The year 1870 was begun with the prayer that in the course of it he might be able to complete his enterprise, and retire through the Basango before the end of it.  In February he hears with gratitude of Mr. E.D.  Young’s Search Expedition up the Shire and Nyassa.  In setting out anew he takes a more northerly course, proceeding through paths blocked with very rank vegetation, and suffering from choleraic illness caused by constant wettings.  In the course of a month the effects of the wet became overpowering, and on 7th February Dr. Livingstone had to go into winter quarters.  He remained quiet till 26th June.

In April, 1870, from “Manyuema or Cannibal Country, say 150 miles N.W. of Ujiji,” he began a letter to Sir Roderick Murchison, but changed its destination to his brother John in Canada.  He notices his Immediate object—­to ascertain where the Lualaba joined the eastern branch of the Nile, and contrasts the lucid reasonable problem set him by Sir Roderick with the absurd instructions he had received from some members of the Geographical Society.  “I was to furnish ’a survey on successive pages of my journal,’ ‘latitudes every night,’ ‘hydrography of Central Africa,’ and because they voted one-fifth or perhaps one-sixth part of my expenses, give them ‘all my notes, copies if not the originals!’ For mere board and no lodgings I was to work for years and hand over the results to them.”  Contrasted with such absurdities, Sir Roderick’s proposal had quite fascinated him.  He had ascertained that the watershed extended 800 miles from west to east, and had traversed it in every direction, but at a cost which had been wearing out both to mind and body.  He drops a tear over the Universities Mission, but becomes merry over Bishop Tozer strutting about with his crosier at Zanzibar, and in a fine clear day getting a distant view of the continent of which he claimed to be Bishop.  He denounces the vile policy of the Portuguese, and laments the indecision of some influential persons who virtually upheld it.  He is tickled with the generous offer of a small salary, when he should settle somewhere, that had been made to him by the Government, while men who had risked nothing were getting handsome salaries of far greater amount; but rather than sacrifice the good of Africa, HE WOULD SPEND EVERY PENNY OF HIS PRIVATE MEANS.  He seems surrounded by a whole sea of difficulties, but through all, the nobility of his spirit shines undimmed.  To persevere in the line of duty is his only conceivable course.  He holds as firmly as ever by the old anchor—­“All will turn out right at last.”

When ready, they set out on 26th June.  Most of his people failed him; but nothing daunted, he set off then with only three attendants, Susi, Chuma, and Gardner, to the northwest for the Lualaba.  Whenever he comes among Arab traders he finds himself suspected and hated because he is known to condemn their evil deeds.

The difficulties by the way were terrible.  Fallen trees and flooded rivers made marching a perpetual struggle.  For the first time, Livingstone’s feet failed him.  Instead of healing as hitherto, when torn by hard travel, irritating sores fastened upon them, and as he had but three attendants, he had to limp back to Bambarre, which he reached in the middle of July.