his little flock around him, and reads prayers and a chapter from the Bible, in a natural, unaffected, and sincere tone; and afterward delivers a short address in the Kisawahili language, about the subject read to them, which is listened to with evident interest and attention.”

It was agreed that the two travelers should make a short excursion to the north end of Lake Tanganyika, to ascertain whether the lake had an outlet there.  This was done, but it was found that instead of flowing out, the river Lugize flowed into the lake, so that the notion that the lake discharged itself northward turned out to be an error.  Meanwhile, the future arrangements of Dr. Livingstone were matter of anxious consideration.  One thing was fixed and certain from the beginning:  Livingstone would not go home with Stanley.  Much though his heart yearned for home and family—­all the more that he had just learned that his son Thomas had had a dangerous accident,—­and much though he needed to recruit his strength and nurse his ailments, he would not think of it while his work remained unfinished.  To turn back to those dreary sponges, sleep in those flooded plains, encounter anew that terrible pneumonia which was “worse than ten fevers,” or that distressing haemorrhage which added extreme weakness to extreme agony—­might have turned any heart; Livingstone never flinched from it.  What a reception awaited him if he had gone home to England!  What welcome from friends and children, what triumphal cheers from all the great Societies and savants, what honors from all who had honors to confer, what opportunity of renewing efforts to establish missions and commerce, and to suppress the slave traffic!  Then he might return to Africa in a year, and finish his work.  If Livingstone had taken this course, no whisper would have been heard against it.  The nobility of his soul never rose higher, his utter abandonment of self, his entire devotion to duty, his right honorable determination to work while it was called to-day never shone more brightly than when he declined all Stanley’s entreaties to return home, and set his face steadfastly to go back to the bogs of the watershed.  He writes in his journal:  “My daughter Agnes says, ’Much as I wish you to come home, I had rather that you finished your work to your own satisfaction, than return merely to gratify me.’  Rightly and nobly said, my darling Nannie; vanity whispers pretty loudly, ’She is a chip of the old block,’ My blessing on her and all the rest.”

After careful consideration of various plans, it was agreed that he should go to Unyanyembe, accompanied by Stanley, who would supply him there with abundance of goods, and who would then hurry down to the coast, organize a new expedition composed of fifty or sixty faithful men to be sent on to Unyanyembe, by whom Livingstone would be accompanied back to Bangweolo and the sources, and then to Rua, until his work should be completed, and he might go home in peace.