I sometimes got romantic information that I was sorry at a later date to have to put my pen through. Thus with reference to the High Priest of a new government (98), I gathered from one man that the first person _seen_ by the chief after his installation became the High Priest of his government. I had carefully noted down that a little _boy_ playing in the village found his way to the house of one important chief on the morning after his installation, and was the first to see His Royal Highness; for whom, as a matter of fact, he now officiates as sacrificer, &c. Then, _having taken up_ this meaning of the incident, I was farther informed that the chief made a note of the first _five_ people that he saw in case of the death of any; and my informer was eager to know who was the first man that I saw after coming to Blantyre. Subsequent information threw discredit on the beautiful story. But the peculiar thing was that I found long afterwards another native make the very same statements. This referred me back to my old notes. All I could say about it was that the word I had translated _see_ meant also _find_, that a _boy_ might be over 50 years for anything that the native word indicated, and that it was not clear from my text whether the chief was _seen_ by the boy or the boy by the chief. Much of what we have written was not made the subject of special investigation, except where we found any doubt arise or any verification necessary. Our special object was to obtain such an accurate knowledge of the language as would enable us to give a good translation of the Bible. Most of the knowledge gradually grew upon us as we mingled with the natives, and for the purpose of translation attended closely to every word that we heard. Other parts, especially those that refer to religion, were the subject of special inquiry. It is walking in the dark for a missionary to endeavour to appeal either to the feelings or to the reason of a people whose prejudices and beliefs are unknown to him, and how he is to convince them without appeals to their feelings or their reason I cannot tell. I would have given much to have had an account of those beliefs put into my own hands when I left for Africa. I have tried to make all my statements as accurate as possible, but it would be too much to expect that in such a difficult investigation I should have escaped the influence of these many and subtle sources of error. THE VALUE OF STUDYING NATIVE CUSTOMS AND BELIEFS. What is the use of minute investigations among the ignorant heathen of Central Africa? We reply that such investigations throw light on many points that men of science consider to be of great importance. To take a few instances:— I. IN THE SCIENCE OF THE HUMAN MIND. (A) THE SENSES.