The purpose of this work is to make the world better acquaintedwith the character of Livingstone. His discoveries and researcheshave been given to the public in his own books, but his modesty ledhim to say little in these of himself, and those who knew him bestfeel that little is known of the strength of his affections, thedepth and purity of his devotion, or the intensity of hisaspirations as a Christian missionary. The growth of his characterand the providential shaping of his career are also matters ofremarkable interest, of which not much has yet been made known.
An attempt has been made in this volume, likewise, to present amore complete history of his life than has yet appeared. Manychapters of it are opened up of which the public have hithertoknown little or nothing. It has not been deemed necessary to dwellon events recorded in his published Travels, except for the purposeof connecting the narrative and making it complete. Even on these,however, it has been found that not a little new light and colormay be thrown from his correspondence with his friends and hisunpublished Journals.
Much pains has been taken to show the unity and symmetry of hischaracter. As a man, a Christian, a missionary, a philanthropist,and a scientist, Livingstone ranks with the greatest of our race,and shows the minimum of infirmity in connection with the maximumof goodness. Nothing can be more telling than his life as anevidence of the truth and power of Christianity, as a plea forChristian Missions and civilization, or as a demonstration of thetrue connection between religion and science.
So many friends have helped in this book that it is impossibleto thank all in a preface. Most of them are named in the body ofthe work. Special acknowledgments, however, are due to the moreimmediate members of Dr. Livingstone's family, at whose request thework was undertaken; also to his sisters, the Misses Livingstone,of Hamilton, to Mr. Young, of Kelley, to the venerable Dr. Moffat,and Mrs. Vavasseur, his daughter. The use of valuable collectionsof letters has been given by the following (in addition to thefriends already named): The Directors of the London MissionarySociety; Dr. Risdon Bennett; Rev. G.D. Watt; Rev. Joseph Moore;Rev. W. Thompson, Cape Town; J.B. Braithwaite, Esq.;representatives of the late Sir R.I. Murchison, Bart., and of thelate Sir Thomas Maclear; Rev. Horace Waller, Mr. and Mrs. Webb, ofNewstead Abbey, Mr. P. Fitch, of London, Rev. Dr. Stewart, ofLovedale, and Senhor Nunes, of Quilimane. Other friends haveforwarded letters of less importance. Some of the letters havereached the hands of the writer after the completion of the book,and have therefore been used but sparingly.
The recovery of an important private journal of Dr. Livingstone,which had been lost at the time when the Missionary Travelswas published, has thrown much new light on the part of his lifeimmediately preceding his first great journey.
In the spelling of African proper names, Dr. Moffat has givenvaluable help. Usually Livingstone's own spelling has beenfollowed.
A Map has been specially prepared, in which the geographicalreferences in the volume are shown, which will enable the reader tofollow Livingstone's movements from place to place.
With so much material, it would have been easier to write a lifein two volumes than in one; but for obviou