Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa Including a Sketch of Sixteen Year's Residence in the Interior of Africa,and a Journey from the Cape of Good Hope to Loanda on the West Coast; Thence Across the Continent, Down the River Zambesi, to the Eastern Ocean by David Livingstone
Classics of Exploration Series, Time Life Books, 1984, 714 pages, facsimile reprint of the 1857 Edition , full brown faux leather binding with gilt and red titling and decorations, all edges gilt, many maps and illustrations, 15 cms x 22 cms x 5.7 cms, condition: as new.
The book is as close as possible to the original work.
David Livingstone was a man born into adversity who worked hard and studied hard so that he could go to China. He learned medicine, science, and theology; and had a mind agile enough to communicate well across language barriers. He wasnt able to go to China, but instead of staying in Britain and raising children to live in much greater ease from which he had grown up, he chose to go to Africa and live a very primitive life.
His time in Africa coincides with the slave trade running through that country (Africans selling fellow Africans to Portuguese and Arabs) as well as the Boers in South Africa taking advantage of any situation they could use to gain further power and footholds in the country. David Livingstone interacted with all parties to the best of his ability, but wished to find a way for the Africans to carry on legitimate trade (agricultural or the use of their natural resources) in order for their own advancement.
Most of the book describes journeying through Africa with several African natives, and the sights they saw, the interactions with humans, animals, insects, and weather. The author doesnt dwell on himself so much as he describes his observations of his surroundings and brief information on how his fellow travelers and he obtained food and water. It seems he genuinely wanted to survey Africa south of the equator, he wanted to see if roads and transportation were feasible, and he wanted to walk the walk of a man with faith in God more than he wanted to stuff his religion down others throats. It would seem that our ability to read of his amazing adventure one hundred and fifty years afterwards bears testimony that his walk wasnt in vain.
