Old Photograph Joseph Thomson Monument Thornhill Scotland

Old photograph of the Joseph Thomson monument in Thornhill which is located north of Dumfries, Scotland. Joseph, born 14 February 1858, died 2 August 1895, was a Scottish geologist and explorer who played an important part in the Scramble for Africa. Thomson's Gazelle is named for him. Excelling as an explorer rather than an exact scientist, he avoided confrontations among his porters or with indigenous peoples, neither killing any native nor losing any of his men to violence. His motto is often quoted to be " He who goes gently, goes safely; he who goes safely, goes far. " He was born in Penpont by Thornhill, Dumfriesshire, and was apprenticed into his father's stone masonry and quarrying business. He developed a keen amateur interest in geology and botany which eventually led to his formal education at the University of Edinburgh, studying under Archibald Geikie and Thomas Henry Huxley. On graduating in 1878, he was appointed geologist and naturalist to Alexander Keith Johnston's Royal Geographical Society expedition to establish a route from Dar es Salaam to Lake Nyasa and Lake Tanganyika. Johnston died during the trip and it was left to Thomson to take the leadership role for the expedition. Thomson successfully led the expedition over 3,000 miles in 14 months, collecting many specimens and recording many observations. In 1883, he embarked on another Royal Geographical Society expedition, this time to explore a route from the eastern coast of Africa to the northern shores of Lake Victoria. His slowly deteriorated because of cystitis, schistosomiasis, and pyelo-nephritis. In 1892, he contracted pneumonia and, seeking the right climate in which to recuperate, spent time in England, South Africa, Italy, and France. He died in London, England, in 1895, at the age of 37.



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