PRINCETON, N. J. . ' 
 
 Purchased by the Hammill Missior.arv FunH. 
 
 rr. B44 1888 
 
 William. 
 Bellingl^^"^; working man 
 
 The diary ^^^^^ingham) in 
 (William BeiJ.-Li^'=i 
 
 Number. 
 
THE DIARY 
 
 OF 
 
 A WORKING MAN 
 
 ( WILLIAM ^ELLINGHAM) 
 
 IN 
 
 CENTRAL AFRICA, 
 December, 1884, to October, 1887. 
 
 EDITED BY 
 
 J. COOKE YARBOROUGH, 
 
 CURATE OF CHISLKHURST. 
 
 WITH MAP AND ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PUBLISHED UNDER THE DIRECTION OF THE TRACT COMMITTEE. 
 
 LONDON : 
 SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING CHRISTIAN KNOWLEDGE, 
 NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE, CHARING CROSS, W.C. ; 
 
 43, QUEEN VICTORIA STREET, E.C. 
 
 BRIGHTON : 135, north street. 
 New York : E. & J. B. YOUNG AND CO. 
 
SONNET. 
 
 THE "CHARLES JANSON." 
 
 Thou — named of one who sleeps beside the wave 
 That idly laps our Lake's long eastern shore, 
 Who giving all his substance, gave yet more, 
 
 And for a land oppressed, its sons to save. 
 
 Laid down his precious life, that they might have 
 Some heritage in Christ's abounding store 
 Of mercy, and might learn the mighty lore 
 
 Of man's redemption sprung from Bethlehem's cave. 
 
 Thou, little craft, a votive offering free, 
 
 Right well dost serve to keep his memory green ; 
 
 For as through wind and wave thou tak'st thy way 
 
 No earth-born errand in thy course we see, 
 No sordid gain to win, no purpose mean, 
 
 But where now darkness reigns to herald day. 
 
 C. Maples, March i6th, 1888. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER PAGE 
 
 I. 
 
 Introductory 
 
 
 II. 
 
 The River Journey ... 
 
 II 
 
 III. 
 
 The Overland Journey ... 
 
 ••• 33 
 
 IV. 
 
 The Building of the Steamer 
 
 51 
 
 V. 
 
 To Lake Nyassa by Boat... 
 
 ... 71 
 
 VI. 
 
 Alone in Likoma 
 
 86 
 
 VII. 
 
 Missionary Journeys 
 
 ... 107 
 
 VIII. 
 
 Homeward Bound 
 
 127 
 
 
 Notes 
 
 ••• 137 
 
THE 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN 
 IN CENTRAL AFRICA. 
 
 CHAPTER 1. 
 
 INTRODUCTORY. 
 
 T often happens, when one has to search 
 through old letters and records of 
 the past, that the memory of a grief 
 which we thought we had ceased to 
 feel, starts up from the dusty wrappings which 
 had enclosed it, and stabs our hearts with a 
 momentary pang. We feel again the keenness 
 of the sorrow and disappointment which that 
 letter or relic first brought to us, and the re- 
 collections of those earlier days come back with 
 a vivid reality that seems still undimmed by the 
 hand of Time. 
 
 Among the records of the Universities Mission, 
 
 B 
 
2 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 I found one day a letter which might well 
 awaken memories like these. It was hastily 
 scribbled on a torn sheet of blue foolscap. The 
 damp and exposure had discoloured and blotted 
 it here and there. The writer was Dr. Living- 
 stone. Writing from Central Africa, in a few 
 quiet words of evident feeling, he announces to 
 the Committee of the Mission the sudden and 
 premature death of their first bishop, Charles 
 Frederick Mackenzie. 
 
 There are few things more touching, when 
 looked at in the shadow of human weakness, or 
 more full of beauty as examples of divine grace, 
 than the reminiscences which are awakened on 
 reading that letter. One pictures again the 
 closing in of the swift twilight round the lonely 
 grave in the forest ; and the faithful priest, him- 
 self death-stricken, laying to rest the body of 
 his beloved bishop, and, as he tells us, having 
 repeated over his grave in the darkness " as 
 much of the Burial Service as he could re- 
 member," wearily struggling on to bear the 
 sad tidings to the rest before he too lies down 
 to die. 
 
 These are things that one does not know 
 whether to speak of with joy or sadness, but 
 they lie at the foundation of much that is best 
 and noblest in the efforts of the Universities 
 Mission in the regions round Lake Nyassa. I 
 have no suspicion," wrote Dr. Livingstone, " that, 
 after the first stunning effect of our heavy tidings 
 
INTRODUCTORY. 
 
 3 
 
 has passed over, you will feel disposed to draw- 
 back." But it was judged, and rightly, as we 
 now believe, to draw back for a time. A year 
 later, the first chapter in the history of the 
 Mission closes, the Shire country is abandoned, 
 and the silence of heathenism settles down again 
 over the villages of the Manganja and the graves 
 at Magomero. 
 
 Oh, that inveterate cloud of silence that broods 
 over the native life of Africa ! Village after 
 village is devoured by the slave-trade, wars rage, 
 and famines destroy, yet no cry of suffering 
 comes to our ears, save when some missionary 
 or traveller uplifts the veil for a moment and 
 calls on the civilized world to listen. 
 
 The Mission found work in abundance await- 
 ing them at Zanzibar, whither they retired. The 
 slave-market was bought up, the church built 
 upon it, released slaves were trained to be 
 teachers and colonists, the districts round Magila 
 were brought under the influence of the gospel. 
 
 In such works as these time slips fast away 
 The generations of men are piteously brief in a 
 place like Zanzibar. One must "work while it 
 is day," for no missionary has yet succeeded in 
 living twenty years there ; but never did either 
 Bishop Tozer or Bishop Steere forget that 
 Nyassa was the true field of the Mission. 
 Mackenzie's grave, like the heart of the Bruce, 
 lay there, luring on his followers into the thick 
 of the battle ; and a visit was at last planned and 
 
4 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 carried out by Bishop Steere, to Mataka, a great 
 chief, who lived within reach of the eastern 
 coast of the lake, and to whom Livingstone had 
 promised a missionary fifteen years before. 
 
 Despite the difficulty of procuring men and 
 means, the mission crept, year by year, steadily 
 nearer its goal. The settlement of Masasi 
 formed a half-way resting-place, and from that 
 village the Rev. W. P. Johnson reached Mataka's 
 town. The old chief had died in heathenism, 
 his repeated requests for a missionary unan- 
 swered ; but his son received Mr. Johnson with 
 apparent friendliness, and for six months he 
 worked there. An unfortunate attempt on the 
 part of a captain of a British cruiser to capture 
 a slave-caravan on the coast (we were then only 
 allowed to interfere with the slave-trade at sea) 
 gave the slave-dealers, who swarmed at Mataka's, 
 an excuse for an attack on Mr. Johnson, and he 
 was driven out, his property stolen, and his life 
 threatened. Rendered entirely destitute, he had 
 no choice but to return to Masasi and refit. On 
 his way he met Charles Janson, one of the best 
 and holiest of the Mission priests, who was 
 already on his way to meet him. The two had 
 never met before, but were admirably suited for 
 fellow-workers. 
 
 After spending Christmas (1881) at Masasi, 
 they started on their march for the shores of the 
 lake. The details of that journey are gathered 
 with quaint and cheerful pen in the last journal 
 
INTRODUCTORY. 
 
 5 
 
 of Charles Janson. It was a difficult and 
 dangerous enterprise. They walked about four 
 hundred miles in six weeks, much troubled by 
 the continual rains and misleading guides. 
 Charles Janson's diary gives a perfect picture of 
 the miseries of African travel, yet full of bright- 
 ness and merriment, although he was continually 
 ill with fever. On February 9, 1882, he writes, 
 " The Nyassa at last," and says it reminds him 
 of the Sea of Galilee. Next day they reached a 
 big village called Misanje. The close of their 
 journey was near at hand. The diary breaks 
 off abruptly. Charles Janson had reached the 
 close of his earthly pilgrimage as well. He was 
 seized with a choleraic attack, brought on by the 
 exposure and toils of the long journey. He was 
 too sick to receive the last Sacrament. The 
 paroxysms of pain robbed him at times of even 
 speech and hearing, but he never murmured. 
 That power of devotion whjch had attracted 
 the wonder and admiration of all who knew him, 
 showed itself in the intervals of consciousness. 
 He appeared to hold continual communion 
 with our Lord. " Glorify Thy Name " was one of 
 his repeated petitions; ''and I thought," writes 
 the friend who watched his patience, "that He 
 was doing it." " If there was one among our 
 number," said Bishop Steere afterwards, " who 
 was worthy to be enrolled among the list of 
 saints, it was Charles Janson." 
 
 They moved him nearer the shore, and pulled 
 
6 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 down the side of the hut in which he lay, that 
 the cool breezes from the lake might fan his 
 burning cheeks ; and so he passed away, look- 
 ing out with his failing sight on that vast ex- 
 panse of water, as it changed for him into the 
 shoreless sea of eternity. " I thank God," writes 
 Mr. Johnson, "for the privilege of being with 
 him in his Christian fortitude." 
 
 Quietly the men came in, and said the Lord's 
 Prayer beside the poor worn-out frame, at rest 
 in the stillness of death. Then they sewed the 
 body up in a native mat, and buried it beside 
 the lake, to be a witness of the power of Christ 
 until Christ comes again. 
 
 So the two graves are witnesses there, 
 Mackenzie's in the forest far away to the south, 
 Janson's beneath a heap of stones in a village 
 on the shore of the lake itself — just two mile- 
 stones on the march of the Church Militant ; 
 just two altars, from beneath which come the 
 prayers of saints waiting for the redemption, 
 and crying, " How long O Lord, how long ? " 
 
 William Johnson preaches beside the grave 
 on the resurrection to eternal life, and then 
 passes on alone about his Master's work. 
 
 Nearly two years crept by. Now and then a 
 letter came, telling its own story of unwearied 
 patience, and many privations endured by that 
 good soldier of Jesus Christ. Then he appeared 
 back in England for a brief space, vigorous and 
 enthusiastic, reading a paper of deep thought 
 
INTRODUCTORY. 
 
 7 
 
 and most attractive earnestness at the Carlisle 
 Church Congress. Speaking, preaching, plead- 
 ing for the tribes of Lake Nyassa, until he had 
 placed before all whom it might interest his 
 scheme of a steamer to be launched on the 
 lake ; and the memory of Charles Janson awoke 
 again, to stir up men and women to provide a 
 steamer, and call it after his name. 
 
 There is something mysterious about Lake 
 Nyassa. When one thinks of three hundred and 
 fifty miles of open water, stretching through the 
 Dark Continent, one realizes something of the 
 sensations of Dr. Livingstone when he discovered 
 it. Its wonderful cliffs descending six and 
 even eight thousand feet into the intensely 
 deep blue water of the lake ; precipice piled on 
 precipice, yet with every cranny and rift 
 gorgeous with tropical vegetation ; waterfalls 
 among the highest crags, but so high up that 
 they seem to hang like silver threads, while the 
 ear fails to catch from below the faintest tinkle 
 of the falling streams : its long stretches of 
 sandy coast, with lake-dwellings here in daily 
 use, with people living in them with their 
 weapons of bronze and stone, their rude 
 earthenware, and their fish diet, just as pre- 
 historic man lived on the Swiss lakes thousands 
 of years ago : its low marshes, the haunts of 
 fever and cholera, always resounding with the 
 clangour of myriads of waterfowl, and its 
 stockaded towns crowded on the sandy spits 
 
8 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 between the marshes and the sea ; — altogether 
 a weird panorama. 
 
 Truly Africa seems to gather into itself an 
 epitome of the world's history. Bronze age, 
 stone age, cave-dweller, barbarian, savage, down 
 to the latest product of civilization at Algiers or 
 the Cape. 
 
 William Johnson's problem was, " How is the 
 gospel to be brought to the people of Nyassa ? " 
 The obstacles were : (i) The slave-trade, causing 
 war, famine, insecurity of property, impossibility 
 of guaranteeing a permanent settlement on the 
 coast of the lake ; (2) the unhealthy situations 
 of the native towns ; (3) the isolation of the 
 missionary. 
 
 His solution was : (i) Give us a steamer by 
 which native teachers, trained at Zanzibar, and 
 English missionaries, could be carried from 
 town to town along the shores ; (2) a central 
 station, if possible on an island in the lake, to 
 which missionaries might be transferred in case 
 of war and sickness ; and (3) a training-ship 
 anchored in some sheltered bay, which might 
 form a floating college for native teachers. 
 
 As soon as the construction of the Charles 
 Janson had been decided on, it was entrusted to 
 Messrs. Yarrow and Co., of Poplar, the builders 
 of the Ilala, and the flat-bottomed Nile steamers 
 for the late Egyptian expedition ; and, by the 
 kindness of the Lords of the Admiralty, she was 
 built under Government inspection. 
 
INTRODUCTORY. 
 
 9 
 
 She is a screw steamer, measuring sixty-five 
 feet in length, has twelve feet six inches beam, 
 and can carry twenty ton, having accommodation 
 for about eight Europeans, besides natives. She 
 was constructed in about eight hundred pieces, 
 so as to be screwed together on her arrival at 
 the lake, and packed in three hundred and fifty 
 parcels, varying from sixty to three hundred 
 pounds in weight. Most of the fittings, such as 
 the anchor, compass, canteen, etc., were special 
 gifts from friends of the Universities Mission. 
 
 An article written in the Banner of Faith, 
 asking for volunteers, brought some fifty offers 
 from sailors, engineers, and workmen of all sorts, 
 out of whom the new members of the party were 
 selected ; and on October 31, 1884, the Hazvarden 
 Castle set sail, with the Charles Janson stowed 
 away in her hold, and the party on board. It 
 consisted of the Rev. W. P. Johnson, William 
 Bellingham (the writer of the diary, who was 
 for ten years working as engineer and lay- 
 reader with the Mission), Captain Callaghan, 
 two mechanics, a mason, and carpenter. 
 
 They reached Cape Town on November 21, 
 and transhipped the Charles Janson and their 
 goods into the Florence, in which they arrived at 
 the mouth of the Zambesi. 
 
 It is at this point that the journal begins. It 
 is a plain account of how the packages containing 
 the steamer and the stores for the first six 
 months' settlement on Lake Nyassa, were carried 
 
10 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 under great difficulties up the Zambesi and the 
 Shir^, and of the first starting of the Mission on 
 the lake, and it forms a record something differ- 
 ing from the ordinary accounts of both explora- 
 tion and missionary work. Being, as it is, the 
 work of a working man, hastily jotted down in 
 the intervals of toil, and continual suffering from 
 sickness and exposure, it does not pretend to 
 possess any literary excellence. It only aims 
 at giving a practical description of the work 
 which has to be done, and the difficulties which 
 lie in wait for all who attempt to benefit the 
 tribes of Central Africa. 
 
 QUILLIMANE. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE RIVER JOURNEY. 
 
 Vexatious delay at Quillimane — Lodgings in an old hulk — Loss 
 of one of the boys — Sickness already appearing — Arrival of 
 the Somptseu — Start on Christmas Day — The Zambesi — 
 The steamer aground — Narrow escape from a crocodile — 
 Arrival at Maruru — Mrs. Livingstone's grave — Entrance to 
 the River Shire — Morumbala marsh— Shallowness of the 
 river — The last of Dr. Livingstone's Makololos — Traces of 
 former missionaries — Bishop Mackenzie's grave — Arrival at 
 Katunga's. 
 
 ECEMBER yth.—SNQ arrived at Quil- 
 limane on board the s.s. Florence, 
 Notwithstanding the day being 
 Sunday, the cargo had to be dis- 
 charged, we, as usual, keeping our eyes on the 
 packages, ticking off each one that came up 
 out of the hold, and seeing that nothing got 
 broken. We were very anxious to know 
 whether the loads would have to go to the 
 Custom-house or not, as the African Boating 
 Company had offered the use of an old hulk, 
 
12 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 which would have saved us trouble, and the 
 packages would have had less knocking about. 
 The Portuguese, however, desired that it should 
 all pass through their Customs. We had to 
 watch the more carefully because the loads 
 were carried up by piecework from the shore 
 to the Custom-house, and at the end of each 
 journey the man would throw down his load, 
 not caring whether he smashed the case or not, 
 and run back to fetch another ; so one of us 
 had to be at the Custom-house to watch each 
 case as it came up, and see that it was not 
 damaged. With all our care, however, several 
 cases were broken, and the whole of the steamer 
 {Charles Ja7tso7i) was strewed about over a large 
 area of ground near the Custom-house door, 
 and looked very much as if it had been blown 
 to pieces by gunpowder. It seemed a large 
 quantity of stuff to take up country, and made 
 one feel nervous and anxious ; but I resigned 
 myself quietly to it, and was determined to do 
 my best whatever might happen, and not to ride 
 on to meet troubles and difficulties half-way. 
 They had, however, already begun, for as soon 
 as you land on the Central African shores all 
 changes. The croaking of the frogs, and the 
 mosquitos buzzing round your head, and various 
 insects singing at night, tell one he is in the 
 land of fever. Trouble after trouble will now 
 follow — want of food and water, fever, and burn- 
 ing sun, and heavy showers of tropical rain, and 
 
THE RIVER JOURNEY. 
 
 13 
 
 often sleeping in the open, with wild beasts to 
 disturb your rest. Many like to hear these 
 stories in England, and fancy they would enjoy 
 it, but when it comes to the real thing it is very 
 different. It requires a stout heart combined with 
 perfect love for the work and the African race ; 
 so I should not advise any one to come out here 
 without these two things. We had several 
 heavy showers of rain while discharging the 
 cargo, and a barge-load of our packages, with 
 Mr. Alley on board, was swept away by the 
 tide a long way down the river, and they were 
 a long time recovering themselves ; but all were 
 safely landed at last, and, each one looking after 
 his personal baggage, we got clear of the Florence, 
 and took up our quarters on the old hulk. Our 
 baggage was examined by the Custom-house 
 officers, and all the guns were extracted. 
 
 The old hulk had a good galvanized iron roof, 
 and plenty of room. After a good cleaning, she 
 was very comfortable. Our arrangements on 
 board were very primitive, and, as all our pro- 
 visions and utensils were in the Custom-house, we 
 found it difficult to provide ourselves with a meal. 
 However, by purchasing a few things from town, 
 and, with a little given to us by the people on 
 the steamer, we managed for a day or two, until 
 we got our things through the Custom-house. 
 
 We had our beds on deck, but a heavy shower 
 of rain, and a strong wind, drove us all down 
 below. We had great trouble with a boy whom 
 
14 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 Mr. Johnson had taken to England. He had 
 evidently lost his wits ; he was often in the 
 water, and wanting to go on shore, and once he 
 was nearly drowned in endeavouring to swim off 
 to the ship. We could not keep him quiet, and 
 at last he disappeared. We fear a crocodile 
 must have taken him, for we sent all over the 
 town and country around, and could hear no 
 tidings of him.* 
 
 Mr. Johnson went on to Zanzibar in company 
 with Mr. Wride, who was going to Mbweni, and 
 we were now left with our charge to face the 
 difficulties of the up-country journey. After 
 getting our canteens, and laying in a stock of 
 food, we made ourselves at home on board the 
 hulk as best we could. Our stove consisted of 
 three stones and a box of earth, over which we 
 cooked our food, and neither of us had much 
 experience in cooking, so our food was not 
 always first class. A change in diet, and bad 
 water, made a change in our health. We all had 
 an attack of diarrhoea ; Creighton and Robinson 
 were really ill with it. We commenced and 
 ended the day with Matins and Evensong, and 
 the little American organ we brought out with 
 us made the time pass cheerfully. It was often 
 difficult going to and from the shore ; the tide 
 and strong winds would often make long pulls 
 for those who happened to be caught by them. 
 Alley and I went on shore to mend the boxes 
 
 ♦ This boy turned up alive last year. See note, p. 140. 
 
THE RIVER JOURNEY. 
 
 15 
 
 that were damaged by the porters when landing 
 the goods. Now we had to await several days 
 the arrival of the SomptseUy which had been 
 chartered by Mr. Johnson at Durban. She was 
 to bring up a cargo of coal and the Bedford 
 boat,* which had to be discharged at the Kon- 
 goni mouth of the Zambesi ; then she was to 
 come round and take a load of the Charles 
 Janson^ and make her first trip up the Zambesi 
 river. She did not arrive until December 19th, 
 and, not having our invoices, we could only get 
 the steamer packages through the Customs. 
 Leaving our provisions and tents behind, we set 
 to work to get the Somptseu loaded, which was 
 no small business, and very trying. She only 
 took about one-third, and not nearly so much as 
 we expected. However, we got off on the after- 
 noon of the 22nd. Creighton, Alley, Robinson, 
 and myself went on, leaving Mr. Callaghan in 
 charge of the remainder ; we anchored for the 
 night just inside of the bar of the Quillimane 
 river. Our accommodation on the Somptseu 
 was worse than on the old hulk. It was very 
 difficult to get any cooking done, and the only 
 place we had to sleep was on the hatch ; and we 
 had a Dutchman as a passenger, which only 
 added to our discomfort, not having much room. 
 What with mosquitos, rain, and the excitement 
 of starting, we had very little sleep that night. 
 
 • The Bedford boat was a centre-board boat, bought at Natal 
 with money subscribed by Bedford School. 
 
l6 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 We got away very early in the morning of 
 the 23rd. It was rather rough crossing the bar, 
 and, after a long run, the captain found that the 
 steel plates of the Charles Jaftsoft affected the 
 compass, so that we got somewhat out of our 
 course, and only sighted Kongoni bar just before 
 dark, too late to enter ; so we anchored for the 
 night outside. It came on to blow and rain 
 furiously, and we were all very sea-sick. We 
 could get no proper food cooked, and the only 
 shelter we had was an awning, and the only way 
 to get any rest was to fix ourselves tightly 
 between packages, because of the rolling and 
 tossing. We were all very glad to see daylight. 
 We crossed the bar safely, although it was not 
 very pleasant. At the mouth of the Kongoni 
 river there are a few Portuguese houses, a French 
 house, and a Dutch house, on a most uninviting 
 piece of low land. The captain and I landed to 
 see about a pilot, but we could not get the one 
 we wanted, so had to put up with a young fellow 
 who had not much knowledge of the river. We 
 had a long talk with the Portuguese authority, 
 who wanted to stop us because the paper was 
 not properly signed ; so the whole day was taken 
 up, and we could not make a start up the river. 
 We hired a barge from the Dutch house, and we 
 had the Bedford boat in case of the Soinptseu 
 getting aground. 
 
 We started early on Christmas morning for 
 our first trip up the Zambesi. We passed 
 
THE RIVER JOURNEY. 1/ 
 
 through a narrow but deep stream, with nothing 
 but thick mud and tall trees on each side. Then 
 we came out into a nice wide part of the river, 
 which in some places was very pretty. Sud- 
 denly the Soinptseii was turned to what looked 
 like a bank of grass. She pushed her way 
 through it ; it was nothing more than a floating 
 grass island, blocking up the channel. Then 
 came a little hard work, for the SomptseugxQyxn&^^^ 
 and we had to pass a rope to the shore and 
 haul her off, and we had to prevent the two boats 
 behind from running into the Somptseu. The 
 land looked rich on each side, and a great deal 
 of it under cultivation. Cotton was growing 
 plentifully on the banks, and we saw many 
 monkeys in the trees. Then we came out again 
 into the open and wide river Zambesi. It was 
 a fresh and grand sight for us all. We all en- 
 joyed our Christmas, for here were fresh kinds 
 of birds, hippopotami, and many new objects 
 met our view. But we were very anxious about 
 the journey, for we might stick fast at any 
 moment on a sandbank. The ground was low 
 and level on both sides, with the exception of 
 ant-hills. Very tall grass hid the villages from 
 our view, and we only knew of their existence 
 by the people appearing at the water's edge, 
 very much surprised at seeing such a large 
 steamer. They rushed away in a great fright 
 when I looked at them through the telescope, 
 thinking it was a gun. We disturbed the repose 
 
 c 
 
1 8 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 of the hippos, who did not like the look of us, 
 for they were blowing and bellowing and leap- 
 ing out of the water. It is astonishing to see 
 how nimble they are, although such an immense 
 size and such a great weight We had a quiet 
 night's rest, and were off again early the next 
 day. Again and again we touched the bottom, 
 and stirred up the sand. We were very anxious 
 to reach Maruru (the African Lakes Company 
 station) that day ; but just as we sighted it we 
 stuck hard and fast, and, the river being very 
 wide just here, and many small sandy islands, 
 it was very hard to find a proper channel, and 
 the captain refused to. go on without a proper 
 pilot. We worked away until ten o'clock at 
 night, tryipg to get her off the sandbank, first 
 by hauling, and then by discharging her cargo 
 into the boat and barge. Then she slid off, and 
 we put up for the night, all tired out. 
 
 I went off very early the next morning in the 
 boat to a half-cast Portuguese who lived at a 
 small village some distance off. He and two of 
 his men came and showed us the right channel. 
 Just as we were going to start, the Lady Nyassa 
 appeared, a small steamer belonging to the 
 African Lakes Company, with Mr. and Mrs. Moir 
 on board, going to the Kongoni mouth. They 
 were very kind, and offered us every assistance ; 
 and, once in the right channel, we were soon at 
 Maruru, where we decided to land the cargo and 
 wait a second load before going up farther, be- 
 
THE RIVER JOURNEY. 
 
 19 
 
 cause the river was rising rapidly. The cargo 
 was carried up into the enclosure, which is a 
 square formed by grass huts, belonging to the 
 African Lakes Company. Mr. Simpson, who 
 came out with Lieutenant Young as an engineer 
 to the steamship Ilala, was in charge, and gave 
 us some valuable information of the route and 
 the people we should have to deal with on the 
 lake. We had two reed and grass huts allotted 
 to us, and the run of the whole compound. We 
 soon made ourselves at home, putting up our 
 camp bedsteads and making ourselves as com- 
 fortable as we could on the mud floor. We had 
 no furniture beyond our boxes. We had just 
 missed meeting Mrs. Foot* and her children, 
 who were on their way to England via Zanzi- 
 bar. Mr. and i\Irs. Moir returned on the Lady 
 Nyassa on the first of the new year, 1885. They 
 kindly gave us a plum-pudding, so we were not 
 altogether without a pudding at the proper time. 
 Mr. Goodrich (consul pro tern.) returned from 
 the Quaqtca after seeing Mrs. Foot safely off. 
 At Maruru we spent our time chiefly in trying 
 to learn Chinyassa, and reading and writing. 
 Creighton and I went over to the other side of 
 the river, and had our first shot at some croco- 
 diles, which were very numerous in a small 
 creek. Mr. Simpson told us a sad story of how 
 a man was caught by a crocodile very near there. 
 
 * Mrs. Foot, widow of the British Consul, Captain Foot, 
 R.N. 
 
20 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 It appears that the man was sitting in a canoe, 
 lapping up the water with his hand, when a 
 crocodile suddenly seized his hand, and dragged 
 him into the water. His brother, seeing him, to 
 the great risk of his own life, jumped into the 
 water, caught him by his other hand, and tried 
 to save him. But the crocodile pulled them both 
 into the middle of the river, and often pulled 
 them under the water. The poor man kept 
 calling out to his brother to hold on to his hand, 
 but at last he had to leave him and swim to the 
 shore to save his own life, and the crocodile 
 went off with his prey. 
 
 The river was steadily rising every day, and 
 there were heavy thunderstorms all around. We 
 had one or two heavy ones, so there was great 
 hopes of our proceeding up the river in the 
 Somptseu as far as Katunga's. The sky was 
 often very beautiful at sunset, but the days 
 were very hot — 90° in the shade, and 85° at 
 sundown. 
 
 January gth. — The Somptseu arrived at about 
 4 p.m., with Mr. Callaghan and the second cargo 
 on board. We arranged that Mr. Alley and 
 I should go up at once with that load, while 
 Creighton and Robinson remained at Maruru ; 
 Mr. Goodrich and his men also going up as 
 passengers to Blantyre. 
 
 January \oth, 1885. — Mr. Alley and I went up 
 the river in the Somptseu, leaving Mr. Creighton 
 and Mr. Robinson at Maruru, because we were 
 
THE RIVER JOURNEY. 
 
 21 
 
 not sure how far we could get up, and where we 
 might be landed. Besides, we should have been 
 overcrowded on the steamer, as we had Mr. 
 Goodrich and his men as passengers. We found 
 plenty of water, and made very good progress. 
 
 MRS. Livingstone's grave. 
 
 In about an hour we came to Mrs. Livingstone's 
 grave^* which is under a very large baobab tree, 
 
 * "Mrs. Livingstone's grave," writes Mr. Creighton, "stands 
 back from the river about two hundred yards, on a slight hill, 
 under a large baobab tree (twenty-six yards in circumference). 
 It is made of bricks, with a wooden cross at the head. It is kept 
 nice and clear of grass, but the bricks are in rather a dilapidated 
 state for want of a bit of lime. The house is standing yet, and 
 was occupied as an outpost by the Portuguese, but they ran 
 away from it down to Maruru during the Machingeri war." 
 
22 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 near a Portuguese house, on the south bank of 
 the river. It looks very pretty. The country 
 here is much higher and more thickly wooded 
 than on the north side, which is open and flat. 
 The river winds and turns, constantly bringing 
 us to such spots as would delight the artist's 
 eye. But unfortunately I am not one ; but I 
 love to see such sights as these ; they seem to 
 lift one's thoughts to something higher. In some 
 places the river is very wide, and there are a great 
 number of channels, and small sandy islands. 
 We passed a lot of canoes, and two Frenchmen 
 going up to Sena. They had just camped for 
 the night on the bank. Their travelling was 
 much worse than ours, although ours was un- 
 pleasant enough ; for, after anchoring at sundown 
 just at the mouth of the River Shire, and, getting 
 the lamps lighted, we were about to take our 
 evening meal, when swarms of flies filled the 
 place, putting out the lights, covering the food, 
 and driving us from the table. Then numerous 
 mosquitos came, and did their best to keep us 
 awake. We were in a narrow channel, with tall 
 reeds on each side, which hid completely the 
 country beyond, except just the top of the 
 Morambala Mountains. 
 
 We were up early the next morning, and 
 found quite a little island hanging to our anchor 
 chain, formed by small floating cabbages of a 
 light green colour. They seemed to have little 
 air-chambers to keep them afloat. Their roots 
 
THE RIVER JOURNEY. 
 
 23 
 
 always go with the stream, and keep a little 
 ahead of the plant ; these often get massed 
 together with other grasses, and form small 
 islands, which often block up the channel. We 
 now entered into Morambala marsh, with the 
 Morambala Mountains on the north-east, and 
 miles of marshy plain on the opposite side. 
 Navigation became more difficult here, on ac- 
 count of the narrow channel, swift current, and 
 rocks. Some of the turnings were so sharp, and 
 the current so swift, that the Somptseii, with the 
 Bedford boat behind, had hard work to make 
 headway. We were very anxious to get through 
 this marsh in one day, as it was very unhealthy, 
 and so bare and dreary that it became monoto- 
 nous. We went on until after dark, but could 
 not get out of it. The birds in this marsh are 
 countless. We saw Egyptian geese, spur-winged 
 geese, crested cranes, a very large slate-coloured 
 heron, which flew away " with measured beat and 
 slow," and ibis, pelicans, kingfishers, small white 
 cranes, cormorants, wald ducks, and many other 
 birds. This is a very large marsh, with many 
 creeks and small lakes. Here we saw a party of 
 fishermen. They fish at night with lights. 
 They catch a very large mud-fish, which they 
 open and clean, and dry in the sun. During 
 the day it must be dangerous work, for the 
 river is full of crocodiles. The men build them- 
 selves small huts of reeds over the water, and 
 there sit and spear their fish. When each man 
 
24 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 has got a good load, they take them inland and 
 exchange them for other things. Mr. Goodrich, 
 
 the first mate, and the engineer were sick going 
 through this marsh. I was very anxious about 
 our party, but they all kept wonderfully well. 
 
THE RIVER JOURNEY. 
 
 25 
 
 The Morambala Mountains are very high, and 
 thickly wooded up to the top. We could see 
 one or two small waterfalls shining like silver 
 in the sunlight. We were now getting into the 
 mountainous country on each side, and far 
 away into the distance were mountains of various 
 heights and shapes. 
 
 The next day brought us well on our journey, 
 and we passed a large village called Zingarri. 
 The natives rushed out to see us, so surprised 
 to see such a large steamer so far up the 
 river. We came to another large village, 
 Mpassa's, and the people ran down to tell us 
 that the chief was there, and desired to see us ; 
 but the captain and Mr. Callaghan thought 
 it best to push on with all speed. But soon 
 after, however, we grounded, and, after trying 
 hard for some time to get off, we were obliged 
 to put up for the night. 
 
 Ja7tuary i^ih. — We found ourselves afloat, for 
 the force of the water had cleared the sand from 
 under us, and we were able to move back into 
 deeper water. The captain now refused to go 
 on any further, for fear of getting fast again, and 
 we could not say " Go on," because, if we got fast 
 and the water decreased, we should be running 
 a great risk of having to pay for the Somptseu 
 until the next rainy season ; so we decided to 
 return to the village just below Mpassa's. Just 
 before starting, the Lady Nyassa appeared. She 
 came alongside, and Mr. Harkis, who was in 
 
26 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 charge, said it was not safe for us to venture up 
 any farther, because it was so very shallow. 
 Even the Lady Nyassa had touched in many 
 places coming down. It was very disappointing, 
 as we wanted to get up as far as the Ruo. We 
 wanted Mr. Harkis to change his cargo for ours, 
 and to take it up to Katunga's while we took 
 his to Maruru ; but he could not do this on his 
 own responsibility, and it was only the second 
 trip of the Lady since the Makololo war, and the 
 African Lakes Company had a great many loads 
 at Maruru and Quillimane for Blantyre and the 
 lake ; so we turned about and went down to the 
 village. I sent off John Hamisi at once to 
 explain the reason of our passing the chief, and 
 to ask him if he could come off to the steamer, 
 for we should want to put up at his village, and 
 have one or two houses. Hamisi returned with 
 the chief. This was our first interview with Dr. 
 Livingstone's old servant, the noted Ramakukan, 
 who is now chief of all this part of the country, 
 right up as far as the Upper Shire beyond 
 Matope, where we hoped to build our steamer, 
 so it was very important that I should see him 
 and make friends with him. I explained why 
 we passed yesterday, for at first he was not 
 pleased at our doing so. I told him we were 
 strangers in the country, and did not know that 
 he was there. He at once let us have two huts 
 in the village, and told his under chief to take 
 us in, and look after us as his guests. We 
 
THE RIVER JOURNEY. 27 
 
 engaged several of his men to help to unload 
 the steamer, and to carry the loads into the 
 village, which is about five minutes' walk from 
 the river. So we landed everything first, which 
 was done by having a rope from the bow of the 
 Somptseu, to an anchor on shore, with a running 
 block on the Bedford boat, so with the current 
 she ran to and from the shore very easily, and 
 we were able to unload in a very short time 
 when once we were started. It took a long 
 time to agree, and get the people to work. Some 
 wanted cloth, others beads, and some were not 
 satisfied with their pay. We always find it 
 best to make an agreement with the natives 
 before they begin work, on what they must 
 expect. 
 
 Jariuary i^th. — We finished unloading the 
 Somptseu early, and she returned to Quillimane 
 with Mr. Callaghan. Mr. Alley and I kept the 
 people at work, carrying the loads up into 
 the village, and packing them up in a heap 
 in front of our hut, and putting a large oil 
 sheet over them. Then we put up our tent, 
 and made ourselves as comfortable as we could 
 in a native village. Mr. Goodrich and his men 
 had another hut. He was still very unwell. 
 The sun was very hot, and the village so close ; 
 at times it was almost unbearable. It lay very 
 low, and was shut in with a high fence and 
 thickly wooded country just beyond. The 
 rainy season was not quite over, and we had 
 
28 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 some very heavy thunderstorms, which were 
 very unpleasant, as we were living in a tent. 
 The natives round here salute one another by 
 clapping their hands, and when a party of them 
 meet, there is a tremendous noise with their 
 clapping ; and a great many of them, both men 
 and women, smoke the Indian hemp and 
 opium. We had one man next door to us who 
 was an habitual smoker, and gave us several 
 times during the day, commencing sometimes 
 at five in the morning, a lively entertainment of 
 sneezing, coughing, and shouting, which was 
 caused by the smoking of these herbs ; and 
 sometimes he would be almost crazy with it, 
 and commence quarrelling and fighting with 
 his wives and neighbours. 
 
 Jantimy i6tk. — We had the chief in to see us, 
 and we gave him a present of a mosquito- 
 curtain, and a few other things ; and I asked 
 him if his people could help us to take up our 
 loads in canoes. He said he would be willing 
 that they should do so, but feared they were 
 busy just now in their gardens. We had a long 
 talk about the first Mission party. Bishop 
 Mackenzie, and all the names, he knew very 
 well. I told him we were Bishop Mackenzie's 
 followers. Then he said, " I know you are good 
 people," and was very glad to see us. Mr. Alley 
 and I spent some of our time in opening the 
 large cases, and making up their contents into 
 small loads for the overland trip. 
 
THE RIVER JOURNEY. 
 
 29 
 
 \1th. — Scarcely any food to be got here, for 
 the late war had cleared the whole country, 
 and many of the natives were living on grass 
 seeds. We had nothing but preserved potatoes 
 and chicken. The potatoes were mouldy, and 
 the chicken scarce. We only got a very little 
 rice from the natives, and we had no flour to 
 make bread. We wanted more red beads 
 instead of cloth to barter with them. We 
 had a lot of rain, too much for the natives ; so 
 they held a council, and Indian hemp was 
 forbidden to be smoked, or else smoked indoors 
 without making any noise. It was a great relief 
 to us. Each one had to make a little present to 
 the chief, and they had a ceremony over the 
 graves of their ancestors. 
 
 2\st. — The Lady Nyassa arrived with Messrs. 
 Creighton and Robinson. Mr. Robinson and I 
 went on to Blantyre in the Lady Nyassa ; and 
 also Mr. Goodrich and his men. We wished 
 to push on to see Mr. Moir, and see what he 
 could do in helping us to get our loads up the 
 river. Mr. Creighton remained behind to take 
 my place at Mpassa's. We did not make much 
 progress in the Lady Nyassa ; the recent rains 
 had swelled the river, and the current was so 
 swift, and the wood was very wet, so that we 
 could not keep up steam. We slept a few miles 
 from Bishop Mackenzie's grave, which is near 
 the mouth of the Ruo. 
 
 22nd. — We passed the Ruo, and a very large 
 
30 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 village, where we stopped and bought a lot of 
 firewood, which the natives had already cut 
 in pieces of about two and a half feet long, 
 and piled up in long rows about three feet high. 
 This is all bought with unbleached calico ; they 
 measure the calico the length of the row, and 
 tear it off, and the bargain is struck. They also 
 had a lot of chickens, and baskets of Kafir corn- 
 flour, tomatoes, and sweet potatoes to sell. We 
 then went off into what is called the Elephant 
 Marsh, because a great number of elephants are 
 often seen there, and the chief of the country 
 will not allow them to be shot without special 
 permission. Here again the river was very 
 narrow at places, and a great number of birds, 
 hippopotami, and crocodiles. Only a very few 
 trees are to be seen ; it is all tall grass and 
 thick reeds for several miles. Then we came to 
 a grove of Borassus palms. We were nearing 
 the Blantyre Mountains. 
 
 — We arrived at another large village of 
 the late Chipatula, who is buried in a house in 
 the village, covered over with a lot of cloth, 
 which is their idea of paying respect to the dead. 
 It was here that the Lady Nyassa was sunk in 
 the last war, and her cargo and fittings taken. 
 Here again we bought a lot more firewood, and 
 went on up to Katunga's, arriving there about 
 twelve o'clock on the 24th. We met Mr. F. 
 Moir here, the acting manager of the African 
 Lakes Company ; also Mr. D. Buchanan and his 
 
THE RIVER JOURNEY. 
 
 31 
 
 brother John, who were on their way home to 
 Scotland. We stayed a Sunday here, and Mr. 
 J. Buchanan preached to the people in Chiyao. 
 Mr. Moir was not able to help us to bring up 
 our cargo till after the Lady Nyassa had made 
 two more trips to Maruru and back. So we 
 decided to go up to Blantyre and wait the 
 return of the Lady Nyassa. 
 
 We started for Blantyre at 6 p.m. on Monday 
 the 26th. Mr. Moir had his donkey, and we 
 took turns in riding. We first passed through 
 a great many cornfields, and then over a plain, 
 until we came to some mountains that were 
 very steep. It was very hot walking, with the 
 high grass on each side. The road up the 
 mountain was very winding, to escape the bad 
 places and ravines. It was very pretty, looking 
 back upon the plain and the River Shire, which 
 could be seen for many miles ; and it was very 
 interesting, because we were on the same road 
 that Bishop Mackenzie and his men travelled 
 over. We arrived by moonlight at a village 
 near where they first met the slave-caravan. 
 Here we put up for the night, having two houses, 
 one for ourselves and one for the donkey, 
 because lions often follow the donkey ; once 
 before, a lion attacked the donkey when tied up 
 outside amongst the people. There were with 
 us a great number of carriers with loads belong- 
 ing to the African Lakes Company, which the 
 Lady Nyassa had brought up. They looked 
 
32 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. ' 
 
 very strange by moonlight, with their little fires, 
 roasting their cobs of Indian corn, and cooking 
 their food, and some smoking, and all jabbering 
 and making a tremendous noise. 
 
 AFRICAN WAIF. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE OVERLAND JOURNEY. 
 
 Walk to Blantyre — Hospitality of the Scotch missionaries — 
 News of Mr. Johnson's illness — Leopards — Arrival of the 
 Rev. Frere and released slaves — House-building — Hippo- 
 potamus-catching — Getting ready for the overland journey 
 — Boy carried off by a crocodile— Hiring carriers — Loads 
 being sent off — Road-making — Large herd of elephants — 
 Trouble vi^ith villagers — Bellingham has to take charge of 
 the expedition — Graves of former missionaries — Last part 
 of the road — Abundance of game — Matope — They com- 
 mence building the steamer. 
 
 HE party had now arrived at 
 Katunga's, the point where the 
 River Shire becomes too rapid and 
 dangerous to admit of further pro- 
 gress, and it was necessary to land all the cases 
 and bales, and endeavour, by the assistance of 
 the natives, to carry them over about seventy 
 miles of hilly and wooded country, so as to strike 
 the River Shire again at Matope's, above the 
 rapids, where it was proposed to put the steamer 
 together, and from whence they could steam 
 
 D 
 
34 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 straight into the lake. But at this juncture a 
 serious disappointment befell them. The Rev. 
 W. P. Johnson, the leader of the expedition, and 
 the only man who knew the route, had gone to 
 Zanzibar to consult the bishop, and was now on 
 his way to rejoin the party, when he was 
 suddenly seized at Mozambique by an attack of 
 ophthalmia, and the inflammation spread so 
 rapidly that in twenty-four hours he was totally 
 blind. Hard indeed it seemed for him to be 
 arrested and sent home again just as he was 
 beginning to reap the fruits of his years of 
 patient preparation. He had to return at once 
 to England to be placed under the care of the 
 best oculists, as the only chance of saving his 
 eyes, and to spend months in a darkened room 
 instead of with his fellow-workers on the Shir^ 
 and the lake. When the news of Mr. Johnson's 
 illness reached Zanzibar, the bishop (C. A. 
 Smythies, D.D.) started at once to conduct the 
 expedition in his place, taking with him Mr. 
 and Mrs. Swinny, but it was long before they 
 could catch up the party on the river, and, as 
 we shall see, the steamer was nearly finished 
 before the bishop arrived. The leadership of 
 the party, therefore, virtually fell upon William 
 Bellingham, and it will be seen from his diary 
 how onerous a task it was. 
 
 We started the next morning at quarter-past 
 five, and felt the difference in the temperature 
 already, and could see the difference in the 
 
THE OVERLAND JOURNEY. 
 
 35 
 
 cornfields ; the mountains were covered with 
 small trees, which were shady and nice. We 
 were now up into the region of Masuka. There 
 seemed to be very little animal life up here ; we 
 saw a few birds. 
 
 We got to the African Lakes Company 
 stores at about half-past eleven. They call this 
 place Mandala, which means " glass," because Mr. 
 Moir wears spectacles. It is a very nice place ; 
 a nice house, and large buildings, and we had 
 a pretty little cottage for ourselves. Mr. Moir 
 took us over to the Scotch Mission at Blantyre, 
 which is about a mile and a half from here. The 
 road is lined with blue gum trees (eucalyptus) ; 
 they had grown to a great height, and seemed 
 to flourish well. The mission station is very 
 pretty ; they had it nicely laid out, and everything 
 in good order. A nice little church, and a large 
 school with a great many day scholars and 
 boarders ; also a large carpenter's shop. The 
 houses were well built, some of them with bricks 
 made on the premises ; large gardens, with all 
 kinds of English vegetables ; a good number of 
 cattle, oxen, pigs, and goats ; some of their oxen 
 were trained to work in the carts ; and a large 
 plantation of coffee. Wheat, oats, and potatoes 
 also grow there very well. 
 
 Mr. Scott and Mr. Henderson kindly offered 
 all the assistance they could, and hoped we 
 would make use of their hospitality. Mr. 
 Henderson kindly took us to the top of a hill 
 
36 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 near Mount Deronde, from whence we had a 
 splendid view of the country round, and he 
 pointed out Lake Shirwa, which you could just 
 see in the distance ; also Mount Zomba and the 
 Milanji Mountains, and Magomero, where our 
 first Mission party had their station. We could 
 also see the Upper Shire, with the Kirk Moun- 
 tains behind. It was a beautiful sight, and 
 spread out like a map before us several hundred 
 feet below, and I thought as I looked on it, 
 what a number in old England would enjoy 
 such a sight ! 
 
 I returned to Katunga's to meet the Lady 
 Nyassa on the 4th. Mr. Moir lent me his 
 donkey, so I did not feel the journey much, 
 and was able to give my attention to the 
 scenery and vegetation, because when walking 
 you have to keep your eyes on the ground, for 
 fear of tripping in the narrow path. I saw 
 many fresh flowers, small, but pretty ; and a 
 great number of yellow everlasting flowers, 
 wild grapes, and custard-apples, one or two 
 aloes, and many different kinds of grasses ; a 
 few birds. I saw two or three hornbills and 
 a woodpecker. 
 
 The Lady Nyassa arrived on the 7th, but no 
 letters. Mr. Harkis said that he had heard 
 that Mr. Johnson was ill at Quillimane, and that 
 Mr. Frere and twenty men from Mbweni were 
 at Maruru. There was no news of the Soinptseu. 
 I was disappointed in not getting any letters. 
 
THE OVERLAND JOURNEY. 37 
 
 Mr. C illaghan was ill at Mpassa's. This state 
 of things made me push off at once to Mpassa's, 
 and we got nearly through the Elephant Marsh 
 that same day. The next day, Sunday, we 
 arrived at Mpassa's about midday. It is not 
 usual for us to travel on Sundays, but, being an 
 urgent case, we thought it advisable to go on. 
 We found Mr. Callaghan much better ; he had 
 had a slight attack of dysentery, which made 
 him look very weak. We had the Englishi 
 service together. Lions and leopards are very 
 numerous hpre. A girl and a dog had been 
 taken out of the village by a leopard since I 
 was here last ; and Mr. Callaghan showed us. 
 part of a dog up in a tree,^ that had been left by 
 a leopard. It must have made a leap about 
 twelve or fifteen feet from the ground, with the 
 dog in its mouth. 
 
 gth. — We started early^ getting on, board the 
 Lady Nyassa first the parts of the boiler, thie 
 mast, and other heavy pieces. We got a good' 
 cargo on board. We started, and went past 
 the Ruo that same day. On the loth we got 
 through the Elephant Marsh. On the nth we 
 arrived with our first load at Katungas, and 
 heartily glad I was to get it so far safely. Mr. 
 Moir and Mr. Robingon were waiting for us. 
 We unloaded and stowed it safely away. 
 Leaving Robinson in charge, I returned at once 
 to Mpassa's, to get news of the s,s. Somptseu and 
 Mr. Johnson. 
 
38 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 We arrived early on the 13th, and found that 
 the Somptseii had been, and also that Mr. Frere 
 and a Miss Walker, of the Blantyre Mission, and 
 the Zanzibar porters had arrived. The Somptseu 
 had been up to Mozambique with Mr. Johnson, 
 who had been very ill with his eyes, and likely 
 to lose his sight. The Lady went on with the 
 mails and a sick man from Blantyre. This 
 sudden and sad news of Mr. Johnson began to 
 make one feel anxious. The Somptseu is ex- 
 pected back from Maruru with her last load on 
 Monday. And Miss Walker is our guest till 
 the Lady returns. She had one of our large 
 tents, and made herself very comfortable and 
 agreeable. It quite cheered up our party 
 having a lady amongst us in such an out-of-the- 
 way place, and in such an uncomfortable situa- 
 tion as a native village is. I put up a little shed 
 in a corner under a tree near our huts, which we 
 used as a dining-hall. Mr. Alley put up a table 
 by driving stakes into the ground, and placing 
 on them some boards off a packing-case. He 
 also made two strong chairs ; then with boxes 
 we managed very well. Our dining-hall was 
 cool, but public, and we often had lookers-on. 
 Our cook was a very poor hand, and gave us 
 very little change ; he turned out to be a thief, 
 and got into some other trouble, and we were 
 obliged to discharge him, 
 
 Mr. Callaghan gave us a nice change by 
 shooting a young antelope, and the natives had 
 
40 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 chiefs also was very troublesome, and J. Hamisi, 
 our faithful head man, was often up all night 
 watching the goods for fear of thieves. We 
 had all our calico and handkerchiefs packed 
 away in a hut near. And the chief who was 
 next us, and in whose hands Ramakukan had 
 left us, was very good and faithful ; he often was 
 up at nights with Hamisi. We were told that 
 they catch the hippopotami with barbed spears 
 and rope. A party go out just before dark, and, 
 with these spears and lots of strong cord made 
 of green bark stripped off trees and twisted 
 together, they go and wait, hidden in the long 
 grass, near where the hippopotami get out of 
 the river, and then two or three of them thrust 
 these spears into the beasts, while others run 
 with the ends of the ropes to a tree and make 
 them fast. 
 
 15//2. — The Somptseu arrived early (Sunday) 
 with her last load. Mr. Callaghan came on 
 shore, and we had a service, which Mr. Frere 
 took. 
 
 \6th. — We were all much put out and per- 
 plexed because not one of us got any letters. 
 However, when we began to unload, we found 
 them in a box of Mr. Johnson's. We all set to 
 work and unloaded ; then wrote our mail, for we 
 had now finished with the Soinptseii. The Bed- 
 ford boat sank once with a large cargo ; fortu- 
 nately it was near the shore, so that nothing 
 was lost. 
 
THE OVERLAND JOURNEY. 
 
 41 
 
 Our Mbweni men were useful here, and we 
 had the trucks together, so it was not half the 
 trouble to unload as before. We cut a road up 
 to the village, so that we could use the trucks. 
 
 Mr. Callaghan rigged up himself a wonderful 
 contrivance between two poles, for his hammock. 
 Rats were numerous, especially at night. They 
 ran up and down our tents, making a dreadful 
 noise, nibbling everything, and laughing ; for 
 these rats here make a noise very much like a 
 laugh, as if they quite enjoyed keeping you 
 awake. Once or twice we had a hyaena after 
 the dogs in the village, just outside of our tent. 
 
 We went on making up> our large loads into 
 small ones, and the Mbweni men got the trucks 
 and rope ready for the overland journey. 
 
 21st. — The Lady Nyassa returned'. Miss 
 Walker, Mr. Callaghan, and Mn Frere went on ; 
 also ten men with Charles Nasibu to mend the 
 road between Katunga's and Mandala. 
 
 We were very glad to get rid of them, for it is 
 so unhealthy down here. Mr. Alley was getting 
 very weak and bad ; I had a little fever ; and 
 the people of the village out near the Zambesi 
 fighting. 
 
 2^th. — Mr. Alley bad again. Mr. Callaghan 
 and I went out shooting, and saw two zebra, 
 but did not get a shot. 
 
 26th. — The Lady back. We at once set to 
 work and got a large cargo on board, and she 
 started off by three p.m., Mr. Alley going up 
 
42 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 sick. The village people had a small fight 
 amongst themselves, one poor girl, who had 
 been captured from the^ village they went to 
 the other day, keeping up a pitiful cry. 
 
 2'jth. — Mr. Callaghan very sick, and looks 
 very bad. 
 
 2'^t'h. — We got down other loads ready for 
 the return of the Lady. 
 
 February \th. — -She arrived ; in turning a 
 sharp corner she had run against the bank, 
 smashing her paddle-box, which caused a delay. 
 We loaded up, and started at half-past twelve. 
 I went up with the rest of the Mbweni men, so 
 that I could start them on the overland journey. 
 We slept near the Ruo. Made very slow pro- 
 gress, and the' engines, broke down, and the fire- 
 wood very green. 
 
 We arrived at Katunga's on the 7th ; found 
 all well. 
 
 9///. — Mr. Frere and Alley, with the teachers, 
 went on to Blantyre, and about a hundred loads 
 of the steamer. We are getting short of cloth, 
 and our beads have not arrived. One of the 
 steamer's boys, going home on Saturday night, 
 was passing through a stream, when a crocodile 
 caught him and carried him off. The Lady 
 going on to Maruru, we sent letters to England 
 and Zanzibar. 
 
 Carriers came day after day, but we could 
 not agree as to price, so they went off. They 
 are very artful ; because we are strangers, and 
 
THE OVERLAND JOURNEY. 
 
 43 
 
 they see a lot of loads, they try very hard to 
 get all they can out of you, and refuse the 
 accustomed pay. The only way was to hold 
 out, and they gradually came back. Nearly a 
 hundred people came one day, and all refused 
 to carry. 
 
 On the 1 2th I got off fifty-six loads (sheet 
 iron and boxes). The trucks went off with a 
 load of the very heavy pieces. It was. very nice 
 now, seeing piece after piece go off. And people 
 were coming in much better, more willing to 
 carry, although it was very trying work starting 
 them. Each one would take up several pieces 
 before he was satisfied ; then he would be a long 
 time arguing about the price. Often they would 
 come back and refuse to carry it for the price 
 agreed. We had men with their wives and 
 families come down to carry, a man and his 
 wife carrying a sheet iron between them, and 
 each child a load according to its size. Each 
 twenty or thirty had a head man to look after 
 them, and he carried a gun, also a list of their 
 names, and marks of the load. Fifty-six pounds 
 for one fathom (two yards of cloth), was about 
 the rate of pay, and they had to carry that 
 from twenty-five to thirty miles, uphill good 
 part of the way. Katunga came in, and wanted 
 me to let his people carry it up ; he would soon 
 get it up for us, he said. But I knew too well 
 that to be tied to one chief in such a way would 
 not do, and he would lead us some fine games, 
 
44 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 and require a good many presents before it was 
 done. 
 
 Saturday, i^tk. — The trucks got back. Loaded 
 them up ready for starting early on Monday. 
 
 i^th. — Swahili service with the men. 
 
 i6th. — Mr. Robinson ajid I got off a few more 
 loads, and paid a few th,at had returned. The 
 trucks started early, and I went after them when 
 we had finished breakfa^st, foi; I wanted to see 
 how they went, and to see if they could do a 
 trip in a shorter time, so that I should know 
 how many days to give them for a trip up and 
 down. I caught them up on the first mountain, 
 which is very steep, so that they had to haul 
 foot by foot. And we got to " Maji-ya-Bangu," 
 a small mountain streaiyi in a gorge where a 
 great number of bamboos and reeds grow, and 
 lots of ferns. It is a very cool and pleasant 
 spot to rest at ; here we put up for the night. 
 I slept in the open, with just my waterproof 
 sheet and blankets. 
 
 Started early next day,, after Swahili prayers 
 with the men. It was very hard work, and 
 rained nearly all day ; but the men worked well, 
 singing as they went, sometimes up steep little 
 places where they had to haul along, sometimes 
 flat pieces, then uphill again, with quite a little 
 river on the road in some places. 
 
 The men whom I sent up to mend the road 
 before the loads arrived at Katunga's, had 
 repaired several bridges and cut down some 
 
THE OVERLAND JOURNEY. 
 
 45 
 
 grass, so that it was much improved. We got 
 to " Mbewe " for the night ; put up my tent, and 
 it rained all night. 
 
 Everything was wet through, and the men 
 could have no fire also ; it was so cool that they 
 had no sleep, having no shelter, and only their 
 mats to cover themselves with. We started 
 early, and glad to make a move on. Got to 
 Mandala at 4 p.m. Here the men rested, 
 unloaded, and got ready to start back. Mr. 
 Alley was much better. Mr. Frere was well, 
 and all the boys. 
 
 Mr. Moir was very kind ; went up and dined 
 with them, and spent the evening there. 
 
 Blantyre Mission offered again their oxen ; 
 but a white man would have to go with them, 
 the road being so steep that they would not 
 have been much better than our trucks and men. 
 
 We got back to Katunga's on the 20th, and 
 loaded up ready to start. The Lady was back, 
 and ready to go for our last load. I sent off 
 both trucks, eighteen men to each ; they took 
 a quarter of the boiler each, with two large 
 carpenter's tool-chests and two boxes of rivets. 
 I went in the Lady back to Mpassa's. We 
 found all well, and a load down on the bank 
 ready. We loaded up, got all on board. Mr. 
 Callaghan slept ashore, but all the rest on board. 
 It was a heavy cargo, and some of it very 
 awkward. We had very little room left for 
 sleeping, and as we had the ribs (angle-irons) 
 
46 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 on the deck, there was no room to move about 
 much by day ; still, we were glad to get away 
 from Mpassa's. We saw about two hundred 
 elephants in the marsh, a Jong distance off, and 
 made very good progress up the river. 
 
 We had a passenger going up to see if he 
 could get work at Mn Moir's ; an American, who 
 was noted for his ill-usage to natives, and got 
 us into a great trouble at Chakusi's village. 
 We had stopped for the night alongside of the 
 bank, as we usually did, to buy wood, and our 
 crew had gone up into the village to see some 
 of their friends. We had finished tea, and pre- 
 paring for bed, when one of the crew returning 
 from the village, not seeing our passenger, ran 
 against him, or something very slight, when 
 he jumped up and knocked him in the river. 
 Fortunately, the boy got out safely ; but it was 
 dangerous, for the crocodiles might have caught 
 him. He went straight up into the village, 
 called a party together, told them, and they 
 came down in a furious rage. The crew would 
 not come on board, and refused to go any 
 further. The villagers said they would kill him, 
 and we were in danger of having our cargo all 
 shot into the river, and no end of damage 
 done. 
 
 It took a lot of talking and persuasion to 
 quiet them down ; even then we did not get any 
 sleep. Mr. Harkis got his crew to promise to 
 come back and take us up to Katunga's. Glad 
 
THE OVERLAND JOURNEY. 4/ 
 
 we were to get off the next day without any 
 more damage. We arrived at midday. Mr. 
 Robinson was down with fever. The Mbweni 
 were back from Mandala ; one truck broken 
 down. I got letters from Zanzibar and England ; 
 Mr. Johnson is going to England in hopes of 
 saving his sight. Letter from the bishop, asking 
 me to take charge, and push on to Matope. 
 Mr. Robinson had got off several loads while 
 I was away. 
 
 March 28//^. — I got off one hundred loads. 
 All the sheet irons, angle-irons, deck-boards, and 
 parts of the boiler were up ; another good party 
 of carriers will finish the lot. Mr. Robinson 
 still very sick ; all the rest keep very well. 
 We are running short of cloth, and our beads 
 have not arrived. 
 
 — Lady Nyassa started for Maruru, taking 
 mails and Mr. and Mrs. Scott for England. Mr. 
 Callaghan went on to Mandala. Mr. Robinson 
 better. Mbweni men went off with light loads, 
 and got back on the Thursday afternoon. 
 
 Good Friday. — Down with fever. Had short 
 Swahili service with the men. On Easter 
 Monday I went across the river with some of 
 our men to see the graves of Mr. Scudamore 
 and Dr. Dickenson ; tried to take a photograph 
 of them and the chief Mhita, who is one of the 
 last that was with the first Mission party. He 
 was a strange old man, and offered me a drink 
 of "pombe" beer out of an old oil-tin. He 
 
48 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 told US several stories about the Mission and 
 Magomero. One thing seemed to strike him 
 most was that Mr. Waller bathed in the river, 
 and took us to the place where he did so. 
 
 April Jth. — Some thirty more loads went off, 
 and the trucks. ]\Ir. Callaghan down with fever. 
 Robinson gone up to ]Mandala. I had several 
 days of fever. I\Ir. Callaghan had been very ill 
 at Mandala. 
 
 14/*//. — ]\Ir. Read, the engineer, arrived with a 
 blacksmith from Zanzibar. Suzi also came up, 
 together with the two boys who went with Mr. 
 Johnson from Ouillimane to Mozambique. I 
 was nearly shot by accident with my own gun ; 
 the bullet entered the centre pole of the house. 
 
 20th. — Mr. Callaghan and Mr. Read went on 
 up to Mandala. I stopped to see the last of the 
 loads, got them off a few at a time, and the 
 trucks were sent off again with the last pieces. 
 
 2yd. — Down with fever. ^Ir. Read had been 
 down also, and all were much better on the hills. 
 
 I left Katunga's on the 27th for ]\Iandala ; 
 nearly walked it in one day. Messrs. Callaghan, 
 Read, and Robinson had left for Matope with 
 about ninety loads. Agreed to take the African 
 Lakes Company docks and houses at ]\Iatope. 
 
 28///. — Mr. Frere and some of the boys went 
 on to Matope. 
 
 29///.— I followed with IMr. Alley. Met Mr. 
 Frere bringing Mr. Callaghan back ill ; took him 
 into Blantyre. Got off a lot more loads to 
 
THE OVERLAND JOURNEY. 
 
 49 
 
 Matope, and left Mr. Creighton in charge, and 
 to send on the loads as people came for them. 
 
 The road to Matope is much easier than the 
 one to Katunga's. First we passed through 
 Blantyre Mission ; then round the hills, going 
 down gradually, across several streams, and very 
 pretty ; then we got down on to a plain, unin- 
 habited, covered with small trees and long grass. 
 There are lots of game on this plain — elephants, 
 buffaloes, and all kinds of antelopes. It was 
 a long walk, and I was weak from so much 
 fever that we were very glad to get in to Matope. 
 
 The road was very bad at places, and would 
 take a lot of clearing before our trucks could 
 make much way. All around {^Matope means 
 "mud") it is very flat and muddy; the houses 
 are close to the river, and the dock was but a 
 mud-hole. There was a lot of clearing to be 
 done, and the dock had to be cleaned out. The 
 water had to be ladled out with buckets, which 
 took several hands a long time. 
 
 We had one large house, a small one, and the 
 tent, with a forge and work-shed near the dock. 
 We felt very different here, for this was to be 
 our home for some time, and here we hoped 
 soon to have the steamer put together. 
 
 May \Zth. — Read laid the keel — first step 
 towards the building — and we went out into the 
 forest and cut some trees for the dock. 
 
 \<^th. — A few of the ribs were fixed in their 
 places. 
 
 E 
 
50 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 20th. — A part of the keel was riveted. The 
 s.s. Ilala started for the lake, and several loads 
 arrived from Mandala. Mr. Alley put up a 
 bench and a shed for himself. 
 
 2-2nd. — I took several men and went up to 
 meet the trucks, for they were to bring down 
 some of the bulkheads, which were wanted ; 
 we went as far as the Mlambi. The men had 
 been having rough work to get them down, and 
 we cut away as we went. About fifty men got 
 back by moonlight, bringing four bulkheads, 
 one box of rivets, and some coal. The building 
 of the steamer has begun now, and quite a 
 pleasure it is to see each day how it grows 
 into its proper shape. 
 
 THE SHIRE, AND " CHARLES JANSON " AT MATOPE. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE BUILDING OF THE STEAMER. 
 
 Progress of the steamer — The Angoni — Gun accident — Arrival 
 of Mr. Swinny and the bishop — Hippopotamus shot — Dis- 
 astrous fire — The party almost destitute — Kindness of 
 African Lakes Company — Dedication of the steamer — De- 
 parture of the bishop — Buffalo-hunting — Hippopotami and 
 their ways. 
 
 E have now traced the passage of the 
 Charles Jansoji as far as Matope, on 
 the Upper Shire, above the Mur- 
 chison Falls, where the river deepens 
 again sufficiently to admit of navigation. 
 
 The party had now (May, 1885) reached the 
 point at which the steamer would have to be 
 constructed, and the first thing necessary was 
 to make a dock in which to put her together. 
 Here again the African Lakes Company was 
 of considerable assistance, and its dock and 
 sheds (used in the construction of the Ilald) 
 were rented by the Mission. 
 
52 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 But perhaps, in order to understand clearly 
 what took place afterwards, it may be well to 
 pause for a moment in the narrative, and review 
 the position that they now found themselves in. 
 They had come some six thousand miles by 
 sea ; then some four hundred miles by toilsome 
 journeys in canoe or steamer. Vexatious delays 
 and severe labour had told heavily upon them, 
 and all the party had had already several attacks 
 of fever. But they had now left the swampy 
 districts behind them, and it was a great matter 
 for thankfulness that the steamer had been 
 brought through them without loss of life. 
 
 But a very serious difficulty now presented 
 itself. When the party assembled at Matope, 
 they found themselves, as we have seen, without 
 a leader. The bishop could not possibly reach 
 them for two months, and only one of the party 
 (William Bellingham) had had any previous ex- 
 perience of African travelling. 
 
 A not untrue reproach has been cast upon 
 missionary literature, on the ground that, until 
 late years at least, it failed to give a true idea of 
 missionary work. Reports were condemned as 
 being mere collections of statistics, and therefore 
 uninteresting ; magazines as containing nothing 
 but collections of anecdotes, often suspiciously 
 coloured, and incidents intended only to stir the 
 sympathies and touch the pockets of the readers. 
 Of course, a matter upon which every one fancies 
 himself able to give an opinion, is often judged 
 
THE BUILDING OF THE STEAMER. 53 
 
 unjustly from outside, and the editors of mis- 
 sionary magazines insensibly do fall into a style 
 of writing, as though they were concerned only 
 with those who are already interested, and for 
 only a transient purpose. Some, no doubt, 
 would feel very guilty if they realized that their 
 productions may be quoted hereafter as illus- 
 trating the real state of Christian missions in the 
 nineteenth century. 
 
 But of late years, not only has interest in 
 missions immensely increased, it has also become 
 more intelligent. It is no longer occupied 
 supremely with the conversion of individuals. 
 It has a more general range, which includes the 
 narrower without obscuring its importance. The 
 founding of native churches, the organizing and 
 training of native ministers, the attacking of 
 large centres of influence and population, — these 
 are the subjects which chiefly stir an educated 
 audience on the question of foreign missions. 
 But this is, in fact, an approximation to 
 Apostolic methods of working, and a result of 
 the increased sense of the corporate life of the 
 Church, which is one of the brighter aspects of 
 modern Christianity. 
 
 Surely, then, the model for all missionary 
 narratives must be the inspired records of the 
 Bible. Though we recognize, as an effect of in- 
 spiration, the skill with which turning-points of 
 character and history are there seized upon, and 
 the way in which details are used to illustrate 
 
54 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 such points, we may still imitate it as far as we 
 are able. For the Acts of the Holy Apostles is 
 the inspired account of the laying of those foun- 
 dations, of which all missionary work is the 
 continuous development. Looked at in this 
 way, the most unpretending article in a mis- 
 sionary magazine becomes the record of some 
 act of Divine Providence in extending some 
 department of the great scheme of Redemption ; 
 and the writer takes upon himself the responsi- 
 bility of transmitting to posterity the human 
 aspect of some course of action in the founding 
 of that city whose Maker and Builder is God. 
 
 There must be, then, no hiding of faults, or 
 mistakes, or errors of judgment, for he writes as 
 much for the warning as for the encouragement 
 of those that come after ; and, above all, no 
 consideration of what may attract or repel the 
 interest of the reader, but only great care that 
 he may not misrepresent those whose actions he 
 is concerned with. 
 
 It is, therefore, necessary to acknowledge that 
 the trying state of affairs on the River Shire 
 resulted in considerable dissensions among the 
 little party. It has been said that the curse of 
 African travelling, exploring, and campaigning 
 is the tendency to quarrels. " This," says the 
 same authority,* " is the direct effect of the in- 
 fluence of miasma, and any great outbreak of it 
 
 * " Remarks on African Fever," by the Rev. H. Waller, 
 F.R.G.S., F.S.A. 
 
THE BUILDING OF THE STEAMER. 55 
 
 IS a sure indication that fever-poison is pretty 
 actively engaged. A man who is open to con- 
 viction, who will bear being told that he is really 
 unreasonable and cantankerous, will mix two 
 pills for himself at once, and most likely escape 
 an attack of fever." 
 
 Remembering this, while we record the fact, 
 we must exercise the utmost charity, and fear 
 to blame the noble and earnest men who, amid 
 their difficulties and failings, carried through the 
 work. We would rather see in it an evidence 
 of the grace of God, that those unavoidable dis- 
 sensions were so restrained by the sense of the 
 importance of their common work, that they 
 never led to any open rupture, and that the 
 bolts of the Charles Janson were riveted as 
 firmly and as conscientiously as though she had 
 been built at home, and under the most favour- 
 able circumstances. If this should meet the 
 eyes of those who were engaged in this enter- 
 prise, and who found their vent in grumbling 
 letters to the authorities of the Mission, they 
 will feel now how insignificant were the points 
 of difference compared to the great aims which, 
 in spite of all, kept them really united all through 
 this trying time. 
 
 The behaviour of the Christian natives from 
 the school and Released Slave Settlement at 
 Mbweni, was most satisfactory. Again and 
 again the letters mention them ; they proved of 
 the greatest assistance throughout, and were, as 
 
56 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 one of the writers puts it, "wonderfully good." 
 After three months of steady work, the Charles 
 Janson was complete, except the boiler. This 
 had already, from the great weight of its por- 
 tions, caused trouble and anxiety, and it was 
 destined to become the cause of a further 
 catastrophe. 
 
 But we rhay now leave William Bellingham 
 to tell the story of the building of the steamer 
 in his own words. 
 
 May 2^tk, 1885. — I went up again to Blantyre. 
 Mr. Callaghan much better. Had letters ; one 
 from the bishop, saying that he and Mr. 
 Swinny were coming up soon ; also Mrs. Swinny 
 and the child. When I got back to Matope, 
 they had had a fire — the blacksmith's forge 
 burnt down, and several things destroyed be- 
 longing to the African Lakes Company, and to 
 our porters. 2gtk. — All the ribs and plates 
 bolted on in their place. And most of the loads 
 down here ; not anything lost as yet. We all 
 had our turns at fever. We often went out to 
 shoot game. Mr. Frere often got enough to 
 keep us supplied with fresh meat. We built 
 a small church and storehouse. The Kiungani 
 boys, who came up as teachers and helpers, are 
 riveting, with some natives as " holders up." 
 
 June 6th. — All the plates in their places, and 
 some riveted. Mr. Read was not very well, 
 and went up to Blantyre for a change. Got a 
 house ready for the bishop and party. S.s. 
 
THE BUILDING OF THE STEAMER. 5/ 
 
 Ilala took some of our letters up to the lake in 
 mistake, which we ought to have had three 
 weeks ago. Very cold fogs every morning, and 
 very hot all day. Lots of food coming in, and 
 rumours of the Angoni coming. There had 
 been lots of talk about their coming, and a little 
 preparation had been made in case they should 
 come. 
 
 These Angoni are a tribe of the Zulu, who 
 have got up to the west coast of the Lake Nyassa. 
 They carry shields, spears, and a club stick. 
 
 They are great enemies of the Wayao and 
 those about Mandala and Zomba, driving them 
 all up into the mountains, where a great many 
 of them live, for fear of their enemies, amongst 
 the rocks, and have their gardens down in the 
 plains. 
 
 Went out shooting, and came across a herd 
 of buffalo — from sixty to a hundred. A grand 
 sight, but could not get one. 
 
 \gth. — Riveting, and the coal-bunkers put in 
 their place, and started putting on the deck- 
 boards. She begins to look very much like a 
 steamer now. 
 
 One of our men got a nice young buffalo, so 
 we had lots of good fresh meat, and Mr. Frere 
 (24th) brought in a good-sized water-buck. The 
 mast arrived, with fifteen men carrying it. We 
 kept having our turns of fever, but the work 
 still went on. Mails arrived, and the bishop 
 will not be here for another month. Three 
 
58 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 elephants were shot close by. Mr. Creighton 
 unwell at Mandala — slight touch of sunstroke. 
 
 July '^rd. — Putting on the deck ; boys still 
 riveting the sides. 
 
 'jth. — Riveting nearly finished. 
 
 (^th. — Mr. Read started putting the boiler 
 together. Tried to take some photographs, but 
 found all my plates spoilt by damp. 
 
 We had a little trouble with the village people. 
 By an accident, a shot from a gun hit a woman 
 and bruised her eye. The chief at once de- 
 manded the gun, powder, and shot, or he would 
 come with his people and fight us. He sent 
 word that we had better stop work and get this 
 settled. So I went up with a man to see the 
 chief, who was sitting amongst a crowd of his 
 men ; all their guns placed out, and making a 
 great show. We saw the woman, and her eye 
 was not damaged, and would soon get better. 
 I refused to comply with his wishes, and said 
 that it would have to be settled by the consul 
 and Ramakukan. They then had a private talk 
 about it, and said we must pay. I then offered 
 to pay a woman to attend on her while she was 
 getting better, also give her husband something ; 
 and, if he agreed to this, I would come back to 
 him when they had decided. 
 
 They sent for me in about half an hour, and 
 stated what they wanted ; but I refused to give 
 so much, and gave what I thought right. After 
 a long talk, and great excitement, they gave in, 
 
THE BUILDING OF THE STEAMER. 59 
 
 and I got the cloth and beads, and they were 
 satisfied. 
 
 The woman soon got better. It was a pure 
 accident, and they knew it, but wished to get 
 all they could, and try to frighten us. 
 
 iith. — A good part of the deck bolted down, 
 and all the boiler bolted together. The Angoni 
 are said to be just across the river. It is difficult 
 to get carriers, for fear of them, and some of 
 our loads were left on the road ; the carriers 
 had run away. Went up to Blantyre. Food 
 scarce for our men, and they have to go a long 
 distance for it. Mr. Callaghan had been very 
 bad, but much better ; so he went to Matope 
 with the porters, because they were afraid to go 
 by themselves. 
 
 I stayed at Mandala a week, clearing up the 
 few things that remained, and sent them off. 
 
 The Angoni are said to have returned, be- 
 cause of us and Mr. Moir. Mr. Goodrich went 
 after them, and only saw a few of them. Got 
 back to Matope on the 25th. Every one more 
 or less sulky and cross, and things rather in a 
 muddle. The trucks had broken down on the 
 road ; had to send more men to help them, and 
 two of the teachers to take service with them. 
 The engines are fixed in their places. Down 
 with fever, and fearful headache. 
 
 July ilth. — The masts were put in their places. 
 News that the bishop, with Mr. and Mrs. 
 Swinny, is coming up the river. 
 
6o DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 August ^th. — Mr. Svvinny arrived in his boat 
 at Katunga's. Sent off men to carry up the 
 boat. Painting the steamer. Bishop and party 
 arrived at Blantyre. Mr. Frere and boys went 
 up to meet them. Mr. Swinny and Mr. Cal- 
 laghan got down to Matope on the 8th. 
 
 gth. — Mr. Swinny celebrated Holy Com- 
 munion, the first we have had since we left 
 Quillimane. 
 
 \oth. — The first rivets put into the boiler. 
 The bishop stopping to rest at Blantyre. Came 
 down on the nth. Very glad I was to get rid 
 of the responsibility and the trouble that had 
 been all through. He gave a nice address to 
 us in the church after service. 
 
 \2th. — The last of the steamer done. I then 
 began to have a lot of fever. 
 
 15///. — Nearly all hands out shooting. Read 
 got a zebra, and Mr. Frere got a water-buck, so 
 we had lots of fresh meat. The zebra flesh was 
 very nice ; the bishop liked it very much. 
 
 T7//2. — Bishop, Mr. Swinny, and Mr. Cal- 
 laghan went in the s.s. Ilala to the lake. In 
 bed all day with fever. 
 
 20th. — A man shot a hippopotamus up the 
 river. It was on the bank, sleeping, when the 
 man found it. He shot it through the heart, 
 for it never got off its knees. It had been fight- 
 ing with the others, for it had great pieces cut 
 clean out of its thick hide. I went to see it 
 cut up. 
 
THE BUILDING OF THE STEAMER. 6l 
 
 2ist. — Went up to Blantyre again to settle 
 with the African Lakes Company, and to get 
 the accounts right for the bishop. Mr. Moir 
 very busy with a lot of chiefs, getting them to 
 sign papers for the British protectorate. Mr. 
 Swinny's boat arrived overland — fifty-three 
 men. Paid off a great many of our carriers, 
 and sent down a lot of Mrs. Swinny's things^ 
 and got back to Matope. 
 
 2St/L — Fire at Matope. Messrs. Read and 
 Robinson were finishing off the riveting of the 
 boiler, Robinson and a boy inside holding up. 
 They were working under a small rough shed of 
 poles and grass, as a protection from the sun, when 
 it appears that a piece of the red-hot rivet flew 
 up into the grass roof and lodged there ; a good 
 breeze was blowing, which soon set it in a 
 blaze. No one outside noticed it ; but Robin- 
 son, looking out to get a little fresh air, saw the 
 fire, and called out to Read to put it out, when 
 all at once it caught the whole roof. I was sitting 
 in our large house, making up the accounts, 
 when I heard Read call out, " Fire ! fire ! " I 
 rushed out with my hat, and left everything. 
 
 I saw at once that it would be a big fire, and 
 called all hands. Robinson and the boy could 
 not get out of the boiler, for the man-hole was up 
 on the top. They were calling out, and the boy 
 nearly went out of his mind. Robinson had to 
 hold him down, and we could do nothing but 
 throw water over the boiler to keep it cool. The 
 
62 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 wind was so high, that the fire soon spread from 
 house to house, and in a shorter time than it 
 takes to write the account, all was in flames. 
 The large house contained all our stores, pro- 
 visions and cloth, my bed and all my things, 
 Alley's bed and things, a lot of things belong- 
 ing to the bishop, and, above all, the late 
 Bishop Steere's pastoral staff, several guns, some 
 gunpowder and cartridges, that kept going off, 
 and making it dangerous work to go near. 
 Alongside of this house Alley had his carpenter's 
 shop and all his tools, and a heap of boards off 
 the packing-cases, which made the boiler so hot 
 that, after Robinson was out, you could hardly 
 bear your hand on it ; also a lot of the ironwork 
 of the boiler, the timber, and anchor-chains got 
 hot 
 
 The boat, which was in the shade near the 
 house, was nearly all burnt, and a tent, and all 
 Mr. Callaghan's things. Then it went about a 
 dozen yards to the church roof, set that alight, 
 and a small store, with cabin, furniture, sails, 
 ropes, etc. In a few minutes all was burnt to 
 the ground, and the bishop, Mr. Swinny, and 
 Mr. Callaghan got back from the lake just as we 
 had given up throwing water over it. Mr. Cal- 
 laghan had lost a lot of his things, Mr. Alley the 
 same, and I had nothing but the shirt and 
 trousers I had on. 
 
 I did not know what to do at first. I seemed 
 to have lost my wits, for I jumped once into the 
 
THE BUILDING OF THE STEAMER. 63 
 
 river, with a small hand-bowl ; climbing on the 
 roof, I fell and hurt my leg. The bishop was 
 very good, and said how sorry he was ; yet he 
 sooner would see that than hear of one of the 
 boys having committed a great sin. 
 
 Here we were thirty miles from any stores, 
 and a large party — everything burnt ; three 
 of us burnt out of house and bedding. IMr. 
 Morrison, of the s.s. Ilala, was very kind. He 
 took us into their place for meals. Mr. Swinny 
 went up at once to Mandala for stores. We 
 got out a few things from the fire. Mr. Cal- 
 laghan and I went and slept on board the Charles 
 Jansoii, her cabins being quite ready. A boy, 
 w^ishing to save some of my things, had run into 
 the house, took up my blanket off the bed, and 
 the two books which were on it (Bible and 
 diary), run out, throwing them, as he thought, 
 in a safe place several yards from the fire, when 
 a spark must have set the blanket alight and 
 partly burnt them all. Great praise is due to 
 all who helped to put out the fire, both whites 
 and blacks. 
 
 It was a strange feeling to be suddenly 
 relieved of the care of a great quantity of pro- 
 perty and possessions. In Africa every ad- 
 ditional thing you have is an additional anxiety 
 and a trouble ; now I had nothing of my own, 
 and not much of the Mission's, to be anxious 
 about. The fear of thieves and the fear of fire 
 had often been the cause of many a sleepless 
 
64 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 night Now I dreamt of fire ; everything was 
 black with fire and smelt of fire, and one got so 
 sick of fire, that I shall never forget it. It was 
 a strange sight the next day ; and one would 
 hardly believe what you can do without, and 
 put up with, when obliged. We picked out a 
 few things from the fire, and got them together. 
 Our cups, plates, and basins, were of iron, so 
 they did not get much damaged. 
 
 The "granite enamelled ware " stood fire very 
 well, and we had lots of the things in very good 
 condition after the fire. 
 
 We rigged up a kind of shelter with what 
 there was left of two tents, and with casks and 
 a spare sheet of the Charles Janson we made a 
 table. It was hot work, having our midday 
 meal there, and all our cooking had to be done 
 outdoors on stones, in native fashion. 
 
 The bishop was very good, and took things 
 in such a matter-of-fact way, not making the 
 least trouble, and as if he had been used to 
 this sort of thing for years. 
 
 We then had a meeting, and Mr. Morrison of 
 the s.s. Ilala was asked to come. Then it was 
 decided that we should get the steamer out of 
 the dock into the river, so that the bishop could 
 dedicate her to her work, and then go on his 
 journey to Newala and Masasi. And the water 
 in the river was getting lower every day, so that 
 it was necessary that she should be afloat as 
 soon as possible. 
 
THE BUILDING OF THE STEAMER. 65 
 
 31J/. — We set to work at once and cleaned 
 out the dock — all our men, with every pick and 
 shovel, pail and hoe, we could get together. 
 
 September 2nd. — All was ready for letting 
 in the water, and the basin next the dock was 
 cleaned and deepened. Mr. Moir kindly sent 
 me down some second-hand clothes, Mr. Frere 
 gave me one of his hats, and a pair of shoes 
 they happened to have at the stores just fitted 
 me ; so I was well off again for clothes for a short 
 time. Mr. Alley was down with fever, but all 
 the rest well. Mr. Callaghan was often down, 
 and looked much weaker, but well enough to 
 help us get the steamer out into the river. We 
 had hard work to get her off the blocks, and all 
 the men and boys were hard at work from morn- 
 ing till night throwing in water ; we did not get 
 enough in one day. Mr. Swinny got back from 
 Mandala with loads. The bishop talks of send- 
 ing Mr. Frere and me up to the lake with the 
 boys at once, to start the mission on Likoma. 
 The steamer went out very well, and all were 
 surprised to see what a little water she drew. 
 Mr. Callaghan down again very bad with fever. 
 Mr. Swinny's boat arrived. 
 
 6th. — Dedication of the Charles Janson. At 
 6 a.m. we had Swahili Holy Communion ; then 
 breakfast ; English service ; then the dedication 
 service, partly Swahili and partly English, for 
 the sake of the mixed congregation. The steamer 
 was covered over with awnings, and in the stern 
 
 F 
 
66 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 part was placed the altar and harmonium. The 
 bishop and all the boys and men met at the 
 houses, and came in procession to the steamer, 
 saying the Litany in English. 
 
 It was a strange but grand sight to see the 
 bishop robed and all the natives in their clean 
 white clothes winding their way through the 
 black and dirty remains of the fire. The order 
 was, the bishop, Mr. Swinny, Mr. Frere, the 
 teachers, and Mbweni men. The sermon was 
 in English, translated by Francis Mabruki into 
 Swahili. We had several hymns, and I played 
 the little baby organ. Altogether it was a very 
 nice and impressive service. 
 
 A Mr. Foster was also with us, who is going 
 overland with the bishop. He had been out 
 elephant-hunting. 
 
 'jth. — Suzi (Livingstone's old servant) and I 
 started at once to pack up the provisions for the 
 bishop's journey, and Mr. Foster having a great 
 quantity of his own, it was very fortunate, be- 
 cause we were very short, and had to depend 
 on the African Lakes Company stores. Started 
 building a new house on the site of the old one, 
 and looking over burnt things, Messrs. Read and 
 Robinson finishing off the boiler. Mr. Swinny 
 and I are to go up in the boat to Likoma with 
 the boys. I am to build and start the mission, 
 and Mr. Swinny will return to bring up the 
 whole party in the steamer when she is finished. 
 
 \oth. — The bishop and Mr. Foster, with all 
 
THE BUILDING OF THE STEAMER. 6/ 
 
 Mbweni men as porters, started on their way 
 across country to Newala and to Lindi. They 
 started early, and went off in good style, Susi 
 for head man. 
 
 wtJi. — -Mr. and Mrs. Swinny arrived from 
 Blantyre, and their baby. Mr. Callaghan and 
 Mr. Frere both sick, and Mr. Alley not over-well. 
 
 Mrs. Swinny now took the housekeeping, 
 which had been a great burden to me ; Francis 
 Mabruki took the outside work, so I was get- 
 ting gradually free from my many duties, Read 
 and Robinson finishing off the boiler. 
 
 \'}^th. — I was down with fever — reaction from 
 the quantity of work to mere nothing. Mr. 
 Swinny and I got ready for our trip up to the 
 lake. We hoped to start in a few days. 
 
 While at Matope building the steamer, we 
 had good supplies of fresh meat. Mr. Frere 
 often got guineafowl, and once or twice he came 
 in with the tail of a water-buck, when we at once 
 sent off men to bring in the meat. Our men 
 also often went out on Saturday afternoons to 
 hunt, and got us a buffalo. Twice they brought 
 in young calves, which they had captured by 
 running them down. I went out once to try 
 my hand at that. I took with me a village man 
 to act as guide, and a man who is a very good 
 shot, and one who would not leave you if you 
 got in any difficulty. He was our Zanzibar 
 carpenter, " Sizamani," and I always felt safe 
 with him, for he was very brave and daring, and 
 
68 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 would not run at the first sight of an animal. 
 He was once knocked down by a buffalo, but 
 did not seem to feel any fear. 
 
 We went down south of Matope, and were 
 soon on to a large herd of from sixty to one 
 hundred of all sizes ; but they were out in an 
 open plain, with only short bushes and anthills to 
 serve as covers ; so we had to work round them, 
 and then crawl on hands and knees up towards 
 them. It was dangerous work, only three of us 
 with such a number in the open ; but we hoped 
 to be able to frighten them, then chase them 
 and catch one of their calves. Our village guide 
 first troubled me, for he would stop and put the 
 medicine on his gun. All natives, when going 
 out shooting, have some charms, which they call 
 medicine, to put on their guns ; for they say 
 they cannot kill without it, and they say that 
 our medicine is stronger than theirs, that is the 
 reason why we kill so many more animals. The 
 next thing was, I came suddenly to two snakes, 
 but glad to say they were more frightened than 
 I, and slid off into the grass. It is not very 
 nice to come to snakes when you are on your 
 hands and knees, with a herd of buffalo in front 
 of you. I kept my Sizamani friend near me, 
 and the other man crawled down in another 
 direction, to cut the herd off and keep them in 
 the open. I then quietly peeped up and took 
 my aim at an old bull who stood facing me, 
 and hit him on the horn. We then all jumped 
 
THE BUILDING OF THE STEAMER. 69 
 
 up and shouted, and ran as fast as we could 
 after them, they keeping about twenty yards 
 ahead, and the old bulls keeping between us 
 and the cows and calves, so that we could not 
 get at them. I wounded one or two, but not 
 enough to stop them ; then I so soon got winded 
 that we were obliged to give up the chase. 
 
 Mr. Creighton gave us a treat one day, and 
 shot a fine old wild pig, and Mr. Read a zebra. 
 We quite enjoyed the zebra meat ; it was very 
 good. A good shot need never go short very 
 long of meat near Matope, for the country is 
 full of game. 
 
 We also had little adventures with the old 
 hippopotami. They took just as much delight 
 in chasing us in the boat or canoe as we took 
 in trying to get a bullet into their hard heads. 
 Eight were picked up dead down the river by 
 the natives, that we must have hit and so badly 
 wounded as to have caused them to die down 
 on the falls. One old hippo was hit on the head 
 with an elephant-bullet ; it hit him, and the 
 bullet glided off and went about thirty yards, 
 and finally lodged itself in a native hut. They 
 took a great dislike to the berthon * boat we 
 had, which was very useful and handy. They 
 must have thought it was one of their dead 
 companions turned into use, for the colour and 
 shape was something like it. Having so much 
 dead meat and bones about, we had numbers of 
 
 * A painted canvas folding-up boat. 
 
70 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 nightly visitors. Hyenas came and gave us 
 some music, and a leopard once took a chase 
 after Mr. Callaghan's dog, which escaped by 
 running into Mr. Read's house and under his 
 bed. 
 
 A MAGVVANGWARA WARRIOR. (See p. I20.) 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 TO LAKE NYASSA BY BOAT. 
 
 Start from Matope — A restless night — Elephants — Lake Pama- 
 lombe — Mponda's — Lake Nyassa at last — Livingstonia — 
 They visit Makanjila's town — Coasting up the lake — Losewa 
 — Nyassa villages — The gi-ave of Charles Janson — Likoma 
 — Difficulty in buying land — First attempts at missionary 
 work — Departure of Mr. Swinny. 
 
 EPTEMBER i;///, 1885.— Open-boat 
 journey up to the lake. We had 
 everything ready by 9 a.m. I had 
 not much personal luggage, but had 
 several loads of provisions and cloth, salt and 
 beads, for money to buy food and to build the 
 houses with at Likoma. Four teachers were 
 to go with me, a cook, and another man to help 
 in the building. Mr. Swinny had two boxes 
 and a crew of four, so we had a boatful — twelve 
 of us altogether. The boat is about thirty-two 
 feet by six feet, and a splendid sailing-boat, 
 rather heavy to pull. We had some native 
 
72 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 paddles as well as the oars, for we had a stiff 
 current to work against, and hippopotami to 
 contend with. 
 
 The first day we got on very well, the river 
 winding a very great deal. The sun was ex- 
 tremely hot, and we were fearfully cramped. 
 
 CAMPING OUT ON THE RIVER SHIRE. 
 
 We slept the night just below Pimbi, about 
 eight miles from Matope, on a high bank. We 
 had a good night, sleeping in the open. The 
 next day we had a little wind to help us, and 
 the river came out into wide, long reaches, with 
 villages and cultivated land on each side ; the 
 mountains were much nearer, and Zomba looked 
 
TO LAKE NYASSA BY BOAT. 73 
 
 grand. The hippopotami were troublesome, 
 and when we stopped for the night, they would 
 not go away from us, but kept up a fearful 
 noise, and jumping about as if they would so 
 like to turn us over into the water and give us 
 a bath. Mr. Swinny and I went out after some 
 guineafowl, but only got one. We had just 
 got comfortably settled down at our tea, when 
 three lions set up a roar just about a stone's 
 throw from us. Our boys and men made up 
 the fires, and got a dead tree pulled across ; set 
 it alight in three places to keep up all night. 
 Mr. Swinny and I slept in the boat ; but, in fact, 
 we did not get much sleep, for the old hippos 
 in the water and the lions on the land kept us 
 well awake nearly all night. But we got off 
 early the next day, leaving the lions still roar- 
 ing in the same place, not liking to go, and not 
 liking to come nearer to us. We were fortunate 
 and had a good wind, which helped us on well, 
 although it was very trying, so cramped and so 
 hot, and we were both seedy in the evening. 
 The villagers had lots to sell, and the land 
 seemed to be well cultivated. Tobacco, Indian 
 corn, Kafir corn, rice, potatoes and pumpkins, 
 bananas and beans, were to be had cheap ; also 
 chickens and eggs. 
 
 On Sunday we were able to have service and 
 Holy Communion in Swahili in Mr. Swinny's 
 tent ; and we had to dry some of our handker- 
 chiefs and cloth, which we had for money, which 
 
74 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 had got a little wet in the bottom of the boat. 
 We went a short trip in the afternoon, and got 
 as far as the entrance of the Pamalombe lake. 
 
 While we were asleep, two elephants coolly 
 came down just near us and crossed through 
 the river ; some of our men saw them ; we saw 
 their marks in the morning. 
 
 We started early, and, with a slight breeze, 
 we got out into the Pomalombe lake, which is 
 muddy, and from a fathom and a half to two 
 fathoms deep ; a number of little floating islands 
 about on it ; fish-eagles, cormorants, and pelicans 
 were busy fishing. It was a wonderful sight, 
 just below, to see the cormorants' nests and 
 young. The trees in one place were simply 
 covered, and hundreds of them were to be seen 
 flying about, often in long curved lines, all in 
 such order as if they were drilled to fly like it. 
 
 The lake is about eleven miles by eight or ten, 
 with beautiful hilly country on the west side, 
 with a marsh and high mountains on the east 
 side, where is said to live a woman chief by the 
 name of Kabutu (a girl). They pay tribute to 
 the Magwangwara. The mouth of the river 
 was difficult to find for reeds and grass, and it 
 is on the north-east side, several miles from the 
 extreme north of the lake. We got out, and 
 were glad to have a rest, and had our meal on 
 the bank of the upper river. We pushed on, 
 and passed Mponda's village ; Mr. Swinny 
 promised to call on them on his way down. 
 
TO LAKE NYASSA BY BOAT. 
 
 75 
 
 We arrived at the mouth of the lake about 6 p.m. 
 There we met an Arab, who was very kind and 
 gave us wood for our fire, as it is very scarce 
 just here ; also a goat and lots of fish that his 
 men had just brought to land by a large drag- 
 net, some like a grey mullet, which were very 
 good, and some others very nice, but so full of 
 small bones. 
 
 This was our first night on the shores of the 
 great lake, and it made one's heart beat faster 
 to think of it. We were now to put off on to it 
 with an open boat, and leave the banks of the 
 river ; so we cooked plenty of food, for we did 
 not know what might happen, and started with 
 a good south breeze about 8 a.m. on the 22nd 
 of September, 1885. 
 
 Mr. Swinny was not over-well ; the sun was 
 very hot, and our faces and hands were as brown 
 as a crusty loaf The wind then dropped, and 
 we had a long pull up to a small island, unin- 
 habited, about two miles from the shores. Here 
 we thought it best to have a feed and a rest 
 under the trees. Livingstonia Mountains were 
 in sight (Cape Maclear), and we hoped to arrive 
 there by sundown. 
 
 We had our food on the rocks of this rocky 
 island, which is only a few yards across each 
 way, but had some fine trees on it, under one 
 of which Mr. Swinny had a good sleep, and felt 
 much better after it. The wind got up again 
 a little, and we were able to make good way, 
 
76 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 passing some beautiful little bays and grand 
 scenery, rocky hills and mountains of various 
 sizes and shapes, very rocky, and some enormous- 
 sized rocks, like churches or very old castles, 
 with trees and shrubs growing up to the very top. 
 
 We did not get into Livingstonia till half-past 
 eight ; all tired, and I had my turn of fever. 
 It is a beautiful place to look at, and so sad to 
 see such nice large houses all going into ruins, 
 because the Scotch people find it too unhealthy 
 to stop there. The scenery is grand, mountains 
 running right out of the lake up to three and 
 four hundred feet, with rocks and trees ; islands 
 out in the bay, and the beautiful blue lake. It 
 is a grand sight. We slept in one of the old 
 houses, and one of Livingstone's old men, who 
 is in charge here, came and gave us what we 
 wanted in the way of food. There are a great 
 number of people living here, and a native 
 teacher still keeps the school going. Mr. 
 Morrison, of the s.s. Ilala, is often there on 
 Sundays and preaches ; when he is not there, 
 the teacher takes the service. 
 
 We started the next day about half-past 
 eight for Makanjila's, on the eastern side, and we 
 then shall work our way up on that side to 
 Likoma. Just as we got out of the bay and 
 round the island, on came a stiff breeze from 
 the south, and we went at a fearful rate, but 
 rather too much to be pleasant and safe, for we 
 were so heavy the boat could not rise to the 
 
TO LAKE NYASSA BY BOAT. // 
 
 waves. We had our weather boards on, but 
 shipped sea after sea, and our crew were all 
 
 sea-sick except the two who had been in Eng- 
 land and in the North Sea fishing (H. Hamisi 
 and H. Tumani) ; they enjoyed it. I was afraid 
 
78 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 of losing all my salt and my stock of provisions, 
 and the cloth was also getting wet ; so we had 
 to take in two reefs of our sail. But we did fly, 
 and were across at Makanjila's by i p.m. Here 
 we stopped about one hour. Mr. Swinny went 
 up to see Makanjila ; I stopped to look after 
 the boat, but they managed to take off our 
 anchor. Hamisi was sharp enough to get it 
 back. They are thieves, and a rough lot, slave- 
 dealers and slave-owners.* Then we sailed on 
 up the coast ; stopped about 6 p.m. in a nice 
 little bay. The people came down, and they 
 knew Swahili and Newala, and some of our 
 mission party at Masasi. I had a strong attack 
 of fever and diarrhoea. 
 
 * Since writing this, the acting British Consul on Lake Nyassa, 
 Mr. Buchanan, visited Makanjila's in April, 1888, to endeavour 
 to exercise a peaceful influence with regard to the recent attacks 
 on the African Lakes Company by the slave- dealers at the 
 beginning of the year. Strange to say, the British Government 
 do not see the necessity of supporting their representative with 
 any outward sign of his authority, and he is obliged to visit these 
 tribes without escort or anything which would convey to their 
 mind an idea of his position or the interests he represents. It 
 is only by the courtesy of the missionaries and the African Lakes 
 Company that he can go about the lake at all, as the Foreign 
 Office, although appealed to again and again, refuse to provide 
 him with even a steam-launch. On the above occasion, one of 
 his boatmen was murdered ; he was stripped, insulted, exposed 
 naked to the people as the representative of the British Govern- 
 ment, and finally ransomed by the Universities Mission. These 
 people are beginning to understand the moral influence of the 
 missionaries ; but, naturally, they cannot acknowledge the in- 
 fluence of a British official who has no visible force to back 
 up his representations. 
 
TO LAKE NVASSA BY BOAT. 79 
 
 The next day, September 24th, we started 
 at about 8 a.m. with a good breeze, passed some 
 very pretty and mountainous country ; we could 
 just see the mountains of the west side. We 
 stopped at midday for a clean and dry up ; had 
 everything out of the boat. No people about ; 
 only a few gardens here and there. The rocky 
 spurs of the mountains came right down to the 
 water's edge, and were thickly wooded ; not 
 many places where the steamer could find 
 an anchorage. We were a long time finding 
 a good place to stop at for the night, and got 
 at last into a small river about 8 p.m. by moon- 
 light, just under the south end of the Mapanji 
 Mountains, where Mkalawili's villages are. 
 
 Here we killed the goat Makanjila gave us, 
 and had fried liver by moonlight. One of our 
 men, getting wood, got a very bad splinter into 
 his leg. There was a deserted village near, and 
 lots of ground that had been under cultivation. 
 
 The next day we passed Losewa with a good 
 south wind blowing. We noted particularly the 
 rock, bays, and sand spits for after use, when we 
 get the steamer up. 
 
 We nearly capsized just off Mkalawili's vil- 
 lage, for the breakers were heavy, and we ran 
 in a little too close because we wanted to see 
 the place, and a man, who prided himself in 
 knowing Swahili, ran along the shore asking 
 us to stop, for his chief wanted soap, he said, 
 and cloth. It was strange to see how they had 
 
So DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 endeavoured to hide their corn stores away from 
 any enemies that might attack them by land. 
 They had chosen some very rocky places which 
 could only be approached by water in their 
 canoes ; there they had built up their little 
 round-houses for their stores of grain. 
 
 Off Losewa there are rocks running out into 
 the lake for about two miles, some just under 
 water, very dangerous for a steamer. At the 
 back of Losewa there are some beautiful moun- 
 tains, very high, covered with wood. It looks 
 as if it would be a splendid healthy place, 
 from a day and a half to two days from the 
 lake. 
 
 We were a long time finding a sleeping-place — 
 twelve o'clock before we got to bed — but got 
 one between Mchingamja's and Losewa. Then 
 the next day we had bad wind, and had to stop 
 at the Yao village, Chingomanje's. They seemed 
 very friendly, and most of them knew Swahili. 
 Our boys were delighted to be able to talk with 
 them, and to have a swim and pi£-a kambiy 
 that is, a Zanzibar game of ducking under and 
 sending your leg over on to the head of one of 
 the others, who, seeing it, ducks under, and is 
 ready to give the other a blow as soon as he 
 puts his head above water. They had a dhow 
 here. The village had quite recently been 
 destroyed by fire. Makanjila sent up to capture 
 some of them, and burn them out. The old 
 Mchingamja died the year of the comet, with a 
 
TO LAKE NYASSA BY BOAT. 8 1 
 
 great many others, so they had a superstition 
 about it. 
 
 The village was clean, and they were rebuild- 
 ing some nice houses. The Yaos are very 
 clever house-builders, and spend more time than 
 the Makololo and Wanyassa over them. There 
 was a strong fencing round the village, and a 
 ditch. It was built on a low piece of ground, 
 with reeds and rocks and little bays, which made 
 it look rather pretty. 
 
 We had the tent up, and had the services as 
 usual, only very early. Mr. Swinny then got 
 the chief to call the people together, and he 
 preached to them in Swahili. They knew Mr. 
 Johnson, and said he once talked of building 
 near there, because limestone is found not very 
 far off. The Arabs have lime from there for 
 their tombstones. They were very anxious for 
 us to come and build there and stop with them. 
 They knew all about Masasi, our Mission station, 
 five hundred miles off. 
 
 28///. — We started off again ; sailed past 
 Maendaenda's, where Mr. Janson's grave is. 
 We could not land, for the breakers on the 
 shore were so heavy, and it is so open to the 
 south wind that was blowing. 
 
 We ran on, past a sandy spit. No very good 
 bays for the steamer, and we put up for the 
 night in a little rocky bay, and we had a bad 
 night with fever, and had to sleep in the boat. 
 Next day we sighted Likoma ; passed very 
 
 G 
 
82 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 rocky coast ; wind troublesome ; bad headaches. 
 Shall be glad to get out of the boat ; so very 
 tired of travelling like that. 
 
 We got to Likoma about 3.30 p.m. ; had had 
 no cooked food all day, and sun very hot. Sea 
 heavy ; very, very tired. 
 
 About half-past four we landed in what we 
 now call " St. Michael's Bay," because we landed 
 there on that day. 
 
 We pitched our tent under a very large 
 baobab tree, amid crowds of people who flocked 
 down to see us, and we, with a little salt, soon 
 bought firewood and eggs, and, with a little 
 cloth and beads, some chicken and rice. 
 
 loth, — I had bad fever all night, but very glad 
 that our most trying journey was over. Mr. 
 Swinny and I were both beginning to get low- 
 spirited and cross. Now we had fresh difficulties 
 to contend with. About four o'clock a heavy 
 wind came, and so upset us that Mr. Swinny 
 was obliged to take the boat round to another 
 bay. We unloaded, and then went round the 
 island to look out a site for the Mission station. 
 The bishop gave us instruction that we only 
 had to look out the site ; then go over and tell 
 the chief (Chitesi), who would go to look at it ; 
 and then I was to be left to build, and Mr. 
 Swinny return at once to Matope. 
 
 We came to a very good place, and fixed 
 upon it ; but white ants were numerous ; very 
 sandy and dry. The next day Mr. Swinny 
 
TO LAKE NYASSA BY BOAT. 83 
 
 went over to the mainland to see the chief, and 
 spent two hours with him, and found him very 
 disagreeable, saying that the bishop did not 
 give him a good present, and that we must go 
 and build near him on the mainland, not go 
 and live on the island like a lot of women. At 
 last he said he had left it in the hands of his 
 head man on the island. Then we went round 
 with his head man the next day to see the place 
 he wanted us to build at. He took us to about 
 the worst place he could find, on the top of a 
 hill, with rocks all round, and nothing but rocks 
 to build on ; so hot, it was like an oven. We 
 at once refused, and said if we could not have 
 the site we choose we should go elsewhere. 
 We sent off the messenger to the chief with 
 some cloth, and said we wished to leave as 
 friends, and could not accept the place he 
 chose. 
 
 And he had refused to recognize any agree- 
 ment made by the bishop. We waited a day 
 for an answer ; when it came, he wanted still a 
 larger present first, then we could build where 
 we liked. We felt sure that he would come to 
 our terms, so we went on waiting his good 
 pleasure. The people seemed a funny lot, drink- 
 ing pombe (beer), and having little fights amongst 
 themselves. I just managed to keep about ; 
 very weak with the fever. 
 
 Sunday y the /^th. — Mr. Swinny had Holy Com- 
 munion in Swahili ; then he preached to the 
 
84 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 people, J. Hamisi as interpreter. They were 
 some time before they would be quiet enough. 
 Mr. Swinny told them what we had come for, 
 and the object of our coming ; also told them of 
 the gospel. 
 
 But they had quite a row afterwards. Some 
 said he had spoken well ; others said he mJght 
 preach till his throat was sore and his mouth 
 tired, for they had always been used to drink, 
 fighting, and war, and should keep on. One 
 old man who called himself a chief had a great 
 deal to say, but we could not understand a word. 
 Another came up with a goat as a present, 
 another two fowls, for which they wanted about 
 twice as much as they were worth in return. 
 
 The next day we went up to the place we had 
 chosen, and, with two men from the chief and 
 the owner of the land, we marked out a piece, 
 and got them to put their marks to a short 
 agreement. It was a long business, asking all 
 kinds of prices for the land, and we only gave 
 what we thought just. 
 
 October ^th. — Mr. Swinny got ready^ to start 
 back, and I got ready to shift my tent and 
 goods up on to the piece of land we had 
 fixed on. 
 
 It was just at the foot of a hill, on a slope, 
 about five minutes from the lake ; not near a 
 village, because if we had placed it there we 
 should have caused jealousy. And it is about 
 the centre of the island, within an easy reach 
 
TO LAKE NYASSA BY BOAT. 85 
 
 of a good bay, in which the steamer could 
 anchor, with a good view of the lake and main- 
 land. 
 
 A strong wind came off the mountains at 
 the back of Chitesi's every morning at about 4 
 a.m. With this Mr. Swinny wanted to start. 
 But the very day he started there was no wind, 
 and they had a long pull. We said good-bye 
 over-night, so that he could get away at once. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 ALONE IN LIKOMA. 
 
 Starting to build — White ants — Natives difficult to deal with — 
 A crafty head man — Threats from the Magwangwara — 
 Questions of natives — A venerable impostor — Doctoring — 
 Chitesi, the great chief — Native teachers — School on the 
 island — Christmas Day — Skin alphabets — Native ordeals — 
 Likoma customs — Want of rain — Daily teaching — :No sign 
 yet of the steamer — Want of green food — The steamer at 
 last. 
 
 LONE on the island of Likoma. 
 The boys and I started at once to 
 build, and got some of the natives 
 to go and cut poles, and women to 
 get grass ; but neither had any idea how to 
 work, or they would not. The men came back 
 with the worst poles they could find, and the 
 women with a handful of grass each, and they 
 wanted to be paid at the end of one day's work. 
 Then the next day no one came, because their 
 chief had a row with Chiwisi," the man who 
 was to be a sort of middle man between us and 
 
ALONE IN LIKOMA. 
 
 87 
 
 Chitesi. Then we heard that Chiwisi wanted to 
 have only his village people to work for us, and 
 they were to ask what price they liked ; to 
 which I did not agree. Day after day no one 
 came to work, and no one came with anything 
 to sell. The boys and I went on with what we 
 could get, and I was more often in my bed than 
 out of it. And the tent was dreadfully hot all 
 day. The white ants are fearful. I left my only 
 pair of shoes on the ground one night, and had 
 the soles nearly eaten through. Another time 
 my trousers fell off the box ; next morning, when 
 I went to take them up they were fast to the 
 ground, and left a good part of them, for the 
 ants had come up and eaten them into great 
 holes, and fastened them down with earth. Old 
 Chiwisi we found out to be a cheat. He came to 
 say that Chitesi wanted some beads ; I gave him 
 some, and he kept them. Men come up nearly 
 every day, saying they are relations of Chitesi's, 
 and will I give them some beads or cloth. 
 
 Only get a few men to work. Two men from 
 the mainland, who knew Swahili, offered to get 
 poles from there and bring them over. I made 
 an agreement with them, and they went off at 
 once. The next day they came with several 
 others, all bringing good loads of poles and 
 grass ; this is bringing the islanders to their 
 senses, and they are beginning to do a little 
 more. I still keep very weak and bad ; can only 
 just get out and see how things are going on. 
 
88 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 We paid the men who had been helping us, and 
 they had quite a row about that. Wherever they 
 can try and take you in, they will. They keep 
 coming up with all kinds of stories; and the men 
 and women are dreadfully lazy — cannot get a bit 
 of work out of them. I do not know what sort 
 of a house it will be, for the poles and grass are 
 not fit to use. The only way will be to make the 
 sides up with mud and stones. The white ant-hills 
 will do very well for that. Set on a number of 
 women to get mud and stones. My legs still so 
 weak — all of a tremble ; can only just get about. 
 
 Old Chiwisi came in grumbling, and saying he 
 got nothing; he ought to be dressed like an 
 Mzungu (European), he said. And said that 
 we ought to have his people to get poles, not 
 any one else. Wanted to know if I had got the 
 same medicine as Mr. Johnson had against the 
 Magwangwara, for the men who go to cut poles 
 in the forest were in danger of being killed or 
 stolen, and if any got caught what should I 
 pay ? And if I did not offer, he would not let 
 them go. However, I was not to be caught by 
 him, and employed other people, who said they 
 were not afraid to go. Chiwisi tried to get me 
 every way he could, and caused no end of 
 bother. Also Chitesi kept sending over messages 
 for more cloth. A few people came up on 
 Sundays to hear us preach. 
 
 Old Chiwisi kept out of sight for several days. 
 Lots of poles, bamboos, and grass came in, and 
 
ALONE IN LIKOMA. 
 
 89 
 
 we were able to finish the house, and started to 
 wall up the sides. Goats and chickens very ex- 
 pensive. A man sent over from the Magwan- 
 gwara to ask me why I did not buy poles from 
 their people, and asked if I was aware that he 
 was the man who destroyed Masasi, and if I 
 wanted to be turned out. All kinds of stories 
 like these kept turning up to frighten and dis- 
 turb us ; for we were not sure how far they 
 might go, and we were perfectly helpless. 
 
 October 26th. — We had all kinds of things 
 asked us, but a man beat them all last night, for 
 he asked me if the moon had a wife, and if the 
 stars were its children ; also if it was a new 
 sun that came up every day. And how many 
 moons were there ? I was very glad to find 
 such an intelligent man, for he asked simply to 
 know more, and he said a very good proverb, 
 " If you ask, you will reach the town." That is 
 to say, if you did not know your way, and you 
 asked every one you met, you would at length 
 reach the place you wanted. And that was the 
 case with him. He said he wanted to know. 
 I got a piece of stone in my eye — very painful ; 
 no looking-glass, so had to use the back of my 
 watch, and one of the boys with my pocket- 
 knife was able, after several painful operations, 
 to extract it. Also got a bad cut on my leg 
 with the adze when adzing out the doorstep with 
 one eye bound up. 
 
 Chiwisi came back once more with a goat and 
 
90 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 some rice from the chief, Ghitesi, and wanted 
 eight fathoms of cloth. I let him have three, 
 and some salt. 
 
 31^^.^ — S.s. Ilala arrived with letters and more 
 cloth. Mr. Read had left; Mr. Swinny had 
 arrived safely back. I was very glad when I 
 got under the grass roof of the house, for the 
 tent was often so hot that it was almost impos^ 
 sible to stay in it. Some men came with a few 
 poles, and wanted a fathom each, because they 
 could not wear half a fathom, that I offered. 
 They could not see the force of my argument, 
 that if they brought more I would give them 
 more ; they bring a little, and expect to get 
 clothed for it. Chiwisi came up again and said 
 he was going to follow us, and did not want to 
 drink or follow their customs again ; the old 
 humbug was thinking he would get round me in 
 that way and get more cloth, when his eyes only 
 too plainly told of beer-drinking. Another 
 relative of Chitesi's came up and said he wished 
 to talk with me. What he wanted was cloth. 
 Another came, wanting powder and flint stones 
 for their guns, for the Magwangwara were 
 coming, he said. Anything to get all they can 
 out of you. One old man said, when I told 
 him I had no more cloth, that I told lies, for I 
 made it every night as I wanted it. Another 
 one asked if it was true that people with four 
 eyes, two in front and two behind, with tails like 
 monkeys, made the cloth. They did not believe 
 
ALONE IN LIKOMA. 
 
 91 
 
 me, so they went away and took two chickens, 
 and tried them with the ordeal, one chick for 
 the. four-eyed people, and one for the Wazungu 
 (Europeans). The one who died with the effects 
 of the poison was to be for those who did not 
 make it ; the chicken for the four-eyed people died. 
 
 I did not know of all this till after, when they 
 came up to tell me. They also asked if the 
 white people pushed the sun up every day, for 
 they had a story that white people lived on the 
 end of the earth, and had long ladders, and their 
 work was to push the sun up every morning. 
 
 There are no less than three different parties 
 come up and claim the piece of land we are 
 building on. They have rows amongst them- 
 selves ; then all come up to me, and try and get 
 me to pay them all round ahke. 
 
 One old man, by the name of Chiwoko,* says 
 he was the first that came and lived on the 
 island, and the whole island is his, and he will 
 not allow his people to have anything to do 
 with us ; he also tried to stop our boy from 
 getting any water out of the lake, and said if 
 we wanted water we must dig a well. The 
 people are afraid of him, because they think he 
 can do some evil to them, as an mfiti (wizard). 
 He has neither chick nor child, not a goat or 
 anything, but a small dirty little hut. He lives 
 with his sister, and even the natives call him a 
 wicked and evil old man. 
 
 * This man died in 1889. 
 
92 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 December 2nd, — I sent over to Chitesi about 
 this row, and asked him to come over, for the 
 whole island seemed to be in arms about it. I 
 was still very weak and seedy, and this continual 
 worry was making me feel low. Also getting 
 no news of the steamer, I was beginning to feel 
 a bit lonely. The house was now finished, and 
 I was able to keep more out of the sun. Thunder 
 about, and rain seems to be near. 
 
 A woman came up with her head fearfully 
 cut ; she had been fighting with her husband's 
 other wife, and had got a piece of the scalp as 
 large as your hand, just over the left ear, nearly 
 off. I have been doing some doctoring, and got 
 my name up a little. So they brought her up 
 at once to me. I shaved off the wool and 
 strapped it up, and in about two weeks she was 
 quite well, to the amazement of all. After that 
 I had from twenty to thirty patients every 
 morning. 
 
 Chitesi came over and met all the head men 
 of the island. He had a long talk to them, and 
 told them to let us alone and not worry us about 
 cloth, for when the steamer comes (he spoke as 
 if it all was his) they would all have lots of cloth 
 and be satisfied. He was an intelligent-looking 
 old man, but not well dressed. One of his sons 
 (about four years old, naked) played about his 
 feet as he sat on a mat in our house. 
 
 He said he had got so many brothers, and 
 they all wanted cloth ; the present the bishop 
 
ALONE IN LIKOMA. 
 
 93 
 
 gave him was very nice^ but he said he could 
 not cut it up and give a piece to each of his 
 brothers. The bishop had given him a red cap 
 and a joho (an Arab cloak). 
 
 He said he wanted some aperient medicine, 
 and I gave him a dose of calomel. He com- 
 plained at it being such a small quantity, " for," 
 he said, " I am a big man, and want a big dose ; " 
 after which he thought our medicines very 
 strong. He then wanted guns, and stones for 
 his flint-locks (old Tower guns, the crown and 
 government stamp on them). I told him that it 
 was not our work to supply him with guns and 
 powder, but to teach his people the gospel and 
 about God. He said that was very good, but 
 would not save them from the Magwangwara ! 
 
 We built another small house. We had a little 
 rain — heavy storms over the north every morning 
 from about five to ten. 
 
 Our houses leaked a little ; got more grass on. 
 Our old friend Chiwoko commencing again to 
 bother us. We cleared a bit of the road and cut 
 down a few bushes that were in our way, which 
 did not suit the old chap, so he told us to stop, 
 or he would forbid the people to sell us food. 
 
 I told him that I should only listen to one 
 chief, and that was Chitesi, so, if he attempted 
 to do any more, I should send over and tell him. 
 I cannot make out what has happened to the 
 steamer and the rest of the party ; I am getting 
 anxious. Our food is short, and cloth and beads 
 
94 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 also ; cannot do any more building. A few 
 people come up on Sundays to hear the preaching. 
 
 The teachers behave wonderfully well, and 
 are often talking to the people about drink and 
 witchcraft. Some of the islanders tried to get 
 them to a dance and pombe-drinking. They 
 refused, but the two Blantyre boys went, and 
 I had to go after them about ii p.m. 
 
 They were very indignant at my doing so. 
 The next day I gave them a good talking to, 
 and said I should stop their pay if they went 
 again. A party of drunken men passed by 
 about 12 p.m. Three of them came and asked 
 for needles and cotton, and demanded some 
 cloth. We had great difficulty in sending them 
 off ; one got his hand badly cut with a knife by 
 his companion, who took our side. I would not 
 give them anything, because if I had done so we 
 should have been constantly troubled in that way. 
 
 20///. — About fifty people came to the preach- 
 ing, and a lot of children ; some came four miles. 
 So Songolo took the children, while Augustine 
 Ambali and I took the grown-up. We began 
 by telling them the story of the creation, and 
 then the parable of the sower, which they all 
 liked so much, because they were just planting 
 their corn. I had ten patients, bad legs and 
 stomach-ache the chief complaints. 
 
 We had a good laugh about trying to trans- 
 late four times ten into Chinyanja. They can 
 only count up to five ; then they begin by saying 
 
ALONE IN LIKOMA. 
 
 95 
 
 five and one, five and two, up to kumi (ten) ; so 
 to say forty they hold up both hands and say 
 one-ten, down and up again for two-tens, and so 
 on ; when it comes to hundreds, then they can 
 only say many, many. The teachers are picking 
 up the language fast. Two little boys have 
 quite attached themselves to us, and come up 
 from early morning till late in the evening. We 
 think of starting the school at once, because 
 there seems 7to signs of the steamer coming, 
 and several boys are ready to come. We had a 
 bit of fun in showing them what reading and 
 writing really was. We got eight or ten boys 
 together, sat them down, and then So and Paul 
 went and hid themselves, while Augustine and 
 Nicholas wrote each one a nickname on their 
 black arms ; then we called So and Paul, who 
 told each boy his name, and they could not 
 make it out ; they thought it witchcraft. We 
 told them if they would come to school we 
 would teach them. Chanamila and Chidumayi 
 seem very quick boys. 
 
 We talked of having a school, but hadn't a 
 book of any kind, not even an A B C. We set 
 to work and cut ABC out of old paper, 
 pasted them on pieces of an old box which we 
 pulled to pieces, and started with them ; then 
 some numerals. But we were obliged to try 
 another plan, for the cockroaches ate off the 
 letters every night ; they took a fancy to the 
 paste. 
 
96 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 25^/2, Christmas Day, 1885. — I was in hopes 
 of having the steamer and all the rest of the 
 party up before this, but it seems that I am to 
 have Christmas alone, as far as whites are con- 
 cerned. My black companions are very good, 
 and we are very happy now. I am better in 
 health, and the natives are a little more settled ; 
 for how long remains to be seen. No Christmas 
 pudding or roast beef, but with a fat goat, some 
 rice, and a few bananas, we got on very well. 
 
 Forty-three children came, and several grown- 
 ups. We had a little service ourselves in Swa- 
 hili ; then went out and preached to the people, 
 told them of the birth of our Lord Jesus, gave 
 them a little of the goat and some boiled rice. 
 Then I took the grown-ups and amused them 
 by showing them my watch and a compass ; 
 made a little windmill to show them how we 
 grind our corn in England, and not have women 
 to pound it in mortars ; told them we had no 
 slaves in England, which they thought very 
 wonderful. " Our slaves are the wind, water, 
 and steam," I said, and tried to explain how we 
 worked them. They were greatly amused, and 
 the watch was a wonder to them ; they clapped 
 their hands for joy when they heard it tick. 
 Altogether we had a very happy Christmas. 
 The boys had races and jumps, for which they 
 had a few beads and a little salt, which they 
 licked and sucked like sugar. A different party 
 of men came with the same story about four- 
 
ALONE IN LIKOMA. 
 
 97 
 
 eyed people making the cloth, and asked us if 
 it was true, and looked as if they very much 
 doubted my word when 1 laughed and told 
 them no, there were no such people living. 
 
 St. Stephen's Day. — Chiwisi came with about 
 thirty men and women. We spoke to them on 
 the parable of the mustard seed. Then they 
 wanted to hear the story of the creation, and 
 parable of the sower, all over again, for they 
 said they liked to hear it. 
 
 In the afternoon we went across the island to 
 see a man who was sick, and asked me to call 
 on his chief, who also was sick. 
 
 The village is in a very pretty bay, which we 
 called " St. Stephen's Bay." Two boys who had 
 been bitten by a snake were brought to us, but 
 they were out of danger ; their legs were swollen 
 very much. There are a great many snakes 
 here, and scorpions, a few monkeys, and a small 
 kind of lemur * (Madagascar cat). A deaf and 
 dumb boy also came up, and was amused at our 
 clothing ; he wished to make the others under- 
 stand that I was clothed from head to foot, so 
 he ran his hand over his head, then down his 
 body and on to his feet. My shoes often caused 
 great laughter, and to see me put them on or 
 take them off was as good as any play. 
 
 Often, when I first went there, the sound of 
 my shoes and my white face would send the 
 
 * This was not a lemur, but a galago : there are no lemurs 
 out of Madagascar. 
 
 H 
 
98 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 men, women, and children scampering off as if 
 they had seen a ghost. 
 
 Coming back from St. Stephen's Bay, we saw 
 a number of butterflies. I asked the native 
 name, and they said, " To stop the ears," because 
 they were taught that to catch them would 
 make them deaf. It is a rough walk over large 
 stones, and you often have to jump from one to 
 the other ; very hot and dry, with lots of trees, 
 brushwood, and euphorbia. The village is built 
 amongst large baobab trees. 
 
 The school boys numbered seventy-one, and 
 the girls forty-nine ; but they soon dropped off 
 when they saw they were not going to be paid 
 for coming, and laughed at those who kept on ; 
 and some said they were beaten by the teachers, 
 and wanted to be paid. I was not sorry they 
 went, for we have the best, and those who really 
 wish to learn are still stopping and doing very 
 well. 
 
 I had to contrive a new A B C for them, 
 because the cockroaches ate them off the board 
 as fast as we put them on. We got a goat skin, 
 had it well cleaned and rubbed smooth, then I 
 got some lamp-black from my candle, and with 
 a little fat and white of egg I was able to make 
 some good paint. Then with a feather I 
 painted ABC, numerals, and some short words 
 on it. We had two of these skins, which 
 answered beautifully. The cockroaches did not 
 only eat our ABC, but get into our food, eat 
 
ALONE IN LIKOMA. 
 
 99 
 
 our clothes, and are everywhere. It is the time 
 of year and new house that seem to suit them. 
 White ants are also doing their work, and com- 
 menced to eat our house down. 
 
 We daily expect the steamer, and cannot 
 think why it is so long in coming. It is over 
 three months since we came here, and the rains 
 are coming on. 
 
 Went down to a village near to see a Likoma 
 wonder, " chick with four legs." A good many 
 of the fowls here have the tips of their feathers 
 turned the wrong way. Near here there are 
 two old baobab trees which were struck by 
 lightning. Mponda said that there were some 
 people killed, and he supposed that they died 
 because they had taken " lightning medicine." 
 
 We had about one hundred people come up 
 to hear the parable of the Good Shepherd, and 
 I told them they had a great lion in Likoma ; 
 pombi (beer). They said my words were not 
 empty words, and I read to them out of a good 
 book (my Bible). But they were used to their 
 own old customs, and could not see the use of 
 being taught without pay. Chiwisi was often on 
 about being dressed like a European ; and he 
 never liked me to tell him he did not know 
 enough, and that he only came to see what 
 clothes he could get, and not to be taught more 
 about God. He certainly did begin to know a 
 little, and would often repeat what I had said 
 to others. 
 
lOO DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 January ist, 1886. — We were woke up about 
 5 a.m. with a very heavy storm — thunder and 
 lightning was terrific ; then a steady rain for 
 about one hour. A woman came up covered 
 with bad sores. I made a syringe out of a piece 
 of bamboo to wash her sores. Also a man came 
 up with both legs very bad. 
 
 We had a good many at school, and several 
 grown-ups came, and we had a long talk about 
 mwavi (ordeal medicine). It seems so uni- 
 versally a native custom, and they believe in it 
 so much, that it will be years, and I should think 
 generations, before you could get it out of them ; 
 and yet it seems so simple that the poison 
 (mwavi) can either be made weak or strong, or 
 it may act on one system more readily than on 
 another. 
 
 I said I had got some medicine that would 
 make them all sick ; if any one would like to try 
 it, they could. One man said he would ; so I gave 
 him a dose of ipecacuanha, and, to the great 
 amusement of them all, he was very sick. A 
 woman had been tried by mwavi the other day ; 
 she was said to have committed adultery, so, to 
 see if she was guilty or not, she had to drink 
 this poison. She was said to have been sick, so 
 " Not guilty " was pronounced. 
 
 And they do not seem to know about the 
 " soul." When I asked, they thought I meant 
 their heart ; another said, " My shadow." Was at 
 a loss to know what to do, for what would be the 
 
ALONE IN LIKOMA. 10 1 
 
 use of preaching to them about heaven and God 
 if they did not know of the existence of the soul ? 
 
 3r^. — Two months, and no news of Mr. 
 Swinny and the steamer. ' Had a good number 
 come to hear more about God, and had some 
 nice long talks to many of them. Had an 
 examination with the boys, four of them knew 
 their ABC and the numerals up to twenty, 
 and could say a little of the small Catechism. 
 We gave them beads according to their know- 
 ledge, so as to encourage them on. Their 
 writing-lessons had to be done with a stick on 
 the sand. 
 
 Zth. — Longing to have some sort of news of 
 the party, and to see a white face again. 
 
 There is a great noise just near here — some 
 one dead. They have a custom that if a 
 woman dies, her husband has to pay several 
 goats or cows, or a man-slave and some goats, 
 to her friends — her father if living, just as if he 
 had caused her death, 
 
 A man has no such value ; he is only worth a 
 goat and a few chickens. They bury their dead 
 in the house they die in, and that is more or 
 less sacred, for if any one takes wood from it 
 he is called an mfiti (wizard). They say they 
 pay for the woman because she has gone and 
 will never return. An old chief here got four 
 goats for his daughter who died, and he says 
 that is only a taste of what is to come — that is 
 only his " tobacco," the food comes afterwards ; 
 
102 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 that is to say, the four goats received was 
 nothing to what was due to him. A man is not 
 altogether sorry when he has a daughter born 
 or die, for he says, " Now I shall get riches." 
 
 There has been a great talk about not having 
 much rain. Chiwisi came with a number of 
 men with guns, bows and arrows, and spears, to 
 ask when rain was coming, and if I could not do 
 something to make it rain. 
 
 Had I no medicine to give them ? I gave 
 them a good talking to, and asked them to 
 come to-morrow with as many as they could 
 get, and we would talk it over again. 
 
 They thought they were going to frighten 
 rain out of me, by coming well armed. 
 
 Another addition to the four-eyed story. 
 Mponda says they buy the elephant-tusks to 
 grind up and burn over their graves as an 
 offering. Where elephant-tusks go to, and for 
 what they are used, is a puzzle to them. 
 
 They asked me if I had seen the end of the 
 earth, where the water drops down, and no one 
 can pass. 
 
 lOtJi. — About two hundred came to the 
 preaching. We first spoke about the rain- 
 question. They told us that it was the Arabs 
 and coast people who told them about rain- 
 medicine, and they bought medicines from them, 
 rain-medicine and war-medicine. One chief had 
 forbidden any one of his people to wear a cap, 
 because it would stop the rain. 
 
ALONE IN LIKOMA. 
 
 103 
 
 We gave them the parable of Lazarus and 
 the rich man, and asked them if they did not 
 receive their evil things, and had war and 
 famine ; if they had evil and not much good, or 
 no good here, when were they going to receive 
 it? If they did not know of a future life and of 
 God ; how good is rewarded, and evil punished ; 
 — their life was not much better than a goat's. 
 But we had come to teach them. And if they 
 came often they would soon know more about 
 God, and why we have come to live amongst 
 them. 
 
 Had another story this afternoon. A man 
 asked me where our women put the salt in the 
 food when cooked ? For he said they will not 
 allow a woman to put salt to theirs, for if she 
 did they would die. 
 
 iit/i. — People running about with a chicken 
 each. They say they are going to see who stops 
 the rain ; the chickens are to drink the mwavi 
 (ordeal), and the owner of the chick which dies is 
 the one who stops the rain. A very disgraceful 
 custom they have here : a man often marries his 
 granddaughter — the daughter of his daughter, 
 not of his son. 
 
 We went to call on an old chief who calls 
 himself Mzungu (European). Not a bad old sort. 
 Tried to get him to send some of his boys to 
 school. He said, " What do you pay ? " We said, 
 They would learn to read and write, and ' Akili 
 ni mali ' (wisdom is riches)." He sent two boys. 
 
104 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 \2th. — No steamer, and no rain. People 
 getting more excited about it. Fresh stories 
 about it every day. Ufiti (witchcraft) and 
 mwavi are so thoroughly believed by them, and 
 they are so afraid of each other, and cannot 
 believe what you say. Old Chiwoko sick. 
 Went down to see him. He has got a bad leg. 
 An ugly old man at the best of times ; in- 
 describably so when he pulls his face about, to 
 make you believe that he is very bad. Put him 
 on a poultice. 
 
 13///. — A number of people rushing about 
 with guns and spears, because a man had re- 
 fused to pay for a woman who died. Chiwisi 
 came in, looking wild and excited, with his bow 
 and arrows. And says that Chitesi is coming 
 to war with the islanders, because there is no 
 rain. And asked me if a man had a debt, would 
 I pay the debt? And would I protect him if 
 war came ? To which I said no. He went off in 
 a huff. A boy came and asked for soap, and 
 said if I did not give it Chitesi would come him- 
 self for it. I told him he had better do so. 
 One and the other is enough to drive one silly. 
 Lots of rain, and heavy storm on the mainland, 
 work from north to south. Went down to see 
 old Chiwoko ; took him some medicine down in 
 a glass. The boy washed it out in the lake, 
 and we heard afterwards that Chiwoko said I 
 stopped the rain by putting medicine in the 
 lake and holding it up to the skies. 
 
ALONE IN LIKOMA. 
 
 105 
 
 Not feeling well, and the boys sick, because 
 we cannot get enough green meat or fruit. I 
 never should have thought that one would have 
 such a longing for something green to eat, but 
 we all felt it, and went out into the woods to 
 see what we could find ; in that way, had some 
 cassava tops boiled as greens. 
 
 School attendance keeps up, although they 
 get laughed at by other boys because they get 
 no pay. No steamer ; longing for news, and the 
 people are getting more restless because there 
 is no rain. Chitesi says it is Chiwoko who 
 stops it, and Chiwoko says it is I. 
 
 21.$-/. — I had been showing my watch, an old 
 compass, and a few tricks ; now these are all 
 brought up as things that keep away the rain. 
 They had seen white men before, but never seen 
 such things as these. I said we white people 
 could make iron steamers, and engines, and 
 watches, and many other things, but could not 
 stop the rain or make rain to come. So they 
 were much cleverer than we. 
 
 22nd. — Rain came. People say, Ha ! the 
 man who stopped it is afraid." Boys went 
 down to get some honey. 
 
 Steamer arrived late at night, and got into the 
 wrong bay. Mr. Swinny and Mr. Frere came 
 up. I was in bed, but so delighted that I could 
 not sleep that night. It is wonderful how they 
 got up, with the steamer going so very slow, and 
 such a dark night. 
 
I06 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 23r^. — They got round into the right bay, 
 and soon landed. A tremendous cargo, and 
 crowd of whites and blacks. Robinson sick ; all 
 the rest well. As could be expected, they had 
 a bad time of it at Matope — rains, and water in 
 their houses, thieves, and sickness — and were a 
 long time coming up. Handed over to Mr. 
 Frere's charge the school. Mr. Swinny wished 
 me to take charge of steamer ; Robinson to go 
 over and see the doctor at Bandawe. I am to 
 go on to Matope, and call for him on my way 
 back. We went across to Chitesi's first as a 
 trial trip. Steamer going very slow — not enough 
 draught ; fire burns slow, and injector out of 
 order. Got a man from the s.s. Ilala as pilot. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 MISSIONARY JOURNEYS. 
 
 Expedition *to Matope — Threats of attack from Mponda — 
 Mbampa Bay — Rock villages — Fall into an elephant-pit — 
 Slave-caravans — Difficulty of getting oil — A visitor to see 
 the steamer — Waiting for the bishop — Man carried off by 
 a lion — Difificulties of river-navigation — Rough weather — 
 Man overboard — Magwangwara raid — Aground in the river 
 — Stopped by hostile chief — Visit to Mount Zomba. 
 
 EBRUARY i^/.— We started for 
 Bandawe, Mr. Robinson going to 
 see the doctor, Mr. Diffy as my 
 companion. Bandawe is not a good 
 place to stop at ; exposed to south winds, and 
 shallows running in a long way. 
 
 Steamer going very, very slow ; trying all 
 kinds of things to improve her speed. We had 
 several showers, but no bad seas. Got to 
 Matope on the loth. The river had risen over 
 its banks ; had a lot of rain. 
 
 We got the iron house on board, and waited 
 for loads from Blantyre. Got our new boat ; the 
 
I08 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 first one was burnt in the fire. Started back on 
 the 19th, with a heavy cargo. Steamer going 
 
 much better. Mponda stopped us. All his men 
 out with guns, bows and arrows, etc. I went 
 
MISSIONARY JOURNEYS. IO9 
 
 ashore to see what he wanted ; found him sitting 
 on his doorstep with a revolver. After a short 
 chat he passed the revolver behind him, and 
 said that he thought there was war, and began 
 to make excuse for his men being armed ; then 
 asked for a present. 
 
 He was not so bad when he found that I 
 knew Swahili. They were evidently showing 
 their teeth, but a present closed their mouths, 
 and we went on. Both Diffy and self feverish. 
 
 From February 1st to April the gth. — We 
 made two trips to Matope and back ; went over 
 to Chitesi's twice, and Bandawe twice. We had 
 a good bit of wet, sometimes very heavy seas. 
 Wind from the south. 
 
 On the loth of April Mr. and Mrs. Swinny 
 lost their little child. It was suddenly taken 
 with convulsions, and died while we were at 
 Bandawe, and was buried just before we got 
 back. The steamer took a lot of cleaning up 
 and painting, and we got her to go much better ; 
 also got the wheel in its place. 
 
 May \th. — We made another trip to Matope 
 for stores and mails. Met the engineer for the 
 Good News going up to Tanganyika. The Ilala 
 men got a dead buffalo out of the river that had 
 been killed by a lion ; it was the largest I had 
 ever seen. Heard the news of Bishop Hanning- 
 ton's death, and the massacre at Uganda. We 
 started back ; passed the Ilala steamer going 
 very well. Mr. Alley and self very seedy. 
 
no DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 Some Angoni on the banks said they would kill 
 us all, and drew their spears across their throats, 
 because they said we were going to bring the 
 Magwangwara down on them. 
 
 ijth. — Started for Mbampa Bay North, with 
 
 INHABITED ROCKS IN MBAMPA BAY. 
 
 both Mr. and Mrs. Swinny on board. Got there 
 in good time. It is a beautiful bay, well land- 
 locked, and good anchorage. The people here 
 are living on the rocks right out in the water, 
 
MISSIONARY JOURNEYS. 
 
 Ill 
 
 for fear of Magwangwara ; others up in the rocky- 
 hills near. The old man who called himself the 
 chief of all the country round, lives out on the 
 rocks, and has a canoe to go to his house 
 (Mbampa). Mr. Swinny was very ill. They 
 had their tent on shore, and lived in that. 
 
 \gth. — I went out with two of my steamer 
 hands and a village boy, to see if we could get 
 any fresh meat. After going some distance, the 
 man in front of me seemed to suddenly disap- 
 pear into the earth, and I nearly went after him. 
 He fell into a pitfall for elephants — it was a very 
 deep one — and broke his leg ; fortunately there 
 were no spikes in it, as they generally do have. 
 And, fortunately for me, his gun did not go off. 
 We had great difficulty in getting him out — had 
 to let down a pole for him to hold on to ; and 
 the village boy, as soon as he saw what hap- 
 pened, bolted, so there were only two of us. He 
 broke the small bone of his leg, near the foot. 
 I made some splinters of bamboo and some 
 bandages of one of their cloths, bound him up ; 
 then we had a heavy job carrying him and all 
 the guns through the forest. I was obliged to 
 give up, and I waited beside him while the 
 other man ran and got some steamer hands to 
 help. We got him into the steamer ; made fresh 
 and proper splints and bandages. Mr. Swinny 
 started off up to the Magwangwara ; had to send 
 some of the steamer hands as porters. 
 
 The people here do not get out of their 
 
112 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 villages till about lo ; and at 4 p.m. they are 
 off back in again for fear of the Magwangwara. 
 Their dress and language is different to any we 
 have seen. There are some Wangindo and Wa- 
 nindi. The Magwangwara are constantly walk- 
 ing about here. 
 
 May 22,rd. — I took my looking-glass on shore, 
 which caused great laughter and amusement 
 with the natives. Crowds came to see the 
 white lady ; no white lady had ever been there 
 before. I set alight some dry grass and leaves 
 with the glass out of my telescope for their 
 amusement, and wrote down a few of their 
 words. We could not converse with them 
 much. 
 
 2^th. — Mr. Swinny returned. He did not 
 come back the same way as he went ; had a lot 
 of hills to climb, and very rough road, he said. 
 But people were friendly. 
 
 jfujie 1st. — Went on to Matope. Met British 
 Consul and Mr. Last, R.G.S., at Livingstonia. 
 They are going on to the Angoni country. 
 
 Matope, 14th. — The chief and all the people 
 drinking mwavi, because some human flesh was 
 said to have been found in the chief's hut, and 
 they say there must be a wizard somewhere. 
 One poor old man died. 
 
 i6ih. — A large caravan of slaves and tusks 
 are going across the river ; saw several in sticks. 
 Had some fine shots at the crocodiles on the 
 banks as we steamed up the river. 
 
MISSIONARY JOURNEYS. II3 
 
 We went on to Bandawe with their letters 
 and some loads, and then to Likoma. 
 
 2\th. — We went to call on some of the villages 
 near on the mainland, and to buy oil-nuts. We 
 have to buy all the ground-nuts (monkey-nuts) 
 we can, for we can extract oil for the machine 
 from them. 
 
 2<^th. — Started again for Matope with mails 
 and to bring up stores. We called at Chingo- 
 manje's. A man came on board and wanted to 
 see the steamer ; he was introduced to me as the 
 captain of a dhow. I took him down into the 
 engine-room and started the engine ; he no 
 sooner saw it move than he was up, out, and into 
 his canoe. He then went round and round, 
 looking at it with great surprise ; and I pointed 
 out to him that the outside was iron, and he 
 would not believe it — got his knife and tried to 
 pick a hole. Then he was so astonished that 
 he went on looking, and all at once his canoe 
 capsized, and the great captain of the dhow was 
 in the water. At another village I was stopping, 
 and several men and boys came off to look at 
 us, and I, wishing to call the boat back, without 
 thinking pulled the whistle ; in a moment the 
 men were in the water, and looked so frightened. 
 The whistle so frightened them that they got 
 into their canoes and kept a distance off from 
 the steamer. 
 
 July yd, — We arrived early at Matope. 
 
 Zth. — Captain Sherrifif arrived. Right glad I 
 
 I 
 
114 DIARY OF A ^YORKING MAN. 
 
 was to see some one to help. I had now been six 
 months by myself on the steamer, having both 
 engines and navigation to look after. We had 
 a good cargo, and Mr. Diffy got back from 
 Ouillimane ; he went down to look up our goods. 
 We nearly had some difficulty with the village 
 people here. ]Mr. Diffy's boy set the dry grass 
 alight near the village, and the fire nearly came 
 up to the houses ; had to send off all hands to 
 put it out. The chief was very cross, and it 
 mi2["ht have been somethinsf serious with us but 
 
 o ■-> 
 
 for the wind shifting and taking the fire just 
 past the village. 
 
 A lot of the steamer things, to replace those 
 that were burnt, arriving on July 15th. We 
 started back for the lake with a heavy cargo, and 
 the steamer going much better. We stopped 
 the Sunday at INIonkey Bay. This is a beau- 
 tiful bay, with mountains coming right down to 
 the water, covered with rocks and trees. Lots 
 of firewood ; made arrangements for the village 
 people to cut us a lot ready whenever we call. 
 
 20tJL — Arrived at Likoma ; found all welt. 
 Have got to go up to ]\Ibampa to meet the 
 bishop, who is coming across country through 
 the ]\Iag\vangwara. 
 
 22nd. — Mbampa Bay, waiting for the bishop. 
 We had lots of different stories come to us. 
 One that there were four Europeans, three dogs, 
 and thirty porters. xAnother, that one of the 
 Magwangwara had stopped the bishop, and 
 
MISSIONARY JOURNEYS. 
 
 killed two porters, and four women. All these 
 are purely made-up stories, and they think we 
 are going to believe them. Captain Sherriff very 
 bad ; got a touch of sunstroke, I fear. 
 
 August 1st. — Bishop arrives. We both had 
 news of death to tell — he that Mr. Wood had 
 died at Newala, and I of Mrs. Swinny's baby. 
 Mr. Maples was on his way up, and coming out 
 at Chitesi's. Mr. Johnson, who started to come 
 up, had to return again and go to the coast. 
 We sang the Te Deiun in Swahili on the shore 
 after evensong. 
 
 2nd. — We get back to Likoma. Mr. Maples 
 had arrived, with his people, four days ahead of 
 the bishop. 
 
 3r^. — Went across to Chitesi's with bishop 
 and Mr. Maples. Chitesi had been having a 
 little fight with his neighbour ; two men killed 
 and six wounded. 
 
 A^th. — Some of the bishop's porters returning 
 to Newala. 
 
 — News came that one of the men who 
 .was going back to Newala had been bitten by a 
 lion. We went off at once to get him. They 
 were only a day or so off, and encamped, when, 
 about 4 a.m., a lion put his paw through their 
 stockade and clawed the man through ; the 
 shouting and firing of guns drove the lion off, 
 and he was saved, but got some nasty wounds 
 in the back. 
 
 (^th. — Started with bishop, Mr. Maples, and 
 
Il6 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 six men for Matope. Captain sick. Nut in 
 cylinder got loose. We got into a bay at night, 
 just above Maendaenda's. 
 
 loth. — Heavy seas, and had to put back into 
 a bay just below Losewa. 
 
 \2th. — We called at Makanjila's. Went on 
 to Monkey Bay, and then on to mouth of river. 
 Got there twelve o'clock that night. Captain 
 sick ; had double duty of engines and naviga- 
 tion ; very tired. 
 
 I'^^th. — Got to Pimbi at 4 p.m. Bishop and 
 Mr. Maples started for Zomba. Captain sick, 
 and I just about done up. Went on to Matope, 
 and waited for the bishop. 
 
 2d^th. — Started back with a heavy cargo and 
 lot of passengers. Touched a snag in the river, 
 and broke two blades off our propeller. Water in 
 river very low ; had to plough our way through 
 Pamalombe lake. Ran on a sandbank just below 
 Mponda's, and had a fearful job to get her off. 
 
 2jth» — Captain Sherriff still sick ; most all the 
 work to do. 
 
 2^th. — We got to Kota-Kota ; went on shore 
 with bishop and Mr. Maples to see Jumbe, the 
 chief Jumbe took us to see the hot springs 
 that are near his town. They are very hot, too 
 hot to let your hand stop in a second. In the 
 evening we had a cloud of flies come just as we 
 were at meals, they put out the candles, got into 
 our food, and we could take them off the table 
 by handfuls. 
 
MISSIONARY JOURNEYS. II7 
 
 30//^. — We started to cross the lake. Quite 
 calm when we started, but as soon as we got 
 outside, it came on to blow a gale from the 
 south. It was a fearful rocking we got, and the 
 boat nearly lost. Every one but the captain 
 sick, everything wet, and the seas ran right 
 over us. I was very glad to have a north-sea 
 captain at the wheel. We got across safe. I 
 got wet ; then came on a stiff fever, and was 
 obliged to give in. The bishop was very bad, 
 and his books and things all got wet and 
 knocked about. It was a sight down in each 
 cabin. 
 
 3i.y/. — Wind still very high ; heavy seas. Lost 
 a cask overboard. Got to Likoma safe. 
 
 December gth. — We were running up past 
 Msanji's, with a little sea on and a good breeze, 
 the steamer going about seven or eight knots, 
 when Mr. Johnson fell overboard^and was nearly 
 drowned. He went to get a bucket of water, 
 and took a wooden one, which would not fill 
 very well. All at once a wave filled it, and 
 pulled him in. No one saw him go, and it was 
 only a wonder he was not drowned, for we were 
 all forward, when the captain, turning round to 
 look at some work he had been doing, saw 
 something in the water. We at once saw it 
 was Mr. Johnson's hat ; then we saw his head. 
 I was by the wheel, so turned her hard over. 
 The captain, with some men who were near the 
 boat, lowered it, and in a wonderful short time 
 
Il8 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 was alongside of Mr. Johnson — ^just in time, for 
 he was nearly exhausted, and just sinking. Just 
 after that we had a gust of wind and a heavy- 
 shower of rain, so sudden and so severe that 
 the steamer had to turn head to it and lay by. 
 If Mr. Johnson had been in that he must have 
 been lost. 
 
 January 20th, 1887. — We had heard of the 
 Magwangwara being about, and that they had 
 burnt down a village where we called at (Mten- 
 gula) ; so we went down early, met a canoe, and 
 they said that Mr. Swinny h^d gone up also. 
 We saw the camp in the distance, on the hill- 
 side at the back of the village. Mr. Johnson 
 and I went on shore, picked up two arrows in 
 the water, and then came to a dead man. There 
 was no sound of any one about ; the village was 
 deserted. We went through the village. Several 
 huts were burnt, and dead bodies lying about, 
 but no living creature. A small fire and some 
 partly roasted Indian corn showed where some 
 of the Magwangwara had been till they heard 
 our whistle. A wide path trodden down showed 
 where the war-party had passed. 
 
 Mr. Johnson went on up to the camp, about 
 a mile and a half off. Just after I got back on 
 the steamer, and having some breakfast, a cry 
 was heard that there was a boy on shore. We 
 looked out, and saw a little boy come out of the 
 reeds, and then rush away along the shore, 
 across a small river, and into the long grass. I 
 
MISSIONARY JOURNEYS. II9 
 
 sent after him, and they had quite a chase to 
 catch him. 
 
 He was a boy about ten years old, and he 
 gave us his story. He said that the Magwan- 
 gwara came upon the village at cock-crow, when 
 it was still dark. They set light to some of the 
 huts ; then he rushed out, but was caught by 
 one of them ; then he got away. He was caught 
 again, but managed to get off again. Then he 
 hid himself in the reeds and long grass, and 
 there heard the cries and groans of those who 
 were dying. One woman he passed when coming 
 off to the steamer was his grandmother. He had 
 been in this same hiding-place about thirty 
 hours, no food or water, and was afraid to move. 
 When he heard our voices he knew us, and 
 then he was afraid to show himself; that was 
 why he ran away when he came out and beck- 
 oned to us. He thought the Magwangwara had 
 seen him. 
 
 He had a good breakfast, and he could not 
 keep quiet. He did not know where his father 
 or mother was. Mr. Swinny came, and then 
 went on up to the camp after Mr. Johnson. They 
 came back with two men, whom they had pre- 
 vailed on the Magwangwara to give up, and a 
 baby. The two men were sick, and would not 
 fetch much in the slave-market. The baby was 
 found on the side of the path, with a log of 
 wood on it. It was only about four months 
 old. We took it on to Mrs. Swinny, who 
 
120 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 nursed it ; but it was too far gone, so they bap- 
 tized it, and it died a Christian, and was buried 
 at Chingomanja's. 
 
 We went on to Chingomanja's, for they were 
 threatened, and had lost two men. A party 
 of Magwangwara came within about a mile and 
 a half of the town ; then sent two on nearer. 
 We were able to watch their movements from 
 the steamer. The village people then sent out 
 some men, and they were able to converse with 
 them. They took a goat and some flour to 
 ransom their men. 
 
 It was a strange sight to see these fellows in 
 their war-dress, shields, and spears. They wear 
 a cap of feathers, which goes down their back, 
 and the arms and legs are decorated with pieces 
 of goat-skin. It makes them look very wild. 
 
 22nd. — We took on board about twenty men, 
 relations of those who were killed and captured, 
 and went up to the village Mtengula to see 
 about burying the dead, and to bring away any 
 food. We went on shore, and, after some trouble, 
 got the men to start and bury their dead. The 
 houses had all been burnt, and a lot more corn 
 taken. 
 
 This is about the sixth time this village has 
 been destroyed by these thieves. It was a 
 fearful sight, and the bodies were beginning to 
 decompose, and we could not move them from 
 where they were lying, and some we could 
 only throw earth over. We hunted about to 
 
MISSIONARY JOURNEYS. 
 
 123 
 
 find them all, some on the shore, some in the 
 long grass, just where they happened to run 
 and fall after they had the spear-thrust. One 
 Magwangwara was in the reeds dead, and we 
 only found him by the smell. Two children, 
 one about four years old, and the other about 
 two, both on the shore. One had lost a leg and 
 an arm, taken off by a crocodile. There was 
 only the skull of another left ; two little girls, 
 and two old women — altogether, nine. It did 
 seem so shocking to see so many children killed. 
 They had all been stripped of the only little bit 
 of clothes they had, and everything taken out 
 of the village — a sight that one will remember 
 all his life. The war-party had left. One woman 
 had escaped, and two Magwangwara had died 
 since. They were taking off as slaves about 
 twenty-five people, a lot of corn, and several 
 elephants' tusks. 
 
 2ird. — Several more men and women got 
 back. They had run away and saved them- 
 selves ; but it will make it worse for those who 
 are left, for they will be fastened up all night, 
 and have to walk with loads all day. 
 
 2^th. — We went back to Likoma, and then 
 back again to Mchingamja's by February ist, 
 calling at the villages up and down, Mr. Johnson 
 going on shore to preach. 
 
 Mr. Swinny very ill, and we are to go at once 
 with him to Bandawe. Last year I took over 
 Mr. Robinson the same date. It was a long 
 
124 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 and trying' journey ; we were running from 
 8.30 a.m. to 6.30 p.m. Mrs. Swinny was very 
 sea-sick, but kept up and looked after her 
 husband. He was very bad, but quite cheerful. 
 They were glad to get on shore. We carried 
 him up at once. Dr. and Mrs. Laws were very 
 kind, having already a hunter very sick, and 
 likely to die. We then left, and went across to 
 Likoma ; then on to Cape Maclear with mails. 
 
 wth. — Went to Bandawe again to see if Mr. 
 Swinny was any better. There had been a lot 
 of sickness ; all had been down, and Dr. Laws 
 not well. Mr. Stuart, the hunter, very bad. 
 
 \A,th. — We started for Matope, and Mr. Alley 
 went with us. Mr. Johnson at Chingomanje's, in 
 Mr. Swinny's house. We went on to Matope, 
 and had a very trying time of it ; water so low, 
 that we ploughed nearly all through the Pama- 
 lombe lake. We got down all right as far as 
 the stony part of the river. It is very shallow, 
 and big stones in the bottom, and current very 
 swift. The steamer touched the bottom, and in 
 a moment she went broadside, and got hard and 
 fast, the force of the water turning her right 
 over on her side. We got some help from the 
 shore, and got ropes on to her, but of no use ; 
 could not move her. The men got into the 
 river, and pulled out the large stones from under 
 her, and we worked till dark. Just as steam 
 was down, and all hands were off, she went on 
 herself, by the force of the water ; no anchor 
 
MISSIONARY JOURNEYS. 
 
 125 
 
 will hold, and we went down stream and on to 
 just as bad a place. We worked all day at her 
 again and got her off, but was on again after 
 about half an hour's run. Here we had to 
 empty everything out of her. Alley sick, captain 
 not very well, and myself tired, hands sore, and 
 sunburnt. It was fearful hard work, and we 
 could not get proper food cooked, with the 
 steamer in such a state; and once I nearly broke 
 my leg by falling over. We did not get to 
 Matope till the 23rd. 
 
 March ^th. — S.s. Ilala came down with the 
 news that Mr. Swinny had died, and Mrs. 
 Swinny had gone back to Likoma. Mr. Stuart 
 also died the day before Mr. Swinny ; and Mrs. 
 Cross, at the north end of the lake, had died ; 
 and a Mrs. Mackintosh, of the Scotch Church 
 Mission. 
 
 Water lower several inches since we come 
 down. Started for Likoma on the 9th. Had 
 more trouble getting up the river, especially 
 with the cargo, and captain very ill ; once quite 
 delirious. 
 
 A chief on the river-bank, where we had to 
 stop, caused a lot of trouble. He would not let 
 us go on. Sent the women and children away, 
 and called his men. Kept us there for two 
 hours, and said he would kill our crew and keep 
 us prisoners. It was all because he was jealous 
 of the Matope chief, and wanted a big present. 
 I did not see my way to give him one, after such 
 
126 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 behaviour. We gave him two fathoms (about 
 two shiUings), and after some trouble we got off. 
 We then had a lot of trouble. Once a good 
 part of the cargo had to be landed, and the 
 steamer dragged across shallows. Sand got 
 into the pump and into the boiler. Once she 
 primed, so that we had to stop short in a very- 
 bad place, for fear of cracking the cylinders. 
 Captain sick. I had hard time of it, and glad 
 we were to get up on the lake again. 
 
 I'jth. — Steamer went a trip without me, for I 
 was nearly done up. Captain was much better. 
 I had been on board thirteen months, and only 
 slept on shore once. 
 
 April \ — Down at Matope again. Com- 
 menced at once to set the men cleaning out the 
 dock. Mr. Johnson very ill. After some trouble, 
 we got him sent to Blantyre for a change, and 
 to see the doctor. We got the steamer into the 
 dock, scraped, cleaned, and painted her all over, 
 and repaired engine, and cleaned and repaired 
 boiler. 
 
 May \Zth. — Got her out again into the river. 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 HOMEWARD BOUND. 
 
 Mount Zomba — Last visit to Likoma — Walking across from 
 Livingstone to Blantyre — Slave-dealers — Abundance of 
 game — Difficulty in getting a canoe — Down the Shire — The 
 elephant marsh — Hippo shooting — The Zambesi — By the 
 Quaqua to Quillimane. 
 
 N May I went up to Mount Zomba. 
 The consulate is a fine house, 
 built on the south side of Mount 
 Zomba, looking across the plain to 
 Melanji mountains and Lake Shirwa — a beauti- 
 ful view across such a wild and pretty country. 
 The house is large and well built with bricks, 
 and looks so nice and cheerful after the small, 
 low house one is so used to out there. Here 
 it is so cool and so different to the lake and 
 on the plain. I had to keep my overcoat on 
 till midday. Here we had potatoes, cabbage, 
 lettuce, and all kinds of English things. A 
 field of wheat looked so nice ; sugar-cane, 
 
128 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 coffee-trees, and quite a farmyard, all seemed 
 so nice after the lake, and the country about 
 the lake. 
 
 The water-wheel turns a large saw, and they 
 are able to cut up good-sized trees. It is very 
 
HOMEWARD BOUND. 
 
 129 
 
 healthy here, and will grow anything. I en- 
 joyed my stay here, and it did me so much 
 good. 
 
 June 2^rd. — Mr. Mills arrived as engineer for 
 the steamer. We reached Likoma on the 30th. 
 Captain Mills and Mr. Crawshay seedy. 
 
 J7ily 1st. — I left the steamer. Mr. Mills took 
 charge of the engines. I did a little house- 
 building at Likoma, and put the circular saw 
 up ready for work. 
 
 29///. — The bishop and Mr. Williams arrived, 
 Mr. Weigall coming on in a few days. He is 
 stopping to settle a row between two chiefs. 
 
 Atcgust igth. — Had a retreat; bishop very 
 nice in his addresses. Had a synod. Mr. 
 Weigall very ill. I took several photos of house, 
 station, and boys. 
 
 September \2th. — Bishop and party started 
 back overland ; Mr. Weigall and I go home vid 
 Blantyre and Quillimane. 
 
 14///. — We started in steamer for Cape Mac- 
 lear ; going to walk from there to Blantyre. 
 A walk from Cape Maclear to Blantyre. 
 \<^th. — We made a start with sixteen porters, 
 and only got a short distance, because the men 
 were so much trouble to get off; but, in African 
 travelling, it is something to make a start, if 
 ever so short a distance. 
 
 Next day we passed through some pretty 
 country, with mountains on each side ; came out 
 at Monkey Bay. There two of our men ran off 
 
 K 
 
136 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 and left us. We got two from there, and went 
 on, coming out every now and again into some 
 pretty bays. We shot several guineafowl ; 
 there were a great number of them just about 
 here. The ground was very dry, sun hot, and 
 grass-fires had been about. We walked about 
 fifteen miles a day. Saw some salt-pans, or 
 places where they dig out salt. The rocks and 
 stones were all crusted over and white with salt, 
 but it is very strong, like saltpetre. We stopped 
 the night at a village, where two women had 
 been killed by a leopard. They had a trap put 
 up to try and catch him. 
 
 23r^. — We reached Mponda's village ; called 
 to see him ; left him a present, and he gave us a 
 sheep. He was sitting by a fire in his house, 
 with a number of men round him, and some 
 Angoni. One man said he w^anted to buy some 
 slaves, and they talked about it just as if they 
 were sheep-dealing. We had a long talk to 
 him, because he was cross that the s.s. Ilala had 
 not called on him, and he said he would stop it 
 by force, if they did not when he called to them. 
 
 We went on, and stopped on the western side 
 of Lake Pamalombe. We met an Arab who 
 knew Mr.Weigall. There are very large villages 
 down here, and great numbers of people — all 
 Mponda's — and a lot of Angoni about Every 
 one busy, for they are just making up their 
 caravans for going into Ubisa (Marambo) for 
 slaves and tusks. 
 
HOMEWARD BOUND. 
 
 On the 26th we passed a caravan of about two 
 hundred, all loaded with cloth and guns, and a 
 
 lot of women, one man in a slave-stick. They 
 had a little row near Zomba. A chief, Kasimbi, 
 there took some of their cloth, and they killed 
 
132 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 three people. They belonged to Pimbi, near 
 Refu, on the lake. 
 
 2'jth, — Had a lot of buffalo to disturb our 
 rest. They came very near to us where we were 
 sleeping. Mr. Weigall went after them at day- 
 break, and got a shot at one, which rushed into 
 some bushes, then charged out at him, but he 
 fortunately got a bullet jnto its head and killed 
 it ; so we had lots of fresh meat. 
 
 2gth. — We crossed the river above Matope, 
 and had some sport ; lots of game about, zebra 
 and antelopes. It is easy walking from the lake 
 to Matope ; nearly all level country, and no end 
 of sport, if one likes to take time over it. 
 
 October 1st. — Arrived at Mandala about 1 1 
 a.m. We stayed there three days. The Scotch 
 Mission people were very kind, and it was a 
 great treat to have things a little in order after 
 sleeping, cooking, and feeding out-of-doors for 
 so long. 
 
 6t/i. — Mr. Ley and Mr. Spaulding got off in 
 a boat ; we were looking out for a canoe. 
 Mlalima promised one, but refused afterwards 
 because we did not give him the best blanket 
 we had. 
 
 yt/i. — I got up at 4 a.m., and went down the 
 river to Masaya ; and after some little talk, and 
 I having emptied my pockets, he let me have 
 a canoe and some men. We got off at once, 
 and paddled away down the river at a good 
 rate — four men in the stern of the canoe, and 
 
HOMEWARD BOUND. 
 
 one up in the bows with a pole. We had part 
 of the canoe covered over with grass, but too 
 
 low and too hot to sit under. Mr. R caught 
 
 us up just as we landed for the night. He was 
 dreadfully afraid of hippopotami, and asked if 
 we thought a revolver would keep them from 
 attacking his canoe. 
 
 ^th. — We started early, and got partly through 
 the elephant marsh. It was risky work some- 
 times with the hippos, for the narrow and swift 
 channels often brought us very near to large 
 schools of them. We counted as many as forty 
 in one place, with their heads up ; and every 
 now^ and again one would show us the size of 
 his mouth and his teeth. They would jump 
 right out of the water, and bellow away at us. 
 Twice we were very near to an upset, only just 
 getting past in time. The men would paddle 
 away with all their might, and shout. We sat 
 with guns in hand, and often had a shot at them 
 or at a crocodile. Mr. Weigall shot a young 
 cow hippo when we stopped for breakfast; I 
 was looking after the cooking. The hippo wxnt 
 down stream, and laid wait for us ; we only just 
 passed in time when it charged out. We got 
 on shore, and were able to finish her off Once 
 she tried to jump on the bank after us, but Mr. 
 Weigall got a bullet into her head, which settled 
 her, and she sank. Our men were soon after 
 her, and we got her down on to a sandbank ; 
 there she was cut up. The head, cut off close, 
 
134 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 took seven men to lift. We had a large cargo 
 of meat now, and the top of our canoe was only 
 an inch from the water. 
 
 gth. — We got to the Ruo. I shot a crested 
 crane, which we ate. We went to see Bishop 
 Mackenzie's grave, and cleared away the grass 
 a little. 
 
 \Qth. — Met the James Stevenson, with Consul 
 O'Neill, his wife, and brother-in-law, going up 
 to the lake. Shot an Egyptian goose and a 
 black bird with a long, thick bill. We had them 
 all cooked, and ate them. 
 
 wth. — Got a bad sleeping-place. Mosquitoes 
 fearfully troublesome, and a lion woke us up by 
 coming very near and giving a growl. 
 
 \2th. — We got into the Morumbala marsh. 
 Lots of birds and geese. Very difficult to find 
 resting and sleeping-places, and the wind at 
 dawn was trying ; also the mosquitoes. Getting 
 rather tired of sitting cramped up in a canoe, 
 and the sun was very hot. Often down the 
 Zambesi we had to stop, for the wind got up 
 so strong that it would blow the water into our 
 canoe. Twice had to stop on sandbanks, with 
 no shelter from the hot sun. 
 
 Mr. Weigall got a spur-winged goose, which 
 was beautiful when cooked. We often got on 
 to sandbanks and into the wrong channel. Once 
 nearly upset in a swift current by a rock. The 
 hippo meat that the men had got in the canoe 
 was getting rather strong. Got to the African 
 
HOiMEWARD BOUND. 
 
 Lakes Company stores on the Zambesi, where 
 we had to leave our canoe and go overland to 
 the Quillimane river (Quaqua). Here we had 
 a ride in mashilas for thirty miles, and our men 
 did it in one day, with all our loads as well, ten 
 men to each mashila (palanquin), four at a 
 
 s\var:.is of the kungu fly. 
 
 time. They travel very fast, and clap and sing 
 as they go, having small rattles in their hands 
 to keep time. It was dark when we got to the 
 place where canoes were to be had ; and after 
 some time, in the morning, we got two small 
 canoes, and started off down the Quaqua to 
 Quillimane. 
 
136 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 Our men were good paddlers, and we went 
 on very fast ; but it was very trying, and not 
 much to see — mangrove swamps on each side. 
 And once we had to stop for the tidal wave 
 {bore), which came up in a good-sized wave, so 
 black and muddy, and it often turned canoes 
 over, and made such a commotion all at once. 
 Our men kept the canoes' heads to it, and we 
 did not get wet, nor any water go into the 
 canoes. 
 
 We had to sleep a night in the canoe, for 
 thick mud on each side gave no rest for the 
 sole of our feet ; and we lost our cups over- 
 board, and had to drink our tea out of a sardine- 
 tin. We were very glad to get to Quillimane 
 and have a clean up. The steamer for the south 
 starts on the 23rd. I first thought of going to 
 Zanzibar ; but that would mean two weeks here, 
 and I might have a lot of fever in that time, so 
 I shall go via the Cape. 
 
NOTES. 
 
 FISH AND FISHING IN LAKE NYASSA. 
 
 There is a small silver-coloured fish, smaller than a 
 sprat, which comes in shoals at certain times of the year. 
 They are chased by big fish into the shallow waters, and 
 birds are after them when they come near the surface. 
 The natives catch them with nets. They leave one end 
 on shore, and go round the fish and take the other end 
 on shore ; then pull them in. 
 
 Another way they have, which is a very funny sight to 
 see. Three men in a canoe go out with a net, something 
 like a sparrow-net on two poles. They paddle up to a 
 shoal ; then one of them takes the net by the two poles 
 and dives into the water ; the second follows, and takes 
 one of the poles, pulls it under the fish, and they both 
 come up together ; while the third hand manages the 
 canoe, and helps to drive the fish in the right direction. 
 
 Another way is to go out by night with a light. They 
 have three canoes, one with the light, the other two 
 with the ends of the net. They let out the net, and the 
 canoe with the light decoys the fish into the middle, 
 while the two canoes bring the ends together and 
 
138 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 gradually haul the net in. Then they have traps, which 
 they let down into the water. 
 
 The men are constantly mending or making nets, and 
 large nets generally belong to several men, who work 
 together, as they also do with their canoes. Some of 
 their nets are made of cotton ; others (more generally) 
 from the inner bark of a small shrub, which is very strong, 
 and all twisted up by hand. Their cord is generally only 
 two strands. 
 
 They really fish with hook and line only on the river, 
 where there are mud-fish ; and round the rocky islands 
 they catch a large fish they call " komo." 
 
 Another kind of food they have is a fly that comes out 
 of the lake — kungu, a sort of May fly. They come up in 
 myriads, and look like smoke. They often go up in two 
 curved lines into the air a hundred feet or more, and look 
 like the smoke from a steamer. They then go with the 
 wind, and settle on the land, in the trees and shrubs. 
 The people run out with baskets, catch them, and make 
 them up into cakes, do them up in green leaves, and 
 put them into the fire to bake. 
 
 HOUSES, OR HUTS. 
 
 All the huts are round, and built near the lake. They 
 have little courtyards in which they keep their few things 
 — corn, stores, and chickens. Their huts have only one 
 room, with one door, and no windows. 
 
 At Likoma they are very poor huts ; and I was told 
 that if any one builds a larger house than the ordinary 
 size, he is asked who he wants to make himself out to be, 
 and they pull it down for him. Again, they do not see 
 the object of a large house, for it is so much colder, and 
 wants more work and expense than they care to give. 
 
 A native has little or no notion of straight hnes. Long 
 houses and square houses are built by coast people and 
 
NOTES. 
 
 the Wayao, who copy the coast customs, but a native will 
 always have round ones. They cannot keep anything 
 straight. Their gardens are all out of what we should 
 call order, and they cannot make a straight road, or put 
 anything straight in your room or on your table. 
 
 SLAVES AND SLAVE-TRADE ON LAKE 
 NYASSA. 
 
 The slave-trade is still going on, both up in the country 
 and down near the coast. Upon the lake there is not a 
 village but what has its dealings in slaves and its slaves. 
 And there are large slave-trade centres, such as Jumbe's 
 on the west coast, Makanjila's on the east, and Mponda's 
 on the south, at the river's mouth. When passing through 
 Mponda's country coming home, we saw several places 
 where Mponda's caravans of slaves encamped. By the 
 size of the encampment, one could judge there must have 
 been hundreds ; for there were hundreds of places where 
 fires had been, and at each fire there would have been 
 four or five people. They seem to go into Marambo 
 (Ubisa) for them, and also get a great many tusks from 
 there. Mponda's people looked well off, which also 
 shows of a flourishing trade being done there. They 
 cross over the river just below his village, and go down 
 to Quillimane and to the coast south of the Sultan of 
 Zanzibar's territory. Some of the people can speak a few 
 words of Portuguese. Numbers of slave-sticks are to be 
 seen along the road, and I have seen large parties of 
 them in sticks down on the river-banks. 
 
 These caravans go once a year to the coast. Mponda 
 goes himself sometimes to Marambo to buy, and the 
 Angoni are constantly trading with him. 
 
 No greater proof of how slave-catching goes on do we 
 want than this one instance. A boy, who was brought 
 home by Mr. Johnson, and spent some time in England, 
 
I40 
 
 DIARY OF A WORKING MAN. 
 
 went out with us, but seemed to have lost his wits by the 
 wonders and sights he had seen. When we got to OuilU- 
 mane, we could not keep him from wandering and often 
 going into the water ; and, as I said in my diary, we at 
 last gave him up as lost, for we thought he must have got 
 eaten by a crocodile. We sent in all directions, and got 
 no news of him ; and the Portuguese authorities were 
 told of it, but we heard no more. 
 
 Since I have been home in England, Mr. Johnson 
 writes to say that this boy has come back to Mandala in 
 a dreadful state, and he gives his own stor>'. How that 
 he was captured and put in a slave-stick and made to 
 carry a load up-country, and was sold and resold, and at 
 last, when about thirty miles from Mandala (he was not 
 in a stick then), he left his load and ran off by night, and 
 so escaped. He still looks a little wild, and in a fearful 
 condition. He had been three years away, and we had 
 given him up as dead. Now he will not stir, for he fears 
 being captured again. The poor boy must have suffered 
 most dreadfully, and it is a wonder he is alive to tell the 
 story. 
 
 Note. — Since " A Working Man's Diary " was written, 
 the vexed questions of territory in Central Africa have 
 been happily set at rest by the Anglo-German and Anglo- 
 Portuguese Conventions, as affecting Lake Nyassa. The 
 boundaries finally settled on August 20, 1890, are marked 
 upon the map accompanying this. The Convention with 
 Portugal further provides that there shall be free passage 
 for all " nations " upon the river Zambesi and its tribu- 
 taries, and by roads, railways, and canals, intended to 
 remedy the difficulties interposed by falls, rapids, etc., 
 save for services rendered {i.e. ordinary fares and freights). 
 This marks the commencement of a new era for lake 
 Nyassa. More missionaries, traders, and adventurers 
 will soon be crowding up the Zambesi and the Shird 
 
NOTES. 
 
 141 
 
 The pioneers of the Gospel in time will, most of them no 
 doubt, be forgotten ; but still, as the new-comers pass the 
 graves of Mackenzie and Scudamore, of Dickenson and 
 Janson, and others whose names have been mentioned 
 here, they will be reminded that the Church was the first 
 to break the silence of those solitudes with her glorious 
 tidings of salvation through Jesus Christ. 
 
 THE END. 
 
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 LONDON AND BECCLES. 
 
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 The Great Orion," &c. With Four page Illustrations. 
 Crown Svo Cloth boards 3 6 
 
 WRECKED LIVES; or. Men who have Failed. First and 
 Second Series. By W. H. Davenport Adams. 
 Crown Svo Cloth boards^ each series 3 6 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 NORTHUMBERLAND AVENUE, CHARING CROSS, W.C. ; 
 
 43, QUEEN VICTORIA STREET, H.C 
 BRIGHTON : 135, NORTH STREET. 
 

 DATE 
 
 : DUE 
 
 
 
 m 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 CAYLORO 
 
 
 
 PRINTKD IN U.S.A.