Sometimes he even said that, had he
been there, he would probably have done what the Bishop did[63]. Why,
then, it may be asked, was Livingstone so ill-pleased when it was said
that all that the Bishop had done was done by his advice? No one will
ask this question who reads the terms of a letter by Mr. Rowley, one of
the Mission party, first published in the Cape papers, and copied into
the _Times_ in November, 1862. It was said there that "from the moment
when Livingstone commenced the release of slaves, his course was one of
aggression. He hunted for slaving parties in every direction, and when
he heard of the Ajawa making slaves in order to sell to the slavers, he
went designedly in search of them, and intended to take their captives
from them by force if needful. It is true that when he came upon them he
found them to be a more powerful body than he expected, and had they not
fired first, he might have withdrawn.... His parting words to the chiefs
just before he left ... were to this effect: 'You have hitherto seen us
only as fighting men but it is not in such a character we wish you to
know us[64].
Pages:
586
587
588
589
590
591
592
593
594
595
596
597
598
599
600
601
602
603
604
605
606
607
608
609
610