The number of slaves that come down the Blue and White Nile is probably 25,000 annually (Southworth, see page 355; Charles New’s “Wanderings in Africa,” page 492). Many of these are gathered from the Fatiko, Obbo, Latooka and Madi country (see “Ismailia,” page 355), and efforts for their relief by missionaries co-operating with the Government of Col. Gordon would be of much promise (Col. Long, before Executive Committee A. M. A.), especially as Col. Gordon has been appointed Governor General of the Nile basin for life, by the Khedive of Egypt, which position he has accepted, with the avowed purpose of suppressing the slave trade. (“Khedive’s Egypt,” page 294.) He appears to have entered upon this task with the spirit of an old Scotch Covenanter, taking his Bible with him in his tent, in the desert and in the wilderness. (“Khedive’s Egypt,” page 291.) It is a matter of interest that the proposed mission is among the real heathen. Moslem Africa extends across the continent to about 9 deg. north latitude. (See Reade’s “African Sketch Book,” Vol. I., page 312.) Below that belt of country there are no obstacles in the way of religious efforts among the natives, except those common to all missions among an unclad and tropical people. Sir Bartle Frere, as quoted by Secretary Hutchinson of the Church Missionary Society, says that the “missionary, by the negro, free or slave, is everywhere regarded as a friend. He has not the slightest objection of any kind, moral or material, political or social, to the missionary, whom he is glad to welcome as doing him good in many ways, and greatly adding to the importance of the tribes, in the midst of which a mission station is established.” The peculiarity of the climate and the characteristics of the people indicate that the proposed mission should be manned largely by Freedmen from America. The climate is sure to wear out a white man in the course of a few years, if he remains constantly on the ground. (Col. Long, before the Executive Committee of the A. M. A.) The degree of mortality among the white soldiers of the Egyptian army, and the fate of the missionaries of the Austrian Mission at Gondokoro, illustrate the same fact. Besides, the general testimony is, that black men are better able to convince people of their own color of the attainments that may be reached in religion and civilization by the African race. Thus it appears that not only the climate is for the Negro, but the work of missions as well. It is the office of this Association to make use of the Freedmen educated in its schools as missionaries to Africa, as speedily as Providence shall open the way. It is able to furnish a portion of the force required at an early day.