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UGANDA'S WHITE MAN OF WORK
UGANDA'S
WHITE MAN OF WORK
A Story of Alexander M. Mackay
SOPHIA LYON FAHS
FIFTH EDITION
YOUNG PEOPLE'S MISSIONARY MOVEMENT
New York
COPYRIGHT, 1907, BY
YOUNG PEOPLE'S MISSIONARY MOVEMENT
NEW YORK
TO THE BOYS AND GIRLS
WHO DELIGHT IN TRUE STORIES OF PEOPLE
AND WHO MAY COME TO REGARD THE WHITE MAN OF
WORK AS ONE OF THE REAL HEROES OF
THEIR ACQUAINTANCE
2029889
CONTENTS
CHAPTER PAGE
PRONUNCIATION OF UGANDA WOEDS vi
I A NEWSPAPER MAN'S INTERVIEW WITH A BLACK
KING 1
II WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE NEWS WAS READ . . 22
III JUNGLE ROADS, OX-CARTS, AND FLY BITES ... 49
IV Two RECEPTIONS AT THE ROYAL PALACE . . .70
V WHITE MEN AND BLACK MEN BECOME ACQUAINTED 89
VI THE KING AND THE WIZARD ........ Ill
VII THE TWO-FACED MUTESA AND THE MOHAMMEDANS 135
VIII THE NEW TEACHING MAKES NEW MEN . . . .154
IX MACKAY'S QUEER NEW NAME 170
X THREE BOY HEROES AND ONE BOY TYRANT . . .195
XI STURDY BLACK CHRISTIANS WITH NERVE . . .219
XII THE WHITE MAN OF WORK LAYS DOWN His TOOLS 250
POSTLUDE. DID IT PAY? 271
INDEX . 281
ILLUSTEATIONS
UGANDA'S WHITE MAN OF WORK .... Frontispiece
MAP, MACKAY'S PRINCIPAL JOURNEYS .... Page viii
STANLEY TELLS THEM OF THE WHITE MAN'S GOD . " 14
THE PROCESSION FILES OUT OF THE VILLAGE ..." 36
PULLING THE CART-BABGE ACROSS THE RIVEB, ..." 65
" OFFICERS OF THE KING CAME TO ESCORT THEM TO
THE PALACE " " 74
" THE MARVELS OF THE MAGIC LANTERN "...." 93
" THE GREAT WIZARD OF THE LAKE is ABOUT TO VISIT
THE KING " " 112
"COME TO PRAYERS! COME TO SALVATION!" . . " 138
" THE CHIEF TEACHING HIS WIVES " " 159
"HE CUTS IRON LIKE THREAD!" "188
" PART OF THE CROWD BROUGHT FIRE-WOOD " . . . "216
" TELL THE KING THAT I DIE FOR UGANDA " . . . " 226
" TALKING THUS, WE ENTERED THE CIRCLE OF TALL
POLES" "265
" LOAD AFTER LOAD OF OFFERINGS CAME THROUGH
THE DOORS" . , " 278
PRONUNCIATION OF UGANDA WORDS
The vowels are sounded as follows: a, as a in father; e, as e in
they; i, as i in machine; o, as o in nc-te; u, as u in rule. The
syllables are given in this list, and have no accent. Number,
following word, gives page where word first occurs.
a-li-de, 200
A-po-lo Kag-wa, 237
ba-gag-wa, 230
Ba-ga-mo-yo, 36
Ba-li-ku-dem-be, 233
ba-ra-za, 80
Ba-zun-gu, 129
bwa-na, 40
Cham-ba-ran-go, 16
da-la, 94
Du-mu-li-ra, 156
Ga-bun-ga, 126
hon-ga, 44
I-sa, 16
Kar-du-ma, 72
Ka-ge-i, 84
Ka-ge-ye (same place as Ka-
ge-i), 72
Ka-kum-ba, 213
Ka-le-ma, 256
ka-ti, 55
Ka-ti -ki-ro, 17
Kau-ta, 17
ka-zi, 171
Kid-za, 214
kii-la, 215
Kim-bug-wa, 187
Kin-tu, 16
kub-wa, 57
Ky-am-ba-lan-go, 182
lu-ba-re, 94
Lu-ga-la-ma, 213
Lu-gan-da, 81
Lu-kon-ge, 72
Ma-si-ya, 215
mba-ya, 55
Men-go, 207
mi-la-lu, 141
Mi-ram-bo, 231
mi-ti, 55
Mpwa-pwa, 42
Msu-la-la, 205
UGANDA WORDS
Muf-ta, 71
Mu-ja-si, 204
Mu-ka-sa, 111
Mu-sa, 16
Mu-te-sa, 4
Mu-zun-gn, 55
Mwan-dang-wa, 72
Mwan-ga, 200
Mwi-ra, 167
Na-lu-ma-si, 228
Na-ma-so-le, 179
Na-mi-rem-be, 274
nji-a, 57
Nu-a, 232
ny-an-zig, 79
pom-be, 12
pos-hoj 41
Ru-ba-ga, 73
Ru-sa-ka, 182
Sam-we-li, 244
Seb-wa-tOj 213
Sem-be-ra, 155
Se-ru-wan-ga, 212
si-ku, 215
Son-go-ro, 72
tu-u-si-fu, 215
U-gan-da, 4
U-go-go, 43
U-ke-re-we, 72
U-la-ya, 55
Un-yan-yem-be, 141
U-sam-bi-ro, 258
U-so-ga, 202
U-su-ku-ma, 120
U-yu-i, 136
Wa-gan-da, 8
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G E R M A N
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Mackay's Principal Journeys ~^~ip
UGANDA'S
WHITE MAN OF WORK
CHAPTER I
A NEWSPAPER MAN'S INTERVIEW WITH A
BLACK KING
TT was a November morning in 1875.
-*- The London newsboys were selling un-
usually large numbers of the Daily Tele-
graph. It was enough for the lads to cry,
" Latest news from Stanley, " and every one
wanted a copy. .
Mr. Stanley had written the story of his
adventures in Africa, the black man's land.
Down under the equator, where the weather
is too hot to be talked about, he was explor-
ing a lake named for Queen Victoria.
To reach this place the traveler and his
men had marched through many regions
where the native savages had never seen the
1
WHITE MAN OF WORK
face of a white man. Within sound of the
roaring of lions and the cries of leopards
and hyenas, they had cut their trails
through thick African jungles'. Their
course had led them to face drenching rains
and the scorching rays of the tropical sun.
Again for days they had plodded along over
parched deserts in search of water. .At
other times they waded more than knee-
deep through miry swamps steaming with
heat. More than once Mr. Stanley and
many of his men had been forced to lie in
their tents helpless and burning with fever.
Is it strange that a letter from such a corre-
spondent was hailed with enthusiasm in
London ?
But who had brought the letter all the
way to London from Stanley in the heart
of Africa? Not a post-office or mail-car-
rier was to be found within a thousand
miles of where Stanley was. The black
men had no railroads, or mail-coaches or
even roads over which a coach might be
pulled. Little wonder then that the letter
2
INTERVIEW WITH A BLACK KING
Was seven months old when it appeared in
the morning newspaper. When one thinks
of the way it came, the marvel is that it ever
reached England at all.
It is the story of a pair of boots. A
young Frenchman, happening to be with
Mr. Stanley at the time, wished to return to
Europe. Gladly taking the letter with him,
he and his caravan started on their home-
ward journey. Marching northward along
the bank of the Kiver Nile, one day they
were suddenly attacked by a band of savage
tribesmen. The Frenchman was killed and
his corpse was heartlessly left lying un-
buried on the sand. Later some English
soldiers passing by discovered the dead
body. Hidden in one of the boots, they
found Mr. Stanley's letter. They quickly
forwarded it to the English General in
Egypt and from there it was sent to the
newspaper office in London. Was it by
mere chance that the letter was preserved?
Some who read the rest of the story may
think that perhaps the Great Father who
3
WHITE MAN OF WORK
loves both black and white people had some-
thing to do with it.
But what had Mr. Stanley written in this
letter which all were so eager to read? A
message very different from any he had
ever sent home before yes, very different
too from that which any one had expected
from him. Had he been a missionary, his
letter would not have proved so surprising.
But Mr. Stanley was an explorer and news-
paper correspondent. Indeed, many in
England did not know that he even called
himself a Christian. Imagine, then, how
they felt when they found that part of the
letter read something like this :
"King Mutesa of Uganda has been ask-
ing me about the white man's God. Al-
though I had not expected turning a mis-
sionary, for days I have been telling this
black king all the Bible stories I know. So
enthusiastic has he become that already he
has determined to observe the Christian
Sabbath as well as the Mohammedan Sab-
bath, and all his great captains have con-
4
INTERVIEW WITH A BLACK KING
sented to follow Ms example. He has fur-
ther caused the Ten Commandments as well
as the Lord's Prayer and the golden com-
mandment of our Saviour, 'Thou shalt love
thy neighbor as thyself,' to be written on
boards for his daily reading.
"Oh, that some pious, practical mission-
ary would come here! Mutesa would give
him anything that he desired houses,
lands, cattle, ivory, and other things. He
could call a province his own in one day.
It is not the mere preacher, however, that
is wanted here. It is the practical Chris-
tian, who can teach people how to become
Christians, cure their diseases, build dwell-
ings, teach farming, and turn his hand to
anything, like a sailor this is the man who
is wanted. Such a one, if he can be found,
would become the saviour of Africa.
"Here, gentlemen, is your opportunity
embrace it! The people on the shores of
Victoria Lake call upon you. Listen to
them. You need not fear to spend money
upon this mission, as Mutesa is sole ruler,
5
WHITE MAN OF WORK
and will repay its cost tenfold with ivory,
coffee, otter skins of a very fine quality, or
even in cattle, for the wealth of this country
in these products is immense.' 7
It was not till some time later that Mr.
Stanley told all the marvelous tale. No
one who heard it wondered any more that
he had asked for missionaries to go to
Uganda. This is how the story ran:
With his large company of followers, he
had begun the voyage northward on Victoria
Lake toward Uganda. One clear morning
they spied on the far horizon a fleet of
canoes coming toward them. As the canoes
approached,- the white men caught sight of
African oarsmen aboard better dressed than
any other negroes they had seen in all their
journey.
The black sailors hailed the white cap-
tain, and when they were near enough to
talk with each other, they told him of a
strange dream the mother of their king had
dreamed two nights before. She thought
she saw on the lake a beautiful vessel hav-
6
INTERVIEW WITH A BLACK KING
ing white wings like a bird. On board was
a white man with wonderful, large eyes and
long black hair. The king, on hearing the
dream, had sent these men to find the white
man and to invite him to his court. Mr.
Stanley could not do other than respond
favorably to this royal invitation, and as
soon as possible he followed his new guides
to the northern shore of the lake, where
lay their home country, the kingdom of
Uganda.
A great surprise was in store for him
when he landed. On the beach stood two
thousand people marshaled in two long
parallel lines. Noisy salutes from numer-
ous guns, the waving of bright-colored flags,
the beating of tom-toms, and the blaring of
trumpets, all combined to express their glad
welcome. So many Africans all neatly
clad in long white robes, with their chiefs
arrayed in rich scarlet gowns, made a spec-
tacle new to Mr. Stanley. On his way to
Uganda, he had passed through the coun-
tries of twenty or more African tribes, but
7
WHITE MAN OF WORK
the people were all savages, wearing little
or nothing one could call clothes. These
Waganda (for that is the name of the peo-
ple of Uganda), however, seemed to him
highly civilized.
The strange white guest was taken to
the tent which had been made ready for his
coming. Soon a herd of oxen was driven
into the courtyard in front of the tent, and
then a number of goats and sheep. On the
ground a hundred bunches of bananas were
piled. By them was laid a queer heap of
eatables, including three dozen chickens,
four wooden dishes of milk, four baskets of
sweet potatoes, fifty ears of green Indian
corn, a basket of rice, twenty dozen eggs,
and ten pots of Uganda wine a most gen-
erous gift from the king whom the stranger
had not yet seen.
When the day came for the white man
to visit the king's court, Mr. Stanley with
his large company marched along a broad,
well-built road leading to the top of a hill,
where stood a high, dome-shaped hut built
8
INTERVIEW WITH A BLACK KING
of reed grass. In the doorway of this royal
palace stood the tall, slender figure of King
Mutesa. His rich, red costume with gold
embroidery was very becoming to his grace-
ful, broad-shouldered figure and handsome
face. In his talk with Mr. Stanley, he
showed himself bright and eager to learn
all that he could to increase the greatness of
his realm, which was already no small king-
dom.
Most African nations were small tribes
of a few hundred or thousand people, and
most so-called African kings were chiefs
over a small group of African villages.
The kingdom of Uganda was a most nota-
ble exception. Here was a country as large
as the New England States, with four mil-
lion people, all ruled by one powerful mon-
arch. Nor did he rule in the f ashon of most
African chiefs. His House of Lords met
daily in his palace for counsel. These were
his great chiefs or earls, who ruled his prov-
inces. He had also his prime minister, his
chief judge, his commander-in-chief for the
9
WHITE MAN OF WORK
large army of black soldiers, and his grand
admiral for the navy of canoes. To the
white man, Mutesa seemed like some great
Caesar of Africa.
Mr. Stanley, while still a lad, had told
some of his boy friends that when he be-
came a man he was going to be a mission-
ary. This resolve of his boyhood days,
however, had slipped from his mind as he
became older. Now in Uganda, where he
was talking daily with this great African
king, there came back to him the longing-
he had when a boy, and he wished to know
how to be a missionary. "If David Living-
stone were only alive and here in Uganda,"
he thought to himself, "what a wonderful
work he would do. For should king Mutesa
and his millions of subjects become Chris-
tians they in turn would make the best kind
of missionaries to the savage tribes all about
them."
But Mutesa and his people were heathen.
This does not mean that they worshiped
idols; for had one searched throughout the
10
INTERVIEW WITH A BLACK KING
whole country of Uganda, he probably
would not have found a single image. He
would have seen, however, here and there
along the roadside, usually under the shade
of some tree or on the top of a mountain, lit-
tle huts so small he might have thought they
were playhouses for the little Uganda chil-
dren; but they were used for a very differ-
ent purpose. To these tiny grass huts the
Waganda went to sacrifice.
They believed there was a great god who
many hundred years ago created the whole
world; but, since men had become very
wicked, this god grew angry and would have
nothing more to do with the world. It was
no use therefore to pray to him, for he
would never listen. Instead, they wor-
shiped different kinds of evil spirits. These
spirits lived in trees, or on the mountains,
or on the lake, or sometimes even in per-
sons ; and the Waganda thought they would
do much harm unless presents were given
to them. Tied to one of the little sacred
huts or to a tree beside it might be seen
11
WHITE MAN OF WORK
some of these gifts walking around several
sheep or goats or cows. Peeping inside the
hut, one might discover also a bunch of ba-
nanas or several skin bottles filled with
pombe, which is a Uganda wine made from
bananas. The ugly old man or woman who
is guardian of the prayer hut keeps these
gifts until the evil spirit is supposed to have
taken all he wishes to eat ; then the guardian
gives himself a treat. So the poor Wa-
ganda used to pray to these evil spirits by
giving them presents, not of course because
they loved the spirits but because they were
afraid of them.
There was another religion also, very dif-
ferent from this heathen spirit worship,
about which Mutesa had heard a good deal.
For about fifty years, Arab merchants had
been coming into Uganda to trade calico,
wire, beads, and various trinkets for native
ivory and slaves.
" There is one true God," these merchants
said, "and his greatest prophet is Moham-
med. To him God gave great power to do
12
INTERVIEW WITH A BLACK KING
miracles and to conquer many nations.
Now, millions upon millions of people wor-
ship him. In dreams Mohammed was told
by God many wonderful things about
heaven and hell, and he has given his fol-
lowers some good commandments." To
Mutesa the stories they told of Mohammed
seemed far more wonderful than the foolish
tales he had heard of the evil spirits in
Uganda; and he felt almost like becoming
a Mohammedan. He began to wear the Mo-
hammedan dress and turban, he taught his
chiefs Mohammedan customs, and he kept
the Mohammedan Sabbath. Thus Mr.
Stanley found Mutesa half heathen and half
Mohammedan, never having heard that to
be a Christian was better than either.
Day after day passed, and each day King
Mutesa and Mr. Stanley talked together on
many subjects. The explorer hesitated to
speak of the Christian's God, for he knew
not whether Mutesa would be glad or angry
to hear of Him. One day at court, when
the chiefs were all present, some one of
13
WHITE MAN OF WORK
Ms own accord asked Mr. Stanley to tell
them of the white man's God. As he began
to tell of God, the loving Father, and of
Jesus Christ, his Son, Mr. Stanley noticed
that the king and courtiers were listening
more intently than he had ever known them
to listen before. Until that day, it had al-
ways been thought polite to talk about any
one subject for a short time only; but now
these black men seemed to forget to become
wearied. Each succeeding day, Mr. Stan-
ley continued to talk on this same subject.
His hearers appeared far more interested
in what he said about Jesus than they had
ever been in any of the wonderful things
he had told about civilized people.
Mr. Stanley's visit with Mutesa lasted for
some months. When it became known that
he was soon to leave the country, some one
suggested that at least a few of the things
the white man had said should be written
down so that they would not be forgotten.
By good fortune there were two lads who
together could do the translating and writ-
14
INTERVIEW WITH A BLACK KING
ing; one was the king's chief drummer, the
other was one of Mr. Stanley's boat boys.
So, on thin polished boards of white wood,
each about a foot square, they wrote the
Ten Commandments and some of the most
striking stories of the Old and New Testa-
ments; until the Waganda had a little li-
brary of board books.
One memorable day, King Mutesa called
to him his chiefs, the officers of his guard,
and Mr. Stanley. When all were seated be-
fore him, some on the floor and some on
stools, in his palace hut, Mutesa began to
speak.
"When I became king," he said, in the
language of his country, "I delighted in
shedding blood because I knew no better.
I was only following the customs of my
fathers ; but, when an Arab trader came and
taught me the Mohammedan religion, I gave
up the example of my fathers, and behead-
ings became less frequent. No man can
say that since that day he has seen Mutesa
drunk with pombe. But there were a great
15
WHITE MAN OF WORK
many things I could not understand and
some things which seemed very unreason-
able ; but no one in Uganda was able to ex-
plain them to me. Now, God be thanked,
a white man, Stamlee, has come to Uganda
with a book older than the Koran [sacred
book] of Mohammed. My boys have read
out of it to me, and I find it is a great deal
better than the book of Mohammed, besides
it is the first and oldest book. The prophet
Musa [Moses] wrote some of it a long, long
time before Mohammed was born. As Kin-
tu, our first king, was a long time before
me, so Musa was before Mohammed. Now
I want you, my chiefs and soldiers, to tell
me what we shall do. Shall we believe in
Isa [Jesus] and Musa or in Mohammed?"
One of the group, Chambarango by name,
spoke up: "Let us take that which is the
best."
"But," came a reply from the prime min-
ister, "we do not know which is the best.
The Arabs say their book is the best, and
the white men say their book is the best
16
INTERVIEW WITH A BLACK KING
how then can we know which speaks the
truth?"
Then Kauta, the king's steward, said:
"When Mutesa became a son of Mohammed,
he taught me, and I became one ; if my mas-
ter says he taught me wrong, having got
more knowledge, he can now teach me right.
I am waiting to hear his words. ' '
Pleased at this, Mutesa again addressed
his chiefs: "Kauta speaks well. If I taught
him how to become a Mohammedan, I did it
because I believed it to be good. Chambar-
ango says, 'Let us take that which is best.'
True, I want that which is the best, and I
want the true book; but the katikiro [prime
minister] asks, 'How are we to know which
is true ? ' And I will answer him. Listen to
me. The Arabs and the white men behave
exactly as they are taught in their books,
do they not? The Arabs come here for
ivory and slaves, and we have seen that they
do not always speak the truth, and that they
buy men of their own color and treat them
badly, putting them in chains and beating
17
WHITE MAN OF WORK
them. The white men, when offered slaves,
refuse them, saying, * Shall we make our
brothers slaves'? No; we are all sons of
God.' I have not heard a white man tell a
lie yet. Speke came here, behaved well,
and went his way home with his brother
Grant. [Speke and Grant were earlier ex-
plorers in Africa.] They bought no slaves,
and the time they were in Uganda they were
very good. Stamlee came here, and he
would take no slaves. What Arab would
have refused slaves like these white men?
Though we deal in slaves, it is no reason
why it should not be bad ; and when I think
that the Arabs and the white men do as they
are taught, I say that the white men are
greatly superior to the Arabs, and I think,
therefore, that their book must be a better
book than Mohammed's, and of all that
Stamlee has read from this book I see noth-
ing too hard for me to believe. I have
listened to it all well pleased, and now I
ask you, shall we accept this book or Mo-
hammed's book as our guide?"
18
INTERVIEW WITH A BLACK KING
Seeing clearly just what the king wanted,
they all answered, "We will take the white
men's book."
Thus it was that Mutesa announced him-
self a follower of the Christ and the Chris-
tian's Book. He promised to build a
church, and begged that other white men
might come to teach him and his people
about the good way.
"Stamlee," he said, "say to the white
people, when you write to them, that I am
like a man sitting in darkness, or born blind,
and that all I ask is that I may be taught
how to see, and I shall continue a Christian
while I live."
Such an appeal Mr. Stanley could not
let pass unheeded, and the letter was writ-
ten to the Daily Telegraph.
But the newspaper correspondent had
asked a very hard thing. London folk had
heard before of King Mutesa of Uganda.
Two earlier travelers had told very differ-
ent stories of this great heathen monarch.
Which was to be believed? They had said
19
WHITE MAN OF WORK
that in Mutesa's court a fair trial was never
known. If one of the king's chiefs failed
to salute his majesty properly, his head was
in danger. If his bark cloth dress was not
tied over his right shoulder according to the
proper fashion, Mutesa was likely to order
the man to be put to death. In an instant
every one near the offender would rise,
drums would be beaten, drowning the man's
cries for mercy, and the unfortunate vic-
tim would be dragged off to his fate. Even
the king's three or four hundred wives
lived in daily fear of death by order of
their master. Such was the king who
Stanley was now saying wanted Christian
teachers. Who knew but that he might not
soon tire of white men too, and order their
lives also to be taken?
Then, too, the young men of England
thought of the long and dangerous journey
across a country with no railroads. They
thought of the wild animals, of the deadly
hot climate, and of the savage and cannibal
chiefs through whose countries they would
20
INTERVIEW WITH A BLACK KING
pass. They pictured the loneliness of liv-
ing so many months away from all their
white friends and loved ones. What joy
would there be in living in a small grass hut
with mud floors and no windows? Why
should any man, who might some day be an
honored clergyman in a peaceful town ir
England, go to this uncivilized land and be
his own butcher, baker, and candlestick-
maker ?
Was there even one man in England who
would take Mr. Stanley's letter seriously?
Would any one be willing to leave home and
friends and risk his life just because a black
king in the heart of Africa, plotting per-
haps for the white man's life, had asked
for a missionary ?
Moreover one man could not go alone. A
number of men would have to be found who
would go in a party. Thousands of dollars
would be needed for traveling expenses
alone. Was this undertaking worth all it
might cost? What would come of Mr.
Stanley's letter?
21
CHAPTER II
WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THE NEWS WAS READ
IN an office in Salisbury Square in Lon-
don a small group of men read Mr.
Stanley's newspaper letter. They were men
who had been chosen to gather the money
given for missions by the churches and to
send out missionaries. They were called
secretaries of the Church Missionary So-
ciety.
"Is there anything we can do for King
Mutesa," they said to one another? "If he
is truly longing to be taught about God, will
it not be a crime to refuse to send some one
to tell him ? Even if he is not sincere, ought
we not to act as if he were? But who has
the heart to ask any young man to go?
And who would be willing to give money for
the undertaking?"
22
AFTER THE NEWS WAS READ
Discouraged by the difficulties they saw,
yet unwilling to drop the matter carelessly,
they locked the office doors and knelt to-
gether to ask the Father to tell them what
He wanted them to do. Not long did they
wait for an answer to their prayers. The
third day after Mr. Stanley's article was
published, a letter came addressed to Mr.
Hutchinson, Secretary of the Church Mis-
sionary Society, which showed that some one
else had the needs of Uganda in mind.
"Dear Mr. Hutchinson/' it read, "Often
have I thought of the people in the interior
of Africa in the region of Uganda, and I
have longed and prayed for the time to come
when the Lord would open the door so that
heralds of the gospel might enter the coun-
try. The appeal of Stanley to the Chris-
tian Church from Mutesa 's capital, seems to
show that the time has come for the sol-
diers of the cross to make an advance into
that region. If the Committee of the
Church Missionary Society are prepared at
once and with energy to start a mission to
23
WHITE MAN OF WORK
Victoria Lake, I shall gladly give you 5,000
[about $25,000] with which to begin.
"I desire to be known in this matter only
as <An Unprofitable Servant.'
(Lukexvii.10)."
The hearts of the committeemen beat fast
as they read the letter through. It all
seemed so wonderful. "God must be in
this," they said to one another, "God must
be in this. He must have touched the heart
of Mutesa and made him want to ask for
missionaries: he must have told Stanley to
send the plea on to England: and he must
have put it in the heart of this Christian
man of wealth, whose name we do not know,
to make this generous gift. Who are we
that we should stand back and say to God,
'No, we are afraid to do our part to help.' '
They began to study their geographies,
and to read magazine articles and books of
travel that told about Uganda and the way
to go there. By the time a week of such
thought and prayer had passed, they decided
24
AFTER THE NEWS WAS READ
that they would send letters to different
newspapers asking for men and money.
Soon another gift of 5,000 [$25,000] was
made. This encouraged them to work and
pray for even more. How glad they were,
not many days later, when they found that
the sum of 24,000 in all [$120,000] was
ready to be used!
These, however, were not the only letters
which came to make them glad. Some were
from men who had no money to give, but
who wanted to give their lives. One was
from a retired officer of the British navy,
Lieutenant Gc. Shergold Smith. One was
from an Irish architect, Mr. O'Neill; an-
other, from a minister, the Rev. Mr. Wilson ;
another from Mr. Clark, an engineer; and
another from Mr. William Robertson, an
artisan; and still another from Dr. John
Smith, a physician of Edinburgh. All
these men wanted to go, and the secretaries
at the office said they would be glad to send
them. Another, however, a carpenter, Mr.
James Robertson, they refused to send be-
25
WHITE MAN OF WORK
cause of his poor health ; but, having already
sold out his business, he said he would go
and pay his own expenses. These seven
men, with one other, made up the party who
in answer to Stanley's newspaper appeal
sailed a few months later for Mutesa 's land.
This other was the youngest of them all
a Scotchman named Alexander Mackay.
[He pronounced his name, Mack-i.] He
wrote from Germany where he was gaining
a reputation for himself as one of the head
men in an important machine factory. His
business was to draw plans for large en-
gines.
Even when a boy, Alexander had always
been fond of machinery. Living in a little
Scottish village, when a lad of about twelve
years, he used often to walk four miles to
the nearest railway station and four miles
back just to see the engine puff into town
hauling a train of cars, stop a minute or two,
and then steam off. again. His good-nat-
ured fun made him a great favorite at the
village blacksmith's, at the ,gas works, the
26
AFTER THE NEWS WAS READ
carding-mill, and the carpenters' shops.
Often he would visit these places, for he
liked to watch the men and the machinery as
they did their work.
While he was at grammar-school in a
larger town, he could almost never be in-
duced to go on holiday excursions with the
other lads. Instead, he would slip away to
a photographer's where he would learn how
to use a camera, or he would find his way to
the shipyards to watch the builders as they
covered the steel ribs with timbers, placed
the masts, and sewed the rigging for fishing
schooners. During his college course, too,
those studies were most to his liking in
which he could make something with his
hands.
His father wanted him to be a clergyman,
but the boy did not favor the suggestion.
He was, however, a true Christian. The
thought of going as a missionary to some
heathen land came to him when a child.
His father used to talk with him about the
new discoveries in Central Africa, and his
27
WHITE MAN OF WORK
mother often told him stories about mission-
aries.
More than a year before Mr. Stanley's
plea was published, Mackay had read an ap-
peal for Christian doctors to go to Madagas-
car. Although he knew that thousands of
Christians on that island had suffered death
as martyrs, he purposed, if it seemed to be
God's wish for him to do so, to go to Mada-
gascar as an " engineering missionary."
By this he meant that he wanted to go to
that uncivilized island to teach the natives
to build roads, bridges, railways, to work
mines, and to learn to use various kinds of
machinery, and so help them to become
more useful Christians. A strange sort of
missionary, you say. This is what many of
his friends thought, too ; for they had never
before heard of a mechanic becoming a mis-
sionary ; but it did not change Mackay 's pur-
pose. He began at once to prepare for his
work by studying the language of the peo-
ple of Madagascar.
This plan, however, was changed for a bet-
28
AFTER THE NEWS WAS READ
ter one. On a bitter cold night, during the
Christmas holidays of 1875, he finished
reading Stanley's book, How I Found Liv-
ingstone. Laying the book on the table, he
noticed an old copy of the Edinburgh Daily
Review. His eyes fell on the words i i Henry
Wright, Honorary Secretary, Church Mis-
sionary Society." His curiosity was at
once awakened. He had found one of the
appeals sent out by the secretaries in Lon-
don asking for men to go out as missionaries
to Mutesa's kingdom. Mr. Mackay, then
and there, although it was after midnight,
wrote to Mr. Wright offering to go to help
teach Mutesa's people how to be useful
Christians.
"My heart burns for the deliverance of
Africa," he wrote, "and if you can send rne
to any one of these regions which Living-
stone and Stanley have found to be groan-
ing under the curse of the slave-hunter I
shall be very glad ! ' '
So it all came about that in the quiet, old
committee-room of the Church Missionary
29
WHITE MAN OF WORK
House one April day the eight young men
bound for Uganda said good-by to the com-
mitteemen who stayed at home. One of the
secretaries, speaking for the rest, gave the
young men their last instructions. Then
each of the party replied in his turn. Mr.
Mackay being the youngest was the last to
speak.
" There is one thing," he said, "which my
brethren have not said, and which I want
to say. I want to remind the committee
that within six months they will probably
hear that one of us is dead." He paused,
and there was a solemn stillness in the room.
Then, he went on: "Yes; is it at all likely
that eight Englishmen should start for Cen-
tral Africa, and all be alive six months af-
ter ? One of us, at least it may be I will
surely fall before that. But," he added,
"what I want to say is this; when the news
comes, do not be cast down, but send some
one else immediately to take the vacant
place."
By the end of April all the party had
30
AFTER THE NEWS WAS READ
sailed. The good-bys were hard to say.
Friends, mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters,
and, for some, their wives and children, they
might never see again. Yet their gladness
was more than their sorrow as the steam-
ship put out to sea. They believed that the
Heavenly Father was their pilot. He had
raised the money. He had called his work-
ers, and they were now going with him.
Five long weeks at sea! Then down by
the equator a few miles off the east coast of
Africa, the voyagers at last sighted the
island of Zanzibar. There in the city of
Zanzibar, the busiest seaport in East Africa,
they landed.
But the kingdom of Mutesa lay about a
thousand miles beyond. By foot or on don-
key's back, they must travel through a wild
tropical country for a distance as far as
from Washington to Chicago. Even then
the next to the largest lake in all the world
and a very stormy and treacherous one it
is, too, would still separate them from Mu-
tesa 's land.
31
WHITE MAN OF WORK
In these days of railroads and telegraphs,
it is difficult to understand how hard it was
in 1876 to prepare for a journey of one
thousand miles into the interior of Africa.
On leaving the coast, the missionaries would
say good-by to stores of every kind. Noth-
ing could be purchased at any price in the
country through which they would march
except food such as the black men ate,
elephants' tusks, animal skins, bark cloth,
and slaves. Even these could not be bought
with silver and gold or with paper money.
African chiefs would insist on bead money
and on such things as red caps, handker-
chiefs, cloth, wire, guns, and gunpowder for
pay.
Before setting sail from Liverpool, the
missionaries had spent weeks in hurrying
to and fro from store to store. They had
ordered books, clothing, medicines, ham-
mers, nails, spades, saws, hatchets, axes,
chisels, a forge and bellows, shovels, grind-
stones, a pump. These do not cover half the
list. Perhaps the most unique articles in
32
AFTER THE NEWS WAS READ
their outfit, were a printing-press, a magic
lantern, a music-box and a steam launch.
Much of the bulkiest baggage was left to
be purchased in Zanzibar. No trudging
around, however, from store to store this
time. As soon as the news spread about the
town that a party of Britishers had arrived
bound for Victoria Lake, merchants from
India and Arabs began to call on them. A
list of the articles needed was carefully
made out and the goods ordered.
After several days, there came to the house
where the missionaries were staying, a num-
ber of half -naked Indian coolies. In one of
the houses surrounding the courtyard, they
stacked scores of bundles of varied shapes
and sizes. First, came boxes of dried foods,
pans, kettles, and dishes. Most of the
camping outfit was purchased in Zanzibar,
including tents, white umbrellas, waterproof
sheets, blankets, cots, and stools.
The largest bundles of all, however, were
filled with African money. By the door were
lying piles of small change handkerchiefs
33
WHITE MAN OF WORK
and red caps. Over in one corner, the cool-
ies were rolling $50 bills bales of colored
and striped cotton cloth. Then came the
bead money bags of large beads and small
beads, oval beads and round beads, some
blue, some red, some green, and some white.
At last, the coolies, panting with heat,
lugged in the heaviest bundles of all
huge coils of brass wire thousands and
thousands of yards. Handkerchiefs, red
caps, cloth, beads, and brass wire, together
weighing hundreds of pounds, were all to be
used as money.
The baggage being collected, the next
problem was how to get it carried across the
country to Mutesa's kingdom. Having
nothing but crooked narrow trails for road-
ways, the missionaries were obliged to travel
as the Arabs had always done before them.
This meant picking their way on foot sin-
gle file, mile after mile, and using black men
as beasts of burden.
Now, even sturdy black baggage-carriers
will not march with a burden on their heads
34
AFTER THE NEWS WAS READ
weighing more than about sixty pounds. So
all the white men's freight had to be taken
from trunks and boxes and repacked. The
boxes were opened, their contents spread out
on the ground in piles of the size and weight
of one man's load. Then shaping each pile,
if possible, into the form of a large pillow-
bolster, they wrapped it in several thick-
nesses of cloth and tied it tightly with strong
rope. When neither rain nor rough hand-
ling could harm what was within the wrap-
pings, the bundles were ready for the heads
of the African porters.
While some of the missionary band were
busy packing supplies, others were toiling
at perhaps the hardest work of all. Trudg-
ing from hut to hut in the negro quarter of
Zanzibar, they were hiring baggage-carriers.
Others having crossed the channel to the
mainland were plodding about from village
to village working at the same trying task;
for as many as five hundred porters were
needed. For many weeks this search
dragged along. Finally, it was decided to
35
WHITE MAN OF WORK
divide the missionary party into four cara-
vans, so that some could begin the march be-
fore all of the five hundred baggage-carriers
were found.
Two of the caravans had not yet started
when the " angel of death" visited the camp.
" Within six months you will probably hear
that one of us is dead," Mr. Mackay had
said to the committee before leaving Eng-
land. Within four months the prophecy
was fulfilled. On a little island off the
coast, a grave was dug for the body of James
Robertson, the carpenter, who had gone with
the party at his own expense. He had
given his life for a king and a people he had
never seen.
The next to the last caravan to leave the
coast was Mr. Mackay's. Crowds of peo-
ple from the town of Bagamoyo flocked to
see the white man and his procession file
out of the village. A bugle call had sum-
moned those hired for the journey to gather
before the white man's quarters. A man's
load was given to each carrier and his place
36
AFTER THE NEWS WAS READ
in the procession assigned. First marched
a half-dozen soldiers, who never had even
carried guns until Mr. Mackay began to
train them. Then came the leader of the
porters with a load on his shoulders twice as
heavy as any one else carried. He was fol-
lowed by about two hundred men loaded
with their sixty pound pillow-bolsters. Be-
hind them, straggled the wives of a few por-
ters, an aged father, and a handful of small
boys. Next walked a line of four donkeys
laden with parts of a steam launch, other
machinery and tools, and much of the cloth.
After them, marched Mr. Hartwell, a
sailor, who was now Mr. Mackay 's only
white companion. He was followed by a
cook, Mr. Mackay 's personal servant, three
stoker boys, an interpreter, an African ma-
son, and a carpenter. Last of all came a
group of soldiers, Mr. Mackay, and a dog.
It was an interesting procession for the
townspeople to watch, for marching single
file, they stretched along the path for about
a quarter of a mile.
37
WHITE MAN OF WORK
Talking, laughing, and singing, the long
line wound here and there through the tall
jungle grass, down some little valley or up
a tiny hill. But the sun shone hot above
them, and the path was hard and dry. In
an hour or so, the heat became oppressive.
The orderly line grow irregular. Some
straggled behind, blaming Mr. Mackay for
their discomfort. Those accustomed to
march walked steadily on toward a river
about three miles distant where they knew
they could rest, but some of the inexperi-
enced ones were already lying flat on the
ground crying for water and bewailing that
they had ever been such fools as to leave
their homes.
During the first few days, the caravan
proceeded very slowly. The men insisted
on marching only an hour or two in the
morning and on resting all the next day.
By promising higher wages if they would
march longer each day, Mr. Mackay suc-
ceeded in getting them to march from sun-
rise or soon after until about noon.
38
AFTER THE NEWS WAS READ
The country through which they passed
varied greatly from day to day. Some-
times they pushed their way through fields
of grass as tall as themselves or even higher
and having stalks almost as thick as sugar-
cane. Every now and then they were
startled by a hippopotamus or an antelope
scared from its hiding-place in the heavy
grass.
Starting off again, they came to a swamp
more beautiful to look at than to wade
through. It was filled with large graceful
ferns and beautiful pink flowers. At night
it was alive with fireflies. The missionaries
thought this sight worth going hundreds of
miles to see. They also passed through
fields of millet growing to a height of six-
teen or eighteen feet. At another place,
they were refreshed by the cool shade of a
park-like forest. The giant cacti and eu-
phorbia trees made it seem very different
from the woodlands at home. They discov-
ered gorgeous butterflies and many birds of
brilliant plumage that their friends in Eng-
39
WHITE MAN OF WORK
land had never seen. Sometimes the for-
est changed to jungle. Then with an ax
and hatchet foot by foot they had to slash
a wider path in front of them, before the
donkeys could wedge their way between the
two walls of underbrush on either side.
You would have enjoyed seeing how Mr.
Mackay fed his large family of two hundred
blacks. Reaching a place near a water sup-
ply where it was planned that the caravan
would spend the night, tents were pitched
and the goods piled under a tree or in a
tent. When in a district where wild beasts
were common, a fence of thorns was built
round the camp. As soon as this work was
completed, the head men of the caravan col-
lected before Mr. Mackay 's tent and cried
"Posho, Bwana" [" Rations, Master."]
Instead of handing out food to them, he had
a bale of calico brought to him and, meas-
uring it by the length of the forearm from
the elbow to the tip of the middle finger, he
gave each one eight of these lengths for
every sixteen men of whom he had charge.
40
AFTER THE NEWS WAS READ
"With these pieces of calico for money these
men went to the natives of the place and
bought their own food.
" To be a father to such a large family of
children," wrote Mr. Mackay, " every day
crying out 'Posho!' which means, 'Give us
our daily bread/ is by no means a joke.
Their little disputes and complaints I have
to settle. My interpreter is poor in English
and sometimes says just the opposite of
what I mean. Still we get on wonderfully
well."
Water at times was harder to find than
food. More than once the caravan was
obliged to set up camp and with empty
water-bottles to walk forth in seach of some-
thing with which to quench their thirst.
When no spring could be found, the natives
would dig holes in the ground which would
usually fill with a muddy looking liquid re-
sembling soap-suds. "With such as this
blacks and whites alike had to be content.
Fortunately, Mr. Mackay had very few
sick men to take care of. In a caravan a
41
WHITE MAN OF WORK
little in front of his, smallpox was raging
severely, and here and there along the road
lay the bodies of men who had died on the
march. In order to escape the tracks of
this caravan, Mr. Mackay left the regular
road and for two days he and his men waded
knee-deep through a mixture of black mud
and water.
Through his attempt to hustle the slow-
going African, Mr. Mackay overtaxed him-
self and was taken sick with the African
fever. For a few days he was too weak to
walk and was obliged to ride one of the don-
keys that had been carrying baggage. At
last, however, the feverish coast-plains were
left behind. Gladly they climbed the moun-
tains to the little town of Mpwapwa. They
had traveled only a little farther than from
New York to Boston; yet the march had
dragged along for six weeks.
At Mpwapwa three of the missionary car-
avans met. For a few days the white men
rested and prepared for the journey ahead.
How they enjoyed their after-dinner chats
42
AFTER THE NEWS WAS READ
as they sat together in one of the tents tell-
ing the experiences of the march !
Only a few days at Mpwapwa and then
two of the caravans are off again made up
of Dr. Smith, Mr. Mackay, and over three
hundred baggage-carriers. By their first
Sunday, they overtook another of the car-
avans ahead, led by Lieutenant Smith, the
old naval officer.
For thirty or forty miles beyond them
stretched a dreary plateau covered with a
thick, low jungle. Not a human being lived
in all this lonely forest and the caravan
could find neither food nor water except
what they carried with them in knapsacks
and water-bottles. After days of this tire-
some march, they entered the wide, open
land of Ugogo. Here every few miles was
a new village ; and with every group of vil-
lages they found a new chiefc Each chief
insisted that to travel through his country
was a privilege, and the white man would
have to pay for it. The paying of this toll,
or lion g a as they call it, added not only a
43
WHITE MAN OF WORK
great deal of expense to caravan-travel, but
also caused many annoying delays.
Their experience with one of the chiefs
of Ugogo will show something of the man-
ner in which they were treated in many vil-
lages. A short distance from the chief's
village, the caravan encamped. The follow-
ing morning two of the more intelligent Af-
ricans were sent to call on the chief, and to
take him a gift of some cloth. They found
a monarch much soiled with dirt and grease
sitting on a stool in his wattled hut drinking
pombe. He received the cloth, but de-
manded a great deal more. Fifty cloths,
he insisted was none too much. The mes-
sengers claimed that such a demand was rob-
bery and hour after hour they quarreled
with him. At nightfall the messengers re-
turned to camp and reported, "The chief
is sitting at pombe, and won't hear reason.
He says, 'The white man is a great sultan
in his own country, and he must pay a big
honga.' "
The next morning, they returned to the
44
AFTER THE NEWS WAS READ
mud palace and again tried to reason with
the stubborn chief. Later in the day, Lieu-
tenant Smith himself entered his majesty's
presence and added his word of protest.
Finally the chief agreed to receive forty-
five bales of cloth.
The troublesome matter being settled,
Lieutenant Smith thought he would enter-
tain the chief with some of the white man's
wonders. Taking a match box from his
pocket, he struck a light. The chief was
frightened, or pretended to be, and cried,
"The white man is trying to kill me!"
Rushing from his hut, he disappeared.
Later he sent to the missionaries' camp to
say that for such a serious offense they
would have to pay as a forfeit twenty-five
bales of cloth more than had already been
given.
So the privilege of camping for three days
in this chief's realm, cost the missionaries
seventy bales of cloth or about $100.
When the cloth was paid the big drum of the
village was beaten and the caravan .knew
45
WHITE MAN OF WORK
that they were at liberty to proceed on their
way.
On entering Ugogo, Mr. Mackay's fever
had returned and for miles he had to be
carried in a hammock. There being good
water in the land of this ruler he would like
to have stayed longer in his domain. He
feared however, that more honga would be
charged him if he remained.
What should he do? Just beyond, lay a
nine days' wilderness and immediately after
that was another that would take three days
to cross. No water and no food were to be
found in these jungles, and the caravan's
supply of provisions was very low. Lieu-
tenant Smith and Dr. Smith urged him to
return to the coast. Hard as it was to turn
back, Mr. Mackay finally yielded to the coun-
sel of his friends.
Lying in a hammock swung from the
shoulders of two strong men Mr. Mackay
was carried back to the town of Mpwapwa
over the path by which he had just come.
Eight others carried his tent, instruments,
46
AFTER THE NEWS WAS READ
clothes, cooking utensils, and some cloth with
which to buy food.
At one time, he became so weak that he
expected to die. Calling for a writing desk,
he mixed an ink powder and commenced
what he thought would be his last letter on
earth. But during the night, a change for
the better came. Mr. Mackay said a bunch
of home letters had been his best medicine.
In eleven days he walked the entire distance
from Mpwapwa to the coast, and on reaching
Zanzibar he was almost a well man.
It was now the last of November, 1876.
One year had passed since Mr. Stanley's let-
ter had appeared in the Daily Telegraph.
A band of eight young men from Great
Britain had started for Mutesa *s land. One
had laid down his life at the very gateway
of the continent. One having started inland
had been stricken with fever and was obliged
to begin the march anew. One had settled
at Mpwapwa to start a mission there. The
other five with their hundreds of black car-
riers were plodding along through jungle
47
WHITE MAN OF WORK
and swamp and over mountain and plain
toward Victoria Lake.
But what of King Mutesa ? Since ' ' Stam-
lee" left, no word had come from the white
men. Were they going to leave him "sit-
ting in darkness"? When would they ever
come to teach him " how to see"?
CHAPTER III
JUNGLE ROADS, OX-CARTS, AND FLY BITES
SINCE Mr. Mackay landed in Zanzibar
six months had come and gone. And
what had he accomplished? A three hun-
dred mile march inland only to be made all
over again ! A new outfit must now be pur-
chased; a new caravan of porters must be
hired; and again they must pick their way
over the same rough, narrow trail. Weary
as Mr. Mackay was of this snail-like way of
traveling, he set to work immediately to pre-
pare for a second caravan journey.
But a letter from England changed his
plans. The secretaries there, having heard
of Mackay 's sickness, wrote that he must not
begin the march into the interior until June,
when the rainy season would be over. In
the meantime, they said he might see what
49
WHITE MAN OF WORK
could be done about building a road to
Mpwapwa. At first this man of energy was
disappointed. When again would he see his
friends, he thought, and how much longer
must he wait before telling King Mutesa of
the white man's God? Yet, without a com-
plaint, he was ready to turn road-builder.
But his friends up-country sorely needed
fresh supplies. At the earliest possible mo-
ment, he must gather a caravan and, with
some one else at its head, he must send it off
toward Victoria Lake. The story is again
one of delays and hardships. Compelled to
sail three hundred miles north from Zanzi-
bar to find porters, he tramped back on foot
from village to village along the coast.
What discomforts were crowded into the
three months he spent hiring baggage-car-
riers, no one but Mr. Mackay himself knew !
Writing of one of his long journeys, he
said: "This walk was much harder than
any I have made before. Days of man-
grove swamp, hours of wading nearly to the
waist, and occasional swimming across rapid
50
JUNGLE ROADS AND OX-CARTS
rivers usually gave me an appetite for food
and rest. I had only a man (my cook) and
a boy with me, so that I had to dispense with
the luxuries of a tent, bed, change of cloth-
ing, and such things. I often got a hut to
sleep in, but when not, I enjoyed sleeping in
the open air, preferring it often to a cow-
stable swarming with ants and similar un-
pleasant friends. "
Later he w r rote again : "I have slept in all
sorts of places a cow-stable, a sheep-cote, a
straw hut not much larger than a dog-kennel,
a hen-house, and often in no house at all. So
anything suits me, provided I get a spot
tolerably clear of ants and mosquitoes. Of
all the plagues of Egypt, none could have
been worse than that of the black ants !"
Finally, the carriers were hired and the
caravan was started on its way toward Vic-
toria Lake. The young missionary, how-
ever, who had gathered it was again help-
lessly ill with fever. The strain of the three
months of labor had proved too much for
him. Had it not been for the kind nursing
51
WHITE MAN OF WORK
of white friends in Zanzibar his life story
would perhaps have ended here.
Six weeks later, however, he was out of
bed and enthusiastic over the commonplace
labor of building a road. Having hired
forty black carriers, besides women to carry
loads and men to drive donkeys, he set up a
camp about five miles from the coast on the
top of a hill overlooking a small town. This
seemed a most desirable spot for camping
because it was high and exposed to fresh
breezes from both the sea and the land.
Here Mr. Mackay planned to live several
weeks, while working on the road in the
neighborhood.
Writing from this camp, he said: "I sit
at present like Abraham in his tent door.
My servants, my flocks, and my herds are
about me. I am well again, thank God, and
camp life has set my spirits up. My horse,
my dog, my goat, my oxen, and donkeys,
with all my household of nearly seventy men
and women, are enough to feed, and quite
enough to look after at one time.
52
JUNGLE ROADS AND OX-CARTS
"My working gang consists of only about
forty men, and these I have armed with the
best American axes, English hatchets, picks
and spades and saws. All these tools are as
new to them as they are to the natives of the
villages we pass through. A donkey's load
of large iron nails I have taken with me, and
plenty of hammers, but the wood is as a rule
too hard for the iron to enter. For such
cases, I have supplied myself with a large
stock of strong rope of cocoanut fiber.
"One of the tools I brought with me from
England proves more serviceable than all
the rest together. It is merely a two-foot
grindstone which I have mounted on a
wooden frame. Every evening when we re-
turn from work in time, the edges of the
tools are applied to the face of this wonder-
ful machine, while the villagers crowd
around as anxiously gazing on as little
Toddy ever did when he wanted 'to see the
w 'eels go wound. ' '
During the morning hours the gang would
be busy with axes, saws, and shovels. In the
53
WHITE MAN OF WORK
open and level country, men would be scat-
tered here and there over the trails, each
clearing and leveling his own particular
stretch of the road. Perhaps far behind the
rest, would be five or six workmen toiling
steadily at some unusually sturdy tree,
whose hard wood was too much for the saws
and axes.
In the dense jungles, on the other hand,
the men would be huddled together like colo-
nies of ants, doing their hardest work. So
thick were some of these woodlands that the
black toilers were often hidden from sight.
According to Mr. Mackay even a cat could
scarcely find room to wedge its way through
the matted underbrush, creepers, and trop-
ical ferns. Where a narrow trail had before
been cut through these miles of jungle, the
branches and hanging vines were so closely
interlaced overhead that the traveler could
scarcely get a glimpse of the blue sky, and
would be walking, as it were, through a
damp, leafy tunnel. To saw through a tree-
trunk in such a tangled mass, seldom meant
54
JUNGLE ROADS AND OX-CARTS
that the tree would fall, unless the matted
undergrowth were first slashed away.
Sometimes they shelved out a footing
around the brow of a mountain; sometimes
they had to cover swampy stretches with
layers of logs, thus making a corduroy road.
At other times they prepared to ford streams
by grading the banks on either side.
Their greatest achievement was the build-
ing of a bridge in seven days. The ignorant
black men had never before seen any kind
of a bridge for wagon traffic. The entire
structure was built of wood almost as hard
as iron so that Mr. Mackay thought that it
would long stand against the attacks of white
ants.
These negro laborers, like most of their
race, worked best when singing. As they
chopped and shoveled and dug, one might
have heard them chant this song made up for
Mr. Mackay 's special benefit :
'Eli, eh, muzungu mbaya,
Tu kati miti,
Twende Ulaya."
55
WHITE MAN OF WORK
Put into English it means :
Is not the white man very bad,
He fells to the ground the tall trees,
To make a way for the Englishman.
Days, weeks, and even months came and
went. All the way black men slashed and
sawed, and dug and leveled, while Mr.
Mackay rode or walked back and forth
among them, encouraging them to their
best work. Ofttimes he showed them what
to do and how to do it by taking shovel or
pick in hand and leveling banks, or filling
mud-holes. He provided their food, plan-
ned for their shelter and cared for their
sick. He longed to be able to talk their
language that he might tell them of the
God who cared for them and wanted them
to live useful lives. Finally, after one hun-
dred days of vigorous toil, the. road was
completed.
Before it was begun there was only a
crooked, narrow trail stretching for the two
hundred and thirty miles to Mpwapwa. At
some places, donkeys could scarcely be
56
JUNGLE ROADS AND OX-CARTS
pulled through the thick jungle ; porters tore
their scanty clothes or cut their skins on the
thorny bushes; and for lack of room over-
head, bales of cotton had to be dragged along
the ground. When they finished the work,
there was a clear road all the way from the
coast to the mountains and it was broad
enough to allow the largest ox-carts to pass
each other at any point.
The natives of the country were half
pleased and half alarmed because of this
wondrous achievement. Mr. Mackay wrote :
"Passers-by open their mouths as well as
their eyes at the njia kubwa [big road] of
the white man ; and when they return to talk
together at evening in their villages, the
story of the 'big road 7 is told, and, as is al-
ways the case in Africa, with enormous ex-
aggerations. To the chief men, however,
the story is not always pleasing ; and the re-
port is being widely spread that the English
are coming to take possession of the coun-
try. The chief of the village near which I
made the bridge, took a more practical view
57
WHITE MAN OF WORK
of the matter, and told me one day, with all
the command his dirty visage could assume,
that I must pay a hundred dollars for cut-
ting down the trees in his territory. I told
him that it was he who should give me the
hundred dollars, to pay my men for making
a bridge which he and his people could not
make. For as soon as I was gone, he would
call it his own, and probably levy honga
from those caravans which cared to pay
him."
When the road was completed, Mr.
Mackay and his men returned to the coast.
"Now," he thought, "we are ready to travel
in a civilized way. We will buy oxen and
carts for carrying our baggage and we will
reach Mpwapwa in half the time it took us
before. The experiment has been tried most
successfully in South Africa by other men ;
why cannot we succeed in Central Africa?"
Most enthusiastically he began prepara-
tions for the journey, but again he found
that he had a difficult task before him. In
the first place, oxen, which never before had
58
JUNGLE ROADS AND OX-CARTS
been hitched to carts, had to be broken in.
Neither could men be found who had ever
before driven oxen, so that new hands had to
be taught. This was harder, Mr. Mackay
said, than to teach the oxen to pull.
Then, too, they were obliged to camp in a
very unhealthful place. Up in his old camp
on the hill, many of the oxen died from the
poisonous sting of the tsetse fly, and Mr.
Mackay with his men and flocks and herds
was obliged to move to the plain. For at
least two months before they started on their
journey, it rained nearly every day. The
plain became a quagmire and the training of
oxen and men had to stop.
Waiting so long at the coast for the rainy
season to pass, Mr. Mackay 's men grew dis-
contented and unruly and some of them de-
serted him. Also, Mr. Tytherleigh, his as-
sistant who had lately arrived from Eng-
land, was laid low with a severe attack of
fever. They must soon travel along or
many others also would be sick.
In spite of the rain and mud, therefore,
59
WHITE MAN OF WORK
the long lumbering caravan moved out of
the town. There were six large awkward
carts loaded to the full with baggage.
Teams of from eight to twenty oxen were
pulling each cart. Many more oxen were
taken as reserves to fill the places of those
which might be injured or become sick on
the road. In all there were as many as
eighty oxen. To drive and to lead these ani-
mals and to manage the brakes on the carts
required thirty men, and thirty more might
have been seen carrying on their heads bun-
dles of baggage. Behind the carts came a
flock of sheep and goats, to be used as food
for the party, and also five donkeys and six
dogs.
Over each cart waved a flag. When they
camped by the road for the night, a flag
waved also above each tent door, the largest
of all flying over Mr. Mackay's tent. These
were not the national flags of Great Britain
or of the United States ; they were blue, each
with a large red cross painted on its center.
The African heathen could not understand
60
JUNGLE ROADS AND OX-CARTS
what they meant, but any Christian will
readily guess the meaning of the flags.
After ten days of travel, Mr. Mackay tells
this story of their adventures: "A long
time without practise, on account of the rain
and mud, had put the oxen out of trim, so
that when we set off we were able to make
only a few hundred yards ' progress the first
day. Next day more rain made matters
worse, and we made not half a mile. I then
resolved to remove four hundred pounds of
baggage from each cart. After a couple of
days' rearranging loads, we got a fair start,
but another deluge of rain caused us to stop
short at the foot of the hill where our old
camp had been. Next day we got to the top
of the hill, and have since then made a little
progress when it was fair.
" After ten marching days, usually with
double teams in each cart, and wheels down
to the axle in mud, we are camped to-day
only ten miles from the coast. I have re-
solved, therefore, to send back two of the
larger carts with their loads."
61
WHITE MAN OF WORK
About two weeks later [Christmas Day,
1877] he wrote again: "You should see me
every day with clothes bespattered with mud
and hands black like a chimney-sweep's
catching the spokes of the wheels every now
and then as they get into holes, and yelling
at the top of my voice to the oxen, till the
forest resounds. So much yelling have I
to do in the six hours we march a day, that
when I get into camp I am always quite
hoarse. A team of twenty-six oxen, fre-
quently spanned on in front of one cart, does
need good shouting and lashing to get them
to pull together. It is not walking with my
umbrella or riding on a donkey behind a
cart, but ever getting some one or other or
all the carts out of this difficulty and the
next. My men are far from skilful in the
art of driving long teams through the for-
est, and are constantly bringing the carts
against trees or stones or into holes, not in-
frequently upsetting them altogether. It
is hopeless, for instance, in trying to cross a
river, to find one ox lie down, another break
62
JUNGLE ROADS AND OX-CARTS
loose and run away, several more with their
faces to the cart, where their tails should be,
and so on. One's patience gets sorely tried
by such occurrences, but the only way is pa-
tiently to arrange all and try again."
Here are some lines from another letter :
"A terrible scorpion crawled over me just
now. I should like you to see half the hor-
rors of the kind I see in a day snakes and
ants on the ground below till one shudders
from top to toe, and terrible biting, sting-
ing, huge flies all above and about, drawing
blood at every bite. Last night I was busy
sleeping, when just at my ear a terrible
growl of a hyena made me spring to my feet,
seize my rifle and fire; but 'Bobby,' my dog,
was before me, and set up such a furious
bark that the beast skulked off before I had
time to present it with a bullet. I dare say
you think it a dastardly kind of life, to lie
with a revolver under one's pillow and a
rifle at one's side, but it is necessary here,
for anything may happen at any moment,
and it is best to be ready."
63
WHITE MAN OF WORK
Sometimes Mr. Mackay 's experiences
were more amusing than dangerous. One
night he was sleeping soundly on a mattress
on the floor of his tent, when he was awak-
ened by a very uncomfortable feeling of
numerous things crawling over him. To
his surprise he found a colony of brown
ants in his tent. Unwittingly he had
camped across their line of march. By
thousands they were crawling over him and
his mattress. He climbed on top of a box,
while some of his men set fire to the whole
ground inside and around his tent. After
an hour's struggle, the ants disappeared, but
Mr. Mackay slept on the top of the box till
daybreak.
At one place, the party were obliged to
cross a river very much flooded by the re-
cent rains. They could not wait for the
water to fall, for thunder-storms were com-
ing as frequently as ever. Cross it they
must; but how to do it was a most difficult
puzzle. This is the way Mackay solved it.
One of the carts was stripped of its wheels
64
JUNGLE ROADS AND OX-CARTS
and all other fittings so that when all the
cracks were filled with tar, it made a sort
of small barge. A few excellent swimmers
of the caravan carried a cord across the
river. By means of this cord a rope was
hauled across and passed around a strong
post on the opposite side, and then brought
back to the side on which the caravan was
stationed. To this pulley the cart-barge
was attached. By pulling the rope from
one or the other bank, the men carried the
barge with its cargo of freight across the
river, or brought it back empty to be re-
loaded. Other swollen rivers and smaller
streams had to be crossed from time to time.
It was no mere play to cross any one of them
with oxen and carts and baggage which
needed to be kept dry.
One day, the accidents were not confined
to the carts or baggage, but Mr. Mackay
himself was temporarily crippled. He had
just succeeded in getting one of the carts
over a stream, when he became entangled in
a bush and one of the wheels caught his right
65
WHITE MAN OF WORK
foot. He fell, and the wheel ran over both
his legs. He nearly fainted from the shock ;
yet a little crude doctoring revived him con-
siderably. Two of his men, putting their
loads into the carts, carried him along in a
hammock. However, -it continued to be a
day of troubles; for cart after cart upset.
Then too, sick as he was, Mr. Mackay was
obliged to turn from patient to doctor; for
the chief of a village near by, hearing of his
arrival, sent to him seven of his subjects
to be vaccinated and one little boy to be
cured of spinal disease!
One morning the natives gave Mr. Mack-
ay a unique surprise. Lo, his road had
been changed into a field of growing corn.
"We thought you white men had cleared
this space for us that we might plant gar-
dens," the natives explained.
In reality, they were afraid that the great
teams of oxen coming along the white
man's road would soon be followed by vast
European armies. The farther inland the
caravan traveled, the more the natives tried
66
JUNGLE ROADS AND OX-CARTS
to harass them. In many places, they
blocked the road with bushes and trunks of
trees; as soon as the cattle were safely
across a river, they drove them back to the
other side; and became very angry when
they saw the oxen tread down the corn
planted on the track. Indeed, one chief
sent word to Mr. Mackay that if he took his
teams past the chief's village he would be
shot. Only by patience and skill could head-
way be made.
Still one more misfortune came upon
them, greater than all that have been men-
tioned. In many parts of the road, the
caravan was pestered by the tsetse flies.
These were large brownish-yellow insects
which, by thousands, stung both the men
and the oxen. Although they seemed to
bring little more than discomfort to the men,
their sting was almost invariably fatal to
the animals. When still some distance
from Mpwapwa, half of the eighty oxen with
which they started were dead, and many
more were sick, and it was not many weeks
67
WHITE MAN OF WORK
before the surviving oxen became so few
that the carts were abandoned entirely.
Thus the road had been built at the cost
of nearly one-third of a year's time. With
much difficulty oxen had been trained and
men taught to drive them. Carts had been
brought all the way from India, and much
money had been spent, and months of hard
rough labor had been given to make travel
by carts a success ; but the little brown flies
with their poisonous stings spoiled it all.
It was discouraging indeed; but listen to
the missionary, who had done the hardest
work of all.
" Small beginnings may lead to some-
thing higher and better in the future, but
the first steps cannot be anything but tedi-
ous. The longest night has always had a
dawn when done, and here I do believe no
far distant time will see a very different
order of things from what has been always
in the past. We are indeed groping in the
dark as to how or what we ought to do first,
but great bodies grow slowly, and the gar-
68
JUNGLE ROADS AND OX-CARTS
den of the devil cannot be reclaimed for
God all in a year. This will certainly be
yet a highway for the King Himself, and
all that pass this way will come to know his
name. ' '
Why should this one white man be so
hopeful? When traveling on foot, he had
barely escaped death from fever. He had
failed in building a road. What would he
attempt next ? Indeed, what was there left
for him to try?
CHAPTER IV
TWO RECEPTIONS AT THE ROYAL PALACE
WHAT of the rest of the brave band
who started together from England?
A grave to be found on a small island off
the coast near Zanzibar told the story of
one ; and by the shores of Victoria Lake on
a wooden slab above a mound of earth could
have been read the name, "Dr. John
Smith." Two more of the party had re-
turned to their English homes as invalids.
While Mr. Mackay was still cutting, digging,
and leveling for the road to Mpwapwa, the
other three members of the party that re-
mained were camping beside the far-reach-
ing waters of Victoria Lake. They were
Lieutenant Smith, Mr. O'Neill and Mr. Wil-
son.
To these men tenting on the lake shore
70
RECEPTIONS AT THE ROYAL PALACE
came two most cordial letters from the king
they were so eager to see. Twice canoes
appeared before their camps and guides
came from Mutesa to escort them to his
kingdom. These letters had been written
in English by a black boy named Mufta, who
had been educated in a Christian school on
the coast and had been left by Mr. Stanley
with Mutesa to read the Bible to him. This
is a copy of the second royal letter:
WHITE MAN OF WORK
With so urgent an appeal from the king
himself, little wonder is it that two of the
white men, leaving Mr. O'Neill to guard
their supplies and to repair the steam
launch, hastened alone to the northern shore
of the lake.
It was about an hour after sunset on a
June day in 1877, when their boats were
anchored off a little Uganda village at the
head of a beautiful bay. Here they were
left by their guides who went to the king to
announce the coming of the white men.
Soon some of Mutesa's chief men arrived to
72
RECEPTIONS AT THE ROYAL PALACE
say that they must come to his palace with
the escort the king had sent.
A most interesting walk it was to the
capital city, taking all of two days. Plan-
tain groves covered thousands of acres of
hillsides. Here the missionaries found
themselves in a great tropical park, where,
through the branches of the trees, glimpses
of the beautiful lake could be had. There
they wound their way through the thick for-
est, where the tall trees were heavily fes-
tooned with tropical vines of rare beauty.
Again, they stopped to rest by a cool, clear
stream in the midst of a valley abounding
in ferns and palms. On the march once
more, they crossed a broad swamp by way
of a log road. At last Rubaga, the capital
city, was reached, where they were shown to
the huts made ready for them by the king's
order.
The first day the king paid his respects by
sending a rich present of cooking utensils,
plantains, potatoes, sugar-cane, milk.
pombe, venison, and firewood. Promptly
73
WHITE MAN OF WORK
at eight o'clock the following morning, two
of the chief officers of the king came to es-
cort them to the palace. These officers were
superbly costumed in garbs modeled after
the Arab style. Their white trousers, tunics,
and stockings, were beautifully set off by
red shoes and caps. As the missionaries
climbed the hill leading to the palace, they
were escorted by several soldiers dressed
in white, each carrying a flint-lock musket.
Behind them paraded a crowd of Waganda
dressed for the most part in long, loose
brown gowns made from fig-tree bark. Al-
together, the officers, the soldiers, the white
men, and the crowd in long procession made
a sight that was picturesque indeed.
The broad, straight road which led up to
the royal hill, superb in itself, was made es-
pecially imposing by the tall fence of tiger
grass enclosing it on either side. To build
these fences posts ten or twelve feet in
height were driven into the ground at in-
tervals of a few yards. In and out were
then woven long, thick, horizontal ropes of
74
OFFICERS OF THE KING CAME TO ESCORT THEM TO THE
PALACE "
RECEPTIONS AT THE ROYAL PALACE
reed-like grass stalks. Finally to make the
meshes closer, there were tied to the fence
many vertical stalks of the same kind of
grass. Fences such as this lined all the im-
portant roads in Uganda and were used also
to enclose the private yards about the huts.
At the top of the hill stood Mutesa's pal-
ace a building forty feet in height and sup-
ported on each side by straight wooden pil-
lars. The graceful yellow stems of tiger
grass formed its walls, and its roof, too, was
thatched with grass. With its seventy feet
of length, the structure was easily the larg-
est in the realm. To the front of the palace
were a number of courts separated from one
another by high grass fences, with sliding
doors of grass connecting them.
As the white men neared the royal en-
closure, a bugle announced their coming,
the gates of the courts were opened one by
one as the party approached, and quickly
closed behind them as they passed. Two
lines of white-robed soldiers made a lane
through each court, each soldier carrying a
75
WHITE MAN OF WORK
gun. As the last gate opened and closed,
Lieutenant Smith and Mr. Wilson found
themselves before the open door of the pal-
ace itself.
In the central hall, on stools ranged in two
rows on either side of the entrance, sat all
the chiefs of the country. Some were
dressed in black, some were in white, and
some in red; but all the costumes were of
Arabian pattern. All the chiefs arose as the
white men entered. The guests were con-
ducted to the upper end of the hall where on
a chair of white wood sat his majesty, King
Mutesa. The king was wearing a black Arab
tunic trimmed with gold braid. His trous-
ers and stockings were white, and his cap
and shoes were red. In his belt, he carried
a richly mounted sword. At his feet lay a
small rug, while the rest of the hall was car-
peted with grass.
As the Englishmen approached, Mutesa
arose from his throne, shook hands with
them, and then by a wave of the hand di-
rected them to two stools near him which
76
RECEPTIONS AT THE ROYAL PALACE
had been reserved for them. Forthwith
there was much beating of drums. Five
minutes of noise gave an opportunity for all
in the room to feast their eyes on the cen-
tral figures of this reception at court.
When the drums had finished their din, the
king, called one of the messengers whom he
had sent to bring the white men to Uganda.
He bade him tell the story of their adven-
tures.
Letters were then read from the Sultan
of Zanzibar and from the Church Mission-
ary Society in London. The English of the
letter from England was translated for the
king by Mufta. This was the way it read:
"To His Majesty King Mutesa, Euler of
Uganda.
"Sire: We have heard with pleasure,
through our friend Mr. Stanley, of your
earnest invitation to English teachers to
come and settle in your kingdom, promising
them your favor and protection.
"The greatness of England, of which you
have heard, is due to the Word of God
77
WHITE MAN OF WORK
which we possess; her laws are framed in
accordance with it; her people are made
happy by it. Our desire is that your throne
should be made secure , your country be
made great, and your people made happy by
the same means.
i 'We have resolved, therefore, by the help
of God, to send to you two or three of our
friends, who will be prepared to settle
among your people, and to teach them the
Word of God, and other knowledge which
will be useful. . . . From what Mr.
Stanley has told us, we are sure you will
give them a warm welcome when they ar-
rive, and treat them kindly, and take care
that they want nothing.
' ' Commending you to the grace and bless-
ing of the Most High God, who is King of
kings and Lord of lords, and whose servants
we are,
We desire to subscribe ourselves,
Your Majesty's friends and well-wishers."
In the midst of the reading of the letter,
the king ordered the firing of a salute, and
78
RECEPTIONS AT THE ROYAL PALACE
a general rejoicing to be made, and at the
close of the reading, the expressions of glad-
ness seemed to have no bounds. The king,
half rising from his chair, called his chief
musician and ordered a more vigorous re-
joicing. Drums were beaten, horns were
blown, and all the assembly of chiefs were
bowing their heads and clapping their
hands, and saying again and again, "Nyan-
zig," "Nyanzig," "We thank you, 77 "We
thank you.' 7 The king asked his interpre-
ter to tell the white men that what they saw
and heard was all for the name of Jesus.
After some conversation, the white men
presented their gifts to the king. These in-
cluded a Turkish rug, a map of Africa,
photographs, and other articles. Lieuten-
ant Smith apologized for the small number
of things they had to give, saying that some
had been stolen from them on the way.
To this the king graciously replied:
"Great rivers swallow up small ones. Now
I have seen your faces, I do not look on the
presents.' 7
79
WHITE MAN OF WORK
The next morning the missionaries had a
second conversation with the king in the
presence of all his chiefs and courtiers.
For some reason, Mutesa seemed suspicious
of them and began to inquire about General
Gordon of the English army in Egypt. He
wanted the white men to make guns and
gunpowder, at the same time confessing
"My heart is not good." The missionaries
told him that they had to do as the letter
said and not to make guns; and that if he
did not wish them to stay, they would leave
Uganda. For some time he was silent, then
asked: "What have you come for to
teach my people to read and write ?"
"Yes," they replied, "and whatever use-
ful arts we and those coming may know."
Then calling his interpreter, the king
said: "Tell them now my heart is good;
England is my friend. I have one hand in
Uganda, and the other in England."
When the missionaries reached their huts
after the morning ~baraza [court] was over,
there came to them a messenger from Mu-
80
RECEPTIONS AT THE ROYAL PALACE
tesa saying that there was one more word
which he wanted to say to them, but he had
been afraid to say it before all the people.
Eager to know what this further message
was, Lieutenant Smith and Mr. Wilson in
the afternoon went a third time to the king's
palace. They found him seated in a side
room with only a few chiefs and one wife
present.
He said: " There is one word I want to
say to you. I was afraid to speak it this
morning because the Arabs were present.
This is it, Did you bring 'The Book'?
That is all I want."
They told him they had it in English and
Arabic, and part of it in the language
spoken at the coast which Mutesa knew
slightly, and they hoped soon to give it to
him in Luganda [the language of Uganda].
Then Mutesa 's heart was very good. He
took the white men out into his palace
grounds and showed them the beautiful
views which could be had from various po-
sitions. He also pointed out two sites which
81
WHITE MAN OF WORK
he said he would give them, one for a mis-
sion house, the other for a school.
"When will they be built?" they asked.
" To-morrow my people shall go and bring
wood," and the king was as good as his
word ; for the next day the work began.
Such a welcome was most encouraging.
After a month's stay in the hut Mutesa had
built for them, Lieutenant Smith said
good-by to Mr. Wilson and started for the
southern end of the lake to tell Mr. O 'Neill
how royally Mutesa had received them. He
expected to help Mr. O 'Neill launch the mis-
sionary boat and pack supplies. Then to-
gether they would return to Uganda. But
their hopes were never realized. While on
one of the islands in the southern part of
the lake, both Mr. Smith and Mr. O'Neill
were heartlessly murdered by the natives.
The terrible news was reported to Mr.
Mackay before his oxen and carts had
reached Mpwapwa. His cattle had been dy-
ing three and four a day. The dusky na-
tives were daily jeering at the white man's
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RECEPTIONS AT THE ROYAL PALACE
failure. He himself had just recovered
from another attack of fever. Just at that
moment, he heard that two more of their
band had been taken from them.
Broken-hearted, yet believing in his God,
he wrote to a friend at home: "Our good
doctor, my own dear friend of many years,
went to his rest nine months ago, and
now these brave brothers, Smith and O 'Neill,
have fallen. There were eight of us sent
out two invalided and four gone home!
Only two remaining. Poor Africa ! When
will it become a Christian country at this
rate ? But God has other hands in reserve,
whom he will bring to the front, fast and
unexpectedly, and the w r ork will go on
whether we break down or not."
Since a wealthy Arab merchant had been
murdered along with the missionaries, Mr.
Mackay was afraid that the Arabs would
take revenge on the king who had murdered
them. Eager to prevent further bloodshed,
he decided to hurry to the lake as fast as
possible.
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WHITE MAN OF WORK
Bundles and bags were safely stored, and
Mr. Tytherleigh was left to see that the best
two of the carts, emptied of all freight, were
dragged to Mpwapwa. Mackay himself
sped forward as fast as possible. Five days
of quick marching, wading and swimming
through jungles, swamps, and rivers,
brought him to Mpwapwa. A brief rest, and
he was again on a forced march, with only
six men to carry outfit, food, and medicine.
Although hurrying as fast as he was able,
he saw three months go by before he reached
Kagei, a little town on the southern shore of
Victoria Lake. The body of his only white
companion, Mr. Tytherleigh, was laid in a
grave by the way. Mr. Mackay tramped
through jungles, plodded along sandy des-
erts, and picked his way over stony stretches
till his feet were blistered and bleeding.
Every step was painful. Repeated attacks
of fever reduced him almost to a skeleton.
But on the evening of the thirteenth of June,
forgetting his weakness and pain, with in-
tense joy he stood on the shore of Victoria
84
RECEPTIONS AT THE ROYAL PALACE
Lake. At last Ms miserable marching was
over, and he too could hope soon to present
himself at the court of King Mutesa.
June passed, and July, and August. In-
deed it was not till November (1878), that
Mr. Mackay entered the capital of Uganda.
Two years and a half had passed since he
had said good-by to his friends in the home-
land. Two years and a half spent merely in
traveling! And he had not yet even seen
the king who had asked Stanley to send him
missionaries.
But Mutesa had not forgotten his request.
For over a year Mr. Wilson had lived near
his palace, and the black king had learned
to like him. Mr. Wilson had told his Maj-
esty of the other white man who was on his
way, and Mutesa grew very eager to receive
Mr. Mackay. But the day he arrived the
king was ill. He merely sent his salaams
and two fat goats. Two days later, however,
word came that the king was holding baraza,
and wished to see Mr. Wilson and Mr.
Mackay at once. Carrying their presents
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WHITE MAN OF WORK
with them they started off for the palace.
Mr. Mackay will tell his own story of their
reception.
" Messenger after messenger came run-
ning like madmen to hurry us on, but I was
determined not to give way to the frantic
behavior of these excited couriers, and kept
a steady step. At length we entered on the
grand esplanade, running east and west
along the top of the hill and ending in the
palace at the west end. The gates were
opened, the grand guard presented arms,
and we passed along through the double row
of guards, into a large hall, densely lined
with courtiers. At the far end was a door,
through which we were ushered into the
presence of the king. Here he was, seated
on a mat, dressed in a long white robe and
long black coat richly embroidered with gold
braid. He bowed politely, and stools were
brought for us to sit on, while some Turkish-
dressed attendants squatted on the ground.
An old woman sat behind the king, a little
way off, and watched intently. For ten
86
RECEPTIONS AT THE ROYAL PALACE
minutes we eyed each other in dead silence.
Then a little talk began. Our gifts were
presented, and the music-box struck up the
fine air, 'The heavens are telling,' from
Haydn's oratorio called ' Creation.'
"We talked with him on many subjects
for an hour. The king told us he had been
led to suspect the coming of Englishmen to
his country as a danger to his throne, but
now a year had passed since Lieutenant
Smith and Mr. Wilson first arrived, and all
his intercourse with our party had only
tended to raise us in his favor.
" After some time the king intimated that
he was too ill to sit long, and gave us per-
mission to go. We left, the whole court ris-
ing and following us down the hill small
boys, as usual, forming a majority of the
spectators and followers. In the evening
the king sent us no less than ten fat cattle as
a present, and a man's load of tobacco with
a like quantity of both coffee and honey."
This then was the sort of reception given
by King Mutesa to the first English mission-
87
WHITE MAN OF WORK
aries of Uganda. He showed every sign of
being glad to have them in his country. He
supplied them generously with food. He
gave them huts to live in. He built them a
mission house and school building. At court
he listened attentively to their messages.
He observed the Christian Sabbath, and
welcomed Christian services at his court.
Every prospect was encouraging, and with
gratitude the missionaries carried on their
work.
88
CHAPTER V
WHITE MEN AND BLACK MEN BECOME
ACQUAINTED
A MILE and a half down the hill from
Mutesa's palace was the grass hut
where lived the two white men. During the
first few weeks after their arrival, they had
lived nearer the royal hill; but, because of
the jealousy of the chiefs, the king was
obliged to have their quarters moved farther
away, for according to custom the greatest
chief should live nearest the palace. The
Arabs, too, were jealous and had told the
king that if he allowed the white men to
build their own home, it would be a fortress
of brick, and they would soon take his king-
dom away from him.
So the white men's African home was
nothing but a rectangular hut with open
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WHITE MAN OF WORK
spaces left in the tiger-grass walls for win-
dows. The thatched roof was shaped some-
thing like a cocked hat; and in front, it ex-
tended a few feet beyond the walls, making
a sort of veranda. The rooms within,
formed by tiger-grass partitions, were
broken up by numerous poles which served
as roof -supports, and in the dark as obsta-
cles to bump against.
Mutesa had given the white men almost
two acres of land, and it was not long before
a number of houses were built upon it.
Within four months after Mr. Mackay 's ar-
rival, five missionary recruits from England
reached the capital, making in all a party of
seven missionaries. As homes for these
several other huts were built. One man be-
ing a doctor, built a dispensary where he
might receive his patients. Mr. Mackay put
up two workshops where he might have a
school of mechanics. A schoolhouse was
king Mutesa 's gift. An extensive garden
w r as planted with vegetable seeds brought
from England. Five hundred banana plants
90
WHITE MEN AND BLACK MEN
were set out, and the entire plot of land en-
closed by a tall tiger-grass fence. Before
long, the missionary headquarters began to
be very attractive.
It is true that in such primitive dwellings
not a few discomforts had to be undergone.
Had the missionaries enjoyed anything bet-
ter than a mud floor or indulged in more
than a few pieces of plain furniture, the na-
tives would have become suspicious. Yet
the white men were ambitious to show them-
selves true friends of the black men, and
so every day it was their custom to eat
some plain native foods. Frequently they
would sit down in the home of a friendly
native of Uganda to a meal of meat and
bananas. But, try as hard as they might to
live plainly among the natives, there were
many things about them and their actions
which seemed strange to the black men.
The large oval table was a most wonderful
piece of furniture to the Waganda. To us
it would have seemed a very crude affair,
for Mr. Mnckay had made it by screwing to-
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WHITE MAN OF WORK
gether two big half -oval parts of the steam
launch, and mounting them on six poles
which were stuck in the mud floor. Then
too the black men were bewildered by the
strange fire [the lamp] which the white men
kept burning on the table from which they
ate. The knives and forks also perplexed
the natives, who were accustomed to use
only their fingers for handling food. ''Per-
haps," they thought, " these long, stiff
things the white men eat with are a part of
their hands." They looked with curious
eyes on the white men's clothes; their
shoes, especially, were beyond comprehen-
sion. "Why is it," they asked themselves,
"that the Englishmen have white faces and
hands and black feet with toes all joined
into one?"
All these and other odd customs made the
Waganda flock in crowds to stare at the
strangers and to watch the things they did.
But after a few months had passed, the
novelty began to wear off, and the mission-
aries were no longer feared. The chiefs be-
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: THE MARVELS OF THE MAGIC LAXTERX "
WHITE MEN AND BLACK MEN
came their friends, and every day one or
more of them called.
The white men continued to do many
things which seemed most wonderful to the
ignorant people of Uganda. From the first,
Mackay became a special favorite of the
king and chiefs because of the marvelous
things he could make. Often Mr. Mackay 's
workshop was filled with chiefs and slaves
together, who stood and gazed with curi-
osity as he toiled away with his tools. His
blacksmith's forge and bellows and his turn-
ing-lathe were marvels unseen before in
Uganda; and, as they saw him sharpen a
knife on the revolving grindstone, they
were greatly puzzled to know what made the
wheels go round.
In the evenings Mr. Mackay often de-
lighted a company of natives with the mar-
vels of the magic lantern. What mattered it
to them that the chimney had been built of
two biscuit cans, one placed on top of the
other and tacked into a wooden box ? Their
wonder centered in the pictures.
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WHITE MAN OF WORK
When Mr. Mackay 's skill became widely
known, miscellaneous articles for him to re-
pair were heaped upon the bench in his
workshop. Native-made steel hoes and
hatchets were given him to temper. They
said it was by means of witchcraft that he
was able to put hardness into steel and then
take it out again. No kind of wheel had
ever before been seen in Uganda, and any
sort of rotary motion seemed marvelous to
the natives. Even when one day he rolled
several logs up a hill, great crowds followed
him, crying, "Makay lubare! Makay lubare
data!" ["Mackay is the great spirit;
Mackay is truly the great spirit."]
On one occasion, Mutesa asked to see a
steam-engine. Mr. Mackay tells the story:
"I went up with one from the steam launch
we brought last trip the first article of the
kind ever in this part of the world. The
king asked many intelligent questions about
it. I took a screw-key with me to show how
the parts can be taken asunder, when the
king came out with one of his 'pretty say-
94
WHITE MEN AND BLACK MEN
ings/ He said, ' White men's wisdom comes
from God. They see the human body is all
in pieces joints and limbs and that is why
they make such things in pieces too ! ' '
" After much talk, he asked how white
men came to know so much did they al-
ways know these things ? I replied that once
Englishmen were savages and knew nothing
at all, but from the day we became Chris-
tians our knowledge grew more and more,
and every year we were wiser than we were
before."
"I guess God will not prosper any man,"
the king said, "that does not please him."
"God is kind to all," Mackay answered,
"but especially to these who love and fear
him."
"Eh, Eh" ["Yes, Yes"] answered Mu-
tesa.
So, because of his mechanical skill, Mr.
Mackay had an opportunity to teach Mu-
tesa and his court who the people are who
really prosper and become wise.
However, it did not satisfy Mr. Mackay
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WHITE MAN OF WORK
to have the crowds look up to him as the
great man who was able to make anything.
His ambition was to gather pupils and to
teach them to make useful things for their
own people.
At first Mutesa would not allow any one
to be taught, neither did the men and boys
wish to learn, for in Uganda it was an honor
for a man to be idle. In that tropical cli-
mate and rich country, little or no work
needed to be done to obtain abundant crops
of fruits and vegetables. To support a
large family with their simple ways of liv-
ing meant little labor for the head of the
house. What work was to be done was
given to the slaves and the women. A
"gentleman" in Uganda, therefore, had lit-
tle to do but to order his slaves and wives
about, and to attend the daily ~bamza of the
king. That Mr. Mackay was willing to
work with his hands was not the least won-
derful thing about him. It required a long
time for him to teach them that a Christian
ought not to be an idle man.
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WHITE MEN AND BLACK MEN
It was not so difficult a task to persuade
the natives to come to the missionaries'
house to learn to read. At first the king
forbade any going to the white men even for
this purpose, probably because he was
afraid they would soon be able to outstrip
him in their ability to read.
It was little more than a month, however,
after Mackay's arrival when the edict was
withdrawn, and Mr. Mackay wrote: "I
have a whole lot of pupils, old and young.
Some have made wonderful progress al-
ready, for Waganda are most apt, as a rule.
I find the slaves, however, usually twice as
quick as their masters."
It was the English alphabet which he
taught them, but Luganda words which they
learned to spell. On large sheets of paper
the missionaries copied big, clear letters,
making easy syllables or words and sen-
tences. The number of pupils steadily in-
creased, so that it was difficult for the mis-
sionaries to make reading sheets fast
enough.
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WHITE MAN OF WORK
The coming of these pupils, eager to learn
to read, was most encouraging ; yet the mis-
sionaries ' opportunities for being helpful to
the Waganda were not confined to their
homes and the schoolhouse. King Mutesa
was urgent in his frequent invitations to
them to attend the morning baraza at the
palace, and to tell him and his chiefs of the
ways of white men and their religion.
Every Sabbath morning it was his custom to
hold a religious service in the palace. At
these times, week days and Sundays, the
missionaries talked on many subjects to the
king and his chiefs. Sometimes it was
about the two countries, England and
Uganda.
"You would sometimes be amused to hear
the high idea entertained by the king and
people about their own country," Mr.
Mackay wrote, "It is only natural, however.
Not long ago Mutesa said to me: * Mackay,
when I become friends with England, God
in heaven will be witness that England will
not come to make war on Uganda, nor
98
WHITE MEN AND BLACK MEN
Uganda go to make war on England ! And
when I go to England,' he continued, 'I shall
take greatness and glory with me, and shall
bring greatness and glory back again.
Every one will say, i Oh, Mutesa is coming ! '
when I reach England; and when I return,
' Oh, Mutesa is coming back again ! ' '
' i Of course, at such statements I only look
very grave, and say, 'Just so, exactly/ At
present, (do not laugh) Mutesa really be-
lieves that Uganda is the most powerful
country in the world. Though he fears
Egypt, he has often spoken of going to fight
against Colonel Gordon. I have had some
stiff arguments with him on this point.
You will understand that in such matters
I must be very careful. A king that is
used to nothing but flattery from his court-
iers, whose lives he can take at any moment
if they do anything other than flatter him,
is no ordinary individual to speak plainly
to. One needs a smooth tongue when speak-
ing to him.
" I do not mean to say that I am afraid of
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WHITE MAN OF WORK
him, but there is no use giving offense.
And yet the truth can be told, although not
in just so many words. In sacred matters,
however, I do very differently. In teaching
the relations between man and God I make
no mincing of matters. "When I have to say
what goes hard against heathen custom and
pride and love of self, I give my message,
saying it is not mine but God's command."
King Mutesa was quick to understand
what was explained to him ; yet things which
are very commonplace to civilized men he
had never heard of before. When Mr.
Mackay told him in a simple way about the
railroads and steamships, and explained
what the telephone and telegraph could do,
the king was greatly delighted.
This is the way Mackay summed it up,
and Mutesa was deeply impressed: "My
forefathers made the wind their slave ; then
they enchained water; next they enslaved
steam ; but now the terrible lightning is the
white man's slave, and a capital one it is,
too!"
100
WHITE MEN AND BLACK MEN
Their first Christmas in Uganda was duly
celebrated at court. Mr. Mackay having ex-
plained the meaning of the day, a great flag
was hoisted above the palace, as was usual
on Sundays, and all the chiefs appeared in
extraordinary dress. Mr. Mackay read the
story of the birth of Jesus, as told in St.
Luke's Gospel, and explained the meaning
of the song of the angels. Being asked to
tell more, he related the story of Jesus 7 boy-
hood and young manhood at Nazareth, and
tried to show by Jesus ' example, that it was
an honor to work with one's hands.
Seme days later, an Arab trader presented
himself at court with guns and cloth which
he wanted to sell for slaves. He offered one
red cloth for one slave ; one musket for two
slaves ; and one hundred percussion caps for
one female slave.
Since Mackay was present that morning,
he was given an opportunity to speak. In
the presence of all the chiefs and courtiers,
he told the king how cruelly the poor slaves
were treated during their journeys to the
101
WHITE MAN OF WORK
coast. Mutesa was so much moved that he
declared he would sell no more slaves to the
Arabs, and the traders were obliged to sell
their guns and cloth for ivory only.
Some days later, Mr. Mackay took a book
on physiology to the palace. By means of
pictures, he showed the king the different
parts of the body, and how the blood circu-
lates through them all. He explained many
things so that Mutesa might see how won-
derfully perfect the human body is, and that
no man or group of men in all the world
could ever make one. "Yet," he said, "the
Arabs wish to buy these perfect bodies with
immortal souls within them, each for a rag
of cloth which one man can make in a day. ' '
Mutesa was convinced of the wrong, and
decreed that from that time no one in his
kingdom should sell a slave on pain of death.
"The best decree you have ever made,
King Mutesa," said Mr. Mackay: but alas,
it was one thing for Mutesa to make a de-
cree and another to see that his words were
faithfully carried out.
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WHITE MEN AND BLACK MEN
Often on Sabbaths Mr. Mackay read to
the king some of the parables Jesus told.
One day, he read the story of the old gar-
ment and the new cloth (Luke v. 36), how it
was not wise to tear a piece off of a new
garment and patch an old garment with it ;
for the new garment would be spoiled and
the patch would not look well on the old
gown.
So, he told the king, it. was just as fool-
ish for him to patch up his old heathen life
by doing a few Christian things. It was
no use for him to try to be a heathen and
a Christian at the same time, to keep on
living with his three hundred wives and to
pretend to be a Christian; to buy and sell
God's children as slaves, and to claim to
follow Jesus; to treat his subjects cruelly
and to order them killed for every little of-
fense, and still to pray at Christian service
on Sunday.
Another morning at court, Mr. Mackay
read the parable of the sower and the seed,
and invited the king and chiefs to talk freely
103
WHITE MAN OF WORK
together about it. Mutesa was so deeply im-
pressed by the explanation of the parable
that he said to his chiefs, "Isa [Jesus], was
there ever any one like him!"
So at the beginning of their life in Ugan-
da there was much to encourage the mis-
sionaries. But King Mutesa was not always
the earnest, interested learner he seemed at
first to be. He was a king with two very
different faces, and he showed whichever he
chose when the white men were present.
Shortly after Mr. Mackay arrived in
Uganda, the missionaries were surprised to
learn that a group of French Catholic
priests were on their way to Mutesa 's land.
On their arrival, the king received them
with his accustomed cordiality and pomp.
But from that time trouble began. Protes-
tants and Catholics both believe themselves
to be Christians, yet their beliefs about
Christ and the Bible are not alike.
King Mutesa seemed bewildered. ' ' Every
white man has a different religion, ' ' he said.
"What am I to believe? Who is right?
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WHITE MEN AND BLACK MEN
First I was a heathen, then a Mohammedan,
then a Christian; now other white men
come and tell me these English are wrong.
Perhaps if I follow these new men, then
other white men will come and tell me these
also are wrong." Sometimes King Mu-
tesa was kind to the French missionaries:
sometimes he seemed to favor the English
more. Sometimes he was disagreeable to
both. Since the white men in the country
were regarded as the personal guests of the
king, Mutesa was expected to give them
homes to live in and from his royal bounty
to provide their daily food.. This he did
most generously until after the French Cath-
olics came. Then many a day both English
and French alike suffered from hunger be-
cause Mutesa neglected to send them ba-
nanas and cowry-shells, which were Uganda
money. The urgent suggestion even
reached the Englishmen that they should
11 clear out as quickly as possible, as the
king's soldiers were only waiting to kill them
all." Later by several weeks, they heard
105
WHITE MAN OF WORK
that Mutesa was very ill and did not expect
to recover; that a meeting of chiefs and
Arabs had been held, at which it was de-
cided to murder all the Englishmen, should
Mutesa die.
Requests from the missionaries for per-
mission to leave the country were persist-
ently refused by the king. Finally, how-
ever, he decided to send three of his own
subjects to visit the great Queen Victoria
and two missionaries were allowed to go as
an escort. Two others of the party left
Uganda to start missionary work in a city
several hundred miles south of the end of
the lake, and Mr. Pearson accompanied them
for a short distance, to get supplies. For
some months, Mr. Mackay and Mr. Litch-
field were left alone in Uganda.
Strange to say, during these months King
Mutesa turned about and showed his bet-
ter face. In the many discussions at court
from week to week, he usually took Mackay 's
part. The Sunday services again were held
regularly.
106
WHITE MEN AND BLACK MEN
Mutesa became enthusiastic over the sub-
ject of book knowledge, and even com-
manded all his chiefs, officials, pages, and
soldiers to learn to read. No one could
quite explain the sudden change which had
come over him. The mission house was be-
seiged by eager learners. All day long
Mackay and Litchfield were never without
pupils about them, some of whom were wait-
ing even at daylight. It was fortunate for
them that the small printing-press had ar-
rived. Long into the night they worked,
printing sheets which during the day men
and boys were taught to read. All the
blank paper they had was used and much of
their personal writing-paper; yet the de-
mand could not be satisfied.
On his return from the southern end of
the lake, Mr. Pearson was greatly surprised
at the change in the situation. ' ' On several
occasions, when going to the palace," said
he, "I saw small groups sitting under the
shade of some high fence, going through
their sheets ; on the way I met many carry-
107
WHITE MAN OF WORK
ing their sheets rolled up nicely, with a cov-
ering of bark cloth for the hand. At the
court the chiefs sat waiting for the king to
open baraza, and passed the time with their
sheets.
"I had one thought in my mind, surely
this is the finger of God."
King Mutesa would have done for a Chi-
nese puzzle. One Sabbath in court, in the
midst of the enthusiasm over reading, he
made a sudden request of Mr. Mackay.
After the Scripture lesson was read, he
asked abruptly, "Can any one baptize ?"
"No," was the answer.
"Can you?"
"No, but the clergyman is qualified to do
so."
"I wish to be baptized and my chiefs."
Mr. Mackay told the king that only those
who were true Christians should be bap-
tized. Jesus had said, as one could tell the
kind of tree by the fruit it bore, so one
could tell a true Christian by the sort of life
he lived. Mr. Mackay had not seen either
108
WHITE MEN AND BLACK MEN
him or his chiefs giving up lying, witchcraft,
murder, Sabbath-breaking, or any of their
evil habits. Then, too, if the king wished
to be baptized, he must be willing to live with
only one wife.
Mutesa acknowledged that the Uganda
custom of having a great many wives did
much harm ; yet he had once resolved to live
two years with no wife at all, he said, but
after two months he did as he had always
done.
Several days later, Mackay went to the
palace and found the king arguing with the
Arabs over the Koran, their sacred book.
He again showed interest in the subject of
baptism. He said he would put away his
wives and follow Christ truly. He wanted
one wife only in their place, and preferred
that she be a white woman. Since he was
a king, he said, his wife should be a king's
daughter. He tried to persuade Mr.
Mackay to write to Queen Victoria for one
of her daughters. He would give a thou-
sand elephant tusks for her.
109
WHITE MAN OF WORK
Mr. Mackay told him that he would prob-
ably not be able to get her, for in England
no woman ever married unless she wished to
do so. At this, Mutesa was very much sur-
prised, and without more ado court was dis-
missed.
Like the tall grass about his own court-
yard when shaken by the wind, Mutesa
swayed back and forth, uncertain in his at-
titude towards his visitors. He gloried over
having the white men in his capital because
of the presents they brought and the things
they could do. Now he would favor the
French, and again he would favor the En-
glish, so that he could keep them both in
the country. The missionaries knew not
what to expect of him or how much to be-
lieve of what he said. Yet there was no
insult or privation they were unwilling to
endure if only in the end Mutesa could be
brought to be a follower of Christ.
110
CHAPTER VI
THE KING AND THE WIZARD
ABOUT Christmas time in the year 1879,
there were two names which, in the
region of Uganda's capital, seemed to be on
everybody's lips. One was that of Mu-
kasa, the great wizard who lived on an is-
land in Victoria Lake, and the other was
the name of Mr. Mackay. The great yviz-
ard's name was always spoken with rever-
ence and fear; Mackay 's was usually coupled
with a curse. Indeed, many would have
been glad to see him tortured to death.
For some time it had been rumored that
the great wizard of the lake was on his way
to the capital. Month after month, Arab
traders had tried to get away from the coun-
try to take their ivory and slaves to the
coast; but, when they went to the port on
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WHITE MAN OF WORK
the lake, they were always refused canoes
because, it was said, "The great wizard of
the Lake is about to visit the king." The
great spirit or god of Uganda was supposed
to be living within this wizard, and for this
reason he was greatly feared.
,Many other less powerful spirits or gods
were worshiped by the Waganda. When
the people were anxious about their crops,
they went to the god of food; when threat-
ened by famine, they went to the god of
famine ; in time of war offerings were made
to the god of war; on other occasions, it
was the god of the earthquake, or the god
of the plague, or the god of the smallpox,
which was most worshiped.
Here and there, along the roadside, under
some tree, or in the private courtyards of
the chiefs were to be seen the tiny huts,
already described, which were sacred to one
or another of these gods. In some of them
dwelt the wizards and witches, in whom the
spirits or gods were supposed to live.
Very plainly were these strange folk
112
THE GREAT WIZABD OF THE LAKE is ABOUT TO VISIT THE
KING "
KING AND WIZARD
dressed, usually in simple robes of goat-
skins only ; and they carried clubs of crooked
wood decorated with iron knobs and bells.
Now and then a wizard, assuming a high fal-
setto voice, would rave like a lunatic. The
people thinking that the spirit within him
was angry, would bring him cows and chick-
ens and goats as gifts and even a great many
pots of beer, for the spirits were supposed
to need very much to drink. When offering
such gifts the Waganda would be praying
the best kind of prayers they knew, while
the wizard would make them think more
prayers were needed.
These men and women of magic also made
a great many trinkets, sometimes simply
from bunches of grass, or again from the
teeth of animals, or from odd-shaped stones.
After mumbling mysterious words over
these trifles, the sacred men sold the trin-
kets to t*he people as charms. When worn
about the neck or ankles, or when placed
above the doorways of the homes or hung
about the tiny huts where they made their
113
WHITE MAN OF WORK
offerings, the Waganda thought these
charms a protection against the numerous
evils over which the gods had control.
Of all these spirits, the greatest was the
god of the lake. If a chief wished to learn
what this god could tell him of the chances
for success in some war, shortly to be entered
upon, he would go to the god's island home
in the lake. There lived an old man,
named Mukasa, the god's wizard.
The chief would meet the wizard in a
small, dark hut, where there was a little
wooden stool covered with a heap of bark
cloth. On one end of the leopard skin on
which stood the sacred stool, the chief would
kneel, and on the other end the old wizard
would take his place. After some time the
spirit would supposedly enter underneath
the bark cloths over the stool. The wizard,
thereupon, would be thrown into a frenzy
and would pour forth unearthly noises, giv-
ing the chief now and then a word which
might be understood. After being duly im-
pressed by this weird proceeding, the chief
114
KING AND WIZARD
would leave, believing that lie had heard the
words of the great spirit.
Mukasa, the great wizard of the lake,
now actually left his island home and vis-
ited the capital of Uganda. For two years
king Mutesa had suffered with a painful
disease. Many native doctors had tried to
cure him. For a time he had been treated
by one of the missionaries, who was a physi-
cian, and Mutesa was temporarily benefited ;
but refusing to give up some of his wicked
habits of life which had first brought on the
trouble, he received no permanent good.
Since he suffered intensely and was daily
growing weaker, it was rumored again and
again that he would soon die.
Finally, the queen mother together with
his wives urged him to go to Mukasa, the
wizard of the great spirit, who they were
confident could heal him. Upon his insist-
ing that he could not leave the capital, they
persuaded him to allow Mukasa to come to
him.
At last the wizard came, and his camp was
115
WHITE MAN OF WORK
set up a mile and a half southwest of the
missionaries' headquarters. Every day
could be heard the roll of drums beaten in
his honor, and men carrying dozens of loads
of plantains from the king to the wizard's
camp passed by the missionaries' house.
Cattle, chickens, and even servants were sent
as presents to him. He would heal the king
by a single word, every one was saying.
It would be some days, however, before he
would make his way to the palace; for he
must wait for the coming of the new moon
to begin his work.
These days of waiting seemed to the mis-
sionaries most critical days. Should king
Mutesa receive this heathen wizard at his
court, he would be announcing to all his sub-
jects that he had wholly rejected the white
man's religion and was again as much a
heathen as ever in the past. To think that
perhaps their two years ' work would end in
such a failure, was sorely disappointing.
If ever they prayed earnestly they did now.
Every opportunity that arose, they were de-
116
KING AND WIZARD
termined to use in trying to persuade King
Mutesa to refuse to see this heathen sor-
cerer.
The morning of Thursday, December the
eleventh, brought a day long remembered
among the court folk and the missionaries.
Baraza had already commenced when Mr.
Mackay arrived. After various subjects
had been discussed, and seeing that Mutesa
was in good spirits, Mr. Mackay stepped for-
ward and sat down on a stool before the
king.
"May I have permission to ask one ques-
tion of the king?" he said.
Mutesa replied, "Say on."
"What is a wizard?" he asked.
The question was a surprise to every one.
Some were offended, because they believed in
the power of the wizard; others smiled, be-
cause they thought that the people were be-
lieving foolishness. Mutesa seemed to take
the question kindly, and began to explain
what wizards were, that in them lived the
spirits of the gods. He also said that the
117
WHITE MAN OF WORK
remains of his dead ancestors were guarded
by persons who were believed to be able to
talk with the departed spirits, and that at
times the spirits of the dead kings entered
into them.
Mr. Mackay told him that there were no
living men who could talk with the spirits
of the dead and that those who claimed they
could do so told falsehoods, that there were
many men of that sort in Uganda, but the
chief of them all was the wizard Mukasa.
"I believe you have little confidence in the
powers of such pretenders," he continued,
"but I have heard that several of your chiefs
have been advising you to go to the wizard
to be cured. I sit before you, your servant
and the servant of Almighty God, and in
his name I beg of you have no dealings with
this wizard, whether a chief tries to per-
suade you to do so, or a common man ad-
vises you." The king did not seem to op-
pose him, and translated his words to the
court.
M*. Mackay continued: "If this Mukasa
118
KING AND WIZARD
is a wizard, then he is a god, and thus there
are two gods in Uganda the Lord God Al-
mighty and Mukasa ; but if Mukasa is only
a man, as many say he is, then there are
two kings in Uganda Mutesa, whom we all
acknowledge and honor, and this Mukasa,
who gives himself out as some great one."
Mutesa seemed to see the point and again
translated Mackay 's words to the court.
He told him that he was intending to hold
a council of his chiefs with a view to com-
ing to some decision in the matter. Mr.
Mackay urged that there was no need of
that; for, if the king himself believed the
wizard to be an enemy of God, it would not
be difficult for him to lead his chiefs to see
how absurd the wizard's claims were.
Then Mutesa opened a discussion with his
chiefs on "What is a wizard?" He ended
the talk by saying, "If the wizard is a man,
he is not a wizard ; for a wizard is a spirit or
god."
One of Mr. Mackay 's letters gives the rest
of the story of that day at court: "I said
119
WHITE MAN OF WORK
that this Mukasa was practically causing re-
bellion in the country, for he disobeyed Mu-
tesa 's orders, and asserted his right over the
Lake as before that of the king. It was
more than five months since Mutesa had or-
dered his Arab traders to be supplied with
boats to go to Usukuma, [district of Kagei]
yet those traders were not able to start be-
cause of Mukasa 's counter-orders. This
was a state of things that should not be al-
lowed to exist. In the Book of God I was
prepared to show him that both in the Old
and New Testaments all sorcerers were de-
nounced as liars, and were ranked in the
lowest scale of iniquity. Moses commanded
them to be put to death. In our own coun-
try, in times past, they were put to the stake.
But we did not as Christians sanction so se-
vere a measure, nor did we come here to ad-
vise the shedding of blood ; but still, on look-
ing at the express command of God as stated
in his Book, we did advise that every man
who deceived people into believing that he
was possessed of a spirit should be ordered
120
KING AND WIZARD
to cease such deception, and if he chose to
continue it, he should be sent to prison.
These men were great liars, and Mukasa, as
the head wizard, was the greatest liar, and
the greatest rebel in the country.
"Mutesa seemed rather delighted at the
decidedness with which I spoke, and trans-
lated everything, even recurring to the other
way I put it : 'If Mukasa is a god, we have
two gods ; if he is a man, then there are two
kings here.' Those who were at first in-
clined to defend the evil genius had at length
nothing to say for him. Mutesa 's prime
minister mentioned that Lukonge called
himself god of the south end of the lake.
One of the Arabs recommended waiting a
couple of days to see what Mukasa had to
say for himself. 'What was to be done?'
was the question. "
" 'Lukonge is a heathen/ I said, 'and
knows not God.'
" 'But I know God,' Mutesa responded.
"Yes, it is because you know God, and I
believe wish to serve him, that I now ask
121
WHITE MAN OF WORK
you to choose one or the other, and not to
honor an enemy of God. In all history we
read that God was with every king that
feared him, while those who went astray
after other gods came to an end of shame.
God has said, 'Them that honor me I will
honor; and they that despise me shall be
lightly esteemed.' "
Some loads of plantains and other dona-
tions were at this moment presented, and
other disturbances arising, Mutesa told
Mackay that the subject would have to be
dropped for the time, but he would attend
to what Mackay had said. Thanking the
king, the white man retired to his seat.
When court was dismissed, the mission-
ary received many a friendly hand-shake
from the chiefs. Some of them, who, he
supposed, were the strongest advocates of
the wizard, greeted him in a friendly way,
although some of them gave him the curi-
ous look of those who felt they had been de-
feated.
Another opportunity came the next Sab-
122
KING AND WIZARD
bath. "The day was very fine," Mr. Mac-
kay wrote, "and many were present at ser-
vice. After prayers, instead of our usual
reading in St. Luke, I turned over the
Scriptures from Exodus to Eevelation, read-
ing a host of passages to show the mind of
God toward dealers in witchcraft. The
laws of God to Moses, the examples of Saul
and of Ahaziah, the manifestation of our
Lord to destroy the works of the devil, the
Acts of the Apostles especially the case of
Elymas the works of the flesh contrasted
with the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians,
fifth chapter, and, finally, the list of those
who may not enter through the gates of the
heavenly city (Revelation xxii. 15). All
these I read, in order, having previously
written out the passages.
"I had wonderful attention to-day much
more than usual. I was gratified to hear
one of the chiefs say that the list of pass-
ages read was enough to set the matter at
rest, and there could be no more dispute as
to the unlawfulness of witchcraft."
123
WHITE MAN OF WORK
It was but a few nights till the new moon
would appear. The following Saturday,
however, brought disappointing news. Mr.
Mackay heard from one of his pupils that all
the chiefs had supplied men to build three
small huts for Mukasa and his companions
in the king's inner court, and that they had
worked late by moonlight in order to have
them finished by Monday morning when the
wizard was to arrive.
There was still a little more delay, how-
ever, and Mukasa did not arrive as soon as
was expected. Mackay was given another
opportunity to speak to the king Monday
morning. A few minutes after all were
seated for the baraza, Mr. Mackay arose and
sat down in front of the king, squatting
like a tailor on the floor, as all the chiefs and
Arabs did.
Mutesa seemed to know what Mackay
wanted to talk about, and he gave orders for
all music and other noises outside the court
to cease at once.
"Is it your pleasure, King Mutesa/'
124
KING AND WIZARD
Mackay began, "that I should cease teach-
ing the Word of God at court on Sundays ? ' '
"No, not by any means.' 7
"You and your chiefs," continued Mac-
kay, "have now made up your minds to
bring the wizard to stay at court. The
other day your majesty admitted that he
was a deceiver. I have no right to inter-
fere with your orders or whom you choose
as your guest; only this visitor, for whom
preparations are made, is no ordinary guest,
but is looked up to by the people as pos-
sessed of powers which belong to God alone ;
We cannot mix up the worship of God Al-
mighty with the worship of a man who is
the enemy of God."
Mutesa listened intently, and then said to
his chiefs, "Do you hear what Mackay
says? He says that we cannot bring the
wizard here without offending God."
"The wizard is only coming with medicine
to heal the king," one of the chiefs an-
swered.
Mackay replied, "The wizard is not
125
WHITE MAN OF WORK
merely a doctor, but is looked up to by all
as a god, and as being able to heal people
by enchantment."
"The white man is right," admitted the
king. "I know very well that this Mukasa
is coming to use witchcraft."
"We should only be delighted if Mukasa
could cure the king," continued Mackay,
"and neither I nor any other missionary
would object to his bringing medicine for
that purpose."
"Gabunga [the head chief on the lake]
came some time ago to say that Mukasa was
able to cure me," said the king. " i Bring his
medicine, then,' I said. Gabunga brought
some; but said it was of no use unless the
wizard were present himself to perform the
cure. This and that other fellow says that
he is a wizard and that the spirit of my
ancestors has gone into him; but do you
think I believe that?"
"I believe Mutesa has more sense than to
believe anything of the kind, ' ' said Mackay,
"for when a man dies, his soul returns to
126
KING AND WIZARD
God, so that these fellows are only liars, and
deceive the people. "
The king replied, "What you say, Mac-
kay, is perfectly true, and I know that all
witchcraft is falsehood."
Mackay thanked Mutesa for this state-
ment, but the prime minister and other
chiefs did not seem pleased. They saw no
harm in the wizard being received with all
honor. He would make medicine which
they would hang up in the palace-houses,
as Mukasa was a great medicine-man.
"Medicine is an excellent thing," repeated
Mackay, "but it is not medicine that has
given Mukasa so great a name. This is not
the reason why he is regarded as a wizard,
but he wishes the people to believe him a
god."
Again the king seemed to agree with all
Mr. Mackay had said. Much discussion fol-
lowed. Sometimes the chiefs seemed to side
with the white man, but usually they were
opposed to him. Again Mackay pleaded
with Mutesa, saying:
127
WHITE MAN OF WORK
"I cannot hinder the king from having
the wizard as many days at court as he likes,
only I find it my duty to tell him that his en-
couraging this false person will have a pow-
erful effect in the country in making the peo-
ple believe more strongly than ever in
witches and wizards, while King Mutesa
himself does not believe in them. I take
my stand on the Word of God, which says
that all who use witchcraft are enemies of
God."
Poor Mutesa knew not what to do. His
mother and his friends had persuaded him
to have the wizard brought to his capital.
He acknowledged that it would be wrong
to receive him ; yet he was afraid not to do
as his mother and his chiefs wished.
11 We are all ready to honor and respect
your mother and your relatives," again
Mackay urged, "but God is greater than
them all, and you must choose which you
will serve, God, or your relatives. ' ' Baraza
was soon dismissed.
Mackay 's last opportunity to plead at
128
KING AND WIZARD
court came two days before Christmas.
When all were seated, Mr. Mackay was
called forward, and a woman was brought
in.
Mutesa said to Mackay, "This woman, my
aunt, has been sent to bring you to the coun-
cil of my mother, and others of the family,
that you may explain to them why you re-
fuse to allow me to see the wizard."
"I will not go to explain at any other
court than this," Mackay replied. "I do
not refuse to allow your majesty to see the
wizard: only as a servant of God I warn
you of the sin of witchcraft. I use no force,
but, as I told your majesty yesterday, it was
my place to tell you the truth, while you are
free to follow or reject my advice."
All the chiefs began to talk at once, and
the king grew afraid not to act as they
wished.
Mutesa then said, "Now we will leave
both the Arab's religion and the Bazungu's
[white men's] religion, and will go back to
the religion of our fathers."
129
WHITE MAN OF WORK
Of course the chiefs were delighted, for
they boldly "nyanzigged" [bowed] when he
finished speaking, clapping their hands, say-
ing ' 'I thank y on !"
Mr. Mackay was asked why the mission-
aries had come to Uganda, and what they
came to do. "We came," Mackay an-
swered, "in response to the king's own re-
quest to Stanley, that he wished white men
to come and stop with him, and to teach his
people the knowledge of God."
"I understood that you came to teach us
how to make powder and guns, and what I
want is men who will do so," said the king,
in a show of anger.
"We did not understand that. Our first
work is to teach the Word of God, and how
to read it."
"If to teach that is your main object, then
you are not to teach any more. I want you
to work forme."
Mackay replied, "We never have refused
to do any work you have wished us to do;
and everything the king has asked to be
130
KING AND WIZARD
done, I have done. There is scarcely a chief
present for whom I have not done work."
He showed his hands, black with daily
working in iron for those very chiefs who
were saying the white men would not work
for them.
"We want you to stop teaching to read,
and to do work only for us and the king,"
shouted the chiefs.
"We came for no such purpose," replied
the missionary. "If you wish that, then we
cannot stay."
"Where will you go?"
"We shall go back to England."
Several hours were spent in such talk, and
the court was again dismissed.
At last the time of the new moon had
come and the following day was the wiz-
ard's great day of triumph. The mission-
aries did not go to the palace themselves;
but, through a few of the more friendly na-
tives, they learned what had happened. It
was reported that four or five of the head
chiefs had gone to the king and told him that
131
WHITE MAN OF WORK
if he did not receive the wizard and have the
old religion back, they would take his throne
from him and make one of his sons king.
Mr. Mackay writes: " Before dawn I was
awakened by a terrible beating of drums in
the neighborhood. I got up, and looked out
in a dense fog. I gathered at once that it
was the procession of the wizard going to
the palace.
"The sound of drums got nearer, and the
united shrill cries of hundreds of women
became more distinct, and then faded away
as the great procession turned up the high-
way to the king's palace. I felt relieved
that the party did not have to pass our
house, for who knows what a capricious and
fanatical mob might have done on a mo-
ment's impulse?. But I retired into my
room with the feeling that we were in the
hands of our loving Father, who will not
allow a hair of our heads to perish.
"I afterward learned that the wizard put
up at the house of Gabunga [head chief on
the lake], who is now at the capital, till
132
KING AND WIZARD
midday, when lie was received at the pal-
ace. The king was removed from his ordin-
ary house, and seated in the main court,
where the three huts were built for the wiz-
ard and his two companions. By some re-
ports, Mutesa and his wives alone were in-
side the house, the katikiro sitting in the
doorway, and all the other chiefs sitting out-
side, while the wizard also sat outside near
the door, his companions sitting near him.
"All agree in saying that a vast quantity
of beer was consumed by the wizard and
chiefs, Mutesa scarcely touching the liquor ;
that the king sat silent all the time, while
the wizard sang. Some say that Mutesa
paid little attention to the wizard, but called
forward the small sorcerers to play and
dance before him. Few were near enough
to know anything that the wizard said or
sung; but one man says that he predicted
war in the country from the presence of
strangers, not now, perhaps, but within four
or five years. "
For several days the great wizard and his
133
WHITE MAN OF WORK
companions presented themselves at court,
going through their chanting, dancing, and
drinking as on the first day. Finally, the
last day of the year, Mutesa refused to see
the wizard again because the cure which was
expected had failed. Mukasa was obliged
to leave and return to his island home.
So the year ended. King Mutesa had
yielded to the persuasions of his chiefs and
relatives and had returned to his old heathen
ways only to be disappointed again by the
false pretensions of the heathen wizard.
What might next be expected no one dared
to predict.
134
CHAPTER VII
THE TWO-FACED MUTESA AND THE MOHAM-
MEDANS
KING Mutesa had openly rejected both
the religion of the white men and that
of the Arabs, and declared himself again a
worshiper of the heathen spirits. For him,
however, it was as easy to change his reli-
gion as to change his clothes. Not more
than two weeks after he had compelled his
court to do reverence to the wizard, he said
to his chiefs :
"Why are you not continuing to learn to
read"? You are all trying to gather riches
for this world. You had better prepare for
the world to come. Here are white men
who have come far from Europe to teach you
religion. Why do you not learn ?"
He even went so far as to distribute many
135
WHITE MAN OF WORK
reading sheets among Ms chiefs and pages.
As a result, some who because of fear had
ceased going to the missionaries' home, now
renewed their visits, and others were made
bold to begin to study for the first time.
Yet during the months which followed the
wizard's visit, the missionaries were very
much neglected by Mutesa. He no longer
sent them presents of bananas, goats, and
chickens, and their supply of cowry-shells
for buying food became exhausted. Most
of their clothes were either badly worn or
had been pawned for food. They needed
also oil for their lamps, paper for printing,
and many other things not to be had in
Uganda.
So in April, 1880, Mr. Mackay started on
a journey to Uyui, several hundred miles
south of the lake where were other English
missionaries who had lately come from Eng-
land with fresh supplies. Some thirty
days, Mr. Mackay and his companions spent
in "frail, tiny barks, made of rough hewn
boards, sewed together with twigs," and an-
136
MUTESA AND MOHAMMEDANS
other month was occupied in traveling over-
land to Uyui. During the time Mr. Mac-
kay spent merely in going to Uyui, their
nearest supply house, perhaps five hundred
miles from Uganda, one could now make the
trip from New York City to Shanghai,
China, and return. This trip kept Mr.
Mackay away from the capital for nine
months, Mr. Pearson being the only Protest-
ant missionary left in Uganda.
About three months after Mr. Mackay
had left the capital, the fickle Mutesa again
changed his religion. One night he dreamed
that he saw ten moons and an eleventh
which was both larger and brighter than any
of the others. The big bright moon waxed
more and more brilliant and grew larger
and larger until the ten other moons came
and bowed down before it. While Mutesa
was wondering what the dream meant, he
thought he saw two angels standing before
him and he was frightened by their angry
looks.
"Why have you and your court ceased to
137
WHITE MAN OF WORK
pray the Mohammedan prayers ? ' ' one of the
angels asked.
Now all Mohammedans are taught to pray
five times a day. In order that every one
may know just the time when the prayers
should be said, a priest from the top of some
high building calls loudly Arabic words,
which mean "God is great. I bear witness
that there is no god but God! I bear wit-
ness that Mohammed is the Prophet of God !
Come to prayers ! Come to prayers ! Come
to salvation! There is no other god but
God!" Immediately, every good Moham-
medan, no matter where he is or what his
task, believes that his first duty is to wash
his hands and kneel down to pray.
So the angel said to Mutesa: "If you
wish to be prosperous and your land to
grow, return at once to this old custom and
call the people to prayer as the Koran com-
mands."
On telling the dream to his wives, Mutesa
was easily persuaded to think that he was
like the large moon and that soon ten king-
138
COME TO PRAYKRS! COME TO SALVATION!
MUTESA AND MOHAMMEDANS
doms would come to him and beg him to
rule over them.
On meeting his chiefs at morning 'baraza,
the proud king repeated his dream to them
also. Then and there, he commanded them
all to obey the order of the angels and to
pray, " La-ilaha-illa-Allah, Muhammedun
Rasul Allah" one of the creeds which
Mohammedans are taught and which they
repeat again and again. The Arabic words
when translated mean, "There is no god but
God; and Mohammed is the Prophet of
God."
Mutesa's command needed merely to be
given and the royal palace resounded with
the prayers of scores of men who were ready
to follow any religion their king might
choose.
Mutesa announced that he himself was no
longer a worshiper of the gods of Uganda or
a follower of Isa [Jesus], but, from hence-
forth, his religion was that of Mohammed.
In the church, within the royal enclosure
where only a short while before men had
139
WHITE MAN OF WORK
prayed to the Lord Jesus, now each day Mo-
hammedan prayers were chanted. Every
chief, wherever he might go, was accom-
panied by a boy carrying a mat and a ket-
tle, so that when the call to prayer was
heard, he might wash his hands and kne^l on
the mat in obedience to the Koran.
Some days after the public announcement
of his new religion, Mutesa declared that
since he had determined to follow the dream,
he had been cured of his long-standing sick-
ness. 'For some time he held baraza regu-
larly in the grand style which had been hab-
itual years before, but which was set aside
after he began to suffer from his lingering
disease. Soon, however, the malady proved
as serious as before.
During this period when the Mohamme-
dans enjoyed the royal favor, the Arabs
gloried alike in their own power and in the
seeming defeat of their enemies, the white
men.
On Mr. Mackay's return from the south-
ern end of the lake, they were ready to tell
140
MUTESA AND MOHAMMEDANS
the king the most unthinkable series of
falsehoods about the missionary. These
they hoped would further prejudice his
mind against Mackay and cause Mutesa
either to drive the white teacher from the
country or to take his life.
At baraza one morning, when one Catho-
lic priest and two Arabs were present, the
crafty Mutesa, always eager to start excit-
ing discussions at court, said: "Makay mi-
lalu/' (' ' Mackay is mad ' ') . Having waited
for just such an opportunity, the Arabs now
boldly presented their charges.
They said that Mackay was a criminal of
the worst sort ; that he had fled from Eng-
land because he had there murdered two
men; that when he boarded the steamer
bound for Africa, he carried two revolvers
in his hands, with which he threatened to
shoot the captain on the spot if he refused
to take him to Zanzibar; that, from Zanzi-
bar in turn, he was compelled to flee because
of more murders he committed there; that
in Unyanyembe he had walked about carry-
141
WHITE MAN OF WORK
ing two revolvers hoping for an opportunity
to kill the governor; that it was very dan-
gerous to allow him to remain in Uganda,
for he was insane and only tried to murder
people. They further declared that Mac-
kay, being very much afraid that the story
of his crimes would reach Mutesa's ears,
had, on that very morning, given the speaker
a present and on his knees had besought him
not to make public the facts about his
wicked life.
When the story of that morning's baraza
was told Mr. Mackay, what were his
thoughts? In his journal that night, these
were some of the words he wrote :
"God is over all, and he is , our God and
our sole defense. In fever, when one's
nerves are weak, many doubts arise in the
mind, and through morbidly dwelling on the
number of our bloodthirsty enemies, faith
almost fails. Yet the fever subsides, and
courage rises with better health, and one
cannot but feel a deep inward, peaceful con-
sciousness that, though we are absolutely
142
MUTESA AND MOHAMMEDANS
shut off from every human help, yet we
have protection more secure than any con-
sul can afford, even the omnipotent arm of
Jehovah.
"For the terrible charges laid against me,
some proposed in court that I should be put
to death. Even the charge of carrying my
revolver is false, for I almost invariably
march unarmed, having only my umbrella.
Mutesa, however, said that the best thing to
do was to send me home, as being a raiser of
much noise and row in court. He knows
very well that this charge, too, is unfounded.
One of the French missionaries compli-
mented me on the quiet manner in which I
talked with Mutesa, while Arabs and others
spoke loudly and excitedly.
"We now can understand to the full the
meaning of that blessing which we are
promised when men shall revile us, and per-
secute us, and shall say all manner of evil
against us falsely for His sake. We are
His, and it matters not what man can do
to us."
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WHITE MAN OF WORK
The Arabs long continued to slander the
missionaries in this way whenever it was
possible to do so. They took advantage of
the occasions when the missionaries were
not at court to make false charges against
them before the king.
One morning when a goodly number of
them were present at baraza, they said,
"The English are taking advantage of Mu-
tesa's illness. Since you are unable to go
about to see what is going on in your king-
dom, the English are building a castle of
clay which will become a fort ; and they have
many guns. When they finish building they
will fight."
Mutesa answered: "The English are at
Zanzibar and have not yet taken that place.
Is it likely that they will begin fighting here
when they have not yet 'eaten' any part of
the coast ?"
Failing in their charge against the Eng-
lish, the Arabs next attacked the French-
men. "Mapera has many guns," they said,
"and has bought fifty slaves and is training
144
MUTESA AND MOHAMMEDANS
them to fight. Then they will make war."
Mutesa did not seem inclined to believe
this charge either, and said that he knew
that Mapera was not a fighting man. "I
accept your religion," he said, "and do not
want the religion of the Bazungu [white
men] . Leave off then abusing them. ' '
Pleased that he had professed to accept
their faith, the Arabs began to flatter him
because of his wisdom.
"The Bazungu," they said, "do not know
how to pray. They never wash their hands
before eating. They keep dogs which are
unclean animals. Their skin is white be-
cause they eat swine's flesh. We eat only
clean animals, we always wash before eating
and before praying, and we pray regularly
four and five times a day."
Mutesa again praised the Mohammedan
religion and commanded all his chiefs to go
immediately and pray at the mosque which
had been put up on the palace grounds.
When they returned Mutesa asked:
"Have not the Bazungu a book also from
145
WHITE MAN OF WORK
which they pray? Is there no one present
who can repeat their prayers for me to
hear?"
Mufta being present was asked to read.
He read the prayer beginning, "Our
Father which art in heaven."
"There," cried the Arabs, "what is
that? Allah is not our Father, and who-
ever saw him in heaven? Did we not tell
you that these people do not know how to
pray?"
The king then decreed that all should
pray as the Arabs did, and that every one
who was found not doing so should be
caught and killed.
Later another discussion arose at court
about the religions of Christ and Moham-
med. Mr. O 'Flaherty, who had taken Mr.
Pearson 's place in the mission, took the side
of the Christians.
"In what does the wealth of Europe and
Zanzibar consist?" asked Mutesa of one of
the Arabs present.
The Arab mentioned houses, lands, cattle,
146
MUTESA AND MOHAMMEDANS
slaves, ivory, merchandise, pearls, gold, and
silver.
"In what does the wealth of Uganda con-
sist?" asked Mr. O 'Flaherty of the king.
"Our riches," said Mutesa, "lie in ivory
and women and cattle and slaves and
houses."
Mr. O 'Flaherty replied, "Ivory will by-
and-by be all gone; your women die every
day of the plague ; your cattle get eaten up ;
your slaves die; and your houses, why I
could set them all on fire with one match.
What will you have then ? All these things
perish. I, therefore, advise you to seek the
true riches which are above, and which can-
not pass away. Seek first to know God and
to love him with all your heart, and then
you will have wealth which will last al-
ways. ' '
"I want to have nothing to do w r ith Jesus
Christ," Mutesa replied. "I want goods
and women. The religion of Jesus Christ
will not give these to me, so I will not have
it. The white men told me that God would
147
WHITE MAN OF WORK
protect those who read the Book. Smissi
[Lieutenant Smith] was a man who read
the book of Jesus Christ and he was killed.
Does not Jesus Christ always abuse people ?
Did he not try to make the Jews accept his
religion? But they would not have it, and
killed him and scattered his followers. I
don't want the Bazungu to come here with
empty words. I want them to work and to
bring me goods like the Arabs. If they will
not make me ships and cannon, I do not
want them. They tell me about God.
Who ever saw God ? Ask the Bazungu who
ever saw God."
In answer, Mr. O 'Flaherty asked Mutesa,
"Did you ever see pain? Yet you have cer-
tainly felt it and know what it is. Did you
ever see the wind? Yet you know it is
here or there."
So the conversation continued. Mutesa 's
heart was bad and the missionaries were
able to do little.
A few days later the Arabs invented
another very cunning charge against the
148
MUTESA AND MOHAMMEDANS
English missionaries. Several of them,
having called on the white men, had seen
and heard their new music-box. So at
court they told the king that Queen Vic-
toria had sent him a fine music-box, but that
the missionaries were keeping it for them-
selves. They further said that there were
devils inside the box and when Mr. O 'Flah-
erty whistled the devils began to play and
when Mr. O 'Flaherty said "stop," they
were quiet. They also said that the Queen
had sent Mutesa a thousand rifles, which
they were also keeping for their own use.
A hundred bales of cloth and many other
things the Arabs said the missionaries were
withholding from Mutesa. Of course, it
was soon shown how false were all these
charges.
After a long discussion about Jesus
Christ, the Arabs broke out with a new at-
tack. "The Bazungu are idolaters, they
worship pictures."
Mutesa ordered a book brought which
had been given him by the French Catholic
149
WHITE MAN OF WORK
priests. It contained a picture of God, the
Father, as an old man with a long beard.
The Arabs were delighted to have their
charge seemingly proved true.
But the missionary was ready with a re-
ply. ' ' That is not really a picture of God, ' '
he said. "That picture has been made to
help children to understand that God is our
Father. But, you know that the French-
men and we do not agree on such things:
we have the same faith in important mat-
ters, but pictures we don't believe in as
they do."
The evil stories invented by the Arabs
were sometimes so bad that they sound ri-
diculous. Mr. Mackay seemed to be more
fiercely slandered than any of the rest.
The Arabs even made up this very queer
fable, which they tried to use to Mr.
Mackay 's harm :
"A certain king," they said, "had a fav-
orite cat, which was reported to have one
day eaten all the eggs. The king, however,
said, 'It is my cat, let it alone; it must eat.'
150
MUTESA AND MOHAMMEDANS
Next day it was reported to have eaten the
hens. 'Let it alone/ said the king, 'it is
my favorite cat ; it must eat. ' After this it
ate the goats, and then all the cows; but
still the king would not let the cat be
touched. Next it ate up all the people, and
the king's wives, and then his children, and
finally it ate up the king himself. Only one
son of the king escaped by hiding himself.
Meantime the cat grew and swelled to a
great size, from having devoured so many
things.
"But at length the one prince who es-
caped, succeeded in killing the cat. When
he cut it open, he found all the eggs and
the fowls and the goats and the cows and
the people and the wives and the king's
sons. But in the act of cutting the cat up,
the prince accidentally wounded in the thigh
one of his brother princes inside the cat.
This fellow got out and said, 'What did you
wound me for?' 'Do you not see,' said the
other, 'that I have been doing you a good
service in letting you out ? ' But he refused
151
WHITE MAN OF WORK
to be at peace, and tried to kill the prince
who had let him out!"
"The wonderful cat is the English," said
the Arabs, "and the wounded prince who
wished to kill his deliverer is Mackay.
You, Mutesa, have conferred every benefit
on him ; but he means only to return you
evil for good!"
"Could enmity and falsehood go fur-
ther?" wrote Mackay in his journal. "But
none of these things move me. The Lord
has preserved me many a time from the
hatred of these revilers and wicked men,
who, for no reason at all, delight so to speak
all manner of evil against me falsely. It
was this very morning that Pearson and I
read together at prayers the fifty-first chap-
ter of Isaiah :
" 'I, even, I, am he that comforteth you:
who art thou, that thou shouldest be afraid
of a man that shall die, and of the son of
man which shall be made as grass ; and f or-
gettest the Lord thy maker, that hath
stretched forth the heavens, and laid the
152
MUTESA AND MOHAMMEDANS
foundations of the earth; and hast feared
continually every day because of the fury of
the oppressor, as if he were ready to de-
stroy? and where is the fury of the op-
pressor? The captive exile hasteneth that
he may be loosed, and that he should not die
in the pit, nor that his bread should fail.
But I am the Lord thy God, that divided the
sea, whose waves roared: the Lord of hosts
is his name. And I have put my words in
thy mouth, and I have covered thee in the
shadow of mine hand. '
"With such a promise, and such a ref-
uge, and such a God, who shall be afraid?
Lord God, give us more faith in thee! As
for these Mohammedans and all others who
speak so falsely of us, we would have no
bitter feelings in our hearts against them.
Lord, have mercy on them, and lead them to
know thee, and then they will love thee and
love thy servants."
Such a one, whose desire was best ex-
pressed in a prayer for his enemies, was a
true Christian, for he was like his Master,
153
CHAPTER VIII
THE NEW TEACHING MAKES NEW MEN
OCTOBER the eighth, eighteen hundred
and eighty-one, was a great day for
the two English missionaries in Uganda.
Mr. Litchfield and Mr. Pearson, having been
compelled to return to their homeland, Mr.
Mackay and Mr. O 'Flaherty were at the
time alone in the mission. The day brought
nothing unusual but a letter addressed to
Mr. Mackay.
The letter was short very short as it
contained but two sentences. It was not
beautifully written, for the writer had never
had a lesson in penmanship. The pen used
was a pointed piece of spear grass and the
ink had been made from pot soot and plan-
tain ~juice. None of us could have read it,
for it was written in Luganda, yet it
154
NEW TEACHING MAKES NEW MEN
brought Mr. Mackay the best news he had
heard since reaching Uganda. During all
the three years he had spent in Mutesa's
kingdom, not a single black man or woman
in the country, as far as he knew, had
showed that he truly wanted to be a Chris-
tian. This little letter bringing the good
news was from one of Mackay ? s first pupils,
a young man named Sembera.
"Bwana [Master] Mackay," it read,
" Sembera has come with compliments and
to give you the great news. Will you bap-
tize him, because he believes the words of
Jesus Christ?"
Never afterwards was Sembera ashamed
of being a Christian. Day by day, he lived
the sort of life which convinced every one
that he was "true blue." Although only a
slave boy, he was ever trying to persuade
others to become Christians. Two years
after his baptism two young men whom he
himself had won boldly acknowledged Jesus
as Lord and Saviour; and even his old
slave master became a Christian later, be-
155
WHITE MAN OF WORK
cause Sembera his slave boy had taught him
of Jesus.
About a month after Sembera 's note came,
another bit of important news reached the
missionaries. A lame slave boy, named Dum-
ulira, one of Mr. O 'Flaherty's advanced
pupils, was missed for some time from the
daily reading class, and the missionaries did
not know what the trouble could be. Later,
when Mr. O 'Flaherty was waiting in one of
the courtyards of the palace, a lad stepped
up and handed to him a Gospel, saying that
Dumulira had asked that it be returned to
the white man. His friend Dumulira, he
said, was dead. He himself used to be a
follower of the wizards, but now he no
longer believed his old superstitions. To
prove that he was honest, he showed Mr.
O 'Flaherty that he no longer carried any
charm about his clothes.
The change in the heathen lad had come
about at a time when hundreds of Waganda
were dying of the plague. While Dumulira
was sick, he asked his heathen friend to go
156
NEW TEACHING MAKES NEW MEN
to the missionaries for medicine; but the
heathen lad was afraid and would not go.
All day long, the sick boy read from the
Gospel of Mark, until his pains grew too in-
tense to read longer, and soon afterward he
died.
That day the heathen lad lost his faith in
the evil spirits worshiped by the Waganda.
Soon he, too, was one of the "readers" at
the missionaries' school and was taught
more about the Christ who had made his
friend's death-bed so sweet.
About five months after Sembera's letter
was received, the first five Christian Wa-
ganda then living were baptized by Mr.
O 'Flaherty. For this special service the
missionaries' home was turned into a
chapel. After the solemn and impressive
ceremony of the morning was over, a boun-
teous dinner was served to about thirty lads
and men and a goodly number of women be-
sides, Mr. Mackay being the chief cook for
the occasion. It was a very happy as well
as a solemn day; and others, too, began to
157
WHITE MAN OF WORK
think seriously of coming out boldly for
Christ.
The five young men who were baptized
had all been pupils in the white men's
school for a long time, and had repeatedly
expressed their determination to be follow-
ers of Jesus. To make every one feel that
these young men were beginning a new life,
they were given new names when baptized.
Sembera was now called Sembera Mackay.
Two of them had formerly been known by
the name of the old wizard of the lake, Mu-
kasa. One was now called Philipo for Mr.
O 'Flaherty, who was called Philipo by the
black men; and the other was named Ed-
wardo. The fourth was called Henry
"Wright, for one of the missionary secre-
taries in England ; and the fifth was named
Yakobo, meaning Jacob.
From this time on, the number of those
who were earnestly seeking to learn how to
follow the white man's religion steadily in-
creased. Some walked three, four, and five
hours to reach the
158
: THE CHIEF TEACHING His WIVES
NEW TEACHING MAKES NEW MEN
One faithful chief was obliged to wade
through a swamp up to his waist in going
from his home to that of the missionaries.
One day a chief came who said he had
heard one morning at baraza the discus-
sions between Mr. O 'Flaherty, the king, and
the Arabs ; and he wanted now to hear more
of what the white man had to say. Mr.
O 'Flaherty gave the chief his evenings,
teaching him to read the Lord's Prayer, the
Creed, part of the New Testament, and cer-
tain other Scripture verses. Occasionally
he went to the chief's home to teach him.
Calling one day at his hut, he was happily
surprised to find the chief teaching his
women or wives, some to say the alphabet,
some to spell, and some to read the Lord's
Prayer.
One morning, the man who had been the
special wizard or priest for this chief came
also to the missionaries' home. Many regu-
lar pupils and visitors, together with other
wizards and worshipers of the spirits, were
present. In the midst of the teaching, this
159
WHITE MAN OF WORK
priest arose and knelt at the feet of Mr.
O 'Flaherty.
"I will cast off these charms of the
spirits, whom I will never again serve," he
cried. "They are liars and cheats. I will
follow Jesus and learn his ways." On say-
ing this, he cut off the valuable charms he
carried about his person and took off his
priest's robes and threw them all into the
fire.
Soon after this the chief was ordered by
the king to go to a distant part of the coun-
try. Having been away some months, he
sent his converted priest back to the mis-
sion house, several days' journey, to ask for
a prayer-book. It happened that when he
arrived, another priest, richly robed and
adorned with charms, was talking with Mr.
Mackay. The heathen priest was describ-
ing his different kinds of charms; one he
had to keep off lightning; one was to heal
snake bites ; and others were to heal various
kinds of sicknesses. Mr. Mackay finally
persuaded the man to allow him for a few
160
NEW TEACHING MAKES NEW MEN
minutes to have one of his most precious
charms which he carried on his head. On
handing it over to the missionary the wiz-
ard cautioned Mr. Mackay not to place it
on his head lest some dreadful calamity
should be sent upon him by the god. This
was the very thing Mr. Mackay did, at the
same time addressing the crowd of Wa-
ganda. Expecting to see Mackay smitten
dead on the spot, some of the people were so
frightened that they ran away. The wizard
himself seemed interested and convinced of
the f oily of his belief.
Then the converted wizard stepping for-
ward boldly addressed the people. He told
them how he had thrown all his charms and
his priestly robes into the fire; for he had
been led to believe in the Lord Jesus Christ,
the Great High Priest of the true God.
Those present were deeply moved, and
many went away asking themselves, "Is
not the Christian's God the true God?"
These interesting and encouraging things
were happening while the Waganda every-
161
WHITE MAN OF WORK
where were living in constant fear of death.
The land was sorely stricken with the
plague, much as Egypt was in the days of
Moses. When this was at its worst, it
seemed as though there was not a single
house in Uganda where at least one had not
died.
The disease snatched several from the
noble Christian band. Two of these vic-
tims, young men of the king's household,
were expecting to be baptized in a few
months. When smitten with the plague,
however, they were treated as were all
others and carried off into the jungle and
left to die. Some friend, learning of this,
wrote a note to Mr. O 'Flaherty, which
read: "Hasten to such a place in Rubaga
and bring with you some medicine, for your
two friends are being carried away thither
smitten with the plague."
Mr. O 'Flaherty hastened to them, and
found them alone in the deserted place ; for
those who had borne them to the jungle
were afraid of being seized with the dread
162
NEW TEACHING MAKES NEW MEN
disease. There were a few words of cheer
and a short prayer by the missionary. "I
shall never forget, " wrote Mr. O 'Flaherty,
"the look up to heaven by the first young
man, Mukasa, and the words, among many
others, to the effect that, although he was
leaving an earthly palace, he was going to
the palace in heaven; and turning to his
friend he said, 'Jesus our Saviour is King.'
His hands were clasped in mine, but in a
paroxysm of burning agony he released his
grasp and passed away. Turning to my
other friend, I found him already in the
throes of death, but I felt his name was en-
tered on the Book of Life in heaven. "
Another victim of the plague was Philipo
Mukasa, one of the first five baptized by the
missionary. For a long time he had been
Mr. O 'Flaherty's personal friend and
helper. In the religious services he became
the leader in the singing and in the respon-
sive Bible reading, and in the school he was
made one of the regular teachers. Once
shortly after his baptism, he weakened
163
WHITE MAN OF WORK
under the tempting offer of his brother, a
chief, who promised him a wife, the Afri-
can's great desire, if Philipo Mukasa would
only become his heathen priest. However,
with his wife Sarah he soon returned to the
missionaries, asking that both might be per-
mitted to remain with them.
At all other times Philipo was true to his
God. Even before he was baptized he had
suffered persecution for the Bazungu's
[white men's] religion. It was when Mu-
tesa, because of his dream, had turned his
court into a Mohammedan assembly. At
the time Philipo Mukasa was the janitor of
the church within the palace enclosure where
the chiefs began to go regularly to repeat
Mohammedan prayers. Philipo Mukasa re-
fused to join them, and said that the religion
of Jesus which the white men taught was the
only true religion. When his words were
reported to the king, the brave young man
was put in the stocks ; and shortly after he
with another of the missionaries ' pupils was
sent off bound into the country.
164
NEW TEACHING MAKES NEW MEN
On another occasion, after Philipo 's re-
turn, Mr. O 'Flaherty was too ill to attend
court. The missionaries were being slan-
dered by their enemies who said that they
w r ere bribing people to get them to come to
read, and that they were running away with
the palace women. The king ordered every
pupil found about the premises to be
caught, when Philipo Mukasa came heroic-
ally to their rescue. He pleaded the mis-
sionaries' cause so ably at court that, in-
stead of being murdered for his boldness as
he expected, the king and. katikiro each
gave him a present of cloth.
Philipo 's wife, Sarah, grew to be as noble
a Christian as himself. When first brought
to the missionaries' home, she was a
haughty savage who refused to touch the
white men's food. "Can a woman learn?"
she asked, when they tried to teach her.
Soon however she became a good reader and,
more than that, a most helpful person about
the place. One day she was seen working in
the garden with the other women.
165
WHITE MAN OF WORK
"Sarah," asked the missionary, "who
told you to work ; I thought you were above
working ? ' '
"I cannot wash and sew like my white
sisters in England," she answered. "I
wish I could; but I can prune and hoe, and
the plantains which feed us require both.
It is my duty to assist in feeding this great
family."
It was a sad night for her and all the
Christians when Philipo Mukasa was smit-
ten with the plague and died. His brothers
came to take away the corpse, but the mis-
sionary and Sarah refused, saying that be-
cause they were Christians and Jesus was
their elder brother, they were more closely
related to Philipo Mukasa than his natural
brothers. "When his heathen relatives saw
the fine grave the white men made and the
beautiful bark cloth and the clean white
linen in which they wrapped the dead body,
they said: "You have buried him a chief;
we also wish to be your brothers. ' '
During the larger part of the year 1883,
166
NEW TEACHING MAKES NEW MEN
Mr. Mackay was absent from Rubaga. He
was trying to fit up a second vessel to take
the place of the steam launch they had for-
merly used on Victoria Lake. His heart,
however, was very much in Uganda, and he
greatly wished to see these young Chris-
tians baptized and to help to train them for
larger usefulness.
One interesting young man, Mwira by
name, who came while Mr. Mackay was
away, asked permission to stay with the mis-
sionaries. During the day, he worked for
hours in the garden side by side with Mr.
O 'Flaherty; and at night, he had scores of
questions to ask as the missionary tried to
teach him of Christ. On returning to his
home he was given some Christian books.
After several months' absence he returned
with his wife and babe, asking that his wife,
too, might be taught to read. She had been
with the missionaries only a day or two
when she went to Mr. O 'Flaherty to ask for
a hoe that she might go and work in the
garden and help to earn her own bread.
167
WHITE MAN OF WORK
The missionary objected, saying: "Stay
and learn, you are my guest ; I '11 feed you. ' '
"How can I while you labor," she an-
swered. "No, you stay with us, and teach
us, and we will go and cultivate. ' '
Unlike most Waganda husbands and
wives Mwira and his wife loved each other.
When baptized they chose for themselves
the names Yohana (John) and Maryamu
(Mary) , from the two Bible characters they
especially respected.
Before Mwira finally said good-by to the
missionaries, he attempted to describe how
he felt as a Christian man. This is about
what he said.
"I am like a man traveling in a moun-
tainous country. He climbs and passes
ridge after ridge with pleasure. But as he
surmounts each he looks before him to the
heights beyond, each one loftier than those
he has passed, and he becomes impatient,
and wonders to himself if he will ever sur-
mount the last. But there is one great dif-
ference. The traveler in his desire hastens
168
NEW TEACHING MAKES NEW MEN
from the summit of one ridge to descend,
that he may climb another height; thence
he hastens on till he climbs the last and
highest. Not so I. When I climb I like
to lie on the top and rest, and enjoy the
others before me. Yes, I like to rest, and
drink of the fountains that gush forth as
I climb. Oh, the pleasure of reading and
thinking upon these delightful books, and
of meditating on the wonders of the Son of
God becoming man to save men from evil
spirits!"
So the number of Waganda Christians
grew. Some were slaves, some were chiefs,
some were officers of the king's household,
and several were the king's own daughters.
By October, 1884, eighty-eight Waganda
had been baptized. Black men, women,
and children were being born again with
new hearts pure and white.
169
CHAPTER IX.
MACK AY'S QUEER NEW NAME
MR. MACKAY was not an ordained
minister of the gospel, but a mechanic.
His best sermons were preached by the
things he made with his hands. His sun-
burned face told of the hours spent out of
doors as farmer, carpenter, or bridge-
builder, and his hands were blackened and
hardened by the heavy labor which was al-
most continually his. Many a time he
longed for more spare hours in which the
bright lads who came to the mission might
be taught to read the Bible. At nights and
in the evenings when out-door work was im-
possible, he would turn into schoolmaster,
or printer, or, with the help of some Wa-
ganda boys, he would make an attempt at
translating parts of the Bible into Luganda.
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MACKAY'S NEW NAME
He wrote: "Any amount of mere
preaching would never set these lazy fel-
lows to work; and if only the slaves work,
what better are matters than before? I
have made work so prominent a part of my
teaching that I am called Muzungu-wa Kazi
[white man of work]. I tell them that God
made men with only one stomach, but with
two hands, implying they should work twice
as much as they eat. But most of them are
all stomach and no hands! That / work
with my hands is a great marvel, and
should be a healthful lesson."
During the year 1881 there was more
than the usual amount of work to keep the
hands of Mr. O 'Flaherty and Mr. Mackay
busy. Indeed the "white man of work"
seldom could spare time to attend the royal
lamza. Mr. O 'Flaherty, being preacher,
was the one who carried on the greater
number of the discussions with the king and
his chiefs at court.
Just now a good sized farm of perhaps
twenty acres was at the disposal of the
171
WHITE MAN OF WORK
missionaries ten times as much as the king
had given them at first. To raise for them-
selves all the vegetables, fruit, and stock
they might need for food became their am-
bition. Thus they would no longer be de-
pendent upon the favor of a fickle king for
gifts of food and for cowry-shells to keep
them from starvation.
It was no easy task to cut down the trees
and underbrush and to break up the soil, so
as to prepare these acres of wild land for
cultivation. The natives never having been
used to the idea of working for wages, all
manual work being done by slaves, it was dif-
ficult to get men and women to help in this
undertaking. At first the blacks would only
beg and steal from the white men, whether
any work had been done or not. Finally,
the white men succeeded in getting a few
helpers to agree to finish a certain piece of
work for definite, wages. Some would work
a week for the payment of a very small
quantity of cloth. Women, who in Uganda
do all the gardening, came to hoe and prune
172
MACKAY'S NEW NAME
the plantain trees for a few cowry-shells,
while half grown lads sometimes consented
for pay to do this woman 's work.
After months of patient labor, fifteen
hundred plantain trees were growing on the
land. Splendid crops of maize, millet,
wheat, beans, peas, tomatoes, and sweet po-
tatoes were being gathered. There was a
fair herd of cattle, together with goats and
chickens enough to supply them with
meat. Part of the coffee they used was
raised on their own trees, and the cotton
they wove into cloth was of their own plant-
ing. From their own wheat crops they
made flour and baked bread in a brick oven
devised by Mr. Mackay. Plantain rinds
were burned to make lye for soap-making.
They even went so far as to make sugar and
molasses from Uganda sugar-cane. All
these new forms of labor the missionaries
did themselves or taught the natives by pa-
tient example.
To all the tasks of various kinds involved
in farming was added that of building a
173
WHITE MAN OF WORK
new home for the missionaries. Hitherto
they had lived in a hut of native build.
Oftentimes the rain would drip through the
grass roof, and on the moist mud floors
weeds and grass would insist on growing.
The lower parts of the walls, being shaded
by the roof and soaked by the rains, soon
rotted. Because such conditions were so
unhealthful, Mr. Mackay determined to
build the best sort of house he could with the
materials at his disposal.
Because of the rumors spread by the
'Arabs that brick houses would be used as
forts, he did not dare build of that material.
So the frame he made of wild palm, the only
wood in Uganda which can resist the rav-
ages of the white ants. Between the beams,
the walls were filled in with stones and red
clay and plastered over, both inside and out-
side, with plaster. To protect these walls
from rain, the heavily thatched roof was
made to extend some feet beyond them and
was supported by substantial pillars. The
two stories within and the stairway con-
174
MACKAY'S NEW NAME
necting them seemed most marvelous to the
ignorant Waganda, who had never before
seen one house built on top of another.
The wooden floor and the lattice-work for
windows did much toward making the house
comfortable and wholesome as a home for
the white men.
With all the delays caused by inefficient
and lazy workmen, by Mr. Mackay's occa-
sional attacks of fever, and by the dozen
and one other hindrances that may not be
named, a full year passed before the new
home was completed. The fame of this
wonderful house and farm spread even be-
yond the bounds of Uganda, and here and
there some enterprising man began to copy
this or that improvement suggested by the
white man's way of living.
For three years the missionaries had been
drinking the same kind of water as was used
by the natives. Not a well or a pump had
ever been seen in the land. The water
which naturally drained into the hollow
swamps between the hills, carrying filth
175
WHITE MAN OF WORK
with it, was the only supply the Waganda
knew. After a fearful plague had swept
over the land and the white men themselves
had been weakened by repeated attacks of
fever, they realized the urgent need for a
well of their own where they could find pure
fresh water. They decided to dig a well
within their own premises. The men who
were set to work with pick and shovel could
not believe that water could be found by dig-
ging into the top of a hill. Water could be
found only at the bottom, they said.
"When we got too far down to throw up
the earth with a shovel," says Mr. Mackay,
"I set up a trestle of strong trees; and with
rope and pulley and bucket, much to the as-
tonishment of all the natives, we hoisted up
the clay, till we reached water just at the
depth I predicted. The Waganda never
saw a deep well before, and would not be-
lieve that water could be had on a hillside
until they saw the liquid itself. It took
more than a week to sink the well ; but when
I afterwards repaired a battered pump
176
MACKAY'S NEW NAME
which I bought in London, and they saw a
copious stream ascend twenty feet high, and
flow and flow, as long as one worked the
handle, their wonder and amazement kne\v
no bounds.
"~M.akay lubarel Makay lubare dala!"
was cried by all. [Mackay is the great
spirit, he is truly the great spirit.] But I
told them that there was only one great
Spirit, that is, God, and I was only a man
like themselves. To each company that
came near I explained the action of the
pump, some understanding best when I said
that it was only a sort of elephant's trunk
made of copper. To others I explained
that it was only a beer-drinking tube on a
large scale, with a tongue of iron that
sucked up the water, as their tongues
sucked up the beer from their gourds.
"Oh, the Bazungu, the Bazungu! they are
the men ; they can do everything ; the Arabs
and coast men know nothing at all ; they can
only draw water in the swamp where we get
it ourselves; but, oh, eh, eh, Mackay is
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WHITE MAN OF WORK
clever, clever; the king will get them to
carry him to see this wonderful thing."
Very seldom was the " white man of
work" unwelcome at court when he had
time to go. Because of the wonderful
things he made he became very popular
with the king. One day he brought to the
court a diamond and showed the king how
glass is cut. He also exhibited a yoke and
explained how oxen are harnessed so that
they may be used for drawing loads.
" There must remain nothing for white
men to know they know everything!" said
Mutesa in his astonishment.
"We know yet only the beginning of
things. Every year we make advances in
knowledge," Mackay replied.
"Can Waganda ever become clever like
the BazunguT'
"Yes, and yet even more clever."
The king laughed and said; "I don't be-
lieve it." Of course, the chiefs laughed too,
as they always did whenever the king
laughed.
178
MACKAY'S NEW NAME
"Is it not the case," asked Mackay, "that
the scholar usually becomes wiser than his
teacher? The skill of the Bazungu to-day
is much greater than their skill a year ago,
while to-morrow they will improve on the
wisdom of to-day. The pupil stands on the
shoulders of him that taught him. He sees
all that his master sees, and a great deal
farther too." All seemed delighted with
the idea. A few moments later, when
court was dismissed, many of the chiefs
heartily shook hands with Mr. Mackay.
The fame of the "white man of work"
reached its climax when he successfully
served as undertaker for the king's mother,
Namasole. While she was ill with fever,
she refused to take any of the white man's
medicine, nor would she allow any one near
her wearing calico or anything foreign, so
wedded was she to her old heathen ways.
The native witch doctors brought their
charms to her bedside and chanted their
prayers over her, but she only grew worse.
When she died, the drums at the palace
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WHITE MAN OF WORK
were loudly beaten to frighten away the
"king of terrors" who, they feared, might
escort her departed spirit into the unseen
world. In Uganda, only the souls of kings
and great men and women were supposed to
live after death. Special care was there-
fore taken at royal burials to give the dead
due honor; for their spirits were supposed
to enter into certain persons who then be-
came witches and had the power, if angry,
to do great evil to men. The story of the
coffin and the sermon he preached through
its making, the " white man of work" him-
self will teU.
"The royal mourning lasted a month,
during which time no work was allowed to
be done in the land. No boat could start
nor any one carry a load, until the queen
was buried. But while others were resting,
I was toiling hard night and day, for thirty
days, for all were waiting for me.
"The morning after Namasole died, Mr.
O 'Flaherty and I went to court to pay our
respects to the king. All the chiefs were
180
MACKAY'S NEW NAME
clad in rags, and crying, or rather roaring,
with their hands clasped above their heads.
Mutesa determined to make a funeral to
surpass in splendor any burial that had ever
taken place in the country. Such is the de-
sire of every king to outstrip his predeces-
sors. Fifty thousand bark cloths were or-
dered to be levied in the land, besides some
thousand of yards of English calico.
" Mutesa asked me how we buried royalty
in Europe? I replied that w r e made three
coffins, the inner of wood, the next of lead,
and the outer of wood covered with cloth.
I knew the custom of the Waganda in bury-
ing their kings. It is to wrap the body,
after mummifying it, in several thousand
bark cloths, and to bury the great pile in a
huge grave, building a house over all and
appointing certain witches to guard the
grave for generations.
" ' Would you be able to make the three
coffins?' Mutesa asked me.
"I replied, 'Yes, if you find the material.'
"He said he had no lead but he had a lot
181
WHITE MAN OF WORK
of copper trays and drums which he would
supply, if I could manufacture a coffin out
of them.
" Frequently we had been twitted by the
king at court for failing to work for him;
accordingly I agreed to be undertaker,
thinking it a small affair. But then the di-
mensions! Everything was to be AS LARGE
AS POSSIBLE!! Immediately all the copper
in the king's stores was turned out and sent
down to our mission. Fine large bronze
trays of Egyptian workmanship, copper
drums, copper cans and copper pots and
plates all were produced, and out of
these materials I was to make a coffin for
the queen. All the skilled workmen were
ordered to my assistance.
"Next morning I went off to Eusaka some
three miles distant, to measure the body.
Much objection was made by the royal
ladies there at my going in to measure the
corpse. But my friend Kyambalango was
there, as master of ceremonies, and he ex-
plained that I was commissioned by the
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MACKAY'S NEW NAME
king. But I was somewhat taken aback on
being told by some of the other chiefs that
I should have measured not the corpse but
the dimensions of the grave, and make the
coffin to fit the latter. I told them there
was not copper enough in the land to make
a box larger than necessary; that if there
was, I would willingly make a coffin as large
as a mountain, but as it was, I could make
the inner coffins to suit the body and the
outer one as large as a house if they liked.
"In ten days' time we had finished the
two inner coffins, the first being of wood,
cushioned all inside with cotton wool, and
covered all over, inside and out, with snow
white calico, secured with a thousand copper
tacks. Ornamental work I made by cutting
patterns out of black and white pocket-
handkerchiefs, and tacking them on. The
copper box measured seven feet long by
three feet wide and three feet high, shaped
like a coffin. But the king's copper was
enough for barely more than the lid and
ends, so we had to supply for the sides four
183
WHITE MAN OF WORK
sheets of copper plate, which the king paid
for at once in ivory, as we did not think
well to give these away out of the mission's
stores. We gave our workmanship and
skill and time, besides the tools, and all the
iron nails (no small quantity). We re-
ceived copper wire as an equivalent for the
copper tacks. Even the copper coffin we
neatly lined all over inside with white calico
tacked onto laths which were first riveted to
the copper plate.
"It is needless to describe the worry and
trouble we had, working late and early, and
sometimes all the night. At every hour of
the day pages were sent down to inspect the
progress and ask when it would be done.
The native workmen, especially the head-
men among them, would do almost nothing,
and generally spoiled what they did. They
preferred sitting down all day smoking, and
watching how I did. I was able to get some
assistance, however, from several of the
younger fellows.
"But even in the doing of a small piece
184
MACKAY'S NEW NAME
of work like this, which all granted was far
beyond their own powers to accomplish,
there must needs be an exhibition of jeal-
ousy and ill feeling on the part of some
chiefs and Arabs.
"They told the king that we made the
coffins small, much too small for Namasole,
because we wanted the timber to finish our
own house with; that we had already se-
creted in our house a lot of boards; that
perhaps we might show good workmanship,
but we could not work fast.
"Mutesa alone stood our friend. He re-
fused to believe that we had appropriated
any boards, while he said to our accusers
that what was done well could not be done
in a day. 'Can a woman cook plantains
well if you hurry her 1 ?' asked the friendly
king.
"In a week's time we had about a hun-
dred boards cut and squared to fit, and
nailed together with strong ribs like the
sides of a schooner. When together, it
looked like a small house, rather than a,
185
WHITE MAN OF WORK
coffin. After a few more days, we had
enough boards for the lid. Then we cov-
ered the whole outside with native bark
cloth, and lined the inside with pure snow-
white calico. Each side was made a piece
by itself so that it might be easily carried.
A thousand men arrived to bear the parts to
the grave, and most fortunately it did not
rain. We put them together before the
king, who challenged all to say if such
workmanship could be done in the country
by Waganda, or if anything of the kind had
ever been seen in the land.
"Next day we had the king's orders to go
to the burial. He wanted us to go the same
day, but we were too tired, having for a full
month been constantly at saw and hammer
from dawn to midnight, and often later.
"The grave was a huge pit, some twenty
feet by fifteen feet at the mouth, by about
thirty feet deep. It was dug in the center
of the late queen's sleeping-house a mon-
strous hut some one hundred and fifty feet
in diameter. The monster pit was neatly
186
MACKAY'S NEW NAME
lined all round with bark cloth. Into this
several thousand new bark cloths were
thrown and carefully spread on the bottom
filling up the hole a long way. Then the
sides of the huge box were lowered in with
much trouble. I descended and nailed the
corners together.
* ' After that I was summoned to the cere-
mony of putting the corpse into the coffin.
Thousands of women were there, yelling
with all their might, and a few with tears
in their eyes. Only the ladies of the royal
family and the highest chiefs were near the
corpse, which by this time was reduced to a
mummy by constantly squeezing out the
fluids with rags of bark cloth. It was
wrapped in a new cloth, and laid on the
ground. The chiefs half filled the nicely
padded coffin with bleached calico ; then sev-
eral bundles of petty charms belonging to
the queen were put in; after that, the
corpse; and then the coffin was filled up
with more calico.
"Kimbugwa, Kauta, and the other chiefs
187
WHITE MAN OF WORK
in charge, carried the coffin to the court,
where the grave-house was, when much
more yelling took place. I screwed the lid
down, but such was the affection of some of
the royal ladies for the deceased that I had
to have them ordered away, because of their
crying and tears and hugging of the coffin,
before I could get near to perform my
duties as undertaker.
"Then came the copper coffin, into which
the other was lowered by means of a huge
sheet. The lid of that had to be riveted
down, and that process was new to the
chiefs standing by. 'He cuts iron like
thread!' they said, as the pincers snapped
the nails. t Mackay is a proper smith ! ' they
all shouted.
"With no mechanical contrivances, it was
astonishing how they got the copper coffin,
with its ponderous contents, lowered into
the deep grave without letting it fall end
foremost into the great box below. The
task was effected, however, by means of the
great multitude of men.
188
MACKAY'S NEW NAME
" Thousands of yards of unbleached calico
were then filled in round and over the cop-
per coffin, until the big box was half full.
The remainder was filled up with bark
cloths, as also all the space round the out-
side of the box. The lid was lowered, and
I descended once more to nail it down.
Several thousand more pieces of bark cloth
were then laid on till within three feet of
the surface, when earth was thrown in to
the level of the floor.
"We returned at dusk, but the burying
was not completed till nearly midnight.
Next morning, every man, woman, and child
in the land had their heads shaved, and put
off their mourning dress of tattered bark
cloth and belts of plantain leaves. The
country had been waiting till we were done
with our carpentry. "
In the grave of Queen Namasole that day,
it is said, there was buried seventy-five
thousand dollars' worth of bark cloth and
calico. A more splendid burial had never
before been given to royalty in Uganda.
189
WHITE MAN OP WORK
King Mutesa was proud to think that in his
kingdom so wonderful a piece of work was
possible. Mackay had won his good will as
never before, and was longing and praying
that at last he might be used to win Mu-
tesa 's heart for the Lord Christ.
It was shortly before Christmas that his
great opportunity came to plead with the
king. This is the story of what took place
as Mackay tells it.
"In the king's Itaraza, strangers were
called forward to describe burial customs in
vari >us parts of Africa and Arabia. Some
told of burying scores of living virgins with
a dead king ; others told of how human lives
were offered as sacrifices on like occasions ;
while others told of the pomp and ceremony
displayed at funerals.
"Turning to Mackay, the king asked;
'Tell me how they bury in your country?
Do they do as I did in burying Namasole?
Did you see any human sacrifices then?'
"Masudi (an Arab) began to describe to
me how when Mutesa 's grandfather died,
190
MACKAY'S NEW NAME
his father had thousands slaughtered at the
grave.
" * Don't mention such things/ I said to
Masudi, with such a gesture of horror that
he became quiet at once; 'they are too cruel
to be spoken about before the Mutesa of to-
day. You, Mutesa, far surpass any one, not
only in Africa, or in Arabia, or in India,
but even in Europe itself. I never heard
of so much valuable cloth being buried in a
royal grave as you buried with Namasole.'
This, of course, pleased him, as black men
are fond of flattery. 'But let me tell you
that all that fine cloth and those fine coffins
will one day all be rotten. It may take ten
years, or may be a hundred years, or it may
be a thousand years; but some day all will
be rotten, and the body inside will rot too.
Now we know this, hence in Christian coun-
tries we say that it matters little in what
way the body is buried, for it will rot some
time or other; but it matters everything
what becomes of the soul. Look at these
two head chiefs of yours sitting by you.
191
WHITE MAN OF WORK
The katikiro is your right hand and Kyam-
balango is your left hand. They are both
very rich. Next to you they are the great-
est in the kingdom. They have cloth and
cattle and lands and women and slaves
very much of all. Here they have much
honor, and when they die they will be buried
with much honor, but yet their bodies will
one day rot.
" 'Now let me have only an old bark cloth,
and nothing more of this world's riches, and
I would not exchange my place for all the
wealth and all the greatness of both the ka-
tikiro and Kyambalango. All their great-
ness will pass away, and their souls are lost
in the darkness of belief in the wizards,
while I know that my soul is saved by Jesus
Christ, the Son of God, so that I have
riches that never perish which they know
nothing about/
"The katikiro, evidently struck by my
contempt of all his greatness, replied that
Mutesa was a believer in Jesus Christ, while
he was a servant of Mutesa, consequently
192
MACKAY'S NEW NAME
he was a Christian. Mutesa then began his
usual excuses.
* * ' There are these two religions, ' he said.
' When Masudi reads his book, the Koran,
the white men call it lies; when the white
men read their book, Masudi calls it lies.
Which is true?'
"I left my seat, and going forward to
the mat on which the katikiro was sitting,
I knelt on it, and in the most solemn man-
ner, I said, 'Oh, Mutesa, my friend, do not
always repeat that excuse! When you and
I stand before God at the great day of
judgment, will you reply to Almighty God
that you did not know what to believe be-
cause Masudi told you one thing and
Mackay told you another? No, you have
the New Testament ; read there for yourself.
God will judge you by that. There never
was any one yet who looked for the truth
there and did not find it.' '
So Mackay pleaded with Mutesa. Never
again did another opportunity come. Like
Agrippa in the days of Paul, this black
193
WHITE MAN OF WORK
king did not heed the Christian plea. His
health grew worse continually. Weak and
suffering intensely, he was unable to hold
~baraza. Two years after his mother's pom-
pous funeral, he too died, and died a hea-
then.
194
CHAPTER X
THREE BOY HEROES AND ONE BOY TYRANT
BUSY writing home letters, one night in
October, 1884, Mr. O 'Flaherty for
hours had been the only one astir in the
missionaries 7 home. From his upstairs
window, in the midnight stillness, he heard
some one below softly calling his* name,
' ' Bwana Philipo ! Bwana Philipo. ' ' Slip-
ping down stairs, he found a native Cliris-
tian with a friend, who under cover of the
night had run to break the news which the
missionaries had long dreaded to hear.
"King Mutesa is dead/' they said, "for-
tify yourselves; the mission house will
probably be plundered, and who knows how
many may be murdered?"
Mr. O 'Flaherty returned to the house and
woke Mr. Ashe, who shortly before had ar-
195
WHITE MAN OF WORK
rived as a new missionary in Uganda. Mr.
Mackay was down at the port on the lake,
twelve miles away, overhauling the new mis-
sion boat. As the two men talked and
prayed together, seeking to know the wisest
step to take, now and again the quick beat
of drums was heard, while every gust of
wind sweeping across the valleys bore the
weird cries of the palace mourners.
Judging from the amount of wailing at
court, one might suppose the late monarch
had been greatly beloved by his subjects;
but a glance behind the scenes before his
death might have led to a different opinion.
The direct cause of Mutesa's death will
never be known. Some said that the Arab 's
medicine had proved to be a poison instead
of a cure, while others reported that the
king had been smothered to death by some
of his own wives. If either of these reports
be true, we may be sure that those who took
his life were among the loudest mourners.
It was an anxious night for all who had
heard the news. For generations, the death
196
THREE BOY HEROES
of a monarch in Uganda had been the signal
for robbery and bloodshed. People, some-
times to the number of two thousand, had
been captured in the highways and offered
as sacrifices at the grave of the dead ruler.
Until the chiefs met and chose a new king
from among the sons of the late monarch,
no one was sure of his life. Upon the
crowning of the fortunate prince, all his
brothers who had been held as prisoners
would be slain except the eldest, who ac-
cording to Uganda custom, never sat on the
throne. The old chiefs who had elected the
new king were then usually deposed and
some of them beheaded ; while the young rul-
er chose new chiefs and new court officers.
Until the young king was well established
on his throne, Uganda usually was a land
full of murder and thievery.
So on the death of King Mutesa, the mis-
sionaries feared the usual cruelties. Al-
though Mutesa had not been to them always
a faithful friend, yet they realized that it
was his protection which had kept the jeal-
197
WHITE MAN OF WORK
ous chiefs and Arabs from driving them
from the land long ago. What was there
now to keep a bloodthirsty mob from attack-
ing them, from burning their houses, from
plundering their gardens, and from sending
them out of the country or perhaps tortur-
ing them to death ? And would their faith-
ful Christians have to suffer with them?
With these thoughts of possible danger, the
missionaries prayed to the Father; and
trusting in his protection, they waited for
the morning.
Early the next day, two messengers ar-
rived from Mr. Mackay who, when they left
the lake, had not yet heard the news. The
men, having been robbed of their clothing
on the way and compelled to flee for their
lives, were in a sorry plight on reaching
the missionaries' home. In the meantime,
Mackay worked hard all day at the boat.
At sundown when he was about to have his
supper of plantains, he saw the people of
the place coming toward him armed with
shields and spears. On hearing the all-im-
198
THREE BOY HEROES
portant news, he immediately launched the
mission boat so that the entire party might
quickly escaped if the mission house was
burned, as those who reported the king's
death assured him it would be.
But thanks to the katikiro, who became
the ruler until the new king was chosen,
the slaughters and thefts which all expected,
were checked. Probably some lives were
taken, but these were comparatively so few
that the missionaries knew nothing of them
until later. In the council of the great
chiefs, the question was debated whether or
not both the missionaries and the Arabs
should be attacked. In this council, some
were eager to rush at once to the plunder;
but it was the word of the katikiro which
held them in check and which saved the
lives and property of the foreigners from
the hands of their enemies.
But who was to be the new king? The
people waited breathlessly for the decision
of the council of the great chiefs. When
the announcement was made, a great cheer-
199
WHITE MAN OF WORK
ing arose from the palace, and some Chris-
tian boy escaped from the crowd unnoticed
and ran to tell the news to his white friends.
"Mwanga, alide Buganda." (Mwanga
has eaten Uganda), he said.
To the missionaries this seemed good
news. Mwanga was a lad about eighteen
years of age who looked more like his father
than any of his brothers. During Mutesa's
reign, he had occasionally visited the mis-
sionaries and had learned a little of read-
ing.
"If you should become king on your
father's death, how will you treat us^"
Mr. Ashe had once asked him when the boy
was paying a visit to the missionaries.
"I shall like you very much, and show
you every favor," was the reply.
However, it spoiled Mwanga to be made
king of Uganda. During Mutesa 's lifetime,
his sons had no power, living lives but lit-
tle better than those of the ordinary blacks ;
now, while still only a boy, Mwanga was
made the great Mng of Uganda, and he knew
200
THREE BOY HEROES
no one in all the world so powerful as him-
self.
So sudden a change was enough to turn
the head of a stronger man than Mwanga.
He began to show all his father's weak-
nesses without any of his strong points.
Instead of being the real ruler of Uganda,
he soon became the slave of his katikiro.
Mwanga seemed always afraid to do what
he knew was right ; and, when urged by his
katikiro and chiefs to do wrong, he always
proved too weak to say "no." The kati-
kiro, the same man that held the position in
Mutesa's reign, along with certain of the
chiefs hated the missionaries exceedingly,
and it did not take long for Mwanga to catch
their spirit and to be ready to follow their
leading.
First, Mwanga, wanting to impress the
missionaries by his new power, haughtily
refused to see them when they first called
to pay him their respects. Somewhat dis-
heartened by this first reception, the mis-
sionaries did not venture again to the court
201
WHITE MAN OF WORK
until some days later; and for this neglect
they were chided by Mwanga.
The second day after Mutesa's death was
announced, the "white man of work" was
called from repairing his boat by the chiefs
who found they could not build the dead
king's coffin without the help of the white
men. As soon as this work was completed,
Mackay returned to the lake shore. While
he was absent from the capital, his enemies
busied themselves circulating slanderous re-
ports about him. They said that, having
slept in the boat at night, he came ashore in
the morning and stole the people's plantains
and goats. The fact of the matter was that
the boat was beached at the time, receiving
a coat of paint, and Mackay was ill with
fever in his tent.
Mwanga had not long been king when the
rumor was brought to his court that an army
of white men was marching to Uganda by
way of the land of Usoga. Usoga was a
country just east of Uganda, the only neigh-
bor of which the king was really afraid.
202.
THREE BOY HEROES
For generations the prophecy had been
handed down among the Waganda that
some day Uganda would be " eaten up"
(conquered) by enemies entering the coun-
try from the eastern side through Usoga,
the "back door."
Now, there were many reasons to make
Mwanga begin to think that the foreigners
who were coming were enemies. He had
heard of fighting on the part of the English
in Egypt to the north. News reached
him that the Germans (to him the same as
the English), were fighting for land in the
region of Zanzibar; after gaining their
prize there, he expected them to march in-
land, conquering as they came. In addi-
tion, he had been told of English and Ger-
mans who were living at the southern end
of Victoria Lake. Now, worst of all, there
was an army of white men in Usoga.
Surely, the Englishmen already in Uganda
were part of this great force and, after hav-
ing gathered a large number of followers
in his kingdom, they would unite with the
203
WHITE MAN OF WORK
army in Usoga and "eat up the land." A
spark was all that was needed to fire these
suspicions. This spark was supplied by
Mujasi, the captain of the king's body-
guard, who had long been a bitter enemy of
the missionaries.
One day Mujasi noticed a lad, formerly
a follower of his, repairing the missionaries'
fence. He complained to the katikiro that
the white men were ruining the country,
that they paid men to work for them, so
that the chiefs like himself could no longer
get workers for nothing. A few days later,
several Christian lads, the servants of a cer-
tain chief, attended the communion service
on Sabbath at the mission instead of thatch-
ing a roof for the chief. Because of this
complaints were made.
Mwanga's mother hearing of what had
happened, exaggerated the report by saying
to the katikiro that no chiefs could get
work done, because the missionaries were
inducing hosts of people to serve them with
the purpose of raising an army of rebellion.
204
THREE BOY HEROES
Mujasi also added the charge that every
time Mackay crossed the lake, he took hun-
dreds of Waganda with him. All these
complaints together with the story of the
white men in Usoga prepared the way for
the first terrible crisis which broke out a
few days later.
Mr. Mackay, having finished repairing the
boat, gained permission from the king and
the katikiro to go to Msulala at the south-
ern end of the lake in order to take letters
for home friends to a place where they
would be carried on to the coast. About
ten o'clock the next morning, the party
started on the twelve mile walk to the port.
The crew carrying the baggage and boat's
gear, five or six of the schoolboys together
with Mr. Mackay and Mr. Ashe, made up
the company.
The boys and the crew with the loads
went ahead, the two missionaries bringing
up the rear. While on their way, a rumor
reached them that Mujasi was out with a
large army. As they walked along, every
205
WHITE MAN OF WORK
now and then they met companies of men,
armed with spears, hurrying past them.
Eecognizing one of the men, Mr. Mackay
asked him where the soldiers were going.
He looked a little confused but replied that
they had been ordered by Mujasi to capture
some of the king's women who had run
away. The company walked on until they
were within a couple of miles of the lake.
They were just entering a bit of scrubby
forest, when a force of several hundred men
headed by Mujasi himself sprang upon
them. Armed with guns, spears, and
shields, they shouted, "Go back! go back!"
"We are the king's friends, we have re-
ceived the king's leave. How do you dare
to insult the king's guests'?" the mission-
aries asked as they tried to proceed. At
this the crowd rushed upon them, snatching
from them their w r alking sticks, their only
weapons, and jostling them about in every
direction. Mackay and Ashe did not at-
tempt to fight, but calmly sat down by the
side of the path.
206
THREE BOY HEROES
"Where are you going?" demanded Mu-
jasi.
"We are going to the port, having been
given the permission of the king and kati-
kiro."
"You lie," he replied. "Where is the
Waganda messenger to go with you?' 7
"We have none," was the answer.
Again the crowd of warriors rushed upon
them, pulled them to their feet, and pointed
the muzzles of their guns right at the white
men's breasts. The captives, however, said
nothing, but quietly abandoning the trip to
the lake, they reversed their steps, thinking
this was merely a mad freak of Mujasi's,
and never suspecting that he was acting un-
der the king's orders. The mob continued
to yell at them, to mock and to abuse them
with the most offensive language, until they
tired of hearing their own voices, seeing
that the missionaries walked quietly on.
When they finally came to the point
where two roads met, one leading directly to
Mengo, Mwanga's new capital, the other to
207
WHITE MAN OF WORK
the missionaries' home, they halted until
the crew and the five Christian boys over-
took them. The crew, after being robbed of
their guns> were freed, while the five Chris-
tian boys were marched along with their
hands bound. The missionaries were then
told to go back to their own home, and the
Waganda boys under guard were marched
off to the capital. It was now three o'clock
in the afternoon, and the missionaries had
been walking for five hours. Wearied and
disappointed, they sat down to consider
what should be done next. Mr, Ashe tells
the story of what then happened:
"We decided to lose no time, but to lay
the whole matter at once before the kati-
kiro. When we reached his enclosure, we
were bidden to wait. No one dared to an-
nounce our presence to the katikiro, as Mu-
jasi was having a private interview with
him, reporting his success in the late en-
counter. After waiting some time, we got
up and went to the doorway, and Mackay
called out loudly, 'Katikiro, my friend. I
208
THREE BOY HEROES
am your friend. We are the white men.'
After calling once or twice, we were ad-
mitted and invited inside the house.
Mackay stated our case and asked why we
had been so badly treated. "
To the surprise of the missionaries, the
katikiro merely smiled and said that Mu-
jasi had turned them back because he found
them taking Waganda out of the country.
Mackay assured him that nothing of the
kind had been done.
"Oh, yes, Mujasi has caught five," In-
sisted the katikiro.
Just then another case came on for hear-
ing and the subject was dropped. As soon
as possible, Mackay insisted on their return-
ing to the case about which they were most
concerned, and told the katikiro that it was
not right for them to treat their guests as
they had done.
"You are always taking away our people
and returning with hosts of white men and
hiding them in Usoga with the intention of
eating up our country," he cried.
209
WHITE MAN OF WORK
Suddenly with flashing eyes, he turned to
Mujasi and said: "To-morrow morning
take your army and tie up Philipo and this
other man, Mackay, and drive them back to
the country from which they came."
Mr. Ashe says: " Mackay and I were ut-
terly taken aback and astounded at this de-
cision, and we begged the katikiro to hear
us, and tried to take his hand to plead once
more. But he waved us scornfully aside,
and, with a cry of triumph from Mujasi 's
soldiers, we were hustled and dragged from
the great man's presence, a dangerous and
angry mob momentarily growing thicker
about us. Soon they were actually quar-
reling for our clothes. 'Mine shall be his
coat,' shrieked one; 'Mine his trousers;' 'No
mine ! ' and there was a scuffle to get nearer
the clothing they coveted. However, the
katikiro did not wish matters to go quite
so far, and sent his head executioners to
warn off the vulture soldiers. The order
was instantly obeyed, and dazed and amazed
we found ourselves alone. It was now near
210
THREE BOY HEROES
sunset and we made our way back home in
a very unhappy frame of mind."
In the quiet of their home, the mission-
aries knelt together and poured out their
hearts in prayer to the Heavenly Father,
trusting in his protection and asking for his
guidance. It grieved them to think that the
work of the mission might be suddenly
ended; yet it looked as though the katikiro
and Mujasi meant to kill every one they
might find who had come to the missionaries
to learn.
Fortunately some cloth was still left in
the house. This they finally decided to turn
into presents. Six loads were sent to the
king, six to the katikiro, and one to Mujasi,
with the hope and prayer that their anger
might be calmed. The katikiro graciously
accepted his gift, sending back word that
again they would be brothers.. Since the
palace gates were closed for the night, the
king's gift was returned with the message
that the king would receive it in the morn-
ing. Mujasi, too, accepted his load; but
211
WHITE MAN OF WORK
sent word that he was collecting a force to
rob them in the morning and burn their
house ; but seeing they had sent presents to
the king and katikiro also, he would await
further orders.
The missionaries urged all their Waganda
servants and pupils who stayed on their
premises to flee for their lives. One boy,
however, Seruwanga by name, would not
go. Mr. Ashe finding him asked him what
madness it was which made him linger when
in such danger. "I am going, my friend,"
he answered; but, alas, it was too late.
That evening he, too, was captured. Dur-
ing the night, under cover of the darkness,
two Christian young men ventured to come
to the missionaries' home to tell them of
their sympathy and loyalty. The next day
Mujasi came and searched the house for
Waganda Christians, but none were found.
For some reason, all but three of the boys
captured the day before were released; but
in the afternoon the report reached the mis-
sionaries that Mujasi was going to burn to
212
THREE BOY HEROES
death the three who were still bound. None
can express the grief the missionaries felt.
They loved the boys as they would have
loved their own children. One of them,
Seruwanga, was going to die because he had
lingered too long in the mission premises.
The second, Kakumba, used to be the page
of a powerful chief. On his master's death
he had expressed the wish that he might
come and be the missionaries' servant in-
stead of belonging to any other chief. So
he had been allowed to live in the mission-
aries' household. , :
The third, Lugalama, the youngest of all,
was a handsome young boy of twelve, who,
some years before, had been carried away
from his home as a captive in war. Having
fallen into the hands of Sebwato, a Chris-
tian chief, he was finally given his freedom
and sent to Mr. Ashe to be cared for. The
boy became a true friend of the missionary
and a general favorite about the mission
grounds.
These three boys, the oldest fifteen and
213
WHITE MAN OF WORK
the youngest twelve, were to be burned to
death by the savage Mujasi merely for the
crime of having lived with the white men.
The missionaries did everything they could
to save their boys; but all efforts were in
vain.
The sorrowful story was afterwards told
to Mr. Ashe by Kidza, a Christian who as
Mujasi's guide had witnessed the cruel
scene. 'This is the account as Mr. Ashe
gives it:
"Lugalama and Kakumba, when first ar-
rested, were taken into a house, and Ka-
kumba was beaten in accordance with a
common Uganda custom in the treatment of
prisoners. They had compassion on Luga-
lama and gave him some food. Next day
they were taken to the king's enclosure and
their sentence was pronounced, Mujasi be-
ing the chief accuser. Lugalama's former
master tried to save him, but in vain.
"So the three boys, Seruwanga, Ka-
kumba, and Lugalama, were led away to
death, a mocking crowd following them,
214
THREE BOY HEROES
" 'Oh, you know Isa Masiya [Jesus
Christ],' said Mujasi. 'You know how to
read.' 'You believe you will rise from the
dead?' 'Well, I shall burn you and see if
it be so.'
" These were some of the mocking taunts
which they endured, and loud was the laugh-
ter which greeted such sallies. But the
young Christians, as some reported, an-
swered boldly and faithfully. Seruwanga
was a daring fellow, and I can well believe
that when Mujasi mocked he would sing a
song they often sang at the Mission, 'Killa
siku tuusifu' ['Daily, daily sing the
praises']. Kakumba, too, had come to the
missionaries when all others were afraid,
and perhaps his voice joined in the song.
But what could have been in poor little Lu-
galama's heart but the haunting, overmas-
tering horror of death and such a death!
There were none who dared to beat upon
their breasts and show the sorrow that they
felt, though there were many sympathizing
friends who followed, many compassionate
215
WHITE MAN OF WORK
hearts that God had touched with a pity
which perhaps before they had never
known.
"The mob, carrying gourds full of ba-
nana-cider, found their way toward the bor-
ders of a dismal swamp. Here they halted.
Part of the crowd brought fire-wood, others
made a kind of rough frame-work, under
which the fuel was heaped. Then the pris-
oners were seized, and a scene of sickening
cruelty was enacted. Some laid hold of Se-
ruwanga, others of Kakumba, and others of
Lugalama, brandishing their long, curved
knives. Seruwanga committed his cause to
Him who judgeth righteously, and the cruel
knife could not wring from him a cry ; bleed-
ing he was cast into the fire. Kakumba ap-
pealed to Mujasi. Mujasi believed in Allah
[God], the All-merciful he pleaded a rela-
tionship with him; but, alas! there is as
much mercy- in the knife in the execution-
er 's hand as in Mujasi's heart, and he too
underwent the short agony and the flame.
"And now the saddest scene of all. Mu-
216
THREE BOY HEROES
jasi bade them treat Lugalama as they
treated the others. They came nearer, and
he cried out, 'Oh, do not cut off my arms;
I will not struggle I will not fight ! Only
throw me into the fire!' Surely this was
one of the saddest prayers ever prayed on
this sad earth 'Only throw me into the
fire!'
"The butchers did their work and marred
what was so wonderfully made, and the
poor bleeding boy was placed on the frame-
work that the slow fire might finish what the
cruel knife had begun. A wail of anguish
went up, becoming fainter and fainter a
last sob, and then silence.
"Kidza stood sadly watching the sorrow-
ful scene, wondering perhaps whether his
turn might be next, when Mujasi, drunken
with blood, came to him. 'Ah, you are
here ! I will burn you too and your house-
hold. I know you are a follower of Isa
[Jesus]' 'Yes, I am,' said Kidza, 'and I
am not ashamed of it!' Mujasi then left
him."
217
WHITE MAN OF WORK
"What shall I say of that day of wait-
ing, hoping, praying, fearing praying not
vainly, though at the very time the awful
deed was being done?
"Such prayers are not vain as they may
seem, but the answer to them is yet to come.
That was a day when the wrongs of Africa
came home to me and burned themselves
deep into my very soul that day when Lu-
galama fell asleep, January thirty-first,
1885."
218
CHAPTEE XI
STTJKDY BLACK CHRISTIANS WITH NERVE
AFTER the death of the three Christian
boys, Mujasi set a guard about the
mission premises and announced that he
would burn alive every person who hart
adopted the white man's religion. He pre-
sented to the king and katikiro a long list
of those who he thought should be killed;
but, surprised at seeing the names of certain
prominent officers among the rest, the ka-
tikiro cried: "What, will you kill chiefs,
too?" and Mujasi was thereupon compelled
to cease his troubling. Soon the guard
about the mission premises was removed;
and, for a time, Mwanga's thirst for blood
seemed quenched.
The white men scarcely knew, however,
when to expect the storm again to break.
219
WHITE MAN OF WORK
If the missionaries were taken away or
killed, what would become of the little
Uganda church of about a hundred mem-
bers? Hitherto the Christians had always
met in the mission house for worship. It
was the missionary who led in the service,
and it was he who did most of the teaching.
To the missionaries the Christians came for
advice when in difficulty; and to the mis-
sionaries they looked for encouragement
when disheartened. If the missionaries
were gone, would these Waganda stand by
their Christian colors'?
To help them to be more independent in
.the time of trial two things were done.
First, out of their own number certain men
were elected as leaders or elders. In the
homes of these men the Christians of the
neighborhood would gather quietly to wor-
ship or to study reading, when it might not
be safe to meet in the missionaries' home.
These elders were taught by the white men
how to lead in worship, and were encour-
aged to be worthy helpers to the others.
220
STURDY BLACK CHRISTIANS
The second thing done was made possi-
ble by the very persecutions they were en-
during. For some time after the terrible
murder, only a few pupils dared to venture
to the mission house. The missionaries, be-
ing relieved of much of their teaching, gave
their time largely to translating and print-
ing. Not even one entire Gospel, as yet,
had been translated into the Luganda lan-
guage. All the Bible the Waganda Chris-
tians had (except a few who could read the
coast language) was a few pages of Matthew
and short selections chosen here and there
from the Old and New Testaments. If
their white teachers were driven from the
country, how could the young Christians be
expected to keep true to their Saviour, when
they had so little opportunity to learn about
him? For months, both by day and by
night, the missionaries with the help of a
small band of the more intelligent Chris-
tians toiled away at the translation of Mat-
thew 's Gospel into Luganda.
No "readers" being arrested for some
221
WHITE MAN OF WORK
months, the Christians, and pupils who were
not Christians as yet, gradually lost their
fear and began to flock to the mission as
before. Frequently, the school room and
the new chapel were crowded to their ut-
most.
Strange to say, Mackay because of his
mechanical skill again became popular at
court. One morning on going to ~bamza, he
was very much surprised to have the kati-
kiro take him warmly by the hand and say
that now Mackay was a favorite, and might
have the katikiro's daughter for a wife.
For a reply, Mackay merely asked him how
long his favoritism would last.
"The king was very gracious," said
Mackay, "expressing the hope that our for-
mer good relations were again restored. I
told him that it seemed unreasonable that he
and his people should value so highly our
goods and workmanship, while he would not
listen to what we said about the soul. The
king said I was right, and the katikiro also
said that we 'white men were evidently men
222
STURDY BLACK CHRISTIANS
of truth, for our cloth measured exactly as
stated. A box of powder held the proper
number of tins, with no sand mixed to adul-
terate it, and our guns fired without explod-
ing and killing the purchasers, while Arab
traders in salt mixed ashes in it to adulter-
ate it and make it look more!' "
For some weeks Mackay had frequent
talks with the king, not hesitating to charge
him plainly with the terrible crimes com-
mitted in the king's name. Mwanga, how-
ever, continued to declare his friendship,
saying one day : "I will never let you leave
me ; and while I live, and my son's son lives,
I am determined to have white men in my
country."
Yet only a few months later, or by the
close of 1885, Mwanga showed himself a
very different sort of king. The cruel part
of his nature was awakened. Again re-
ports came that an enemy was entering
Uganda through the land of Usoga and
would "eat" the country. A white general
with a large following was already at the
223
WHITE MAN OF WORK
country's "back door." He and his army
were being held as prisoners by the chief
of that region who was awaiting Mwanga's
orders.
The fact really was that the white man
about whom such swelling words were
spoken was not the general of an army, but
a missionary, the newly chosen bishop for
Central and Eastern Africa. Utterly igno-
rant of the long-standing prejudice against
entering Uganda through Usoga, Bishop
Hannington had taken what seemed to him
the shortest and easiest road from the coast.
The missionaries in Uganda had written him
a letter warning him of the danger, but he
had never received it. They had endeavored
to explain to Mwanga that the bishop was
only a teacher of God, like themselves, and
had not thought of eating the country, but
the chiefs persuaded his majesty to treat
all white men as enemies.
One day a page of the king secretly told
the missionaries that Mwanga had sent an
order to kill the bishop and all his men.
224
STURDY BLACK CHRISTIANS
They hurried to the court to plead that mes-
sengers be sent to cancel the order ; but for
one excuse and another, Mwanga day after
day refused to see them until it was too late,
and a heathenish crime was committed at
Uganda's "back door."
In the land of Usoga, on the eastern bor-
der of Uganda, Bishop Hannington for
seven weary days was kept a prisoner in
a dark, filthy hut. On the eighth day,
Mwanga 's messengers arrived and bade him
come forth from his prison. He staggered
out, pale and worn with the fever which had
wrecked his body during the week of awful
suffering in prison. Mr. Ashe tells the
story as he heard it later from the lips of
one who witnessed the dreadful tragedy.
"One of the messengers snatches up his
Bible," he says, "another his portfolio, and
another his sketch-book; and they lead him
out, telling him he is soon to join his men."
"After two hours' walking, the party
reaches an open space beyond the banana
groves, where at last Hannington sees his
225
WHITE MAN OF WORK
men, not, as he expected, with their loads,
nor carrying their guns and full of spirits
at the thought of once more being on the
road, but all bound, some with a heavy-
forked branch round their necks, and many
with their hands tied behind their backs.
They now see their master led into the open
where they are. He seems wonderfully
calm and turns as if to sit down but this is
not allowed. A gun is fired, and Hanning-
ton's guards begin to strip him of his cloth-
ing. He is quite passive in their hands.
He has commended his soul to Him who sits
above kings. 'Tell the king,' he is re-
ported to have said, 'that I die for Uganda.
I have bought this road with my life. '
"They had now forced him to his knees.
Then the spears are flung into that heart
which had overflowed with such fervent
love for his murderers and their race. The
warriors with a wild cry now spring upon
the defenseless porters, and soon the fright-
ful butchery is accomplished; and then, as
if half fearing what they had done, the
226
STURDY BLACK CHRISTIANS
army of the Busoga and Waganda murder-
ers hurries away, leaving the dead lying
where they had fallen. Night draws her
curtain over the scene, and when the moon
comes out, she shines peacefully upon the
seeming sleepers. "
For several weeks after the tragedy was
past, the missionaries in Uganda receiving
conflicting reports about what had hap-
pened, lived with a faint hope that the
bishop was still alive. If he had been mur-
dered, they expected that any day they them-
selves, like their bishop, would be sum-
moned forth to die; yet they quietly went
about their usual work as if nothing had
happened. Although the missionaries knew
it not, day after day, the king and chiefs as-
sembled to discuss the question whether or
not Mr. Ashe, Mr. O 'Flaherty, and Mr.
Mackay should be killed. At last the dread
decision was made, Mwanga's word was
given. The three Englishmen must die.
The king's chief storekeeper, however,
being a Christian, quietly sent word
227
WHITE MAN OF WORK
to the missionaries suggesting that they
send a present to the king. Nalumasi, a
Christian princess, one of Mwanga 's sisters,
also sent word warning them that if ever
they needed to gain the good will of Mwanga
it was then. The Roman Catholic priests
also sent messengers to say that there was
no longer a doubt about the bishop's mur-
der, and that Mwanga had determined to
kill Mr. Ashe, Mr. O 'Flaherty, and Mr.
Mackay, too.
So the missionaries gathered together
about twenty loads of their most valuable
possessions and sent them as presents to the
king, the katikiro, and one of the most im-
portant chiefs. The next morning a large
band of pages came to the mission with the
command from the king for Mackay to go at
once to the palace. What did it mean?
Was there some new danger to face? The
missionaries knelt to pray. Then manfully
Mr. Ashe and Mr. Mackay went before the
king.
The conversation opened by Mwanga 's
228
STURDY BLACK CHRISTIANS
saying: "What is the meaning of the pres-
ent you sent me?"
"For friendship," answered Mackay.
"Have I 'eaten Uganda' only to-day
(Have I come to the throne to-day) 1 Why
give it to me now, and not long ago ? ' '
Sonie talk followed concerning a gun
Mackay had been repairing. Then Mwanga
returned to his first question. "Well now,
the present, what is it for?"
"We thought you were angry with us, be-
cause when we came to see you, you refused
to see us," was Mackay 's reply.
"Yes," broke in one of the chiefs, "they
sent me a present, and the katikiro also, be-
cause they think we can influence the king.
They think we want to kill them, and they
wish to redeem their lives. What danger
are they in ? Do we kill guests ? ' '
Mr. Mackay, turning to him, merely said,
"Why, then, did you send back to say your
present was not large enough, and to tell us
to send you more ? ' '
At this the others smiled a little and the
229
WHITE MAN OF WORK
chief had nothing more to say. Yet they
all began to rail on the two white men.
At last Mackay said, "Have we done
wrong to give the king a present ? " It was
a telling question and again they were si-
lent.
Then Mr. Ashe spoke: "You all know
why we sent it. We want to hear about our
brother. ' '
"Who told you about your brother?' 7
every one cried.
"Does not all Uganda know it?"
"Oh, do all Uganda go to your place?"
Then the king, turning to one of the
chiefs, said, "Question them exceedingly."
So the two men were mercilessly plied
with questions. The king wanted the names
of the men who had told them of the plot.
The missionaries refused to give any names.
The chiefs grew angry. The king called the
white men "ipafywagwa," the most insulting
name in the Luganda language. The more
quiet the missionaries were, the more angry
grew the king and chiefs.
230
STURDY BLACK CHRISTIANS
"What if I kill you?" cried Mwanga,
"What would Queeni (the Queen) do ? Was
she able to touch Lukonge or Mirambo when
they killed white men? What could she do,
or all Europe together? How could they
come would they fly?"
This mocking and jeering and taunting
continued for more than two hours until the
missionaries were thoroughly worn out.
Mwanga made the threat that he would
arrest and kill the white men if any Wa-
ganda were found on their premises,
whether the white men knew it or not, and
the "readers" also would lose their lives.
Then suddenly he called an attendant and
cried, "Take these white men and give them
two cows to quiet their minds," and with a
wave of his hand he dismissed the court.
Mr. Mackay and Mr. Ashe returned to their
home thankful to God that he had given
them strength to be true to him in the midst
of such trying conditions.
That very night, regardless of Mwanga 's
threat, word came to the missionaries from
231
WHITE MAN OF WORK
a group of Christians gathered in the home
of Nua, the head blacksmith for the king,
saying that five persons wanted to be bap-
tized. One of these five men was Gabunga,
the admiral of the king's fleet of canoes on
Victoria Lake. ' ' So it is, and ever will be, "
wrote Mr. Mackay, "some will press into
the kingdom in times of the greatest trial."
For about six months there was a lull in
the storm. At this time of quiet Mr.
O 'Flaherty received permission from the
king to leave the country. Worn and
broken in health by frequent attacks of fe-
ver, he turned his face toward the shores of
his beloved England. While his vessel sped
on its way northward, he breathed his last,
and his body, like those of many home-
ward-bound voyagers before him, found its
resting-place in the ocean.
Ever since Bishop Hannington's martyr-
dom, Mwanga had acted like a criminal ever
fearing arrest. He was too proud to admit
his guilt, yet afraid that the white men and
their followers would one day rob him of
232
STURDY BLACK CHRISTIANS
his kingdom. As long as he was willing
to listen to some show of reason, the fact
that the number of Christians had grown so
large restrained him from ordering their
wholesale massacre. Indeed, the katikiro
had advised Mwanga to kill all who had
learned to read ; but the king said that all his
pages, guards, and servants were "readers,"
that about five hundred men and boys and as
many women and girls went to the English-
men to learn, and about the same number to
the Frenchmen. If he killed them all at
once, he would be accused of killing the
whole country ; therefore, he would kill them
a few at a time.
A number of events, each small in itself,
served to stir up Mwanga 's illtemper until
all the evil of the boy-tyrant 's nature seemed
to break loose in a furious passion for mur-
der. One bold lad, Balikudembe, formerly
a pupil of Mackay's, dared to accuse his
majesty of wrong-doing in killing the
bishop, since the white men were the coun-
try's friends.
233
WHITE MAN OF WORK
"This fellow has insulted me," angrily
cried Mwanga, and ordered that Baliku-
dembe be burned alive.
The executioner, a friend of the boy,
thought to delay in carrying out the sen-
tence; but the katikiro, who hated Baliku-
dembe because he was a Christian, sent word
to the executioner to kill the fellow at once,
before the king had time to repent.
Mwanga did repent afterward, and sent
word to make the boy merely a pris-
oner. But it was too late. Brave Baliku-
dembe had already gone where wicked
rulers cease troubling.
Other events helped to irritate the al-
ready unhappy king. His straw-built hut,
in which he kept his stores of gunpowder,
caught fire, and a high wind carried the
masses of blazing grass hither and yon
among the other royal houses of the enclos-
ure until his entire palace grounds had be-
come a heap of ashes. He fled to the house
of the katikiro only to have it shortly
struck by lightning. Mwanga, crazed with
234
STURDY BLACK CHRISTIANS
fear, thought that the god of lightning was
his enemy and that he had been bewitched
by the white men. Surely they had set fire
to his stores of gunpowder, so that when
the English army marched against his capi-
tal, he would have nothing with which to
fight.
About this time, Mwanga ordered the mis-
sion boat to be brought to a certain place;
in case Mackay obeyed the king, the execu-
tioner was ordered to be in waiting to put
him to death. For once even the katikiro
proved to be a friend of the white man.
Through his timely warning, Mackay was
enabled to escape the plot of the king and
executioner.
From time to time disturbing reports
reached the missionaries. Now it was the
Uganda Christians who were to be seized;
again it was the mission property which
was to be plundered; sometimes their own
lives were threatened. Mackay and Ashe
lived and worked on not knowing when ru-
mors might become realities.
235
WHITE MAN OF WORK
May twenty-sixth, 1886, was bright of sky
but dark of deed. Mr. Ashe with a company
of "readers" about him, was seated on the
porch at the back of the mission house.
They had just been singing,
"All the people bow before Thee,
Thou the Ruler of the heavens,"
when Mackay appeared suddenly. Speak-
ing in English to Mr. Ashe, he said, "At
last it is really true. I have just heard that
Mwanga has gone mad and given orders to
seize all the Christians."
"Escape quickly lest they search our
place," said Mr. Ashe to the boys in Lu-
ganda; and skipping through a hole in the
back fence, all the pupils soon disappeared.
Scarcely had they gone, when an officer of
the king arrived with a company of armed
men in search for "readers," but none were
found.
One of the Mwanga 's own sisters had been
bold enough to burn up her magic charms
and ancestral relics. "The rebellion is
236
STURDY BLACK CHRISTIANS
spreading even into my own household,"
thought Mwanga, "I must act quickly. "
Soon by his command, so it was reported to
the missionaries, seventy of the leading
Christians were imprisoned.
One man, Alexandro by name, on hearing
that his fellow Christians were being ar-
rested, went boldly to the king's court as
usual. ' * I myself am a Christian, ' ' was his
sturdy reply to the executioner's question
if any "readers" were hidden in his enclos-
ure. Upon this faithful confession, Alex-
andro, too, was thrown into prison.
Two Christian young men, one Apolo
Kagwa by name, were called into the king's
presence. In a fit of madness, Mwanga
himself attacked one of them, gashing his
body fearfully with a spear, the suffering
man then being hurried off to the execu-
tioner.
Turning to Apolo Kagwa, Mwanga cried,
"Are you a reader?"
"I read, my lord," was the heroic reply.
"Then I'll teach you to read!" and thus
237
WHITE MAN OF WORK
shouting, the furious king, with spear in
hand, wounded and bruised the body of the
faithful Christian. Yet Kagwa's life was
spared.
While "readers" were being hunted like
wild beasts, many of them fled to distant
provinces. Some refused to hide, lest their
enemies might accuse them of being cow-
ards. One such was Roberto, who had been
accustomed almost daily to come to the mis-
sion. Mackay knew him well, since to-
gether they had made several trips to and
from the southern end of the lake.
As Roberto with a group of boys about
him was one day enjoying a quiet prayer-
meeting, he was surprised to discover two
or three executioners standing outside the
door of his hut. Immediately, all his boys
except one bolted through the reed partition
wall and escaped. A gun was leaning
against the door, and seeing this the execu-
tioners hesitated to enter.
"Do not be afraid that I will shoot," said
Roberto, "come in and take me."
238
STURDY BLACK CHRISTIANS
Binding him and the one boy with him,
the executioners dragged the two before the
king.
"Do you read?" asked his majesty.
"Yes."
"Take him and roast him," was the ty-
rant's fiendish reply.
The boy's life was redeemed by friends
who gave the king in return a woman and a
cow. Roberto was kept in the stocks for a
few days, and then was led forth to his
death. His bleeding body, mercilessly
mangled with the sword, was thrown into
the flames.
Another who refused to flee~ was Nua,
head blacksmith to the king. While labor-
ing with Mackay over the coffin for Mu-
tesa's mother, he had become a friend of
the white man. Later, Nua became a Chris-
tian and indeed an elder in the Waganda
church. In times of peril, he had faithfully
invited the Christians to gather in his home.
On hearing of the arrests, he hurried his
wife and children and two or three Chris-
239
WHITE MAN OF WORK
tian boys who had been living with him off
to a place of hiding. For himself, he re-
fused to flee, and of course was arrested.
While bound hand and foot in prison, he
pleaded with the executioners to become
Christians. Noticing among those who were
imprisoned with him one who had been ar-
rested for cattle-stealing, Nua asked the
executioner not to kill the cattle-stealer
along with the Christians. The matter was
reported to Mwanga, and the cattle-stealer
was pardoned; but Nua and his Christian
companions were burned alive.
The day after the arrest of the seventy
Christians, the alarming report reached the
missionaries that their houses were to be
plundered. All the white men's Waganda
servants and boys were immediately dis-
missed, and Mr. Mackay and Mr. Ashe were
left alone in their enclosure. To them it
was indeed a dark day.
4 'What anguish of soul we have experi-
enced," wrote Mr. Mackay, "no words can
express. Let some of our friends at home
240
STURDY BLACK CHRISTIANS
fancy themselves exchanging places with us,
and seeing their friends, with whom they
yesterday talked and ate and prayed, to-day
ruthlessly seized and hacked to pieces al-
most before their eyes, and their members
left lying to decay by the roadside."
"Something must be done," they said.
"We must at least make an attempt to save
the lives of those who are imprisoned but
not yet killed."
So, as soon as possible, Mackay hurried
to Mwanga's court. On being presented to
the king, he reminded his majesty that, for
a piece of work the missionary had previ-
ously done, Mwanga had promised to give
him anything he would like.
The king graciously renewed the promise
and asked, "What do you want?"
"I want the lives of the people whom you
have seized and not yet killed."
Mwanga, somewhat taken back by this re-
quest, tried to excuse himself from keeping
the promise by saying, "But they are al-
ready all dead."
241
WHITE MAN OF WORK
"No," said Mackay, "there are many still
alive."
"Well, there may be five or six or even
ten," said Mwanga, "they shall not be
killed."
Mackay begged that the executioner be
summoned at once and given the new order.
This was not done, however, the king insist-
ing that he had already given orders to
spare several, and all the others were dead.
But Mwanga 's promises were worthless.
Only a few days later, thirty-two of the im-
prisoned Christians were killed, having
been thrown together in one great pile and
burned alive. After the deed was done, the
head executioner said to Mwanga that he
had never before killed men who showed
such bravery and calmness in the face of
death.
"In the fire, thsy even prayed aloud to
God," he said.
During the weeks and months which fol-
lowed, the missionaries' headquarters were
watched by the executioners. More "read-
242
STURDY BLACK CHRISTIANS
ers" were captured and killed; and scores
and even hundreds went into hiding. The
missionaries saw little of their Waganda
friends. Occasionally they would be awak-
ened in the middle of the night by one or
two of the bolder Christians who under the
cover -of darkness would venture out.
Strange to say, at this most dangerous
time, some even asked for baptism. One of
these was a pupil of Eoberto, the Chris-
tian who refused to protect himself by us-
ing his gun. Mr. Ashe being the preacher,
the boy went to him and said, "My friend,
I wish to be baptized."
"Do you know what you are asking ?"
Mr. Ashe said in surprise.
"I know, my friend."
"But you know that if you say you are a
Christian they will kill you?"
Again the boy answered the same words,
"I know, my friend."
"But suppose people ask you if you are
a reader, will you tell a lie and deny it and
say*Nol'"
243
WHITE MAN OF WORK
"I shall confess, my friend."
Mr. Mackay and Mr. Ashe, having known
the boy for some time and believing him to
be a true Christian, consented to his bap-
tism.
At three o'clock one morning, while it was
still very dark, Mr. Ashe was awakened by
a low knocking at his door. Arising and
lighting his lamp, he recognized almost half
a dozen Christian men standing in front of
the house, and he invited them in. One of
them, Samweli by name, was in great trou-
ble and had come to ask advice. Since he
was among the best known of the Chris-
tians, he had been hunted most carefully by
the executioners. Being away in a distant
province, gathering tribute for the king, he
had escaped. But now he had returned.
His companions had urged him to flee, but
he could not feel that it was right for him
not to deliver the tribute of cowry-shells to
the king; yet to show himself at the palace
would mean almost certain death. What
was he to do?
244
STURDY BLACK CHRISTIANS
Mr. Ashe's advice was soon given. He
said, ' ' The king has not the heart of a man,
but of a wild beast, and you are not bound
to submit yourself to one who is so vile a
murderer. You are perfectly justified in
forsaking the trust."
They stepped over to Mr. Mackay's shop
and he, too, advised Samweli to flee. But
the heroic Waganda Christian was not sat-
isfied. For some time he sat on the earthen
floor of the room looking much troubled.
Finally he asked for a pencil and paper and
bent over as if to write.
"You need not write; but tell me what
you think," said Mr. Ashe.
Then, looking up, he said to the mission-
ary, "My friend, I cannot leave the things
of the king."
His companions began to try to show him
the folly of his decision, but Mr. Ashe said,
"No, he is right; he has spoken well; he
must take the tribute."
After kneeling together in prayer, they
planned that Samweli should deliver the
245
WHITE MAN OF WORK
cowry-shells to the appointed chief very
early in the morning, and perhaps the exe-
cutioners would not yet be abroad in search
of Christians. When Samweli said good-by
to the missionaries, they had little hope of
seeing his face again. How thankful they
were when at nightfall, he appeared once
more at the mission, happy because he had
done his duty, even though at the risk of
life itself.
Late one night in June, two Christians,
one of them for the third time fleeing for
his life, visited the mission. To these men,
Mr. Mackay and Mr. Ashe gave a letter
which they had written for circulation
among the Christians in hiding. Like some
of Paul's letters to his persecuted follow-
ers, how it must have cheered many a lonely
convert ! It read :
" PEOPLE OF JESUS WHO ARE IN UGANDA
"Our Friends: We, your friends and
teachers, write to you to send you words of
cheer and comfort, which we have taken
from the Epistle of Peter, the apostle of
246
STURDY BLACK CHRISTIANS
Christ. lu days of old, Christians were
hated, were hunted, were driven out, and
were persecuted for Jesus' sake; and thus
it is to-day.
"Our beloved brethren, do not deny our
Lord Jesus, and he will not deny you on
that great day when he shall come with
glory. Eemember the words of our Sav-
iour, how he told his disciples not to fear
men, who are able to kill only the body ; but
he bade them to fear God, who is able to
destroy the body together with the soul.
"Do not cease to pray exceedingly, and
to pray for our brothers who are in afflic-
tion, and for those who do not know God.
May God give you his Spirit and his bless-
ing ! May he deliver you out of all your af-
flictions! May he give you entrance to
eternal life through Jesus Christ our Sav-
iour!
"Farewell. We are the white men; we
are your brothers indeed who have written
to you."
On the other side of the letter was writ-
247
WHITE MAN OF WORK
ten the fourth chapter of the First Letter
of Peter, from the twelfth verse to the end
of the chapter.
So in Uganda the native Christians, not
long since degraded heathen, were now suf-
fering torment and death rather than deny
their Lord and Saviour. In all, about two
hundred Protestant and Roman Catholic
converts were brought to a cruel martyr-
dom, and probably more than that number
were made exiles from their homes.
It was in like manner that centuries ago,
in the days of Nero at Eome, the early
Christians suffered. So some of our own
forefathers were burned at the stake. So
in later years the Christian churches in
Madagascar, the Hawaiian Islands, Japan,
and China have added to the noble company
of martyrs.
Like the faithful heroes told of in the
eleventh chapter of Hebrews, they were
"tortured, not accepting their deliverance;
that they might obtain a better resurrection :
and others had trial of mockings and
248
STURDY BLACK CHRISTIANS
scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and im-
prisonment: they were stoned, they were
sawn asunder, they were tempted, they were
slain with the sword: . . . being desti-
tute, afflicted, ill-treated, (of whom the
world was not worthy), wandering in
deserts and mountains and caves, and the
holes of the earth." "But now they desire
a better country, that is, a heavenly : where-
fore God is not ashamed of them, to be
called their God; for he hath prepared for
them a city."
249
CHAPTER XII
THE WHITE MAN OF WORK LAYS DOWN HIS
TOOLS
ONCE more there was a period of com-
parative quiet in Uganda. Another
of the white men left for England. In-
deed, Mr. Ashe and Mr. Mackay had both
asked permission to go. This was not be-
cause of any thought of abandoning their
work nor because of any fear of death.
But it was thought that perhaps through
their temporary absence the persecutions
of the Christians might cease. Then being
again quiet in mind, Mwanga might with
real heartiness invite the missionaries to re-
turn to his capital.
After many discussions at court, his
black majesty finally consented that Mr.
Ashe should leave, but not so Mr. Mackay,
250
HE LAYS DOWN HIS TOOLS
for whom the king pretended to have a
most remarkable affection. So Mr. Mackay
bade farewell to his long-time companion,
and for nearly a year held the fort in
Uganda alone.
Notwithstanding the edict that all who
dared to go to the mission would be put to
death, large numbers of "readers" stole
away unnoticed to the white man's house.
Several months after Mr. Ashe left, Mr.
Mackay wrote:
"For a couple of months after you left I
was having a regular houseful of strangers
every evening. The tin of petroleum ar-
rived in time, and with it I could make a
respectable light, so that the library became
a night-school. Late, late, often very late,
we wound up, and I was often more than
exhausted reading, teaching, giving medi-
cine, and doing other work. By day I got,
off and on, some translation done."
In addition to his teaching and doctoring,
the "white man of work" undertook to con-
struct a spinning-wheel and weaver's loom
251
WHITE MAN OF WORK
so that the Waganda might learn to spin
and to weave their own cloth.
When the royal mechanics had all failed,
Mackay was asked to mount a huge flagstaff
in the king's enclosure. Very awkward
helpers they were who aided him, and it was
only after many days of patient labor that
the pole slipped into the hole dug for it, and
stood up tall and firm, to the astonishment
and delight of the king and chiefs.
Whenever time could be spared, Mackay
labored on the translation and printing of
the Gospel of Matthew. In a few months
the first edition of one hundred and fifty
copies came from the press, and the eager
Christians were able to read for themselves
the precious stories of the Christ ; his com-
ing as a babe in Bethlehem, his teachings on
the Mount, his miracles, his parables, and
finally his sufferings, death, and resurrec-
tion.
But such events as these came only occa-
sionally to brighten Mackay 's life. For the
most part the shadows far outnumbered the
252
HE LAYS DOWN HIS TOOLS
bright spots throughout that year of loneli-
ness. Again and again plots were laid for
his life; and since the fickle Mwanga could
never be trusted, much of Mackay's work
had to be done in secret. In dangers oft
and trials ever, how hard it must have been
to keep brave and cheerful! In a letter
written about this time Mackay said :
"What sadness and melancholy comes
over me at times, and I find myself shed-
ding tears like a child! Then those won-
derfully consoling Psalms send a thrill of
joy into my whole being.
"I have not the slightest desire to ' es-
cape, ' if I can do a particle of good by stay-
ing. My desire is that the Lord will open
the way for the mission to be kept up, not
abandoned. Our ship is in port, some
twelve miles off, and possibly I might make
a dash for it; but what then? I do not at
present see that I am warranted in seeking
to do so. Anything may happen at any mo-
ment, and it may be that I shall be led to
adopt such a course; but hitherto I believe
253
WHITE MAN OF WORK
I am doing right in quietly going on with
the work. My earnest heart-wish is simply
to cast myself on the Master, and say, ' Thy
will be done!' "
For a time Mwanga pretended to be a
Mohammedan, and ordered all his pages to
read the Koran. On the refusal of a num-
ber to obey his orders, Mwanga complained
that all those who read with the white men
were stubborn and compelled him to be ever
killing them, so that people would call him a
madman! He threatened to "kill very
many." But his queenmother, although a
heathen, warned him against putting his
pages to death; since, she said, in a few
years they would be the chief strength of
his country.
Now that Mackay was alone, his old
enemies, the Arabs, redoubled their efforts
to drive him from the country. Again and
again they slandered his character before
Mwanga. When a letter, written in
Arabic, came from the English consul in
Zanzibar, they mistranslated it to the king,
254
HE LAYS DOWN HIS TOOLS
so that it read that the consul advised
Mwanga to drive Mackay out of the country
at once. The king hesitated, not knowing
which to believe, the Arabs or Mackay.
Now, he seemed to favor Mackay 's leaving;
again, he refused his permission. The
strain of uncertainty lasted several weeks,
but Mackay waited in patience.
Finally the king definitely declared: "I
will not have his teaching in the country
while I live. After I am dead the people
may learn to read."
Mackay did not leave, however, until he
gained a promise from the king to send a
native messenger along with him in the
boat, so that, on the return trip of the ship,
another Englishman might be brought to
Uganda to take Mackay 's place.
So one day in the summer of 1887,
Mackay bade farewell to his Uganda home,
and to the great heathen capital and its
king, locked up the mission houses, and
started for the port.
Good-by gifts were given back and forth
255
WHITE MAN OF WORK
between Mwanga, the chiefs, and Mackay;
and the Waganda Christians called to have
their last words with the white man. For
nine years he had been to some of them a
faithful friend and father, and it was hard
for them to let him go.
Not long, however, were the persecuted
Waganda Christians left alone. The boat
that carried Mr. Mackay to the southern
end of the lake brought Mr. Gordon, a
nephew of Bishop Hannington, to take his
place. Mr. Gordon was soon joined by Mr.
Walker, and these two brave men persist-
ently kept the work moving forward.
Within about a year's time two revolu-
tions occurred in Uganda. Mwanga 's
cruelties grew so loathsome to his subjects
that they arose in a body and dethroned
him, placing his brother, Kalema, on the
throne in his stead. Under the new mon-
arch, Roman Catholic and Protestant
Christians were given the chief offices of
the kingdom, and, for a while, " readers"
flocked to the mission like "swarms of
256
HE LAYS DOWN HIS TOOLS
bees." The jealousy of the Arabs, how-
ever, was not long in being stirred. They
headed a second revolution. A new king
was put on the throne, and the important
chieftainships given to Mohammedans.
For six days both the French and English
missionaries were imprisoned in a filthy hut
within the king's enclosure. The furious
Mohammedan mob robbed the Protestant
mission of every article of furniture, beds,
tables, chairs, book-cases, boxes, everything.
" Every book was torn to bits," and every
bottle of medicine was smashed or emptied
of its contents. Doors were wrenched from
their hinges and carried away, and the mis-
sion house left a desolate wreck.
The French priests and Protestant mis-
sionaries were together put on board the
white man's ship, no food, almost no cloth-
ing, and no bedding being allowed for their
voyage to the southern end of the lake.
Mr. Walker was even robbed of his hat,
coat, and trousers before starting, and the
only two books he had saved, his New Tes-
257
WHITE MAN OF WORK
tament and prayer-book, were snatched
from Mm and thrown into the lake.
' ' The captain carried us on board, ' ' wrote
Mr. Gordon, "and we heard the voice of the
officer behind us. He was giving us
Uganda's parting message. 'Let no white
man come to Uganda for the space of two
years. "We do not want to see Mackay's
boat in Uganda waters for a long time to
come. We do not want to see a white
teacher back again in Uganda until we have
converted the whole of Uganda to the Mo-
hammedan faith'."
While revolutions and fanatical out-
bursts were taking place in Uganda,
Mackay was beginning missionary work
anew at a place called Usambiro, near the
southern shore of Victoria Lake.
About seventy miles to the eastward, a
wretched fugitive, having escaped from
Uganda in a canoe with perhaps half a dozen
companions, was the cruel, despised Mwan-
ga. Regardless of the unspeakable wrongs
this tyrant had committed against him and
258
HE LAYS DOWN HIS TOOLS
against so many whom he loved, the earnest,
forgiving missionary now wrote and offered
the ruined king a refuge with him in Usam-
biro.
" Murderer and persecutor as he has
been," wrote Mr. Mackay, "I yet have not
the faintest doubt that it becomes us to do
everything in our power to return him good
for evil."
Mwanga, fearing the Arabs, felt at the
time unable to escape. He implored
Mackay to come to him to deliver him, but
this the missionary could not do. Some
months later, Mwanga fled to the Catholic
mission where he was soon baptized. By a
third revolution in Uganda, he was later
restored to his throne, and the chieftain-
ships were divided equally between the
Christians and Arabs; but Mwanga was as
Samson with his hair shorn. Never again
did he gain his old power. He became little
more than a puppet in the hands of his
chiefs, and at his death no one could say
that he had ever shown any certain signs
259
WHITE MAN OF WORK
that he had become a real heart-Christian.
In the meantime, what was Mackay doing
at Usambiro? When the Waganda Chris-
tians were exiled from their country, some
twenty-five of them fled to Mackay. With
their assistance, he built a neat five-room
house for himself and the two or three other
white men who sometimes were with him.
Workshops, houses for his boys, buildings
for his chickens, goats, and cattle, and a
garden where he could raise vegetables were
other results of their industry. Finally,
the entire grounds, when enclosed by a neat
grass fence, became an attractive homelike
spot in the midst of a barren, dry, and tree-
less waste.
Even when driven from Uganda, Mackay
did not cease to toil for the land he had long
since called his own. He directed his ex-
iled Christians in the use of the printing-
press, and many pages of Scripture verses,
prayers, and hymns from time to time were
sent to Uganda. Then, too, with the assist-
ance of the more intelligent among the
260
HE LAYS DOWN HIS TOOLS
Christians, he began the translation of the
Gospel according to St. John.
For years it had been his ambition to
build a good steam launch for the use of
the missionaries on Victoria Lake. Indeed,
on first coming to Africa he brought with
him a steam-boiler and engine, but he had
never succeeded in gaining Mutesa's or
Mwanga's permission to build the boat.
Now, at last he was able to begin. Writing
home, he said:
"I have my hands full, preparing to
build our new boat. I have cut the timber
some twenty miles distant, and have carried
it here. You will be probably disgusted at
hearing that I am busy just now making
bricks to build a house in which to build the
vessel. Within the last fortnight we have
made some ten thousand. That is doubt-
less poor work to be occupied with in the
mission field, but it must be done ; and even
in such a humble occupation I hope the
good Lord will not withhold his blessing.
Mission boats unfortunately do not grow
261
WHITE MAN OF WORK
of themselves they have to be built, every
inch of them. But trees have been growing
for ages, of the Lord's planting; and as we
fell them, I like to think that he made them
grow for this purpose."
A little later he wrote again: "I have
just received seventy loads of rivets, fit-
tings, rope, paint, and other material, for
this vessel, for which I am collecting the
needed timber. Some time ago I wrote you
of my felling trees in the forest some ten to
twenty miles distant. The problem then
was to have these conveyed to this station.
I found that the logs were too heavy either
to drag or to have carried by all the men I
could muster. I therefore set to work and
made a strong four-wheeled wagon with
which to fetch the logs entire here. This
has proved quite a success, and already we
have dragged a log weighing a ton and a
half to this place with no difficulty. It is
the first wheeled vehicle ever seen in this
region since the world began, with the ex-
ception of an iron wheelbarrow which was
262
HE LAYS DOWN HIS TOOLS
used in the building of the Suez Canal, and
was shipped over here. This wheelbarrow
has proved a marvel to the natives ; but the
ease with which our wagon rolls along with
a large log on the top of it, is a far greater
wonder still."
It was in August, 1889, the last summer
of Mackay 's life. Mr. Stanley happened to
be returning to the coast, having rescued an
English governor who had long been held a
prisoner in Central Africa. Passing by
Mackay 's mission, he- and his company re-
mained with the missionary nearly a month.
Stanley's story of his visit gives a picture
of the kind of life Mackay was living.
"The next day," says Mr. Stanley, "hav-
ing already sent messages ahead, that we
might not take Mr. Mackay by surprise, we
arrived in view of the English mission. It
was built in the middle of what appeared to
be no better than a gray waste. The
ground gently sloped from curious heaps of
big boulders, or enormous blocks thrown
higgeledy-piggledy to the height of a respec-
263
WHITE MAN OF WORK
table hill, down to a marshy flat, green with
its dense crop of papyrus. Beyond this we
saw a gleam of a line of water, produced
from an inlet of Victoria Lake. We were
approaching the mission by a wagon track,
and presently we came to the wagon itself,
a simple thing of wooden wheels, for carry-
ing timber for building. There was not a
green thing in view, except in the marsh;
grass all dead, trees either shrunk, with-
ered, or dead, at least there was not the
promise of a bud anywhere, which of course
was entirely due to the dry season.
"When we were about half a mile off,
a gentleman of small stature, with brown
hair, dressed in white linen and a gray hat,
advanced to meet us.
" 'And so you are Mr. Mackay ? Mwanga
did not get you then, this time ? What ex-
periences you must have had with that man !
But you look so well, one would say you had
been to England lately.'
" 'Oh, no; this is my twelfth year.
Mwanga permitted me to leave, and the
264
TALKIXG THUS, WE ENTERED THE CIRCLE OF TALL POLES "
HE LAYS DOWN HIS TOOLS
Rev. Cyril Gordon took my place; but not
for long, since they were all shortly after
expelled from Uganda/'
"Talking thus, we entered the circle of
tall poles, within which the mission station
was built. There were signs of labor, and
constant unwearying patience and sweating
under a hot sun. We saw that Mackay was
determined to do something to keep the
mind employed, and never to let idleness
find him with folded hands brooding over
the unloveliness.
"There was a big, solid workshop in the
yard, filled with machinery and tools, a
launch's boiler was being prepared by the
blacksmiths, a big canoe was outside repair-
ing; there were sawpits and large logs of
hard timber; there were great stacks of
palisade poles; in the corner of an outer
yard was a cattle-fold and a goat-pen, fowls
by the score pecked at minute grains;
and out of the European quarter there
trooped out a number of little boys and
big boys, looking uncommonly sleek and
265
WHITE MAN OF WORK
happy; and quiet laborers came up to bid
us, with hats off, 'Good morning!'
"I was ushered into the room of a sub-
stantial clay structure, the walls about two
feet thick, evenly plastered, and garnished
with missionary pictures.
" There were four separate ranges of
shelves filled with choice, useful books.
'Allah ho Akbar,' replied Hassan, his Zan-
zibar head-man, to me; 'books! Mackay has
thousands of books, in the dining-room, bed-
room, the church, everywhere. Books! ah,
loads upon loads of them!' And while I
was sipping real coffee, and eating home-
made bread and butter for the first time for
thirty months, I thoroughly sympathized
with Mackay 's love of books. It becomes
quite clear why, among so many books and
children and out-door work, Mackay cannot
find leisure to brood and think of being
lonely. He has no time to fret and groan
and weep, and God knows if ever man had
reason to be doleful and lonely and sad,
Mackay had, when, after murdering his
266
HE LAYS DOWN HIS TOOLS
bishop, and burning his pupils, and strang-
ling his converts, and clubbing to death his
dark friends, Mwanga turned his eye of
death on him. And yet the little man met
it with calm blue eyes that never winked.
It is worth going a long journey to see one
man of this kind, working day after day
for twelve hours bravely, and without a syl-
lable of complaint or a moan, and to hear
him lead his little flock in singing and
prayer to show forth God's kindness in the
morning, and his faithfulness every night. ' '
Stanley and his officers urged Mackay to
return home with them; the Church Mis-
sionary Society secretaries, time after time,
had invited him to return to England; his
friends wrote letters begging him to come
home for a rest; but the faithful Christian
soldier refused to leave his post until more
men were sent to carry^ on the work in his
absence.
At last, only a few months later, his sum-
mons to rest came from his Lord in heaven.
His only white companion in Usambiro, Mr.
267
WHITE MAN OF WORK
Deekes, was preparing to return to England
because of ill health. The day of his de-
parture came. He and his men had risen
early and all the packing which was still to
be done was completed by sunrise, and they
were ready to start on the long march to the
coast.
But where was Mr. Mackay ? Could it be
that he was sleeping while the others within
the enclosure were up and busy helping the
party get a good start before the scorching
sun compelled them to halt? Mr. Mackay
had worked hard the day before and per-
haps he was resting unusually soundly.
Expecting to say good-by to his faithful
friend, Mr. Deekes entered Mackay 's room.
When he returned to his men, he dismissed
them and ordered all preparations for the
march to cease, for Mackay was lying on
his bed burning with fever.
During the whole day his Waganda boys
with solemn, questioning faces flitted
quietly about, doing their necessary duties.
No doctor was near. Mr. Deekes himself
268
HE LAYS DOWN HIS TOOLS
was weak and could do little. The care of
the sick missionary was left largely to un-
trained Waganda Christians who did the
best they knew to cool his fevered brow.
During the next four days Mr. Mackay, in
his delirium, knew not the loving black
nurses who, in their simple way were doing
their utmost to win their beloved teacher
back to life ; but his spirit would not be de-
tained. His Master called, " Enter thou
into the joy of thy Lord," and Alexander
Mackay was gone.
"I had a coffin made of the wood he had
cut for the boat," wrote Mr. Deekes, "and
at two o'clock in the afternoon on Sunday
I buried him by the side of the late Bishop
Parker. The Waganda Christians and the
boys of the village stood around the grave,
and I began to read the burial service, but
broke down with grief and weakness. The
boys and Waganda Christians sang the
hymn, 'All hail the power of Jesus' name/
in Luganda, and we returned to the house,
never to forget that day."
269
WHITE MAN OF WORK
So it was that Africa lost the man whom
Stanley called "the best missionary since
Livingstone."
270
DID IT PAY?
A LEXANDEB, MACKAY was only
-CV forty-one years of age when he was
called to lay aside his life-work. When a
young man he might have turned a deaf ear
to Stanley's urgent call from Central Africa
and remained in merry England, where
fever is as little to be feared as are lions and
rhinoceri. Had he done so, who knows but
that he might have lived out a long life of
twice forty-one years.
He might have continued his work in
Germany, perhaps coming to be a famous
engineer or inventor. Having been offered
a position with good opportunities for pro-
motion in the service of the Imperial East
Africa Company, he might have become a
prosperous business man. General Gordon
had wanted him as an important officer in
271
WHITE MAN OF WORK
his army in Egypt. Had he accepted the
offer, perhaps he might have ended his life
as one of Great Britain's well-known com-
manders. Instead, he died in the prime of
life a missionary in remote Central
Africa.
Fourteen years in Africa had brought to
Mr. Mackay the knottiest of problems and
hardships untold. During all this time,
luxury was far from him, and often he
lacked even what we regard as common
comforts. No mother or sister or wife was
at his side to brighten his simple home.
Late and early, he toiled, ofttimes at tasks
for which he had no special liking. Many
of those whom he had so patiently taught
and whom he had come to love as his own
brothers, he saw sent to cruel torture and
death. For months at a time he lived know-
ing not when a wicked monarch might call
for his life.
His has not been the only promising life
laid down for Uganda. In 1876, seven
others besides Mackay had left their homes
272
DID IT PAY?
in answer to King Mutesa's plea. During
the years since then, scores of other young
men and even some women, just as earnest
and devoted to the work and to their Lord
as Mackay, have started for the shores of
Victoria Lake. Some have died on the
way ; others have lived for only a short time
in the land of their choice; and a few have
survived to do many years of patient serv-
ice. But has it all been worth while ? Did
it pay?
It was a letter from a newspaper corre-
spondent published in the London Tele-
graph that first led Christian teachers to
give their lives for Uganda. Twenty-nine
years later another newspaper correspond-
ent wrote a letter from Uganda's capital,
and this was published in the London Times
for August 11, 1904. Unlike Stanley, this
second newspaper man had in a few days
traveled by railroad from the east coast of
Africa to Victoria Lake. On board a beau-
tiful modern lake steamer, he had sailed to
Uganda's port. He found a people gov-
273
WHITE MAN OF WORK
erned by a Christian king whose noble prime
minister was Apolo Kagwa, once persecuted,
and now one of the pillars of the Waganda
Christian Church. He found a country un-
der the protection of the English crown,
ruled by just laws, and a nation wholly
without slaves. He found that only a few
of its citizens still brought their offerings
to the heathen spirits, and those few seemed
half ashamed to be thought of as believers
in the wizards. Thousands of people, he
found, belonged to the churches which had
been organized all over the country.
It was one day the privilege of this news-
paper correspondent to see more than five
thousand of these Waganda Christians
gathered at the capital. His letter tells the
story of the great occasion.
"On the summit of Namirembe has stood
for many years the principal Christian
church of Uganda, a large building, the
grass roof of which was supported by a
very forest of palm poles. This eventually
became unsafe, and has lately been replaced
274
DID IT PAY?
by a more permanent and really beautiful
building, which reflects great credit on Mr.
Borup, an engineer missionary. He has
taught the Waganda to make bricks, has in-
structed young men in carpentry and
other handicrafts, and has superintended
this their first building on a large scale.
The walls and two rows of massive columns
are built of sun-dried bricks, while those
used for the foundations have been burnt in
a kiln. The roof, neatly thatched with long
grass, rises over the transepts into three
peaks. But the most remarkable features
in the building are the beautiful reed-work
which covers the ceiling and the palm stems
that serve as beams and rafters.
"The great event in the capital recently
has been the consecration of this cathedral
by Bishop Tucker. At five in the morning
of the twenty-first of June, people were be-
ginning to assemble in the open space
around the church. The service was to be-
gin at nine o'clock, but long before that hour
every available space had been filled and the
275
WHITE MAN OF WORK
great building was surrounded by a large
crowd of disappointed but cheerful and or-
derly people who found it impossible to gain
admission.
"The seats were a few reserved for Eu-
ropeans under the central dome and those
kept for the clergy in the chancel; all the
rest of the floor, space, with the exception of
the central aisle and well-kept passages to
the different doorways, was completely cov-
ered by rows of Waganda seated on the
ground, or on skins and mats which many
had brought with them. ISTo undue crowd-
ing had been allowed ; but by this method of
seating, any given space will accommodate
a considerably larger number of people
than it takes where room has to be found for
chairs or benches. Looking down from the
chancel, the eye wandered over a sea of dark
but by no means unattractive faces, and one
noticed a marked contrast between the two
sides of the church, for to the right sat the
men in their clean, long white robes, and to
the left the women, clad for the most part in
276
DID IT PAY?
the rich brown bark cloth so characteristic
of Uganda. "
King Daudi Chwa, Apolo Kagwa, the
prime minister, and about fifty missionaries
and native pastors from all parts of the
kingdom and a vast congregation of 3,500
within the cathedral listened reverently
through the entire services.
"The building of the cathedral had in-
volved a considerable drain upon the re-
sources of the people, and there still re-
mained a debt of more than 2,000 rupees
[$650]. To meet this was the object of the
collection taken up toward the end of the
proceedings, and a most interesting part of
the ceremony it proved to be. Quite a little
army of men were employed going to and
fro with large bags and cloths, and they re-
turned again and again to the chancel
heavily laden with strings of cowry-shells,
besides the more regular coinage introduced
with British rule. These were received by
the clergy in the basin-shaped baskets that
figure largely in native life. Many brought
277
WHITE MAN OF WORK
offerings in kind, and the English section of
the congregation could not repress their
smiles when the first chicken was solemnly
carried up the aisle and deposited at the
foot of the table, followed almost immedi-
ately by a couple of goats which showed a
marked objection to being dragged back and
removed by a side door. It then appeared
that gifts were flowing in, not only from
the congregation proper, but from the yet
greater crowd which had failed to gain ad-
mission and thronged around the building
outside all through the service. Load after
load of offerings came through the doors,
and many were the gifts that did not ap-
pear within. Others arrived too late for
the occasion, and the amount of the collec-
tion went on growing for days afterward.
The latest figures I could obtain were as fol-
lows: 1,613 rupees [$538], including
about 90,000 shells, and 36 bullocks and
cows, 23 goats, 31 fowls, and 154 eggs. The
result of this collection more than wiped off
the debt on the church.
278
LOAD AFTER LOAD OF OFFERINGS CAME THROUGH THE DOORS
DID IT PAY?
" Altogether the scene described was
never to be forgotten by an English visitor.
Less than thirty years ago, Stanley gave to
the king of Uganda his first lesson in the
truths of Christianty, and then appealed for
missionaries to carry on the work. He
lived to see a truly marvelous change ef-
fected by the preaching of the gospel, which
is to-day being carried by native teachers
and preachers far into the surrounding
countries; and now within a few weeks of
his death a gathering of over 5,000 Waganda
for the consecration of a cathedral in Mu-
tesa's capital witnesses to the force with
which the Christian message can appeal to
an intelligent people who have heard it for
the first time in the present generation. "
'Was it all worth while? Did it pay?
Were the lives wasted or well invested which
have made possible such changes in a coun-
try once heathen? "Whosoever," said
Jesus, " would save his life shall lose it; and
whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and
the gospel's shall save it."
279
INDEX
Africa, 2, 31,39,83,191,218;
Central, 27, 30, 58, 224,
263, 272;
East, 31, 224, 271;
South, 58
African,
animals, 6, 8, 20, 40, 63;
beer, 113, 133
birds and insects, 39, 51,
61, 64, 174;
boys, 87, 155-158;
carpenter, 37;
chiefs, see Chiefs;
diseases, 42, 156, see also
Fever;
drums, see tom-toms be-
' low;
flowers and plants, 39;
huts, 21, 89, 90;
jungles, see Jungles;
mason, 37 ;
missions, see Missions,
African;
money, 12, 33, 34;
porters, see Baggage-car-
riers;
singing, 55;
soldiers, 10, 37, 74, 75, 105,
107, 204;
tom-toms, 7, 20, 45, 77, 79,
116, 132, 179
villages, see Villages;
wives, 20, 81, 96, 109, 159,
164-168
Alexandro, 237
Allah, 139, 146, 216;
Animals, see African animals
American axes, 53
Apolo Kagwa, 237, 238, 274,
277
Arabian, Arabs, 12, 15-34,
74-89, 101-111, 124,140-
152, 159, 196, 198, 254,
257
Ashe, Mr., 195, 200, 206-214,
225-251
Bagamoyo, 36
Baggage-carriers, 34-38, 43,
49-52
Balikudembe, 233, 234
Bananas, 90, 91, 105
Baptism, baptisms, 108, 109,
155, 243
281
INDEX
Baraza, 80, 85, 96, 98, 108,
124
Bark cloth, 20, 32, 74, 108,
114, 166, 181, 277
Bead money, beads, 12, 32, 34
Bellows, 32, 93
Bible, 4, 15-19, 71, 77, 78,
81, 104, 108, 120, 123,
128, 148, 159, 170, 221,
225, 246-253, 260
Birds, see African birds
Board books, 15
Bolsters of baggage, 35-37
Books, 266;
destroyed, 257
Borup, Mr., 275
Boys, see African boys
Brass wire, see Wire
Bridges, bridge-building, 55,
57, 58
Burial, 180, 190-192
of Philipo, 166
of queejn Namasole, 179*-
190
Burning of Christians, 216,
217, 234, 239-242
Calico, 12, 40, 41, 181-189
Camps, 44, 45, 52, 59, 70, 71
Canoes, 6, 71, 258, 265
Capital cities, 72, 73, 85, 115,
207, 274
Caps, red, 32, 34, 74, 76
Caravans, 3, 36-46, 50
Carts, cart-barge, 58-8, 82,
84
Cathedral, 275-279
Catholic, Catholics, 104, 228,
248
Cattle, 6, 87, 116, 146, 147,
173, 192, 260
Chambarango, 16
Charms, 113, 114, 156, 160,
161, 179, 236
Chiefs, 9, 20, 43-45, 57, 72,
76, 79, 89, 93, 98, 106,
107, 122, 124, 159, 169,
178, 179, 197, 199, 228-
230
Christ, see Jesus Christ
Christian, boys or lads, 154-
163, 204-208, 212-219,
233, 265;
chiefs, 213, 232;
girls, 233;
religion, 14-19, 104, 116,
129, 135, 146;
teachings, 98-104
Christians, 5, 27, 28, 95, 104,
108, 153-169, 233, 248,
256
Christmas, 101, 111, 190
Church Missionary Society,
22-26, 77
secretaries, 22, 23, 29, 49,
158
Churches, native, 157, 158,
220, 239-249, 274
282
INDEX
Civilized people, 14
Clark, Mr., 25
Climate, 20, 46-52
Cloth, 32, 34, 37, 44, 45, 101,
192, 211, 223
Coffee- raising, 173
Coffins, 181
Communion service, 204
Converts, 248, 267, see also
Christian, Christians
Copper for coffin, 182-184
Cowry-shells, 105, 136, 172,
277
Creed, the, 159
Daily Telegraph, the, 1, 19,
47, 273
Daudi Chwa, King, 277
Death, of native Christians,
157, 162, 163, 166, 214-
219, 234-243, 248;
of missionaries, 30, 36, 82,
84, 226, 232, 269
Deekes, Mr., 268
Discoveries, 27
Diseases, see African dis-
eases
Doctors, Christian, 28, 66,
90, 115, 251
Dogs, 37, 52, 60, 63, 145
Dreams, 6, 7, 137, 164
Drums, see African tom-toms
Dumulira, 156, 157
Edinburgh, 25 Z 29
Edwardo, 158
Egypt, 3, 80, 99, 203, 272
Elders, 220, 239
Elephant tusks, see Ivory
England, 3, 4, 21, 24, 49, 59,
70, 77, 80, 90, 98, 99, 110
English, 57;
governor, 263 ;
hatchets, 53;
language, 41, 71, 77, 97;
missionaries, 76, 105, 106,
110, 136, 233, 257;
people, 87, 95, 144, 152,
203;
soldiers, 3, 80, 203
Europe, European, 66, 135,
146, 191
Evil spirits, see Spirits, evil
Executioners, 210, 216, 234
Fable of a cat, 150-152
Farming, 172, 173
Fences of tiger grass, 74, 75,
91, 107, 260
Fever, 1, 42-^1, 59, 83, 84,
225, 268, 269
Flags, flagstaff, 7, 60, 61,
101, 252
Food, 33, 40-43, 46, 51, 60,
73, 84, 87, 88, 96, 105,
116, 136, 172
French missionaries, 104,
105, 110, 143, 144, 149,
228, 2S3, 257, 259
283
INDEX
Gabunga, 126, 132, 232
Germany, 26
Germans, 203
Gifts, 8, 79
God, 3, 4, 13, 14, 24, 31, 56,
69, 78, 83, 95, 100, 108,
118-130, 142, 153, 161,
193
Gods, heathen, 112, 119-122,
235
Gold and silver, 147
Golden Rule, 5
Gordon, General, 80, 99, 271;
Rev. Cyril, 256, 258, 265
Gospels, 101, 156, 157, 221,
252, 261
Great Britain, 60, see also
England, English
Grindstones, 32, 53, 93
Guns, gunpowder, 7, 32, 74,
76, 101, 130, 206, 207,
223, 226
Hammock for traveling, 46,
House of Lords, 9
Houses, huts, 5, 21, 75, 80,
88, 91, 147, 173-175, 186,
225, 260, 266
How I Found Livingstone, 29
Human sacrifices, 190, 192,
197
Hutchinson, Mr., 23
Huts, see Houses, huts
Indian, coolies, 33;
merchants, 33
Insects, see African birds and
insects
Interpreters, 14, 37, 41, 77,
79, 80, 118, 119, 121,
170, 261
Ivory, 5, 6, 12, 17, 32, 102,
109, 111, 147
Jesus Christ, 14, 16, 79, 101,
104, 147, 148, 155, 161,
192
Jungles, 2, 40, 43, 46, 54,84
Handkerchiefs, 32-34 Kagei, 72, 84, 120
Hannington, Bishop, 224- Kakumba, 213-216
228, 232
Hartwell, Mr., 37
Heathen, 10, 100;
religion, 10-12, 105, 116,
129, 135
Hoes, 94
Honga, 43-^6, 58
Kalema, King, 256
Katikiro, the, 17, 133, 165,
192, 199, 201, 208-212,
222, 235, see also Prime
Minister
Kauta, 17, 187
Kidza, 214, 217
284
INDEX
King, see Mutesa, Mwanga
Koran, the, 16, 18, 109, 140,
138, 193, 254
Kyambalango, 182, 192
Letters, 3, 4, 23-25, 29, 47,
49, 71, 72, 77, 78, 154,
205, 246, 267
Litchfield, Mr., 106, 154
Livingstone, David, 10, 270
London, 1-3, 19, 22, 29, 77,
273
Lord's Prayer, the, 5, 159
Lugalama, 213-218
Luganda language, 81, 97,
154, 170
Lukonge, 72, 121, 231
Machinery, 28, 37, 265
Mackay, Alexander, 26-30,
36-70, 82-279;
boyhood, 26, 27;
early missionary plans, 28;
farewell words, 30;
favorable start from Zan-
zibar, 36, 37;
fever and return to coast,
42-48;
finds more carriers, 49-51;
finishes road, 52-58 ;
flags on march inland, 60-
gives up use of carts, 67-
69;.
hastens to Victoria Lake,
82-85;
is received by Mutesa, 86,
87;
makes many things, 93,
170, 178, 251;
name given him, 171;
needs and trip to Uyui,
136, 137, 140;
new house built, 174, 175;
opposed by Mohammedans,
141-152;
palace services and talks,
98-110, 117-131, 190-
194; 222, 223, 241, 242;
pleads with Mutesa, 193;
printing, 107, 170, 252,260;
receives letter from first
convert, 154, 155;
sinking a well, 175-177;
teaching, 170, 251;
translating Bible, 170,251,
252, 261;
undertaker for queen Na-
masole, 179-190;
Usambiro mission, 258-
269;
various attacks of fever,
and the last fatal one,
51, 83, 84, 175, 176,
268, 269;
work, 170, 171, 222, 241,
251, 252, 265;
workshops, 93, 265
285
INDEX
Madagascar, 28
Magic lantern } 33, 93
Map of Africa, given Mutesa,
79
Mapera, 144, 145
Martyrs, 28, 214-218, 226,
248
Masudi, 190, 191, 193
Mohammedans, 257
Money, see African money,
Cowry-shells
Moses, 16, 120
Mpwapwa, 42, 43, 46, 47,50,
56, 58, 70, 82, 84
Mufta, 71, 77, 146
Mujasi, 204-219
Medicine, 32 ; 84, 125, 126, Mukasa, 111-134, 158, also
162, 179, 251, 257
Mengo, 207
Merchants, 33
name of two young men,
158, 163
Music-boxes, 33, 34, 149
Missionaries, 10, 25-31, 80, Mutesa, King, 4-26, 71-200;
88, 90-93, 98, 104-106,
130, 220, 221, 270, 273,
see also Catholics,
French Missionaries
Mission boats, 82, 196-205,
261, 262;
houses, 82, 88, 90, 173-
175, 199, 220, 255, 266;
schools, 82, 88
Missions, African, 47, 82,90,
91, 224-228, 255-279
Mohammed, 12, 13, 16, 138,
139
Mohammedan, book, see
Koran
dress, 13;
prayers, 138-140, 146,164;
religion, 12, 13-18, 105,
129, 135, 145, 146, 164,
254;
Sabbath, 4, 13
asks for missionaries, 19;
donations to the mission,
82, 87-90, 171, 172;
dress, 9;
gift to Stanley, 8;
letter urging haste, 71, 72;
letters to, 77-79;
members of family, favor-
ing Christianity, 169,
228, 236;
mother's burial, 179-190;
palace, 9, 73, 75, 76, 98,
116, 179;
presents from missiona-
ries, 79, 85-87;
" pretty sayings," 94, 95 ;
promises to end slave-sell-
ing, 102;
receptions at palace, 8, 9,
76-82, 86-88, 132-134;
reported cruelty, 20;
286
INDEX
services in palace, 98;
sickness, 106, 115-134,140,
194;
suffering and death, 194,
195;
swayed by impulse, 108-
110;
urges excuses, 193;
wives, 20, 81, 103, 115,
196
Mvvanga, King, 200-260;
becomes cruel and tyran-
nical, 200, 233-238;
causes death of Bishop
Hannington, 224-227;
present to, 228-230;
promise broken and Chris-
tians slain, 242, 243;
- seeks Mackay's aid when
in exile, 259
Mwira, 167, 168
Namasole, queen, 179-190
Navy of Uganda, 10
New England States, 9
Nile River, 3
Nua, 232, 239, 240
O'Flaherty, Mr., ,146-149,
154-167, 171, 180, 195,
227, 232
O'Neill, Mr., 25, 70, 72, 82
Oxen, 52, 58-68, 82, 178
Palace, 9, 73, 75, 76, 101,
107, 132, 211, 228
Palms, 73
Parables read, 103, 104
Parker, Bishop, 269
Pearls, 147
Pearson, Mr., 106, 107, 137,
146, 152, 154
Philipo, 158, 163-166, 210
Plague, the, 156, 162
Plantains, 73, 116, 166, 173,
185, 198
Pombe, 12, 15, 44, 73
Prayers, Christian, 23, 116,
153, 218, 228;
heathen, 113, 179
Prime minister, 9, 121, see
also Katikiro
Printing, printing-press, 33,
107, 136, see also Mack-
ay, printing
Processions, 36, 74, 132
Protestant, Protestants, 104,
137, 248
Pump, 175, 176
Pupils, see Schools
Queen mother, 115, 129, 254
Queen Victoria, 1, 106, 109,
149, 231
Railways, 28, 273
Rain, rainy season, 49, 59,
61, 64
287
INDEX
Reading, readers, 71, 97, 107,
135, 136, 157, 159, 165,
221, 231 S 237-243, 256
Receptions, 8, 9, 76-82, 86-
88
Religion, see Christian,
Heathen, Mohammedan
Rivers, 3, 38, 51, 62, 64, 65,
84;
crossing of, 64, 65, 67
Roads, road-building, 8, 28,
34, 50-58, 70, 73, 74
Roberto, 238, 239
Robertson, Mr. James, 23,
36;
Mr. William, 25
Roman Catholic, see Catho-
lic
Rubaga, 73, 162, 167
Rusaka, 182
Sabbath, the Christian, 4, 88,
98, 101, 106, 204;
the Mohammedan, 4, 13
Sabbath-breaking, 109
Samweli, 244-246
Sarah, 164-166
Schoolhouse, 90, 98
Schools, scholars, 71, 82, 96,
97, 107, 157, 158, 163,
222
Scripture, see Bible
Sebwato, 213
Sembera, 155, 158
Seruwanga, 212-216
Shields, 198, 206
Sketch-book, 225
Slavery, slaves, 12, 17, 18, 29,
32, 93, 96, 97, 101, 111,
144, 147, 155, 169-172,
192, 274
Smith, Dr. John, 25, 43, 46,
70, 83;
Lieutenant G. Shergold, 25,
43, 45, 46, 70, 76, 79,
81-83, 87, 148
Soldiers, see African soldiers
Spears, 198, 206, 226, 237,
238
Spirit-huts, 11, 112-114, 133
Spirit, ancestral, 118, 126;
evil, 11, 12 2 112, 113, 157,
169, 274
Stanley, Henry M., 1-29, 71,
77, 78, 85, 130, 263-271,
279
Steam - engines, steam
launches, 32, 37, 72, 94,
167, 261
Steamships, 100, 273
Sunday, see Sabbath, the
Christian
Teachers, 77, 163, 220, 221,
279
Telephone, 100
Telegraph, 100
Ten Commandments, 5, 15
288.
INDEX
Tents, 33, 40, 43
Times, the London, 273
Tom-toms, see African tom-
toms
Tools, 32, 37, 53, 93
Traders, 101, 102, 111, 120,
223, see also' Arabs
Translating Bible, 170, 221
Tribes, African, 7, 9
Tsetse flies, 59, 67, 68
Tucker, Bishop, 275
Turkish rug 1 , 79
Turning-lathe, 93
Tytherleigh, Mr., 59, 84
Uganda, 4-24, 30, 98, 99
Ugogo, 43-46
Umbrellas, 33, 62
United States, 60
Usambiro, 258, 259
Usoga, 202-205, 209, 223
Uyui, 136, 137
Victoria Lake, 1, 5, 6, 24, 31,
47, 70, 73, 82, 84, 106,
203, 232, 273
Victoria, Queen, see Queen
Victoria
Villages, 43, 57
Waganda people, 8, 74, 97
Wagon, 262, 263, 264
Walker, Mr., 256, 257
Wealth in Uganda, 6, 147,
192
Wheels, 53, 94
White men, 7, 8, 14-19, 36;
strange customs of, 92
Wilson, Rev. Mr., 25, 70, 76,
81, 82, 85, 87
Wire, 12, 32, 34
Witchcraft, 109, 123
Witches, 112, 181
Wives, see African wives
Wizards, 111-134, 156-161,
274
Women, 86, 96, 110, 132, 147,
157, 165-168, 172, 173,
182, 185, 188, 192
Work, 165-168, 171-177, 228,
233, 276;
done by Mackay, 93, 94,
107, 131, 170-190
Wright, Mr. Henry, 29;
also name of Christian lad,
158
Yakobo, 158
Zanzibar, 31, 33, 5, 47-52,
141, 146, 203, 254j
Sultan of, 77
289
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