The Livingstone Mission has, since the 1st of January, 1886, been transferred to the American Baptist Missionary Union. The best understanding exists between the two societies on the field; there is room for all the energy and force that each can bring. Although on the line of transport we are compelled to keep near to each other, on the great upper river we must keep far distant, if we would wisely and thoroughly occupy this vast field. As to its openness and readiness for missionary effort, let the last news received speak. Mr. Grenfell had recently returned from a voyage in the Peace (B.M.S.) over the whole length of the river to Stanley Falls, exploring several affluents, a journey of over 4000 miles, one third of the voyage being in waters never before visited by any European. One of the affluents, the Mobangi, he traced for 400 miles as far as 4.30° N. lat., and when he turned back it was still a great river, and navigable probably for a long distance. It is believed to be identical with Schweinfurth’s Welle, and if so, we have a highway to the Southern Soudan. The Baptist Missionary Society intend, as soon as possible, to place ten stations, say 100 miles apart, along the 1060 miles of clear waterway to Stanley Falls, each in the best strategic positions, which shall be centres for further operations on the great affluents and surrounding districts. Mr. Arthington presented the Mission last year with a further donation of £2000, on condition that as soon as practicable its operations should be extended as far as the Lake Muta Nzige (about 250 miles), where we hope, before many years have elapsed, to join hands with our brethren of the Church Missionary Society, working westward from Rubaga in Uganda (distant about 200 miles), and our brethren of the London Missionary Society, working northwards from Lake Tanganika (about 100 miles). There must be much patient work before that be accomplished; but the time is by no means distant when the workers from the east and those from the west shall join hands in the centre of the continent. If so much has been accomplished in ten short years, what may we not look forward to in the future? Our Great Master is with us, planning, guiding, strengthening, and sustaining. Cost what it may in life or treasure, we must not abate our efforts until we have won Africa for Christ. Transcriber’s Notes Punctuation, hyphenation, and spelling were made consistent when a predominant preference was found in the original book; otherwise they were not changed. Simple typographical errors were corrected; unbalanced quotation marks were remedied when the change was obvious, and otherwise left unbalanced. End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Life on the Congo, by W. Holman Bentley