The Life and Adventures of Dr. Livingston; In the Interior of South Africa

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1879 edition. Excerpt: ...constantly observed, leading into the recesses of the forest, whither they were wont to repair for the worship and propitiation of the spirits of their departed relatives, and various deities to whom they made offerings of food and other things. They had, too, more tangible objects of worship, --a block of wood carved into a rude resemblance of a human form, or a clay lion, with two shells for eyes, might be seen here and there, beneath a shed; and before these senseless idols the people, when their crops failed, or any other calamity happened, beat a drum all night, and made a prodigious uproar. In their household matters, too, they were very superstitious; with all their hospitality, they would not eat with, or in sight of, the strangers; but if they took the meat which was sometimes offered when their gueste had shot game by the way, they always carried it away, and devoured it ill secret. When, said Livingston, I saw them, and thought of the vast numbers there are in this land, all living without Gcd and without hope, I sat down with feelings of despair. When will they be supplied with the Gospel of Christ? Seldom, however, did these feelings of despondency have dominion in the mind of our traveller--more commonly his thoughts were buoyant and hopeful; and at all times, the more deeply sunk in barbarism and wickedness he saw the people around him to be, the more resolutely was he bent upon endeavouring to accomplish their enlightenment and deliverance from the bonds of sin and Satan; so he journeyed on with that great object before him, like a cloudy pillar by day and a light by night, having always a Divine Guide in view. And then, too, in the social life of these poor negro tribes he saw much that was pleasing and hopeful: they were...