Vi 
 
 U/HM Kt'l 
 
 MY THIED CAMPAIGN.
 
 MY THIED CAMPAIGN 
 
 IN 
 
 A STORY OF MISSIONARY LIFE IN 
 TROUBLOUS TIMES 
 
 BY 
 
 W. SALTER PKICE, F.R.G.S. 
 
 FOTJNDEB OF FREBE TOWN, AND tATE DIRECTOR OF THE CHUKCH 
 MISSIONARY SOCIETY'S MISSIONS IN EASTERN EQUATORIAL 
 
 AFRICA 
 
 " A great door and effectual is opened unto me, and 
 there are many adversaries." 1 COR. xvi. 9 
 
 LONDON 
 WILLIAM HUNT & COMPANY 
 
 12 PATERNOSTER ROW 
 1890
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 " MY Third Campaign " implies a First and a Second. 
 My first was from 1874 to 1876, when I was specially 
 charged by the Committee of the Church Missionary 
 Society to establish a Settlement on the coast for the 
 reception of freed slaves. The result was FRERE 
 TOWN, now a nourishing colony, and the base of all the 
 Society's operations in Eastern Equatorial Africa. It 
 was so named in honour of the late revered Sir H. 
 Bartle-Frere, to whom my own connexion with the 
 work in East Africa was largely due, and who was himself 
 one of the truest friends of the sorely oppressed races of 
 that unhappy country. My Second Campaign was in 
 1881 and 1882, when I was sent out as " Special Com- 
 missioner " to investigate and report on certain matters 
 and make some re-arrangements which time and circum- 
 stances rendered necessary. 
 
 It has been intensely interesting to me on each 
 successive visit to witness the development of a work in 
 the inception of which I had had some share. 
 
 East Africa has now become a great centre of attrac- 
 tion to the civilized world. It is no longer the " Lost," 
 though, alas ! for more reasons than one, it may still 
 be called the " Dark Continent ". 
 
 Twenty years ago it is not too much to say the 
 
 i
 
 ii Preface. 
 
 average educated Englishman knew nothing and cared 
 nothing about East Africa. To all save a few 
 experts it was a terra incognita ; and many places, the 
 names of which are now as familiar to us as household 
 words, and which figure conspicuously 011 our maps, had 
 then never been heard of. Verily, the lost has been 
 found ! a nation has been born in a day ! We are living 
 in a wonderful age, and, to my mind, one of the greatest 
 wonders of the age in which we live is the Providential 
 opening up of this hitherto hidden-away portion of the 
 habitable world to the blessed influences of Gospel light 
 and civilization. 
 
 The indications of this are very striking to one who, 
 like myself, has been an eye-witness of the changes that 
 have taken place, and is in a position, from personal 
 observation, to contrast the present with the past. 
 
 Fourteen years ago an English steamer entering 
 Mombasa harbour was a rare sight, which put us all in 
 a flutter of excitement now it is a matter of daily 
 occurrence, and sometimes as many as six or eight fine 
 vessels are seen at one time riding at anchor on its quiet 
 waters. 
 
 Then we were cut off from the rest of the world, and 
 seldom saw a white face except those of our own party. 
 Now there is a continuous inflow of Europeans of 
 many nationalities chiefly English who penetrate the 
 country in every direction. There are men of science who 
 are delighted to find here "pastures new " in which to 
 carry on their loved pursuits men of trade and com- 
 merce, who are keenly on the look-out for fresh markets 
 for their manufactures mighty hunters whose ambition
 
 Preface. iii 
 
 is to kill elephants, buffaloes, and other big game which 
 abound in some parts of the interior ; and to these must be 
 added not a few adventurers who, with no definite object 
 in view and often with little or no money in their 
 pockets come out simply to take their chance, con- 
 cluding, not altogether unreasonably, that in a country 
 just bursting forth into new life something may " turn 
 up " to their advantage. 
 
 But the most notable event of the last two years has 
 doubtless been the assumption by the IMPEEIAL BRITISH 
 EAST AFRICAN COMPANY of the protectorate or rather 
 rule over almost unlimited territory, peopled by many 
 different races. Mombasa their chosen base of opera- 
 tions must soon become the most important town and 
 trading port on the coast, as it will also be the starting 
 point of the new route to the Lake region. Under the 
 auspices of this enterprising Company we may con- 
 fidently expect to see, within a few years, wondrous im- 
 provement in the condition both of the country and 
 people. 
 
 The new era has already commenced good roads, 
 one of the first conditions of civilized life, are being 
 constructed the electric cable connects Mombasa, vid 
 Zanzibar, with Europe the first sod has been turned 
 of a Bail way which, when completed, will bring 
 Uganda, now a dreadful journey of four or five months, 
 within two or three days of Mombasa ! the natural 
 resources of the country are being developed and, best 
 of all, a death-blow has been given to the accursed 
 traffic in human beings, with all its abominations. 
 
 It is a grand undertaking, and every true friend of
 
 iv Preface. 
 
 Africa will bid " God speed " the I. B. E. African 
 Company, and pray that, ever true to the motto in- 
 scribed on its flag, it may carry the blessings of " Light 
 and Liberty " into all places under its sway from the 
 Indian ocean to the shores of the Victoria and the 
 banks of the Nile. 
 
 And how have these wonderful changes come about ? 
 Mainly, if not entirely, as far as human agency is con- 
 cerned, they are traceable to the quiet, persevering, 
 self-denying labours of three men three Missionaries ! 
 David Livingstone Lewis Krapf and John Bebmann. 
 
 These were the men who opened the eyes of the 
 world to the frightful havoc caused by the man-stealer, 
 and to the cold-blooded cruelties connected with his 
 abominable traffic it was they who lifted the veil, and re- 
 vealed to us, not a desolate uninhabitable region of inter- 
 minable deserts and pestilential swamps, but a country of 
 lofty mountains, and mighty rivers, and fruitful plains, 
 and inland seas a country possessing every variety of 
 climate, and in which untold treasures are stored up, 
 awaiting only enterprise and skill to bring them to 
 light, and turn them to account, for the benefit of the 
 world moreover, and more important than all, a 
 country peopled by many strange tribes of the great 
 human family, who, in spite of their isolation, and cen- 
 turies of cruel oppression, instead of degenerating into 
 abject barbarism, as might have been expected, have 
 retained many noble qualities, which, when developed 
 under happier conditions than they have hitherto en- 
 joyed, will entitle them to an honourable place in the 
 brotherhood of the civilized world.
 
 Preface. v 
 
 It is too soon to write the history of ." the Dark 
 Continent regenerated," but, when the time comes, it 
 must not be forgotten that it was the three men whose 
 names I have mentioned who turned the key, and un- 
 locked the door into this new world, and made possible 
 the marvellous events we are witnessing to-day. All 
 honour to the memory of these brave men, and not less 
 to that of their devoted wives, each of whom found a 
 grave in her adopted country. 
 
 They were all animated possessed by one desire 
 to win Africa for Christ. Said Krapf in conversation 
 with a Native Chief : " We are not traders, but Preachers 
 of God's Word, who desire to spread the Gospel 
 throughout the whole of Africa". Noble Ambition! 
 Wonderful Faith ! On another occasion, when keenly 
 feeling the loss of his wife, and enfeebled by attacks of 
 fever, he writes : " Meanwhile, I often prayed fer- 
 vently for the preservation of my life in Africa, at least 
 until one soul should be saved ; for I was certain that 
 if once a single stone of the spiritual temple were laid 
 in any country, the Lord would bless the work, and 
 continue the structure, by the conversion of those who 
 were now sitting in darkness and the shadow of death, 
 and to whom our missionary labours were but as the 
 dawn of the day-star from on High ". 
 
 We want to go back to these days 45 years ago 
 in order to realize " what God hath wrought," and how 
 in one of the darkest of the dark places of the earth 
 " He has opened the door of Faith unto the Gentiles ". 
 
 Many Books have, of late years, been published on 
 East Africa. They are for the most part the work
 
 vi Preface. 
 
 of enterprising travellers, and treat largely of the 
 natural features of the Country ; of the manners and 
 customs of its many races ; of its fauna and flora ; 
 of the difficulties of travel, and so on. I need scarcely 
 say that these matters, deeply interesting as they are, 
 are not in my line. Though constantly on the move 
 from Station to Station, I had no opportunity of 
 making long journeys into the interior, and conse- 
 quently had no sensational or blood-curdling stories 
 to relate of encounters with wild beasts or savage men. 
 My simple object in the following pages has been to 
 give an honest account of Missionary work, carried on 
 at a very critical time and under peculiarly trying 
 circumstances, in the hope that, with God's blessing, 
 it may arouse some to a deeper interest in the welfare 
 of Africa ; and enable others not a few I gladly believe 
 who are already longing and praying for the spread 
 of Christ's Kingdom in that Country, to realize more 
 fully what God has done with us ; what a grand oppor- 
 tunity He is presenting to us ; and what a solemn call 
 there is to all true-hearted servants of the Lord, to 
 be up and doing, taking their part whether here or 
 there in earnest loving endeavour to reclaim the 
 millions of Africa from their long night of sorrow, 
 and to bring to them " the light of the glorious Gospel 
 of Christ ". 
 
 Here and there the reader will meet with some 
 record of little intrinsic importance, and only so far 
 relevant to my object, as being a link in the chain 
 of our daily life. My wish has been to furnish, as 
 far as possible, a connected story of the stirring events
 
 Preface. vii 
 
 through which we passed, in so far as they affected us 
 and our work. 
 
 In a personal narrative such as this, I have had to 
 rely mainly on my Journals. I have also made free 
 use of my own letters ; because these, as a rule, give 
 a more vivid picture of the state of things of the life 
 we lived than could be gathered from any other 
 source. 
 
 Where Native words or expressions occur, I have 
 allowed them to remain, only marking them by in- 
 verted commas, and of these I have given a Glossary 
 at the end of the Book. This will, I hope, be helpful 
 not only to my readers, but to those also who read 
 other books of African travel, as well as Missionary 
 Periodicals, where such words too often occur without 
 any explanation. 
 
 WINGFIELD VICARAGE, October, 1890.
 
 CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 The Call. How it came about. The way opened. Valedic- 
 tory Dismissal Leave Dover, February 23. Notes by 
 the Way 1 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 Arrival at Frere Town. Warm reception. Visit Rabai. 
 What hath God wrought ! An African Welcome. Letter 
 to Bishop Parker 12 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 Domestic straits. Peruba. Cruising for Slave Dhows. Visit 
 Zanzibar. Down with fever. To Rabai. A great sorrow. 
 New responsibilities 37 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 Changes in Chaga Mission. Teita Troubles. Setting out on 
 
 a Journey. Trip to Shimba and back 60 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 Porters killed by Wa-Masai. Visit Kisimani and Finiboni. 
 
 A Batch of Freed Slaves. Fitch arrives from Chaga 79
 
 x Contents. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Divinity Class commenced. King Mandara. An incorrigible. 
 To Zanzibar. Visit to the Sultan. Missionaries in 
 peril. Return to Frere Town. Trip to Shimba. Mis- 
 sion left without a Doctor 95 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 A Pic-nic. Another sixmonths in Africa. Letters to Mackay. 
 Visit Mwaiba. Insect Plagues. Reinforcements for 
 the Lake detained. Mr. England 113 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Bwana sick. Fresh perplexities. Plans upset. German 
 Schemes. The New B. E. A. Company. Disturbances 
 on the Coast "Tom." War in the air 143 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 Fresh arrivals. Full up. Germans in difficulties. Mr. Mac- 
 kenzie and staff. Jerusalem. A ghastly sight. Run- 
 away Slaves. Mr. Mackenzie and Arab Sheiks. A happy 
 settlement of a difficult business 166 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 Worries. Reception of Mr. Mackenzie at Rabai. Taylor ill 
 at Chaga. Fitch and Dr. Edwards to the rescue. Nego- 
 tiations for ransom of Runaways. A strange suggestion. 
 The Blockade. Routes to the interior closed. A 
 puzzling Telegram 201 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 The shameless Arabs. The Rebel Chief, Mbaruk, claims my 
 hospitality. Efforts to open comiminications with inland 
 Stations. Invited by Director of the B. E. A. Co. to 
 plant a chain of Mission Stations along their new line of 
 route. Mbungu. Shockingnews from Zanzibar. Grand 
 New Year's Day in Rabai. Letter from Mackay 229
 
 Contents. xi 
 
 CHAPTEE XII. 
 
 Startling news from Uganda. Missionaries murdered at Fugu. 
 Worrying correspondence. Threatened attack on Frere 
 Town. Wars and Rumours 286 
 
 CHAPTEE XIII. 
 
 Strange visitors. Eabai Mpia. Death of Khamis bin Saad. 
 A fierce attack of Siafu. Farewell visits to Shimba 
 * and Eabai. Leave Frere Town, March 29, 1889 309
 
 MY THIRD CAMPAIGN IN EAST AFRICA, 
 
 CHAPTEE I. 
 HOW IT CAME ABOUT. NOTES BY THE WAY. 
 
 AFTER my return from my second visit to East Africa 
 in 1882, 1 was often asked, "When are you going back?" 
 to which inquiry I could only say " I really cannot tell ; 
 humanly speaking there is no prospect of my going out 
 again, but I consider myself on the reserve list, and if 
 the call comes I am ready ". The fact is, the East 
 African Mission had such a hold upon rne, had so 
 become a part of my very self, that I never could divest 
 myself of the thought that sooner or later the time 
 would come for me to take down my staff and sally 
 forth again to take active part in a work in which my 
 soul delighted. It came at last, as such things often 
 do come, when least expected. One morning, in 
 December, 1887, I received a letter from one of the 
 secretaries at Salisbury Square giving me a somewhat 
 gloomy account of the state of things in the East African 
 Mission. Bishop Parker was away some hundreds of 
 miles in the interior, and could not be back for several 
 months the two senior missionaries had broken down
 
 2 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 in health, and had been invalided home and so the 
 Mission, at a very critical juncture, owing to a variety 
 of circumstances, was left practically without a head. 
 The letter ended with the simple question, " Can you 
 help us?" Having read and re-read the letter, I rather 
 startled my wife by saying, " Here's a call for me to go 
 out again to East Africa ". For what could I say to 
 that question ? How could I possibly help in such an 
 emergency '? I could think of only one way ; so after 
 carefully thinking the matter over I replied: " . . . 
 You ask ' Can you help us ? ' Well, I know only one 
 .man who possesses some qualifications for the work 
 and who would at the same time be really willing to 
 respond to a distinct call to undertake the task. He 
 is just turned 62 years of age, has, humanly speaking, 
 several years of good active work in him, and his heart 
 has long been in East Africa. The man I refer to seeks 
 no distinctions, is just willing to be a servant of servants, 
 so he may be in any way an instrument in forwarding 
 the Lord's cause in Africa. I need say no more I 
 dare not for it is with the Holy Spirit to separate 
 whom He will." 
 
 On January 20th, 1888, 1 heard again from the Com- 
 mittee. Whilst expressing themselves deeply grateful 
 for my offer of help, they felt a difficulty in availing 
 themselves of it. As founder of Frere Town, and 
 quondam director of the Mission, I had had a free hand, 
 which under the altered circumstances of the Mission, 
 they could not now offer me. The Bishop was now 
 director of the Mission, and he would be back in a few 
 months. What was now wanted was a man to " hold
 
 How it came about. 3 
 
 the Fort," and keep things going till his return, and 
 they thought that this was scarcely such a dignified 
 position as they could ask me to accept ! If I had 
 entertained any feelings of this kind, there would have 
 been an end of the matter ; but as nothing was further 
 from my thoughts, I replied as follows : 
 
 "I quite see your difficulty and appreciate it. If I 
 did go out under present circumstances, my role would 
 no doubt be very different from what it was on former 
 occasions ; I quite understand that. I should not 
 indeed dream of such a thing, if I did not feel that I 
 could loyally carry on the work, on the lines laid down. 
 This would be all the easier to me, inasmuch as, to 
 the best of my knowledge, there have been no violent 
 new departures ; and it has been a source of no little 
 gratification to me to find, that the changes, such as 
 they are, are for the most part only such as might 
 naturally be expected to result from the development of 
 plans and suggestions which I submitted to the Com- 
 mittee some five years ago ; even the Shimba Mission 
 which I feared had fallen through, is, I am glad to see, 
 being taken up in earnest. 
 
 " I have said perhaps all that I ought to say on the 
 subject. I wish, however, the Committee clearly to 
 understand that my offer of service is not made lightly, 
 or without counting the cost. I have got beyond the 
 age of romance, but my interest in the East African 
 Mission will last to my dying day, and if I can be of 
 any use in connexion with it, you know where to find 
 me; and, better still, He who rules all things according 
 to His will, and for the good of His own cause, as well
 
 4 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 as of each of his servants, knows also. There I desire 
 to leave it." 
 
 It will enable friends of the C. M. S. to see how 
 difficult questions are dealt with at Salisbury Square, 
 if I give here an extract from the letter I received in 
 reply : " Many thanks for your very kind note of the 
 23rd. We warmly appreciate its spirit. We considered 
 the whole question carefully yesterday in Group sub- 
 Committee, and agreed to recommend the Committee to 
 avail themselves of your kindly expressed readiness to 
 go for a limited time to take charge of the Mission. This 
 recommendation will not be before the Committee till 
 their next meeting on February 7th. 
 
 " There are certain considerations which need atten- 
 tion at once, however, in view of your possibly undertak- 
 ing the responsibility. The next steamer sails three 
 weeks to-morrow the next after that at a further 
 interval of four weeks. From the last mail's letter I 
 fear that Mr. Binns, who is nobly holding on, may 
 have to leave at any moment, and that probably the 
 sooner he is relieved the better and the kinder it will be. 
 Then, when the Bishop will be down again, who can 
 tell ? Suppose Mr. Stanley's arrival at Wadelai, and 
 consequent events render Uganda open, the Bishop 
 will probably wish to see the place, and possibly to 
 confer priest's orders on Gordon. It seems almost im- 
 possible to forecast the future in this matter. We 
 should not propose to you any arrangement which 
 would involve the resigning of your Living ; the length 
 of the visit you could pay would depend therefore on 
 the Bishop (of Norwich). We could probably supply
 
 Under Orders. 5 
 
 your place by a missionary at home for as long as the 
 Bishop would spare you. These questions of the date 
 of departure the limit of your stay and the Bishop's 
 leave should perhaps be at once considered, though no 
 definite arrangement can be made till after February 
 7th. ..." 
 
 I don't think I was over-anxious as to the result ; 
 but a fortnight's suspense in a matter of such vital 
 importance seemed rather a long time. I only requested 
 that the earliest intimation might be given me of the 
 Committee's decision. Accordingly on the Evening of 
 Feb. 7, I received a Telegram: "The Com. thankfully 
 accept your offer ". I was at the time at St. Leonard's, 
 giving addresses in connection with a Missionary Loan 
 Exhibition. I had, of course, to cut short my engage- 
 ment, and hasten to Town by the earliest train next 
 day. That Telegram had changed the whole current 
 of my life ! A fortnight hence I must be on my way to 
 East Africa, and between now and then how much has 
 to be done ! I have to be examined and passed by the 
 Medical Board I must obtain first, "permission" of 
 the Archbishop of Canterbury ; and then, " leave of 
 absence " from the Bishop of Norwich I have to make 
 provision for my Parish to hand it over to my locum 
 tenens to pack up to say a parting word to my people 
 and a hundred matters to arrange before I can slip 
 cable and be off. 
 
 Happily everything worked smoothly, difficulties 
 were one after another overcome, and on the 21st I 
 was at Salisbury Square by the invitation of the Com- 
 mittee, to have my farewell interview with them. I 
 
 2
 
 6 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 expected a very quiet affair, as I saw on the Agenda 
 Paper " Take leave of the Eev. W. Salter Price, pro- 
 ceeding to East Africa " one little item in a long list 
 of important matters, which were to occupy the atten- 
 tion of the Committee. I was accompanied by my wife 
 and we were little prepared for what awaited us. There 
 seemed to be an unusually good attendance of members 
 the large room was nearly full ; and on our entry, they 
 all stood up and received us with acclamation. I was 
 overwhelmed at such an unexpected reception. We 
 were seated together in front of the chair, which was 
 occupied by Mr. Morris ; and the " Instructions " were 
 read by Rev. B. Lang. They were couched in the 
 kindest and most nattering terms, and read in a clear 
 voice and not without evident emotion. Next came 
 dear good Bishop Perry with a few words, full of love 
 and encouragement, and then the Chairman. They all 
 expressed the gratitude of the Committee for my readi- 
 ness, on such short notice, to go again to the front, at a 
 critical conjuncture in the Mission. We were then 
 most appropriately and touchingly commended to God 
 in prayer by Mr. Whiting and Mr. Sharpe ; after 
 which came a cordial hand-shaking all round, with 
 many expressions of regard and goodwill on the part of 
 individual members of Committee. 
 
 Was it all a dream? No, it was real enough ; though 
 a few weeks ago it would have seemed almost impossible. 
 Here am I at 62, going forth once more to my old post 
 at Frere Town, owing to the breakdown in health of 
 the only two missionaries, whose experience might 
 have enabled them to take the direction of affairs in
 
 Partings. j 
 
 the absence of the Bishop. It was one of those crises 
 in one's life which can only rarely occur ; and the 
 solemn event of to-day with all the circumstances con- 
 nected with it, and the whole scene in the Committee 
 Boom, left an impression on my mind, which cannot 
 soon be effaced. My own words were altogether in- 
 adequate to the occasion. How could it be otherwise ? 
 I was so taken by surprise ; so completely overwhelmed 
 by the kindness and sympathy so warmly expressed by 
 all. Of course it was highly gratifying to receive such 
 assurances of the Committee's confidence, and to have 
 once more the great honour and privilege of being 
 called to active service in the Mission field, but more 
 than all I felt humbled -to the dust, when I thought 
 how utterly unworthy I was of it all. I can only hope 
 that God will, of His great mercy, pardon my unwor- 
 thiness, and that He will enable me by His grace 
 faithfully and wisely to fulfil the task entrusted to me. 
 
 The next day was spent quietly at Canterbury, and 
 with the following morning (February 23rd) came the 
 inevitable partings the last prayer ! the last loving 
 word ! the last look ! These are things which can only 
 be understood by those who have gone through them. 
 My dear wife was to have gone with me to Dover, but 
 it was out of the question : I left her in bed, suffering 
 from a severe cold. It seemed cruel, parting so ; but 
 perhaps after all it was best. It was a bitterly cold 
 morning, with a high wind snow and sleet and we 
 had a rough passage from Dover to Calais. Most of 
 my fellow-passengers were in a bad way, and the saloon 
 was soon converted into an hospital ; so being left to
 
 8 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 myself, I had time to meditate on the important step I 
 had taken, and to try to realize my new position. After 
 all, I go forth not knowing the things that shall befall 
 me there ; except that trials and difficulties of one kind 
 or another I shall be sure to meet with. Feeling how- 
 ever that I am in the path of duty, I have no misgivings : 
 
 " I do not ask to see 
 The distant scene : one step enough for me ". 
 
 A journey by land and sea of some 6000 miles, must 
 needs furnish many incidents worth telling, but it 
 would not be germane to my present object to tell them. 
 I will only say that by dint of rapid travelling through 
 France and Italy, I passed, in two days, out of the 
 depth of winter, into genial spring. We left Brin- 
 disi early on Monday morning, Feb. 27, in the P. and O.'s 
 fine steamer, the " Pekin," and had splendid weather 
 all the way. The only disagreeable affair that we met 
 with was a sand-storm which overtook us in the Suez 
 Canal. It came on quite suddenly ; there was first a 
 dry hot wind which brought up clouds of fine sand from 
 the desert, turning day into night, and which not only 
 made us all very miserable by getting into eyes, nose 
 and mouth, but also delayed us several hours on our 
 journey. As a pleasant set-off to this, that same night 
 Col. Euan Smith, who was on his way to Zanzibar as 
 H. M. Consul-General, came on board at Ismailia, and I 
 had his company for the rest of the voyage, and oppor- 
 tunities which I greatly valued, of conversing with him 
 on many topics of interest to both of us. At Aden we had 
 to exchange the "Pekin" with its splendid accommo- 
 dation, for the B. I. S. N. Co.'s boat, the " Baghdad ". It
 
 Arrival. g 
 
 was a change indeed ; but perhaps as great improvements 
 in this service are inevitable before long, the less said 
 about it the better. It must be recorded however that 
 the Captain did his best to get speed out of the old ship, 
 and so brought us into Port two or three days before 
 we were expected ! We anchored in Mombasa harbour 
 at 9 a.m. on March 14, having made the trip from Aden 
 in seven days, and from Dover in twenty ! 
 
 It was, for obvious reasons, most desirable to open 
 up communications with Bishop Parker, with as little 
 delay as possible, and with this object, I addressed to 
 him the following letter, to be forwarded on arrival. 
 
 March 9th, 1888, 
 
 " ON BOARD THE ' BAGHDAD '. 
 
 " MY DEAE BISHOP PAEKEE, 
 
 " You will be surprised when you get this, to 
 learn that I am again at Frere Town. As, with this, 
 you will be sure to receive letters from the Committee 
 giving you all information as to the reasons for my 
 coming, I need not enter into that. 
 
 " I saw Shaw in England, and learnt from him all I 
 could as to the present condition of things in the Mis- 
 sion. There has been trouble at Teita. According to 
 the Eeport shown to me at home, Wray and Morris 
 were attacked by a lot of hostile natives. By the acci- 
 dental discharge of a gun, one of the assailants was shot, 
 and the Missionaries had to pay a considerable sum by 
 way of compensation. Whatever may be the merits of 
 the case, it seems clear that the relations between our 
 Brethren and some of the natives are very strained.
 
 io My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 The Committee contemplated the possible necessity of 
 withdrawing the Mission, at least for a season. In a 
 few days I hope to know more of the exact state of 
 affairs, and will write you fully by the first oppor- 
 tunity. Meanwhile you may depend upon my doing my 
 best to carry on the Mission on the lines laid down. 
 
 "We are just rounding Cape Guardafui, and hope 
 to be at Mombasa five days hence, so I shall keep this 
 open, in order to report my arrival and give you the 
 latest items of intelligence. I shall do all I can to 
 persuade Binns, if he has not already left, to stay on, at 
 least till your return, should the state of his health 
 admit of it. 
 
 " Col. and Mrs. Euan Smith are my fellow-passengers. 
 He asks me to give their very kind regards and to say, 
 that he received your letter of Sept. 5, 1887, at Aden, but 
 not Mackay's Journals, which you speak of as forwarded 
 same time. 
 
 " I shall be very anxious to get a letter from you, 
 and hope to hear that God has opened you a way out of 
 your difficulties, and made your enemies to be at peace 
 with you. We shall have you in constant remembrance 
 in our prayers, as we trust you also will us. I hope you 
 will write to me freely and fully as to any matters you 
 wish attended to. Please forget that I have ever been 
 Director of the Mission ; think of me simply as an old 
 Missionary, who is only too glad and thankful to be 
 permitted to render a little more service in the Master's 
 cause, and that in a part of the vineyard endeared to him 
 by many associations of the past. 
 
 " With kindest Christian regards to yourself, Ashe,
 
 Bishop Parker. 1 1 
 
 Walker, the brave Mackay, and all the Brethren, and 
 earnestly praying you may be preserved, and abundantly 
 prospered in all your plans and labours. 
 " I remain, 
 
 " Yours very faithfully, 
 
 "W. SALTEE PRICE." 
 
 It painfully brings home to us the uncertainties of life in East 
 Africa to note that the day this letter was despatched (March 14) 
 was the very day on which Bishop Parker wrote his letter to the 
 Committee, giving a touching account of the last days and death of 
 dear Blackburn, and that, just a fortnight later, the good Bishop 
 himself after a few hours illness entered into his rest. Of course 
 neither this letter, nor one I wrote to him a month later ever came 
 to his hand, and he passed away without any knowledge of my tem- 
 porary appointment.
 
 CHAPTEK II. 
 ARRIVAL AT FRERE TOWN. GETTING INTO HARNESS. 
 
 FEW things in this world are more inspiriting than 
 getting into port. This morning (March 14) soon after 
 dawn, the welcome news spread through the ship that 
 land was in sight, and that in a few hours we should 
 be at our anchorage. It set everything in commotion 
 the crew were " about ship " laying out cables, opening 
 hatches, getting up cargo, and doing a hundred things 
 which have to be done on such occasions ; whilst the 
 passengers in every variety of dress and undress, and 
 with binoculars in hand, were crowding the deck, and 
 straining their eyes westward to take in the view. At 
 first there was nothing to be seen except the long 
 stretch of coast, which, in the mist and glare of early 
 morning, was not very distinct ; but presently, as we 
 drew nearer to the land, and the sun rose higher in the 
 heavens, the peculiar features of the coast came, one 
 after another, into sight, and we make out clearly where 
 we are. First of all, the " Corona," a cluster of three 
 conical hills, about five miles inland the true landmark 
 of Mombasa ; then about twenty miles to the south, the 
 Shimba heights, a range of hills of singular conforma- 
 tion, running parallel with the coast ; then the Sultan's 
 red flag flying over the old Portuguese Fort of Mom- 
 basa ; then the Fort itself, and the Town, which, sink
 
 Frere Town. 13 
 
 of corruption though it be, looks picturesque enough in 
 the distance ; and lastly, right in front of us most 
 gladsome sight of all to me the Mission Settlement of 
 Frere Town. The view as you approach it from the sea 
 is singularly beautiful ; a pleasurable surprise to those 
 who look on it for the first time. For one thing it 
 occupies a splendid site the best, I believe, on the 
 whole East African coast. In the foreground lies a long 
 stretch of shelving sandy beach, in the form of a crescent, 
 behind which, rising abruptly some seventy feet stands 
 Frere Town, presenting the appearance of a huge 
 natural amphitheatre. Conspicuous to the view are 
 " topes " of giant Mangoe trees, with their massive dark 
 foliage ; and hundreds of graceful Palms, towering high 
 above them, with their waving crowns and clusters of 
 fruit numbers of " Gold-mohurs," which I imported 
 from Bombay twelve years ago, now grown into stately 
 trees, and covered with gorgeous flowers ; and many 
 other specimens of tree and bush which delight in the 
 moist heat of this tropical region ; whilst, here and 
 there, the houses and other Mission buildings, peeping 
 out from amongst all this exuberance of verdure, give a 
 touch of life to the scene, and add finish to a picture, 
 which, although exquisitely charming to the eye, is not 
 easy to describe in words. 
 
 How different the feelings with which I look on it 
 to-day, from those with which I saw it last, nearly six 
 years ago : all the difference between putting off one's 
 armour, and buckling it on ! Then I had come out entrust- 
 ed with a special commission, connected with matters 
 seriously affecting the welfare of the Mission, and requir-
 
 14 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 ing very delicate handling. I had been only six months 
 in the country the limit of leave kindly granted to me 
 by my Bishop but they were six months crowded with 
 stirring events, and varied experiences. On the one 
 hand I was twice laid low, almost at death's door, with 
 African fever I had had to encounter the secret 
 hostility and base treachery of the Wali of Mombasa : 
 an Arab of the Arabs, who, whilst professing " eternal 
 friendship " for me, was plotting against me and the 
 Mission and I had narrowly escaped falling into the 
 hands of the rebel outlaw, Mbaruk. In regard to these 
 and many other difficult matters, I had good reason to 
 acknowledge " the good hand of God upon me ". And 
 on the other hand, I had been enabled to accomplish 
 to the satisfaction of the Committee, the difficult task 
 entrusted to me, and to give the Mission a fresh start. 
 I had succeeded, after much tedious negotiation, in 
 obtaining a footing for a Mission Station on the Shimba 
 heights, which may become a sanatorium, and an evan- 
 gelizing centre for the hitherto neglected Wadigo people : 
 a step urgently pressed upon me by my dear old friend 
 Dr. Krapf, the father of the East African Mission I had 
 been permitted once more to see " my children," and to 
 have much happy intercourse with them, and with my 
 Missionary brethren, some of whom I came to know 
 now for the first time and lastly, I had enjoyed bound- 
 less hospitality and kindness at the hands of Col. Miles, 
 H.M. acting Consul-General, Capt. Luxmore, com- 
 manding H.M.S. " London," Dr. Kobb, and many 
 others, which can never be forgotten. No wonder it 
 was with very mixed feelings I turned my back on
 
 Outlook. 1 5 
 
 East Africa, and my face homeward on that occasion ! 
 What those feelings were may be gathered from the 
 following extract from my journal written at the time : 
 " And is it so ? Can it be that I have seen Frere Town 
 for the last time ? that my work there is finished ? 
 that I shall no more go in and out among those whom 
 I have known and loved so long ? and that henceforth 
 I have nothing to do with plans for carrying out the 
 grand idea of extending a chain of Christian Missions 
 across the Dark Continent ? It is hard to realize all 
 this ; but the future is in His hands, who knows what 
 is best for His own glory what is best for the Mission 
 and what is best for His poor unworthy servant ; and 
 there I will try to leave it, and learn to say, ' Thy will 
 be done '." 
 
 My soul is stirred with other thoughts to-day. God 
 in His good providence has opened the way for my 
 return to the scene of former labours ; and I am full of 
 hope that He has a work for me to do, and that He 
 will give me strength and grace to do it. I am not 
 weighted, as on a former occasion, with any distasteful 
 and troublesome business, to make my visit unwelcome 
 to anyone ; I may find some causes for disappointment, 
 but at the same time I shall no doubt see many signs of 
 progress to refresh and cheer me. I am looking forward 
 to a happy meeting with many dear old friends, to whom 
 my coming will be a glad surprise ; and to add zest to 
 my undertaking, events and changes are impending } 
 which cannot fail seriously to affect, for better or worse, 
 the welfare of the East African Mission. It is a most 
 critical time !
 
 1 6 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 Whilst these thoughts were rapidly passing through 
 my mind, the " Baghdad " had threaded her way 
 through the narrow channel the gun had been fired 
 announcing the arrival of H. M. mails and we were 
 quietly anchored in the beautiful harbour of Mombasa, 
 just under the old Mission House, and about a mile 
 from Frere Town. Not a soul at Frere Town knew of 
 my coming, so when the news was carried on shore, the 
 people could scarcely believe it. It was as if I had 
 suddenly dropped out of the clouds. As soon as they 
 did realize it, they flocked to the beach, and as their old 
 " Papa " stepped out of his boat a chorus of " yambos " 
 greeted him their joy knew no bounds they were be- 
 side themselves. I was completely taken by storm all 
 being eager to shake hands, or to get some token of 
 recognition ; at last one sturdy fellow pushed through 
 the crowd and stooping down took me on his broad 
 back, and carried me off in triumph up the steep path 
 to the Mission bungalow. Mr. Ehlers, a German 
 gentleman and fellow-passenger, was with me, and 
 never having seen an African welcome before, was 
 greatly amused and delighted. 
 
 Apart from this warm reception my experiences of 
 that first day and night were the opposite of charming. 
 In the first place, as I was unexpected, I found nothing 
 ready. The Bishop's house, in which I was located, 
 had been shut up, and left to rats and bats. It was in 
 a filthy condition, and the stench was poisonous. To 
 sleep inside was out of the question, so I got an old bed 
 rigged up in the verandah. Then as I had come out on 
 such short notice, and for only a few months, I had not
 
 Reception. 1 7 
 
 brought with me either provisions or cooking pots ; I had 
 been assured that I should find everything of this kind 
 in the Mission as a matter of fact I found next to 
 nothing. I am quite sure the Brethren would gladly 
 have supplied my wants, but they very naturally sup- 
 posed that I was independent of their help, and the 
 result was that I was wholly destitute and rather 
 miserable. It had been a very trying day ; what with 
 the excitement of the morning, and two or three trips 
 in an open boat, under a blazing sun, to the steamer 
 and back, I was completely knocked up. I went early 
 to bed, but not to sleep. About 11 p.m. I was startled 
 by a sudden glare as of the noonday sun. At first it 
 seemed as if the house was on fire ; it was satisfac- 
 tory to find it was nothing more than a flash of the 
 " Mariner's " electric light. 
 
 Next morning, in spite of a sleepless night, I was 
 up with the sun, feeling considerably refreshed. Every- 
 thing had put on a brighter look. I had had a fit of 
 lonesomeness, not much to be wondered at under the 
 circumstances, of which I now felt more than half 
 ashamed. I was thankful it had passed away, and 
 that I was able to take a more reasonable view of 
 my position and prospects. I had not come to East 
 Africa with any idea of a pleasure trip. I had 
 counted the cost, and knew pretty well, what I had 
 to expect ; and it would be silly now, to mope and 
 fret and get home-sick, because I don't find myself in 
 " a bed of roses ". No, I have a work before me, 
 which will demand all my thoughts and time and 
 energies, and my wisest course is, looking to the
 
 1 8 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 Strong One for strength, to get into harness and 
 buckle to without delay. 
 
 The " Baghdad " left to-day for Zanzibar carrying 
 with her my good friends and fellow-voyagers. A part- 
 ing present was brought to me from Mrs. Euan Smith, 
 in the shape of a hamper packed with all sorts of good 
 things, which not only set me up in housekeeping re- 
 quisites, but landed me in the lap of luxury. I was 
 thankful for the things they were most timely and 
 acceptable but a hundred times more, I valued the kind 
 "good Samaritan" spirit, which prompted the sending 
 of them. 
 
 A small party of Englishmen from one of the ships 
 paid a visit to Frere Town this afternoon. Meeting 
 one of our young men, one of these gentlemen asked 
 sneeringly " Are you a Christian ? " The youth replied, 
 " Are you, Sir ? " " No," he answered, " I'm a devil." 
 If is very sad, but God's work has to be carried on in 
 spite of such stumbling blocks. 
 
 March 17. Having arranged with Captain Arbuth- 
 not to pay a visit to Rabai, we set out in the " Mariner's " 
 launch at 7 a.m. an hour too late ! The distance is 
 15 miles, of which the first 10 are by water up a creek, 
 and the remainder by land rather an up-hill walk. 
 We had not gone far before we missed our way, and 
 got entangled among mangrove trees, and only just 
 escaped having to spend the day in the dismal swamp. 
 As it was we lost a good hour, and did not reach the 
 " banderini " till nine, and then, for want of a small 
 boat, we had difficulty in landing. By this time the 
 sun was out in full force and we had a fatiguing walk
 
 An African Welcome. 19 
 
 to Eabai, which we did not reach till nearly 11 o'clock. 
 A number of men, some 300 or 400, were awaiting us at 
 the "banderini," and from there to the Mission Station 
 I was greeted with the wildest demonstrations of 
 welcome guns went off on every side the men danced, 
 leapt, shouted and sang, and every now and then came 
 the refrain in which all seemed to join, " Bwana wetu 
 amekuja," (our Master is come). Captain Arbuthnot, 
 who had never seen anything of the kind before, was 
 greatly interested ; but the heat and excitement were 
 almost too much for us. In the large open square 
 between the Church and the Mission house, all the 
 people were assembled between one and two thousand, 
 in their Sunday best for the final welcome. There 
 were a good many old faces, which I recognised at once, 
 and of course a good many new ones ; but old or new, 
 they were animated by one intent ; and here, it was 
 evident, the grand reception was to take place ; but by 
 this time we were both completely done up, and had to 
 beat a hasty retreat to the shelter of the Mission house, 
 and get a cold douche on our heads. I was really sorry 
 to balk the good people of their design of doing me 
 honour, and showing their regard, so I asked Mr. Jones 
 (Native Pastor) to apologize and explain, promising to 
 pay them another visit shortly and make amends for 
 my seeming rudeness. 
 
 What a contrast between Rabai when I first visited it 
 thirteen years ago and as it is now ! Then, I found there 
 dear old Eebmann in his blindness, and, at the most, 
 half a dozen native Christians. Now, there is a well 
 laid out town with a population of nearly 2000 people.
 
 2O My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 Some of them are freed slaves, but the greater number 
 are pure Wa-nika, from the surrounding country. They 
 are all either Christians, or such as have "joined the 
 Book," i.e. have given up their heathen customs, and 
 are under regular instruction in the Christian Faith. 
 The community is entirely self-supporting, and for the 
 most part they maintain themselves by the cultivation 
 of the land. 
 
 The new Church, opened nearly two years ago, is a 
 conspicuous object. It is a plain but substantial build- 
 ing, with accommodation for about 800 people, and is 
 generally, both at week-day and Sunday services, well 
 filled. I hope the kind friends who, in response to my 
 appeal some twelve years ago, exerted themselves to 
 collect the funds, as well as those who contributed, will 
 take note that, notwithstanding many difficulties and 
 disappointments, the good work has been completed, 
 and a Christian Temple now crowns the heights of Rabai 
 " whither the tribes go up" to offer prayers and praises 
 to the living God, and to listen to His life-giving word. 
 In so short a time, and tired as I was, it was not possible 
 to enquire much into details of the work, which at 
 present is entirely carried on by the Native Pastor, my 
 old friend, William Jones. The thought which more 
 than any other forces itself on one's mind is "the 
 harvest," how great! "the labourers," how few ! Here 
 is an almost unlimited field, a wide and open door. 
 A superintendent Missionary, three or four devoted 
 English ladies, and a good Schoolmaster, would be a 
 barely sufficient staff to grapple with the work ready to 
 hand; whilst at present all is on the shoulders of the
 
 Church at Frere Town. 2 1 
 
 Native Pastor. We did not get to the "banderini" till 
 after sun-set, but as we had the blessing of a bright 
 moon and were steered by a native Christian pilot 
 thoroughly acquainted with the ins and outs of the creek, 
 we reached Frere Town without any mishap about 8 
 p.m. 
 
 Lord's Day, March 18. At Capt. Arbuthnot's request, 
 conducted Divine Service on board the " Mariner ". 
 It was a great treat to me and the English brethren a 
 quiet English service on board a British man-of-war, 
 with a congregation composed entirely of our own 
 countrymen. Mr. Smith read prayers, the Captain the 
 lessons, and I preached from " What does it profit," etc. 
 It goes without saying that the sailors were very orderly 
 and well-behaved: more than that they were most 
 attentive, and joined heartily in the service. 
 
 In the afternoon I attended the Native Service. The 
 temporary Church was well filled with a strangly mixed 
 congregation. The majority, adults and children, are 
 freed slaves of many African tribes, presenting a great 
 variety of feature. They are all, as at Kabai, either 
 baptized Christians, or catechumens under instruction. 
 In their case we see how God " has made the wrath of 
 men to praise him," and " turned the curse into a 
 blessing". Humanly speaking, had they not fallen 
 into the clutches of the cruel man-stealer, they would 
 never have come under the sound of the Gospel. 
 
 It was with very grateful feelings I looked round on 
 that congregation, as I called to mind what they were 
 when they first came to us. They were as ignorant as 
 the brutes that perish, with not a glimmering of the 
 
 3
 
 22 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 great God who made them, or of the blessed Saviour 
 who came into the world to save them. Much patient 
 labour has been bestowed on them, and it has not been 
 in vain ; certainly a wonderful change for the better 
 has come over them, and it has been brought about in 
 a wonderful way. This is true of all, whilst of not a 
 few it may be said they are living decent Christian lives, 
 and giving us every reason to hope that "they have not 
 received the grace of God in vain ". To-day I see them 
 "clothed and in their right minds," sitting in God's 
 house listening with attention to the eloquent and 
 earnest utterances of a young man, one of themselves, 
 who came to me a poor slave boy some twelve years 
 ago. Then, too, the behaviour of these poor people 
 strikes one much after what, alas! we are so accustomed 
 to see in so many churches at home. None of them 
 think of taking their seats without first going on their 
 knees. Whilst waiting for Service to begin, you might 
 almost hear a pin drop, no talking or noise ; and the 
 Service itself is heart-stirring, all, old and young, joining 
 in the singing and responses. I could not help think- 
 ing if some of our young men in Suffolk could witness 
 what I have witnessed to-day, they would feel, just a 
 little ashamed of themselves. 
 
 There are many people, I know, who do not believe 
 in African Christians. I am not surprised at that ; for 
 undoubtedly the races of Africa with whom we have 
 corne into contact have been so miserably low, intellectu- 
 ally and morally, in the scale of humanity, apparently so 
 dull and unimpressionable, that to persons who take no 
 account of the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit,
 
 African Christians. 23 
 
 it must seem a thing incredible that any of them should 
 become intelligent Christians. That they can and do 
 become such, is beyond all question to those who from 
 personal observation, have the opportunity of forming 
 an opinion ; that in some cases indeed their conversion 
 is intensely real is evidenced by the heroic conduct of 
 the Uganda Martyrs. The only account that can be 
 given of it is, that " with God all things are possible," 
 and that it often pleases Him " to hide these things 
 from the wise and prudent, and to reveal them unto 
 babes ". 
 
 It would be unreasonable to expect from them 
 from such at least, as come to us as adults a high 
 standard of spiritual attainments. They have never 
 studied the Evidences, and never heard of Paley and 
 Butler, or other great champions of the Faith. They 
 have simply heard the Gospel : " line upon line " their 
 hearts have been opened to receive it they have found 
 in it something which meets their souls' needs and is 
 it nothing ? Nay, is it a small thing if they can say, as 
 many of them can, " whereas I was blind, now I 
 see"? 
 
 Thursday, March 22. A tornado came on in the 
 night. It was a deluge, accompanied with terrific 
 lightning and thunder ; the wind nearly blew me out of 
 bed. It is just a month to-day since I left home, and I 
 have been here a week. I am beginning to settle down 
 and form plans for future work. Preliminary to this I 
 have been carefully reading up the Minutes of the 
 Finance Committee, correspondence, etc., so as to make 
 myself thoroughly acquainted with the actual state of
 
 24 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 affairs in the Mission. I have to remember that my 
 work now is not to organize, but to carry things on 
 upon lines already laid down. The accompanying chart, 
 kindly furnished me by my friend and colleague, the 
 Rev. W. E. Taylor, will show at a glance the Stations 
 for the supervision of which I am responsible. They 
 have all, with the exception of Kabai, come into exis- 
 tence during the last 10 or 12 years ; and each Station 
 is a centre for evangelistic work among a distinct tribe, 
 having its own language, customs and superstitions. 
 
 I have now made the acquaintance of all my fellow- 
 labourers. They are all with one exception, new comers, 
 and have of course, much to learn, and something 
 to unlearn ; but as far as I have seen of them, they 
 are men and women of the right " stuff," whose hearts 
 are in their work, and I have no doubt we shall get 
 on happily together. To avoid repetition I may here 
 say that we have a noon-day Prayer Meeting every day, 
 and a weekly Bible-reading on every Monday evening, 
 at which all the workers European and Native come 
 together. 
 
 Miss Fitch reminds me that it is just a year to-day, 
 since she and I met at Brighton. How little we thought 
 then, we should ever meet in East Africa. All my old 
 Nasik * friends are, of course, greatly delighted "to see 
 me amongst them once more, and they make very 
 particular enquiries after "Mama" and the "Babalok". 
 One of them, Cephas, has been cooking for me, and 
 when I told him that my eldest son, whom he only 
 
 * Africans trained by me in India.
 
 A Palace! 25 
 
 remembered as a child, was married and had a daughter, 
 he almost went into fits. Poor Cephas now and then 
 gets a fit of another kind, otherwise he is not at all a 
 bad cook, and is very willing and attentive to me. 
 
 Monday, March 26. Paid a visit to the Wali of 
 Mombasa, Salim bin Halfan, and found him very civil 
 and obliging ; rather more gushing than I like, but then 
 he is an Arab and I a cold-blooded Englishman ! I 
 spoke to him about the " watoro " said to be in our 
 Rabai Station, and told him plainly that we had no 
 wish to harbour any of these people, and that if he 
 heard any complaints, and would let me know, I would 
 do everything in my power to satisfy the just claims of 
 the Arab and Suaheli owners. He replied that there 
 was no need for hurry in the matter, adding, " Wise men 
 act slowly ". 
 
 After arranging with him some other matters of 
 business he with much satisfaction showed me a travel- 
 ling clock, which our Society, through Mr. Shaw, had 
 presented him with ; and a nicely bound Arabic Bible, 
 which was carefully kept in a silk case. In answer to 
 my question, he said he was reading it, and I urged him 
 to do so the more as it was God's " Word of Life ". 
 
 Have had several men and women employed on the 
 ceiling of the Bishop's house ; removing accumulated 
 filth of bats and other vermin a horrible business ! I 
 hope the Bishop will be grateful to me for making the 
 place decently habitable. " Missionaries live in palaces," 
 say some. Alas ! it is quite true, and this is a good 
 specimen. 
 
 Wednesday, March 28. A caravan went on to-day
 
 26 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 to Teita and Chaga, which gave ine my first oppor- 
 tunity of communicating with our Brethren at these two 
 outlying Stations. How isolated they are ! and what a 
 claim they have on our sympathy and prayers ! Messrs. 
 Moras and Wray, at Teita, are surrounded by hostile 
 natives, and in daily and hourly jeopardy ; whilst Br. 
 Fitch has bravely held on single-handed, and is still 
 holding on, in the face of opposition and difficulty, 
 waiting for the opportunity of proclaiming the " glad 
 tidings " to the poor dark heathen of Chaga. 
 
 Saturday, March 31. Mr. England, schoolmaster 
 of F. Town, has paid a visit to Rabai, and reports very 
 unfavourably of the state of the school there. And no 
 wonder, when we consider how badly off we are for 
 Teachers. We ought by this time to have had a goodly 
 staff of well-trained young men to draw upon, for this 
 and other work. That we have not is much to be 
 regretted. 
 
 Arranged with Taylor for him to go to Shimba for a 
 week or so on Monday next. He can ill be spared from 
 here, but I have no one else to send, and the Station has 
 been already too long without a head. 
 
 We have had a Prayer-Meeting every night this 
 week, reading Dr. Vaughan's Lessons from the Cross 
 and Passion. They have been well attended by mem- 
 bers of the Mission, and I trust not without profit. 
 
 News reaches us of the death of Said Bargash, and 
 of the appointment of his brother, Said Khalifa as his 
 successor. I hope there may be no disturbance, but 
 things are in a very unsettled state, and it is impossible 
 to forecast what may take place any day.
 
 An African Wedding. 27 
 
 Easter Day, April 1. Holy Communion at 7 a.m. The 
 whole Service was in Kisuaheli, and I took the Priest's 
 part. As I had very carefully prepared, I felt quite at 
 home, and got through without a hitch. The communi- 
 cants were 1 English, and about 50 Africans, and among 
 the latter I was very thankful to see the faces of some 
 male and female of my old Nasik children. The Morn- 
 ing Service was at 11 a.m. when the little church was well 
 filled. Taylor preached, and how I envied him his 
 fluency in the language ! 
 
 Dr. Ardagh who is living in Mombasa has been 
 suffering the last few days from fever, diarrhoaa, etc., 
 and feels it necessary to have a change for a week or 
 two. This is just a case which shows how desirable it 
 is to have a decently comfortable place on the Shimba 
 hills : a house of refuge for the sick and weary. I have 
 no doubt it would often be the means of saving precious 
 lives ; and so, even in a pecuniary point of view, a great 
 gain to the Society. At present there is no proper 
 accommodation there for an invalid. 
 
 Monday, April 2. Two weddings came off this 
 morning. The bridegrooms are two steady young 
 fellows, who have learned trades, and saved money 
 enough to build their own cottages and start house- 
 keeping ; and the brides are young women who have 
 been brought up in the school, and of whom Miss Fitch 
 gives a good account. A wedding here is not the tame 
 affair it so often is in England every man, woman and 
 child is interested in it. On coming out of Church, 
 each couple walked arm in arm through the Settlement, 
 calling in at the houses of the Missionaries and others,
 
 28 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 accompanied by a crowd of their friends in the highest 
 state of excitement. The climax was reached by one 
 of the bridegrooms carrying an umbrella very gingerly 
 over his spouse, to shield her from the sun ! 
 
 This evening we had a Magic Lantern exhibition 
 which attracted a room full of people, but just as I was 
 going to begin, it was discovered that there was no 
 chimney to the lantern. What was to be done ? Hap- 
 pily Reid, who is a capital fellow at a pinch, set to 
 work and in ten minutes produced a pro tern, chimney 
 which answered every purpose. The slides were from 
 my own Photos taken in E. Africa, and as one after 
 another they were thrown on the screen and recognised, 
 there were shouts of applause ; but when Ishmael, the 
 Native Pastor, and his family and Khamis bin Sad, a 
 leading Arab of Mombasa stood out, almost life size, on 
 the canvas, the spectators were almost frantic with 
 delight. It was fearfully hot work, but our poor people, 
 old and young, enjoyed it immensely. 
 
 Thursday, April 5. The monsoon is just settiug-in. 
 We have had heavy rain to-day, which has produced a 
 sudden fall in the temperature, and brought out flannel 
 coats. We are all feeling chilly and more or less " out 
 of sorts". Sent Ishmael to the Wali to complain of 
 thieves at the Mombasa Mission house. He sent a 
 polite message back, and promised to place an " askari " 
 on the look-out. 
 
 This evening the Chaga Mail comes in, bringing 
 letters from Fitch, and from Morris at Teita. The 
 latter reports himself far from well weak and prostrate, 
 and kept prisoner in the house by the hostility of the
 
 Tropical Storms. 29 
 
 natives. Arranged with Dr. Ardagh to send up medi- 
 cines to-morrow, and a party of men to bring him down 
 here for a change. 
 
 . Friday, April 6. Another stormy night torrents 
 of rain with strong gusts of wind. I had had my bed 
 brought in from the verandah, but as doors and windows 
 were wide open, I had been almost better outside. I 
 dared not get up, so covered myself well up in my rug. 
 Bain has continued throughout the day, and the tanks 
 are all full, which is a blessing. Had a " Shauri " with 
 Adamji and the " Dhobi," both of whom need to be 
 sharply looked after. Hard at work with letters for 
 the English Mail, and for the Brethren up-country. 
 
 Sunday, April 8. After afternoon Service set out 
 with Ishmael on a house to house visitation. The 
 Settlement has grown considerably since my last visit 
 in 1882. More freed slaves have been received, and 
 many who were then boys and girls have become men 
 and women, and are married and settled. The cottages 
 of these latter are, as a rule, better built, and more 
 trimly kept than the others. The freed slaves are of 
 several different tribes, and each tribe has its own 
 quarter of the Colony, This, I venture to think, is a 
 mistake, as it will tend to foster a clannish if not a 
 caste-feeling amongst them, which is very undesirable, 
 and may lead some day to unpleasant consequences. 
 Each cottage has its own bit of land or allotment, on 
 which mahindi, muhogo, and a few other vegetables 
 are grown for home use ; and I noticed that the con- 
 trast between the good and the poor farmers was just as 
 apparent here as it is in Suffolk. This is just the busy
 
 30 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 time for getting in seed. Very pleasant it was to go 
 among them once more, to say a kind word here and 
 there, and to hear and see for myself what God hath 
 wrought for these poor people. 
 
 Monday, April 9. At our weekly Meeting to-night 
 commenced the Pastoral Epistles. After a short intro- 
 duction the subject is left open for remarks or discussion. 
 As this was the first occasion, only two or three joined 
 in, but once they get accustomed to it, the Brethren will 
 feel more freedom, and these Monday evening gatherings 
 will become more interesting and profitable. They 
 afford a good opportunity for all the Mission workers 
 Native and European to come together on equal 
 terms for Prayer and Scripture Beading. 
 
 Tuesday, April 10. Hard at work finishing off 
 letters for Home, etc. This is my wedding day, and how 
 little I dreamt a few months ago of spending it here ! 
 All blessings on the dear wife, wherever she may be 
 my loving companion " for better, for worse," these 39 
 years. They have not been uneventful years. We 
 have had more perhaps than fall to the lot of most, of 
 the " ups and downs" of the joys and sorrows of 
 life ; yet looking back on all God's dealings with us, 
 I feel sure we shall unite to-day in a "TeDeum" 
 " surely goodness and mercy have followed us " nay, 
 may we not in humble confidence adopt the future and 
 say " shall follow us all the days of our life ". 
 
 Having been here now four weeks, and made m}'self 
 pretty well acquainted with the situation, I take this, 
 the earliest opportunity, of writing to Bishop Parker, 
 and of giving him full information as to what is going
 
 To Bishop Parker. 31 
 
 oil in this part of his Diocese. The following letter is 
 invested with a melancholy interest from the circum- 
 stance that a fortnight before it was sent off the Bishop 
 had " finished his course," and found his grave on the 
 southern shore of the Victoria Nyaiiza. As it was 
 written at the time and on the spot, it will give my 
 readers a better idea of the condition of things in the 
 Mission than I could otherwise furnish. 
 
 " To Bishop Parker, Usambiro. 
 
 " FRERE TOWN, Ap>-il 10, 1888. 
 
 "Mr DEAR BISHOP, 
 
 " You will have received my short letter of 
 March 15, announcing my arrival, and giving you one 
 or two items of intelligence. I have now been here a 
 month, and in spite of some things changed, everything 
 seems so natural to me, I can scarcely realize that it is 
 nearly six years since I was here last. The greatest 
 change is in the personnel of the Mission. Dear 
 Taylor is the only one of my old fellow-workers ; all the 
 rest are new hands. What I have seen of them I like 
 much. They all appear to be earnest, conscientious 
 workers, though of course, they have a good deal to 
 learn. You will be glad to hear we are a united party. 
 " My coming was a great surprise to all my old 
 African friends, and you can better imagine, than I 
 describe, how they gave expression to their feelings, 
 No doubt it was a great pleasure to me to see many of 
 them again ; and I earnestly pray God to bless my visit 
 to them.
 
 32 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 " It is just a little difficult for me to write to you 
 as freely as I could wish, because till I hear from 
 you we are scarcely in touch. However I have done 
 my best to post myself up in all that has taken place 
 in the Mission during the last three or four months, 
 and have carefully read your letters and directions to 
 Binns, Shaw, etc. 
 
 " 1. I am thankful to be able to report, on the whole, a 
 clean bill of health as regards the English staff. Dr. 
 Ardagh is the only exception, he gets fever every few 
 days, not severe attacks, but sufficient to lay him aside 
 from work. I hope a change to Rabai or Shimba for a 
 week or so may set him up ; though I doubt if he is to 
 be reckoned upon for any long stay in this climate. 
 The last three weeks have been very trying to us all, 
 but the S.-E. Monsoon will soon be here. 
 
 " 2. Taylor will give you full information as to his 
 Translation work. He appears to be at a stand just now, 
 waiting to hear from the Universities' Mission. As no 
 one else could be spared, I have asked him to go to 
 Shimba for a week or two, to look up the Native breth- 
 ren there, and to report on the work. 
 
 " 3. I have had E. Keating (Nat. Catechist) down 
 from Mwaiba. He has spent a few days with his wife 
 and children had a little pleasant intercourse with his 
 Christian brethren given us an account of his Mission 
 and to-day he returns, refreshed and encouraged, to 
 his work among the Wa-Giriama. It is three months 
 since he was last here, which, on every account is too 
 long an interval. He is not as you know, a man of 
 much power ; but as far as one can gather, he is doing
 
 To Bishop Parker. 33 
 
 his best to let his little light shine in that dark place, 
 and we may hope God will bless him. 
 
 " 4. Mr. and Mrs. Burness are expected by the next 
 Mail, and I am having the iron house, in which Miss 
 Fitch did live, made ready for them, at anyrate as a 
 temporary residence till we can hear from you as to 
 their destination. It is the only place. Can the Com- 
 mittee at home have any idea how very limited the 
 house accommodation is at Frere Town ? As regards 
 Mr. B.'s location and employment, much of course will 
 depend on his ' Instructions ' which I have not yet 
 received. All we know at present is, that he is by trade 
 a Builder, in which capacity he has done good service as 
 an Agent of the Society in West Africa ; but that he now 
 comes out as a spiritual agent a full lay Missionary 
 and that his desire is to be employed in spiritual 
 work. 
 
 "5. For want of an accountant Mr. Smith is, I am 
 sorry to say, still tied down to the desk and cannot 
 possibly find time to apply himself to the language, or 
 to prepare for Priest's Orders. I doubt if our friends at 
 Home are at all aware what a big concern this Office has 
 become, and what an amount of attention to details of 
 book-keeping and correspondence, there is in connexion 
 with it. It is the central agency for the whole of the 
 E. Equatorial African Mission. If it were in London, 
 there would be at the head of it, a well qualified man of 
 business, with book-keeping at his finger ends ; and 
 one or two smart clerks under him as assistants ; and 
 how this growing work is to be carried on efficiently as 
 regards the various Missions, and without loss to the
 
 34 My- Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 Society, unless some such provision is made here, I 
 cannot imagine. This is a matter for very serious 
 consideration. 
 
 " 6. E. when not away in the ' H. W.'* is very fully 
 and usefully employed on shore as Overseer of Public 
 works. He is in many ways a capital man for this 
 post, and with a little wise and kindly supervision, will 
 do good work. 
 
 " 7. England, as you know, is looking for his furlough 
 at the close of the year. He is pretty well again just 
 now, but he has a very washed-out look, and I am sure 
 it would be good policy to relieve him as early as 
 possible ; and then a duplicate of E. is sorely needed 
 for Eabai, where three or four hundred children are 
 running about wild. What you want, I venture to 
 think, is, a good elementary school at Rabai in 
 which all the children could be disciplined and taught 
 the three Es, and from which you could from time to 
 time draft off the brighter and more promising ones, for 
 higher training at Frere Town. It is a fine field for 
 a good English schoolmaster plenty of raw material to 
 work upon. Other helpers are also needed for Eabai, 
 especially two or three ladies, for work among the 
 women and girls. It almost makes one weep to go there 
 and see fields so ready to the harvest, and alas ! no 
 reapers. May the Lord quickly raise them up, and send 
 them forth. The one thing which strikes me more than 
 anything else on revisiting the Mission after an interval 
 of six years is in the face of increased and ever increas- 
 ing opportunities how fearfully it is under-manned ! 
 * " Henry Wright."
 
 To Bishop Parker. 35 
 
 " 8. I note what you say about the Steam-launch, 
 and entirely agree with you. I have been saying the 
 same thing for I can't tell how many years. What the 
 Mission really wants is a fairly commodious Steam- 
 launch or pinnace, which at the outside, and fitted with 
 everything necessary, would not cost more than four 
 hundred pounds a boat in short that would bring all 
 the Coast stations within easy reach of head-quarters. 
 A vessel costing a thousand pounds or so, would be too 
 big for this work, and practically useless. 
 
 " 9. Miss F. naturally felt rather lonely when Miss 
 H. left, but she is so thoroughly in her work that she 
 finds no time for moping. The presence of such an 
 earnest devoted lady is of itself a blessing to the Mission. 
 
 " 10. For the present I am occupying part of your 
 house ; I had almost to fight my way in, against a host 
 of bats and rats. The former were in greater force, and 
 we have killed them off by scores as Taylor says, ' we 
 have had a regular battue '. I shall do my best to 
 exterminate them, and one or two other nuisances, so 
 that when you return, you shall find the ' Palace ' 
 save the mark none the worse for my occupancy. 
 
 "11. I have a cheery letter from Fitch. Paul at his 
 request is going every Sunday to Mandara, to read to him 
 the Bible. The situation at Chagahas decidedly improved, 
 and it would seen as if dear Fitch was about to realize 
 the promise ' in due time ye shall reap if ye faint not '. 
 
 "12. I hear from Morris that he has been quite laid 
 up for the last six weeks, and is getting worse. The 
 Dr. finds it difficult to prescribe for him in the dark, so 
 I am sending up a party of men to bring him down to
 
 36 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 the coast. He can then be properly treated, and we 
 shall be able to get information as to the actual state of 
 things in the Teita Mission. 
 
 " 13. I shall keep my letter open to the last moment 
 to add in P.S. anything of importance that may turn 
 up by the Mail. I will now only say that we are 
 anxiously looking for news of yourself and of your 
 movements. We shall be glad of particulars, to stim- 
 ulate us in our prayers, and that we may enter as much 
 as possible into your position. As regards myself I 
 begin to feel that time is slipping away. I should be 
 very sorry to return without meeting you ; but unless 
 anything serious occurs to prevent it, I must be home- 
 ward bound by the beginning of August, as I have only 
 six months leave from my Bishop. I should like very 
 much to pay at least a flying visit to our Brethren in 
 Teita and Chaga, but that can only be by your being 
 here by about the middle of June. Be it as God shall 
 order. With kindest regards to yourself and all the 
 dear Brethren with you, 
 
 " I remain, etc., etc."
 
 CHAPTEK III. 
 VISIT ZANZIBAR. HEAVY TIDINGS. 
 
 Wednesday, April 11. The " Baghdad " came in 
 at 7 a.m. and took off our English mail ; what a relief ! 
 Mr. Wise from Msalala was a passenger, on his way 
 home. He came over to breakfast, but I could get little 
 out of him about the Lake brethren or the work. A 
 young man also came bringing me a letter from Arch- 
 deacon Hodgson. He seems to be an adventurer, who 
 has found his way from England to Zanzibar without a 
 penny in his pocket. He has some of the manners of a 
 gentleman, but there is a mystery about him he worked 
 his way from the Cape as butcher's mate. His idea is, 
 to get to Hooper at Nasa, and he seems to think it 
 would be an easy matter for me to fit out a caravan to 
 convey him up-country. I can of course do nothing for 
 him, but return him to Zanzibar. Going into our little 
 Chapel he was shocked to find we had no candles on 
 "the Altar " ; and gave it as his opinion that it would 
 be better to conduct Divine Service in Latin, rather than 
 in Kisuaheli ! He would certainly be " a fish out of 
 water here " ; but he may possibly find some tempo- 
 rary employment in the Universities' Mission. I met 
 Major Macdonald late Acting Consul Gen. on board, 
 and heard from him an interesting account of his visit 
 to Rabai. 
 
 4
 
 38 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 H. M. S. S. " Mariner " came in this afternoon and 
 Capt. Arbuthnot kindly offers me a passage to Zanzibar 
 which for several reasons I most gladly accept. 
 
 Thursday, April 12. Washing day ! I have put it off 
 as long as I could, and am come to my last shirt. 
 Jaeger's clothing is delightful wear, and I have nothing 
 else, but it has this serious drawback, that you must 
 here at least do your own washing. I have tried my 
 hand at many things, but this is altogether a new line ; 
 we must however go on learning. I followed the 
 directions as nearly as I could, with the help of my 
 cook, and the result so far promises to be a success. 
 My verandah is quite gay with a long line of shirts, 
 drawers, etc., hung up to dry. It is rather humiliating 
 that, after all, I must call in the aid of a professional 
 " Dhobi " to do the ironing ; but this requires tools and 
 skill, neither of which I possess. A heavy downpour 
 of rain for several hours to-day, which has set all the 
 houses leaking. Capt. A. came over in the evening and 
 we had a long pleasant ramble over the Settlement. 
 
 Saturday, April 14. Started last night in the " Mar- 
 iner " and sighted Pemba about 8 a.m. but owing to a 
 strong adverse current did not get to our anchorage till 
 noon. We entered, through the Uvingie channel, a 
 large harbour, bounded on one side by the island of 
 Pemba proper, the hills of which are profusely covered 
 with vegetation forests of Palms, Mangoes, Acacias, 
 etc., with here and there a grassy glade, having a lawn- 
 like appearance ; whilst on the other side, are a series 
 of small rocky islands once probably joined together and 
 stretching for several miles parallel with the island, but
 
 Pemba. 39 
 
 now broken here and there by narrow gaps, through 
 which vessels can generally find a good deep passage. 
 
 In the afternoon Capt. Arbuthnot and I paid a visit, 
 in the steam launch, to a small town on the island, 
 about 5 miles distant, named Weti. Had rather a rough 
 passage, and did not get there till about 5'15. A walk 
 of a mile through plantations of cloves, the strong odour 
 of which impregnated the air, and was very oppressive, 
 brought us to the centre of the town, where a market 
 was in full swing, and a motley, noisy crowd assembled. 
 There were different kinds of fish, with tobacco, supari, 
 paraffin oil, and a lot of other things, exposed for sale ; 
 and besides, a sort of general store, kept by an enter- 
 prising Hindi " Whiteley ". The people generally had 
 a surly look, and sometimes did not even return our 
 " Yambo " ; we were not sorry to get away before night. 
 
 Three boats of the " Mariner," which are employed 
 cruising about, and watching the gaps for slave dhows, 
 come in for provisions ; they take a fifteen days' supply. 
 These men must have a dreadfully hard time of it at 
 this season. 
 
 Sunday, April 15. Had a quiet night, but this 
 morning was squally, with now and then heavy rain. 
 Held Divine Service in the men's quarters, on the lower 
 deck. We were closely packed, and it was very hot and 
 stuffy, but we had a hearty Service. Most, if not all the 
 men have had the benefit of early training, and can 
 read and write. Some of them are intelligent fellows, 
 and all, more or less, the better for discipline. 
 
 We left anchorage at 1 p.m. and threaded our way 
 very gingerly through the little islands and reefs, to the
 
 40 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 open sea, making for Chag-chag, the fine open bay of 
 which we entered at 5 p.m. After letting go the anchor, 
 the Capt. discovered that the place was not safe, so all 
 had to be gone over again soundings were taken, and 
 after much anxious examination of charts we finally 
 settled down in a snug berth with plenty of water. 
 And this is Pemba ! a very gem of the ocean ; an earthly 
 Paradise as to appearance, " Where every prospect 
 pleases, and only man is vile " ; yet alas ! possessing a 
 deadly climate, and chiefly notorious as the charnel 
 house of the slave, many thousands of whom kidnapped 
 in the interior of the continent are annually imported, 
 to drag out a wretched existence, and die an early death. 
 
 Monday, April 16. Left anchorage at 6 a.m. with 
 a heavy sea and in torrents of rain. In the channel be- 
 tween Pemba and Zanzibar, a boat was lowered, which 
 boarded and overhauled two dhows, but no slaves were 
 discovered. Very rough work this for the sailors, in a 
 small boat and in such weather. Made Zanzibar about 
 4 p.m. and found a cordial welcome awaiting me at the 
 Agency. They have made, and are making, wonderful 
 alterations in the house ; when completed, it will be an 
 Oriental Palace. Sorry to find the Colonel seedy from 
 overwork ; but his bright wife having had a turn of fever 
 seems all right again. 
 
 Tuesday, April 17. Busy in the town very hot and 
 steamy. In the afternoon paid a visit with Mrs. Euan 
 Smith to Kiungani and Mbweni, two Stations of the 
 Universities' Mission. We had a delightful drive 
 through the groves and "shambas". At the former 
 met Miss Thackeray, Mr. Goodyear and Mr. Watson ;
 
 At Zanzibar. 41 
 
 and at the latter, Archdeacon and Mrs. Hodgson, Miss 
 Woodward and Miss Bartley. 
 
 Wednesday, April 18. Walked over to the other Sta- 
 tion of the Mission, situate in the heart of the town, on 
 or near the old slave market, and here I met Archdeacon 
 Farler, Messrs. Clarke and Highton, and Miss Mills. 
 On my way back I called on Polly Nyondo. She is 
 sadly changed from the neat, modest-looking woman 
 she used to be. I had a serious talk with her, and at 
 last she burst into tears and asked what she should do ? 
 I gave her my best advice, and she promised to think 
 over it, and write to me. I should be thankful indeed 
 if I might be instrumental in leading this poor erring 
 woman to return to a better life. I thought of what 
 my old churchwarden said to me when I took leave of 
 him : "If your going to Africa be a means of bringing 
 one poor soul to the Saviour, it will be worth while ". 
 
 Thursday, April 19. In the night I was startled 
 out of sleep by a strange noise : a rotten beam in the 
 ceiling got loose and came down with a crash only 
 just missing my bed ; but thank God, it did miss ! 
 Then a cold wind was blowing over me, which gave me 
 a chill, so to-day I am in bed with fever, accompanied 
 by diarrhoaa and sickness. Mrs. Euan Smith, all kind- 
 ness, called in Dr. Corcorran of the " Mariner ". 
 
 Sunday, April 22. It is not by choice I am spending 
 the Lord's day here instead of at Frere Town. After a 
 few days' rest and good nursing, with God's blessing 
 upon all, I am coming round ; but I am still weak, and 
 so by advice of the Dr. I have deferred my return. At- 
 tended Service this morning on board the "Mariner".
 
 42 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 In the afternoon I sent round notice to the Bombay 
 African Christians, that I would see them at the Agency, 
 and at 5 p.m. fathers, mothers and children, all with 
 one or two exceptions turned up, to the number of 40 
 or more. Had a quiet talk with each in turn, and learnt 
 from them their history, etc. In most cases they had 
 been driven from Frere Town for some fault or other ; 
 and without much attempt " To restore them in the 
 spirit of meekness," they had been turned adrift amongst 
 all the temptations and pollutions of this sink of iniquity 
 and just left to their fate. What a delight it was to 
 them to see me, to have a kind word spoken to them, 
 and to find that their old "Papa" had not forgotten 
 them ! Some of them have, I fear, fallen a prey to the 
 evil influences surrounding them, yet on the whole they 
 have been wonderfully preserved. None of them as far 
 as I could ascertain have thrown off their Christian 
 profession. Most of them attend the Services at the 
 Mission Church, although they do not feel at home 
 there, and are not much looked after or cared for, unless 
 they happen to be able to make themselves useful in 
 one way or another in the Mission. After conversing 
 with each separately, I spoke to them collectively, and 
 then, all kneeling, I offered prayer, concluding with the 
 Lord's Prayer, in which all joined. I was very glad of 
 the opportunity of meeting these poor outcasts, and say- 
 ing a word to them in love, which may God bless ! 
 They would all gladly return to Frere Town, and if I 
 were going to remain, I would heartily welcome them 
 back, and give them another chance. As it is, I could 
 only promise to consider the case of one and all each
 
 Zanzibar. 43 
 
 on its own merits and let them know the result. If 
 Bishop Parker comes back in time for me to see him, I 
 shall lay the whole matter before him, and hope he will 
 take a kind interest in them. In most cases they were 
 anxious about their children, who are growing up 
 in ignorance, and surrounded by the polluting influences 
 of this godless place. I would not have missed this 
 meeting for anything, and if nothing else comes of my 
 visit to East Africa I shall still thank God that it has not 
 been in vain. May He of His great mercy watch over 
 these few scattered sheep, and keep them from the 
 power of the enemy, and bring them at last to His 
 kingdom ! 
 
 There is no chance now of my seeing the Sultan 
 this time. On the day first arranged for my interview, 
 I was down with fever, and when the second day came, 
 which His Highness had kindly fixed, the Consul- 
 General was himself too ill to accompany me, so this 
 part of my programme fell through, and ended in com- 
 plimentary messages between us. Still my journey to 
 Zanzibar has served a useful purpose. I have had an 
 opportunity of enlightening Col. Euan Smith on some 
 matters affecting the Mission, and of taking his advice 
 on others. And now I am eager to be back at my post ; 
 for though nothing could exceed the bounteous hospi- 
 tality of this house, and I can never forget the kindness 
 I have received, yet the life altogether is out of my line, 
 my friends and I move in different grooves, our aims 
 and aspirations are too far asunder to admit of full 
 sympathy between us. Where we do find a common 
 interest it is most pleasant.
 
 44 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 Of Zanzibar itself I can give but an ill report. It 
 has often been described, and all that can be said in its 
 praise has been said over and over again. Viewing it 
 from the deck of a steamer, we may agree with Stanley 
 when he says, " One of the fruitfullest islands of the 
 
 V ' 
 
 Indian Ocean is Zanzibar " ; but no sooner do you set foot 
 on shore than the fair scene vanishes from view, and 
 sights, sounds and smells assail the senses, which put 
 to flight all thoughts of the beauties of nature. The 
 lot of the European community, now a very numerous 
 and an ever increasing body, is by no means an enviable 
 one. For the most part they do not live they exist 
 there is no home life. 
 
 But it is chiefly when seen in its moral aspect that 
 the worst features of the place stand out in sickening 
 relief. If any onewishes to know what Mohammedanism 
 is as a civilizing and renovating power, let him pay a 
 visit to Zanzibar. Here, at any rate, it has had full 
 scope, and everything in its favour. The Arabs have 
 had it all their own way for generations, and tens of 
 thousands of slaves have passed through their hands, 
 coming under their power and influence. What have 
 they done to improve their condition to raise them 
 in the scale of humanity ? absolutely nothing ; the 
 place at this day is a very Sodom a city of abomina- 
 tions one of the darkest of " the dark places of the 
 earth ". It is much to be deplored that the Christianity 
 of the European population, made up of various 
 nationalities, is, as a rule, of a low type, in too many 
 cases " the salt has lost its savour". 
 
 My detention here, much as I chafed at it, has not
 
 Down with Fever. 45 
 
 been all loss ; it has given me an opportunity for cor- 
 respondence with dear friends far away, which I shall 
 not easily find, when again in harness. One or two 
 extracts from letters written at this time may not be 
 without interest to some of my readers. They are side 
 lights, which bring out details in the picture of Mis- 
 sionary life which would otherwise be wanting. 
 
 To my son in Sierra Leone. 
 
 " DEAEEST MAC, 
 
 " I had a good many letters by last Mail, but 
 among them only one I valued more than yours, dated 
 from Teneriffe, March 3rd. It is all the more welcome 
 because it comes just when I need a little comfort, 
 being on my back with fever at the British Agency, 
 Zanzibar. I was very well my first month in F. Town, 
 but since coming here a week ago, the climate has got 
 hold of me and " I am as other men," under similar 
 circumstances. Of course I am here in the lap of luxury ; 
 my host and hostess are most bountifully kind, and I 
 can have anything I want for the asking ; but I long 
 to get back to my home and work nevertheless. I 
 should not have come to Zanzibar but as a matter of 
 duty. For one thing as representing the C. M. S. it was 
 desirable to call and pay my respects to Said Khalifa, 
 the new Sultan ; and for another there were important 
 matters concerning which I had to confer with the 
 Consul-General. 
 
 " I am glad to hear of the kind appreciation of your 
 ministry on the part of the good folk of Las Palmas,
 
 46 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 and also, at the same time, of your being able to return 
 to Sierra Leone. I confess I am doubtful of your being 
 fitted for that climate, and I hope if you again break 
 down, they will pack you off at once, and not allow you 
 to run down as before. 
 
 " I do not, of course, know what may be God's will 
 in leading me a third time to East Africa, but I am 
 thankful I came, and have seen enough already to 
 encourage the hope that my coming will not be in 
 vain. Give my kind regards to the Bishop, and explain 
 why I have not replied to his very kind letter, which I 
 got before leaving England. Kemember me also very 
 warmly to Nevill and his good sister, whom I thank for 
 her kindness to you. I hope this may find you in good 
 health, and happily engaged in your interesting and 
 important work. It is indeed strange that you should 
 be at Free Town and I at Frere Town : on opposite sides 
 of this ' dark continent,' and both engaged in the same 
 work : the setting forth of Him, whose alone it is to 
 make ' free indeed '. We cannot reckon on the future, 
 but if it should please God to spare us both, what a joy 
 it will be to gather once more with your dear mother 
 and sister and brothers and A. a united family, under 
 the dear old roof at Wingfield. For the present, look- 
 ing to the Lord for needful strength and grace, let us 
 seek to acquit ourselves as good soldiers of Jesus Christ . 
 God bless you, my dear boy, and prosper you in soul 
 and body, for Christ's sake. 
 
 " Your loving Father."
 
 Home Thoughts. 47 
 
 To my man, John Barber, Wingfield. 
 " DEAR JOHN, 
 
 " It is 9 p.m., my door and windows wide open. 
 I am very lightly clothed, yet the perspiration is rolling 
 off me from head to foot, and my whole body is covered 
 with prickly-heat, which makes me look as if I had the 
 measles. Wouldn't you like to be here ? No, John, you 
 are better where you are. This dreadful heat would 
 kill you in a fortnight. Though I am not altogether 
 new to it, I feel that it is fearfully taking it out of me. 
 Then perhaps you will say ' Why did you go ? ' Well, 
 if any one had offered me 10,000, I would have said, 
 ' No '. But it seemed to be a clear call from God, and 
 I hoped He had something for me to do here, and that 
 is just all about it. Nothing else would have induced 
 me to come. It is very hard for an Englishman to live 
 here. There is the climate, and there is the food ! 
 What would I give for a crust of one of Ann's loaves ! But 
 after all what does it matter if we are in the path that 
 God has marked out for us ? I feel the deepest interest 
 in you, your dear wife and children. I should be glad 
 to hear that Ted had come out boldly on the Lord's 
 side ; he might be such a blessing to other young men 
 in the Parish. I quite hope he will be given to his good 
 mother's prayers. 
 
 " Shall we ever meet again in the flesh and have 
 our cold drives, and quiet talks, to Eye and Diss and 
 Harleston and our pleasant times in the garden, sow- 
 ing and planting and gathering in the fruit ? Well, 
 God only knows. Anyway let us only follow Christ
 
 48 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 with all our hearts, and then if not here, yet there, in 
 the land of everlasting rest, we shall meet and rejoice 
 together. I will ask you to give my Christian love to 
 your dear wife, etc., etc." 
 
 " Tuesday, April 24. The fine weather is at an end. 
 The FS.-E. Monsoon is fairly setting in, and all the 
 morning the rain has come down in torrents ; but storm 
 or sunshine I must away. Lunched with Capt. Arbuth- 
 not on board the " Mariner " ; and after taking leave 
 of my kind friends at the Agency, set out at 3 p.m. in 
 the " Henry Wright," for Mombasa, right glad this time 
 to turn my back on Zanzibar and all its charms. My 
 fellow-passengers are, my old friend Mr. Buchanan, of 
 the I. B. E. A. Co., and two Missionaries of the 
 Bavarian Mission, going to Jimbo. 
 
 Wednesday, April 25. After a very fair passage, for 
 which we had the blessing of a bright and nearly full 
 rnoon, anchored in Mombasa harbour at 6.30 a.m. I 
 have never made the passage more comfortably. Found 
 the Mission party all well ; and received from all a 
 hearty welcome back. Mr. and Mrs. Burness have 
 arrived in my absence, and are settling down. I am 
 most thankful for this addition to our working staff, 
 and trust we may regard them as the vanguard of 
 a goodly band of devoted men and women, who 
 will soon be coming out, to fill up our much thinned 
 ranks. 
 
 Friday, April 27. Two very busy days ; arrears to be 
 cleared off and many things to be attended to ; the 
 more so, as I am anxious not longer to delay paying a 
 quiet visit to Eabai.
 
 To Rabat. 49 
 
 To Eabai. 
 
 Monday, April 30. Favoured by wind and tide 
 accomplished the 10 miles of water to the " banderini " 
 in less than two hours. Called in at Jomvu, and spent 
 an hour with Mr. Carthew of the Methodist Free Church 
 Mission. I was carried in my new " zoli " part of the 
 road, by way of testing its qualities, and found it 
 answered capitally. Even up the steep Buni hill it was 
 quite easy, and the men did not seem distressed. It 
 will be a great convenience for ladies and invalids. 
 
 Tuesday, May 1. I find the Mission compound a 
 wild jungle everywhere rank vegetation, cutting off 
 the houses from light and fresh sea breezes, and com- 
 pletely hiding from view the palm-clad hills, which, 
 divided here and there by deep craggy gorges, sombre 
 with dense foliage, stretch right away for several miles 
 towards the sea, and present a charming picture, with 
 which the eye never tires. Set men to work clearing 
 off grass, and cutting down superfluous trees. I don't 
 blame anybody; if a place here be kept ever so nice and 
 trim it only needs to be unoccupied for a month or two 
 to be turned into a wilderness. 
 
 Walked over the Settlement under Jones's guidance. 
 It took us two hours, and even then we left some parts 
 unvisited. Jones has hit upon a novel plan of obtaining 
 a fairly correct census of the population. There are 
 eleven distinct Districts, and taking one District at a 
 time, he will require each house-holder to bring to him 
 as many grains of Indian corn as there are persons in 
 his house. I should think, at a rough guess, they will 
 not fall much short of 2000 souls !
 
 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 Friday, May 4. Have greatly enjoyed my few days' 
 visit to Rabai. W. Jones is in sole charge as Native 
 Pastor, and appears to be admirably fitted for the post ; 
 he is always at it, " in season and out of season," dili- 
 
 Rev. W. H. JONES AMD FAMILY. 
 
 gently tending his flock, and at the same time exercising 
 a beneficial influence upon the surrounding Wa-Nika, 
 the Elders of whom have come to look up to him as their
 
 A Great Sorrow. 51 
 
 best friend. May he long be spared, and greatly blessed 
 of God, in his good work ! 
 
 The more I see of this Mission, the more I am 
 impressed with it, as a remarkable instance of the way 
 in which God by His providence is working with us, 
 over-ruling events for the spread of the Kingdom, and 
 "making the wrath of men to praise Him". There is a 
 grand opening here for every branch of Missionary work. 
 If I were ten years younger, I would gladly give up 
 everything in England, to spend the rest of my days in 
 this deeply interesting Field. May God put it into the 
 hearts of many devoted men and women to come and 
 take advantage of this open door. 
 
 Return to Frere Town. A great Sorrow ! 
 
 Saturday, May 5. After a few pleasant and busy 
 days at Kabai, returned this morning to Frere Town. 
 I had scarcely landed, when a packet was put into my 
 hand containing letters from the Brethren in the interior ; 
 and one from Col. Euan Smith, conveying the terrible 
 tidings of the death of Bishop Parker and Blackburn. 
 There was also a telegram from Mr. Wigram to the 
 Consul-General " Tell Price to assume full powers". A 
 tremendous responsibility is thus suddenly cast upon 
 me. God, be Thou my Help ! 
 
 The following extracts from letters written at the 
 time will perhaps best explain the new and painful 
 circumstances in which we were placed by the lamented 
 death of our good Bishop : 
 
 To the Secretary of the C. M. S. 
 " May 5. I returned from Eabai to-day in order to
 
 52 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 be here to administer the Lord's Supper to-morrow. 
 On lauding I received a packet from the Consul-G-eneral, 
 conveying, among other things, the overwhelming 
 intelligence of the death of Mr. Blackburn and of the 
 Bishop. It is a dreadful blow to us all, as I am sure 
 it has been to the Committee. AVe cannot tell what it 
 means. It is almost too solemn an event to speak about ; 
 for an explanation we must wait. Just now all we can 
 say is, 'It is the Lord'. ' Precious in the sight of the 
 Lord is the death of His beloved.' 
 
 " The Consul-General forwarded me Mr. Wigram's 
 telegram. I can only say that I will do my best, with 
 God's help, to direct the affairs of the Mission accord- 
 ing to the expressed wishes (which I know) of the late 
 dear Bishop. As far as the Coast Stations are concerned, 
 there is no immediate cause for anxiety. On the whole, 
 things are going on satisfactorily. I am just a little 
 concerned about Miss. F. I learn that she is off her 
 food, and she is looking thin and jaded. If we had a 
 decent place at Shimba, which I hope we shall have ere 
 long, I would get her there for a change. She is worth 
 her weight in gold, and more. 
 
 " How these sad events may affect my plans I do 
 not know, and the incoming Mail cannot bring me any 
 specific directions from the Committee. 1 All I can say ^ 
 is, in your consultations just bear in mind, that as far 
 as it rests with me, I am quite at your disposal. Make 
 any use of me you think fit. If, however, it should 
 seem desirable for me to stay on, I must ask you to 
 make all straight with the Bishop of Norwich. My 
 dear wife too must have her voice in the matter. She
 
 In Suspense. 5 3 
 
 will not stand in the way, whatever it may cost her, 
 where there seems a plain indication of God's will. 
 This I know, for she is a God-fearing woman and a 
 true Missionary. But as I was coming out only for six 
 months, and could not foresee the present changed condi- 
 tion of affairs, I did not even sound her as to her 
 willingness to come out again to E. Africa. If in the 
 providence of God the way should be made plain for 
 me to remain, she might elect to come, and need I say 
 what a comfort and support it would be to me to have 
 her once more at my side ? And if only she could bring 
 her 'Benjamin' with her, it would be a joy indeed, and, 
 I venture to think, not a small gain to this Mission. 
 But I am writing quite in the dark. It may be that 
 you have some man of experience ready to come out 
 and take up the work.J It will be five weeks before I 
 can hear from you orxnow anything of your plans, and 
 between now and then what may happen ? Nothing 
 that our heavenly Father does not see to be wise and 
 good. Any way I wish the Committee to know that, 
 failing any better arrangement, they may depend on 
 me to do my very best to carry on, as long as it pleases 
 God to give me health and strength. I am inviting al 
 the Brethren to join, on Friday next, in a Special Service 
 of humiliation and prayer ; and, amongst other things, 
 we shall remember the Committee, seeking that they 
 may, at this juncture, be endued with heavenly wisdom 
 in their dispositions for this Mission. 
 
 " Give my Christian regards to General Hutchinson, 
 and tell him Burness and I have been prospecting, and 
 I think there is every probability of our getting good 
 
 5
 
 54 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 stone not coral-rag for the Church, which will now 
 be in memory, not of one, but of two bishops." 
 
 To Col Euan Smith. 
 
 " FBERE TOWN, May 8, 1888. 
 
 " DEAR COLONEL, 
 
 " Your letter with the heavy tidings from the 
 Nyanza was put into my hand on Saturday just as I 
 returned from Eabai where I had been for a few days, 
 and just as the steamer which brought it was moving 
 out of the harbour. We were all overwhelmed by the 
 sad and startling news. Poor Parker ! cut off almost 
 at the beginning of his Episcopate ; and Blackburn, 
 who had left his young wife at home, and come out 
 from a sense of duty. He was expecting her out shortly. 
 She may be even now on her way, unless, as I hope, 
 your telegram has been in time to stop her. Should 
 she come via the Cape, she had better perhaps come 
 on here and rest for a month or so, where she will meet 
 with some friends of her late husband, and with some 
 who also know her, unless she wishes to go back at 
 once. 
 
 " Thank you for sending me the telegrams, which I 
 return. I shall of course do my best to carry on the 
 work, although it will be another month or more before 
 I can get any detailed instructions from the Committee. 
 It is no little help and comfort to me, that I have the 
 full sympathy and good-will of all the Missionary party 
 here. I am writing to the Committee to put myself 
 entirely in their hands, if it should seem to them for 
 the good of the Mission that I should prolong my stay.
 
 Fitch at Chaga, 55 
 
 I only bargain that, in that case, they should send out 
 my wife, if she elects to come. 
 
 "I had a packet containing letters from the late 
 Bishop to several members of the Mission, some of 
 them written only a day or two before his death, and 
 one giving a very detailed account of the illness and 
 death of Blackburn. 
 
 " I am so glad to hear you had a cruise with dear 
 Capt. A. and that it has done you good. For work in 
 E. Africa a man wants a mens sana in corpore sano. 
 
 " I thank His Highness for his letter to the Wali. 
 The latter gentleman and I are on the best of terms. 
 He is going to Zanzibar by the Mail to see the Sultan. 
 I hope he is sincere ; but his predecessor was quite as 
 polite, and turned out a traitor. 
 
 " On Saturday last one of our women and her boy 
 (about 13 years) were pounced upon by three Suahelis 
 gagged, carried away to Mombasa, and confined in 
 a house. Through the cleverness of the lad (who is 
 half-witted), they made their escape. I have sent the 
 case over to the Wali ; but if the Vice-Consul were 
 here, he might have something to say to it. 
 
 " Fitch of Chaga informs me that two of the Ger- 
 mans there have purchased women from Mandara and 
 some of the natives are casting it in his teeth, ' See, you 
 wa-zungu also buy slaves ! ' I am seriously thinking of 
 taking on myself the responsibility of inviting Fitch to 
 the Coast. He is a noble fellow, and for nearly four 
 years he has held on, in spite of the bullying of Mandara. 
 It is quite time, for his own sake, he had a change. 
 My difficulty is to supply his place pro tern. We have
 
 56 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 obtained a footing there and, ' German influence ' not- 
 withstanding, are not inclined to give it up. 
 
 " I want when the V.-C. is here to invite the Wali and 
 'wazee' to a 'shauri,' to explain to them our position in 
 regard to the ' watoro,' and to come to a good under- 
 standing with them on the subject, 
 
 " I remain, etc., etc." 
 
 To the Rev. H. Walker, Usambiro. 
 
 " May 13, 1888. 
 
 " DEAR MB. WALKER, 
 
 " The news of the removal by death of Br. 
 Blackburn, so soon followed by that of Bishop Parker, 
 has come upon us all as a great shock, and filled our 
 hearts with sorrow and sadness. Very dark and mys- 
 terious to us are these things ; but it is our comfort to 
 know that it is the Lord, and that He makes no mis- 
 takes. Verily death seems very near to us all ; God 
 help us to make ' full proof of our ministry,' ' to work 
 whilst it is day,' and so to live that when our call shall 
 come, we may be able to say, ' It is better to % depart and 
 be with Christ '. 
 
 " Our sympathy has been much drawn out towards 
 you and the other dear Brethren of your party. We 
 could do nothing but pray for you, and earnestly do we 
 hope that all grace has been given you according to 
 your need. 
 
 " The sad event has of course disturbed many plans 
 and arrangements, and how it may effect my own 
 movements, I cannot tell. Had the Bishop returned,
 
 The Lake Brethren. 57 
 
 as we were expecting, I should have left by the August 
 mail. For the present Mr. Wigram telegraphs me to 
 assume charge of the Mission ; but I can get no par- 
 ticulars as to the further wishes of the Committee till 
 next Mail, a month hence. 
 
 " You and the other Brethren are fully cognizant of 
 the late dear Bishop's plans and intentions as regards 
 the Lake Mission, and will no doubt do your best to 
 carry them out. I will only ask you kindly to keep us 
 well-informed, and always to let me know if there is any 
 way in which I can be of service to you. For myself 
 I earnestly ask your prayers that I may be divinely 
 enabled to discharge the heavy responsibilities, which 
 have been so unexpectedly thrown upon me. 
 
 " I am in doubt where this will find you. Dr. Pruen, 
 in a letter dated April 23, writes : ' Mr. Walker was 
 leaving for Uganda when the last mail left '. If this is 
 so, may the Lord be with you and Mr. Gordon and ' save 
 you from the lion's mouth '. Ashe, I regret to hear, has 
 resigned his connexion with the Society ; so I write to 
 you as the only one of the Missionary brethren, whom 
 I personally know. It must have been you who drove 
 me in on one occasion from Yarmouth station to your 
 father's house. I was again at Bradwell last year for 
 C. M. S. 
 
 " Accept for yourself and all the Brethren my Chris- 
 tian love, and believe me, etc., etc." 
 
 Sunday, May 6. The Church was completely filled 
 to-day. All hearts were bowed by a common grief, as 
 they realized that not the Church only, but each indi- 
 vidual member had sustained a heavy loss. After
 
 58 My. Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 ? 
 Morning Service administered the Lord's Supper to fifty 
 
 communicants. 
 
 Wednesday, May 9. Disappointed at the non-arrival 
 of the homeward Mail steamer from Zanzibar, in prepara- 
 tion for which I have been hard at work the last two days. 
 Probably the Consul-General has detained her for some 
 cause. The delay however afforded me an opportunity 
 of packing, with the help of Smith and Morris, four 
 boxes of the late Bishop's things, to send home by the 
 mail. They contained chiefly his robes and wearing 
 apparel, with some private papers, and a few small 
 articles of jewelry. It was a melancholy task, but it 
 had to be done. 
 
 Morris came over in the evening, and I had a long 
 quiet talk'jwith him about Teita Mission affairs. How 
 little people at home realize what some Missionaries 
 have to go through ! Our brethren at Teita, for instance, 
 live in what is little better than a wigwam, their living 
 room being about 10 ft. square. As to food, they get no 
 fresh meat, and have to depend mainly on tinned meats 
 which the stomach learns to loathe. Even fresh water 
 they can come at only by stealth under the darkness of 
 night. For many weeks they have been virtually 
 prisoners, not daring to venture beyond their own com- 
 pound, owing to the hostility of the surrounding natives. 
 And yet, in the face of all this, Morris is anxious to get 
 back, and Wray is by no means disposed to give in ! I 
 feel that by|comparison with these good men, we are in 
 pleasant pastures ; although for the last two hours I have 
 been doing battle with hosts of loathsome insects, which 
 get into my beard, crawl down my neck, find their way
 
 Humiliation. 59 
 
 into my ears, and even meander over my " specs ". I have 
 fought them till I am tired out and running down with 
 perspiration. I have killed battalions, but still they 
 come to torment me, and remain in possession of the 
 field. Will our good friends at home, who put their 
 "mites" into the Missionary collection, try to take this 
 in? And yet, I say again, by comparison with Fitch 
 at Chaga, and Wray and Morris at Teita, we are in 
 clover. 
 
 Friday, May 11. The "Oriental" came in yesterday 
 and took off our English Mail ; so to-day we are free to 
 unite, as arranged, in a solemn Service of humiliation 
 and prayer, in connexion with recent unhappy events 
 in our Mission. The Kisuaheli Service in the morning 
 was well attended. Jones preached from Phil. i. 21 
 a powerful sermon and to the point, in which he 
 touchingly alluded to the deaths of Bishops Hanning- 
 ton and Parker. 
 
 At 4.30 p.m., we had a special Service in English 
 attended only by the European Mission party and our 
 two ordained Native brethren W. Jones and Ishmael 
 Semler. The "Penguin" arrived from Zanzibar, and 
 the good Captain at once came on shore, and with some 
 of his officers dropped in towards the close of our Service. 
 It is a great pleasure and refreshment to us Missionaries 
 to come in contact with so many men wearing H. M. 
 uniform, who are at the same time earnest followers of 
 Christ, and in full sympathy with us in our work. 
 Such men are themselves Missionaries of a high order.
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 TEITA TKOUBLES. TRIP TO SHIMBA. 
 
 Saturday, May 12. The English Mail is over-due. 
 We are straining our eyes for the signal of its approach. 
 
 Had a talk with Taylor on affairs of the Mission. 
 He generously volunteers to go to Chaga for" three 
 months, to set Fitch free to come to the coast for a 
 change. I am much inclined to accept his offer, but it 
 has to be thought out. 
 
 Had a visit to-day from the son of Mbaruk, the late 
 rebel chief; and another from the acting Wall of 
 Mombasa. Each comes with a retinue of Arabs and 
 slaves who fill up my room and overflow into the veran- 
 dah. I accommodate the grandees with chairs as far as 
 they will go, the rest squat picturesquely on the floor. 
 These visits are rather irksome, and take up too much 
 time ; but Arabs think nothing of that. Taylor is my 
 " master of the ceremonies " on these occasions, and is 
 just in his element. 
 
 Sunday, May 13. English Mail arrived, and sadly 
 marred our enjoyment of the Day of Best. As she stays 
 only a few hours, our boat has to ply to and fro to 
 bring off letters and packages, and all is hurry-skurry, 
 to the last moment. Much as we were longing for our 
 home letters, we would gladly have waited for them 
 another day, rather than have our Sabbath so disturbed. 
 
 Monday, May 14. Capt. King-Hall kindly invited us
 
 A Happy Party. 61 
 
 to take all our children, about 200, on board the 
 " Penguin ". He made arrangements for them to be 
 taken round in batches with some of the Officers to 
 point out and explain to them all the wonders of an 
 English man-of-war. The children had a happy time 
 of it, and so also had the "blue-jackets". The latter 
 generously feasted their guests with their own biscuits 
 and some gallons of tea, and it was difficult to say 
 which had the greater pleasure, the givers or receivers. 
 
 Tuesday, May 15. Capt. King-Hall, accompanied by 
 Smith and W. Jones, paid a visit to Eabai. As I was 
 busy preparing for the Chaga Mail, I was unable to go 
 with them. The Captain, I hear, was greatly delighted. 
 At his request Jones summoned the people by ringing 
 the Church bell, from their fields and " shambas," and 
 when they were assembled, the good Captain whose 
 heart was touched at the sight of so many poor Africans, 
 once dark heathen, but now, at any rate, humble fol- 
 lowers of Christ gave them a short Gospel address, with 
 Jones as interpreter. Despatched the "Henry Wright" 
 to Zanzibar with letters, etc., for the Lake brethren. 
 
 Had a meeting of the Brethren at which it was finally 
 resolved to accept Mr. Taylor's offer to go to Chaga for 
 three months. Wrote to Fitch to that effect. The 
 following extract from my letter will explain : 
 
 To the Eev. E. A. Fitch, Chaga. 
 
 "May 16, 1890. 
 
 " MY DEAE FITCH, 
 
 " I am enclosing two letters which, I take it, 
 are from the Bishop, and you will be as grieved to hear
 
 62 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 as I to tell, that the writer of them is no more .... but 
 you will doubtless hear from your dear sister full details 
 about these sad events. 
 
 " I must now briefly refer to one or two points in 
 your interesting letter of April 24. We all felt very 
 much for you in your trouble in connexion with the ill- 
 ness and death of poor Patrick M. The disease ' Kilimi ' 
 is well known here, and the remedy. It does not appear 
 to be infectious, but you acted wisely in burning the 
 clothes, etc. I am sorry there is no available iron bed 
 in store, but we are sending you up a small ' Kitanda,' 
 which will perhaps serve you for the present. 
 
 " I do not wonder at your being annoyed by H.'s 
 letter ; but I have had so much experience of this sort 
 of thing in my time, that I should care much less about 
 it now than I used to do. We have to go on, dear Br., 
 trying to do the Lord's work ' thro' evil report and 
 good report '. 
 
 " What you say about the goings on of the Germans 
 is very sad. This is another way in which the devil is 
 trying to keep God's light out of the ' Dark Continent' : 
 ' it must needs be that offences come, etc.' 
 
 "What I am now going to say will perhaps take 
 you by surprise. I have long felt that it is highly 
 desirable, from every point of view, that you should 
 have a change to the coast. I should have urged it on 
 the Bishop had he lived ; so now being more free to act 
 on my own responsibility, I have no hesitation (with 
 the full concurrence of all the Brethren here) in inviting 
 you, unless you see any serious objection to it, to make 
 arrangements to come down at once, or at least as soon
 
 Teita. 63 
 
 as you can be relieved. My only difficulty has been 
 removed by Taylor kindly offering to go and take your 
 place for three months. So all being well, he will be with 
 you about a month hence ; the middle of June. He 
 brings with him a ' Mwalimu ' to assist him in his 
 translations. He is hoping to get what he may want 
 in the way of stores from you all except flour, which 
 he brings. 
 
 " You know all about the Teita anxiety. I am ask- 
 ing Taylor to stay a day or two there on his way up, 
 to enquire into and report on the state of the Mission ; 
 and I shall be very glad if you will do the same on your 
 way down. Two independent Eeports will greatly assist 
 us in deciding what is best to be done there. You will 
 have time after receiving this to make your preparations 
 to set out as soon as possible after Taylor's arrival : 
 say two or three days. It will be good for Mandara to 
 have a strange ' mzungu ' to deal with for a time. He 
 will probably miss you, and be ready to welcome you 
 back, with open arms, as an old friend. 
 
 " I need not tell you what a delight it will be to 
 your dear good sister to see you ; and indeed I can 
 assure you of a warm welcome from all the Brethren 
 here. May the Lord prosper your way. 
 
 "Believe me, etc., etc." 
 
 Whitsunday, May 20. Held an English Service this 
 evening and preached from John xvi. 16-22. The 
 Brethren all attended, and were glad of the opportunity, 
 but I feel it is rather too much of a tax upon them, after 
 two full Kisuaheli Services, and two Sunday schools, in 
 this climate !
 
 64 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 Tuesday, May 22. Just now I am sorely bothered 
 with house-keeping. My cook has been on his back for 
 more than a week, with fever and inflammation, and I 
 am at the mercy of a dirty boy, who came in this mor- 
 ning coolly to tell me there was no breakfast ! so I had 
 to content myself with three small biscuits ; a repetition 
 of my supper of last night. 
 
 I am sure that a good deal of the sickness fever, etc., 
 of European Missionaries, which is usually set down to 
 climate, is more frequently caused by improper food. 
 I found for instance only one baker in the place, and him 
 a man not only dirty in his person, but suffering from 
 virulent ulcers in both legs ! The sight of the man was 
 enough to turn one's stomach, whilst his bread was 
 cloggy and unfit for human food. Then too there is a 
 scarcity of fresh meat, especially of mutton and poultry. 
 Beef can be obtained in Mombasa but it is generally 
 poor and tough, and there is always the suspicion that 
 the poor beast "has been killed to save its life". Some 
 of our friends fall back on tinned meats, including 
 salmon and lobster ! most unwholesome substitutes, 
 which soon tell on the appetite and health of those who 
 indulge in them. Now that there is such an increase 
 in the number of Missionaries, and especially of ladies, 
 something should be done to place this matter of food 
 supply on a better footing. Wholesome food, clean and 
 properly cooked, has more to do with one's health in 
 E. Africa, than many seem to be aware of. My remarks 
 refer to those engaged in School or other Station work, 
 and who are settled down. Of course there are times 
 on the march for instance when a Missionary must
 
 Teita Troubles. 65 
 
 not be too dainty, but be content to take what he can 
 get, asking no questions. 
 
 Thursday, May 24. A heavy day's work. Final 
 arrangements with Taylor and Morris about Chaga 
 and Teita affairs. Held a special Service this evening 
 to take leave of these Brethren, and to commend them 
 in prayer to Almighty God. 
 
 Friday, May 25. Sent off porters to Eabai to get 
 their Sunday's rest and be ready for the start on Monday. 
 This afternoon a special messenger came in with an 
 urgent letter from "Wray. He is again in trouble with 
 the people of Teita, and seems to think his life is in 
 danger. This complicates matters and renders neces- 
 sary some change in our arrangements. In the first 
 place Morris was taking up a lot of stuff provisions, etc. 
 a rather large supply. I advised him to take up only 
 such things as would be absolutely necessary for the 
 next month or six weeks, till we see what turn affairs 
 may take. Then it occurred to me that, in the present 
 crisis, it would be well that W. Jones should accompany 
 the Brethren as far as Teita, and that he and Taylor 
 should negotiate with the refractory Elders, and endeav- 
 our to place the relations between them and the Mission 
 on a better footing. All agreed that, under the circum- 
 stances, this was the best course to pursue. 
 
 Saturday, May 26. " To Eabai." As I did not feel 
 quite sure how Jones would like being sent away on 
 such short notice, I thought it best to accompany 
 Messrs. Taylor and Morris to Eabai, so as to be able to 
 explain the situation fully to him ; and I am glad to find 
 he willingly responds to the call. What I hope for,
 
 66 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 with God's blessing, from this, may best be gathered 
 from the following letter to Mr. Wray : 
 
 To Mr. J. A. Wray, Teita. 
 
 " KABAI, May 26, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAR WRAY, 
 
 " Not long after Morris's porters had left Frere 
 Town for this place, came your letter, from which I am 
 sorry to learn that your position at ' Sagalla ' is still one 
 of difficulty, if not of actual danger. It becomes a ques- 
 tion for serious consideration, whether we should go on 
 in spite of all the indifference and opposition on the 
 part of these people ; or whether it may not be God's 
 will that we should retire, for a time at least, and seek 
 a more open door elsewhere. Before corning to any 
 decision, I have determined to ask W. Jones to go up 
 with our two Brethren, who are leaving next Monday, 
 to try what he can do to bring these poor silly people 
 to reason. As you are aware, he knows and is well 
 known to many of them, and has especial claims on 
 their gratitude. He is a man of tact and possesses con- 
 siderable powers of persuasion with all classes of 
 natives. Besides as a native himself, he can appeal to 
 them from a different standpoint to ours, and can bring 
 arguments to bear upon them which we cannot. Give 
 him a free hand, and I have hope that, by God's help, 
 he may be able to bring about a better state of things, 
 that so you may be able to carry on your work without 
 fear or anxiety. Failing that, there will be nothing left, 
 I apprehend, but to withdraw. 
 
 " I will lay the whole matter, as you wish, before H.
 
 Novel Collection. 67 
 
 M. Consul-General, on the first opportunity, though I 
 very much doubt if he will feel himself authorized in 
 interfering. The Wa-Teita will certainly be taught a 
 severe lesson before long, unless they treat ' Wazungu ' 
 better, but it should not be, and will not be, at the hand 
 of the messengers of the Gospel ! 
 
 " Till we see how things turn out, it would be unwise 
 for Morris to bring up all his stuff, so he will leave the 
 bulk here, to follow later on if the clouds pass away. 
 Believe me, etc., etc." 
 
 Trinity Sunday, May 27. Very touching and im- 
 pressive is the sight I have witnessed to-day. The 
 Church was quite full some time before the time for 
 Divine Service ; the congregation being augmented by the 
 Frere Town contingent of porters belonging to the cara- 
 van. It is refreshing to one's soul to join with these 
 poor people in their hearty Service. This was the day 
 for the monthly collection, which always takes place at 
 the beginning of the Service, and occupies about fifteen 
 minutes. The contributions are partly in money, but 
 chiefly in kind. Half-a-dozen men go round the Church 
 each with a large basket, into which the people empty 
 the contents of their smaller baskets consisting of 
 maize or some other kinds of field or garden produce. 
 As the baskets are filled, they are brought and emptied 
 out in a small room, and then go the round again till 
 all the congregation have made their offerings. I was 
 much interested in this novel procedure. I believe 
 every one in the Church even the very poorest gave 
 something ; certainly although I had a good view of the 
 whole thing, I did not see any one putting off the col-
 
 68 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 lector with a nod ! The collection to-day, which is, I 
 am told, an average one, amounted to nearly Rs. 20. It 
 is applied mainly to the support of a Native Missionary. 
 When will our churches in England, which profess to 
 support Foreign Missions, take a leaf out of this book, 
 and have a Missionary collection, not once a year, but 
 once a month ? 
 
 Monday, May 28. No one who has not gone through 
 it can form any idea of the miseries and anxieties con- 
 nected with setting out on a long journey in this 
 country, where practically there are no roads no modes 
 of conveyance often for many miles no food or water 
 and where your money consists of heavy loads of cloth 
 and beads, which must be carried on men's heads. We 
 have been in the thick of this troublesome business from 
 early morning. The first thing is to make up the loads, 
 allowing about 60 Ibs. per man. Then the men willing 
 to engage as porters are mustered, and a selection made 
 of the fittest, which is immediately followed by an 
 amusing scramble for the lightest or most convenient 
 loads ; and then some stout calico is measured off, and cut 
 up into eight cubic lengths, one of which is given to 
 each man, wherewith he will purchase food for himself 
 till he gets to Teita a distance of about 100 miles or 
 six days' journey. There were altogether seventy men, of 
 whom ten were taking up stores for some Englishmen at 
 Taveta. It was well for Taylor and Morris that W. Jones 
 was their travelling companion, for he took on him the 
 chief burden of the arrangements, and he is an old hand 
 and a capital manager. 
 
 At 3 p.m. we met for a final word of prayer together
 
 General Kunya. 
 
 69 
 
 it was under the circumstances a very solemn occasion 
 and then having seen the Brethren some distance on 
 their way, we shook hands ; and then bidding them God 
 speed, I turned my face towards Frere Town, which I 
 reached at 7 p.m. 
 
 On my way I was 
 met by Kunya, one of 
 the oldest of the Wanika 
 chiefs, who has been a 
 warrior in his time, and 
 who was badly wounded 
 a few years ago in an 
 encounter with Mbaruk. 
 The old man expressed 
 his delight at seeing me 
 again, and spread out 
 before me twenty-five 
 newly-poisoned arrows, 
 as a token of his readiness 
 
 GENERAL KUNYTA. 
 
 to fight for me, should I 
 need his services ! 
 
 Tuesday, May 29. Busy all day preparing for a trip 
 to Shimba. Caroline David, one of our teachers, is very 
 ill. The doctorwasgoingto Eabai,butonmy representing 
 to him the seriousness of the case, he put off his journey. 
 I visited her at midnight. The doctor had given her up, 
 " it was only a question of a few hours," he said, and I 
 was glad to find her not only resigned, but rejoicing in 
 the near prospect of death. She said, " I am not afraid 
 to die. I am going to my Lord, and to my dear old 
 father, who was taken home four years ago." She re- 
 
 6
 
 70 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 peated the 23rd Psalm, and other precious words of 
 Scripture, into the meaning of which she seemed fully 
 to enter. As I had to be off very early in the morn- 
 ing, I could not stay long with her but I felt it a privi- 
 lege, and not a little encouragement to witness the 
 triumph of faith in this Christian young woman, a 
 daughter of Africa, and of my dear old friend of former 
 days, George David. 
 
 As I am about to give a short account of my visit to 
 Shimba, it may be well to preface it by a few words 
 about the place itself. 
 
 Shimba is the name given to a range of hills running 
 parallel with the coast line in a S. W. direction. The 
 particular hill on which our Mission Station is placed is 
 called " Kwali " by the natives, but we have dropped the 
 name out of use, and now always speak of the Shimba 
 Mission. It is about 35 miles from Frere Town, of 
 which 20 are by water and the rest by land. The 
 average height is 1400 ft. above sea level. It occupies 
 a splendid site, about 20 miles inland from the sea and 
 commanding a view of sea and coast for upwards of 60 
 miles to the N. E. and S. W. Between it and the coast 
 lies a magnificent panorama of tropical scenery lofty 
 well- wooded hills, which elsewhere would rank as moun- 
 tains, separated by deep gorges and valleys of dense 
 jungle, wherein lions and other wild beasts have their 
 habitation. Looking in a S. and S. Westerly direction 
 we see the Duruma range a continuation of the Shimba 
 upheaval and many a grand picture, which any one 
 may revel in, but which only a real artist may 
 attempt to describe.
 
 Shimba. 7 1 
 
 The summit of our Hill is a plateau extending 4 
 miles N. by S., nearly level, and presenting all the 
 appearance of an English park, with here and there 
 " topes " of fine trees, which it is hard to believe have 
 not been some time or other planted by the hand of 
 man. From several points we get a view of the Teita 
 mountains, distant some 100 miles. Altogether, in itself 
 and in its surroundings it is a charming spot an earth- 
 ly paradise ! 
 
 There is pasturage to any extent for cattle and sheep, 
 and plenty of good ground for cultivation. With a little 
 pains I have no doubt it might furnish our Missionaries 
 at all the Coast Stations with a supply of English vege- 
 tables an incalculable boon ! Good water may be 
 obtained in any quantity ; and, better than all, the air 
 is so pure and exhilarating that the change to one com- 
 ing from the hot steamy plains is as life from the dead. 
 It is just the place for a sanatorium for the E. African 
 Mission ; and I feel persuaded that if only decent 
 accommodation were provided for invalids and conva- 
 lescents, many precious lives might be saved, and 
 hundreds of pounds to the C. M. S. I hope the author- 
 ities at Salisbury Square will realize this. 
 
 My old friend, the late Dr. Krapf, urged upon me 
 very strongly, on my first going out to E. Africa in 1874, 
 the advantages of Shimba as a Mission centre ; but on 
 that occasion my hands were too full with laying the 
 foundation of the Freed Slave Settlement of Frere 
 Town, and with other important matters, to leave me 
 time for opening up new ground. On my second visit 
 (1881-2) I was most anxious if possible to carry out this
 
 72 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 object, and for that purpose I made a tour in the Shimba 
 country and selected what appeared to me the most 
 eligible site for a Mission station. Having done this I 
 fixed a day and invited the Wa-Digo elders to the 
 number of sixty to a big feast. They came in from 
 all parts, far and near, and we held a grand " shauri". 
 I explained to them fully our objects and wishes, and 
 after a good deal of consultation among themselves, 
 and floods of oratory, which lasted till midnight, from 
 the Ancients, I obtained permission to occupy "Kwali" 
 as a Mission settlement, which permission was em- 
 bodied in a document properly drawn, and duly attested 
 by all whom it concerned. Alas ! that was all I could 
 do in the matter. I had to leave for England shortly 
 after, and nothing further was done. The place was 
 left unoccupied till in 1887 Bishop Parker paid it a 
 visit, and having approved of the site selected five 
 years before, arranged by way of experiment for some 
 thirty of the biggest boys from Frere Town to settle 
 there, under suitable supervision, for agricultural train- 
 ing. I should add that Shimba occupies a central 
 position among the Wa-Digo an unsophisticated race, 
 similar in many respects to the Wa-Nika for whom no 
 missionary effort has been made. It is virgin soil; and 
 indeed in 1882 I met many people who had never seen 
 a white face before. 
 
 To Shimba. 
 
 Wednesday, May 30. Up early and got off at six. 
 Mr. Burness is my companion. We were two hours too 
 late, for tide being against us, we did not reach the
 
 On the March. 73 
 
 landing stage at Djimbo till ten. It was a grilling day 
 not the vestige of a cloud. We spent a miserable four 
 hours in a dirty cattle shed, which afforded us little 
 protection from the heat ; so after a meal cooked under 
 difficulties, we set out at 2 p.m. for the march to Shimba. 
 We found the road in a wretched state, and if the place 
 is ever to be of use as a sanatorium, something must 
 be done to make it more easy of access. It is a trying 
 journey, scarcely possible for anyone not in robust 
 health. Tired out, we reached the top of the Hill at 
 night-fall just four and a half hours and as it was 
 something of a surprise visit, we thought it prudent to 
 send on a messenger to give notice of our approach. 
 In an incredibly short time, the residents extemporized 
 a reception. The whole settlement turned out to wel- 
 come us in the usual way the men firing their guns, 
 and the women in their gayest dress, singing and 
 dancing before us. 
 
 Carus, one of my old Nasik boys and also one of 
 Dr. Livingstone's " faithfuls " who is in charge, was 
 greatly delighted to see me again. But we wanted rest, 
 and as it was too dark to put up our small tent, and 
 our beds had not come up, we were fain to shake down 
 in any way we could. I took the floor and my com- 
 panion the table, and as the room we were in was only 
 slightly partitioned off from that of the thirty or more 
 African boys, we had more music and bed-fellows than 
 were conducive to a quiet night. 
 
 Thursday, May 31. After a rather troubled night 
 up early and drinking in the delicious cool air. How 
 refreshing ! would we could bottle some of it up for our
 
 74 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 friends at Frere Town ! After breakfast, I got a nice 
 quiet time for letter writing, and afterwards for enquir- 
 ing into the state of the Mission. Burness went to 
 work with his " fundis," putting up the little iron cot- 
 tage we have brought up with us ; whilst all our spare 
 porters were despatched to the wood, to cut down and 
 bring in trees which are to serve as rafters. We all felt 
 in good "form" and work of any kind was a real 
 pleasure. 
 
 To my surprise I found Mr. Last here, in a small 
 tent, engaged in his occupation of butterfly catching. 
 He has netted some fine and rare specimens for which 
 he hopes to get a good price. 
 
 Had a delightful walk in the afternoon with Burness 
 some two miles along the ridge of the hill. I had a 
 visit from Masideri, a M.-Digo, the very man who piloted 
 me here six years ago. Having heard of my arrival, he 
 came from his village bringing a present of "pojo ". I 
 was glad to see my old friend, and gave him a small 
 present in return. I was both pleased and amused to 
 find he remembered every detail of the circumstances 
 connected with our first meeting. 
 
 Friday, June 1. I am glad to find things on the 
 whole better than I had been led to expect. Carus is 
 very good as far as he goes ; but there is much need of 
 a wise and earnest Missionary at the head, who would 
 throw his whole heart into the work. There is a splen- 
 did opening for an Evangelist ; the Wa-Digo are coming 
 and going all day long, and show a willingness to listen 
 to the Gospel message which is not always met with. 
 I believe if a true Missionary were established here
 
 A Stormy Passage. 75 
 
 one thoroughly conversant with the language he would 
 find abundant opportunities of proclaiming the " glad 
 tidings " to these poor people, who have hitherto been 
 uncared for. 
 
 Meanwhile, till some one can be spared for the post, 
 the little cottage we have put up, when furnished with 
 a few bare necessary articles, will make it possible for 
 the Station to be visited more frequently by one or other 
 of the Brethren, without the trouble and expense which 
 such a visit now entails. 
 
 Return to Frere Town. 
 
 Saturday, June 2. The hill was enveloped in 
 clouds when we started at 7'30 a.m., and even on 
 the plain the sun did not show his face, so we made 
 good way and reached Djimbo at noon. After half an 
 hour's rest we got off, and had scarcely done so, when 
 the storm which had been a-brewing all morning 
 broke upon us in its fury ; our little boat was soon 
 pitching and tossing as if we were in the open sea, 
 instead of the land-locked harbour of Port Eeitz, whilst 
 the rain came down pitilessly, soon soaking us to the 
 skin. There was no refuge, and nothing for it but to 
 sit and shiver in our wet clothes, and push along as 
 best we could. Happily we had the tide in our favour, 
 and as our boatmen rowed with a will, we got in safely 
 in just under three hours. We were in sorry plight, 
 but very glad and thankful to find ourselves at home 
 once more. 
 
 Sunday, June 3. Have enjoyed a quiet day after our
 
 76 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 toils of yesterday. Holy Communion. Burness is 
 suffering from the cruel drenching we got on our 
 way from Shimba. He has been in bed all day 
 with fever ; I hope there may be nothing serious the 
 matter. 
 
 The Steamer will call in for our letters on Wednes- 
 day, so between now and then I have much to do. 
 And then, a few days later, we shall be looking for the 
 Mail from home. I am all uncertain what it may bring 
 me. All is in God's hands, and I will try to "wait 
 patiently ". Have been much struck with the singular 
 beauty and comprehensiveness of the collect for to-day : 
 " O God, the strength of all that put their trust in 
 Thee," etc. 
 
 My state of mind at this time may be gathered 
 from the following extract from a letter to my 
 wife : 
 
 " As regards the future, you, if anyone, can enter 
 into my feelings. I am in a strait betwixt two. I 
 think of the dear home at Wingfield, with all its happy 
 associations and long to be there; and yet it sometimes 
 seems to me that I may perhaps be more fitted for the 
 Master's service here, and I am very happy in this work 
 should be supremely so if you were at my side. And 
 what a welcome you would get from many old friends 
 if you ventured to come! But that is almost too much 
 to hope for. I don't know what to say or think. I 
 have committed it all to the Lord. May He in His 
 mercy direct and order all things for us ! " 
 
 A letter of sympathy to a dear friend may here 
 fittingly be added :
 
 Called Home. 77 
 
 ^ 
 
 " EABAI, Trinity Sunday, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAR C., 
 
 "I was greatly grieved to see in the "Kecord," 
 notice of the death of your dear sister. How little 
 expected was the event ! I was quite prepared to miss 
 some of my old friends should I return, or not to return 
 and so be missed ; but your dear sister seemed strong 
 and well, and was in the midst of her useful work ; and 
 had we been asked, we would have said, ' Take this or 
 that but not her ; she can not be spared '. But ' the 
 Lord's thoughts are not as our thoughts '. How little 
 we know ! We cannot doubt that she had done her 
 work, and that the Master she loved and served so 
 faithfully has taken her to Himself to another 'room' 
 in the Father's house. How soon she and her sainted 
 mother are re-united in Paradise ! There is something 
 solemn and sublime in the taking away of such a one. It 
 
 seems to bring Heaven nearer to us 
 
 "As regards myself I am sure you will be pleased 
 to hear that God has so far prospered me, and given 
 me strength according to my day. The lamented death 
 of Bishop Parker has thrown a heavy responsibility on 
 me and ' the care of all the churches ' ; but I am loyally 
 supported by a band of willing helpers, and I praise God 
 for the wonderful things I have seen. Why, this very 
 day at Morning Service, there was a congregation of five 
 hundred of whom ninety remained for Holy Communion. 
 Their reverence, attention, and general behaviour, put me 
 to shame as I thought of Suffolk. There was a collec- 
 tion for Missionary purposes, which is monthly, and 
 which amounted to nearly twenty rupees. Twelve years
 
 78 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 ago there were only two or three native Christians in 
 the place ! So, be of good cheer, dear brother, God is 
 working His cause is prospering the word of the 
 Lord, in spite of many difficulties, is having free course 
 and is glorified ; so go on pleading the good cause with 
 Christians in England, assured that in God's good time 
 it is bound to prevail over all enemies and every kind 
 of opposition. 
 
 " Believe me, etc., etc." .x
 
 CHAPTEE V. 
 THE DAILY ROUND. 
 
 Wednesday, June 6. Sent off our letters for home 
 by the " Java," and in two or three days we shall be on 
 tip-toe looking out for the English Mail. It is a pro- 
 voking arrangement it would be far more to the 
 purpose the other way about. As it is, the letters we 
 are now expecting must remain unanswered for nearly 
 a month ! 
 
 Lord Hereford, who is making the tour of the world, 
 came over with his two travelling companions, and in- 
 spected the Settlement. 
 
 Friday, June 7. The journey from Shirnba was too 
 much for Burness. He has been in bed with fever 
 a rather sharp attack ever since ; and Dr. Ardagh is 
 also, I regret to say, suffering. 
 
 A letter comes from Ishmael, who is in temporary 
 charge at Eabai, to say that some porters have come in 
 from Taveta and report that they were attacked by 
 Wa-Masai and three of their number killed. It is, alas ! 
 a too common occurrence, and the wonder is that these 
 poor fellows are willing to run such risks, for a little 
 extra pay. He also informs me that a man belonging 
 to the German Mission at Jimba, 3 miles from Kabai, 
 has been accidentally shot in the chest, and asks for the 
 Doctor to go up and extract the bullet. 
 
 Sunday, June 10. Had a quiet service this morning 
 with Burness who is still confined to his bed.
 
 8o My Tliird Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 This afternoon H. M. Ship " Stork " Capt. Pullen 
 came in from Zanzibar. Sitting in my verandah I 
 saw, as she was fidgeting about for a snug berth, that 
 she was running perilously near the rocks, just under 
 my house. She gave heed to my shoutings and frantic 
 gestures and escaped by a very close shave. 
 
 Monday, June 11. The " Baghdad " comes with our 
 English Mail. Praise God for good tidings of all dear 
 ones at home. I had kind and important letters from 
 three of the Secretaries, but as there is no hint in them 
 of any wish on the part of the Committee for me to 
 prolong my stay, I must, I suppose, arrange to leave 
 by the Steamer of August 1st. For many reasons I 
 shall be sorry to bid a final farewell to this Mission. I 
 would willingly give to it what remains to me of life and 
 strength. It has a hold upon me a fascination which I 
 cannot describe. I do hope the Committee will take care 
 to have a good man qualified by age and experience 
 to take the reins from my hands. An interregnum just 
 now might be disastrous Perilous times are coming. 
 So far I am thankful to feel that God has prospered me ; 
 I have been enabled to set some things in order, and to 
 sow seed which will one day bear fruit. 
 
 A party of three Englishmen and Scotchmen have 
 come to Mombasa, intent, they say, on going up country 
 to hunt and trade ! They are a rough lot, and their move- 
 ments are somewhat mysterious. 
 
 W. Jones returned from Teita this morning. He 
 sends a full Eeport of his mission, from which it appears 
 that a better feeling between the Missionaries and the 
 natives has been established. I hope it may continue.
 
 To Rabat. 81 
 
 To Rabai. 
 
 Wednesday, June 13. Anxious to learn from Jones 
 more fully about Teita affairs, and also to get news from 
 him of the two Brethren, I came here this morning. It 
 was well I did so, for poor Jones is laid up with fever. 
 He came down by forced marches overtaxed his 
 strength and has now to pay the penalty. It's just 
 the old story. 
 
 Friday, June 15. Jones recovering. Had an in- 
 teresting conversation with him on Teita affairs. The 
 people are intensely superstitious. If the weather goes 
 wrong or crops fail, they put it down at once to Mr. 
 Wray's magic, and wreak their vengeance upon him and 
 his Brother Missionary, by all kinds of petty annoyances, 
 and some which are anything but petty. It needs a 
 wonderful supply of grace to enable our Brethren, in face 
 of all this, to hold on from month to month and from 
 year to year, in the hope of living down opposition, and 
 of winning these poor dark heathen to a better mind. 
 
 Friday, June 15. To my wife : 
 
 "It is 10 p.m. and I am sitting in Eebmann Lodge, 
 after a rather hard day's work, pencilling my letter to 
 you. Some wild animal has just passed close by the 
 door. I called my boy Andrew to bring a light, and 
 went forth gun in hand, but of course saw nothing more 
 of the beast ! As a rule there are very few animals here 
 now ; I never even hear our old friend, the hysena. The 
 place is too populous for them. 
 
 "This afternoon I paid a visit to Kisimani a large 
 village about three miles from this. When I was here 
 last, I recommended its being occupied as an out-station
 
 82 
 
 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 of Rabai. This has been done ; Jonah and his wife are 
 settled there, and in a quiet way carrying on evange- 
 listic work. It is a purely Wa-Nika village, but we are 
 getting a footing in it. Most of the people observe the 
 Lord's Day some of them assemble daily for Prayers 
 and exhortation whilst a few have gone so far as to 
 'join the Book,' being under regular Christian instruc- 
 tion, with a view to baptism. Many of the children 
 
 '' vV '* '."'>>: 
 
 KlSIMANI. 
 
 attend school, and in addition to reading and writing 
 which they readily pick up, they all know the Creed, 
 the Lord's Prayer, and the ten Commandments. It is 
 the day of small things, but ' in due time we shall reap 
 if we faint not '. Yesterday I visited Fimboni, another 
 out-station, and a rather important centre, where a 
 similar work is being carried on by Lewis Bren (one of 
 our old Makua boys), whose wife is or rather was
 
 Return to Frere Town. 83 
 
 Florence Sharpe. This place is rather difficult of access, 
 as it lies about two miles beyond the water-fall of 
 Chororoni. It took it out of me, climbing those steeps 
 to and fro ; but I was amply repaid by what I saw. 
 
 " L. is here just now ' arning his living ' by collecting 
 butterflies and beetles ! He dined with me to-night, and 
 afterwards as we sat talking in the verandah, he said : 
 ' How I wish I were with you in your work now '. Poor 
 fellow ! I am sorry in my heart for him. He has lost 
 his opportunity, and all that now remains to him is to 
 make a living as best he can. I shall be glad if I can in 
 any way be helpful to him. 
 
 " It was a great pleasure to get dear Mac's letter, 
 and I am thankful he is able to be back at his post. At 
 the same time I cannot but feel it would be wise in the 
 Committee, when Nevill returns, to transfer him to an- 
 other Mission. He would be the very man for a second 
 ' Fourah Bay ' in E. Africa ; which is just now the 
 crying want of this Mission. We are greatly suffering 
 from what I cannot but call the gross neglect of the 
 young men." 
 
 Sunday, June 17. Thankful for a quiet and refresh- 
 ing rest. The attendance at Church Services to-day 
 not so good as usual. Many of the people have to be 
 all day in their " shambas," scaring birds from the 
 ripening crops. 
 
 Had a meeting in my house in the evening, attended 
 by all the " fundis," my two boys, and a few others. 
 We had several Hymns and Prayer, and a short address. 
 
 Monday, June 18. Return to Frere Town. Left at 
 9 a.m. Had a strong wind against us all the way. I
 
 84 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 have never seen the water so rough in the creek before. 
 Got in about 2 p.m. 
 
 Tuesday, June 19. To my Wife : 
 
 " I am back at Frere Town, and should be off to 
 Shimba to-morrow, but that I have too much on hand 
 here. The affairs of the late Bishop cause me a good 
 deal of extra work. How little we thought, when he 
 and I sat talking over East African matters in our little 
 Summer-house at Wingfield, that I should visit his 
 Diocese, without even seeing him ; and that I should have 
 the melancholy task of packing up his things, and a chief 
 part in winding up his affairs. He appears to have been 
 a man eminently fitted for the Office ; but, as you know, 
 I always felt and still feel, that his going to the Lake 
 at any rate so soon was a mistake. I wonder who will 
 succeed him ; probably another Indian missionary. May 
 God 'guide the Committee in their choice ! 
 
 " I shall be very busy between now and Mail time, 
 so shall not be able to add much to this ; and as it must 
 be posted before. I get any further news from home, you 
 may take it for granted, unless you hear to the contrary 
 from Salisbury Square that I leave by the August Mail, 
 due in London on the 21st, and I shall look for a letter 
 from you at each of the Ports of call. 
 
 "I am anxiously expecting the 'Henry Wright' 
 from Zanzibar. .She is over-due, and these two days it 
 has been blowing a gale. I was five hours coming from 
 Rabai yesterday, and we were sorely tossed about in our 
 little boat. 
 
 Wednesday, June 20. "Rejoiced to see the 'H. W.' 
 steaming into harbour this morning. She had been de- 
 tained in Zanzibar, and so escaped the rough weather.
 
 Freed Slaves. 85 
 
 She brings us a consignment of freed slaves nineteen 
 women, eleven men, and five children all in a wretched 
 condition ; also three of our old friends Sophy, Bose 
 Kussell, and Harriet Dowman ; and an imploring letter 
 from several others, who long to come back to F. Town, 
 now that ' Papa ' is there. Some of them have been 
 hardly dealt with, and I shall do my best to make ready 
 a place for them. 
 
 " My love to all the dear children. I'm afraid I 
 shall not find time to write to any of them, and this is 
 my last chance. Fully occupied as I have been, the 
 days and weeks have glided away almost imperceptibly ; 
 and now I find it difficult to realize that this is my last 
 letter to you from this side of the world ; and that the 
 next following Mail, I shall not be sending a letter, but, 
 if the Lord will, coming myself. If I can manage it, 
 I shall perhaps take a run over to Jerusalem on my way 
 home. I hear it can be done for 5 from Port Said, 
 and within the week. I am writing to our old friend, 
 John Robert Hall, for information. If I determine 
 upon this, I will let you know, that you may tell when .A/' 
 to expect me." 
 
 Thursday, June 21. Went to inspect the new comers, 
 to see how they are housed, etc. I asked the women if 
 they were comfortable, to which they replied, that only 
 two things were wanted to make them happy, viz., 
 " jembes" and husbands ! When asked if they would 
 like to return to their own country, they burst into a 
 loud laugh, which seemed to mean that the thing was 
 ridiculous, or else that they were too well content with 
 their present lot to wish to change it for the risks and
 
 86 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 dangers of their former life. This is very significant, 
 and goes to show what a wretched condition they must 
 have been in, in their old homes. They had no wish 
 to return ; whatever may lie before them, it can't be 
 worse than what they have left behind. God grant 
 that their coming here may be the beginning of a new 
 and better life, and that many may find the true liberty 
 which Christ alone can give ! 
 
 I have spent much time and thought this week in 
 drawing up a scheme for the better accommodation of the 
 girls' Dormitory of the ladies in charge and of a suit- 
 able Lecture Hall for a young men's Divinity Class. 
 To-day I submitted it to the Finance Committee, and 
 after some friendly discussion of details, it was passed 
 nem. con. for recommendation to the Parent Committee. 
 
 A return furnished by Mr. Smith at my request, dis- 
 closes the astounding fact that our cocoa-nut trees 
 (between 2 and 3000), instead of bringing in a profit to 
 the Mission of some .300 a year, which they ought to 
 do, actually entail a loss. An intelligent layman a good 
 man of business is sadly needed to look after this and 
 many other things. 
 
 Sunday, June 24. Not feeling well the last few days 
 no fever or other particular ailment that I know of 
 but something which keeps one below par. I look to 
 the Strong One for strength. 
 
 Held an English Service this evening in the room in 
 my house, which it is proposed to convert into a Lecture 
 hall. It answered the purpose admirably. There was 
 a good attendance all the English (ten) and twenty-five 
 Natives. It was a bright hearty Service and we all 
 enjoyed it.
 
 Rabat. 87 
 
 To Rabai. 
 
 Tuesday, June 26. Came here this afternoon in the 
 hope of having three or four days quiet for writing, and 
 to be on the spot to welcome Fitch, whom I was expect- 
 ing from Chaga towards the end of the week. What 
 was my surprise to meet Fitch and Jones on the road 
 about a mile from the Station ! He left Chaga only 
 twelve days ago of which nearly two were spent at 
 Teita by the way and by dint of forced marches 
 arrived here this morning. What a picture he was ! 
 sunburnt and travel-stained and wondrously attired ! 
 My first thought on seeing him was, what a capital 
 Deputation he would make at a Missionary meeting, 
 just as he is ! I praise God for his safe arrival, and for 
 that of Taylor also at Chaga: a great relief to my mind. 
 We spent a quiet, pleasant evening together ; he had 
 much to tell of his work at Chaga of Mandara and 
 of Teita affairs much that was very interesting and 
 important for me to hear. What a commotion there 
 will be in Frere Town to-morrow ! 
 
 Wednesday, June 27. Eeturned with Fitch to Frere 
 Town. We got in quite unexpectedly, so there was no 
 grand reception; but it was pleasant to witness the 
 delight with which dear Miss Fitch welcomed her 
 brother, in his bronzed skin and his marvellous travelling 
 turn-out. How strangely things are mixed up in this 
 world ! It is a time for joy and thanksgiving, and yet 
 a matter comes before me this afternoon of a very 
 painful nature, nothing less than a grievous falling out 
 between two Brethren. Alas ! it is an enemy that hath 
 done this, and he is ever watching his opportunity.
 
 88 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 Nothing would serve his purpose so well as to set us 
 all at loggerheads. 
 
 Thursday, June 28. Returned to Rabai. And what 
 a journey ! It was raining when we started, and went 
 on increasing all the way. I had only my thin white 
 clothes on, and was soon wet through, and cold and 
 clammy! From the "banderini" the road was 
 execrable. It was as much as my poor " punda" could 
 do to carry herself, so I was compelled to trudge it. 
 Somehow or other I got in soon after 6 p.m. had a 
 cold bath changed my " vestments," and hope I may be 
 none the worse for it to-morrow, though I must confess 
 to a feeling of " nimechoka ". To mend matters, my 
 bright boy, Andrew, has mislaid my mosquito curtains. 
 Three trips between Frere Town and Rabai in three 
 days are no joke ; but I have much writing to do for 
 the Mail, and with the incessant calls upon one at the 
 former, I should not be able to finish it in time. 
 
 Saturday, June 30. Headache, and generally out of 
 sorts ; yet got through a fair amount of work for the 
 Mail. This evening the Chaga and Teita Mails arrived, 
 bringing me two letters from Taylor, and his Report on 
 the Teita Mission also letters from Wray and Morris : 
 plenty to think about and to do. 
 
 In some anxiety as to a matter referred to above, I 
 wrote to a colleague : 
 
 " If you should see anything going wrong between 
 any of the Brethren, do your best to pour oil on the 
 troubled waters. We must do all in our power to defeat 
 the tactics of the enemy, which are ' to stir up strife '. 
 Everything depends on our preserving ' the unity of
 
 Plans. 89 
 
 spirit, in the bond of peace '. We cannot all think and 
 feel alike on every point, but we should at least remem- 
 ber that we are servants of the same Master, and that 
 His command is 'that ye love one another '. I do not 
 mention names because you can scarcely help knowing 
 to what and to whom I refer. Do all that in you lies 
 to make peace." 
 
 About another matter much upon my mind at this 
 time I wrote to Mr. Fitch : 
 
 " I feel it would be unreasonable to ask you to 
 undertake any serious work till the next Mail has gone 
 and come, yet I know you are anxious to be in harness. 
 My time here may be short, and I am most anxious to 
 see the Divinity Class fairly started before I leave. I 
 shall be glad therefore if you can find time to confer 
 with England (schoolmaster) and get from him the 
 names of any youths, who may be eligible for such a 
 class. We must be content with a small beginning. 
 Once begun, it will grow ; and the hope of evangelizing 
 the peoples of E. Africa, depends, under God, upon bur 
 having a well-trained and thoroughly spiritually minded 
 band of Native Evangelists. To prepare such men is one 
 of the highest and noblest works any man can engage 
 in, etc., etc." 
 
 Sunday, July 1. A happy day of rest. Took part in 
 administering Holy Communion about a hundred 
 partook. Meeting of " fundis " in my house in the 
 evening for Praise and Prayer. 
 
 There are many trials and difficulties, but at the 
 same time many encouragements, in connexion with the 
 E. A. Mission. In spite of many sad things in the past, 
 and many mistakes, the contrast between thirteen years
 
 90 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 ago and to-day, is simply marvellous. I do not believe 
 there is in any part in the world a more " open door". 
 What is wanted is a body of men and women 
 thoroughly consecrated in heart and life to the service 
 of Christ some to sow and some to reap. I never was 
 more convinced that the time is coming when " Christ 
 shall reign indeed ". 
 
 Spent a pleasant half-hour in writing to my dear 
 Missionary son : 
 
 " RABAI, July 1, 1888. 
 " MY DEAKEST MAC, 
 
 " Your welcome letter of April 9 found its way 
 to me on June 10 just two months ! You might perhaps 
 have done better via Marseilles, but I don't know. 
 Anyway I was glad to .get it, and to find that you were 
 back at your post, and that in God's good providence 
 we divide the Dark Continent between us, i.e. from a 
 C. M. S. point of view you being Acting Secretary for 
 the West and I for the East. That at any rate is some- 
 thing unique. 
 
 " I am thankful to hear of your admission to Priest's 
 orders, and although we did not know of it in time to 
 think of you specially on that day, we shall certainly as 
 you say, 'follow your life with our prayers'. May 
 God the Holy Spirit fulfil you with all grace for the Holy 
 Office, and make you a faithful minister : ' a workman 
 that needeth not to be ashamed '. 
 
 " I can fully sympathize with you in your loneliness. 
 I know now what it is to have the worry of house-keep- 
 ing, and can feel grateful for the many years of freedom 
 I have enjoyed from such complicated business. I am
 
 Letters. 9 1 
 
 heart and soul in this work, which taxes all one's powers 
 of mind and body to the utmost, and should be very 
 happy in it, if only your dear mother were here to share 
 it with me. 
 
 " I am amazed at what you tell me of the feeling on 
 the part of some Native Christians in favour of polygamy. 
 Whether we ought to refuse baptism to polygamous con- 
 verts or not may be an open question ; but for one who 
 is a baptized Christian to take more than one wife 
 would be a sin and a shame and should never be 
 allowed. . . . 
 
 " I have had a happy and I hope a useful time here ; 
 and as to the future I leave all in God's hands. May 
 He be with you, my dear boyj and prosper you in all 
 your way for Christ's sake." 
 
 Tuesday, July 3. Returned to Frere Town. Among 
 the many kind letters received by the last Mail were 
 two that particularly cheered me one from Mr. Wigram 
 and one from Mr. Stock, to which I replied as follows : 
 
 To the Rev. F. E. Wigram. 
 
 " July 3, 1890. 
 " MY DEAE ME. WlGEAM, 
 
 " I must thank you for your kind sympathizing 
 letter of May 8 none the less grateful that it was unex- 
 pected. The news of the sudden removal of the late 
 Bishop came of course as a severe shock to us all ; more 
 especially to those who had personal acquaintance with 
 him, and whose love and confidence he had gained in a re- 
 markable degree, in so short a time. He seemed so emi- 
 nently fitted by gifts and graces for the post of Bishop,
 
 92 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 that great hopes were entertained of happy results from 
 his wise administration of the affairs of the Mission. 
 For myself, I may say, it was a great disappointment 
 not to have the pleasure of meeting him face to face, 
 and of spending my last few weeks in happy intercourse 
 and conference with him, on matters dear to us both. 
 And when your telegram came I was at. first almost 
 overwhelmed as I realized what a heavy responsibility 
 was thrown upon me. At the same time it was so 
 entirely unsought on my part, and so unexpected, that 
 I felt I might confidently look to the Lord for the 
 strength and grace which I should certainly need. 
 Moreover it comforted me not a little to have on the 
 part of the Brethren here, the ready assurance of their 
 sympathy and prayers. For all this I have every reason 
 to say, 'Praise the Lord'. 
 
 " I have done my best to carry on the Mission on 
 the lines laid down, which for the most part were not 
 new to me. The only change of importance I have 
 ventured to make on my own responsibility is that of 
 bringing down dear Fitch to the coast, for a much 
 needed change. He arrived a few days ago, and received 
 a hearty welcome from all Europeans and Natives. I 
 am thankful he is here for several reasons the chief 
 perhaps being that his presence enables me to take the 
 first steps in the formation of a Divinity Class for 
 promising young men, who, with God's blessing, will 
 become the future Evangelists of E. Africa an object 
 which I have cherished for years, and which I know 
 also was much in the mind of the late Bishop. I think 
 too if I leave by the August Mail as in the ordinary 
 course of events I must be prepared to do, and if no one
 
 Work for Ladies. 93 
 
 should arrive before then to supply my place, the Com- 
 mittee will be only too glad to know that Fitch is on 
 the spot to take charge, pro. tern., till a more permanent 
 arrangement can be made. 
 
 " Earnestly praying that the Committee may be 
 divinely guided in all, I remain, etc., etc." 
 
 To Eugene Stock, Esq. 
 " MY DEAB FRIEND, 
 
 " Many, many thanks for yours of May 18. It 
 reminds me of old times. How you find time for such 
 correspondence passes my comprehension. Here we 
 are all, and always, at high pressure, but as a rule it is 
 not so in England. 
 
 " I am sorry I shall not be here to welcome the 
 daughter of my old friend Baldey, but I will do all I 
 can to provide for her comfort, and Miss Fitch, who is 
 a jewel, will do all the rest. I rejoice to hear of other 
 ladies offering for the work. There is a splendid field 
 for them here and at Rabai, and not necessarily 'strap- 
 ping old maids ' 
 
 " I hope Miss Harvey will stay long enough to get 
 thoroughly set up before returning. When she does 
 come, she will find some outward changes which I hope 
 she will not be sorry for. Some trees, for instance, 
 near her house, which shut out the fresh air and shut 
 in malaria, have been ruthlessly cut down by the hand 
 that planted them. She will find, I hope, a nice little 
 upper-storied bedroom all ready for her ; and the 
 dear girls whose welfare she has at heart, com- 
 fortably housed, where she can have her eye upon
 
 94 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 them and cast her wing over them night and day ; 
 and better still, she will, I hope, find some on whom 
 she has bestowed prayerful pains giving proof that her 
 labour and pains have not been in vain ; and I am sure 
 she may reckon upon a hearty welcome from a band of 
 fellow- workers, with whom it is a real pleasure and 
 privilege to be associated. Give her my Christian love, 
 and tell|her how sorry I am not to be here to take my 
 part in that welcome. 
 
 " How the time flies ! Four of my six months are 
 gone. They have been busy months, and I would fain 
 hope, through God's blessing, not altogether unproduc- 
 tive; and what solemn events have taken place ! 'Verily, 
 it is as a dream when one awaketh.' 
 
 "I am sending on Taylor's MS. of his itinerating 
 tour in Giriama. I have read it through with great 
 interest. It is too long to print in extenso, but I hope 
 you will find room somewhere for a few selected extracts. 
 It is the narrative of a man of God, thoroughly in earnest, 
 and whose one aim is to evangelize the heathen. It 
 shows too what an opening there is for the preaching 
 of the Gospel to the poor ignorant natives of E. Africa. 
 
 " A few days after you get this, unless something 
 unforeseen occurs, I shall be on my way home. Between 
 now and then I have enough to do, if it please God to 
 give me strength to do it. 
 
 " I remain, etc., etc." 
 
 Wednesday, July, 4. The "Baghdad" came and 
 took off our letters. We breathe again, and make a 
 fresh start !
 
 CHAPTEB VI. 
 TEIPS TO ZANZIBAR AND SHIMBA. 
 
 Thursday, July 5. Invited all the Mission party to 
 tea and supper, to meet and give a welcome to Brother 
 Fitch. We were eleven altogether, viz.: Rev. A. G. 
 Smith, Mr. and Mrs. Burness, Mr. and Miss Fitch, Capt. 
 Wilson, Dr. Ardagh, Mr. England, Messrs. Keid and 
 Pratley, and myself. For the domestic arrangements 
 I was much indebted to Mr. and Mrs. Burness ; indeed 
 what I should have done without them I really don't 
 know. Before sitting down, my boy Gilbert came to 
 me and asked very gravely, " Bivana, which of the Bibis 
 shall I give food to first ? " Poor lad ! the question of 
 precedence has puzzled wiser heads than yours before 
 now. After supper, Fitch gave an interesting account 
 of his life in Chaga, and altogether we spent a very 
 pleasant evening. 
 
 Friday, July 6. A red letter day in the history of 
 the East Africa Mission ! At 10.30 a.m. Messrs. Fitch, 
 Smith and England met at my house, and after invok- 
 ing the blessing of Almighty God, we took the first 
 steps in the formation of a training class for young men. 
 I quote from the account I gave of it to Mr. Lang : 
 
 " I have taken advantage of Fitch being here to set 
 on foot a Divinity Class for the special training of young 
 men as teachers, catechists, etc. I have long felt that 
 this was the great want of our E. A. Mission, and am
 
 96 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 very thankful to have had some hand in supplying it. 
 The question may occur to you, ' What will happen 
 when Fitch returns to Chaga ? ' Well, I can't say, but 
 I earnestly hope the Committee will [feel the great im- 
 portance of making the best provision they can for this 
 most necessary branch of their work, and that once fairly 
 started, it will not be allowed to fall through. We 
 begin modestly and in a small way, taking only those 
 who are already Teachers or wish to become such, and 
 who by their intelligence and Christian character give 
 promise of future usefulness. I hope this new depar- 
 ture will be especially remembered in prayer by all who 
 take an interest in this Mission." 
 
 Saturday, July 7. Looking out for the " Oriental " 
 with our English Mails. As there is rather a strong 
 adverse wind she will probably be late. Devoutly hope 
 she will not come in to-morrow. Am making prepara- 
 tions to go in her to Zanzibar. 
 
 The Mails for Chaga and Teita must however be 
 first despatched. To Mr. Taylor I wrote : 
 
 "FRERE TOWN, July 7, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAR TAYLOR, 
 
 "Your two letters of June 22 reached me in 
 due course. I thank you for them, and for your very 
 interesting and valuable Report on the Teita Mission, 
 which I have forwarded, together with one, in most re- 
 spects agreeing with it, from Fitch, to Mr. Lang. . . . 
 " I am sorry you found Paul D. (Native Catechist) so 
 intractable. I do not wonder at his wishing to follow 
 his old master to the coast, and being rather disgusted
 
 King Mandara. 97 
 
 at being left behind, but he ought to have acted more 
 like a man in the matter. I hope he is a good fellow at 
 heart, though like all of us he has his faults and failings. 
 It is well however that you are independent of him, in 
 your dealings with that peculiar individual, Mandara. 
 I earnestly pray God to give you a powerful influence 
 for good over that man. 
 
 " I am glad on the whole that the E. Catholics are 
 going into the pleasant pastures of Arusha. Why ? 
 because I feel sure if it had not been, in some way, for 
 the good of our cause, they would not have been per- 
 mitted to ' steal a march upon us '. The Lord reigneth ! 
 
 " Fitch came down in twelve days, including the 
 time spent at Teita. He came on the wings of love. 
 It is very touching to see the joy of brother and sister, 
 at their happy re-union after a separation of four years ; 
 and it must be as gratifying to you as it is to me, to 
 have had a hand in bringing it about. 
 
 " Pratley says he sent by last ' safari ' fourteen 
 pages of proofs all he had type for so I hope you 
 received them after you wrote. 
 
 " Give my best ' salams ' to King Mandara, and 
 tell him that after having spent the best part of forty 
 years in India and Africa, I have a strong desire to 
 make his acquaintance. I do not know if I shall have 
 this pleasure ; but whether so or not I earnestly hope 
 he may be led to accept the message of God's love, so 
 that we may meet ' in the better land '. May the Lord, 
 dear Taylor, make you a blessing to him. . . . 
 
 " Praying God to prosper your visit to Chaga, and 
 with sincere Christian love, 
 
 "Yours, etc., etc."
 
 98 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 A large number of freed-slave children were made 
 over to us in 1876, who are now of course grown up 
 men and women. Of these not a few, after receiving a 
 fairly-good school education, have been left to them- 
 selves ; and it is scarcely to be wondered at that they 
 have run wild, and become a source of trouble in the 
 Mission. One of these is Harry Milford : a fine young 
 fellow in some respects, bright and clever, and well- 
 instructed in the Scriptures ; but he turned out badly 
 was for ever getting into scrapes and everybody had 
 come to regard him as an incorrigible scapegrace. I 
 have no doubt he well deserved his bad name ; but for 
 all that I felt drawn to him, and was anxious to give 
 him another chance. At my request dear Taylor con- 
 sented to take him with him as his servant to have a 
 kind eye over him and to give him a fair opportunity 
 of redeeming his character. So far Taylor reports well 
 of him, and I have a nice letter from himself which in- 
 clines me to hope that he is not ungrateful for the kind- 
 ness shown him, and that he is trying to mend./" To 
 this I replied : 
 
 11 July 8, 1888. 
 
 11 DEAR HARRY, 
 
 " I was very pleased to receive your letter, giving me 
 an account of your journey ; and we thank God that they 
 who have gone to Chaga, and they who came here from 
 thence, have been brought on their way in safety. It 
 seems that one of the hardest trials the African tra- 
 veller has to meet with is want of water. What a 
 good thing it would be, if some one would sink wells 
 and build tanks here and there along the road, and
 
 Home Letters. 99 
 
 right away through the wilderness, where thirsty tra- 
 vellers might refresh themselves. I think everyone 
 would sing the praises of the kind man who should do 
 this, and he would deserve it. But if this be so, as 
 regards the water we need for our bodies, how much 
 more so as regards that which we need for our souls. 
 And yet whilst nobody seems inclined to supply the one 
 the Lord Jesus has made rich provision for the other, 
 so that no one need die of soul thirst. He gives the 
 water of life to those who earnestly ask Him for it. 
 Look out in your Bible and read Isaiah Iv. 1, etc. I 
 pray God, dear Harry, you may seek for yourself that 
 'living water'. 
 
 "I shall be glad to hear from you again. Mean- 
 while I hope you will do your best, seeking God's help, 
 to be a faithful servant to your dear master, and to live 
 a good Christian life before the poor dark heathen of 
 Chaga. 
 
 " May God help and bless you. 
 
 "Your friend and well-wisher, etc." 
 
 Monday, July 9. Up goes the signal ! off goes the 
 gun ! the " Oriental " has anchored ; so, snatching a 
 hasty breakfast, Smith and I are soon on board looking 
 for our bag of letters. This is always a thrilling time. 
 What may not have happened in a month? Thank 
 God for good news from my dear wife ! A glance 
 through my official letters no time for more just now 
 leaves me rather perplexed. There seems to be 
 nothing definite about my own movements. The wish 
 is expressed on the part of the Committee that I may be
 
 TOO My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 able to stay on a little longer, and they add that they 
 will approach the Bishop of Norwich on the subject, 
 and also write to my wife. This means for me another 
 month of suspense. It is just a little trying; but there 
 is too much to think about and do to allow time for 
 moping; and, after all, another month will soon be gone. 
 
 Nothing but pressing business would take me away 
 to Zanzibar. It has no attractions for me, barring of 
 course the warm welcome I can alwaj^s count upon at the 
 Agency, and from other friends. Three urgent matters 
 make it necessary for me to go there just now : 
 
 First. I have received a letter from the Parent 
 Committee addressed to the new Sultan, Said Khalifa, 
 congratulating him on his accession to the Throne, and 
 I am particularly requested to present it to His High- 
 ness in person. 
 
 Second. I am charged to effect the legal transfer of 
 all Property houses, land, etc., belonging to the C. M. S. 
 in its various Mission Stations, to the " Church Mission- 
 ary Trust Association ". 
 
 Third. In view of troublous times which begin to 
 loom in the near future, there are certain points affect- 
 ing our Mission, about which it is most desirable for me 
 to confer with the Consul-General. 
 
 Left in the "Oriental" on July 10: and after a 
 fairly good passage made Zanzibar at 11 a.m. the 
 following day. My fellow-passengers were Capt. Berke- 
 ley on a visit to his brother, one of the Vice-Consuls, 
 and Mr. and Mrs. Swan of the L. M. S. proceeding to 
 Lake Tanganyika. I found my nest all ready for me at 
 the Agency, and having taken possession I was free to 
 set to work at once on the business for which I had
 
 Visit to the Sultan. 101 
 
 come. The first thing was to find a lawyer who would 
 undertake the conveyance of the Society's property. 
 Judge Cracknell recommended to me Mr. Beyzonji, a 
 Parsi and the principal Barrister in the Judge's Court, 
 and to him I went. I found him most gentlemanly and 
 obliging, and he readily undertook to do what I wanted. 
 I had brought with me all Deeds of sale relating to C. 
 M. S. properties in Frere Town and Mombasa, some of 
 which were in Arabic and had to be translated. Mr. 
 Beyzonji took great pains with the business, and fur- 
 nished me with the required Deed of transfer, which was 
 duly stamped and registered in the Consular office. 
 Considering the amount of trouble he had taken in the 
 matter, and his position, I was quite prepared to have 
 to pay rather heavily. When, however, I asked Mr. 
 Beyzonji to name his fee, he promptly declined, saying: 
 "It is for a good Society, and it gives me great pleasure 
 to do it for nothing " ! 
 
 Friday (13th) was fixed for our visit to the Sultan 
 and at 10 a.m. we set out from the Agency for the 
 new Palace. Our party consisted of the Consul General, 
 Capt. Pullen and one or two other Naval Officers all 
 in full dress uniform and myself. It was a grand state 
 occasion. The whole of the Sultan's army regular 
 and irregular were in attendance, and being drawn up 
 on either side of the line of route, to keep a clear path 
 for us, saluted as we passed along. Behind them were 
 crowds of people it seemed as if half the population 
 had nocked together, eager to catch a glimpse of the 
 unwonted sight of half a dozen Englishmen walking 
 together under a broiling sun towards the Palace. It
 
 IO2 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 is anything but pleasant to have so many eyes focussed 
 on one, and I don't think any of us felt very much at 
 ease or were sorry when this part of the programme 
 was over. The band I must say did their best to keep 
 up our courage by playing " God save the Queen," all 
 the way. At the bottom of the flight of steps of the 
 new Palace, we were met by the Sultan, to whom the 
 Consul General introduced me and the other visitors. 
 His Highness then led the way to the grand reception 
 room up-stairs, where a hundred or more of the principal 
 Arab notables, the Aristocracy in full dress were 
 assembled to do honour to H. M. Eepresentative. I 
 noticed a distinct family likeness in the Sultan to his 
 late brother, Said Bargash ; but the expression of his 
 face was very different. The late Sultan had a beaming 
 countenance which was generally lighted up with a 
 smile ; whilst his successor has a somewhat dejected 
 look, which gives the idea of one who has suffered 
 adversity, and has not yet become accustomed to great- 
 ness. He motioned us to our seats on his right, and 
 then took his own on the Throne. After a short con- 
 versation between H.H.and the Consul General, carried 
 on in a friendly way, the opportunity was given me of 
 presenting the Committee's letter, which I did with as 
 much grace as I could command, accompanying it with 
 some remarks in harmony therewith. H. H. received it 
 graciously and promised to furnish me with a reply. I 
 ventured to say a word, which I thought was deserved, 
 in praise of the present Wali of Mombasa. He happened 
 to be in the room, and was so well pleased, that he paid 
 me a special visit afterwards to thank me for it. All
 
 In Zanzibar. 103 
 
 passed off well, and it was certainly a very striking 
 function, and one suggestive of many thoughts in con- 
 nexion with our position as a Missionary Society in this 
 Mahommedan country. 
 
 I may add here, that His Highness, at the instance 
 no doubt of Col. Euan Smith, will in future remit to 
 the C. M. S. Mission Custom duties up to Rs. 500 per 
 annum, i.e., up to that amount we have nothing to pay 
 on imported goods, which practically means, I suppose, 
 total exemption. We may look on it as an Ann. Sub. 
 of H. H. the Sultan of Zanzibar to the C. M. S. 
 
 In the afternoon took a drive to Mbweni, with the 
 Colonel, Capt. Berkeley and Capt. Pullen, to pay a visit 
 to the Universities' Mission. Saw Archdeacon and Mrs. 
 Hodgson, Miss Berkeley, Miss Bennett, a bright young 
 lady just out, whose fresh English colour made all the 
 rest look very wan. Alas ! these roses soon fade in 
 East Africa. Driving through the narrow streets of 
 Zanzibar in a carriage and pair is a ticklish business 
 a feat of coachman-ship, which requires a quick eye and 
 a steady hand. 
 
 At night there was a select party to dinner at the 
 Agency to do honour to Lit. Palmer, who has just 
 received promotion as a reward for his plucky capture 
 of a slave dhow. 
 
 Sunday, July 15. Gave a Service this morning on 
 board H.M.S. " Penguin," to an attentive congregation 
 of "blue-jackets". In the afternoon preached in the 
 Cathedral. I took the notes of an old Wingfield sermon 
 from " Lovest thou me? " I am not aware that anybody 
 cared for it at Wingfield, but two of my hearers to-day
 
 IO4 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 cordially thanked me for it. It is one of the "weak 
 things," which may God own and bless. 
 
 It seems to me a pity this fine Church was ever 
 placed where it is. As far as concerns the English 
 community it is almost inaccessible, especially to any 
 who may be in delicate health. It occupies a site in 
 the very heart of the native town, and the roads leading 
 to it lie through some of the most filthy and noisy 
 streets of the place ; it is at times positively sickening 
 to pass through them. There is something no doubt in 
 the sentiment of a Christian church on the very site of 
 the old slave market, but other considerations far out- 
 weigh this in my estimation. 
 
 Being the guest of the Consul General, I have had 
 good opportunities of freely conversing with him on 
 Mission topics. Amongst other things he told me that 
 he had written to the Home authorities, strongly re- 
 commending the withdrawal of all our Missionaries from 
 the interior, until the clouds which now threaten shall 
 have passed away. This is all right from his point of 
 view, i.e., as H.M. Consul General, having a certain 
 amount of responsibility for protecting the lives and 
 property of Englishmen. I can quite understand this. 
 It simply means that, under circumstances which may 
 any day happen, he would not be able to afford protec- 
 tion or guarantee the safety of our Missionaries in the 
 interior ; but I assured him that I did not think it at 
 all likely that the C. M. S. Committee would take the 
 drastic course of abandoning their Stations even for a 
 season, except under sheer compulsion that I as their 
 representative could not take any such step without 
 express orders from Home ; and that our Brethren at
 
 A Cruel Sight. 105 
 
 the Lake and elsewhere knew perfectly well that their 
 lives were in some danger, but for the love of Christ 
 they accepted the situation, and asked for no " arm of 
 flesh " to protect them. 
 
 Monday, July 16. Return to Frere Town. Left in 
 the " Henry Wright " at noon. We have on board 23 
 freed slaves, men and women a recent capture. One 
 of the poor women was so terrified, not knowing what 
 was going to be done to her, that she had to be put on 
 board by force. The sepoys did their work brutally, 
 dragging the poor creature by her legs, whilst her head 
 and body were dashed against the rough stony ground. 
 It was a cruel sight, but I was powerless to interfere. 
 How I would have liked to give those cowardly ruffians 
 a good cudgelling. 
 
 Tuesday, July 17. We have had a roughish pas- 
 sage, getting in at 6 a.m. Our little boat showed 
 what she can do in the way of rolling. She shipped 
 seas freely, till there was no dry place anywhere, 
 and we were all tolerably wretched. Thank God, I 
 have accomplished the objects I had in view in going 
 to Zanzibar, and am once more away from that awful 
 place. Had a hearty welcome from all here on my 
 return. 
 
 Disquieting tidings come to me from Shimba, which 
 make it necessary that I should pay an early visit to 
 that Station. I purpose going there, D. V., on Friday 
 next, and am asking W. Jones to accompany me. He 
 will be very helpful to me in dealing with the matter in 
 hand. The following account of my visit is from a 
 letter to my wife :
 
 io6 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 To Shimba. 
 
 "Sunday, July 22. We Jones and I set out on 
 Friday afternoon for this place, and thinking it a good 
 opportunity of prospecting for a new and better route, 
 we made for Mtongwi, where we landed about 6 p.m. 
 As it was too late to proceed, I had my tent pitched in 
 the midst of a forest of palm-trees. Heavy rain came 
 on in the night, but did not find its way through my 
 canvas double roof. My poor ' wa-pagazi ' (about 
 twenty) who were in the open, croodled round the camp 
 fires, and watched for the morning. We were up in 
 good time, and off at 6.30. After three and a half hours' 
 walk ten miles we halted a couple of hours for break- 
 fast and rest. Hitherto the sun had very kindly hidden 
 himself behind a bank of clouds ; but we had no sooner 
 started again than the storm which had been threaten- 
 ing all morning came down upon us, and from there to 
 the end of our journey another ten miles which took 
 us four and a half hours we had to make our way 
 over a rugged and difficult road, through a continuous 
 downpour of rain. Owing to the strong wind, progress 
 was difficult, and we were soon all thoroughly soaked. 
 To add to our troubles we discovered that our guide, 
 Asahel, had actually led us some three or four miles 
 out of our way. Jones proposed we should seek refuge 
 in some hamlet, but I would not hear of it. Here we 
 were, with not a dry rag left ; tent, clothes, bedding, all 
 drenched, to say nothing of our poor fellows, who had 
 little indeed besides their own black skins to get wetted; 
 and only about four miles remained to be done ; so 
 pointing to the top of Shimba heights, I shouted ' Haya,
 
 A Rough Journey. 107 
 
 haya,' and the men responding with a will, took up 
 their loads and forged ahead. Eight glad I was that I 
 had my own way for once. We got in at 4 30, taking 
 everybody by surprise, and, of course, finding no prepara- 
 tions ; but Carus, good fellow ! extemporized a hot 
 bath for me a novel contrivance and to my joy I 
 found a flannel coat and trousers which had escaped 
 the ducking, in my iron box. We were, as you may 
 imagine, completely tired out ; so after a hasty supper, 
 I spread a piece of old mat on a native ' kitanda,' and 
 had the soundest sleep I have known for many a day, 
 awaking this morning thoroughly refreshed, and with 
 thankful feelings to Almighty God for His goodness. I 
 am so glad we came on, to enjoy the rest after the six 
 days' toil is over. The air too is delicious. It is just 
 about six years ago, that Shaw, Jones and I were run- 
 ning away from this place, to avoid falling into the 
 hands of Mbaruk the rebel chieftain : to-day we are 
 assembled in the House of Prayer, together with a con- 
 gregation of some eighty souls, whilst many of the 
 poor heathen Wa-Digo are at the door and windows 
 listening to the Word of God ! 
 
 " Jones gave two good stirring sermons to-day, and 
 in the evening we had a Prayer Meeting in my room 
 for the ' fundis ' and others." 
 
 Monday, July 23. Held an inquiry into the matter 
 which had been reported to me. When gone into it 
 was not nearly so serious as it seemed at first sight. 
 Carus it appears had rather indiscreetly given a sound 
 beating to one of the bigger boys, for disobedience of 
 orders, whereupon about twelve of his mates took his
 
 io8 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 part, and arming themselves with sticks, surrounded 
 Carus, and dared him to beat any one again. There 
 were as usual faults on both sides, but it was essential 
 to uphold Carus's authority; so picking out the ring- 
 leaders, I told them as this was the first offence, I was 
 ready to forgive them, on their humbly asking Carus's 
 pardon for their conduct, which they readily did. I 
 then privately intimated to Carus that for the future 
 he is not to enforce obedience with the stick. Every- 
 thing was easily arranged, but such an occurrence 
 shows how desirable it is, that this new and, in 
 many respects, promising Mission should be under 
 the immediate supervision and control of a competent 
 head. 
 
 In the afternoon had a walk of four miles along the 
 ridge of the hill, to the end, in a northerly direction. 
 My object was to ascertain if there is any way of des- 
 cending to the Djimbo road. We found a path steep 
 and rugged indeed, but not very long, and which will 
 save four miles of very bad travelling along the base of 
 the hill. 
 
 Wednesday, July 25. The few days here have done 
 me good. I had a nice quiet time for letters yesterday ; 
 and to day at 9 a.m. we set out to return home by the 
 new route explored on Monday. An hour and fifty 
 minutes brought us to an oasis quite a pretty spot with 
 grassy slopes, and shady trees, and a spring of good 
 water. This is a convenient half-way resting place, 
 to which I gave the name Bawakondi, which being 
 interpreted is "Wingfield". It would be well to put 
 up a small rest-house here, for the convenience of per-
 
 Letters. \ 09 
 
 sons journeying to or from Shimba and for Missionaries 
 itinerating in Wadigo land. 
 
 Monday, July 30. Much occupied the last few days 
 getting ready for the Mail to England, due to leave this 
 on Wednesday next. A few extracts from the following 
 letter, written at this time, will bring information as to 
 the condition of affairs in the Mission up to date : 
 
 To the Rev. E. Lang, Sec. C. M. 8. 
 
 "Your letter of June 15 came to hand July 10. 
 We rejoice to hear of the Cambridge volunteers, and 
 hope ere long this Mission, among others, will share the 
 blessing. 
 
 " We shall look out for Miss Wardlaw Ramsay about 
 August 29. She will have about three days in Zanzi- 
 bar, and Mrs. Euan Smith has kindly promised to look 
 after her comfort there. She will of course be heartily 
 welcomed here, and Miss Fitch will be delighted to 
 have her society and help. She much needs them, al- 
 though I am happy to say, since the advent of her 
 brother, she is quite another woman. It has done her 
 and him too a world of good. 
 
 " I hope Beverley will come up with Miss Kamsay. 
 It costs nothing, as the fare is the same to Zanzibar 
 and Mombasa, and he can return in the ' Henry 
 Wright '. I would suggest that any new Missionary 
 coming out for the inland stations should pay a short 
 visit to Frere Town. As I said it costs nothing either 
 in money or time, and for many reasons is most 
 desirable. 
 
 " Smith is delighted at the prospect of being relieved
 
 no My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 from secular work. I cherish the hope that the new 
 Assistant Secretary may be already 011 his way. 
 
 " Taylor writes cheerfully of his position and pros- 
 pects at Chaga. He seems so far to be a persona grata 
 with Mandara ; and we may be sure he will make the 
 best use of whatever influence he may obtain over him. 
 The arrangement with Taylor is, that he occupies the 
 post for three months, to give Fitch the benefit of a 
 change to the coast for that time. If the Committee 
 wish to modify this in any way, you should send 
 directions by return Mail, as the three months expire 
 with September. 
 
 " The situation at Teita remains unchanged. There 
 is nothing new to communicate. The letters and reports 
 forwarded by last Mail, will, I think, enable the Com- 
 mittee to form a judgment as to what is best to be done. 
 We must await their decision. If I were remaining on, 
 I would gladly go and carry out their wishes, but as I 
 am not, it will be one of the first things to occupy the 
 attention of the new Bishop, or whoever comes out as 
 Director of the Mission. 
 
 "Now, one word about myself. I asked only for 
 six months' leave from the Bishop of Norwich, and 
 according to that, I should be leaving by the Mail which 
 takes this letter. In your last you say ' we will approach 
 the Bishop of Norwich, etc.' Eelying upon that, and 
 hoping for the best, and being most unwilling to leave 
 the Mission in the lurch, I have decided to stay on, at 
 any rate another month. So now, unless I hear some- 
 thing from you to change my plans, by the Mail we are 
 expecting three days after this leaves, I must take my
 
 Doctor Invalided. \ 1 1 
 
 passage by the Steamer of August 25, due in London 
 Sept. 24. Possibly you may be expecting me by this 
 Mail. I do not wish to consider myself, but if it can 
 be avoided without detriment to the Mission, I should 
 prefer not to leap at once out of an East African sum- 
 mer, into the depth of an English winter. 
 
 " I am sorry to say Mr. Smith and Dr. Ardagh are 
 both ill in bed with fever. Dr. Corcorran of H. M. S. 
 " Mariner," now in harbour, is kindly attending to 
 them. 
 
 "With kindest Christian regards, 
 
 "Yours, etc., etc." 
 
 As the departure of the Mail steamer was delayed 
 for a day I was able to add a supplement to the above 
 letter of yesterday to Mr. Lang : 
 
 " August 2. 
 
 " I have the opportunity of adding a few lines to my 
 letter of yesterday, and I regret the necessity. Dr. 
 Corcorran gives it as his opinion that Dr. Ardagh ought 
 not to remain longer in E. Africa, and recommends his 
 going home as soon as possible. You will be partly 
 prepared for this by what I have said in former letters. 
 It is scarcely possible for him to get away by this 
 Steamer, which leaves a few hours hence, but you may 
 look for him by the next boat, leaving Aug. 29. It is 
 inconvenient for this Station to be left without medical 
 aid just now; Mrs. B. is expecting her confinement 
 early in November. Perhaps Dr. Baxter may be here 
 by then, or he may have gone on to Mpwapwa, setting 
 Dr. Pruen free to come here. Failing both of these
 
 112 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 strings I have another, which is, to invite Miss Smith, 
 a certificated lady of the Universities' Mission, to come 
 here for a few weeks ; or, if it comes to the worst, to 
 send Mrs. B. to Zanzibar for her confinement. We 
 trust the Lord will guide us ; but it is only right to let 
 you know the state of things. 1 Smith, I am glad to say, 
 is convalescent. He has suffered from bronchial affec- 
 tion, not fever. I have a long letter from Dr. Pruen, 
 but no doubt he has written fully to you also as to all 
 matters at Mpwapwa. The Mails from the Lake seem 
 to be mysteriously slow ! 
 
 " Yours, etc." 
 
 After all, we got Dr. Ardagh off by the " Oriental " to- 
 day. Having ascertained that there would be a delay of 
 five hours in the Steamer's departure, I summoned " all 
 hands 'bout ship " and we set to work, to pack his boxes, 
 books, clothes, etc. This done we had a short farewell 
 meeting, to commend our sick Brother to the care and 
 protection of our Heavenly Father. An hour before the 
 Steamer left he was safely on board. It is sharp work, 
 but in his case it may be a matter of life or death ; any- 
 way, since he must go, it is better now than a month 
 hence. This is the first break in our little party since 
 I came out !
 
 CHAPTEK VII. 
 ANOTHER SIX MONTHS. A FEESH START. 
 
 THE three or four days between the outgoing and 
 incoming Mails is our slackest time. For one thing we 
 have been working at high pressure, and having sent off 
 our letters there is a disposition to open the valve and 
 let off steam ; and there a feeling of uncertainty as to 
 what the letters we are expecting may bring us. It is 
 hard to settle down to steady work, and to make plans 
 for the future. Under these circumstances we gladly 
 responded to Capt. Arbuthnot's kind invitation to join 
 him and his Officers, on Saturday, Aug. 4, in a pic-nic to 
 Mtongwi in Port Eeitz. We all went except Smith, 
 who after his recent illness was afraid to venture. We 
 were conveyed in the " Mariner's " steam pinnace, and 
 a whaler. On landing we found a nice open space under 
 the shade of a fine old mango tree, and the Captain's 
 steward, assisted by three or four sailors, set to work to 
 prepare for lunch. First, a clearing was made, and a 
 large table-cloth spread out on the grass, and then 
 several hampers, full of all sorts of good things, were 
 brought up from the boat, unpacked, and their contents 
 tastefully arranged. When all was ready, we sat down 
 no that is not the word, but rather we assumed every 
 kind of attitude possible to us under the circumstances 
 each to his own fancy some kneeling some sitting 
 tailor fashion and the rest lounging ; but whatever the
 
 1 14 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 position, we were all in excellent trim for the" business 
 in hand and did full justice to the sumptuous repast 
 spread out before us. And what a feast it was in an 
 African jungle ! It is no joke to cater for such a party 
 about thirty in all in East Africa ; but the good 
 Captain's thoughtfulness had extended to every detail 
 nothing was forgotten. Happily he had taken for 
 granted we should all be as hungry as hawks, and made 
 ample provision, so that not we only, but our friends 
 the " blue-jackets " had enough and to spare. 
 
 After lunch we divided into groups, and roamed in 
 various directions about four miles inland, exploring the 
 country looking into the " shambas " of the natives, 
 who seemed both surprised and pleased to see so many 
 Englishmen and ladies and generally enjoying a ramble. 
 Keturned about 5 p.m. refreshed ourselves with tea and 
 " mdafu," and finished off by rounding the island. It 
 was rough outside, and we had a good tossing about, 
 but came in all safe and sound, after a most enjoyable 
 day, at 7 p.m. 
 
 Sunday, August 5. Sorry to hear the " Mariner" is 
 ordered away. She leaves here for Pemba, and it is not 
 likely we shall see her in these waters again. We shall 
 very much miss her occasional visits. The genial, 
 cheery, kind-hearted Captain is a favourite with us all 
 Dr. Corcorran has been most kind in attending our 
 invalids all the officers are fine gentlemanly fellows, 
 whom it is a pleasure to know whilst the crew are a 
 well-behaved set of men, whom we are always glad to 
 meet with in their strolls through our Settlement. I 
 sent a parting word to the Captain, as follows :
 
 Another Six Months. 115 
 
 " FRERE TOWN, August 5, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAR CAPTAIN ARBUTHNOT, 
 
 " We all thank you much for the great treat 
 you gave us yesterday, including the finish, which was 
 a new experience to some of our party. We are very 
 sorry to hear that we are ' not likely to see the " Mar- 
 iner" again in these parts'. It is a changeful world ! 
 I hope however, wherever you go, God's blessing may 
 be with you giving you prosperous voyages, and a 
 happy re-union with the dear ones at home at the end 
 of them. It will be a great pleasure to meet you in 
 England and have a talk over our ' yambo ' days. 
 Failing that, we will hope to meet on 'a happier shore' 
 when ' travelling days are done '. Adieu ! 
 
 " Yours very sincerely, etc." 
 
 The Kev. Mr. Carthew of the Methodist Mission 
 attended our Service this morning and dined with me 
 afterwards. Smith rather worse. 
 
 Monday, August 6. The " Java " with our English 
 Mail is in this morning. What news ? Well, much 
 and very important, but the item which concerns me 
 most just now is that the Committee ask me to stay 
 on another six months, and inform me that the Bishop 
 of Norwich has kindly given his consent. It is the un- 
 expected that happens. I had scarcely realized the 
 likelihood of this, and I read the announcement with 
 mixed feelings. What they were will best be told in 
 the words addressed to my wife, when my heart was 
 full :
 
 ii6 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 " FRERE TOWN, August 8. 
 
 " The Mail came in yesterday with your letter of 
 July 11, and one from Mr. Lang, asking me to stay 011 
 for another six months. Much as I love this work, I 
 confess this came upon me as a shock. I had been 
 making all my plans for leaving by the Steamer of the 
 29th inst. I had even indulged in pleasant dreams of 
 the happy meeting on Dover Pier, and of visits to 
 Canterbury, Cavendish, etc., and of the return to our old 
 home at Wingfield ; and now it is all cruelly knocked 
 on the head, and I have to look forward to another six 
 months of this lonely life, with the hot season before 
 me. I had shall I confess it ? a sleepless night and 
 somehow felt very faint-hearted Your brave letter has 
 set me up, and I hope I may be able to say, ' not 
 grudgingly or of necessity,' the Lord's will be done. 
 Of course there are many things which would naturally 
 reconcile me to a longer stay my intense interest in 
 the work itself the desire to see the development of 
 plans, in the conception of which I have had a hand and 
 not least the warm expressions of gladness on the part of 
 all my colleagues, European and Native, when they heard 
 the news. Nor do I count it a small blessing to be per- 
 mitted to bring forth, as I trust I may, a little more fruit 
 in old age. If in the Lord's goodness we are spared to 
 meet again, the joy will be none the less for its having 
 been deferred. The Committee say six months, but if 
 they succeed in finding a young Bishop to their mind 
 earlier, there will be no need for me to remain, so now 
 as at the first, we must just try to do the work of to-
 
 Sharanpur Friends. 117 
 
 day, and leave the rest to Him who ordereth all things 
 for them that wait upon Him. 
 
 " Dear Begbie, how good and kind of him ! I wish 
 I could write and thank him and his people for their 
 loving and prayerful remembrance of me, but my pen has 
 as much as it can do. Mails of the interior : Uganda 
 Nasa Usambiro Mpwapwa Mamboia Chaga and 
 Teita, are always coming and going ; and be it night or 
 day, they must be attended to. I am now in touch with 
 nearly all the distant Stations, and correspondence with 
 the Brethren occupying these outposts entails a large 
 amount of thought and work. But write you to Begbie 
 and tell him how much I value the kind thoughts and 
 prayers of him and his people. 
 
 " Mr. Lang says the Committee would be quite will- 
 ing to send you out to me, if we wish it ; but much as 
 I should like it for several reasons and they not alto- 
 gether selfish ones I bow to your judgment, that it 
 would not be right to put the Society to so much expense. 
 After this, will you be surprised to hear that I went on 
 board the Mail Steamer half hoping that I might see 
 your dear face among the passengers, and that for a 
 moment I was most unreasonably disappointed ? 
 
 "You ask about our old Sharanpur friends. Well, 
 Jones and Ishmael, as you know, are the Pastors respec- 
 tively of Eabai and Frere Town both good, useful 
 men. They have had hard times of it, but this Mission 
 would have been badly off without them. Dora Bai is 
 better in health than she was, but not equal to much 
 work. Priscilla Bai is usefully employed as a Bible- 
 woman. All their children are nicely brought up, and 
 
 9
 
 1 1 8 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 the elder ones are decided Christians. They were very 
 pleased to get your kind messages, and are always 
 wondering why you do not come to see your African 
 children once more. How the bells would ring out if 
 you did ! 
 
 " I wish it were possible for me to get a few green 
 things from Wingfield. I do miss the vegetables so 
 much, for though I consume the juice of several limes a 
 day, it is a poor substitute for the luxuries of the kitchen 
 garden. 
 
 "It is pleasant to find that the Bishop of Norwich 
 is so satisfied with the arrangement for Wingfield, and 
 also that the Parish is so well off under Pickford's minis- 
 try. I do not feel a bit jealous, I shall only rejoice if by 
 God's help he succeeds where I 'have failed. 
 
 " Dear A. has of course been much in my thoughts 
 and prayers during the last month. I hope, ere this, she 
 has been brought safely through her trial, and that next 
 Mail may bring me cheering news of her and ' mtoto '. 
 " You will see from my letters that I am a good deal 
 on the move, from Station to Station, as I feel it my 
 duty to be ; although I always thought it a mistake in 
 the two Bishops going so far from their base. There is 
 no English Missionary at any of these Stations except 
 Frere Town, so it is very desirable that the Director of 
 the Mission should pay the Native Brethren occasional 
 fatherly visits, ' to see how they do,' and to encourage 
 them in their work." 
 
 On the arrival of the English Mail I wrote to the 
 
 Brethren in the interior, from whom we have had no 
 
 3 ct communications, since that announcing the
 
 To Mackay. 1 1 9 
 
 death of Bishop Parker. There is reason to fear that 
 the unsettled state of feeling on the Coast, owing to 
 the German operations, has spread into the interior, 
 and rendered the roads unsafe for native messengers 
 in European employ. To Mr. Mackay I wrote : 
 
 " August 7, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAR MACKAY, 
 
 " Though we have never met, I seem to know 
 you so well, that I may drop the ' Mr.' You have 
 heard no doubt of my coming out, and that since the 
 lamented death of the Bishop I am pro tern, in charge 
 of this Mission. I am anxious to convey to you, and 
 to the other Brethren at the Lake, the assurance of my 
 warmest sympathy with you and them in all your trials 
 and difficulties and sorrows. We often remember you 
 all in our prayers. 
 
 "In the absence of news from you or any of the 
 Brethren since May, it is impossible for us to realize 
 your present position, or to write anything to the 
 point. I would earnestly hope that ' no news is good 
 news ' ; and that your next letters will bring us cheer- 
 ing tidings of you all, and of your work. 
 
 "You are of course well informed as to the late 
 Bishop's plans, and will endeavour as far as may be to 
 carry them out, until a new Bishop or other Director 
 of the Mission is appointed. Though entrusted with 
 ' full powers,' I should not dream of dictating to you 
 in any way ; yet at the same time I have a certain 
 amount of responsibility, and shall therefore be glad 
 if you will freely communicate with me as to your
 
 I2O My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 affairs, and particularly if you will always let me 
 know if there is any matter in which I can be helpful 
 to you. 
 
 " The Mails at your end of the line seem to be un- 
 accountably delayed. We have nothing from you since 
 May. Cannot you organize a better system between 
 you and Unyanyembe ? It is a matter of first import- 
 ance. There are difficulties no doubt, but you if any- 
 one will know how to circumvent them. 
 
 " With Christian love to you, and any of the 
 Brethren who may be with you. Yours, etc." 
 
 Thursday, August 9. To Rabai. Have come up 
 here in the hope of getting a few days' rest, which I 
 much need ; and a quiet time for reflection on the 
 altered condition of affairs, and for considering how I 
 can best lay myself out, with God's help, to promote 
 the interests of the Mission during the next six 
 months. It is well to have a plan and a policy, even 
 though it may be impossible rigidly to adhere to it 
 the more so as there is every reason to apprehend that 
 we are on the eve of stirring, if not trying times. It is 
 very important that I should be thoroughly informed 
 from personal inspection, as to the condition of things 
 in each Mission Station under my charge. I regret 
 that I have not hitherto found opportunity of paying 
 a visit to the outlying station of Mwaiba. This must 
 be done without further delay. 
 
 Sunday, August 12. A grand day ! It does one 
 good to come here and see what God is doing. The 
 Church was full, as indeed it always is. Jones gave a
 
 Mivaiba. 1 2 1 
 
 rousing sermon in the morning, and Jonah (Evangelist) 
 in the afternoon. I adminstered Holy Communion to 
 upwards of one hundred Natives. "It is a field that 
 the Lord hath blessed." Much refreshed by my few 
 days sojourn here. To-morrow (D.V.) I set out for 
 Mwaiba. 
 
 To Mwaiba. 
 
 By referring to the chart, it will be seen that this 
 Station lies almost due north from Frere Town, at a 
 distance by road of about 50 miles. It occupies an ele- 
 vated spot some 800 or 900 feet above sea-level. As a 
 Mission Station it has much to recommend it. It is cen- 
 tral for evangelistic work among the Wa-Giriama, a 
 race closely resembling, yet quite distinct from, the Wa- 
 Nika and the air is pure and bracing, free from 
 malarious taint. It has however one great drawback : 
 like Jericho, " the situation is pleasant, but the water is 
 nought, and the ground barren". Unless the water 
 difficulty can be got over, it is not a place for permanent 
 occupation by a European. The day is coming, I hope, 
 when there will be many outposts up and down the 
 country manned by earnest Native Evangelists, under 
 European supervision. The Mission was started in 1882, 
 when I placed there George David, Native Catechist ; 
 and since his death, four years ago, Robert Keating has 
 carried on the work. 
 
 On Monday, Aug. 13, I set out, with W. Jones as my 
 companion, purposing to spend the night at the Metho- 
 dist Station of Ribe ; distant from Rabai about eight 
 miles. We had great difficulty in getting my donkey 
 over the river. There were some huge boulders, which
 
 122 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 were very slippery, and donkey-like she would persist 
 in taking an unnecessary leap, whereby she cut her leg 
 rather badly. Got to Elbe at 5 p.m. Alas ! how the 
 place has changed since I was last here, six years ago, 
 on a farewell visit to Mr. and Mrs. Wakefield ! I felt 
 sad to see it ; it had such a dilapidated appearance 
 some of the buildings have tumbled down, and heaps of 
 debris are lying about the garden is overgrown with 
 weeds and jungle and everything about the place be- 
 speaks neglect. Mr. Heroe, a West African, who is as 
 much a foreigner here as a European would be, is in 
 charge. There are no Wa-Galla here now some went 
 to Golbanti with Mr. and Mrs. Houghton, and were 
 killed. In their place there are a good many Wa-Nika 
 and "watoro". Several devoted Missionaries, and 
 many fond hopes lie buried here ! 
 
 Tuesday, Aug. 14. Left Eibe at 6. 30 a.m. It was 
 showery and the grass very wet. After three hours' 
 march, which I did partly on foot and partly on my 
 donkey's back, we stopped to get breakfast, and then as it 
 was cloudy we pushed on for another three hours, when 
 we halted for a good hour's rest. The men cooked their 
 dinner and Jones and I dined off tinned haddock ; a 
 dish I cannot strongly recommend ; it is portable, but 
 not particularly palatable ! Off again, for we have still 
 some miles before us, and our way becomes more diffi- 
 cult. It lies mostly through a dense forest, with here 
 and there a pretty glade. After another three hours we 
 emerged from the forest arid came to a place named 
 Memgongo. It is only three or four miles from Mwaiba, 
 which now lay before us, but we had been actually on
 
 On the March. 123 
 
 the tramp nine hours, and had covered a good 27 miles 
 from Kibe ; so I said : " ' Bus' pitch the tent and here 
 let us remain for the night ". The people of the place 
 were as usual very curious, and flocked to see us. Said 
 one : " Come, come, see Mzungu, he's a giant ! " The 
 unwonted apparition of an Englishman, with a white 
 beard, sitting on a white donkey no doubt suggested the 
 idea. However they soon got over their alarm, and 
 we became good friends. One old man took a great 
 fancy to my beard, and privately asked Jones if it 
 actually grew there or was artificial. We were both well 
 tired, so, after a supper of boiled rice rather meagre 
 fare after such a hard day's work and after Prayer 
 with our porters, we turned in and slept. I pitied the 
 poor men with their loads ; they are a much enduring 
 race. I much doubt if one of Pickford's stalwart porters 
 would carry a 60 Ib. load on head or back for nine 
 hours in the day under any circumstances to say 
 nothing of an African sun, and African roads. A strik- 
 ing feature in Giriama scenery is large masses of 
 climbers, completely hiding the great trees which give 
 them support, and looking for all the world like ruined 
 castles covered with ivy. 
 
 Wednesday, August 15. Up at 6. An hour's walk, 
 mostly through wild jungle, brought us to the foot of 
 the hill. We were quite unexpected, but our guns soon 
 brought Robert Keating and all his people running to 
 meet us. Our coming was a glad surprise, and they 
 welcomed us in true African fashion. Our larder, which 
 was in an exhausted condition, was soon replenished, as 
 almost immediately after our arrival one and another
 
 124 -My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 brought me a present of a fowl. It was about the only 
 thing they had to give, for as regards food it is a poor 
 place no cattle, sheep or goats and no water within 
 4 or 5 miles, and that of the colour and consistency 
 of pea soup. There are no vegetables of any kind, 
 Indian corn, which grows freely, being the staple food 
 of the natives. 
 
 At noon, assembled all the people of the Settlement 
 men and women to the number of fifty. r I called 
 over their names, and found that the little community 
 is variously made up. Some are pure Wa-Giriama 
 others from one cause or other have migrated here from 
 Frere Town or Rabai whilst there are a few whom I 
 could not well make out : they may possibly be ' ' watoro," 
 who prefer living here to Fulladoyo. They listened at- 
 tentively to our addresses, after which we sang a hymn, 
 and Jones concluded with prayer. We had then several 
 difficult cases to deal with, which took up most of the 
 day. I also arranged with Robert about his duties ; 
 directing him to give his chief attention to this little 
 community instruction of catechumens a school for 
 the children and ministering to the Christians. To 
 do this well will occupy nearly all his time and strength. 
 He ought to have his wife with him, who could be 
 useful among the women. His house must be put in 
 order re-thatched, etc. and he needs a supply of school 
 materials, to enable him to carry on his work efficiently. 
 I was glad to learn that the Prayer-house had been 
 built entirely by the people themselves. It is not a 
 grand building but it is the best in the Settlement, and 
 quite sufficient for the present needs. Some people are
 
 Mwaiba. 125 
 
 always complaining that Native Christians want every- 
 thing done for them ; it is most unjust ; I should like 
 to see an agricultural Parish in England cheerfully 
 doing what these poor people have done. 
 
 Br. Taylor's heart's desire is, on his return from 
 Chaga, to go on with translation work, and at the same 
 time evangelize the Wa-Giriama. In that case he will 
 find Mwaiba a useful centre, although not, I think, the 
 best place for his head-quarters. 
 
 The old man from whom we purchased land for the 
 Settlement is rather a troublesome customer : having 
 received hard dollars for his supposed rights in the 
 property on the hill, he is for repudiating the agreement, 
 and claiming back what he has disposed of. Unfortun- 
 ately the Deed of sale was most loosely drawn out, and 
 the witnesses to it are either dead or far to seek. I 
 have gone thoroughly into the matter, and with the 
 help of Paulus and Petrus two of the converts who 
 have been here from the first have determined the 
 boundaries, and I hope there may be no further trouble. 
 
 Thursday, August 1(5. After a final Meeting -with the 
 people, we set out at 10.45 on our return, and at 1.15 
 reached the river, where we rested an hour for lunch. 
 Started again, and pushed on till sunset. We were 
 overtaken by a shower, and got to our camping-ground 
 pretty well soaked. A down-pour of rain makes things 
 very miserable on a journey, and very foolishly I have 
 brought no change of warm clothing. Mem. Always 
 have one or two changes of woollen clothes when travel- 
 ling at this season. Pitched my tent in a small hamlet, 
 consisting of three grass huts, belonging to Abe Ka
 
 126 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 Nazi. He and his women seemed very pleased to give 
 us a place for the night, and watched our proceedings 
 with the utmost curiosity. When I drew off my wet 
 shoes and socks, they were all on tiptoe to see my white 
 feet, which called forth an exclamation of surprise. 
 They all gathered round Jones and me to see us at our 
 evening meal : a black and a white " Mzungu " eating 
 together ! It was as good as a show to them. I gave 
 Abe Ka Nazi a digestive biscuit which he nibbled 
 cautiously; suspicious of "medicine" I rather think; 
 but when I gave him a Rupee as a present for his kind 
 hospitality, he was moved to his centre, and called his 
 chief wife to receive it from the hand of " Mzungu" 
 himself. A little present goes a long way with these 
 simple people, and when they receive us kindly it should 
 always be given ; it paves the way for those who come 
 after us. Notwithstanding the heavy rain, we were 
 badly off for water ; " water, water everywhere, and not 
 a drop to drink". Every traveller should see to this 
 himself, and not leave it to his followers. 
 
 How impossible to convey to friends in England 
 any true idea of my present life. I have journeyed 
 to-day, for instance, for 6 hours under an African sun 
 through forest and swamp in sunshine and shower 
 and now find myself encamped for the night, in a wild, 
 outlandish place, where man and beast are in perpetual 
 struggle for supremacy. " I lay me down in peace, and 
 take my rest : for it is Thou, Lord, only that makest me 
 dwell in safety." 
 
 Friday, August 17. Another downpour during the 
 night. I felt half ashamed of myself to be lying so dry
 
 Siafu. 127 
 
 and snug in my little tent, whilst my poor fellows were 
 shivering outside in their wet rags. But what could I 
 do ? If I had turned out to share my lot with them, it 
 would not have done them a particle of good it would 
 most likely have done me most serious harm. There 
 are some things we cannot remedy, and this occasional 
 experience of African travel is one of them. We were 
 up at 6, and had all packed up and got off at 6.30. 
 Immediately the rain came down again, and in a few 
 minutes we were like a lot of drowned rats. No in- 
 equality this time ! It would have been much the 
 same if it had not rained, for the long grass often 
 eight or ten feet high through which we had to grope 
 our way, was all dank and dripping from last night's 
 showers. This long grass is a serious impediment at 
 this season. The "siafu" were particularly trouble- 
 some this morning. One lot were in great force, and 
 on hearing the warning cry " siafu, siafu," I put my 
 donkey to the gallop ; but all of no use. In a moment 
 she and I were covered with those little furies up my 
 legs and arms, in my hair and beard, in short, in every 
 available place they made their attack. Once or twice 
 as they dug their teeth into the tender flesh, I literally 
 shrieked with pain ; and the poor donkey, who didn't 
 know how to shriek, relieved her feelings by kicking. 
 They had me too at a great disadvantage, as I had to 
 steer my way through grass and brambles, and it re- 
 quired all rny wits to escape scratches and falls. How- 
 ever, in three hours we were glad to find ourselves 
 once more at Eibe, and able to change our wet clothes ; 
 and when water was obtained, which was in about two
 
 128 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 hours, to get our breakfast. Jones who knows most of 
 the people here, has been making a house to house 
 visitation, and giving them a word of exhortation. 
 This evening messengers arrived on their way to 
 Mwaiba, bringing me a budget of letters, which have 
 come up from Zanzibar by the " Henry Wright " ; 
 some of them on important business, and one from 
 dear Mac, bearing Sierra Leone postmark of June 14. 
 As I was sitting in the verandah of the Mission House, 
 I, all at once, began to experience very uncomfortable 
 sensations, and on looking about for the cause, found 
 myself covered with fleas ! they were big ones, with 
 no doubt "little ones on their backs to bite them " 
 and not one or two, but hosts. Oh ! these insects ! to 
 an Englishman this plague is one of the most serious 
 drawbacks to life in Africa. 
 
 Saturday, August 18. Left Ribe at 7 for Make- 
 rungi, a village on the creek, about six miles distant, 
 where we found a boat awaiting us which brought us 
 to Frere Town at 1 p.m. There is so much in the cir- 
 cumstances connected with journeying in East Africa 
 to remind us how entirely we depend for safety on the 
 protecting arm of the Almighty ; that the successful 
 conclusion of even a little tour like this calls for 
 special acknowledgment of His goodness. 
 
 To my wife I wrote : 
 
 " I have just returned from a little tour in the 
 Giriama country. . . . 
 
 " It is wonderful how God gives me strength for this 
 hard life. I am sometimes amazed, and I hope thank- 
 ful too. Jones said to me a day or two ago, ' Bwana,
 
 African Life. 129 
 
 this African climate and life are telling upon you'. I 
 asked ' How so ? ' ' Why,' he said, ' you are not 
 nearly so stout as you were six months ago.' 'Indeed,' 
 I replied, ' if that is so, and I think it is, I am rather 
 glad, as it only shows I am getting into better " form " 
 for this kind of work.' Certainly I do here what I 
 should never dream of doing in England. On getting in 
 I had the luxury of a cold bath, which I missed on the 
 journey, and a warm greeting from all the dear Brethren. 
 Of course I am awfully sunburnt as brown as a gipsy 
 and good Mrs. Burness naively remarked : ' Why, 
 Bwana, you put us all to shame by your good looks '. 
 When last in Zanzibar I bought a pith hat, an inch 
 thick, and as big as a coal-scuttle, and it is the best 
 investment but one I ever made. That one I leave you 
 to guess : it was made some thirty-nine years ago ! 
 This hat has been a real friend to me, not only protect- 
 ing me from the sun, but serving as a shield to my poor 
 head from thorns and brambles. 
 
 "The S.S. 'Madura' has come in direct from Eng- 
 land. She picked up Mails at Aden w T hich left London, 
 July 27. I wonder you did not hear of it. ' Bwana 
 mkubwa' felt rather small to see his colleagues 
 gloating over letters from home, arid he not one ! 
 You might have sent me latest news from Hose Cottage. 
 Well, there is this to be said, that I have my cake 
 in reserve." 
 
 From now till Mail day I remained at Frere 
 Town, writing letters, and occupying myself with some 
 important matters which claimed attention. How 
 things were with us at this time may be gathered
 
 130 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 from the following extracts from my letter to the Eev. 
 R. Lang : 
 
 "FRERE TOWN, August 28, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAE MR. LANG, 
 
 "Yours of July 13 came to hand on the 6th 
 inst. I was of course not wholly unprepared for the 
 request that I would stay on another six months, yet 
 (must I confess it ?) I felt at first rather cast down at 
 the prospect of another half year of this homeless life. 
 But my dear wife's letter made me feel ashamed of my 
 faint-heartness, and set me thinking more of the great 
 privilege which is given me of serving the Lord a little 
 longer in this, to me, most deeply interesting part of His 
 vineyard. I thank the Committee for the expression of 
 their willingness to send out my wife. As regards this 
 she writes, ' If I had the means I would come at once, 
 but I scarcely think we should be justified in putting 
 the Society to this expense for so short a time ' ; and 
 much as I should like her to join me, I have no doubt 
 she has decided rightly in the matter. 
 
 " Mr. C. Fraser arrived by the Mail, and as I saw 
 from your letter that you wished him and Beverley to go 
 up to the Lake together, I judged it best to detain him 
 here until the arrival of the latter. Three or four weeks 
 in Zanzibar for a young man with nothing to do, would 
 have been anything but a good preparation for his future 
 work. So he has been here, making himself generally 
 useful, and getting stirred up and quickened, I trust, by 
 intercourse with Christian Brethren and fellow-workers. 
 He is ready to start as soon as may be after Beverley's 
 arrival.
 
 Difficulties. 1 3 1 
 
 " But about this, I am sorry to say, there is some 
 uncertainty. Mr. Maxworthy's letter, which I enclose, 
 explains the difficulty. It is in answer to one from me, 
 which I wrote immediately I knew that a caravan would 
 be required. You lay great stress on the necessity for 
 an escort, and I feel this most strongly myself. It is all 
 the more necessary owing to the general feeling of un- 
 easiness and apprehension which just now exists in the 
 country. Stokes with his 1200 men has already left, or 
 will have done so before Beverley arrives, he has only 
 been waiting for the ' Madura ' which arrived some 
 days ago. It will be bad for any small caravan follow- 
 ing in his wake ; he will ' leave behind him a desolate 
 wilderness '. There is little chance I fear, at this 
 season, of obtaining any other escort for our two 
 Brethren. 
 
 " As regards ' wa-pagazi,' I hope we may be able to 
 get over the difficulty, by giving a hundred men from 
 here and Rabai ; I am calling for volunteers. There are 
 very grave objections to sending away our men on these 
 long expeditions, and this is a question to be seriously 
 gone into ; but in the present emergency we will do our 
 best. I shall send with the caravan a Christian young 
 man, who will act as interpreter muster the porters 
 for Morning and Evening Prayer and look after their 
 spiritual interests. He will, I hope, be a comfort and 
 help to our two Brethren. 
 
 " Fitch has gone to Zanzibar for a few days, partly 
 on his own account, but mainly to confer with our 
 Agents, and to see that everything is done that can be 
 done to carry out the wishes of the Committee.
 
 132 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 " I am glad to bear we may expect Mr. Eobson in 
 October. As soon after his arrival as possible our dear 
 Brother England should go home. We shall be sorry 
 
 MR. ENGLAND. 
 
 to part with him, but he sadly needs a change, and he 
 is worth preserving. 
 
 " Dr. Ardagh's sudden collapse, and return home 
 makes it unnecessary to enter now upon the question of 
 the Mombasa Medical Mission. I will only say that I
 
 Chaga Mail. 133 
 
 ani as keen upon it as the Committee can possibly be ; 
 it was my own proposal years ago ; but what I very 
 strongly feel is, that to be of any use at all, it should 
 be carried out with thorough efficiency in both depart- 
 ments. It is just a question of Agents ; and these of 
 the right stamp it is not easy to find. 
 
 " I am hoping your next letter will tell me that Dr. 
 Baxter is on his way out to relieve Dr. Pruen from 
 Mpwapwa, and what your wishes are in regard to the 
 latter. You already know of Mrs. B's expected confine- 
 ment in November; and independently of that, the Com- 
 mittee will, I am sure, feel that it is, to say the least, very 
 undesirable to leave this comparatively large Mission 
 without Medical aid a day longer than necessary. If 
 Pruen can be spared to come here, I' shall be very glad 
 to confer with him as to the work in Mombasa. 
 
 " The Chaga Mail is in, and brings me a deeply 
 interesting letter from Taylor, and as he says he cannot 
 write to you by this opportunity, and as the letter deals 
 with several matters of importance, I send it on to you 
 just as it is, having made from it such extracts as I may 
 require. 
 
 " Taylor kindly offers to hold on at Chaga another 
 two or three months, and for the sake of the Divinity 
 Class I shall gladly accept his offer. I may hear some- 
 thing from you by the next Mail which may decide the 
 matter. Anyway Fitch is ready to return at a moment's 
 notice if the Committee wish it. His influence here is 
 good, and I shall be sorry to lose him. I earnestly hope 
 you may be able to send someone out to take up the 
 
 10
 
 134 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 work he has begun here ; though I fear by this time you 
 must be almost case-hardened against the perpetual cry 
 for ' more men '. 
 
 " Latest, A Steamer just in from Zanzibar, bringing 
 a letter from Col. Euan Smith which I enclose. In the 
 face of it I cannot of course send on the two Brethren 
 to the Lake. Shall await your orders, unless some 
 favourable opportunity turns up. 
 
 " A nice letter from Mackay dated ' Kwa Makolo, 
 July 17,' but he has no doubt written to you. 
 
 " Miss Wardlaw Ramsay and Mr. Beverley just 
 arrived : all safe and well. 
 
 " With kindest regards, etc., etc." 
 
 In the letter I received from Col. Euan Smith, 
 referred to above, he urged me most strongly not to 
 allow Messrs. Beverley and Fraser to go up to the Lake 
 at present. What could I do ? He must have good 
 reasons for the advice he gives, and I dare not take the 
 responsibility of acting contrary to his judgment. I 
 had already come myself to the conclusion that there 
 would be considerable risk in these Brethren going for- 
 ward just now ; the letter of the Consul-General places 
 this beyond doubt, and I cannot disregard his warning, 
 so I replied : 
 
 " FRERE TOWN, September 1. 
 
 " MY DEAE COLONEL, 
 
 " Thanks many for your letter of Aug. 27. It 
 takes a load of responsibility off my shoulders. I had 
 almost made up my mind not to send these two young 
 men up country at present, but I might have been
 
 To Col. Euan Smith. 135 
 
 blamed. Your letter makes it all right. It is a pity 
 the Committee did not let me know three months ago 
 that a caravan would be required ; then we would have 
 secured porters, escort, and everything else. I am very 
 sorry on Mackay's account, from whom I have just heard. 
 The non-arrival of Mr. Fraser for several months will 
 be a sore disappointment ; but he is a brave fellow ! 
 
 " I have just returned from Eabai with our exuberant 
 friend Ehlers, and the Hervey hunting party, who, 
 after a few days are going on to the Tana. 
 
 " I am sorry to hear you are rather out of sorts. You 
 will have to come up here for a change. By the way, 
 Mr. Carthow of the Methodist Mission, and Mr. Van- 
 derlein of the Bavarian Mission, who had both suffered 
 badly from fever, availed themselves of my offer to 
 occupy a little house I have put up at Shimba, and 
 after a fortnight's stay there, have returned quite set 
 up. You know I am hopeful that Shimba will prove a 
 valuable sanatorium, and be a means of saving money 
 and lives ; so I am glad of these two cases to support 
 my theory. 
 
 " Thank you for your nice present of oranges, they 
 were a great treat to me and my friends. 
 
 "I hope your letter to Mwanga will have a good 
 effect, if only he gets it read to him without gloss, or 
 note, or comment, and when he is not in his cups ! 
 
 " One of the two men for the Lake Mr. Carlile 
 Fraser, mechanical Engineer is going to Zanzibar in 
 the ' Henry Wright '. He is to enquire and find out if 
 there is any possibility of obtaining a caravan escort. 
 I gather from my letters that the Committee are quite 
 counting on these two men going forward at once.
 
 136 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 " Dr. Baxter and wife are coming via the Cape in 
 three weeks time, to go up to Mpwapwa. 
 
 " From all I hear, I suppose we are on the eve of 
 stirring events in East Africa. May God give us all the 
 wisdom needed for the times. 
 
 " Yours very sincerely, etc." 
 
 After carefully considering the matter in all its 
 bearings, I wrote again, three days later, to the Consul- 
 General, as follows : 
 
 " September 3, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAE COLONEL, 
 
 " I am anxious nothing should be left undone 
 that can be done to carry out the Committee's wishes 
 in regard to these two young men going up to the Lake. 
 It has occurred to me that if Dr. Baxter, who is an old 
 traveller, determines to go with his wife to Mpwapwa, 
 and can make up a caravan, it may be feasible for them 
 to go with him so far ; and there, with his advice and 
 aid, to arrange for the journey on. It is very probable 
 Dr. Pruen, now at Mpwapwa, will go forward as soon as 
 Baxter relieves him. That would make the matter 
 easier. Messrs. Beverley and Fraser are both going 
 down to Zanzibar : I think it better for them to do so, 
 and on the spot get all the information they can ; and 
 I shall be most thankful if you will advise them, under 
 the circumstances I have mentioned, what is best to be 
 done. Please bear in mind that they are not for Uganda, 
 but for the Station of Usambiro at the south end of the 
 Lake. Yours, etc."
 
 Letter to Mackay. 137 
 
 To A. Mackay, Esq., Usambiro. 
 
 "August 30, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAR MACKAY, 
 
 " Many thanks for your kind letter just re- 
 ceived. I came out simply to take charge of the Mission 
 for six months, or until Bishop Parker should return to 
 the coast. His lamented death of course put everything 
 out, and at the request of the Committee I have con- 
 sented to stay on, if the Lord will, another six months. 
 It is, for some reasons, rather inconvenient, but my 
 heart is in the work, so I gladly ' gird up my loins ' 
 afresh. 
 
 "Now about Keid. The Committee at one time 
 entertained the thought of sending him to you, and 
 under certain conditions, he was prepared to go. But 
 for some reason they came to the conclusion that he 
 was not the right man, and they have sent out Mr. 
 Carlile Fraser, a man of varied experience, to assist 
 you in building the boat, and in any other way, on an 
 agreement for two years. I think from what I have 
 seen of him, that he might be very useful to you. The 
 Eev. J. E. Beverley has also just arrived via the Cape, 
 and the two were to travel up together. The Com- 
 mittee give very stringent instructions as to their going 
 with Stokes or some other suitable escort. Imme- 
 diately I got Mr. Lang's letter, I wrote to B. E. & Co. 
 to collect porters, prepare caravan, and look out for 
 escort. They wrote back to say that Stokes had carried 
 off all the porters for his caravan of 1200 men that he 
 had already left and no prospect of any other escort at
 
 138 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 this late period of the season. I was perplexed, but 
 set to work at once and collected about 75 porters at 
 Frere Town and Eabai, hoping that Messrs. B. K. & Co. 
 might at least be able to find 25 or 30 more in Zanzibar. 
 To-day however comes a letter from Col. Euan Smith, 
 urging me on no account to send these two Brethren 
 up country, at the present time, without an escort. In 
 the face of this, I dare not take the responsibility of 
 allowing them to proceed. I am sorely vexed, because 
 I know what a disappointment it must be to you, 
 though you are a brave man, and, during the last 
 twelve years of your life, have had to face disappoint- 
 ments even greater than this. Still I regret it exceed- 
 ingly. Would I had known three months ago that a 
 caravan would be required. I have written to the Com- 
 mittee about it, and they may cable, but even then I fear 
 it may be too late to do anything, and some months of 
 precious time will be lost. I hear that Dr. Meyer has 
 just left Pangani for Chaga, and that after spending 
 three months there, he intends to go on to your Lake. 
 I shall get from Taylor, all information about this. It 
 may possibly afford us an opportunity of sending on 
 your reinforcements earlier than we might otherwise be 
 able to do. I can at present only say we will do our 
 level best to hasten them on to you. 
 
 " Dr. Ardagh went home by last Mail. He had had 
 repeated attacks of fever. The rest of our party are all 
 well. I have had excellent health, thank God, and feel 
 almost as equal to hard work as ever I did. The super- 
 vision of these Coast Stations finds plenty of work for 
 one man, if it is to be done efficiently.
 
 Letter to Taylor. 139 
 
 " I am sorry we get no late news of Gordon and 
 Walker. We often remember you all in prayer. I wonder 
 if Ashe is still with you ; I should be glad to hear he 
 had withdrawn his resignation. 
 
 "With best Christian love to you and any of the 
 Brethren who may be with you. 
 
 " Yours very faithfully, etc." 
 
 To the Bev. W. E. Taylor, Chaga. 
 
 "September 1, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAE TAYLOR, 
 
 " I have to thank you for your deeply interest- 
 ing letter of Aug. 17. It is refreshing to hear from one 
 whose heart is in his work, and who has so many 
 opportunities for good. There is so much important 
 information in your letter, that, as you say you have no 
 time to write home by this Mail, and as I have too much 
 on hand to allow of my making as full extracts as I 
 could wish, I shall send it on as it is. There is nothing 
 ' Private ' ; and I am sure the Secretaries will be glad 
 to see it. 
 
 " Before I give you our news, just a word or two on 
 some points referred to in your letter. 
 
 " 1. I will enquire about type at Jomvu. Thanks 
 for the Kisuaheli Hymns ; we have just printed a small 
 selection to go on with, but shall be glad to add what 
 you have sent. 
 
 " 2. On my visit to Mwaiba I heard, here and there, 
 of the ' Mzungu with four eyes ' ! * The people would 
 be glad to see and hear him again. 
 
 * In allusion to Mr. Taylor's spectacles.
 
 140 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 " 3. Poor Mandara ! when will he take it in that we 
 are men of peace ? I was thinking of getting for him a 
 nice edition of my wind-resisting lamp, but am afraid he 
 still ' loves darkness,' and would despise it. Whatever 
 his intentions, God has given him a great opportunity, 
 ' He has sent His servants to call him '. May it please 
 Him to open his heart to receive the Gospel message ! 
 
 " 4. I have carefully considered what you say about 
 Mr. Braun's suggestion. Whatever may be said in 
 favour of it, it is too serious a matter for us to take 
 action in, without the Parent Committee's sanction ; 
 unless Mandara should become as he was some while 
 ago decidedly hostile. The best thing would be, I 
 think, not to relinquish ' Mochi,' but, if possible, to send 
 another Missionary specially fitted for the post in con- 
 nexion with the new German Settlement. The Parent 
 Committee will see and, no doubt, give prayerful con- 
 sideration to what you have said. 
 
 "5. I am sorry to hear of your illness. At the same 
 time it is satisfactory to learn that you survived such 
 heroic treatment. I think we must say, ' God gave His 
 Angels charge over you '. It gave you an opportunity of 
 seeing more of the country, and of taking observations 
 which may hereafter be turned to account. It is well 
 always to keep that clearly in view, and to make notes 
 of everything which may be of use to those who come 
 after us ; and this I feel sure you will do. 
 
 " 6. I will bear in mind what you say of M., poor 
 fellow. He did, I have no doubt, go wrong when I was 
 last out, as alas ! did others who had not his excuse. I 
 am not one however to judge or treat him harshly ; I will
 
 Letter to Taylor. 141 
 
 do all I can for him. If only he might be led to give his 
 heart to the Lord, what a useful man he might be ! 
 
 "7. I am most thankful for your kind offer to give 
 Fitch a few months longer spell here ; for, much as I 
 should like to see you established in your chosen field 
 among the Wa-Giriama, I do, as you rightly judge, 
 attach great importance to the new Divinity Class ; and 
 for the present, or till we hear if the Committee can 
 send out a special man for it, he is the right man for the 
 post. 
 
 " 8. I am thankful to report that in the absence 
 of a ' mganga,' we are all in good health, ' no more 
 pills or any other medicine ! ' There is just a chance 
 of Pruen coming here, if Baxter arrives in time to 
 relieve him. 
 
 " 9. I have had a ' shauri ' with ' Mwalimu,' and 
 given him particular directions as to what you wish 
 him to do ; and he promises to have some MS. ready to 
 go with this. He asked me something for ' chakula,' 
 and certainly he looked as if he needed it. I gave him 
 $6 on account. Please let me know what your agree- 
 ment with him is. I hope Pratley will let me have 
 some proofs to send you. 
 
 " 10. Sir E.. Hervey and party arrived to-day and 
 have been spending the evening with me. I pumped 
 them all I could for news from the interior. Mr. E., a 
 German gentleman of independent means, is my guest. 
 He is going to Chaga in a few weeks to relieve Braun 
 just for the fun of the thing. He is a nice, gentle- 
 manly fellow kind-hearted towards the natives, etc. 
 You will see a good deal of him, and I earnestly hope
 
 142 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 your influence over him may be for good. He is natur- 
 ally an amiable man. May God give you all wisdom ! 
 
 "11. I hear that Dr. Meyer has just left Pangani 
 for Chaga, and that he purposes, after spending three 
 months there, to go on to the Victoria. Kindly get 
 from him all information as to his movements, espe- 
 cially as to the length of his stay at Chaga. Perhaps 
 this may afford an opportunity of sending on Messrs. 
 Beverley and Fraser to the Lake. 
 
 " Must close. Mail men clamouring to be off. 
 
 " With warmest Christian love, 
 
 " Yours affectionately, etc."
 
 CHAPTEE VIII. 
 THE BEGINNING OF TROUBLES. 
 
 Sunday, Sept. 2. The ' Baghdad ' with our English 
 letters came in this morning. Good news from dear 
 ones at home. My letters from C. M. S. very perplex- 
 ing. Pruen and Robson to go forward to the Lake, and 
 Baxter to Mpwapwa, without delay, and Frere Town 
 left in the lurch, without either a doctor or a school- 
 master ! However willing to carry out orders, the 
 thing is impossible, but our friends at Salisbury Square 
 have evidently no idea yet of our present difficulties. 
 Our rest to-day sadly broken in upon. 
 
 Monday, Sept. 3. Messrs. Beverley and Fraser left 
 for Zanzibar in the ' H. W.' Stormy weather. 
 
 Tuesday, Sept. 4. Taken ill in the night with 
 inflammation. Fitch and Smith came and sat up with 
 me fomented and mustard-poulticed me. Had no 
 sleep all night, and feeling very unwell to-day. 
 
 Wednesday, Sept. 5. A little better, but feeling 
 very weak and low. Bibi Fitch came to see me this 
 afternoon, and apologizing for not having come before, 
 said: " We are not used to think of our Bwana as sick ". 
 It is no doubt good for me to be laid aside, that I may 
 learn " how frail I am," and that I am not made of 
 wrought iron. My illness is owing, I imagine, partly to 
 a chill I got on my way from Rabai a day or two ago,
 
 144 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 and not a little to worry and anxiety. May He who 
 knows all give me needful strength and guide me in 
 these difficult times ! 
 
 Friday, Sept. 7. To my surprise the " H. W.' turns 
 up. The Consul General has sent her up with Last 
 and a lot of men. He is going about fifty miles inland 
 to prospect for a depot for the new Company. Beverley 
 and Fraser return empty handed no caravan no 
 escort ! 
 
 Col. Euan Smith asks for the use of the ' H. W.' 
 for a month wants her now to return to Zanzibar 
 immediately. The captain and engineer say "no 
 impossible ". They yielded however to my persuasion, 
 and consented to start to-morrow. I arranged for 
 Fraser to go with them, and assist with the engine. 
 
 Saturday, Sept. 8. The ' H. W.' left at noon. To 
 Col. Euan Smith I replied : 
 
 " FRERE TOWN, Sept. 7, 1888. 
 
 "MY DEAR COLONEL, 
 
 " I was startled on seeing the ' H. W.' coming 
 in this morning, as I was not expecting her before next 
 Tuesday. You did quite right in sending her as you 
 did ; and although it balks me of a trip I was purposing 
 to Kilifi and Melindi next week, I gladly place the boat 
 at your service, as far as practicable, for the next 
 month. Mind I do this for you, and the Company will 
 no doubt pay ' the damage ' whatever it may be. I say 
 as far as practicable, because she is undermanned for 
 continuous sea work. The trip, either way, means a 
 trying, sleepless night for the engineer, and in a lesser
 
 Perplexities. 145 
 
 degree for the captain. One journey to Zanzibar and 
 back per week, especially during this unsettled weather, 
 is quite enough for her to do. You would probably not 
 require more frequent communication than that. 
 Heavy cargo can of course easily come up now by 
 dhow. You may depend upon my doing all I can for 
 our friend Ehlers. 
 
 " I have a nice letter from Sir John K. He seems 
 not a little disappointed at the turn things have taken ; 
 but it is pleasant to see that he rejoices in your popu- 
 larity ; and that you are holding British influence as 
 high as under the circumstances is possible. It was 
 certainly no fault of his that affairs have come to the 
 pass they have. Considerations, in other parts of the 
 world, have, no doubt, had much to do with it. After 
 all, it remains for each and all of us to do our best, ac- 
 cording to our lights and opportunities, and not to for- 
 get that ' the Lord reigneth '. 
 
 " With kindest regards. Yours, etc." 
 
 After sending off our little steamer, held a meeting 
 of the Finance Committee, to consider Mr. Lang's 
 letter, and to confer together as to what action to take 
 under the circumstances. The extract given below 
 from my letter to the Secretary, will throw light on 
 this and some other matters : 
 
 " September 8, 1888. 
 
 " I thank you for your letter of August 8, with en- 
 closures, which came to hand on the 2nd inst. 
 
 " I am glad the Plan for the girls' Dormitory, and
 
 146 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 ladies' accommodation commends itself to Miss Harvey 
 and Mr. Shaw, and has been approved by the Com- 
 mittee. I am persuaded it is the best and most econo- 
 mical arrangement. Mr. Burness has already begun 
 operations, and I hope, in three months from this time 
 which will be sharp work for East Africa to see the 
 girls and ladies comfortably housed in their new quar- 
 ters. We quite feel the importance of having the girls' 
 supply of water near at hand, and I have fixed upon a spot 
 in the compound for a well, for their exclusive use. It 
 is difficult beforehand to estimate the cost of a well; 
 but, judging from past experience, I should think these 
 two works, (1) the fencing in of girls' compound, and 
 (2) sinking a well, may be done for 20 or 25. 
 
 " At the same time, I must say that Miss Harvey's 
 remarks about the water supply are very misleading. 
 They would give the impression that Frere Town is a 
 particularly unhealthy place for Europeans, and that, 
 owing to the want of good water. There is not the 
 slightest ground for either of these assumptions. As a 
 matter of fact, there is no more healthy Station for 
 Europeans on the east coast of Africa ; and the water 
 supply, so far as they are concerned, is first rate. Each 
 Mission house is furnished with one or two good 
 cemented cisterns, for storing water from the iron or 
 cemented roof, which, when filtered, is about the purest 
 form in which water can be obtained in this country. 
 So far as Miss H. was concerned, it is very easy to 
 account for her fever. She was living in what was 
 tantamount to a mangrove swamp ; her house was 
 literally buried in trees, so that it would have been a
 
 Causes of Fever. 147 
 
 marvel if she and Miss Fitch had not suffered from 
 fever. I am glad to say these obstructions to fresh, 
 pure air have been swept away. In nearly every case 
 of a European suffering from fever at Frere Town, it 
 would be easy to show that it was not due so much to 
 the climate, or to bad water, as to undue exposure, or 
 to some neglect of ordinary sanitary conditions. Dr. 
 Ardagh, for instance, was living in Mombasa, where he 
 had too good reason to complain of the water, and 
 various other nuisances ; and it was to this, and to his 
 frequent journeys to and fro in a little open boat often 
 in the hottest part of the day that he attributed his 
 oft-recurring attacks of fever His last attack was the 
 immediate result of a long walk of eight hours, in the 
 sun, from Shimba to Rabai an excursion which could 
 only be undertaken with impunity by a man in good 
 health and training. It is most important the Com- 
 mittee should be under no misapprehension as to this 
 matter. Doubtless, the African climate is trying under 
 any circumstances, but you may rely upon it there is no 
 Station in Eastern Intertropical Africa, where that 
 climate is met with under more favourable circumstan- 
 ces, on the whole, than in your Station of Frere Town. 
 "I entirely agree with your general proposal as to 
 the location of the ladies, when the whole staff of five 
 are available at present we have only two ! Three are 
 not too many for Frere Town and Mombasa, and two 
 good earnest women will find ample scope for most 
 useful and happy work at Kabai. Shimba, for some 
 time to come, must be content with a Native Christian 
 woman, with an occasional visit from one or other of
 
 148 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 the English ladies. It would be a great advantage if 
 the lady for Mombasa were a trained nurse, or had 
 medical knowledge. Her sphere would be much the 
 same as that of a Zenana lady in India. It will be a 
 grand day when all this comes to pass. 
 
 " I come now to what you rightly term, ' a difficult 
 question,' viz., the reinforcements for the Lake Missions, 
 etc. difficult for you, but much more so for us, who 
 have a knowledge of adverse circumstances which you 
 had not when you wrote. You did not know, for 
 instance, (1) that Dr. Ardagh was on his way home, (2) 
 that Mr. T. (accountant) would at the last moment 
 withdraw, and (3) that the two brethren, Beverley and 
 Fraser, instead of being well on their way to Usambiro, 
 would be detained here by circumstances, and by the 
 almost express veto of the Consul General. 
 
 " I read and re-read this portion of your letter, 
 and must confess I felt not a little perplexed. I invited 
 Fitch, England and Smith to confer with me upon it ; 
 and after prayer for divine guidance, I laid the matter 
 before them. 
 
 " Your proposal involved a sore disappointment to 
 two of our number. Brother Smith has been eagerly 
 looking forward to release from his present post, that 
 he might give himself to the language, and to spiritual 
 work. You did not of course foresee the failure of Mr. 
 T., but he having failed, it will take time to supply 
 his place, and till that is done Smith cannot be spared. 
 The accounts are very varied and complicated, and these 
 together with formal correspondence are quite enough 
 to occupy the full time and energies of one man. There
 
 Native Agents. 149 
 
 is no one here competent to take it in hand, even if 
 willing to do so. So here you have a young ardent 
 Missionary who is longing to go forth to the work 
 for which he has been solemnly set apart, tied down to 
 the routine duties of an office, which could be performed 
 equally well, if not better, by any properly qualified 
 accountant. 
 
 " Then there is dear England ; everyone feels that 
 he ought to have gone home six months ago ; but he 
 has patiently held on, in the hope of someone being 
 appointed to take up and carry on his most useful 
 and important work. Mr. Robson a trained school- 
 master like himselfwas to take his place. Now 
 suddenly all that is changed ; Mr. Eobson is to go 
 forward with Dr. Pruen to occupy a new Station, and 
 not a hint is given of anyone coining out to take 
 charge of the School at Frere Town. We are now on 
 the eve of the hot season, and in any and every case, 
 England will have to leave not later than October 24 
 It would be at great risk if he remained longer. 
 
 " Shall I be excused if I write plainly and strongly, 
 as I feel on this point ? Frere Town is your educational 
 and training centre. If this had been duly recognized 
 and acted upon in the past, we should now have had 
 a goodly band of well qualifled Native Agents, available 
 as Teachers and Evangelists in all our E. African 
 Mission stations. Instead of that, youths have had an 
 education given them up to a certain point many of 
 them in English and then been converted into cooks 
 and donkey-boys ! It is simply deplorable, and almost 
 makes one weep. A grand opportunity has been thrown 
 
 II
 
 150 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 away ; but the past should suffice. I am by no means 
 insensible to the desirableness of sending reinforcements 
 to the Lake Brethren ; but I am thoroughly convinced 
 that if it is a question of that or this, your best policy is, 
 to let nothing interfere with the education and training 
 of a Native Agency at Frere Town. Only give us a fair 
 chance, and in two or three years, with God's blessing, 
 we shall be able to supply you with men ' axes,' as 
 dear old Lenpolt used to say, 'from the tree itself 
 for all your Stations in the interior. I don't know, but 
 I cannot help feeling that even the Committee are not 
 fully alive to the fact that the evangelization of Africa 
 is to be done by Africans. You will pardon an old 
 Missionary, if he has expressed himself too strongly on 
 a point which he deems of vital importance. 
 
 " So far I have written on receipt of your letter ; but 
 at the same time I am doing all I can to expedite the 
 departure of Messrs. Beverley and Fraser. I have sent 
 them to Zanzibar with a letter to the Consul General, 
 requesting him to aid them in every possible way, in get- 
 ting on to their destination. In regard to other points 
 in your letter, you may be sure it would have given us 
 the greatest satisfaction to have been able to say in 
 reply ' we not only entirely agree with your proposals, 
 but will set to work at once to carry them out '. I much 
 regret that with all the facts and circumstances before 
 us, it was impossible to do this. 
 
 "I enclose a copy of the Finance Committee's Eeso- 
 lution, which will show you the action we have taken 
 and the reasons for it. I also enclose copies of corres- 
 pondence which will help to explain the situation, and 
 in some measure account for our proceedings."
 
 Plans Upset. 151 
 
 The decisions of the Finance Committee were 
 
 1. To keep Mr. Eobson at Frere Town, as originally 
 
 designed, to take charge of the School from Mr. 
 England. 
 
 2. To arrange for Dr. Pruen to come to Frere Town 
 
 as soon as possible. 
 
 3. To do our utmost to send Messrs. Beverley and 
 
 Fraser, with Dr. Baxter, on their way to the 
 Lake. 
 
 This is sadly in contravention of the P. Committee's 
 direction ; but they wrote entirely in the dark as to the 
 present condition of affairs. Hope we have done right ; 
 if not, must bear the blame. May God direct ! 
 
 Acting on the above decisions, I wrote at once to 
 Dr. Pruen : 
 
 "FRERE TOWN, September 8, 1888. 
 
 "DEAR DR. PRUEN, 
 
 " Many thanks for your welcome letter of 
 August 23. It helps to remove a difficulty. You no 
 doubt heard by last Mail of the Committee's wish, that 
 on Dr. Baxter's arrival, you should go on, with a new 
 man now on his way out Mr. Robson and select a 
 site for a new Station, in place of Uyui. I had a long 
 letter from Mr. Lang on the subject, but whilst we 
 would of course desire to carry out the expressed wishes 
 of the Committee, we have to take into account facts 
 and circumstances which were not known to them, and 
 to act according to the best of our own judgment; 
 taking the responsibility. In the present instance, after 
 prayerfully considering the matter in all its bearings, we
 
 152 My Tliird Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 have no doubt that the right thing for you to do is to 
 come here as you express your readiness to do at as 
 early a date as you consider it safe to do so say, about 
 the first week in October. I am writing to B. E. & 
 Co. to send you up 50 or 60 porters ; there is just now a 
 great scarcity and an unusual demand for them. I shall 
 put on the screw, and hope they will not fail to collect 
 so many and send them on in good time. 
 
 "You and your dear wife may count on a warm 
 welcome here, and we shall do our best to put you up 
 comfortably. We are glad to hear that Mrs. Pruen and 
 infant are doing so well. With kindest Christian 
 regards. Yours, etc." 
 
 Sunday, September 9. Very thankful for a nice quiet 
 day, no Mail interruptions ! 
 
 Monday, September 10. Heard that Mr. Last, now in 
 the employ of the B. E. A. Co., is, in opposition to my 
 wishes, taking on porters from here and Eabai, for his 
 "safari". If so, it is a very poor return for all the 
 kindness I have shown him. 
 
 Went over to Mombasa, and discovered that about 
 25 of our people had been engaged. Mr. Edmunds, the 
 officer in charge, promised to strike them off the list. 
 Mr. Last had already gone to Eabai. It will be neces- 
 sary before long to come to an understanding with the 
 Company's Agents, in regard to the employment of men 
 belonging to our Mission. 
 
 Conducted the S.S. reading to-night. Phil. ii. 12-18. 
 
 Tuesday, September 11. Determined, in view of 
 another lady Miss Scott soon coming out, and of our 
 needing accommodation, for a time at least, for three or
 
 The Germans. 153 
 
 four extra Europeans, to put up a row of three huts, for 
 bachelors, each hut 16 ft. x 11 ft., with hath and cook- 
 ing accommodation. Chose a good site in the present 
 girls' compound, to the west of Wright House. 
 
 Wednesday, September 12. Set people to work clear- 
 ing away jungle from the site of the new bachelors' 
 quarters. No sign of the " H.W." very annoying and 
 inconvenient. Hinders me in various ways. 
 
 Thursday, September 13. This afternoon eleven 
 boys, who had been carefully prepared by Mr. England, 
 were baptized. One of them was my boy, Salama, an 
 Abyssinian, who received the name of Stephano. I was 
 his god-father. It was a solemn Service ; and the 
 devout behaviour of all the candidates was most striking. 
 
 No sign yet of the " H.W." provoking. 
 
 In a letter received a few days back from the Consul 
 General, he cautions us not to get mixed up in any way 
 with the Germans. I have no idea what he alludes to 
 or is driving at. There is not the slightest ground to 
 fear our getting mixed up with the Germans our dan- 
 ger lies in another direction, and about this I wrote as 
 follows : 
 
 To Col. Euan Smith. 
 
 " FRERE TOWN, S^tember, 15th, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAK COLONEL, 
 
 " I quite agree with what you say in your 
 letter of the 6th instant, about the undesirableness of 
 our getting in any way mixed up with the Germans 
 and their schemes ; so much so, that, on the principle 
 of avoiding the appearance of evil, although privately I
 
 154 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 have a great regard for Ehlers and would do anything 
 I could to help and oblige him he would not have got 
 a single man from here for his ' safari,' but for you ; not 
 that I think there is much cause to fear anything on 
 that score. The ways of the Germans and ours are so 
 far apart; and the natives have already learnt to dis- 
 tinguish between the English and ' Wa Daitch '. 
 
 " But unless my instinct is at fault there is more 
 real cause for anxiety lest we should become too much 
 identified and mixed up with the affairs of the British 
 E. A. Company. Don't misunderstand me. We hail 
 with joy the advent of the new Company, and quite 
 hope that, under God, it will, in one way and another, 
 do much to remove many existing obstacles to Mission- 
 ary progress. We shall not be insensible to these 
 benefits, nor slow to find opportunities of showing our 
 gratitude ; but I feel sure you will see with me how 
 important it is for us to avoid any action or co-opera- 
 tion which would be calculated to give the idea to the 
 natives that the ' I. B. E. A. C.' and ' C. M. S.' are only 
 different names for the same thing. Our relation to 
 the Co. will be very much the same as our relation to 
 the Government in India ; and as there, so here, we 
 shall, I doubt not, be very good friends, and, working 
 side by side, be mutually helpful ; but, in order to that, 
 it is essential that we, at least, keep strictly to our own 
 line of things. Our object is the very simple one of 
 bringing the Gospel of Christ to bear in every lawful 
 way upon all sorts and conditions of men, to whom we 
 can gain access ; and everything which would obscure 
 that object, or give us a different character in the eyes of 
 the natives, would be a serious, if not fatal, hindrance to
 
 The Nezv Company. 155 
 
 our success. Besides, although we have every confidence 
 in the Board of Directors, as at present constituted, 
 and are thankful to have in H. M.'s Representative 
 an old and warm friend of the Society ; it may not 
 always be so. Time brings changes, so that we cannot 
 count upon the continuance of these happy conditions. 
 It is therefore the part of wisdom for us, to have a 
 policy and to let it be clearly understood, which will 
 survive all possible vicissitudes in the administration of 
 the Company. 
 
 "The necessity for my writing to you just now on 
 this subject is forced upon me by Mr. L.'s recent 
 extraordinary proceedings at Rabai. Without saying 
 a word to me, he goes and takes up his quarters in one 
 of our Mission houses there, and converts our Settle- 
 ment into his Depot and base of operations. Amongst 
 other things, he invites a lot of Mbaruk's men armed 
 roughs, amenable to no discipline or restraint to meet 
 him there, and, for the time being, they roam at will 
 over our Christian Colony. It is easy to see that the 
 control of a population like that of Rabai, made up of 
 some 2000 people of many tribes and in various stages 
 of enlightenment, is no light matter in itself ; but with 
 these elements of disturbance, it would become almost 
 impossible. So far perhaps no great harm is done, but 
 we are only at the threshold of what may likely prove a 
 very trying crisis ; and it is right at once to have it 
 clearly understood that, in future, all requisitions for help 
 of any kind, should be made through me, or whoever 
 may be for the time being the responsible head of the 
 Mission. 
 
 " I do not write officially. There is no need, as I
 
 156 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 feel sure, with the facts before you, you will see at once 
 the reasonableness of what I have said, and of the posi- 
 tion which I deem it right on behalf of the C. M. S. to 
 take up, and because just one word from you will set 
 all right. 
 
 " I am yours, etc., etc." 
 
 I submitted the above to my colleagues, Messrs. 
 Fitch, Smith and England, who all approved of it, feel- 
 ing as strongly as I do, the necessity for clearly defining 
 our position at the outset. 
 
 Saturday, September 15. The " H. W." in at last. 
 Glad to hear the Consul General has no further need of 
 her. Mr. Ehlers came with his loads, went up with 
 him to Kabai. Not feeling well. Called in at Jomvu, 
 where I found Mr. Last ill in bed. He returned to 
 Rabai yesterday from the interior, and in the night was 
 taken seriously ill. Jones did all he could for him, and 
 this morning sent him on in a hammock to Mr. Carthew 
 at Jomvu. From the symptoms I judge it to be a case 
 of sunstroke. He was for going on to Mombasa, but 
 I recommended him to stay where he was till fairly 
 recovered. 
 
 Sunday, September 16. Church full as usual this 
 morning. Ehlers to whom it was a new and strange 
 sight, was delighted. Had a nice quiet day, but feeling 
 rather out of sorts, and a little anxious. Twelve of 
 Mbaruk's men came to take up loads for Mr. Last a 
 noisy lot ! 
 
 Monday, September 17. Gave Ehlers all the porters 
 he needed for his " safari " and started him on his way 
 to Chaga. I am afraid he will have much trouble by
 
 A Case of Conscience. 157 
 
 the way. He is badly equipped, does not know a word 
 of the language, and has had no experience of travelling 
 in Africa. One thing in his favour is that he is kindly 
 disposed towards natives. 
 
 A., one of our young men, came to me to-night, say- 
 ing he was very unhappy in his mind in consequence of 
 his sin ; he could not sleep at night, and if he did fall 
 asleep he was troubled with horrid dreams ; he felt that 
 Christ was judging him. I have noticed for some time 
 a strangeness in him, as of a man whose mind was ill 
 at ease ; and although for certain reasons I had as yet 
 not said a word to him of the grievous matter to which 
 he refers, I was only waiting for an opportunity. It is 
 well he comes of himself, and makes a clean breast of it 
 with no prevarication or excuse and I pray God to 
 give him "true repentance". Still it is a case for 
 Church discipline, and must be dealt with. 
 
 To Col. Euan Smith. 
 
 " RABAT, September 17, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAR COLONEL, 
 
 " I came up here on Saturday with dear old 
 Ehlers, and to-day have sent him off with fifty porters 
 all Eabai men and two good headmen. I hope he 
 may reach Chaga safely in about fourteen days, but he 
 will meet with enough to try his courage and patience 
 by the way. It is a bad time for travelling, and I'm 
 afraid he was very poorly equipped for such a journey. 
 His tent was a miserable affair, and he hadn't a single 
 peg with it ! The cloth he brought from Zanzibar for 
 ' posho ' was useless, and it was with difficulty we sup-
 
 158 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 plied him with enough of the current kind to enable him 
 to pay his way. Besides he had no proper cook or decent 
 servant of any kind. I am sure he will have a very try- 
 ing fortnight, and I shall anxiously look for news of his 
 safe arrival at Chaga. He will meet our Mail runners 
 on their way to the Coast about four days hence and 
 will let me know by them how he is getting on ; I 
 should be very sorry if any harm came to him. You 
 will be pleased to hear that he gave me a cq. for $200 
 as a donation to the C. M. S. It was quite spontaneous. 
 I am glad of it for his sake, more than for the Society's. 
 At another time I would have gone with him at least as 
 far as Teita, where we have a Station which sadly needs 
 over-hauling ; but just now, and till the air clears, my 
 place is on the Coast or within easy call. 
 
 " On my way here on Saturday I called in at Jomvu 
 and found Mr. Last there, ill in bed with sun-stroke. 
 Carthew will take care of him ; and I will do anything 
 I can for him. 
 
 " The news you send me from the coast S. of Mom- 
 basa is rather disturbing. I confess to a little anxiety 
 as to what may happen, when the B. E. A. Co. begin to 
 take possession they must not expect a quiet ' walk 
 over'. There is always a turbulent element in Mom- 
 basa ready to break forth on the slightest provocation ; 
 and there can be little doubt that one of the first objects 
 of attack in such a case would be the Freed-slave 
 Settlement of Frere Town. Humanly speaking we are 
 defenceless. We already number thirteen English, of 
 whom four are ladies ! 
 
 " A man named Khamis Khombo is the ring-leader 
 of the malcontents he hates the English and has an
 
 Khamis Kombo. 159 
 
 old grudge against them. It would be well quietly to 
 get hold of this man, and to treat him kindly till the 
 business is settled. It is curious that I heard nothing 
 of what has taken place to the South, till I got it from 
 you and Ehlers. No doubt they know all about it in 
 Mombasa ; it will be well if they come to learn also that 
 resistance is in vain. 
 
 " In haste, Yours, etc., etc." 
 
 Tuesday, September 18. Writing Home letters just 
 now rather trying work gave me a headache. Went 
 with Jones a walk through the Settlement, calling in 
 here and there. Met Mark, son of old Abe Ngoa, in the 
 garb of an ordinary M-Nika a dirty rag saturated with 
 oil. He was one of three youths sent by Kebmann 
 some years ago to Zanzibar, to be instructed for bap- 
 tism by Bishop Tozer, and he has relapsed into heathen- 
 ism. It was strange to hear this man, to all appearance 
 a M-Nika of the Wa-Nika, speaking to me in very good 
 English. I spoke to him of his great sin in forsaking 
 the true way, and he admitted it. I could not say all I 
 would in presence of his heathen companions ; but will 
 try to see him again by himself. 
 
 Wednesday, September^. Amessenger came in from 
 Frere Town. He had been stopped on the way by some 
 Wa-Suaheli at Jornvu, who, he says, wanted to kill him; 
 but whilst they were calling others to their help, he 
 managed to escape. Hear from Smith that Burness is 
 unwell ; we are all suffering more or less just now from 
 the heat. A characteristic note from Herr Ehlers, 
 thanking me for my " phenominal kindness". He had 
 reached Gora his first stage, about twenty-five miles
 
 160 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 without mishap, and wrote in good spirits. Beverley 
 came up this Evening. 
 
 Thursday, September 20. Jones wrote on thirty-six 
 men for Beverley's " safari " ; but where the rest are to 
 come from it is not easy to see, at this season when 
 men are occupied in their " shambas". Beverly much 
 gratified with his visit to Rabai. Had a meeting of 
 " Fundis " in my house this Evening, for a few parting 
 words and prayer. 
 
 A hundred men of Mr. Last's caravan passed through 
 Eabai, on their way to his newly selected Station of the 
 B. E. A. Co. at Gulu Gulu. 
 
 Friday, Sept. 21. Return to F. Town. Left Rabai 
 at 6.30 and landed at F. Town at 11. A messenger 
 came over from the Wali of Mombasa to inform me that 
 he is going to-morrow to Melindi. It is a strange time 
 for him to be thinking of going away, just when H.M. 
 Consul General is expected here on a visit, and I re- 
 turned a polite message to that effect. 
 
 Bishop Hannington had a dog, " Tom " a mongrel, 
 with a good deal of English blood in him that accom- 
 panied him on his last fatal tour. Since then the dog 
 has been a member of Jones's family, and seems to have 
 been well taken care of. On each occasion of my visi- 
 ting Rabai, " Tom " has been one of the first to welcome 
 me, and has attached himself to me during my stay, 
 although I have never reciprocated his affection, beyond 
 giving him an occasional pat on the head. This 
 morning, however, the poor dog followed me to the 
 " banderini," and swam off to my boat, so that I could 
 do no less than take him in. He has installed himself 
 as my body-guard, and sticks to me night and day. He
 
 Disquieting Rumours. 161 
 
 is a famous animal, who is said to have killed a leopard, 
 and who carries some honourable scars one unfor- 
 tunately near his tail of wounds received in his conflict 
 with the savage beast. I cannot account for his strange 
 preference for myself, as there is no personal resemblance 
 between me and his late master, except in the colour of 
 the skin. 
 
 Saturday, Sept. 22. The Wali sends word that he 
 will postpone his trip to Melindi, till after the arrival of 
 the Mail steamer from Zanzibar. Weather getting 
 perceptibly warmer, but, thank God, I am feeling better 
 to-day than I have done the last week or two, and in 
 better spirits, although the outlook is not very cheering. 
 
 Sunday, Sept. 23. On the whole a peaceful and re- 
 freshing day. Attended Morning and Afternoon Services 
 in Kisuaheli. In the afternoon through some misunder- 
 standing there was no Preacher. Ishmael came to the 
 rescue, and gave an earnest practical sermon. 
 
 Monday, Sept. 24. Disquieting rumours come from 
 Mombasa. The Arabs and Wa-Suaheli are angry with 
 the Sultan for having " sold them, " as they say, " to 
 the English Co." Their great fear is, that Slave Traffic 
 is doomed. There are threats of an attack upon F. 
 Town, as they naturally enough conclude that we 
 must have a hand in any movement directed against 
 their cherished Institution. As a matter of fact we have 
 nothing in the world to do with it. 
 
 ' To Rev. A. Lang. 
 
 " September 24. 
 
 " The ' H. W.' arrived from Zanzibar a few days ago 
 bringing me a letter from Col. Euan Smith, which tells
 
 1 62 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 me that the Germans are meeting with much opposition 
 in establishing themselves at Pangani, and other places 
 on the Coast. There has been severe fighting and loss 
 of life. In a fortnight hence, the British E. A. Co. will 
 be hoisting their flag at Mombasa and other places on 
 the Coast, and it is impossible to say what may happen. 
 Knowing what I do of the people Arabs and Wa- 
 Suaheli of Mombasa, I think it not at all unlikely that 
 F. Town may be exposed to the danger of an attack. 
 I telegraphed to you, asking the lowest price for the 
 ' H. W.' but in view of possible contingencies, I shall 
 not, in any case, part with her for the present. She may 
 be worth her weight in gold to us at a pinch. It is an 
 anxious time for us, and you will, I am sure, remember 
 us in prayer, that we may ' abide under the shadow of 
 the Almighty, till these calamities be overpast '. 
 
 " You will be pleased to hear that Herr Ehlers, the 
 German gentleman referred to in Col. Euan Smith's 
 letter, who has just gone up to Chaga, has handed me 
 a donation of 200 dollars for our Mission. If this is the 
 first money contribution to the C.M.S. in this country 
 and as far as I know it is it is singular that it should 
 come from a German ! I think of appropriating it to 
 the Church Fund, in the hope that others may be led to 
 follow Mr. E.'s example. We may surely expect that 
 amongst the large number of Englishmen now flocking 
 to this country many of them moneyed men some will 
 be only too glad to help on our work, when they see 
 that we need their help. 
 
 " Thanks for your answer to my Telegram. Glad 
 to hear the Accountant is on his way."
 
 War in the Air. 163 
 
 To the same (three days later). 
 
 " September 27. 
 
 "All our plans are set aside for the present. Dr. 
 Baxter has arrived with wife and child, and all his goods. 
 Messengers have been sent to stop Pruen from attempt- 
 ing to come to the coast. All the country is in a 
 ferment war is in the air we know not what a day 
 may bring forth. You have probably heard by cable of 
 the state of things, and will not forget us. I am wiring 
 to you not to send out any more Missionaries men or 
 women till these troubles are over ! ' Delay reinforce- 
 ments, country disturbed.' We are now nineteen 
 English, all told, at Frere Town including four ladies 
 and a baby ! and quite full up. I am putting up a row 
 of three Bachelors' rooms, but they cannot be ready for 
 another fortnight or so. I enclose a copy of Mrs. Euan 
 Smith's letter to me, which will throw some light on 
 our position. All kinds of strange rumours are coming 
 in. In view of the possibility of a sudden outbreak and 
 attack from Mombasa, I have warned Captain Wilson 
 to be ready to get up steam on the shortest notice. The 
 ' H. W.' may at least afford us a refuge for the ladies. 
 Whatever comes, God help us to glorify Him in our 
 lives or by our deaths, as He may see good, and over- 
 rule all to the furtherance of the Gospel in E. Africa. 
 
 " Of course, for the present, Fitch remains here, and 
 Taylor at Chaga. The former was preparing to start a 
 week hence. He would go and take all risks, even now, 
 if I would let him ; but in face of the Consul General's 
 expressed wishes, it would not be right. As soon as the 
 veto is taken off he will go forward.
 
 164 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 " Beverley and Fraser are both here. The former is 
 going at once to Rabai. It will be good for him in 
 various ways ; he will come in contact with Missionary 
 work on a large scale, and in a most interesting field. 
 He will find some branches of work in which he can at 
 once take his part, and will get a good opportunity 
 which every Missionary ought to have of studying the 
 language. Fraser finding his way to the Lake blocked, 
 was for returning home forthwith ; but I showed him 
 that according to the terms of his agreement he could not 
 do this. I have come to a comfortable arrangement with 
 him. He consents to take the post of acting engineer 
 of the ' H. W.' and to do any work for which he is com- 
 petent, and which I may require of him, until we can 
 learn the Committee's wishes in regard to him, under 
 altered circumstances. It is quite impossible to say 
 when the road to the Lake will be re-opened. If you 
 agree to this arrangement please cable the one word 
 ' white ' if you wish F. to return home, say ' black '. 
 
 "Reid is much wanted on shore; there are many 
 things to be done sanctioned work which he can do 
 well, nobody better. 
 
 " Robson will take England's place, in charge of the 
 School, and England will leave by next Mail Steamer. 
 
 " Smith, as soon as he has inducted the new Accoun- 
 tant into the ' in's and out's ' of his department, will be 
 free for Shimba, Mwaiba, Teita, or wherever else his 
 services may be required. 
 
 " I should have been glad to have had Dr. Pruen 
 here in view of the Mombas Medical Mission, and of 
 the work of training a class of young men and women 
 as assistant doctors and nurses ; but I am afraid it may
 
 Outrages. 165 
 
 be some months before this can be. The Lord knows 
 what is best. . . ." 
 
 Wednesday, September 26. The 'Baghdad' from Zan- 
 zibar came in, bringing worse and worse news from the 
 coast. The Germans are meeting with determined 
 opposition everywhere. Two have been murdered at 
 Kilwa, and there has been severe fighting at Bagomoyo, 
 Pangani and Tanga. It is nothing to be wondered at 
 that the Arabs and others should resist the assumption 
 by any Foreign Power of sovereign authority over them, 
 and over Territory hitherto under the sway of the Mo- 
 hammedan Sultan of Zanzibar, in which they have so long 
 carried on their nefarious traffic in slaves, without let 
 or hindrance. All the more is it to be regretted that 
 the delicate business of taking possession was not en- 
 trusted to officers, who would have had some regard for 
 the natural susceptibilities of a proud and sensitive 
 people. These in any case could scarcely be expected 
 tamely to submit to changes, which involved so much 
 humiliation and possible loss to themselves. It was 
 evidently a case for wise, considerate and firm dealing 
 on the part of the newcomers. Their action appears to 
 have been the opposite of this. If it be true, as stated, 
 that two agents of the German Company entered a 
 Mohammedan Mosque with their lighted cigars, and 
 having a dog with them, nothing more is required to 
 account for the recent outrages and murders. 
 
 12
 
 CHAPTEK IX. 
 A DIFFICULT BUSINESS HAPPILY ARRANGED. 
 
 Friday, September 28. The " Oriental " in this after- 
 noon with our precious Home letters. I have again to 
 praise God for good tidings of dear ones. Dr. Edwards 
 and Mr. Robson arrived : both intended for the Lake ; but 
 here they must stop. Our friends at Salisbury Square, 
 when they left, had evidently not realized the state of 
 things here at the present time. We are more than full 
 up, and put to it to stow all away. Who can tell what 
 God's will may be in bringing so many of us together 
 here at this time ? 
 
 Make the best arrangements we can to accommodate 
 the newly arrived Brethren. England gives up his 
 house to the Baxters, and comes to live with me Smith 
 also joins my mess Messrs. Edwards and Beverley 
 will move on to Rabai on Monday. This as a make- 
 shift for the present. 
 
 Sunday, September 30. Services as usual very hot 
 and oppressive in Church. In the evening held a special 
 Service at my house to welcome the newcomers, and to 
 commend them to the blessing of Almighty God. Said 
 a few words on Nehemiah iv. 
 
 Monday, October 1. Sent off Chaga and Teita Mails. 
 Beverley and Edwards left in "dhow" for Rabai. 
 Much occupied in providing accommodation for the new 
 Brethren, and in drawing up a plan giving " to every
 
 Mr. Mackenzie and Staff arrive. 1 67 
 
 man his work to do ". Happily they are all most will- 
 ing and anxious to be doing something. 
 
 Wednesday, October 3. Smith and I went over to 
 Mombasa and called on Mr. Buchanan, the Agent of 
 the Company. He promised to take on no more of our 
 men as porters, without a note from us, and, in the 
 case of any married men employed by them, to make a 
 monthly payment of Us. 3 to each wife left behind. 
 
 I hope some settled form of Government will soon 
 be set up beyond the ten miles' limit ; at present all is 
 anarchy. The road between this place and Rabai lies 
 through Jomvu, where there is a colony of Wa-Suaheli, 
 who are making our communications difficult and 
 dangerous. Two of our messengers have narrowly 
 escaped with their lives, and there is no authority to 
 appeal to, whereas formerly we could invoke the Wali's 
 interference. I am afraid, unless something is done 
 soon, things will go from bad to worse. 
 
 Thursday, October 4. A new Steamer, the " Kistna," 
 came in, bringing Mr. G. S. Mackenzie, Director of the 
 B. E. A. Co., and a staff of eight Englishmen. We 
 (Fitch and I) dined with them on board, and were much 
 pleased with what we saw of them. None of them are 
 novices ; they have all had experience in India or else- 
 where. So far, good ; but in the life and work before 
 them in East Africa they have many hard lessons to 
 learn ! 
 
 Had another letter from the Consul General giving 
 a deplorable account of the state of things all along the 
 coast S. of Mombasa, and expressing himself strongly 
 against Fitch's return to Chaga, or any of our party 
 going inland. He says the Germans are in great dim-
 
 1 68 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 culties ; all the peaceable people Hindis and others 
 of Bagomoyo, have gone over to Zanzibar. The latter 
 place is in a state of commotion, and an attack on the 
 German Consulate is threatened. Under the circum- 
 stances, he does not consider it safe for any English- 
 man to go nland. I replied : 
 
 "FRERE TOWN, October 5, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAE COLONEL, 
 
 " This morning a special messenger from 
 Kilifi brings me your letter of the 1st inst., for which 
 many thanks. 
 
 " I am very sorry for the tidings of the coast. The 
 Germans appear to have gone about a very delicate 
 business in the rudest fashion. As far as one can judge 
 from the accounts that come to us, the massacre at 
 Bagamoyo was a cruel act of atrocity, and wholly inde- 
 fensible. They will not get over that in a hurry. The 
 worst of it is, that it stirs up bad blood between blacks 
 and whites between Mohammedans and Christians so 
 that we, who wish to deal fairly and considerately 
 towards all, may come in for a share of the ill-feeling 
 and hostility, which the Germans, by their insane pro- 
 ceedings, have evoked. 
 
 " I dined last night on board the ' Kistna,' and was 
 most gratified to find myself in the company of English 
 gentlemen, some of whom, at least, seem to be Christian 
 men, in full sympathy with our Missionary objects. If 
 they are a fair sample of the sort of men the Company 
 are sending out, we shall 'pull together most harmon- 
 iously ; and there is every reason to hope for their ulti-
 
 The New Company. 169 
 
 mate success in an enterprise which is not without its 
 difficulties. Mr. M., the chief, will, we may trust, act 
 warily feeling his way and doing everything that is 
 honourable and right. Will you please tell him that 
 our Mission house at Mombasa is at his service, until 
 he can make better arrangements for himself. 
 
 " After what you say, I shall, of course, not sanction 
 Fitch's return to Chaga at present. Personally, I am 
 rather glad of so good an excuse for keeping him here 
 a while longer. The blame, if any there be, of his de- 
 tention, will rest on you, not on me ; and your shoul- 
 ders are broader than mine. 
 
 " I am pleased to learn from Mr. Mackenzie that 
 there is no immediate intention of hoisting the Com- 
 pany's flag ; ' pole-pole ' is the rule with these people, 
 and ' everything is possible to those who can wait '. 
 
 "It is impossible to say what effect may be pro- 
 duced by the news from the coast on the turbulent 
 spirits of Mombasa, but I am sure it is a wise precau- 
 tion to keep K. K. out of the way. 
 
 " All our party are well, with the exception of Mr. 
 England, who has quite run down, and will leave by 
 next Mail Steamer. 
 
 " With kindest regards, etc., etc." 
 
 Saturday, October 6. Gave a note to eighteen men 
 (eleven married), permitting them to join the Company's 
 " safari ". That makes 23 in all from Frere Town, and 
 there we must stop. It is not good these men should 
 go at all, at this juncture. It is bad for the Mission 
 bad for the men and bad for their wives. Mr. C., a 
 gentleman who came out in the " Kistna," and who is 
 bound for Melindi, on a hunting excursion, applied to
 
 170 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 me for porters from Frere Town. I was obliged to 
 tell him I could not give him a single man. I feel it 
 necessary to make a stand at once against the practice 
 of furnishing any Englishman who may turn up with 
 porters for his caravan. They are not always well 
 treated, and even when they are, they return to us more 
 or less demoralized. 
 
 Sunday, October 7. Early Communion good atten- 
 dance also at both M. and A. Services. " Welcome 
 sweet day of rest," and all the more welcome by reason 
 of " the storms that round us rise ". 
 
 Monday, October 8. Much rain during the night, 
 which has continued through the day, so that we could 
 not gather as usual for Morning Prayer, nor the 
 children for school, all our houses leaking like sieves. 
 
 Engaged most of the day on the Finance Committee 
 making bye-laws for Frere Town. 
 
 Commenced my monthly letter to my wife. As it 
 touches upon matters of pressing interest at this 
 critical and anxious time, I give some extracts from it 
 here. 
 
 "FRERE TOWN, October 8th, 1888. 
 
 "MY DEAREST WIFE, 
 
 "Yours of September 7 came to hand on the 28th, 
 just three weeks, but it referred to matters, many of 
 which are ancient history. Poor Hall ! I had no idea 
 he was so ill. I had heard only that he was out of sorts. 
 I am very sorry, but sincerely hope Pickford's ministry 
 may be blest to him, and that in his extremity he may 
 find ' peace with God, through Jesus Christ '. Every 
 one has his proper gift of God, and mine, I have often
 
 Home Thoughts. 171 
 
 felt, is not in personal dealing with individuals. I don't 
 think it is so much from want of courage, as from want 
 of tact. I am so afraid that by rough or unskilful 
 handling I may " quench the smoking flax ". My only 
 comfort in this case is, that poor Hall has heard many 
 a time the Gospel of Christ from my lips, and in the 
 hope that though he gave no sign, he may not have 
 been so insensible as he seemed to the word spoken. 
 
 " I am sorry A. will be gone when I return. Poor 
 old Flo gone ! and now A. gone ! the old place will 
 scarcely look itself; but as an old lady a heathen 
 said to me the other day : ' We must take what God 
 sends and make the best of it '. I only hope A. will 
 find a good husband in E. She has been a faithful 
 servant to us, and I should be very sorry to see her badly 
 mated. 
 
 " I had, as you know, nothing from dear Mac by this 
 Mail. I bear in mind that this is the trying season on 
 the West coast, and earnestly pray God to ' keep ' him. 
 
 " So far, I have indeed much reason to be thankful 
 for the opportunity given me of revisiting the scene of 
 former labours in East Africa, and I hope, through God's 
 help and blessing, it has not been altogether in vain. 
 Dear England, an earnest fellow, who has completely 
 broken down in health, and who is going home by this 
 Mail, said to me, ' The last seven months have been the 
 happiest I have spent in Africa,' and there is more in 
 that than appears at first sight. I should so like you to 
 meet him. He is a native of Guernsey, and will not 
 stay long in England, but I will give him your address 
 at Eichmond, and ask him to call, and tell you all about
 
 172 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 us and our goings on at Frere Town. The Steads will 
 like to see him ; and he is worthy of all the kindness and 
 hospitality they can show him. 
 
 " Jerusalem ! oh yes ! I should dearly like to make 
 a pilgrimage to the sacred city on my way home ; but 
 as you cannot meet me there, I do not know if I shall 
 carry out my plan. It would indeed be a grand treat 
 a sublime finish to our earthly wanderings if 
 we could spend a week or two together in those 
 ' holy places ' ; but I suppose we must postpone our 
 pleasure, till we walk together, as, through God's 
 mercy we may hope to do, in the streets of ' the New 
 Jerusalem '. 
 
 " I hope your visit to C. will not be in vain, of course 
 it has been a great comfort to dear A. and your words 
 to the old women will bear fruit. ' In all labour there 
 is profit.' 
 
 " How kind and noble of dear Clowes ! and how 
 strange that not he only, but many others seem deter- 
 mined to take and make me a Bishop. Their idea 
 seems to be that I have been badly treated by the 
 Committee. I am sure I have never said anything 
 to originate such a notion. Indeed if the offer were 
 made to me, which is not at all likely, I should be 
 ' in a great strait '. My intense love for the work here 
 would incline me to say ' yes ' whilst a profound 
 sense of my unworthiness would incline me to say 'no'. 
 The thought does not trouble me. If the Lord knew it 
 would be good for me and for His cause, the way would 
 be made plain, and obstacles removed. As it is, I 
 am more than content to be counted worthy to fill a 
 gap, and to give the best I have of mind and body to
 
 Country Unsettled. 173 
 
 the furtherance of the Gospel in East Africa. I do not 
 know what I should do as a Bishop ; but I do know that 
 with Him with whom we have to do ' a man is accepted 
 according to that he hath, and not according to that he 
 hath not '. 
 
 " You will see from the papers that the country 
 south of Mombasa is in a disturbed state. The Germans 
 by high-handed proceedings have provoked hostility and 
 opposition. There has been a good deal of fighting 
 many lives lost on both sides and it is very doubtful 
 what will be the end of it. As a rule the Natives 
 distinguish between the Germans, whom they call Wa- 
 Daitch, and us, in our favour ; but when once their 
 passions are aroused against foreigners and Christians, it 
 is to be feared they will not be so discriminating. For 
 the present, all the routes into the interior are stopped, 
 whereby four Missionaries and one lady, sent out in 
 post-haste by the Committee to go forward to the Lake 
 are detained here, certainly for several months. So I 
 have a staff of eighteen all told ! It has taxed my 
 ingenuity to house them all, though I had no difficulty 
 in finding them work to do. Of course the Committee's 
 plans are all upset, and, what is worse, our Brethren at 
 the Lake will be sorely disappointed. It is very sad, yet 
 we may be sure God would not have permitted it but 
 for some good and wise purpose. 
 
 "Yesterday morning in bed, between awake and 
 asleep, I saw you reading a letter, when suddenly look- 
 ing up you said : ' H. is very ill'. I don't think I am 
 particularly superstitious, but the thought somehow took 
 hold of me, and I could only find relief by commending 
 him in prayer to our Heavenly Father. May he and all
 
 174 My Third Campaign in East Africa, 
 
 our dear children be numbered amongst the people of 
 God, for Christ's sake." 
 
 Tuesday, October 9. A deluge of rain all through the 
 night, and this morning tanks all running over, whereof 
 we are glad ; and not a dry spot anywhere, which is 
 very miserable ! Pratley, whilst playing football with 
 the boys, met with a nasty fall, dislocating something 
 in his knee. Smith at my request left for Shimba. 
 Some matters there require looking into, and I cannot 
 get away from here just now. Questions are continu- 
 ally cropping up, which must be met and dealt with at 
 once. 
 
 Thursday, October 11. The Sultan's S.S. " Swords- 
 man " came in, having on board the new Wali of 
 Melindi. She also brings letters from His Highness to 
 all the Walis north of Mombasa, giving them notice of 
 the coming of the B. E. A. Co. Burness and I went 
 over to Mombasa and removed all the Mission furniture 
 to F. Town. 
 
 Friday, October 12. At midnight I was roused up by 
 Robson. Mr. Edmunds, one of the Company's agents, 
 had come over from Mombasa to ask for Dr. Baxter to 
 attend some of the Company's porters, who had been 
 savagely attacked and badly wounded by some Wa- 
 Suaheli in the town. Robson and Baxter were ready 
 to go, so I immediately slipped 011 my clothes and 
 joined them. On our way to call Ishmael, we missed 
 the path in the dark, and walked right into the midst 
 of an army of " siafu " on the march. Oh ! the 
 torments ! we were entirely at their mercy, and 
 they almost drove us wild. We rowed quickly across 
 the harbour to Mombasa, and landing, wended our
 
 A Midnight Adventure. 
 
 175 
 
 way cautiously through a number of dismal streets 
 narrow, and reeking with filthy odours not knowing 
 but any moment we might encounter a band of cut- 
 
 STREET IN MOMBASA. 
 
 throats, till we came to an unfinished house near 
 Buchanan's, in which the wounded men were lying. 
 A ghastly sight met our eyes on entering. There lay a
 
 176 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 strongly built man, stark naked, who had been fearfully 
 hacked and cut on the head and in various parts of the 
 body ; the large gaping wounds must have bled pro- 
 fusely, and the poor fellow was in a semi-comatose 
 state, and there were several other cases nearly as bad. 
 The Doctor set to work at once, stitching up the worst 
 of the gashes. After a while, leaving him and Eobson 
 engaged in this work, I took Ishniael with me to call 
 on the Wali. The old gentleman had often assured me 
 he was at my service night or day, so now I must 
 put him to the test. We got to his house about 2 a.m., 
 and on learning who it was that wanted to see him he 
 came down at once, looking awfully scared. He said 
 he was greatly concerned at what had happened 
 and that although he had gone to bed, he could not 
 sleep, but lay thinking what could be done. He said 
 there was a strong feeling on the part of many in 
 Mombasa against " Wa,zungu," whilst there was also a 
 party in their favour. He knew that Khamis Khombo, 
 who is now in the town, was one of the principal 
 fomenters of strife. He added : " I am quite perplexed ; 
 if I go into this case to-morrow, I shall most likely find 
 that some of the leading men of Mombasa are at the 
 bottom of the mischief, and if I take them prisoners all 
 the town will be up in arms ; I want force to back me 
 up". We agreed that if either of us should hear of 
 any plotting he should at once let the other know. He 
 as usual professed eternal friendship for me, and I 
 would fain believe him to be sincere ; but he is an Arab ! 
 The Dr. was only able to dress the worst of the wounds, 
 and we recrossed the water, very tired, at 4'30 a.m. I
 
 Plans Upset. 177 
 
 do not think I could stand many repetitions of last 
 night's experiences. 
 
 This afternoon the "Kistna" came in from Zanzibar 
 bringing some seventy porters, and all the Mackenzie 
 party, except the Chief himself. He, Col. Euan Smith, 
 and General Matthews are coming on Sunday in the 
 Flagship " Boadicea ". 
 
 Saturday, October 13. Lt. Erskine, an officer of the 
 " Boadicea," died on board the " Kistna," of remittent 
 fever, and was buried at F. Town this afternoon. 
 
 The following extract from my letter to the Rev. E. 
 Lang, of this date, will show what was the condition of 
 affairs with us at this time : 
 
 "FREEE TOWN, October 13, 1888. 
 
 "DEAR MR. LANG, 
 
 " Your letter of 5th September came to hand on the 
 28th. Since you wrote, the aspect of things has entirely 
 changed, and events have taken place which for the 
 present set aside all our plans, and by the time you get 
 this God only knows what may happen still further to 
 disarrange our calculations. We must not complain. 
 God answers our prayers and leads us by a way we 
 know not ; but it is ' the right way '. We walk by 
 Faith. It is not your fault, and it certainly is not mine 
 that Messrs. Baxter, Beverley, Fraser, and Eobson are 
 detained here, but here they are, and it is all uncertain 
 when the way will be open for them to go forward. 
 
 " My telegram would, I fear, be too late to stop Miss 
 Scott. I was most anxious to prevent her or any other
 
 178 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 lady coming out just now whilst all is so uncertain and 
 unsettled. It may be that, in spite of murmurings and 
 threats which reach us, all will pass off quietly. God 
 grant it may be so ; but anyway, till things settle down, 
 it would be well to keep back any more ladies who may 
 be coming out. The Accountant we shall, of course, be 
 glad to see. 
 
 " There is no doubt, I think, that the Company will 
 proceed with caution, and with every desire not to do 
 needless violence to the feelings of Arabs, etc. ; but it 
 will be a bitter pill, however much it may be gilded. 
 The crisis will be when the Company begin to put down 
 slave traffic, as by the terms of their charter they are 
 required to do. 
 
 " It may be well for you to know how our present 
 staff are located and utilized. 
 
 " (1) Mr. Beverley and Dr. Edwards are at Kabai. 
 The first chief work of each is to learn the language. 
 Beverley will in addition give an hour or two daily to 
 the instruction of the Schoolmaster and his assistants ; 
 in short, conduct a Divinity class on a small scale. As he 
 acquires the language he will find plenty of opportunities 
 of turning his new talent to account the openings are 
 limitless. 
 
 " Dr. Edwards will have ample scope for the exercise 
 of his medical knowledge and skill among the 2000, 
 more or less, inhabitants of Kabai, to say nothing of the 
 poor Wa-Nika, who will gladly avail themselves of the 
 English ' mganga '. A medical Mission here is just 
 now much more feasible than at Mombasa. 
 
 " (2) Eeid is,^?ro tern., overseer of works at F. Town 
 fully occupied and in his element. Burness is most
 
 At Work. 1 79 
 
 thankful to be relieved of secular work and to be able 
 to give more time to the language. 
 
 " (3) Fraser is acting engineer on the ' H. W.,' 
 and as just now she has not much to do, he is, at 
 my request, engaged on a careful survey of the Frere 
 Town Settlement, and in making a Chart which will 
 supersede the rather rough and ready one made by 
 Mr. Biddlecome in '81. This will be a useful 
 work. 
 
 " (4) Dr. Baxter has his hands full. He has not 
 been able as yet to begin work in Mombasa, but a 
 number of sick folk from Mombasa and other places 
 come here for advice and treatment. We are just now 
 considering how best to give a Missionary character to 
 his work. 
 
 " (5) Our two ladies Miss Fitch and Miss Karnsay 
 are, as usual, fully occupied. Miss R. enters most 
 heartily into her new life and work. She is a great help 
 and comfort to Miss Fitch, about whose health I am 
 extremely anxious. I am afraid it will go hard with her 
 during the hot season now coming on. 
 
 " (6) Fitch is chiefly occupied with the Divinity 
 Class, which is now in full swing. He also takes part 
 in the Sunday Services, which is good for himself as well 
 as for the people : and besides he is a willing helper to 
 me in various ways. 
 
 " (7) Pratley has his own work. His new house, 
 with printing office attached, has been finished and 
 occupied for some time past. 
 
 " (8) Smith is still at his desk. I shall be glad both 
 for his and the work's sake when he is free. Our out- 
 stations at Shimba and Mwaiba need more regular
 
 l8o My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 supervision than I can possibly give to them under 
 present circumstances. 
 
 " (9) Eobson enters con amore into the School work. 
 It is in some respects not easy to succeed England, but 
 he is fond of boys and will I hope make his way. 
 
 " Keally it looks on paper as if we had quite a 
 formidable staff there are five more than were assigned 
 to us yet there are no supernumeraries, and it would 
 be quite easy to find posts of usefulness for as many 
 more. You will regret, as do I, the great disappoint- 
 ment to our Lake Brethren, but it is some satisfaction 
 to know that these reinforcements, though delayed, are 
 not debarred from active work. It may be in God's 
 good purpose thus to fit and prepare them for their 
 future spheres of labour. 
 
 "Dear England leaves by next Steamer. He has 
 been living with me the last month, and the more I see 
 of him the more I love and value him. You will, I feel 
 sure, give him a warm welcome, and let him see that 
 faithful, conscientious service, such as his has been, is 
 gratefully appreciated by the Committee. I regret very 
 much the necessity for his going, and earnestly pray he 
 may soon recover health and strength, and return to his 
 post." 
 
 Sunday, October 14. Services as usual, Fitch preach- 
 ing in the Morning, and James D. in the Afternoon. 
 A little incident this afternoon during the Prayers may 
 serve to show the state of tension which exists just now 
 amongst our people. The report of a gun was heard 
 twice not an unusual thing and immediately all were
 
 A Scare. 1 8 1 
 
 getting up and anxiously looking through the windows. 
 If anyone with a gun had happened to be passing, there 
 would, I fear, have been a panic and a stampede. 
 Happily we were spared this, and on coming out we 
 found that all that had occurred was the shooting of a 
 leopard, which has lately been giving us a good deal of 
 trouble. All the Brethren met at my house in the even- 
 ing for singing and prayer. 
 
 Monday, October 15. The Sultan's S.S. " Kilwa " 
 arrived, bringing Mr. Mackenzie and General Matthews ; 
 also for me a long letter from the Consul General, about 
 the " watoro " at Rabai ; and asking for the use of the 
 " H.W." for the new Company. To this I replied as 
 follows : 
 
 "FRERE TOWN, October 16, 1889. 
 
 "Mr DEAR COLONEL, 
 
 "The 'Kilwa' arrived at 9 a.m., and your 
 letter of the 14th was not delivered to me till 6 p.m. 
 Not receiving any word from you as I was expecting, I 
 had arranged for the ' H.W.' to leave for Zanzibar to- 
 day, and it is important she should do so, and return 
 here with as little delay as possible. She should leave 
 Zanzibar not later than Friday. I could not send he 
 away at the usual time, as, in the event of an attack 
 upon us from Mombasa a very possible contingency 
 she afforded us the only refuge for our ladies (four in 
 number). I had reason, as you know, to expect the 
 ' Mariner ' or some other boat would be here at the 
 critical moment. 
 
 " The murderous attack made last week on some 
 13
 
 1 82 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 porters of the Company, shows plainly enough what is 
 the state of feeling on the part of some at least of 
 the Mombasa people. . . . 
 
 " Now as to the ' H.W.' ; after this trip I accept the 
 responsibility of placing her at your disposal for the 
 purposes of the Company during the present emergency 
 for one trip to Zanzibar and back per month, the de- 
 tails I will arrange with Mr. Mackenzie, who is coming 
 to see me to-day. 
 
 " As regards Rabai, I regret exceedingly you cannot 
 come yourself and see into the matter, and the more so 
 that you have deputed for this work one who, though 
 he professes friendship for me personally, has not the 
 character of being very friendly to Missions or Mis- 
 sionaries. 
 
 " That, in spite of our wishes and stringent rules, 
 some ' watoro ' have found refuge in our Settlement is 
 exceedingly probable, but in every case in which appli- 
 cation has been made to me by Arabs or "Wa-Suaheli 
 owners, 1 have offered to go with them myself and 
 secure them every opportunity of ascertaining if their 
 slaves were with us, and see that they had fair play. 
 That being so, I cannot see that these people have any 
 real ground of complaint. I shall go up with Mr. Mac- 
 kenzie, and see that every facility is given him in his 
 investigation. . . . 
 
 " Yours sincerely, etc., etc." 
 
 Tuesday, October 16. Smith returns from Shimba, 
 having set things in order. " H.W." left for Zanzibar. 
 A letter from Mr. Mackenzie asking for a hundred por- 
 ters ! He does not understand our position, and is
 
 Native Christian Porters. 183 
 
 evidently under the impression that the employ- 
 ment of our people by the Co. must in some way or 
 other be a benefit to the Mission. As it was necessary 
 to undeceive him as to this, I replied as follows : 
 
 " October 16, 1888. 
 
 "DEAR ME. MACKENZIE, 
 
 " I am anxious to meet your wishes in regard 
 to porters, though it is most difficult and inconvenient 
 to do so, especially at the present time. 
 
 " In the first place we want fifty men almost im- 
 mediately for a ' safari ' to Chaga ; these I must retain, 
 Then, twenty-five or more are already engaged with the 
 Company. If I give you 80 or 100 more, that will 
 pretty well clear us out of all our young able-bodied 
 men, leaving us with any number of helpless women 
 and children on our hands, at a time when from day to 
 day it is impossible to say what may happen. You will 
 not fail, I think, to take in the difficulty of the situation. 
 
 " Then too, it is no advantage either to our men or 
 to the Mission, for them to be employed in this manner; 
 quite the contrary. They may, it is true, earn more 
 money just for the time ; but it is ' easy come easy go ' 
 they get into loose, improvident habits, and are ruined 
 for anything like steady, industrial work. There can 
 be no doubt it would be seriously detrimental, from 
 almost every point of view, to the objects of the 
 Mission. 
 
 " I think it only right to put all this clearly before 
 you ; whilst, at the same time, knowing your present 
 emergency, and anxious to help all I can, I have called 
 for volunteers, both here and at Eabai, ' to carry loads,'
 
 184 My Third Campaign in East Africa, 
 
 as you say ' to your first encampment and to return,' 
 and I will let you know as soon as possible how many 
 turn up. 
 
 " I hope you will have every reason to be satisfied 
 with your ' shauri,' with the Wali and grandees of 
 Mombasa, and shall be glad to see you and the General 
 when you find time to honour me with a visit. 
 
 "Yours, etc., etc." 
 
 Mr. Mackenzie is just now engaged in a difficult 
 business holding conferences with the Arab Sheiks 
 and others, with the view of reconciling them to the 
 new order of things. The difficulty is greatly aggra- 
 vated by the unwise action of the Germans, who have 
 met with determined, and, here and there, to some 
 extent, successful resistance. Mr. M. will at least 
 avoid their mistakes, and try a policy of conciliation. 
 These Sheiks possess a good deal of power for mis- 
 chief, and have to be reckoned with ; and Mr. M. 
 has begun, I hear, by making presents of large sums 
 of money to all the principal men. How far this will 
 go in satisfying them, remains to be seen. 
 
 I gather from Col. Euan Smith's letter, that it is 
 intended shortly to send an officer to Eabai, to make 
 an inquiry on the spot as to how many " watoro " may 
 be there, to search them out, and to hand them over 
 to their "owners". I do not know indeed have no 
 means of knowing how many of these poor runaways 
 there may be in our Mission Settlement. I have 
 always set my face against allowing them as far as 
 we had power to prevent it to find shelter within
 
 The " Watoro" Difficulty. 185 
 
 our borders. Feeling strongly that, however much 
 it may go against the grain to turn our backs on 
 these people, it was our duty under the circumstances 
 to take every precaution to exclude them I have, over 
 and over again, earnestly urged this policy on my 
 Missionary Brethren, and have no reason to suppose 
 that they have acted contrary to it. It is not sur- 
 prising if, in spite of their vigilance, some refugees 
 have, from time to time, crept in unobserved, and 
 become absorbed in the community. It is one thing 
 however to discourage, as far as possible, the recep- 
 tion of fugitive slaves, and quite another to allow our 
 Mission Station to be converted into a trap, whereby 
 these unfortunate men and women may be caught and 
 handed over again to the cruel bondage from which 
 they have escaped. I can have no hand in that, so 
 on receipt of the letter above referred to, I wrote at 
 once to Mr. Jones : 
 
 " F. TOWN, October 16, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAR JONES, 
 
 " The Consul General cannot come for the 
 present, but he writes to me that serious complaints are 
 made by the Sheiks of Mombasa of their slaves being 
 harboured at Eabai, and that General Matthews is 
 going up to investigate the matter, and to hand over 
 any ' watoro ' he may find there, to their ' owners '. 
 You had better give a general order all round, for every 
 man, woman and child of this description to clear out 
 of our Settlement with the least possible delay. They 
 may go wherever they please, but it is woe to them if
 
 1 86 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 they are found at Rabai ; the General will not spare. 
 Send messenger at once to let me know if the ' coast 
 is clear '. 
 
 "Yours, etc." 
 
 Wednesday, October 17. Juma bin Raschid, an Arab, 
 called to give me the " khabari ". He says Khamis 
 Khombo is doing all he can to stir up opposition to 
 " Wazungu," but he (Juma) and others refuse to join. 
 We in F. Town are closely watched. I had two letters 
 on Monday, one from Colonel Euan Smith, and one 
 from Mackenzie ; and when this was reported to the 
 "Wazee," they at once concluded that these letters 
 must contain secret information as to the designs of 
 the Company. This morning, Mr. Mackenzie had a meet- 
 ing with the Wali and the Sheiks. He explained to them 
 the objects of the Company, their desire to respect all 
 rights, to redress all grievances, etc. ; but the Sheiks 
 postponed their reply till they had conferred amongst 
 themselves. They have decided to put to him the 
 question : " Will you interfere with our Slave Traffic ? " 
 So far Juma bin Raschid. What answer will Mr. M. 
 give to the Sheiks, with the Company's charter staring 
 him in the face, I do not know ; they of course know 
 what it says. There is a good deal of shouting and 
 gun-firing in Mombasa to-night ; but what it is all 
 about we do not know. 
 
 Thursday, October 18. Messrs. Mackenzie and Mat- 
 thews had promised to come over and see me to-day. 
 I waited in all day, but they did not turn up. They 
 are still occupied with the Sheiks. 
 
 Friday, October 19. The " H. W." came in from
 
 The " IVaforo" Difficulty. 187 
 
 Zanzibar, at 1 a.m., rather sharp work ! She brings 
 me a long letter from the Colonel, which is painful 
 reading. He makes a great to-do about the " watoro " 
 at Eabai. Evidently many misrepresentations have 
 been made to him, and he thinks matters are a great 
 deal worse than they are. About 9 a.m. arrived the 
 Sultan's steamer " Glasgow," bringing Hamid bin 
 Sulieman and a hundred soldiers. In the afternoon 
 came in the Flag-ship " Boadicea," with Admiral 
 Fremantle, who came at once on shore and called 
 upon me, with another letter from the Consul-General ! 
 What a day of worry ! Dined with the Admiral, and 
 met Mr. Mackenzie, who told me he had at last settled 
 matters comfortably with the Arabs. 
 Keplied to Col. Euan Smith : 
 
 "FRERE TOWN, October 19, 1888. 
 
 / 
 
 " MY DEAR COLONEL, 
 
 " The ' H. W.' came in at 7 a.m. this morn- 
 ing bringing me your letter of the 17th. Thanks for 
 this, and for the excellent arrangement you have made 
 for our protection. The ' Stork ' is a capital idea ! 
 
 " Now as to Rabai and the runaways, after reading 
 and re-reading what you have written on this subject, 
 I feel sure that the case as against this Mission has 
 been greatly exaggerated. 
 
 What I meant by saying that the Arabs have no real 
 cause of complaint was, that I have always shown my 
 willingness to assist them to the utmost of my power 
 in finding out any of their slaves, should they have 
 taken refuge either here or at Eabai. I do not know
 
 1 88 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 what more I could do. We cannot, of course, prevent 
 their slaves running away ; that they will do, and more 
 and more so as time goes on, whether they find refuge 
 with us or not. 
 
 Rabai is a large Settlement, and very variously 
 peopled; there are freed slaves, Wa-Nika, Wa-Khamba, 
 Wa-Masai, and many others. As I said, it is quite 
 possible that, now and then, a runaway or two may 
 steal in and find shelter ; but it is quite contrary to our 
 Rules, and I have over and over again strictly charged 
 Mr. Jones to keep a sharp look-out, and to expel at 
 once any suspicious interlopers. It is not only against 
 our Eules, but altogether contrary to our wishes to 
 have anything to do, under existing circumstances, 
 with these poor people ; they constitute a troublesome 
 and dangerous element. I shall, as I said, afford every 
 facility for a searching inquiry, as I am as anxious as 
 you can be to give no just cause of offence to our Arab 
 and Suaheli neighbours. 
 
 " You know, I suppose, that in this matter, Mbaruk 
 is the chief offender. His following is made up mainly 
 of runaways ; and that was one reason why I was so 
 annoyed at Last for bringing these people into our 
 Settlement. 
 
 " Fulladoyo is a purely ' watoro ' colony, with which 
 we have absolutely no connexion. I hear that several 
 hundreds of them are there, and, as they are certainly 
 not under the protection of the British flag, their owners 
 need have no scruple in dealing with them. It is most 
 important you should clearly understand that neither 
 the C. M. S., nor, as far as I know, any other Missionary
 
 The " Watoro" Difficulty. 189 
 
 Society, has any sort of responsibility in connexion with 
 the ' watoro ' colony of Fulladoyo. 
 
 " I am still expecting a visit from Mr. Mackenzie 
 and the General, but they have probably their hands 
 full just now. It is an anxious time for you and for all 
 of us. May God give us all the wisdom we need for the 
 emergency. 
 
 " Yours, etc., etc." 
 
 Saturday, October 20. This morning Mr. Mackenzie 
 and General Matthews came over for breakfast, and 
 afterwards to a long "shauri"; at which Smith and 
 Esa, Buchanan's man, were present. Mr. M. gave me 
 an account of his negotiations with the Sheiks, and read 
 from a Paper the stipulations they had made to him as 
 representative of the B. E. A. Co. These were six in 
 number. The only one which concerned us was " that 
 the Company should assist them in obtaining their 
 slaves who had found refuge in any of the Mission 
 Stations," which Mr. M. had, of course, undertaken to 
 do. To this I said that I had always shown my willing- 
 ness to assist them as far as lay in my power, and that 
 I was prepared to do so still ; and that the harbouring 
 of runaways was entirely against our Rules, and against 
 our wishes. I made no objection to a proposal to appoint 
 a Commission to investigate the matter at Rabai and to 
 make such arrangements as may appear necessary to 
 prevent any "watoro "in future from settling there. 
 This seemed to give satisfaction, and I promised to 
 meet the Sheiks in " baraza " on Monday next, to talk 
 the matter over with them.
 
 190 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 The " Boadicea " left at 3 p.m. for Zanzibar, and the 
 "Kilwa" later on. 
 
 Sunday, October 21. Our Day of Best sadly marred 
 by the accounts brought by Mackenzie and Buchanan 
 of the bad feeling against the Company in Mombasa. 
 There was a great disturbance in the town last night. 
 It appears that the younger men are not at all satisfied 
 with the agreement come to by their seniors with Mr. 
 Mackenzie, and are for rebellion. The trouble is 
 evidently not yet over. 
 
 Dr. Baxter and James, at the request of Mr. 
 M., went over to Mombasa to attend to five wounded 
 men. 
 
 Monday, October 22. By appointment, accompanied 
 by Fitch, Smith, and Ishmael, attended a grand 
 " baraza '' at the Wali's palace. Said Hamid bin Sulie- 
 rnaii, uncle of the Sultan, was the great man, and he 
 gave me the seat of honour. Mr. Mackenzie and Gen. 
 Matthews came next. A large number all in fact of 
 the principal Sheiks were in attendance. After formal 
 preliminaries I read my address on the subject of run- 
 away slaves, which appeared to give general satisfaction. 
 Khamis Khombo put several questions, which I had no 
 difficulty in answering, and I hope the Sheiks will feel 
 that they have now no further cause of complaint. 
 
 It was proposed that a number of Arabs and other 
 slave owners, who suppose their slaves to be in hiding 
 at Rabai, should go up accompanied by Mr. Mackenzie 
 and Gen. Matthews on Monday next to claim and take 
 possession of them. If the latter have an inkling of 
 what is going to happen and possess the instinct of self- 
 preservation, the expedition will find an empty cage !
 
 The Crisis. 191 
 
 I am deeply grieved for these poor hunted creatures ; 
 but our duty is plain. We cannot, if we would, shelter 
 them ; they must look out for themselves. May God 
 help them, and make them a way of escape ! 
 
 Tuesday, October 23. Startling news reaches me from 
 Rabai. The " watoro " there numbering to my in- 
 tense astonishment some four hundred refuse to leave. 
 They are determined to make a stand. They are des- 
 perate, and will fight for their homes and liberty, and 
 many freed slaves and others will join them. If the 
 Arab party go up on Monday, as proposed, there will 
 be war and bloodshed, and what that may lead to, 
 who shall predict ? It will be bad for all concerned ; 
 I must do all I can to avert this calamity. 
 
 This afternoon, Said Harnid bin Sulieman, the Wali, 
 and a number of grandees came over to pay me a 
 ceremonial visit. At their request I showed them over 
 the Settlement, and they expressed themselves much 
 pleased with all they saw. They were very agreeable, 
 and, it goes without saying, profuse in their compli- 
 ments. Little they suspected how my heart was 
 aching for the poor people at Eabai ! 
 
 Had, this evening, Holy Communion with dear 
 England, who is leaving us to-morrow. 
 
 As Post time is drawing near, finished off my letters 
 for Home, giving latest intelligence. 
 
 To the Eev. E. Lang. 
 
 " October 23. 
 
 " We are just now in a whirl of excitement. It is 
 the crisis we have been looking forward to. Problems 
 are continually cropping up which call for quick deci-
 
 192 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 sion. It is quite easy to make mistakes, yet we trust 
 that He who rules over all, will \ give us a right 
 judgment, and keep us from doing or saying anything 
 that would place us in the wrong. So far all is well. 
 I am enclosing a budget of Letters, etc., as I deem it 
 important the Committee should be fully informed as 
 to how matters stand between us the new Company 
 and the Consul General. All Mombasa is in a 
 ferment. General Matthews is there with a hundred 
 sepoys. 
 
 " You will see that I have done all I could to avert 
 trouble at Rabai. You may perhaps think I have gone 
 too far in the way of concession, but the matter is not 
 to be so easily settled. I hear this morning that the 
 runaways are in much more considerable numbers than 
 any of us had any idea of: some four hundred and 
 that they refuse to go. Many of them have been there 
 for several years ; have been baptized and confirmed ; 
 have their own houses and ' shambas,' wives and 
 children ! They are in hot blood and determined to 
 fight for their liberty. I am afraid they are beyond all 
 control, even of Jones, for whom they have the greatest 
 respect. It is a matter of life and death to them. I 
 will do my utmost, God being my helper, to prevent 
 a collision ; for if once blood be shed on either side, 
 there will be a terrible catastrophe. Should it come, 
 you will hear of it by cable before you get this. May 
 God, in His great mercy, bring us all safely out of this 
 trouble. I am writing in great sorrow of heart ' cast 
 down but not in despair ' I need scarcely say again, 
 ' Brethren, pray for us '.
 
 A Time of Trouble. 193 
 
 " With Christian love to you and all your brother 
 Secretaries, and to the Committee. 
 
 " Yours very affectionately, 
 
 "W. S ALTER PRICE. 
 
 "P.S. Please tell General Hutchinson I am send- 
 ing by T. E. England the Plans of Mission houses he 
 asked for." 
 
 To my Wife. 
 
 " Sunday, October 21, 1888. 
 
 "It is a time of trouble and perplexity, and I feel 
 sure you are praying for us. It wants only three days 
 to the Mail, and I shall be sorely taxed to get through 
 all I have to do 'twixt now and then ; so I finish my 
 letter to you, dearest, to-day, leaving it open till the 
 last, in the hope I may be able to report some change for 
 the better in our situation. I cannot enter into details 
 now. If anything serious happens you will get it in the 
 Telegrams. ' God is our Kefuge and Strength.' Love to 
 all the dear children much refreshed by their letters 
 sorry I cannot send a line to each. Fond love, etc." 
 
 Wednesday, October 24. At 8 a.m. as the " Oriental " 
 was coming in, she went on the rocks near the Point 
 and stuck fast. Smith and I pulled out to her and got 
 our letters (from the south). At 3 p.m. after many 
 ineffectual attempts to get the steamer afloat, at Mr. 
 Mackenzie's request the " H. W." steamed out to her 
 help, I and two others of our party going in her. 
 We got a strong hawser on her quarter, and put on full 
 speed. There was a tremendous strain, which threatened 
 to snap the cable, thick as it was. Suddenly there was 
 a loud crash ; the aft bulwark of the " H. W." was carried
 
 194 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 away, and we had to let go. After a while we picked 
 up the hawser again, and were just going ahead, when 
 a welcome shout came from the " Oriental". " Let go 
 -.she's off! " We were glad enough to obey the order, 
 for it was getting rather risky work. 
 
 A telegram, presumably from Salisbury Square is 
 forwarded to me by our Zanzibar agents : 
 
 " Tell Price, complaints of harbouring runaways 
 report." What next ! 
 
 Thursday, October 25. A grand red letter day ! 
 Went over to Mombasa, and had a long talk with Mr. 
 Mackenzie. I pointed out the extreme danger of a 
 collision between the " watoro " and their Arab owners, 
 if the plan is persisted in of allowing the latter to go to 
 Babai, to claim and carry off their slaves. It may be 
 the beginning of a servile war, the consequences of 
 which would be disastrous to all concerned. I found 
 Mr. M. very reasonable, and we came to an understand- 
 ing that the affair should be settled, not by the forcible 
 handing over of the slaves to their owners, but in the 
 way of compensation. We agreed to a commission 
 to enquire on the spot as to the actual number of 
 " watoro " at Rabai how long there? their owners? 
 etc., etc. We are to go up next Monday he, Gen. 
 Matthews and I to look into the matter. Having 
 ascertained how many are really claimable by the 
 Arabs, a fair amount by way of ransom is to be offered 
 to them, and the slaves to be set Free ! God be praised ! 
 What a load is lifted off my mind ! 
 
 Went on board the " Oriental " to say farewell to 
 dear England, and to send off our Mail. 
 
 In order to present a connected account of the
 
 "No Peace." 195 
 
 settlement of the runaway slave question, I insert 
 here a short correspondence I had with the Rev. 
 W. EL Jones, Native Pastor of Rabai. 
 
 In reply to my letter of the 16th inst. (see p. 185) Mr. 
 Jones wrote : 
 
 BABAI, October 20, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAR SIR, 
 
 " No peace ! On receiving your letter I made the so- 
 called ' watoro ' understand the sorrowful subject of it. 
 They first of all proposed to go to the ' banderini ' and 
 meet General Matthews on his arrival, and tell him 
 their grievances, so that the Mission here should have 
 less to do in the matter. On Friday, I called them 
 together and told them how strongly you have written 
 that they should leave the place and go elsewhere. To- 
 day they have gone on the way to Jimba for further 
 consideration of this bitter state of things. They 
 resolve that, as Mbaruk, who has slain thousands of the 
 Sultan's subjects, has been allowed to throw himself into 
 the hands of the B.E.A. Co. and is now safe, they would 
 do the same. Hence they have now proclaimed them- 
 selves the subjects of the Company. This Mission was 
 the first to suggest this plan to Mbaruk, why should it 
 not answer now ? For this they want very much to see 
 the Chief of the Company, and to throw themselves 
 men, women and children at his feet, and implore his 
 protection. I earnestly pray the merciful Lord will 
 look down upon them, and grant their request. 
 
 " You may depend upon it, Sir, I am doing all I can 
 to carry out your instructions. Our people sleep out of 
 their houses many of them in the jungle it is a fear- 
 ful state of things. I trust that strength will be given
 
 196 My Third Campaign in East Africa, 
 
 you in these trying times. I enclose the people's deter- 
 mination for life or death. May God help them. 
 
 " To-day the representatives of the ' watoro ' are 
 going to Jimba to surrender themselves to Lt. Swayne 
 (one of the Co.'s officers). 
 
 " I remain, etc." 
 
 To this I replied : 
 
 " FRERE TOWN, October 21, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAR JONES, 
 
 " My heart bleeds for those poor people, and I 
 am very sorry for you, but there is no choice left us 
 only, one way for us, as far as I can see, out of this 
 difficulty. It is, that they all flee from Kabai ; it is no 
 longer a safe place for them, and their remaining there 
 will be the break-up of our Mission. They will get 
 nothing by going to Lt. Swayne ; he has no authority 
 to protect them. It is indeed a time of trouble for us 
 all. There was a great row in Mombasa last night, and 
 some of the ring-leaders are, I hear, in prison. There 
 is a tremendous noise of shouting and drumming going 
 on now as I am writing. May God, in His great mercy, 
 shield us all from the evils which threaten, and give us 
 Peace, for Christ's sake. In haste, 
 
 " Yours affectionately, 
 
 "W. SALTER PRICE." 
 
 After my conference with the Arabs on the 22nd, I 
 wrote to Jones informing him of the project of Mr. 
 Mackenzie, General Matthews, and a number of Arabs, 
 going up to Eabai on a certain day, to search for and 
 carry off their slaves, and to this I received the follow- 
 ing touching reply :
 
 Native Pastor in Trouble. 197 
 
 " RABAI, October 24, 1888. 
 
 "MY DEAR SIR, 
 
 " Mnubi has come with your letter last night. 
 We are glad to hear you are well, and doing all you can 
 for our people. Allow me to write as follows : 
 
 " 1. When Mr. Mackenzie, General Matthews, and 
 the Arabs come to pick out their slaves, I shall prove 
 myself a useless servant. I will not, and I cannot, hand 
 these poor souls to their cruel and unmerciful masters, 
 after I have been preaching to them the sweet liberty 
 of my Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ, and of His Gospel. 
 Somebody else will have to do that wicked work. 
 
 " 2. Be it understood that such people as those 
 whom their masters are coming to pick out, will not be 
 found in the Mission Station, but two miles off ; so that 
 after they have picked them out, they will take them to 
 the coast by some other way, and not through our 
 Station. How could I bear to see these poor baptized 
 Christians, and communicants, pass by me, with their 
 hands fastened beaten abused and dragged through 
 the village where they have lived and sung praises to 
 the God of heaven ? 
 
 "3. If Mr. M. and Gen. M. come with no other 
 object but to gratify the wishes of the Suaheli popula- 
 tion, then, alas ! for the healing of the ' open sore ' of 
 East Africa. . . . 
 
 " I remain, dear Sir, 
 
 "Your obedient Servant, 
 
 "W. H. JONES." 
 
 After my interview with Mr. Mackenzie on the 25th, 
 at which we had agreed to the principle of compensa- 
 
 H
 
 198 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 tion and ransom, I sat down with a thankful heart to 
 commuuicate the good news to Mr. Jones, and sent off 
 my letter by a special messenger. 
 
 " FRERE TOWN, Octobtr 25, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAR JONES, 
 
 " God has heard our prayers ! All is peace ! 
 I had a long ' shauri ' with Mr. Mackenzie this morning, 
 and I rejoice to tell you he is ready to do all he can for 
 your poor people. They have nothing to fear ! We shall 
 come up on Monday, all being well Mr M., the 
 General, and I. The object of our visit is simply to 
 ascertain, as far as can be done, the real state of affairs 
 as regards the runaways. Our policy is, to throw no 
 obstacle in the way of this investigation, but to assist it 
 to the utmost of our power ; and let me add, it is your 
 own best policy too. Now I want you to do three 
 things : 
 
 " 1. Praise God, who has heard our prayers, and 
 brought good out of evil. 
 
 " 2. Pacify the minds of our poor people ; make them 
 clearly to understand that they have now nothing to 
 fear. I cannot tell you all just now, but for the present 
 this is enough they are Free ! Free ! ! Free ! ! ! Mr.M.is 
 their friend and deliverer, and I want them to meet us 
 at the top of Buni and give him a warm reception, such 
 as they gave me, or, if possible, warmer. Tell them not 
 to shake hands, that is a troublesome business when 
 there are so many, and, under the circumstances, our 
 friends might not like it. If there is any gun-firing see 
 that it is only in ' furaha,' and with blank cartridges. 
 It would be a bad thing if anyone were shot, even by
 
 Good out of Evil. 
 
 199 
 
 accident. If they want to shoot anyone let them shoot 
 me. I hope the women will muster strong. 
 
 " Lastly, let Ribe and Fulladoyo keep aloof. I 
 assured the Sheiks and Mr. Mackenzie that we had no 
 connexion with Jornvu, Kibe, or Fulladoyo. 
 
 " Have the iron house Krapf Cottage thoroughly 
 cleaned compound also and everything in trim 
 order. 
 
 KRAPF COTTAGE. 
 
 " Now write back and let me know if you fully under- 
 stand everything and can ensure the proper carrying out 
 of my wishes. If you cannot keep out the Eibe and
 
 2OO My TJiird Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 Fulladoyo people, better have no ' furaha '. That would 
 spoil everything. God prosper you ! 
 
 " Yours affectionately, 
 
 "W. SALTER PBICE." 
 
 Next day brought me the following reply : 
 
 " EABAI, October 26, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAE SIR 
 
 " Our prayers are indeed answered. Your joyful 
 letter, which has brought peace to our village, arrived 
 here last night at midnight and since that hour to 
 this my eyes have not winked in sleep. What shall I 
 say ? Glory be to God, let the name of our God be 
 exalted for His mercies to us, His unworthy creatures. 
 The whole village is out to rejoice at the peace which 
 has crowned our once terrified homes. That word 
 ' FKEE ' has made my heart light : so now all is peace, 
 for Jesus lives. We shall turn up on Monday at the 
 Buni hill, and others below the hill with our guns. 
 No Eibe or Fulladoyo men will be allowed to come 
 near our free Settlement on that day. I thank the Lord 
 for the success He has granted you in this great battle 
 of healing the big ' open sore '. All honour, too, to Mr. 
 M. for his good work of giving our countrymen their 
 liberty. God be praised ! I hope soon to see you on 
 Monday. 
 
 " With my great respects to you, Sir, 
 " Yours most obediently, 
 
 "W. H. JONES."
 
 CHAPTEE X. 
 THE BLOCKADE ROUTES CHANGED. 
 
 Friday, October 26. Busy writing to up-country 
 Brethren, Hooper, Koscoe, and Dr. Pruen. The latter, 
 with wife and infant, has already left Mpwapwa for the 
 coast. I am afraid they will encounter much difficulty. 
 To him I wrote : 
 
 " FEERE TOWN. October 26, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAR DR. PRUEN, 
 
 " Your letter from Mlale of 10th inst. to hand 
 yesterday. At Saadani your messengers were put in 
 prison and your letters taken from them. Our Agents, 
 B. E. & Co., got the Sultan to interfere and obtain their 
 release. 
 
 " I am afraid the Consul General will not sanction 
 your coming down, though it will be very inconvenient 
 for you and Mrs. Pruen to be left houseless at 
 Mamboia. 
 
 " Perhaps you may find some opportunity of making 
 your way to the coast without incurring any extra- 
 ordinary risk, in which case you will no doubt avail 
 yourself of it, and we shall all be glad to see you, for 
 although we are already not badly off for Doctors, yet 
 these two are here only pro tern. This is now your 
 Station.
 
 202 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 " We have had a trying time of it the last few weeks 
 endless ' shauris ' and 'manenos'. I am almost dis- 
 tracted. I have had a troublesome business in con- 
 nexion with the ' watoro ' of Eabai. The crisis is not 
 quite over, but the clouds are dispersing, and God, I 
 trust, is bringing good out of evil, so that without war 
 or bloodshed this long-standing cause of offence will be 
 removed, and the poor runaways of Eabai made free. 
 This matter is occupying much of my time and thoughts, 
 which must be my excuse for this shabby little note. 
 
 " May the Lord have you in His safe keeping, and 
 prosper your way to us. 
 
 "Whilst at Mamboia, you can go fully into Mr. 
 Roscoe's building plans. 
 
 " Give my love to Ashe ; I am glad to hear he is 
 recovering, and hope by the time he gets here it will 
 be ' eyes right '. 
 
 " With kindest Christian regards to you both and to 
 any of the Brethren you may meet, 
 
 " Yours very faithfully, etc." 
 
 I wrote also to Col. Euan Smith : 
 
 "FEERE TOWN, October 26, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAR COLONEL, 
 
 " I can only send a hurried line. We are in 
 the thick of the fight, mind and body on the stretch. 
 There are more runaways at Eabai than I had dreamt 
 of. If it came to it they would fight for their freedom, 
 and if left to deal with their Arab ' owners,' there is 
 little doubt which would gain the day. But fighting 
 and bloodshed must be avoided at all cost. 
 
 " Mackenzie and I had a long conference yesterday,
 
 A Strange Telegram. 203 
 
 and we are quite agreed as to the line of action to be 
 pursued, so, as regards this matter, I think you may 
 leave it in our hands, and have an easy mind. God has 
 heard our prayer, and will make us a way out of our 
 difficulties. 
 
 " I received a strange Telegram through our Agents, 
 from Salisbury Square, I suppose. ' Tell Price com- 
 plaints of harbouring runaways, report.' I wonder 
 who can have sent such an absurd report of me ! I 
 have always done all I could to discourage the practice, 
 and shall be greatly surprised if any have been know- 
 ingly received since I came out. 
 
 " At my first interview with the Wali, I told him 
 that I heard some of the people of Mombasa were 
 complaining about their slaves, and said I should like 
 an opportunity of meeting them in ' baraza,' to hear 
 what they had to say, and to see what could be done to 
 satisfy them. He put me off from what motive I 
 cannot tell saying there was no necessity for anything 
 of the kind. What more could I do ? I tell you this, 
 that you may see that I, at least, have acted straight- 
 forwardly in the matter. I do not ask you to mention 
 it, as it might go against the Wali. It may be that he 
 was only anxious to stave off a troublesome business. 
 We Mr. M., the General, and I are going to Eabai on 
 Monday, and I am in good hopes this difficulty will be 
 amicably arranged. 
 
 "The ' Stork' came in this morning, and Captain 
 Pullen is at it, placing out his flags, here, there, and 
 everywhere. I advised him to give good notice to the 
 people of Mombasa that he was not going to ' eat them 
 up'.
 
 204 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 " God help us all to do what is right in His sight, 
 and then, come what may, all will be well for us and 
 for His cause. 
 . " Many thanks for the oranges what a treat ! 
 
 " God bless you and yours ! 
 
 "With kindest regards, etc., etc." 
 
 Saturday, October '27. The ''Java" with our 
 English Mails in this morning at 9. She brings an 
 addition of three to our Mission band. Miss Scott, 
 Miss Holmes, and Mr. Ward, the latter to act as 
 Accountant and Assistant to the Secretary. 
 
 Greatly disappointed at not getting a letter from 
 my dear wife, and although I heard from three of the 
 children, they none of them tell me anything about 
 her. If she is alive and well she would not fail to 
 write. Possibly by mistake her letter has gone on to 
 Zanzibar. 
 
 Saw Captain Pullen, and arranged to hold an English 
 Service on board the " Stork " to-morrow. 
 
 Only a very short letter from Mr. Lang. The 
 " recess " seems to put things very much out of 
 gear. 
 
 Monday, October 29. A note from Mr. Mackenzie 
 postponing our visit to Rabai till to-morrow ; as the 
 "Glasgow" and "Kilwa" are both leaving to-day. I 
 am glad he postpones it, and not I, though not sorry for 
 the postponement. As there is an opportunity of 
 sending letters by a French Steamer, I availed myself of 
 it to write to Mr. Lang.
 
 Fresk Arrivals. 205 
 
 "FRERE TOWN, October 29, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAR MR. LANG, 
 
 " Your short letter of the 5th inst. came to 
 hand two days ago, and I have just time for a few 
 words in reply by the French Mail. 
 
 " Miss Scott, Miss Holmes, and Mr. Ward have 
 arrived safe and well. Having done all I could to stop 
 them (the ladies) I cannot doubt that it is for some good 
 and wise purpose they are here. Indeed this thwarting 
 of our plans, by which several Brethren, whom we 
 wished to push forward to the Lake, are congregated 
 here, is, we may feel sure, wisely ordered for the best. 
 ' They assayed to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit 
 suffered them not '." 
 
 After describing the plan I had agreed upon with 
 Mr. Mackenzie for the settlement of the runaway slave 
 question, I added : 
 
 " Of course we shall have to take very effective 
 measures for preventing a recurrence of the difficulty 
 in future. The time is coming, no doubt, when the 
 slaves on a large scale will make a stand for freedom, 
 and they will get it ; but it will be a hard struggle, 
 and our safe policy is to keep clear of it, whatever 
 our wishes and sympathies may be. 
 
 "You may depend on my sending on Fraser and 
 the others the moment the way opens up. 
 
 " Fitch is leaving this week for Chaga, to relieve 
 Taylor. I think it not well, in the present state of 
 the country, that he should go alone ; so Reid will 
 accompany him and return with Taylor. It will be 
 useful for Reid to get some experience of caravan
 
 2o6 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 travelling, especially in the prospect of this route 
 being opened up to the Lake, as it must be before 
 long. 
 
 " Yours, in great haste, etc., etc." 
 
 Tuesday, October 30. Rabai. There is plenty of 
 variety in our present life. In the midst of many press- 
 ing anxieties, what a day of joyful excitement this has 
 been ! The dark cloud which has been hanging over 
 us has burst, and dissolved itself in showers of blessing. 
 As proposed, Mr. Mackenzie, General Matthews, Smith 
 and I, came up here this morning. Midway between 
 the " banderini " and Rabai, is Buni hill, a steep 
 ascent of six or seven hundred feet ; as we neared 
 the summit, sounds caught our ear, which under other 
 circumstances would have been ominous and alarming 
 the blast of the war-horn, accompanied with shouting 
 and firing of guns echoing and re-echoing among the 
 hills. To anyone unused to African life, there was some- 
 thing intensely weird, if not threatening, in this demon- 
 stration. Mr. M. asked, " Is it war ? " " No," I said, 
 " it is peace ' furaha ' (joy) and all in your honour, 
 because I have told them you are their friend." At 
 the top of the hill, we were met by a large number 
 of Rabai men " watoro " and others all armed with 
 guns, bows and arrows, or other weapons ; but preceded 
 by a white flag as a token of peace. They were in 
 excellent order, and lined each side of the road through 
 which we passed. Then at a signal they broke up and 
 dispersed on all sides, firing, singing, shouting and 
 dancing, in the wildest fashion. There were several 
 hundreds of them, and not one without his weapon.
 
 Female Runaways. 207 
 
 At the entrance to the Settlement, there was a grand 
 display of flags of all colours and designs, and a 
 triumphal arch with " WELCOME " in large letters ; 
 and here some hundreds of women, all in their gayest 
 and best, joined our procession, and dancing, clapping 
 hands, and trilling, as only African women can, they 
 led the way into the Church Square. We were all too 
 much tired with excitement to settle down to business 
 to-day. 
 
 Wednesday, October 31. At early Service, the 
 Church was crowded to overflowing : a grand sight ! 
 What must our visitors have thought of it ! 
 
 At 10 a.m., all the runaway women slaves belonging 
 to Mombasa were assembled, numbering to my astonish- 
 ment 276. Each was questioned as to (1) Her own 
 name? (2) Her tribe? (3) If married, her husband's 
 name ? (4) How many children ? (5) Owner's name ? 
 and lastly, How long here? It took six hours to get 
 through them. General Matthews, who is thoroughly 
 at home in the language, put the questions ; Messrs. 
 Mackenzie and Smith recorded the answers. Some 
 interesting facts were brought to light : (1) A large 
 proportion came four or five years ago, at the time 
 of the great famine. With starvation staring them in 
 the face, they came here just to save life, and, when the 
 famine was over, stayed on. (2) Very few came when 
 I was last out, in 1881-2, and very few during the last 
 eight months. (3) A considerable number of them have 
 already been declared free by a former Consul General. 
 
 Friday, November 2. Yesterday and to-day we have 
 been hard at work from morning to night, and are thank- 
 ful the investigation is now complete. The result goes
 
 208 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 to show, that over a period of twelve years, about 650 
 slaves, men and women in nearly equal proportions, 
 belonging to Mombasa and other Coast towns, have 
 found refuge in the Mission Station of Rabai ; whilst 
 about 300 more have similarly been sheltered at the 
 Stations of other Missionary Societies. 
 
 They were all distinctly given to understand by Mr. 
 M. and myself that they would be made free ; and on 
 the strength of that promise, they readily came forward 
 and made a clean breast of it. Having ascertained 
 these particulars, the next great point is, to come to 
 terms with the Arabs, as to the price of redemption. 
 
 Saturday, November 3. Making all arrangements for 
 Fitch and Reid to start for Chaga on Monday, Beverley 
 to go with them, and remain with Fitch till the way 
 opens for him to go on to the Lake. But alas ! these 
 are shifting times, and our wisest plans are easily set 
 aside. This afternoon "a special" comes from Frere 
 Town, with a packet of letters from Zanzibar, brought 
 up by the '' H. W." There is a Telegram from Salis- 
 bury Square which runs : " Can men be sent now to 
 Mackay by parcels route wire Lang ". For " parcels " 
 I read " Parker's " ; but I cannot send reply till I hear 
 from Colonel Euan Smith. After consultation with 
 Fitch and Smith, decided to detain Fitch's caravan 
 till we can get an answer from the Consul General, 
 as in the event of his giving permission, Beverley and 
 Fraser, at least, must go forward. But I very much 
 doubt his doing so, and even if he does, the season 
 is not good for travelling, and there will still be the 
 difficulty of porters. The Committee, I surmise, have 
 a number of offers in response to Mackay's appeal ;
 
 CJiristian Porters. 209 
 
 and are naturally anxious to send on a contingent. 
 They do not quite take in the difficulties we, on the 
 spot, have to face. Still we must do all we possibly 
 can to further their wishes. 
 
 I insert here a letter written to me by Herr Ehlers 
 on his arrival at Chaga. It is important as an unsoli- 
 cited testimony to the good behaviour of our native 
 Christian porters : a class of men whom it is the 
 custom with some travellers first to maltreat and then 
 to run down. 
 
 "CHAGA, October 25, 1888. 
 
 " DEAE MR. PRICE, 
 
 " Yesterday I arrived here in good health, and 
 lose 110 time to thank you most sincerely for all your 
 kindness and friendship. I am very glad to be able to 
 write you that I had the best ' safari ' as any possible, 
 and that I was very satisfied with all my people. I 
 never believed that the black men would be such good 
 companions. Kobin will tell you all details. 
 
 "Please pay to him and Peter (two headmen) 5 
 dollars each, gratification. 
 
 " In great haste I end with my best compliments for 
 you and your staff. I remain, 
 
 " Yours very truly, 
 
 "OTTO EHLERS." 
 
 Sunday, November 4. Thankful to God, after a 
 week's work, bustle and excitement, for a quiet Sunday 
 at Eabai. Had a pleasant stroll and chat with Smith 
 after evening Service ; and another afterwards with 
 Fitch. I find the latter not over keen upon going again
 
 2io My Tliird Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 to Chaga. He said the post requires a good linguist, 
 which he does not profess to be. Then, although he 
 has lived down Mandara's hostility, and is now on easier 
 relations with him, he sees no sign of fruit, or of open- 
 ings for direct Evangelistic work, and is discouraged. I 
 suggested that he should take with him about six pro- 
 mising lads from Frere Town, to train as Teachers or 
 Evangelists. It would give him useful and hopeful 
 occupation ; and whilst patiently waiting God's time for 
 more active Missionary work among the " Wa-Chaga," 
 he would be preparing men for the opportunity. 
 
 Monday, November 5. To Frere Town. Smith and 
 I left Rabai at 8 a.m. Coming to the " banderini," we 
 found the tide out ; it was spring tide, and the water was 
 very low. We had hard work to find a passage, and 
 were five hours on the water, doing ten miles ! What 
 that means, our good friends at Salisbury Square can 
 have no conception, or they would spare no effort to 
 supply us with the long-promised steam launch, which 
 would bring Frere Town and Rabai within a couple of 
 hours of each other. 
 
 Wrote to-day to Col. Euan Smith. After giving 
 him a report of our proceedings in connexion with the 
 runaway slaves, I added : 
 
 " Now for another and a very urgent matter. The 
 Committee are most anxious to reinforce the Lake 
 Mission ; and appear to have many offers for service, in 
 answer to Mackay's appeal. I have a Telegram asking if 
 it is ' possible to send up men by Parker's route '. If I 
 acted simply on my own responsibility, knowing what I 
 do, I should reply decidedly ' No '. Parker's route passes 
 through the part of the country where Dr. Meyer came
 
 When will the Way Open ? 2 1 1 
 
 to grief. But at such a time it is to you we must look. 
 May I ask you kindly to hand a Telegram to our Agents, 
 to be forwarded to the Society, in reply to the Commit- 
 tee's question. I should be glad to know its purport, 
 and if at the same time you can give me any idea as to 
 how long it may be before the way will be again open . 
 Unless there is some change for the better before long, 
 our Missionaries at the Lake will be placed in a situa- 
 tion of extreme difficulty and danger ; the only way of 
 getting at them will be through Masai-land. 
 
 "Mr. Taylor is, I fear, very ill at Chaga, and all 
 alone. Mr. Fitch is going to relieve him. 
 
 " I much want to see you, and have a good talk 
 with you on many matters ; but it is hard to get away. 
 I am expecting to leave by the Messageries boat of Jan. 
 2, in which case I shall hope to see you then ; but we 
 are living from hand to mouth, and know not what any 
 day may bring forth. 
 
 " No word yet about my successor. I am fully ex- 
 pecting to hear by the next Mail. Perhaps the Bishop 
 himself may turn up. If so, I hope he may be a man 
 for the times. With kindest regards, 
 
 " Yours very faithfully, 
 
 "W. SALTEE PEICE." 
 
 Tuesday, November 6. The "Kilwa" in from 
 Zanzibar. Letter from Agents to say that Ashe, 90 
 miles from the coast, sent on two porters with letters, 
 etc. They were robbed by Wa-Seguha and the letters 
 destroyed. 
 
 Had a quiet interview with Ward. He does not 
 profess to be a regular Accountant, such as we ought to
 
 212 My Tliird Campaign hi East Africa. 
 
 have, but he seems to think he can manage the work, 
 and I hope he may. If the accounts get into a muddle 
 the Committee must not blame me. 
 
 Mail from Chaga. A letter from Taylor which 
 causes me some anxiety. He is ill, and seems alarmed 
 about himself. Determined to ask Fitch to go at once 
 to his relief, and with him Dr. Edwards to look after 
 Taylor and bring him down. Sent off messenger to 
 Rabai to call Dr. Edwards to confer with me on the 
 matter. 
 
 Feeling quite out of sorts : heat, work, and worry ! 
 
 Thursday, November 8. Dr. E. came in time for 
 breakfast. He consented to go with Fitch to Chaga, 
 and returned to Rabai to prepare for the journey. 
 
 Commenced my monthly letter to the Rev. R. Lang, 
 a few extracts from which are here given : 
 
 " You will see from memo, enclosed what has been 
 done in the matter of the runaway slaves at Rabai. 
 
 " Your telegram, despatched at 4 p.m. on Thursday, 
 November 1, was brought up from Zanzibar by the ' H. 
 W.' (20 hours) forwarded from F. Town by foot 
 messenger (6 hours) and reached me at Rabai at 3 
 p.m. on Saturday, November 3, which gives the whole 
 distance from Ludgate Circus to Rabai in less than 44 
 hours ! 
 
 " If I could have replied I should simply have wired 
 ' No/ but as that was out of the question I have asked 
 the Consul General to reply. Parker's route lies through 
 the country where Dr. Meyer was only a short time ago 
 savagely handled, and only barely escaped with his life on
 
 The Situation. 2 1 3 
 
 payment of Es. 12,000. I am afraid from all I hear that 
 our communications with our dear Brethren at the Lake 
 are cut off for an indefinite period. It may be that our 
 only way to them will be through Masai-land, and why 
 not ? This is our route, as I have been contending for 
 the last ten years. Fraser would start to-morrow if 
 I gave him leave, but this I dare not do without your 
 permission. 
 
 " You must make up your minds, I think, to give up 
 Mamboia and Mpwapwa. Strategically they are un- 
 tenable by us, except at great risk and expense. Why 
 not hand them over if possible to some good German 
 Protestant Society? 
 
 " Then you will be able to concentrate your efforts 
 on a line of Stations right away through Ukambani to 
 Uganda, and Dr. Krapf 's inspired dream will be realized. 
 It rnust come to this, and the sooner the better. With 
 your two Bishops as Mackay suggests one at Frere 
 Town and one at Nasa or in Uganda, you would have a 
 complete supervision of all the links in the chain 
 which under present circumstances is simply impossible 
 and every link would be an element of strength. 
 
 " The new Company are starting operations, and, as 
 was to be expected, are meeting with a good deal of 
 opposition on the part of the Arabs and others. It is 
 too soon to predict what may happen, but Mr. 
 Mackenzie and his staff are men of experience, who may 
 be expected to act cautiously and with due regard for 
 the natural susceptibilities of the people. In that case 
 we may hope they will in time obtain a firm footing. 
 
 "They are already surveying for a road suitable for 
 
 15
 
 214 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 wheel and camel traffic, through Ukambani to the 
 Victoria. This, when completed, will be a great help 
 to us in many ways, in keeping up our connexion with 
 the interior Stations. We must keep our eyes open and 
 make all the use we can of this road. Before deciding 
 on a new site for a Station in place of Sagalla, for 
 instance, we shall do well to see what line the road 
 takes. Other things being equal, or nearly so, accessi- 
 bility is a matter of very great importance. 
 
 "I have a letter from dear Taylor. He is ill at 
 Chaga, and thinks he has started an aneurism in his 
 chest, which would, of course, be a very serious matter. 
 I am hopeful, however, that he may be out in his 
 diagnosis. Still, he must not be left alone, and I have 
 arranged for his relief, and for his being brought here if 
 the Dr. considers it safe for him to be moved. I trust 
 it may please God to heal our dear Brother, and bring 
 him to us in safety. 
 
 " Miss Holmes and Miss Scott are working hard at 
 the language and making good progress. They seem to 
 be full of zeal and eager for work. Some kind friends 
 had filled up Miss S. with strange notions of what she 
 had to expect in East Africa ; in less than a week she 
 would be on her back with fever, etc. We have done our 
 best to laugh her out of these notions, and she is glad 
 to find that, instead of a dreary howling wilderness, her 
 lot is cast in ' pleasant places '. 
 
 " Burness is, as you know, very desirous of having 
 definite spiritual work, so I have promised to post him 
 at Rabai as soon as he can conveniently go. We want 
 a man there who can worthily represent the Society in 
 all dealings with the I. B. E. A. Co., and who will
 
 Rabai. 215 
 
 relieve Mr. Jones of many cares and responsibilities now 
 resting upon him, and set him free for his pastorate 
 duties, which are quite sufficient to occupy all his time 
 and thoughts. Mr. B. will find ample opportunities at 
 Rabai for spiritual work, and I hope he will be there the 
 right man in the right place. Then, too, it is con- 
 templated to transfer two of the ladies Miss Ramsay 
 and Miss Holmes to Rabai, and they will probably find 
 it convenient, for a time at least, to board with the 
 Burnesses." 
 
 Saturday, November 10. Finished and sent off 
 letters to Teita and Chaga. To Rev. W. E. Taylor 
 I wrote : 
 
 " FRERE TOWN, November 10, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAR TAYLOR, 
 
 " Yours of October 24 to hand, and I am very 
 sorry for the poor account it brings of yourself. I hope 
 you may be out in your diagnosis. However it seems 
 desirable that Fitch should return to Chaga without 
 further delay, and I am sending along with him Dr. 
 Edwards and Reid, so that if you are able to be moved, 
 they may take care of you to the coast. I send also a 
 ' dandy,' in which you may make the journey comfort- 
 ably without much fatigue. It will require eight men, 
 four at a time, taking turn and turn about. I shall not 
 bother you with any ' Proof this time ; you must take 
 things easy till you are better. Earnestly commending 
 you to the loving care of Him who is able to ' keep ' 
 you ; and hoping to see you here, D.V., about this time 
 next month. 
 
 " Yours very affectionately, etc."
 
 216 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 Took the ladies for a row up the creek to Port 
 Reitz ; they enjoyed it immensely. 
 
 Dear L.'s birthday. Had much freedom in interced- 
 ing for her. Praise God for all His goodness to us both 
 all these years. 
 
 Sunday, November 11. Attended morning and after- 
 noon Service. Heat very oppressive. 
 
 After afternoon Service, had a nice quiet walk and 
 talk with Jas. Deimler (licensed Reader). What an 
 intelligent fellow he is ! May God raise up many such, 
 and fit them by His grace for the work of the ministry ! 
 
 Monday, November 12. To Eabai. Left at 5.30 
 a.m., and with tide in our favour, reached the " baii- 
 derini," in 2J hours. Another \\ hour's walk under a 
 grilling sun brought us in. 
 
 Had a parting prayer with our dear Brethren Fitch, 
 Dr. Edwards, and Reid and started them off at 4 p.m. 
 They will suffer, I fear, from want of water, though 
 they have taken with them as much as they can con- 
 veniently carry. May the Lord supply all their needs, 
 and bring them on their way. 
 
 Tuesday, November 13. Returned with Miss Fitch 
 and Miss Ramsay to Frere Town. 
 
 Received a long letter from Mr. Mackenzie on several 
 matters of importance. Amongst other things, he in- 
 vites us to take up Gulu-gulu as a Mission Station, and 
 to go on planting Stations at convenient stages along 
 the new route. 
 
 Wednesday, November 14. Wrote to Buchanan 
 declining all responsibility on the part of any of our 
 Mission Agents, in connexion with money transactions 
 of the Company ; payment of porters, etc.
 
 Who shall Pay? 217 
 
 Eeplied to Mr. Mackenzie's letter of yesterday : 
 
 November 14, 1888. 
 
 " DEAR MB. MACKENZIE, 
 
 " I have to thank you for your letter of yester- 
 terday, which I received on my return from Rabai last 
 night. I am pleased to hear your negotiations with 
 the slave owners are progressing so favourably, and 
 shall be very glad if I am able to report to my Com- 
 mittee the definite settlement of this vexed question by 
 next Mail. 
 
 " I enclose a memo, which I have drawn up, partly 
 to explain my own position, and that of my colleagues, 
 in regard to the large number of runaways found at 
 Kabai, and partly to state my views as to the best way 
 of dealing with the situation. Personally, or rather as 
 representing the C. M. S., I should prefer that we, and 
 not the Company, should make all square with the so- 
 called ' owners '. A special appeal for an object like 
 this giving Freedom to 700 slaves ! would soon pro- 
 duce the necessary funds. One of my colleagues, 
 directly he heard that compensation was talked about, 
 said, ' You may put me down for 1000 ! ' 
 
 " But I can see that it would be greatly to the 
 advantage of the B. E. A. Co. to settle the business, 
 even at the very large figure you mention, which I hope 
 will be considerably reduced. It would place them 
 well with the good people at home, and ought to 
 remove some difficulties, in their dealing with the 
 Arabs, etc. For this and for no other reason I am 
 content to leave the matter for you to deal with. 
 
 " As to the value $50 per head which they put on
 
 21 8 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 their slaves, it is out of all reason. In settling the 
 value, several circumstances should be borne in mind. 
 
 " 1. Of the 700, more or less, found in Rabai, there 
 are two or three women who, for certain purposes, 
 would probably fetch a good price in the market, but 
 many of them are old and infirm, who would count for 
 little or nothing. 
 
 " (2) One hundred and six of them have been more 
 than six years in the Settlement, and being unclaimed 
 were, I am informed, declared free (informally) by Sir 
 John Kirk a few years ago. About 200 more came in 
 the famine years, and most of them cost their masters 
 just nothing but a little food to keep them from starva- 
 tion. $5 each for such would be ample compensation. 
 
 " (3) The slave-owners should be made clearly to 
 understand that we do not derive a particle of profit 
 from any of these people. In the case of many of them 
 the sick and infirm they are a burden upon us ; 
 and as for the rest, they simply occupy land and 
 cultivate, and are independent of us. 
 
 " (4) I must repudiate on behalf of myself and 
 colleagues, the charge of ' harbouring runaways '. We 
 have done nothing of the kind. The most that can be 
 said is that, in the years of war and famine, many in 
 their extremity sought refuge in our Mission Stations. 
 It was not a time to inquire particularly into their 
 antecedents. Men and women were perishing, and 
 cast themselves upon the charity and hospitality of 
 the Missionaries. That a considerable number of these 
 were ' watoro ' there were no means of telling. They 
 were simply allowed to settle, and support themselves 
 by their own industry.
 
 A New Departure. 219 
 
 " If the ' owners ' say $50 per head, they don't, 
 of course, expect to get it. They should be well 
 satisfied if they get all round $20. Eegarding them 
 from a commercial point of view, they are a damaged 
 article. Having run away once and tasted the sweets 
 of liberty, they would most likely seize the first oppor- 
 tunity to run away again ! 
 
 " I now gladly turn to the, to me, much more 
 engrossing topic of your letter ; the planting of a 
 chain of Mission Stations along the Ukambani route, 
 which you are intent upon opening up. Your proposal 
 entirely coincides with my own views. It is rather 
 singular that, before receiving your letter, I had 
 written to our Home Committee, suggesting to them, 
 for strategic reasons, to hand over the Usagara Stations 
 of. Mamboia and Mpwapwa to some German Protes- 
 tant Society, and to concentrate their efforts on a series 
 of well-selected Stations, along the new line of route 
 from Mombasa to the Victoria ; and your letter, a 
 copy of which I am forwarding to them, will just 
 clinch my recommendation. 
 
 "As a proof to you how heartily I enter into the 
 scheme, I willingly give up my best available man, 
 and the one I can least spare, to commence operations 
 at Gulu-gulu : the Eev. A. G. Smith. As soon as we 
 are free of the English Mails, I propose going with 
 Mr. Smith to Gulu-gulu to prospect for a site, and to 
 give him a start. I hope to see you, and talk over 
 the matter before then. 
 
 "Yours very sincerely, etc."
 
 22O My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 The " Kilwa," from Zanzibar, brings the startling 
 news that the coast from Tanga to Rovurna is to be 
 blockaded by the English and German Fleets, from 
 the 19th inst. ; no firearms to be landed, and no 
 slaves exported ! 
 
 Thursday, November 15. Received a kind letter 
 from Colonel Euan Smith, telling me all about the 
 blockade the perilous situation of the Pruens, and the 
 measures he had taken for their safe conduct to the 
 coast, and other matters of interest. Yes, it was a very 
 kind letter, but there was one paragraph in it, which I 
 read with profound amazement ; it cut me to the 
 quick. After expressing himself very strongly (need- 
 lessly so I could not but think) as to the difficulty 
 of dealing with the Arab slave-owners, he went on 
 to suggest whether it would not be wise to give ftp 
 Rabai as a C. M. Station ! The very thought of such 
 a thing was so shocking to me, I could scarcely 
 believe my own eyes. As it was, with very painful 
 feelings I sat down to reply to that letter ; and those 
 feelings found expression in what may perhaps appear 
 to be rather strong language ; yet, not stronger, I 
 think, than the occasion justified. For, be it re- 
 membered that this suggestion came not from ' an 
 enemy ' in that case it would not have cost me a 
 thought but from one for whom I entertain the 
 highest regard as a warm friend of Missions. My 
 reply was as follows : 
 
 "FRERE TOWN, November 16, 1888. 
 
 " MY DBAE COLONEL, 
 
 " Many thanks for your kind letter. The first
 
 A Strange Suggestion. 221 
 
 part of it almost takes my breath away. The bare 
 suggestion of the possibility of giving up Kabai as a 
 Mission Station is overwhelming. Give up Eabai ! Why, 
 my dear friend, I would rather die than do it. It would 
 be a sin in the sight of God and man ! In nearly 
 forty years of Missionary experience, and having visited 
 some of the most flourishing Missions in different parts 
 of India, I confess I have never seen any Mission 
 Station which presented more manifest tokens of the 
 presence and power of Almighty God, than are to 
 be found at Eabai. Only come and see for yourself, 
 and I am quite sure you will never entertain the idea 
 of giving it up. 
 
 " The ' watoro ' affair is a mere accident ; and 
 much as I regret it in some respects in so far at 
 least as it might have been in any way preventable 
 by us, or may appear to have been so I do not think 
 we shall be greatly blamed, when all is said that may 
 be said on our side. I reserve our defence till circum- 
 stances call for it, if they ever do ; but before then I 
 hope we shall have the opportunity of a quiet talk 
 over this and several other matters. Anyway, there 
 ought to be no great difficulty in settling this ' watoro ' 
 business amicably, unless the slave-owners are put up 
 to making unreasonable demands. Mr. Mackenzie 
 informs me that negotiations are progressing favour- 
 ably, only Khamis Kombo remains to be reckoned 
 with. 
 
 " Many thanks for Pruen's letter, which I return ; 
 and for notices of the blockade, which I have handed 
 on as you desired. 
 
 " If Abdallah bin Heri carries out your orders faith-
 
 222 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 fully, the Pruens may perhaps arrive in time to come up 
 by the ' Java' on the 20th. I do hope they will come to 
 no harm. 
 
 " I sent off a ' special ' to Chaga to-day with your 
 despatches for friend Ehlers, etc. 
 
 " What effect the blockade of the southern ports will 
 have on Mombasa it is impossible to say. No doubt 
 there will be all sorts of exaggerated reports, and an 
 immense amount of irritation and of hostile feeling 
 against Europeans. How it may show itself no one can 
 tell. Whatever comes our hope is in the Lord our God, 
 that in some way or other He will make for us a safe 
 path. 
 
 " With kindest regards, etc., etc." 
 
 Saturday, November 17. Went over to Mombasa at 
 6 a.m. to see Mackenzie on important business, but he 
 had not come to the Mission house and I thought it 
 better not to go to him in the town for fear of exciting 
 suspicion. All our movements are watched and reported 
 and discussed. 
 
 Tuesday, November 20. The Chaga Mail in. 
 Thankful to hear Taylor is better. 
 
 Very busy the last few days with English letters. 
 
 The following extracts will bring my narrative of 
 events up to date : 
 
 To my Wife. 
 
 " November 20. 
 
 Referring to the circumstance of so many runaway 
 slaves being found at Eabai : 
 
 " Many influences have worked together under Provi-
 
 A Good Innings. 223 
 
 dence to bring all these poor people of many tribes, and 
 speaking many languages, under Gospel teaching. May 
 we not hope that in some way or other it will be brought 
 about that not a few of them shall become Christ's 
 messengers and witnesses to their own people ! Why 
 not ? The Lord reigneth ! 
 
 " I am just now so fully occupied, have so much to 
 think about and plan in connexion with this Mission 
 that I can scarcely realize that in less than two months 
 hence, if rny life is spared, I shall be taking my last look 
 of East Africa, and leaving to another to build on the 
 foundation I have been privileged to lay. Still, as the 
 boys say, I have had 'a good innings,' and I am per- 
 mitted to hope that through God's good hand upon me, 
 I have been enabled to set some things in order and to 
 put in a plant here and there which will bear fruit when 
 I am gone. 
 
 " I am a long time without news from, or of, dear 
 Mac. If all's well with him, or ill, we ought to be turn- 
 ing up about the same time. If so, how we shall enjoy 
 comparing notes. We ought to have a grand Missionary 
 meeting at Wingfield between us." 
 
 To my Son in Sierra Leone. 
 
 "FREEE TOWN, November 20, 1888. 
 
 "MY DEAREST MAC, 
 
 " Your last letter is dated June 14 5 months ago 
 and since then I have had very little news of you. I did 
 not get your dear mother's usual letter by the last Mail. I
 
 224 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 fear it may have gone to ' Free ' instead of ' Frere ' 
 Town. It would most certainly have told me something 
 about you. I hope by this time you are well through 
 your bad season, as I imagine November, December, 
 and January are your three best months ; your winter 
 is our summer. I suppose you heard what troublous 
 times we have had, and still have on this side. How the 
 blockade may affect us and our Brethren in the interior 
 we cannot say ; for the present our communications 
 with them are entirely cut off; it is not safe for 
 Europeans to travel in any direction. It is, of course, 
 an anxious time for us all ; still we trust that He who 
 has graciously watched over us hitherto, will bring us 
 safely through. How I long to hear how you are and 
 how getting on. My time here is rapidly drawing 
 to a close ; I am expecting to leave by the French 
 steamer on January 2. So if all goes well I shall be 
 home early in February, and I am indulging the hope 
 that you will be taking your furlough about the same 
 time. We shall have much to talk about of interest to 
 both. How little we saw what was before us when we 
 waved our last adieus in the Mersey two years ago, and 
 how good God has been to us both ! 
 
 " My kind regards to the Bishop and to Nevill if 
 they have returned. With much love, and wishing you 
 a happy Xmas, and all blessings for the new year, 
 
 "Your affectionate Father." 
 
 To the Rev. E. Lang. 
 
 " Events are following thickly one upon another. I 
 have had a ' special ' from the Consul General informing
 
 Dr. and Mrs. Pruen in Peril. 225 
 
 me of the blockade, and confirming my worst fears as 
 to the closing of the Usagara route, and the consequent 
 isolation of our Brethren at Mamboia, Mpwapwa and 
 the Lake. He enclosed also a short letter from Dr. 
 Pruen to him, in which Dr. P. states that he, his wife, 
 and child, together with Ashe, are at a village Mto ya 
 Mawe 5 miles inarch this side Mamboia, short of 
 cloth and provisions. The current report was that 
 Abdalla bin Heri of Saadani had sent orders for all 
 European travellers and their servants to be murdered. 
 Pruen sent a secret messenger to the Consul General, 
 giving this information and asking help. The Sultan, 
 at Col. Euan Smith's request, has charged the very man, 
 Abdalla, to go and escort the party safely to the coast, so 
 if all goes well with them they will be here a few days 
 hence. 
 
 " Mr. Mackenzie's invitation to C. M. S. to occupy 
 Stations along the new route singularly dovetails with the 
 views I have already expressed. I rejoice to think that 
 God, in His Providence, is opening up to us a highway 
 into the centre of Africa. It lies through Eabai, and 
 the first Station is Gulu-gulu, about 20 miles forward. 
 It will go through Ukambani and Ulu a populous and 
 splendid country to lake Baringo ; thence striking 
 South to Kavirondo, and North to Wadelai. I cannot 
 doubt that the Committee will fall in with the general 
 idea ; but it is important to enter upon our inheritance 
 at once ; so fully anticipating their sanction, I have 
 asked dear Smith to go and commence work at Gulu- 
 gulu. 
 
 " I see a Telegram to the effect that Thompson is 
 going to lead a relief expedition to Wadelai. If so, it
 
 226 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 is almost certain he will come this way ; in which case, 
 would it not be well to send Fraser, Beverley, and 
 Edwards under his escort, as far as their paths lie to- 
 gether, leaving them to make their own way from that 
 point to Mackay ? I am only afraid there will be great 
 difficulty in getting porters, owing to the coast disturb- 
 ances. We must depend mainly on our poor ' watoro '. 
 As I shall probably leave on January 2, I cannot, of 
 course, expect an answer to this letter here ; but I 
 should esteem it a great favour if I find a line from you 
 at Aden, letting me know briefly what dispositions you 
 have made. Three days after this leaves the English 
 Mail Steamer is due, and I shall not be surprised if she 
 brings either a Bishop, or some one to take charge of 
 the Mission from me. This is a critical time, and it is 
 of the utmost importance you should have some one at 
 the helm in whom you have entire confidence, and to 
 whom, in exigencies, you can give a considerable 
 amount of freedom of action. 
 
 " I feel so identified with everything and everybody 
 in this Mission that it is hard to realize that, in six 
 weeks hence, I shall be tearing myself away from it all. 
 The thought is almost heartbreaking, and yet I have 
 strong home-longings, and I know that God can carry 
 on His work quite as well without me, as with me : it 
 would be sheer vanity to think otherwise. 
 
 " The Chaga Mail is in, and I am glad to learn that 
 Taylor was wrong in his diagnosis. There is no 
 aneurism, but anyway it is just as well he should return 
 to the coast. He has collected materials for a ki-Chaga 
 Vocabulary and Grammar, and a quiet month or .two 
 here will allow of his putting them into ship-shape for
 
 A Mysterious Telegram. 227 
 
 the press. He reports several earnest inquirers. His 
 influence on Mandara has been good, and Fitch's posi- 
 tion will be bettered by the change. By the time you 
 get this, Fitch will be again at Chaga, and Taylor 
 here." 
 
 Wednesday, November 21. The "Java" came in 
 for our English Mail. No better news from the coast : 
 " wars and rumours of wars " ! The blockade delayed 
 the proclamation awaits the Sultan's signature, and 
 he is, or pretends to be, sick. 
 
 A Telegram from Salisbury Square, which sorely 
 puzzled us all : " White anxious keep post open if 
 closed try parkers ". The difficulty was " White," who 
 is " White " ? and why is he " anxious " ? Is he the 
 new Bishop ? and the first intimation we have of 
 him that he is " anxious " ? And what " post " is he 
 anxious to keep open? I have already closed my Post 
 for this Mail, and if not, why keep it open ? We laid 
 our heads together to solve the riddle. Somebody sug- 
 gested " wife " for " white ". That may be true my 
 wife may well be a little anxious if she sees the Zanzi- 
 bar Telegrams ; but even so, she would not make a fuss 
 about it ; and then " trying parkers " would scarcely 
 relieve her anxiety. Miss Fitch suggested " wait," 
 with a full stop after it ; but it was hard to make sense 
 of the rest of the message ; it left " anxious " without 
 a subject. At last it dawned upon me: for "white" 
 read " while," and then filling in ellipses, it will run : 
 " While (we are most) anxious (if possible to) keep open 
 (the old) route ( ?) if (you on the spot consider that to 
 be quite) closed, try (to get men to go by) Parker's
 
 228 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 (route to Mamboia)". I wonder if I am right. Any- 
 way, I will try what can be doiie. 
 
 Note. I was not very far out, but the mystery was 
 not quite cleared up till some time after, when, in a 
 letter from Mr. Lang, I came across the words: "On 
 Nov. 19, we wired to you ' white ' ". How absurd ! My 
 own cipher, and I did not know it ! Two months before, 
 I had written to Mr. Lang in regard to a certain pro- 
 posal, " If you agree, wire the single word ' white/ if 
 not, 'black' ". But, alas ! in two months, what changes 
 have taken place ! what was possible then is utterly 
 out of the question now. Still I ought not to have been 
 puzzled by " white " ; nor should I, had it stood alone, 
 or been fenced off by a full stop from the complicated 
 sentence which followed. " White anxious, etc.," that 
 was the puzzle !
 
 CHAPTEE XI. 
 FIRST LINK IN KRAPF'S CHAIN. 
 
 Friday, November 23. The " Baghdad " arrived with 
 Home letters. Brings good news of all, thank God ! 
 Not a word from Salisbury Square about my successor, 
 or about my leaving ! They do not seem to have real- 
 ized that my time is so nearly up. The Committee are 
 very anxious about opening up communications with 
 the up-country Brethren. So am I, intensely so ; I am 
 looking this way and that : it is always in my thoughts. 
 Sent to Jones entreating him to do his best to get four 
 men to go to Mamboia by Parker's route promising 
 them a good reward. 
 
 Saturday, November 24. Jones replies "All say 
 impossible the risks too great no amount of money 
 would induce men to go ! " 
 
 Sunday, November 25. Early Communion in Eng- 
 lish. Address on Horn. viii. 15, " The spirit of adop- 
 tion ". 
 
 Gave a Service on board the " Stork" " Sirs, what 
 must I do to be saved ? " 
 
 Mr. Mackenzie is purposing to make Xmas day the 
 day for giving freedom to the runaways. He is inviting 
 Mrs. Euan Smith to give them their Papers. If this is 
 
 16
 
 230 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 carried out, it will be such a Xrnas day as Eabai has 
 never witnessed before. 
 
 Monday, November 26. Over to Mombasa this 
 morning to see Mackenzie paying off the Arabs. What 
 a sight ! In a stuffy little room these gentlemen were 
 crowded together some of the biggest swells of Mom- 
 basaall eager to clutch the blood-money which was 
 being so lavishly dealt out ! no sense of shame at being 
 found mixed up in the villainous business held anyone 
 back from putting in his claim. 
 
 This afternoon a messenger came to say that Mbaruk, 
 the rebel Chief, was on his way to see me, and would 
 be glad if I would put him up for the night. I sallied 
 forth to meet him, wondering what I should do. 
 Presently a rapid firing of guns, which woke up our 
 Settlement, signalled his approach. He was preceded 
 by a hundred or more of his roughs all armed with 
 guns and swords who came along shouting, blowing 
 war horns and firing, with all their might, as if they 
 were going to attack us ; and here comes Mbaruk 
 the man who for years has defied the Sultan, and been 
 a scourge to the whole country. Six years ago I just 
 escaped falling into his hands, and to-day he comes 
 and claims my hospitality ! What queer times we are 
 living in ! It appears he has been invited by Mr. 
 Mackenzie to come in; but he evidently has a strong 
 objection to going into Mombasa fears treachery 
 and feels himself more safe in the Settlement of Frere 
 Town. He is about sixty years of age, with an aris- 
 tocratic face, and fine physique, although possessing a 
 worn-out and battered look the result no doubt of
 
 Mbaruk. 231 
 
 the rough life he has led for so many years. I put 
 him and his attendant Arabs up in an iron cottage 
 in my compound, and made them as comfortable as 
 I could; whilst his 150 or more dusky warriors lay 
 thick on the ground under the trees. The ladies had 
 very cautiously to thread their way among them to 
 get to the evening Prayer Meeting in my house. I 
 learn that the Consul General has made peace between 
 Mbaruk and the Sultan, and the new Company find it 
 to their advantage to make friends with him. 
 
 Tuesday, November 27. To-day Mbaruk was visited 
 by the Wali, and many of the principal Arabs of Mom- 
 basa. It has been a day of constant coming and going, 
 and as each fresh arrival was made the occasion for a 
 salute, we have been under fire all day ! Among the Arabs, 
 strange to say, was Khamis Kornbo, between whom 
 and Mbaruk there has been a deadly feud these many 
 years. How remarkable that these two men should 
 come together and shake hands under my roof ! 
 General Matthews succeeded in persuading Mbaruk 
 to go over to Mombasa, and he left in grand state, 
 crossing over in the Mission boat, under the British 
 flag, at 4 p.m. 
 
 Wrote to the Eev. E. A. Fitch. 
 
 " FRERE TOWN, November 27 1890. 
 
 " MY DEAE FITCH, 
 
 " I hope this will find you and your party safely 
 landed at Chaga. I have much to say, and little time to 
 say it in, so must compress.
 
 232 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 " I have pressing letters and telegrams from the 
 Committee about opening up communications with our 
 Lake brethren, also with Mamboia and Mpwapwa. I 
 have tried to get men to go with letters by Parker's 
 route offering them double pay and a good present if 
 they succeed, but they all say ' no ' who can wonder ? 
 
 "But this is an urgent business; the lives of our 
 Brethren may depend on it. Would it be possible 
 through Mandara or otherwise to send men from Chaga 
 to the south end of the Lake ? If so let me know at 
 once, and I will send up a ' special ' with letters to be 
 forwarded. It will be a grand achievement if you can 
 open up a tolerably safe route between Chaga and Nasa. 
 The men must, of course, be liberally paid. The 
 ordinary channels from the coast are completely closed, 
 and there is no prospect of their being opened again for 
 some time to come. Do, my dear Fitch, your very best 
 to accomplish this good work, and may God bless your 
 efforts ! 
 
 " All the ordinary news of these parts you will be 
 sure to get from your dear sister, so with Christian love 
 and all good wishes, and prayers that you may have 
 much to comfort and encourage you in your work, I 
 remain, 
 
 "Yours affectionately, 
 
 " W. SALTER PRICE." 
 
 Wednesday, November 28. Had a pressing request 
 from Admiral Fremantle to allow the Admiralty to 
 charter the " Henry Wright " as a despatch boat, to keep 
 up communication between the flagship and the other 
 ships engaged in the blockade. I replied, saying I was
 
 The Roscoes. 233 
 
 sorry I could not comply with his request. It would 
 never do for the " H. W.," well known as she is up and 
 down the Coast as belonging to our Mission, to be 
 employed in connexion with the blockade. Apart from 
 this, there are other reasons which make it impossible 
 for me to take the responsibility of letting her go on this 
 service. 
 
 My correspondence just now very heavy, and takes 
 up most of my time. I am in frequent communication 
 with the Consul General, the Director of the new 
 Company, and other officials, and with all the Brethren 
 in the interior who are accessible to say nothing of my 
 regular epistles to the Secretaries at Home, and to my 
 wife. In order to give as true an account as possible of 
 our circumstances our difficulties, joys, and sorrows 
 I must needs draw largely on this correspondence. 
 
 To the Rev. J. Roscoe, Mamboia. 
 
 " FRERE TOWN, Novtmbtr 28, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAR EOSCOE, 
 
 "Have received your two letters of October 22 and 
 November 11. Let me first express my sympathy with 
 you and your dear wife under the trying circumstances 
 of your late illness, and at the same time my thankful- 
 ness at hearing that you are both in the way of recovery. 
 I quite understand your wish to have the services of Dr. 
 Pruen in April next, and as far as it rests with me 
 everything shall be done to meet it, even though I may 
 not be here. I would advise you to write again on the 
 subject about January.
 
 234 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 " As regards Mr. Wood, if the way were open for 
 him to go forward to reinforce the Lake brethren I 
 would say at once, " Go, and the Lord prosper you"; and 
 I am sure the Committee would approve. But whilst 
 the Consul General declares ' all routes unsafe ' I dare 
 not give the word. I am afraid he must wait ; but tell 
 Mr. Wood, with my love, that I shall be glad if he will 
 hold himself ready to go forward as soon as it may be 
 prudent to do so. 
 
 " General Matthews promises to do his best to 
 forward this letter to you, if possible, by the ordinary 
 route ; and to make more sure I am trying to send a 
 duplicate by a variation of Parker's route. Kindly, if 
 you can, let your answer also travel by both lines. 
 
 " And now, I want to enlist your best services in a 
 most urgent business. The Company are most anxious 
 to send reinforcements to the Lake, and three men 
 Beverley, Fraser, and Dr. Edwards have been waiting 
 here for some time, ready to move as soon as the way 
 opens. Meanwhile the position of the Brethren inland 
 is a matter for gravest anxiety. When distorted reports 
 of what is going on upon the coast spread, as they will, 
 they will be placed, humanly speaking, in great peril. 
 Clearly, we must leave no stone unturned to open com- 
 munication with them to ascertain their real position 
 and to convey to them supplies and succour. I want 
 you at Mamboia, and Price at Mpwapwa to help all you 
 can in this. The first thing is for you to organize good 
 communication between you and Mpwapwa and then 
 Price from thence to the Lake. You will require to 
 employ more men and to give them higher pay ; don't
 
 Perplexed. 235 
 
 stick at that. It is a matter of life and death, and the 
 thing must be done if it is possible to do it, cost what it 
 may ! 
 
 " Kindly copy this paragraph, and send on to Price 
 with my love and earnest solicitations for his co-opera- 
 tion. Then let me hear from you as quickly as possible, 
 giving full information (1) as to the state of the coun- 
 try about you and on ahead what reports from the 
 coast the temper of the people your own position, 
 etc. ; (2) any news or rumours concerning the Lake 
 brethren ; (3) any suggestions you can make in further- 
 ance of the object in view. 
 
 " We do not cease to remember you in our prayers. 
 May the Almighty have you, } r our dear wife, and all 
 the Brethren, under His gracious protection, and give 
 to you and us ' a happy issue '. I am sorry I missed 
 getting your dear wife's letter. With best love to you 
 both. 
 
 "Yours affectionately, etc., etc." 
 To the Eev. E. Lang, Sec., C.M.S. 
 
 "FRERE TOWN, November 28, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAR MB. LANG,- 
 
 " Just a line to catch the French boat. 
 
 "1. All here are annoyed at the Anglo-German 
 blockade. It is expected to extend to Mombasa and 
 north in a few days. The ' H. W. ' applied for (see 
 above) . 
 
 " 2. The runaway slave question is, I hope, finally
 
 236 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 disposed of. Mr. Mackenzie has agreed with the Arabs 
 to ransom all found in the Mission Stations of Kabai, 
 Kibe, and Jomvu, at $25 per head. In all, at present, 
 450 have been claimed and paid for. Mr. M. proposes 
 giving them all Freedom papers, at Rabai, on Xmas 
 day, and has invited Mrs. Euan Smith to do it. I only 
 hope the Consul General will consent, and that he will 
 come and see Kabai for himself. 
 
 " 3. 1 am going (D.V.) to-morrow with Smith to Gulu- 
 gulu. There are a considerable number of our people of 
 Rabai, in the Company's employ at that place as porters 
 and otherwise, who need to be cared for spiritually. 
 Then, too, there are several Europeans of the Company's 
 staff, constantly passing to and fro, who will be glad of 
 the opportunity of attending an English Service occa- 
 sionally ; and last, not least, there are the Wa-Kamba 
 to be evangelized Missionary work pure and simple to 
 any extent ! I cannot doubt the Committee will see 
 the importance of our occupying this Station at once, 
 and permanently ; still I make now only a provisional 
 arrangement, awaiting their formal sanction. If we 
 do not take up this work, Mr. M. will, doubtless, pass 
 on his invitation to another Society. The French 
 Priests of Bagamoyo are already on the alert. Several 
 of them are coming to Mombasa in a few days to pro- 
 spect for new openings. They actually applied to me 
 for the ' H. W.' to bring them here ! 
 
 " 4. The Pruens, you will be glad to hear, have 
 safely reached Zanzibar. We expect them here next 
 week. Dr. Baxter will then take charge of Shimba, 
 till he can find his way to Mpwapwa. 
 
 " No time for more. My letter to Roscoe will ex-
 
 A Grand Function. 237 
 
 plain itself. I am doing all I can to get in touch with 
 our Brethren in the interior. With kindest regards, 
 etc., etc." 
 
 To Mrs. Euan Smith, Zanzibar. 
 
 "FRERE TOWN, November 28, 1888. 
 
 " DEAR MRS. EUAN SMITH, 
 
 " It seems long since I had a line from you ; 
 but I am delighted to hear from one and all, that you 
 are keeping up wonderfully. It is well it is so, for the 
 last few months must have been a time of intense 
 worry and anxiety to your dear husband, and he must 
 many a time have ' blessed his stars,' that he had you 
 at his side to cheer him up, and divert him from the 
 pressing cares of office. Of course, he has the satisfac- 
 tion of knowing that he is ' making History ' ; but 
 making History in these troublous times is risky work. 
 It is all very well if all turns out right, for, as dear old 
 Dizzy says, ' nothing succeeds like success '. I earnestly 
 hope your husband's efforts in a good cause, in face of 
 many difficulties, will be crowned with success, and 
 meet with just acknowledgment, and an appropriate 
 reward. 
 
 " Mr. Mackenzie has been paying off all the slave- 
 owners for their slaves found at Babai, etc. If he had 
 not done it, I should have done it myself; but patrioti- 
 cally I left it to him and the Company. Anyway the 
 thing is done, and the sore healed, and now Mr. M.'s 
 heart is set upon a grand function on Xmas Day, in 
 which I most heartily sympathize. He would have
 
 238 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 you, as the wife of the Consul General, to distribute 
 the Freedom papers to these poor people, who have 
 been redeemed. It is a grand idea, and I sincerely 
 hope you will find it possible to fall in with it, and 
 that the Colonel will not object. We will do all we 
 can to make it comfortable and pleasant for you. It 
 will form an episode in your life in East Africa, to 
 look back upon with pleasure in the days to come. 
 I promise you, you will be delighted with what you 
 will see and hear, and you will never repent your 
 visit to Eabai. So, do say ' Yes '. 
 
 " I hope you have good news of your dear Hilda. 
 May God's richest blessings rest on you all. 
 "Yours very sincerely, 
 
 "W. SALTEE PEICE." 
 
 Friday, Nov. 30. Started at 6 a.m. with Smith and 
 Burness for Rabai. Got in at 11 ; heat very trying. 
 Found a special Mail from Chaga just arrived. Ehlers 
 had reached the highest point yet accomplished on 
 Kilima-Njaro. A nice letter from Taylor, who hopes 
 shortly to be here. 
 
 Saturday, December 1. It is a very wholesome rule, 
 pretty generally observed by Protestant Societies, 
 that one Society should not intrude into a sphere 
 already occupied by another. Unhappily this rule was 
 set aside a few years ago by the Bavarian Missionary 
 Society planting a Station at Jimba, a couple of miles 
 or so from Rabai. This was a mistake, but as the 
 Missionaries themselves were excellent men and good 
 neighbours, and as their operations were on a very
 
 Missionary Etiquette. 239 
 
 limited scale, the intrusion, although objected to by 
 Mr. Binns, on the part of the C.M.S., did not meet 
 with any formal protest. Now, however, it appears, 
 that from Jimba as their base, they have gone forward 
 and planted a new Station among the Wakamba, at 
 Gulu-gulu or rather Mbungu the very place we are 
 now invited to occupy on the threshold of Ukambani, 
 which from Dr. Krapf 's time has been regarded as the 
 proper sphere for the development of our Mission from 
 our base at Eabai ; and which becomes all the more 
 necessary to us now, as it is through this territory our 
 main line of route will pass to our Stations on Lake 
 Victoria. Under these circumstances we cannot be 
 accused of any breach of etiquette in going to Mbungu ; 
 nevertheless, to prevent misunderstandings, I wrote to 
 the Rev. J. Hoffman, Senior Missionary of the Bavarian 
 Society, as follows : 
 
 " RABAT, December, 1888. 
 
 " DEAB ME. HOFFMAN, 
 
 " You have probably heard that the British 
 E. A. Co. have invited the C.M.S. to establish a chain 
 of Missions corresponding with their own Stations on 
 the new line of route into the interior. The first of 
 these is Gulu-gulu, and there in response to their 
 invitation we are about to form a Mission Station at 
 once. It is unfortunate that you should have fixed 
 upon the same place, and under ordinary circumstances 
 I should not have thought of planting a Mission where 
 another Society was already in possession. But the 
 circumstances are not ordinary, and I venture to hope
 
 240 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 that you will see that we could not reasonably decline 
 this opening for 1. We have been here now more than 
 forty years, and have always been looking forward to 
 the time when we should be able to extend our opera- 
 tions in the direction now opening up. 
 
 " 2. Without any disparagement of you and your 
 respected colleagues, the Company are naturally desi- 
 rous, for the sake of the Englishmen in their employ, 
 that the Missionaries with whom they come in contact 
 should be Englishmen, and Ministers of their own 
 Church. 
 
 " 3. We have for some years had Missions in 
 Uganda, and on the shores of the Nyanza, and it is of 
 vital importance for us to establish communications 
 with them by this route. The old route lies through 
 Usagara is now under German influence and owing 
 to the doings on the coast, it is, and is likely to be, 
 closed ; in consequence of which our Brethren in those 
 distant Stations are isolated, and placed in a position 
 of great peril. 
 
 " 4. Many of our people from Rabai are, and will 
 be, employed in various ways by the Company, and 
 it is most desirable that we should make provision for 
 their instruction and spiritual oversight. 
 
 " There are other points, but these are, I think, 
 sufficient to show you that it is in no spirit of rivalry, 
 and certainly not out of any want of courtesy to your- 
 selves, that we have decided to commence a Mission at 
 Gulu-gulu. What under the circumstances you may 
 wish to do, I do not know, and I do not now suggest. 
 I would prefer to talk the matter over quietly with 
 you and your colleagues ; and as Mr. Smith and I are
 
 To Gulu-gulu. 241 
 
 coming to Gulu-gulu (D.V.) on Monday, we shall have 
 an opportunity of doing this. 
 
 "I can assure you, dear Hoffman, whatever the 
 result may be, that we esteem you as fellow-labourers 
 of the same Blessed Master, and that we heartily wish 
 you ' God speed ' in all your labours in His cause. 
 With kindest regards to you and your colleagues, 
 " I remain, 
 
 " Yours very sincerely, 
 
 " W. SALTER PRICE." 
 
 Sunday, December 2. Administered Holy Communion 
 to about 100. Quiet day but getting very hot. 
 
 Monday, December 3. Started with Smith for Gulu- 
 gulu. We were too late, ought to have left at 5 ; 
 did not get off till 9 a.m. Nothing very striking in 
 the country through which we passed ; some pretty 
 patches of park-like land, with here and there stretches 
 of forest, composed mainly of prickly acacia. It was 
 excessively hot travelling to-day, and being the first day 
 neither we nor our men were in best " form ". At 4 p.m. 
 came to a good camping place on the bank of a river, to 
 which our people gave the name of "Mto-ya-chuma " (the 
 river of iron). It was thickly covered with a lily, having 
 a profusion of very pretty pink flowers. We were not 
 sorry to pitch our tents, arid rest here for the night. 
 
 Tuesday, December 4. Up at 4 a.m. , and got well under 
 way by 5. At 7 came to Dindini a good sized village, 
 where a crowd of Wa-Kamba assembled round us, to 
 gratify their curiosity. Every movement was watched 
 with intense interest. The climax of wonders was
 
 242 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 when I took off my huge pith helmet, which almost 
 sent them into fits. They jumped to the conclusion 
 that Smith was my son. My beard seemed to puzzle 
 them most, and they wanted to know how I made it 
 so long. Poor simple people ! How I wish I could 
 speak to them in their own tongue. But the time is 
 coming, even now is, when they shall hear from the 
 lips of Englishmen, "the wonderful words of Life". 
 We came to Gulu-gulu about 8, and here I saw for the 
 first time the Flag of the new Company on a blue and 
 white ground, a crown, a Union Jack, and the rising 
 sun, with the motto " Light and Liberty ". This 
 Station occupies rather a dreary and, I should fear, 
 swampy situation, and consists at present of a number 
 of very temporary buildings, for the accommodation of 
 two or three Europeans, and about 400 natives. Messrs. 
 Crauford and Gedge gave us a hearty welcome. They 
 are living here in great discomfort. They do it "for 
 a corruptible crown ". Shall we do less ? 
 
 After breakfast moved on to Mbungu, two miles 
 distant and some 300 feet higher, where the Bavarian 
 Missionaries are located. The situation, vastly superior 
 to Gulu-gulu removed from malarious influences and 
 commanding an extensive view of the surrounding 
 country. There is, in the dry season, a scarcity of 
 water, but that may be remedied. There are three 
 Wa-Kamba villages on the plateau, within easy distance. 
 The natives cultivate cereals sufficient for their own 
 consumption and for the purchase of " tembo " from 
 Rabai. They have also flocks and herds, which thrive 
 on the extensive pasture land of the district ; but as
 
 Confer with Mr. Hoffman. 243 
 
 one of them assured me it was against their 
 principles to sell cows, any Missionary living here will 
 have to trust to himself for meat supply of every kind. 
 The prices asked by the natives are exorbitant a fowl 
 Is. 6d., an egg fd., a bottle of milk 7^d. Probably they 
 will learn better by and bye as yet they scarcely know 
 the value of money. 
 
 All day long the Wa-Kamba men, women, and 
 children came swarming in to feast their eyes on the 
 new comers. They expressed great delight when they 
 heard we were coming to settle among them not that 
 they had any fault to find with the " Wa-Daitch," but 
 for some inscrutable reason they preferred the English. 
 Had a long conversation with Mr. Hoffman, who 
 hospitably entertained us. He showed me copies of a 
 correspondence which passed between his Society and 
 the C. M. S. a few years ago, when they first came out. 
 Of this I was entirely ignorant ; all I did know was that 
 when they first came to Jimba, Mr. Binns, then in 
 charge at Eabai, disapproved, and that, regardless of his 
 disapproval, the Mission was commenced. We discussed 
 the question amicably, and I explained more fully the 
 views I had expressed in my letter. It now remains 
 for each of us to refer the matter for final decision to 
 the authorities of our respective Societies at home. 
 
 In the evening Smith and I took a ramble to prospect 
 a good site for the new Station. Mbungu is an extensive 
 plateau, about 600 feet above sea level. There is 
 abundance of good pasturage, but, as far as we could 
 see, very little cultivation. We selected a spot about a 
 quarter of a mile from the Germans, from the highest
 
 244 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 point of which a good view is obtained of Kabai, 
 Giriama, Shimba, and even the Teita Mountains. 
 
 Wednesday, December 5. Crauford came up early to 
 confer with us about the site. He showed us another, 
 but after looking at all the pros and cons, it was finally 
 agreed that the spot we had fixed upon was the best ; 
 and there Smith is at once going to work to put up for 
 himself a cottage of wattle and daub. 
 
 After a final word of prayer with dear Smith took 
 leave of him and our German friends, and at 10 a.m. set 
 out to return to Rabai. Called at Gulu-gulu and spent 
 half-an-hour with Gedge. What a piggery they are 
 living in ! a great mistake I venture to think. A few 
 miles further on, in the middle of a dense thorny forest, 
 we were overtaken by a violent thunderstorm ; in two 
 minutes I had not a dry thread on my body, and my poor 
 men were in wretched plight. When we came to the 
 resting place near the river, where I was intending to 
 encamp for the night, I saw the safest plan was to move 
 on, so I told the men, " I shall give you only half a 
 ' posho ' of rice here, and the rest at Rabai we must 
 push on I give you one hour to cook and eat ". In an 
 hour and a half we were off. It was very hard riding a 
 donkey owing to the slippery ground arid thorny jungle, 
 so I took to my feet ; but, again, the heat was very 
 trying, and by the time we got to the German Mission 
 at Jirnba I was fairly done up, and very thankful for a 
 rest and for a glass of wine which my good friend there 
 kindly gave me. Only three miles remained, so in half- 
 an-hour we were off again in good spirits, and went 
 along merrily, getting into Eabai a little after sunset.
 
 Smith Alone. 245 
 
 The distance from Mbimgu to Rabai, Crauford reckons 
 at 24 miles, which we had covered in 7 hours, allowing 
 for stoppages not bad travelling under the circum- 
 stances. Jones was surprised to see me, as he was not 
 expecting me till to-morrow evening. 
 
 Before going to bed wrote a short letter to Smith, to 
 cheer him in his loneliness : 
 
 "KABAi, Decrmbr 5, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAR SMITH, 
 
 " I am rather tired, but must drop you a line 
 before turning in. I am very glad I came on ; I can 
 now go to bed without thinking of 4 o'clock to-morrow 
 morning ! 
 
 "We met a lot of fine cattle cows and bullocks 
 on their way to Gulu-gulu. They are a superior breed 
 to the Wa-Kamba animals. You might see if you can- 
 not secure one or two. 
 
 " You will, of course, keep up the most friendly re- 
 lations with Hoffman, whilst, at the same time, taking 
 your own line. 
 
 " One of your first cares is to make spiritual pro- 
 vision for all our Native people in the Company's em- 
 ploy. ' Let them see that they are not un cared for. 
 This is a very important point, in its bearing on the 
 whole question. 
 
 " God bless you, my dear brother, and give you all 
 the grace and wisdom you need for the post you are 
 called to fill. I feel that I am taking upon myself a 
 grave responsibility in this arrangement, although I 
 
 17
 
 246 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 have confidence that the Committee, in view of all the 
 circumstances, will ratify the course we have taken. 
 
 " I do not like to think that I may never see you 
 again ; it was this thought that over-mastered me in 
 our last prayer together. But if it be so, I shall not 
 cease to pray that your path may be ' as the morning 
 light, which shineth,' etc. 
 
 " Yours very affectionately, 
 
 "W. S. P." 
 
 Thursday, December 6. Left Rabai at 2 p.m., and 
 landed at Frere Town at 7.30. Mrs. Pruen recovering 
 from fever the rest of the Brethren fairly well ; though 
 all more or less feeling the excessive heat. 
 
 Friday, December 1. Three men-of-war hanging 
 about in the offing, and the "Penguin" is expected; 
 so I conclude the blockade has commenced. Heard 
 the rumbling of heavy guns this morning. 
 
 Called on the Pruens. They have had a terribly 
 trying journey to the coast ; but God has most graci- 
 ously heard our prayers, and " saved them from the lion's 
 mouth ". No wonder they suffer from fever after all 
 they have gone through ! 
 
 The " Boadicea " came in. Admiral Fremautle 
 called, and pressed me about the " H. W. " Very 
 sorry to seem grumpy and disobliging, but I could not 
 give consent. Went with him in his steam Pinnace 
 up the creek about ten miles, acting as Pilot ! rather a 
 risky thing : piloting an Admiral ! ! 
 
 Saturday, December 8. Flag-ship left. The block- 
 ade now established ; what will come of it ?
 
 Wild Reports. 247 
 
 Monday, December 10. Dr. Baxter goes to Shimba 
 to make ready. The Chaga party Taylor, Dr. Ed- 
 wards, and Reid safely arrived at Rabai, all well. 
 Thank God !- 
 
 Last night very oppressive, little sleep. 
 
 Wrote to Mr. Eugene Stock : 
 
 " FRERE TOWN, Decembtr 10. 
 " MY DEAR FRIEND, 
 
 t " Many thanks for your kind letter of sym- 
 pathy of November 2. We have passed through strange 
 experiences, and the crisis is not yet over, though things 
 look more peaceful than they did a little while ago. The 
 new Company have been paving their way with dollars 
 better, no doubt, than bullets but whether the effect 
 will be permanent or not remains to be seen. This ill- 
 starred Anglo-German blockade will, doubtless, act as 
 an irritant. At such a time the wildest reports are 
 easily fabricated spread about and eagerly accepted 
 as true. Thus, at Mamboia, it was fully believed that 
 we at Frere Town were all murdered ; and the news 
 which had reached Chaga was equally alarming and un- 
 founded. This is just the danger, so far as the interior 
 is concerned. No doubt, the clouds have, at times, 
 been dark and threatening, but we can still raise our 
 ' Ebenezer,' and rejoice in the thought that, in the 
 midst of strife and confusion, 'the valleys are exalted, 
 and the mountains and hills brought low,' and the way 
 is being prepared for the revelation of the glory of God , 
 111 the darkest corners of this ' dark Continent '. ' It 
 is the Lord's doing, and marvellous in our eyes ' ' Bo
 
 248 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 still, and know that I am God : I will be exalted in the 
 earth ' only let us hang more on the word ' Lo ! I 
 am with you ' let us follow as He leads, and we shall 
 ' see greater things than these '. 
 
 " I feel that I am leaving East Africa at a time of 
 thrilling interest. The Lord's will be done ; I only 
 pray that some Joshua may be forthcoming ' in whom 
 the spirit of the Lord is,' whose high privilege it shall 
 be to carry on the work which has been but too feebly 
 begun. 
 
 " I enclose a letter from Taylor, just received, which 
 is, as his letters always are, deeply interesting. You 
 may perhaps like to take some notice of what he says 
 about Herr Ehler's ascent of Kilima-Njaro, even though 
 it may inspire some enterprising Englishman to come 
 out and try to ' beat the record '. Ehlers himself 
 writes to me : ' When I came down my face was burned, 
 my hands frozen, my lips and eyes very bad, but I was 
 glad and happy that I reached more than other men. 
 Excelsior ! ' 
 
 " In two months hence, if all goes well, I shall be 
 looking in upon you in your snug little office at Salisbury 
 Square, and then going down to my quiet Parish in 
 Suffolk ! Can you form an idea of the change from my 
 present life and surroundings? Will you kindly for- 
 ward Taylor's letter, when read, to my dear wife. 
 
 " With best love, etc., etc." 
 
 Wednesday, December 1'2. Mr. Mackenzie and CapL 
 Pullen came over. The former informs me that Mrs. 
 Euan Smith promises to come and give out Freedom
 
 Four Months More. 249 
 
 papers at Babai, on New Year's Day. They ask me to 
 allow a Flag-staff to be erected near the Mission House, 
 which will be the leading mark for ships entering 
 Mombasa harbour. I agreed, provided it was done by 
 them, not by me. I don't want to fight the battle of 
 the flag over again. 
 
 A telegram from Salisbury Square. " Leave extended 
 May, if cannot remain beyond January telegraph." 
 What can I say or do '? It of course puts out my plans, 
 and is in some sense a disappointment ; but what of 
 that if so the Lord wills ? I must suppose that the 
 Bishop of Norwich and my dear wife have given con- 
 sent, so I make up my mind to stay on. 
 
 Wrote a few words of counsel, with hints and sug- 
 gestions to Brother Smith : 
 
 "FRERE TOWN, December 12, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAR SMITH, 
 
 " Let me first congratulate you on being set 
 free from those secular duties which, however important 
 and necessary in their bearing oil the welfare of the 
 Mission, were yet not such as you might naturally have 
 been led to expect to be occupied in, when you came 
 out as an ordained Missionary to the Heathen. 1 feel 
 sure the Committee will highly appreciate as I do 
 the self-abnegation with which you threw yourself into 
 the work of the moment; asking no question, and the 
 thorough efficiency with which you performed the 
 duties required of you. You have now your reward. 
 
 "It is a great honour to be called to break up new 
 ground, and to occupy the first of what there is good
 
 250 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 reason to hope will be a chain of Mission centres, 
 leading right on into the very heart of Africa. This 
 honour is yours. May God Himself supply all your 
 need, and furnish you in every way for the very im- 
 portant post you are now called to fill. 
 
 " You know, of course, that the arrangement is pro- 
 visional, and aw r aits the approval and sanction of the 
 Parent Committee ; I think there is no doubt that will 
 be cordially given. 
 
 " The fatherly interest I take in you, and my con- 
 cern for the success of the undertaking, embolden me 
 to offer a few hints, which I feel sure you will take in 
 good part ; and, if I put them in didactic form, you will 
 understand that I do so simply for clearness' sake. 
 
 " 1. You will come in contact with Englishmen, 
 especially those of the Company's staff. As far as one 
 has seen of them, they are gentlemanly fellows, and 
 some of them not indifferent to spiritual things. But 
 they are exposed to many and great temptations, and 
 it will be for you to set before them a true standard of 
 Christian life and consistency to be ' an example to 
 believers '. 
 
 " Carefully avoid getting mixed up with their dis- 
 putes and quarrels, which, sooner or later, are almost 
 sure to occur ; don't take sides. If you become the 
 confidant of one, you forfeit the confidence of the other, 
 and lose influence. Let one and all feel that in you 
 they have one they can freely come to for Christian 
 sympathy, counsel, and comfort in all their times of 
 sickness or trouble in short, let them know that there 
 is a Prophet in Mbungu.
 
 Fatherly Hints. 251 
 
 " And in this connexion I would say, do all you can 
 by word and example to uphold the due observance of 
 the Lord's day. 
 
 " Should, unhappily, any dispute arise between you 
 and any of these good gentlemen, be careful not to 
 commit yourself to any hasty expressions ; keep the 
 fires low. First pray 'wait on the Lord,' and then, as 
 a rule, don't write but go and talk over the matter, 
 never forgetting the rule ' Be courteous '. 
 
 " 2. But after all, nay rather, before all, you will re- 
 member that you are a Missionary to the Heathen. The 
 evangelization of the Wa-Kamba is your first concern 
 your life work ! This being so, you will naturally long 
 for the time when you shall be able to preach among 
 them, in their own tongue, ' the unsearchable riches of 
 Christ ' ; siid to this end you will give all the time you 
 possibly can to the study of the language. You will 
 need two strings to your bow : Kisuaheli and Kikamba. 
 That means a good deal of hard work ; but how happy 
 you will be when you are able to speak to every poor 
 Mkamba you meet of ' Jesus Christ, who came to save 
 sinners '. 
 
 "3. As you know, many of our native Christians 
 from Rabai some w r ho are only catechumens have 
 found employment with the Company, and this will 
 probably be still more so as time goes on. There will 
 often be some of them in or near Gulu-gulu, and I am 
 so glad to think that although away from the influences 
 and instructions of the Settlement, they will not be 
 left as ' sheep without a shepherd '. You will no doubt 
 do your best to get touch of them, to provide regular
 
 252 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 Services for them, and in every way ' to care for their 
 souls '. 
 
 " 4. If I allude to two apparently lesser matters, it is 
 not that I have any reason to think that you are in any 
 particular danger yourself, but because I feel that we 
 ought all, as far as possible, to discountenance in others 
 the things I refer to. I would say then : 
 
 " (1) Guard against the tendency to which, in our 
 circumstances, we are all more or less exposed to 
 become ' washensi '. Live as simply as you like, but 
 be neat and clean in person, and insist on cleanliness 
 in those around you, especially in food arrangements. 
 There is no virtue in putting up with a table-cloth 
 covered with grease spots, or in wearing a coat dirty 
 and out at elbows, or in making a tumbler do duty, 
 first at the toilet and then at the dinner table, without 
 an intermediate rinsing out ! This is not self-denial, 
 but laziness, and it may easily degenerate into some- 
 thing worse. 
 
 " (2) Guard against the curio mania. I see nothing 
 wrong in collecting a few things of this kind when they 
 come in your way, or when going Home ; but you know 
 as well as I, that this hobby may be indulged in till it 
 becomes a snare in more ways than one, especially to 
 a Missionary. 
 
 " 5. You will find it well often to call to mind that 
 you are one of a great army, scattered over the world 
 all under the orders of the same Captain all working 
 to the same end, and all on the winning side ! 'The 
 Lord reigneth,' so don't be discouraged if you do not 
 see immediate results. ' In all labour there is profit.'
 
 hatherly Hints. 253 
 
 Ours is a work of Faith, and ' bread cast on the 
 waters ' is often found ' after many days '. It is not 
 given to all now, to reap where they have sown ; but 
 nothing is lost, and if not now ' the Day will declare 
 it,' and when ' He who is our Life shall appear,' the 
 faithful servant will not fail of his reward. The most 
 successful Missionaries doubtless are they who most 
 honour the Holy Spirit, whose alone it is ' to give the 
 increase ' and to ' turn men from darkness to light, etc.' 
 
 " I have very imperfectly expressed what I would 
 say. Forgive me if I seem to write to you with a 
 semblance of authority. I have none but such as a 
 father might have in writing to a son. I write to you 
 just as I would to my own son on the other side of 
 Africa ; and I have warned you against certain things, 
 not because you do not know, but because you do 
 simply by way of stirring you up, by putting you in 
 remembrance. 
 
 " And now, in conclusion, let me say how thankful 
 I am for the happy Christian intercourse I have had 
 with you, and how hard I find it to say ' good-bye ' 
 to you and to others whom I have learned to love and 
 esteem for their own and for their work's sake. 
 
 " May God endue you with all grace, and make you 
 a workman of whom ' He will not need be ashamed,' 
 and grant us a happy meeting in the great day of ' the 
 manifestation of the sons of God,' for Christ's sake. 
 " Yours very affectionately, 
 
 " W. S ALTER PRICE." 
 
 Thursday, December 13. Again hard up for accom-
 
 254 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 modation. Taylor comes to live with me. I am glad 
 to have him, only it adds to my housekeeping cares. 
 Busy with letters for Home. 
 
 To my Wife. 
 
 "Decembtr 9. 
 
 " Preparing to leave on 2nd of next month. My 
 good friends here don't believe in my going away, or 
 else cling to the idea that I shall soon come back. It 
 makes it all the harder to say ' good-bye ' to them, 
 much as I long to see again you and our children. I 
 have been away a week about forty miles inland, 
 opening up a new Station, and on my return last 
 night, what a welcome I received from one and all ! 
 
 "It is rather a serious step, forming a new Station 
 on one's own responsibility ; but the opening was too 
 good to let go, so I hope the Committee will not be 
 very angry. It is on the direct road to Kilima-Njaro 
 and the Nyanza. It is (not Bungay, but) Mbungu, and 
 beyond Rabai is the first link in dear old Krapf 's chain ! 
 
 " December 12. Just received another Telegram : 
 ' Leave extended, etc.' I conclude that means that both 
 the Bishop and you have been consulted and given your 
 consent, so though I was actually packing up and look- 
 ing forward to a happy meeting a few weeks hence, and 
 although I am ignorant of the real cause of the delay, 
 I accept it as an indication of God's will, and trust that 
 ' all will be well '. It certainly affords me the 
 opportunity of giving the finishing touch to one or two 
 matters. True they are the three hottest and most try-
 
 Horrors at Zanzibar. 255 
 
 ing months here, but then I escape the three coldest in 
 England ! As I prepared for only six months, I am 
 getting badly off for clothes, especially Jaeger articles. I 
 am reduced to my last pair of socks, and they will have 
 to do duty till the English Steamer arrives, when I hope 
 to get a dozen pairs, ordered four months ago from D. 
 & S. They have been lying at Aden a month, and I 
 shall not be greatly surprised if they remain there till 
 doomsday- in which case I must get what rubbish I can 
 from Zanzibar. 
 
 " I wonder if the Mail will throw any light on the 
 Telegram. Of course you know all about it and have 
 arranged with Pickford to stay on. 
 
 " Sorry you are still shut out from your own quiet 
 home. I shall think of you spending Xmas at C. I 
 hope to spend it at Rabai, where now are Mr. and Mrs. 
 Burness, Miss Holmes, and Miss Scott. Eabai was 
 never so well manned, or rather i0omanned, as now." 
 
 Sunday, December 16. Early Communion very few 
 natives present. Several officers from the "Stork" 
 came to the Afternoon Service. There were present in 
 all sixteen Europeans. Tormented with prickly heat. 
 
 Wednesday, December 19. The Mail S. "Baghdad" 
 from Zanzibar. She brings strange and shocking news. 
 The Sultan is in a blood-thirsty mood. There are some 
 35 men who from Said Bargash's time have been in 
 prison, with or without just cause. The mild and gentle 
 Said Khalifa has suddenly decreed their death. Four are 
 brought out every day, and hacked to pieces in the 
 public market ! This ghastly sight is not likely to have 
 a soothing effect on the minds of the turbulent natives
 
 256 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 of Zanzibar. Happily, after eight poor fellows had been 
 thus cruelly slaughtered, Col. Euan Smith interfered, 
 and insisted on the Sultan's putting an end to the 
 horrible butchery. The state of native feeling in 
 Zanzibar is as bad as it can well be. The Germans 
 have had more fighting at Bagomoyo. Being attacked 
 by Bushiri, they landed men and guns, and killed over 
 a hundred natives. It is reported, and generally accepted 
 as true, that Emin and Stanley have been handed over 
 in fetters, by their own men, to the Mahdi. J don't 
 believe it. 
 
 Posted letter to Mr. Lang : 
 
 " Dumber 11, 1888. 
 
 " DEAE MR. LANG, 
 
 "Already replied, via Marseilles, to yours of 
 November 2. Since then we have been enjoying a 
 season of tranquillity, and we seern to be settling down to 
 the more normal condition of things. The last has been 
 a busy month, and there are certain matters which 
 require to be explained. 
 
 "A special feature is the commencement of the new 
 Station of Mbungu : see above. A copy of my letter to 
 Herr Hoffman, and of a memo. I have drawn up on the 
 subject will put the whole matter fully before the Com- 
 mittee. It is still open to them if they disapprove my 
 action to repudiate it ; but if I had let the opportunity 
 slip it would have been past recall. 
 
 " In view of my expected return Home by the Steamer 
 of January 2, I have been anxious to locate all the
 
 A Happy Finale. 257 
 
 members of the staff, according to my knowledge of 
 them and of the needs of the Mission, so as to leave 
 things in ship-shape for my successor. It has been a 
 rather difficult business, but I hope the dispositions 
 made will meet with the Committee's approval. What 
 they are you will gather from enclosures. 
 
 " The absorbing question just now is, how to open 
 up communications with the Lake brethren, and with 
 Mamboia and Mpwapwa. It haunts me night and day. 
 Matthews has promised to send on my letter to Roscoe ; 
 but I have utterly failed to bribe men to venture by 
 Parker's route ! You may rest assured that as far as it 
 lies with me, nothing shall be left undone w r hich can be 
 done to bring succours to our Brethren. 
 
 " I begin to realize that I shall have to postpone m.y 
 departure another month. 
 
 " December 13. I had written so far when I got your 
 Telegram : ' Leave extended, etc.' I take it for granted 
 you have communicated with the Bishop of Norwich, 
 and with my wife ; so though I had begun to pack up, 
 and to set my face homeward, I accept it as God's will 
 that I should hold 011 another three months or so, and 
 if so I am content. I hope Pickford is staying on at 
 Wingfield. The change has been good for him and his 
 wife ; and his Ministry, I am thankful to hear, has been 
 very acceptable in the Parish. 
 
 " You will be glad to hear that the Consul General is 
 coming to Rabai on New Year's day, and that Mrs. 
 Euan Smith is going to distribute Freedom papers to 
 the ransomed runaways ! It will be a happy finale to 
 what has been a very troublesome business. I shall be
 
 258 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 especially pleased for Col. Euan Smith to see Eabai and 
 the work there, for himself. 
 
 " Yours, etc." 
 
 Memo, on Mbungu as a new Mission Station. 
 
 The "Wa-Kaniba are a most important tribe, and 
 occupy a wide extent of country. Altogether they offer 
 a splendid field for missionary effort, yet, with the ex- 
 ception of Dr. Krapf's attempts forty years ago, no 
 direct and systematic endeavours have been made to 
 evangelize them. It is virgin soil. 
 
 There are special reasons why the C.M.S. should 
 occupy this field. 
 
 1. Our direct, and, probably, for a long time to 
 come, only route to the Lake district lies right through 
 it. The old way, which, for obvious reasons, we clung 
 to, is blocked, and just as it is so, a new way, in the 
 providence of God, "is opened up to us. 
 
 2. If there is to be a chain of Missions into the 
 heart of Africa, and if the C.M.S. is to be the honoured 
 instrument of carrying out the grand design, there can 
 be little doubt that this is the line it must take. 
 
 3. Our position as a Missionary Society is unique. 
 We have a capital base at Frere Town and Rabai, and 
 vital interests in Uganda and on the Lake. For stra- 
 tegic reasons, and for economy's sake, it is incumbent 
 on us to bring these two extremes as nearly together 
 as possible. 
 
 4. In addition to all this, comes the distinct and 
 cordial invitation of the Director of the British East
 
 A Grave Responsibility. 259 
 
 Africa Company to take up the work, and to establish 
 a series of Missions at convenient distances along the 
 route they are opening up into the interior. I am 
 very sensible of the grave responsibility I am taking 
 upon myself in accepting, in the name of the Society, 
 this invitation. I may have done wrong, and if so, 
 must take the blame. All I can say is, that, earnestly 
 seeking Divine guidance, I have done what, to the best 
 of my judgment, seemed to be right ; and I am inclined 
 to think that I should have incurred greater responsi- 
 bility by declining than by accepting the invitation. 
 Of course, I could have said : " I will refer the matter 
 to the Parent Committee," but that would have meant 
 a delay of two or three months before giving a decided 
 answer. It was necessary to decide one way or the 
 other at once. I saw that if I hesitated the oppor- 
 tunity would be lost. I now learn from Mr. Mackenzie, 
 who has just returned from a short visit to Zanzibar, 
 that the French Roman Catholics had expressed their 
 desire to enter on this promising field, and that he re- 
 plied that he had invited the C.M.S. to take up this 
 work that Mr. Price had already commenced opera- 
 tions and that the Company thought it every way de- 
 sirable that the Mission Stations which might be planted 
 along the new line should all belong to one Society. 
 
 So far as to the main question. We now come to 
 the lesser, yet still not unimportant one, as to the occu- 
 pation of Mbungu. 
 
 There can be no doubt that, if w r e are to take up the 
 work at all, this spot has everything to recommend it 
 as our frontier Station. The only thing that can be
 
 260 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 said against it is that the Bavarian Mission is, to some 
 extent, already in possession, i.e., they have built a 
 small wattle-and-mud house, in which two Missionaries 
 have just recently taken up their abode, with the view, 
 doubtless, of carrying on missionary work among the 
 Wa-Kamba as soon as they have learnt the language, 
 and are prepared, in other respects, to begin. . . . 
 
 To me it seems that for us to decline to take up 
 this Ukambani route would be a suicidal policy. It 
 would be to turn away from " an open door," which 
 God, in answer to many prayers, is placing before us, 
 and to forget some of the most cherished traditions of 
 the past. It is forty years ago that Krapf wrote, " I 
 planned to-day a journey to Ukambani, so that the 
 north-west, too, might be explored, and preparation 
 made for the erection of future Missionary Stations ; 
 for the Missionaries in Eabai must be the pioneers of 
 Eastern Africa ". It reads like a prophecy, the fulfil- 
 ment of which is near at hand. 
 
 A year later, Krapf was advocating before the Com- 
 mittee of the C.M.S. his grand scheme for an "African 
 chain of Missions through the whole breadth of the 
 land," and the Committee so far fell in with the idea, 
 that they appointed a young ardent Missionary, Pfefferle, 
 to go out under Krapf 's direction, and found a Station 
 in Ukambani. The time was not yet come. The early 
 death of Pfefferle postponed for a season the founding 
 of the new Station, but the idea was by no means 
 abandoned. The brave, good man, disappointed, but 
 not daunted, took up his staff again, and traversed 
 once more, all alone, the tract of country which he
 
 Memo, on Mbungu. 261 
 
 longed to bring under the dominion of Christ ; and on 
 his return, after many perils, hair-breadth escapes and 
 privations, he recorded his matured conviction in these 
 words : " This Mission, so long as there are not more 
 Missionaries at Eabai, ought to be postponed, but not 
 given up ; since the Wa-Kamba are connected with 
 very many tribes in the interior, who are only to be 
 come at through Ukambani". 
 
 Can we shall we forget all this ? Shall we not 
 rather recognise that God's time has come ; and that 
 " the bread cast on the waters " forty years ago the 
 heroic labours of Krapf, and the death of the first Mis- 
 sionary to the Wa-Kamba on the very threshold of his 
 work is now coming to the surface ? 
 
 I will only add that from all I hear, the heart of 
 Bishop Parker was much set upon a line of Stations on 
 this route. 
 
 Friday, December 21. The ' ' Mecca ' ' brings our 
 English Mail. Very kind letters from Wigram and 
 Lang ; they refreshed and comforted me not a little. 
 My leave is extended to May 31, but Shaw, who is ap- 
 pointed to take my place, is ready to leave at a moment's 
 notice, so that if it should be necessary for me to leave 
 earlier, I have only to telegraph to that effect. After 
 full consideration of the matter, I have come to the 
 conclusion to stay on another three months from now, 
 i.e., to leave, if God will, by the first Mail in April, 
 supposing no fresh troubles should arise to make it 
 desirable to stop on another month. So, trusting in 
 the Strong One for strength, I gird up my loins once 
 more. 
 
 18
 
 262 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 Dr. and Mrs. Baxter left for Shimba. Miss Holmes 
 reported to be suffering from fever the result no doubt 
 of exposure and toil in the journey to Babai. 
 
 To Col. Euan Smith. 
 
 "FRERE TOWN, December 12, 1890. 
 
 " MY DEAE COLONEL, 
 
 " I am very sorry to hear from one and another, 
 that you are ailing. I don't wonder at it, considering all 
 the worries you must have at this time, from day to day 
 and from hour to hour. Any sensible doctor would tell 
 you that the best, and almost, only remedy is, cessation 
 from official work, and an entire change. Cannot you 
 arrange for this for a fortnight or at least a week or 
 ten days ? Of course it is very difficult in the present 
 crisis, when events are rapidly developing ; but you 
 need not be out of call in any sudden emergency. 1 
 am quite persuaded you ought to do this ; and what 
 could be better than for you and your good wife to come 
 up here, as I understand from Mackenzie she has al- 
 ready promised to do, to take part in the grand fete at 
 Babai on New Year's Day ? It will give me infinite 
 pleasure to place my house here, and another at Babai, 
 at your entire disposal, as some little return for all your 
 kindness to me and my Brother Missionaries. Of 
 course, I do not dream of entertaining you poor grass 
 widower as I am I provide shelter, you supply the 
 provender ! 
 
 " Just a word about Mrs. Boscoe. She expects to
 
 To Col. Euan Smith. 
 
 263 
 
 be confined in April. It would be hard to leave her 
 without medical aid on the occasion ; but to secure this 
 either they should come to the coast not later than 
 January ; or Dr. Edwards should go to Mamboia to- 
 wards the end of March. Pruen recommends the 
 
 MISSION HOUSE. FRERE TOWN. 
 
 former plan, if feasible, and I too think it the better of 
 the two. Besides, it may be easier to procure for them 
 a safe conduct to the coast, than for the doctor later on 
 from the coast inland. 
 
 " If they are to come down, arrangements should
 
 264 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 be made at once, but I cannot move without your 
 consent. 
 
 " With all good wishes of the season for you and 
 yours, here and elsewhere, 
 
 " Yours very sincerely, etc." 
 
 Monday, December 24. To Rabai. Admiral Fre- 
 mantle also came up for the day. 
 
 Began my monthly letter to my wife : 
 
 " It is Christmas Eve, and for reasons which I can- 
 not explain, I have come here for Christmas Day, in- 
 stead of spending it at Frere Town. Before leaving 
 this afternoon, I went to see the decorations in the 
 temporary Church. They were gorgeous, yet in good 
 taste quite a fairy scene. The palm fronds are very 
 effective, and just now the ' gold-mohurs ' which I 
 planted twelve years ago furnish any amount of the 
 gayest of gay flowers. 
 
 " I had by last Mail a most kind letter from Mr. 
 Wigram, in which he said : ' I cannot resist giving you 
 an extract from a letter received from your brave and 
 loyal wife '. I leave you to guess what it was. 
 
 " Many were the expressions of joy on the part of 
 the brethren and sisteren, when they heard I was staying 
 on another four months. My own feelings are mixed. 
 Of course it cannot be otherwise than gratifying to find 
 that my conduct of the Mission, under difficult circum- 
 stances, is appreciated by our good friends at Home ; 
 and don't for a moment suppose I am getting tired of 
 the work, etc." 
 
 Christmas Day, 1888. Had early Communion in
 
 A Sad Sight. 265 
 
 English with an address. Only twelve, including 
 Crauford and Smith from Mbungu, present ; but it was 
 a refreshing season : " a table in the wilderness," and 
 that too " in the presence of our enemies" ! A Kisua- 
 heli Service at 11 for the Native Church. 
 
 Mrs. Burness prepared a big dinner, expecting a 
 party of Officers from the " Stork " ; but they did not 
 turn up. Had long talk with Smith ; he is delighted 
 with his work and prospects at Mbungu. 
 
 Wednesday, December 26. On my way to Frere Town 
 this morning, accompanied by Hoffman and his two 
 colleagues, looked in on Auburn one of the Company's 
 officers, who has been stationed at Buni for several 
 weeks. On going into his little tent, we were shocked 
 to see the poor fellow, stretched in his cot, apparently 
 in a dying state no colour, no perceptible pulse his 
 life just ebbing away, with not a soul near to care for 
 him, except two or three native boys, who did not 
 know in the least what to do. It was a pitiable sight, 
 and argues carelessness or mismanagement some- 
 where. We knelt by his cot unconscious though he 
 seemed to be and offered up a prayer, at the close 
 of which I was glad to see his lips open, and to hear 
 a faint "Amen". After giving him a little stimulant, 
 I arranged for his being carefully carried to Babai, 
 and then hastened to Frere Town to send up a doctor 
 to his aid. There can be little doubt, if we had not 
 dropped in just as we did, poor Auburn would have 
 died of sheer exhaustion in a few hours. Even now 
 his recovery is very doubtful, but he will have kind 
 friends to tend him. Hoffman and his two friends
 
 266 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 came and asked me to put them up for the night ; 
 they don't quite like the idea of sleeping in Mombasa. 
 With mats and mattresses I made them as comfortable 
 as I could in the verandah, and they were quite happy. 
 They had of course to reckon with ants and mosquitoes ! 
 Dr. Edwards to Eabai, to attend to Auburn and Miss 
 Holmes. 
 
 Saw Mackenzie. He is well pleased with the result 
 of his visit to Melindi, Larnu, etc. everywhere well 
 received. 
 
 Thursday, December 27. Having posted Mr. Burness 
 to Eabai, it was important, without loss of time, to define 
 his position and duties. Sent to him a letter of in- 
 structions, as follows : 
 
 "December 27, 1888. 
 
 " MY DEAR BUENESS, 
 
 " I heartily congratulate you on your appoint- 
 ment to a post in which you will find full scope for 
 direct Missionary work, and at the same time be able 
 to turn other talents you possess to good account in 
 the Mission. I can only briefly indicate what your new 
 position and duties are. 
 
 " Your position is that of Lay Missionary in charge 
 of the very important Station of Eabai ; and in that 
 capacity you will have the general supervision and con- 
 trol of the whole Settlement. 
 
 " (1) There are four ' askari ' newly appointed one 
 for each quarter. These are under your orders, and their 
 duty is to keep order in their respective quarters to 
 report to you any unusual occurrences, breaches of 
 bye-laws, etc. and especially to bring to your notice
 
 Instructions. 267 
 
 all who come and go, so that it may be practically 
 impossible for any ' watoro ' to creep in unawares. 
 However much we may sympathize with these poor 
 people, who are longing to throw off the yoke of slavery, 
 so long as the law is what it is, we must conform to it. 
 We have only just escaped a great catastrophe, and I 
 must urge upon you to be very much on your guard in 
 this matter, lest a worse thing happen to us. 
 
 " (2) There are two other ' askari '. The one 
 strikes the hour, tolls for Church, keeps order during 
 Divine Service, etc. He is under Mr. Jones's orders. 
 The other is under yours for general Mission purposes. 
 
 " (3) I have requested Mr. Buchanan to advise all the 
 Company's Agents, that, for the future all business 
 transactions between the Co. and Rabai, are to be 
 carried on through you ; and I have given him clearly to 
 understand that we absolutely decline all money 
 responsibilities. This will be a welcome relief to Mr. 
 Jones, and will place our relations with the Co. 011 a 
 better footing. 
 
 " (4) Please consider yourself responsible for all C. 
 M. S. property houses furniture cocoanut trees, etc. 
 I would advise you to keep a book, which you may call 
 ' Eabai C. M. S. Station Memoranda,' in which to 
 enter these, and any other particulars, which may be 
 useful to you or to any one who may succeed you. 
 
 " (5) Make an order that no one is to settle at Rabai, 
 and that no cottage is to be erected, without your sanc- 
 tion ; and please see to it that all cottages are built with 
 due regard to sanitary principles, and to the general 
 symmetry of the Settlement.
 
 268 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 " (6) A code of regulations will shortly be drawn up, 
 and it will be for you, witb Mr. Jones, and one or two 
 members of the Church, to deal with any infringements 
 of the same. In some cases they may have to be dealt 
 with subsequently by the Church Council. 
 
 " (7) Two ladies young and to some extent inex- 
 perienced- are now connected with the Babai Mission : 
 Miss Holmes to work amongst the women, and Miss 
 Scott amongst the girls. You will be a father to them, 
 and help them in any way you can. 
 
 " II. Spiritual Work. In a Station like Kabai, the 
 opportunities are practically limitless one may say 
 ' where there's a will, there's a way ' ; so I have only 
 one or two remarks to make. 
 
 " (1) As regards the Settlement itself, Mr. Jones is 
 Native Pastor, and very able and painstaking in that 
 capacity ; and I feel sure you will do all you can to 
 recognise his position, and to honour him before the 
 people. At the same time, I have no doubt, he will be 
 glad of any hints and suggestions and help you can give 
 him. 
 
 " (2) There are two Out Stations Fimboni and 
 Kisimani carried on by two Native Evangelists 
 Jonah Mitchell and Lewis Bren. It will be well if 
 you can pay them an occasional visit to encourage 
 them and stir them up. 
 
 " (3) There are other villages within a radius of five 
 miles or so, where you will find many people willing 
 to hear the Gospel. 
 
 " (4) Much I had almost said everything depends 
 on your ability to speak to the people in their own
 
 Sorroius and Joys. 269 
 
 tongue ; so, of course, the study of the language will be 
 your first concern. 
 
 " You are at liberty to read to Mr. Jones any part 
 of this letter you may think fit. 
 
 " God bless you, dear Brother, and make you a 
 chosen vessel to the people among whom your lot is 
 cast, for Christ's sake. 
 
 "Yours very affectionately, etc." 
 
 Saturday, December 29. At 6 a.m. to Eabai, getting 
 in at 10. Burness very grateful for " Instructions ". 
 He and Jones have prayed and talked over the matter 
 and come to a good understanding as to their respective 
 duties. I trust they will work happily together, and 
 be mutually helpful. Smith and Crauford arrived from 
 Mbungu ; Eobson and Ward from Frere Town. 
 
 Sunday, December 30. This morning, half-an-hour 
 before the bell, the people in their Christmas best were 
 flocking to Church. When I went in all the seats were 
 filled, and the aisles and porch. I had difficulty in 
 picking my way to the vestry. Tears of joy and thank- 
 fulness I could not help it trickled down my face. 
 Oh ! what a sight, as I called to mind our experience 
 thirteen years ago ! At Holy Communion there were 
 140, of whom eight were English, and the rest Natives. 
 All praise to God ! 
 
 Headache all day the effect of heat and excitement. 
 Hoffman writes asking for Dr. Edwards to go over to 
 Jimba to see Venderlein, who is ill with fever. Mrs. 
 Jones too is very bad. Sorrows and joys strangely 
 mixed together ! A party met in my house and finished 
 the day with singing and prayer.
 
 270 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 Monday, December 31. All day engaged with Smith 
 giving tickets to " watoro " ; to save time to-morrow in 
 distributing Papers of Freedom a big job ! Mackenzie 
 and Matthews came to be ready for to-morrow. Sorry 
 Mrs. Euan Smith cannot be with us after all. 
 
 1889. 
 
 New Year's Day. A never-to-be-forgotten day in the 
 history of the Mission Station of Babai ; such as it has 
 never seen before, and is not likely ever to see again. 
 From early dawn the place was all astir ; the main 
 roads were gay with flags and triumphal arches ; Euro- 
 peans and Natives streamed in from various quarters, 
 and everything betokened that something very unusual 
 was about to occur. Mr. Mackenzie, General Mat- 
 thews, I, and several others, were engaged all day long 
 in the delightful occupation of distributing Papers of 
 Freedom to * 900 runaways who had been ransomed 
 by the British E. A. Company. Each Paper contained 
 the name of the reputed owner, and of the slave in 
 question, with a renouncement by the former of all 
 claim over the latter, which Paper having been signed, 
 was duly stamped with the official seal of H.M. Consul 
 General. Truly, it was a heart-moving occasion, and 
 one worth coming 6000 miles to see and take part in ! 
 
 In the evening I gave a dinner in the verandah of 
 the old Mission house to twenty guests all English 
 except W. Jones and Heroe, a West African of the 
 
 * Of these 640 were of Rabat, and the rest of Stations belonging 
 to other Missionary Societies.
 
 Ransom Day. 
 
 271 
 
 Methodist Mission. What would dear old Eebmann 
 have thought of it all ? After dinner all the Settlement 
 flocked to the Church square, where Mr. Mackenzie let 
 off a number of splendid rockets which he had brought 
 for the occasion, and which must have greatly astonished 
 the natives of the surrounding country. 
 
 NS LODGE. RABAI. 
 
 Wednesday, January 2. Held a special Thanks- 
 giving Service at 6'30 a.m. Looking out of my win- 
 dow in the early morning, long before the time for 
 Service, I saw a crowd of men and women squatting on
 
 272 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 the ground around the Church ; and on going out to 
 ascertain what it meant, I found it was just the over- 
 flow from the Church, already as full as it would hold, 
 and fresh streams were still pouring in from all quarters 
 of the Settlement. At the appointed hour all the 
 English visitors twenty in all, including Miss Holmes 
 from her sick couch were assembled, and as the body 
 of the Church was closely packed from end to end, they 
 had to be accommodated within the Communion rails. 
 After special Prayers and Thanksgivings, I gave a short 
 address. I do not envy the man who could look down, 
 as I did, on that sea of upturned faces black indeed, 
 but beaming with joy at the thought of recent deliver- 
 ance from bondage without his spirit being stirred 
 within him. What a congregation ! What a grand 
 occasion ! What strange surroundings ! 
 
 My subject was Ransom, and I had not far to go for 
 a Text " If the Son make you Free, ye shall be Free 
 indeed " John viii., 36. 
 
 "Yesterday was the greatest day in your lives. Before 
 that, what was your condition? You were SLAVES! 
 RUNAWAYS ! haunted day and night with the fear of 
 being carried away again into cruel bondage ! 
 
 " And what is your condition now? You are FEEE 
 men, women and children, all of you as FEEE as the 
 air you breathe ! No man Arab or Suaheli may lay 
 his hand on anyone of you and say : ' Come along, you 
 are my slave '. If he do, show him the paper you 
 received yesterday. That is your charter keep it safe 
 as long as you have that to show you have nothing to 
 fear you are Free men and Free women ! (' Ashant,
 
 Free Indeed. 273 
 
 ashant ' thanks, thanks was the glad and hearty 
 response.) 
 
 " How has it all come about ? Why, one you never 
 saw or heard of before has come thousands of miles 
 across the sea to be your friend and deliverer ; and, at 
 great cost, has paid down the full price for every one of 
 you ! The price has been paid, and therefore you are 
 Free ! We all rejoice with you, and praise God for what 
 has been done. 
 
 " And now it remains for you to show by your lives 
 that you are not unworthy of the Freedom which has 
 been given to you. Many of you will no doubt find 
 employment with the new Company not as slaves 
 you will be paid for your labour. Let all see that you 
 are all the better for having been freed more diligent, 
 more trustworthy better men and better women ! 
 
 " But our Text has its lesson for all of us whites as 
 well as blacks English and African alike ! 
 
 " We are all born slaves bond slaves of sin ! 
 
 " And only ONE can deliver from this bondage 
 ' There is none other name, etc.,' and ' If the Son make 
 you Free, etc.,' and ' God so loved the world, etc.' 
 
 " And only one way by paying the price for each and 
 all. That price has been paid ! Jesus, our mighty friend, 
 has paid it ; and what a price ! not, as in this case, 
 ' silver and gold ' but His own most precious blood ! 
 
 "It is sufficient for all ! and the proclamation is to all 
 'Ho! every one that thirsteth, etc.,' and 'Whosoever 
 will let him come, etc.' 
 
 " As only those of you who came forward and con- 
 fessed yourselves to be slaves are rejoicing in your
 
 274 My TJiird Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 liberty to-day, so only those of us who come to Jesus, 
 the Great Deliverer, confessing their sin and helpless- 
 ness, will share in His glorious Redemption. 
 
 " God help us all to embrace this offer to claim our 
 Freedom, before the books are closed and the door 
 shut." 
 
 After Service sent off a Telegram to SirW. Mackinnon, 
 President of the I. British E. A. Company : 
 
 " Grand New Year's Day at Rabai. Nine hundred 
 slaves made free by Mackenzie. Great rejoicings. All 
 send best thanks to Board of Directors, and pray God 
 to prosper Company's work in East Africa." 
 
 Returned to Frere Town this evening. 
 
 Thursday, January 3. Writing letters for French 
 Mail Steamer. I give a few extracts from one to the 
 Rev. R. Lang : 
 
 " I quite agree with what you say as to the re- 
 spective needs of the various Missions. I put Frere 
 Town first, because it is the base, and its Institutions 
 properly maintained ought to furnish a supply of all 
 kinds of Agents to all the other Stations ; but I don't 
 want to keep a man here, who was not meant for us. I 
 would much rather speed them on their way. 
 
 " The blockade is established, but hitherto it has 
 not affected us ; as far as the English part of the coast 
 is concerned it is a very mild affair, and ' nobody seems 
 one penny the worse '. It is different down South. 
 The Germans are everywhere cordially hated, and seem 
 to make no progress. They have occasional fights, and 
 lives are lost on both sides ; but with no tangible result, 
 save that the old routes into the interior are rendered
 
 No Break in Cloi4ds. 275 
 
 unsafe. Of course all this tends to increase the import- 
 ance of Mombasa, and to divert travellers and traffic to 
 this new channel. 
 
 " Just now I am in difficulty about Boscoe's wife. 
 I am in correspondence with Colonel Euan Smith 
 about bringing them to the coast, if it is possible. I 
 begin to think that in the present state of things in 
 East Africa, young wives are a mistake. The time will 
 come, but it is not now. 
 
 " I am almost ashamed to say another word about 
 myself; but it is important the Parent Committee 
 should know definitely when I am leaving that they 
 may arrange to have some one here to take my place. 
 Under present circumstances anything like an interreg- 
 num is to be avoided. My intention is, unless anything 
 unforeseen occurs, to leave on April 2. That gives me 
 just three months from this time ; and many things 
 may happen between now and then. We seem to be 
 living ' from hand to mouth ' ; but have confidence that 
 all is working together for the furtherance of the 
 Gospel. 
 
 " I grieve that as yet there is no break in the clouds 
 as regards our dear Brethren at the Lake, etc. I am 
 casting about in every direction for some means of 
 getting at them. We must earnestly pray God to 
 remove the barriers and open up the way." 
 
 Friday, January 4. Gave treat to the children 200 
 boys and girls in the " Shamba " opposite Mombasa, 
 in which Mrs. Krapf's grave is. Mr. Mackenzie kindly 
 lent his steam-launch, to convey the children across the 
 harbour.
 
 276 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 Chaga and Teita Mail arrived. All well. 
 
 Saturday, January 5. The " Kilwa " from Zanzibar, 
 bringing the Hon. Guy Dawney and Mr. Buckley, who 
 are going up country on a hunting excursion. The 
 latter is ill with fever. Dr. Pruen went over to see 
 and prescribe for him. 
 
 Sunday, January 6. Preached this morning from 
 John viii. 39. There was a full church. Heat over- 
 powering. 
 
 Mail in from Mbungu. B. Livingstone has struck 
 for wages ! He was Bishop Parker's favourite boy : 
 was with him when he died. Smith is, and so am I, 
 greatly disappointed. 
 
 Monday, January 7. Dr. Pruen commenced a Medi- 
 cal Mission in Mombasa. I hope it may be well 
 sustained, and prove, with God's blessing, a valuable 
 means of access to all classes in that benighted town. 
 
 Conducted Evening Prayer meeting ; three sailors 
 of the " Boadicea " came in during my address. 
 
 Tuesday, January 8. Had a very exhausting night 
 no breeze tossing about tormented with prickly heat. 
 This morning feeling quite out of sorts ; headache ; no 
 appetite ! Had a talk with K. Livingstone ; but he was 
 proof against my persuasions and arguments. He 
 finished off by saying : "I am not fit for this work ; I 
 must give it up". Maybe the poor boy is conscious of 
 some special unfitness, which he does not like to confess. 
 Alas ! who indeed is fit ? I am exceedingly sorry and 
 disappointed, both on his own account and on Smith's. 
 
 At 11 p.m. Pruen roused me up to tell me that the 
 " Penguin " had come in, with Colonel Euan Smith on
 
 Visit of Col. Euan Smith. 277 
 
 board. As he wished to see me, and might not be able 
 to come on shore, he invited me to breakfast. 
 
 Wednesday, -January 9. Another bad night, but feel- 
 ing better this morning. Went off to the " Penguin " 
 for breakfast. Mackenzie and Buchanan there. Had 
 a long, pleasant chat with the Colonel. Had the oppor- 
 tunity of correcting some misapprehensions on his part. 
 He begged me to tell him how, in any way, he could 
 be helpful to our Mission. Afterwards he came on 
 shore with me to call on the ladies, and was intending 
 to go on to Kilifi, and, after a cruise of two or three 
 days, to return to Zanzibar. But he had scarcely 
 landed when the Despatch-boat steamed in, with a 
 " special," calling him back at once to Zanzibar. 
 The Germans, taking advantage of his absence, are 
 rnanoBuvrmg the Sultan. What a wicked, scheming 
 world it is ! What they want, I hear, is to get Larnu 
 conceded to them, and they take the first opportunity 
 of the Consul General's back being turned to frighten 
 the Sultan into compliance with their wishes. Eng- 
 land will surely never consent to that ; or, if she does, 
 there must be a very good quid pro quo somewhere. 
 
 The Colonel tells me that Bushiri has now declared 
 war against the white man English as well as Ger- 
 man ; and that Bagomoyo is in ruins ! 
 
 Five men-of-war are in the harbour to-day : " Boa- 
 dicea," " Algerine," " Stork," "Penguin" and "Wood- 
 cock ". What must the Natives think of it all ! 
 
 Admiral Fremantle came over and invited me to 
 dinner, but I am so covered with prickly-heat that I 
 dread putting on a black coat ; so beg to be excused. 
 
 19
 
 278 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 Friday, January 11. Taylor still ill ; an abscess has 
 formed on his side. A messenger comes from Mbungu 
 with the sad news that Smith is very bad with fever. 
 Ask Dr. Edwards to go to his aid, and, if necessary, 
 bring him to Rabai. I go there (D.V.) early to-morrow 
 morning. 
 
 Saturday, January 12. Started at 5.30 a.m., and 
 reached Rabai at 10.30 ! The doctor had returned last 
 night, bringing a more favourable report of Smith. 
 Miss Holmes quite recovered, and beginning her work 
 among the women. Auburn is better, but dreadfully 
 run down. I don't think he will ever again be fit for 
 work in East Africa. 
 
 Towards evening I got sore throat, headache, and 
 other unpleasant symptoms ; felt like fever, but fought 
 shy of the Thermometer and went to bed early. After 
 midnight I was roused by a great uproar loud talking, 
 dogs barking, etc. close to my tent. On inquiry, found 
 that a man had been brought in on a stretcher from 
 Gulu-Gulu very ill. The doctor gave him a dose of 
 brandy and milk to fortify him for the journey on to 
 Mombasa eight or nine hours ! He afterwards came 
 to me with a similar potion, and, as it seemed to me, 
 in the identical four-ounce measure ; but my soul 
 loathed the dirty glass and its contents, so I sent it 
 away. 
 
 Sunday, January 13. Feeling generally unwell. 
 Could not attend Church this morning. The Lord 
 knows our weaknesses, and will allow for them. All 
 are crying out about the heat. This is really our hot 
 season ; and it will last till I go ! Glad to see Burness
 
 Precautions. 279 
 
 so happy in his work. He and Jones hit it off most 
 pleasantly. Already things begin to look all the brighter 
 for his presence. In a few months, under his care, there 
 will be a great change for the better. 
 
 Monday, January 14. Better to-day. Wrote an 
 official to the Consul General on the " watoro " 
 question : 
 
 " To Col. Euan Smith, H.M. Consul General. 
 
 " RABAT, January 14, 1889. 
 " SlK,- 
 
 " I beg to state, for your information, what 
 arrangements I have made to prevent, in future, any 
 ' watoro ' finding shelter in our Mission Station of 
 Kabai. 
 
 " In the first place, I have placed Mr. Burness an 
 energetic and thorough business man in the position 
 of Lay Missionary in charge of the Station, and four 
 'askari ' under his orders, whose almost sole duty it is 
 to see that our Rules in this matter are strictly carried 
 out. 
 
 " In addition, I have had the following notice trans- 
 lated, and put up in all our Mission Stations : 
 
 " NOTICE. 
 
 " 1. The ' askaris ' are strictly enjoined to report at 
 once all fresh arrivals in the Settlement, and not to 
 allow any one to stay the night, without the sanction 
 of the Superintendent.
 
 280 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 " 1. Any ' mtoro ' found in the Settlement after this 
 notice, who has not received a Paper of Freedom or a 
 Permit, will be liable, at any moment, to be handed 
 over to his or her master. 
 
 " 8. Any one living here, who shall secretly give 
 shelter to an ' mtoro,' will himself be expelled from the 
 Settlement, and forfeit all claims for compensation. 
 
 " 4. This notice is to be posted up in a conspicuous 
 place, and to be read out publicly on the first and 
 third Monday in every month, until further notice. 
 
 " I will only add that, if any Arab or Suaheli has 
 reason to suspect that any of his slaves are at Rabai, 
 and will apply to Mr. Burness, he will be courteously 
 treated, and have every facility given him to ascertain 
 if they are there or not, and if there, in obtaining 
 possession of them. 
 
 " These provisions will, I trust, be found in every 
 way satisfactory, and remove all cause of suspicion or 
 complaint on the part of slave-owners. 
 
 " I have the honour to remain, 
 
 " Sir, 
 " Your most obedient Servant, 
 
 " W. S ALTER PRICE." 
 
 Tuesday, January 15. Left at 7 a.m. with Auburn, 
 for Frere Town. Called on C., and spent the day. 
 He was very kind and hospitable plenty to eat and 
 drink but his dirty boys took away my relish. I was 
 very dainty, but Auburn, who is making up for lost 
 time, had the appetite of a horse, and atoned for my
 
 A Trap. 281 
 
 shortcomings. Beached Frere Town at 6 p.m. Taylor 
 still confined to his couch, very weak, but on the 
 mending tack, I hope. 
 
 Wednesday, January 16. Busy all day preparing 
 for the Mail. She ought to be in to-day, but, for some 
 unaccountable reason, is delayed. 
 
 Two men brought up by the "askari". They say 
 they were with the "wazungu" at Kilwa. When 
 their German masters were murdered, they were seized 
 by a Suaheli, who sent them to Pemba. On the way they 
 escaped, and made for Mombasa. Trying to cross over 
 to Frere Town at night, they were arrested and handed 
 over to Khamis Kombo, who took them to his place at 
 Mtwapa. Thence they escaped and made their way 
 to Frere Town. Their story may be true or false, but 
 it is impossible to ascertain ; so I gave strict orders 
 to the " askari," that they must clear out to-morrow 
 morning. It looks to me like a " plant " to entrap us. 
 
 Finished off letter to my wife : 
 
 " It comforts me much to know that I am upheld by 
 the prayers of so many kind friends. Your and their 
 intercessions have not been in vain ; many dangers have 
 been averted, and we have been permitted, in com- 
 parative peace and quietness, to enter upon another 
 year. 
 
 "Yes, dearest, I have often thought of that morning 
 more than a year ago, when on reading Mr. Lang's 
 letter I said: ' Here is a call for me to go to East Africa '. 
 It came upon me so suddenly, it was like an inspiration. 
 Something seemed to say to me: ' You must go '. I am 
 so glad to know that you now feel that it was all right.
 
 282 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 It has, of course, been a trial in some ways, but I don't 
 think we shall either of us have cause to regret it. 
 
 " Every day brings its work and cares ; and in the 
 midst of it all I have to carry on a difficult correspon- 
 dence with the Government and Company officials 
 more diplomatic than pleasant. Just now this is a very 
 arduous post, and though, thank God, I am wonderfully 
 sustained, the wear and tear is great, and you must not 
 be surprised to see me looking a good deal whiter than 
 I did a year ago. I shall be very thankful if God gives 
 me strength to hold on another two months, etc.' 
 
 Thursday, January 17. What a day this has been ! 
 The "Mecca" came in from Zanzibar at 7 a.m., and I 
 went off to her at once. She brings heavy tidings : 
 
 1. There have been a succession of revolutions in 
 Uganda. Our Brethren have been robbed of everything, 
 and expelled almost in a state of nudity ! But, thank 
 God, they escaped with their lives, and had found shelter 
 with Mackay at Usambiro. Deeply interesting letters 
 from Walker and Mackay. 
 
 '2. The German Mission at Fugu has been attacked 
 one Brother and two Sisters killed the rest fugitives 
 or prisoners with the Arabs ! 
 
 3. A letter from Col. Euan Smith, urging me to call 
 Fitch and Wray to the coast at once ! 
 
 4. He has utterly failed to get an escort for the 
 Roscoes. They are probably in imminent peril, and 
 apparently left to their fate. I must do my best to get 
 help to them one way or another. 
 
 Had a long talk with Herr Vohsen, Director of the 
 German Company, now on his way home. Gathered
 
 Letter from Mackay. 283 
 
 from him that the Company is defunct nothing for it 
 but either to abandon the enterprise or for the Imperial 
 Government to take it in hand. 
 
 Crossed the bay six times to-day under a blazing 
 sun ! 
 
 I give here a few extracts from two letters received 
 from Mr. Mackay by this Mail, bearing date respectively 
 October 25 and November 27, 1888, and both in reply to 
 two letters from myself to him : 
 
 " USAMBIRO KWA MAKOLO, October 25. 
 
 " MY DEAR MR. PRICE, 
 
 " On the 6th inst. I received your welcome 
 letter of August 6. 
 
 " Next to the satisfaction I have in knowing that 
 you are in Frere Town, where your experience will be 
 invaluable in the present state of the Mission there, is 
 the pleasure of hearing directly from yourself. 
 
 " Some time ago I wrote to our Home Committee 
 proposing a division of this Diocese into Eastern and 
 Equatorial Africa. Considering the distances and mode 
 of travelling, it is to my mind worse than ridiculous to 
 expect a Bishop located on the coast to be of any real 
 value in this Lake district, and vice versa. The very fact 
 of your having come out to East Africa while Bishop 
 Parker was delayed inland, confirms my belief in this 
 matter. Fever and other ills make no respect of persons, 
 and under the present arrangement we shall need a new 
 Bishop every few years.
 
 ^84 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 " It is the unexpected which always happens. Who 
 would have thought that at this moment Mwanga would 
 be a fugitive at Magu, while a brother of his named 
 Kayondo would be made Kabaka ! From all I can hear 
 our Brethren were safe during the revolution. Mwanga 
 implores me to go to Magu and take him to the coast. 
 
 " Here we have had a serious war, Msalaia having 
 been attacked by old Makolo. The fighting lasted 
 three days, but, thank God, our chief was victorious. 
 Had it been otherwise, I fear we should have been 
 plundered, if not murdered also. But the gracious 
 protection of our loving Father was over us, and we 
 suffered nothing except days and nights of watching 
 and anxiety. I have been alone for the last three 
 months ; but look for companionship sometime." 
 
 " November 27. I have received your welcome letter 
 of September 1, and thank you much for writing me so 
 fully, as well as for all your trouble in trying to forward 
 our new men. I hear from Ashe that he is prepared 
 to show them the way up country, and, although I 
 consider he runs considerable risk in doing so, yet he 
 might get up as far as Usongo without harm. Here he 
 had too many fevers to warrant his return to Usambiro. 
 
 " Mr. Lang tells me that Dr. Edwards and Mr. 
 Eobson are under orders for the interior. It would be 
 well, therefore, for the whole party to travel together, 
 even should Beverley and Fraser have to wait at the 
 coast for some time. Hurry has been the bane of our 
 Mission ; nothing is ever gained by it. 
 
 " Walker and Gordon are both here, as also Deekes ;
 
 The Uganda Troubles. 285 
 
 the latter will soon (D.V.j return to Nasa. The last 
 news from Buganda reports the removal of the new 
 king, Kiwewa, while a brother of his, Kalema, is in 
 possession of the throne. Practically there are now two 
 kings, each followed by a strong party. Kiwewa has 
 most of the old expelled chiefs with him, while Kalema 
 has the Arabs and the Mohammedan party. There will 
 thus be, or more probably has been already, much 
 fighting and bloodshed. The issue is in God's hands, 
 and we must patiently await the result. 
 
 " With affectionate regards, 
 
 " Believe me, yours faithfully, 
 
 "A. M. MACKAY."
 
 CHAPTEE XII. 
 
 STARTLING NEWS FROM UGANDA WARS AND 
 RUMOURS OF WARS. 
 
 Friday, January 18. The " Java," with our English 
 Mail in, brings me a good budget of letters comforting 
 and refreshing, like springs of water in a dry and thirsty 
 land! 
 
 Hear that the B. E. A. Company having taken to 
 themselves all the glory of freeing the runaway slaves, 
 have asked the C. M. S. to bear a share of the cost. 
 This is really too bad ! 
 
 Monday, January 21. There is some anxiety for the 
 safety of Bishop Smythies and the Missionary party at 
 Magila. 
 
 Sent off Chaga Mail. In view of my intended de- 
 parture two months hence, and of there being no 
 prospect of any Missionary of experience being on the 
 spot to take rny place, I have been anxiously consider- 
 ing what is the best provision to make. This is not a 
 time to leave the Mission without a competent head. 
 I have come to the conclusion that if Brother Fitch is 
 willing to come, and if suitable provision can be made 
 for Chaga, he is the best man to leave in temporary 
 charge. On the 16th instant I wrote to sound him on 
 the subject, suggesting a plan :
 
 Fresh Perplexities. 287 
 
 " It occurs to me the best thing would be to send 
 Beverley and Dr. Edwards to ' hold the Fort ' at 
 Chaga pro tern till the way opens for them to go 
 forward. Will you tell me without reserve what you 
 think of this, with the least possible delay. I am anxious 
 to settle this business before I leave ! 
 
 " Give my most profound ' yambos ' to King 
 Mandara, and tell him I am still hopeful of making 
 his personal acquaintance. It is very much a question 
 of rain ! Should I not be able to come, tell him that 
 I thank him much for his kind present of a spear, 
 which is a splendid specimen of workmanship, and 
 which I shall show with great pleasure to my friends 
 in England as a sample of what the ' Wa-Chaga ' can 
 do. There is nothing to be had here worth sending 
 him in return, but he may depend upon it, I will 
 forward him something from England with which he 
 will be pleased, etc." 
 
 To-day it became necessary to add the following 
 P.S. to my letter : 
 
 " So far I had written, when a steamer arrives from 
 Zanzibar, and lo ! ' a change comes o'er the spirit of 
 the dream '. A good deal of the above is now out of 
 date; still it may interest you to see what my hopes 
 and plans were. Now, the Consul General urgently 
 requests me to send for you and Wray at once to the 
 coast, and with such a mandate whatever my own 
 judgment may be I dare not trifle. You will get all 
 the startling news of Uganda and the coast from your 
 sister ; so all I need say is, that I am sending up twenty 
 men to bring your goods. If they are too few leave
 
 288 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 what they cannot carry in the custody of some trust- 
 worthy person, with promise of reward, if handed over 
 in safety to you or your successor. 
 
 "Now, dear Fitch, commending you to the loving 
 care and protection of our Heavenly Father, and 
 hoping soon to welcome you here, 
 
 "Yours, etc." 
 
 I wrote of course to the same effect to Mr. Wray at 
 Teita. 
 
 Tuesday, January 22. Sent medicines to Shimba. 
 Dhow with lime, Miss Scott's boxes, etc., to Rabai. 
 Prayer and S.S. Meeting in the evening. Ep. i. 15 
 to end. 
 
 Wednesday, January 23. Accompanied Miss Scott 
 to Rabai, getting in at 6 p.m. 
 
 Friday, January 25. More bad news reaches me 
 
 'from Zanzibar ; another " official " from the Consul 
 
 General, telling me of the murder of Missionaries on 
 
 the coast, and putting me on my guard against the 
 
 Arabs of Mombasa. 
 
 To the Rev. W. E. Taylor, Frere Town. 
 
 " RABAI, January 25. 
 
 " MY DEAR TAYLOE, 
 
 "My news from Zanzibar is very bad. A 
 'rising' in Zanzibar and Pemba is imminent, to 
 depose Seyed Khalifa, in favour of his brother Seyed 
 Abdul Aziz. The Consul General warns me that ' the 
 Arabs of Mombasa should be carefully watched ' ; but
 
 Tom. 289 
 
 how am I to watch them ? and if they become warlike 
 what am I to do ? I trust it may please God to give 
 us peace ; but the outlook is not encouraging. 
 
 " Thanks for the loaf ! I hope to return (D.V.) early 
 on Monday morning. 
 
 " Ever yours, etc." 
 
 Saturday, January 26. Pigott in from Jimba. Finds 
 a letter from Mackenzie transferring him to the Tana 
 river expedition. We are all sorry to lose him from 
 this district. 
 
 Sunday, January 26. A peaceful and refreshing Sab- 
 bath at Rabai ! It was the monthly Collection day. Some 
 time before Service begins, men and women are seen 
 trooping in from all quarters towards the Church, each 
 carrying a little basket on the head, containing a con- 
 tribution to the collection. A quaint, but very pleasing 
 picture ! 
 
 Monday, January 28. Left Eabai with Pigott at 5 
 a.m., but having tide against us, did not get to F. Town 
 till 10. At the " banderini," " Tom," Bishop Hanning- 
 ton's old dog, again put in an appearance, and pitifully 
 whined to be taken on board ; but this time I had made 
 up my mind not to take him, so ordering one of the 
 Eabai men to hold him back we pushed off. We had 
 no sooner done so, than " Tom " broke loose, and dash- 
 ing into the water swam after us. It was hard work 
 against the tide, but he soon came up with us. We 
 kept him at bay, however, till the poor brute, almost 
 exhausted, had to make for the nearest shore. Then 
 running along the bank, through mud and brambles, 
 till within measurable distance of the boat, in he
 
 290 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 plunged again and swam alongside, only again to be 
 warned off. This was repeated several times, till at last 
 both Pigott and I felt it would be positively cruel to 
 refuse shelter any longer to the " runaway". Why this 
 dog so clings to me I do not know ; perhaps he has a 
 mission to take charge of me ! 
 
 Tuesday, January 29. The " Adowa " coming in this 
 morning ran on the rocks, and stuck for several hours. 
 She brought me an official letter from Mr. Mackenzie, 
 which distressed me not a little. It is only one of 
 many such which I received much too frequently about 
 this time. I would most gladly draw a veil over this 
 irritating and needless correspondence the more so as 
 in spite of it, the most amicable relations existed 
 .between the writer and myself up to the last but the 
 sketch which I am drawing of my missionary life at this 
 time would be very imperfect if it left out of account 
 the constant worry and annoyance which for several 
 months I had to endure from this source. The nature 
 of the correspondence may be gathered from my 
 answer in reply, which I give simply as a sample, and 
 with no intention of referring to the matter again. 
 
 To Gr. S. Mackenzie, Esq., 
 
 " FRERE TOWN, January 29, 1889. 
 
 " DEAR SIR, 
 
 " I beg to acknowledge your letter of the 24th 
 inst. There is one point in it which I cannot pass over, 
 because on it the whole question in dispute between us 
 turns. You have over and over again brought a most
 
 Irritating Correspondence. 291 
 
 grave and unjust charge, not against me, but against 
 my Missionary brethren, who are not here to defend 
 themselves, of ' harbouring and secreting runaways and 
 of knowingly breaking the law '. As you reiterate the 
 charge in even stronger terms in this letter, I must 
 again, as I have done before, protest against this 
 calumny, which I am prepared to show is utterly 
 without foundation. 
 
 " For the rest your rather long letter touches upon 
 many debatable points, and contains many inaccurate 
 statements resulting no doubt from the defective and 
 one-sided information on which you have relied 
 and alas ! the paragraphs are not numbered for con- 
 venience of reference. Under these circumstances 
 I cannot undertake the task of replying seriatim to 
 your letter ; and indeed it seems to me worse than 
 useless to continue a correspondence which is calculated 
 to engender strife, and cannot possibly lead to any good 
 practical result. 
 
 " I am quite sure we have, both of us, at this time 
 quite enough on hand to engage all our wits ; and it is 
 to the interest of all concerned that the good feeling 
 which has hitherto subsisted between us should con- 
 tinue. 
 
 "It is quite true, as you say, ' that our stand-points 
 of viewing this question are very wide apart ' that is 
 not surprising. Yet, even so, we have each of us the oppor- 
 tunity of taking a principal part in a noble work, and I 
 see no reason why we may not go on, working har- 
 moniously together, on our separate yet parallel lines, 
 and being mutually helpful to one another.
 
 292 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 " Our opportunity is rapidly coming to a close, and 
 those who succeed us will have difficulties of no ordi- 
 nary kind to cope with. Let us, at least, leave to them 
 our legacy of peace and good-will. 
 " I remain, 
 
 " Yours faithfully, 
 
 "W. SALTER PRICE." 
 
 On the same day I wrote to Colonel Euan Smith: 
 
 " MY DEAR COLONEL, 
 
 "Allow me to introduce to you Dr. Edwards. 
 He, personally, is quite ready to attempt the journey to 
 Mamboia by a new route which he will explain to you, 
 if he has your sanction for doing so. I thought it 
 better for him to go to Zanzibar and see you, and also 
 get all the information he can from Maxworthy and 
 others. I shall be guided entirely by what you say. It 
 would, of course, be a grand thing if he could get to 
 Mamboia in time to help poor Mrs. Eoscoe in her con- 
 finement, and at the same time discover a way of 
 getting into touch with Mackay and the others, with- 
 out coming into collision with the cut-throats at 
 Saadani. It is worth running some risk, but what the 
 risk is, you are best able to judge. 
 
 " We are much in the dark here as to what is going 
 on to the south of us. The news of the murder of 
 poor Brooks comes to us from England ! in a Eeuter's 
 Telegram ! I fancy the intelligence department in 
 Mombasa is more complete than ours. 
 
 " The ' Adowa' in entering the harbour missed the
 
 Letters. 293 
 
 channel and went on the rocks. I saw the whole thing 
 from my verandah, and I don't think the captain was in 
 the least to blame. She was too lightly laden, and did 
 not, owing to the strong spring tide, answer to her 
 helm. She stuck hard and fast for some twelve hours, 
 but got off at last, apparently not much the worse. 
 
 " I have to acknowledge and thank you for your 
 ' official ' of January 17 ; and, although I do not think our 
 friends at Chaga and Teita are in any particular danger, 
 I have acted promptly on your advice and sent up men 
 to bring down Fitch, Ehlers, and Wray to the coast. 
 I warned them to be particularly careful to blind 
 Mandara's one eye, with your presents, and in any 
 other way they may see best, so as not to give him the 
 idea that they were running away. They will have a 
 bad journey for want of water, but I hope they will 
 come safely through, etc., etc." 
 
 It will illustrate the diversified character of my cor- 
 respondence at this time if I add here another letter 
 written on the same date as the above : 
 
 To Miss Scott, Rabai. 
 
 " MY DEAE Miss SCOTT, 
 
 " It has been a great pleasure to me to see 
 you entering upon your new sphere of work at Eabai, and 
 I earnestly pray God to give you health and every need- 
 ful grace for the discharge of its important duties. 
 
 "Your special mission is to the girls of Eabai, and 
 I am very hopeful that many who are now neglected, 
 
 will be brought under your instruction and influence. 
 
 20
 
 294 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 As soon as arrangements can be made, the younger 
 girls now in the dormitory at F. Town will probably be 
 transferred to Rabai, and come under your immediate 
 charge. 
 
 " I wish you to understand that you have a free 
 hand as regards plans and arrangements in your own 
 department, whilst, at the same time, you will en- 
 deavour to make them harmonize, as far as possible, 
 with the general order of things in the Mission. 
 
 " In the event of any necessity, you may confidently 
 apply to Mr. Burness or Mr. Jones for any advice or 
 assistance they may have it in their power to render 
 you. 
 
 " In Miss Holmes, you will, I trust, have a loving 
 Christian friend and companion, and as your spheres of 
 work are distinct yet, with a common aim you will 
 be the better able to sympathize with, and be helpful 
 to one another. 
 
 " Much I had almost said everything depends on 
 you and she being very good friends. You have a 
 grand opportunity before you may the Lord be with 
 and prosper you. 
 
 " Yours very sincerely, etc." 
 
 Thursday, January 31. Again disquieting rumours 
 reach us from Mombasa. " An attack is to be made 
 on Frere Town Bushiri is on the war path, and 
 threatens to pay us a visit with some hundreds of his 
 braves ! " Two special deputations eome to me to-day 
 from the Wali with presents of fruit, etc., and profuse 
 professions of friendship what does it all mean ? The
 
 An Anxious Time. 295 
 
 second deputation consisted of the " Akida," and 
 another Arab, and three children ! I gave them tea 
 and biscuits. They said that Mackenzie and I had 
 done a good work in freeing the runaways, but that 
 Mackenzie could have done nothing in it without me ; 
 and they expressed great concern that I was contem- 
 plating going away, etc. I do wish we could have 
 more confidence in the sincerity of these people. 
 
 Had a parting meeting with R. Keating, Paulus, 
 and Gona, and dismissed them to Mwaiba, Gave 
 strict injunctions about runaways ; and notices to 
 put up. 
 
 Saturday, February %. Began packing for Eng- 
 land. Sent Ishmael with presents to the Wali, and a 
 promise to visit him on Monday. Adamji (a Hindi 
 merchant) came over this evening to give us warning 
 that something is brewing in Mombasa against the 
 English and Frere Town. Similar rumours come also 
 from other quarters, and there may be something in 
 them. But what can we do ? only keep our eyes 
 open, and " look to the Hills from whence cometh 
 our help ". 
 
 Wrote letter to Mr. Lang by the French Mail. A 
 few extracts are here given: 
 
 " I send a memo, on the runaway-slave question, 
 which will put you in possession of all the facts, and 
 so enable you to refute calumnies and misrepresenta- 
 tions, and to decide as to your line of action. What- 
 ever may have been in the past, my larger acquaintance 
 with the iniquities and abominations of domestic 
 slavery (as it is called), as it exists in this country, in-
 
 296 iVfy Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 clines me to say, ' Touch not the unclean thing '. The 
 time has come for us to take a firm stand, and make it 
 plain that, whilst under existing circumstances we will 
 do our best to exclude runaways from our Mission 
 Stations, we will have nothing to do with catching 
 them, and handing them over to the in many cases 
 cruel bondage from which they have escaped. "We 
 may close our gates against them, but other refuges 
 are open to them, and what right have we to stand in 
 their way ? 
 
 " The Consul General has failed to open communi- 
 cations with the Eoscoes , or to secure their safe conduct 
 to the coast. His own ' Askari ' was beaten, put in 
 chains, and sent back in disgrace to Zanzibar. ' Every 
 inlet,' he says, ' from the coast is closed.' Mrs. Roscoe, 
 in addition to her expected confinement, is suffering 
 from a painful malady, and they are without the proper 
 remedies. Dr. Prueii has put up what is needed, and 
 we have asked Maxworthy to do his best to get it to 
 them ; but I fear there is little chance of his success. 
 
 " Providentially, we may now say, there has been 
 an accumulation of stores at Usambiro, so that our 
 Brethren there will be able to hold out for some time 
 to come. 
 
 Sunday, February 3. Assisted at native Communion 
 
 very few men present. Lieutenant Tippyng and four 
 
 sailors at Morning Service. 
 
 All day there has been an uneasy feeling in the 
 
 Settlement, as if something were going to happen. 
 
 Scarcely any men at any of the Services. The report is 
 
 that an attack is to be made on us at 3 a.m. to-morrow
 
 Threatened Attack, 297 
 
 the object being to kill us, and carry off all our freed 
 slaves again into slavery; as has been done at Fugu ! 
 It was no use to pooh-pooh the thing our people were 
 in a panic, and arming for fight. . Happily the "Griffon " 
 came in this afternoon ; but hearing that she was leav- 
 ing again early to-morrow morning Taylor and I went 
 on board at 9 p.m. I saw Captain Blaxland, and told 
 him the state of things. He expressed his willingness 
 to defer his departure, and afford us any protection in 
 his power, if I would request him to do so in writing ; 
 and this under the circumstances I felt quite justified 
 in doing. I accordingly wrote to him as follows : 
 
 To Captain Blaxland, H.M.S. " Griffon ". 
 
 " DEAK SIR, 
 
 " Reports have come to me from various 
 quarters chiefly from Adamji, one of the principal 
 Hindi merchants of Mombasa that a plot is hatching 
 to kill the Europeans and carry off all the freed slaves; 
 whilst to-day a more definite rumour reaches us, that 
 an attack is to be made upon Frere Town early to- 
 morrow morning. What foundation there may be for 
 these reports it is impossible to say, but they are dis- 
 quieting, and our people are in a sort of panic the 
 more so as many of our able-bodied men are away, and 
 with a large number of women and children on our 
 hands we are practically defenceless. 
 
 " I shall be glad therefore if you can kindly afford
 
 298 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 us the protection of your presence in the harbour for a 
 few days, or until some other ship comes in. 
 " I am, yours truly, 
 
 " W. SALTER PRICE." 
 
 This is a case in which prevention is better than 
 cure ; for once blood is shed on either side, the conse- 
 quences are too fearful to contemplate. My strict 
 orders to our people are that whilst they keep their 
 eyes and ears open, not a shot is to be fired till there 
 are unmistakable signs of an enemy. Things are in 
 such a state of tension that the striking of a lucifer 
 match might set all in commotion. 
 
 Monday, February 4. At 1.30 a.m. I was knocked 
 up. A company of thirty " blue-jackets " under three 
 officers, kindly sent by Captain Blaxland, had come 
 over, and were making their dispositions for our pro- 
 tection in case of attack. We were all up with them 
 the rest of the night, till 5.30 a.m. Happily all passed 
 off quietly, and we thanked God for the light of another 
 day. 
 
 At 11 a.m. called with Taylor and Dr. Pruen on the 
 Wali. He quite outdid himself in extravagant compli- 
 ments. " Your feet carry a blessing with them ; wher- 
 ever they come there is stability," and so on, ad 
 nauseam. I asked him if the people of Mombasa had 
 any cause of complaint against us, and he said : " No, 
 nothing, but there is much ' fitina ' (plotting) in the 
 town ". At 9 p.m. a man was brought to me with the 
 news that early to-morrow morning we are to be 
 attacked by some people of Mombasa from the Makupa
 
 Startling. 299 
 
 side of the island. I have told Captain Blaxland that 
 if he hears two guns fired he is to take it as a signal 
 for help. Instead of the usual Bible reading to-night 
 we had a meeting for Thanksgiving and Prayer; only 
 a few present ; most were too tired with last night's 
 watching. 
 
 Tuesday, February 5. I slept peacefully, but I heard 
 that all night the Settlement was in a state of alarm. 
 A number of Mbaruk's armed roughs were seen passing 
 through a " shamba" near our place. 
 
 At 7 a.m. the "H. W." came in, bringing a good big 
 Mail, which had come by French Steamer to Zanzibar 
 an unexpected treat in the midst of our troubles ! 
 Some time after I had gone to bed, Taylor, who was 
 sleeping in the verandah, shouted " Bwana, Bwana," 
 and opening my eyes I was startled by a tremendous 
 glare, night turned into day. It was consoling to find 
 it was nothing more alarming than a man-of-war 
 coming into harbour, and casting her electric light 
 over Mombasa and Frere Town in every direction. It 
 was a grand sight, and must greatly have astonished 
 the natives ! I hope too it may have a good moral 
 effect. 
 
 Thursday, February 7. Chaga Mail in. Fitch and 
 Wray both object to retire from their Stations. I can- 
 not blame them, but they must take the responsibility, 
 which I would myself do if I were in their place. 
 
 Wrote to Rev. A. G. Smith, Mbungu. 
 
 " Your two notes of the 4th and 5th to hand. They 
 bring rather gloomy tidings. The water difficulty is a
 
 3OO My Tliird Campaign in East Africa, 
 
 serious matter. Dr. Pruen agrees with me that you 
 and Morris should at once fall back on Eabai till rain 
 falls ; it may be only a matter of a few weeks. Mean- 
 while you can leave two trustworthy men in charge, 
 with promise of extra pay if they look well after 
 Mission property. This, I have no doubt, is the best 
 thing for you to do. 
 
 " I am sorry to hear of Mr. Kendrick's breakdown, 
 and of the cruel desertion of his porters, though as re- 
 gards this we have to hear the other side. If he was 
 so bad, it seems even more strange that his own country- 
 men should have left him in the lurch. The conduct 
 of ' wazungu ' to one another does not set a very good 
 example to the natives." 
 
 To Mr. Burness, Rabai. 
 
 " I am coining to-morrow with Captain Blaxland 
 and a party from the ' Griffon ' ; but they will be my 
 guests. I shall make all food arrangements, only shall 
 be glad if you will get me a sheep, or even a tender 
 goat or a kid, and a good supply of water and milk for 
 the day ; for all of which I will, of course, pay. 
 
 " We can put up in the iron house, and if Miss 
 Scott has gone to her ' watch-tower ' we shall put 
 nobody to inconvenience. 
 
 " Please send off things to Mbungu without delay, 
 not forgetting the ' dandy ' for Mr. Kendrick. 
 
 " I hope you will join us at our mid-day meal, which 
 will answer for dinner. Sorry I cannot ask the ladies 
 for want of accommodation ; and our visitors will pro-
 
 Man Drowned. 301 
 
 bably not be in a fit state for female eyes to look upon 
 after the hot walk up. I hope to stay over Sunday." 
 
 Friday, February 8. Had made all arrangements for 
 an early start to Rabai this morning, but about 1 a.m. 
 one of the officers of the " Griffon " woke me up to give 
 me the sad news that a sailor had fallen overboard and 
 was drowned ; so we must put off our trip. At 7 a.m. 
 went on board and arranged for the funeral. 
 
 The " Woodcock" arrived, bringing a long " official " 
 from the Consul General addressed to our Missionaries 
 at Mamboia and Mpwapwa, telling them of the danger 
 they are in, and of the steps he is taking to secure their 
 safe retreat to the coast. 
 
 Buried the poor drowned man in our little cemetery 
 at 5 p.m. 
 
 Sunday, February 10. Commenced an English 
 Service at 10 a.m., of which I had sent notice to the 
 " Griffon" and to the Company's English staff in Mom- 
 basa. Captain Blaxland, his officers, and fifty men, also 
 Mr. Mackenzie and two of his staff, came. We are very 
 short of Hymn Books, and the temporary Church is in a 
 wretched state. 
 
 Mackenzie wants to go to Zanzibar on urgent 
 business, and asks for the " H. W." 
 
 In the evening Lieutenants Tippyng and Palmer 
 joined us at our singing party. 
 
 Monday, February 1 1 . Eobson and Ward in bed with 
 fever Pruen and Taylor also suffering. 
 
 The " Penguin " came in, made a few signals which 
 I could not read, and steamed away again South. We 
 ought to have a Code and Flags.
 
 3O2 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 Tuesday, February 12. Robson and Ward very bad 
 to-day. They are living together in the same house, and 
 I strongly suspect their fever is owing to inattention to 
 sanitary laws, to bad water, and unwholesome food ! 
 
 The illness of Ward throws heavy work upon me in 
 connexion with the Mails. 
 
 Wednesday, February 13. The Mail Steamer not in 
 from Zanzibar, but the " Boadicea " and several other 
 ships are here awaiting her arrival. 
 
 Mackenzie has been trying to find out all about the 
 Mombasa plotting. He says he heard of nothing against 
 the Mission it was all against him and the Company. 
 This is an important item. 
 
 Thursday, February 14. The " Java " arrives from 
 Zanzibar. Has orders to wait here for the "Baghdad," 
 bringing the English Mail expected to-morrow. The 
 news of our late scare comes back to us from Zanzibar, 
 with all kinds of exaggerations. 
 
 I give below extracts from letters posted by this 
 Mail, which will fill up any gaps in my narrative of the 
 events of the last month : 
 
 " To THE IIEV. E. LANG, 
 
 " You would appear to have had nothing later 
 from me than December 2. I was then expecting to 
 leave on January 2. Since then many important events 
 have happened some of them very seriously affecting our 
 Mission and our Missionary brethren. It is a comfort 
 to know that much earnest prayer is being put up on 
 our behalf, which prayer has been, and is being, signally 
 answered. The clouds have been very threatening at
 
 A Choice of Risks. 303 
 
 times, and I feel sure we owe our immunity from 
 calamity much more to those prayers than to H.M. 
 gunboats, although it is only right and proper they should 
 afford us such protection as they can; especially as the 
 present situation is none of our seeking. 
 
 " At Col. Euan Smith's request I forward a copy of 
 his letter addressed to the Missionaries at Mamboia and 
 Mpwapwa. It lays on them a grave responsibility, but 
 if I were in their place I think I should hold on at all 
 risks rather than trust myself to the tender mercies of 
 Nasr bin Sulieman, or any other Arab. May the Lord 
 direct them ! 
 
 " I sent up porters to convey Fitch and Wray to 
 the coast. I could do no other, in view of the Consul 
 General's mandate. They both refuse to come, and I 
 do not blame them. At best it is only a choice of 
 risks. 
 
 " As the Committee have already paid 1200* to- 
 wards the ransom of the runaways, I need say no more 
 about it. I feel strongly they ought not to have been 
 asked to do so. 
 
 " I am rather anxiously looking for your answer to 
 mine of December 19 ; which referred to some impor- 
 tant matters. I hope the Committee will not fail to 
 see how remarkably God is leading us in regard to our 
 line of operations. What a splendid sphere for your 
 new Bishop, if he be a man of organizing power, and 
 can take in the situation ! 
 
 *It is a satisfaction to me to learn that this sum was not paid 
 out of the Funds of the C.M.S., but by Sir T. Fowell Buxton and 
 other friends.
 
 304 My Tliird Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 " Mr. Mackenzie has asked for the ' H.W.' for a 
 special trip to Zanzibar, and I have consented. It is on 
 very urgent business ! He has discovered, or thinks he 
 has, the prime mover in all the seditious plottings in 
 Mombasa a leading Arab of position and influence in 
 Zanzibar and he wants to lay his information before 
 the authorities, and nip the conspiracy in the bud. I 
 think you will approve of my action. The Company 
 will of course-supply coal and defray working expenses. 
 
 " You asked for an estimate of the cost of the Freed 
 Slaves. In the case of able-bodied adults, they are 
 clothed fed for a few days and helped in building 
 huts for themselves, the average cost being about <2 
 per head. Children come to us of all ages from infants 
 in arms to twelve or thirteen years. It would be diffi- 
 cult to arrive at a correct estimate ; but it would not 
 be far out to reckon them as on the Mission for support 
 on an average for four years, and each child in the 
 Dormitory costs about 4 per year say for four years, 
 i'16. But the children constitute the most hopeful 
 branch of our Mission. It is from them, if properly 
 taught and trained, that, under God's blessing, we are 
 to look for a supply of Teachers and Evangelists, to 
 carry on the great work which is opening up to us. 
 Other Societies, not nearly so well off as ours, are quite 
 ready to receive any number of children, whilst they 
 fight shy of adults they are wise in their generation. 
 Hitherto we have taken all sent to us old and young 
 and in this respect we, I venture to think, are wiser ; 
 for who shall say ' whether shall prosper this or that, 
 etc.' As far as one can see the blockade is not likely to
 
 Winding up. 305 
 
 bring us more, but fewer than formerly. The Arabs 
 have discovered that under the French flag they can 
 carry on their abominable traffic to their heart's con- 
 tent, with impunity; and French bunting is in great 
 demand. 
 
 " I am sorry to say Messrs. Robson and Ward are 
 both ill in % bed with fever. Miss "Holmes and Mr. 
 Smith are better. The weather is still very oppressive 
 and trying to all, especially new comers. Water is very 
 scarce inland. At Eabai it has to be fetched three or 
 four miles ! We are better off here, but OUT supply too 
 is getting low." 
 
 To my Wife. 
 
 " I must put you off with a short scrap, I am" wind- 
 ing up. Your two letters of 4th and llth January came 
 on by French Steamer and reached me on the 5th inst., 
 and I thank God for all the good news they contain. 
 It is close on twelve months since, on that cold dreary 
 morning, I left you ill in bed, and set out on my lonely 
 way to E. A., and how graciously the Lord has dealt 
 with us since then ! It seems, indeed, a long, long 
 time ago ; but then three years have been crammed 
 into one, though that would make me 65 instead of 
 63, or 73 as Mr. Gedge worked it out. 
 
 " My intention still is, if the Lord will, to leave on 
 2nd April, which should bring me to Dover about 26th 
 April. It is just possible that a Bishop may be coming 
 by the Mail next week, in which case I might get away 
 earlier ; but, if so, I shall probably accept John Roberts' 
 invitation, and spend a week or two in the Holy Land ;
 
 3o6 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 and should still not reach England earlier than April 
 26. I would fain, escape some of the coldest of the cold 
 season. 
 
 " I do not anticipate any further Telegrams. The 
 Bishop of Norwich would scarcely agree to any renewal 
 of leave ; and, unless under very pressing circumstances, 
 I should not feel justified in prolonging my stay : al- 
 though the worst of the hot season will be over, and 
 as time goes on, the work becomes more intensely 
 interesting. 
 
 "You will learn from my letter to W. that things 
 are not very comfortable with us, as yet. It reminds 
 me of our condition in India, during the Mutiny now 
 (who would think it ?) 32 years ago. East Africa is in 
 the pains of travail ; and what the issue is to be, God 
 only knows." 
 
 To my dear old friend, the Rev. Ruttonji Nowroji of 
 Aurungdbad. 
 
 "FRERE TOWN, February 14, 1889. 
 
 " MY DEAR BUTTON, 
 
 " I was glad to receive your kind loving letter 
 of May 16, 1888. At that time I was expecting to be 
 on my way back in August, and so put it by with one 
 or two others to answer from Aden. Then, as perhaps 
 you know, came a request that I would stay on another 
 six months ; to which I could not say ' No '. Before 
 that term had expired, and when I had begun to pack 
 up, came another Telegram, telling me that my Bishop 
 consented to give me another four months' leave of
 
 Rocks and Shoals. 307 
 
 absence from my Parish, and asking me to stay on for 
 that time. I was getting weary of my lonely, homeless 
 life, but again, under the circumstances, how could I 
 refuse? At such a critical time, it would have been 
 most difficult for any stranger, however wise and ex- 
 perienced, to take the helm. There were rocks and 
 shoals on all sides, and, of course, it was easier for me 
 than for any new man to steer a safe course. 
 
 " The past twelve months has, as you may sup- 
 pose, been a very trying time, and you may be sure it 
 has added not a few grey hairs to my head and beard. 
 Sometimes, for days and nights, we were exposed to 
 the danger of an attack. The will of the Arabs and 
 Suahelis was good, but ' the Lord was our Shield and 
 Defence ' ; and, although, as I write, fresh rumours 
 come to us of their wicked designs, our hope is that 
 He will still deliver us. These troubles are owing to 
 the advent of the new Company. The Arabs are 
 naturally incensed at seeing the country passing out 
 of their hands, and under the Kule of a Foreign Power ; 
 and it is not surprising if they lay much of the blame 
 at our door, seeing that we were first in the field. 
 Then, too, negotiations with the Company itself have 
 brought me a good deal of anxious work and correspond- 
 ence. 
 
 " I am getting rather tired and home-sick, and be- 
 ginning to count the days till April 3, when, if it 
 please God, I shall be setting out once more for old 
 England. I have to praise God, for the wonderful 
 amount of health and energy which He has given me 
 I have scarcely been laid aside a day from active work.
 
 308 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 " Many thanks for all your news. What changes 
 in the Western India Mission ! Few of the old hands 
 left, and they growing old. I should dearly like to pay 
 you a visit on my way home though sadness would 
 mingle with pleasure. It is scarcely now possible we 
 must wait till we meet within ' the golden gates,' as, 
 through God's infinite mercy in Christ Jesus, we hope 
 to do. Oh ! what a meeting that will be. 
 
 "You tell me nothing of your dear children give 
 them my love also loving salams to Lucas his wife 
 Karuna Bai my old friend M. W., and to any others 
 who have kind recollections of me. 
 
 " Some of the Nasik boys and girls have done badly 
 and suffered, but a good number have turned out well, 
 and have been, and still are, most useful in the Mission. 
 With best love, 
 
 " Your ever affectionately, 
 
 "W. SALTER PRICE."
 
 CHAPTEB XIII. 
 LAST DAYS IN EAST AFKICA. 
 
 Friday, February 15. The " Baghdad " comes with 
 our English letters. Met Sir John Kirk and daughter 
 on board. He looks much pulled down, owing probably 
 to his late accident. They came over to Frere Town 
 in the afternoon. Made the acquaintance of several 
 noted men, who have come in the same boat. There is 
 Dr. Wolff, a German, who is specially commissioned by 
 Bismark very observant and intelligent speaks En- 
 glish fluently a nice fellow in every way. He 
 lunched with, and gave us all the latest news. Then 
 there is Stephens a Yankeeized Englishman, who has 
 made the " tower " of the world on a Bi-cycle ! He is 
 now a Reporter of the " New T York World," and has 
 been sent out to hunt up Stanley. He was eager for 
 every scrap of information he could pick up, but I 
 was on my guard. And there were others more or less 
 famous. What a little world it is ! and how it all seems 
 to turn up at Mombasa ! The Company are meeting with 
 a great deal of opposition just now, and Mr. Mackenzie 
 is trying to get to the bottom of it -not an easy matter. 
 
 I have a large budget of letters from C. M. S., and on 
 the whole most satisfactory. The new policy of a line 
 
 21
 
 3io My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 of Stations, via Ukambani and the commencement of 
 the new Station of Mbungu is approved. I was just a 
 little doubtful of this, and the result is almost a pleasant 
 surprise. 
 
 Saturday, February 16. Went on board the " Bagh- 
 dad " and had a long talk with Sir John. He explained 
 to me the principle on which he formerly dealt with the 
 Giriama slaves at Rabai, " as the country was Pagan, and 
 we had no treaty with its Chiefs, I considered we had 
 no right of interference between so-called owners and 
 their slaves ". 
 
 Yesterday we had in the harbour the "Boadicea" 
 and four other ships to-day all have departed, and not 
 one English vessel is to be seen this at such a time 
 seems scarcely prudent. Smith and Morris have fallen 
 back on Rabai, both more or less out of sorts the 
 doctor has gone to look after them. 
 
 Sunday, February 17. At the English Service with 
 Holy Communion this morning, a poor attendance 
 only five English and one Native. Four of our Brethren 
 are ill in bed. Reported that Suliema Kimaynyie has 
 come to Mtwapa Kharnis Kombo's place with the 
 intention of attacking us or Mackenzie's people. 
 
 Monday, February 18. Two of Mackenzie's men 
 taken up by our " askari," caught in the act of offering 
 " serkali " guns for sale. One, if not both, is a runaway 
 slave. Sent word to Buchanan. At 9 p.m. Dr. Edwards, 
 Morris and Kendrick came from Rabai the latter so 
 changed I could scarcely recognise him. 
 
 Tuesday, February 19. In the night two poor slaves 
 managed to cross over from Mombasa in a canoe, and
 
 A Piteous Story. 3 1 1 
 
 sought our protection. They are both heavily ironed, 
 and say that the fetters have been on since Kamadhan 
 seven months ! That they have been on a long time 
 is evident from the sores they have made They made 
 their escape four days ago, and have been hiding in the 
 bushes without food waiting for an opportunity to cross. 
 Poor fellows ! their ghastly appearance corroborated 
 their piteous story ; and the brutes who can treat their 
 fellow-creatures so, richly deserve to be flogged. But 
 what can I do for these poor wretches ? If I hand 
 them over to the Wali, he will probably send them 
 back to their stony-hearted mistress, and their latter 
 end will be worse than the first. Ishmael and others 
 say: "Knock off their fetters and set them free," and 
 my own feelings quite fall in with this advice ; but I 
 have to consider not simply what I feel, or what even 
 in the abstract it would be right to do, but what under 
 the circumstances it is possible to do without coming 
 into collision with the law of the land. I concluded to 
 send a note to Ishmael, simply telling him that the 
 poor fellows must leave our Station at once, and giving 
 them 2 Rs. to keep them going in food for a few days. 
 I shall not enquire too particularly Iww my mandate has 
 been carried out. I hope somebody has had sense and 
 humanity enough to strike off their fetters ! 
 
 Wednesday, February 20. Mr. Mackenzie returns in 
 the "H. W." He is in high feather at his success. 
 The great man in Zanzibar, who is at the bottom of the 
 mischief in Mombasa has been put in irons, and M. 
 brings a letter from the Sultan to Khamis Kombo and 
 other malcontents warning them that if there is any
 
 312 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 more trouble, they will be held responsible and have 
 to suffer. 
 
 Ehlers and Dr. Abbott arrived from Chaga, and are 
 my guests. The cuisine department put to the stretch ; 
 but my visitors not hard to please. After their wild 
 jungle life they are "awfully" glad to get a square 
 meal, with a clean tablecloth, etc. 
 
 A Telegram from Salisbury Square telling me to 
 leave Dr. Pruen in charge. A few days after its 
 despatch, the Committee would get one from me, 
 " Send no ladies ; country unsettled ". I am quite 
 sure that was right. This is not the time for ladies to 
 come to East Africa, much as we need them. We are 
 living on the edge of a volcano. The Company have 
 been very cautiously feeling their way, but as yet have 
 made little progress. In spite of their lavish distribu- 
 tion of largesses among Arab and Suaheli Sheiks, and 
 the ransom of the runaways, there is no love for the 
 Company on the part of the Mombasa people. There 
 is a strong hostile faction, and any moment something 
 may occur to drive them into open rebellion. The fires 
 have been banked up with dollars ! but they are still 
 aglow. 
 
 Thursday, February 21. Ward has a relapse, and is 
 worse. About 20 feet from the surface in the spot I 
 selected for a well in the girls' new compound we have 
 struck a fine spring of water ; good news for Miss 
 Harvey ! 
 
 Smith comes from Rabai. He is better, and quite 
 willing to tackle the books and keep things going till 
 Ward is able to resume work. He is a kind, good 
 fellow, and I am very grateful to him.
 
 All Routes Closed. 313 
 
 The Chaplain and four Officers of "Agamemnon" 
 (turret ship) paid me a visit. The big ship was afraid 
 to venture into the harbour. She anchored outside 
 last night, and was sporting her electric light. It 
 reminded one of a grand display of the aurora 
 borealis. 
 
 Saturday, February 23. Had a talk with Dr. Edwards 
 about his going to Chaga. He does not like to face the 
 journey at this season, owing to the great scarcity of 
 water on the road. It is a valid objection, and I cannot 
 put pressure on him to go. It is, I confess, disappoint- 
 ing, and upsets one's calculations and plans ; but the 
 Lord knows what is best. There is absolutely no hope 
 now of getting to Mamboia by Parker's or any other 
 route, and as little of anyone relieving Fitch, so as to 
 enable him to be here before the end of April. 
 
 Sunday, February 24. English Service better at- 
 tended. Preached from Eom. viii. 28. Called on Ward. 
 Poor fellow ! what a shadow he has become. I fear his 
 work in East Africa is done. Had prayer with him. 
 
 Monday, February 25. A letter from Wray. He 
 writes that on the 12th they distinctly heard cannon in 
 the direction of Mombasa, and are anxious to know the 
 cause. It was the "Agamemnon " at firing practice a 
 few miles away. Strange to say we scarcely heard any- 
 thing, whilst the sound travelled 100 miles inland, and 
 4000 feet above sea level ! 
 
 Wrote to Mr. Fitch. 
 
 " MY DEAR FITCH, 
 
 " I was glad to get yours of the 7th irist., and
 
 314 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 made up my mind to send up Morris and Edwards at 
 once to relieve you, but Morris is unfitted for travel by 
 a bad toe and Abbott and Ehlers give such a fearful 
 account of the drought on the road that the Dr. even 
 does not like to face it. So I am afraid there is now no 
 prospect of my seeing you here before I leave which I 
 regret. As regards yourself, I think it is every way de- 
 sirable you should come here as soon as the way opens, 
 and you can be relieved, and take up your work as 
 Principal of the Divinity Class the most hopeful work 
 in the Mission in its present stage. Eobson has been 
 carrying on in your absence, and he likes it, but the 
 school suffers. May I suggest that it would be well if 
 you could arrange with him to take at least one subject 
 whatever you and he may agree upon so as not 
 altogether to sever his connexion with the Class. 
 
 " Smith will send up his tent for you, and in your 
 reply to this enclose a list of anything else you may 
 want. 
 
 "It is quite possible Mr. "Steggall may be here a 
 month hence ; in which case, he, Morris, and perhaps 
 Dr. Edwards would be corning up together. I forgot to 
 ask Ehlers, but suppose there would be no objection to 
 occupying his empty house and keeping down the bats. 
 
 " I congratulate you on your escape from a confla- 
 gration. Through our Heavenly Father's goodness we 
 are always escaping something or other ! 
 
 " Many thanks for the two eggs one got a little 
 cracked, but it is easily mended. 
 
 " I sincerely hope nothing will interfere to prevent 
 your being here within two months from now ; and that
 
 Poor Pinto. 315 
 
 you will be able to throw all your heart and strength 
 into the Divinity Class, until you take your furlough, 
 by which time it ought to be fairly on its legs. 
 
 " I am very sorry not to see you, to say ' kwa-heri,' 
 but if our lives are spared, it will not be long before we 
 meet in a more genial clime, either at ' yours ' or 
 ' mine '. 
 
 " God bless you, dear Fitch, and give you many 
 tokens of His favour on yourself, and on your work for 
 Christ's sake. I am afraid a trying time is before the 
 East African Mission, but ' The Lord of Hosts is with 
 us '. 
 
 " Believe me, 
 " Ever yours affectionately in ' The Truth,' 
 
 " W. SALTER PRICE." 
 
 Thursday, February 28. Eabai. Came up yesterday. 
 Very close last night ; and as I had no curtains, I had 
 to cover myself with my rug the remedy as bad as the 
 disease. I had a sleepless night. Wrote and sent off 
 letters to go by French Mail. Heard many interesting 
 particulars from Jones of his journey with the late 
 Bp. Hannington to the Victoria Lake. Amongst other 
 things he told me of the tragic end of my old and 
 faithful servant, Pinto. He took service with the 
 lamented Bishop, waited upon him in his captivity, and 
 shared his master's fate. 
 
 Friday, March 1. Held a conference with Herr Hof- 
 mann on the Mbungu difficulty, Smith and Morris 
 being present. Hofmann was not authorized to nego- 
 tiate, he could only state the views of his Society, and
 
 316 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 his own. I gathered from him that they were intend- 
 ing to take their line through Ulu, Kikuyu, etc. In 
 that case, I urged, whilst a large part of Ukambani 
 would be altogether uncared for, we should be treading 
 on each other's toes all along the line. It is most desir- 
 able that now, at the outset, we should come to a 
 proper understanding. H. has been instructed by his 
 Committee to sound us as to whether in return for 
 
 MY FAITHFUL PINTO. 
 
 their giving up Mbungu and adopting another route, 
 we would be willing to hand over Chaga to them. This, 
 I pointed out would mean an entire change of plan on 
 their part ; but, in any case, I felt sure the C. M. S. 
 would not be willing to relinquish their hold on Chaga. 
 It has become, and will become more and more, essential 
 to us, not only as a Missionary centre, but as a depot
 
 Negotiations. 3 1 7 
 
 at the parting of the ways the one leading direct to 
 the South end of the Lake, and the other to Kavirondo 
 and the North end a most important link in the chain 
 connecting our head quarters on the coast, with our 
 Missions in the Lake District. I suggested that for 
 several reasons, it would be to their advantage to adhere 
 to their original design, as we understood it from their 
 letters to the C. M. S., i.e., that they take as their 
 sphere of action, the portion of Ukambani bounded by 
 Giriama and Galla-land on the East, and by the Ulu 
 route on the West. 
 
 KEASONS. 
 
 1. This is their most direct route to Kenia from this 
 base, and affords a wide field for Evangelistic work 
 among a large section of the Wa-Kamba, who would 
 otherwise be unvisited for a long time. 
 
 2. Whilst there would be no danger of our colliding, 
 the Agents of the two Societies would be sufficiently 
 near to be mutually helpful to one another in case of 
 necessity. 
 
 3. It is the part of the Country within the English 
 zone, where they are least likely to come in contact 
 with or in any way to be interfered with , by the British 
 E. A. Co. a not unimportant point in the case of a 
 German Society. 
 
 Mr. H. was very reasonable. He quite saw the 
 necessity of our coming to a clear understanding now, 
 as to our respective spheres. He expressed his general 
 acquiescence in my proposal, and promised to write to
 
 318 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 his Society to that effect. I told him we would take 
 over their temporary buildings at Mbungu at such 
 valuation as may be agreed upon between himself and 
 whoever may be here to represent the C. M. S. 
 
 GROUP OF WA-NIKA WOMEN. 
 
 As far as we here on the spot are concerned, the 
 matter is practically settled. 
 
 Saturday, March 2. This afternoon made an expedi-
 
 Visit Rabat Mpia. 
 
 319 
 
 tion with several of the Brethren to Kabai Mpia. In 
 spite of the heat, which was overpowering, we all much 
 enjoyed our visit to this beautifully situated and deeply 
 interesting spot, where Krapf and llebmann spent their 
 first four years together in a native hut, in the midst 
 of the Wa-Nika collecting information, learning the 
 
 GROUP OF WA-NIKA. MEN. 
 
 language, preaching the Gospel by their lives, and, as they 
 were able, with their lips, and planning schemes for 
 extending "the kingdom " into regions then unknown. 
 Before the war, six years ago, the place was thickly 
 populated now most of the cottages are deserted and
 
 32O My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 in ruins, and everything presents a wild and unkempt 
 appearance. Still there are a considerable number of 
 people, and among them we saw many women and 
 children. There ought certainly to be a school here. 
 There is the ruin of one which was built by Mr. Shaw 
 several years ago it suffered when the people were 
 scattered at the time of war. It should be rebuilt, and 
 might easily be superintended from "Kisulitini". To 
 me this is a sacred spot, and I should like to see some 
 simple yet suitable monument erected, with its legend, 
 proclaiming to this and future generations the historical 
 fact that here in a little mud hut, some 40 years ago, the 
 grand project was conceived in the minds of two young 
 ardent Missionaries of opening up the vast East African 
 Continent to the light of civilization and the blessings 
 of the Gospel of Christ. It is a lesson for all time " not 
 to despise the day of small things ". 
 
 Sunday, March 3. Services well attended morning 
 and afternoon. Singing much improved with Miss 
 Scott's playing. The Rabai service, with its orderly 
 and attentive congregation, always refreshing ! Assisted 
 Mr. Jones at Holy Communion a hundred communi- 
 cants, including six English. I find I have only three 
 Sundays left, of which I propose spending one at 
 Shimba, one at Frere Town, and one at Rabai. These 
 will be precious opportunities. Now that the parting 
 time draws near I shall be thankful to have it all over. 
 
 Monday, March 4. Returned with Smith to Frere 
 Town. Pruen consents to take over charge of secretariat 
 from me pro tern. It is the best arrangement I can make, 
 though it is to be regretted no one is on the spot who
 
 On the Tramp, 321 
 
 would be free to give all his time and thought to the 
 work. I felt half inclined to say I would stay on 
 another month ; but it would be just the same, and, 
 except for very weighty reasons, I feel I ought not 
 longer to delay my return. 
 
 Tuesday, March 5. A fierce attack of " siara" in the 
 night in overwhelming force Taylor driven from his 
 bed. I fought them, not very successfully, with carbolic 
 acid powder ! 
 
 Wednesday, March 6. To Shimba. Got away at 6 
 a.m., and, towed by Mackenzie's launch, reached the 
 landing stage at Djimbo in two hours. I had given 
 directions for my donkey to meet me here, but someone 
 has blundered : and, alas ! no donkey awaits me. There 
 is no choice but to trudge it, though a tramp of twelve 
 miles a good deal of it up-hill, under a cloudless sky- 
 at this season is well, no joke ! Misfortunes seldom 
 come alone. When I asked my boy to give me some 
 breakfast before starting he forthwith produced a very 
 scraggy chicken, but he had forgotten to bring either 
 bread or salt ! or, likely enough, he thought such 
 luxuries out of place on a journey. Happily I had two 
 or three Captain's biscuits, and I munched one of these, 
 without much relish, just to stave off cravings of hunger. 
 For the first seven miles I got on bravely now and 
 then our way lying through forest, which afforded a 
 grateful shade. This brought us to Bawa Konde 
 (Wingfield), where we rested for two hours. My men 
 were very thirsty, and as not a drop of water was to be 
 had anywhere on the road, I doled out to them all I had. 
 The next stage was much more difficult, involving
 
 322 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 especially the last three miles a good deal of stiff 
 climbing ; the sun was at its fiercest, and the heat so 
 intense that two or three times I felt like fainting. 
 However, by dint of rather frequent rests, we jogged 
 along, and got to the end of our journey in rather sorry 
 plight about 4 p.m. Dr. and Mrs. Baxter gave me a 
 hospitable welcome, but I am afraid I was not in the 
 mood to appreciate it. Glad and thankful I was indeed to 
 find myself under cover and to stretch myself on Baxter's 
 iron cot. " You are in for a fever," says Dr. B. " Well, 
 I can't say. I hope not ; anyway, kindly give me first a 
 good cold douche on my head." This was done, and oh ! 
 how delicious ! "And now," I said, " I have fasted all 
 day, and have an empty stomach, and yet no appetite 
 for food." The Doctor kindly met the difficulty by giving 
 me a teaspoonful or two of liquid meat ; and after a 
 sound sleep of an hour or two I awoke feeling wonder- 
 fully refreshed, and not much the worse for the 
 adventure. 
 
 Thursday, March 1. Had conversation with Baxter 
 on the condition of things in this Station. As far as I 
 can make out, the scheme has proved a complete failure. 
 About twenty-five freed-slave boys were drafted off from 
 Frere Town to be trained here in agricultural industry. 
 Had there been anyone to train them it might have 
 been a useful experiment, but as a matter of fact, there 
 has been no proper oversight or management the lads 
 have turned work into play and strong young fellows 
 who ought to be entirely self-supporting, are being 
 expensively fed on rice and other imported food. This 
 Mission has been a source of much anxiety to me the
 
 Farewell Shimba. 325 
 
 more so, that owing to the incessant calls upon me in 
 these troublous times, I have been unable to give to 
 it the time and attention it deserves. The sooner the 
 present state of things comes to an end the better. 
 
 On the other hand, I attach great importance to 
 the Shimba Mission, both as a health resort for con- 
 valescents, and as a centre for Evangelistic work among 
 the Wa-Digo. 
 
 Friday, <.'arch&. Slept soundly under my rug cold 
 tub delightfully refreshing. Am occupying a small 
 cottage built by a native for himself ; of which I 
 gladly avail myself in exchange for the " Palace " (?) 
 at Frere Town. 
 
 In company with Beverley and Baxter, made some 
 alterations : 
 
 1. Drafted off twelve of the bigger boys from the 
 Dormitory and placed them on their own support. 
 
 2. The smaller boys, eleven in number, to attend 
 school. 
 
 3. Settled two special cases of runaway slaves. 
 
 4. Arranged with Beverley and Baxter as to their 
 respective positions and duties. 
 
 Am delighted to find that in this season of extreme 
 drought, the water has not failed ; within an hour's 
 distance there is an abundant supply. 
 
 Sunday, March 10. The Services better on the whole 
 than I expected to find, but very poor after Frere Town 
 and Rabai. In the afternoon Baxter gave an address. 
 In the evening the Brethren came over to my place, 
 and we spent a pleasant time, and had our parting 
 prayer together.
 
 324 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 Monday, March 11. Started at 5.30 a.m. and got to 
 Frere Town exactly at noon. Hands and face bronzed 
 and blistered ! Found Pruen in bed with fever ; the 
 other patients convalescent. Had our usual Prayer 
 Meeting to-night fourteen present at which Smith 
 gave a nice little address. 
 
 Thursday, March 14. Very busy finishing off pack- 
 ing, etc. The " Turquoise " came in, with the report 
 that yesterday she sighted a B.I. Steamer off Pemba 
 making for Zanzibar. No doubt it is the "Mecca" 
 with all our Home letters and packages on board ! 
 Dr. Peters and some of his men are supposed to be 
 in her, and in order to prevent their landing at Lamu 
 or . Mombasa, the Captain has been ordered not to 
 touch at either of these Ports. So Dr. Peters is check- 
 mated ! and we are deprived of our Mails. Most in- 
 convenient and disappointing, especially to me, as 
 there are probably letters containing final directions 
 to be attended to before I leave, and the time is short. 
 
 Sat.urday, March 16. As there is no sign of our Mails 
 from Zanzibar, though several Steamers have called in, 
 despatched " H. W. >: at 12'30 p.m. She had an unusual 
 number of Hindi passengers enough to pay for the 
 trip. Robson went in her for a little change. 
 
 Poor KHAMIS BIN SAAD died this afternoon. He has 
 been ailing a long time, and lately went to Barava for 
 change of air but all of no avail. I grieve to think he 
 has passed away without having found peace through 
 Christ. He had often heard the Gospel, but, as far as 
 one knows, he has died a Mohammedan. It was from 
 him I bought the land on which Frere Town now
 
 Khamis bin Saad. 325 
 
 stands. He was a kind friend to us in many ways 
 on one occasion risking his own life for our protection. 
 For all this he had to suffer bitter persecution at the 
 hands of his brother Arabs they never forgave him ! 
 Am I wrong in hoping that he may at least find a 
 place among those to whom the Lord will say : " Inas- 
 
 KHAHIS BIN SAAD. 
 
 much as ye did it unto one of these, the least of my 
 disciples, ye did it unto ME " ? 
 
 SIAFU. 
 For more than a week we have bee'n every night in 
 
 22
 
 326 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 a state of siege ! After night-fall we have been invaded 
 and attacked by an army of these venomous insects 
 they come in their myriads ! The slaying of 10,000 of 
 them is as nothing they come and come, and still they 
 come ! They find their way into your bed, and you 
 soon become painfully aware of their presence. They 
 have a marvellous instinct which leads them to the 
 most tender and vulnerable parts of your body. If, 
 in desperation, you think to make your escape, you 
 are almost bound to put your foot in it, and as sure as 
 you do, they are over you in a trice from head to foot 
 in your hair in your beard between your toes, etc. ; 
 you are entirely at their mercy, and they give no 
 quarter. Last night I took the precaution of barricad- 
 ing my cot with a wall of carbolic acid powder, which 
 certainly afforded me some protection ; but on getting 
 up this morning at 5 for my bath, lo ! there was the 
 enemy in full force, straggling about in every direction. 
 What shall I do ? How shall I make my way through 
 these beleaguering hosts? Well, pluck up courage 
 make a dash and jump into your tub ! Anyway you are 
 safe for five or ten minutes you can watch their evolu- 
 tions with equanimity, and quietly make observations 
 of their manners and customs. Oh ! luckless boast ! 
 they have followed me into my tub and in anything 
 but a philosophic frame of mind I pluck them from my 
 body. Doubtless this is one of the plagues which has 
 to be reckoned with. I would almost as soon face a 
 lion as .an army of " siafu ". Yet this is one of the 
 concomitants of life in East Africa ! 
 
 Sunday, March 17. My last Sunday at Frere Town.
 
 Dangerous Sport. 327 
 
 Had Holy Communion in English. Two of the Com- 
 pany's staff Mr. Simons and Mr. Crauford joined us. 
 Gave an address to the Native congregation from 
 John x. 27: 
 
 Tuesday, March 19. At last ! the " H. W " bringing 
 our too long delayed precious Mail. I have a long arid 
 important letter from Mr. Lang, which I ought to have 
 received six days ago. 
 
 Mr. Buckley returns from Taveta with the shocking 
 news of the death of the Hon. Guy Dawney. The de- 
 ceased, who was a daring hunter, had been gored to 
 death by a buffalo. 
 
 Meeting to-night, at which I gave an address, from 
 Peter's words : " Master, we have toiled all the night, 
 etc.'' 
 
 Wednesday, March 20. To Rabai, for my farewell 
 visit. 
 
 Friday, March 22. The Dormitory children of Frere 
 Town to the number of 150 boys and girls came up 
 to-day. I wanted to give them a grand treat some- 
 thing they will not soon forget before I go. They 
 came in four dhows and boats, towed by Mr. Mac- 
 kenzie's launch, as far as the " banderini " and thence 
 to Rabai five miles on foot. I went out about a 
 mile to meet them. It was a charming sight the like 
 to which Rabai hills have never seen before as in 
 single file they threaded their way among the trees, 
 and down the sloping pathway. No wonder the Wa- 
 Nika men, women, and children came running from 
 their hamlets to feast their eyes on the unwonted 
 spectacle ! On reaching the entrance to the Settle- 
 ment, Robson formed his boys four abreast, and then
 
 328 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 marched them to the Church square singing, " Onward, 
 Christian soldiers " amid many demonstrations of 
 welcome on the part of the Eabai people. Miss Fitch, 
 of course, came up with her girls. 
 
 And now comes the serious question How am I to 
 feed so large a multitude? The children from Frere 
 Town, with their teachers, number 160, and on an 
 occasion like this, the Rabai children cannot be left 
 out. I draw the line at those who attend Sunday 
 School, wLich adds 120 more in all 280 ! I have 
 purchased two oxen for 3, and I am afraid both will 
 have to be sacrificed to provide one good meal. Be it 
 so, it is an event in the lives of these young folks, 
 which they will remember to their dying day an 
 epoch ! 1 hope this visit to Rabai may, through God's 
 blessing, be a good thing for all. One effect will be, I 
 trust, to draw the two Stations closer together. 
 
 Saturday, March 23. At 6 a.m., the Church was well 
 filled for Morning Prayer. The Frere Town contingent 
 were accommodated with front seats, and added a strik- 
 ing feature to this always deeply interesting gathering. 
 There were also eleven English members of the Mis- 
 sion. After Prayers, the children, in groups, perambu- 
 lated the Settlement roaming about at will and 
 thoroughly enjoying their liberty and the novelty of 
 the situation. Meanwhile, the two oxen were cut up, 
 and several huge cauldrons, containing meat, rice, etc., 
 were in full swing, and many busy hands were engaged 
 some bringing water some bundles of firewood 
 some cooking and some clearing a space in the shade 
 of a monster mango-tree, where the feast was to be
 
 Farewell Uabai. 329 
 
 held. At 1 p.m. all was ready, and 300 children sat 
 down to a sumptuous feed, such as few of them had 
 ever partaken of in their lives before. Their appetites 
 were in excellent order, and the best part of the two 
 oxen, with rice in proportion, was soon disposed of. 
 After dinner all had liberty to spend the rest of the 
 day as they chose some were for play most preferred 
 roaming about over the hills and some, I'm afraid, 
 were more inclined to aid digestion by a quiet sleep ! 
 All passed off merrily, without a hitch, except that 
 Ward was bitten on the hand by a snake, which gave 
 us a little anxiety. There was pain and swelling, but 
 they yielded to treatment, and in a few hours he was 
 apparently none the worse. 
 
 Sunday, March 24. My last Lord's Day at Rabai a 
 day not soon to be forgotten. In the midst of many 
 cares and anxieties, my spirit has often found refresh- 
 ment here, and fresh strength and courage for my task. 
 An hour before time for Service this morning the Church 
 was filled, and many sitting outside these we brought 
 in and packed as best we could in the aisles. I gave 
 the sermon, Jones being my Aaron ; after which we 
 once more gathered round the Lord's Table. In the 
 afternoon I had another opportunity my last and 
 said my few parting words from the text : " Gather 
 up the fragments, etc." 
 
 Invited all the European Brethren, also Mr. Jones 
 and his wife 17 in all to supper. We sung some of 
 our favourite Hymns, and after a few last words from 
 myself, to which Burness replied, we had our parting 
 Prayer together !
 
 330 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 Monday, March 25. Left Eabai with the children at 
 8 a.m. It was fearfully hot, but we got to the " ban- 
 derini " all right, and off by about 10. There were two 
 dhows and three boats filled as closely as they could 
 pack towed by the steam launch, again kindly lent by 
 Mr. Mackenzie. It was a pretty picture as the boats, 
 sometimes in a straight line, and sometimes, through 
 bad steering, in serpentine fashion, wound along the 
 lake-like broads of the charming creek. Happily the 
 water was smooth, and the sun every now and then 
 hidden behind clouds. The children kept up a con- 
 tinuous singing of Hymns, and at noon we safely landed 
 our little party on the beach at Frere Town, where 
 warm greetings met us from crowds of people who had 
 assembled to welcome our return. 
 
 Tuesday, March 26. Heavy rain in the night.. It is 
 a great boon, and we are thankful, but it starts into life 
 myriads of insects, which are a torment. Taylor has 
 hit upon a grand invention let every one make a note 
 of it : a large wash-hand basin, nearly filled with water, 
 placed near the lamp. Thousands of insects of every 
 kind ants, moths, flying-bugs, etc., all dazzled by the 
 light, fall in, and pass away quietly, without noise or 
 smell ! 
 
 Wednesday, March 27. Called on the Admiral, who 
 kindly offered me a passage in the flag-ship to Zanzibar ; 
 and also invited me to dinner to-night ; but my hours 
 with my dear friends on shore are fast running out, so 
 I must make the most of them. Strange to say, Col. 
 and Mrs. Euan Smith are to be my fellow-passengers, 
 and probably Mackenzie from Aden ! It will be " odd "
 
 Farewell Frere Town. 331 
 
 if we three chiefs in our own departments should go 
 home together in the same boat an " undesigned co- 
 incidence ! " I can only hope that, in some way, it 
 may he for good. We have had, as might be expected, 
 some diplomatic tussles, but I have great regard for 
 both, highly appreciate the work they have done, and 
 know no reason why we should not continue to be very 
 good friends. 
 
 Thursday, March 28. Paid my farewell visit to the 
 Wali. He was as usual lavish of good words. " It was 
 well at such a critical time, that there had been a wise 
 man at the head of the Mission, etc., etc." It would 
 not be fair to take him too literally ; but if there is any 
 honesty and truth in what he says, neither he nor the 
 people of Mombasa have any ground of complaint 
 against us. He had written a letter in Arabic, which 
 he asked me to accept a testimonial of good character, 
 I suppose ; and no doubt he expects me to return the 
 favour. Certainly I can say that my intercourse with 
 him has always been most cordial, and I have invari- 
 ably found him courteous and obliging. He made me a 
 present of two silver coffee-cup holders native work of 
 Lamu and we parted the best of friends. 
 
 This evening there was a farewell Meeting, attended 
 by all the European and (English-speaking) Native 
 Brethren. Taylor was appointed to address a few 
 words to me in the name of all. Needless to say they 
 were very kind and to the point, and went to my heart. 
 I replied as best I could ; it is hard to say what one 
 would or ought to say on such an occasion. Still it 
 was a happy gathering, and one that cannot easily be
 
 332 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 forgotten. It takes not a little from the pain of parting 
 to hear from one and all the expression of the hope 
 however unlikely it may be that they shall soon wel- 
 come me back again. 
 
 Friday, March 29. At 2 p.m. the beech presented a 
 lively scene. The children were of course there in full 
 force, under Robson's charge, and there were groups of 
 men and women old friends and new all waiting 
 to say " kwa heri" to "Bwana Mkubwa," who was 
 leaving them for the third, and probably last, time. 
 From all who knew her there were loving messages 
 for " mama ". One and another expressed their grati- 
 tude for what I had been permitted to accomplish 
 during the past year, and their hope to see me again in 
 their midst. I found it very hard to say " good bye " to 
 all these dear friends black and white especially as 
 there is too much reason to fear that severe trials are 
 still in store for the East African Mission. Present or 
 absent, it will always have a warm place in my heart, 
 and if by counsel or otherwise I can serve it, I shall 
 rejoice. 
 
 Punctually at 2.30 p.m. the anchor was hauled in ; 
 and as the last " farewells " were wafted to us from the 
 shore, the little " Henry Wright" steamed at full speed 
 out of the lovely harbour of Mombasa. A little incident 
 occurred worth mentioning. As the anchor was being 
 wound up a boat came alongside, in which was my old 
 friend, Sudi Mahomed, one of the leading Arabs of 
 Mombasa. In the hurry of my departure I had not 
 found time to pay him a farewell visit ; so having heard 
 that I was leaving to-day, he had come off in all haste
 
 Kwa Heri. 333 
 
 to say "good bye". He was only just in the nick of 
 time indeed scarcely that, for whilst he was pouring 
 forth his expressions of kind regard for me, and of his 
 regret at my going away, the screw began to revolve 
 we were off ! The Captain who was at the wheel, had 
 given the order, not being aware that any stranger was 
 on board. I rushed forward at once and requested him 
 to stop and set down my friend. He replied, " I can't 
 do it, sir; he will have to go on to Zanzibar ". I was 
 greatly vexed, but could only protest, which I did as 
 vigorously as I could. I don't know how it would have 
 ended, but luckily before getting outside the harbour we 
 came across a canoe, in which we deposited Sudi. I 
 gave the canoe-man a rupee, and had the satisfaction of 
 seeing my Arab friend on his way to the shore. 
 
 Three of my colleagues Taylor, Burness, and Smith 
 are coming along to see the last of me. We are rather 
 thick on the ground, and the sanitary arrangements on 
 board are very insufficient for so large a party ; bathing 
 quite out of the question, but it is not for long. 
 
 Saturday, March 30. Had a fair passage through the 
 night, only Taylor and one or two others being rather 
 upset, and anchored at Zanzibar at 10 a.m. The Flag- 
 ship's light was in view all night, and she got in only 
 half an hour before us. I did not go on shore to call at 
 the Agency till afternoon, when I met as usual with a 
 cordial reception from Colonel and Mrs. Euan Smith. 
 They insisted on my being their guest ; but as I did 
 not like deserting my good friends on the " H. W.," I 
 could only promise to avail myself of their kindness on 
 Monday.
 
 334 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 Sunday, March 31. Last night dear Captain Arbuth- 
 not came over in his boat and asked me to give a 
 Service on board the ' : Mariner " this morning, which 
 I gladly consented to do. Several of the Brethren 
 accompanied me, and a very hearty Service we had. 
 The First Lieutenant, Mr. Stileman, had made excellent 
 arrangements. He appears to be an earnest Christian, 
 and his brother, I hear, has just been accepted by the 
 C.M.S. Most of the Brethren attended afternoon 
 Service in the Cathedral. I felt too tired and was glad 
 of the opportunity of getting a quiet hour to myself on 
 board. What a pity the Cathedral is so badly placed ! 
 only to be got at by a depressing walk through noisy 
 bazaars and filthy slums. 
 
 Monday, April 1. Removed to my old quarters at 
 the Agency. The place wonderfully improved an 
 oriental Palace ! The Colonel and his good wife will 
 find it hard to leave this beautiful and luxurious home, 
 which they have created, and where they have reigned 
 supreme. 
 
 In the afternoon took a carriage, and drove with 
 Smith and Burness to the Universities' Mission Sta- 
 tions of Kinngani and Mbweni. At the former found 
 Miss Bartlett, Archdeacon Jones Bateman and Bishop 
 Smythies. The latter was confined to his room with 
 slight fever. Had a long and interesting talk with 
 him, and was pleased to find we are in fall accord on 
 several important matters of Mission policy. 
 
 Tuesday, April 2. Mosquitoes in force drove me 
 from my bed. I took refuge on the roof, in the open, 
 and slept fairly well. Commander Pretyman most
 
 Farewell Zanzibar. 335 
 
 kindly sent his galley at eleven to take me and my 
 friends on board the " Agamenimon ". He took us 
 all over the big ship, showing and explaining the 
 working of the guns, and the other wonderful 
 machinery. Very interesting and instructive ! The 
 French Steamer, " Eio Grande," came in at noon, 
 and I lost no time in boarding her. She is a large 
 ship, but alas ! crowded with passengers, so that it 
 was with difficulty I secured a berth the last in the 
 saloon, just over the screw the Colonel and Mrs. 
 Euan Smith having the corresponding one on the 
 opposite side. From all I can see, as regards cleanli- 
 ness and good order, it is an age behind the P. and O. 
 
 This morning Captain Weissman came to breakfast. 
 He seems a nice gentlemanly fellow. Speaks English 
 well. Has twice crossed Africa from West to East, 
 and now comes out accredited by the German Govern- 
 ment as a Chief Commissioner. 
 
 There was a farewell dinner at the Agency a select 
 party of old friends, who met together under this hospi- 
 table roof for the last time. 
 
 Wednesday, April 3. Took leave of Zanzibar and 
 all my dear friends there. We had our last Prayer to- 
 gether on the deck of the "H.W.," after which, I went 
 on board the "Rio Grande". Presently the Consul 
 General arrived under a Royal salute from the Sultan's 
 " Glasgow ". The German Admiral, General Matthews, 
 Captain Weissman, and others, together with a good 
 number of Hindis, came to see the Consul General 
 off ; but I could not help noticing, amongst the latter, 
 a great lack of enthusiasm the leave-taking was a
 
 336 My Third Campaign in East Africa. 
 
 sombre affair ! It was very different with me and my 
 dear Missionary brethren. They were all on board, 
 and it was, I believe, with mutual feelings of loving 
 regret we pressed each other's hands for the last time, 
 and exchanged our parting adieus ! 
 
 Admiral Fremantle led the way, in his Flag-ship, 
 out of the harbour, and having drawn aside for us to 
 pass, the ships saluted, and the band struck up the old 
 familiar strains of " Auld Lang Syne " and " Home, 
 Sweet Home ". 
 
 So ends another chapter of my Missionary life. 
 Ebenezer ! Praised be God for all His mercies and 
 loving kindnesses ! May He graciously pardon all 
 my unworthiness and shortcomings, and accept and 
 prosper anything said or done according to His will ! 
 May His richest blessings rest on all my dear fellow- 
 labourers, whom I love in the Lord, and on all the 
 Native converts ! And may He grant us a happy re- 
 union if not before then in the grand day of ' ' the 
 manifestation of the sons of God," for the Eedeemer's 
 sake !
 
 GLOSSARY. 
 
 Akida, an officer, second in command. 
 Askari, a soldier, policeman. 
 
 B. 
 
 Baba 16k, children. 
 
 Banderini, a landing place. 
 
 Baraza, durbar, council. 
 
 Bibi, a lady. 
 
 Bus, enough. 
 
 Bwana, master. 
 
 Bwana mkubiva, great master, chief. 
 
 C. 
 
 D. 
 
 F. 
 
 Dhobi, a washerman. 
 Dhow, a native vessel. 
 
 Fitina, plotting. 
 
 Fundi, a workman, teacher. 
 
 Furaha, joy. 
 
 H. 
 
 Haya-Juiya, come along ! quick !
 
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 <1THE HOME VISITOR,0 
 
 An Illustrated Church Magazine for the Fireside, the Workshop, 
 the School, and the Parish, 
 
 Conducted by Clergymen of the Church of England. 
 
 ARRANGEMENTS FOR 1891. 
 
 The Home Visitor will inaugurate with the number for January, 1891, 
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 The following interesting features have already been arranged for 
 the early months of the New Year : 
 
 Two New Serial Stories, 
 
 " C IK -A. IST G- IE OE, CHOICE." 
 By Rev. EDWARD NEWENHAM HOARE, M.A., 
 
 Author of "Careless Campion," "Perils of the Deep," etc., etc., 
 (Commencing in January). 
 
 The Second Serial Tale will be specially designed for the Young. 
 
 Friendly Talks about the Prayer Book. A Series of Short Papers. 
 
 New Lessons from Old Proverbs. 
 
 Short Expository Scriptural Papers. 
 
 Pictures from English History : The Protectorate to Modern Times. By 
 E. A. W. Illustrated. 
 
 Our Portrait Album. Biographical Sketches of Clerical and Lay 
 Church Workers, with Portraits and other Illustrations. 
 
 Mission Sketches. Short Papers by Rev. W. Salter Price, F.R.G.S., 
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 gaged in Missionary Work. 
 
 Natural History, Gardening, and Poultry Keeping. 
 
 Little Letters from Little People. On Topics connected with their 
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 Attractive Articles on Social Topics. 
 
 Cookery and other Matters affecting Home Comfort. 
 
 Life in the Colonies : Where to go and what to go for. 
 
 The Home Visitor is specially adapted for localization. Clergymen 
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 Copy and Terms, before making their final arrangements. 
 
 LONDON : WILLIAM HUNT & CO., 12 PATEENOSTEB Eow, E.G.
 
 6V 
 
 3^30 
 
 
 from which it was borrowed.
 
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