h doubt as Livingstone
had been, when he wrote his last letter and said: "I will never be made
black man's meat for anything less than the classic Nile."

After travelling 400 miles we came to the Stanley Falls, and beyond
them, we saw the river deflect from its Nileward course toward the
Northwest. Then it turned west, and then visions of towers and towns and
strange tribes and strange nations broke upon our imagination, and we
wondered what we were going to see, when the river suddenly took a
decided turn toward the southwest and our dreams were put an end to. We
saw then that it was aiming directly for the Congo, and when we had
propitiated some natives whom we encountered, by showing them crimson
beads and polished wire, that had been polished for the occasion, we
said: "This is for your answer. What river is this?" "Why, it is _the_
river, of course." That was not an answer, and it required some
persuasion before the chief, bit by bit digging into his brain, managed
to roll out sonorously that, "It is the Ko-to-yah Congo." "It is the
river of Congo-land." Alas for our classic dreams! Alas for Crophi and
Mophi, the fabled fountains of Herodotus! Alas for the banks of the
river where Moses was found by the daughter of Pharaoh! This is the
parvenu Congo! Then we glided on and on past strange nations and
cannibals--not past those nations which have their heads under their
arms--for 1,100 miles, until we arrived at the circular extension of the
river and my last remaining companion called it the Stanley Pool, and
then five months after that our journey ended.

After that I had a very good mind to come back to America, and say, like
the Queen of Uganda: "There, what did I tell you?" But you know, the
fates would not permit me to come over in 1878. The very day I landed in
Europe the King of Italy gave me an express train to convey me to
France, and the very moment I descended from it at Marseilles there
were three ambassadors from the King of the Belgians asked me to go back
to Africa. "What! go back to Africa? Never! [Laughter.] I have come for
civilization; I have come for enjoyment. I have come for love, for life,
for pleasure. Not I. Go and ask some of those people you know who have
never been to Africa before. I have had enough of it." "Well, perhaps,
by and by?" "Ah, I don't know what will happen by and by, but, just now,
never! never! Not for Rothschild's wealth!" [Laughter and applause.]

I was received by the