Dr. Livingstone, I presume?
January 28, 1866 - Livingstone begins final search for the source of the Nile.
On this day in 1866, Scottish physician, explorer, and missionary David Livingstone, embarked on his final expedition in Africa to establish the true source of the Nile.
Though he never reach the source of the Nile, Livingstone was instrumental in presenting sub-Saharan Africa to the western world. He would be the first European to document numerous African geographical features such as lakes Ngami, Malawi, Bangweulu, the Zambezi River and Victoria Falls. He filled in details of Lake Tanganyika, Lake Mweru and the course of many rivers including the Lualaba and upper Congo, and his writings enabled large regions of Africa to be mapped which previously had been blank. Livingstone was made a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society of London which awarded him a gold medal for his exploration and discoveries.
During most of this last exploration, Livingstone was unable to get word out about his activities, and his welfare became a matter of international concern. Five days after his arrival in Ujiji on the shore of Lake Tanganyika, a rescue party headed by Anglo-American explorer and journalist Henry Morton Stanley reached Livingstone. Stanley is supposed to have greeted Livingstone with the famous words, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"
After Livingstone convinced Stanley that he was not in need of rescue, the two men explored Lake Tanganyika. After separating from Stanley, Livingstone would later succumb to dysentery and die in 1873. His long-time porters buried his heart where he died in Zambia, then carried his body and writings back to Zanzibar, a trek of nine months, to place Livingstone on a boat back to England.
Quote for ToDay:
"People who say they sleep like a baby usually don't have one." - Leo J. Burk
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