ere disease, like " a worm i' the bud," had preyed on the dimpled cheek, and death entered her dwelling, and robbed her of her earthly treasure. The dutiful son can gaze with a feeling of holy awe upon the father, sitting before him as when alive, in the mellow beauty of ripening age; and as he gazes upon the well-remembered features, and recollections come thronging upon his mind, he will lay down the instrument, feeling, perhaps, that the lessons of piety, instilled by the beloved lips, have been more deeply impressed upon his heart. By its instrumentality, a father or brother in India can know the changes which time is making on the circle at home, and as he looks on the loved ones, he can feel the ties, which time and distance were relaxing become stronger. In the social circle, how delightful, how rational, the amusement which the stereoscope can afford! How different from the shifts which are often resorted to for killing time! The grandest productions of nature and art can be exhibited by the intelligent host to his wondering guests, imparting, at the same time, valuable instruction, and elevated and exquisite pleasure. He can show them "The hallowed remains which faith has con secrated in the land of Palestine, the scene of our Saviour's youth, and pilgrimage, and miracles-the endeared spots where He drew His first and His latest breath. The.hills and valleys of the Holy City-the giant flanks of Horeb, and the awe-inspiring peaks of Mount Sideep lines of truth, and they will appeal to his nai, he can display to the Christian's eye in the heart with all the powerful associations of an immortal interest. With feelings more subdued will the antiquary and the architect study the fragments of Egyptian, Assyrian, Grecian, and Roman grandeur-the pyramids, the temples, the aqueducts, and the obelisks of former ages. Every stone, every inscription, will exhibit to them its outline and its story. The gray moss will lift its hoary frond, and the fading hieroglyphics will utter their faltering voice, and tell their mysterious tale. The fields of ancient and of modern warfare will unfold themselves to the soldier's eye in faithful perspective and unerring outline; while, in his fancy, reänimated squadrons will again form on the plains of Marathon, and occupy the gorge of Thermopylæ." The instrument we have thus briefly described, and the applications of which are just beginning to be understood, has added not a little to the already worldwide fame of Sir David Brewster. We trust that it is not the last he will give to the world, but that his mind, which still retains all the vigor and buoyancy of his early youth, will discover many others, which will conduce, like all the labors of his active life, to increase the civilization and happiness of his fellowmen. From the Leisure Hour. DR. LIVINGSTON AND HIS AFRICAN DISCOVERIES. WHILE the gentlemen of England sit at | modations for stationary life and transit. ease in their homes, repose on downy beds, or move about in luxurious style upon the rail-passing rapidly over streams, marshes, and moors, without inconvenience-compassing hill and valley with no perceptible change of level, there are fellow-countrymen, gentlemen by birth and education, who have none of these accom No home is known for months together, sometimes for years; and no facilities for locomotion are enjoyed beyond their own feet, with now and then a canoe, an oftjaded steed, or a bullock-wagon, though immense distances are accomplished, over plains of untracked sand, or through wilds savage in appearance, difficult in reality, and dangerous from their brute or human | plains, gullies, and abysses-that stupeninhabitants. Allusion is of course made dous heights rise with the abruptness of to those who are out on exploring tours in various countries beyond the bounds of cultivated society-some actuated by the love of enterprise, others by that of science, and others inspired with the noble ambition of becoming the pioneers of civilization and religion to barbarian races. One of the most adventurous, meritorious, and successful of the latter class is named at the head of this article, the scene of whose journeyings-Africa-has so long excited the curiosity of Europeans, invited attempts at exploration, and still remains with a vast extent of its area which can only be represented by a vacant space upon our maps. We have hitherto intentionally refrained from reference to his remarkable enterprise, the importance of which it is scarcely possible to over-estimate, deeming a sober and comprehensive examination of it preferable to a hurried notice. The great continent beyond the waters of the Atlantic, the very existence of which was not known to the civilized world four centuries ago, has been traversed from the icy borders of the Polar Ocean to the volcanic cones of the Land of Fire; and from the range of the buffalo on the grassy prairies of the Missouri, to the realm of the condor on the snow-clad head of Chimborazo. But Africa-so comparatively contiguous-so grand in history, with a name which has been stamped for ages upon its page-the cradle of the Jewish legislator, and the asylum of the infant Saviour-the scene of Greek and Roman prowess under an Alexander, a Scipio, and a Cæsar-the prime emporium of oriental commerce after the fall of Tyre, and the great repository of literature under the Ptolemies-is still in its interior regions beyond the bounds of geographical knowledge, a land of mystery to the white man, with millions of square miles of territory which his foot has never pressed, nor his eye seen. It is curious to connect this ignorance of the near and approachable, with our knowledge of the distant and inaccessible. Though separated from the lunar world by a vast extent of celestial space which mortals can never pass, reliable information has been obtained respecting the contour and scenery of the far-away orb. We are certain that it is not a steppe-like region, but diversified with mountains, crags, VOL. XLI.-NO. III. vertical walls, and stretch away in immense curvilinear chains upon its surface. We are even approximately acquainted with the diameter of the circular inclosures, the altitude of the bounding ramparts, can follow the tapering elongation of their shadows, and mark the sunlight resting upon the towering peaks, while the valleys at their base are immersed in the gloom of sunset. But though thus familiar with definite features in the remote and unapproachable domains of nature, we are profoundly ignorant of the physiognomy of an intertropical portion of our Home-Earth-whether it spreads out as a sandy desert and stony plain, abandoned to the ostrich and the simoon, or has grand elevations mingling with the, clouds, skirted with lovely valleys, flowing waters, and luxuriant forests. The case is the more remarkable, as our own ships have sailed along the shores of the mysterious region for three hundred years, while a portion of the northern coast-line is daily overlooked by a British garrison on the rock of Gibraltar, and strips of land in the west and south have long formed a part of our colonial empire. Attempts have not been wanting to solve the problem of Central Africa; and the solution approaches. They revive painful reminiscences-the memory of gallant-hearted men who have lost their lives in the task of exploration, which, in such a region, requires the courage of a lion and the endurance of a camel. The names of John Ledyard, Frederick Horneman, Dr. Walter Oudney, Captain Clapperton, Major Denham, John Richardson, and Dr. Overweg, occur in the list of those who have fallen victims either to the climate or the hardships of their pilgrimage. But a more melancholy enumeration may be made. Major Houghton perished, or was murdered, in the basin of the Gambia. The truly admirable Mungo Park was killed in an attack of the natives, at a difficult passage of the Niger. The same fate befel Richard Lander in the lower course of the river. Major Laing was foully slain in his tent, at a halting-place in the Sahara. John Davidson was assassinated soon after passing the fringe of the desert. Dr. Cowan and Captain Donovan disappeared in the wilds of Southern Africa, no doubt by violence, while attempting to penetrate to the Portuguese settlements 25 on the east coast, successfully reached by | and no trees, but a few dark-green mimoDr. Livingston. As this is the region sas struggling along the narrow and often which will be henceforth under notice, dry water-courses; and levels equally some preliminary observations may be in- vast, but more stony and wildly sterile, dulged, referring to its geographical, natural, and religious history. The grand altar-like mountain, generally capped with clouds, which overlooks Cape Town and Table Bay, near the southern extremity of Africa, was discovered by the Portuguese under Bartholomew Diaz, in the year 1486. Owing to the terrible storms encountered in its neighborhood, he denominated the cape, Tormentoso, a name which his sovereign changed to that of Cabo de Boa Esperaza, Cape of Good Hope, as of better augury. Ten years later, Vasco-da-Gama passed round the southernly projection of the continent, and opened the maritime highway to the shores of India. In the reign of James I., two commanders of the English East-India Company formally took possession of the country, but no attempt was then made to found a settlement. In 1650, it was colonized by the Dutch, and remained in their hands nearly a century and a half, during which time the boers or farmers spread themselves in the interior. In 1795, the dependency was captured by a British armament. After being restored to the Dutch in 1802, it was retaken by the British in 1806, and permanently annexed to the empire. The tropic of Capricorn may be regarded as the line of division between Central and Southern Africa. At this point the continent extends east and west about 1300 miles, and stretches nearly 700 miles southward to the Cape. This region includes very varied scenes, but has not been by any means fully explored. There are mountainous ranges, visited at their summits with keen frosts and heavy snow-falls, the gorges of which are riverbeds, fringed and largely overgrown with gigantic reeds and creepers; splendid forests of the stately and park-like acacia, in the branches of which the social grossbeaks chiefly rear their interesting and singular nests; monotonous sand-plains, upon which the sun glows hotly, stretching out to an apparently interminable extent, with only a thin sprinkling of grasses, "A region of drought, where no river glides, But even where the desolation is most complete, the traveler may be brought to a stand, as was Gordon Cumming, by the exquisite air-plant, with its bright scarlet hues, growing in the crevice of a granite block. "In the heat of the chase," says the modern Nimrod, "I paused, spellbound, to contemplate with admiration its fascinating beauty." Thinned as the animal races have been by the white man's rifle, and scared northward by his advance from the south, the large quadrupeds-zebras, gnus, gemsboks, quaggas, steinboks, elands, and giraffes are found in prodigious numbers, especially toward the tropic, and may be encountered migrating in vast swarms, indiscriminately mingled with troops of ostriches in company, when severe drought compels them to quit their customary haunts in search of pasture. "Afar in the desert I love to ride, With the silent bush-boy alone by my side; And the gemsbok and eland unhunted recline, "Afar in the desert I love to ride, With the silent bush-boy alone by my side; And the timorous guagbra's whistling neigh The formidable classes also muster in great force on advancing northerly from the long-settled districts-lions, leopards, *While these pages are passing through the press, intelligence has been received of the assassin-hyenas, rhinoceroses, elephants, and bufation of Dr. Vogel, in the country eastward of Lake faloes, with hippopotami and crocodiles. Not less prominent among the perils of Chad. the wilderness are the deadly puff-adders and cobras. Nor must troops of enormous baboons be forgotten, grinning and grunting, ready and able, in a few minutes, to hug and scratch the life out of the unlucky intruder into their domain, who is mad enough single-handed to offer them exasperation. Still, the risk in traveling is not so great as might be imagined, where proper caution is exercised by an exploring party efficiently equipped. But it is difficult to secure constant vigilance in the case of numbers; and hence the fatal casualities have not been few, while the hair-breadth escapes are many, in the records of African adventure. The great hazard and misery connected with journeying arise from causes which are not apparently formidable-exposure to the heats by day and the chills by night, with precarious supplies of absolute necessities; and myriads of insects, some of which, as the bush-tick, take up their quarters beneath the skin, and produce intolerable irritation till they are dislodged. Remarkably does animal life vary as to the scale on which it is exhibited-from the tiny black mouse, scarcely weighing a quarter of an ounce, to the old bull-elephant of two tons. Enormously, to Europeans, it appears developed in the donder paade, or monster toad, about a foot in length, and nearly three-quarters of a foot in breadth the fine gentleman of the marshes. This toady, quite a buck, flaunts the gayest colors, showing himself with a spotted green back, set off by a yellow belly, and further variegated with a pair of large red eyes, which the Caffres say spit fire, perhaps "in a fine frenzy rolling." But however glaring the outward adornment, the voice is not soft and wooing, but a most discordant croak. Report also states that a poisonous fluid is ejected, and tales are told of its deadly effects. Yet, as this has not been certainly verified, that we are aware of, the benefit of the doubt may be awarded to the smart aldermanic batrachian. But by far the most extraording object, owing to its mysterious power-the tsetse-fly-is encountered on approaching the tropic, though its range is chiefly beyond it. This insect, small and insignificant in appearance, not so large as our meat-fly, though with longer wings, is armed with a poison equal to that of the most deadly reptile, and is one of the greatest scourges to which the traveler is exposed. On man, indeed, its bite has no effect, more than that of a flea; but the domesticated animals, horses, cattle and dogs, it surely kills. The strangest circumstance is, that all the wild quadrupeds, however analogous to its victims, as the zebras, buffaloes, and jackalls, either bear its bite with perfect impunity, or are not attacked at all, as they feed undisturbed in the localities of the insect. The problem is at present perfectly inexplicable, what quality exists in domestication which renders domestic animals obnoxious to the poison? and why should man escape its evil influences, being the most domestic of all creatures? Travelers have lost all their draughtoxen and horses by the tsetse, and have thus not only had their journey marred, but their personal safety endangered from the want of means of conveyance. Gordon Cumming was in this way completely stranded in the wilderness, and was indebted for his rescue to the timely arrival of assistance from Dr. Livingston, who heard of his predicament. The bold hunter referred to thus described the effects of the fly-bite: "One of my steeds," says he, "died of the tsetse. The head and body of the poor animal swelled up in a most distressing manner; his eyes were so swollen that he could not see; and in darkness he neighed for his comrades who stood feeding beside him." In some instances, death takes place soon after the bite is inflicted; but more generally, it produces emaciation, blindness, and the animal perishes of exhaustion. The destructive pest is never or rarely found in the open country, but frequents hills, where there are bushes or reeds. It is fortunately confined to particular spots, and is never known to quit its haunts; so that cattle may graze securely on one side of a river, while the opposite bank swarms with the insect. The natives know the localities, and carefully avoid exposing their stock to them. The case of the tsetse-fly reminds us of the poisonous bug of Miana, in Persia. This diminutive plague is not known apart from the town and its immediate neighborhood, and only causes ordinary annoyance to the natives. But its bite is mortal to strangers, sometimes producing speedy death, though more commonly a fatal wasting of the frame results. The Russian embassy of 1817, having occasion to pass Miana, pitched their tents three miles from it, on account of the terrible bugs. More than four-score years elapsed, after | into the Orange river. Near the fountain the colonization of South Africa com- lies interred Mr. Kok, one of the first menced, before any attempt was made to Dutch missionaries in the country, who, evangelize the natives. At last, in 1736, disheartened by the character of the peoa Moravian missionary, good George ple, took to sheep-farming, and was murSchmidt, wended his way to the Cape, and dered by two aggrieved natives in his servestablished himself at no great distance ice, while looking after his flocks. Slowly from it, in the interior. This was in Ba- the premises of the station arose, its vian's Kloof, the "Glen of Baboons," a founders working with their own hands, name which was superseded by that of as carpenters, masons, thatchers, and Genadendal, the "Vale of Grace," which smiths, in the midst of many troubles. is still retained. Here he addressed the They consist of a chapel, built of limestone, Gospel to the Hottentots through the thatched with reeds and straw, completed medium of an interpreter, founded a school in 1839; comfortable cottage residences; for the instruction of their children, built a school-house, smithery, and other offices, himself a house, planted an orchard, and with walled and well-stocked gardens. A labored for seven years, till circumstances broad grass-walk divides the premises on compelled him to return to Europe. Half the one hand from the gardens on the a century passed away before the mission other; and round the latter runs a range was resumed, when three brethren of the of lofty trees, resembling the Babylonian same communion visited the spot. They willow. A pleasant-looking place is Kurufound the house in ruins; yet the fruit- man. For upwards of twenty years it has trees were flourishing, and a female convert been a center of light in a land of darksurvived, in age and feebleness, who ness, while often kindly mentioned by waythrough fifty long years had preserved the worn scientific and gentlemen travelers, New Testament presented to her by Mr. Methuen, Dr. Andrew Smith, and Schmidt. One of his pear-trees remains to others, for the Christian hospitality of its this day in the Vale of Grace. Dr. Van- inmates. At this spot Mrs. Livingston, derkemp and his coadjutors followed in daughter of Mr. Moffat, was nurtured; 1799, and carried the truth into Caffre- and here arrived in, 1841, Dr. Livingston, land and the Bushmen country. This re- who has opened from this starting-point a ference to the beginnings of the Gospel new world to the knowledge of his counmust suffice. We have no space to sketch trymen. the extended missionary operations of our own countymen, carried on with a resolution and faith which reminds one of apostolic times, and blessed with signal success. The reader must pass on with us to Kuruman, the missionary metropolis of a race of Bechuanas, situated about one hundred and fifty miles beyond the northern frontier of the Cape colony, founded by Messrs. Hamilton and Moffat of the London Society, in the year 1823. A copious fountain is a thing of joy in a dry and thirsty land, where a cloud may not be seen for months, and twelve months pass away without a shower. Such a region is the one occupied by the Bechuanas. The early missionaries had to trudge for miles to obtain water for their daily use, and send their heavy linen a hundred miles to be washed. But such a fountain gushes rear the Kuruman station, pure and wholesome, issuing from cavities in a rugged limestone rock. It forms one of the sources of a stream which, after a course of some ten miles, is lost by evaporation and absorption in its bed, but formerly flowed David Livingston was born in the year 1813, at Blantyre, a village in the neighborhood of Glasgow, where his father, Neil Livingston, now deceased, and his mother, Agnes Hunter, who still survives, long resided previous to their marriage. In youth, he exhibited the marks of a resolute and vigorous character; and the parents were frequently congratulated upon the promising conduct of their son. A portion of his time was spent in a cotton-factory, and the remainder in attending classes, both literary and medical, at the University of Glasgow. Much was he interested in the latter study, and such encouragement was given him to prosecute it, as under ordinary circumstances would have led to his establishment as a practitioner in his native country. But the purpose had been previously formed to devote himself to the cause of missions; and in the year 1837 he offered his services to the London Missionary Society. This offer being accepted, he continued his studies, both ministerial and medical, under its auspices; obtained his medical diploma; |