teaching the natives.

Then he urged his countrymen to send others after him to settle in this

fair country, to help the natives to learn useful trades, and to drive

away the slave-merchants.



For some years he was quite alone, with his black servants, in the midst

of this wild land. His friends grew anxious, and sent Mr. Stanley,

another great traveller, to look for him. Stanley marched for nearly a

year before he found Livingstone. The old explorer was white and worn

with sickness and hardship, and he was overjoyed to clasp once more the

hand of a white man, and to hear again the English tongue. But he would

not return to England. He said his work was not yet done, and he set out

once more on his travels. It was his last journey. One morning his

servants found him dead upon his bed. Since that time much has been done

to make Central Africa a prosperous land. Other white men have followed

where Livingstone led, and wherever they have settled, the wicked

slave-trade has been stopped.