,,on ,,the ,,borders ,,of ,,pigmy ,,land ,illustration3 ,yours heartily ,ruth ,b4 ,fisher ,,on ,,the ,,borders ,,of ,,pigmy ,,land ,,by ,,ruth ,b4 ,,fisher 7ne ,,hurditch7 ,,new ,,york1 ,,chicago1 ,,toronto3 ,,fleming ,h4 ,,revell ,,company #aije ,r4 ,w4 ,,simpson ,,and ,,co41 ,,ltd41 ,,printers1 ,,richmond ,,and ,,london4 ,,preface ,to none of her many friends in ,england and ,ireland does the writer of this book1 whether as ,miss ,ruth ,hurditch or ,mrs4 ,fisher1 need any introduction2 but ,i gladly accept the opportunity offered to me of commending her graphic story of ,mission life and work to a still wider circle1 including the ,american ,christian public1 among whom we are assured the work will find ready circulation4 ,no one can read it and not be impressed by the evidence with which it abounds that the same ,gospel which conquered ,europe1 civilized or barbarous1 in ages past is as potent to-day to transform the most degraded and dormant races into peoples of quick intelligence and spiritual consciousness1 and has given them in a marvellously short time a measure of self-respect1 a sense of the dignity of labour1 and a devotion to the welfare of others1 not always found in ,christian lands or even ,churches of ancient fame4 ,at a time when the jaded faith of many at home is giving way before the incessant undermining of the old foundations1 and when we are invited to recast the 8details0 of the ,gospel1 it is no small thing that the ,bible is seen to be making new history again1 and giving fresh evidences of its divine vitality4 ,the ,mission ,field is paying back its debt to the ,church at home4 ,africa1 emerging from the night of ages1 is bringing her treasures of grace to make up the 8fulness of the ,gentiles40 ,the pigmies themselves are worthy of a better lot than to be carried off by a traveller and be made a show for the sordid curiosity of holiday crowds4 ,there are other reasons also why we welcome ,mrs4 ,fisher's journals4 ,she has drawn with her pen pictures of the country and people as lifelike as the excellent photographs which adorn the book4 ,she has enabled us to share her adventures without the discomforts4 ,the tropical storms and glaring sunshine1 the swamps of ,semliki1 and the snow peaks of ,ruwenzori1 the camps and caravans1 the dispensary and the school1 the good ,king and the gentle ,queen1 the ,prime ,minister and poor ,blasiyo the pigmy are all as real to us as though we had seen them and known them ourselves4 ,mrs4 ,fisher has shown us how a devoted couple whose hearts are filled with a longing to win souls for the ,saviour can face dangers1 and cut themselves off from the common comforts of home1 not only with patience but with cheerfulness4 ,no one will feel the playfulness and the sense of humour with which she often describes the most trying situations to be inconsistent with the more serious purpose of her ,missionary life1 or to unfit her for the gracious ministry of comforting the sorrowful1 teaching the ignorant1 and healing the sick1 in which she has been engaged4 ,if each reader of these pages will let them raise before the conscience such questions as these1 8,what have ,i done1 and what can ,i do to help such blessed work0 or 8,why should ,i not follow in such steps myself10 and if such questions be honestly answered as in the presence of the ,lord1 ,i cannot doubt that results still more wonderful than those which this book describes will find a record in the near future1--that may be even the ,coming of the ,lord4 ,may the ,holy ,spirit moving in many lives bring this to pass4 ,h4 ,e4 ,,fox1 ,hon4 ,sec41 ,c4,m4,s4 ,,contents ,,chapter4 ,,page4 ,i4 ,a ,,journey ,,on ,,the ,,uganda ,,railroad ,,four ,,years ,,ago #a ,,ii4 ,,on ,,land ,,and ,,lake #aa ,,iii4 ,,mengo1 ,,uganda #bb ,,iv4 ,,toro1 ,,the ,,land ,,of ,,the ,,mountains ,,of ,,the ,,moon #ca ,v4 ,,the ,,country #da ,,vi4 ,,home ,,life #ej ,,vii4 ,,royal ,,life #ei ,,viii4 ,,the ,,women ,,of ,,toro #fi ,,ix4 ,,child ,,life #gi ,x4 ,,religion #hd ,,xi4 ,,language #ib ,,xii4 ,,festivities ,,in ,,toro #ig ,,xiii4 ,,tramp ,i4 ,,to ,,the ,,albert ,,edward ,,lake #ajf ,,xiv4 ,,tramp ,,ii4 ,,holidays #aai ,,xv4 ,,tramp ,,iii4 ,,tramp ,,through ,,the ,,four ,,kingdoms ,,of ,,the ,,protectorate #abh ,,xvi4 ,,tramp ,,iv4 ,,towards ,,the ,,pigmies #aea ,,xvii4 ,,in ,,darkest ,,africa4 ,,the ,,pigmies 7,,batwa7 ,,and ,,their 7,,bambuba7 ,,neighbours #afa ,,xviii4 ,a ,,climb ,,to ,,the ,,snows #agc ,,xix4 ,,missionary ,,work #ahh ,,xx4 ,,medical ,,work #aii ,,xxi4 ,,scholastic ,,work #baa ,,list ,,of ,,illustrations ,a ,,group ,,of ,,baganda4 ,a ,,group ,,of ,,masais4 ,a ,,group ,,of ,,pigmy ,,women4 ,a ,,mubira ,,lady3 ,,an ,,afternoon ,,caller4 ,a ,,nandi ,,family4 ,a ,,native ,,of ,,balega3 ,,the ,,first ,,to ,,be ,,baptised ,,of ,,his ,,race4 ,a ,,peep ,,at ,,the ,,snows4 ,,apolo ,,kivebulaya4 ,a ,,school ,,in ,,toro4 ,a ,,viaduct ,,on ,,the ,,uganda ,,railroad4 ,,back ,,from ,,the ,,snows3 ,,bakonjo ,,porters4 ,,blasiyo3 ,,first ,,baptised ,,pigmy4 ,,crossing ,,the ,,muluku ,,river4 ,,kicucei ,,camp4 ,,king ,,dandi ,,kasagama ,,of ,,toro ,,and ,,his ,,chiefs4 ,,muluku ,,glacier4 ,,new ,,church1 ,,kabarole ,,toro4 ,,our ,,home ,,in ,,toro4 ,,port ,,of ,,mombasa4 ,,snow ,,peaks4 ,,stiff ,,climbing3 ,a ,,climb ,,to ,,the ,,snows4 ,,tabala1 ,,chief ,,of ,,mboga1 ,,and ,,suite4 ,,the ,,albert ,,edward ,,lake4 ,,the ,,ba-,,ambas3 ,,nearest ,,neighbours ,,to ,,the ,,pigmies4 ,,the ,,bahuku3 ,,cannibal ,,race4 ,,the ,,bakonjo ,,at ,,home4 ,,the ,,batoro ,,at ,,home4 ,,the ,,four ,,pigmies ,,at ,,kabarole4 ,,the ,,kidong ,,escarpment4 ,,the ,,market ,,place4 ,,the ,,new ,,boat ,,on ,,victoria ,,nyanza4 ,,the ,,semliki ,,river4 ,,chapter ,i ,a ,journey on the ,uganda ,railroad ,four ,years ,ago ,it was in the beginning of the year #aijj that a ,british ,india steamer cast anchor and set down on ,african soil a party of seven missionaries bound for distant ,uganda4 ,six of that number might be termed 8freshers10 for they were complete strangers to the 8dark continent10 and absolutely uninitiated in the art of ,african travelling4 ,it is a little difficult to define the feelings of a new arrival who has before him or her the prospect of life and work in that country4 ,the memories of magnificent lives laid down for its people fill the heart with an intensely solemn sense of responsibility and dignity2 records of travel and adventure kindle a love of daring1 and a desire for opportunities of heroism2 while the meagre knowledge that exists on the interior districts breaks the imagination of the traveller away from its leading strings4 ,the port of ,british ,east ,africa--the ,island of ,mombasa--is a typical foreign mercantile coast town1 with its medley of craft1 ships1 yachts1 tugs1 boats and canoes manned by seamen of various nationalities1 pushing1 hustling and screaming in all the tongues of ,babel4 ,the handsome old ,arab fortress that stands on its jagged rocky prominence as a sentinel at the entrance of the harbour1 takes one back to the time before the port was taken over by the ,british1 and when it was used by those who had carried on the terrible slave traffic in the interior4 ,a little to the left is to be seen the ,british ,consulate with its ,union ,jack fluttering from the mast as the emblem of liberty and justice to all who come under its jurisdiction4 ,as we stepped from the ship's deck on to the landing-stage the sun felt distinctly ,african4 ,the dazzling white and somewhat congested streets seemed to singe our very boot leather4 ,it was a relief to have pointed out a strip of bright green mainland which lay at the extreme end of a sheltered bay1 as the place where hospitality would be offered me and two others of our party of seven1 while preparations were being made for our journey up country4 ,a short row brought us to this mission station of the ,church ,missionary ,society--,freretown--the situation of which is very pleasing2 in front stretches the transparent blue bay1 beyond to the right the white minarets and red tiled roofs of ,mombasa1 and all around dense foliage--mango and banana trees1 creepers and shrubs and flowers in tangled confusion4 ,a warm ,english welcome awaited us from our missionary friends there who were domiciled in a solid two-storied brick house4 ,the guest room delegated to me was evidently an afterthought1 as it was constructed of corrugated iron with plaited grass stretched across for a ceiling4 ,the room opened out on a broad balcony1 and as it is the custom to leave open the doors at night to catch the least suspicion of a breeze that might blow in across the bay1 the bats and rats made free use of my room until daybreak4 ,the first night ,i found the rats had shewed an appreciative appetite for ,cadbury's chocolate1 for they completely finished off my half-pound tin which had been tusselled for at a chess tournament on board ship4 ,illustration3 ,,port ,,of ,,mombasa4 ,the terrible famine up country had brought many half-starved folk to the coast4 ,bishop ,peel had sent down some #cj to #dj girls and boys from the ,wanika tribe to be clothed1 fed1 and cared for at the mission dormitory4 ,starvation had played frightful havoc with them4 ,one wee babe of about two years1 all skin and bone1 had had her hands held in the fire by her mother because hunger had driven her to steal a banana4 ,her tiny fingers were twisted back and much distorted1 some joints having entirely gone4 ,other children had no toes1 these having been literally eaten away by the little insects known as jiggers1 which are very numerous inland1 and trouble ,europeans as well as natives4 ,on ,sunday we went to morning service in the splendid brick native church4 ,as it was conducted in the ,swahili language we could only follow in silence the order of the liturgy4 ,the church1 holding about #ejj people1 was almost full4 ,colours were very pronounced among the women4 ,the girls were dressed in white gowns with red handkerchiefs round the head2 but the elder women adopted the most remarkable hues3 orange-coloured sashes and violet head gear were the most conspicuous4 ,they attended very devoutly1 and as ,i knelt at the ,communion rails with a native woman on either side1 that text appealed to me with a new power 8,other sheep ,i have 444 and there shall be one fold and one ,shepherd40 ,in the afternoon ,i delivered my first message to ,africans4 ,i had been asked to speak through interpretation to a class of women2 it was not easy to stand up before one's first audience of dusky faces and to try and adapt the message to their minds--an unexplored land as yet to me--to choose carefully words which would lend themselves to interpretation and to recollect the point stopped at between the sentences4 ,the morning after our arrival we all met in the office of the ,church ,missionary ,society's agency4 ,before us were arrayed a dozen ,swahili lads who were coming up country with us to act as our personal attendants4 ,each of us was to be allowed the sole service of one1 the half of another1 and a quarter of another2 that is1 one boy was to act as housemaid1 two of us would share a cook1 and four a cook's mate4 ,minute instructions were given us as to travelling arrangements1 which resulted in1 for one thing1 the re-adjusting of every one of our loads that weighed anything over #felbs4 ,it let me in for some days of arduous labour4 ,if it had not been for my newly acquired 8housemaid0 ,richard1 who had attached himself to me after that morning in the office1 the unpacking and re-packing would have proved an almost hopeless task in such melting temperature4 ,the last load nailed down contained a heterogeneous collection of groceries1 ,monkey ,brand soap1 photos1 a saucepan1 and a few garments1 all of which had been taken out of loads of overweight4 ,quite unexpectedly we heard that our start up country was to be made on the fifth day after our arrival at the coast4 ,a breakdown was hinted at as being likely to occur on the railroad on account of the heavy rains that had fallen4 ,apart from this we were told that the train would accomplish the #cfd miles of its journey in one day and night4 ,at railhead our caravan of porters was awaiting us1 as also the two donkeys and two jinrickshas1 which would prove essential in case of sickness on the road4 ,we speedily fixed our bicycles up on hearing of the immediate start to be made1 which seemed to make us all desperately impatient to be spinning along the ,african roads to ,uganda4 ,on ,february #bcrd we left ,mombasa4 ,a large party of missionaries met at ,freretown ,church at eight o'clock for united ,communion4 ,then we hurried down to the shore where a boat awaited us to take us across to ,port ,mombasa4 ,after getting together all handbags and other small baggage we were packed away in a ghari--a tiny truck for four persons1 with shade1 run on rails along the street4 ,a curious party we looked2 three gharis left the town1 boxes1 bags and rugs heaped up in a pile1 a few natives scattered about here and there among us1 and boys pushing behind4 ,these vehicles simply fly along when going downhill2 one box toppled over in one of these wild escapades1 and the whole contents burst out and were scattered about on the road4 ,then a derailment of one ghari necessitated the passengers dismounting1 and the cars that followed in the wake being carried round the obstructing car4 ,the terminus of the railway is at ,kilindini1 which lies about two miles outside ,mombasa4 ,at the station a strange scene confronted us4 ,people from various countries were rushing about in a state of great excitement1 all struggling to crowd into the few compartments allotted to fourth class passengers4 ,they were so jammed together that one could only expect to see the carriages burst apart with the pressure from inside4 ,our compartments were ever so much better than ,i had expected2 two had been reserved for our party of seven4 ,perhaps some of us were a little disappointed that there was no 8roughing it10 but we tried to console each other with the thought that there might be a breakdown on the line4 ,our feelings can be imagined when the train whizzed away and kept up a most respectable speed1 in fact1 behaved itself like a civilized being4 ,we had armed ourselves with plenty of provisions1 but found that good meals had been prepared for us at various long halting stations on the route4 ,wanting to lighten our supplies1 however1 afternoon tea was suggested1 and as passengers could walk from one compartment to another by means of an outside foot-board1 even though the train was running1 we invited all the members of our party in to a social tea4 ,my canteen was produced and efforts were made to boil the water1 but the train was shaking so unreasonably that the small kettle needed to be constantly replenished during the boiling4 ,we had to warn our guests to avoid the streams of water that were running down the carriage from the kettle spout1 but the last arrival made a dreadful mistake by sitting on the top of the teapot just as the tea was made4 ,this was not discovered until the whole contents were upset and the offender realized a scalding sensation4 ,the first day on the ,uganda railroad was certainly not the most enjoyable2 the heat was stifling and the dust so obtrusive that in spite of having the windows closed1 in less than an hour everything had assumed a brownish-red appearance2 the carriage cushions1 our clothing1 hair1 and eyes were full of it1 and if one did venture to open the lips to pass a remark1 a mouth-wash was necessary4 ,mile after mile of country was passed where the grass was entirely burnt up1 and almost all trees and shrubs dried and bleached4 ,the land was in the grip of famine1 whose hand of death had touched all nature4 ,some of its last victims dragged their exhausted limbs to the banks of the railroad as the train passed through their land of hunger4 ,poor wee children1 their sharp bones standing out in a most ghastly manner1 looked like skeletons moving4 ,we gave them food which they voraciously seized1 but alas1 many had got beyond the power of eating4 ,our first halting place was ,voi1 which we reached at seven p4m41 after a run of eight hours4 ,as the train was not leaving again till eleven o'clock we were allowed time for a short rest after dining at the station bungalow4 ,native couches of woven grass stretched over wooden frames were given to us1 but the need of mosquito nets and blankets drove all ideas of sleep away4 ,the next morning we found the scenery had entirely changed2 vast stretches of plain and gently undulating country extended for miles on either side4 ,this district1 known as the ,athi plain1 is thickly populated with all sorts of wild animals4 ,there were scores of antelopes1 zebras1 and ostriches4 ,the tracks of lions were pointed out to us1 but these are the only animals that apparently do not venture near the trains in broad daylight4 ,nairobi1 which has been named the 8tin-town0 on account of all the buildings being composed of corrugated zinc1 is quite an important place4 ,it is one of the headquarters and workshops of the railway company1 and a large and rapidly increasing ,european1 ,indian1 and ,arab population has settled here4 ,from this point we had to take up our porters1 and this was not an easy matter4 ,instead of the #cjj or so required1 only about #aej were procurable to carry all our loads of food supplies1 clothing and household requisites for the road and our destination1 besides various other boxes and literature for missionaries and mission work in ,uganda4 ,after leaving ,nairobi another complete contrast opened out before us4 ,dense thickets1 forests and jungle covered hill and dale1 without a sign of human life4 ,truly the world seemed here as in infancy1 and the railway a harsh discord of civilization4 ,it is a rest to the mind and soul to pass through these world's natural parks2 the deep long silence1 unreached by man's babble1 carries in its air a breeze from ,home and one's whole inward being rises on the wing to its ,god4 ,i wondered why such miles and miles of uninhabited land existed when 8,he created it not in vain1 ,he formed it to be inhabited40 ,was it that ,he might give us 8the treasures of darkness and hidden riches of secret places0 which ,god deposits in regions where1 untrammelled by the footprints 7not the results7 of sin the ,shekinah dwells revealed in such natural splendour8 ,on ,sunday at two p4m41 we found ourselves at railhead4 ,the train before ours had been derailed several times on account of the heavy rains washing down the new embankments1 but as trains only run once a week1 repairs had been temporarily completed1 so we finished our journey without a single mishap4 ,i wish you could have seen our plight as we arrived4 ,to begin with1 even in the finest weather the country would always appear somewhat dreary2 nature has not behaved very liberally4 ,the train drew up abruptly1 not because of its having reached a station1 but there was no more line on which to run4 ,the only buildings were a few tents and iron sheds1 the property of the six ,europeans and score of ,indians employed on the construction of the railway4 ,the whole country was under water1 and the rains were sweeping down in a deluge4 ,out of the waters appeared our two jinrickshas and a few boxes1 and these indicated the spot where we were to camp4 ,our first inclination was to remain in the train1 but as that had to return at once1 we waded out and about1 and did not quite know what to do next4 ,here the ,europeans came nobly to our assistance and offered the ladies shelter in a tent called the post-office4 ,it is remarkable what a lot it takes to make you depressed in ,africa4 ,in ,england ,i believe most of us would have felt rather despondent1 but none of us confessed to those feelings4 ,after a cup of tea1 with condensed milk1 had warmed us up1 we gave a right good ,british cheer as a tapping at the telegraph wires in our tea room told us of a splendid ,british victory at the seat of war4 ,towards evening the rain ceased and as the ground was well digged round with trenches the water quickly drained off1 so our tents were unpacked and erected4 ,the railway officials kindly supplied us with a number of solid planks1 which formed a firm flooring over the mud4 ,the tents looked so warm and bright in the midst of such grey surroundings4 ,camping out was quite a new experience to most of us and we immensely enjoyed moving in to our new quarters4 ,when we had got straight the whole party came together in our tent1 squeezed round the tiny table1 and we had a thanksgiving service4 ,through the goodness of ,god1 things had marvellously adjusted themselves1 considering the short time and the swamped condition of the country4 ,we all sang the ,te ,deum till our little tent rang with voices4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,kidong ,,escarpment4 ,photo by ,w4 ,d4 ,young1 ,mombasa4 ,as we joined in the general thanksgiving and prayers ,i can truly say that no more heartfelt praise ascended into the courts of ,heaven from any temple that ,sunday evening1 than from our little tabernacle in the wilderness4 ,outside1 darkness reigned1 except for the porters' fires1 burning in every direction1 with the black figures squatting round1 which gave the whole scene a weird and fantastic appearance4 ,the next morning all our loads were hauled out for inspection1 and owing to the lack of porters we were obliged to choose out such as would be required for more immediate use2 the remaining boxes had to be stacked in a rather too well ventilated shed to await reinforcements of porters4 ,this particular district was in rather a disturbed condition4 ,the day before we had arrived some natives fired upon a ,european and killed him2 in consequence a small detachment of soldiers had been sent out to see into matters and had shot two natives4 ,we were warned at night to have our camp carefully guarded by askaris1#a as thieves were about in addition to any unfriendly folk who might be prowling round4 ,so a fire was lit just outside our tents1 and sentries stationed at close distances4 ,they accosted every passer-by in angry tones1 and those who did not use the password 8friend0 stood a very poor chance of getting off4 ,as we stood round the log-fire at evening1 the thunder and lightning roared and flashed2 and then down came the rain and pelted hard all night4 ,one of the tents was quite flooded2 the bed and furniture were rescued and the occupant moved into another's tent pitched on slightly higher ground4 ,we had arrived in the rainy season1 and were told that we must not be surprised if we got a daily soaking4 ,it rather damped one's enthusiasm for camping out and cycling4 ,this district is called the ,kidong ,escarpment1 and is a ledge of land that suddenly drops some #ejj feet4 ,the railway takes a circuitous route to avoid this drop1 but at that time a most elaborate temporary line had been laid down the precipitous bank1 the cars being worked by cables4 ,one had here an example of the almost insurmountable difficulties that faced the engineers of the ,uganda railway1 difficulties emphasised by the fact that all material required had to be imported from ,india or ,england4 ,viaducts1 some of which are of gigantic height1 frequently connect rock to rock1 and along these the train has cautiously to pass4 ,at other times the brave little locomotive pants and gasps as it toils along with its burden2 now and again it stops to gain breath1 then it goes on again1 climbing1 ever climbing1 till it has reached an altitude of #g1jjj feet4 ,after the burning heat of the dusty plains1 along which the train rushes with hysterical speed1 filling the traveller with misgivings and treating him to plenty of rough shakings1 how welcome is the cold frosty air of these ,african ,highlands1 which have proved no barrier to the ,uganda railroad4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,viaduct ,,on ,,the ,,uganda ,,railroad4 ,photo by ,w4 ,d4 ,young1 ,mombasa4 ,,chapter ,,ii ,on ,land and ,lake ,we certainly set off for our first so-called tramp most professionally fitted out1 but this only lasted for one day4 ,the marching ,norfolk dress was soon discarded for a loose blouse2 the water bottle1 which did give one rather a heroic aspect1 was quietly given over to the 8boy02 that wonderful compendium of knife1 corkscrew1 file1 button hook1 and so forth1 which includes everything that you never want and nothing that you do1 was likewise voted too heavy2 even the puggaree that had offered a suggestion of trimming to the very unbecoming bald topee1 was thrown out1 and any consideration for personal appearance that might have secretly lurked within was superseded by the one desire for comfort1 as we steamed along on our bicycles over good1 bad1 and indifferent roads1 the sun beating down upon us all the time4 ,lake ,naivasha seemed scarcely large enough to satisfy our inordinate thirst as we pulled up2 we were not a bit polite when tea was generously doled out to us by the ,europeans stationed there1 for none of us refused a fourth and fifth cup1 even when we saw the supply was running short4 ,i got very behindhand in my journal while on the road4 ,never had ,i been successful in keeping one for longer than a week2 on the seventh day it had become so intolerably dull that ,dryasdust must even have yawned4 ,of course1 ,africa supplies you with plenty of material1 but the methodical mind and will power are somehow wanting4 ,let me tell you why4 ,at #d4j a4m4 daily one wakes up with a start1 for as the sun does not rise till #f4j1 night still seems to rest heavily on the land and on one's eyelids4 ,but the caravan leader is beating a drum1 accompanying it with a shrill falsetto call to rise2 and if one dares to stay rubbing the sleep out of the eyes1 the porters are fumbling away at the tent ropes1 and before there is time to complete one's toilette1 the whole tent flops down like a closed umbrella4 ,a truly undignified exit is made by a dishevelled figure1 and one turns up while breakfast is being served round the camp fire on tin crockery4 ,in the dusk we push off2 a real expert rider you must be to dodge in and out of the porters who are already filing along on the narrow path1 and have a happy knack of swinging round at the sound of the bicycle bell just as you pass--the tent-pole carrier was a veritable man-trap1 and more than once pitched machine and rider into the ditch4 ,i am sure ,i shall never complain again of ,english or even ,scotch roads2 the ridges we have ridden over 7often ending in a swamp7 have helped to strengthen one's nerves and powers of balance4 ,we generally reach camp before our porters1 and then seek out some shelter till our tents arrive4 ,it is a quaint sight to watch the long line of the caravan coming in2 the men become very excited at sight of the halting place1 and as the first man who carries a drum beats it with all his might1 swinging a zebra tail round and round his head1 the men all break into song and a slow dance1 which gradually increases in volume and speed until the #felb4 box on the head is quite forgotten1 the body springs about in mid-air1 and finally throws itself down with a shout of ecstasy and an eloquent outburst of self-praise and congratulation4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,group ,,of ,,masais4 ,photo by ,d4 ,v4 ,f4 ,figueira1 ,mombasa4 ,when tents have been pitched and bodily restoratives have been applied in the form of cool baths1 a good meal and a sleep1 the only possible hour for journalling has come4 ,but who could resist the desire to peep outside the tent door1 and then into the new and fascinating features of folk1 animals1 birds1 and country that surround the colony of tents8 ,so my pen remained idle for many days on the road1 and as we were constantly going forward1 it was not easy to go back and pick up broken threads4 ,the day from ,lake ,nakuro must have a few lines to itself4 ,the usual #ae miles' journey had appeared exceptionally short on account of the good roads1 and there being no houses or even signboard to tell you 8this is camp10 we rode past it unconsciously4 ,while resting mid-day on the banks of a shady nook for a cup of tea and biscuits1 two bicycles unfortunately fell over on my gear case and completely smashed it up4 ,this made riding a little difficult for the remainder of the day1 as the skirt would keep catching in the chain1 and the gear-case strapped across the handle-bars did not allow much knee space4 ,very hot1 dusty1 hungry1 and tired at #c4cj p4m41 we came across a small ,indian encampment which had journeyed up country for railway survey with a large number of pack mules4 ,the campers told us we had come #cd miles4 ,this rather alarmed us1 for we wondered how our porters could cover that distance4 ,it was a ghastly spot4 ,the ground was strewn with numbers of bleached skulls and bones1 which we afterwards learned were part of an ,indian troop that some time previously had travelled down country under ,mr4 ,grant1 and had died for want of water4 ,after waiting some time scouts were sent out to search for our men1 but as night fell they returned with the tidings that our caravan was camped some #ae miles away1 and was too exhausted to push on4 ,having eaten nothing since #d o'clock a4m41 with the exception of that mid-day impromptu lunch1 ,i must confess that our first consideration was for food4 ,fortunately one of our party had shot during the day a bustard4 ,this was speedily prepared and cooked in a pot lent us by the ,indians4 ,a few biscuits and some tea still remained in our canteen1 and so sitting round an ember fire inside the stockade constructed for the mules as protection from the lions1 we enjoyed1 perhaps as never before1 a hearty1 simple and crude meal1 without chairs1 spoons1 forks1 or even chop-sticks4 ,we tried to effect further loans1 and through the generosity of our new friends succeeded in procuring one small tent for the night4 ,it was small1 #f feet square1 and we five ladies had to pack into it4 ,we did manage it by strictly adhering to the agreement of sleeping on one's side and not attempting to change over4 ,there were no blankets1 but certainly none of us felt the need of them6 ,the gentlemen kept guard round the watch fires all night1 but ,i think they got in more sleep than we did4 ,in case such a thing should ever happen again1 the men of our party were evidently determined to be prepared1 for on the following afternoon we saw them shouldering their guns1 and after hearing a few distant sounds of shot1 two zebras and three antelopes were carried into camp2 and before we had finished admiring and pitying these splendid fallen lords of the country1 they were carried off and skinned4 ,the next sight we caught of them was in the form of long1 gory strips festooned from branch to branch of a tree close by4 ,the porters1 hawk-like1 were standing round1 as hungry ,east ,enders outside fried fish bars4 ,perhaps they can be partially excused when we consider the monotonous1 unpalatable millet which constitutes their daily diet4 ,at #g p4m4 a drum was beaten1 and every man presented himself in as famished a condition as he could assume4 ,they stood like soldiers waiting to be decorated with the ,v4,c4 ,in a few minutes the tree was quite cleared1 and outside each tiny tent was fixed on sticks venison and wild beef roasting over the fires4 ,the sounds of revelry had scarcely died away when the morning call drum sounded4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,new ,,boat ,,on ,,victoria ,,nyanza4 ,the people who live in the district through which we had hitherto passed are called the ,masai tribe1 a nomadic folk who travel about from one place to another1 according to the pasture the land offers for their goats and sheep4 ,they have distinctly warlike propensities1 and a warrior chief is often met having a few armed followers1 who1 like their master1 smear their bodies with grease and red earth1 only wearing a small strip of cloth1 or an animal's skin over the shoulder1 and sometimes a few feathers in their matted and oiled hair4 ,the fierce opposition they showed to the pioneer ,missionaries is now no longer displayed2 in fact they appear somewhat timid and reserved4 ,the general physical feature of the land is soft1 gently undulating country4 ,but for the lakes ,naivasha and ,nakuro1 and the ,river ,gilgal1 there is a marked scarcity of water4 ,not until we reached the ,eldoma ,ravine did we pass anything worthy of being called a forest4 ,at that point we had risen #g1jjj feet above sea level1 and exquisite stretches of tangled forests of cedars and bamboos afforded a welcome relief after the dried up and treeless track we had been accustomed to4 ,cycling was quite impossible owing to the many trees that had fallen across the road1 and the deep ruts made by the ox waggons which had passed along in the wet season2 one waggon1 carrying along parts of a new boat to be floated on the ,victoria ,nyanza1 was overthrown and broken up by one of these ruts the day we passed through the forest4 ,in spite of the weariness that often overcomes one travelling day after day under such a fierce sun1 how glad ,i am that the railway had left us #cjj miles of tramping before we reached the lake6 ,those who come up country now the railroad is completed will never experience the fondness1 and shall ,i call it proprietorship1 that one seems to feel for the land when each step has involved labour1 every little change from the prairie grass and thorn bushes been noticed and welcomed1 and each new district and tribe prayed and longed over to be claimed for ,christ4 ,how can ,i describe the scene that stretched before me as ,i stood on the ,nandi plateau overlooking the tranquil silver lake1 the ,victoria ,nyanza1 lying #c1jjj;ft4 below4 ,the sun was slowly sinking towards the west1 and1 as it did so1 drew the attention to the other side1 our land of promise1 ,uganda4 ,as the distant horizon and sky were flooded with a gentle red and golden light1 salvation and victory seemed written in the handwriting of ,god upon the walls of that country4 ,turning round towards camp what a contrast the scene presented4 ,hundreds of natives had congregated together dressed in animals' skins1 and armed with shields and spears1 which they were flourishing in the air with wild dancing and shrill war song--they were going out to fight with a neighbouring tribe4 ,in the morning ,i had had an undesirable encounter with some of them4 ,having taken my writing case and pocket ,bible to a hill a short distance away from where we were encamped to get a view of the wonderful panorama of plain and lake beneath1 ,i had been somewhat startled by a number of men suddenly appearing from what at first were quite undistinguishable grass huts4 ,void of clothing they had painted their bodies with bright red earth1 and had made various designs with grease on their limbs4 ,their hair was long and twisted into streaks by means of goat's fat1 and each man carried a spear and shield4 ,soon a small crowd had gathered round1 and ,i must confess to a certain feeling of uneasiness at the isolation of my position4 ,however1 ,i determined to evince no fear and tried to make the best of it4 ,i undid my writing-case and showed it to them1 and my watch4 ,they literally shrieked with delight and surprise when they saw the hands run round4 ,the gilt edges of my ,bible attracted them1 so handling it reverently ,i tried to tell them it was ,god's ,book1 and drawing one of the children to me by signs1 sought to convey to their minds that ,god loved us4 ,i do not know if they caught my meaning1 but ,i do know that ,god caught up the prayers that ascended for them4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,nandi ,,family4 ,photo by ,w4 ,d4 ,young1 ,mombasa4 ,the same evening a violent storm broke over us4 ,one of our tents was literally washed out1 not having had a deep ditch digged round in case of emergency4 ,after moving off again and descending very precipitately to the level of the lake1 the heavy rains were found to have made marching exceedingly difficult4 ,we had to plough through thick black mud till we reached ,port ,florence1 a distance of twenty-one miles4 ,at one point on the road a stream about thirty yards wide had to be waded1 as our porters were unavailable for carrying1 having all gone on in front4 ,the water in some parts was a foot deep1 and it was by no means an easy thing getting through it when there were inches of mud from which the boots very reluctantly parted4 ,news had reached us that the steamboat ,ruwenzori which had been sent to meet us and take us across the lake had been wrecked on the way1 so we had to put off in an ,arab dhow1 a sailing boat used for transport purposes only1 and one that offered no passenger accommodation4 ,three thousand square miles6 ,can you imagine a lake about that size8 ,and yet on our maps it is no larger than a boot button4 ,quiet and peaceful as is its normal condition1 there are times when its mighty waters are lashed into uncomfortable anger1 and casting up foaming crests break on the shore with the force and roar of an ocean's storm4 ,abundant in its resources1 it can afford to be generous in its supplies2 with prodigality it pours its fulness into its offspring1 so that distant ,egypt subsists on its benevolence--the ,nile4 ,although only #g p4m41 darkness had already set in as we made our way down to the rough landing-stage to be shipped for ,uganda4 ,the dhow looked uncomfortably small for its crew1 seven ,english passengers1 twelve 8boys10 and all their cargo4 ,it could not get up to the little wooden pier1 so we rowed out in dug-out canoes by the light of a hand lamp4 ,this took time1 and it was nearly midnight before everything was on board4 ,a small portion towards the stem had been reserved to our use for sleeping1 feeding1 and living purposes4 ,one of the ground sheets of the tent was fixed up on four insecure poles to form an awning over us4 ,our sacks containing camp beds and blankets were placed about to act as bolsters as we lay down on the bare boards in the vain hope of sleeping4 ,but they were the most bony bolsters ,i have ever known1 for on whatever corner you took up your position1 there was a point of the bedstead running into you4 ,we were all glad when a sharp breeze sprang up in the early morning1 and the sails that had been nodding all night braced themselves together for work4 ,mid-day we passed a small island which is inhabited by fisher folk4 ,they trap the fish by means of baskets with inverted necks like a safety ink-pot4 ,someone suggested pulling into shore in a canoe that was passing at the time for the purpose of buying some fish1 but the people had misinterpreted our intentions and had armed themselves with spears1 and were waiting for us entrenched behind large rocks4 ,so it was decided to lunch off tinned sausages that day6 ,our prospects of landing and enjoying a change at night from the hard boards of the dhow were shattered by the captain assuring us that he could not possibly waste such a splendid wind as was blowing1 but must push on4 ,accordingly1 mattresses and pillows were pulled out and spread on the deck1 so that our couch might be a trifle more comfortable than on the preceding night4 ,the wind did blow1 and the dhow pitched to and fro like the tub of ,diogenes4 ,he must have been a better sailor than most of us were1 else he could never have steered his craft4 ,it was wonderful how the food was cooked4 ,the ,swahili boys are prodigies1 and can somehow manage under any condition4 ,finding a large iron tray they built up their wood fires on it in the bow of the boat and with the usual three stones they boiled their kettle1 saucepan or other kitchen requisites4 ,the scenery round the shores of the lake is exceedingly pretty4 ,the land gently slopes upward4 ,here and there a belt of forest stretches down to the water's edge2 the grass huts huddled together in small communities just appear peeping out from the creeks and woods1 and birds of gorgeous colours fly about or build their nests in the branches overhanging the water's edge4 ,on the third day of our trip we were becalmed1 and it was decided to land on an island for the night so that we might get a complete change of toilet and rest4 ,there was no canoe at hand to take us ashore1 so a raft was constructed of poles and two large ,masai hide shields which had been given me up country4 ,we crossed over1 two by two1 carefully balanced in the centre of the raft1 with shoes and stockings in our hands4 ,the men managed to get a few things across1 but the raft would not bear the weight of the tents4 ,a ground sheet was once more utilized by tying it to branches of trees to form a covering over our camp and beds at night4 ,looking through the mosquito net ,i saw the stars peeping down1 and the fireflies and glow worms lighting up the air and shrubs1 and heard the croaking of the frogs and the night bird cooing in the trees4 ,it seemed like a page out of childhood's fairy book4 ,there was no chance of getting off in the morning1 and we made a tour of the island4 ,it chanced to be the one on which the ,ruwenzori had been wrecked4 ,the captain and his native crew had succeeded in getting safely to land1 but were in a sad plight without shoes and socks and provisions4 ,it was most fortunate our party happened to have lighted on that particular island1 and so were able to replenish the meagre stores of these shipwrecked mariners4 ,the natives flocked together when they heard of the arrival of white men1 and begged them to shoot the hippopotami that had been destroying their cultivation4 ,they showed us round their village1 in the centre of which was their devil temple4 ,the head priest alone was allowed to enter4 ,round the courtyard were placed flat and upright stone slabs2 these were the seats of the priests1 who sat round in a semi-circle when their head priest was inside invoking the evil spirit4 ,the only one in our party who knew their language spoke to them1 and they all united in asking that teachers might be sent to them to instruct them in these 8good words40 ,now there is no need to send to them1 for since then the island has been depopulated by the sleeping sickness4 ,not one inhabitant remains--and they died with their request unanswered6 ,on the morning of the eighth day we were all eagerly examining the fringe of land lying straight ahead4 ,the opera glasses spied out a few dark figures moving about close to the landing stage4 ,in imagination and ,pears' ,soap advertisements ,i had often seen the picture1 the blue1 transparent water1 a stretch of sandy shore--the background of banana trees and palms1 a few grass huts1 and a dark-skinned figure standing out in bold relief with the broad smile displaying a row of white teeth4 8,otyano ,munange0 7,how do you do1 my friend87 and a prolonged exchange of grunts greeted us as we stepped from the dhow on to the shores of ,port ,munyonyo4 ,during the few minutes of waiting for our boxes to be unloaded ,i moved toward a little hut from which the sound of voices was coming4 ,peeping in at the low doorway1 ,i saw a man dressed in white linen 7evidently the head of the household74 ,he was sitting1 reading aloud to a group of men and women gathered round him4 ,the ,book was the ,gospel of ,st4 ,john4 ,surely this was ,uganda1 where the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light4 ,it is wonderful what the ,bible has done for them4 ,its influence penetrates the entire country1 and its very utterances are the language of the people4 ,its expressions of greeting and farewell are used1 and with reverence4 ,how our bicycles did run away with us over those seven miles to ,mengo4 ,after mounting them1 we were followed by numbers of natives1 and from every direction they came out of their shambas to greet us1 falling down on their knees and saying1 8,you are our prayers1 thank you40 ,on hearing of our arrival1 our missionary friends had all started off to greet us4 ,they described it as a little bit of ,england to see seven cyclists coming along with an impress of home which the five weeks' knocking about had not quite obliterated4 ,the first one to meet us must have been guilty of scorching1 as he was far ahead of the others1 and he was determined to give us a real taste of ,uganda right away1 for he produced from his pocket some bananas 7shall ,i own it1 rather squashy7 wrapped up in a newspaper2 they were good6 ,next came along a mule1 bearing towards us ,bishop ,tucker1 who had come out to welcome his new recruits4 ,i do not remember quite distinctly the other faces1 for we were literally hemmed in by scores of excited natives1 hustling1 bustling1 clapping1 and chattering1 seizing our hands and thanking us for having come so far to them1 while tears of gratitude glistened on some of their splendid1 intelligent1 brown faces4 ,,chapter ,,iii ,mengo1 ,uganda ,judging from the view obtained from this1 the native capital of ,uganda1 ,mengo1 the country seems composed of hills4 ,on one of these stands the cathedral and missionaries' houses1 and the splendid hospital1 then just ready to be opened 7but since burnt down71 and holding fifty to sixty beds4 ,the ,roman ,catholic ,mission commands another hill1 while on the highest is the ,king's palace4 ,the head man of the district builds at the top of each hill1 and his dependents live round1 their site being determined by their social position4 ,the whole district is densely populated1 but this is difficult at first to see1 as the huts harmonize with the vegetation around1 or are hidden by the large banana plantations that surround each dwelling4 ,what strikes a new arrival are the very wide1 well-made roads that have been cut in various directions1 quite a novel feature for ,africa4 ,living out here is necessarily very simple4 ,the ,english houses then resembled bungalows constructed of poles and light1 long reeds sewn together by means of a black fibre3 two layers formed the walls1 with dried leaves stuffed between1 the roof being thatched with grass4 ,the floors were beaten earth1 with skins or grass mats thrown down in place of carpets4 ,there were only outside doors1 pieces of terra cotta coloured bark cloth being hung as curtains between the inside doorways4 ,the apertures made in the walls for windows were closed in at night by shutters of sewn reeds4 ,the rooms looked distinctly rural1 with bookshelves1 wardrobes1 and cabinets made with packing cases of uniform size stacked one upon another4 ,a few native curios and chairs placed about were rather more useful than ornamental4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,group ,,of ,,baganda4 ,photo by ,d4 ,v4 ,f4 ,figueira1 ,mombasa4 ,each missionary's house was fitted up with a spare room1 but visitors were expected to bring their own furniture and attendants1 even though it might be but a ,saturday till ,monday visit4 ,if you were not a bon-fide fresh arrival you had to bring your cow as well4 ,the ,european's staff of domestics consists generally of small boys varying from eight to thirteen years of age4 ,these cook1 wait1 clean up1 wash1 in fact will do anything you want them to do and a great deal more besides4 ,as we passed the little cook shed one evening the chef was rubbing up the roast chicken with his grimy little hands to give the final touch before sending it to table4 ,the ladies employ female labour1 and the girls range from three to fifteen years of age1 after which they marry4 ,one small thing of five years was 8parlourmaid0 to their household at the time of our arrival4 ,at afternoon tea she strolled into the room with the teapot balanced on her head2 in the same exalted position were the vegetables brought in at dinner served up in a large plaited basket shaped like a ,japanese hat1 with leaves placed under the unsweetened cooked bananas or potatoes4 ,the kitchen1 like the servants' quarters1 is built apart from the houses4 ,there are no ranges or stoves4 ,the cooking-pot1 saucepan1 kettle1 or frying-pan sits on three bricks or large stones between which the firewood is rammed4 ,the cooking-pots make successful ovens for bread-making if a tray of fire is placed on the top4 ,the day after our arrival being ,sunday we had an early opportunity of witnessing a little of what ,christianity has done for ,uganda4 ,the unreached tribes we had passed through in their nakedness and savagery1 propitiating demons1 and offering human sacrifices1 are what these people were before the ,gospel reached them4 ,now1 as the huge church drum1 echoing from hill to hill1 called to morning prayer1 a continual stream of people was seen pouring into the large 8basket0 cathedral4 ,as we entered at #i a4m4 what an impressive sight awaited us6 ,perhaps the first thing that attracted one's attention was the veritable forest of poles that supported the roof2 but1 then1 looking down1 the eye travelled over a sea of black woolly heads--of about two thousand men dressed in spotless white linen on one side1 and of women draped in the bark cloths1 so soft and restful to the eye1 on the other4 ,there were no chairs or pews1 but each one brought a goat skin or grass kneeling mat4 ,with no muffled1 inarticulate voice did they join in the service1 but as they all united in the ,lord's ,prayer a noise as of thunder sounded throughout the building4 ,when the time for reading of the ,scriptures had come1 there was a general unbandaging of ,gospels or ,testaments1 which their owners securely bind round in strips of calico to protect them4#b ,in the afternoon we paid a visit to the young king ,daudi ,chwa4 ,his palace is approached by passing through an endless number of courtyards formed by woven cane fencings ten feet high4 ,in some of these are circular reed houses for his courtiers and servants2 the last one is the royal enclosure4 ,three round buildings stand here1 coloured grass plaitings over the entrance distinguishing them from others4 ,in one1 the audience chamber1 sat the ,king1 then aged four years4 ,there was no furniture in the apartment2 fine grass was carefully and uniformly laid on the ground1 over which mats were placed on a slightly elevated reed dais4 ,he was an important-looking little lad2 his curious get-up made him appear twice his age4 ,in spite of the great heat1 a man's ,european shirt fell in folds to his feet1 and over this was an ,english greasy black morning coat1 made to fit a man of abnormal proportions4 ,five women and two chiefs waited upon him4 ,not a word did he speak1 but stared uninterruptedly1 and when on leaving we had reached the last courtyard1 ,i was peremptorily recalled4 ,it was my velvet collar band he wanted to inspect4 ,the form of native government is very highly developed and remarkable1 for a tribe that had had no contact with the forms of government adopted by civilized nations4 ,the feudal system is practically that in vogue throughout the country1 which is divided up into shires or districts placed under a chief called the ,saza1 who has his own sub-chiefs4 ,he has the power of settling trifling local questions1 but everything of importance has to be transferred to the ,king4 ,the ,english ,government had recently levied upon the whole ,protectorate a hut tax of #c rupees yearly4 ,this creates a new demand1 and has had a salutary effect on a people whose needs are so few1 and these so easily supplied1 that they have had little necessity for learning the dignity of work4 ,tourists could easily spend some days profitably in ,mengo1 where there is much of real interest to be seen4 ,i will give my few days of excursion trips1 as there is no ,baedeker on the subject4 ,first day4--,grand reception by natives4 ,second day4--,visit to ,cathedral1 ,schools1 and ,industrial ,department of the ,church ,missionary ,society1 open each day from #h4j to #d4j4 ,pay respects to ,his ,majesty ,daudi ,i41 ,king of ,uganda4 ,third day4--,uganda 8,picture ,gallery0 in the ,bishop's ,palace 7constructed of mud and wattle74 ,every picture produced by the ,bishop's own brush while journeying through the country4 ,they were so beautiful and give such a faithful idea of the country ,i simply longed to despatch the whole lot home4 ,fourth day4--,three miles' walk to the ruins of ,mackay's ,church and house4 ,banana plantations now extend over his once carefully cultivated garden1 a few scattered bricks 7the first and only introduction of bricks up to that time in ,mengo7 point out the place where the foundation of the great invisible ,church of ,uganda was laid4 ,as one stood there one almost felt surrounded by that crowd of witnesses of whom the world was not worthy4 ,just to the front is that sacred spot where the first native converts were martyred for their faith4 ,fifth day4--,visit to the ,hospital4 ,i went with the doctor to observe and take notes for future use4 ,the day's work commenced with a half-hour's service held in an open outside court4 ,the gate was closed then against those who might come for the medicine without the morning prayers4 ,some #aej patients were seeking attention this day1 and they were allowed into the tiny consulting room five at a time4 ,they evidently have a good idea of anatomy1 for they have a word for nearly every bone and gland4 ,their faith in the white doctor speaks eloquently of the cures he has effected4 ,one man was quite hurt because the surgeon would not take out his liver4 ,on the same day can be fitted in a bicycle ride to the native potteries4 ,outside a small hut we found two men squatted moulding the soft clay with their hands2 a well rounded flint gave a polish to the pot1 while a strand of coarsely plaited grass stamped on the soft clay gave a border impress4 ,a huge wood furnace was burning in an adjoining court into which the vessels were placed and baked4 ,we were so interested in this process that the sun had set before we were aware of it1 and our ride home was in pitch darkness over the deep rutted roads4 ,i had a nasty fall which suggested that it might be wiser to walk our machines the remainder of the distance4 ,when we reached ,mengo sharp pain and swollen ankle told of a sprain4 ,this kept me a prisoner for three days4 ,it was rather providential1 for the mail from ,england came in1 and as no letters had reached us since leaving the home shores1 just ten weeks ago1 a very big budget was handed in to me4 ,only those who have really experienced it can enter into the awful home-sickness that sometimes a girl feels on her first long separation from ,england4 ,after some amount of tossing about and roughing it1 to be suddenly carried back by a letter into the peace and quiet of the home1 and to read all the interesting little natural bits which make you feel once again among the home circle1 for a minute1 when no one is looking1 you may behave like a big baby4 ,the destinations of our party of missionaries were soon definitely fixed2 ,i was asked to go as one of the first women to ,toro1 a separate and independent kingdom nearly #bjj miles further inland to the north-west of ,uganda4 ,it involves a journey of #ab to #ad days1 as the road is rather tough and there are no conveyances4 ,the wonderful growth of the work there dates from the conversion of the ,king ,kasagama at the beginning of the year #ahif1 who was the first monarch to be baptized in the whole ,protectorate4 ,in #ahig he wrote the following letter to the ,c4,m4,s43-- ,,toro1 ,february #a1 #ahig4 ,to my dear ,friends the ,elders of the ,church in ,europe4 ,i greet you very much in our ,lord ,jesus ,christ1 who died for us on the cross to make us children of ,god4 ,how are you1 sirs8 ,i am ,daudi 7,david7 ,kasagama1 ,king of ,toro4 ,the reason why ,i commence to tell you that is because ,i wish you to know me well4 ,god our ,father gave me the ,kingdom of ,toro to reign over for ,him1 therefore ,i write to you my brethren to beseech you to remember me and to pray for me every day1 all the days4 ,i praise my ,lord very very much indeed for the words of the ,gospels ,he brought into my country1 and you my brothers ,i thank you for sending ,teachers to come here to teach us such beautiful words4 ,i therefore tell you that ,i want very much1 ,god giving me strength1 to arrange all the matters of this country for ,him only1 that all my people may understand that ,christ ,jesus ,he is the ,saviour of all countries1 and that ,he is the ,king of all kings4 ,therefore1 sirs1 ,i tell you that ,i have built a very large ,church in my ,capital1 and we call it 8,the ,church of ,st4 ,john40 ,also that very many people come every day into the ,church to learn the 8,words of ,life10 perhaps #aej1 also on ,sunday they are very many who come to worship ,god our ,father in ,his holy ,church and to praise ,him4 ,i also tell you that in the gardens near here we have built six ,churches4 ,the people of this place have very great hunger indeed for the 8,bread of ,life10 many die every day while still in their sins because they do not hear the ,gospel4 ,the teachers are few and those who wish to read1 many4 ,therefore1 sirs1 my dear friends1 have pity upon my people1 in great darkness2 they do not know where they are going4 ,also ,i want to tell you that there are very many heathen nations close to my country--,abakonio1 ,abamba1 ,abahoko1 ,abasagala1 ,abasongola1 ,abaega1 and many others in darkness4 ,we heard that now in ,uganda there are ,english ladies2 but1 sirs1 here is very great need for ladies to come and teach our ladies4 ,i want very very much that they come4 ,also1 my friends1 help us every day in your prayers4 ,i want my country to be a strong ,lantern that is not put out1 in this land of darkness4 ,also ,i wish to make dear friends in ,europe1 because we are ,one in ,christ ,jesus ,our ,saviour4 ,now good-bye1 my dear friends4 ,god be with you in all your decisions4 ,i am your friend who loves you in ,jesus1 ,,daudi ,,kasagama4 ,how well ,i remember the deep impression that request made on me as ,i read it1 little realizing at the time that ,god would send me out in answer to it4 ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,a4 ,b4 ,lloyd were also located to ,toro1 and ,miss ,pike1 who had arrived in ,uganda six months previously4 ,as soon as we knew our location we went off to ,kampala1 the market place and ,government station of ,mengo1 to lay in a stock of oil1 wheat1 matches1 bark cloths2 also cowrie shells1 beads1 and calico1 which are the currency of the ,toro district4 ,our purse took the shape of two large sacks1 each weighing #felbs41 and these needed two men to carry them4 ,kampala was very different from ,namirembe4 ,swahilis1 ,indians1 ,arabs1 and natives crowded the narrow1 stuffy street called a market place4 ,open booths extended down either side1 and on shelves were displayed various native grains and vegetable produce1 while gorgeous coloured prints and calicoes1 beads1 and brass wire adorned the outfitters' shops4 ,as we passed along1 small amused crowds followed us to see the 8tall ladies40 ,the law court would have shocked the members of the profession of ,fleet ,street4 ,it was a barn-like structure built of reeds2 there were no benches and witness boxes1 the only official item being a coat of arms wrought on an enamelled iron plate over the judge's seat and table4 ,we heard there was a nice little white-washed mud house awaiting us in ,toro1 but there were no windows or doors4 ,the ,european missionary already working there promised to make these when we supplied him with wood from our packing-cases4 ,toro was still in its very dark state1 but the people were willing and eager to learn4 ,the ,uganda of the present has been the result of years of labour1 the cost of noblest lives1 the scenes of grandest heroism1 the patient1 untiring1 lonely work of such men as ,mackay1 ,pilkington1 and many others4 ,toro appeared to have few physical dangers1 but the moral and spiritual difficulties were just the same4 ,a fortnight's journey seemed a long distance to the nearest ,european station1 especially to one straight out from the roar and bustle of ,london life1 the noise and rattle of a large family of brothers and sisters4 ,we felt very incompetent implements1 but remembered the prayers going up for us in ,england1 and believed that they would have power with the great ,master-,builder1 the ,architect of the ages--so that the habitation being builded together for ,god in ,toro might be 8all glorious within40 ,,chapter ,,iv ,toro3 ,the ,land of the ,mountains of the ,moon ,on ,tuesday1 ,april #ajth1 #aijj1 the start was made for ,toro4 ,our caravan of porters had been sent on before to have our first camp in readiness on our arrival4 ,bishop ,tucker1 who was coming our way for two days on a visit to an out-station1 set off on his mule1 with ,miss ,pike mounted on a most apologetic-looking donkey4 ,the ,lloyds and myself arranged our departure two hours later1 as our cycles promised a quicker method of locomotion4 ,having said the last good-bye to friends1 ,i went away for an hour's quiet to get strengthened for the journey4 ,taking out my 8,daily ,light0 ,i looked for its message1 which was the promise given to ,israel while in captivity1 8,thy renown went forth among the heathen for thy beauty1 for thou art perfect in the majesty 7,r4,v47 that ,i have put upon thee1 saith the ,lord40 ,what a glorious responsibility through the graciousness of ,god to be allowed to proclaim the renown1 beauty and majesty of ,christ among the heathen4 ,at #c4j three cyclists could have been seen scorching down the hills from ,mengo with a crowd of boys and men as bodyguard1 all the twelve miles to camp4 ,africans seem to be possessed with an extra breathing reservoir1 for they can run almost any distance without stopping to regain breath4 ,it was dark or semi-obscure in the small forest opening where we found our encampment4 ,miss ,pike was unceremoniously seated on a big box swallowing pints of tea6 ,the porters had tried to erect our tent1 but had not learned the knack1 and we had to creep into flabby folds of canvas4 ,it looked like a native who wants his one daily meal--it sadly needed inflating4 ,oh1 dear6 ,how did we manage that night6 ,it became dark so soon1 everybody had to fish about with candles among a medley of boxes1 porters and food4 ,our ,baganda boys were certainly not trained like the ,swahili attendants who came up with us to ,uganda1 in the mysteries and arts of camping out4 ,european equipments were unsolved conundrums to them4 ,our four youths looked hopelessly vacant1 jabbering about round the tent1 doing nothing but getting into one's way4 ,when we did sit down to a personally-superintended cooked meal1 the 8waiter0 knocked the wash-hand basin of water over my pillows1 which had to be round a fire all night to dry4 ,the 8boys0 can learn to do things fairly nicely if you have patience to allow them plenty of time for an idea to filter through their minds4 ,they wanted an hour for preparing our table at each meal1 which was only furnished with the simplest and most limited number of things4 ,sitting down before the food box they took out every tin and contemplated each one for some minutes before deciding whether salt was eaten with tea1 jam with meat1 and so on4 ,the next morning at #d4cj we were all astir again1 and as soon as our belongings were packed up1 were on our way4 ,how ,i wish ,i had the power of descriptive writing to enable others to peep into one of the many exquisite belts of forest that crossed the road at constant intervals4 ,they surpassed any ,kew tropical greenhouse4 ,unlike the tangled disorderly forests passed on our way to ,uganda1 date palms1 trees1 climbers1 flowers such as orchids1 sunflowers1 wild pea and tomatoes flourished there in perfect life and vigour4 ,emerging from the cool shade of these trees1 our track passed through stretches of papyrus and pampas grasses eight to fifteen feet high4 ,it was almost impossible to see the path of about one foot wide which had become overgrown and covered by broken tiger grass4 ,cycling was anything but easy4 ,we had to butt our sun helmets into the long1 wet waving grass1 blindly careering forward4 ,there is absolutely no level ground between ,toro and ,uganda1 but a succession of hills over the tops of which the road has been cut4 ,the descents1 sometimes very steep are dangerous on account of the thick muddy swamps that frequently wind round the bases of the hills4 ,the bridges over these swamps often get washed away in the rainy seasons4 ,one almost feels the treacherous malaria1 as heat waves sweep heavily along1 while being carried through these 8,sloughs of ,despond0 on the shoulder of one of the strongest porters4 ,i suppose one of these was responsible for the heat sickness that ,i woke up with one morning4 ,a long tiresome march lay ahead1 so the hammock was insisted upon1 and six men1 lent by the chief of the village1 came as carriers4 ,it was rather ludicrous to watch the sympathy of the natives4 ,i could have imagined myself dying2 but the shock they sustained when the first little bit of decent road was reached6 ,in half-a-minute the awe-struck men stood gasping as1 calling out to be lowered1 the poor1 dying 8,mukyala0 7lady7 coasted down a tempting hill4 ,they looked quite relieved when they found her awaiting the hammock at the foot of the next climb4 ,in one camp the chief came to pay us his respects and brought six old men with him and several folks to whom he wanted to show the white ladies1 none having passed along that way before4 ,i could do nothing more than greet them with an extenuated string of grunts1 but this pleased them immensely4 ,mr4 ,lloyd asked if ,i would let down my hair1 as they had never seen anything different from their own cropped1 frizzy pates1 and the short hair of a few white men4 ,out came the hairpins1 and as the hair tumbled down a loud laugh of delight and surprise came from every onlooker4 ,a lesson in hairdressing followed1 and each twist1 turn and pin was watched with lively excitement4 ,a spoonful of salt was given round to every visitor before leaving4 ,their eyes glistened1 their hands were lifted to their mouths1 the tongues protruded1 and1 oh1 the delight of that moment6 ,they smacked their lips and relished it as much as ,i enjoyed sherbet in girlhood's days4 ,the remaining dainty morsel was tied up in a piece of banana leaf4 ,the roads proved too much for my poor wheel4 ,until it could be attended to by a ,london specialist it had to be regarded as a chronic displacement4 ,the strain on the fork had been too incessant and heavy with only a front rim brake4 ,the ruts1 ditches1 and obstacles had given it a terrible shaking1 and finally succeeded in literally tearing the fork away from the bar4 ,the remainder of the journey1 about #adj miles1 had to be covered on foot4 ,miss ,pike was in the same predicament1 as the donkey gave in even before the bicycle4 ,on the sixth day from ,mengo we reached ,lwekula and put up at a ,european fort1 vacated now1 but built and occupied at the last ,soudanese rebellion when the ,nubian troops and ,mohammedan population were up in arms against the ,british ,government4 ,it is a square fenced-in enclosure with sentinel boxes at each corner and a deep1 dry moat surrounding it4 ,two or three reed sheds stand inside1 one of which we made use of instead of our tents1 which are intensely hot during the day time4 ,unfortunately1 ,mrs4 ,lloyd was taken with bad fever as we reached here1 and as her temperature remained at #ajd on the third day a special runner was dispatched to ,mengo asking ,dr4 ,cook to come out to her4 ,the six following days of waiting for his arrival were anxious times to us all1 and we watched by her bedside day and night4 ,when he did come the fever refused to yield to treatment4 ,after a fortnight spent thus it was decided that she should be carried back to the nearest ,european station three days away4 ,before leaving1 the doctor had an opportunity of relieving several poor native sufferers4 ,one was a tubercular case1 which necessitated amputation of the finger4 ,in lieu of an operating theatre the patient was laid on the ground and given chloroform6 ,we enjoyed a few regular out-patient days of hospital life again4 ,the knowledge that our two travelling friends must return had come to us on my birthday1 and a new weight seemed added to my quarter of a century of life4 ,they had been like brother and sister to me ever since leaving ,england1 and now it was like going away from everything that connected one with the old land4 ,then ,i turned to my ,bible1 and ,psalm #bb was the birthday portion--8,the ,kingdom is the ,lord's0 stood out as written in gold4 ,i could never get beyond ,god's country1 ,god's territory4 ,it brought such peace1 comfort1 protection4 ,no longer was it one person almost alone in a big strange land1 but a child of a ,king who reigneth in ,africa as in ,england1 and never sends without ,himself going1 too4 ,the doctor left at #ab4j p4m4 on ,april #cjth to get ready the camp for the ,lloyds1 and at #d4j p4m4 we fixed the invalid up in the hammock and left the ,fort with them4 ,it was a sad and silent procession1 and a talk with ,mr4 ,lloyd showed us how bitter was the disappointment to them both4 ,at sunset we stood and wished them good-bye1 and it just needed all the strength we could command to keep back the hot tears that wanted to fall with those that shook the poor little patient4 ,neither of us could speak as ,miss ,pike and ,i returned to the desolate ,fort4 ,already two of our companions has been obliged to turn back1 and we two girls were left to go on with a missionary who had come out to escort us to ,toro4 ,at midnight my companion was seized with violent sickness and slight temperature4 ,donning slippers and enveloping myself in a blanket1 ,i ran out across the ,fort to rouse one of the boys for hot water4 ,it was awfully uncanny4 ,the starlit sky was entirely shut out by angry clouds1 and the darkness was intolerable4 ,only the shrill shriek of the hyenas broke the stillness1 and ,i half expected the faint light from my candle lamp to fall upon a leopard or reptile4 ,after two days1 however1 she so far recovered as to be able in a hammock to take up the journey once more4 ,i am quite sure ,heber had never visited ,uganda when he wrote3-- 8,where ,afric's sunny fountains ,roll down their golden sand40 ,if he had done so it might have run3-- 8,where ,afric's swamps and mountains ,meet one on every hand40 ,our experience next day especially proved this4 ,at #f a4m4 a cloudless sky greeted us1 and damp white mists were sleeping in each hollow4 ,at the foot of the first hill we were confronted by a long swamp with tall papyrus grass growing on either side4 ,we had recourse to the hammock1 and as the water reached the carriers' waists1 one felt the canvas was some inches in water and that it was a case of floating through the dirty1 stagnant river4 ,i wondered if poor little ,moses in the bulrushes ever felt as we did among the papyrus4 ,the second swamp gave us a little variety1 as the reed bridge had been broken down and the step down into the swamp was so steep that we felt uncomfortably like sliding over the front carrier1 while the climb up at the other end gave us our first sensation of standing on our heads4 ,at #aa o'clock we halted under a tree and feasted on sausages 7tinned71 sweet potatoes1 cornflour1 biscuits1 and tea4 ,sausages are a great treat out here1 and we only indulged as we were doing a double march to reach ,toro that day week4 ,we then waited till #b p4m4 so as to allow the sun to cool down a bit1 and enjoyed reading an ,english newspaper1 the 8,british ,weekly10 of ,february #afth date4 ,after that we felt quite ready to continue our march1 reaching camp at #d o'clock1 only to find our tents had been pitched on such a disgustingly dirty old camping ground that they had to be taken up and erected some hundred yards further on4 ,diary-making that day was impossible4 ,our tent1 from the bottom to the top1 was literally lined with mosquitoes1 and their singing quite put in the shade the ,royal ,choral ,society at the ,albert ,hall4 ,in the two previous camps they had covered the roof1 but evidently never tasted the joys of ,european flesh and feared to descend4 ,these others were more initiated4 ,arriving at ,butiti1 which is only #cj miles from ,kabarole1 the capital of ,toro1 we found a most prosperous work going on among the people4 ,our kind escort from ,lwekula1 ,mr4 ,ecob1 was stationed there4 ,a marriage was solemnized in the ,mission ,church on the day of our arrival4 ,we went out of curiosity and to get a peep into the native customs4 ,never have ,i disgraced myself by such uncontrollable laughter4 ,first of all1 the pair were not forthcoming1 and so the parson organized a search party4 ,a hilarious sound from the porch warned us of the bridegroom's arrival4 ,he was a lanky stripling of about #ag1 dressed in a long white gown4 ,his best man wore a very hole-y shirt1 ,jaeger-coloured for want of a wash4 ,an unwound turban was thrown over his shoulder till required4 ,the bridegroom went forward and squatted on a grass mat in front of the chancel to await his betrothed4 ,soon a slow1 solemn procession coming in at a side door brought in view the belated bride1 accompanied and surrounded by about thirty maidens4 ,how can ,i describe that picture6 ,she was ugly--as ugly as the imagination could picture2 somewhat advanced in years2 her face was marred by cutting and branding1 and she was reeking with grease which was amply smeared over face and shoulders4 ,on her head sat a red ,turk's cap worn as a sign of marriage or high station4 ,this1 on account of its size1 had the appearance of a candle extinguisher4 ,then her body was swathed in all sorts of coloured prints and beads4 ,after the ceremony1 the couple left by different doors1 the bridesmaids holding an old torn 8brollie0 over the retiring bride1 who was weeping copiously4 ,the women regard marriage in rather a philosophical light4 ,they say it has two arms4 ,one brings a home1 protection1 and presents of clothing and rejoicing4 ,the other shuts the door of liberty2 it brings work1 and that means sorrow4 ,the thought of the latter predominates on the wedding day4 ,when six miles away from ,butiti we got our first view of the ,mountains of the ,moon4 ,i can never forget the sight that was suddenly opened up as we turned a sharp bend round a high hill4 ,it was #d4cj p4m4 ,huge peaks1 sharp and rugged1 stretched from north to south in an unbroken range of sixty-nine miles long4 ,heavy black thunder clouds rolled over some of the summits1 while the lightning shot out angry tongues of fire4 ,torrents of rain were sweeping away to our right1 while the sun beat down in full strength upon the valleys4 ,above all1 calm and serene1 shone the region of snow4 ,for all ages the sun has directed its equatorial power against that ice fortress4 ,storms have thundered and crushed against its foundations1 but it has ever stood as the one impregnable and unsullied witness of holiness and purity to ,god1 in a land where darkness has reigned1 and the storms of passion1 vice and barbarity have laid desolate4 ,descending to the forest just beneath us1 we sat under the shade of its trees1 keeping well in view of glorious ,ruwenzori4 ,while tea was in preparation we just gave ourselves up to the influences of environment4 ,for a moment we even dared to feel poetical4 ,long forgotten stanzas lived again in the memory1 but were all put down as original and momentary genius4 ,my turn having come round1 ,i made a rush at something with a guilty conscience of poaching on another one's preserves1 and it ran something like3-- 8,mountains on whose rugged breast ,the labouring clouds do often rest40 ,but ,i got no further1 for who should appear but someone suspiciously like a tourist4 ,so unusual a sight made us forget ,english customs1 and we waited for no introductions4 ,we received a real warm welcome straight away from our companion-designate and only co-worker in ,kabarole4 ,next morning we rose at #e4j and saw the sun rise on the snow peaks and then started on our last walk4 ,almost immediately runners met us bearing letters from the ,king and ,queen1 the ,namasole 7the ,king's mother71 the ,prime ,minister1 and chiefs1 all welcoming us in words of warmest thanks4 ,these men scarcely waited for our verbal answer before rushing back4 ,in fact1 the road for a long way ahead was defined by men and boys rushing toward and from us with messages4 ,as we drew nearer a few teachers and others came to prepare us for the reception that awaited us1 and informed us that the women of ,toro were congregated just beyond our next hill4 ,we little guessed what an army lay entrenched there4 ,as we approached1 one moving mass of fluttering white and crimson gowns came bearing down upon us1 rushing1 clapping their hands1 and shrieking4 ,then crowds of black arms were thrown wildly round our necks1 and as many pates placed from one shoulder to the other4 ,we talked as well as we could to them1 but our progress was slow1 as every now and again they stopped us and repeated their demonstrations4 ,over the next hill the male force had rallied1 and here a no less hearty though more formal welcome awaited us4 ,we made for the church1 which was crowded1 and a few impromptu prayers and hymns of praise went up on our behalf4 ,then we inspected our future white-washed home1 and from that moment1 all day long and every day1 we were crowded with visitors4 ,the royal band was sent down by ,his ,majesty to play outside our house4 ,it was composed of six drummers and twelve fifers1 whose instruments are able to produce about five notes1 and with these they produce indistinguishable tunes4 ,their appreciation of music seems to depend on the volume of sound produced1 so in order to give us a proof of their welcome they blew to bursting pitch4 ,all day long we were serenaded and at night1 too4 ,it went on into the second day1 and thinking the bandsmen might prove to have stronger lung power than we had of endurance1 we set a polite message to his ,majesty asking that they might be allowed to rest at night till daylight4 ,so at last we had reached our journey's end4 ,the sixteen weeks that had run out since leaving home had been long and eventful4 ,as the evening fell on our first day in ,toro1 we gathered round our log fire and sang together 8,o ,god our help in ages past40 ,,chapter ,v ,the ,country ,toro is one of the four ,kingdoms that comprise the ,uganda ,protectorate and lies on the ,north-west boundary4 ,the present outlook would lead one to think that it will remain unaffected longer than the other three neighbouring ,states by the inroads that civilization is making in ,uganda1 which the railway has brought into such close proximity to the outside world1 while traders pass along the splendid caravan roads through ,bunyoro up to the ,nile1 and to the ,southern cattle-rearing ,kingdom of ,ankole4 ,there is nothing to attract them to ,toro1 as the journey is a real physical effort1 and there is no commercial prospect of mineral wealth or remunerative industry to justify the long journey4 ,the ivory that formerly brought the ,arab traders into the country is now almost entirely preserved by the ,british ,government4 ,so1 unless ,toro is visited by more successful prospectors than those who have already casually looked round1 who shall discover some hidden mine of wealth1 in all probability it will remain undisturbed in its present state of rusticity4 ,but it is a wonderful country1 and one that must ever fascinate a lover of nature and its freaks4 ,the mountains are in themselves a unique feature4 ,one can scarcely reconcile the co-existence of an equatorial sun and eternal snows1 yet so it is4 ,strange mountain tribes in quite primeval state live among its forests and creeks1 while just on its other side extends ,stanley's ,great ,forest with its pigmy inhabitants4 ,on all sides one sees the results of the operation of mighty unseen forces4 ,numbers of extinct volcanoes are visible from our hill1 the craters of which form the beds of lakes now1 with vegetation and forest growth stretching down their sides to the water's edge4 ,they must have enjoyed a good long sleep1 as no hints of their activity are traced in the native traditions1 which go back to a corresponding ,adamic period4 ,there are quite a number of legends1 however1 which invariably associate them with evil spirits that are supposed to live in the craters4 ,this is believed even still by some of the raw peasants4 ,one day a woman told me that her two little boys had been playing in the courtyard while she was at work1 and the 8,muchwezi0 7evil spirit7 from the ,crater hill two miles away had come and run off with her elder child4 ,for two years he had remained lost to them1 when suddenly he returned clothed in a strip of bark-cloth and a charm round his neck peculiar to that evil spirit4 ,he was sworn to divulge nothing of what had happened to him while being with the evil spirits in the crater1 under the penalty of being caught away again by them4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,market ,,place4 ,photo by ,d4 ,v4 ,f4 ,figueira1 ,mombasa4 ,here let me recount a rather unique picnic we had at one of these crater lakes three miles away4 ,it happened on a ,monday--the ,missionaries' off-day--when general repairs and washing are usually done1 or visits paid to neighbouring villages4 ,we started off on our bikes in high spirits which managed to survive a heavy thunderstorm that overtook us half way and soaked us through4 ,we hung ourselves out to dry round a fire in the hut on the lake shore1 and having warmed ourselves with tea made for the lake in search of wild-duck4 ,we baled the water out of the dug-out canoe and set off with three boys as paddlers4 ,you never met with anything more aggravating than an ,african dug-out2 they are so badly balanced that the least movement threatens to overturn the skiff2 and as for steering1 that is out of the question4 ,anyhow1 when we were far away from our landing point1 the canoe refused to move1 except in complete circles4 ,we could make no headway2 the united efforts of all--barring myself1 who did not row--failed to move the boat except in rapid revolutions4 ,then a storm blew up and darkness seemed to be suddenly settling down on us4 ,one of our party1 who knew from experience our danger1 was in a terrible fright4 ,i tried hard to tune up to 8,excelsior0 and 8,midshipmite10 which eventually evidently appealed to the kind heart of the elements1 for the boat moved and we were safely landed4 ,but the return home was the difficulty4 ,the moon went in as soon as it appeared1 and as it was so dark a different route was suggested1 in order to escape the river which we had to cross on our way out4 ,about half way we found out that the recent storms had washed away the bridge we had relied upon to get us across the river and so were obliged to trust to other means4 ,miss ,pike headed the procession on a boy's shoulder1 but as the water came up to the lad's armpit her position was far from enviable4 ,then ,i ventured on the donkey1 sitting in a sort of tailor fashion1 but1 alas6 the water refused to let me off scot free4 ,after that1 in a miserably drenched condition1 with our flapping skirts like reservoirs of water1 we trudged on through long grass and thick mud1 and at last reached a succession of deep swamps4 ,one of these looked so tragic and interminable that the men insisted on crossing hands and taking me through in dandy-chair style4 ,i shall not forget that experience4 ,like ,christian of old1 one of my carrier's strength and courage failed him1 and half-way ,i became suddenly aware that he was rapidly disappearing under water4 ,a violent yell brought small boys to the rescue1 who1 supporting me1 managed to extricate him from the mud depths1 and a second start was made2 but just as we were reaching the other side the same poor1 unfortunate man landed in more mud1 into which he sank4 ,before ,i could release my hold1 ,i saw him go completely under the water1 and felt myself rapidly descending into the depths over his head4 ,the situation was so ludicrous that the awful after-effects were forgotten in the peals of laughter which no one could restrain1 in spite of the poor man's miserable condition and my own4 ,to resume our description--on the east of ,ruwenzori the land presents an unbroken stretch of undulating country2 on the west side the land falls rapidly and forms the ,semliki plain1 so called after the river that winds zig-zag through it1 uniting the ,albert ,edward ,nyanza on the south to the ,albert ,nyanza on the north4 ,descending to this plain round the north end of the mountain range1 the configuration of the land indicates two distinct ancient water levels2 this is confirmed by the quantities of small shells that are often found in scattered heaps among the sandy soil1 similar to those now found on the ,lake shores4 ,with the exception of the fringe of the ,congo ,forest that enters the ,toro boundary1 and the ,bamboo ,forests that grow so thickly on the slopes of the mountains1 ,toro is not abundant in trees and timber4 ,wide veins of woodland winding along the river courses1 however1 form welcome relief to the prolific elephant grass that covers hills and valleys4 ,looked down upon from a distance these extended forests present a rich variety of tints4 ,winter is never seen1 for when old age strikes the branches1 the tree breaks forth into its second childhood under the influence of the sun's rays4 ,but on entering beneath the shade of these tempting oases1 one realizes a feeling of disappointment1 for everything appears to have outgrown its beauty4 ,powerful and unkempt creepers and rubber plants have wound their long bare limbs like poisonous snakes round the barks and branches of the trees till the vegetation has ceased to breathe in their grasp1 and has withered away4 ,then the mischievous little monkeys as they frolic and scamper about leave such litter behind6 ,toro is almost entirely void of isolated trees4 ,the annual grass fires that are lighted to clear the country for the sowing of the crops have given them no chance of an existence4 ,banana groves are gradually springing up over the country1 for the ,batoro are emulating the example of the ,baganda in adopting the unsweetened banana called 8,matoke0 as their staple food4 ,formerly they lived entirely on 8,bura10 a small millet which possesses a very low percentage of nutritive quality4 ,the only thing that commends it is the infinitesimal amount of labour needed for its cultivation1 and this is the chief consideration of these folk4 ,they grind the grain between two stones which gradually crumble away in the process1 making the food when cooked hardly distinguishable from boiled sand4 ,ruwenzori gives the whole kingdom of ,toro a very plentiful water supply4 ,the streams1 flowing down from the ever-melting snow and ice1 unite and form clear and swift rivers which provide the land with pure cold water1 but at the same time make the country difficult for travelling about in4 ,the crude bridges made by the natives get washed away in the rainy season1 which often monopolises nine months out of the twelve4 ,the mountains seem to attract every cloud that rises above the horizon4 ,nature indulges in most phenomenal pranks out there4 ,there may be a perfectly bright cloudless afternoon1 when suddenly it looks as if all the clouds of heaven had been unchained and let loose4 ,from every direction they gather in impenetrable blackness1 then girding themselves with fury1 they burst forth and1 with a hurricane in their wake1 menace ,toro with a few angry tears of passion and break with roars of thunder and tongues of fire on ,ruwenzori's side4 ,failing to shake that mountain ridge1 they rebound and empty themselves upon ,kabarole4 ,in a few minutes the whole country is a wash-out2 the hills send down sheets of water1 and so do our thatched roofs4 ,unless these are under constant repair1 all our little black boys1 when they see a storm coming1 are armed with pots1 pans1 basins1 and dishes1 and stand about in the rooms to catch the rain water1 and so save themselves the trouble of going to the spring4 ,one afternoon a terrible thunderstorm broke over ,toro2 the force of one clap1 which was simultaneous with the most vivid lightning1 was indescribable4 ,a thunderbolt seemingly had fallen just over our heads and sounded as if a million dynamite explosives had burst over us4 ,scarcely had one recovered from the momentary shock1 when the dreaded sound 8,tera enduru0 was heard2 this is a fire alarm which the natives produce by clapping their lips with the palm of their hand4 ,hastening outside1 we saw clouds of smoke issuing from ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,maddox's house1 which adjoined ours4 ,not waiting for hats or umbrellas1 we hurried across to the yard1 where boys and girls were rushing frantically about2 ,mrs4 ,maddox was in bed with fever in the very room where the fire had broken out4 ,her room was blazing away1 while she was asleep1 unconscious of her danger4 ,wrapping her in blankets1 we managed to have her carried across to our house4 ,the lightning had struck the corner of the room1 instantly igniting the thatch1 poles1 and bamboo ceiling2 the flash had travelled through the room1 just escaping the bed1 but singeing a little ,bible on the table close by4 ,really1 her escape was nothing less than a miracle4 ,in a very short time the ,katikiro was on the spot with his men1 and we all worked hard at carrying out the things4 ,to save the house was an impossibility4 ,it was merely a fight with time and fire--pulling down packing cases and books1 carrying out stores1 boxes1 bedding1 clothing1 crockery1 tables1 and chairs1 and feeling the flames were quickly devouring all that lay in their way4 ,when almost the last item was out1 we were ordered away1 and with a crash the end of the roof fell in1 while the flames ascended in one solid1 angry mass4 ,meanwhile1 the ,king had posted an army of men to guard our house1 and fan away all sparks with large banana leaves4 ,all this had taken but fifteen minutes1 so you can imagine the rapidity with which everyone had worked4 ,the only things burnt were a tent and camp-bed1 which had been stored in the roof1 and were quite unreachable4 ,fortunately1 this happened just ten days before they were due to leave for ,england1 so they were not homeless for long4 ,the whole of ,toro seemed to crowd into our court1 congratulating us all on our escape1 and thanking ,god for protecting us4 ,you will easily imagine how dead beat we were when the day was over1 and how we welcomed sleep2 but this was not to be for long1 for at #ab4j midnight the same alarm of fire awakened us1 and tearing on our dressing gowns and slippers1 we found ,mr4 ,fisher's women's house a conflagration4 ,this was truly terrifying1 as it was in such close proximity to his own house2 while1 as the house was entirely built of grass and reeds1 the flames were more rapid and dense4 ,black figures1 silhouetted against the flaming background1 were seen wildly scrambling up on to these two roofs1 beating away the flames and sparks4 ,it really seemed an impossibility to save either1 especially when you heard people shouting 8,muije okutukonyera enju yahya0 78,come and help us1 the house is on the point of burning407 ,but ,i am glad to say the ,god of ,deliverances was again with us to save1 and to show forth ,his power4 ,nothing was lost but the women's house1 and the possessions and clothing of the seven women4 ,in the morning1 this was found to be a case of incendiarism2 a small girl1 who had recently left through stealing1 had set fire to the house to revenge herself on the women4 ,these things are a little bit upsetting to one's nerves2 the constant earthquakes and terrific thunderstorms keep one always girded for flight4 ,one afternoon the missionaries had met together for afternoon tea1 and suddenly there was a slight underground murmur1 and the house shook as if it trembled4 ,there were three windows and one door to the room1 and out of them the three men instantly disappeared2 they looked rather shaken when they came back for their tea4 ,it was agreed not to let out names6 ,on the western wide of ,ruwenzori1 and close to the base of that mountain range1 are boiling springs containing a considerable proportion of sulphur4 ,the natives have discovered their medicinal properties for skin diseases and have digged channels so as to divert part of the water into trenches or pits where they can sufficiently cool it for bathing purposes4 ,they also carry their food down to the springs1 and in a short time the plantains or potatoes are cooked and ready for use4 ,lying as it does on the ,equator1 ,toro experiences scarcely any change of seasons all the year round1 and in consequence of its being some #e1jjj feet above sea level1 the temperature scarcely rises above #ge-hj ,fahr4 in the shade1 while the nights are often cold enough to justify the log fires that the ,europeans indulge in4 ,the prodigious and constant rainfalls just rob the country of a reputation it might have held for possessing an ideal climate for the colonist and for agricultural purposes4 ,except in the low-lying marshy districts1 ,toro is exceptionally free from mosquitoes and malaria1 and1 up to the present1 not one case of sleeping sickness has been known4 ,the soil is abnormally rich4 ,eucalyptus seed sown in the open produces trees of #ab-ae;ft4 in #ah months4 ,strawberries yield two and three plentiful crops annually1 in fact growth has often to be checked1 as in the case of cauliflowers1 which need transplanting three times if fruit is to be obtained4 ,excellent coffee is grown in the country1 and a very limited amount of inferior wheat4 ,there is no reason why rice should not be successfully cultivated in the swampy soil1 and tea on the sides of the mountains4 ,the great obstacle to the developing of industries at present is the difficulty of transport to the districts where there is a profit-yielding demand4 ,no minerals have yet been discovered with the exception of an appreciable amount of iron1 which the people have instinctively learned to work2 they are able to turn out good spear heads1 hoes1 knives1 and even rough needles of clumsy proportions4 ,this is undoubtedly one of the world's natural zoological gardens4 ,huge herds of elephants1 sometimes numbering #bjj or #cjj1 trundle through the tiger grass2 leopards and lions may be heard at night roaring after their prey1 sometimes even round the capital2 crocodiles and hippopotami infest the lakes2 monkeys and chimpanzees scamper about the forests2 snakes lie coiled up in the long grass2 and everywhere teems insect life1 from the infinitesimal jigger to the locust4 ,lions are feared less by the people than leopards4 ,in ,bunyoro1 where lions showed a leaning towards human flesh and blood1 the ,king or ,chief of the infested district used to send out two black cows or calves1 and the lions1 after having tasted their blood1 no longer troubled the people1 but dieted from that time on pigs and hyenas4 ,toro is still in the infancy of its development2 the land1 its resources1 the people1 and their possibilities are fields that give promise of a harvest of rich fruition to those who go to labour with mind and will4 ,,chapter ,,vi ,home ,life ,life in ,africa offers as sharp a contrast as is possible to imagine to the rush and bustle of the old country4 ,perhaps this is one of the earliest impressions that strikes one when coming straight from a large and noisy household in the ,metropolis4 ,the keynote of this country is 8mpora1 mpora0--8slowly1 slowly10 and its effects are seen and felt everywhere4 ,time is of no consequence or value to the people4 ,the wheels of life revolve so slowly that ,i felt as if my whole being had been pulled up with a jerk4 ,the clockwork of activity had to be allowed to run down gradually1 in order to fall into correspondence with things around4 ,having left ,england just after ,christmas1 with its memories of busy thoroughfares streaming with lights from the gaily decorated shops1 and teeming with folks big and small all chattering and preparing for the festive season1 ,i had scarcely had time to forget all this noise and rattle before arriving at the antipodes of existence4 ,step out of the house one evening with me at about #h4j4 ,miles and miles of country lie faintly outlined by the phantom light of the moon--that orb of death4 ,no other spark or ray breaks the long1 wide expanse of darkness1 and all the land and nature lie in profound sleep3 no song of mirth or infant's cry reaches us1 everything is mute and everywhere is sleeping4 ,suddenly a shrill shriek from the hyena or a leopard's low growl drives us indoors4 ,oh for the rumble of a ,london 'bus or the rush of the ,irish express as it passes the old home in a mad hurry night after night4 ,there is the faithful companionship of a scratchy pen1 so that is how one generally turns out a voluminous correspondent in these parts of silent ,africa4 ,now let that same pen tell something of our home and various domestic odds and ends4 ,our house was built of wood and mud daub with a roof of thatch4 ,the rooms1 five in number1 were lofty and fairly large1 with walls which could be called neither straight nor smooth--in fact they rather reminded me of 8,uncle ,podger's0 wall that looked as if it had been smoothed down with a garden rake after he had been hanging a picture4 ,but ours were white-washed1 and this1 at least1 gave them a clean and cheerful appearance4 ,the fact was that a violent storm had slightly blown the walls out of gear before the ground had sufficiently hardened round the framework poles4 ,the windows were ingeniously made of wood with calico nailed across as a substitute for glass4 ,we had only one door to start with--the front door--made of the unpolished and unplaned material of two packing cases1 ornamented with the names and destinations of the owners of the boxes4 ,there was a verandah all round the house which kept it cool from the mid-day sun4 ,really1 it was a marvellous building when you consider that the workmen had never built anything different from the round beehive grass and reed huts in which the people live4 ,the poles had all to be brought in from a forest seven miles away1 and were carried in on men's heads4 ,the mud was beaten by their bare feet4 ,they had to be overlooked at every point and turn as they have no idea of work1 or even a straight line1 unless the ,european is actually on the spot to show them4 ,and when that ,european was absolutely alone and endeavouring to act as pastor1 teacher1 and schoolmaster to hundreds of eager and teachable people1 the question is how he ever squeezed in time to build this and his own house4 ,our tent furniture was far too diminutive and scanty to fill our five rooms1 so we turned cabinet-makers1 and produced some highly creditable articles1 all things considered4 ,piling up six packing cases of uniform size1 and nailing round strips of native grass matting1 we had a splendid 8,liberty0 bookcase4 ,a 8cosy corner0 was made out of two more boxes turned upside down1 stuffed with shavings and covered with cretonne4 ,it looked very comfortable but rather belied its name4 ,our dining-room table consisted of the lids of cases joined up and nailed to four posts planted in the mud floor4 ,after a few weeks the legs took root1 and the young branches supplied novel decorations4 ,we framed a few large photographs in reeds and hung them where the walls were flat enough4 ,the nights in ,toro are cold1 for although we are only #ae degrees lat4 ,north1 the capital is #e1jjj feet above sea level4 ,in consequence the houses are built with brick chimneys4 ,with a bright log fire burning in the open hearth and a comfortable arm chair our sitting-room looked very cosy and bright4 ,it is quite remarkable the amount of enjoyment one can derive out of things which cost nothing but a little hard work and a good deal harder thinking out4 ,one learns sometimes from rather trying experiences that several things which have been regarded as absolute essentials in ,england can so easily be dispensed with out here4 ,a lot of things brought out from home reached me in a hopelessly wrecked condition4 ,as ,i have said before1 on account of the scarcity of porters we had been obliged to leave several boxes behind4 ,three of the twenty-three ,i had left were never again heard of4 ,as these were food supplies ,i hoped they nourished some of the half-famished natives we passed up country4 ,but the cases that did arrive had been exposed without protection from the rains1 and were absolutely rotten when they reached me2 the zinc linings had been destroyed by rust1 and the contents reduced to pulp4 ,in a sort of mechanical way ,i sorted out the different things1 throwing aside books1 letters1 clothing1 and nick-nacks on the rubbish heap4 ,some things could never be replaced--little recollections of the past and home-links4 ,how reluctantly were these cast out6--but ,god showed me that this was known and allowed by ,him1 and when once ,he shows us this1 the sunshine bursts forth and the heart rejoices4 ,it strengthens one all round when sometimes the temporal is shattered to allow the ,invisible and ,eternal to appear4 ,i should not be at all surprised that our missionary example ,st4 ,paul had had all his loads spoilt by shipwreck when he wrote3 8,i have learned in whatsoever state ,i am therewith to be content2 not that ,i speak in respect of want40 ,on another occasion when our annual supplies from ,england were within one day's march of ,toro the porters' shed was burnt down and all our loads but two were destroyed4 ,now1 as to food1 there are just three items you can buy out here3 goats1 or sheep that have not an ounce of fat except in their tails4 ,these cost about #bs4 #h;d4 ,chickens1 which provide sufficient flesh for one person's meal of very normal appetite1 can be purchased for fifty cowrie shells 7#a;d471 twenty eggs for the same price1 but these are not often cheap1 as very frequently they are brought for sale when they will not hatch4 ,of course our store room1 furnished from ,england1 is our grocer2 the garden answers to greengrocer and fruiterer1 for it produces nearly everything2 crops can be had in constant succession if care is taken to sow systematically4 ,we also have from our cows a constant supply of fresh butter1 cream1 and milk which is churned on the premises in a native gourd4 ,besides this we are our own bakers4 ,flour is grown in limited and fluctuating quantities in the country4 ,this is ground up1 mixed with carbonate of soda and buttermilk1 baked in a native pot with fire above and under1 and in less than an hour a very decent wholemeal loaf is ready for afternoon tea4 ,the only drawback is that most of these departments of industry have to be worked by one's self4 ,it is rather curious the number of professions a ,european holds out here1 simply because he must1 there is no one else to do it4 ,the natives have such exalted ideas of the powers of a white man1 that they appeal to him in every difficulty4 ,the first week we had brought to us an umbrella to be re-covered1 one watch with broken mainspring needing repair1 a lamp to be soldered1 all sorts and conditions of sick people wanting medicine1 and one raving madman6 ,the servant question was one that had to be faced immediately on our arrival1 so we decided to write up to the ,king and ,namasole4 ,in reply1 four young girls were sent down who did nothing but weep in spite of our kindly assurances of friendliness4 ,they had never seen white ladies before1 and were literally scared at us4 ,they all ran away during the first night6 ,so we had to keep on our road-boys until we had won the confidence of the women4 ,we sometimes wondered if we should live to see that time2 for one day a cabbage was sent to table that had been cooked in about one pound of soda4 ,the cook had seen the ,european put a pinch in the water1 and judging the diminutive quantity was with an eye to economy1 determined on giving us a liberal treat for once6 ,our best 8cosy0 was served up at another meal as a dish cover to the roast chicken6 ,it is not often1 however1 that they knowingly deviate from the model lesson given them2 they sometimes err too faithfully on the other side by reproducing the ,european's mistakes and never improving on them4 ,if you have once taught them a heavy pastry1 your pies will always have that same unfortunate crust in spite of a more successful second lesson4 ,they believe absolutely in reverting to original type4 ,however1 this is a one-sided view of the little black cooks4 ,imagine an ,english lad of twelve serving up a six-course dinner as these little fellows can1 after some training2 and with such a kitchen range1 three bricks or stones and some twigs1 and a very limited storeroom4 ,give a ,toro cook a leg of goat and he can turn out a most satisfying meal of varieties--goat soup1 goat curry1 goat stewed1 goat boiled and roast2 and then if you want one more course1 give him flour1 eggs1 milk1 and a little butter1 and he could send you in goat pie and goat pudding1 or pancakes1 boiled or baked batter1 boiled or baked sponge pudding4 ,if you live on poor food in ,toro1 you must not blame the country or your cook1 but yourself1 that you did not arm against the future by occasional visits to your ,english kitchen4 ,that is by far the best way of learning2 cookery lectures and cookery books are not much use for a country like this2 they generally tell you to 8take0 something you have not got and cannot get1 and on that seems to depend the success of the recipe4 ,often have ,i recalled the long1 tiring hours spent in learning to knead bread1 and then the patience of waiting for it to rise2 we should be eating tinned biscuits 7like our predecessors7 till this day if our bread depended on that method out here4 ,vegetables form rather an important part in the daily diet2 in fact1 one is inclined to be a vegetarian where vegetables are so plentiful and meat very tough and tasteless4 ,on some occasions fifteen different kinds have been sent to table at a meal4 ,they are all cooked in one large earthen pot1 each vegetable being tied up in a large banana leaf with water--the leaf is waterproof and made soft and pliable by passing it through the fire4 ,the white ants and snakes show marked appreciation for the ,europeans' houses4 ,in spite of digging deep trenches round outside1 the ants1 which are supposed to travel only a few inches under the surface soil1 manage to get at the poles and so gradually undermine the safety of the walls4 ,they are the most indefatigable workers4 ,in one night the floor of a room will be covered with little heaps of soil which they have carried up2 a mackintosh coat was half eaten away by these little pests that had discovered it on a peg behind the bedroom door4 ,sulphur1 hot water1 ,keating1 pepper1 thrown down proved quite ineffectual in driving them off4 ,the natives advised a ,european to leave the little ant-heaps for a few days until a crop of small mushrooms appeared on the ant-heaps1 and that would satisfy the ants and off they would go to begin their work elsewhere4 ,the experiment was tried1 with the result that on the third day the floor was covered with tiny white fungi1 and the ants really did disappear after that4 ,i will not attempt to explain the reason scientifically4 ,more stringent measures than passive resistance were needed for the snakes that came and built under the sitting room floor4 ,their appearance was first discovered by one of them leaving his top coat behind him in one of the rooms4 ,one evening we were roused from our peaceful occupations hearing two rifle reports and a regular stampede outside our house2 we rushed to the door1 but were quickly told to shut it up1 as a leopard was rushing about4 ,two shots had been fired1 but missed it4 ,a large search party was formed of excited1 frightened natives with spears1 rifles1 and long torches1 but all their endeavours were in vain4 ,three nights after that another and even larger leopard prowled round the houses1 entered the donkey stables and dragged out a small baby donkey4 ,in the morning an awful sight met our gaze on the path outside the stabling4 ,the two hind legs had been completely eaten and the body torn open2 the ground was covered with blood1 and many claw marks were visible4 ,the war drum was beaten1 and1 according to the law of the country1 all the men turned out1 from the chiefs to the poorest peasant1 armed with spears and clubs4 ,the excitement was intense1 the ,king's ,hill was thronged with dancing1 rushing natives1 singing war songs and making dashing onslaughts toward imaginary foes4 ,they all danced and rushed in step1 accomplishing the curious body dance in perfect order4 ,they tracked the beast and ,mr4 ,fisher1 who had led out the party1 shot it as it gave one spring from its lair4 ,the return home was a yell of victory1 all assembling under the large tree on the top of the ,king's ,hill to salute the ,katikiro 7,chief ,minister71 who sat in state to wait the arrival of the prey4 ,afterwards all the wounded were brought to the dispensary for surgical attention2 one arm was so severely cut with spears and torn by the leopard's claws that ,i had to stitch it up4 ,leopard's claws are very poisonous1 and inflammation immediately sets in2 many cases prove fatal on account of blood poisoning4 ,just one word more before closing this4 ,life out here is not one of constant 8roughing it40 ,no girls in ,england could have been happier than we were1 and there are heaps of things that make up for some left in ,merrie ,england4 ,for instance1 a punt down the ,thames is not to be compared to a paddle in a dug-out canoe or a sail in the same by a square of calico hoisted4 ,there is a delightful lake right away among the mountains1 only five miles off1 and no one ever enjoyed a lunch like the one we had in the little reed bungalow on the shore4 ,our first picnic there was unique4 ,the lunch was provided by the ,government officials1 and really1 ,i had never imagined men were so domesticated4 ,they superintended the culinary arrangements4 ,the ,administrator made a meat pie1 the crust of which might have been improved2 another produced a sort of trifle2 while a third manufactured scones2 and we tried not to notice the lack of baking powder4 ,but we survived all three4 ,,chapter ,,vii ,royal ,life ,kabarole1 the capital of ,toro1 may be described as a city of hills4 ,on the highest of these1 commanding a panoramic view of the country north1 south1 and east of ,ruwenzori1 stands the palace of ,king ,daudi ,kasagama4 ,the ,uganda ,protectorate differs from ,nigeria and the other west coast districts1 in that it possesses no old-established cities and towns4 ,the custom of the ,kings of each of the four independent ,kingdoms of the ,protectorate formerly was to remove the capital as each succeeded to the throne4 ,this involved a constant exodus of the people1 who cleared out bodily in order to be close to their ,king4 ,scarcely any traces can be found of the previous capitals1 as the houses were constructed merely of reeds1 poles and thatch1 which offer no resistance to the destroying hand of time2 occasionally a worn grinding-stone or a broken cooking-pot is met with among waving elephant grass that immediately assumed mastery of the ground on the removal of the people4 ,in #ahia ,kasagama succeeded to the throne of ,toro1 which was then being plundered and ravaged by the ,kabarega1 the neighbouring and powerful ,king of ,unyoro4 ,for some years the whole district was distressed by the merciless tyranny of the raiders1 and the people were obliged to flee to the shelter of the mountains4 ,now peace and order reign1 the security and authority of the ,king and his counsellors have been established by the ,british ,government1 and the country sown on all hands with the seed of ,christianity which has effected a complete reformation in the lives and condition of the people4 ,the ,king's house is the only brick building at present in the country4 ,it is two-storied1 with walls two and a half feet thick4 ,the staircase is roughly constructed of bricks and runs outside4 ,on the ground floor are three rooms4 ,the centre one1 into which the front door opens1 is the reception room4 ,the walls and ceiling are gaily hung with bright printed calico strips of varied design and colouring1 stitched together4 ,over these are large1 coloured ,bible pictures illustrating the life of ,christ4 ,on the floor are spread grass mats and leopards' skins1 which are the sign of royalty4 ,an ,indian rug is placed under a table and chair in one corner where ,his ,majesty sits and receives his guests4 ,the room is supplied with no other furniture4 ,a waiting-room leads off from this1 which is unfurnished1 with the exception of a native divan made of reeds for important or sick attendants2 the others lounge about on the fine1 soft grass strewn on the floor4 ,kasagama's study is on the other side of the reception-room1 and that is where he does most of his business and carries on his correspondence4 ,upon the rows of shelves fixed to the wall are to be seen small piles of documents and letters received from his chiefs in the outlying districts1 who are just learning to write4 ,the boxes at the end of the room contain all his treasured presents received from the ,government officials1 missionaries and friends in ,england4 ,if you call in any afternoon about five o'clock and are a friend of ,his ,majesty you would perhaps be allowed into this sanctum1 and there might find him working away at his typewriter or dictating to his typist1 who can run his fingers very rapidly over the keyboard4 ,kasagama is now hard at work writing a history of the country4 ,to prevent any unauthentic references to the past he has two old men1 well versed in ancient lore1 to refer to4 ,illustration3 ,,king ,,dandi ,,kasagama ,,of ,,toro ,,and ,,his ,,chiefs4 ,photo by ,d4 ,v4 ,f4 ,figueira1 ,mombasa4 ,the ,council ,hall1 in which ,parliament assembles every ,monday1 is in an adjoining country1 and this is a large reed structure decorated inside with coloured calicos like the reception room4 ,the railed off partitions are intended for the ,king's chair1 and for the ,queen ,mother or ,sister1 either of whom is expected to attend each week4 ,the ,ministers of ,state are arranged in straight rows down the building1 and the people involved in the various cases brought up for trial come and kneel in the wide aisle which leads up to the ,king's seat4 ,i only attended once1 as women are generally debarred the privilege1 but the first thing that struck me was how very civilised is the ,house in ,toro and much in advance of one's own native land1 for we were not put up in a third gallery behind wire caging to merely catch a glimpse of the ,speaker's head1 but had seats given us next to the ,king6 ,however1 there was a sad need of an ,opposition or ,nationalists' ,bench1 to add a little gusto and sensation to the proceedings4 ,to make up for this at the conclusion of each case1 the ,royal band broke out into uproarious melodies1 and the bandsmen accompanied their instruments with caricature ,irish jigs4 ,a visit to the ,king must always include an inspection of his flower garden1 of which he is very proud4 ,it dates back to our arrival in ,toro4 ,as he used to drop in for afternoon tea1 he would often find us armed with rake and spade1 just ready to tackle the patch of weeds outside our house4 ,it was a matter of surprise to the natives when they heard that the white ladies were 8cultivating10 and a still greater wonder when they learned that they were not sowing food but flowers4 ,whatever was the use of flowers8 ,however1 ,kasagama thought it must be the correct thing1 so one day ventured to beg a few flower seeds to start a garden for himself1 and then very hesitatingly and half apologetically he asked what was the exact use of flowers1 as he wanted to have an answer ready to give to questioners4 ,however1 the beauty and fragrance of our ,english flowers have spoken to these people and awakened in their hearts a real admiration and love1 so that outside many a ,toro homestead now can be seen borders of carefully tended flowers2 and often prettily-arranged bouquets will be brought by them as greetings or offerings4 ,at ,easter time one result of this is seen in the ,church4 ,on the ,saturday each one is asked to bring in the decorations and to help arrange them4 ,the first time this was done the chancel was simply banked with bouquets1 wreaths1 and bunches of wild or cultivated flowers2 palm leaves and papyrus grass1 fixed to the columns of reeded poles down the church1 made continued arches right along each aisle1 while the open window sills were festooned with wild clematis4 ,most of this was done entirely by the natives4 ,court life in ,toro has a very attractive home side to it4 ,one can scarcely wish for a more touching picture than when1 the affairs of ,state being over for the day1 ,damali1 the young ,queen1 comes into the ,royal ,palace with the little ,princess ,ruzi 7,ruth74 ,the ,queen first bows before her husband-,king1 and the tiny child follows her mother's example1 and in baby language greets ,his ,majesty4 ,then ,kasagama for a time lays aside his regal dignity and clasping the child in his arms fondles her and talks and romps like a big school-boy4 ,the old custom of the men and women feeding apart has disappeared in the ,king's household1 and every evening ,kasagama and ,damali dine together4 ,the menu never varies from one year's end to another4 ,each day the ,king has his own particular cut from the goat1 namely1 the chops and cutlets1 and the ,queen has a leg4 ,they generally manage to finish their joints1 besides the quantities of boiled plantains and various native vegetables served up with the meat4 ,kasagama has recently developed distinct sporting inclinations1 and although it cannot be said that he has made his name1 certain it is he has made his mark at them4 ,tennis was the first pastime he indulged in4 ,one court was enough to allure anyone6 ,a space was thoroughly cleared of vegetation in the mission compound and beaten by foot in place of a roller2 two posts were firmly planted in the ground1 a rope stretched across and strips of banana pith knotted on to it1 hanging down like kippers put out to dry4 ,the ,king was rather too powerful with his racquets2 scouts had to be posted like fielders at cricket4 ,seeing the ball coming he made a desperate plunge toward it and either missed it altogether or slogged it as if intended for ,ruwenzori's snows4 ,so he gave that up for football2 the dimensions of the ball ,i suppose appealed to him as being more adapted to his size4 ,he is now a great player2 his grief is that he has never experienced the excitement of a scrimmage1 as the men are afraid of hustling their ,king2 the only member of the team who apparently does not mind doing so is ,blasiyo1 the pigmy6 ,another reason is that there is little chance of getting too close1 as he is followed about the field by one attendant who holds an umbrella over his head and another man careers about with a chair1 so that ,his ,majesty can rest when the ball goes in an opposite direction of the field to where he happens to be4 ,in all ,church work1 ,kasagama has been a leader and example to his people4 ,almost daily1 at #h a4m4 as the people gather from all directions for ,bible ,classes or school teaching1 a procession may be seen slowly issuing out from the reed enclosure that surrounds the royal palace4 ,with a large company of retainers and an armed bodyguard at the front and rear1 on his bay steed rides the ,king1 a fine majestic figure1 #bh years of age1 and #f;ft4 #c;in4 in height4 ,the ,katikiro and other important ,chiefs1 with their attendants1 if they have not already started1 come out from their houses on their side of the ,king's hill1 and fall in behind ,his ,majesty4 ,they are bent on no ,ministerial business1 but if you were to ask the ,king1 he would say 8to learn wisdom from ,god1 for how can ,i rightly rule my country without having first received that40 ,when the drum beats for ,sunday services1 ,kasagama is nearly always at his place in the church to join with his people in prayer and worship4 ,besides encouraging his young men and chiefs to offer themselves as missionaries to the neighbouring villages and districts1 he helps in every possible way to supply the necessary means in order that the native organisations shall be supported by themselves4 ,when the large reed ,church showed signs of old age1 ,daudi ,kasagama1 like his namesake ,david1 ,king of ,israel1 set his heart to 8build a house unto the name of the ,lord40 ,calling together his ,christian ,chiefs1 he conferred with the ,missionaries as to the quantities of material needed for a large ,church1 and when the approximate number of poles was given1 he divided it up asking his ,chiefs each to be responsible for a proportion4 ,the new 8,temple0 was not to be built of carefully-hewn stone1 prepared bricks1 or granite pillars1 but of forest poles brought from long distances1 many needing fifty men to carry them in2 bamboos from the forest-clad heights of snow-peaked ,ruwenzori2 grass brought in by the women for thatching2 reeds fetched from the swamps by men and children1 and red mud for the walls4 ,every morning the ,king came down to work with his people in the erection of the building1 and when the framework was completed1 helped to bring in the grass which was cut up and beaten with the mud to form a kind of solid brick wall4 ,illustration3 ,,new ,,church4 ,,kabarole ,,toro4 ,at #h4j a4m4 the ,katikiro1 ,chiefs and others made their way down to the mud pits1 into which there was thrown red earth1 straw and water4 ,about twenty men then would jump in1 clasp arms in a circle1 yell a native air and stamp the mud with their bare feet till the right consistency was reached4 ,by that time they had become splashed and disfigured into fearsome representations of painted ,red ,indians4 ,the mud was then put into baskets and shouldered by a body of carriers1 who marched single file to the scene where the building operations were being carried on1 while a drummer always went on before to give a spirit of militarism to the work4 ,with shirt sleeves rolled up1 ,kasagama and an army of mud-layers were ready to receive the mud and slap it into the walls with a whoop and occasional mutual congratulatory exclamation 8,wehale0--8well done40 ,in this manner the ,church1 holding eight hundred people1 was completed in six months free of debt and not having caused any expense to the ,missionary ,society6 ,when it is remembered that until the advent of ,christianity six years previous1 the ,king and ,chiefs had never done one day's manual work1 one can only regard this ,church as a standing testimony to the reality of a religion that can call forth such a spontaneous demonstration of the sincerity of its disciples4 ,one day while watching the unmistakable earnestness of the men at their toil1 ,i turned to ,kasagama and said3 8,king1 your people are really enjoying their hard work40 ,he replied3 8,oh no1 my people have not yet arrived at liking work1 but they are rejoicing because this is ,god's house40 ,pending the arrival of the ,bishop1 an informal dedication service was arranged on the first ,sunday of its completion4 ,the ,church was packed from end to end1 the men on one side led by their ,king1 the women on the other with the ,queen ,damali4 ,a great stillness fell on that large congregation as ,king ,daudi1 who scarcely ever takes an active part in the services1 rose and offered up a prayer of ,consecration4 ,in it he said3 8,o ,god1 we know ,thou dwellest not in temples made with hands1 but this ,house has been built with our hearts' devotion2 therefore come down and take up ,thy dwelling place1 that sinners entering may be saved by ,thy presence40 ,kasagama in his time has played several 8parts40 ,two days after the opening of the new ,church1 he was called upon to fill a position in a novel function for ,toro1 namely1 the first ,european wedding4 ,a great deal of excitement had prevailed for some time among the people1 and whisperings of the unique event had filtered through to the villages1 bringing a large number of people into the capital out of curiosity4 ,it was a beautiful clear morning1 and before sunrise the bride designate was needlessly reminded of the day by a loud shuffling and scurrying going on outside her calico window4 ,the ,katikiro's loud baritone was heard commanding a regiment of workmen1 and by way of creating an excitement in the proceedings1 he accompanied his orders by eloquent aerial cracks with his whip of hippo hide4 ,in order to have a share in the festive preparations they had come down to strew fresh cut grass all round the house1 in the courtyard and along the road to the church4 ,on the preceding days1 the chiefs' wives1 headed by the ,queen1 had been with their spades levelling the mud floor in the scarcely completed church and carpeting it with soft green grass4 ,it was a welcome substitute of nature for the customary red felt drugget1 and no one would have exchanged for canvas awning the archway of palm leaves and bushy papyrus grass heads that adorned the verandah and porch leading from the house4 ,all the ,europeans in ,toro were invited--they numbered five--and each had an allotted task4 ,one performed the ceremony1 another stood as best man1 the organist pedalled away nobly at the portable baby organ and even persuaded it to produce the ,wedding ,march creditably4 ,there was one bridesmaid1 and the fifth took the part of 8guest40 ,at #i4j a4m4 the church drums beat1 and ,king ,kasagama1 dressed in a cloud of white and elaborate silk draperies1 came down to act 8father0 to the bride4 ,his ,majesty looked almost pale with the responsibility of his new position1 and scarcely trusted himself to speak as he took his 8child's0 hand and led her from the house along the road lined with crowds of his excited people4 ,the church presented a sea of black faces and white linen garments freshly washed for the occasion4 ,everyone was standing1 for there was no room to sit down4 ,a ,lunyoro hymn was sung1 and then the service proceeded in ,english till the close1 when the faithful old native deacon ,apolo offered prayer in the language of the people4 ,the usual carriages and greys had to be dispensed with as the livery stables were a little too far off6 ,but a regulation reception took place and about seventy guests crowded into the very limited space of the ,european's sitting room4 ,a real iced cake specially imported1 was mounted on a stool draped with trails of wild clematis4 ,heaped up dishes of thick sandwiches1 stodgy jam tarts1 cakes and biscuits1 that suggested a ,sunday ,school treat for at least some hundreds of hungry ,english bairns1 proved a scarcely adequate supply for the visitors1 who started on the cake1 then tucked in sandwiches1 jam tarts and sandwiches again1 and so on1 in a hopeless mix up4 ,the tea was served round time after time1 till the guests1 out of sheer inability1 had reluctantly to refuse further supplies4 ,one chief1 with a sigh1 regretfully eyeing a dish of cake1 exclaimed3 8,okwongera nukwo kufa0--8,any more would be death40 ,as the guests departed1 timidly limped forward old ,mpisi1 the first dispensary patient4 ,he had been silently waiting his opportunity to slip in and give the bride his little wedding gift of five cowrie shells3 their value was one-third of a farthing1 but they were all he possessed4 ,the honeymoon was spent 8on the ,continent0--the dark continent of ,africa1 a trip of about #gjj miles1 across lake and over land1 visiting a continual succession of mission stations4 ,it included a visit to the ,government ,capital of ,entebbe1 where an official repetition of the marriage service had to be performed4 ,fancy being married twice within one month6 ,as the happy pair rode off on mules1 actually the customary rice followed them4 ,a mob of natives enjoyed this part immensely2 but some of the women ran up1 and tearing the bracelets and necklaces from their own wrists and necks1 gave them to the bride with sympathetic tears6 ,even the slipper was not wanting2 it was delivered to a native to throw at the couple as they turned off at cross-roads1 but not quite seeing the point1 and having a respectful regard for the shoe1 he solemnly presented it as a parting greeting from the ,europeans6 ,,chapter ,,viii ,the ,women of ,toro ,although undoubtedly belonging to one and the same parent stock1 as a race the ,batoro are in features superior to the ,baganda1 but physically inferior owing to the different conditions under which their lives have been lived4 ,women1 both high and low1 until within recent years1 were practically the slaves of the ,baganda households1 and even now are expected to do the cultivating and cooking of the food4 ,before the sun has risen the ,baganda women start on their digging in their banana plantations or potato fields4 ,this has developed their muscles and at the same time had a healthy effect on the mind1 for no one can handle nature without consciously or unconsciously being influenced by it for good4 ,the ,batoro women1 on the other hand1 have been merely the chattels of the home4 ,the upper classes scorned menial work and left it to their dependents and peasant folk4 ,the middle class did no more than was absolutely essential1 which generally resolved itself into cooking the one meal for the day4 ,their homes offered no occupation for them4 ,the rude grass huts possessed no furnishing1 for their wants were of the simplest4 ,bark cloth stripped off the wild fig tree and beaten out into a soft texture1 or animals skins1 provided them with clothing by day and covering at night4 ,their water vessels consisted of the hollowed out gourds that grow round their huts4 ,one cooking pot sufficed for the household4 ,a plaited grass mat took the place of mattress over a bed of reeds strung across a wooden framework and built in along the side of the hut4 ,grass covered the floor of every house--seldom changed and never aired4 ,soot and cobwebs hung in festoons round the inside1 as there are no chimneys in the huts to carry away the smoke from the open fire in the centre of the floor4 ,in recent years the upper class women have discarded the bark-cloth as apparel for white calico and coloured prints4 ,when these garments show signs of wear the general custom is neither to wash nor change them for fear of hastening their end1 but clean draperies are thrown over them when the wearer appears in public4 ,some of the women can work very prettily with grass and fibre4 ,having discovered various vegetable dyes1 they are able to make very attractive designs in basket-work by dyeing the grass different colours4 ,the fibre they make into string and then form beautiful knotted bags in which they have their gourds4 ,it was only by living some time among them that we discovered these hidden trophies of a spasmodic industry4 ,very few care about rousing themselves and devoting the time and care needed for this work2 the fault of the women is their inherent laziness2 the generality of them desire nothing so much as to sit still and do absolutely nothing4 ,they are so fond of begging1 begging1 begging1 but when you suggest their working1 off they go and you never see them any more4 ,others will remain in their homes ill for days1 and no one will have the energy to come down and ask for medicine4 ,an industrial exhibition was suggested by two of our missionaries in #aijc1 and will be held every year1 it is hoped4 ,most ingenious bee-hives and rat traps were brought in as exhibits1 besides all sorts of grass and string work1 painted bark cloths and gourds1 and so on4 ,the novelty of the exhibition caused great excitement among the people1 and the schoolroom was packed to its utmost capacity with competitors and others4 ,his ,majesty1 ,daudi ,kasagama1 opened the proceedings with an earnest appeal to his people to make the show an even greater success next time by increasing the number of exhibits and raising the standard of proficiency4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,batoro ,,at ,,home4 ,photo by ,d4 ,v4 ,f4 ,figueira1 ,mombasa4 ,before the advent of ,christianity there had been nothing to break the dull monotony of the women's existence4 ,as they sat1 day after day1 huddled together in their dirty little grass homes1 their conversation scarcely ever ventured outside the well-beaten track of real or imaginary sickness1 and the usual revolting topics that polygamy and heathenism suggest4 ,modesty1 reserve1 shame and sensitiveness were not known among them4 ,one's whole nature recoils from the recollection of ,africa's lost womanhood4 ,girls are sometimes betrothed as infants but do not marry till they have reached the age of #ad or #ae4 ,the husband is judged rarely according to his merit--that receives small consideration--but chiefly according to his means4 ,the girl's value is determined by her rank or physical appearance4 ,her parents or master fix her price at so many heads of cattle or goats4 ,a peasant woman can be had as cheap as one goat2 should the husband be fortunate enough1 in course of time1 to possess a sheep or second goat1 he will sometimes take it and his wife and exchange them for a stronger and better woman who will be able to do more work for him1 or add more variety1 quality or quantity to the day's menu4 ,a peasant1 living on the mission hill1 married one of our women1 and coming to the missionary in charge1 fell down on his knees and eloquently praised him for his gift of potatoes1 bananas1 and beans4 ,the ,european looked rather perplexed1 and at last had to own up that the present had not come from him4 8,oh yes1 ,master10 answered the man1 8it was you who gave me my wife40 ,when we arrived in ,toro in #aijj there was quite a goodly number of baptised women1 including ,vikitoliya1 the ,queen ,mother1 ,damali1 the ,queen1 several of the ,chiefs' wives and ladies of the royal households4 ,several of these had been taught to read before the arrival of the ,european missionary1 by ,king ,kasagama1 who was baptised in #ahif during a prolonged visit to ,uganda4 ,on his return to ,toro he had become a true missionary ,king1 and gathering his women around him day after day in his courtyard he instructed them in the things he had been taught1 while the men went to the two ,baganda ,evangelists in the little reed church4 ,when the ,european missionary arrived he found a large body of eager women as well as men1 ready to be prepared for ,baptism4 ,vikitoliya was one of the first whose heart responded to the new religion of love and holiness1 as she listened to the earnest words of the ,king--her son4 ,she is a woman of considerable influence and of decided intellectual ability4 ,her features present none of the negrotic characteristics1 but on the contrary they are sharply defined and somewhat aquiline2 her expression1 sweet and pleasing1 betokens her kindness of heart and gentleness of disposition4 ,she has built for herself an imposing two-storied mud house with a verandah and balcony all round4 ,from the inside doorway hang reed and bead curtains which she made herself after seeing a ,japanese model in a ,european's house4 ,she lives about two miles from the capital1 and in order to encourage her people to learn to read and attend daily ,bible classes she erected on her estate a church1 which holds about #djj people4 ,i rode over there one ,sunday morning as ,i had been asked to stand as godmother to the first little son of the sister of the ,king4 ,when ,i arrived the ,church was crowded--it is a large cane building1 with innumerable poles inside to support the walls and roof4 ,it contains no stained glass windows1 but the blue cloudless sky1 tall1 waving banana trees1 and the graceful grasses of the ,indian corn with its golden heads of grain1 made a charming background to the aperture windows and helped the soul in its flight toward ,god perhaps more than such exquisitely elaborate windows as are seen at ,notre ,dame1 which always struck me with their rich colouring4 ,at the west end stood the font1 a black native pot fixed to a wooden packing case which was draped in ,turkey twill4 ,who could help being impressed as the words 8,suffer the little children to come unto me0 sounded out in the foreign tongue1 and a sweet1 wee thing1 lying on white flannel worked with pink silk1 was brought forward by its delighted royal grandmother4 ,at the east end were spread the sacred memorials of our ,redemption1 speaking with such force of that one ,sacrifice which uplifts and unites all nations under ,heaven4 ,vikitoliya possessed a peculiar love and reverence for our late ,queen1 after whom she was named4 ,she never tired of listening to stories of the 8great white ,queen10 and it was her ambition to strive to be to her people something of what ,her late ,majesty had been to her subjects4 ,never shall ,i forget her grief and that of all the leading women when the news of her death reached us4 ,immediately they came down to us to sympathize1 and were at first quite silent in their grief1 then with tears running down her cheeks1 the dusky ,queen subject said1 8,your sorrow is our sorrow1 we have lost our ,mother1 our friend40 ,it is wonderful the influence that such a reign of purity and righteousness has had even on far off ,africa1 rousing the best chivalry and patriotism in the hearts of its people1 and inspiring them to nobler ends4 ,christianity is doing for ,toro what it has done for every other country where it has effectually entered--it is raising its women from their depths of degradation and beautifying their lives1 cleansing and refining their speech and habits4 ,clean1 tidy homes are now seen1 and carefully cultivated land in place of the pestilential filth and gaunt elephant grass4 ,happy family life is springing up among the people1 and everywhere there is a stir and progressive vigour4 ,upon the ,christian women as well as the men has been laid the responsibility of doing something toward spreading the knowledge of ,christ among the surrounding heathen4 ,at first a district visitors' band was organized to go two and two into the near villages when the daily classes in the church were over4 ,they took their books1 and either collected the villagers together or entered their houses and taught them their letters and syllables1 after having read and spoken to them4 ,i used frequently to go out with them to see what progress they were making2 a shrieking bodyguard would at once attach itself to me under pretence of frightening the wild animals off6 ,our arrival was always hailed with delight1 and a dirty mat that acts as bed1 couch1 and footscraper was generally politely placed for me on which to be seated4 ,the small children generally showed their appreciation of the white lady by opening their commodious mouths as wide as possible and screaming prodigiously4 ,it took one a very long time to find them attractive1 they so sadly needed a rub down with ,pears' soap or ,monkey ,brand4 ,sometimes ,i found #ajj or #aej natives eagerly struggling with their reading sheets1 all squeezed into an infinitesimally small hut4 ,somehow they always found room for the ,european1 for they were very impatient to be questioned by her and passed on to a higher class4 ,when the reading lesson was over we used to have a short service with them1 and it was exceedingly impressive to listen sometimes to the young ,christian women speaking to them naturally of ,christ's love4 ,they never attempted an impossible address or delivered a thorough out-and-out sermon1 but with touching simplicity told in their own language what was a living and real thing to them4 ,it seemed impossible to believe that so wonderful a change could have taken place in these ,batoro women in so short a time4 ,when the visit was over1 all the women1 children1 and some of the men used to tear off in front to the neighbouring huts to inform them that the ,european was passing1 so on my homeward journey ,i was accompanied by excited1 chattering men and women and a crowd of naked little folk1 many of them bringing small offerings of flowers1 beans1 or eggs to deposit at our door4 ,although these folk can make plenty of noise they can make very little music4 ,they have never been educated up to it4 ,the royal band has been their only conservatoire of music1 and their few songs were connected with drink or plunder1 themes scarcely conducive to the highest poetry4 ,but their singing is great4 ,you should have heard a singing class ,i used to have on ,saturday mornings4 ,about twenty of the ladies used to turn up and exercise their vocal powers4 ,they only knew a few of ,sankey's most unmusical hymns1 and to these they resigned themselves with a fixed expression and still more fixed attitude1 without making the slightest facial movement4 ,they produced a curious grunt through their nasal organ1 quite irrespective of time1 key1 or tune4 ,i sacrificed myself to making the most hideous grimaces it is possible to form my features into1 in order that they might imitate1 and so bring a few muscles into action4 ,but neither tonic sol-fa nor any other tonic would bring about results1 so ,i gave up the class very hoarse from my efforts4 ,in ,august of each year is held in ,toro a ,teachers' ,conference4 ,all other work is suspended and the native teachers come in from all the villages and distant districts4 ,in #aija we decided to invite the women who were church members1 so that a united ,women's ,conference might be held for the deepening of spiritual life1 and discussing methods of work4 ,we had three separate meetings for women1 at each of which a native and a ,european spoke4 ,the subjects treated were3--#ast ,meeting--,the work of teaching for ,baptism and ,communion--its methods and responsibilities4 #bnd ,meeting--,the work of visiting and teaching in the gardens--its methods and its importance4 #crd ,meeting--,the organization of women's work1 and farewell word4 ,on the last day1 at the close of a very solemn afternoon gathering1 one woman rose from among the large number present1 and in a trembling voice said1 8,my heart pains me for those around in darkness1 and ,i want to go and teach them of ,christ's love40 ,a great stillness fell on the meeting1 and ,damali1 the ,queen1 scarcely able to steady her voice1 closed in prayer1 thanking ,god for having called one from among them to be a missionary and asking that others might hear the voice4 ,on the third day nine more women had come to offer themselves as missionaries4 ,one was ,ana ,kageye1 the head woman of the ,royal household1 one of the leading women of the country4 ,before coming to us she had been to the ,king1 and received his permission for her to leave him for ,god's service4 ,she had1 before her conversion1 led a desperately wicked life1 and1 being old and so steeped in witchcraft1 one almost supposed her to be beyond the power of reformation4 ,she had first heard of ,christ from ,kasagama's lips1 and although her eyes were then getting somewhat dim with age1 she learned from the ,king to read the ,bible for herself4 ,from that time a complete change came over her whole life and appearance1 so that her scarred face became quite attractive4 ,since then she had proved a most indefatigable teacher and helper in all ,church work4 ,a class was at once arranged for instructing these candidates morning and afternoon for six months in ,st4 ,matthew1 ,st4 ,john1 ,acts1 the ,pauline ,epistles1 and a sketch of ,old ,testament history4 ,at the end of that period they were examined for one whole week4 ,during that time their excitement and anxiety were strained to their highest pitch2 they refused to eat at mid-day for fear they might become incapable of hard thinking1 and were found in their places at class nearly one hour before the appointed time4 ,after the first week old ,ana ,kageye took pity on their troubled appearances1 and insisted they should all go to her house after the morning class and she would give them a substantial meal4 ,out of twelve who were questioned two reached ninety-eight per cent4 marks and the lowest did not fall below seventy-five per cent4 ,after that they were brought before the ,native ,church ,council and ten were assigned to stations4 ,two 7one being ,ana ,kageye7 were located as foreign missionaries to distant ,ankole1 two to a hill station four days' journey away on a southern ridge of ,ruwenzori1 and the remaining six villages two and three days away4 ,this was a brave step for these ,batoro women to take1 after having led such indolent and sheltered lives1 and in spite of the intense joy that filled their heads1 they did not leave without tears in their eyes as they bade good-bye to all their friends for the first time4 ,surely they teach a lesson to many in favoured ,england who have not yet faced their personal responsibility to the unreached heathen4 ,all of these first women teachers did splendidly4 ,after six months' work they returned for a few weeks1 as no native worker is allowed to remain at his post without coming in for occasional rest and restrengthening4 ,the deadly influences of heathenism might prove too strong for such young ,christians if they were to live away from helpful surroundings4 ,eight of the ten again returned to their work1 and the other two were married and afterwards went out as teachers with their husbands4 ,ana ,kageye at first found the women of ,ankole eager to learn to read1 but not so quick to believe the new religion she brought to them4 ,one day a young ,princess fell sick1 and their own cures failing she was carried up to the ,european doctor temporarily stationed at the ,government fort4 ,when it was declared by him to be almost a hopeless case the natives gave up all idea of her recovery1 saying that if the white man could not cure her nothing would4 ,good1 brave old ,ana then came forward and told them again of the ,living ,god who hears and answers prayer1 and they answered together 8,if your ,god will heal her we will believe40 ,the young dying ,princess was thereupon carried to ,ana's little grass house1 and as night fell the fires died down in every hut but the one in which the sick girl lay1 and all night long the faithful old servant of ,god1 as she watched by the bedside1 wrestled in prayer for the life before her4 ,what a wonderful act of faith was witnessed that night in the little hut in ,darkest ,africa6 ,this woman so recently brought to know ,god even dared through faith to prove her ,god before these heathen4 ,as the day dawned the women gathered round the hut expecting to mourn over the dead body1 but the ,god of ,life had come forth and revealed ,his power1 the girl's unconsciousness had passed off and she had taken the first step to recovery4 ,the result was that after ,ana had been working there nine months she had instructed and prepared for baptism the first five women of ,ankole4 ,is it not worth leaving home and friends to search among the dust and mire of that dark ,continent and find such gems1 even if they be but few8 8,they shall be mine1 saith the ,lord of ,hosts1 in that day when ,i make up my jewels40 ,,chapter ,,ix ,child ,life ,child life6 ,how immediately our minds linger over happy scenes of mirth and innocent laughter1 romping1 rollicking games of mischief or of fun4 ,bright1 happy childhood6 ,no cloud of care and trouble has arisen on life's horizon1 and sin has not yet tainted the atmosphere of ,heaven that still lingers round its offspring4 ,but where can memory rest upon such a picture as that in darkest ,africa8 ,look upon a tree1 the tender buds of which half fearfully peep through the bare branches just to catch a glimpse of the outer world1 when a cold frost blast of winter strikes across the frail young life and withers it for ever4 ,that is child life in ,africa4 ,innocence and purity were withered just as they dared to step from infancy4 ,happy1 careless mirth was crushed with the weight of the burdens laid upon the shoulders of childhood4 ,their mother's home1 as has been described1 was their earliest environment1 their language was learned from her1 and then lovelessness was the children's portion1 as they were sent away as servants or slaves to neighbouring chiefs4 ,parents scorned the idea of bringing up their own children2 they affirmed that a child would never listen to its parent and would refuse to work1 so they exchanged their children at the age of four or five years for others who would be as slaves to them4 ,even at this tender age they were taught to gather the sticks and twigs1 and then sit by and feed the fire while the food was cooking1 or they carried the gourds or pots on their little woolly pates down to the river to draw the daily supply of water4 ,they were generally fearfully neglected and underfed2 their dislike to water was accounted for by the fact that they possessed no clothing and the dirt kept them warm4 ,if anyone had been born with a leaning towards cleanliness his mother would have effectually crushed this by the cold water treatment administered during infantile ablutions4 ,it was the custom every morning between #d4j and #e4j a4m41 when the cold night air still clung in damp mists to the land1 to hold the babies naked out in the courtyards1 throw cold water over them1 and then leave them out to dry4 ,their little insides were treated with no greater consideration4 ,one morning a woman brought down to the dispensary a wee morsel of three weeks3 it was a pitiful little object of mere skin and bone4 ,the mother explained that it had either been poisoned out of spite1 or it was possessed of an evil spirit4 8,see10 said she1 8,i have done all ,i could to let out the poison or devil40 ,looking at its body ,i saw it was covered with a number of small1 deep cuts1 and the blood had been left to dry4 ,low moans and a tired cry came from the poor little helpless mite as the flies tortured its mutilated body4 ,after questioning the mother the 8evil spirit0 took the form of bananas and mushrooms that she had been bringing the three weeks' infant up on6 ,feeding bottles were an unknown luxury1 and as no equivalent had been invented1 babies were compelled to lap from the hand1 an art they never properly learned and thrived very poorly on4 ,some three dozen india rubber 8comforters0 were sent out to me1 and these ,i managed to fix on empty ink bottles or medicine bottles1 and so a new-fashioned 8,allenbury0 feeder was introduced4 ,the demand far exceeded the supply1 so they could only be lent out by the month4 8,stephens' ,ink0 would have been immensely pleased could it have snapshotted the babies being solemnly fed in church with its bottles held to their mouths4 ,certainly it was a case of the survival of the fittest with the ,toro infants1 and as the 8fittest0 were few and far between1 mortality was very great among them4 ,the first two dolls that arrived in ,toro met with a very mixed welcome2 the children howled and fled in terror1 but their mothers showed a most profound admiration for them4 ,at first they held the doll very gingerly and at a distance1 as if in fear of being bewitched1 but finding that nothing happened to either one or the other1 and the doll still smiled at them like the ,cheshire cat1 they became great friends and begged that they might borrow it for a few days to play with4 ,whether it was the large circulation that those two dolls got1 or the gradually increasing confidence of the ,toro children in the white ladies1 the fact remains that in a few months all childish prejudice had disappeared1 and often a little voice was heard asking for 8a child that causes play40 ,when this was known in ,england over #ajj dolls were sent to me from two working parties4 ,i never saw such a wonderful doll show as they made4 ,they were all displayed on our verandah1 and the house was literally besieged with men1 women1 and children for some days4 ,a bride1 beautifully dressed in white satin and kid shoes1 who1 even in her wedding attire1 cried 8,mama0 and 8,papa10 was sent to little ,princess ,ruth1 but the report reached me that ,king ,kasagama had constituted himself guardian1 and kept it locked up in his study for slack moments6 ,the ,mother ,queen wrote an imploring letter to me for a dainty little ,parisienne who arrived with her travelling trunk2 and ,apolo1 our faithful native deacon--confirmed bachelor--asked me in secret if men ever played with dolls1 and beamed with satisfaction as he most triumphantly carried one off1 peacefully sleeping4 ,the others were given out to the little girls who had been most regular at the school1 and were noted for having come with clean faces and bodies4 ,when the boys saw that the dolls were only given to girls1 some borrowed their sisters' garments to try and appear eligible6 ,i did not know till then they were versed in such cunning6 ,it was so pretty to watch the joy and even playfulness that those dolls brought into the lives of so many little ones who had scarcely known what this meant till then4 ,christianity has completely revolutionized child-life in ,toro4 ,no longer are the new-born babes given over to the ,devil by causing their blood to flow as a dedicatory offering2 the teeth are not now extracted to propitiate the ,evil ,one1 and happy family circles are seen in place of slavery4 ,i am sure in no ,sunday ,school in ,england is there brighter singing than among the ,toro infants when about #bjj of them1 with very lusty lungs1 open their rather prominent mouths and sing 8,there's a ,friend for little children above the bright blue sky40 ,certainly the girls and boys make very clever little domestics4 ,i have sometimes wondered whether the problem of the over-taxed ,english market could not be solved by exporting some of these small people4 ,i had a little maid named ,keturah1 who was #ab years of age1 and she could almost manage the work of a housemaid and parlourmaid4 ,she kept my room in perfect order1 carefully putting away anything left about1 and cleaned it regularly every ,saturday4 ,on ,mondays she carried off the soiled linen1 washing1 starching1 and ironing it as well as ,i had been able to teach her2 and she could wait at table like a ,gatti's waiter6 ,was that not splendid for a little girl who had come to us without ever having seen an ,english bed1 garment1 knife1 fork1 or iron8 ,of course1 one has occasionally to put up with small inconveniences4 ,one day a pair of boots were sent out to be dried by the fire1 with strict injunctions not to leave or scorch them4 ,in a few minutes they were brought in with a big hole burnt out of the leather1 and the sole shrivelled up beyond repair--and these were a last pair6 ,pocket handkerchiefs frequently find their way into the boiled starch1 a white muslin blouse sometimes loses its identity completely by a strong dose of the blue-bag2 if it is needed for a special occasion the quantity is increased6 ,a flannel nightgown was boiled for three hours on one occasion2 fortunately it was a very unattractive ,jaeger1 but even then it did not surrender its colour4 ,that shade of flannel is like the ,ethiopian's skin--,i could never even get it to fade4 ,take my advice1 and try white instead4 ,but1 after all1 these are mere details4 ,they are faithful little people1 and would never refuse to follow their master as he travels up and down the country1 though they scarcely ever escape malaria when marching through fever districts1 in spite of strong doses of quinine4 ,often concealing a high temperature from the ,european1 they hurry on in front to see that his tent and a refreshing cup of tea are ready when he comes into camp4 ,as we travelled down to ,uganda1 on our way home to ,england1 our staff of six boys started out with us2 one after another knocked over1 and had to be carried back1 till we were left with only two to do everything for us1 and in spite of their being ill1 they insisted on coming as far as ,victoria ,nyanza4 ,as the big lake steamer weighed anchor and cut through the water1 two little white caps were waving at the end of the pier until we disappeared from sight4 ,,chapter ,x ,religion ,central ,africa may be said to have no religion1 if by that we understand belief in a ,god4 ,it has produced no ,buddha or ,mahommed to make known to its people some revelation of a deity1 neither has it possessed any ancient writings that a ,confucius could bind together as a foundation to a nation's creed4 ,in its belief we see the most pitiable product of a dark1 ignorant1 and degraded mind1 that1 left to itself1 has worked out some antidote for that which is inherent in every man--an indefinable longing after the spiritual4 ,its faith bears in it the seeds of inevitable decay1 for in its tenets can be found no trace of truth1 purity1 or holiness1 which1 varying however much they may in degree1 hold together the great religious systems of the world4 ,it might be described briefly as ,devil-worship or the ,propitiation of ,evil ,spirits2 it differs in its rites and rituals among the various tribes4 ,in ,uganda the practices of the people were more extreme1 perhaps1 but certainly less torturing than in the ,western ,provinces of the ,protectorate1 where superstition led to the most barbarous infliction of human suffering from the cradle to the grave4 ,for every real or imaginary evil and sickness that fell upon the individual1 family1 or community1 branding1 cutting1 and mutilation of the body took place2 while1 without exception1 all the front teeth in the lower jaw were extracted as soon as ever they appeared4 ,these customs1 practised for so many generations1 have had a very deteriorating effect on the physical constitution of the people4 ,the strength of the natives has been sapped1 their minds degraded1 and their energies crushed4 ,they possess very small physical resources1 and fall an easy prey to any sickness that visits their district4 ,a few years ago1 before the teachers of ,christianity reached their country1 tiny devil temples1 made of grass and twigs1 stood in the courtyards of the houses1 and in these were placed1 from time to time1 offerings of cowrie shells or food4 ,one day there was brought to me at the dispensary a child who was said to be devil-possessed4 ,the physic prescribed was so far successful that the grateful mother brought a little thank-offering4 ,it consisted of ten cowrie shells tied round a small piece of papyrus stalk4 ,when the child had fallen ill1 the mother had tied one of these shells to the strip of grass and given it as a propitiatory offering to the devil2 as the sickness increased1 each day another shell was added1 until1 finding her child become rather worse than better1 she brought her down to the dispensary4 ,and as the ,european had done what the devil refused to do1 the woman took the shells away from him and gave them to the white lady6 ,generally speaking1 the people are in partial or total ignorance of their belief2 they have never been taught it1 and practise the rituals from habit without realising their significance4 ,the priests prescribe what form the offerings shall take and their claims are never questioned2 besides this1 they extort heavy fees each time they are consulted4 ,they profess to divine the will of the evil spirit by means of charms made of sticks1 hide1 horns1 and the entrails of fowls and goats4 ,when ,kasagama was brought from ,budu by ,sir ,frederick ,lugard to be re-installed in his kingdom of ,toro1 from which he had fled1 as a young prince1 from the raiding bands of ,bunyoro under ,king ,kabarega1 a white fowl was killed and examined4 ,the priest declared the omen augured that success and peace should attend his reign4 ,but ,kasagama1 being unacquainted with what they had done1 nearly brought upon himself the worst misfortune by approaching near to the grave of the fowl4 ,had not his attendants just stopped him from walking over the grave a moral offence would have been perpetrated upon the body of the fowl and its spirit would have avenged the wrong6 ,by carefully clearing away the accumulated legends of centuries1 one finds1 however1 faint suggestions of a purer belief1 which reminds one of a saying by an ,indian monarch1 who lived in the #crd century ,b4,c41 8,the sap of all religions is alike40 ,there are a few ,batoro whose memory recalls their primitive belief1 which1 despite the contortions which time and repetition have effected1 bear a recognisable similarity to ,old ,testament revelations4 ,at the beginning of all history they say ,god and his brother ,nkya were in the world and made all things4 ,nkya had three sons whom he brought to ,god to be named1 and in order to do so ,he proved the heart of each man4 ,when the sons were brought in at night1 to each of the sons was given a pot full of milk and ,god ordered them to take care of it until the morning4 ,at midnight the youngest dozed and some of his milk got spilled2 then he turned to his brothers and asked them to fill up his pot with a little from each of theirs1 and this they did4 ,after a short time the elder son knocked over his pot and all the milk was spilled out4 ,then he begged the others to give him of theirs1 but they refused1 saying1 8,and what shall we do80 ,when the night had passed ,god came and uncovered each of the milk pots4 ,to the second son he said1 8,where is your milk80 ,and he answered1 8,the youngest's milk was spilled and ,i filled up his pot40 ,and to the eldest ,god said1 8,and yours80 ,he replied1 8,i slept and mine was all upset and ,i asked my brothers to give me of theirs but they refused40 ,then ,god cursed him and called him ,kairu 7a little servant71 saying that he should become his brothers' servant4 ,and ,god said to the youngest1 8,you shall be called ,kakama 7,little ,king71 you shall rule all people1 you shall be ,king1 and your second brother shall live with you and be your minister40 ,after this ,god took counsel with his brother that they should leave the world and go to their home in heaven1 for there was very great sin in the world1 and ,god did not wish to kill man whom he had created4 ,so ,god and ,nkya left the world and ,kakama was left to rule the people4 ,the ,bunyoro trace all their ,kings back to this great ,monarch4 ,their fifth ,king was named ,kantu1 who they say brought punishment and death into the world4 ,like his predecessors1 he disappeared suddenly1 and is believed to have gone up to ,god to beg that disease and death might visit the people4 ,god then spoke with ,nkya1 his brother1 and said it was well people should die and come to life again after four days4 ,but ,nkya said1 8,let them die absolutely40 ,after this the little son of the reigning king became ill and died1 and the ,king ,isaza sent to ,god and said1 8,my son will not wake up40 ,god said1 8,what is his sleep like80 ,and he replied1 8,since lying down to sleep he will not move and he does not breathe40 ,then ,god sent to ,isaza and told him to dig a hole and bury the child4 ,but the ,king did not understand what death was1 and as he sat in his house he sought for his son and ordered for him to be brought4 ,but his people told him that he would never again see his son2 hearing this the ,king lifted up his hands and as he stood over the grave he cursed all men for the death of his child4 ,for this ,god plagued his people with sickness1 but ,isaza remained unsoftened1 so ,god sent death to his second son4 ,after this the ,king of ,hell sent messages to the ,king ,isaza1 tempting him with gifts to make a covenant with him2 and after much hesitation ,isaza yielded and set out with his companion the ,moon to visit the ,king of ,hell4 ,when he had gone some distance the ground suddenly opened1 and ,isaza was cast down till he reached the gate of ,hell1 from whence he never returned4 ,whereupon the moon1 grieving over the loss of his royal friend1 went up into the sky and has ever remained there4 ,the method of these people for making a covenant was that of blood-brotherhood4 ,each of the two parties took a coffee bean1 dipped it in the blood from a small incision made in his body1 then handed it to his companion to be eaten4 ,it was a most sacred pledge of indissoluble union1 a breach of which met with immediate death4 ,whoever the ,king chose to honour with blood brotherhood1 was raised to the highest position1 regardless of his birth or estate4 ,this has often made clear to them the passage1 8we who sometimes were far off are made nigh by the blood of ,christ40 ,it is said that when the first ,english official passed through the neighbouring country of ,ankole1 the ,king and people were in a state of great consternation1 speculating as to the purport of his visit4 ,the explanations of the ,englishmen were not sufficient to allay their suspicions1 but on his agreeing to make 8blood brotherhood0 with the ,king an understanding was arrived at and the confidence of the people established4 ,their ideas of an after life seem to have been of the very vaguest4 ,their belief that the soul continues to exist after death was evident in that they had a great fear of the spirits of the departed4 ,a man on the death of his wife 7or one of them7 did not marry again till the body had decayed1 for fear of offending the spirit of the dead4 ,frequently in the villages are to be seen long zig-zag paths leading to the huts that are supposed to baulk the spirits which only travel in straight lines4 ,burial takes place immediately after death4 ,the body is wrapped round in bark cloths and with it are buried quantities of white calico1 bark cloths1 and blankets1 according to the wealth of the chief mourner4 ,when the head of the household dies he is buried in the courtyard of his house1 after which the hut is removed to another spot1 so that the spirit of the deceased shall not trouble the surviving members of the family4 ,when the ,king died the custom was for five women and four men of the chief families of the land to be taken by force and buried alive with the ,king1 to complete the number ten1 so that he should not be alone4 ,a house was then erected over the grave1 and inside the surrounding fence the ,queen came and lived4 ,every day at daybreak she went with the keepers of the tomb to clean it down and sweep out the courtyard4 ,they lived on the food and cows stolen from folks passing along on the roads4 ,a man had to forfeit all right to anything claimed for the 8,gasani0 7the ,king's ,tomb71 and could look for no reparation4 ,if a man dies without expressing any wish as to the disposal of his belongings1 his brothers1 and not the wife and children1 inherit them4 ,among the ,bahuma tribe the wife is included in the personalty and is handed over as wife to the brother of the deceased4 ,our small milk boy1 of about fourteen years of age1 came to me one day with a petition for a rise in his wages1 as he found it difficult to support his wife and children on his present earnings4 ,he then went on to explain that his brother had died1 leaving him to marry the rather elderly wife1 who had two children4 ,i felt the right thing was to sympathise with him1 but quickly learned my mistake1 for he was very well pleased with his legacy1 which gave him a wife to cultivate and cook for him without the usual payment of goats and sheep4 ,the ,batoro have little or no fear of death1 in fact some seem rather glad to create a little sensation among their friends by becoming for the time the chief object of interest6 ,on one occasion ,i was called to visit a dying man in the ,namasole's village4 ,with a little bag of medicine strapped on to my saddle1 ,i rode out to see if anything could be done4 ,an unusual stillness had fallen on everyone1 for the sick man was none other than the ,katikiro of the place4 ,suddenly1 as ,i stepped up to the doorway of the hut1 there arose a wild shriek from inside2 this was taken up immediately by everyone around and the air was rent with wailings and loud1 piercing screams--,i knew at once my medicine would not be required1 but1 entering1 tried to quiet the frenzied mourners4 ,i drew out from my bag the ,gospel of ,st4 ,john1 and read the words 8,i am the ,resurrection and the ,life40 ,immediately the tumult ceased1 and everyone listened to the message of ,life spoken in the presence of ,death2 and as we all knelt in prayer one realised perhaps as never before how death hath been swallowed up in ,victory4 ,one of the greatest joys one can know is to wave the torch of ,life and ,immortality across the darkness of ages that has never known a hope beyond the grave4 ,the result of the people's belief is stamped unmistakably on almost everything in the country4 ,with the lack of physical energy has died the desire to master their country4 ,the rich1 productive soil1 with its abnormal generative properties1 has been left uncared for and unkempt1 till 8thorns also and thistles10 the insignia of a blighted world1 cover a land that might have been a veritable ,eden4 ,tall1 tangled weeds creep up to the very doorways of the houses1 while most of the roads are merely narrow1 beaten tracks4 ,whenever an attempt is made to tackle an appreciable task1 a few days suffices to exhaust the labourer completely2 at the end of that time he may be seen in a state of total collapse1 with a strip of rag bound tightly round the hand1 the outward and visible sign of being hors de combat4 ,in ,toro one realises at times the dead weight of life and its environment4 ,the changes of the seasons--spring with the freshness of infancy and vitality of youth2 summer decked in the exquisite glory of a new life2 autumn and winter folding tired nature up in a long1 deep sleep--are sadly missed where the trees are always green4 ,the sympathy in nature is lacking2 flowers lose their subtle and delicate charm2 the bright1 soft sward is there exchanged for the elephant grass with its saw-like blades4 ,the birds have no song2 the voices of music and poetry have never been heard2 and as age after age has rolled by1 no lip has breathed a prayer to its ,creator4 ,there are instances when heathenism seems to surround one with such blackness that the soul stands as if isolated in a foreign ,land1 breathing a new atmosphere in which there is lacking the spiritual ether of one's native land4 ,,chapter ,,xi ,language ,the language spoken in ,toro is ,lunyoro1 and quite distinct from that used in ,uganda2 but it is undoubtedly the parent dialect and almost identical with that spoken in the ,kingdoms of ,unyoro and ,ankole1 besides being very generally understood by the tribes beyond ,ruwenzori4 ,for the first three years1 ,missionary work in these districts was carried on in ,luganda1 as neither the ,european nor ,baganda teachers had sufficient knowledge of ,lunyoro1 and there were no books or reading-sheets in the language4 ,luganda was understood by some of the upper class men and a few women1 but it was scarcely ever spoken1 and none of the peasants were acquainted with it4 ,until these people could have their religion and reading-books in their own tongue1 it seemed as if vital ,christianity must remain more or less outside their actual lives4 ,so towards the end of #ahii ,mr4 ,maddox went up to ,toro with the intention of studying and reducing the language of the people to writing4 ,when we arrived in #aijj a little reading-sheet had been printed1 and ,st4 ,matthew's ,gospel was in hand4 ,but there was no book or literature to help us1 and as the natives did not understand one word of ,english it seemed a hopeless difficulty4 ,miss ,pike1 my companion1 had studied ,luganda for six months1 so was able to speak with those who knew it1 and through interpretation to those who did not4 ,by this means she piloted us both through those first days when the house was thronged with people from morning till night1 and they pelted us with kind remarks and every imaginable and unimaginable question4 ,i never felt so absolutely stupid as when they addressed me with a torrent of eloquence1 until the idea struck me of retaliating with a continuous flow of ,english4 ,it pleased them immensely1 but certainly did not check them4 ,the third day after our arrival1 ,mr4 ,maddox kindly gave us our first lesson in ,lunyoro4 ,he was trying to impress on us that the words were largely formed by prefixes and suffixes1 so one had only to find the stem and it was all right4 8,tinkakimuherayoga0 was obviously1 said he1 from the verb 8okuhu10 to give2 find that1 the meaning of the word was made plain3 8,i have never given it to him there06 ,my mind was chaotic1 and ,i wondered if it ever would be anything else4 ,after a few weeks our patient teacher had to go off on an itinerating trip1 so we were left alone to flounder through the quagmires4 ,i believe the best and quickest way of acquiring a new tongue is to summon up all the courage you possess and go in and out among the people until you adopt it much in the same way as an infant does its mother language4 ,undoubtedly it requires pluck4 ,the first time ,i ventured forth with a remark1 peals of laughter came from my audience1 which almost quenched the one spark of courage left4 ,afterwards ,i learned this was a mark of their appreciation6 ,in the fifth month1 and after a great deal of hard persuasion1 ,i decided on attempting to take a daily ,bible ,class4 ,as the #h4j morning drum sounded and ,i made my way to the church1 my nerve powers fell below zero1 and ,i felt decidedly limp4 ,the words 8,who hath made man's mouth2 ,i will be with thy mouth0 pulled me together a bit1 and ,i hurried in to my class to find between twenty and thirty women waiting for their teacher4 ,talking for one whole hour was a terrible tax on my vocabulary1 and must have been even a greater tax on the endurance of the class4 ,i was quite done when they were in a questioning mood2 it would have been bad enough if there had been no foreign language to understand4 ,the very first morning they asked me about ,michael disputing with ,satan over the body of ,moses6 ,it is rather surprising to find that such simple people possess so advanced a form of etymology4 ,the parts of speech and general construction in a broad sense resemble the other dialects of the ,bantu class1 but the verbs are very complex and more technically developed than its offsprings1 ,luganda and ,swahili4 ,all our ,english tenses are employed besides several others met with in ,greek4 ,most of these effect a complete change in the relative form4 ,verbs practically dominate all the other parts of speech2 the nouns1 with very few exceptions1 are their parasites4 ,a few straggling prefixes tacked on to the verb root are the only attempts the nouns make toward an individuality of their own4 ,adverbs and prepositions are rarely granted an independent existence4 ,they add to the corpulence of the verb by being absorbed in it4 ,the perfect harmony between nouns1 adjectives1 and verbs is a veritable man-trap1 for a native will rarely understand a discord1 however untutored he may be4 ,besides grammar and pronunciation1 there are two other important things to study--the proverbs1 and the mode of expressing ideas4 ,the ,batoro are not quite so versed in the metaphorical form of speech as the ,baganda1 who are capable of carrying on a lengthy conversation in the most mystical and involved proverbs1 only quoting the first two or three words of each1 and quite expecting you to imagine the rest4 ,i trembled literally when this was first told me1 for ,i had never been able to get beyond 8never too late to mend0 in ,english proverbs4 ,but ,lunyoro is really kinder in this respect4 ,they do1 however1 exist in spasmodic forms4 ,if you want to really win the love and confidence of the people you have to make a regular business of learning their catch expressions and idioms1 and dropping completely the habit of translating ,english into ,lunyoro1 then they will confer on you their highest degree 8,oli ,mutoro10 8you are a native of ,toro40 ,the ,batoro have what ,i believe is a unique custom among these tribes1 that is1 every mother gives a pet name to her child1 and this clings to him always2 it is used when addressing as a token of love or respect by friends and dependents4 ,ana ,kageye constituted herself my ,african 8,mother10 and straight away gave me the name 8,adyeri0 7pronounced ,ar-de-air-y74 ,this was very readily taken up by the people1 as my name absolutely beat them4 ,only the ,king and one or two others got so near as 8,hurudeki10 and really it took some time to answer up to 8,beki0 8,deki0 8,heki0 8,bodeki0 8,hedeki0 and even 8,paratata10 which were all supposed to be 8,hurditch40 ,really1 to save the poor family name from such rough treatment ,i was not sorry to put it away entirely except in memory4 ,in less than five years a great deal has been accomplished in translation1 and with the exception of a few hymns1 it has been entirely undertaken by the one missionary who has also been responsible for direct mission work4 ,during that period the ,new ,testament1 the ,prayer ,book with ,psalms1 two ,catechisms1 a hymn book of nearly one hundred hymns1 and a reading sheet for learners have been completed in the language of the people4 ,since ,lunyoro was adopted in place of the neighbouring dialect of ,luganda1 the work has gone forward in leaps and bounds1 and to it must be attributed largely the wide spread of ,christianity among the peasants in the villages4 ,it is not an uncommon thing to find a village that has given up devil-worship1 not through the instrumentality of a ,european or native teacher1 but simply through the people having learned to read the ,bible for themselves from someone who had been instructed in the alphabet or syllables4 ,when ,mr4 ,maddox was about to leave ,toro for ,england1 the ,king and chiefs came together and presented to him a letter signed by a very large number of ,christian men4 ,in it they expressed their warm appreciation of all the work he had done for them in translating the books1 and earnestly hoped he would soon return to them again4 ,these books form the entire library of the ,batoro4 ,they are most insatiable readers1 and as you pass along the roads any hour in the day you will hear a voice here and there issuing from the little grass huts reading in loud measured tones from the ,bible4 ,it is impossible to estimate the purifying and sanctifying influence this literature has had on the national and family life4 ,the conquering martial strains of the 8,onward ,christian ,soldiers0 have displaced and driven out of the country the old songs of plunder and bloodshed4 ,instead of the little children learning demoralising heathen songs and dances they are being taught to sing such hymns as 8,i think when ,i read that sweet story of old40 ,right away among the creeks and crevices of the ancient ,mountains of the ,moon1 on the very borders of the great primaeval forests inhabited by the little pigmy tribe1 you hear to-day the strains of these ,christian hymns4 ,,chapter ,,xii ,festivities in ,toro ,i4 ,,christmas4 ,can it be that this is the season that in one's mind is always associated with snow1 ,jack ,frost1 ,santa ,claus1 shops and streets ablaze with gas jets1 holly and mistletoe1 people hurrying and jostling each other good naturedly1 wrapped up in the warmest furs to keep out the crisp1 frosty air1 and wishing each and all the compliments of the season4 ,yes1 it is really ,yuletide6 ,and yet the hills and dales are waving their ripening grain under the deep sapphire of a cloudless sky4 ,the dry season is near its close1 hills and mountains are scorched and parched1 the banana groves and the tiger grass of the swamps which wind like a serpent's trail round the base of the hills1 are the only bright and green tracks that have survived the conflict with the equatorial sun4 ,on all sides are to be seen tiny patches of cultivated land1 even reaching up to the lofty peaks of ,ruwenzori's range1 where the people have sown their grain 7,buro71 and this will soon be ready for the harvesters4 ,in the garden round our bungalow mud house are gorgeous zinnias1 balsams1 mignonette1 carnations1 sweet peas1 geraniums1 nasturtiums1 and two little rose buds4 ,a few steps further will bring you round to the vegetable garden4 ,one gardener being an ,irishman1 potatoes are very much in evidence1 and of course cabbages4 ,besides these there are cauliflowers1 green peas1 beans1 celery1 only wanting the nip of frost to make it excellent1 lettuces1 beetroots1 cucumbers1 tomatoes1 onions1 carrots1 and turnips4 ,and yet this is ,christmastime6 ,it is little wonder that one has constantly to revert to the calendar to be assured of this4 ,and so we set to work to get the little gifts together that our kind friends from home sent us for our native friends--knives1 pencils1 bags1 sashes1 blotters1 and so on4 ,the wee tots from the school come down for their attendance prizes1 and go away beaming with their new possession of a pinafore4 ,then the oxen are killed1 and on the day before ,christmas all the sick folk come to the 8missionary butcher0 and hobble off rejoicing with their joint of beef wrapped up in a banana leaf4 ,and1 although ,father ,christmas has assumed a black face in ,africa1 he does not pass by the white man's door1 and he leaves his gifts of a grass mat1 animal's skin1 beans1 beads1 or bracelets1 the only things with which he can fill his ,toro sack4 ,at #ab4j a4m4 on ,christmas ,eve from the ,king's1 the ,queen ,mother's1 and the ,mission ,hills the drums are set beating1 and from the ,english forts the guns are fired to proclaim to all the country that the ,christian's day of rejoicing has dawned1 for the ,christ child--,immanuel--has come4 ,then on the midnight air is borne the strains of 8,o come all ye faithful0 and 8,hark the herald angels10 sung by some of those who have been redeemed from the heart of ,darkest ,africa1 and now step out from their little huts to join with us in praising ,god4 ,at #h a4m4 on ,christmas morning the church drum is beaten1 calling the people together1 and by #i4j the church is completely crowded out1 many being obliged to sit outside4 ,in the schoolroom over four hundred of the peasant folk and children have gathered1 and in the dispensary the sick have come together for morning service4 ,the church is beautifully decorated with palm leaves and flowers that have been brought in by the people1 and the building echoes with voice as the audience unites1 as one man1 in the service4 ,on ,afric's sunny shore1 glad voices ,wake up the morn of ,jubilee ,the negro1 once a slave1 rejoices2 ,who's freed by ,christ1 is doubly free4 ,after that we all go to our homes1 the natives to make merry over their beef and bananas1 and we to prepare as near an approach to an ,english ,christmas dinner as is possible1 and although there are no grocers' shops or fruiterers' to supply the usual details1 and our cook for the twelve years of his existence has been reared in ,african ignorance1 still one can fare very excellently1 for the guinea fowl and sausages are really turkey in all but name4 ,the baron of beef1 although far removed from the prize oxen of the ,english markets1 is very good1 and the home-made plum pudding1 with its few suspicious native ingredients1 brings up the menu to almost ,english standard4 ,boxing ,day is generally a grand field day1 when sports are arranged on an extensive scale1 including running1 pick-a-back1 hurdle1 three-legged1 and obstacle races4 ,this latter involves scaling a bamboo scaffolding1 crawling through packing cases with the ends kicked out1 climbing a tree1 and wriggling through a stack of reeds4 ,then there is a greasy pole placed in an oblique position1 at the end of which is hung a leg of goat4 ,big and small1 old and young attempt this1 quite regardless of the undignified tumbles each experiences4 ,loud was the shout of applause on one occasion1 when the ,katikiro1 who is of clumsy proportions1 after many falls landed safely at the top and secured the joint4 ,a banana peeling competition for the women comes next4 ,the competitors1 some twenty at a time1 sit in a row with their knives and twenty green bananas on a leaf before them4 ,when the whistle sounds they attack their task with great excitement4 ,some women1 in place of knives1 use sharpened pieces of wood4 ,those who finish first and peel the best receive prizes of calico4 ,scrambles for cowrie shells generally bring the sports day to a close4 ,on more than one occasion ,bishop ,tucker has honoured ,toro by dating his annual visit about ,christmas time4 ,this was the case during our first year in ,toro4 ,we had had a busy time previous to his arrival questioning and examining the hundred and fifty women candidates who were to be presented for confirmation1 and when all this was completed we ran away to the crater ,lake1 eight miles distant1 to snatch a few days' rest4 ,but on the second day we were unexpectedly recalled1 as one of our fellow missionaries had been taken very ill and was obliged to be carried into ,mengo under the care of the other one4 ,so for the first time we two girls were left quite alone1 eight days away from the nearest ,european4 ,but we were too occupied to realise it4 ,the engineers1 surveyors1 and foremen 787 having suddenly left us in this manner1 we were obliged to see through the completion of the jobs they had taken in hand in order to get things into shape before ,christmas4 ,here at last we found a chance of putting to use our youthful study of ,euclid4 ,with a measuring line and sticks we felt distinctly professional as we tried to mark out a new road1 but we found that if only the ground space had been long enough to test it our two straight lines would certainly have enclosed a space4 ,so perhaps ,euclid's axiom is only an absurdity after all6 ,then the house where the ,bishop was to be entertained needed repairs4 ,the roof was in such a state that one evening1 while we were tidying up inside1 a big storm visited us and simply poured down through the reed ceiling into the sitting-room4 ,fortunately there are no carpets in these parts1 for the floor was covered with puddles in a very few minutes4 ,but the water soon drained off into the holes the white ants had made2 they must have suffered from rheumatism that night6 ,it was a difficult matter to find workmen just then1 for most of the chiefs had gone off1 each with some hundreds of men1 to capture young elephants4 ,sir ,harry ,johnston had offered a certain sum for each young elephant brought in alive1 as he was hoping to have them trained for transport use4 ,a few days after the first party had set out1 a loud report of distant yelling and screaming reached the school1 where daily classes were going on4 ,nearly everyone ran out to discover the cause of the uproar4 ,a large crowd was seen approaching1 beating drums1 blowing pipes1 dancing1 and shouting4 ,there seemed no apparent occasion for such a row till one spied a tiny1 hapless baby elephant1 with ropes round its body and four legs1 limping along among its captors4 ,it died1 like all its followers4 ,but for a few days just then ,toro threatened to become a most undesirable menagerie1 for1 besides these elephants and various monkeys1 the ,king had collected1 and sent to the ,commissioner1 one of the largest1 most repulsive1 and horribly human-looking chimpanzees4 ,the mode of capture had been rather unique4 ,the tree in which it had taken up its position in the forest was isolated by the capturers cutting down all the surrounding ones for some distance4 ,then1 placing a circle of men with spears to guard the boundary1 they felled the only standing tree1 and as it suddenly crashed down with its coveted and unsuspicious object1 a net was thrown over the black monster1 that was then hustled into a large cane cage standing in readiness4 ,one of our runaway ,missionaries managed to get back to ,toro just in time for the ,bishop's arrival three days before ,christmas4 ,we went with the ,king's wife1 his mother1 his sister1 and about #bej women1 and waited for his arrival on the brow of a hill4 ,all the men1 headed by the ,king and ,katikiro on horseback1 had preceded us4 ,when the ,bishop came up1 riding on his mule1 he was literally besieged1 and we could scarcely move on for the crowd4 ,the days that followed were big days4 ,three hundred and sixty-four candidates came forward for confirmation4 ,it was a truly wonderful sight to see the church with over #ejj men and women assembled for ,holy ,communion4 ,my mind travelled back in thought to six years ago1 when outside the houses had stood the devil temples4 ,generation after generation had passed1 the ,prince of ,darkness exercising undisputed sway and holding the people in the most degraded and merciless allegiance4 ,now his power had been completely shattered1 his temples cast down1 and a great ,invisible ,temple was being builded together for a ,habitation of ,god through the ,spirit4 ,together at the ,communion rails knelt the ,king in his royal robes1 and close by was one of his peasant subjects dressed in a small goat skin4 ,there was old ,apolo ,mpisi1 the dispensary patient1 with a beaming and peaceful countenance--this was his first communion4 ,among others1 hobbled up an old lady on crutches1 who had had her leg amputated during a visit from ,dr4 ,cook1 of ,mengo4 ,the responsibility was a solemn one of feeling that we had done something toward preparing many of the women for this holy ordinance4 ,when we shall stand together1 all united before the ,throne in ,heaven1 will it not be glorious to have had a share1 however small1 in leading forward some of the multitude from ,africa6 ,as the powers of ,heaven looked down upon ,toro that day1 surely they broke forth into a song of victory4 ,blessing1 and glory1 and wisdom1 and thanksgiving1 and honour1 and power1 and might be unto our ,god for ever and ever1 ,amen4 ,,ii4 ,,coronation ,,celebrations4 ,although so far from things that stir and thrill the great heart of the ,british ,empire1 ,toro must not be considered behind in loyalty to that centre of its ,government4 ,certainly it exercised its utmost ingenuity to follow close in the wake of the plans and excitement that occupied the mind of every ,english subject for commemorating the great event of the ,coronation of its ,king--,edward ,,vii4 ,our mails from ,england for months seemed to have no other subject to talk about4 ,our minds pictured it all--sombre ,london stripped of its usual calm sobriety1 decorated in full war paint4 ,we were seized with a violent fit of patriotism1 and because we could not join in the ,london throng1 or even go to the grand festivities that were prepared by the ,government at ,mengo1 we determined to do our best for ,toro4 ,first of all1 some days before the event1 invitations were sent out to the four other ,europeans1 and to the royal native court1 for a coronation dinner4 ,ordering the donkey to be harnessed1 someone was despatched to our village shop to purchase red1 blue1 and white calico1 with which were made two long lines of streamers for decorating our station1 and a large ,union ,jack to cover the ,table in the ,church4 ,some of the people came down to decorate the outside1 while we decked the church inside with the royal and imperial colours4 ,at #h4j a4m4 on ,coronation ,day over #a1jjj people had gathered in and outside the church for a brief service4 ,after prayer and ,scripture1 a ,royal decree was read that had been sent out from ,england and translated1 and this was followed by a brief address on the event of the day4 ,then we all rose and united in the good old ,national ,anthem1 that had been translated and type-written for the occasion4 ,that was the first half of the day's proceedings4 ,the second half started at seven1 when the dinner came off4 ,the table was decked out with a table centre of red geraniums1 white balsams1 and cornflowers1 the serviettes were folded as crowns1 and the first course consisted of crown-shaped patties covered with the yoke of eggs1 and studded with the white to represent crown jewels6 ,king ,kasagama and ,queen ,damali1 dressed in draperies of silk and white linen1 arrived with the other native guests1 who had hung about the outside courtyard so as to avoid being the first arrivals4 ,it was marvellous how easily and quietly our native guests manipulated the ,european table equipments2 half concealed glances were cast in our direction every now and again4 ,the serviettes rather puzzled them--were they to be left on the table or used as handkerchiefs8 ,when the plum pudding came in1 all ablaze1 with a little ,british flag stuck at the top1 three hearty cheers greeted it1 the ,king joining in with boisterous glee4 ,on the table there were three dishes of strawberries1 the first we had been able to produce in ,toro1 and we were keen on introducing them into the country generally4 ,preparing a plateful with sugar and cream1 ,i respectfully begged his ,majesty to try a real ,english luxury4 ,he glanced timidly at them1 and showed the usual disinclination that is always evinced when given a new ,english dish to sample4 ,he assured me that he was so satisfied that anything more was impossible1 but1 passing the plate to the ,katikiro1 told him to try it4 ,the poor man1 looking the picture of misery1 begged to be excused1 so it fell to the lot of the unfortunate chief minister to submit himself to the task4 ,with a pitifully resigned expression he took one strawberry on a spoon1 then another1 and another1 till he called out 8,excellent1 excellent1 the best of all40 ,forgetting his recent excuse1 the ,king took the dish near at hand1 and simply finished off the whole lot6 ,the day following requests came from one and another for strawberry roots1 and ,king ,daudi superintended the ,queen as she herself planted them in a plot outside the sitting-room window of his ,majesty's new house4 ,after dinner the ,king was determined to do his part1 and insisted on our all going up to his home4 ,to our utter amazement we found our court outlined with hundreds of flaming torches1 ten to twelve feet long2 the bearers were waiting to conduct us to the royal palace4 ,the whole distance was lined with double files of torchbearers1 which made the country look like ,earl's ,court ,exhibition on an exaggerated scale4 ,big bonfires were burning on the surrounding hills1 the torches of guests coming from all directions looked like so many fireflies4 ,on arriving at the ,royal ,court1 we were met with a blaze of fire4 ,quickly falling into order1 the people unanimously shouted a salute to his ,majesty and his friends1 as we made for the chairs all set out on leopard skins outside the two-storied mud palace4 ,then the performance began4 ,the ,royal band was then in full force4 ,on striking up one of the most weird1 discordant tunes1 nearly the whole crowd of people broke into dancing1 their fluttering1 white linen garments flapping about them as wings4 ,more and more excited they got1 till they danced so high as to appear held up in mid-air4 ,then they gave way to the pipers1 who performed on instruments made from crude pieces of reed4 ,singing accompanied this performance--such fantastic tunes1 all praising the greatness of their ,king and exalting in the prowess of his people1 with ringing cheers interspersed for ,england1 its ,king1 and ,king ,kasagama4 ,the evening closed in giving us all a longing that the great ,edward ,,vii4 might have seen how one of his kingly subjects in the heart of ,africa had commemorated that important day4 ,,chapter ,,xiii ,tramp ,i4 ,to the ,albert ,edward ,lake ,the year after our arrival in the country my companion and ,i were again on the tramp toward the ,albert ,edward ,lake1 combining an itinerating tour with a holiday4 ,we started under not very propitious circumstances4 ,the wet season was not over1 and promised to treat us rather shabbily1 for the rain began drifting down just as we had put off from home4 ,we had a small body of caravan porters numbering about fourteen in all1 and an ordained native deacon1 named ,apolo ,kivebulaya1 as protector and overseer of the forces4 ,he is just one of the best natives you could ever meet4 ,his experiences seem like a page out of apostolic history4 ,he1 with his friend ,sedulaka1 came from ,uganda to ,toro in #ahif as teachers4 ,when a ,european was afterwards stationed there1 he went further afield1 even as far as ,mboga1 on the boundaries of the ,pigmy ,forest1 and there he established a ,mission ,station4 ,at first he met with a great deal of opposition from the chief ,tabala1 which might have been expected from the graphic account the late ,sir ,henry ,stanley gives of these uncontrollable people in his book 8,darkest ,africa40 ,apolo's house and few possessions were burnt by incendiarism1 and for three weeks he remained hidden from his persecutors in a house of a woman1 who had become a 8reader02 but his zeal and faith never flagged even when he was cast into the chain gang1 for there he commenced to speak to his guards1 and taught them to read the ,testament1 which he always carried about with him4 ,shortly after these things ,tabala himself got converted to ,christianity through the instrumentality of this very man1 and1 from being one of the fiercest opponents1 he became1 and has remained since1 one of the most ardent supporters of the ,christian ,faith4 ,apolo is a well-known character throughout the country2 nothing succeeds in ruffling his quiet1 contented nature1 but with a chronic beam on his old dusky face1 he goes along in his daily routine of instructing catechumens or confirmation candidates1 officiating at burials and marriages1 or visiting the outlying ,mission ,stations4 ,illustration3 ,,apolo ,,kivebulaya4 ,certainly we could not have had a native escort so respected and beloved all round these parts than good old ,apolo4 ,in order that we should find camp comfortably fixed up on the first day1 we had despatched our belongings some time ahead4 ,we were anxious to wait for the heat of the day to pass before actually starting off on our wheels4 ,just outside ,kabarole the rain came down in torrents4 ,we struggled to cycle on through it1 but it was tough business4 ,the mud1 added to the hilly condition of the path1 prevented us from making much headway4 ,my wheel was a solid tyre1 generally known as a 8bone-shaker02 it would not stick on the down hills1 and insisted on skidding along the narrow1 slanting paths cut round them4 ,once ,i did a most uncomfortable somersault1 and having for a second time got thrown into thick mud1 relinquished the bicycle for the remainder of that day's journey4 ,when we reached camp1 we were in a condition better imagined than described4 ,evidently the rain had rather damped the energies of our porters1 for we found the tent only just commencing to be tackled1 and mud1 mud1 mud1 everywhere4 ,it was certainly rather confusing2 #e p4m41 and in a tiny space surrounded by banana trees were the jabbering porters2 boxes were lying about in the mud1 and a small crowd of inquisitive natives stood round gaping with astonishment4 ,one of them kindly offered to turn out of his tiny hut to allow us to change our soaking clothes1 and our stay there turned out to be somewhat longer than we bargained for1 for one of our porters came to us with a cheerful grin saying that he had left the ground sheet of the tent behind4 ,stacks of soaking grass had been laid down over the wet mud inside the tent1 and our low camp beds were almost sitting in it4 ,so we had them removed into the hut1 and there we passed the night4 ,oh1 these native huts6 ,there are no apertures for light excepting the low entrance2 this one was partially divided into two apartments by means of a reed screen1 and in one of these we slept2 in the other1 our girls cooked and knocked about4 ,there was just squeezing space for our two beds4 ,above mine was a ledge1 where some fowls were roosting and strutting about1 shaking down the soot and cobwebs that hung round the inside of the hut4 ,we scarcely dared attempt to close our eyes1 as rats were scampering about very excitedly all night4 ,we cleared off as soon as we could in the morning1 hoping to settle on a more congenial spot next time4 ,the road left much to be desired3 it was a constant succession of hills and deep ridges1 with a few swamps to add variety to one's mode of travelling4 ,feeling scarcely like wading through these1 ,i mounted the shoulder of a stolid porter1 who stumbled through the mud and water above his knees4 ,it is a tragic experience to balance yourself up so high1 and only a woolly pate to tenaciously hold on to1 especially when your carrier gets stuck in the mud1 and extricating it1 with an unexpected jerk1 nearly sends his burden and himself head-first4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,albert ,,edward ,,lake4 ,at every halting-place food was brought to us by the natives for our porters2 they generally offer it as a gift1 but would be very disappointed if they did not get something of greater value in exchange4 ,one has to be provided with a purse of curious dimensions1 for at some villages reading sheets1 hymn books1 or gospels are the payments most valued2 in others1 calico1 cowrie-shells1 pice1 or even beads of the particular design which happens to be the latest fashion in clothing there at the time4 ,the scenery on our second day's travel was exhilarating2 the road lay near the base of ,ruwenzori's mountains4 ,we steamed along on our machines with sun-hats and big sun-shades over ridges and through mud at which even a horse would stop and consider4 ,our noble ,apolo insisted on keeping pace with our bicycles1 and as small batches of natives passed on the road1 gazing with blank astonishment at these 8running snakes10 he called out with pride and elation 8,look at the wisdom of the white man40 ,just as this remark was shot out for the third time the front bicycle tumbled clean into an ant-pit1 and was irremediably smashed up4 ,the people did not evince any concern or surprise3 they evidently considered it a part of the show4 ,one of the onlookers was chartered to shoulder the fragments back to ,kabarole4 ,i am not quite sure if he did not wonder where the 8wisdom0 came in4 ,when we were within one and a-half hours of our next camp1 streams of natives came running out to meet and welcome us4 ,they continued increasing in number till we reached the village1 ,butanuka1 which seemed well awake1 what with the shrieking excitement of the people and the howlings of the children1 who yelled with fear and alarm4 ,really our welcome resembled our first appearance in ,toro1 for here as everywhere in these parts the people had never seen white women4 ,the drum was beaten1 and although we were tired out and longed for a quiet rest and a cup of tea1 we were borne along with the crowd there and then into the little grass church1 where the native teacher thanked ,god for sending us1 and we expressed our joy at coming out to them4 ,the chief had erected a large grass shed where we could sit during the time of day when the sun makes a tent absolutely unbearable4 ,his wife brought us in her offering in the shape of a sheep1 six chickens1 eggs1 twenty bundles of bananas1 native spinach1 and two large gourds of 8mubisi0--banana juice4 ,butanuka is a charming spot1 surrounded on three sides by mountains4 ,toward the south these suddenly terminate and expose an arm of ,lake ,dweru4 ,in nearly all the valleys are stretches of cultivated land and banana groves1 while the little brown grass huts peep out like so many eyes from among their green surroundings4 ,there is a peculiar fascination in journeying through these unknown districts of ,africa4 ,when one can talk with the people in their own language they become an intensely interesting study4 ,cunning plus lying plus theft plus indolence--these qualities seem to sum up the very generally accepted idea of a black man4 ,thus the ,european approaches him with a distinctly biassed opinion1 and instinctively realising that the white man distrusts him2 the real self of the negro shrinks back into itself1 the fidelity1 dog-like affection1 generosity1 and keen penetration of his nature remain unrecognised because untouched4 ,dispel all preconceived ideas1 study the people's environment1 the external and internal influences that sway them1 approach them not as 8niggers0 but fellow creatures1 and the ,european will never need to complain of the black man's presumption1 but will find it even possible to accept the inspired statement 8,god 444 hath made of one blood all nations of men40 ,during our three days' stay at ,butanuka we were besieged with callers4 ,the sick came in for medicine1 readers to be questioned for baptism1 and others desirous of being written down for instruction4 ,a teacher from a neighbouring village was sent to us with an eager request that we should visit them4 ,we agreed to squeeze it into one afternoon4 ,although the teacher had only been there at work one month we found quite a lively interest had been awakened among the people4 ,the chief of the village1 who was captain of the ,king's soldiers1 came out in big style to welcome us4 ,after a little service and a great deal of medicining1 we were taken to the chief's hut1 where a meal had been prepared for us4 ,after seating ourselves on the soft1 fresh grass that had been laid down on the floor we started operations4 ,first of all water was brought in for hand ablutions1 then the unsweetened cooked bananas were brought in1 and a boiled chicken1 all wrapped up in the banana leaves in which they had been boiled4 ,the chicken was broken up into tempting morsels by the host and an immoderate helping of the bananas was plumped down in front of each4 ,then commenced the process of rolling the bananas into small balls in our hands1 and punching a depression in the middle by which the gravy could be scooped up4 ,a sheep and three chickens were brought to us as presents1 and as we started off nearly the whole village followed on behind4 ,in spite of hurrying we did not reach home before the darkness fell1 and a thunderstorm broke over us1 extinguishing the long1 flaming torches which the natives carried2 so we had to push along as best we could1 and arrived in a wearied and very bedraggled condition4 ,leaving ,butanuka and keeping a southerly course we found ourselves shut in by the big mountains that rise up so erratically from their gently undulating surroundings4 ,for the first time ,i indulged in the questionable luxury of being hammocked4 ,we had been experiencing some days of heavy rains which had made the paths very muddy1 and the long grasses through which we had to push our way was very wet1 so that ,i determined to take advantage of the voluntary offers from some of the young ,christian men1 headed by the teacher1 to act as carriers4 ,the men gaily hoisted the hammock pole on their heads1 and trying to appear unconscious of their #aj stone burden1 rushed off at a motor-like speed4 ,they evidently felt a little uneasy of the possible consequences1 for the front man kept calling out to me 8,do not fear1 my child10 but suddenly ,i was precipitated backward1 the heavy pole on the top of me1 and my black 8father0 was sprawling unceremoniously in the mud4 ,after that they were convinced of the necessity of going slowly1 especially as our imperceptible path lay somewhere between tall thistles that gave us uncomfortable pricks and scratches as we pushed our way through4 ,when we reached our destination for that day the hammock bearers yelled and literally jumped with joy1 regardless of my feelings1 calling out 8,juli ,abakuru ba ,buingereza10 8,we are great people of ,england10 as they put me to the ground with 8,well done1 very well done1 mistress02 but ,i felt in an advanced stage of mal de mer4 ,that day we had a typical ,african travelling experience4 ,after descending a long1 almost perpendicular hill we landed where our path lay through a broad1 rushing river1 the force of which was so great that the men could scarcely stand4 ,the recent rains had swelled the river1 which1 coming from the lofty snow peaks1 formed into a perfect cataract4 ,the first man who very gingerly went to test the strength of the water was carried off his feet and just saved himself by clinging on to the bank at a bend4 ,after long deliberation ,apolo1 our leader1 got together six or eight very powerful men1 who volunteered to post themselves where the current was strongest and help the others along4 ,the first load that was taken across was our sack of kitchen utensils1 which floated cheerfully down stream for some distance4 ,then the men suggested taking me across in the hammock4 ,i generously hinted to my companion that she should go over first1 but she would not see it4 ,so1 summing together all my courage1 ,i got into the hammock and they plunged along1 dragging their burden through the madly rushing waters4 ,after about three hours had elapsed everything was safely landed on the other shore1 baggage and all4 ,the only tragedy we had to relate was the sad fate of a chicken that1 at sight of the tempestuous waters1 broke from its captivity and was carried away by the relentless river to supply food to the hungry little fishes4 ,things were not much better on the following day4 ,we had almost walked on to the ,equator and the sun did its best to make us know it1 so that at the end of four solid hours' marching we literally collapsed under the shade of a big tree and sent scouts on ahead to ascertain the condition of the ,river ,mubuku1 through which our path lay4 ,they returned with the news that the waters were so high that it was impossible to attempt crossing that day4 ,we determined not to be done if possible1 however1 and pushed on to see for ourselves4 ,the mountains seemed to close in upon us on all sides1 and from their precipitous heights rushed down numerous rivulets1 which united and formed the mighty ,mubuku ,river4 ,we halted on the stony bank and viewed the situation4 ,on the opposite side could be seen groups of natives crouching down among the long grasses and peering with frightened glances in our direction4 ,it was evident that we must wait till the waters had abated somewhat1 so pitched camp close by and made the best use of our time by rallying the villagers round us1 who gathered together in swarms4 ,there1 as everywhere1 the cry was1 8,give us a teacher40 ,the desire on the part of these people for instruction is quite remarkable1 but to speak intelligently to them is very far from easy4 ,they have never thought in the abstract1 so it is essential to clothe every spiritual truth in parables or concrete qualities4 ,one must get back further than the ,a4,b4,c4 and adopt the kindergarten method4 ,if one does not reach them it is because the teacher has forgotten how to be a child1 or has failed to make the invisible visible4 ,god in revelation and ,god in manifestation employed parabolical means for presenting to the natural man in his infancy truth which is infinite and incomprehensible4 ,when once the desire for reading has been actually awakened in these people1 nothing will deter them from mastering the letters4 ,if they possess nothing with which to purchase the five cowrie shell reading sheet1 they will be quite willing to bring in firewood or do any work in order that they may obtain it4 ,one old woman at this particular camp brought her spade and cleared a small space round our tent1 and when we gave her the longed-for wages she started right away to struggle with the ,alphabet1 although her eyes were dim and her bristly hair was tinged with white4 ,thus1 when no teacher can be sent to the people1 they are not left in total darkness1 as the ,bible is slowly penetrating the entire land and being read eagerly by its people4 ,the next morning we found the waters had gone down sufficiently to enable us to venture cautiously4 ,it was not1 however1 a very desirable experience2 about twenty men supported the hammock while the waters were foaming and roaring beneath and coming right over the sides of the canvas2 two men who were attempting to lift it out of the water by holding on to the sides were carried away by the strength of the current1 then all the remaining availables made a hasty grab at the other side1 with the result that ,i was on the point of being overturned and pitched out4 ,i just managed to save myself by hanging on to the pole1 but got drenched through4 ,the following morning we started off at #g a4m4 ,the scenery was enchanting and the air very invigorating4 ,we continued steadily marching until #aa4cj1 passing through hamlets absolutely deserted on account of the destructive visits of the elephants1 which had torn up the banana trees from the roots1 trampled down the ,indian corn1 and razed to the ground the little grass houses of the people4 ,they themselves had fled in terror1 leaving the wild pigs to feast on their potato patches4 ,the four and a half hours' walk gave us a decided hankering after an ,a4,b4,c4 or ,gatti1 also a change of clothing1 as our boots felt like water cisterns and our skirts were weighted with mud and water that literally trickled off the edges4 ,the porters put our boxes down under a tree and went off in search of what they could pick up in the way of food1 while we fished out some dry things and indulged in a meal of goat soup and cold chicken4 ,our guide told us another hour and a half would find us in camp1 but at the end of two hours hard walking and no signs of our tent being visible we inquired how much further had we to go4 8,oh10 said one of the porters1 8it is impossible to halt here1 three hours more will bring us to water and food40 ,this fairly did for us2 we had somehow doled out our walking powers without reckoning for this extra distance1 and we felt decidedly despondent4 ,the natives always underestimate distance in order that the very prospect should not have a discouraging effect on a pedestrian's spirits4 ,the scorching sun had made us very thirsty1 and we worked our teapot very hard that day2 the mosquitoes gave us a lively time of it1 but faint1 yet pursuing1 we dragged on1 reaching our welcome little tent at #f p4m4 ,but oh1 what a resting place4 ,a strong smell of stale fish pervaded the air1 mingled with all the odours peculiar to ,african huts1 where cattle1 sheep1 chickens and people all huddled together4 ,we found our tent pitched in the middle of a court completely surrounded and suffocated by fishermen's huts1 for we were close to the lake shore4 ,the only compensation for this and the mosquito discomforts was the enjoyment of tasting fresh fish once more4 ,the lake fish somewhat resemble fresh haddocks and are of delicious flavour4 ,on our arrival men were sent to catch them1 and in half an hour they were served up steaming hot from the stewpan6 ,their method of fishing is primitive in the extreme4 ,they have wicker baskets open top and bottom1 which are shot down in the water2 when they have enclosed a fish its kicking about is heard on the sides of the basket2 then they thrust in their arms and draw out the captive4 ,nyagwaki1 the mission station for which we were making1 is situated on one of the southern points of ,ruwenzori4 ,a short1 steep climb next morning brought us face to face with streams of people1 who came hurrying down the mountain side to greet us and to help push us up the rougher places4 ,when we reached the summit of the hill on which stands the village1 a truly marvellous view stretched beneath4 ,evidently the ,albert ,edward ,lake once extended over the miles of plain which lie to the north of it1 for bare1 flat islands appear here and there in the large arm of the lake that lies almost surrounded by plain4 ,it is just as one might imagine the world looked when ,noah came out of the ark with his family4 ,at sunset the view was most impressive1 the lake lay shimmering like a sea of gold1 while the evening mist that gently touched the land made it appear as though it were blushing as the sun kissed good-night and disappeared behind the distant hills4 ,a very vigorous work we found was going on here2 the little mission church1 with its capacity for about #bjj people1 was well filled1 and several came to be written down for baptism4 ,an occasional visit to these isolated stations from a ,european missionary does much toward encouraging the young teachers and ,christians who often are subject to severe and subtle temptations to fall back into the old heathen practices by which they are surrounded4 ,the ,chief of the village1 ,kasami1 had been brought into touch with ,christianity when visiting ,kabarole during a visit from ,dr4 ,cook4 ,there he had undergone an operation for opthalmia1 and1 having received 8new windows10 he returned to his country to use them in learning to read4 ,our experiences on the homeward journey were much the same1 although we took a less circuitous route4 ,almost without exception1 we got soaked through and through twice daily3 first with the heavy dews1 which necessitated a mid-day halt and change if malaria was to be avoided1 then again1 in the afternoon came the rains1 which fell regularly from #a4j p4m4 and onwards4 ,our first thing on reaching camp was to have a large fire kindled and all our wardrobe hung round to dry1 singe1 or stiffen4 ,our boots suffered terribly--and so did we when we struggled into them each morning4 ,one day1 after five hours' marching1 the thunderclouds came tumbling together and sent down torrents of rain4 ,we tried to squeeze up under a tree1 but this soon offered no shelter1 and even our mackintoshes could resist the water no longer4 ,it was impossible to cook any food as the fire would not light2 meanwhile our thirst became tragic1 until the idea occurred to us of standing under each other's umbrella and quaffing the streams that ran from the spokes6 ,hunger at last drove us on toward camp1 despite the rain1 but the roads required one to be rough shod4 ,faithful ,apolo insisted on grabbing my arm with such a grip that when it finally lost all power of feeling1 a row of bruises presented themselves to prove the conflict passed through4 ,for a whole week we had been passing elephant tracks1 which the porters declared were quite freshly made1 but once only were we fortunate enough to see these magnificent monsters4 ,at mid-day the porters had spied three some distance off1 slowly tramping along in the tall grass1 but we only saw their heads and tops of their backs4 ,at #e4cj p4m41 however1 that same day1 a herd of fifteen passed comparatively close to us4 ,in single file they solemnly marched over the brow of a hill1 silhouetted against a gorgeous sky4 ,a yell from one of the porters brought their heads round in our direction1 when we saw that five had immense tusks4 ,it was an imposing sight1 the whole was so perfectly harmonious2 there is something vast1 untrammelled--a strange abandonment and magnanimity of nature in scenes like this1 that even an ,englishman must feel small6 ,antelopes1 birds1 and butterflies of the most brilliant colouring abounded in these parts1 and these make up for the less attractive shades of an ,african tramp4 ,we arrived home very much braced up 7the malarial germs had not a chance of settling down71 and feeling that we had perhaps been enabled to accomplish something toward the carrying out of the marching order1 8,go ye into all the world40 ,,chapter ,,xiv ,tramp ,,ii4 ,holidays ,august1 ,i believe1 is generally admitted to be the month of domestic monsoons4 ,bradshaw1 ,baedeker1 and time tables are the hardest-worked books in the house at that time2 trunks and boxes are all upset2 and every conceivable seaside town and village is considered and rejected in turn as a possible antidote to the general disgust with which we regard home at that time of the year4 ,even in the remote corner of the world known as ,toro1 my companion and ,i managed to create something of the old disturbance by announcing that we wanted a holiday4 ,perhaps the conventionalism of our up-bringing was to blame for the suggestion1 but ,i believe we were honestly a wee bit tired after eighteen months of wrestling with the language and becoming acquainted with such new conditions of life and work4 ,but the fuss that ,uncle ,podger created whenever he undertook to do a little job was nothing compared to the business our little holiday involved4 ,first of all we had to get the permission of the ,missionary in local charge1 and he had to write in to headquarters at ,mengo to find out if the ,committee were agreed on the point4 ,then the whole district had to be carefully considered as to the spot most likely to offer real rest and enjoyment without encountering any perils of microbes1 perils of hunger1 perils by animals1 perils by heathen1 and perils by cannibals6 ,that seemed a difficult matter1 but when it was at last all fixed up the drum was beaten to rally together porters2 food boxes1 tent and furniture were packed up into parcels1 and two cows were ordered to the front to complete our daily rations4 ,swarms of people came down to wish us good-bye2 one dear old lady declared she was consumed with grief1 and another that she was on the point of death because of our leaving1 but we told them all to cheer up and hurried away to assure ourselves that we were really off4 ,we found ourselves with two military attachs1 who had been told off by the ,king with strict injunctions to guard his ,european friends on their travels4 ,but rarely have ,i set eyes on more spindle-like specimens of humanity2 if it had not been for the thick puttees1 heavy jerseys1 and cartridge belts with which they were laden1 one would scarcely have noticed their presence4 ,it had been decided to make for the southern shore of ,lake ,albert1 which as the crow flies appears to lie about forty miles north of ,kabarole4 ,the first day we struck camp at the crater ,lake only a few miles away4 ,this spot has a peculiar charm2 a turn in the road brings one suddenly in view of this still sheet of water1 and there is something rather uncanny about the dead waters lying in sepulchres of the past4 ,i am not surprised that the natives associate them with stories of devils and hobgoblins4 ,one side of the crater has been worn away1 leaving an outlet for the water that has accumulated in its mouth1 and this flowed out a few hundred yards before it found its level4 ,numbers of duck play about the waters of the lake1 and beautiful purple and pink water-lilies grow close to the banks4 ,we found a regular orchestra of frogs croaking forte fortissimo as an all-night serenade4 ,it was just one of those days when the world feels flooded with self-satisfaction and peace and ,god seems 8to rest in ,his love0 as we started off early the next morning4 ,having the loan of a ,muscat donkey given me1 ,i hurried off to get ahead of the caravan and reach of listeners1 and then gave full vent to my feelings in that glorious hymn1 8,praise my soul1 the ,king of ,heaven40 ,an old woman1 who had been fearfully startled at the unusual sight and sound1 peered suddenly through the long grasses on the roadside1 and so stopped my noble steed in his lively gallop4 ,exercising the usual native politeness1 ,i greeted her with 8,how are you1 my mother80 ,she replied in the most complimentary terms 8,how's yourself1 mother of my grandmother80 ,i then asked her why she wore the shell and bit of wood threaded on string round her neck1 and she told me it was to cure a pain on the chest4 ,the words felt like a harsh discord4 ,when 8,heaven lies about us0 and every common bush is aflame with ,god1 it is inconceivable how any man can remain cognisant only of the ,spirit of ,evil4 ,our path led us right close up to the north end of the ,ruwenzori range1 where it gets broken up into a succession of pyramid peaks1 ridge intersecting ridge4 ,bamboo forests crowned the crests1 as few points reached a higher altitude than eight thousand or nine thousand feet4 ,the dry season had just about exhausted itself at that time1 in consequence of which the grass on the mountains was dried up or had been burnt away in huge patches1 exposing the bare soil and jagged rocks that frowned down upon us with uncompromising severity4 ,as the second day closed in upon us1 we stole out of our little tent to watch the storm freaks on the mountain sides4 ,an old dame1 with a basket of sweet potatoes balanced on her shaven pate1 passed us1 and stared hard from our headgear down to our boot leather1 with grave disapproval4 ,she insisted most vehemently that we must live without eating1 for where could the food go when we were tied up in the middle like that6 ,which reminded me of a chief who visiting us one day just as we were going in to lunch1 asked if we became like the ,batoro when they had finished eating1 who resemble inflated balloons4 ,instead of being able to take a direct route to the ,lake over the hills we were obliged to get down into the ,semliki plain1 a long1 unwholesome tract reeking with malaria that lies between and unites with a broad navigable river1 the ,albert ,edward and ,albert ,lakes4 ,although actually in sight of the broad sheet of water1 to our dismay we found the only path zig-zagged continually across the plain1 so that we were actually let in for five days floundering up and down it--pushing our way through grass five to ten feet high always laden with moisture as we started out each day on our tramp4 ,the river ,semliki winds along the plain like a glittering snake3 it is about thirty yards wide1 and has a very rapid flow which prevents swamps from collecting along its course4 ,a few straggling huts sprawled about on the banks go by the name of fishing villages4 ,with small harpoons the fisherfolk spear the fish1 which are chiefly of the carnivorous species4 ,great care has to be exercised by the people as the river abounds in crocodiles4 ,the inhabitants of the plain are a timid1 dull folk--they did not even venture to look up at us as we passed them1 although they had never seen a white woman4 ,arriving at one village we found it absolutely deserted2 the people had all fled on hearing of our approach1 leaving their homes with their few possessions scattered about4 ,a search party was organised from among our porters1 and after a long hunt one poor1 unhappy creature was brought in4 ,he looked as if his last moment had come when he was brought to us1 but when he heard his own language spoken and learned our peaceful intentions he went off and hauled in the others who were soon on the most friendly terms with us4 ,towards evening they all came round us as we had prayers with our boys and porters4 ,they were delighted with the singing1 and without waiting to be correctly taught the tune of 8,jesus loves me0 they rushed into it1 all together1 and soon fell into unison4 ,the original air was quite unrecognisable1 but one must forget to be orthodox sometimes out here4 ,singing never fails to arrest the minds of the people1 and offers an opportunity of telling them something of the ,great and ,loving ,creator whom we laud and worship4 ,christ alone who is ,wisdom can give one the confidence to attempt1 in one short time1 to draw aside the veil from the eyes and reveal the ,father to those who have never heard ,his ,name4 ,yet once having seen ,him1 one dares not allow that opportunity to pass by4 ,within the last few years this plain has been placed among the game preserves of the ,protectorate2 it will consequently be a tantalizing route to the sportsmen1 as it abounds in antelopes of several kinds--harte-beestes1 wilde-beestes1 water-buck1 wild boars1 and birds of exquisite colouring4 ,we could get practically no food for our porters1 and on the second day's fast1 regardless of laws and regulations1 we ventured out with a gun to try and bring down something4 ,but it was impossible to get anywhere near the animals1 as our scouts got so excited that they frightened them away before we could get within shooting distance4 ,then we tried the plan of despatching one of our noble soldiers with a number of men from one of the villages to the nearest market in order to buy food4 ,the men procured some potatoes1 and started back with them1 but1 as the military went on slightly in advance1 they all decamped one by one1 carrying off the food with them4 ,they had evidently taken in the measure of their leader6 ,the following day1 ,sunday1 we could not do otherwise but press on1 while our men were without food4 ,at mid-day we reached a most indescribably desolate stretch of country2 for many miles there extended scrub1 interspersed only by thorn bushes and tall cactus trees4 ,being thoroughly exhausted with fatigue1 we struck camp by three lonely huts that unexpectedly were dumped down in this wilderness1 without any sign of cultivation around4 ,the people were wretchedly emaciated and seemed to have no spirit or strength to provide themselves with nourishment4 ,they declared nothing would grow1 and they were obliged to live on what they hunted or the food which occasionally they could get in exchange for animal flesh or hides4 ,the only prolific life was mosquitoes4 ,we got out our prayer books towards evening to sing one of the well-known hymns1 but our spirits were at low ebb and would not rise4 ,two hungry-looking vultures sat on a naked cactus tree opposite our tent1 watching our effort2 they did not encourage song6 ,i do dislike those birds so6 ,the fact was we were all feeling the dreariness of our surroundings1 and needed a good1 sound chop6 ,during a holiday1 perhaps more than at other times1 one just longs for a ,sunday back in the dear country4 ,the exposure and frugality of camp life makes one appreciate the shelter and calm of the home life4 ,that all seemed so far off1 and yet the setting sun said it is but two hours away4 ,it is always thus when we look up4 ,here below it is distance1 time1 and change2 up there it is infinity1 ,eternity1 ,god2 and our citizenship1 after all1 is in heaven4 ,our earthly life1 home1 and loved ones are gradually passing beyond the arc of time1 and hereafter we shall find all again1 perfected and completed1 like the rainbow1 round the ,throne4 ,we were really getting very alarmed on our porters' account1 but they were very plucky about it1 and1 seeing our concern1 assured us they could go without food nine days6 ,nevertheless1 they all sent up a shout of joy on the third day when a fairly flourishing little fishing village was spied close by1 on the south end of the lakes4 ,it consisted merely of a few scattered huts1 but food was plentiful4 ,as we arrived1 the fishing smacks 7dug-out canoes7 had just come1 bringing in a two days' haul4 ,the fish1 which resembled large cod and dabs1 looked delicious1 and was a rare treat after the everlasting goat and chicken4 ,in the evening the proprietor of the boats came1 asking if we would like to be paddled out on the lake4 ,it was a case of paddling1 for the canoe let in the water as quickly as two men could bale it out4 ,stacks of grass were laid at the bottom of the canoe for us to sit on1 but we got horribly wet4 ,the beauty of the scenery made us forget this1 however4 ,from the eastern shores rose1 sheer out of the lake1 cliffs rising to #hjj or #ijj feet1 with thick vegetation growing down to the water's edge2 and round the wooded banks on the west the most gorgeously-coloured birds and herons sported about4 ,the wide1 tranquil waters1 like a great sleeping ocean1 rested in a dead calm4 ,suddenly1 without the least warning1 five huge hippopotami raised their ugly heads out of the water and snorted at us furiously1 which made us beat a hasty retreat4 ,but they were evidently keen on catching another glance at the ,europeans1 for in the middle of the night1 when the whole camp was peacefully sleeping1 we were awakened by feeling the ground literally shaking under us4 ,a premonition of impending destruction seized us2 then the ropes of our tent cracked1 and we made for the poles1 which were tottering4 ,but the tent withstood the attack1 and with loud1 hungry snorts our clumsy mammoth intruders trundled off1 under cover of night1 to seek their prey4 ,the people round the southern end of ,lake ,albert are extremely primitive4 ,in their homes is no indication of the least exercise of intelligence to furnish themselves with any tool1 utensil1 or garment4 ,only a very few of the men and women adopt clothing2 their food consists almost entirely of fish1 which they hang out in the sun to dry4 ,those who possess a boat1 a cooking pot1 or a food basket have obtained them from other folk in exchange for fish1 or inherited them from their ancestors4 ,there are times when one asks if the soul of these people has ceased to pulsate1 all human instincts are so crushed in them4 ,but even here were the temples of a deity--in the centre of each courtyard stood a rickety wee grass hutch1 in which offerings of food had been placed4 ,carlyle has rightly said that man was made a worshipping creature4 ,at evening prayers we called the people round us1 and tried to talk with them4 ,one typical grey-haired old heathen appeared interested1 but hurried the audience back to their homes as soon as possible4 ,when we proposed moving off to a village higher up on the lake1 he generously offered himself as escort1 and1 on our reaching the spot1 went from hut to hut1 as we thought1 asking the people to bring us in food for barter4 ,he then wished us farewell and returned to his home4 ,we afterwards learned that he was circuit priest and had been to every home forbidding the people to visit or listen to the words of the white ladies for fear of offending their god1 the fish of the lake1 who might withhold their only means of sustenance4 ,demetrius has many descendants6 ,judging from the few days we spent roaming along the shores of the lake1 ,i should say that it would be difficult to find a more fascinating spot for a holiday when once you get there4 ,the botanist finds rare treasures hidden away in the creeks and crevices of the cliffs2 the sportsman has a free hand to carry home as many hippo teeth or crocodile hides as he may desire1 and the modern historian would find on its shores not a few materials for writing up the story of present day ,africa4 ,quite close to where we were camped1 took place some years ago the meeting between ,emin ,pasha and his rescuer1 the late ,sir ,henry ,stanley1 who had1 in his search for the lost general and his column1 penetrated right through ,africa from the ,west coast1 overcoming almost insuperable difficulties4 ,in spite of the attractiveness of the ,albert ,lake it is scarcely a cheerful place to be isolated at1 and standing so near to the same spot one felt a strong pity for that ,egyptian leader as he gave orders for his boat to be sunk to prevent the enemy seizing it1 so cutting off all chance of his own escape4 ,time has wrought a phenomenal change2 the country from being threatened by strong foes on the north1 and harassed by rebellious tribes within itself1 has now settled down into a quiet peace1 and two ,english girls were able to stroll over the same soil in perfect safety1 with nothing to fear1 save perhaps that they themselves should fail to rise to the privileges given them of living and working in such a land where lie footprints in the sands of time4 ,,chapter ,,xv ,tramp ,,iii4 ,through the ,four ,kingdoms of the ,protectorate ,the ,uganda ,protectorate is built up of four independent self-governing kingdoms1 besides some outlying districts to the ,south ,east1 which are under the control of ,chiefs4 ,the kingdoms are--,uganda1 ,toro1 ,bunyoro1 and ,ankole4 ,toro is ruled over by a once rebellious branch of the ,bunyoro tribe1 that many years ago drove out the original inhabitants and established an independent kingdom4 ,with this exception each state is absolutely distinct from the other in the general physique and customs of the people4 ,all of the four reigning sovereigns have been baptised into the ,protestant ,faith1 and excepting in the case of ,daudi ,chwa1 ,king of ,uganda1 who is at present but a small lad1 they are leading exemplary ,christian lives and helping forward ,missionary work in every way4 ,a circular tour of #fjj or #gjj miles through these districts could be accomplished just within one month1 but this would involve heavy travelling and give but a feeble chance of appreciating the rapid transitions that are met with in country1 animal life1 and people4 ,it took us nearly nine weeks to go the round1 as our object was to visit all the mission stations along the route4 ,in ,toro we deviated slightly from the direct path in order that church sites might be measured and pegged out4 ,the ,english ,government some months before had granted to the native church a certain amount of land which could be divided up and marked out wherever required4 ,in the kingdom of ,toro about #acj plots were chosen where1 in the near future it is to be hoped1 mission centres will be planted1 manned by trained native teachers4 ,already between #ij and #ajj have been taken up and occupied1 which means that the country is slowly being net-worked with ,christian testimony4 ,measuring and marking out land in these parts is a rather complicated business4 ,once only did ,i attempt to offer the help of my services1 and never again4 ,it means geometrically describing circles and right angles through the rankest weeds and tiger grass1 stepping it out through swamp and marsh2 planting young saplings at every point as boundary marks only to find all these carefully calculated demarcations removed after perhaps a few days1 to suit the convenience of one of the land holders who was in need of firewood1 or wished to extend his boundaries4 ,quod non erat faciendum4 ,starting from ,kabarole1 we took a south-easterly direction toward ,ankole1 making the first halt at ,isumba1 a charming spot on the banks of a crater lake4 ,there are seven more of these large volcano puddles in the immediate vicinity1 lying in the heart of mountains of various altitudes4 ,the waters are extremely picturesque with the rich tropical vegetation extending from the lip of the crater down to the water's edge4 ,hippopotami plunge about in the day time1 while at night they lug their heavy bodies up the steep banks and snort about from one lake to another in search of food4 ,the country round is very beautiful and reminds one faintly of ,cumberland--hills1 mountains1 forests1 and lakes--the monkeys and ourang-outangs1 however1 would not allow that idea to take root2 they made a fearful noise as we passed near their quarters4 ,they were too much for our little fox terrier1 who worked himself into a great rage at being unable to get at these intruders of the peace2 he simply made for the next native on the road 7evidently thinking him one of the same tribe71 but was driven off at the point of the spear that his antagonist was carrying4 ,the forest close to our camp was swarming with monkeys1 which made wide turning movements from branch to branch when disturbed4 ,i kept on wondering if one was not going to land on my head4 ,the two days old baby monkeys led their big sedate mammas exhausting scampers from tree to tree4 ,what a good thing it is that they improve in behaviour during the process of evolution6 ,at #i4j p4m4 a message came asking me to give medicine to a sick person close to camp4 ,taking our lantern we went out and administered physic1 then hastened home as lions could be heard roaring some distance away4 ,the oil unfortunately gave out before we reached our tent1 and ,i must admit to a horrid sensation of fear lest one of them should spring out upon us from the pitchy darkness1 as the roaring seemed to get nearer and nearer4 ,in the morning our cowman came in with the tidings that one of these creatures had broken through the zariba built round the cowshed and run off with one of the calves4 ,while encamped there a terrible storm visited us in the afternoon4 ,we had watched the clouds rapidly gathering from all directions1 increasing in density and rapidity until they collided together and crashed with terrific force on a near hill1 blotting out all objects from view4 ,then1 with united energy1 these heavily charged thunder clouds bore down upon us with such anger that it seemed our little tents must be torn up and twisted into shreds4 ,all the porters had been called out to stand each at his post to meet the enemy2 and right well they did it1 too1 for as the tent cords snapped we must have soon been houseless if the men had not held on to poles and canvas4 ,in less than half an hour the storm had passed1 and then the porters set to work1 repairing ropes1 hammering in pegs1 and redigging the trench round the tent4 ,the following day1 after a hot1 dusty march1 we reached one of the mission stations1 and before we had the chance of a wash-up and rest1 the teacher came begging us to go to the church1 where the people were all waiting4 ,so in we went and found nearly two hundred squeezed into the tiny reed building 7intended to hold one hundred71 all roaring from the various grades of the reading sheet4 ,instead of stopping the clatter when we entered1 a sign from the teacher made each one put greater exertion into his reading and they simply yelled out their lesson to impress us with the progress they were making4 ,after a short service with them1 we were escorted to our tent by a considerable following4 ,when my medicine chest appeared the scene was like the 8,zoo0 let loose4 ,a guard had to stand round to prevent me from being suffocated2 of course the majority of the applicants were shams4 ,they watched to see which patient received the largest dose1 then asked him what his complaint was1 and by the time they had pushed their way to the dispenser were suffering from the same trouble1 but in an acute form4 ,on the fourth day we reached the capital of a ,saza or country ,kitagwenda4 ,toro is divided up into five large chieftainships or sazas1 each of which is governed by a man who has tributary chiefs4 ,the 8lord0 of ,kitagwenda was ready in state to receive us as we arrived4 ,his round reed house is built on the brow of a hill1 and is surrounded by a tall1 imposing plaited reed fence4 ,as we slowly climbed up the broad1 well-kept path1 the chief1 dressed in white linen1 came down to meet us with a large crowd of followers4 ,he was very keen on impressing us with his greatness1 so ordered a drum to precede him and one piper4 ,the people were all wildly excited1 dancing and shouting themselves husky4 ,while this pandemonium was at its height1 two poor1 miserable-looking fat-tailed sheep were pushed forward for our acceptance4 ,with these ,uganda sheep all the good points were embodied in the tails4 ,these are often as broad as the back1 and hang in festoons almost to the ground4 ,they are poor creatures1 and are not cheap at #bs4 #h;d41 which is their market value4 ,i doubt whether one animal contains as much nourishment as two pounds of ,welsh mutton4 ,at this place two of our first trained women teachers had been at work4 ,they had experienced some difficulty in getting the women interested1 for digging1 cultivating1 and cooking had provided ample excuse for staying in their homes4 ,on the second day of our visit we rallied all the women together at the tall mission church and urged them to stand by their teachers1 who had come with a message of love and peace and would instruct them in wisdom4 ,there and then classes were formed1 and some sixty came forward for daily teaching4 ,at night a body of soldiers were sent down by the chief to guard our camp against the lions1 which were very numerous in these parts4 ,the head officer1 feeling the importance of his commission1 essayed to issue his commands in true ,british fashion by using a few words he had picked up from the ,english lieutenant in ,toro4 ,he drilled his men just outside our tent door1 and it was evident that the language of their general1 as he bawled out incomprehensible ,english1 was quite a conundrum to the men1 and in concealed whispers he was obliged to repeat his orders in the native tongue4 ,a remarkably fine view of ,ruwenzori snows was obtained at the junction of ,ankole and ,toro4 ,with no cloud to intercept1 miles of glittering ice stood out against a sapphire sky1 and pushed down a hundred streams that tumbled in impetuous speed and flowed as swift rivulets through the forests that crossed our path4 ,only those who have known the weariness of continual walking in the tropics can rightly appreciate the joy that these forest shades and the cool1 refreshing rivers bring4 ,at no time of the year could the country have been seen to better advantage2 the grass fires had carried off all the long withered grass1 and the hills were now carpetted with fresh1 green glades4 ,the forests displayed a strange variety of colouring1 for the young buds of spring1 the luxuriant verdure of summer1 blended in exquisite contrast and harmony with the gold and ruddy tints of autumn4 ,shrubs of wild jessamine and seven-petalled tuber roses were in rich bloom on the roadside4 ,these latter are called by the natives 8,eky skulema njoju10 8that which gets the better of the elephants10 for although the bark is comparatively slender1 it can stubbornly resist the force of the powerful elephant trunks that make matchwood of the larger forest trees4 ,two days further marching brought us to the boundary of ,ankole1 and glad were we to leave behind the rains of ,toro1 which had made the paths so slimy that with difficulty we maintained the perpendicular4 ,our peaceable caravan was evidently mistaken for a raiding horde4 ,the villagers were in a most perturbed state of mind as we pressed on2 the men collected together all their women1 children1 and goats and packed them off with all speed to hide in the swamps and hills1 while a few of them remained hidden on the outskirts of the huts to sound an alarm at our approach4 ,the language at this point deviated from that spoken by the people of ,toro4 ,besides employing a few entirely different words1 the ,banyankole soften down the s1 j1 and k1 and until the ear has become accustomed to these changes one might imagine it a distinct dialect4 ,a rather welcome sight was the men working on the roads and digging in the banana plantations1 in place of the peasant women who do all the rough manual work in ,toro4 ,ankole is a large ranch country4 ,a gentle range of mountains extending toward the east shores of the ,albert ,edward is the only interruption to an extensive area of rolling land of which the whole kingdom is composed4 ,it is inhabited by two separate races1 the ,bairu1 who are the original people of the country1 and the ,bahima1 the ruling race4 ,the latter are an extremely superior order of people2 generally speaking1 they are of lighter complexion1 and their features1 in the sharply defined nose and chin and the thin lips1 are in marked contrast to the other tribes of inland ,africa4 ,another peculiar characteristic is that the women live in entire seclusion and keep the face and head covered1 as in ,mahommedan lands4 ,it is generally believed that they migrated from ,abyssinia or ,arabia2 probably disease among their cattle drove them from their native land1 and they travelled south until they reached the pasture land of ,ankole4 ,at first sight the country looks scarcely inhabited--there are no fences or patches of cultivation which elsewhere denote villages4 ,the population1 however1 is considerable1 but the people are a tribe of herdsmen1 who build unpretentious little grass huts among the soft1 waving grass1 and live almost exclusively on their cattle1 which graze together in enormous herds4 ,the oxen are splendid creatures1 with immense horns2 there is not so much hump with them as with the cattle of ,uganda4 ,the unvaried diet of milk and butter has produced a people of abnormal dimensions4 ,the ,king1 although only about #ai years of age1 weighed #bj stone4 ,he could not walk1 but had to be carried about in a gigantic kind of clothes-basket4 ,one little chief waddled into our tent to salute us who stood about three feet high and was nearly twice as large in circumference4 ,the higher a person is in social position the larger is the amount of milk he must daily get down in order that he may reach a worthy correspondence in weight4 ,on one occasion1 while walking along the road1 we heard screaming and shouting coming from a hut1 and1 on going in to find out the cause1 saw a young princess with her eyes bandaged and face dripping with milk2 an old hag was standing over her with a cane1 which she brought sharply down across her shoulders when the unfortunate girl declared she could take in no more milk4 ,being remonstrated with1 the old woman explained how the young princess was only going through the customary preparation for her bridal days4 ,as ,uganda gradually opens up1 ,ankole will probably become the ,leadenhall ,market of the ,protectorate4 ,excellent roads have been cut for transport to ,entebbe1 on the shores of the ,victoria ,nyanza1 to ,albert ,edward ,nyanza and ,koki1 and the ,government has built a strong fort at ,mbarara1 the capital of ,ankole1 which is under civil and military control4 ,after years of bigoted opposition to the missionaries1 the country has now been thrown open to them4 ,a large mud church had just been completed when we visited there1 and a large number of men and women were under ,christian instruction4 ,for generations there had stood in the ,royal courtyard a large drum1 which was absolutely believed to bring death to the ,king who beat it4 ,immediately after the baptism of the ,king1 he1 ,kahaya1 in the sight of a large crowd of his subjects1 went deliberately towards the drum2 then1 loosening the sticks1 he stood for a moment looking round at his people1 who were expecting his instantaneous death4 ,with one mighty swing he brought the sticks down on the drum1 which only thundered out1 as it were1 the doom which fell that day on their old heathen superstitions4 ,soon after arriving at the capital we went to pay our respects to the ,royal ,household4 ,passing out from the new mud 8palace0 of the ,king1 ,i went across to the ladies' quarters4 ,the seven wives of ,his ,majesty ,kahaya1 who at that time was only an inquirer after ,christianity1 were all sitting silently in a semi-circle round the inside of their grass hut4 ,the atmosphere was unbearably stuffy1 and reeking with odours of rancid butter1 for the custom is to rub this well into their bodies1 and1 without washing off the stale1 they rub in a fresh quantity each day4 ,they treat in exactly the same way the bark cloths in which they entirely envelop themselves4 ,not until ,i had become accustomed to the dim light could ,i distinguish the seven shrouded1 dusky figures4 ,then they resembled so many ant heaps4 ,after the usual voluminous salutations1 they begged me to take off my hat and show my hair4 ,i agreed1 if they1 on their part1 showed me their faces4 ,immediately fourteen merry eyes popped out of the oily bark cloths1 and a row of fat1 smiling faces appeared4 ,after satisfying their inquisitive questions about my clothes1 my age1 my parents1 and how long ,i had been married1 ,i tried to find out a little about them4 ,from what ,i could learn1 they seemed to spend all their lives huddled together as ,i saw them1 with absolutely nothing to do except to feed4 ,they neither cooked1 sewed1 plaited grass1 cultivated1 nor worked at any of the small industries common among other tribes4 ,the ,christian women teachers were visiting them each day1 and a large number of women had shown a real desire to read4 ,as their minds have been allowed to lie dormant for so long1 it is a wonder that they can learn to do so really quickly4 ,after a few happy days spent in ,ankole1 we pushed on in a south-easterly direction to ,koki4 ,scarcity of water necessitated rather longer marches than usual1 so ,i indulged in the luxury of a hammock4 ,six men were taken on as carriers who did not understand the art in the least4 ,they literally galloped away with me4 ,the hammock swung to and fro with such force that the ropes on the pole gradually slackened1 and the canvas hung like a sling with its burden doubled up inside4 ,my gesticulations and calls were quite unavailing1 as the carriers ran on1 singing gaily2 then they suddenly hauled the pole over from one shoulder to another1 which was more than it could stand1 and1 with a squeak of pain1 the ropes burst1 and the hammock fell with a big bump to the ground4 ,while ,i stood endeavouring to recover from the rather boisterous mode of travelling1 the carriers walked round inspecting the shattered ropes and congratulated each other on being such men of strength6 ,we had reached a wide1 scorching plain with no trees or shelter save a few tall thorn bushes1 which made the ground all about like a pincushion with the points standing out4 ,we had come along at such a rate that the caravan and lunch basket were miles behind4 ,one hundred and five minutes were spent under that thorn bush waiting for the rear with nothing to read1 nothing to look at1 and nothing to eat4 ,i tried to think a thought that might find a niche in my next journal letter1 but the sun must have nearly melted all the brain cells as it poured down its burning rays1 for nothing took shape4 ,to punish the men for their rash behaviour ,i inflicted on my carriers the punishment of searching for firewood1 so that when our detached corps joined us we soon had the kettle singing and a chicken frizzling to replenish exhausted strength and revive our fainting spirits4 ,the following morning camp was awake at #d4j a4m41 and a hurried start was made in the dark so as to get the day's march over before the sun had a chance of treating us as it had done previously4 ,but it was rather an unfortunate day to have tried the experiment1 as our path for the first three or four miles skirted a long swamp1 the haunt of mosquitoes1 and these little pests had not been frightened away by sunrise before we ventured through their domain4 ,they swarmed round us like locusts1 and although we kept furiously beating out at them in all directions at once1 the prodigious application of ,homocea afterwards was1 for the first time in my experience1 ineffectual in allaying the inflammation and irritation4 ,we spied a few monkeys in the trees1 but instead of being up to their usual pranks they solemnly sat staring at each other1 looking deplorably sorry for themselves2 evidently the mosquitoes had proved too much even for them4 ,i am sure they would have been willing to pay a pied piper any fee4 ,after five days journeying from ,ankole we reached ,rakai1 the capital of ,koki4 ,the ,c4,m4,s4 had two ladies stationed there and an ordained ,muganda4 ,koki was in former years an independent kingdom ruled over by ,kamswaga1 but in recent years it has been joined to ,uganda1 on the ,king agreeing to become a 8,saza0 of his stronger neighbours4 ,excepting for ,lake ,kanyeti1 which twists about among rich and varied vegetation1 the scenery is unattractive--in the dry season the chalky soil gives an anmic appearance to the country1 and the rather too plentiful supply of swamps necessitates a large stock of quinine being always at hand4 ,kamswaga himself at that time had gone up to ,entebbe on business1 but hearing of our expected arrival had left us a greeting in the shape of an ox and quantities of food for our caravan4 ,visitors in these parts were rather a novelty1 and the people came down in large numbers to look at us4 ,i returned the visit of the wife of ,kamswaga before leaving4 ,her reception house quickly filled with a number of men and women1 each trying to get a word in edgeways with the 8white0 visitor4 ,a handful of boiled coffee beans in the pods was passed to me to dispense to whomsoever ,i wished to honour4 ,i was obliged to take a share1 but that was very limited1 for they are as hard as nuts to crack and like physic to swallow4 ,on leaving they pressed round and bedecked my wrists with all sorts of curious wire and bead bracelets which they had taken off themselves4 ,the work being carried on there was1 happily1 prospering4 ,the school1 daily classes1 and the church1 holding two hundred people1 were well attended4 ,a whole day's excursion in a native skiff on the ,lake gave us an opportunity of seeing something of the village work that has been opened up by the ,mother ,church of ,rakai4 ,we could not stay longer than three days1 as there was still a long programme before us4 ,budu was the next district on the list to be visited4 ,this is the stronghold of ,roman ,catholicism4 ,at every side road we found a tall wooden cross standing and nearly everybody wore a medallion or scapular4 ,at ,kajuna the people were evidently not accustomed to seeing ,european visitors1 and they came tearing out of their houses like mad creatures1 dancing round us and clapping their hands4 ,it was a perfect pandemonium1 and we were not sorry to escape from such a rabble4 ,the two missionaries welcomed us very warmly4 ,they were hard at work on a much needed house for themselves4 ,the new building was a unique structure1 for it was built only of one brick--that is1 the walls were formed of solid mud beaten down between wooden boards1 which were removed when the mud had dried4 ,the roof was thatched with strips of banana bark knotted on rows of poles4 ,this is supposed to offer stronger resistance to lightning than the usual grass4 ,a regular timber yard had been set up in a strip of ,forest close by to supply doors and windows for the new house1 and the natives were receiving from the missionary practical lessons in carpentering as they felled the trees1 adzed them out and then sawed out planks in pits4 ,the scene suggested pictures of ,canadian life among the ,rockies4 ,truly a missionary in ,uganda is a compendium of trades4 ,one of our hosts was an out-and-out ,irishman1 and when he was joined by an enthusiastic compatriot the conversation waxed very warm4 ,i wonder if everyone belonging to the ,emerald ,isle regards it as the pole-star of the ,universe--the two ,sassenachs did not quite agree to it4 ,at the time of our visit twenty-one men and women were being finally questioned with a view to baptism4 ,no chiefs were then under ,protestant instruction1 and in consequence there was little inducement for their dependents to associate themselves with our missionaries4 ,it was therefore very pleasing to find this number ready to publicly confess their faith in baptism1 for one felt they must have been prompted by an honest and sincere conviction4 ,a fifteen miles march from ,kajuna brought us to the shores of the ,lake ,victoria ,nyanza4 ,nearly six miles of the road was across a sand plain1 and walking it was too much for me1 for the boot at each step sank in four to six inches of burning sand4 ,i was obliged to call the hammock-bearers to my assistance1 who panted along without a murmur2 but when they had safely landed me under the first tree of a lovely wood1 they exclaimed 8,we are nearly dead40 ,the two boats provided for us looked very frail and small to carry two ,europeans1 eight 8boys10 two steersmen1 two balers-out of water1 twelve rowers1 and all our loads4 ,the boats on this ,lake are constructed of boards hewn out by native knives1 and sewn together with cane4 ,there are no seats for passengers1 but sticks and grass are laid at the bottom4 ,there was a big gale blowing when we wanted to make a start--foam-crested waves broke on the shingly shore as if it had been the ,atlantic4 ,one is surprised to miss the brine in the spray1 forgetting momentarily that so immense an expanse of fretful water is other than an ocean4 ,we waited two hours for the storm to abate1 when the boatmen came saying we could put off4 ,as soon1 however1 as we had rowed well out1 the wind got up again and blew with terrific force2 immediately the lake was lashed into anger1 and had no mercy on our little craft4 ,the oarsmen were quite unable to keep her from being driven broadside to the storm4 ,sitting at the bottom of the boat we watched wave after wave bear down upon us like a wall and break over our heads4 ,the boatmen assured us that we could not stand much more1 for the cane fibre that kept the boat together was rotten and giving way under the strength of the breakers4 ,the heavy tossing made us feel wretchedly sea-sick1 but we dared not let our courage flag1 as the men were losing heart4 ,we had drifted completely out of our course1 but fortunately were driven toward one of the ,sese ,islands1 which we ultimately reached1 drenched through and very exhausted4 ,here we pitched our tent for the night1 and as evening came a dead calm settled down on the ,lake1 and insect life awoke1 swarming round us in clouds4 ,all night we kept waking up to assure ourselves that we had not contracted sleeping sickness1 as this was one of the haunts of that disease4 ,the next morning dawned bright and calm1 so we started before sunrise1 startling the many gulls1 divers1 and herons that were indulging in a morning bath4 ,the paddlers broke out into weird nautical songs2 there is generally one man in a boat whose special work is to lead the singing to encourage the oarsmen4 ,he begins with a loud shrill note1 sustaining it with a few minor variations till a short stanza of the song is sung2 then all the others join in with a deep1 guttural grunt of assent to the words2 this is repeated over and over and over again until the voice cracks4 ,seven hours' rowing was as much as they would undertake in a day1 so we landed on a beautiful little island which since then has been entirely depopulated by sleeping sickness4 ,the sun was just about to say good-night when we put into ,entebbe on the following day4 ,the view from the water was quite enchanting4 ,a bold1 rocky promontory reminded one of a bit of the borderland coast between ,england and ,scotland1 otherwise the shore and islands were covered with the most prodigious forest growth4 ,as we landed from the boats and looked up at this town we really asked ourselves if this were ,uganda4 ,there are rows of neat villas with the strips of gardens back and front resembling the bijous of ,london suburban life2 splendid wide roads with avenues of trees planted2 a market with an ,english butcher1 a dairy1 an ,indian bakery where delicious little loaves can be purchased for four annas1 and an aggressive ,indian firm that is the ,william ,whiteley of ,uganda1 and manufactures mineral waters at two annas per bottle1 are some among the many surprises4 ,there is a very cosmopolitan population1 and comparatively few of the real natives--,baganda--are seen in the town4 ,the fifty or more ,europeans made it feel very homelike after the isolated life in ,toro2 and yet after the first surprised impressions had partially worn off1 one was conscious of two distinct elements running side by side--the ,english and the ,african--without actually becoming assimilated the one by the other4 ,the result was that so many reminders of ,england brought with them feelings of home-sickness1 but the next moment one was sympathising with the country yokel in ,london who pined for the rusticity of village home life4 ,our four days there were spent very pleasantly4 ,colonel ,sadler1 ,h4,m4 ,commissioner1 ,mrs4 ,sadler1 and several friends were most kind and hospitable2 indeed we were almost strangers to our tents4 ,a visit to the ,botanical ,gardens was most interesting4 ,mr4 ,mahon1 who was then in charge1 took us round and pointed out the tea1 coffee1 cocoa and cotton shrubs which gave promise of agreeing very amiably with their newly-adopted land4 ,fruit trees1 vines and pine apples were also being experimented on1 and the flower beds were aflame with colour4 ,the idea is1 ,i believe1 to test what flourishes successfully in the ,uganda soil1 then to send out cuttings and encourage the cultivation of that plant throughout the ,protectorate4 ,colonel ,coles1 who is in command of the troops1 is a very keen horticulturalist1 and has been most successful in rose-growing and in bringing to perfection the native crinum lily4 ,leaving ,entebbe1 we made for ,port ,munyonyo by canoe1 which took six hours in consequence of a wind working against us all the way4 ,reaching the ,port at #e4j p4m4 we had no time to inspect the vigorous dhow-building that was in operation4 ,we hurried off on our seven to eight mile walk into ,mengo1 which we reached just after seven o'clock4 ,a roast leg of goat and steaming potatoes were being served up by our kind hostess as we entered4 ,i think we had rarely enjoyed a dinner more than that one1 as we had eaten nothing since #g4j a4m4 excepting two cold sausages and some bread and milk1 the only things procurable from our food basket in the canoe4 ,this was the only time ,i had visited ,mengo since first arriving in the country1 and it was interesting to find out how many of one's first impressions remained4 ,two years ago it had been to me a country unpenetrated1 its people and language unknown1 and now in a limited--very limited--degree the closed door had been pushed open and something from within had been revealed4 ,in that time ,mengo seemed to have made wonderful progress4 ,a colossal brick cathedral stood on the site of the previous wicker building2 it is a striking witness of what the ,baganda can be taught to accomplish under such persevering and able instruction and superintendence as they have received4 ,the educational work had developed considerably4 ,at #h4j one morning we went across to ,mr4 ,hattersley's boys school2 he certainly had his work cut out1 for ,i should not like to guess at the number of men and boys that were packed into the large class rooms1 through which ran rows of desks and forms made at the ,industrial ,mission4 ,at each class stood a native teacher setting sums or copies on the blackboards4 ,his pupils were a strange collection1 for a grey-bearded old chief would be sitting next to a sharp eyed infant1 both eagerly wrestling with pen and ink4 ,specimens of writing1 which had been acquired in six months1 were shown to us1 and they compared very favorably with a fourth or fifth standard in ,england4 ,every afternoon classes were held for the teachers for instruction in blackboard writing1 geography1 astronomy1 natural history and ,scripture1 and these men were being sent out to the villages for educational work1 when their course was completed4 ,since that time1 scholastic work has received very special attention4 ,a boarding high school for the sons of chiefs was opened in #aijd1 and the number of lads that were immediately sent by their fathers or guardians was a proof of its need4 ,the ,baganda are quite conscious of the fact that the time has come to rouse and equip themselves in order that they may be able to stand before the civilized nations with whom they are now brought so closely in touch4 ,a third school is also in course of erection1 which will be an intermediate step for those desiring to train afterwards for ,holy ,orders4 ,the ,industrial ,department of the ,mission is certainly one of the most necessary and practical methods of helping these people who possess no trades or crafts of their own4 ,on passing along the road toward the ,industrial quarters1 one sees a crowd of men hard at work in the brick-fields1 and others employed at rope-making4 ,entering the actual work-shop compound a buzz and whirr of machinery meet the ear4 ,the first building is the carpenter's sheds2 here were men turning out book-cases1 chairs1 tables1 and really a first-class sideboard4 ,across the courtyard the printers and stitchers were hard at work producing ,lunyoro hymn sheets1 ,luganda hymns1 ,luganda commentary on ,st4 ,mark1 and a book of ,uganda fables by ,ham ,mukasa4 ,until within six months of our visit all this work1 including the building of the ,cathedral1 had been started and supervised by one man4 ,uganda owes a great debt to ,mr4 ,borup for the invaluable help thus rendered to the country4 ,the hospital1 which was nearing its opening day when ,i had first seen it1 was now in good working order and quite full up with patients2 some1 alas1 suffering from the dread sleeping sickness4 ,no one then dreamed that the fine building was on the eve of being completely destroyed by fire4 ,but such was the case4 ,within a very few months the scene of pain1 yet of peace and comfort1 had given place to one of noisy activity1 for on the old spot there was immediately put in hand the erection of the present solid brick building with an iron roof to resist the lightning which destroyed its predecessor1 and a concrete floor that can withstand the constant traffic up and down the wards4 ,after a few days we again set off on the march1 making for ,bunyoro1 in a northerly direction4 ,a good road had been cut for a distance of a hundred miles by order of the ,government for transport purposes toward the ,nile4 ,on the second day we overtook an oxen wagon caravan1 which was being conducted by a young ,englishman1 who we found was down with bad fever and cough4 ,we sent him milk and meat juice1 but could not dissuade him from pushing on in the evening4 ,the scarcity of food for porters on the road makes delays very difficult1 and in his case1 travelling by night was essential as the oxen cannot bear the heat of the day4 ,but being jostled along on springless carts in the damp and cold ,african nights did not suggest much comfort for a patient suffering from malaria6 ,next day on arriving in camp we found no less than three other ,european caravans settling in4 ,a military captain and a ship captain were coming down from ,bunyoro1 and a trader was making for that direction4 ,uganda is getting overrun with civilization6 ,there is generally a little consternation and hurried confusion when an ,english woman is seen in camp4 ,there is at once a shout for the 8boy0 who had relieved the pedestrian of his coat on the march1 and a long search is made for the razor that very apparently had been some days in disuse4 ,one of our fellow travellers who came in at afternoon tea suggested that a new regulation should be passed by the ,government1 ordering all ladies travelling on the road to send a white flag three miles ahead to warn fellow countrymen6 ,we did some fairly long marches on this road1 as we were anxious to complete our tour1 and although fifteen to eighteen miles do not look anything to the ,londoner who is accustomed to record spins on his bicycle1 yet ,i think he would find five hours walking day after day a laborious task1 especially when it means rising at #d4j a4m4 ,we had been a little unfortunate in our culinary arrangements1 for our cook was taken ill and had been obliged to return to ,toro4 ,we took on a substitute from our porters' ranks1 who knew nothing about cooking4 ,i carefully taught him how to turn out a decent pancake which he seemed really to master1 but a few days afterwards he served up hard1 solid1 flour-and-water dough-balls1 saying he feared he had forgotten the recipe1 so the process of teaching had to be gone through over again4 ,he never would believe that anything could be cooked without water--roast goat he cooked in quantities of it instead of fat1 and buttered eggs were swimming in brown swamp water6 ,then all our other boys got down with fever1 and one day we were without a single attendant4 ,when we were half-way to ,bunyoro1 a ,nubian caravan encamped close to us4 ,we instantly ordered a close watch to be kept on our goods1 as these folk have the reputation of being not too strictly honest4 ,in spite1 however1 of vigilant guard1 very soon things were missing4 ,we succeeded in rescuing some articles from one of their temporary huts1 but a large plate1 which converted an open cooking pot into an ,african oven1 was never found1 and so we were deprived of bread and all baked food for the remainder of our journey4 ,the country was a monotony of undulating land1 with no hills1 forests1 or rivers to interrupt the continuity of sameness4 ,for three days we were travelling through a district of ,uganda called ,singo1 where eight years ago ,mr4 ,fisher was stationed4 ,a particularly dreary spot was pointed out to me as the place where he lived for months quite alone1 and had one attack after another of fever4 ,during one of those occasions1 a woman1 the wife of the district chief1 came a long distance twice a day to nurse him1 and1 when he lapsed into unconsciousness1 she took a razor and shaved his head to ease him4 ,he was rather a shock to himself when he was well enough to see his own reflection in the lid of a ,huntley ,palmer's biscuit tin--the only looking-glass then in his possession1 as he had lost most of his things through a recent act of incendiarism4 ,we were delighted to catch sight of the hills that lie round ,hoima1 the capital of ,bunyoro1 on the seventh day4 ,mr4 ,lloyd1 who had been ,mr4 ,fisher's fellow-worker in ,toro1 and chaperon to the party from ,england of which ,i had formed part1 came scorching down on his bicycle to meet us1 with a large following of natives who had come to greet 8their father40 ,in the year #ahie ,mr4 ,fisher had visited these people1 who1 up to that time1 had never heard of ,christianity1 and in #ahih was located at ,hoima in order to establish a ,european ,station4 ,then the country was in the grasp of famine2 the people1 from the ,king down to his peasant subjects1 came each day to the ,european teacher and his two ,baganda assistants begging food4 ,through the generosity of friends in ,england and ,uganda1 a fund was organized1 and with presents in kind from the ,christians in ,uganda and ,toro1 hundreds of the ,bunyoro were saved from starvation4 ,with the return of the rains1 the famine terminated1 but this time of trouble had created and cemented a confidence between the natives and missionary1 who learned to know them then better than if he had lived years in the country at the time of its prosperity4 ,the ,king1 his brothers1 sister1 and several of the leading chiefs1 became sincere inquirers after ,christianity1 and ultimately acknowledged their faith in public baptism4 ,the kingdom of ,bunyoro is one of the most ancient now existing in inland ,africa4 ,formerly it was the pre-eminent power of all the districts round and including ,uganda1 but for many years its strength has been on the wane through internal disaffections and external warfare4 ,toro1 which was once ruled over by ,bunyoro1 broke away from its rule1 and the ,baganda gradually ascended north1 appropriating to themselves large districts of ,southern ,bunyoro4 ,kabarega1 then ,king of ,bunyoro1 was for years the terror of the surrounding weaker tribes4 ,he was quite a remarkable character4 ,realizing the gradual decadence of his kingdom1 with persistent effort and despotism he rallied his people together for one mighty struggle to regain their lost power4 ,marching on the surrounding weaker tribes1 he raided1 plundered1 and burnt their villages1 and ,king ,kasagama 7of ,toro7 and his people fled to the mountains for shelter4 ,but in #ahii the ,british ,government sent up a force of ,baganda under ,colonel ,evett1 who succeeded in taking prisoner ,kabarega4 ,the latter has since remained a prisoner in the ,seychelles ,islands4 ,his son ,andereya1 an earnest ,christian and an able man1 is now reigning in his stead4 ,the ,bunyoro have always had a most elaborate priesthood and abundant ritual connected with their belief2 hence it will be a long time before heathen customs and degrading forms of superstition will be effectually up-rooted4 ,illustration3 ,,our ,,home ,,in ,,toro4 ,after the discomforts of the road it was delightfully restful to revel in the refreshing luxury of easy chairs1 sipping cups of tea1 surrounded with a hundred and one reminders of dear old ,england1 while a pink-cheeked1 chubby baby grabbed at the flat nose of his black boy nurse and cooed with satisfaction at having two1 new1 civilized admirers4 ,a week spent with ,mr4 and ,mrs4 ,lloyd1 during which time we were enabled to visit the people and hold some meetings with them1 brought us to the final stage of our circular trip--a seven days' march home4 ,the anticipation of once more seeing ,ruwenzori1 our mud bungalow house1 and all the ,batoro folk1 made one forget to write notes and comments of those few days4 ,but no written records were necessary to keep at least one day green in the memory4 ,the wet season had begun in real earnest1 which did not improve the many unbridged swamps that lay across our path at constant intervals4 ,one day we were plunging through grass1 often twelve feet high1 for nearly three hours right off4 ,emerging from that1 we had to pass through a succession of nine swamps4 ,the only possible means of getting across was to sit on the shoulder of a thoroughly sturdy and sure-footed porter1 holding on with all one's might to his woolly head4 ,at the ninth swamp ,i had maintained that position for ten minutes1 with feet held straight out in front1 as my noble carrier stumbled among a broken down bridge1 sometimes to his armpits in black mud4 ,actually weeping tears1 ,i called down to my steed1 8,my friend1 you must put me down1 my back is broken with weariness40 ,without a word he floundered off through the grass1 having spied a fallen tree trunk on which to put down his burden4 ,there we stood panting1 too tired to speak1 but a hallooing and a shouting at one side made us both turn round4 ,there we saw the other ,european in a most indescribably mixed-up position1 being brought along on the shoulders of two men1 while two more hung on to a leg each4 ,with scarcely a note of warning1 the front man lost his foothold and disappeared with the second4 ,the ,european immediately followed suit1 but the remaining two stood their ground1 still holding on to those legs4 ,never did the ,mountains of the ,moon appear more fascinating than when we returned to our home under their shadow after nine weeks' absence4 ,the first to welcome us1 four miles out on the road1 was old ,apolo ,kivebulaya1 the native deacon4 ,close by on his heels followed my little god-son1 the first baptised pigmy1 who looked characteristically grimy1 but his ugly little face appeared really pleasing as he ran up and welcomed his master and mistress back with a grin that seemed to stretch from one ear to another4 ,then the ,katikiro came out with thirty to forty retainers1 all of whom he had dressed up in brand new white linen turban caps as a token of welcome to us4 ,last of all rode out the ,king4 8,well done1 my friends4 ,god be praised for bringing you back40 ,and we could only in our hearts respond 8,amen40 ,illustration3 ,,tabala1 ,,chief ,,of ,,mboga1 ,,and ,,suite4 ,,chapter ,,xvi ,tramp ,,iv4 ,towards the ,pigmies ,while the ,kingdom of ,toro has distinctly defined boundaries on the ,east1 ,north1 and ,south 7the latter two being the ,albert and ,albert ,edward ,nyanzas7 there are no lines of demarcation that bound it on the ,west4 ,it adjoins the ,protectorate to the ,belgian territory that extends across from the ,congo ,free ,state1 and until that boundary is officially fixed the ,kingdom of ,toro may be said to include a number of untamed savage tribes with a portion of the pigmies1 who recognise no authority and rule outside themselves4 ,immediately the ,toro ,mission was established its first branch station was planted about sixty miles west in ,mboga1 the district that touches ,stanley's ,great ,forest--the home of the pigmies4 ,although the chief offered much opposition to the ,baganda missionaries1 yet the workers persistently held on1 realising its important strategic position for reaching the many tribes round its borders1 and it formed one of the few last links yet to be forged in order that ,krapf's dream of a chain of missions extending across ,africa might be fulfilled4 ,after opposition had burnt itself out and the ,chief ,tabala had himself become a ,christian the work prospered vigorously1 and in #aijc the number of men and women baptised reached over two hundred4 ,in that year the question of boundary line between ,belgian and ,british territory was again raised to be finally marked out4 ,the decision would either result in the district of ,mboga being retained by the ,british1 or given over to the ,belgians in exchange for a strip of land farther south1 in which latter case the ,river ,semliki would form the natural dividing line4 ,it was considered expedient1 pending the arrangement between the two ,governments to strengthen in every way possible the mission work at ,mboga so that it might not be shaken should it ultimately lie outside the ,uganda ,protectorate4 ,it was1 therefore arranged that in the five months remaining before leaving for furlough in ,england we should fit in a visit to that district4 ,the time of year fixed on for starting was a little unfortunate1 as the wet season was in full working order1 and that never adds an enviable charm to the gipsy life of ,african travelling4 ,it was evident that we were getting near the end of the prescribed period of service1 for instead of gaily trudging off in stout boots and puttees1 we pushed off from ,kabarole with a donkey and a hammock1 the only available modes of conveyance4 ,when only three miles out we were overtaken by one of ,toro's special storms4 ,the heavily laden clouds had been running off towards the west when ,ruwenzori stood in their way and forbade them4 ,so1 in a terrible temper1 they turned back and gave us the full benefit of their tears4 ,my hammock bearers did not seem to mind2 certainly they had nothing on that would spoil1 and ,i believe these casual drenchings are the only occasions on which many of them feel the touch of water on their bodies4 ,i have often seen them trying to avoid even this by taking shelter under a tree and holding a huge banana leaf over their head1 when only clothed in a tiny goat skin4 ,the donkey slipped along behind with its rider enveloped in a commodious mackintosh that left only the donkey's nose and feet visible4 ,in order to get to the mission station of ,busaiga1 where we were to spend a day1 we had to turn off for two miles along a sloppy kind of sheep-track path1 which the donkey managed better than my men1 who stumbled along in the mud1 very fearful lest they should let their burden down4 ,the man carrying our bath went before to warn them of danger2 but we passed him half-way1 for with a splash he fell4 ,no one seemed to regard it as anything unusual1 and continued marching on4 ,looking over the side of my hammock1 the last ,i saw of him was a hopeless mix-up of black man's limbs and bath sitting in inches of mud4 ,it was very good to find a big fire burning and a hot cup of tea ready in a well swept native house that had been prepared for us1 and designated for our temporary use4 ,in the afternoon our tent was well surrounded by broad grins and inquisitive eyes as we were 8at home0 to callers4 ,they continued coming in from #a4cj to #e4cj1 by which time the air felt heavy1 so we escaped for an evening look-out4 ,the complete range of mountains was clearly defined from south to north and terminated close to us1 in the ,semliki plain4 ,towards their northern base rested a heavy dense bank of white cloud that slowly glided along4 ,when it had reached the farthest shoulder of the range1 it woke from its soliloquy and with a mighty effort plunged upwards1 and in a few minutes flooded the whole country with a dense1 damp mist4 ,the first of ,may dawned in all the brightness of its reputation4 ,lake1 plain1 valleys1 and mountains appeared in their brightest garments to do honour to the day1 and the air trembled in its endeavour to laud the ,creator4 ,no wonder that the people swarmed out of their stuffy little huts for morning service4 ,it was then pointed out to them that their house of prayer needed rethatching1 and in less than three hours the 8restoration of the church0 was completed1 for streams of tiny naked figures went off and returned with a few strands of grass balanced on their heads2 the women followed with heavier burdens1 and the men were standing ready to tie it into small bundles and stuff them into the thatch4 ,there was here as everywhere a great demand for 8reading sheets10 and those who did not possess five cowrie shells 7half a farthing7 wherewith to purchase one brought in a bundle of firewood1 two eggs1 or undertook any little job in order to earn the sum4 ,in the afternoon we had meetings for men and women4 ,at each gathering over one hundred were present1 which must have included nearly all the adult inhabitants of the place4 ,the audiences one meets with in the villages are distinctly responsive2 they evidently have an idea that it is a slight to leave the ,european to do all the talking4 ,in the middle of your 8sermon0 one native will burst out with 8,aye1 aye1 that's so10 and the whole company will agree in chorus4 ,then1 again1 they will repeat after you a whole sentence that has struck them1 and when your oration is over they all exclaim 8,that's very good2 well done1 very well done40 ,it is most encouraging to a nervous speaker4 ,leaving ,busaiga1 we descended to a wide plateau1 which was most likely at one time a lake bed1 but the water has run off and left it quite dry4 ,the curious parallel gorges1 where villages now nestle1 resemble immense yawning cracks formed by the land calling out for water4 ,in one of these clefts1 where there was a sleepy little hamlet1 we pitched camp4 ,the old chief of the place was sitting in his courtyard contentedly smoking a huge pipe4 ,he did not take the least notice of our arrival1 and1 from what he said1 if we had been a party of plunderers1 he would have assumed exactly the same immovable attitude4 ,it was a very stuffy place2 the heat seemed to fall down listlessly in the little valley and had no strength to move off at night4 ,as for the varieties of insects that visited us as the candles were lit1 even the most initiated naturalist must have been puzzled at classifying them4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,semliki ,,river4 ,on the following day we were up at daybreak to cheat the sun1 which we expected would do its worst for us in the exposed ,semliki plain4 ,when we reached that level1 although it was only #h4j a4m41 the heat was almost unbearable4 ,the little donkey must have felt it rather badly1 for it upset itself in the mud1 and this twisted into weird contortions the invaluable umbrella that was being carried on its back4 ,the ,semliki ,river has to be crossed half-way across the plain2 its waters are of a thick grey colouring1 and in them are smuggled away crocodiles1 all sorts of fierce fish with tusk-like teeth1 and fever germs4 ,a big dug-out canoe came over from the opposite bank to ferry us across1 and then returned to fetch our porters1 ass1 and cows4 ,the animals took most naturally to the skiff--which might perhaps be traced back to their ancestors of the ,ark period4 ,in the cool of the afternoon an old fisherman punted me out in his canoe4 ,he attracted my attention to a big crocodile drawn up on the bank--it suddenly woke from its sleep and slipped into the water for an evening ablution4 ,these dug-outs are scarcely what you might call inviting4 ,i have never seen one that does not leak considerably1 and it is difficult to imagine yourself comfortable when seated on a few rushes at the bottom of the boat1 feeling all the time the water oozing in under you4 ,antelopes simply abound in the plain4 ,in one spot alone there must have stood forty of these peaceful creatures4 ,they evidently understand that all their district is preserved against the sportsman1 for they now venture quite close to the path and look at passers by with the greatest impertinence4 ,two fine creatures with handsome antlers stood defying our caravan only about fifty yards away1 and simply refused to be frightened off4 ,mboga stands on a ridge of hills about #ah miles on the opposite side of the plain to ,ruwenzori4 ,the scenery was in charming contrast to that on the previous day's journey as we lifted up on to high land4 ,forest arteries flowed through every bend and hollow from the great aorta of ,stanley's ,pigmy ,forest that stretched away for miles behind the ,mboga ,hills4 ,the trees closely resembled the ,english oak and mountain ash2 there was a marked scarcity of flowers1 and my butterfly net remained quite limp as we climbed up for three hours till the ,mission station appeared in sight4 ,the people that came out to meet us broke up into two parts2 the one went with ,mr4 ,fisher to superintend camping operations1 and ,i was borne off by the others to the ,chief's reception hall to hold audience with his mother1 who had ready a big black native pot of smoked milk to offer me4 ,over one hundred women then streamed in to look at the first ,european lady who had visited their country4 ,they exclaimed1 8,bwana ,fisher has much grace and love1 for he was the first white man to come and tell us of the religion of ,christ1 and now he has brought to us the first lady40 ,a large open shed had been erected by the ,chief ,paulo ,tabalo1 under which our tent could be erected and so sheltered from the burning heat of the day1 and it also provided us with a large airy sitting room1 which was necessary for the four weeks we intended to remain4 ,the first thing that was absolutely essential to take in hand was the building of a new ,church1 for the reed one standing was totally inadequate to accommodate the people4 ,consequently each morning after a brief service the men and women poured across to the new site to start operations4 ,the men1 headed by their ,chief1 went off into the forests for poles1 and the women1 laying aside their white linen draperies1 handled their hoes1 and in a few days had completely cleared the plot of all the long grass with which it had been covered4 ,it was quite astonishing to see the rapidity with which everybody went to work1 and although the proposed large mud church looked rather a formidable undertaking1 the ,christians insisted on building a permanent mud house adjoining the ,church1 which they hoped would secure more frequent visits from the ,missionary1 or procure them an ordained teacher from ,uganda4 ,the late ,sir ,henry ,stanley1 in 8,darkest ,africa10 has given a most vivid picture of ,mboga in his time4 ,it was there he met with so much trouble and savage opposition from the natives4 ,paulo ,tabalo tells a thrilling story of how his father collected together a large army to oppose the great white man on the banks of the ,semliki ,river1 but was compelled to flee1 leaving behind a number of slain4 ,oppression has given place to justice1 turbulence to peace1 and the most abject fear of and subordination to the ,evil ,spirit is gradually being overcome by knowledge and trust in ,god4 ,stepping out from our tent one evening1 ,i strolled away to a near hill to watch the sun set4 ,as it slowly disappeared behind a low ridge of distant mountains it scattered trails of golden light across the plain1 through which the white waters gleamed4 ,then for a few brief minutes the vast ,ruwenzori ,range appeared completely vestured in a deep pink transparent mist1 above which shone as a coronet the pure white snows4 ,never again in the four weeks we spent there was such a wonderful effect repeated4 ,the hushed stillness was suddenly broken by a voice that issued from a little hut almost hidden from view4 ,glancing round a tall rock that stood between1 ,i saw a dusky figure sitting in the doorway peeling potatoes for the evening meal4 ,she was quite unconscious of any intruder1 and as she bent down over her work she sang in the native tongue 8,like a river glorious is ,god's perfect peace40 ,mboga of the present is a 8,cave of ,adullam0 to the numerous surrounding tribes who have fled from the hands of plunderers and raiders and come to settle down under the peaceful rule of the ,christian ,chief4 ,among the thirty-six men and women who had been instructed and were then presented for baptism there were representatives of five different tribes1 three of whom were the first-fruits from those tribes4 ,i held a daily class with them for three weeks1 and so had a chance of comparing the brain power of these people4 ,certainly the one pigmy did not by any means stand last in the class2 on the other hand1 he displayed a very keen perception and often turned round to his neighbour and tried rather impatiently to rub in the point4 ,on the other hand1 he was entirely lacking in concentration1 and it seemed impossible to pin his mind down to the subject under discussion4 ,every afternoon the people stopped work for two hours in order to go to ,church to listen to the white missionaries' words4 ,on the first ,sunday a hint was thrown out to them that they should study together in their homes1 and so help each other to understand their ,bibles better4 ,the day following ,paulo called his people together in his audience hall and told them that they had listened to very good words from their ,european friend and teacher1 and he felt that if they were to become strong and be blessed by ,god they ought to carry out the advice given4 ,several of them thereupon started systematic ,bible study in their homes4 ,many of the ,christian women came to my afternoon class with questions prepared which they had planned out together2 and they helped each other to make notes of my answers4 ,i was surprised at the intelligence shown in their questionings1 for they had received practically little teaching and are not naturally sharp4 ,they asked many things about the ,epistles1 when they were written1 whether on ,st4 ,paul's journeyings or when in imprisonment2 then they wanted to know the meaning of 8,alpha and ,omega0 and 8the woman clothed with the sun10 etc41 etc4 ,one afternoon1 just as the class was closing1 ,i looked up1 and in the doorway of the ,church stood two most repelling figures4 ,their hair had grown to the shoulders and was rolled into thin streaks with an ample quantity of white goat's fat2 they wore a mere fragment of clothing1 and held in their hands a bow and sheaf of arrows4 ,my lesson came to a dead standstill1 and ,i asked the women who the two men were4 8,they eat each other10 was the reassuring response4 ,i dismissed the class right away and made off1 but found the two cannibals standing outside4 ,very bravely ,i went up and saluted them1 but they only stared and grunted1 then when ,i turned to hurry back to camp they came too6 ,in spite of being told that they only eat their own people1 ,i did not like to run any risk1 so enticed a number of women to come with me all the way to our tent by saying ,i had some pictures just out from ,england to show them4 ,as we stood there in ,mboga among some of the most primitive of the human races it was difficult to realize that they formed part of that greatest existing empire of the world4 ,let us hope the time will soon come when these people will be brought within the circle of its moral and intellectual influence as well as the circle of its civil rule4 ,one can scarcely imagine that there ever existed a more unenlightened age in the history of man than the present twentieth century among these distant subjects of ,great ,britain4 ,from the brow of the ,mission hill at ,mboga no fewer than seven distinct practically untamed tribes1 each with its own peculiar customs and dialect1 lie within the range of eyesight4 ,during the four weeks spent in these parts we had an opportunity of coming in direct contact with some people from each of these tribes1 and as we learned something of their habits and modes of existence we realised in a deeper sense than ever before the significance of the words1 8,and darkness was upon the face of the deep40 ,after one month's life under canvas1 nomadic life loses its charm1 especially when the rains are a little too generous4 ,the last three weeks of our stay in ,mboga proved somewhat distressful on this account1 for the storms beat down upon our skeleton shed and poured in through the tent almost daily4 ,the wide trenches dug round our quarters were quite ineffectual in carrying off the water which came sweeping in upon us like a flood4 ,frequently we were obliged to sit on our chairs or boxes with our feet tucked under us while the water gaily took possession of the ground floor of the tent4 ,then food was a difficulty1 for no one would sell the few goats and chickens that they possessed4 ,after the first fortnight they assured us that we had eaten up all the chickens in the place6 7,in spite of this we certainly lost weight47 ,eggs were very scarce1 and were sold at the same price as a chicken1 for1 they argued1 an egg is a chicken1 and the ones they brought for sale nearly proved their argument6 ,all our boys got ill with malarial fever1 and when they were at their worst a case of cholera was brought in to me for treatment4 ,this seemed to be an unknown complaint in these parts1 and the people had no idea of its infectious character4 ,already three deaths had occurred1 and two households were stricken down with it through visiting the sick house4 ,we immediately ordered all the infected huts to be quarantined and the strictest attention given to the burning of all contaminated matter4 ,fortunately the disease was thus checked from spreading1 but not until four had succumbed to it4 ,our last ,sunday spent there was a memorable occasion1 for thirty-five men and women were admitted into the fold of ,christ through the confession of their faith in ,baptism1 and sixty-two from this little 8lighthouse0 station united with us in ,holy ,communion4 ,after the evening service two young men came forward and offered themselves to be trained as teachers to the villages beyond4 ,so although darkness yet covers the land of ,mboga it might be said 8,and the ,spirit of ,god moved upon the face of the waters40 ,,chapter ,,xvii ,in ,darkest ,africa4 ,the ,pigmies 7,batwa7 and their 7,bambuba7 ,neighbours ,in attempting to describe some of the tribes that we have come in contact with round ,mboga1 ,i feel the first place should be given to the ,pigmies1 for although they are the smallest of all folk1 yet they are one of the most ancient peoples of history4 ,not only do they appear in the pages of the ,greek historian1 ,herodotus1 but to-day their representatives may be traced on the ,pyramids4 ,beyond these bare facts of their existence nothing was definitely known about them until the late ,sir ,henry ,stanley penetrated their forest home on his search for ,emin ,pasha1 and startled the civilised world by his marvellous accounts of these legendary folk4 ,judging from their present conditions of life it is impossible to believe that they have made any advance1 physically or morally1 during the hundreds of years that have passed by since first they were known to the outside world4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,four ,,pigmies ,,in ,,kabarole4 ,their home is one vast1 impenetrable forest which extends about one hundred and twenty miles north to south and nearly two hundred miles east to west2 without intermission its vegetation has assumed abnormal proportions2 out of dense1 tangled undergrowth the trees have forced their way1 and1 as if to find breathing space and shake themselves free of the crush and their tiresome parasites1 have reached a gigantic height4 ,but the rubber plants1 ivy1 and creepers have proved equal to the task1 and pushed their way up the tree trunks1 have crawled along from branch to branch1 until only glimpses of sunshine and sky appear through the thick foliage4 ,doubtless this obscurity and the seclusion of their environment have acted as a narcotic on the development of the people4 ,although small of stature they are by no means dwarfs1 for their little bodies of four feet to four feet eight inches are perfectly proportioned4 ,a very close view shows them to be covered with an almost imperceptible downy hair2 on the arms this meets at the elbow as in monkeys4 ,it may be due to their habit of sitting with arms crossed round their neck while the rain constantly drips down upon them through the trees4 ,their features are not prepossessing--in fact they are really ugly2 a very broad bridgeless nose and two wide protruding lips appropriate as much space as the face can spare4 ,they possess no permanent homes1 but are constantly on the move1 never spending more than three to five days at one spot4 ,they burrow among the thick undergrowth1 and make clearings round the trees in order to erect their tiny grass huts1 which are built in less than an hour1 with saplings stuck round in a circle and tied at the top2 grass and leaves are then thrown over as roofing4 ,very few adopt any clothing4 ,each man travels about with a bow and quiver of poisoned arrows in order that he may keep the family supplied in food4 ,although peaceable among themselves1 there is no civil cohesion among the pigmies4 ,they recognise no king or chief2 each man is perfectly free to control his own household4 ,there are no class distinctions2 but the best huntsman will have the largest following because with his spoils he is able to effect exchanges with the near neighbours of the tribe--the ,bambuba1 a sturdy1 thick-set race varying in height from four feet eight inches to five feet1 who live on the north-east fringe of the ,forest4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,ba-,,ambas3 ,,nearest ,,neighbours ,,to ,,the ,,pigmies4 ,necessity has never taught the pigmies to make fires4 ,they are dependent on wood ashes from the ,bambuba folk1 which they carry about tied up in leaves1 in which the fire smoulders for hours and is kindled into flame with a little gentle blowing4 ,the ,bambuba have learned to produce fire by means of igniting two little bits of stick by friction4 ,they also make tiny torches of three or four thin twigs tied together by fibre2 these are dipped into rubber juice freshly drawn away from the plant2 then on the point of the torch is placed resin1 which moderates the rate of combustion4 ,one of these torches will keep burning for two to three hours4 ,the pigmies do not cultivate the ground2 they are exclusively a tribe of huntsmen who travel about in search of their prey4 ,their remarkable agility enables them to spring from branch to branch when watching the track of an animal4 ,often they are obliged to follow an elephant for hours before this forest monarch succumbs to the poisoned dart that has lodged itself in its tough skin2 then as the huge animal rolls over like a thunderbolt falling1 the little pigmies jump down from the trees1 stand on the carcase1 and draw out of a crude leather sheath their knives which have handles made of animals' bones2 they then commence cutting up the joints4 ,some of these will be carried off to the agricultural ,bambuba tribe1 who give potatoes1 ,indian corn1 knives1 or arrows for the meat4 ,the rest is taken up into the trees and dried1 after which it is either roasted or eaten raw4 ,although all their meat is poisoned they do not attempt to purify it1 and the blood is regarded as a special delicacy4 ,they do not1 however1 suffer any ill-effects1 for the poison is said to have lost its power when once it has acted4 ,the pigmies are regarded by the neighbouring tribes in very much the same way as the wild pigs1 inevitable plunderers4 ,at night they creep up to the potato patches1 under cover of the long grass1 and carry off their booty into the copse4 ,no one dares to venture on revenge2 indeed the surrounding tribes stand in terror of the little people because of their wonderful powers of self-concealment and deftness with their bows4 ,a pigmy rarely possesses more than one wife1 and never more than two4 ,a man purchases her with poison or fowls--a woman is valued at eighty to one hundred chickens4 ,the wives are treated kindly and with consideration2 only when a husband is provoked by abuse does he attempt to subdue his fractious helpmate by a sound beating4 ,a pigmy baby is the funniest little atom imaginable4 ,a woman once brought to me her infant of three months2 it was her first1 and she evidently regarded it as an exceptional beauty4 ,it was about the size of a sixpenny doll4 ,i did not venture to touch it for fear of hurting it4 ,having only reached the outskirts of the ,congo ,forest we never had an opportunity of seeing the pigmies at home4 ,those we have met and conversed with are women and boys that were stolen some years ago1 and now have no desire to go back to the forest4 ,at ,mboga we found seven under ,christian instruction1 one of whom had been baptised4 ,in ,kabarole there are two pigmy girls and one lad learning to read besides ,blasiyo1 who was the first of his tribe to be baptised4 ,illustration3 ,,blasiyo1 ,,first ,,baptised ,,pigmy4 ,he was my first ,god-child1 the first of these wee and ancient people to step forth from their physical and spiritual darkness and before the listening ,host of ,heaven declare his belief in ,god the ,father1 ,god the ,son1 and ,god the ,holy ,ghost1 his faith for salvation1 for salvation in ,christ's sacrifice1 and his desire to never be ashamed 8to fight under the banner of the ,cross40 ,he is a quaint little figure1 with a high sense of his own importance1 and is quite able to stand his ground alone when assailed by his taller companions4 ,work is a great trouble to him1 but he is always ready for tricks and games4 ,football is his speciality1 and he never misses a chance of squeezing his way into the game1 even when the men's team is on the ground4 ,in order that he might have a game with his friends whenever he could shirk his work1 he invented a very ingenious football of a goat skin stuffed with dried banana leaves4 ,while learning to read we took him on our staff of boys1 not that he did much work1 but in order that we might try and instil clean and industrious habits into him4 ,his duties were to help the cook by feeding the fire with fuel and keeping clean the pots and pans1 but when he knew his master and mistress were at lunch1 he would run away from his post1 and fetch a large ivory warhorn2 then1 taking up his position outside the dining-room window1 would blow for all he was worth4 ,he accompanied the blasts with weird1 swaying movements that gradually developed into wild dancing1 and transformed the little figure into a veritable imp or gnome4 ,his idea was that this entertainment would quite justify his act of truancy2 and he reasoned that if he could get his master and mistress to laugh their anger would be dead1 for laughter drives out wrath4 ,when he came to us1 cleanliness was not a strong point with him1 and he was for the time being quite debarred from playing football on account of being crippled with jiggers--an irritating1 infinitesimal insect that bores in under the surface skin of the feet1 and if allowed to remain there sets up mortification4 ,the fact of their being there did not trouble him in the least1 but his inability to kick the football drove him to get them extracted4 ,a message one day was brought in that a man wished to see me on business4 ,going out on to our verandah ,i found a powerful1 muscular figure dressed in a colobus monkey skin4 ,he told me that his name was ,mbeba1 which means 8a rat10 and that he had been sent by the pigmy to contract for his jiggers4 ,his fee would be five hundred cowrie shells1 which was a big price1 but it would be a long job4 ,i felt it was an offer to close on1 and did not in the least regret my investment of sevenpence halfpenny when the pigmy proudly emerged from a ten days' operation with his unshapely little feet considerably battered1 but in sound kicking order4 ,each week it was our custom to give round to our boys fifty or hundred cowrie shells for pocket money4 ,these generally went to purchase pencils1 or exercise books1 or were carefully put by till sufficient were collected to buy a sheep or goat4 ,but ,blasiyo was never able to save a shell1 for his great ambition was to ride about on a horse like the king1 and as this was an impossibility he hired the tallest available man to run him up and down the roads on his shoulder for payment of shells4 ,one day a loud altercation was going on in our courtyard1 and ,i was called out to arbitrate between ,blasiyo and his two-legged steed4 ,the man's grievance was that he had agreed to ride the pigmy round our courtyard for five shells1 and now he was refused payment4 ,blasiyo listened until he had finished presenting his case2 then1 when called on to give his defence1 declared the man had not fulfilled his contract1 for he had cut off all the corners4 ,he was told to pay down three shells1 and these he produced from under his tongue6 ,when he had learned to read1 he was very anxious to exhibit his wonderful intelligence1 and asked that he might have a class in the reading school4 ,accordingly he was enrolled as a teacher4 ,with an air of great importance he used to strut into school and take up his position among his scholars1 some twelve to twenty men1 whom he had asked to be allowed to teach in preference to boys4 ,one day while going the round of the school to take the register ,i found ,blasiyo's class in rebellion4 ,the reason was that the teacher had brought with him a little cane and whacked them all round because they did not pay him due respect4 8,without respect10 said he1 8progress is impossible40 ,illustration3 ,a ,,group ,,of ,,pigmy ,,women4 ,for several obvious reasons it will be impossible to send teachers to the pigmies under present circumstances4 ,while they continue constantly moving about they cannot be satisfactorily reached2 and no ,european or native of another tribe could live in the semi-obscurity of the dense forest1 or exist solely on poisoned meat4 ,the only hope of effectually reaching them is to teach and train those who are living outside among other people2 for there is every reason to hope that some from among them might be found who will in the future be ready to go back to their old forest home and carry the torchlight of ,truth to their own kith and kin4 ,meanwhile it is a cause of great rejoicing that already some of these strange tiny folk have been baptised into ,christ ,jesus1 of whom the whole family in heaven and earth was named4 ,,the ,,bahuku4 ,in a strip of forest lying between the ,semliki ,river and the ,congo ,forest1 and within four hours of ,mboga1 lives a savage tribe known as the ,bahuku4 ,among all the distinct races to be found on the western slopes of the ,semliki ,plain1 these people undoubtedly are the most degraded and void of intelligence4 ,like the ,ba-amba1 many of the men allow their heads to remain unshorn3 when the hair has reached to the nape of the neck they twist it into thin strands with goat's fat1 which is frequently mixed with a quantity of red earth4 ,this gives them quite a terrifying appearance4 ,they live in circular huts composed of closely-packed poles1 with roofs of grass and leaves4 ,they have no means of digging up the soil1 but their method of cultivating is to cut down the grass and shrubs1 to fell the trees1 and sow their crops of ,indian corn1 beans and sweet potatoes among the stubble and roots4 ,a ,muhuku may have any number of wives1 but is obliged to build a separate house for each1 as the women are very quarrelsome among themselves4 ,if any favouritism is shown for one wife the others make no attempt to conceal their jealousy1 and sometimes poison or spear the unfortunate woman4 ,the custom of procuring a wife is to take her in exchange for a sister1 cousin1 or any other available female relation4 ,when these fail1 goats will be taken as a substitute4 ,by the former method a woman is free to leave her husband and marry another if she wishes1 but purchase by goats is binding on her2 she has become her husband's property absolutely4 ,should she run away and return to her people they are immediately suspected of bribing or stealing her4 ,the injured husband then sounds the warhorn1 and a sharp encounter with spears and knives takes place between the two families4 ,when the victor has succeeded in driving off his antagonists he claims the bodies of the slain1 which are taken to his home and feasted upon in honour of the occasion4 ,the warhorns of the ,bahuku are regarded by them as family heirlooms1 and have been handed down from their distant ancestors4 ,they are formed out of small elephant tusks1 which have been scooped out and shaved down to within two or three inches of the mouthpiece4 ,strips of elephant hide or lizard skin are sometimes neatly fitted round part of the horn and sewn with gut4 ,the centre part of the instrument1 which has become much discoloured by time1 is decorated with various curious designs4 ,these probably were intended for hieroglyphic writing or distinguishing family marks1 but their significance1 if ever there really was any1 is quite unknown to the present generations4 ,the ,bahuku are very loth to part with these horns for fear of offending the spirits of their forefathers4 ,a few1 however1 were willing to risk their displeasures when they saw the skinny little goats we sent out as purchase money4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,bahuku3 ,,cannibal ,,race4 ,human flesh is regarded as a luxury among them1 besides corpse-eating4 ,the upper class buy from the peasants their dead for two to six goats4 ,the bodies that are not sold for food are buried with a very prolonged ceremony4 ,a deep hole is digged and the corpse is placed in a sitting posture with the hands crossed on the chest4 ,it is then covered over with earth as far as the neck2 the head is left exposed for six days1 during which time the friends come and bestow on it their farewell glances4 ,then the burial is completed and the grave is carefully swept and guarded day and night until the family removes to another place4 ,their religion is a form of fetishism4 ,tiny devil temples are built among the long grass away from the homes of the peoples so that the evil spirits may be kept at a safe distance4 ,only the men and old women are allowed to visit these little grass temples to take offerings of food or to practice divination4 ,the men take with them a horn in order to acquaint their wives with the time of their worship4 ,several from among these people came and visited us during our stay in ,mboga1 and although they were quite friendly1 they expressed no wish for a teacher to be sent to them4 ,indeed1 their minds seemed so unutterably void that they appeared incapable of receiving any new impression4 ,,babira ,,and ,,balega4 ,a few years ago1 before ,european rule was established over the country1 ,mboga could scarcely have been a desirable quarter in which to find oneself shut up4 ,the ,bahuku1 on the west1 then practised cannibalism without any restraint1 and captured anyone who ventured near their domain4 ,then1 while the vindictive little pigmies and half-tamed ,bambuba enclosed it on the south and west1 two powerful and savage tribes joined hands and claimed the district running north1 right along to the western shores of the ,albert ,lake4 ,these ,babira and ,balega people are very closely allied in features and customs1 but the former are numerically very inferior4 ,these have a peculiar practice1 which ,i believe to be unique among ,central ,african tribes1 that is1 the women bore a hole in their top lip and gradually increasing this until it is able to enclose a disc of wood two and even three inches in diameter4 ,a ,mubira woman came to call on us whose disc measured two and five-eight inches across4 ,the size of the wood inserted proclaims the rank of the person4 ,peasants are only allowed to wear pieces of stick the same dimension as a match4 ,the weight of the wood causes the lip to fall down over the mouth1 and1 in order to eat1 it is necessary to lift up this shutter with one hand while the other conveys the food to the mouth4 ,frequently the lip breaks under the strain put upon it1 in which case the disconnected ends are carried back and tied to the ear4 ,while the ,balega do not adopt this inhuman custom of their neighbours1 they have not reached to their degree of civilisation in introducing clothing4 ,the ,balega women still groan under the weight of pounds of thick brass wire wound round their arms and legs4 ,this is supplemented by a prodigious amount of beads4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,mubira ,,lady3 ,,an ,,afternoon ,,caller4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,native ,,of ,,balega3 ,the first to be baptised of his race4 ,until brought under ,belgian rule these people refused to recognise allegiance to any power4 ,nominally they were under ,bunyoro1 for the ,king of that country years ago went across and laid waste the whole district plundering their sheep1 cattle1 and women4 ,this was repeated by successive kinds till the people were compelled to yield to the claims of the ,bunyoro4 ,but their submission was compulsory and not permanent1 so that when ,bunyoro was troubled with civil war and outside foes the ,balega ceased to be controlled by them4 ,but the ,bunyoro are very proud of a legend that relates how their ,king ,ndohura1 who conquered the ,balega1 while fighting them broke his stick and from it sprung up the ,forest of ,kirare4 ,returning from the war the same ,king is said to have slipped on a rock1 and his footprint is to be seen to this day4 ,these people are very clannish and insular4 ,children remain under their mothers' roof until they marry4 ,if1 like the 8old woman10 they lived in a shoe1 the mother would need a fairly roomy one1 for often her offspring number twenty to thirty4 ,as a man possesses many wives he has a lively time trying to keep his children in hand4 ,when the sons marry they bring their wives and build close to the old homestead1 and generally continue to recognise the authority of their father1 and no other4 ,they believe in an evil spirit called ,nyakasana1 for whom they build a little grass temple in the court yard of their houses4 ,they always offer to him the first-fruits of their potato1 ,indian corn and millet crops1 and when they kill a goat for meat or entrap an antelope they take to their little temple a portion of the flesh1 before tasting it themselves4 ,the spirits of the dead have constantly to be propitiated by gifts of food and live stock4 ,these are carefully kept apart1 and when any member of the family is taken ill1 the offerings to the dead are brought in1 so that the sick person shall look on them and recover4 ,during our stay at ,mboga1 the first man from the ,balega tribe was baptised1 and since then several teachers have gone to them from ,bunyoro and found a great willingness and desire among the people for instruction4 ,thus gradually the ,light is dawning on 8,darkest ,africa40 8,arise shine1 for the light is come and the glory of the ,lord is risen upon thee4 ,for behold the darkness shall cover the earth and gross darkness the people but the glory of the ,lord shall arise upon thee4444 ,and the ,gentiles shall come to ,thy light1 and kings to the brightness of ,thy rising40 ,isaiah4 ,,chapter ,,xviii ,a ,climb to the ,snows ,it is impossible to live any length of time in close proximity to ,ruwenzori without being overcome with a desire to reach the land of glittering ice that resembles an enchanted city with its pinnacles1 turrets and domes pointing upward to the sun1 which with all its equatorial strength has ineffectually endeavoured to displace the age-long snows and ice4 ,the highest point has1 in recent years1 been estimated to reach an altitude of #bj1jjj to #bb1jjj feet4 ,the snows are not often clearly visible1 for in the dry season the hot heavy mist that envelops the whole country completely hides the range from view1 while in the wet season clouds frequently veil the highest peaks4 ,from the glaciers rush numerous streams that flow down into the ,albert ,edward ,lake1 and out again by the ,river ,semliki to the ,albert ,lake and the ,nile4 ,in ancient times an ,egyptian caravan road extended right down into these interior districts along the route of this great natural watercourse4 ,doubtless the ,egyptians1 and probably ,solomon1 drew their supplies of ivory from the vast herds of elephants that still ramble about round ,ruwenzori with tusks some weighing #aej to #bjjlbs4 each4 ,illustration3 ,,stiff ,,climbing3 ,a ,,climb ,,to ,,the ,,snows4 ,the old legend that the sacred river ,nile had its source in ,heaven may have originated from the reports brought back by traders that one of its most important tributaries flowed down from a mountain that seemed to reach into ,heaven4 ,the ,baganda call the mountain 8,gambalugula lufumba ebiri10 which means 8the leaf that cooks the clouds40 ,this has reference to their custom of cooking all their food in banana leaves4 ,their imagination regards the mountains as a big leaf which holds the clouds over the boiling springs that bubble up from the base of the mountain1 the mists that sweep down the mountain sides is the stream from the 8cooking pot40 ,ruwenzori does not consist of one single snow peak like ,kilimanjaro and ,kenia1 but vast fields of intercepted snow and ice extend for over twenty miles ,north and ,south4 ,the late ,sir ,henry ,stanley heard of its existence in #ahge1 but not until his second visit to its locality in #ahhg did he obtain a complete view of the snows4 ,since that date several have tried to reach the glaciers1 but only three expeditions had been successful up to the time of our ascent4 ,others had proved unfortunate in the time of year1 for it is impossible to accomplish the task in the wet season4 ,mountain sickness1 and pneumonia among the carriers had compelled others to turn back from the attempt4 ,until #aijd no one had tried to reach the snows from the ,western side of the mountain range4 ,from the east several had unsuccessfully endeavoured to discover a route to higher altitudes1 but the one along the course of the ,mubuku ,river was the only one that had proved practicable4 ,during our visit to ,mboga we were very fortunate to obtain continual views of the snow peaks1 and we were convinced that an ascent from that side of the mountains would prove more resultful4 ,this has been conclusively confirmed since by a recent explorer1 ,dr4 ,david1 who reached a point #af1jjj feet high2 that is1 #a1bjj feet higher than anyone previously4 ,to scale ,ruwenzori's highest point must remain an impossible task4 ,no one could endure the penetrating cold for the period of time required to master the prolonged and precipitous heights4 ,besides a complete ,alpine outfit being required1 tent and food would be compulsory1 and no native would undertake the transport of these things beyond the lowest glacier point1 and even if this difficulty could be overcome1 camping space might be sought for in vain4 ,judging from the angle at which my bed was placed at one camp1 ,i can picture an over ambitious adventurer1 having pitched his tent within #c1jjj feet of the summit1 suddenly finding himself and his belongings toboganning down over the glaciers at lightning speed1 only stopping to find himself landed in a freezing morass4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,peep ,,at ,,the ,,snows4 ,in #aijc1 ,rev4 ,a4 ,l4 ,kitching1 ,mr4 ,fisher1 and myself started off for a trip to that unfrequented region4 ,our baggage looked more suitable for a ,polar expedition than a climb on the ,equator4 ,every conceivable fusty and moth eaten winter garment was hauled out and packed into a waterproof sack2 eider-down quilts1 ,india rubber foot warmers1 and bales of blankets for ourselves and boys formed part of the caravan4 ,the reports of our mountaineering predecessors led us to anticipate an arduous and colossal task1 but our ambition was not to attempt more than those who had a wider experience in mountain climbing than ourselves1 but to stand on that untraversed land of ice where scarcely mortal foot had trod1 and to inhale its cool life-giving air so that we might be refreshed for a return to work in the hot tiring lowlands4 ,january was the time fixed on for the expedition4 ,that is generally regarded as one of the most reliably dry months in the year1 but the mountains manage to upset all one's calculations1 and in ,toro fine weather is more the exception than the rule4 ,so we found ourselves in a few very stiff storms before we had even reached the base of the mountains4 ,our porters were aggravatingly discouraging1 and on the first day1 regarding my skirt flapping about after a drenching shower1 shook their heads1 and said1 8,perhaps the two ,bwanas will reach the snows1 but who ever heard of a woman doing it40 ,they did not understand that their very argument was one of my strongest incentives6 ,four days of strong marching from ,kabarole brought us to a village of the ,bakonjo called ,bihunga4 ,it was about #f1jjj;ft4 high1 tucked away in the very heart of the mountains4 ,frowning peaks and ridge upon ridge of dense foresting completely shut us in from the outside world4 ,save for the noise of the ,river ,mubuku1 as it rushed madly down and tumbled into the valley beneath1 there was no sound to break the deep silence of the mountains4 ,all nature was at perfect peace with itself1 and the few clouds that seemed wearied in their flight through the hot1 dry air rested for a while on the green slopes as if to enjoy the quiet and beauty of the scene4 ,it was to these strongholds that the ,batoro fled in past times for security when the raiding ,king ,kabarega of ,bunyoro made plundering expeditions into their country4 ,although they found safety and shelter in the thickly-wooded crevices and creeks1 the refugees searched in vain for food1 and while some were able to drag through the time of their temporary captivity by subsisting on the roots and leaves of wild plants1 hundreds are said to have died from hunger and exposure4 ,the so-called village at which we halted was a collection of three tiny circular huts1 built of poles packed as closely together as possible4 ,round and outside these was tied a thick padding of dried banana bark1 leaves1 and saplings1 as protection from the gales and storms that blew down from the snows and whistled round these little dwellings4 ,illustration3 ,,snow ,,peaks4 ,a grandsire and his dame1 two sons1 one daughter-in-law1 and an infant composed the entire population4 ,the old man1 in a very contented state of mind1 sat in the doorway of his hut smoking a pipe over a foot in length4 ,he gave us a most reassuring smile of welcome4 ,the two females1 heavily decked round the knees and arms with scores of plaited and greased bracelets1 immediately made off with themselves into the thick vegetation1 and only came out of their hiding by a great deal of persuasion4 ,we explained to the people the object we had in view1 and how we wanted to leave our ,batoro porters with them to await our return1 while we took on men from among them who were acquainted with the mountains and inured to the cold4 ,the two young men at once offered their services1 and promised instantly to get together as many other porters as required4 ,we wondered how they could do this1 as there was no sign of a habitation1 excepting two lonely huts on a far distant height4 ,but1 after making a long1 far-reaching sound with their lips1 there suddenly appeared1 as if by magic1 quite a number of figures emerging from far and near4 ,the ,bakonjo1 in the old times of rapine and oppression1 had chosen out the most secluded spot where they might safely build their homes1 and they still adopt this practice1 from custom--no longer from necessity4 ,among the dense forest growth it is quite impossible to detect their huts1 and as only a very small minority of the ,bakonjo cultivate the soil1 there is nothing around to indicate human existence4 ,as is the case among most of these tribes1 the women do all the digging and sowing1 but they are very few in number as compared with the men1 and in consequence are regarded as valuable property1 and not to be worked to excess4 ,being naturally more prone to indolence than industry1 the furnishing of the daily board depends almost solely on what the husbands can bring in from the hunt and exchange1 but they generally keep in store a stock of arum roots 7the women's cultivation7 on which they can fall back when fortune fails the huntsmen4 ,the men are a striking race1 their arduous searching after rats and conies 7hyrax7 often leads them up to the regions of ice2 this constant climbing and exposure to the cold have developed their muscles in a remarkable manner1 and with the surefootedness of a mule and lightness of a gazelle they spring up the steepest bank and rock1 experiencing no fatigue4 ,besides being their chief item of diet1 the coney supplies them with practically their sole clothing4 ,six or eight of the little skins are sewn together1 and worn over the shoulders1 secured by a thin piece of hide round the neck4 ,although the conies have enough sense of self-preservation to burrow among the rocks for shelter1 they have not sufficient instinct to escape their capturers when once they have tracked them down4 ,the men sit patiently for hours outside the conies' entrance door1 and when at last the little creatures come out in single file to search for a meal1 a stick suddenly descends on one head after another2 sometimes fourteen to fifteen in one family are killed off in this way4 ,twenty men were chosen out1 from those that offered1 to act as carriers1 two more were appointed guides1 and two of special strength were told off to help me over the exceptionally rough bits of climbing4 ,while the necessary agreements were being gone through1 the sky became suddenly overcast with dense1 threatening clouds1 and a loud clap of thunder1 that reverberated all round us again and again1 scattered us in every direction with great speed to our several homes4 ,from the tiny window of our bedraggled tent we peeped out at the storm1 as the forked lightning struck one peak after another almost simultaneously1 and the thunder concussions made the very mountains tremble4 ,illustration3 ,,snow ,,peaks4 ,an ,academy picture1 of many years back1 illustrating ,dante's ,inferno1 seemed to have assumed living form here4 ,it was almost impossible to believe that such a transformation could have taken place in so short a time1 for in comparatively few minutes day was plunged into night1 calm into torrential storms1 and quietude into a fierce battle of the elements4 ,when we at last ventured to draw back the canvas doorway the rain had ceased1 and mud1 mud1 mud lay everywhere4 ,the storm had left behind it a cold1 raw1 dismal evening4 ,and there drawn up in single file before the tent were our twenty porters and guides1 who1 in order to appear more pathetic1 had come without their fur shoulder garments4 ,one of the guides stepped forward as spokesman and explained that they wanted to be paid in advance4 ,they absolutely refused shells and rupees1 and would only accept calico1 which1 they said1 would protect them from the cold on the journey to the snows4 ,judging from the quantity of clothes we had heaped already on ourselves to keep off the penetrating damp wind1 their demand threatened to be a real difficulty1 as we had only equipped ourselves with a limited supply of calico4 ,they were then asked what length of material each required as wages1 and in a half timid voice1 as if afraid of uttering such an extortion1 the answer came 8three hands apiece0 7one and a half yards74 ,our calico managed to run to that1 and thereupon each man received his advance payment4 ,with a broad grin of satisfaction and pride they struggled to tuck as much of themselves as possible inside their fifty-four inches of material4 ,the result was quite ludicrous1 but they appeared perfectly delighted4 ,evidently their plea had only been a ruse to insure their wages1 for none of the calico was seen on the journey4 ,the only personal impedimenta with which most of them travelled were a few strands of smouldering grass encased in a bark sheath4 ,this was brought out immediately we struck camp1 and they had ferretted out a shelter for themselves under a rock or trees4 ,a fire was quickly kindled1 and round this they all squatted and roasted the conies they had entrapped during the day's climb4 ,at night they did not attempt to erect a hut or covering1 but maintained this same cramped position round the fire2 they interlaced arms1 and each one slept with his head resting on the next man's shoulder4 ,on one occasion the rain poured down upon them all night long1 and although their little shoulder coney-skins were hopelessly inadequate to insure them against a thorough soaking1 they turned up in the morning in the most cheerful spirits1 absolutely unaffected by their uncongenial surroundings4 ,in preparing for the actual ascent to the snows from ,bihunga we were obliged to reduce our outfit to mere essentials4 ,a large caravan would have experienced considerable difficulty in the matter of food2 and each man was only able to carry a load of twenty to twenty-five pounds1 which was fastened to a strong sling of fibre and slipped round the forehead4 ,this method of carrying is adopted by the ,bakonjo tribe1 and leaves the arms perfectly free for climbing up on fours1 which is so often necessary4 ,i was the only member of the party privileged with a bed2 the two men had to content themselves with waterproof sacks and blankets4 ,our boys judged spoons1 forks1 and knives as non-essentials and reduced us to two forks and one pen-knife1 so for some days we had to return to the most primitive manners at meal-times4 ,our first day's real climbing began in a kind of retrograde direction1 for we had to slide down a hopelessly greasy track for some two hundred yards4 ,my two supporters evidently anticipated a lively time2 they were required to render aid at once2 the fact was1 my feet refused to stick1 and in struggling to keep me back with yards of calico brought round under my arms1 ,i nearly succeeded in dragging them down head-first4 ,they were urged to manage better than that1 and they promised to improve1 but explained how they had had no practice at that kind of travelling1 and were a little unprepared for it4 ,i again tried the plan of a calico body sling when a very steep bracken ascent had to be scaled1 and the sun was at its height4 ,the men went in front1 each pulling most vigorously at the calico end which he held1 but they somehow always managed to jerk in the wrong place4 ,just as ,i had breathlessly succeeded in securing a foothold a big pull from the front almost robbed me of my last gasp4 ,so ,i dispensed with such questionable aid and found all the help ,i wanted in a long bamboo which our guide presented to me as a kind of charm1 for it had taken him up to the glacier when he escorted ,sir ,harry ,johnston's expedition4 ,at an altitude of seven thousand feet we reached the point where tropical vegetation assumes its most exquisite form4 ,the river ,mubuku had to be crossed and recrossed six times in the one march1 and all along its river bed was the richest display of varied forms of vegetable life4 ,several species of palm trees1 a few wayward bamboos1 tree-ferns1 a tree resembling the ,english yew1 and the bright red-flowering ,ekirikiti tree4 ,the forests passed through frequently recalled some of the most charming parts of ,devonshire2 the ground was carpeted with ferns and moss interspersed with forget-me-nots and orchids4 ,illustration3 ,,crossing ,,the ,,muluku ,,river4 ,at ,bihunga we left behind all human habitation4 ,our first halt after leaving it was under a rock at a height of eight thousand feet4 ,from the almost intolerable silence it seemed as if we had also got beyond all animal life4 ,we listened in vain for the insect's hum1 the bird's chirrupping1 or the squabbling of the monkeys4 ,however1 similar welcome sounds had not entirely ceased1 for very occasionally a night bird hooted1 a rat squeaked1 or a solitary fly cheered us with its living presence4 ,our camping space was decidedly cramped1 and the tent felt very insecure1 for it was impossible to drive poles or pegs into the rocks2 the canvas merely had to be balanced by tying the ropes to large stones4 ,water was also very scarce1 and1 in spite of a consuming thirst after our hot climb1 we were obliged to content ourselves with two cups of tea and half that amount for a wash down4 ,the region of ,bamboo ,forests was next reached1 and it was disappointing to find that what looked so attractive from a distance beneath when seen from within was nothing but a monotonous stretch of stiff brown sticks surmounted by masses of green grass4 ,the bamboos had completely monopolised the soil to the exclusion of almost every other plant4 ,for hours we were pushing our way through these obstinate poles that would not bend or budge an inch to let us through4 ,men went before to slash them down1 and as we stumbled over the broken stems my poor skirt was literally torn into shreds1 even though it had been shortened eight inches the previous day4 ,emerging from bamboo-land we crossed a stretch of marsh and found ourselves surrounded by frowning bare rock peaks which rose almost perpendicularly from where we stood4 ,pointing up to a spot about one thousand feet above us1 our guide indicated the only possible halting place4 ,although so near1 it took us over two hours to reach2 with the utmost caution we had to drag our bodies up the sheer face of the rocks4 ,at one place we had recourse to a rough native ladder formed of two long bamboo poles with rungs of the same tied with grass4 ,this was placed against an absolutely smooth-faced stretch of rock1 where for a space of ten to fifteen feet no hold could be obtained4 ,to add to the danger1 strong mountain streams were pouring down over the rocks1 not only soaking us through1 but making our grip less secure4 ,certainly ,i had never before been in such a critical position2 it was quite impossible to get a real firm footing1 and one slip might have resulted in dragging others down into the seething waters and rocks that lay beneath4 ,illustration3 ,,kicucei ,,camp4 ,on reaching the top1 vegetation assumed an entirely new form4 ,the only trees were gigantic heaths1 but it was almost impossible to distinguish them1 for the stems were covered with a thick moss1 which in some places was #ab inches deep4 ,in colouring it varied from a dark brown to a light golden or deep red4 ,the trees were almost entirely denuded of leaf1 and festoons of whitish lichen hung from branch to branch4 ,the ground was very marshy1 for the hills that enclosed us emptied down into it numerous small torrents4 ,about fifteen square yards of dry land was found on which to erect our tent and hang up the clothes to dry4 ,our stout marching boots had already succumbed to the rough usage1 and we each took a strong needle and thread to see who could turn out the neatest job4 ,in the evening the rain poured down upon us in a deluge1 and continued all night till it even penetrated the double roof of our canvas waterproof tent2 besides this1 as we were now at an altitude of #aj1jjj;ft41 the cold was indescribable4 ,each breath we took seemed to cut at the chest like a knife1 and1 in spite of blankets and an eider-down1 it was impossible to sleep with the damp piercing cold4 ,all the following day the rain continued and kept us prisoners at this indescribably cheerless spot4 ,i had time to overhaul the shattered skirt2 it looked a hopeless task1 for it really would not bear shortening again4 ,the advice was then given me to cut it up and put it into bands under the knees1 which ,i acted upon on hearing the toughest bit of climbing was yet to come4 ,when we were at last able to push on1 and the garment was worn with puttees and a football jersey1 ,i felt like an evoluted man4 ,for three hours from ,kicucu camp we did not once touch the ground2 during the whole of that time we were slowly climbing with hands and feet over fallen heather that for scores of years must have lain in that position1 only becoming more seasoned with time4 ,the thick moss that still clung on to the slender bark was very deceptive1 and1 when mistaken for firm soil1 broke away from the tree and one suddenly found oneself slipping down1 down between branches and barks2 fortunately there was a depth of fallen forest underneath1 and this saved me from disappearing beyond the armpits4 ,these heaths grow on the rocks in a very thin surface soil which is not able to support them when they reach great heights1 consequently the tree falls1 and in this way the irregular jagged rocks have been bridged and joined up by the continually increasing amount of timber thrown across4 ,illustration3 ,,muluku ,,glacier4 ,having once disentangled ourselves from this tumbled-down forest1 a weird scene was opened out before us4 ,almost surrounded by a lofty ridge of rocks was a wide river basin fed by the melting snow from above4 ,with the exception of one waterfall which poured down from a height of about #bjj feet1 the water did not descend in streams1 but fell slowly in sheets from the surrounding rocks4 ,the few trees visible were entirely enveloped in the white lichen1 and the ground was covered with thick drab moss1 dwarf cactus plants1 and a tall green poker called by botanists lobelia1 but resembling in shape ,cleopatra's needle4 ,the effect was that of a world tottering in its old age on the verge of death--it was easier to imagine it another planet1 for is it possible to recognise ,earth without voice1 without colouring1 and almost without life4 ,we plunged through this morass and found the moss saturated like a sponge with freezing water4 ,the effect was chilling in the extreme1 and before we had crossed it half way my limbs felt quite numbed with the cold2 ,i scarcely knew how ,i dragged myself up into our last camp4 ,the roof only of our tent was somehow fixed up under a rock1 over the entrance of which water continuously trickled4 ,but these little discomforts were quite forgotten when towards sunset the clouds rolled away and the land of snow and ice was revealed crowning near ridges and peaks with its dazzling whiteness1 while in the hollows and clefts all round lay patches of glistening ice4 ,before sunrise next morning we were all astir1 impatient to reach the goal of our expectations4 ,the air was clear and crisp1 patches of freshly fallen snow lay around us on all sides1 icicles hung from the rocks1 and little frozen puddles glistened like glass4 ,the wet penetrating cold of the two previous days was now exchanged for the dry frosty breezes that nipped toes1 finger-tips1 nose1 and ears4 ,although the thermometer had fallen to freezing point1 no numbing sensation was experienced2 but as the blood tingled through the veins it seemed to impart a feeling of rejuvenation1 and an uncontrollable exhilaration laid hold of the spirits4 ,in the valley of the ,muluku glacier vegetation had once more assumed its healthy green colouring2 a little silver-leafed buttercup even ventured to peep out at us1 and a tiny white flower1 almost identical with the ,swiss edelweiss1 concealed itself among the rocks4 ,this beautiful little fertile spot seemed a special pet of the snow mountains1 for they clasped it in their great white arms as if desiring that its only life should impart some degree of warmth to their implacable nature4 ,ruwenzori certainly has not left one point of its snows unfortified against intruders4 ,having taken possession of the most unconscionable heights1 all sorts of subtle man-traps have been laid up the mountain's sides1 and even if an attempt is made to merely stand on the threshold of its domain an almost impassible rock barrier guards the portal1 just as the adventurer imagines all difficulties have been passed4 ,but that realm of ice allures one on to dare much1 and so while two ropes were thrown down from above the forbidding rocks1 one was hastily tied round the body and with the other we slowly climbed up hand over hand4 ,twice we attempted this performance1 and twice we succeeded in mastering the situation1 and then--we stood face to face with one of ,ruwenzori's glaciers4 ,it was in the shape of a huge1 open mouth1 and as it slowly pushed its way down into the valley1 the tongue collected the few fragments rubbed off the rocks and taken up from the soil1 but the cave itself was one spotless mass of dazzling white4 ,we had decided to dismiss any idea of prolonging our stay at this altitude1 realizing the terrible suffering that this involved among the porters in previous expeditions1 so1 instead of using any of the precious time in attempting to reach a higher point1 which seemed futile without ,alpine implements1 we explored the ,muluku glacier cave1 from which flows that remarkable river that carries its cool1 life-giving stream into the scorching plain till it loses itself in the ,albert ,edward ,lake4 ,only one of our personal boys had succeeded in facing out the difficulties of the climb4 ,while standing on the ice with us1 he took out from his pocket a little tin pot1 which he filled with ice4 ,he explained it was a present for his wife4 ,afterwards1 when we had descended to camp1 he took it out to show the other boys1 and1 although disgusted beyond measure at the trick nature had played him1 he consoled himself by taking the water to his wife to explain to her how it was once a stone4 ,scrambling up on to the glacier1 we looked beyond over miles and miles of ice that for hundreds of years ,god--the ,creator--alone had been beholding4 ,although we were standing nearly #ad1jjj;ft4 above sea-level1 the highest peak1 that rose as a white dome above its companions1 appeared miles above us4 ,it was difficult to judge of its approximate height1 as so many other points intervened1 but it could not have been much less than #bj1jjj;ft4 ,illustration3 ,,back ,,from ,,the ,,snows3 ,,bakonjo ,,porters4 ,having climbed above cloud-land1 there was nothing to break the reflex in the ice of the deep sapphire sky1 and as the sun poured down its white heat1 the whole world around glittered and sparkled with iridescent hues4 8,a step 444 opened to my view1 ,glory beyond all glory ever seen ,by waking sense or by the dreaming soul6 ,the appearance1 instantaneously disclosed1 ,was of a mighty city--boldly say ,a wilderness of building1 sinking far ,and self-withdrawn into a boundless depth ,far sinking into splendour--without end6 ,fabric it seemed of diamond and of gold1 ,with alabaster domes and silver spires ,and blazing terrace upon terrace high ,uplifted 444 ,forms uncouth of mightiest power ,for admiration and mysterious awe40 ,,chapter ,,xix ,missionary ,work ,missionary enterprise in ,uganda has been justly described as one of the greatest modern triumphs of ,christianity4 ,indeed1 the record of its workings read like pages from the annals of the infant ,church in ,apostolic days4 ,but1 whereas in those times ,christianity had to face the most exclusive and bigoted form of belief1 ,judaism1 the highly developed intellectual power of ,grecian learning1 and the shameless profligacy of civilized ,rome1 in ,uganda it has had no force to contend against save barbaric ignorance that could not stand before the advent of ,truth and ,righteousness4 ,after the missionaries had been working some years in the country it occurred to them that the most effectual way of reaching the people was to try and meet their insatiable demand for instruction by instituting throughout the country little synagogues or reading schools1 where the people could come together daily and be taught to read by one who had received some training4 ,a little graduated reading sheet1 consisting of the alphabet1 syllables1 words1 the ,lord's ,prayer1 and a selection of texts1 was circulated by the thousand at a charge of ten cowrie shells each4 ,by these means within a comparatively short time the land had been sown with portions of ,holy ,scripture1 which were being eagerly read by the people1 who possessed no other books4 ,certainly the success of ,christianity in ,uganda has been due to the widespread distribution of the ,bible among the people and the remarkable desire and ability on the part of the ,baganda to impart whatever knowledge they have been able to assimilate4 ,it has been rightly said that every country must be evangelized by its own people4 ,certainly this has been proved to be so in ,uganda4 ,a ,european pioneer missionary is obliged to travel with a certain number of things1 and1 however meagre they may appear in his eyes1 yet to these poor ,africans they represent great wealth and create a deal of suspicion4 ,they will gather round him half timidly and full of curiosity1 and while he is endeavouring to deliver his message to them1 their eyes are travelling from his collar stud to his boots1 then from his bath to the frying-pan1 and all the time they are thinking within themselves1 8,wonderful1 wonderful2 the white man is beyond our understanding quite60 ,when they1 at last1 attempt to listen and find that he is speaking to them in their own tongue1 and not in ,english1 in spite of the slight foreign accent1 they are absolutely incredulous1 for they cannot believe that they and the ,european can have anything in common4 ,the ,european is white1 he has wisdom--great wisdom--he is rich1 but the ,african is black and a fool1 and a beggar2 the white man worships one great1 wonderful ,spirit1 and the black man worships a spirit--only it is an evil one4 ,on the other hand1 if one of the native converts goes out on pioneer work1 he ties all his possessions in a sleeping mat1 and off he starts with the little bundle on his head4 ,when he reaches his destination1 he creates no suspicion or fear1 as he unrolls his mat1 shakes out his bark-cloth covering1 and takes a drink of water from his gourd2 they see he possesses nothing beyond what they themselves own4 ,but as he draws out of a little cotton bag a ,book1 they all gather round to inspect the novelty1 and he tells them that the ,book is a written voice1 and the letters stand for the words uttered2 he has learned to read the signs1 and he has come to teach them to do so1 for it is ,god's voice that has spoken to them4 ,immediately their excitement is aroused1 and the teacher from that time has found his pupils4 ,as there is no house large enough to hold them all1 they set to work to build a reading school1 and1 as many come from a distance and are anxious not to arrive late for the day's lessons1 a big drum is hung outside the building and beaten every morning at #g4j and #a4j to warn everybody that in one hour reading will commence4 ,after a few months1 when the ,european visits the station on an itinerating tour1 he finds a demonstrative welcome awaiting him4 ,food is brought and banana juice to show their gratitude for the teacher having been sent4 ,then their books are produced in order that the ,european may hear the great wisdom they have learned1 and others come with questions about words they have read in their ,gospels and do not understand4 ,uganda to-day is calling out for ,european missionaries more than it ever was1 not to evangelise the heathen but to organise1 train and instruct the thousands of ,christian men and women1 that they may be capable of taking their place among the civilised nations of the world1 and become a praise and a glory in their land4 ,it was through two young ,baganda teachers that ,christianity was first carried into ,toro in the year #ahie4 ,at that time the country was in a very unsettled state4 ,the ,king1 ,kasagama1 had not long been established on the throne1 and his chiefs were not too eager to own allegiance to him4 ,soon after the arrival of these two evangelists1 ,kasagama was falsely accused before the ,british ,officer in charge of the ,government ,station there1 and was thrown into the chain gang4 ,on his release he was advised to go into ,mengo to the ,government headquarters and have his case gone into4 ,his stay there ran into some months4 ,during that time he was deeply impressed by the change that ,christianity had effected in ,uganda1 and attended the ,church classes daily that he might receive instruction4 ,when ,her ,majesty's ,commissioner had heard the charges and exonerated ,kasagama he was told to return to his ,kingdom with full power ratified by the ,british ,government4 ,before leaving ,uganda he begged ,bishop ,tucker to be allowed to publicly confess his faith in ,christ by ,holy ,baptism1 and asked that a ,european missionary might be sent to ,toro to help him and his people to increase in the wisdom of ,god4 ,meanwhile there was great excitement in ,toro when the people heard that their king1 after such a long absence1 was coming back to them1 and they collected together in hundreds at the capital to welcome him4 ,as he mounted the hill1 leading to his house1 the people thronged him1 dancing and screaming with joy and poured into his courtyards4 ,then1 standing up and ordering them to remain quiet1 he delivered his speech to them4 ,he told of all the wonderful things he had seen in ,mengo1 of his own confession of ,christianity in the ,cathedral1 and concluded by saying that he wished his country to go forward in strength and wisdom1 and this could only be obtained from ,god1 so he called on his people to believe in his ,god1 to stand by him faithfully in the united desire for the good of their country4 ,from that day the teachers had as much as they could do to instruct all those who came forward to be taught2 and when ,bishop ,tucker arrived there the following year with ,mr4 ,fisher1 who was to establish a permanent station1 he found fifteen men and women ready for baptism4 ,excepting in the case of old people1 everyone in ,uganda desirous of being baptised must first learn to read4 ,when they have passed the standard required of them and are ready to enter a baptismal class1 they are obliged to bring with them two witnesses or sponsors who can vouch for the sincerity of their belief by the outward conformity of their lives to the teaching of ,christianity4 ,then1 for from three to six months instruction is given them for two hours four days a week4 ,at the end of this course of teaching each candidate is carefully examined1 and should the result be satisfactory the name is read out twice in ,church and anyone is asked to bring forward a reason1 if such there be1 for keeping back the candidate from baptism4 ,thus every care is taken to test converts thoroughly before admitting them into this sacred rite4 ,toro very soon sought to emulate the church in ,uganda in recognising its responsibility to those living in darkness around1 and one year after the founding of the work in the capital1 young men came forward and offered themselves to be trained as teachers to the distant villages4 ,apart from an honest desire to enlighten those who have not received the ,truth as it is in ,christ ,jesus1 there is little to tempt men to devote themselves to this service--the only payment they receive is sufficient unbleached calico with which to clothe themselves4 ,the people in the villages who have sent in the pressing request for a teacher are expected to build their own 8synagogue10 as well as house1 and feed the teacher sent to them4 ,in this way the whole native church organisation throughout the ,protectorate is self-supporting4 ,in ,toro alone1 seven years after the introduction of ,christianity1 there were no less than eighty-five mission stations established throughout the ,kingdom1 with a staff of one ordained ,muganda deacon and one hundred and five paid men and women teachers1 all supported entirely by the young ,christian ,church4 ,besides these there was a strong band of honorary workers who taught in the capital on weekdays or went out to the near villages on ,sundays4 ,once a year there is a 8review of the troops10 when all the teachers--regulars1 reservists1 and volunteers--come into the capital for re-equipment and reappointment4 ,one of these events took place after we had been in the country only a few months1 when we were decidedly new to the way things were managed out here1 and still retained a fair amount of the provincialism of home training2 so when a teachers' conference was announced we conjured up in our minds a kind of forthcoming ,mildmay or ,keswick ,convention on a small scale1 but the arrangements took a slightly different form4 ,the first day opened with a big feast to all the workers4 ,the dispensary was converted for the day into the banquetting hall2 the entrance was draped in gaudy native cloths1 and the floors of the two rooms were carpeted with banana leaves4 ,the men were allocated to one room and the women to the other4 ,long before the hour of the feast the guests had arrived and packed themselves as closely together as was possible in circles of seven or eight1 the ,king and his chiefs forming one of the groups4 ,an ox had been killed for the feast2 it was boiled in banana leaves and served up with quantities of unsweetened1 cooked bananas4 ,prodigious piles were placed in the centre of each circle of guests1 and then business began6 ,off came their top draperies or coats1 and with bare arms all eagerly outstretched towards the food they dived into their food with astonishing rapidity and energy4 ,the banana mash was rolled round the fingers into balls and stuffed down their throats without any regard being given to mastication4 ,the ,king and chiefs seemed to momentarily forget their dignity1 and ate till the perspiration rolled down their faces4 ,tea was served round in kettles2 every available cup1 mug1 basin and jug on the station had been collected together for the use of the guests--and the two-quarts jugs were far more popular than afternoon tea cups4 ,with no small compunction ,i submitted myself to the native custom and joined in the feast4 ,after a series of hand ablutions ,i sat on the floor next to the ,king's mother1 who picked some of the choicest bits of meat off a bone and set them before me4 ,it was such an effort for #c4j p4m4 in the tropics1 and visions of ,mildmay's shilling tea tent1 with its ices and strawberries1 made at least the first stage of the ,conference appear very different4 ,the ,king's band1 with its medley of instruments1 round drums1 cylindrical drums1 squat drums1 horns1 and reed pipes decorated with monkey tails1 performed boisterous symphonies outside4 ,but when1 after the feast1 the people were for the first time introduced to the phonograph1 the ,toro band stood still in astonishment1 and as an ,english orchestral band roared out 8,soldiers of the ,queen0 it felt quite eclipsed and could only exclaim 8,ekyamahano1 ekyamahano0 7marvellous1 truly marvellous74 ,the following day the real ,convention started1 and was continued over three days4 ,the mornings were entirely given over to devotional meetings1 and in the afternoons the workers were asked to bring forward difficulties met with in their work1 and discussions were invited as to what more effectual measures could be employed in organisation and in strengthening of the various mission stations4 ,throughout all the meetings a deep and earnest interest was evinced by the teachers4 ,it was most encouraging to watch the enthusiasm gradually growing and to hear the young teachers talk of their work and their peculiar difficulties relating to the subject treated4 ,a specially impressive service was held when all the workers gathered in from near and far distant heathen districts met together at ,holy ,communion4 ,before returning to their spheres of service a large missionary meeting was held in the church1 at which most stirring accounts were given of the victories against the powers of darkness4 ,at the close1 a collection was taken up4 ,for this a large packing case was placed in the centre of the chancel to receive the larger contributions and a row of baskets for the smaller offerings4 ,then the people came up in single file to place in their gifts2 one brought a tusk of ivory1 another a huge bundle of bananas1 others beans1 potatoes1 and sugar cane1 the ,queen forty yards of fine white linen1 others chickens1 and finally a goat was brought up and tied to the pillar4 ,one little boy1 carried away by the impulse of the moment1 put his little fez cap into the basket1 and as this was only a loan it had to be redeemed afterwards4 ,the sight was very remarkable4 ,it was as if one had been taken back to the ,court of the ,tabernacle at the ,feast of ,first fruits4 ,the similarity of these people's lives with those of ,old and ,new ,testament history is so strong that it is difficult to convey to the native mind the idea of distance in time1 and often one is asked if ,joseph1 the son of ,jacob1 was the husband of the ,virgin ,mary1 or if ,paul before his conversion was the first ,king of ,israel4 ,the ,toro ,church has now reached its sifting time4 ,the excitement and rash enthusiasm of infancy have matured into the more evenly balanced judgment of manhood4 ,its disciples are learning to weigh the demands of its tenets1 its refusal to compromise with sin and with almost everything that has constituted their existence for centuries past1 and its call for constant activity of heart and hand as opposed to the intolerable indolence of their nature4 ,all these things must constantly be borne in mind by the missionary if he is not to be unnecessarily depressed by occasional failure on the part of the converts4 ,one must not look for impossibilities1 and the growth of past centuries cannot be destroyed in a day4 ,i am not sure but that too much is expected of the young teachers4 ,for instance one goes out to the villages when only quite a youth with a hereditary taint1 many generations old1 of the worst forms of heathenism as against two or three years of religious instruction4 ,he is the only ,christian in the village1 and1 indeed1 for miles round2 and there he is surrounded by the old heathen practices and constantly tempted to return to habits of the past1 while he has not the same normal amount of moral and intellectual strength which nerves an ,english lad to fight against these external influences and internal tendencies4 ,and yet only about twenty per cent4 of them really fail4 ,king ,daudi ,kasagama once said that the white man could never understand how fierce was the black man's conflict with himself at times4 ,the one has generations of civilization and ,christianity as a rear-guard1 and the other1 centuries of corruption and self-indulgence4 ,without trust in a ,divine keeping power1 said he1 one would inevitably fall4 ,ten years have now passed by since the ,baganda teachers left for heathen ,toro1 and in that time the character of almost the entire country has been practically transformed4 ,british jurisdiction has established peace throughout the ,kingdom1 and now that an end has been put to tribal and civil warfare1 there is nothing to distract the mind of the people from settling down and learning to improve their land4 ,in the districts that have come under the influence of ,christianity1 heathenism has been abolished1 if not absolutely at least in the outward form of practice4 ,over three thousand converts have been baptized1 and although this only represents a very small proportion of the inhabitants1 it includes mainly the more influential and leading body of men4 ,the desire of the ,batoro for teaching and their love of reading promise much for the future of the country if this can be satisfactorily coped with immediately and not starved by inability on the part of the missionaries to meet the need4 ,it certainly cannot be said of ,uganda and ,toro 8of the making of books there is no end40 ,the ,baganda are1 ,i believe1 limited to ten books1 namely3-- ,holy ,bible4 ,prayer ,book4 ,hymn ,book4 ,oxford ,bible ,helps4 8,search and ,find40 ,geography ,book4 8,pilgrim's ,progress40 8,kings of ,uganda40 ,english ,primer4 ,commentaries on three ,gospels4 ,those of the ,batoro who do not understand ,luganda and so are confined to books written in their own language1 only possess the ,new ,testament1 ,prayer ,book1 with ,psalms and ,hymn ,book4 ,through the generous aid of the ,british and ,foreign ,bible ,society1 the ,religious ,tract ,society1 and the ,s4,p4,c4,k41 which have provided the country with almost the whole of its literature1 these books have been supplied at a cost price1 much under their cost of production and carriage1 so as to bring them within the possible reach of the people1 who1 as a whole1 are exceedingly poor4 ,but even so1 it is generally necessary1 in the villages especially1 for the people to make real efforts to supply themselves with books they require4 ,a curious scene was enacted in the courtyard of our house when the teachers came in from their stations on the first ,monday in every month to execute the orders for books or stationery entrusted to them by their people4 ,our yard was temporarily converted into a live-stock market1 for the purchases were rarely made with cash4 ,the most popular currency was cowrie shells1 which were tied up in bundles by means of dried banana bark1 but when these were beyond the means of the would-be purchaser1 he would send in by his teacher a goat1 or chickens1 or eggs4 ,a curious shaped till was needed by the salesman6 ,one of his orders would be for 8,one chicken1 ,matthew10 which being interpreted was 8,one ,gospel of ,st4 ,matthew1 price one chicken40 ,another man1 after purchasing a hymn book for six eggs1 would ask if he had enough eggs over to buy ,bunyan4 ,it frequently happened that a lad had been carefully collecting the eggs from his one hen for weeks1 but as the hen had not been very obliging by the time the right number was reached1 the salesman was distinctly out of profit through his customer4 ,others1 who possessed nothing saleable1 came in from distances of ten to fifteen miles and asked to be hired for work during the day1 in the late afternoon they would set off on their journey home the proud owners of the little hymn book or reading sheet which had been thoroughly earned4 ,at the close of one of the terms of the teachers' preparation class1 prizes were to be given for the best answers at their examination1 and the first prize was to be the option of four yards of calico or a ,bible4 ,the one who on this particular occasion stood out preeminently first was a peasant youth of about eighteen years of age with exceptionally well-formed and forceful features4 ,his dress consisted of a coarse piece of the bark-cloth knotted on the shoulder3 having come from a distant district he had never known the luxury of the calico garments worn by the more fortunate town folk4 ,as he came forward to receive his prize1 the choice between the calico and the ,bible was given him4 ,for a while he stood handling the material1 then looked down at his own shabby garment2 but it was only a momentary hesitation--laying aside the calico1 he took up the ,bible and clasping it with both hands1 said 8,my master1 the ,bible has got the better of the cloth40 ,,chapter ,,xx ,medical ,work ,realising that the acquisition of the language would be slow work1 with no books to study1 and only five hours teaching a week1 ,i had decided on arriving in ,toro to plunge into work right away4 ,it was not a case of going out in search of work1 for outside one's very door was the mute call for help4 ,when the tidings of our arrival had filtered through to the villages1 sick folk came from every direction to see if the white women had brought medicine4 ,in our courtyard each morning there was quite a large company of maimed1 halt and blind1 who had hobbled along1 or been brought in1 some from very long distances1 by their friends4 ,the very prevalent forms of skin diseases1 ulcers1 and the hacking cough required no language even for diagnosis by an amateur dispenser2 other patients1 by eloquent grunts and gesticulations1 managed to convey some idea of their complaints2 and the remaining class1 whose language and sickness were conundrums to the ,european 8quack10 received a mild dose of nauseous physic2 certainly it did them no harm1 and in some cases their faith in that dose of 8white man's medicine0 worked the cure4 ,at first ,i used to receive the sick folk on our verandah1 but they became too numerous1 so a removal was effected4 ,the first house of the ,european missionary in ,toro was still standing1 but was quite uninhabitable1 as it had been made of reeds which rot very quickly4 ,it stood in a very forest of weeds4 ,the long elephant grass barred all the windows and doors against would-be intruders1 snakes suspiciously lay hidden among the thick tangled undergrowth1 and a few half-choked flowers struggled to exist as a witness to a past cared-for garden and in protest against their present usurpers4 ,a few days of hard work with hoe and shovel cleared a breathing space all round the house1 the ceilings and walls were swept down and repaired1 new beaten mud floors laid in all the three rooms1 shelves and boxes fixed up as fittings1 a rough table1 chair1 enamel wash-hand basin brought in as furniture1 and there was a splendid dispensary quite formidable in appearance and decidedly pretentious for one who possessed no qualifications beyond a few months hospital training4 ,in ,africa a little knowledge is not dangerous so much as useful4 ,the most appalling forms of suffering are met with on every hand1 and nothing but inhuman1 superstitious1 and absolutely ineffectual means are employed to alleviate it4 ,even if one can only cleanse and bind up the wounds and pour in oil1 the look of gratitude and contentment that reward the soothing of the pain reminds one that it has not been wasted labour4 ,this first dispensary consisted of three apartments1 the 8consulting room10 drug store1 and waiting room1 where patients assembled every morning at #h4cj for instruction in reading and a short bright gospel service4 ,this primitive medical work was a distinctly effectual means of reaching the bakopi 7peasants71 who had not hitherto been touched in any large numbers4 ,the ,king having been the first in the country to adopt ,christianity1 the work in its initial stage had extended almost exclusively to the upper classes1 while the 8foreign0 language had been an obstacle to the peasants who could not understand it4 ,it was frequently found that the curiosity and interest of patients in the letters and syllables were so awakened that when there was no longer need to attend the dispensary several passed on to the school to be further instructed4 ,one of the first patients was an old man who had been receiving ulcer medicine from the missionary then in charge4 ,although his hair was sprinkled with grey1 and he suffered from an impediment in his speech1 nothing would daunt him in his assiduous struggles to master the alphabet4 ,day after day he came1 and even when cured of his ulcer continued coming1 as he was afraid to go to the big school to learn4 ,actually he did in time master words of three letters1 and then1 as he was so anxious to be baptized1 he was put into an old men's daily ,bible ,class for instruction4 ,his joy was beyond description when with tears streaming down from his eyes he came to me one day saying1 8,my mistress1 ,i have finished being questioned1 and now ,i am going to be baptized40 ,i asked him1 8,mpisi1 will baptism save us80 ,and he answered1 8,oh no1 only ,jesus who died for us on the ,cross40 8,then what is the use of baptism80 8,well10 said he1 8,christ told us to believe and be baptized1 and it shows that we want to leave our bad habits and follow the habits of ,christ40 ,from that day he has rarely missed coming to the dispensary1 not always for medicine1 but that he might teach the patients what he has learned4 ,a daily attendance of thirty to fifty sick folk soon exhausted our limited supply of drugs1 and when ,dr4 and ,mrs4 ,a4 ,cook1 on an itinerating round1 paid a medical visit to ,toro twelve months after our arrival they found the medicine almost completely used up4 ,till the arrival of fresh stores the patients were being kept together by supplementing the diminished stock with table salt1 mixed spice1 and curry powder4 ,this latter ,i found was a much-appreciated prescription1 and as none of the missionaries were partial to it and each had a good supply among their stores1 ,i dispensed it generously to dyspeptic patients4 ,you never saw such agonizing grimaces as when they swallowed a spoonful raw1 but they smacked their lips1 saying1 8,omubazi mubingi muno muno10 8,medicine very very good10 and would have finished off the whole tin if they had been allowed4 ,that visit from the real 8medicine-man0 was a grand time for our people1 and they were not slow to show their appreciation and wonderment when opthalmic patients found themselves with 8new windows10 and surgical subjects1 the possessors of 8new bodies40 ,after that the ,toro dispensary became amalgamated with the ,mengo ,medical ,mission1 and was regularly supplied with medicines4 ,the chief diseases met with out there are skin complaints1 malaria1 dyspepsia1 pleurisy1 bronchitis1 besides paralysis1 muscular rheumatism1 dysentery1 and pneumonia4 ,owing to the inexperience of the dispenser nothing surgical was attempted in those days beyond lancing abscesses and gums1 cutting tongue-tied infants1 and stitching up leopard-torn patients4 ,one man was brought in from a leopard hunt in a terrible condition2 limbs and body were badly damaged1 while the face was scarcely visible1 the flesh of forehead and one cheek having been torn away1 exposing bone and teeth4 ,the extraordinary thing was1 that after weeks and weeks of careful treatment1 some very deep scars were the only signs remaining of the terrible ordeal he had passed through4 ,these ,batoro have grown absolutely reckless in the hunt4 ,their method is to surround the spot where the leopard is known to lie crouched1 and slashing down the thick vegetation that conceals their prey1 they gradually draw closer and form a smaller circle round it4 ,all the time they scream and pour down invectives on the head of the leopard1 and by the time it actually appears in sight they have worked themselves up into such a state of excitement that1 losing all self-control1 some will actually throw themselves upon the infuriated creature4 ,with one last death effort the leopard throws all the strength of its fury into its final attack2 torn1 and perhaps with mangled limb1 the man is released from the grasp of his foe by a hundred spears being run through its body4 ,the injured are then borne on stretchers in triumph to the dispensary1 and while the wounds are being attended to1 the carriers and friends laud the extraordinary prowess of the patient4 ,every man who is able to carry home a blood-stained spear is sure of his wife killing the fattest goat or cooking the best possible meal in their honour4 ,one day1 while dispensing medicine1 an unusual shuffling and pushing seemed to be going on in the doorway1 and walking round to find out the cause1 ,i saw a cow being pushed by force toward me4 ,the herdsman explained that it was very sick with 8,kifuba0 7chest--generally meaning indigestion74 ,in order to quickly get rid of this undesirable patient ,i mixed up some castor oil with salt and ordered it to be administered in one hour's time4 ,i thought that would allow the cow and its master to get a safe distance off4 ,i rather regretted this afterwards1 for very soon another veterinary case was brought in for treatment4 ,this time it was our own faithful ,muscat donkey2 it was suffering terribly from the plague of flies that generally appear in the dry season4 ,the poor creature's legs were absolutely raw1 and it had almost lost the power of standing4 ,after the donkey boy had applied antiseptic washing and ointment ,i tried to fix on bandages1 but donkey's legs were evidently never made the right shape for that--,i could not get the bandages to stick4 ,mr4 ,fisher was then consulted on the point1 and of course1 man-like1 he suggested trousers4 ,it really sounded very suitable1 so ,i set to work on a pair1 and when the donkey was put into them he looked most distinguished4 ,the people gathered round in numbers to see it1 and exclaimed1 8,what honour the ,european gives his animal60 ,there were several spectators who were not clothed so magnificently1 and being afraid of giving the impression of extravagant waste1 ,i explained to them the object of the garment and our ideas of kindness to dumb animals4 ,the donkey did not take at all kindly to his first pair of trousers2 perhaps they did not fit well2 at all events1 he kicked them to pieces in two days4 ,a second pair was made on a modified scale1 and whether or not the owner had cultivated more civilised instincts1 it is not easy to affirm1 but they remained intact till they were no longer needed1 and the owner was able to run about and be up to his usual pranks again4 ,great care has to be exercised in administering drugs1 as the people have absolutely no idea as to how they act on the system4 ,medicine intended to last for some days has often been swallowed down in one dose1 as they argue that if so much physic can cure them at all1 the sooner it is taken the better4 ,powders for internal use have been received with incredulity and sometimes scorn by those suffering from skin diseases1 and they will insist on impressing the dispenser that they are quite well inside4 ,if1 with all their persuasion1 they cannot obtain some blue stone to apply to the sore 7which they simply love1 as it causes them to scream uncontrollably71 then they go off with their packet of powders and show the superiority of their wisdom to that of the white doctor by using it externally4 ,one of the very few medicines that it is absolutely necessary to keep under lock and key is sulphur1 which is well known to them as an unfailing skin remedy when mixed up with butter4 ,our cook once bribed one of my little assistants to smuggle some away for him1 and being misled by the similarity in appearance1 the lad gave him iodiform instead4 ,this he mixed up into an ointment and smeared well all over his body4 ,as he sent up dinner that evening iodiform was as pronounced as oil is in a ,german table d'hote4 ,it was soup l'iodiform1 viande l'iodiform1 confection l'iodiform1 caf l'iodiform1 in fact there was no getting away from it4 ,when we left the table in despair we were like a chemist's laboratory4 ,as for ideas of hygiene1 these are absolutely absent from the native's mind4 ,when a person is very ill1 regardless of her station in life1 she is carried into the dirtiest and smallest hut4 ,this is soon crowded up with well-meaning and sympathetic friends1 whose one idea of condolence seems to be to assure the invalid that she is on the point of dying4 ,the hut continues filling up till the only inlet for fresh air 7the cramped doorway7 is entirely blocked up1 by which time the condition and atmosphere of the hut becomes so indescribable that it is a wonder anyone comes out alive4 ,these things suggested to my mind that a few elementary lessons on hygiene might perhaps prove beneficial1 so1 taking to my afternoon class a diagram of the human body1 ,i described to them the anatomy of the body1 blood circulation1 c4 ,their interest and surprise were great4 ,they had always imagined that blood circulated from the head4 ,this was their argument for cutting their heads in cases of fever2 they reasoned that malaria was an over-heating of superfluous amount of blood1 so they must let out some4 ,at first they were inclined to doubt the soundness of the new theory of circulation from the heart1 and asked 8can a river flow up1 does it not always flow down80 8,what about a spring80 said ,i4 ,they thought for one moment1 and then answered 8,the ,european's wisdom has overcome ours40 ,then a new difficulty struck them1 how was it in the case of women1 for they had no hearts4 ,their old ,king ,kabarega1 when he killed off his wives1 had cut open some1 and never found one with a heart4 ,so the statement had become an accepted fact with them4 ,how could they have believed such an error6 ,they also imagined that mind was tucked away in the heart1 and did not in the least associate brain with intellect4 ,poor woman1 minus heart1 therefore minus mind1 was very poorly endowed4 ,their attention and interest were very keen1 and did not seem to diminish when the moral was applied in the shape of ablutions1 fresh air1 and the care of the body being essentials to health4 ,it is sometimes difficult to arrive at an exact diagnosis of a patient's ailment4 ,one will describe her complaint1 pointing to her lungs1 as a voice inside that says 8,chew1 chew40 ,another affirm that a spear is running into every part of his body4 ,infants are always suffering from evil spirits or poisoning1 in cases when a dose of dill water would be generally prescribed4 ,although ,i have occasionally met with a native doctor in a sick house1 ,i have never been able to discover a native drug or remedy outside cupping1 branding1 and revolting forms of witchcraft4 ,these men make a regular study of the art of deception and exact exorbitant fees in the form of goats or even oxen4 ,as an example let me give the case of a lad who was suffering from tuberculosis4 ,he had consulted the witch doctor1 and after having paid his fee was told that he had been poisoned4 ,whereupon the 8surgeon0 drew his knife out from his belt and made a number of small incisions4 ,he then declared he could see the poison inside the youth and took it away4 ,but the lad was not cured and so came down to give the ,european's wisdom a trial4 ,this ignorant credulity of the people has sometimes proved useful to the white man in times of extremity4 ,in one instance a ,european noticed that his daily supply of milk was continually disappearing in an unaccountable way1 and one day he determined to investigate the cause4 ,it had been proved that the cows were not to blame2 they had given their usual supply4 ,the milk boy was cleared1 for the boys of the household vouched for having seen it being delivered4 ,the discrepancy in the amount had unmistakably occurred in the cook house1 where the cook alone was resident at the time4 ,so the culprit was called up to be examined4 ,he insisted on his innocence declaring all the while that he did not know how to drink milk4 ,as no eye-witnesses could be called the idea struck the 8magistrate0 that he would conclude the matter quickly and unquestionably by their own means4 ,turning to a youth close by he said 8,just fetch me my little pocket knife to bore a hole and see if the milk is inside the cook40 ,whereupon the culprit fell on his knees exclaiming1 8,oh1 master1 ,i did drink the milk4 ,forgive me1 ,i pray you40 ,after the affiliation of the ,toro branch with the medical headquarters at ,mengo1 the work was placed on a far more satisfactory basis4 ,a report had to be sent in every three months with statistics dealing with daily attendance at the dispensary1 out-patients' visits1 etc4 ,then1 in addition to this1 a list was made out yearly of drugs and dressings needed for the forthcoming twelve months1 which ensured an adequate and regular supply of medicine4 ,the work1 however1 passed through a varied succession of small vicissitudes4 ,our faked-up building had to be pulled down1 as the site was needed for a new missionary's house1 but in exchange we got a brand-new airy dispensary4 ,we scarcely knew ourselves with such spacious surroundings1 and the two little native assistants1 who had been trained to attend to all dressings1 assumed quite a ridiculous air of professional importance1 to say nothing of the feelings of the quack doctor6 ,but at the end of a fortnight we were completely evicted from our grand premises--patients1 staff1 drugs1 and all4 ,a violent storm had destroyed the only house that had been standing ready to receive a fresh addition to the staff of missionaries1 which was then only within a few days of arrival in ,toro4 ,as there was not another available inch1 the new dispensary had to be speedily converted into a domicile4 ,feeling decidedly crest-fallen1 my little assistants and ,i packed up all the medical impedimenta and carried them over to a little reed building that had been the reading school till the constantly increasing inside pack had necessitated more ceremonious premises4 ,we completed our removal1 and had not been installed many weeks when a furious hurricane swept over the little hill capital1 and succeeding in throwing our new dispensary completely over on its side4 ,when the debris and roof were cleared away1 a most heterogeneous collection of medicines were revealed1 all hopelessly mixed up in wild confusion4 ,pills of every shape and form were scattered about1 bottles of liquid drugs1 and stock mixtures had been smashed up1 and the combination of odours was enough to frighten away all the microbes for miles round4 ,once more1 and for the fourth time1 the dispensary was transferred to different quarters1 and there it remained until the present complete medical compound was erected at the advent of the much-longed-for and long-expected doctor in #aijd4 ,through the generosity of a friend in ,england the 8,gurney ,hospital0 and new dispensary were then built1 together with the doctor's house4 ,the former is a good-sized building consisting of two wards for thirty-four patients1 besides consulting and waiting rooms1 while the broad ten-foot verandah which runs all round allows ample space for convalescents4 ,at first the ,batoro were inclined to be fearful of undergoing chloroform1 but ,king ,kasagama1 half out of curiosity and half out of a real desire that his people should derive the fullest benefit from the 8doctor's wisdom10 successfully banished these fears4 ,one morning he came down to the dispensary asking that a slight ulcer from which he was suffering might be lanced under chloroform4 ,this was kept a profound secret from his people till it happened to reach the ears of his mother just as he was getting over the operation4 ,the poor old lady came bustling down in breathless speed very fearful of the effects the 8sleeping medicine0 might have had on her son4 ,she was intensely relieved to find that nothing worse had resulted than rather a sorry expression on the usual smiling countenance of the patient4 ,it soon became the topic of the hour1 and even to the distant villages the news spread4 ,from that time surgery was in great demand2 in fact it became a kind of fashionable epidemic4 ,the need for medical work in these parts is seen in the one hundred to one hundred and fifty out-patients that came up every day for doctoring1 and the scarcity of vacant beds ever since the opening of the new hospital4 ,indeed it seems a practical impossibility to carry out to these people the message of love1 peace1 and goodwill unless one can at the same time do something to alleviate the terrible physical suffering to which they are subject4 ,besides being a most effectual channel for conveying balm and healing to their souls1 the object lessons given to the in-patients must accomplish much in introducing new ideas of cleanliness and possible comfort into their own poor1 dirty homes4 ,,chapter ,,xxi ,scholastic ,work ,there are many people who1 not being quite up-to-date in missionary literature1 have an idea that the work of a missionary in such places as ,africa is to stand under the shade of a huge sun-hat1 umbrella1 and palm-tree1 in the broiling heat of the day1 and preach to a small crowd of open-mouthed astonished semi-savages4 ,the picture does not attract them1 and they dismiss the subject from their minds with 8,i could never be a missionary40 ,well1 although ,i have found in ,africa the identical topee1 the umbrella1 palm-tree1 the broiling sun1 and a few gaping crowds1 yet the picture is a painful distortion of the truth4 ,if there is one thing that a missionary has less to do with than any other1 it is preaching--at least1 that is so in ,uganda4 ,he rather assumes the rles of teacher1 schoolmaster1 builder1 carpenter1 doctor1 nurse1 and everything else1 for he has learned that the ,african cannot be a saint without being a scholar and an artisan1 any more than men of other nations can4 ,besides the more direct spiritual work and the medical work that are being carried on in ,toro1 there are also industrial and educational departments4 ,this former branch has not been developed to any extent1 owing to the lack of workers1 but1 as far as he is able1 ,king ,daudi ,kasagama personally superintends it4 ,being most anxious that his people should be instructed in useful trades1 some years ago he sent a youth1 ,iburahimu1 into ,mengo to be apprenticed for two years to carpentering at the ,industrial ,mission of the ,church ,missionary ,society4 ,when the period had transpired and the lad had served his time1 ,daudi wrote to ,england ordering ,rs4#cjj worth of tools1 and1 close to his own house1 the ,king had a large suitable shed erected4 ,iburahimu was then installed as ,carpenter to the ,royal ,household1 and twenty youths1 who had signed for a two years' apprenticeship1 were placed under him for instruction4 ,illustration3 ,a ,,school ,,in ,,toro4 ,any serving lad of the ,king who was employed on no particular service1 and refused to be taught1 was put in the chain gang for three months2 for ,his ,majesty was determined to put a price on loafing in his household4 ,the entire educational work of ,uganda is being carried on in ,church ,schools4 ,receiving no subsidy from the ,british ,government1 up to the present there has been no question of ,education bills1 and consequently there are no passive resisters among the ,baganda6 ,the ,school system is1 ,i believe1 the one adopted by the ,americans in their board schools1 where boys and girls learn together1 and no social distinctions are recognized1 but in ,uganda1 besides non-differentiation of sex and caste1 there are also no age limitation--children1 parents1 and grandparents all attend the reading schools4 ,on reaching ,toro1 ,miss ,pike immediately took over this department of the work1 and within a few months the ,school had outgrown two different buildings1 and an extension had to be contemplated in order to make room for the #cjj average daily attendances4 ,as soon as this was made known1 a willing band of workers was collected together under the ,katikiro1 and started throwing out the end of the mud building4 ,i am quite sure no ,member of ,parliament ever laboured more strenuously than this one did6 ,whether it was levelling the soil1 demolishing the old wall1 erecting the new1 or roofing it in1 he was always in the thick of it4 ,but his dignity would not permit him to throw aside any of his superfluous garments6 ,and the coarse1 ,jaeger-coloured vest1 tweed coat and waistcoat1 and top layers of draperies proved very oppressive4 ,every now and again he sank back in his chair quite exhausted1 gorgeous coloured handkerchiefs were applied as mops to his steaming brow1 and two attendants stood round with an umbrella and fan4 ,a mistress in these reading schools must be free from any neuralgic or nervous tendencies4 ,i was simply overcome with admiration at the spirit of fortitude and calm endurance that my colleague was displaying when ,i paid my first visit to the ,toro seminary4 ,morning prayers had been concluded1 and the ,school had sorted itself out into about twenty classes1 which represented various grades1 from the alphabet to ,st4 ,matthew's ,gospel stage1 and each was presided over by a native teacher4 ,the scholars were a queer medley2 chiefs clothed in their white linen gowns sat on tiny round stools1 which they brought tucked under their arm1 and in the same class1 struggling over the same letters1 were seated on the ground serving boys1 probably their own1 and raw peasants4 ,women who had just left their cultivation and1 strapping the baby to their shoulders1 hurried off to school1 were sitting with quite small infants1 perhaps being taught their syllables by their own little daughters4 ,excepting in the alphabet classes1 the scholars sat in a circle round their teacher who1 with a strand of grass1 pointed to the letters which all the pupils were expected to shout out together4 ,the one little reading sheet only allowed those directly in front to read the letters right way up2 the others1 who were careful to take up the same position each day1 learnt at all angles4 ,quite a large proportion of the ,batoro are able to read their books upside down in consequence4 ,when all the classes were fairly started and each of the three hundred pupils was trying his best to drown his neighbour's voice1 the noise was indescribable4 ,each class had its own formula which was recited metrically4 ,take for instance1 the one dealing with syllables of three letters--all the pupils sang out 8b--w--a1 we call it bwa10 then the teacher intoning1 asked 8how many letters and what are they called10 and the answer was shouted back 8letters three1 b--w--a1 and they are always bwa40 ,then they tackled b--w--e1 b--w--i1 b--w--o1 in the same way and so on all down the alphabet4 ,while this pandemonium is going on1 one after another is sent up by his teacher to be examined by the ,european4 ,the pupil who answers satisfactorily is then given a pass to a higher form2 he returns to his old class to receive the profuse congratulations of his contemporaries1 and then marches off to his new quarters full of pride and elation4 ,illustration3 ,,the ,,bakonjo ,,at ,,home4 ,one would wonder how it is possible to ever learn to read in such a hubbub1 but the ,batoro have a remarkable power of insulating themselves from their environment1 and some have been known to pass right through the school1 from the alphabet to the highest reading class in four months4 ,until #aijb no other secular subjects were taught excepting writing1 but at that time it was thought advisable to increase the educational work amongst the ,christian men and women1 consequently two separate schools were arranged for them in which they could be taught writing1 arithmetic1 geography1 and dictation4 ,miss ,pike1 who was then in charge of the women's work1 took over their school1 and ,i was responsible for the other4 ,my pupils consisted of members from the ,toro ,cabinet1 ,house of ,lords and ,house of ,commons6 ,the ,katikiro1 our ,lord ,chief ,justice1 was nominated school chastiser4 ,corporal punishment was his usual method of dealing with a noisy scholar2 with a sudden bound off his chair he made a rush at the culprit1 and if he was not quite sure who the offender was he struck a box on the ears at all in the vicinity of the noise4 ,the ,king reserved for himself the office of school inspector1 and generally looked in on his way home from morning service at the ,church4 ,arithmetic was not at all an easy subject to start teaching these people1 and they could not for a long time understand figures in the abstract4 ,numeration was the thing they were started on4 ,with a blackboard and chalk ,i wrote up the usual #a1 #aj1 #ajj1 and then attempted an explanation4 ,one pupil instantly interrupted with 8,but what are the ten80 8,oh1 ,i said1 ten anything1 ten chickens or ten eggs40 8,but if it's a chicken how can it be an egg10 he replied4 ,the ,katikiro found arithmetic very difficult4 ,he stuck at 8twice two0 for days2 he would insist that it made twenty1 and even when he was convinced otherwise1 his memory refused to agree with his conviction4 ,but when he at last mastered the 8two times0 table and numeration up to a million1 he rubbed his hands with satisfaction1 and exclaimed 8,what wisdom60 ,when ,kasagama heard of the different subjects being taught he evidently thought that tailoring ought to be included1 for1 one day he sent down a lad with a roll of white duck1 and an earnest request that ,i would teach him how to make coats4 ,the boy was sent away with an explanation that in our country men did the tailoring4 ,but ,his ,majesty was not to be put off1 and so the message came back 8would #8,bwana ,fisher' teach him80 ,our protestations only called forth more beseeching requests1 so in despair ,i took a pattern from a ,london coat and showed the boy how to put it together4 ,the result was far from being complimentary to the original1 but ,kasagama did not take into consideration the cut1 so much as the fact that it was a coat4 ,a few of the more promising pupils used to come together each afternoon for extra instruction1 in order that they might be able to help in the morning school which was getting beyond the work of one person4 ,elementary astronomy was added to their list of subjects1 and was a theme of intense interest and wonderment to them4 ,one afternoon a very simple explanation had been given them on how the world was held up in space by the law of gravitation4 ,after asking a number of questions they begged me to teach them nothing more that day1 for they wanted to take the words away and think them out4 ,one man1 who was a ,muganda1 stayed behind and very apologetically1 as if afraid of suggesting that he doubted the veracity of my words1 he asked if the world is held up by gravitation1 how did it manage for the first three days1 for in ,genesis we read that the sun1 moon1 and stars were created on the fourth6 ,uganda to-day presents a land rising from a sleep of centuries4 ,the outside world in its onward march has stepped in1 and with its ,babel of ,tongues roused the people from their long deep slumber4 ,thus startled out of lethargy1 the surprised nation stands gazing in wonderment at a great world controlled by undreamed-of mental and moral forces4 ,and a new desire has been born within them1 a desire to bring themselves under the same irresistible powers4 ,the possibility is there1 but the guiding of the mind and soul of the people cannot be undertaken by itself4 ,england holds herself responsible for the protection of its national life1 and it is for the ,church of ,god to-day to stand at the helm1 and steer past the rocks and shoals till the people have learned to take over the control themselves4 ,,footnotes #a ,native guards or soldiers4 #b ,surely the most ardent critic of missions could not have failed to be convinced of the reality of these people's ,christianity had he looked at the order of this great service4 ,their reverent behaviour as they worshipped in a church built with their own hands1 and listened to one of their own native clergy1 must have deeply impressed even the most cynical onlooker4