285.] But his early friends were not so much at fault.

Livingstone was somewhat slow of maturing.

If we may say so, his intellect hung fire up to this very time, and it was only during his last year in England that he came to his intellectual manhood, and showed his real power.

His very handwriting shows the change; from being cramped and feeble it suddenly becomes clear, firm, and upright, very neat, but quite the hand of a vigorous, independent man.
Livingstone's prospects of getting to China had been damaged by the Opium War; while it continued, no new appointments could be made, even had the Directors wished to send him there.

It was in these circumstances that he came into contact with his countryman, Mr.( now Dr.) Moffat, who was then in England, creating much interest in his South African mission.