This Week in Christian History: 'Pilgrim's Progress' Author Arrested; Dr. Livingstone's Adventures

By Michael Gryboski, Mainline Church Editor Sunday, November 12, 2017

David Livingstone Reaches, Names Victoria Falls - November 16, 1855

An 1864 photo of nineteenth century British explorer, missionary, and abolitionist David Livingstone (1813-1873). | (Photo: Public Domain)

This week marks the anniversary of when famed nineteenth-century Scottish missionary David Livingstone reached the large waterfall he named Victoria Falls at the border of present day Zambia and Zimbabwe.

An explorer and abolitionist, Livingstone discovered the imposing waterfalls, called Mosi-oa-Tunya ("the smoke that thunders") by natives, as part of a years-long transcontinental journey.

"We have a sense of his wonder at the sight, for later he would write of 'Scenes so lovely must have been gazed upon by angels in their flight.' The great waterfall has been known as Victoria Falls ever since," explained historyhit.com.

For his part, Livingstone was said to have planted seeds of various fruits at the falls and also carve his name into a nearby tree.

"The discovery of the falls by White men has been attributed to the Portuguese, other explorers and Boer hunters including Jan Viljoen, but there is no proof of such claims," noted South African History Online.

"Today the falls form part of two national parks, the Mosi-oa-Tunya National Park in Zambia and the Victoria Falls National Park in Zimbabwe, and is one of Southern Africa's major tourist attractions."