55. David Livingston [Livingstone], Boatlanama, to Rev Arthur Tidman, London Missionary Society

Reference to a gold watch received from Captain Steele of the Royal Geographical Society [Sir Thomas Montagu Steele, who had visited Bechuanaland and met Livingstone in 1843] "suitable for observing occultations of stars by the moon in order thereby to find the Longitude"; refers to the invitation e...

Full description


Order number: CWM/LMS/Africa/Odds/Livingstone, Box 1
Date(s) of creation: 30 Apr 1851
Level: Item
Format: Archive           

collection SOAS Archive
id CWM.LMS.04.08.07.01.055
recordtype archive
scb_item_location Archive & Special Collections
item_location Archive & Special Collections
scb_loan_type Reference only
scb_order_with CWM/LMS/Africa/Odds/Livingstone, Box 1
callnumber CWM/LMS/04/08/07/01/055
callnumber_txt CWM/LMS/04/08/07/01/055
callnumber-sort CWM/LMS/04/08/07/01/055
scb_alt_ref_no Livingstone Wooden Box, item 55
prefix_number 055
title 55. David Livingston [Livingstone], Boatlanama, to Rev Arthur Tidman, London Missionary Society
scb_date_creation 30 Apr 1851
scb_level Item
level_sort 8/Collection/Sub-Collection/Sub-Sub-Collection/Sub-Sub-Sub-Collection/Series/Sub-Series/Sub-Sub-Series/File/Item
scb_extent 6pp
format Archive
description Reference to a gold watch received from Captain Steele of the Royal Geographical Society [Sir Thomas Montagu Steele, who had visited Bechuanaland and met Livingstone in 1843] "suitable for observing occultations of stars by the moon in order thereby to find the Longitude"; refers to the invitation extended by Maclear at the Cape [Sir Thomas Maclear (1794-1879), astronomer-royal at the Cape of Good Hope, 1834-1870] for "any one to make observations on certain stars" whereby he then "engaged to observe them simultaneously and make the calculations"; Livingstone plans to use the watch together with the small telescope presented by Rev Freeman and his own sextant to make observations; making another attempt to reach Sebitoane [Sebetwane] and to find a suitable location to establish a mission; Bakwains [baKwena] have suffered failure of crops for successive years, "The want of corn has been contemporaneous with the possession of the gospel, and as some of the adjacent tribes who have shewn considerable opposition to the 'Word of God' have been favoured with years of plenty, many of the people associate teaching and hunger as inseparable"; Kolobeng and other watercourses have dried up; trouble from Boers; all renders removal to a new locality absolutely necessary; Bakwains will remove to an area where native corn may be raised - 10 miles higher up the course of the Kolobeng to Limaoe [Dimawe, the Bakwena moved there in August 1851]; necessity of leaving the baKwena but a reciprocal attachment has been formed and hopeful that "The seed sown will not be lost"; dilemma of taking his children further into the Interior where "African fever" prevails; country around Sebitouane described as a land of rivers 'Linokanoka'; William Oswell on his way; requests communication of corrections that he has made on a map sent by Mr Arrowsmith for the purpose [John Arrowsmith (1790-1873), cartographer who worked a great deal for the Royal Geographical Society]; enlarges on details of the corrections in relation to the river [Zouga? Botletle, now known as Boteti] and circumference of Lake Ngami (70-75 miles). [Last part of letter missing]
scb_access_status Open
scb_use_restrictions For permission to publish, please contact Archives & Special Collections, SOAS Library in the first instance
hierarchy_top_id_raw CWM
hierarchy_sequence CWM.00LMS.0004.0008.0007.0001.00055