Doctor Livingstone, I presume

[Garson O'Toole]

Thanks to John Baker. Here is what the Herald reported on July 2 of
1872. Typos and errors are possible. Garson

Cite: 1872 July 2, New York Herald, Livingstone: Herald Special from
Central Africa: Finding the Great Explorer, Page 3, Column 5, New
York. (NewpaperArchive)

A HALE-LOOKING, GRAY-BEARDED WHITE MAN,
wearing a navy cap, with a faded gold band and
a red woollen jacket. It was a trying moment,
wherein every emotion of hope and fear
flashed through the brain. The fatigues
faded in the intensity of the situation. The
questions, Was this he who had so long been
sought, or could it be a delusion of the mind,
or was the white man some unknown waif of
humanity? crowded the mind bringing their
changing feelings with them. A few feet in
front of the group the HERALD commander
halted, dismounted and advanced on foot.

A HISTORIC MEETING.

Preserving a calmness of exterior before the
Arabs which was hard to simulate as he
reached the group, Mr. Stanley said:—
"Doctor Livingstone, I presume?"
A smile lit up the features of the hale white
man as he answered: —
"YES, THAT IS MY NAME."
The meeting was most cordial, and the
wearied caravan, joyous at the triumph of the
expedition, were escorted by tho multitude to

On Mon, May 2, 2011 at 7:48 PM, victor steinbok <aardvark66 at gmail.com> wrote:
> ---------------------- Information from the mail header -----------------------
> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
> Poster:       victor steinbok <aardvark66 at GMAIL.COM>
> Subject:      Re: Doctor Livingstone, I presume
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Thank you. This is one of apparently several stories that appeared in the
> Herald during the month. Barry Popik cited a similar story on July 11. But
> there remains some question as to what, if anything, might have appeared
> before the NYT printing of excerpts on July 2.
>
> Incidentally, there are several variations in the versions of the story
> retold between 1872 and 1915 (after that, the accounts are pretty much
> completely recycled). There are two versions of the story--one with Stanley
> and his group coming up on Livingstone almost directly vs. encountering his
> servants and associates in the village first, then finding Livingstone
> himself. Some details may appear or disappear, such as gestures on the part
> of either man with respect to the hat/cap/helmet. But few mention any "Arab
> dignitaries", as it is told here.
>
> VS-)
>
> On Mon, May 2, 2011 at 7:30 PM, Baker, John <JMB at stradley.com> wrote:
>
>>
>>        From the account in The New York Herald, July 15, 1872, p. 5,
>> via Access Newspaper Archive:
>>
>>                <<STANLEY AND LIVINGSTONE FACE TO FACE.
>>        Passing from the rear of it to the front I saw a knot of Arabs,
>> and, in the centre, in striking contrast to their sunburnt faces, was a
>> pale-looking and gray-bearded white man, in a navy cap, with a faded
>> gold band about it, and red woollen jacket. This white man was Dr. David
>> Livingstone, the hero traveller, the object of the search.
>>                THE MEETING.
>>        It was the dignity that a white man and leader of an expedition
>> ought to possess that prevented me from running to shake hands with the
>> venerable traveller; but when I first caught sight of him--the man with
>> whose books on Africa I was first made acquainted when a boy--so far
>> away from civilization,
>> it was very tempting. False pride and the presence of the grave-looking
>> Arab dignitaries of Ujiji restrained me and suggested to me to say with
>> a shake of the hand,
>>        "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"
>>        "Yes," was the answer, with a kind smile.>>
>>
>>
>> John Baker
>>
>>
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: American Dialect Society [mailto:ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU] On Behalf
>> Of victor steinbok
>> Sent: Monday, May 02, 2011 5:28 PM
>> To: ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU
>> Subject: Doctor Livingstone, I presume
>>
>>
>> Has July 1872 NY Herald been scanned anywhere so that at least that part
>> of
>> the mystery can be solved?
>>
>
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>

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