tructure of South Africa he now found, from
a communication which reached him at Linyanti, had been anticipated by
Sir Roderick Murchison, who in 1852 had propounded it to the
Geographical Society. Livingstone was only amused at thus losing the
credit of his discovery; he contented himself with a playful remark on
his being "cut out" by Sir Roderick. But the coincidence of views was
very remarkable, and it lay at the foundation of that brotherlike
intimacy and friendship which ever marked his relation with Murchison.
One important bearing of the geographical fact was this; it was evident
that while the low districts were unhealthy, the longitudinal ridges by
which they were fringed were salubrious. Another of its bearings was,
that it would help them to find the course and perhaps the sources of
the great rivers, and thus facilitate commercial and missionary
operations. The discovery of the two healthy ridges, which made him so
unwilling to die at the mouth of the Loangwa, gave him new hopes for
missions and commerce.

These and other matters connected with the state of the country formed
the subject of regular communications to the Geographical Society.
Between Loanda and Quilimane, six despatches were written at different
points[45]. Formerly, as we have seen, he had written through a Fellow
of the Society, his friend and former fellow-traveler, Captain, now
Colonel Steele; but as the Colonel had been called on duty to the
Crimea, he now addressed his letters to his countryman, Sir Roderick
Murchison. Sir Roderick was charmed with the compliment, and was not
slow to turn it to account, as appears from the following letter, the
first of very many communications which he addressed to Livingstone:

[Footnote 45: The dates were Pungo Andongo, 24th December, 1864;
Cabango, 17th May, 1855; Linyanti, October 16, 1855; Chanyuni, 25th
January, 1856; Tette, 4th March, 1856; Quilimane, 23d May, 1856.]

"16 BELGRAVE SQUARE, _October 2_, 1855.

"MY DEAR SIR,--Your most welcome letter reached me after I
had made a tour in the Highlands, and just as the meeting of
the British Association for the Advancement of Science
commenced.

"I naturally communicated your despatch to the Geographical
section of that body, and the reading of it called forth an
unanimous expression of admiration of your labors and
researches.

"In truth, you will long ago, I trust, have received the
c