“THE END OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL FEAT is ONLY
     THE BEGINNING OF THE ENTERPRISE.”

Livingstone reached the Portuguese settlement of Tette on the 3d March, 1856, and the “civilized breakfast” which the commandant, Major Sicard, sent forward to him, on his way, was a luxury like Mr. Gabriel’s bed at Loanda, and made him walk the last eight miles without the least sensation of fatigue, although the road was so rough that, as a Portuguese soldier remarked, it was like “to tear a man’s life out of him.”  At Loanda he had heard of the battle of the Alma; after being in Tette a short time he heard of the fall of Sebastopol and the end of the Crimean War.  He remained in Tette till the 23d April, detained by an attack of fever, receiving extraordinary kindness from the Governor, and, among other tokens of affection, a gold chain for his daughter Agnes, the work of an inhabitant of the town.  These gifts were duly acknowledged.  It was at this place that Dr. Livingstone left his Makololo followers, with instructions to wait for him till he should return from England.  Well entitled though he was to a long rest, he deliberately gave up the possibility of it, by engaging to return for his black companions.

In the case of Dr. Livingstone, rest meant merely change of employment, and while resting and recovering from fever, he wrote a large budget of long and interesting letters.  One of these was addressed to the King of Portugal:  it affords clear evidence that, however much Livingstone felt called to reprobate the deeds of some of his subordinates, he had a respectful feeling for the King himself, a grateful sense of the kindness received from his African subjects, and an honest desire to aid the wholesome development of the Portuguese colonies.  It refutes, by anticipation, calumnies afterward circulated to the effect that Livingstone’s real design was to wrest the Portuguese settlements in Africa from Portugal, and to annex them to the British Crown.  He refers most gratefully to the great kindness and substantial aid he had received from His Majesty’s subjects, and is emboldened thereby to address him on behalf of Africa.  He suggests certain agricultural products—­especially wheat and a species of wax—­that might be cultivated with enormous profit.  A great stimulus might be given to the cultivation of other products—­coffee, cotton, sugar, and oil.  Much had been done for Angola, but with little result, because the colonists’ leant on Government instead of trusting to themselves.  Illegitimate traffic (the slave-trade) was not at present remunerative, and now was the time to make a great effort to revive wholesome enterprise.  A good road into the interior would be a great boon.  Efforts to provide roads and canals had failed for want of superintendents.  Dr. Livingstone named a Portuguese engineer who would superintend admirably.  The fruits of the Portuguese missions were still apparent, but there was a great want of literature, of books.