f
three sea-voyages which he had performed he had had opportunities of
seeing how a ship was managed--opportunities of which, no doubt, with
his great activity of mind, he had availed himself most thoroughly. The
facility with which he could assume a new function, and do its duties as
if he had been accustomed to it all his life, was one of the most
remarkable things about him. His chief regret in taking the new burden
was, that it would limit his intercourse with the natives, and prevent
him from doing as much missionary work as he desired. Writing soon after
to Miss Whately, of Dublin, he says: "It was imagined we could not help
ourselves, but I took the task of navigating on myself, and have
conducted the steamer over 1600 miles, though as far as my likings go, I
would as soon drive a cab in November fogs in London as be 'skipper' in
this hot sun; but I shall go through with it as a duty." To his friend
Mr. Young he makes humorous reference to his awkwardness in nautical
language: "My great difficulty is calling out 'starboard' when I mean
'port,' and feeling crusty when I see the helmsman putting the helm the
wrong way."

Another difficulty arose from the state of the country north of the
Zambesi, in consequence of the natives having rebelled against the
Portuguese and being in a state of war. Livingstone was cautioned that
he would be attacked if he ventured to penetrate into the country. He
resolved to keep out of the quarrel, but to push on in spite of it. At
one time his party, being mistaken for Portuguese, were on the point of
being fired on, but on Livingstone shouting out that they were English
the natives let them alone. On reaching Tette he found his old followers
in ecstasies at seeing him; the Portuguese Government had done nothing
for them, but Major Sicard, the excellent Governor of Tette, had helped
them to find employment and maintain themselves. Thirty had died of
small-pox; six had been killed by an unfriendly chief. When the
survivors saw Dr. Livingstone, they said: "The Tette people often
taunted us by saying, 'Your Englishman will never return;' but we
trusted you, and now we shall sleep." It gave Livingstone a new hold on
them and on the natives generally, that he had proved true to his
promise, and had come back as he had said. As the men had found ways of
living at Tette, Livingstone was not obliged to take them to their home
immediately.

One of his first endeavors after reaching Tette was