LIVINGSTONE, THE SCOTSMAN.

Sun (Christchurch), Volume I, Issue 135, 14 July 1914, Page 8

LIVINGSTONE, THE SCOTSMAN.

The one man whose memory the natives of "Central Africa cherish and honour is, according to Mr Dan Crawford, David Livingstone. For the late Mr K. M. Stanley, who travelled in style, with a bodyguard of soldiers, they have a name anything but complimentary. Their names for Livingstone are legion and all complimentary. They, call him the Dew Dryer, from the experience of the first man of the Indian file caravaa who leads the way through the long grass and gets wet with the drenching tropical dew. The dew-dryer is their term for pioneer. Moon Measurer is another title for the great explorer, who, with the utmost scientific exactitude, took observations of latitude and longitude on all his journeys, which later investigations show to be marvellously correct. They also call him 11 He-Sleeps-on-the-Waves,'' from the fact that he- was always enquiring about rivers and lakes. "He-liath-no-Toes'' is simply the native title for a man who covered his feet with boots. '' The-Man-with-one-Mouth " is one of the chief compliments they pay him, in tragic contrast to the faithbreaking, double-tongued rascality they, alas, have often found characterise the whites of other nationalities than British. Another of Livingstone's titles is "Mr Softy," that is, the man who won't hit back: And all the missionaries go still by this name. But his chief and distinctive mid-African title is < < Ingeresa' r —the Englishman. And in the judgment of the natives this term equates a gentleman of the highest honour. Mr Crawford has found his work greatly simplified by the fact that he belongs to the same race as great Africa's greatest Dew-Dryer, and the only man he calls Saint is great Ingeresa. Several year? held a memorial service for huu* under the tree where the heart of the .great explorer was buried by his faithful boys. And he has spoken to many natives who personally knew Livingstone. One thing by which he is still th6re remembered is his hearty laugh, which thejr describe as a "laugh from head to heels'': the laugh of the whole man.