I hear a clear voice calling, calling, Calling out of the night, O, you who live in the Light of Life, Bring us the Light! We are bound in the chains of darkness, Our eyes received no sight, O, you who have never been bound or blind, Bring us the Light! We live amid turmoil and horror, Where might is the only right, O, you to whom life is liberty, Bring us the Light! We stand in the ashes of ruins, We are ready to fight the fight, O, you whose feet are firm on the Rock, Bring us the Light! You cannot--you shall not forget us, Out here in the darkest night, We are drowning men, we are dying men, Bring, O, bring us the Light! JOHN OXENHAM. FOREWORD This short record of a year’s missionary journey in Africa and Madagascar is written at the request of the Directors of the London Missionary Society, and is based upon a series of Journal Letters written to my family and friends while I have been on my travels. This fact must be my excuse for writing in the first person. This little book has been prepared in the midst of the pressure of Secretarial work. My visit to South Africa was a Secretarial visit. In Central Africa and Madagascar I formed one of a Deputation from the London Missionary Society. My colleague in Central Africa was the Rev. W. S. Houghton of Birmingham, and in Madagascar the other members of the Deputation were Mr. Houghton and Mr. Talbot E. B. Wilson of Sheffield. It is not my purpose to attempt to give any description of the three Mission Fields which it has been my privilege to visit during the journey. Details with regard to the countries and the peoples will be found in three Handbooks published by the Society.[1] Nor does the discussion of questions of missionary policy or any account of the details of the work in the various fields fall within the scope of this book. These matters have been dealt with in Reports prepared for the Directors of the Society. Further information with regard to all the fields can be obtained in the Society’s Annual Report. Some account of Madagascar and the missionary work there will be also found in a book just published, entitled “Madagascar for Christ,” being the Joint Report of the Simultaneous Deputations from the London Missionary Society, The Friends’ Foreign Mission Association, and the Paris Missionary Society, which have recently returned from Madagascar.[2]