Name ______________________________ Core _________ Date ________________________
A 140-Year-Old Letter
is located in the present-day central African country Congo.
"Doubtful if I live to see you again."
At the time he embarked on this expedition into
Africa, Livingstone was a national hero. He was best known
for helping the British Empire colonize parts of Africa.
Livingstone hoped to discover transportation routes across
the continent. He thought this would further Britain's
interests in Africa. Livingstone conducted several
expeditions to explore and map the continent's interior.
LONDON, England. A long-illegible letter written
The 1866 expedition to find the source of the Nile
nearly 140 years ago by famed 19th-century explorer David
would be Livingstone's final journey to Africa. By the time
Livingstone has finally been deciphered. According to
he wrote the letter to Waller, the explorer was a long way
researchers, the letter tells a more accurate story about the
from his intended goal. Most of his group had either died or
man who was traditionally cast as a daring and superhuman
deserted him, and he was suffering the effects of
hero.
pneumonia, fever, and tropical eating ulcers—a nasty
The letter, which Livingstone wrote in 1871, five
years after embarking on an expedition to find the source of
the Nile River, was studied by a team of British and
American scientists at Birkbeck University of London.
Despite its use of state-of-the-art imaging, the team's task
was not easy. The letter had been written using a dye
condition that consumes the flesh.
The letter revealed that Livingstone by this time had
been bedridden for weeks. He was also having visions.
"He'd gone slightly mad by this point, to be honest,"
said Birkbeck researcher Debbie Harrison.
Back home, Livingstone's supporters were going
improvised from the seeds of a berry. Livingstone, who had
mad themselves—with worry. It had been years since
run out of supplies, used pages he had torn from books and
anyone had heard from the explorer. Eventually, search
newspapers. The letter first appeared at an auction in 1966.
parties were sent to discover his fate. To their relief,
By that time, the ink had faded nearly to invisibility. The
journalist Henry Morgan Stanley eventually located
brittle paper and the ailing Livingstone's chaotic
Livingstone. Their encounter was made famous in Stanley's
handwriting compounded this problem. Despite these
remark, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"
complications, the team at Birkbeck was able to decipher
By this time, Livingstone had mostly recovered
Livingstone's original writing. The scientists captured
from his illnesses. However, he refused to leave Africa.
digital images of the fragile letter in different wavelengths
Livingstone insisted that he resume his quest to find the
of light, including ultraviolet and infrared.
source of the continent's longest river. But his warning to
"This is for your own eye only," reads the letter,
Waller in the letter would prove prescient: He finally
which Livingstone wrote to Horace Waller, the explorer's
succumbed to illness in May 1873, in what is now the
close friend and future biographer. Livingstone wrote the
nation of Zambia. Although he got close, he never did find
letter while stranded in the village of Bambarre. The village
the river's source. (The actual sources of the Nile are Lake
Victoria and the White Nile and Blue Nile rivers.)
The letter projects an image at odds with the
fearless hero portrayed by Waller. Waller had heavily edited
the explorer's writings from this trip before they were
It's not clear how the letter made its way off the
continent (though presumably Stanley took it back to
Waller). But it's a find that Birkbeck researchers feel
fortunate to have in their possession.
"It's an opportunity to rewrite history," said
published. According to Debbie Harrison, Livingstone was
Harrison. "It's giving us a new way of looking at
"politically incorrect in his writings and his ramblings."
Livingstone. He [felt hopeless], he did think he'd failed at
Therefore, Waller was careful "to [hide] anything that might
times, but he never gave up....It makes him human."
have offended [people in Britain at the time]."
Enrichment Information
During the late 19th and early 20th centuries, nations in Europe, as well as the U.S., were racing to gain as much
prestige, power, and control as possible throughout the world. Imperialism—the colonization of territories on other
continents—was attractive to these nations because it yielded the potential for both power and wealth. One example of this is
Britain's colonization of America in the 1600s. Britain claimed a large portion of what is now the U.S. and added to its holdings
by profiting from American crops, such as cotton and tobacco.
The continent of Africa was attractive to several nations. It contained an abundance of natural resources, such as
cotton, indigo, sugarcane, and fruit. Also, imperialists felt a sense of responsibility to bring "civilization" to these regions,
which many European leaders considered to be still "wild." In addition to exploring Africa, David Livingstone worked to bring
European culture to the continent. He fought against the slave trade (which existed in Africa, just as it had in Europe and the
Americas) and attempted to convert native Africans to Christianity.
Dictionary
1. decipher (verb) to figure out the meaning of something
2. illegible (adjective) impossible or very difficult to read or understand
3. pneumonia (noun) a disease that clogs up the lungs
4. prescient (adjective) seeming to have knowledge of an event before it occurs
5. succumb (verb) to die from an illness or injury
Multiple Choice: Circle the letter of the choice the best completes the statement. (2 points each)
1. According to the article, why did Livingstone refuse
3. The best alternate headline for this article would be
to leave Africa even after Henry Morgan Stanley found
________.
him?
A. Source of the Nile River Finally Discovered
A. Because he wanted to continue his quest to find
the source of the Nile River
B. Because he was close to discovering the cure
for tropical eating ulcers
C. Because he was bedridden and wanted to stay
in one place to recover
D. Because he wanted to maintain his reputation
as a national hero
2. The article states: By that time, the ink had faded
nearly to invisibility. The brittle paper and the
ailing Livingstone's chaotic handwriting
compounded this problem.
Which would be the closest synonym for the word
compounded?
B. Scientists Unable To Decipher Livingstone
Letter
C. Letter Reveals New Truths About Livingstone
D. Livingstone and Stanley: The Story of a
Friendship
4. Which of these is a statement of opinion?
A. Debbie Harrison is one of the researchers at
Birkbeck University of London.
B. Livingstone died in May of 1873, in what is
now the nation of Zambia.
C. Stanley is the more interesting hero in the story
of Livingstone's struggles.
D. Livingstone was well known for helping the
British colonize Africa.
A. Complicated
5. Which is the closest antonym for the word
B. Committed
prescient?
C. Eased
A. Knowledgeable
D. Erased
B. Fearless
C. Shortsighted
D. Radiant
6. Think about the following statement made by
7. Which of these statements is contrary to the ideas
researcher Debbie Harrison: "It's an opportunity to
presented in this article?
rewrite history. It's giving us a new way of looking
at Livingstone. He [felt hopeless], he did think he'd
failed at times, but he never gave up....It makes him
human."The author's purpose for including this quote
was to __________.
A. Highlight the letter's significance in helping
researchers understand Livingstone
B. Show the challenges that researchers faced in
using different wavelengths of light
C. Reveal the researchers' motivations for
preserving Livingstone's reputation
D. Describe the difficulties that researchers faced
during their effort to decipher the note
A. The letter revealed nothing about Livingstone
that Waller hadn't already described.
B. Scientists faced challenges when attempting to
decipher Livingstone's letter.
C. Livingstone wanted no one but Horace Waller
to read his letter.
D. Livingstone battled pneumonia and tropical
eating ulcers.
8. Which of these is most important to include in a
summary of this article?
A. The White Nile and Blue Nile rivers are two
sources of the Nile River.
B. The village of Bambarre is located in what's
now known as Congo.
C. The seeds of a berry that grows in Africa can
be used to make a dye.
D. Researchers were able to decipher a letter
written 140 years ago.
Opinion Question: Now that you have read the article, indicate whether you agree or disagree with this
statement. In your opinion, how important was it to decipher Livingstone's 140-year-old letter? (5 points)
Thought Question: In the space below list at least four questions that you have about today's news article. Which
question do you consider most important to answer? Explain the reason(s) for your choice. Use details from the article, as well
as your own ideas, in your response. (5 points)