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				<title>Letter to John Washington</title>
                <title type="alternative">Letter to John Washington, 10 November 1859</title>
				<author xml:id="DL">Livingstone, David, 1813-1873</author>
			</titleStmt>
			<publicationStmt>
				<authority>Livingstone Online</authority>
				<pubPlace>London</pubPlace>
				<date>2009-09-02</date>
				<publisher>Wellcome Centre for the History of Medicine, UCL</publisher>
				<idno type="LEAP-ID">liv_001512</idno>
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				<bibl xml:id="shelfmark">National Museum of the Royal Navy (Great Britain); MSS. 120</bibl>
				<bibl xml:id="ccnumber">Letters, 0971</bibl>
				<bibl xml:id="recipient"><persName>Washington, John, 1800-1863</persName></bibl>
				<bibl xml:id="date"><date when="1859-11-10">10 November 1859</date></bibl>
				<bibl xml:id="where">Kongone Harbour</bibl>
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			<langUsage>
				<language ident="en">English</language>
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			<handNotes>
				<handNote xml:id="hand01">Scribe: Unknown</handNote>
			</handNotes>
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		<revisionDesc>
			<change>
				<date>2009-09-02</date>
				<name xml:id="CO">Caroline Overy</name>Initial Transcription by Caroline Overy
			</change>
			<change>
				<date>2009-10-21</date>
				<name xml:id="CL">Chris Lawrence</name>First Proof by Chris Lawrence
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	<pb n="0001" facs="liv_001512_0001"/><!--pb/@n='1r'-->
<addSpan spanTo="#p1r-01" place="marginleft"><!--addSpan/@place='left margin of fols 1r, 1v, 2r'--></addSpan>
<lb/><p rend="no-indent">The wine for the passage out was abundant but only three cases of 2 dozen 
<lb/>each were the supply for the Expedition afterwards. We had all the <term type="boat">Pearl<reg>'</reg>s</term>
<lb/>people on our stock &amp; some of the <term type="boat">"Hermes"</term>.</p><anchor xml:id="p1r-01"/>
<lb/><p><hi rend="underline">Private</hi> (II)</p>
<lb/><p rend="right"><space extent="3" unit="chars"/><placeName>Kongone Harbour</placeName> 10 Nov<hi rend="sup underline">r</hi></p>
<lb/><p rend="right"><space extent="4" unit="words"/><space extent="2" unit="chars"/>1859</p>
<lb/>
<lb/><p>My Dear <persName>Captain Washington</persName></p>
<lb/><p><space extent="2" unit="words"/><space extent="3" unit="chars"/>We <choice><sic>recieved</sic><corr>received</corr></choice> our first mail 
<lb/>since leaving England eight days ago, and 
<lb/>in it your kind favours of 5<hi rend="sup">th</hi> July, 5 Dec<hi rend="sup">r</hi>
<lb/>5<hi rend="sup">th</hi> Nov<hi rend="sup underline">r</hi> 6 Dec<hi rend="sup underline">r</hi> /58<reg>,</reg> 4 &amp; 5 Jan<hi rend="sup">y</hi> /59 and I 
<lb/>return my sincere and hearty thanks for 
<lb/>these tokens of your kind remembrance. 
<lb/>I have replied to <persName>M<hi rend="sup underline">r</hi> Laird<reg>'</reg>s</persName> assertions 
<lb/>in a letter accompanying this; and will 
<lb/>add in this that the letter copied was addressed 
<lb/>to you but I have not made use of your 
<lb/>name in the matter. <add place="inline"><!--this is added in pencil parly inline and partly infralinear in Livie's hand -->The island at his village is called 
<lb/><placeName>Dakanamoio</placeName> Lat 16° 2′ S. Long 35° 1′ E.</add></p>
<lb/><p>When we returned from <placeName>Nyassa</placeName> to 
<lb/><persName>Chibisa's</persName><persName>M<hi rend="sup underline">r</hi> C. Livingstone</persName> had to make 
<lb/>Magnetical Observations there. As the launch 
<lb/>was unfit to go up to <placeName>Tette</placeName>, <persName>M<hi rend="sup underline">r</hi> Rae</persName>
<lb/>made her a new funnel from copper 
<lb/>plates supplied by <term type="boat">H. M. S. Persian</term>, then 
<lb/>with <persName>D<hi rend="sup underline">r</hi> Kirk</persName> marched overland to 
<lb/><placeName>Tette</placeName> for the materials to patch up the bottom 
<lb/>on this beach. I waited till the observations 
<lb/>were made, then descended <placeName>Shire</placeName> to its 
<lb/>confluence with the <placeName>Zambesi</placeName>. <persName>Rowe</persName> the
<lb/>stoker and <persName>Hutchins</persName> our seaman went 
<lb/>in the whaler thence up to <placeName>Senna</placeName> &amp; brought 
<lb/>down our long longed for mail. During 
<lb/>this time we kept her dry by pumping 
<lb/>three of four times a day, and I thought </p>

	<pb n="0002" facs="liv_001512_0002"/><!--pb/@n='1v'-->
<addSpan spanTo="#p1v-01" place="marginleft"><!--addSpan/@place='left margin of fols 1r, 1v, 2r'--></addSpan> 
<lb/><p rend="no-indent">Then when the Kroomen got fever we put them on it - and even used</p><anchor xml:id="p1v-01"/> 
<lb/><p rend="no-indent">that we could with ease wait at <placeName>Shupanga</placeName>
<lb/>till <persName>Kirk</persName> &amp; <persName>Rae</persName> returned from <placeName>Tette</placeName>, but 
<lb/>the water being very low we touched the 
<lb/>bottom twice and the sand seemed to have 
<lb/>rubbed off the rust formed as she lay 
<lb/>in the <placeName>Shire</placeName> for she became honey combed 
<lb/>all over. Our pumps - (a common small 
<lb/>hand pump exactly such as are used for 
<lb/>drawing spirits!) could not keep her afloat 
<lb/>as all the compartments leaked. I had 
<lb/>therefore to ground her every night and the 
<lb/>water rose up to the level outside before 
<lb/>morning. <choice><reg>T</reg><orig>t</orig></choice>his rubbed still more of the rust 
<lb/>off so I had to run down from <placeName>Shupanga</placeName> 
<lb/>to this, and beach her without waiting 
<lb/>for <persName>Kirk</persName> &amp; <persName>Rae</persName>. So here we are and we intend 
<lb/>to make the best of our bad bargain with planks 
<lb/>(part of the iron house) white lead &amp; canvas.</p>
<lb/><p>The conduct of the steel plates we observe 
<lb/>is this - a species of rust forms - not 
<lb/>ordinary brown rust but on the inner side 
<lb/>quite black &amp; brittle, and this scales off 
<lb/>leaving the plate quite <hi rend="underline">smooth</hi> and exactly 
<lb/>as if it had come out of the fire on rollers 
<lb/>an hour before. These scales form both 
<w>out-<lb break="no"/>side</w> and inside. I tried to get a bit of the inside 
<lb/>to enclose for you, but it crumbles into 
<lb/>powder. <add place="above">(Piece enclosed)</add> the scaling goes on till the plates 
<lb/>are absolutely as thin as wafers and you 
<lb/>can bend them backwards &amp; forwards as 
<lb/>you do the very thinnest of tin plates - our 
<lb/>plates at first 1/16 of an inch thick are honey 
<lb/>combed through all over &amp; when we beached her 
<lb/>the weight on the sand burst many fresh holes<reg>.</reg></p>

	<pb n="0003" facs="liv_001512_0003"/><!--pb/@n='2r'-->
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<lb/><p rend="no-indent">a mixture of brandy &amp; water instead. We got a quantity of Cape brandy &amp; wine 
<lb/>for the purpose but at last gave it all up. I ordered a glass of wine to each 
<lb/>at midday on returning lately knocked up from <placeName>Nyassa</placeName>.</p><anchor xml:id="p2r-01"/> 
<lb/><p rend="no-indent">The plates were well painted both inside &amp; out
<lb/>side with Peacock's patent on our voyage 
<lb/>out. When I first saw the <choice><sic>scaleing</sic><corr>scaling</corr></choice> with 
<lb/>this clean black smooth surface left I thought 
<lb/>the steel plates were answering well but 
<lb/>greater experience says unless they are 
<lb/>made thick they are not the thing for 
<lb/>African rivers. The iron <add place="above">or steel</add> bolts in them don<reg>'</reg>t rust. </p>
<lb/><p>I turn now to a more pleasant subject 
<lb/>and one in which I know you will 
<lb/>sympathize. I am becoming every day 
<lb/>more and more convinced that the 
<lb/>highlands from which we have come 
<lb/>are admirably adapted for European 
<lb/>colonization, and that a small English 
<lb/>colony with its religious and mercantile 
<lb/>establishments will do more to forward the 
<lb/>cause of African elevation than anything 
<lb/>else. We have a high cool healthy region. 
<lb/><persName>C. Livingstone</persName>, <persName>Kirk</persName> &amp; <persName>Rae</persName> never saw 
<lb/>such a well watered tract in all their 
<lb/>travels, and they have all seen a good deal 
<lb/>of the world. There is no tsetse, and it is 
<lb/>only a corner of the rich lands which I saw 
<lb/>far to the West. <choice><reg>T</reg><orig>t</orig></choice>he people unlike the Caffres, 
<lb/>have no cattle except a few goats &amp; sheep, 
<lb/>and are  great agriculturalists, cotton is now 
<lb/>cultivated very extensively. In many parts the 
<lb/>soil contains a good deal of salt &amp; raises 
<lb/>cotton of long staple almost spontaneously 
<lb/>this trade could easily be developed by 
<lb/>resident Europeans - and as all the slave 

	<pb n="0004" facs="liv_001512_0004"/><!--pb/@n='2v'--> 
<lb/>and other trade must cross <placeName>Shire</placeName> to 
<lb/>get along the partition between the Lakes 
<lb/><placeName>Tamándua</placeName> &amp; <placeName>Nyassa</placeName>, and thence diverge 
<lb/>to <placeName>Mosambique</placeName>, <placeName>Angoxia River</placeName> &amp; other parts, 
<lb/>a quiet &amp; effectual blow could be struck 
<lb/>at a most important section of the slave 
<lb/>market. I have no doubt but a great 
<lb/>deal could be done by the natives themselves, 
<lb/>but long time is required to gain their 
<w>con-<lb break="no"/>fidence</w> and this will be done <add place="above">soonest and</add>  most effectually 
<lb/>by a missionary &amp; mercantile establishment. 
<lb/>I believe we could open the way for this by 
<lb/>a small steamer made to be unscrewed at 
<lb/>the foot of the cataracts into pieces of 200 or 
<lb/>300 cwt each, &amp; carried past in 2 scotch 
<lb/>carts <add place="above">with mules</add>. A few sappers &amp; miners <add place="above">assisted by natives</add> would make 
<lb/>a road of 33 miles in three months. <persName>Rae</persName>
<lb/>who is an excellent Engineer says a steamer 
<lb/>of this kind could be arranged without difficulty. 
<lb/><persName>Tod</persName> &amp; <persName>Macgregor</persName> of Glasgow have made 
<lb/>vessels for Australian rivers drawing 30 
<lb/>inches only, and they have sailed out. I would 
<lb/>have got a vessel from <persName>M<hi rend="sup underline">r</hi> Tod</persName> for nothing 
<lb/>had he not supposed that <persName>M<hi rend="sup underline">r</hi> Laird</persName> was 
<lb/>making something very superior.</p>
<lb/><p>I must take the <placeName>Makololo</placeName> home in the 
<lb/>beginning of 1860 though I do it on foot. I wish 
<lb/>I knew whether the Government would 
<w>coun-<lb break="no"/>tenance</w> my plan of a road past the cataracts which 
<lb/>I now submit to them. I could then arrange 
<lb/>with the natives for the sale of a station &amp; visit 
<lb/>all the chiefs on returning from <persName>Sekeletu's</persName><reg>.</reg>
<lb/>I do seriously believe that an English colony 
<lb/>in a cotton field is the remedy for Africa 
<lb/>and her slave trade. D Livingstone</p> 

			
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