entered the Zambesi. They prided to the great Luabo mouth, as
being more advantageous than the Kongone for a supply of wood. They were
a month behind their appointment, and no ship was to be seen. The ship
had been there, it turned out, on the 8th January, had looked eagerly
for the "Pioneer," had fancied it saw the black funnel and its smoke in
the river, and being disappointed had made for Mozambique, been caught
in a gale, and was unable to return for three weeks. Livingstone's
letters show him a little out of sorts at the manifold obstructions that
had always been making him "too late"--"too late for Rovuma below, too
late for Rovuma above, and now too late for our own appointment," but in
greater trouble because the "Lady Nyassa" had not been sent by sea, as
he had strongly urged, and as it afterward appeared might have been done
quite well. To take out the pieces and fit them up would involve heavy
expense and long delay, and perhaps the season would be lost again. But
Livingstone had always a saving clause, in all his lamentations, and
here it is: "I know that all was done for the best."

At length, on the last day of January, H.M.S. "Gorgon," with a brig in
tow, hove in sight. When the "Pioneer" was seen, up went the signal from
the "Gorgon"--"I have steamboat in the brig"; to which Livingstone
replied--"Welcome news." Then "Wife aboard" was signaled from the ship.
"Accept my best thanks" concluded what Livingstone called "the most
interesting conversation he had engaged in for many a day." Next morning
the "Pioneer" steamed out, and Dr. Livingstone found his wife "all
right." In the same ship with Mrs. Livingstone, besides Miss Mackenzie
and Mrs. Burrup, the Rev. E. Hawkins and others of the Universities
Mission, had come the Rev. James Stewart, of the Free Church of Scotland
(now Dr. Stewart, of Lovedale, South Africa), who had been sent out by
a committee of that Church, "to meet with Dr. Livingstone, and obtain,
by personal observation and otherwise, the information that might be
necessary to enable a committee at home to form a correct judgment as to
the possibility of founding a mission in that part of Africa." It
happened that some time before Mr. Stewart had been tutor to Thomas
Livingstone, while studying in Glasgow; this drew his sympathies to
Livingstone and Africa, and was another link in that wonderful chain
which Providence was making for the good of Africa. From Dr. Stewart's
"Recollections of Dr.