Religion & morality > David Livingstone

Lost and Found.
279
entertained that the great traveller might be detained
in captivity, or prostrated by sickness. It was then
proposed that an expedition should be fitted out for
his relief, and the Geographical Society accordingly
made an application to the Treasury for funds to
enable them to carry out an enterprise in the success
of which the whole nation was deeply interested.
This application, strange to say, was refused on the
ground that “the direction in which the proposed
search was to be made seemed too doubtful to
warrant public expenditure to be made upon itbut
the Geographical Society liberally contributed £500
out of their own funds, while subscriptions poured in
from other sources to the amount of nearly ^3,000.
Sir Fowell Buxton, the Baroness Burdett Coutts, and
Miss Florence Nightingale were among those who
opened their purses for the support of the movement.
The latter noble hearted lady forwarded her subscrip¬
tion with the following characteristic letter :—
“ I send you my little mite for the Livingstone
Search Fund. May God speed every effort to save
one of the greatest men of our time; or if dead, to save
his discoveries. If it cost ^10,000 to send him a
pair of boots we should send it. England too often
provides great men, and then leaves them to perish.”
In a short time the expedition so liberally furnished
with funds by the British public, was completely or¬
ganized. Lieutenants Dawson and Henn, two young
ardent and accomplished naval officers, were placed at
its head, and were accompanied by a son of the great
explorer, Mr. W. O. Livingstone, who was born in the