Edward Steere

“ As the Universities Mission seems to have arrived at a crisis in its history, it is desirable that a clear account of its present position should be laid before those interested in its work. Such an account I have, therefore, endeavoured to draw up. We are actually at work in three distinct places: at Magila among the heathen: in Zanzibar itself we have a Girls' School, a vernacular service with an Exposition of the Gospel every Sunday afternoon, daily prayers in Swahili and in English, and a weekly Evening Service with Sermon, and Holy Communion twice in the month for the European residents. ”

“ I wish it were so; but a little experience shows that, just as a European can be much better than a negro, so he can be much worse, and that when possessed of absolute power, and free from the immediate control of home opinion, he probably will use the negro only to serve his own selfish ends, and cast him off as soon as he has served them. Neither by example nor in any other way are such Europeans as ordinarily settle in remote places likely to do any great amount of good to a negro. ”

“ Chenyegera is among the mountains not very far from Magila. This last place itself has not been touched by the war, being geographically and politically in the Shambala country, but in language belonging to the valley people. These last have lately been at war with the Digos, so that just now the coast Swahili are carrying on all the trade with Magila, the valley people being afraid to venture through the country of their enemies. There is now no actual fighting, and probably there will be no more for some time to come, as all parties are thoroughly worn out. ”

“ The existence of any really healthy site on the mainland of Africa is exceedingly doubtful. Healthy highlands in the interior are often spoken of, as though their position were well known, but this is only because the geography of this part of Africa is very little understood. The centre of the continent is, as we now know, nothing but a huge swamp. From the coast the land rises very gently to the watershed, and then drops very gradually to the great swampy central basin. Groups and ridges of mountains are scattered about without any distinct connection with the general rise of the land. ”

“ Most of the boys who have since joined us are still too young for us to speak decidedly as to their future. A few seem to show sufficient steadiness and capacity to give us good hopes of their ultimate usefulness in our work; some give us grounds of apprehension, and two have gone utterly astray. Since we opened the school, fifteen have died—nearly half during the cholera time, and the rest within the last nine months. Forty-four are now actually in the school, two more are with Bishop Tozer, and two with the subdeacons at Magila. ”

“ Leaving, therefore, to our political leaders the task of external repression, it belongs to us Missionaries to aim at the internal work. As things actually are in Eastern Africa, our first thought will naturally be given to the released slaves set free by English cruisers. It seems that politicians consider that their work is done when the gift of political freedom is complete. ”

“ It becomes, therefore, a very necessary thing to give men an opportunity of testing their health and their fitness for the work without robbing them of valuable time. This our Mission pupil scheme specially provides for, by occupying, in mingled study and work at Zanzibar, the years between sixteen and twenty, which a young man with a Missionary vocation finds it so difficult in England to employ to any advantage. While the Missionaries of the future are thus growing up, we must have temporary help from special English sources. ”

“ The schools at Zanzibar were formed by Bishop Tozer for the purpose of educating Missionaries and teachers and their future wives, for work among the inland tribes. The scholars are now beginning to attain an age at which they may be actively employed. Three of the boys have been set apart as subdeacons; of these one was lost by the cholera, the other two are both married; one, John Swedi, is at present acting as a sort of assistant chaplain at the school at Kiungani; the other, Francis Mabruki, is working at the Shambala Mission station at Magila. ”

“ If, on the other hand, they are to be filled from the slave dhows, it will be necessary to introduce a much larger industrial element. In any case we hope to give all alike first a plain education in Swahili, for which the necessary books are in course of preparation, and then to give the best scholars a thorough grounding in English. We are anxious to increase the number of girls, as otherwise our lads, especially the duller ones who will have to get their own living by daily work, will be sorely tempted to turn Mahommedans as the only means of obtaining wives. ”

“ The truth seems to be that the fresh cool air of any elevated region has for a time a very invigorating effect, and therefore everyone who stays only for a few days or weeks feels that the situation must be a healthy one. ”

“ It will be found that the spots described as unhealthy are chiefly those where some European has made a prolonged stay, and those described as healthy are those which have been visited for a short time only. There are, however, manifest advantages in an elevated location in such a climate as this, and as our experience on the Morumbala showed that a mountain swept by winds that had passed over a large swampy district was not exempt from the usual marsh fevers, we looked out for high land as near the coast as possible, in order to avoid the miasma. ”

“ I don't see any reason why stations should not at once be planted among the Zegulas, the Zagaras, and the Grindos near the coast, or among the Yaos and Nyassas near Lake Nyassa, or among some of the tribes on the road to Ujiji. I feel sure that Missionaries would be safe anywhere, and all the more so if they were known to carry no arms whatever. Negroes are very seldom violent unless they are frightened, and, besides, there is nothing so tempting to a native thief as European fire-arms. ”

“ It is partly occupied by a negro tribe, the Wadigo, who have their chief settlements to the northward. Where the hills begin to show themselves distinctly, lie the villages of the half-Swahili people, called by the coastmen, Washenzi, i. e. wild folk, and by the people of the mountains Waboonde, i. e. valley people. They talk a dialect of Swahili much mixed with Shambala words and phrases. The mountains themselves are occupied by the Shambala, but there is at least one large valley running up among them, which is occupied by the Zegulas, who are their next neighbours to the southward. ”

“ To be obliged to give up all prospects elsewhere in order to help in such a Mission as ours, is a greater sacrifice than it is quite reasonable to expect any great number of English clergymen to make, although as Christ's soldiers they ought not to be unwilling to adventure it. ”

“ So much has been said lately on this subject that one need only point out as the duty of this Mission to be ready to give all such help as the men and money at its command may allow to any and every scheme for the benefit of the slaves, and released slaves, within the district in which it works. ”

“ The idea of founding a settlement by force ought not to be entertained for a moment. One may fight one's way through a country, but one can never hold it by violence; besides that, the secular business of a fighting chief would soon swallow up his Missionary character. A king must tolerate many things which a bishop is bound to denounce.
2. The Slave Trade and Released Slaves.
The complete suppression of the Slave Trade and slavery can only come about by the Christianization of the Africans themselves. The coast slave trade is by no means the only one existing. Slavery is found everywhere ”

“ These advantages are nowhere to be found so certainly as in Zanzibar. There is nothing we should be more glad to find than a healthy location, and even a comparatively healthy spot would be at once occupied. In any case, however, so long as Zanzibar remains what it is, the Mission must have a home there of some kind. ”

“ At a short distance to the south lies Dari Salaam, which the Sultan of Zanzibar's predecessor intended to make the starting-point for all caravans going into or coming from any part of the interior. From Dari Salaam to Kilwa the coast is little known, and is reputed to be very unhealthy. South of Kilwa there are many good harbours, the coast is often hilly, and there are many convenient landing-places. I have always myself thought of Lindy (south latitude 10°) as one that might well be chosen. The farther south one goes, the shorter the land journey to the Lake Nyassa becomes. ”

“ This college work is one of very great importance, and it ought not to be difficult to secure efficient help in it, as any clergyman who could leave England for a few years could undertake it, all the scholars being either English or English-speaking natives. We have had an earnest hope that some of the young incumbents of small rural parishes, who feel that they are in danger of getting rusty for want of real work, might be willing to leave their charges for a time in the hands of well-chosen curates and come to our assistance ”

“ Politically, the protection of the English name may save a released man in Eastern Africa from being forcibly re-enslaved; but in order to do him much good, he must have a means of livelihood opened to him, and must be brought at least within hearing of Christian teaching. ”

“ The Bishops have power to grant licences for absence on such works as these, and it is surely better that an active young man should be so employed than that he should be held strictly to such pastoral work only as a cure of two, or one hundred, or even fewer souls may supply him, under the penalty of giving up all hope of a home for his more advanced age. ”

“ Ill-health is common, but death is very rare. One Frenchman, who had been settled here more than twenty years, died lately, but except this the deaths have all been among British subjects; in fact no German, American, or French merchant has died within memory. ”

“ It has become necessary for a time to employ them elsewhere, but their studies are not wholly interrupted, while the great object of becoming familiar with the details of Mission work in East Africa is only being the more completely carried out. ”