Corpus of Modern Scottish Writing (CMSW) - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk/cmsw/ Document : 193 Title: Letter from Livingston to Murray3, 22 Mar 1857 Author(s): Livingstone, David Livingstone Dr. May 1857 57 Sloane St 22 May My Dear Mr Murray Mr Clowes has just sent me proofs of the plates or drawings — the lion encountre is absolutely abominable I entreat you by all thats good to suppress it Every one who knows what a lion is will die with laughing at it. Its the greatest bungle Wolf ever made I told him about and I told him the proportions were much too great on the side of the lion. Its like a dray horse over me. It really must hurt the book to make a lion look larger than a hippopotamus I am quite distressed about it. or at least — make the lion smaller. Would the style in which Anderson's plates are got up not superior to this? Of course I am no judge of this point but of the lion I am I think. Is it impossible to put on a rag around the lions of these fellows? All wear something except the Batoka I refer to the Elephant hunt to make the fellows all stark naked is worse than talking about urine and yet your critic turned up the white of his eyes at that The reception at Shinte [¿] which came to day is very poor I have made some notes for the artist Pray dont think me unreasonable you may ask Vardon if you doubt My men ought to be close to me Two ficus or baman trees in the place and the roofs of the huts seen over the walls on one side as I have indicated. The musical instrument when seen side ways is thus key [calabashes] The keys are beaten With drumsticks. The drum slung on the neck & beaten with the hands. Have you any of the permanent copy set up - I would like to see whether your in the corrections introduced by your corrector he is a man who has sympathy in such a book I dont send back the plates to Mr Clowes but to you begging mercy against being caricatured D. Livingstone