Sign Language

SIGN  LANGUAGE

It was the signs that told us Dr. Livingstone had passed along the same route on which we were travelling in 2004

     Dr. David Livingstone, a well known figure in his time.  How had he become so famous, and so connected with Africa, having been born into a large, impoverished family in a village in Scotland?

     He studied at nights after he had worked all day in factories, and then he decided to train as a Missionary.  At first, China was his goal.  Then, Africa.  After a while,  he found he wasn't too good at the converting, so he abandoned the missionary work and took to Exploring, instead.  And at this, he was way ahead of his time. 

     He didn't require porters to carry his essentials, which were very basic.  He ate what locals provided.  He freed slaves by buying them and setting them free, and some of these travelled with him and helped him. He was financed by donations which poured in during his visits home to England and Scotland, when he would give speeches and ask for help. 

     The only part of his life about which I wonder, is his poor wife abandoned, with a large family, back home.

       You can read all about this in Dr. Dillon's book, which uses easy-to-follow maps, sketches made in the 1800s and photographs taken during our trip.

And what about those signs?

 

Thank you to the "Good Gentleman" who offered this pose.







 

 Detail of sign above the door:

   
It was hard work photographing signs, as shown below!

    

Mostly, it was me begging fellow travellers with good photographic equipment and decent skills, to "Take this one"  or "Over here!"

And our companions were wonderful, doing their best.

And some signs came out FANTASTICALLY WELL!

(See below)

 

 This sign says:

On    This    Site    Resided

DAVID  LIVINGSTONE

After he had met H. M. Stanley at Ujiji

On November 10, 1871.  He left this spot

On August 25, 1872,  to undertake what was

To be his last journey in Africa

(The lower half of this sign is the same message

written in Swahili.)

Inside the building is this display, showing that meeting

Just visible:

Under the Mango Tree

Which then stood here

Henry M. Stanley met

David Livingstone

10 November 1871

The credits along the bottom of the bronze plate's edge read:

This Monument was erected by the Government of Tanganyika Territory and the bronze plate contributed by the Royal Geographical Society in 1927

Here is the building, the Monument mentioned above, near Tabora, where the plaques may be found.


NEXT POST:

More views of this building "then and now"

and of various house types used today in Tanzania

and ALSO - about other explorers whose names are on signs, too:

One Last Sign (I couldn't resist!)  In 1905 the country was under German occupation, and it was the Germans who built the railway that runs from the east coast to Lake Tanganyika.  Railway buffs might like to read more:

Building the Railway

This line is still in operation, and the following sign was attached to the wall of the Railway Station at the western end of this line:

This sign says in Swahili and in English:

 UP MAIL TRAIN EXPECTED AT:

DOWN MAIL TRAIN EXPECTED AT:

UP MIXED TRAIN EXPECTED AT:

(In case anyone was wondering when the mail would be arriving [up mail]

or would be leaving [down mail]

 on Sept. 25, 2004)

We were impressed with the efforts by the Government of Tanzania to preserve this sites and to place explanatory signs, when there are few tourists travelling in these parts.

Welcome to new viewers to this blog site from Singapore and from France.

Your interest is greatly appreciated!