Discovered by European
The spectacular natural marvel of the Victoria Falls, known to the native residents of the region for generations, was first brought to the notice of the wider world in 1855 by the great Scottish missionary and explorer Dr. David Livingstone.
The Zambezi, formerly known to Europeans only by its lower stretches and large delta on the east coast, was discovered by Livingstone and his traveling companion William Oswell in the middle of 1851 as they ventured north into the uncharted interior. They eventually arrived at a large river that the people living along its broad reaches called the Liambai.
According to most authorities, David Livingstone was the first European to arrive at Victoria Falls on the present-day boundary between Zambia and Zimbabwe on November 16, 1855. Locals, on the other hand, had known about the Falls for a long time. Mr. PCG Adams discovered an entry in one of the small notebooks used by Livingstone for making daily notes and from which he wrote up his journal once or twice a week that read: "Musioatunya bears SSE from Sekota islet after 20 minutes sail thence on 16th November 1855, saw three or five columns of vapour rising 100 or more feet.."
