Stanley's Story; Or, Through the Wilds of Africa: A Thrilling Narrative of His Remarkable Adventures, Terrible Experiences, Wonderful Discoveries and Amazing Achievements in the Dark ContinentFeather, A. G., Col.
History
Stanley's Story; Or, Through the Wilds of Africa: A Thrilling Narrative of His Remarkable Adventures, Terrible Experiences, Wonderful Discoveries and Amazing Achievements in the Dark Continent
Feather, A. G., Col.
Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Livingstone, David, 1813-1873; Stanley, Henry M. (Henry Morton), 1841-1904
“I have, indeed, undermined Islamism so much here that Mtesa has
determined henceforth, until he is better informed, to observe the
Christian Sabbath as well as the Moslem Sabbath, and the great captains
have unanimously consented to this. He has further caused the Ten
Commandments of Moses to be written on a board for his daily
perusal--for Mtesa can read Arabic--as well as the Lord’s Prayer and the
golden commandment of our Saviour, ‘Thou shalt love thy neighbor as
thyself.’ This is great progress for the few days that I have remained
with him; and though I am no missionary, I shall begin to think that I
might become one if such success is feasible. But, oh! that some pious,
practical missionary would come here! What a field and harvest ripe for
the sickle of Civilization! Mtesa would give him anything he
desired--houses, lands, cattle, ivory, etc. He might call a province his
own in one day. It is not the mere preacher, however, that is wanted
here. The bishops of Great Britain collected, with all the classic youth
of Oxford and Cambridge, would effect nothing by mere talk with the
intelligent people of Uganda. It is the practical Christian tutor, who
can teach people how to become Christians, cure their diseases,
construct dwellings, understand and exemplify agriculture, and turn his
hand to anything, like a sailor--this is the man who is wanted. Such an
one, if he can be found, would become the saviour of Africa. He must be
tied to no church or sect, but profess God and His Son and the moral
law, and live a blameless Christian, inspired by liberal principles,
charity to all men, and devout faith in Heaven. He must belong to no
nation in particular, but to the entire white race. Such a man or men,
Mtesa, Emperor of Uganda, Usoga, Unyoro, and Karagwé--an empire 360
geographical miles in length by 50 in breadth--invites to repair to him.
He has begged me to tell the white men that, if they will only come to
him, he will give them all they want. Now, where is there in all the
pagan world a more promising field for a mission than Uganda?”... “Then
why further spend, needlessly, vast sums upon black pagans of Africa who
have no example of their own people becoming Christians before them? I
speak to the Universities’ Mission at Zanzibar and to the Free
Methodists at Mombassa, to the leading philanthropists and the pious
people of England. Here, gentlemen, is your opportunity--embrace it! The
people on the shores of the Nyanza call upon you. Obey your own generous
instincts, and listen to them; and I assure you that in one year you
will have more converts to Christianity than all other missionaries
united can number. The population of Mtesa’s kingdom is very dense. I
estimate the number of his subjects at 2,000,000. You need not fear to
spend money upon such a mission, as Mtesa is sole ruler, and will repay
its cost tenfold with ivory, coffee, otter skins of a very fine quality,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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