LIVINGSTONE DAVID: (1813-1873) Livingstone on peace and war - ´ I pray that the Almighty may so guide my steps as ...

LIVINGSTONE DAVID: (1813-1873) Livingstone on peace and war - ´ I pray that the Almighty may so guide my steps as that it shall never be forced upon me to fight with either black or white´

LIVINGSTONE DAVID: (1813-1873) Scottish missionary & explorer of Africa. An exceptional A.L.S., David Livingstone, two pages (written to the first and third sides of the bifolium, with the text also running into the left margins), 4to, Tette (at the time a Swahili settlement located on the Zambezi River in Portuguese East Africa and today a city in Mozambique), 28th November 1860, to [Mr. Sturge] (´My Dear Sir´). Livingstone commences his letter by responding to ´an account of the decease of our much esteemed friend Joseph Sturge´, which his correspondent had sent to him, remarking ´I may be allowed to explain that he favoured me with a letter while I was engaged with several very trying public meetings in Glasgow, Edinburgh &c. I just opened it and saw that it was on the subject of Peace - then put it aside in the hope of attending to what was said the first time I had leisure. Unfortunately I never saw it again & have no idea how it was lost. It however remained on my mind that I had not treated him as I ought to have done and to get rid of that feeling I wrote stating some difficulties that seem to stand in the way of the adoption of peace principles. You appear to have answered them very fairly and I thank you and Mrs. Sturge for the trouble you have taken´. The missionary continues to write of his views on war, ´I pray that the Almighty may so guide my steps as that it shall never be forced upon me to fight with either black or white, but I cannot but believe that war in some cases is both necessary and just. At best it is a monstrous evil, and never to be resorted to except under the gravest necessity. In African forays we have the worst evils of war and I think that Christians ought to exert themselves to establish lawful intercourse with the degraded heathen. It seems certain that intercourse will be established and the good ought to forestall the advances of the bad. Some of the friends ought to put their principles to the test of practice and appear among us the harbingers of peace´. Livingstone concludes his letter by sending news of his recent activities in Africa, ´I lately marched 600 miles up this river on foot - people all friendly except those near the Portuguese. I carried a stick only until passing through a tangled forest alone a Rhinoceros made a charge & stopped short when within 3 yards of me. Ever after I carried a revolover.´ A letter of very fine content written during the Second Zambezi expedition of 1858-64. Some light age wear and minor overall water staining, only very slightly affecting the text which nevertheless remains bold and entirely legible. G

Joseph Sturges (1793-1859) English philanthropist, Quaker pacifist, and political reformer who was most important as a leader of the anti-slavery movement.

The Second Zambezi expedition (1858-64) was organised by the Royal Geographical Society of Great Britain in order to explore Southeast Africa for mineral deposits and other natural resources. Livingstone was plaved in command of the expedition, which led to the establishment of the Central Africa Mission.