02.02 - The Smoke of a Thousand Villages
2. The smoke of a thousand villages.
’The smoke of a thousand villages’
Livingstone’s departure was hindered by the Opium War, which closed China to him for the time being. During this period he attended a meeting addressed by a fellow Scot, Dr Robert Moffat, who was home on leave from the mission station at Kuruman, some 500 miles north of Cape Town. This was as far as missionaries had penetrated into the ’dark continent’ of Africa; at that time, apart from parts of the north and south, only the coastline of this huge continent was know to the outside world. After listening to Dr Moffat speaking of the vast, untouched regions of Central Africa, and the ’smoke of a thousand villages’ where the gospel had never been preached, Livingstone rather shyly asked him whether he thought he would do for Africa. The outcome was that the London Missionary Society agreed he should go and, in 1840, Livingstone sailed for Africa on board the sailing ship, George. In Africa, Livingstone made his way, mainly by ox-wagon, to Kuruman, where he was to learn the ways and workings of a mission station before setting of northwards to establish new stations. His stay at Kuruman was not a particularly happy one; he was impatient to be off to those untouched regions and critical, too, that Dr Moffat should confine his work to the area around Kuruman, when the needy north was neglected: there was so much to be done and so few people to do it. For several months Livingstone isolated himself in a native village miles away from Kuruman so that he might more quickly learn the language and understand the ways of the Africans. He made several early journeys of exploration, but the purpose of these was to find healthy sites for mission stations - sites that were free from the terrible malaria which made large areas of Africa impassable for Europeans. To a great extent, this was the object of all his later explorations and, although he was to become the greatest geographer Africa had never known, he had never lost sight of his true purpose - to deliver the Christian message whenever the opportunity offered.
While at Kuruman, Livingstone met Dr Moffat’s daughter, Mary, and, although he had believed until then that he could best accomplish his work as a bachelor, Mary altered his point of view and they were married in 1845. Their first home was at Mabotsa, north of Kuruman, where Livingstone had already opened a mission station and built a house. It was here that Livingstone was attacked by a lion which crunched his shoulder so that he never regained full use of his left arm. Later, the Livingstones moved forty miles further on to Chonuane, into the country of the Bakwains, and again founded a station.
Here they met Chief Sechele who, after three years’ instruction, was converted to Christianity. However, another move was necessary when the supply of water dried up; this time they moved to Kolobeng, just east of the great Kalahari Desert. Chief Sechele and his tribe moved there, too, and Livingstone built a third house.
These were probably the happiest years of his life - spent with his young family. In addition to his usual missionary work, Livingstone studied the geology and natural history of the surrounding countryside. At Kolobeng, Livingstone heard rumours of fertile plains north of the Kalahari, which were teeming with population; but the desert which blocked the way was difficult and waterless. Taking the family with him, he made several trips northwards. On one of these expeditions he was accompanied by a hunter friend, W. Cotton Oswell, and together they discovered Lake Ngami. As hardships increased, Livingstone’s concern for the welfare and education of his family made him decide they must go to Britain; they travelled to Cape Town where Mrs Livingstone and the children boarded ship. Then Livingstone returned to Kolobeng, northwards across the Kalahari, so that he might carry the Christian message further; and from this point on he became increasingly an explorer.