Abridged
CHAPTER. I.
INTRODUCTORY. MY INSTRUCTIONS TO FIND AND RELIEVE LIVINGSTONE.
On the sixteenth day of October, in the year of our Lord one
thousand eight hundred and sixty-nine, I was in Madrid, fresh from
the carnage at Valencia. At 10 A.M. Jacopo, at No. - Calle de la
Cruz, handed me a telegram: It read, "Come to Paris on important
business." The telegram was from Mr. James Gordon Bennett, jun.,
the young manager of the `New York Herald.'
Down came my pictures from the walls of my apartments on the
second floor; into my trunks went my books and souvenirs, my
clothes were hastily collected, some half washed, some from the
clothes-line half dry, and after a couple of hours of hasty hard
work my portmanteaus were strapped up and labelled "Paris."
At 3 P.M. I was on my way, and being obliged to stop at Bayonne a
few hours, did not arrive at Paris until the following night. I
went straight to the `Grand Hotel,' and knocked at the door of
Mr. Bennett's room.
"Come in," I heard a voice say. Entering, I found Mr. Bennett in
bed. "Who are you?" he asked.
"My name is Stanley," I answered.
"Ah, yes! sit down; I have important business on hand for you."
After throwing over his shoulders his robe-de-chambre Mr. Bennett
asked, "Where do you think Livingstone is?"
"I really do not know, sir."
"Do you think he is alive?"
"He may be, and he may not be," I answered.
"Well, I think he is alive, and that he can be found, and I am
going to send you to find him."
"What!" said I, "do you really think I can find Dr Livingstone?
Do you mean me to go to Central Africa?"
"Yes; I mean that you shall go, and find him wherever you may
hear that he is, and to get what news you can of him, and perhaps"
- delivering himself thoughtfully and deliberately - "the old man
may be in want: - take enough with you to help him should he require
it. Of course you will act according to your own plans, and do
what you think best - BUT FIND LIVINGSTONE!"
Said I, wondering at the cool order of sending one to Central
Africa to search for a man whom I, in common with almost all other
men, believed to be dead, "Have you considered seriously the
great expense you are likely, to incur on account of this little
journey?"
"What will it cost?" he asked abruptly.
"Burton and Speke's journey to Central Africa cost between £3,000
and £5,000, and I fear it cannot be done under £2,500."
"Well, I will tell you what you will do. Draw a thousand pounds
now; and when you have gone through that, draw another thousand,
and when that is spent, draw another thousand, and when you have
finished that, draw another thousand, and so on; but, FIND
LIVINGSTONE."
Surprised but not confused at the order - for I knew that Mr.
Bennett when once he had made up his mind was not easily drawn
aside from his purpose - I yet thought, seeing it was such a
gigantic scheme, that he had not quite considered in his own mind
the pros and cons of the case; I said, "I have heard that should
your father die you would sell the `Herald' and retire from
business."
"Whoever told you that is wrong, for there is not, money enough in
New York city to buy the `New York Herald.' My father has made
it a great paper, but I mean to make it greater. I mean that it
shall be a newspaper in the true sense of the word. I mean that
it shall publish whatever news will be interesting to the world at
no matter what cost."
"After that," said I, "I have nothing more to say. Do you mean
me to go straight on to Africa to search for Dr. Livingstone?"
"No! I wish you to go to the inauguration of the Suez Canal
first, and then proceed up the Nile. I hear Baker is about
starting for Upper Egypt. Find out what you can about his
expedition, and as you go up describe as well as possible
whatever is interesting for tourists; and then write up a guide -
a practical one - for Lower Egypt; tell us about whatever is worth
seeing and how to see it.
"Then you might as well go to Jerusalem; I hear Captain Warren is
making some interesting discoveries there. Then visit
Constantinople, and find out about that trouble between the Khedive
and the Sultan.
"Then - let me see - you might as well visit the Crimea and those
old battle-grounds, Then go across the Caucasus to the Caspian Sea;
I hear there is a Russian expedition bound for Khiva. From thence
you may get through Persia to India; you could write an interesting
letter from Persepolis.
"Bagdad will be close on your way to India; suppose you go
there, and write up something about the Euphrates Valley Railway.
Then, when you have come to India, you can go after Livingstone.
Probably you will hear by that time that Livingstone is on his
way to Zanzibar; but if not, go into the interior and find him.
If alive, get what news of his discoveries you can; and if you
find he is dead, bring all possible proofs of his being dead.
That is all. Good-night, and God be with you."
"Good-night, Sir," I said, "what it is in the power of human
nature to do I will do; and on such an errand as I go upon, God
will be with me."
I lodged with young Edward King, who is making such a name in New
England. He was just the man who would have delighted to tell the
journal he was engaged upon what young Mr. Bennett was doing, and
what errand I was bound upon.
