Corpus of Modern Scottish Writing (CMSW) - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/cmsw/ Document : 249 Title: Manuscript of David Livingstone's suppressed 'Preface' to 'Missionary Travels'. Author(s): Livingstone, David 1 To be read if you have [¿] then destroyed Preface After spending some sixteen years in teaching honesty to the Africans, it was rather mortifying to one whose contact with foreign nations had revived high ideas of the honour of his countrymen to witness on his return home a cool appropriation of his literary property which would have made the Makolollo hold in their breath. When slowly toiling through forest, marsh and river pains were taken in spite of ever returning fevers to convey home by means of general sketches the earliest information of the discoveries, in order that should the writer, as so many have done, fall a victim to the climate, his labours might not be lost to his countrymen. At a meeting of welcome held a few days after my arrival in London in December 1856 by the Royal Geographical Society Sir Roderick Murchison proposed that I should give a narrative of my travels to the world. And at a similar meeting by the Directors of the London Missionary Society I stated my intention of doing that instead of making those public appearances which were urged upon me. My resolution was widely known yet no long time elapsed before artful advertisements were issued the aim of which was to produce the impression that various spurious works concocted from the sketches referred to — from some private letters the loss of which could never be accounted for — and from the imagination of the writers, were all given to the public with my sanction and authority “Dr Livingston's discoveries &c with a map corrected by himself” or “revised by himself” or “the only authorized edition” or the task of carrying Dr Livingston's life & discoveries through the press has been committed to — who will esteem it a labour of love — at the low price of five shilling &c &c . Another collection appeared with the hint “the only authorized edition” my authority having neither been asked nor obtained. And another encouraged by the success of his predecessors advertized “that the task of carrying Dr. Livingston's life and travels through the press had been committed to — who will esteem it “a labour of love.” Having been so long among unsophisticated Africans I found it rather difficult to understand how any one superior to “a ticket of leave man” could esteem a work of dishonesty “a labour of love”. The unsophisticat[ed] Makololo justify their forays for “lifting cattle” by quoting some former injury they sustained. “The cows they now seize are only the calves of those stolen by the great grandfathers of the enemy” They never lift the cattle of their friends. these are sacred. But my piratical friends are influenced by pure love. They are even quite extravagant in their laudation of their victim and most devoutly anxious to serve him and the cause of missions. I am really ashamed to appear to think unkindly of any of my countrymen and would fain have refrained from noticing the evident forgetfulness by these persons in their advertisements of the case of Ananias and Sapphira, but I feel myself under imperative obligations to notice the sentiments of uprightness which these spurious publications have called forth. The “Times” nobly refused to admit the advertisements of the few publishers who stooped beneath the general morality of the trade and I tender the Editor my warmest thanks ; I feel also deeply grateful to the “Athenæum” and the press generally for aid in exposing frauds which a sacred regard for the cause of missions prevented our invoking the aid of the law to repress. It is certainly no proof of the world becoming worse that the Publishers of Paternoster Row to a man scouted the piracies from the trade Many others especially in Scotland followed It is however a cheering sign that when challenged all denied the paternity of these orphan advertisements. The unsophisticated Makololo justify their forays for “lifting cattle” by quoting some former injury they sustained. “The cows they now capture are only the calves of the calves of the cows which were stolen by the great grandfathers of the enemy. They never “lift” the cattle of their friends. These are sacred and should they wander would be returned. But my friends are influenced by pure love (not of money of course) and are even extravagant in their laudation of their victim and most devoutly anxious to serve him and the cause of missions. I am really ashamed to bring forward the semblance of a charge against any of my countrymen from whom generally I have recieved the kindest attentions and greatest honours but I feel myself under imperative obligations the evidences of the morality of the mass of society, and warmly to acknowledge the sentiments of uprightness and honour which these spurious publications have been the means of eliciting I suppress this as too fiery but send it that you may see what I was thinking off In noticing those who in any way aided me there is an implied censure of the others