Until the Missionary Explorations of Dr. Livingstone had given us the knowledge of the interior of Africa, nothing could be done towards the evangelisation of its teeming populations; all effort was confined to the coast. The Church Missionary Society were carrying on their work at Mombasa, commenced in 1844 by Dr. Krapf, and after the early decease of Bishop Mackenzie, of the Universities Mission, Zanzibar became the seat of the Bishop of Central Africa.

The whole burden of the work rested on Dr. Livingstone’s shoulders. For him the end of the geographical feat was the commencement of missionary enterprise; misunderstood by most people, he endeavoured, single-handed, to solve those geographical problems which must be mastered before Christian missions could be commenced on practical and comprehensive lines.

The salient points were ascertained, while his marvellous journeys drew attention to the peoples and their needs. He went to open the door to Central Africa, he flung it open wide, and when the news of the Doctor’s death reached this country, it was felt to be a call to the Christian Church for a new and worthier effort for the evangelisation of the Dark Continent. From that time commenced that development of Missionary Enterprise which is now steadily and surely overcoming the difficulties which kept Africa so long secret; and already we are not far from the time when chains of Mission Stations will cross the continent.

The first to move was the Free Church of Scotland, followed at once by the Established Church. In May, 1875, the first party started to ascend the Zambesi, and by way of the Shire to reach the Lake Nyassa. They took with them in pieces a steam launch, the Ilala; putting her together at the Kongone mouth of the Zambesi, they ascended as far as the Murchison Cataract on the Shire River. There the steamer was again taken to pieces, transported, in 700 loads, past the cataracts, reconstructed, and in October they steamed into the Lake Nyassa; a week later the foundation of the Livingstonia Settlement commenced. There are now several stations on the lake, school-work is being energetically carried on, the New Testament has been printed this year in Chinyanga by Dr. Laws, and everything is full of promise.

The Established Church of Scotland has its mission at Blantyre, near to the Murchison Cataracts; and lately the Universities Mission has undertaken work at Chitesi’s, on the eastern shore of the Lake Nyassa; they have also a steamer.

Beside these societies, the African Lakes Company has been formed for commercial purposes, seeking to develope the resources of the country and the industry of the natives, and while carrying on trade on a sound business basis, to do so on Christian principles.

To-day they are prepared to book passengers and goods from this country as far as the northern end of Lake Nyassa, from which point the ‘Stevenson Road’ is in process of construction, to the southern end of Tanganika. This work has been delayed in consequence of the death of Mr. Stewart, the engineer in charge; and at the end of last July, we learnt, with regret, that Mr. McEwen, who went to take his place, has also succumbed to the climate. It is to be hoped that before long some Society will be able to undertake mission work on the head waters of the Congo, reaching Lake Bangweolo by way of Lake Nyassa, and so on to the Luapula and the Lualaba.

A letter from Mr. H.M. Stanley, which appeared in the Daily Telegraph of Nov. 15, 1875, giving an account of his visit to Mtesa, the powerful king of Uganda, on the northern shore of Lake Victoria Nyanza, spoke of Mtesa’s earnest desire that Christian teachers should be sent to his country. A few days later, an anonymous friend offered £5000 to the Church Missionary Society, towards the establishment of a Mission on the Victoria Lake. A similar offer of £5000 followed a day or two after. The offers were accepted, and in the middle of the following year the pioneer party of the Mission reached Zanzibar. A line of stations has now been established between the coast and Rubaga, the capital of Uganda, at Mamboia, Mpwapwa, Uyui, and Msalala. Although the missionaries have experienced much difficulty from the first, and since Mtesa’s death a fierce persecution has raged, still the Mission has steadily advanced; some eighty natives have been baptized, including one of Mtesa’s daughters. Schools and translation work have had a good influence, and the blood of the martyrs at Uganda, as elsewhere, is proving ‘the seed of the Church.’

The old Mission at Mombasa, Kisultini, and Frere Town, is still being carried on, and is extending its operations into the interior. It is hoped that soon a shorter route to the lake may be opened up from Mombasa, by way of Mount Kenia, on the lines of Mr. Thomson’s recent journey.

The Universities Mission has its headquarters at Zanzibar, whence its operations are carried on on the mainland opposite, in the district behind Mombasa, and on Lake Nyassa.

The United Methodist Free Church has also a mission in the interior, behind Mombasa.

In 1877 the London Missionary Society, aided by the generous gift of £5000, by Mr. Robert Arthington of Leeds, undertook mission work on Lake Tanganika. They now occupy Urambo in Unyanyembe, and Uguha, on the western shore of the lake; also Liendwe at the south-western end, where they have been constructing their steamer the Good Tidings, which has been conveyed to that point by the African Lakes Company. The steamer has been launched, and by last advices she was waiting for some heavy parts of her machinery, which were delayed on the road.

The Arabs have so harassed the districts round the lake, that mission work is very difficult and trying; but when the steamer is complete, a station will be built at the south-eastern corner of the lake, which will be the terminus of the Stevenson Road. In the meanwhile, progress with the language is being made.

Thus, in spite of toil and difficulty, privations and losses, the continent is been attacked from the east coast, and in less than ten years the best strategic points have been occupied.

Neither has there been any crowding of several missions on one spot. The field is large, and each of the great societies is far apart from the other, but so arranged that between them the best points and most practicable lines have been taken.

The same policy is being carried out on the south-west coast. The Baptist Missionary Society have been established in the Cameroons district since 1845; and four hundred miles further to the south, the American (North) Presbyterian Church carries on the mission founded in 1842 at the Gaboon. Neither of these missions have been able to make much progress into the interior, and each has been lately brought almost to a standstill by the harsh and arbitrary action of European Governments.

Three years ago, the French Governor of the Gaboon made a law that there should be no instruction in the native language. Everything was to be on the lines of the French normal schools; other harassing restrictions were made, calculated to close the Protestant schools, and the utmost has been done to drive out the American missionaries, and indeed all foreigners (traders, etc., other than French). The schools have been closed; but otherwise the foreigners have not been driven away. All are hoping for a better, more reasonable policy.

In 1885 the German Government, in quest of unannexed lands on the African coast, took possession of the Cameroons. Their shameful treatment of the Baptist missionaries is fresh in the memory of all, and need not be recounted; suffice it to say that the policy of the French in the Gaboon has been followed, with greater determination and energy. Feeling that it was impossible to Germanise their new colony so long as the English missionaries were present who had reclaimed it from savagery, they have determined to drive them away, and the mission will have to be abandoned at an early date. This arbitrary action on the part of civilised governments renders hopeless any attempt to reach the Congo Basin from the west coast by any route other than the great river itself, which, happily, has now been declared open and unrestricted to missionaries and traders.

Before giving particulars of the two missions on the Congo, it will be best to note the other missions along the coast. In 1885, Bishop Taylor, of the American Episcopal Methodist Church, started with a party of twenty missionaries, intending to enter the continent by way of Loanda and the Kwanza river, to establish a chain of stations as far as Nyangwe, on the line of Pogge and Wissmann’s recent journey. At Nyangwe they hope to meet with a like party starting from the east coast—a grand idea, and by no means impracticable. Many of the missionaries are accompanied by their wives and families, and there is an idea that after a station is built it can become self-supporting. We have reason to fear that the hardships of the pioneer work will lessen this brave band, and prove specially trying to the women and children; but the self-supporting idea could only be entertained by those ignorant of African life and circumstances. This will be a matter of painful experience; but as the mission comes face to face with the difficulties and realities, we may expect that more practical lines will be adopted, and that, with the necessary reinforcements and supports, their grand scheme will be carried out. Such a party as twenty missionaries, with wives and families, must be very unwieldy and difficult to provide for, arriving, as they did, on the coast without any previous experience or friends. We would not criticise, but only suggest that, in these days, when so much information about Africa may be obtained, it is well for those who contemplate founding new missions to use every precaution to minimise risk and difficulties.

A few months ago, a Faith-healing Mission, a party of four men, sent by Mr. Simpson’s church in New York, started for the Congo. They held this same notion of self-support, and of being able to establish mission work far into the interior with a small sum of money. I saw the leader of the party, gave him the fullest information, and more advice than was agreeable. They reached the Congo, and, ignoring medicine, the leader died in a week or two, the rest were obliged to abandon their principles, and the mail of May brought a message from them that they wish they had followed my advice. They had come to the end of their means, differences of judgment had arisen; without money enough to return home, they were hoping to get some employment on the coast, and thus to earn sufficient to return. Such a story needs no comment, but certainly ought to be known.

The next point occupied along the coast is Benguela, whence the missionaries of the American Board had extended their operations as far as Bihe (Ovihe). The intrigues of Portuguese traders resulted in their being driven away from Bihe and Bailunda, and nearly all the party returned home. We hope, however, to hear shortly that the work, which commenced with so much promise, has been resumed, and that the southern districts of the Congo Basin may be evangelised by that agency.

Further south we find the Rhenish Missionary Society in Namaqualand; but there we are beyond the limits of the Congo Basin.

So the various societies are attacking the continent from the west coast at points about four hundred miles apart. Roman Catholic Missions have been established in the Gaboon territory, also at Loango, Landana, on the Congo as far as Stanley Pool, in the Portuguese possessions south of the Congo, and on the Cunene River.

On the east coast they are at Zanzibar and Bagamoyo; also on the Victoria, Nyanza, and Tanganika lakes, and on the Zambesi River.