Hero of Uganda 
 
 Y OF STANLEY
 
 5- 
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 
 EDERLANDSCHE ZENDINGSSCHOOL,
 
 ALEXANDER M. MACKAY 
 BORN 13TH OCTOBER 1849 DIED STH FEBRUARY 1890
 
 ALEXANDER MACK AY 
 
 MISSIONARY HERO OF UGANDA 
 
 . 
 
 OE6 
 
 THE AUTHOR OF 'THE STORY OF STANLEY' 
 
 
 TENTH THOUSAND 
 
 LONDON: 
 THE SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION 
 
 57 AND 59 LUDGATE HlLL, E.G.
 
 CONTENTS 
 
 CUAP. PAGE 
 
 I. A GOOD BEGINNING ..... 9 
 
 II. CHOOSING HIS LIFE-WORK . . . .13 
 
 III. ON AFRICAN SOIL ..... 22 
 
 IV. DANGERS AND DIFFICULTIES . . . .31 
 V. A VISIT TO LKONGE ..... 36 
 
 VI. ARRIVAL AT UGANDA . . . . .47 
 
 VII. KING MTESA ...... 57 
 
 VIII. DISAPPOINTMENT ..... 65 
 
 IX. LABOUR AND RESULTS . . ... .77 
 
 X. STRANGE TASKS ..... 85 
 
 XI. BUILDING THE 'ELEANOR* . . . . 9G 
 
 XII. KING MWANGA . . . . .103 
 
 XIII. UGANDA MARTYRS ..... 112 
 
 XIV. GOOD-BYE TO UGANDA .... 122 
 XV. FRIENDS AND FELLOW-WORKERS . . . 130 
 
 XVI. LAST DAYS 139
 
 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 ALEXANDER M. MACKAY .... Frontispiece 
 MTESA, KING OF UGANDA ..... 27 
 
 HIPPOPOTAMI ON AN AFRICAN RIVER . . .39 
 
 A CANOE ARRIVED FROM THE KING . . .42 
 
 NATIVE INSTRUMENTS OF MUSIC . .44 
 
 DWELLINGS OF MISSIONARIES AT NAMIREMBE, UGANDA . 61 
 
 A FETICH ....... 67 
 
 WITHIN A FEW DAYS TWO EXPEDITIONS WERE SENT 
 OFF, WITH INSTRUCTIONS FROM THE KING ' ROB, 
 
 PILLAGE, PLUNDER!' ..... 69 
 
 A TRADING CANOE .... 89 
 
 THE TOMB OF MTESA ..... 104 
 
 A EUROPEAN EXPEDITION APPROACHING THE CAPITAL . 113 
 
 H. M. STANLEY 133
 
 PREFACE TO SECOND EDITION. 
 
 BY THE REV. T. C. WILSON (C.M.S.). 
 
 F T was in the early part of 1876 that 
 I made the acquaintance of A. M. 
 Mackay, when, having offered for 
 the mission to Uganda, I went up 
 to London to meet those who were 
 to be my fellow-missionaries in the 'Dark Continent.' 
 He sailed before me to Zanzibar, but we met again 
 there for a short time. Then I left the coast with 
 our first caravan, and a long time was to elapse 
 before we were to see each other again. 
 
 Two years passed; Lieutenant Smith and Mr. 
 O'Neill had been murdered in December 1877, when 
 in the summer of 1878, having been nearly a year 
 alone in Uganda, I heard from Mackay that he was 
 sending up some stores to Kagei (at the southern 
 end of the Nyanza) in charge of a native. Mtesa 
 allowed me to go to meet this man, and after a 
 voyage of more than a month in native canoes, one 
 evening a point near Kagei came in sight. The 
 canoe-men were weary, and wanted to stop for 
 
 7
 
 8 PREFACE. 
 
 the night where we were; 'it was too. far,' 'it was 
 getting dark,' ' they did not know the bay.' I over- 
 came their scruples, took a paddle and guided the 
 canoes. It was pitch dark when we reached the 
 place. Firing two shots (our recognised signal) to 
 announce our arrival, we turned the canoes land- 
 wards, and as soon as they grounded on the beach 
 I sprang ashore. I asked the first man I met if 
 any one had come from the coast Yes, a white 
 man had come. In another minute I had grasped 
 Mackay's hand ; he had come himself instead of 
 sending. We went up to his hut; he had letters 
 for me from home, and each had much to tell the 
 other. The hours flew by unheeded, and the cocks 
 began to crow and the grey dawn appeared in the 
 east before we retired to rest. 
 
 We returned together to Uganda, and I had many 
 opportunities of seeing how his skill and tact won 
 him friends among the natives. He soon gained 
 great influence over Mtesa, which increased till the 
 end of Mtesa's life ; and this book tells how he used 
 that influence for his Master's glory. 
 
 I commend this brief sketch of a noble life to 
 English boys, and pray that God may use it to stir 
 up some to devote their lives to carrying the message 
 of Jesus to dark Africa. 
 
 C. T. W. 
 
 BLACKHEATH, September 1893.
 
 ALEXANDEK MACKAY. 
 
 CHAPTEE I. 
 
 A GOOD BEGINNING. 
 
 Birthplace Character of his Father Early Education Death of his 
 Mother Conversion, 
 
 .LEXANDEE M. MACKAY was born 
 on the 13th October 1849 in Ehynie, 
 a small village in Aberdeen shire. His 
 father, the Eev. Alexander Mackay, 
 LL.D., was the Free Church minister 
 of the parish, and a man of unusual ability. Faithful 
 to his duties as a minister, he yet took a keen and 
 intelligent .interest in scientific questions ; and in- 
 cluded among his correspondents and friends, such 
 eminent men as Hugh Miller, Sir Eoderick I. 
 Murchison, and others. He had a special knack for 
 teaching young people, and found great pleasure in 
 imparting some of his stores of learning and informa- 
 tion to his eager, intelligent young son.
 
 io ALEXANDER MACKAY. 
 
 From the first, young Mackay gave proofs of 
 great cleverness. When only three years old he 
 could read the New Testament quite easily, and at 
 seven he was reading the Decline, and Fall of the 
 Boman Empire, Paradise Lost, and other equally 
 difficult works. Much of his education was carried 
 on while walking in the open air with his father; 
 and many a problem of Euclid was demonstrated on 
 the dusty roads, and botanical specimens examined, 
 to the great wonderment of the simple villagers. At 
 an early age Mackay was unusually skilful in draw- 
 ing maps, and also in working a small printing-press. 
 Sir Eodeiick Murchison made him a present of a book 
 called Small Beginnings ; or, The Way to get on : and 
 this book had the effect of stirring in the boy's mind 
 desires after the accomplishment of something great. 
 
 Up to this time Mackay was more interested in 
 books than anything else. But when he was about 
 eleven years old, a change came over him ; and he 
 found a delight in gardening, riding, and outdoor 
 life generally. This must have strengthened his 
 body, and helped to drive off the evil effects which 
 might have resulted from his former studious habits. 
 But all through his boyhood there was an eager 
 thirst for information, rather than fondness for play. 
 He would walk several miles in order to have a few 
 minutes' look at a steam-engine, and be found busy 
 watching the smith at work, and the flying shuttles
 
 EARL Y ED UCA TION. 1 1 
 
 of the mill, while his companions were enjoying 
 themselves at play. 
 
 Some boys who read this story may think that 
 he must have been a prig, but this is a mistake. 
 Mackay was fond of study, it is true; but he was 
 anything but a prig. From everything we can 
 gather, he was bright and pleasant, as a healthy boy 
 should be. It was simply because he found a real 
 pleasure in acquiring information that he left his 
 companions to play alone, while he dabbled in the 
 joiner's shop, or picked up rudimentary engineering 
 at the village smithy. And the companions of his 
 boyhood who are yet alive will look back on these 
 years, and see that he was, quite unconsciously, 
 preparing himself for his life-work. It was as a boy 
 in the village of Rhynie that he learned the know- 
 ledge of building, carpentering, and smith work, that 
 was in future years of priceless value to him in the 
 heart of Africa. 
 
 Up till he was fourteen his only teacher was his 
 father, and his only school the Manse. But at this 
 age his father felt himself unable longer to superin- 
 tend his studies, and young Mackay was accordingly 
 sent to the Grammar School of Aberdeen. This was 
 in 1864. Here, we are told, he worked well at his 
 studies, and further developed his mechanical and 
 scientific bent, by studying photography and practical 
 shipbuilding in his spare hours.
 
 12 ALEXANDER MACK AY. 
 
 Like must boys who have become great men, our 
 hero was blessed witli a good mother. Her son's 
 extraordinary talents, his eager disposition, and 
 attractive ways made him a source of great anxiety 
 to this good woman, and many an earnest prayer 
 was put up on his behalf, that Alexander might be 
 kept from the snare of the Evil One. When he had 
 been a year in Aberdeen his mother died. He was 
 absent from home at the time, but he was told of her 
 earnest prayers, and her desire that he would give 
 himself to Christ. Her dying gift to her son was 
 what had been her husband's wedding present, a 
 Bagster's Bible, and her earnest injunction to search 
 the Scriptures that he might meet her hereafter. 
 
 It was the first great grief of his life, and the 
 event made a deep impression on him. He said 
 little about his feelings to any one, but it must have 
 been about this time that he gave himself to God, 
 and became a soldier of Jesus Christ.
 
 CHAPTEK II. 
 
 CHOOSING HIS LIFE-WORK. 
 
 Removal to Edinburgh In Germany A Step up the ladder A 
 Volunteer for Madagascar Throwing away a good chance 
 Stanley's appeal for Missionaries The call to Uganda Farewell 
 words Leaving Southampton. 
 
 HEN Mackay was about seventeen 
 his family removed to Edinburgh, 
 and in this city he enrolled as a 
 student in the Free Church Normal 
 College for teachers. Thanks to 
 his thorough home-training and his application to 
 study while in Aberdeen, he took a very high place 
 in the entrance examination. After working hard 
 for two years in this college, he gained his diploma 
 easily, and was now free to pursue the particular 
 bent of his mind. 
 
 Always of a mechanical turn, as we have seen, 
 he now turned to the study of mechanics and 
 engineering at Edinburgh University. Besides these 
 subjects, he studied classics, higher mathematics, 
 natural philosophy, and surveying and fortification.
 
 i 4 ALEXANDER MACK AY. 
 
 This formed his first year's course. For the next 
 two years he taught three hours each day in George 
 Watson's College in the morning, in order to pay 
 his way. His afternoons were devoted to practical 
 engineering in a Leith firm. This seems to most 
 of us sufficient work for one day ; but such was his 
 appetite for work that his evenings were employed 
 in attending lectures on geology, chemistry, and 
 other subjects. In after years he looked back on 
 this busy time with only one regret, namely, that 
 he had not been able to overtake twice as much. 
 Nothing that he had ever learned was thrown away 
 in his future life. In Uganda he found scope for 
 exercising his knowledge on every subject that he 
 had acquired. While in Edinburgh, his Sundays 
 were devoted mainly to mission- work among the poor, 
 and addressing children's meetings. In Edinburgh 
 he formed a friendship with Dr. John Smith, who 
 was preparing for a missionary's life, and destined 
 to find his career and untimely grave in Central 
 Africa. 
 
 After spending three years in this manner, he 
 went to Germany, where he got a position as 
 draughtsman in a leading firm. His work was 
 chiefly drawing designs of steam-engines and all 
 sorts of machinery. From 9 A.M. till 5 P.M. each 
 day he was employed at this work. In the evening 
 he worked hard at the German language, and in-
 
 A STEP UP THE LADDER. 15 
 
 venting an agricultural machine. The results of his 
 private study appeared in a capital translation of 
 a book and a new machine which took first prize 
 at an Exhibition in Breslau. 
 
 His companions were men of all nationalities, 
 and were mostly infidels. He had to endure a great 
 deal of persecution from them on account of his 
 religion ; and when this failed to gain him over to 
 their side, they shocked him by their blasphemous 
 conversation. Had it not been for his studious 
 habits, his life would have been very lonely ; as it 
 was, he sometimes felt sorely in need of companion- 
 ship and sympathy. By and by he was promoted 
 to be chief of the locomotive department. Besides 
 being a step up the ladder, this gave him a chance 
 of exercising his influence on behalf of religion 
 among the workmen a work in which he found 
 great pleasure. 
 
 The bright spot in his life while in Berlin, however, 
 was his friendship with one of the ministers of the 
 Cathedral, a genuine Christian and man of wide 
 culture. At this gentleman's house he was always 
 made welcome ; and here he met the leading 
 Christians of Berlin, including persons of high rank. 
 Extracts from his diary at this period show that 
 he was striving earnestly to follow Christ. He 
 speaks of studying the Bible ' more than ever,' and 
 finding it a ' mine of pure gold.' He feels strongly
 
 1 6 ALEXANDER MAC KAY. 
 
 that his religion must be ' a practical thing.' His 
 friendship with Herr Hoiprediger Baur and his 
 wife became so close that they spoke of him as 
 their ' son Mackay,' and at last he became a boarder 
 in their home. Mackay had now thoroughly made up 
 his mind to be a missionary. Most likely the idea had 
 been in his mind for some years, but not until August 
 1874 did he intimate his decision to his family. 
 
 Shortly after arriving in Berlin, his sister had sent 
 him a letter describing a missionary meeting which 
 had been held in Edinburgh. At this meeting Dr 
 Burns Thomson had pleaded the cause of Foreign 
 Missions, and urged young men to give themselves 
 to the work in Madagascar. His sister had little 
 idea, probably, of the effect her letter was destined 
 to exert on her brother's mind. This was in 
 December 1873, and in August 1874 he wrote to 
 her : ' I am not a doctor, and therefore cannot go 
 as such ; but I am an engineer, and propose, if the 
 Lord will, to go as an engineering missionary.' His 
 pet idea was to combine religion and science, and 
 in this way to 'connect Christianity with modern 
 civilisation.' The idea was a new one, and on that 
 account he was prepared to encounter opposition 
 even from friends of missions; but he had the 
 utmost faith in his plan and its ultimate success. 
 
 After sketching out his plans, he writes: 'Do 
 not think me mad. It is not to make money that
 
 A VOLUNTEER FOR MADAGASCAR. 17 
 
 I believe a Christian should live. It will be a trial 
 of all trials to part with you all to go to such a 
 country, 1 where so many (two thousand) Christians 
 were not very long ago put to death. . . . Christianity 
 should teach men how to be saved for eternity, but 
 also how to live comfortably and healthily together.' 
 He recognises his own sinfulness, and says his first 
 concern must be to ' get quit of it.' ' The withdrawal 
 of my disability, and the removal of sin's stain, must 
 precede the free use of my nature for the glory of God 
 . . . The noblest thing a man can do is, just humbly 
 to receive, and then go amongst others and give.' 
 
 With Mackay, to decide meant to act, and having 
 once made up his mind for the mission field, he 
 lost no time in preparing the way. When his 
 father, to whom he had written asking his consent 
 and blessing, replied, he wrote : ' I thank God, and 
 thank you, that you have written me as you have 
 done. When you consent, I feel doubly sure that 
 God consents.' Impatient of the delay that had 
 taken place since first the call had come to him, 
 ' Who will go ? ' he was eager to make up for lost 
 time by starting as soon as his way opened up. 
 'How can I say other than that God caused that 
 message to come to me ? ' he asks. ' And if it is of 
 God,' he continues, ' must I not say, " Here am I : send 
 me"? ... Perhaps God means my combating here with 
 
 1 Mackay at this time thought of Madagascar as his field.
 
 1 8 ALEXANDER MA CKA Y. 
 
 infidelity to be a training school for preparing me to 
 combat with a not more powerful fiend idolatry.' 
 
 He had written to Dr. Burns Thomson offering 
 his services to the London Missionary Society, and 
 in due course their reply reached him. The London 
 Missionary Society stated, however, that Madagascar 
 ' was not ripe for his assistance,' but ' might in time 
 need such help as he could give.' Had Mackay been 
 fired by a merely temporary impulse, this reply might 
 have checked his enthusiasm. But he was strong in 
 the belief that the way would be opened up ; and ac- 
 cordingly he continued hard at work, studying native 
 languages, and fitting himself for a missionary's life. 
 
 Young, healthy, and enthusiastic, it is impossible 
 but that the adventurous life of a missionary, and 
 the prospect of being a pioneer of science, must 
 have fired his imagination. But from his letters 
 written at this time, it is evident that, supreme 
 above every other motive, his desire was to extend 
 Christ's kingdom. 'I know,' he says, 'that it is 
 only in so far as I attain to a high spiritual life by 
 close fellowship with my risen Saviour, that I can 
 be in any way fit for winning souls.' And again, 
 If Christianity is worth anything, it is worth every- 
 thing. If it calls for any degree of zeal and warmth, 
 it will justify the utmost degree of these.' 
 
 In his diary he writes : ' Why is a missionary's life 
 so often an object of my thoughts ? Is it simply for
 
 STANLE yS APPEAL. 1 9 
 
 the love I bear to souls ? Then, why do I not show it 
 more where I am ? Lord, open my mouth where I am.' 
 
 About this time an offer was made to him of 
 partnership in a large engineering firm in Moscow. 
 It was a splendid opening for one anxious to make 
 a name and fortune, but Mackay had no hesitation 
 in refusing it. His heart was set on mission-work. 
 He had offered himself to God, and having put his 
 hand to the plough, he was not to be turned aside 
 by prospects of worldly wealth and fame, however 
 tempting. Mackay had his thoughts first turned to 
 Africa by an appeal issued by the Church Missionary 
 Society for a lay superintendent to take charge of 
 a settlement for liberated slaves near Mombasa. He 
 applied for the post, but before his letter reached 
 the committee, they had already fixed upon a man. 
 
 In 1875 Stanley sent a letter to the Daily 
 Telegraph describing Uganda and its king, and 
 calling upon Christians in England to send out 
 missionaries to this promising field. In response to 
 this appeal, the Church Missionary Society at once 
 set about organising a mission ; and among the first 
 to offer their services for the work was Mackay. 
 Meantime Dr. Duff, the famous missionary, had 
 written to him, strongly urging him to wait for an 
 opening in the Free Church Mission at Lake Nyassa, 
 or the Church of Scotland Mission, as he (Dr. Duff) 
 did not see how the Church Missionary Society
 
 20 ALEXANDER MACK AY. 
 
 could utilise Mackay's engineering skill. Strangely 
 enough, the same post brought a letter from the 
 Church Missionary Society thankfully accepting his 
 services for their Mission. Mackay took this as a 
 clear indication that his work lay in Uganda, and 
 at once made preparations for setting out. 
 
 This was in January 1876, and in March, Mackay 
 was in England getting ready his outfit. Under his 
 personal supervision he had a boat made in sections, 
 and an engine and boiler for fitting into a boat to be 
 used on Lake ISTyanza. Besides these, he had to lay 
 in a stock of tools, and the host of things necessary 
 for industrial mission-work. After much hard work 
 in London, he went to Edinburgh to see his friends, 
 and make final arrangements. But even here, his 
 time was spent in constant work; learning astro- 
 nomy and printing, and gaining a smattering of 
 medical knowledge. His friends were disappointed 
 that he did not spend more time with them, but 
 Mackay was determined to acquire everything that 
 could be of possible use to him in Africa, and to 
 this end he was ready to sacrifice the claims of 
 friends, and every other consideration. You will bear 
 in mind that all this energy and enthusiasm in learn- 
 ing trades and science was in order to increase his influ- 
 ence as a missionary of Jesus Christ, and then it will 
 be impossible to help admiring his devotion and zeal. 
 
 The Church Missionary Society expedition to
 
 FAREWELL WORDS. 
 
 Uganda consisted of eight men. Of 
 was the youngest but one. On April #&*ney took 
 leave of the Church Missionary So^ty committee. 
 After they had received theii^JJfetruction from the 
 Secretary, each of the jcjj^ronaries made a short 
 speech. Mackay bej*$$e youngest was called upon 
 last. This is what Tie said: 'There is one thing 
 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.' The words were blunt, but every one felb 
 that there was every chance of their proving true, 
 and for a minute there was a solemn silence. ' But/ 
 he added, ' what I want to say is this. When that 
 news comes, do not be cast down, but send some one 
 else immediately to take the vacant place.' 
 
 They sailed from Southampton on April 27, 
 and just before starting he wrote home. After 
 speaking of his work and prospects, he concluded 
 in these words: 'It is His cause it must prosper 
 whether I be spared to see its consummation or 
 not. May God give me health and strength, and 
 fit me for so glorious a work the enlargement 
 of the kingdom of His dear Son. Pray for me 
 that grace may be given me to keep steadily in 
 view the one great object.' This was his last look 
 homewards. With single eye and steadfast purpose 
 Mackay now turned his face to the Dark Continent.
 
 ON AFRICAN SOIL. 
 
 First glimpse of Africa Arrival at Zanzibar Up the Wami 
 Lieutenant Smith has Fever Mackay's illness, and return to 
 coast Swamping of the Daisy Chasing Slave caravans Stricken 
 down, and recovery ' White men's roads.' 
 
 N Tuesday, May 2, 1876, Mackay 
 k caught his first glimpse of Africa. 
 With strange feelings he gazed at 
 the outline of that mighty conti- 
 nent which, for so many centuries, 
 had hidden dark places full of cruelty and super- 
 stition. But as he gazed, there sprang up in his 
 mind a vision of the Sun of Righteousness shedding 
 light on Africa; chasing cruelty and superstition 
 away, and making its dark places rejoice. 'Now/ 
 he exclaims, ' for the springing up of new light in the 
 dark land of dusky Ham ! Is there any power that 
 will elevate the degraded race ? Yes, the gospel, 
 mighty power ! ' And again : ' I shall, in the name 
 and strength of God, set up my printing-press on the 
 shores of the Victoria Nyanza, and I shall not cease 
 
 22
 
 ARRIVAL AT ZANZIBAR. 23 
 
 to toil till the story of the Cross of Christ be 
 printed in the language of Karague and Uganda, and 
 every man be taught to read it, and believe it too ! ' 
 
 They arrived at Zanzibar on the 29th May after 
 a prosperous voyage, without any incident worthy of 
 notice. As you boys are aware, Zanzibar is a large 
 and busy island off the east coast of Africa. Here 
 travellers bound for the interior make up their 
 caravans, hire pagazis, 1 and lay in stores of food and 
 articles for bartering with the native chiefs whom 
 they may come across. To lessen the trouble of the 
 journey, it was intended to sail up the Wami River 
 as far as the Usagara Hills; and on 12th June, 
 Mackay and Lieutenant Smith started in the Daisy 
 on a voyage of exploration, for the purpose of 
 finding out if the river was navigable. 
 
 From the beginning of their journey it was 
 evident that they must give up all thought of sailing 
 up the Wami with their caravan. The river was 
 fearfully winding, and after eight days' sailing they 
 had only travelled about seventy miles. Besides 
 this, the chiefs dwelling on the banks were hostile 
 and greedy ; and to crown all, they found that the 
 river was falling at the rate of two inches per day. 
 Some idea of how much the river winds may be had, 
 when we are told that five days' sailing was only 
 equal to two days' walking. The weather was very 
 
 1 Porters.
 
 24 ALEXANDER MAC KAY. 
 
 hot, and this, combined with poisonous smells from 
 the banks of the river, had a 'most depressing effect 
 upon them. Lieutenant Smith had fever three times, 
 and was so weakened by the attacks that he was 
 quite laid up. Fortunately, Mackay enjoyed good 
 health, and upon him fell all the trouble of making 
 their way back to Zanzibar. 
 
 Their first real misfortune was at Sadani, off 
 Zanzibar; for here their boat was swamped. 
 Happily they escaped with their lives, and by good 
 luck they managed to rescue most of their cargo. 
 After getting Lieutenant Smith to bed in the house 
 of a friendly chief, Mackay chartered a dhow l and 
 started for Zanzibar, where he arrived six hours 
 later. During his absence, O'Neill, one of the 
 missionaries, had been down with fever, but the 
 rest were all well. After refreshment and a few 
 hours' rest, Mackay and Eobertson went back to 
 bring Lieutenant Smith and their boat, the Daisy, 
 to Zanzibar. It was night when they drew near the 
 shore, and they were unable to make out where they 
 were. Leaving their boat, they found themselves on 
 a long, flat, muddy coast. The tide was going out 
 rapidly, and in a short time they found that they 
 had lost their boat and their way. Knee deep in 
 mud, and in darkness, they struggled to the mainland, 
 where they found a boy sleeping by a fire, and from 
 him they learned that Sadani was twelve miles off! 
 1 Arab boat.
 
 RETURN TO COAST. 25 
 
 It was hopeless to attempt to proceed further that 
 night, so they sat by the fire till morning. Next 
 day they found their boat and got back to their ship. 
 They reached Sadani safely, and brought Lieutenant 
 Smith and the Daisy back to Zanzibar. 
 
 They were loath to give up the idea of travelling 
 by water part of their journey, and in a few- days 
 Mackay, with two companions, started to explore 
 the Kingani Eiver. To their disappointment they 
 found it worse for navigation and more winding 
 than the Warni; and after travelling about 160 miles 
 in three weeks, they turned back, convinced that the 
 expedition must proceed by road. The expedition 
 was split up into four caravans, each in charge of a 
 leader. Mackay himself took charge of the third. 
 
 After they were fairly under way, everything 
 went well until reaching Ugogo. Here Mackay 
 was taken so seriously ill that it was decided to 
 send him back to the coast. Dr. Smith, his old 
 Edinburgh friend, wished to accompany him, but 
 Mackay would not consent to this arrangement. 
 It was an unselfish determination, for he would 
 certainly have enjoyed Dr. Smith's society on his 
 weary journey back. But it was simply consistent 
 with the position he took up from the beginning. The 
 work was what occupied his mind, and for its success 
 he was ready to sacrifice every personal consideration. 
 
 It must have been a great disappointment to be
 
 26 ALEXANDER MAC KAY. 
 
 compelled to go back at such an early stage of the 
 journey. But with rare self-sacrifice, he would not 
 take from the work another of its workers ; and so 
 good-byes were said, and the friends parted com- 
 pany. They parted with hopes of meeting again, 
 but the meeting never took place on earth, for Dr. 
 Smith had fallen a victim to African fevers before 
 Mackay again joined the party. 
 
 Mackay himself was assailed by the persistent 
 enemy of the white man, but, happily, the illness 
 proved less serious than was anticipated ; and before 
 he reached Sadani, he had quite recovered. 
 
 Meantime he had received instructions from 
 the Church Missionary Society to delay his journey 
 until the end of the rainy season. To prevent the time 
 hanging heavily on his hands, he occupied himself 
 in making up a relief caravan to send to the advance 
 party ; cutting a road 230 miles inland, and chasing 
 slave-dealers whose caravans were constantly passing. 
 
 Notwithstanding the vexatious delays and his 
 serious illness, he was as enthusiastic as ever. Some 
 one had written from home telling him that a friend 
 had been expecting to hear that he regretted 
 having adopted a missionary's life. To which his 
 reply was, ' I am sorry S should think I enter- 
 tain regrets at coming out here. Why, I would not 
 exchange my position for a thousand times the 
 value of his. It is true that I have much secular
 
 JITESA, KING OF UGANDA. Sf 6 p. 50. 
 (From a Photograph by II. M. Stanley.)
 
 CHASING SLAVE CARAVANS. 29 
 
 work to do yet before I get settled down in Uganda, 
 and probably shall have much, more after; but it 
 is all for the one end, which my heart's desire is 
 to see accomplished.' 
 
 While living at Sadani, he and a Swiss gentleman 
 had some exciting chases after slave caravans. In 
 one instance, he was enabled to set the slaves free. 
 There was some brisk fighting between his party 
 and the Arab slave -dealers on several occasions. 
 After a time, however, Mackay made up his mind 
 to do no more in the way of trying to stop the 
 traffic. The chief and people of Sadani were rather 
 in favour of the slave trade than against it; and 
 Mackay found that his attitude on the question 
 brought him into awkward relations with them. 
 
 March was a bad time with him, for during the 
 month he had several attacks of the dreaded 
 Mukunguru fever. Owing to the careful, kind 
 nursing of M. Broyon, the Swiss gentleman to 
 whom we have already referred, Mackay got safely 
 over the first attack. Afterwards he was brought 
 to Zanzibar; and carefully attended to by the Church 
 Missionary Society agents. By 10th April he was 
 quite well again, and hard at work cutting the road to 
 Mpwapwa. The work was very hard, and our hero 
 had been obliged to ' rough it ' in true pioneer fashion. 
 ' I have,' he says, ' slept in all sorts of places : a cow- 
 byre, a sheep-cote, a straw hut not larger than a dog-
 
 30 ALEXANDER MACK AY. 
 
 kennel, and often in no house at all. Anything 
 suits me, provided I get a spot tolerably clear of 
 ants and mosquitoes.' 
 
 In a month he had cleared a splendid waggon 
 road fifty miles long, through 'dense and thorny 
 jungles ' which offered resistance ' peculiar to them- 
 selves.' 'Imagine a forest of lofty slender trees 
 wioh a cop between of thorny creepers, so dense 
 below that a cat could scarcely creep along, and 
 branched and intertwined above, like green, un- 
 ravelled heinp.' Native caravans were in the habit 
 of coming the same road, but although the spiky 
 bushes tore their flesh, and dragged the bundles 
 from the pagazis' heads, not a hand was raised to 
 cut down a branch or clear the way. The 'white 
 men's roads ' were a constant source of wonder and 
 astonishment. Mackay's working gang consisted 
 of about forty men, and these, armed with the best 
 quality of axes, saws, picks, spades, and tools of all 
 kinds, hewed their way through every obstacle. 
 
 Like the great traveller Stanley, Mackay had 
 some gift of palavering with the chiefs, and every 
 one whom he had met had made him their ' brother.' 
 When this operation of brotherhood had been per- 
 formed, the traveller was free from many annoy- 
 ances, and at liberty to pass through countries 
 unmolested, through which without this bond it 
 would have been needful for him to fight his way.
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 DANGERS AND DIFFICULTIES. 
 
 A Terrible Disaster On the march to the Victoria Nyauza Attacked 
 by Robbers Fever again Said Bin Salim. 
 
 HILE Mackay and his men were 
 hewing and cutting their way 
 through to Mpwapwa, a terrible 
 disaster had overtaken the advance 
 party. Mr. O'Neill and Eev. C. T. 
 Wilson had reached the Nyanza on 31st January 
 1877, and Lieutenant and Dr. Smith three months 
 later. Dr. Smith died of dysentery shortly after. 
 In July, Lieutenant Smith and Mr. Wilson went on 
 to Uganda to see how matters stood. The former 
 returned in August to Ukerewe, leaving Mr. Wilson 
 in Uganda. Early in December of that same year, 
 Smith and O'Neill prepared to leave the southern 
 end of the Nyanza, with all their men and goods, to 
 rejoin Mr. Wilson, and wrote to Mackay on the 5th 
 from Kagei, saying that they were just setting out 
 for Uganda. 
 
 While at Ukerewe the king made an attack upon 
 Songoro, an Arab slave-dealer, who thereupon ran 
 for protection to Lieutenant Smith and Mr. O'Neill. 
 
 31
 
 32 ALEXANDER MAC KAY. 
 
 On their refusing to give up the fugitive, the king 
 attacked the missionaries with a large force and 
 slaughtered the whole party. 
 
 Mackay's grief on hearing of the disaster was very 
 great. But he had not expected Africa to be won 
 for Christ without loss of life, as his farewell speech 
 in London showed; and even now when the news 
 reached him of the death of his two brethren, his 
 prayer was that God would send more men. Not a 
 fear entered his mind as to his own safety, not once 
 a wish to turn back. His only regret was the delay 
 to the work which must be the consequence. ' But 
 God has other hands in reserve,' he writes, ' whom 
 He will bring to the front fast and unexpectedly, and 
 the work will proceed whether we break down or not.' 
 
 His great desire now was to hurry forward as fast 
 as possible in order to prevent further bloodshed. 
 The march to the Lake was difficult, and beset with 
 many hardships. Besides the natural difficulties 
 which the road presented, they were in constant 
 fear of attacks by robbers who infested some districts. 
 Mackay's plan was to keep his men marching close to- 
 gether carrying their bales, he himself bringing up the 
 rear. "While this order was adhered to, the robbers did 
 not venture to attack them. But on a certain evening 
 one of the carriers fell behind, and shortly afterwards 
 Mackay heard him cry for help. Turning back, he 
 found that a gang of robbers had attacked the carrier
 
 ON THE MARCH. 33 
 
 with clubs, stolen his bale, and vanished in the bush. 
 Unfortunately, the bale contained provisions which 
 they could ill spare, and their only supply of 
 quinine. 
 
 Here I must explain that for the terrible fevers 
 of Africa, quinine is the only remedy; and it is 
 hopeless to attempt African travelling without a 
 good supply of this medicine. In order to ward off 
 fever, Mackay took a daily dose ; but now that the 
 bale containing it was stolen, that was impossible. 
 
 Fortunately, he met an Arab caravan going east, 
 the leader of which was most hospitable. After 
 entertaining him to a sumptuous dinner, he gave 
 Mackay a present of candles and matches articles 
 which had been carried off in the stolen bale. 
 Mackay sent a message by his hand to his com- 
 panions at Mpwapwa, asking them to forward a 
 messenger with supplies of quinine as soon as 
 possible. 
 
 Passing through Ugogo he experienced much the 
 same treatment as Stanley had met with on his 
 famous march to find Livingstone. Some years 
 had elapsed since then, but the character of the 
 people had not altered. They were rude, insolent, 
 suspicious ; and greedy beyond measure. 
 
 Unwilling to delay his journey for the return of 
 the messenger with quinine, Mackay was now 
 marching in easy stages. But at the end of a 
 3
 
 34 ALEXANDER MACRAY. 
 
 fortnight he felt fever symptoms gradually creeping 
 on, and at last he was unable to proceed further, 
 owing to weakness and shivering. Once more 
 Providence seemed to befriend him, for, just when 
 he was ready to give up, the messenger arrived from 
 Mpwapwa bringing supplies and the much longed-for 
 quinine. After a few doses the fever symptoms left 
 him, and next day he was able to take the road 
 once more. 
 
 The prospect at this time, however, was anything 
 but cheering. Much of the country was flooded 
 with water, and for hours at a time he had to wade 
 up to the middle. His sleeping accommodation at 
 nights was of the most wretched description ; and 
 since their bale of provisions was stolen, they had 
 been on half supply of rations. Of the companions 
 with whom he had started, just eighteen months 
 before, one had died from the deadly climate, two 
 had been sent home invalided, and two had but 
 lately been killed. Only great courage, resolute will, 
 and unbounded energy could have enabled him to 
 face the hardships of the road, and only firm faith in 
 God, and burning zeal for Christ's gospel, could have 
 kept his heart from sinking in despair. 
 
 At Uyui, Mackay met Said Bin Salim, who had 
 entertained Stanley in royal fashion at Unyan- 
 yembe in 1871, The Arabs had driven this old 
 man from Uuyanyembe where he was Governor, for
 
 SAID BIN SALIM. 35 
 
 having purchased and set free two hundred slaves. 
 He was now an exile and poor, for he had been 
 driven off empty-handed, glad even to escape with 
 his life. He gave Mackay a kind welcome, and 
 showed him such hospitality as was in his power 
 during the few days that he remained at Uyui. The 
 Arabs were angry with Mackay for staying with the 
 man whom they hated so much, and did everything 
 they could to annoy him. They refused to sell cloth, 
 coffee, or any of the articles necessary for travel, 
 hoping in this way to prevent him from proceed- 
 ing on his journey. Besides annoyances of this kind, 
 they plundered the stores which Mackay had left in 
 Said Bin Salim's house, and urged the chief of Uyui 
 to drive him out of his village. He appealed to the 
 new Governor of Unyanyembe for redress, but 
 without avail. Had it not been for the kindness of 
 an Arab sheik, whom he fortunately met at this time, 
 Mackay would have been in a bad way. 
 
 These continual deliverances when in extremity 
 were accepted by Mackay as proof that God was 
 watching over him; strengthened his faith and 
 nerved his heart when he would otherwise have 
 been discouraged.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 A VISIT TO LKONGE. 
 
 Left alone Arrival at Kagei Spoilt stores A Message from Lkonge 
 Details of the massacre ' Blood brothers.' 
 
 OR some months Mackay had been 
 journeying with a Mr. Tytherleigh, 
 who had been sent out by the 
 Church Missionary Society after 
 the original company had left. His 
 companionship had strengthened Mackay greatly, 
 and the hardships they had undergone in company 
 had endeared them to each other. 
 
 Tytherleigh had been left with the goods for 
 Uganda, while Mackay pushed on to Unyanyembe. 
 A party of porters was now made up to meet him, 
 and carry the goods; but just before they started, 
 Mackay got word of his death. It was a great blow 
 to Mackay. One after another of his companions 
 had been taken from him, and now he was left alone. 
 But Mackay never once doubted that God had called 
 him to a great work ; and every trial that over-
 
 SPOILT STORES. 37 
 
 took the party, every privation that he had to under- 
 go, made him set his face more steadfastly towards 
 Uganda. 
 
 On June 4, after lamenting the death of Tyther- 
 leigh, he writes : ' I hope to be in Kagei in a few 
 days. I am going (D. V.) to the island of Ukerewe, 
 to see the king who murdered Lieutenant Smith and 
 O'Neill.' 
 
 Surely you boys have never read anything more 
 heroic than this in the tales of adventure and daring 
 which you delight in ! And surely the gospel must 
 be a wonderful message, when a young fellow would 
 thus put himself in the hands of a bloodthirsty 
 savage in order to make it known ! 
 
 In spite of delays, Mackay was gradually drawing 
 near his journey's end. Every day brought him a 
 few miles nearer to the Nyanza, and on the 13th 
 June he arrived at Kagei, and caught his first 
 glimpse of the famous lake. His socks were in 
 tatters, and his feet blistered with travelling ; and 
 it was with a thankful heart that he entered Kagei, 
 and realised -that the worst part of his weary 
 journeying was over. 
 
 At Kagei, valuable stores belonging to the Church 
 Missionary Society had been left in charge of some 
 natives. Mackay found to his annoyance that they 
 had stolen everything of most value, and spoilt 
 what they had left. The Daisy was lying on the
 
 38 ALEXANDER MACK AY 
 
 beach covered with grass, and terribly warped by 
 the sun. Armies of white ants had played sad 
 havoc with its boards, and the machinery, tools, and 
 valuable implements were hopelessly destroyed by 
 rust. In a tent he found what remained of the 
 stores, in a terrible state of confusion. ' Piled in 
 heaps, promiscuously, lay boiler shells and books, 
 cowrie shells and candle moulds, papers and piston 
 rods, steam pipes and stationery, printers' types and 
 tent poles, carbolic acid, cartridges, and chloroform, 
 saws and garden seeds, travelling trunks and toys, 
 tins of bacon and bags of clothes, pumps and ploughs, 
 portable forges and boiler fittings here a cylinder, 
 there its sole plate; here a crank shaft, there an 
 eccentric.' 
 
 Mackay was filled with something approaching 
 despair when he looked on this mass of confusion. 
 But after two days' rest he set himself to the task 
 of arranging it, and after ten days' hard work ' from 
 dawn to dusk ' he had reduced the higgledy-piggledy 
 mass to something like order. When he saw how 
 much was left of the splendid outfit with which 
 they had started, he was amazed to find that it could 
 have been brought so far, under the trying difficulties 
 of the road. 
 
 His next job was to tackle the Daisy, but he 
 found that its best days were over. Hippopotami 
 had crunched its boards with their teeth, ants had
 
 A MESSAGE FROM LKONGE. 41 
 
 riddled it with holes, and the sun's rays had blistered 
 and split it to an almost hopeless extent. But it 
 was necessary that it should be repaired if he hoped 
 to reach Uganda; and Mackay set up his rotary 
 grindstone, and, with scores of wondering natives 
 
 O * * " 
 
 looking on, he patched its sides with plates of copper, 
 caulked its seams, and with nails and screws at last 
 restored it to something like a seaworthy condition. 
 
 Meantime he had sent word to the King of Ukerewe, 
 Lkonge, asking an interview, and stating that he 
 had not come on an errand of vengeance, but of 
 brotherhood and peace. The chief and natives of 
 Kagei were strongly opposed to him going to visit 
 King Lkonge, and were firm in the belief that if he 
 persisted in going, he would never return alive. 
 But, strong in the belief that God would protect 
 him, Mackay determined to go whenever the king 
 should send for him. 
 
 After waiting for about a week, there arrived from 
 the king a canoe bearing his prime minister. He 
 brought a message from Lkonge begging Mackay to 
 visit him, and assuring him that no harm would 
 befall him. Mackay had made up his mind to leave 
 his rifle and arms behind him, in order to dispel the 
 notion that he had come to seek vengeance. To test 
 their good faith, however, he demanded that three 
 of the crew of the canoe should be left at Kagei as 
 hostages. After some hesitation, this arrangement
 
 42 ALEXANDER MAC KAY. 
 
 was agreed to ; but Mackay was now convinced that 
 they meant no harm. Acpordingly, he told them 
 that he would not demand the pledge, but would 
 return with them all to Ukerewe. Some of his men 
 were very anxious to accompany him, to protect him 
 in case of treachery; but to this he would not 
 consent. Taking one man as interpreter, he started 
 for Ukerewe. 
 
 Two days' sailing brought them to their journey's 
 
 A CANOE ARRIVED FROM THE KING. 
 
 end ; and, after resting awhile, he had an interview 
 with King Lkonge. Lkonge was seated in state in 
 his baraza an open hut. His throne was a large 
 wooden stool, with a flat bottom, and one leg in the 
 middle supporting the seat. Ranged round the 
 throne, and squatted on the ground, were a number 
 of men composing his court. Every new-comer 
 knelt before the king with folded hands, and gravely 
 saluted. The king walked a few steps to meet
 
 DETAILS OF THE MASSACRE. 43 
 
 Mackay, and shook hands with him, after which 
 act of condescension he reseated himself on his 
 throne with great dignity. Probably he felt himself 
 more than usually grand, as he had on an English 
 shooting suit, which must have belonged to one of 
 the mission party. On his head he wore a large 
 red handkerchief, and round his neck were hung 
 two rows of large beads. Numerous brass and iron 
 rings ornamented his legs and arms, and these 
 completed his royal outfit. 
 
 The first interview was merely to serve as an 
 introduction, and lasted only a short time. Next day 
 the king came to see Mackay, attended by his chief 
 men. Seated on a stool which one of his attendants 
 brought, the king began to tell him his version of 
 the massacre. He protested that he had no grudge 
 against Lieutenant Smith and Mr. O'Neill, but only 
 against Songoro, who had dealt treacherously with 
 him, and owed him a debt. He even declared that 
 he had given instructions not to harm them, and 
 only when they used their arms against his warriors, 
 had they been attacked. 
 
 After hearing all this, Mackay began by stating 
 that he had come on a message of peace, as the king 
 could see by his having brought neither men nor 
 firearms. At the same time, he told him that he 
 came from one of the mightiest sovereigns in the 
 world, whose subjects and soldiers were more numer-
 
 44 
 
 ALEXANDER MACK AY. 
 
 ous than could be counted. He had come from 
 England, not to fight King Lkonge, but to teach him 
 and his people the ' wonderful things that white men 
 knew,' and especially about the great God. 
 
 The king found it hard to believe that Queen 
 Victoria was greater than himself, and laughed at 
 the idea ; but Mackay assured him that it was a fact. 
 On the whole, the king was very friendly ; and when 
 
 NATIVE INSTRUMENTS OF MUSIC. 
 
 Mackay asked if he was willing to allow a white 
 man to live with his people, and teach them to read 
 God's book, Lkonge said he was quite willing, but 
 his people were afraid of white men. Mackay 
 laughed at the idea of a powerful king like Lkonge 
 being afraid of two or three Englishmen ; and at 
 last got permission for one or two to live at Ukerewe. 
 ' But you must not bring many,' the king added, 
 and thus the interview closed.
 
 ' BLOOD BROTHERS? 45 
 
 After staying a few days and talking with the 
 king on many matters, Mackay told him that he 
 must now leave. The king would not hear of him 
 leaving without first making 'blood brotherhood' 
 with him ; and as Mackay knew how valuable this 
 bond was, he at once consented to become a brother 
 of the black monarch. Accordingly, on a fixed day 
 he went to the lazara, where the king was seated. 
 A great crowd of natives were gathered round about, 
 and in the midst of them a goat. Rising from his 
 throne, the king took hold of the goat's fore legs, and 
 Mackay took hold of the hind ones. After one man 
 had explained that the ceremony meant a seal of 
 friendship, the executioner cut the goat in two with 
 a sharp knife. This being done, all the natives lifted 
 up their hands towards heaven and uttered wild 
 yells, and this finished the ceremony. Mackay and 
 King Lkonge were now blood brothers and fast 
 friends for life. His departure was made the 
 occasion for further demonstrations of friendship and 
 goodwill. After the last good-bye was said, Mackay 
 set sail for- Kagei, where he arrived safely, having 
 been absent nine days. 
 
 The natives and his followers had given him up 
 as lost ; and when his boat touched the shore, they 
 danced and shouted i'or joy at his return. Unfortun- 
 ately, they acted as too many people in Britain do 
 when in a state of excitement ; they drank large
 
 46 ALEXANDER MAC KAY. 
 
 quantities of beer ; and when night came on, many 
 of them were intoxicated, much to Mackay's distress. 
 Over and over again, in his journals, Mackay says 
 that drink is the curse of Africa. So much did he 
 see of the evils of drink in Africa, that he became a 
 teetotaler shortly after starting on his journey. In 
 strong language, he insists that if we hope to 
 civilise Africa, the members of expeditions must be 
 total abstainers, and use their utmost endeavours 
 to banish strong drink from the country.
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 AEEIVAL AT UGANDA. 
 
 Repairing the Daisy The Start Wrecked Interview with Mtesa- 
 'Jack of all Trades' Arab jealousy New-comers Treachery- 
 Mtesa's illness. 
 
 ACKAY now began in earnest to 
 prepare for setting out to Uganda. 
 I have in a former part explained 
 the work he had in fitting up the 
 Daisy, and making it seaworthy ; 
 but it was not until he returned from Ukerewe that 
 the bulk of the work was done. The hard labour 
 and constant exposure to the burning sun brought 
 on a fever, followed by diarrhoaa. The usual cures 
 were of no ayail ; but at last he tried a native remedy, 
 with the result that he was at work again after a 
 few days. Much of the repairs had to be done over 
 again, for during his illness the boat was lying on 
 the beach, and the sun had made fresh rents in her 
 planks. 
 
 When at last it was ready for sea, terrible storms of
 
 48 ALEXANDER MACK AY. 
 
 thunder and lightning came on, and prevented them 
 from making a start. But at-length, on 25th August, 
 the storms being over, and everything in readiness, 
 Mackay, joined by Mr. Wilson, was favoured with a 
 good breeze, and set sail for Uganda. 
 
 The Victoria Nyanza is a noble lake, but Mackay 
 says it is like the Sea of Galilee in the treacherousness 
 of its storms. The boat may be flying along merrily, 
 when suddenly, and without any change in the 
 barometer, a storm will sweep down on the lake, 
 lashing its waters into fury. The Daisy went 
 beautifully for four days, and it seemed as if they 
 would soon reach their destination. On the fifth 
 day, however, one of those terrible storms came on, 
 striking terror into the hearts of Mackay's crew. 
 Eefusing to give any assistance, they crouched in 
 fear in a corner of -the boat, and Mackay was 
 forced to let her drift ashore. Terrific waves were 
 breaking over her from time to time ; and when at 
 last she stranded on the beach, the Daisy was all but 
 a wreck. 
 
 With much difficulty they managed to land most 
 of their cargo, and spread it out to dry. The 
 natives of the district came prowling round, and 
 casting envious eyes upon their stores. To remove 
 the temptation, Mackay got a hut erected, of spars 
 and sails taken from the Daisy, and into this they 
 dragged their cargo.
 
 INTERVIEW WITH MTESA. 49 
 
 After changing his wet clothes, and partaking of 
 refreshment, Mackay at once set about constructing 
 a new boat out of the wreck. It took eight weeks ot 
 hard work, but at last they were able to launch the 
 new Daisy much reduced in size on the waters of 
 the Nyanza. 
 
 While rebuilding the boat, Mackay discovered 
 from an old newspaper that Stanley had been 
 wrecked on this very spot, on his march across 
 Africa. Stanley's kind treatment of the natives 
 secured for Mackay no small friendship, and he 
 says, ' Wherever I find myself in Stanley's track, . . . 
 I find his treatment of the natives has been such 
 as to win from them the highest respect for the 
 face of a white man.' 
 
 On the 1st November they sighted Uganda, and 
 on the 6th they reached Bubaga the capital. King 
 Mtesa was ill and unable to see them, but he sent 
 his welcome, and a gift of two fat goats. Two days 
 later the king sent for him, and on the 8th November 
 Mackay had his first interview with the African 
 monarch about whom so much interest had gathered, 
 and on whose invitation, through Stanley, the Church 
 Missionary party had come. Mackay thus describes 
 his introduction to the King of Uganda, according 
 to Stanley, 'the most striking figure in equatorial 
 Africa : ' 
 
 ' Messenger after messenger came running like
 
 50 ALEXANDER MACKAY. 
 
 madmen to hurry us on, but I was determined not 
 to give way to the frantic behaviour of these excited 
 couriers, and kept a steady step. At last we entered 
 on the grand esplanade running east and west along 
 the top of the hill, and terminating in the palace at 
 the west end, where the law of fashion seems to hold 
 good all the world over. 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 retainers. 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 a little way off, and watched us 
 intently. For ten minutes we eyed each other in 
 dead silence, when a little talk began. Our gifts 
 were presented, and the musical box struck up the 
 fine air, "The heavens are telling," from Haydn's 
 " Creation." ' Owing to the king feeling unwell, the 
 interview lasted only a short time ; but in the evening 
 a present arrived from the palace, of ten cattle, and 
 loads of tobacco, coffee, and honey.' 
 
 For some time after his arrival in Uganda, things 
 went very smoothly with Mackay. The king appeared 
 very anxious to hear more about the Christian religion
 
 'JACK OF ALL TRADES: 51 
 
 to which Stanley had introduced him, and many 
 a long conversation was held between Mtesa and 
 Mackay on God, the Bible, and way of salvation 
 through Jesus Christ. Every Sunday religious 
 services were held at court, and the day observed 
 as a Christian Sabbath. 
 
 The chief secret of Mackay's influence lay in his 
 mechanical skill, for which they had great admiration, 
 not unmixed with fear. All kinds of iron implements 
 were brought to him to repair ; and when they saw 
 him burnishing metal until it shone, their astonish- 
 ment and admiration knew no bounds. Much of his 
 skill they put down to witchcraft ; and when he had 
 done anything more than usually surprising, they 
 cried, ' Mackay is truly the great spirit.' But this 
 very belief in his power was sometimes rather 
 awkward. If they asked him to do something 
 beyond his power, and he explained his inability, 
 they would not believe him, but thought it was 
 because he would not. 
 
 Every scrap of knowledge that ever he had 
 acquired came in handy, and Mackay was at this 
 time, literally, ' Jack of all trades.' One day he 
 would be called upon to cure some one who was sick ; 
 another day, to perform a surgical operation, and so 
 on. In every difficulty they came to him expecting 
 help, and were angry if it was not given. Mackay 
 was also his own tailor, bootmaker, and general out-
 
 52 ALEXANDER MAC KAY. 
 
 fitter ; and in his spare hours he worked hard at 
 translating the Bible and religious books, into the 
 language of Uganda. Mackay had persuaded the 
 king to abolish slavery, and for some time he believed 
 the slave trade was entirely suppressed. 
 
 Meantime he was busy initiating the king into 
 the mysteries of railways, astronomy, electricity, 
 and physiology. His magic lantern was a never- 
 failing source of amusement to the people; and 
 Mackay used the influence gained by his knowledge 
 of the wonderful things they so much delighted in, 
 to speak to them from time to time about sin, and 
 Jesus Christ the Saviour of men. On Sundays he 
 invited questions on the passages from the Bible 
 which he read to them, and in this part of the 
 religious exercises Mtesa and his people displayed 
 great interest. The king professed great admiration 
 for the character of Jesus, and asked his people if 
 they had ever heard of any one like Him. 
 
 The Arabs were jealous of Mackay from the first, 
 and greatly enraged at his influence with the king. 
 In every way they tried to poison Mtesa's mind 
 against the missionaries, and said that they meant to 
 take his country from him. Mtesa was not altogether 
 free from suspicions ; but he was so anxious to learn 
 the arts which only the white men could teach, 
 that he continued to befriend Mackay. By and by 
 news came that two parties of missionaries were
 
 NEW-COMERS. 53 
 
 coining to aid in the work, one of them coming by 
 the Nile. Mtesa was jealous of the Egyptians having 
 designs on his country, and the Arabs took the 
 opportunity of persuading him that the white men 
 who were coining were sent by General Gordon to 
 spy the land. Mackay tried hard to show 1 the king 
 that what the Arabs said was false ; but in spite of all 
 he could say, Mtesa was of opinion that they had 
 been sent by Queen Victoria to look for lakes that 
 they might ' put ships and guns on them.' 
 
 The new-comers arrived on 14th February 1879, 
 and were immediately taken before the king and 
 court. The rich presents that they brought fairly 
 took Mtesa's heart by storm ; and, for the time, made 
 him exceedingly friendly with the white men. 
 Unfortunately, almost immediately after their arrival, 
 two French Eoman Catholic missionaries arrived at 
 Uganda. From this time trouble began for Mackay 
 and his friends. After having an interview with 
 the priests, and asking them about their religion, 
 Mtesa had a conference at which they and Mackay 
 were present; He then called upon Mackay to 
 explain the difference between his religion and the 
 religion of the Frenchmen. This he tried to do 
 in as kind a manner as possible, to avoid giving 
 offence ; but the priests would say nothing in reply 
 except at one point, when one of them called Mackay 
 a liar.
 
 54 ALEXANDER MACK AY. 
 
 Mtesa could not understand how they both 
 believed in God and Christ, and yet each said that 
 the religion of the other was wrong. He said it 
 was evident that every white man had a different 
 religion, but as for him he could not adopt a new 
 religion every time a white man came. It was clear 
 that endless confusion would arise, and the work 
 would be seriously hindered if the Eoman Catholic 
 missionaries persisted in remaining in Uganda. 
 Accordingly, Mackay asked Mtesa to send them 
 away, but to this he would not consent. Mackay 
 then told him that unless the Frenchmen were sent 
 away, he and his friends would leave Uganda for 
 some other place, where they would be welcomed. 
 Even this resolution did not move the king ; but he 
 assured Mackay that he would not allow the priests 
 to teach his people religion, if he and 'his friends 
 would remain. 
 
 Soon after this, several events happened which led 
 Mackay to believe that Mtesa was dealing treacher- 
 ously with him and his party. Promises that he had 
 made were broken without explanation, and, in spite 
 of his denials, they knew that the slave trade was 
 revived in full force. The French priests were 
 bitterly hostile to them, and tried in many ways to 
 make the place too hot for them. On one occasion 
 they made a boy prisoner whom they had sent on a 
 polite message, and, when Mackay and his friends
 
 MTESA'S ILLNESS. 55 
 
 went to demand of them to give him up, they were 
 met by a band of armed natives, who threatened to 
 kill them. To add to their discomfort, an Egyptian 
 soldier told them that there was a conspiracy among 
 the chiefs and soldiers to murder them. 
 
 Mackay and his friends had at this time made up 
 their mind to leave Uganda, at least for a time. 
 Afterwards, however, they decided to try to gain the 
 king's confidence by remaining, and showing that 
 they sought his good. They were encouraged by the 
 arrival in April of two additional comrades from the 
 Church Missionary Society. The Sunday services at 
 court had been stopped, and the king no longer held 
 religious discussions ; but the missionaries used every 
 opportunity of speaking about Jesus to the chiefs 
 and people who came about them. 
 
 Hearing that the king was very ill, Mackay and 
 one of his friends called at the palace, and were 
 granted an audience. They found him troubled in 
 his mind about death and the future state. Mtesa 
 asked all sorts of questions about the resurrection, 
 the kind of bodies the dead would rise with, what 
 clothes they should wear, and what their occupa- 
 tions would be. He was quite willing to have the 
 Bible read to him, and Mackay really thought that 
 his heart was touched. Suddenly he demanded if 
 Mackay knew that General Gordon had planted a 
 new Egyptian station in his territory. He declared
 
 56 ALEXANDER MAC KAY. 
 
 angrily that they were just like rats nibbling at his 
 territory, and by and by they would have it- all. 
 To this Mackay replied that he and his friends were 
 not responsible for General Gordon's acts. Gordon, 
 although an Englishman, was a servant of the King 
 of Egypt, while they were subjects of Mtesa. 
 
 It was not until two of Mackay 's companions had 
 gone back to England that the king's friendliness 
 to him returned. After this Sunday services were 
 resumed, and once more Mackay was engaged in the 
 work which fired his soul.
 
 CHAPTEK VII. 
 
 KING MTESA. 
 
 Trouble with the Chiefs Journey to Uyui A Narrow escape The 
 Embassy to England Difficulties overcome. 
 
 this time Mackay was being put to 
 much annoyance through the greed 
 of Mtesa's chiefs. Every day, and 
 many times a day, they kept coming 
 asking some article from his stores. 
 For a while they made a pretence of buying from 
 him, by giving food in exchange; but on every 
 opportunity they stole the things which they were 
 unwilling to pay for, until the mission party found 
 themselves destitute, and dependent on the bounty 
 of the king -for their living. Mackay resolved to 
 go back to Uyui for supplies, and in April 1880 he 
 set out. 
 
 It is amusing to read that Mtesa gave him a 
 present of 5000 cowries on parting, in order that 
 he (Mackay) might not be under the necessity of 
 robbing any one on his journey. 
 
 57
 
 58 ALEXANDER MACK AY. 
 
 They reached Kagei in safety, after which they 
 had a journey of twenty days' to Uyui. Much of the 
 travelling was done during night, to escape the 
 tribute demanded by greedy and powerful chiefs. 
 In many places they could not buy food, and for 
 some days Mackay could get nothing to eat except 
 ground nuts. Many of the natives had never seen 
 a white man before, and showed great curiosity 
 about the Muzungu. 1 His boots were a source of 
 mystery to them, and until he took them off and 
 showed them his feet, they were convinced that boot 
 and foot were in one piece. 
 
 On the way back to Kagei, Mackay narrowly 
 escaped being murdered. Three of his men had 
 quarrelled with some natives, who afterwards fired 
 a volley into the hut behind Mackay's house where 
 they were hiding. They ran for their lives, and 
 their enemies after them. Mackay was down with 
 fever at the time, but he managed to get hold of the 
 leader, and after much palavering, persuaded him to 
 give up his murderous intentions. 
 
 Every one in the village expected to find Mackay 
 murdered when, after the scuffle was over, they came 
 to his house. But, to their surprise, they found that 
 he had not only escaped with his own life, but had 
 managed to prevent the murder of the three youths 
 who had caused the quarrel. 
 
 1 "White man.
 
 KING MTESA. 59 
 
 He remained two and a half months at Kagei, 
 making ready his bales for the return voyage to 
 Uganda. Much of this time he spent in bed with 
 repeated attacks of fever ; but at last he started on 
 his journey, and by December he had reached the 
 capital. A further detachment of French priests 
 had just arrived, bringing gifts for the king, of 
 gunpowder, guns, and all sorts of firearms. From 
 the first, Mtesa had asked Mackay for these things ; 
 but the answer invariably was that he was a 
 messenger of peace, and could not make gifts of 
 articles of war. In case, therefore, of Mtesa con- 
 trasting their presents of cloth with the presents of 
 the Frenchmen, Mackay and his friends delayed 
 going to court till next day. 
 
 The king had sent an embassy to England in care 
 of the two missionaries who had gone home, and, 
 happily, Mackay had copies of the Graphic with 
 pictures showing their reception by Queen Victoria. 
 Mtesa was gratified at this evidence of his import- 
 ance, and spent hours looking at the pictures, and 
 showing them to his chiefs. Next day Mackay 
 found the king still gazing on the pictures, and 
 determined to go to England to consult a doctor 
 about his trouble. His chiefs were indignant at the 
 proposal, and said, 'Why should a great monarch 
 like Mtesa go to England? Queenie (Queen 
 Victoria) sends only small men to Uganda. Speke
 
 60 ALEXANDER MACK AY. 
 
 and Grant and Stanley were only travellers.' 
 Mtesa's weak point was vanity, and the suggestion 
 that it would lower his dignity turned him from 
 his purpose to go to England. 
 
 At this time Mtesa was neither a professed 
 Mohammedan nor a Christian. He was clever 
 enough to see that the Christian religion, when 
 compared with Mohammedanism, showed immense 
 superiority; and in his heart it is probable that 
 he felt it was the true religion. But Christianity 
 insisted on him giving up a great many sins which 
 were dear to him, and for this he was not prepared. 
 He was unable to adopt Mohammedanism, because 
 he felt it was an imposture ; and unwilling to adopt 
 Christianity, because it demanded him to give up 
 his wicked slave traffic and lustful habits. He 
 therefore determined to have neither, and with his 
 whole people relapsed again into the dark heathenism 
 from which they had for a short time been delivered. 
 
 In spite of this fact, he continued to be friendly 
 with Mackay, and did not object to him preaching 
 the gospel to such as cared to listen. But the 
 patience of the mission party was being sorely tried 
 by the daily evidence of the fruitlessness of their 
 mission. The conviction was daily growing stronger 
 in their minds that Mtesa, his chiefs and people, 
 were using them merely to suit their selfish purposes. 
 Mackay was such a clever mechanic, he could make
 
 DWELLINGS OF MISSIONARIES AT NAMIREMBE, UGANDA, 
 Cl
 
 DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME. 63 
 
 anything they wanted ; and Mtesa felt that it added 
 importance to his court to have Englishmen about it. 
 
 The supplies which Mackay had brought from 
 Uyui were a constant source of envy and covetous- 
 ness. Watching every chance to rob him, they 
 speedily plundered him of everything he had brought, 
 and once more left him without means of support. 
 Day after day he had to toil at his turning-lathe, 
 like a regular workman, making things for sale, in 
 order that he and his friends might be independent 
 of charity. 
 
 When we remember that the mission had come 
 by express invitation of Mtesa, who professed him- 
 self anxious to embrace Christianity, we cannot 
 wonder that they were discouraged with the persecu- 
 tion and annoyance which they had to endure. But 
 though they were ' cast down,' they were ' not dis- 
 mayed/ They were unable to understand the way 
 God was leading, but deep in their hearts was a 
 firm faith in His wisdom and goodness. Mackay 
 writes at this time : ' God's will be done. The cause 
 is His, and also the issue of all our plans. May 
 He bless our "efforts and bring a speedy end to this 
 sore and exhausting time of persecution and trial. 
 After such a night as we have had, and still are in, 
 we look for a happy morning.' 
 
 Mackay's chief hope was the thirst for education, 
 which was shown by daily increasing numbers of
 
 64 ALEXANDER MAC KAY. 
 
 pupils. They were chiefly anxious to learn to read; 
 and as their lessons were taken almost entirely from 
 the Bible, he had hopes that in this way the good 
 seed might take root. While he was busy working 
 at his lathe, a number of pupils were always squatted 
 round him reading their lessons. And although it 
 hindered his work to be constantly interrupted, he 
 gladly worked harder after they had gone, with 
 the conviction in his heart that the seed sown in 
 this way would certainly bring forth fruit in due 
 course. And it did.
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 DISAPPOINTMENT. 
 
 Mtesa and the lubare Slave raiding Sore trials Mackay down 
 with fever Treachery at Court Human sacrifices. 
 
 ,KOM the time that Mackay arrived 
 in Uganda, Mtesa had been suffer- 
 ing from some inward trouble. 
 Mackay had given him medicines, 
 and tried to help him in various 
 ways ; but one day he heard that the king had sent 
 for a famous lubare, or sorceress, to cure him. Mackay 
 was deeply grieved to hear this news. It was bad 
 enough that he had given up Christianity, but to 
 find the king going back to witchcraft, after all the 
 teaching he had had, was extremely disheartening. 
 
 In reproving wickedness, even in high places, 
 Mackay was bold as a Hebrew prophet. He had 
 from time to time denounced the king for open sin, 
 even when his companions advised him to keep 
 silence. But Mtesa, like many another tyrant, was 
 so used to flattery and meek obedience that he 
 5
 
 66 ALEXANDER MACK AY. 
 
 found it something of a novelty to have a man who 
 would speak his mind witheut fear. Indeed, it was 
 this fearlessness that gave Mackay so much in- 
 fluence with the king. Accordingly, he determined 
 to put before the king the wickedness of witchcraft 
 on the first opportunity. 
 
 Shortly afterwards a conference was held at 
 court, at which all Mtesa's great chiefs, the French 
 priests, and Mackay and Mr. Pearson were present. 
 Mtesa opened by asking his chiefs questions about 
 the native gods, their powers, etc. This led on to 
 the subject of the lubare. Here Mtesa asked if 
 lubare or he was greater. The chiefs were ready 
 to say whatever the king wished, and various 
 flattering answers were given. At this point 
 Mackay asked if Mtesa would grant permission to 
 his people to embrace Christianity if they were 
 disposed to do so. Mtesa pretended that he was 
 quite willing, but there were some of his chiefs 
 and some of the Arabs who might object. One 
 of the Arabs here said they had no objection, so 
 long as Mackay did not take their Koran from them. 
 Xext, the king objected that so many religions 
 in the country would breed rebellion, and so on. 
 
 It was quite clear that Mtesa was fooling them ; 
 and when, a few minutes afterwards, he began to 
 make his chiefs laugh by obscene talk, his depravity 
 was made fully manifest. Previous to this Mackay
 
 THE LUBARE. 
 
 67 
 
 had begged of him not to have dealings with the 
 witches, because, in the first place, they were im- 
 postors, and their pretended powers were frauds; 
 
 A FETICH. 
 
 and next, because it was grossly wicked in the sight 
 of God. Mtesa appeared to be convinced by some 
 of Mackay's arguments, but, notwithstanding, he
 
 68 ALEXANDER MACKAY. 
 
 had a house built for the hibare, and allowed her 
 to practise her arts on him for some time. I need 
 hardly tell you that they were perfectly powerless 
 to help the king in his trouble. 
 
 It was a pity that the Eoman Catholic priests, 
 instead of standing by Mackay in his denunciation 
 of wickedness, chose rather to remain silent while 
 he was arguing against fetiches and false gods, and 
 should have so far forgotten the courtesy due to 
 brethren of the same Christian faith, in many 
 respects, as to denounce Mackay and his friends to 
 the king as impostors. It is probable that Mtesa 
 did not place much reliance upon their statements, 
 but it gave him a good excuse for throwing all 
 religion overboard. 
 
 Until Mtesa had met with Stanley, he had been 
 accustomed to send bands of soldiers from time to time 
 to ravage districts of helpless people, in search of 
 slaves and plunder. When Mackay came, these 
 expeditions were stopped at least, they were not 
 carried on openly. But now they were revived in 
 full force, and within a few days two expeditions 
 were sent off, armed with British guns and ammuni- 
 tion, and with instructions from the king 'Rob, 
 pillage, plunder ! ' This sight stirred Mackay and 
 his friends with righteous indignation. 'Our blood 
 could not but boil,' he says, ' as we beheld, the mad 
 excitement in the whole court when these fellows
 
 WITHIN A FEW 
 DAYS TWO EXPEDI- ^ 
 TIONS WERE SENT OFF, 
 WITH INSTRUCTIONS 
 FROM THE KING 'ROB, 
 PILLAGE, PLUNDER ! '
 
 SLAVE RAIDING. 71 
 
 were ordered off to murder and to plunder.' Had 
 the object been war, there would have been some 
 excuse for it ; but Mackay says that it was ' avowedly 
 to devastate and murder, and bring back the spoil, 
 women, children, cattle, and goats.' He goes on to 
 say the ' crime is awful. The most heartrending of 
 Livingstone's narratives of the slave-hunts by Arabs 
 and Portuguese on the Nyassa and Tanganyika 
 shores dwindle into insignificance compared with 
 the organised and unceasing slave-hunts by this 
 "enlightened monarch and Christian king.'" 
 
 You will notice that Mackay alludes to Mtesa 
 sarcastically as ' this Christian king.' There cannot 
 be a doubt that Stanley thought Mtesa a genuine 
 convert. And when he besought Stanley to send 
 out missionaries to teach him more about the 
 Christian religion, it seemed as if a new era had 
 indeed begun in Central Africa. ' Stamlee,' he had 
 said to the great explorer, with the apparent sim- 
 plicity of a child and the eagerness of a young 
 Christian, ' 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.' 
 
 Stanley had called him the most enlightened 
 monarch of equatorial Africa. Mackay had from 
 the first found to his disappointment that he was
 
 72 ALEXANDER MACKAY. 
 
 not a Christian monarch, and these pillaging, 
 murdering expeditions seemed to prove that he was 
 as degraded as the most ignorant African. 
 
 The prospect at this time was more disheartening 
 than it had been before. Not only had the king 
 openly derided Christianity and plunged into 
 wickedness, but many of their most promising 
 pupils had gone as volunteers in the plundering 
 expedition. One chief, in particular, had been deeply 
 impressed with Christian truths, and Mackay was 
 hoping that he was near the kingdom. You can 
 fancy how he felt when he heard that this man had 
 been among the first to offer his services to Mtesa. 
 Besides those who thus openly cast in their lot 
 with the king, there were many others who were 
 now afraid to come to. the missionaries for teaching, 
 being in dread of persecution, and fearful lest their 
 lives would be taken. For although so far Mtesa had . 
 not begun to persecute Christians, he was bloodthirsty 
 and reckless enough to slaughter them whenever the 
 fancy should cross his mind. Others, contaminated by 
 the king's example, became ' daily more hardened and 
 hopelessly sunk in every form of vice and villainy.' 
 
 For two years Mackay and Mis friends had worked, 
 early and late, teaching Mtesa and his people the 
 arts of civilisation, and instructing them in Christian 
 truths. They had lived in poverty, suffered hunger, 
 and at times been in danger of their lives. But all
 
 SORE TRIALS. 73 
 
 these things they had accepted willingly, almost 
 joyfully, in the belief that Mtesa was an earnest 
 seeker after truth ; and in the hope that they had 
 made it impossible for him to return to open 
 wickedness. And now it appeared as if all their 
 work and hardships had been unavailing, and Mtesa, 
 with all his people, were given over wholly to the 
 Evil One. 
 
 Under trials such as these, mere pioneers of 
 civilisation would almost certainly have given up 
 in despair; mere travellers would have been in- 
 clined to bring some rifle persuasion to turn them 
 into better ways. But Mackay and his friends 
 were more than travellers and pioneers of civilisa- 
 tion ; they were Christians. In their darkest hours 
 they prayed for light ; in their weakness they prayed 
 for strength. And though light was delayed, it 
 came at last, and lightened even dark Uganda. 
 
 In January 1881 Mackay was down with fever. 
 Threats of persecution were in the air, and in his 
 absence Mr. Pearson went to ask Mtesa if the 
 rumours were -true. After pretending not to under- 
 stand what was meant, the king replied in a bullying 
 fashion : ' Well, if you want liberty, you must give 
 me a daughter of the Queen to be my wife ; unless 
 you do that you shall not have liberty to teach 
 that is my only answer.' 
 
 After Mackay was better, they went together to
 
 74 ALEXANDER MACK AY. 
 
 court, where a long discussion was carried on 
 between them, Mtesa, and the Arabs. In every 
 possible way, the Arabs had tried to poison Mtesa's 
 mind from the beginning against the white men who 
 were opposed to their traffic in slaves. Now that 
 the king had cast off even the pretence of Christianity, 
 he encouraged them to make up lying stories, about 
 how the white men were eating up his country. To 
 every statement made by the Arabs, Mackay had an 
 answer showing it to be false ; but Mtesa would not 
 be convinced of the truth. He demanded to know 
 what Mackay and his friends wanted in Uganda. 
 When he was reminded that they had come at his 
 invitation, he coolly told them that Queen Victoria 
 had sent them to be workmen, to make cannons and 
 firearms for him. They had refused to do this, 
 therefore he had no use for them. 
 
 From being the chief persons at court as at first, 
 and honoured guests, they were now put in back 
 seats and treated with contempt. The king had 
 revealed his true character, and it was not a pleasant 
 spectacle. Mackay was fast losing the influence he 
 once possessed with Mtesa ; and when he asked the 
 king to lend him canoes to go to Kagie for supplies, 
 he was put off from time to time on various pretexts. 
 Further evidence of the king's growing dislike was 
 shown by Mr. Pearson being refused admission to 
 the court.
 
 TREA CHER Y AT COURT. 75 
 
 From a new arrival, a Frenchman, they heard 
 details of a conversation that took place in the 
 palace between the king and some Arabs. To 
 encourage their evil reports, the king opened the 
 conversation by saying, ' Mackay is mad.' Thus 
 encouraged, two fellows recited an account of 
 Mackay's career before coming to Uganda. Accord- 
 ing to their account, he had murdered two men 
 in England, and had to flee the country ; the 
 captain of the vessel in which he sailed was in 
 danger of his life until he (Mackay) was landed at 
 Zanzibar; he had committed further murders in 
 Zanzibar, and had to flee from that place. Further, 
 one fellow said that Mackay had given him a 
 present on that same day, begging him not to make 
 his evil character known. 
 
 Of course Mtesa knew that these stories were lies, 
 but it suited his purpose to believe them, for it gave 
 him the excuse he wanted for turning against Mackay. 
 Mackay really thought at this time that Mtesa was 
 plotting their death, and his desire was, if they 
 could once get to the south end of the lake, to send 
 Pearson back to England, not to return unless accom- 
 panied by a party of whom Mtesa would be afraid. 
 
 When fever had them in its terrible grip, their 
 spirits sank, but with returning strength their courage 
 revived. 'One cannot help feeling,' he says, 'a 
 deep, inward, peaceful consciousness' that though we
 
 76 ALEXANDER MACK AY. 
 
 are absolutely shut off from every human help, yet 
 we have protection more secure than any consul can 
 afford, even the omnipotent arm of Jehovah.' 
 
 Yet accounts were daily reaching their ears of 
 massacres, which proved that Mtesa was one of the 
 most bloodthirsty ruffians in Africa. Before Stanley 
 came, he had ordered two hundred youths to be 
 burnt alive in one day. Two years before Mackay 
 went, he had held a great butchery of human beings, 
 such as the king, his father, had many of. Two 
 thousand was the number aimed at, and at night 
 his soldiers lay in wait to capture innocent and 
 unsuspecting people. When the number was made 
 up, they were all put to death in one day. Just a 
 year before Mackay wrote, Mtesa was rebuilding his 
 father's tomb. To celebrate this event he had an- 
 other carnage of blood, and in one day two thousand 
 persons were murdered as an offering to the departed 
 spirit. Even when Mackay was writing, there was 
 almost a daily batch of murders taking place. 
 Mackay then learned that they had never really been 
 stopped ; they were merely done more quietly. Now 
 they were done openly and without shame. 
 
 Can you wonder that Mackay felt a revulsion of 
 feeling against this savage in whom he had placed 
 such high hopes ? Can you wonder that he should 
 have written hopelessly of him as a pagan, a heathen 
 out and out ?
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 LABOUR AND RESULTS. 
 
 Letters from Home Great privations New arrivals The plague 
 Rules for cleanliness Regaining influence over Mtesa ' White 
 man of work.' 
 
 UT off as they were from all civilisa- 
 tion and intercourse with white 
 men, you can easily understand how 
 eagerly the missionaries longed for 
 letters and newspapers from home. 
 And you can imagine how great was their disap- 
 pointment at Christmas 1880, when the Arabs who 
 had been entrusted with a batch of letters from the 
 coast, came back saying they had lost them. They 
 had been looking forward to this treat during many 
 weary months, and the disappointment did much to 
 cast down their spirits. 
 
 In the beginning of 1881 Mackay sent some 
 boys to Usukuma, and, to his great joy, they re- 
 turned on 14th March, bringing nearly forty letters 
 for him, and fifteen for Mr. Pearson. This contact
 
 78 ALEXANDER MACK AY. 
 
 with home put fresh life into them, and made them 
 look more cheerfully on. their prospects. Together 
 they sat and read the welcome messengers as long as 
 the daylight lasted. When the sun had gone down, 
 they lighted their only candle and continued read- 
 ing and comparing notes until far on in the night. 
 
 For weeks they had been suffering great priva- 
 tions. A terrible plague had broken out in the 
 king's palace, and together with his chiefs and 
 household Mtesa had fled from the place to the hill 
 of Kabulagala. Mackay and Pearson had been 
 robbed of their supplies, and were now destitute of 
 articles with which to buy food. For days at a time 
 they had nothing but plantains to eat ; and to get even 
 this food they had to sell all their spare clothes. Their 
 supply of candles was all done, and no fat could be 
 had with which to manufacture others. They had 
 to work hard as long as daylight lasted ; after which 
 they had to sit in darkness, or go to bed. You may 
 find it difficult to think of this as a hardship, but then 
 you must remember that it was only at night that 
 they had time to read, write, and converse together. 
 
 Their hearts were greatly cheered by learning from 
 their letters that Mr. O'Flaherty and Mr. Stokes, 
 two missionaries who had been sent out by the 
 Church Missionary Society, had arrived safely at 
 the south end of the lake, and would shortly 
 join them in Uganda. Four days later the new
 
 NE W ARR2 VALS. 7 9 
 
 missionaries arrived, and then things began to look 
 brighter. To begin with, they had just come from 
 England, and had much to tell Mackay and Pearson 
 of what had been going on at home. The fact of 
 their being sent out proved that friends at home 
 had not forgotten the two lonely men who had been 
 fighting so long and bravely against fearful odds ; 
 and this fact did much to strengthen their hearts. 
 Last of all, but not least, they had brought supplies, 
 so that for some time the terrible pressure of want 
 was removed. Taking all these things into account, 
 they thanked God and took courage. 
 
 After a short stay, Mr. Stokes started again for 
 the coast, and Mr. Pearson followed in a few days. 
 Mackay was again left with only one companion, 
 Mr. O'Flaherty, but he was a tower of strength in 
 himself. He was skilful in argument, and took 
 Mackay's place at court, where he had many a battle 
 of words with the Arabs, who were still actively 
 engaged in trying to bring the white men into 
 discredit with the king. Meantime Mackay was 
 busy teaching the natives to read, and full of hope 
 for the future. There was an intense desire among 
 them to learn, and so apt were they, that beginning 
 with the alphabet they were able to read very well 
 in two months. Sometimes they were ordered off to 
 another part of the country when they had just 
 begun to show signs of taking in the truths of
 
 8o ALEXANDER MACK AY. 
 
 Scripture; but Mackay had great hopes that the 
 texts which they had learned would sink into their 
 hearts and bring forth fruit after many days. 
 
 As the summer came on the plague grew worse, 
 and many deaths occurred. The king applied to 
 Mackay for medicines ; but as he did not understand 
 the disease, Mackay refused to treat it. But he was 
 persuaded that it sprang chiefly from their filthy 
 habits, and from the swamps round about, where 
 the bodies of people who were slaughtered daily were 
 thrown after being chopped in pieces. Accordingly 
 he drew out six rules, which OTlaherty presented to 
 the king. These rules insisted on those who were 
 attacked (1) sponging with cold water every day ; 
 
 (2) being put in a dry hut with a raised bed; 
 
 (3) houses where infection was to be burnt to 
 the ground with everything they contained ; (4) 
 every house in Uganda to be swept once a week, 
 and new grass put on the floor ; (5) houses where 
 goats were kept to be swept out every day; and 
 (6) all dead persons to be buried instead of being 
 thrown into the swamps. 
 
 Although the general belief was that the plague 
 was caused by an evil spirit, Mtesa was greatly im- 
 pressed by Mackay's suggestions, and gave orders 
 immediately to have some of them at least carried 
 out. Bands of natives were set to clean and scrape 
 the highways, under the superintendence of officers.
 
 RULES FOR CLEANLINESS. 81 
 
 Every peasant was compelled to do his cleaning in 
 front of his house, and passers-by were pressed into 
 the service and made to help in the work. But the 
 rules affecting their personal habits were not en- 
 forced, and Mackay had not much hope of driving 
 off the plague until this had been done. 
 
 Besides teaching his pupils reading, writing, and 
 arithmetic, Mackay gave them daily lessons in useful 
 arts, such as building and designing. He also began 
 to build a house for the mission party, and this was 
 a constant source of wonder to all, from the king 
 downwards. Mtesa so far recovered his friendliness 
 that he sent all his workers in wood and iron to 
 Mackay for instruction ; and when Mackay asked a 
 piece of ground to build huts on, he at once gave 
 him twenty acres. 
 
 The new house had an upper storey with a stair 
 leading up, and this novel method of ascending to 
 the upper flat struck them as being a most wonder- \ 
 ful invention. Up till this time wells were unknown 
 in Uganda, and when as a result of digging they! 
 saw water gush out of the hillside, their astonish- 
 ment knew no bounds. But when Mackay got holdi- 
 of an old pump that had come out with his stores, * 
 and made the water flow from it, they were firmly I 
 persuaded that he was in league with spirits. Over : 
 and over again they shouted, ' Mackay is the great : 
 spirit ; he is truly the great spirit.' 
 6
 
 82 ALEXANDER MAC KAY. 
 
 On one occasion he took a small lens, and with 
 the aid of the sun's rays kindled a blazing fire. 
 When they said that the lens was a spirit, Mackay 
 put it in the fire and reduced it to ashes. Greatly 
 horrified at what seemed to them a sacrilegious act, 
 they looked at him for a minute or two, expecting 
 to see him struck dead. Mackay seized every 
 opportunity such as this to show them that there 
 was only one God who had power to save them ; and 
 that their charms and various gods were powerless 
 either to save or to destroy. 
 
 ^The Arabs were enraged to see that Mackay was 
 regaining his influence. They now began to persuade 
 Mtesa that it was no house he was building, but a 
 fort to hold soldiers who were coming to take posses- 
 sion of the country. Mtesa suggested that they 
 should send a chief under pretence of learning, but 
 in reality to see if it was really a fort. A great 
 chief, who had been a pupil of Mackay's, here had 
 courage to deny what the Arabs said. Mackay, he 
 said, was only building a house to live in. The king 
 himself had given. him permission long ago. Evidences 
 were constantly given of a changed feeling on the 
 part of the king and chiefs towards Mackay. He was 
 gladly welcomed ^,t the palace as often as he found 
 time to go ; and when one day he had been showing 
 them how to cut glass with a glazier's diamond, they 
 were so friendly that on leaving they all shook hands
 
 REGAINING INFLUENCE. 83 
 
 with him. Best of all, his work of teaching was pro- 
 gressing most favourably, and he had hopes of shortly 
 seeing some of his pupils come out as Christians. 
 
 All through his mechanical work, building, 
 turning, casting, carpentering, glazing, engrossed as 
 he was with these crafts, and earning his bread 
 literally by the sweat of his brow, Mackay's burn- 
 ing desire was to lead the people to Christ. He 
 grudged the time spent in these secular occupations 
 and longed to give himself entirely to teaching and 
 preaching. Indeed, he had serious thoughts of going 
 home, and studying for ordination as a clergyman, 
 in order that he might be able to baptize and 
 administer the communion. But happily for the 
 success of the Mission, and happily for Uganda, 
 he was led to give up this idea of return. After 
 studying the subject long, and with much prayer, he 
 came to the conclusion that the sphere of working 
 missionary was the one in which he had most 
 influence, and to which God had called him. 
 
 The example of hard work which he set was of 
 great value to the natives, who were naturally lazy. 
 Here was a man who taught that work was noble, 
 and proved that he believed it, by himself working 
 harder than any of them. They called him Mzungu- 
 wa-Kazi, which means ' white man of work;' for, from 
 the time that he first came to their country, they 
 had never seen him idle.
 
 84 ALEXANDER MACK AY, 
 
 It was impossible that such a life of self-sacrifice 
 could fail to touch their hearts. The Baganda were 
 ignorant, and degraded by superstition and vice. 
 Their whole idea of life was pleasure and self- 
 indulgence. When first they saw Mackay toiling 
 like a labourer day after day, and denying himself 
 the indulgences which to their mind alone made 
 life worth living, they were certain that he had 
 some selfish end to serve, of conquest or appropria- 
 tion. Thus it was that they received his actions 
 with suspicion, and sneered at his religion, for 
 they thought everything was done to blind them to 
 his real purposes. But when the years went on, 
 and no army of white men came to eat up their 
 country ; when they found him still rising early and 
 working late, teaching their sons wonderful arts, 
 giving medicine to their sick, helping them to 
 drive off the plague from their dwellings, and all the 
 time living in poverty and loneliness, into their 
 darkened minds there stole a desire to know more 
 about the religion which made the white man so 
 different from themselves. 
 
 To Mackay 's great joy, five of his pupils now 
 expressed their desire to become Christians and be 
 baptized.
 
 CHAPTEE X. 
 
 STRANGE TASKS. 
 
 Christinas in Uganda Candidates for baptism A Daring Deed A 
 Pest of Ants The House built The wonderful cart Baptisms 
 Deaih of Mtesa's mother Mackay becomes undertaker. 
 
 HPJSTMAS of 1881 was, as far as 
 circumstances would permit, kept in 
 English fashion. Mackay had ex- 
 plained to his pupils why this day 
 was commemorated, and had told 
 them the English custom of giving gifts. Accord- 
 ingly they all turned up early, expecting something 
 unusual. First of all, every one got a present of four 
 yards of calico and a hundred cowries. Then, after 
 they were all seated, Mackay gave them a gospel 
 talk. He told again the wonderful story of Christ's 
 birth so long ago, and its meaning for the whole 
 world and for them. After the address, they had 
 a sumptuous dinner, finishing up with a plum- 
 pudding which Mackay had tried his hand at 
 making. 
 
 85
 
 86 ALEXANDER MAC KAY. 
 
 The thing that brought most joy to Mackay's 
 heart, however, was a wonderful story he heard of 
 the baptism under strange circumstances of a dying 
 boy. He had been one of their pupils, but for a 
 while they had missed him. They heard he was 
 ill, and next that he was dead. A young man came 
 to Mackay, telling him that when the lad was dying 
 he asked his companion to sprinkle him with water 
 in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy 
 Ghost. Previous to making this request, he had 
 wished to see one of the missionaries, but his 
 companion was afraid to come for them. During 
 his illness he had read constantly the Gospel of 
 St. Mark which had been given to him, and just 
 before he died he charged his friend to carry it 
 back to Mr. OTlaherty. The incident had made 
 a deep impression upon the messenger, and he 
 expressed a desire to learn about the gospel of 
 Jesus Christ. 
 
 
 
 Another pupil came with a note written by him- 
 self, asking baptism as follows: 'B\vama Mackay, 
 Sembera has come with compliments, and to give 
 you great news. Will you baptize him, because he 
 believes the words of Jesus Christ ? ' 
 
 To the missionaries these cases brought great joy. 
 To Mackay it was the realisation of his dearest 
 hopes. He had been cast down many a time, and 
 almost ready to believe that the Baganda were
 
 A DARING DEED. 
 
 beyond the reach of the gospel. But in spite of 
 discouragements, he had gone on 
 sowing the seed, and now he saw 
 with thankful heart the first-fruits 
 of the harvest. 
 
 On the 18th of March, Mr. 
 O'Flaherty baptized their first con- 
 verts, five in number, and all young 
 men of promise. This was the 
 beginning of the Christian Church 
 in Uganda. 
 
 Besides the privations that you 
 have read about in this book, Mackay 
 and his friends were often in danger 
 of their lives from various causes. 
 One day he nearly stepped on a 
 large serpent lying in his room. 
 Another day, while sailing to Kagei, 
 his canoe-men attacked a fleet of 
 boats carrying fruit, and when their 
 owners ventured to remonstrate, 
 they threatened to run them through 
 with their spears. Indignant at 
 such impudent theft, Mackay jumped 
 between the poor men who were 
 attacked and their assailants. With 
 great pluck he snatched a spear 
 from the ringleader, and threatened
 
 88 ALEXANDER MACK AY. 
 
 to spear him unless he delivered up the stolen 
 property. The canoe-men were thorough cowards, 
 and, alarmed by Mackay's fierce manner, they at 
 once gave up the bundles. The owners were 
 full of gratitude, and fell down on their knees 
 to thank Mackay for saving their lives and 
 property. 
 
 Like Stanley, Mackay was terribly troubled with 
 black ants. ' Countless myriads ' swarmed into his 
 room every night, and made sleeping an impossibility. 
 ' No plague of Egypt,' he says, ' in the days of Moses 
 could have been worse than this pestilence of 
 ferocious, biting ants. . . . They take so ferocious 
 a grip of the flesh that they allow themselves to 
 be pulled in two before they let go their hold on 
 one's skin. When he was printing they came 
 swarming into the room by thousands, attracted by 
 the smell of the ink, crawling over papers, machine, 
 types, and every bit of space in the room. One day 
 Mackay had a sheep killed, and the tail, which is 
 pure fat, hung up five feet from the ground. Next 
 morning the tail had disappeared, carried off by 
 ants. They had formed a ladder by hanging on to 
 each other, and in this way allowed their companions 
 to carry it off. 
 
 Mackay's house was finished early in 1882, and 
 from all parts crowds of people came to see it. It 
 was the first house of its kind in Uganda, and they
 
 THE WONDERFUL CART. 91 
 
 were never tired of examining its glazed windows, 
 its doors with hinges and locks. An oven for baking 
 bread, a brick kiln, and a sawmill were among the 
 other wonderful things with which he delighted their 
 eyes during these days. But the thing that pleased 
 them most was a wonderful cart which Mackay 
 made, painted bright red and blue, and drawn by 
 oxen. They could not understand how he yoked the 
 bullocks, but most of them thought they were tied 
 in by their tails. When he started to go a short 
 distance, driving his new team, he was followed by 
 an admiring crowd, yelling at the top of their voices, 
 and dancing with childish delight. 
 
 News of Mackay's wonderful cart was carried to 
 the king, and exaggerated descriptions given of its 
 size and powers. Among other things it was said 
 that the cart was uncontrollable, and had killed people. 
 Mtesa sent a chief to inspect it, and to report. To 
 his great delight Mackay drove him past the mission- 
 house, and showed him how absurd were the rumours 
 about its dangerousness. Every new piece of work 
 that Mackay turned out was the occasion of similar 
 demonstrations ; and when they failed to understand 
 how it was done, they fell back upon the explanation 
 that the white man was a spirit, and did these 
 things by witchcraft. 
 
 On 18th March the five young converts were 
 baptized by Mr. O'Flaherty and received into the
 
 92 ALEXANDER MAC KAY. 
 
 visible Church, at the same time getting Christian 
 names. Their new names were 
 
 1. MACKAY. 2. EDWARDO. 
 
 3. FILIPO. 4. HENRY WRIGHT. 
 
 5. YAKOBO. 
 
 Mackay's heart thrilled with purest joy as he 
 witnessed these lads, cradled in darkest heathenism 
 and disgusting superstition, stand forward confessing 
 their faith in Christ. It was a reproach to every 
 hour of despondency and gloom, a triumphant proof 
 of the truth of the Scriptures : ' My word shall not 
 return unto Me void ; ' and, ' In due season ye shall 
 reap, if ye faint not.' Mackay prayed fervently for 
 the young converts that they might be baptized with 
 the Holy Ghost and with fire.' ' We have longed 
 for this day,' he says ; ' now that we have seen it 
 with our eyes, may we give our Lord no rest until 
 He give these young Christians His grace and 
 spirit.' 
 
 His efforts on behalf of Mtesa's conversion were 
 untiring, and many a time he pleaded with him 
 earnestly to become a Christian. 
 
 The king's constant excuse now was that there 
 were so many religions he did not know which was 
 true. Mackay knew that the simple truth was 
 that he was unwilling to give up his evil ways ; and 
 one day, after the king had been talking in this 
 fashion, he knelt before him, saying, ' Mtesa, my
 
 DEATH OF MTESA'S MOTHER. 93 
 
 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, because 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.' 
 
 At the end of March, Mtesa's mother died of 
 typhoid fever. She was a bigoted old heathen, and 
 would not take any medicines from the white rneu, 
 nor allow them to come near her. Mtesa was 
 determined to bury her in great splendour, and 
 asked Mackay how they buried royalty in his 
 country. When he was told that they used three 
 coffins, the king insisted on burying his mother in 
 the same fashion. Mackay offered to make the 
 coffins, if the king would find the material; and 
 Mtesa instantly gave orders to provide everything 
 necessary from the palace stores. They had no lead 
 in the country, but all the copper pans, trays, and 
 cooking utensils were turned out for the purpose of 
 making a coffin. 
 
 The king was determined to have it as large as 
 possible, and, accordingly, Mackay made the outer 
 box twelve feet long by seven feet wide, and eight 
 feet high. This was comparatively easy work, as
 
 94 ALEXANDER MAC KAY. 
 
 the outer coffin was of wood. But the inner coffin of 
 copper cost him a terrible lot of work. With a 
 large staff to assist, many of them hindering more 
 than helping, he had a smithy built, and for days 
 there was such a hammering, boring, punching, and 
 riveting, as never before had been seen or heard in 
 Uganda. It was a whole month before the work 
 was finished, and, owing to the stupidity and laziness 
 of the natives, the bulk of the labour fell upon 
 Mackay. Meantime everything was at a standstill, 
 for the royal edict had gone forth that no one could 
 carry a load, no boat could start, nor any work be 
 done until the queen was buried. 
 
 The copper coffin was wrapped round with 
 thousands upon thousands of yards of unbleached 
 calico, and the remaining space in the outside 
 wooden box was filled up with bark cloths. The 
 value of cloth used at this single funeral was 
 estimated at 15,000. And all to bury a heathen 
 old woman. But at last everything was finished 
 and ready for the king's inspection. Mtesa expressed 
 himself immensely pleased, and ready to pay hand- 
 somely for the work. Mackay refused to make any 
 charge, upon which the king gave him a present of 
 ten head of cattle, several cows, and a hundred 
 bunches of plantains. 
 
 The Arabs and some of the chiefs were filled with 
 jealousy at Mackay's success. Totally unable them-
 
 MA CKA Y BE COMES UND ER TAKER. 9 5 
 
 selves to do any of the things that the white man 
 did, they revenged themselves by casting discredit 
 on the performance, by sneering at the time he had 
 taken to do it. Mtesa, who doubtless saw through 
 their petty jealousy, defended Mackay by asking, 
 ' Can a woman cook plantains well if you hurry her?' 
 and challenged them to say 'if such workmanship 
 could be done in the country by Baganda, or if 
 anything of the kind had ever been seen in the 
 land?' 
 
 Their next move was to try to make Mtesa 
 believe that Mackay had kept back some of the 
 wood which the king had provided, in order to build 
 his own house. 
 
 But their efforts to discredit Mackay were un- 
 successful. The king's great desire had been to have 
 a burial that would surpass anything of the kind 
 that had ever been seen. Mackay had accomplished 
 this result for him, and Mtesa was duly grateful. 
 
 In all Mackay's dreams of the methods by which 
 he would insure his popularity in Uganda, there 
 had never dawned the thought that it would be as 
 an undertaker. Truly he had become 'all things 
 to all men.'
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 BUILDING THE ' ELEANOR.' 
 
 * 
 
 Additional missionaries O'Flaherty ill A new boat Strange 
 customs The Launch of the Meaner Mtesa's death expected 
 The King dies. 
 
 ARLY in 1883 the Church Missionary 
 Society sent out two additional 
 missionaries the Eev. E. C. Gordon 
 and Mr. Wise, an artisan. Mackay 
 got word of their arrival at the south 
 end of the lake, and a short time afterwards he 
 learned that their goods had been brought by an 
 Arab boat to Ntebe. He at once got porters to carry 
 the bales to the capital, and on 24th January set 
 out for the place. 
 
 The chief of Ntebe was very friendly, and gave 
 him a present of a sheep and plantains. Mackay 
 found the districts through which he passed much 
 devastated by the plague. In their terror of this 
 unseen enemy before whom they were so powerless, 
 the natives sought no remedy but such as charms
 
 0' FLAHERTY ILL. 0? 
 
 could give, which was, of course, nil. Mackay 
 preached in many places to crowds of people, who 
 were amazed at the gracious gospel of Jesus, as 
 contrasted with the religion of the Arabs. 
 
 After more than a week's absence, he returned to 
 the capital, to find Mr. OTlaherty ill. Left alone, 
 he had been overcome with nervous depression, 
 caused by worry, and had been unable to sleep. It 
 was clear that he could not be left alone again 
 without endangering his life, so Mackay gave up his 
 intention of going himself to bring up Gordon and 
 Wise. 
 
 The good work which had begun in Uganda was 
 still going steadily on, and every day the missionaries 
 had inquirers after the truth. One day two men 
 came to see him; one a 'medicine man,' and the 
 other an old sorcerer. When the 'medicine man' 
 was extolling the virtue of his charms, the other 
 man replied : ' I had once a lot of charms like that, 
 but I threw my idols into the swamp ; for I know 
 now that there is but one God, Katonda. whom the 
 Bazungu know.' 
 
 Testimonies such as these to the success of their 
 work, cropping up in unexpected places, greatly 
 cheered and encouraged them. Mackay had been 
 thinking of returning home for a short rest, but 
 could not bring himself to leave the young Christians, 
 in whom he felt so deeply interested. Meantime, 
 7
 
 98 ALEXANDER MAC KAY. 
 
 however, the hard life was telling severely on him. 
 Already his hair was grey, and his face lined with 
 care. But his heart was as courageous, his enthusiasm 
 as great, as when first he set foot in Africa. The 
 mechanical work pressed very heavily upon him, 
 and he longed for some artisan helper to relieve 
 him. More than one had left England, but, owing 
 to one cause and another, they had never reached 
 Uganda, and Mackay was still working bravely alone. 
 Strong in faith, he took disappointments such 
 as these as being of God, as well as encourage- 
 ments. ' God knows best ; it is His work. His will 
 be done.' 
 
 The Eev. R P. Ashe arrived in May, and proved 
 to be a man after Mackay's own heart. In mind 
 and disposition he was entirely different; but in 
 burning missionary zeal he was a brother soul. 
 From the first their intercourse was of the happiest 
 kind. Each had one great end in view the salva- 
 tion of souls. Emptied of self, there was no room 
 for small jealousies and rivalries between them. 
 When Mackay's labours were blessed, Ashe rejoiced ; 
 when Ashe had the privilege of receiving the 
 converts into the visible Church, Mackay gave God 
 thanks. 
 
 A party of missionaries who had gone up the 
 country had brought from England the Eleanor, a 
 boat cut up into sections. They had left it at the
 
 STRANGE CUSTOMS. 99 
 
 south end of the Nyanza, and in the month of June 
 Mackay left Ashe and OTlaherty in charge while he 
 went to put it together. 
 
 Mackay's canoe was frail, and the Nyanza was 
 stormy. 
 
 Fever laid its terrible grasp upon our hero, and 
 prostrated him for days. Food ran short, and for 
 almost a week Mackay and his men had nothing to 
 eat. It was a long, miserable voyage; but at last 
 they reached Kagei, where they were met by Rev. 
 E. C. Gordon, whose arrival we mentioned in the 
 beginning of this chapter. 
 
 The village happened to be in mourning, owing 
 to the death of a young man, and Mackay had an 
 opportunity of witnessing a strange method of burial. 
 'The natives killed a bullock, dug a grave in the 
 court at night, and set the corpse in a sitting posture 
 in the centre of the hole. They then covered him 
 over with the fresh hide of the bullock, and filled in 
 the grave with earth, placing a stone directly on the 
 head, which was half out of the grave.' 
 
 Their first step now was to find a place where 
 they could build the Eleanor. "When a suitable spot 
 had been fouud, they were many miles away from 
 Kagei, and compelled to camp by the side of a creek. 
 Their only supper was some matama porridge, which 
 they had to serve on a newspaper and eat with their 
 fingers. Weary and hungry they lay down to rest,
 
 ioo ALEXANDER MAC KAY. 
 
 but not to sleep. All night long hyaenas howled in 
 the reedy jungle. A fearful roaring, kept up for 
 hours, made the travellers aware of the near presence 
 of a lion, and mosquitoes stung their flesh, making 
 sleep an impossibility. 
 
 Next day Mackay asked permission from the 
 chief of Urima to build his boat in the spot selected, 
 but was refused. Leave was given him to build 
 his boat at the port, and on 22nd September Mackay 
 began to put the pieces together. He was greatly 
 aided by Mr. Wise, who was a practical tinsmith, 
 and skilful in the use of all kinds of tools. But 
 even with their united efforts it was a long time 
 before they brought the little vessel into anything 
 like shape. For months it had been lying blister- 
 ing in the sun, the coverings that the missionaries 
 had left over it having been stolen. Nuts, bolts, 
 and screws were missing, and these had to be 
 manufactured anew. Planks made useless by ex- 
 posure had to be discarded, and new ones cut from 
 logs which they had to bring from a distance. 
 Meantime the chief of Urima was urging them to 
 make haste with their work, as he feared their 
 presence would keep rain from falling. 
 
 After many weeks of hard toil, the Eleanor was 
 finished and launched on the Nyanza. On 20th 
 December Mackay arrived in Uganda amid outward 
 signs, at least, of rejoicing. Bonfires were lit all along
 
 MTESA'S DEATH EXPECTED. 101 
 
 the coast, drums were beat, and crowds of natives, 
 yelling at the top of their voices, made night hideous, 
 and sleep for Mackay, who sorely needed it, impossible. 
 
 In the first half of the year 1884 the prospects of 
 the Mission were most encouraging. The number 
 of inquirers after the truth increased, and from 
 time to time they had new converts confessing 
 their faith openly, and being baptized. It seemed 
 as if Mackay and his friends had weathered the 
 storm, and were now to find their work go on 
 uninterrupted. In the midst of their prosperity, 
 however, one cloud of apprehension hung over 
 them, namely, the probable death of Mtesa. 
 
 Mtesa gave no signs of a changed life, but not- 
 withstanding this, he continued friendly -to the 
 missionaries. Unfortunately, this feeling was not 
 shared by his chiefs. Without the intelligence of 
 Mtesa to enable them to distinguish the false from 
 the true, they had drunk in the Arab falsehoods 
 concerning the white men as if they had been 
 truth. As a consequence, they looked with hatred 
 and suspicion upon the missionaries, and merely 
 waited their opportunity to give practical effect to 
 their dislike. 
 
 So long as Mtesa was alive they were kept in 
 check by his strong arm, and compelled outwardly, 
 at least, to respect Mackay and his brethren. But 
 Mtesa was gradually growing more delicate, and
 
 102 ALEXANDER MACK AY. 
 
 already there were signs in the air that his chiefs 
 were expecting his death. A feeling, vague but 
 disquieting, crept over the missionaries that the 
 peace which they were enjoying was the calm that 
 often comes before a storm. ' Our future is in God's 
 hands alone/ Mackay writes ; ' but I think we are 
 justified in using every lawful means to help to 
 secure protection for our Mission in case of emer- 
 gency.' Fearing an attack on the mission-house, 
 the efforts of the missionaries were directed towards 
 organising various centres in the houses of Christians 
 where the young church could meet and support 
 each other, even if their teachers were killed or 
 dispersed. Mackay was also busy fitting machinery 
 into the Eleanor, making new houses for his brethren, 
 and printing copies of the Gospels for circulation 
 against the persecution which he felt approaching. 
 
 Meantime the king was daily growing more feeble, 
 and on 29th October 1884 the announcement was 
 made that he was dead.
 
 CHAPTEE XII. 
 
 KING MWANGA. 
 
 Mtesa's funeral Mwanga chosen King Converts put to death 
 The Church growing Insecurity of the new King Mwanga 
 takes action False promises. 
 
 HE news reached Mackay while he 
 was at Lake Nyanza repairing the 
 boat. As if to confirm his fears of 
 the change that would happen when 
 Mtesa died, he received word that 
 four men whom he had sent to the capital had been 
 stripped of their clothing, and compelled to run for 
 their lives. This looked suspiciously like the 
 beginning of persecution, and it was well that the 
 boat was now in thorough repair and ready to 
 receive his brethren should they have to flee from 
 the capital. He waited anxiously for further tidings, 
 but no one came to tell him how his friends fared. 
 
 Next day a hundred soldiers carne from the prime 
 minister to bring Mackay to the palace, for the 
 purpose of making the king's coffin. Until the 
 
 103
 
 104 
 
 ALEXANDER MACKAY. 
 
 dead king was buried, his successor did not really 
 begin to reign. There was, therefore, urgent demand 
 for the coffin to be made at once. 
 
 With ready good nature, and hoping to favourably 
 
 THE TOMB OF MTESA. 
 
 dispose the prime minister and chiefs towards him, 
 Mackay worked so hard at his task that next day 
 the coffin was finished. According to the lato
 
 M 'WANG A CHOSEN KING. 105 
 
 king's wish, they buried him without pomp, after 
 which they proceeded to elect his successor. 
 
 In the hope of retaining the real power in his 
 own hands, the prime minister, a crafty, treacherous 
 heathen, was in favour of electing a little boy as 
 king. This proposal caused such discontent and 
 threatenings of rebellion that it was abandoned, 
 and Mwanga was chosen as king. He was a young 
 man about seventeen years of age, Mtesa's son, and 
 very like his father. Unfortunately, he had all his 
 father's vices, without his virtues; all his vanity, 
 without his intelligence. When the news of his 
 election first reached the missionaries, they felt 
 thankful. As a boy he had come often about the 
 mission-house, and had promised to show them every 
 favour when he came to the throne. When they 
 heard further that the princess chosen to be ' maiden 
 queen ' was one of their girl converts, they thought 
 that good times were in store for them. 
 
 Accordingly they were surprised when they made 
 their first visit to the king, to find themselves 
 refused admittance. Fearing to provoke him by 
 seeking an interview immediately, Mackay went 
 back to the lake to put the finishing touches to the 
 boat. On his return some days after, he was in- 
 formed by Mr. Ashe that some of the chiefs had 
 accused him to the king of departing without leave. 
 The Arabs, too, had been busy making mischief,
 
 106 ALEXANDER MACK AY. 
 
 and said that he was- off on a plundering expedition, 
 and fortifying his boat for war. The king had given 
 orders to have his movements watched. 
 
 In November Mackay and Ashe had an audience 
 of Mwanga. They had taken presents in their 
 hands to conciliate him, but, notwithstanding, they 
 were received haughtily. He was reclining on a 
 splendid leopard skin. A large mirror was placed 
 in front of him, and in his hand he held a smaller 
 one. To impress the missionaries with a sense of 
 his importance, he declined to speak with them 
 then, but ordered them to wait upon him in a short 
 time. At the next reception they ' found him re- 
 clining on some rich carpets which the Arabs had 
 given him.' He was ready to talk, but in a bullying 
 fashion which Mackay found hard to bear. 
 
 In January 1885 Mackay got leave from Mwanga 
 to go to Kagei with letters. The prime minister also 
 graciously gave his consent, and presented him with 
 two goats as food for the voyage. On the 30th, 
 Mackay, Ashe, and two boys started to walk to the 
 port. Just as they were entering a thick forest, a 
 band of armed men, headed by a Mohammedan 
 chief, sprang out on them and ordered them back. 
 The boys were pinioned, and the missionaries' 
 walking-sticks their only weapons were rudely 
 taken away. Before they were thus attacked they 
 had walked three hours' journey. Sick at heart
 
 CONVERTS PUT TO DEATH. 107 
 
 and jaded in body, they were marched back to the 
 capital without any explanation of the assault. 
 When they arrived near the mission-house, Mack ay 
 and Ashe were ordered to go home, but the boys 
 were marched further on. Fearing that the boys 
 might suffer violence, Mackay and Ashe hurried off 
 to the katikiro (prime minister) to demand an 
 explanation of the outrage. To their astonishment, 
 this ruffian, who had hypocritically seemed to befriend 
 them, now refused to hear them. Flying into a 
 great passion, he ordered the chief who had com- 
 mitted the assault to drive them out of the country 
 next day. They afterwards found out that the 
 outrage had been arranged beforehand by the 
 katikiro himself. 
 
 Filled with dread for the lives of the boys, they 
 now tried to soften the hearts of the ruffians by 
 presents. Costly gifts were sent to the king, the 
 katikiro, and the chief who had captured them, 
 begging the release of the boys. The presents were 
 accepted, but the boys were not set free. Shortly 
 afterwards the missionaries heard with horror that, 
 together with another Christian young man, the poor 
 lads had been burned to death. They met death 
 bravely, and with songs of praise. ' Daily, daily sing 
 the praises,' sang these dear lads as the flames licked 
 their bodies and scorched their flesh. The first 
 martyrs had laid down their lives for the faith in
 
 io8 ALEXANDER MACK AY. 
 
 Uganda. Unhappily, the event was but the be- 
 ginning of a reign of terror and blood. 
 
 In order to prevent a like fate overtaking the 
 other pupils, the missionaries persuaded them to flee 
 to a place of safety. They were just gone, when a 
 band of soldiers came to the mission buildings in 
 search of more Christians to burn. Writing at this 
 time, Mackay says, ' Our hearts are breaking. All 
 our Christians dispersed. We are lonely and deserted , 
 sad and sick.' 
 
 But when the first shock of horror had passed 
 away, and they began to engage in active work again, 
 their spirits revived. 'I believe,' Mackay writes 
 shortly afterwards, ' that a work has been begun in 
 Uganda which has its origin in the power of God, 
 and which never can be uprooted by all the forces of 
 evil.' Day after day Mackay and Ashe toiled at 
 printing portions of Scripture for use in times of 
 dispersion. To avoid running any unnecessary risk, 
 they had appointed various ' centres,' with an elder 
 over each, where the young converts could meet, and 
 thus avoid coming to the suspected mission -house. 
 
 In days of old, when in our own country Chris- 
 tians were daily burnt alive, and otherwise cruelly 
 persecuted, the number of converts seem as a con- 
 sequence to have always largely increased. The old 
 saying was illustrated which declared that the blood of 
 the martyrs was the seed of the Church. Something of
 
 KING M WANG A. 109 
 
 this kind now took place in Uganda. As soon as the 
 news of the martyrdom spread abroad, there was a 
 stimulated interest in the religion for which they had 
 died. The number of pupils increased largely, and 
 with death staring them in the face numbers confessed 
 Christ and were baptized. Acting on the missionaries' 
 advice, some avoided the mission-house during day- 
 light ; but as soon as it was dark, they came nocking 
 to hear the "Word of God. 
 
 Meantime the affairs of the country were in a very 
 unsettled condition. The king was entirely led by 
 the prime minister, who virtually ruled the country. 
 (The king had assured Mackay that the lads were 
 burned without his knowledge.) As we have seen, 
 the prime minister was an overbearing ruffian, fond 
 of power ; and his growing influence with the king 
 was looked upon with disfavour by many powerful 
 chiefs. Mutterings of rebellion were heard from time 
 to time, and Mwanga was terrified to leave his 
 palace, lest in his absence they should elect another 
 king. His prime minister openly robbed him of 
 two hundred cows, yet this weak monarch was afraid 
 to punish him. He lived in terror of his life, and 
 all his servants were served with gunpowder in case 
 of an attack on the palace. 
 
 Bad as matters were, Mackay knew that it was 
 his interest to keep the king in power by any 
 influence he had. If once the chiefs had the power,
 
 no ALEXANDER MA CRAY. 
 
 Mackay knew that every white man would either 
 be killed or driven out of the country. Every 
 movement that the missionaries made was jealously 
 watched. News reached them that the Eleanor had 
 been swamped, but they were not allowed to go to 
 the port to get her off. The accident distressed 
 Mackay exceedingly. In the event of persecution 
 they had looked upon their boat as an ark of safety. 
 If it was wrecked they had no longer any means 
 of escape when things came to the worst. Presents 
 were sent to the katikiro, but without avail. 
 Promises of giving permission to-morrow were made 
 each day, but never fulfilled, and it was evident that 
 he had no intention of letting them go. 
 
 Just at this time Mwanga shook off the weakness 
 that characterised him, and arrested eighteen of the 
 chiefs who were leading the rebellion. Others were 
 deposed from office, and their goods confiscated. To 
 Mackay and his friends the event seemed a provi- 
 dence. ' The king has saved himself and us by this 
 sharp stroke. God be thanked ! ' The king now 
 granted them leave to go to the port, on receiving 
 Mackay's assurance that he did not intend going to 
 Kagei. To their relief they found the Eleanor very 
 little the worse, and after a short time Mackay was 
 back at the capital once more. 
 
 Things were going on pretty smoothly. The katikiro 
 professed great friendship, and offered Mackay his
 
 FALSE PROMISES. in 
 
 daughter as wife. The king expressed himself anxious 
 that the former good feeling which existed between the 
 missionaries and the court should be renewed. Mackay 
 accepted their protestations of friendship, but in his 
 heart he put no confidence in their sincerity. On every 
 favourable opportunity he talked with the king and 
 his chiefs about the wickedness of their lives, and 
 the need they had of a new heart. The king pro- 
 fessed himself convinced, but went no further. 
 
 To the katikiro, also, Mackay spoke solemnly; 
 warning him of the punishment awaiting his sins, 
 unless repented of. He, too, appeared convinced, and 
 said he did not believe in charms, and some day he 
 would get Mackay to teach him privately about 
 religion. But that day never came.
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 UGANDA MARTYRS. 
 
 Bishop Hannington Fearing the worst Murder of the Bishop and 
 his party Mwanga's threats Mackay proposes to withdraw 
 from Uganda Arrest of Christians Alone once more. 
 
 HE storm of persecution which they 
 had been vaguely expecting and 
 dreading burst out in October 1885. 
 News reached the king from an 
 army raiding in Busoga that there were ' two white 
 men there and some more behind with a great 
 caravan.' Mackay and his friends had got word 
 that Bishop Hannington and his party had set out 
 from England some time before, and they at once 
 concluded that this was the party referred to. 
 
 Now, when the Arabs had tried to persuade 
 Mtesa that the white men meant to eat up his 
 country, he had always replied that he would believe 
 it when he saw them entering Uganda by his ' back 
 door.' The 'back door' referred to was the Masai 
 
 route,by which Bishop Hannington had, unfortunately, 
 
 112
 
 FEARING THE WORST. 115 
 
 come. The news gave great concern to Mackay and 
 Ashe, as they feared it would excite the worst sus- 
 picions of the king and chiefs, and result in bloodshed. 
 They at once sought audience of Mwanga, but he re- 
 fused to see them, and referred them to the katikiro. 
 
 Shortly afterwards they heard that the Bishop and 
 his party were prisoners and confined in the stocks, 
 and that the king had sent orders to kill every one. 
 This confirmation of their worst fears greatly dis- 
 tressed the missionaries. The thought that their 
 brethren were being butchered, and they powerless 
 to help, made their position a most trying one. 
 Mackay was unwell, but he sent Ashe with a letter 
 to the king, stating what he had heard, and imploring 
 him to countermand the dreadful order. Mwanga 
 demanded Mackay to come himself if he wanted to 
 save his friends, and, weak as he was, Mackay hurried 
 off to the palace at once. It was a mere ruse on the 
 part of the king to avoid discussing the subject, for 
 he at once set out on a shooting expedition without 
 seeing Mackay. 
 
 Sick at heart, and fearing the worst, the missionaries 
 had no alternative but to wait quietly for the issue 
 of events. Before starting on his journey, Mwanga 
 had given the executioner orders to catch Christians 
 in the capital, and they knew not but any moment 
 might find themselves prisoners. Fearing for their 
 young converts, they sent them all off to hide with 
 Christian friends until they saw how events would
 
 1 1 6 ALEX A NDER MA CRA Y. 
 
 develop. To keep themselves from brooding over 
 the possibility of Bishop Hannington and his party 
 being murdered, Mackay and Ashe toiled hard at 
 their printing - press. They were working at St. 
 Matthew's Gospel, and as Mackay wrote out the 
 revision, Ashe was kept busy setting it in type. 
 
 On 30th October the news that they had been 
 dreading reached them. Bishop Hannington and his 
 whole party had been brutally murdered. Although 
 they had been expecting it for some time, the news 
 of the actual deed filled them with horror and dismay 
 To the last they had kept hoping that something 
 would occur to prevent the carrying out of the bloody 
 deed, but now this hope was crushed, and for the 
 moment they were unmanned. In his Diary, Mackay 
 thus writes of the sad event : ' Oh, night of sorrow ! 
 What an unheard - of deed of blood ! God alone 
 knows the cause, and He alone knows what the 
 consequences will be.' 
 
 Mackay himself fully expected that he would 
 shortly follow his brethren. Tor me,' he writes, 
 ' the bitterness of death is past.' As if to confirm 
 their fears for their own safety, the missionaries got 
 word that as soon as the king knew for certain that 
 the murdered bishop was the man whom they had 
 been expecting, he meant to kill Mackay and Ashe, 
 to prevent their taking vengeance. 
 
 Even now when their lives were in jeopardy, the 
 missionaries' first thoughts were for the work of God.
 
 M WANG AS THREATS. 117 
 
 Final arrangements were made for continuing the 
 meetings of the young church in the houses of ten 
 elders, that so the good work might not be hindered 
 by their death. But while thus prepared to meet 
 death as became missionaries of Jesus Christ, they 
 were not desirous of throwing their lives away. 
 
 Acting on the advice of some Christian chiefs, and 
 a message sent them by one of Mtesa's daughters, 
 they made up huge and costly presents for the king 
 and his head men. The chiefs were delighted with 
 their presents, and vowed eternal friendship with the 
 white me-n. The king, however, flew into a great 
 passion, and demanded to know the meaning of the 
 gifts from the lips of the missionaries themselves. 
 He had tried to keep his plot to murder them a great 
 secret, and the presents showed him that it had 
 reached their ears. In response to his summons 
 Mackay and Ashe went up to the palace, fully 
 expecting to be put to death. But after bullying 
 and threatening them, in attempts to make them 
 give the names of those who had revealed his designs, 
 he let them off with a warning that if a single native 
 were found in the mission buildings, both of them 
 would be immediately put to death. With strange 
 inconsistency, he concluded this interview by order- 
 ing two cows to be given them to ' pacify their minds/ 
 
 In spite of their efforts to keep the natives from 
 coining to visit them, many young men forced their 
 way into the mission buildings for copies of the
 
 ii8 ALEXANDER MAC KAY. 
 
 Gospels. Gabunga, the young admiral of the fleet, 
 was baptized on confession of his faith in Jesus 
 Christ, and many others were at this time emboldened 
 to confess Christ. Various plots were hatched against 
 the missionaries, but from one cause and another they 
 were always frustrated. As soon as they heard of 
 any fresh plot to take their lives, they showed the 
 king that they knew of it. Such was his moral 
 cowardice, that as soon as he heard that the scheme 
 was discovered he at once denied it, and gave them 
 presents to prove that he liked the white men. 
 
 At other times he was insolent, and vowed to put 
 them to death in defiance of the Queen of England 
 and all Europe. A favourite page, who had 
 ventured to say it was wrong to kill the bishop, 
 was at once carried off and roasted alive. Mackay 
 now felt that it would be a wise thing to withdraw 
 the Mission from Uganda for a while. Unfor- 
 tunately, however, it was not possible to effect an 
 escape, so closely were they watched. Indeed, the 
 king declared that he would not allow them to go, if 
 seventy letters came from England for them. With 
 cool impudence he gave as his reason, ' A great king 
 like me should never be without a man of skill to 
 do work for him.' 
 
 Sunday, 23rd May 1886, was a memorable day 
 in the history of the Uganda Mission. The day was 
 wet, and with the fear of the king hanging over
 
 ARREST OF CHRISTIANS. 119 
 
 them, the missionaries did not expect many natives 
 to attend the service. To their surprise there was a 
 large congregation, and a man and woman were married 
 in Christian fashion. Without being asked, Nua, one 
 of the converts, engaged in earnest prayer, the whole 
 congregation following him. As if some feeling of 
 approaching disaster hung over the assembly, the 
 service was a particularly impressive and solemn one. 
 Next day Mwanga gave orders to arrest all the 
 Christians. Soldiers were sent scouring all over 
 the place in search of converts, and many of the 
 brightest Christians were carried off for execution. 
 Eleven were put to death the first day, after 
 horrible mutilation. This was, however, but the 
 beginning of the reign of terror. Every day fresh 
 batches of Christians, young men and boys chiefly, 
 were first tortured and then roasted alive, and 
 hundreds more were waiting the same fate. Filled 
 with horror at these deeds, his heart bursting with 
 pity for the noble young martyrs, Mackay tried by 
 every means in his power to get the king to stop 
 the persecution. He promised to show his people 
 how to make cartridges; to construct a loom and 
 spinning jenny, and to weave some cloth expressly 
 for him. Mwanga as good as promised to release 
 those who were not already executed ; but, a few 
 days after, thirty of the missionaries' best converts 
 were slowly burned alive.
 
 rao ALEXANDER MACKAY. 
 
 It moves one almost to tears to read that these black 
 Christians prayed to God in the fire, and met death 
 so fearlessly, and even joyfully, that the executioner 
 said ' he had never killed such brave people before.' 
 
 The Christian community was now dispersed. 
 Those who had escaped imprisonment and death 
 were in hiding, and during the daytime the Mission 
 buildings were deserted. In the darkness of night 
 these persecuted Christians crept to the mission- 
 house for prayer and reading of the Scriptures, and 
 to comfort one another. Strange as it may seem, 
 the number of converts was greater at this time 
 than it had been before. Many powerful chiefs were 
 among those who embraced Christianity, and every 
 night fresh members were brought forward for baptism. 
 
 Mackay was now fully persuaded that it was the 
 duty of the British Government to interfere. So long 
 as it was merely the lives of the missionaries that 
 were in danger, he was willing to take the risk ; but 
 now he says there was presented to Europe, not 
 an appeal of the heathen for the gospel, but 'the 
 eloquent, unremitting appeal of severed limbs and 
 writhing bodies for help and deliverance from their 
 persecutors.' For himself he was now anxious to 
 get out of the country as speedily as possible, as he 
 thought it would be the first thing to bring Mwanga 
 to his senses. Time after time he sought permission 
 to leave, but was refused. Had he cared to write
 
 ALONE ONCE MORE. 121 
 
 for new men to take his place, he believed that the 
 prospect of them bringing presents would have 
 induced the king to let him go. But in the 
 disturbed state of the country he felt that to invite 
 missionaries to Uganda was inviting them into a 
 trap and certain death, and he shrank from this 
 method of escape. 
 
 Failing to get permission for all of them to leave 
 together, Mackay, with beautiful unselfishness, now 
 asked that Mr. Ashe should be allowed to go. Mr. 
 'Flaherty had left eight months earlier, and before 
 persecution had broken out. In August 1886 the 
 king granted permission for Ashe to leave, and 
 Mackay was thus left alone. You will find it hard to 
 realise that any man could deliberately choose to 
 send away his only English companion, in such a 
 time of trial and darkness. You know how much 
 more easily you can face danger when a companion 
 is wi '.: you, and how difficult it is to face hardship 
 alone. And when you remember that Mackay was 
 in an out-of-the-way country in the very heart of 
 Africa, cut off from intercourse with Europeans 
 except at intervals of months ; that he was entirely 
 at the mercy of a bloodthirsty black savage, and 
 with sufficient work on his hands to employ a dozen 
 missionaries, you will see that the man whose story 
 I am telling must have been in many respects one 
 of the bravest men that this century has produced.
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 GOOD-BYE TO UGANDA. 
 
 Arab intrigues The King's refusal for Mackay to leave Uganda A 
 Chief's testimony Emin Pacha's Relief Expedition Permission 
 to leave granted ' Good-bye.' 
 
 jFTEE, Mr. Ashe left, Mackay's position 
 was a very trying one. From the 
 beginning of the Mission the Arabs 
 had, as we know, looked jealously 
 upon him as teaching that slavery 
 was wrong, and thus threatening to deprive them 
 of their most lucrative trade. But besides the slave 
 traffic, the Arabs carried on a large trade in cloth. 
 Now that Mackay was engaged in constructing 
 spinning looms, and teaching the natives to make 
 cloth for themselves, their rage knew no bounds. If 
 things went on at this rate, it was clear that they 
 would soon lose the influence in the country which 
 had been theirs for generations, and a profitable 
 source of revenue would be cut off. 
 
 Mtesa was intelligent enough to see that the Arabs, 
 122
 
 ARAB INTRIGUES. 123 
 
 in traducing Mackay, were fighting for their own 
 interests ; and as long as he lived the missionaries' 
 position was secure. For although he pretended 
 occasionally to accept their evil reports in good 
 faith, it was simply to extort more service and 
 favours from Mackay and his friends, and to serve as 
 an excuse for not practising the Christian doctrines 
 which his heart persuaded him were from God. 
 
 As I have told you before, his son Mwanga had 
 all his father's vices without his good qualities, all 
 his cunning without his intelligence, and his blood- 
 thirsty nature without his capacity for genuine 
 friendship. If Mackay and Ashe had hitherto 
 escaped his cruelty, it was simply because he 
 feared the vengeance that Great Britain would 
 visit upon him for their death. For the mission- 
 aries themselves or the gospel that they proclaimed, 
 there is no reason for believing he had the smallest 
 regard. Consequently, Mackay's life was in con- 
 stant danger. He knew not the moment when 
 Mwanga, worked up to fury by Arab misrepre- 
 sentations, would abandon prudence, and, heedless 
 of consequences, take his life. Now that Ashe had 
 gone, the Arabs redoubled their efforts to get rid 
 of the other white man. If he could be got out 
 of the country without violence, well and good; if 
 no other way was open, they were prepared to kill 
 him.
 
 1 2 4 ALEXANDER MA CKA Y. 
 
 Mackay was at this time quite willing to leave 
 Uganda, at least for a time. He had already re- 
 mained in Africa far beyond the period during which 
 a European can live there without ruining his health. 
 His friends in England and Scotland were writing 
 urging him to take a holiday ; and worn out as 
 he was with the climate, hard work, and terrible 
 anxiety, he would gladly have turned his face 
 homewards. With ignorant perverseness, however, 
 the king absolutely refused to let him go, although 
 the Arabs goaded him with such evil reports of 
 Mackay's designs, that he was at times with diffi- 
 culty restrained from taking his life. He had 
 never yet confessed to having murdered Bishop 
 Hannington, but he knew very well that the crime 
 was laid at his door; and it is probable that his 
 refusal to let Mackay leave was the fear that he 
 would send an army to punish him for the cruel 
 deed. 
 
 Mackay felt the loss of Mr. Ashe keenly. As 
 an antidote against the feelings of loneliness and 
 melancholy, which his isolated position induced, he 
 worked harder than ever. Ashe had shared in the 
 work of printing and binding the Gospel. Mackay 
 now endeavoured to overtake single-handed the work 
 which both had found enough to keep them fully 
 occupied. Exertion such as this taxed his strength 
 severely, and it is not surprising to find him
 
 A CHIEF'S TESTIMONY, 125 
 
 writing, 'This work, with the packing and giving 
 medicines to the Christians ordered off to war, and 
 sitting up to all hours teaching housefuls, has 
 thoroughly exhausted me. I am almost entirely 
 broken down with fatigue and anxiety and want 
 of sleep.' Every weakness of body and discourage- 
 ment, every personal feeling were forgotten, however, 
 when evidences cropped up from time to time that 
 the gospel was making way into the hearts and 
 lives of the natives. 'I was astonished,' he says, 
 ' to hear Wakili explaining to some other chiefs 
 that " we Europeans are striving only for the good 
 and peace of Africa, and that our religion led us to 
 spread ideas of mutual love and friendship among men 
 and nations." This from a heathen is wonderful.' 
 
 The spread of Christianity was looked upon with 
 jealousy and hostility by King Mwanga and his 
 Arab advisers. Mackay felt sure that he was 
 planning another massacre of Christians, from his 
 frequent outbursts of passion. He says that Mwanga 
 was restrained by ' our dear and ever-present Lord.' 
 Evidence of his feelings were supplied when one 
 day, after growling that he would not have Mackay 
 teach his people, he took an Arab dirk, and brandish- 
 ing it, said, ' Thus will I kill any Muzungu ! ' (white 
 man). The queen-mother was at this time very 
 friendly towards Mackay, and even the katikiro, his 
 old enemy, opposed a proposal to put him to death.
 
 1 2 6 ALEXANDER MA CKA Y. 
 
 Baffled in his schemes of active violence, the king 
 had recourse to offering sacrifices to his gods, in 
 order to 'bewitch the Christians.' Mackay could 
 afford to smile at this, but it was an indication to 
 him that trouble was brewing. 
 
 Matters were brought to a crisis by the news that 
 reached Uganda of the Emin Pacha expedition, and 
 Stanley's intention of coming to meet Mackay. One 
 of the French priests had warned the king that if 
 Stanley and Mackay met, they would lay their heads 
 together to ' eat the country.' This warning, coming 
 as it did from a white man, put the king in a great 
 state of excitement. ' Had it come from the Arabs,' 
 he remarked, ' he would have put it down to enmity ; 
 but coming from a white man it must be true.' 
 
 Mwanga had several conferences with his chiefs 
 to discuss the subject. The result of their councils 
 was a decision that Mackay should leave Uganda. 
 During this time Mackay was much disturbed in 
 mind. He was anxious about the future of the 
 Mission, and unwilling to leave the country without 
 arranging for a successor. But he felt it unwise 
 to struggle longer against the inevitable, and resolved 
 to wait the issue of events patiently. Writing 
 home at this time, he says : ' The whole case I have 
 given into the hands of our Master, whose we are. 
 Whatever way He will lead, I am prepared to 
 follow.'
 
 PERMISSION TO LEAVE. 127 
 
 Finally it was decided that Mackay must go, 
 and many expressions of regret were given vent to 
 by the chiefs. The katikiro declared himself un- 
 willing to consent, and the king hypocritically, we 
 must believe expressed his regret at Mackay's 
 decision. 
 
 Mackay had consented to leave Uganda, but he 
 did all in his power to prevent the Mission from 
 breaking up. The Arabs had strongly urged that 
 it should be entirely abandoned, but the king granted 
 permission to leave the buildings in charge of some 
 of the young converts. The king and his chiefs 
 professed themselves anxious to have another 
 missionary to take his place ; and Mackay determined 
 not to go unless a party were sent with him to the 
 south end of the lake to bring back Mr. Gordon. 
 This was not so easily accomplished. The Arabs, 
 who had been delighted at the prospect of getting 
 rid of Mackay, were wild at the thought of his 
 place being filled by another hated white man. 
 They tried by every means in their power to prevent 
 this most undesirable event, but, after many delays, 
 permission was granted, and a party made up to 
 bring Mr. Gordon to Uganda. 
 
 At last all his arrangements were completed, and 
 on 21st July 1887 Mackay started for Lake Nyanza, 
 His departure was made the occasion for great 
 demonstrations of friendship. A number of chiefs
 
 128 ALEXANDER MACK AY. 
 
 begged parting souvenirs, and in return gave him 
 presents in token of their goodwill. The king sent 
 presents and a message that he was to return soon. 
 The Christian converts were sorely troubled at the 
 prospect of losing their friend and teacher. They 
 feared another time of persecution as soon as 
 Mackay had gone; but were somewhat comforted 
 by Mackay's assurance, that he was not going back 
 to Europe, but only to remain for some time at 
 the south end of the lake. 
 
 The parting at the lake was a sad one, and doubt- 
 less Mackay was conscious of strange feelings 
 stirring in his breast as he turned away from the 
 country where he had spent nine eventful years. 
 Great changes had passed over him since first he 
 landed here. Then he was a mere youth, full of 
 restless impulse urging him forward to wrest the 
 Dark Continent from the Prince of Darkness, to lay 
 it at the feet of his dearly-loved Lord and Master. 
 Since then he had painfully discovered that Satan's 
 kingdom, rooted for ages, cannot be overturned in 
 a day ; and that savages, cradled in lust and super- 
 stition, are not to be won for Christ without years of 
 toilsome effort. During the years he had spent in 
 Uganda he had had much to discourage him, many 
 things to damp his ardour. But his faith had never 
 really faltered in the ultimate triumph of the Cross, 
 the desire to hasten that triumph had never ceased
 
 GOOD-BYE. 129 
 
 to burn in his heart. For nine years he had toiled 
 with unflagging energy for this end ; he had lived 
 meanly and fared coarsely, but not a murmur of 
 regret at the ingratitude that had rewarded his 
 e (forts passed his lips, not a resentful feeling rankled 
 in his breast. 
 
 As he stepped aboard his little vessel, he looked a 
 grave, worn-out man. But his loyalty to Christ was 
 as steady, his purpose to set up His kingdom in the 
 Dark Land as firm, as when he had first stepped 
 ashore in November 1878. Now as then his one 
 desire was to save men, his watchword, 'Africa for 
 Christ ! '
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 FRIENDS AND FELLOW-WORKERS. 
 
 A fresh field for work Sudden death of Bishop Parker and Mr. 
 Blackburn H. M. Stanley's Stores Revolt in Uganda Mwauga 
 in trouble Three weeks with Stanley. 
 
 BEFORE following Mackay to the new 
 station where he took up again the 
 work temporarily interrupted by 
 his ejection from Uganda, we must 
 turn back and glance at Messrs. 
 Gordon and Walker, who were now occupying his 
 place. 
 
 Mackay had judged rightly in thinking that his 
 absence would be the thing to bring Mwanga to his 
 senses. He had barely left before everybody began 
 to miss him, and wish he were back. For many 
 years he had figured prominently in the affairs of 
 the country. Nothing of any importance was done 
 without his advice, and when any difficulty cropped 
 up, it had been to the Muzungu that they had always 
 turned for help. Now that he had actually gone 
 
 130
 
 A FRESH FIELD FOR WORK. 131 
 
 away, they discovered how foolishly they had acted 
 in dismissing their best friend. 
 
 After working bravely and well for some months 
 alone, Mr. Gordon was joined by Mr. Walker, and 
 together they reaped the fruits of Mackay's years of 
 unselfish, consecrated labour. The young church, 
 founded in times of persecution, had not dwindled 
 away after their teacher left them, but had grown 
 and prospered. On all hands there was now a keen 
 interest in Christianity. This was shown by the 
 ready sale that Mr. Gordon had for copies of the 
 Gospels, and by the cheering appearance of as many 
 as two hundred at the Sunday services. 
 
 To Mr. Walker it was a wonderful sight this 
 church in Uganda, and he thus writes home: 
 ' Really Ashe, Mackay, and the others, have, by the 
 grace of God, done a glorious work here. ... It 
 would seem a terrible disaster if anything happened 
 to compel this Mission to be given up ... the people 
 seem so much in earnest. . . . We really ought, by 
 the grace of God, to do a great work here; our 
 predecessors have laid such a good foundation.' 
 
 When last we saw Mackay, he was stepping on 
 board the Eleanor to begin his voyage to the south end 
 of Lake Nyanza. Our next glimpse of him is at 
 Usambiro, a vast country north of Msalala. He had 
 met with a good many adventures in his wanderings 
 in search of a station, but had at last fallen in with
 
 i 3 2 ALEXANDER MAC KAY. 
 
 a friendly chief. In his territory he therefore 
 established himself, and set about the arduous work 
 of planting a new mission station. 
 
 Single-handed as he was, he was cheered by the 
 thought that a few weeks would bring a fresh batch 
 of missionaries from England. The thought of 
 intercourse with Christian brethren spurred him to 
 unusual exertions, and when about Christmas they 
 arrived, he had a house ready for them and things in 
 some kind of order. 
 
 Bishop Parker headed the band of five men who 
 now came to cheer Mackay's solitary life ; and, to his 
 great joy, his old friend and fellow-missionary Ashe 
 was among the number. 
 
 A few happy weeks were spent together by the 
 missionary band, notes were compared, work was 
 done, plans were laid, and all looked forward with 
 eagerness to the work opening up before them. But 
 suddenly Bishop Parker and Mr. Blackburn were 
 stricken down with fever, and died within a fortnight 
 of each other. There was no time to make coffins. 
 Wrapped simply in fine bark cloth, the second 
 Bishop of Equatorial Africa and his fellow-labourer 
 were buried side by side. 
 
 King Mwanga had written to Mackay, asking him 
 to send on Mr. Walker to Uganda; another had 
 departed to take up work at a different station ; and 
 only Ashe and Mackay were left, out of the band of
 
 H. M. STANLEY'S STORES. 
 
 '33 
 
 six. Shortly afterwards Mr. Ashe was compelled 
 by bad health to return to England, and Mackay 
 was once more left alone. Again this devoted soldier 
 of Jesus set himself to the work of teaching, trans- 
 lating, printing, binding, doctoring, and building, just 
 as he had done for so many years in Uganda. Pressed 
 by friends writing from home urging him to take a 
 
 II. M. STANLEY. 
 
 rest, he would fain at times have yielded to their 
 solicitations. But something always happened which 
 seemed to make it impossible for him to leave, and 
 his long-dreamed-of holiday seemed now as far off 
 as ever. 
 
 To add to his responsibility, Stanley, who was now 
 mnrching home from the Emm Pacha Eelief Expedi-
 
 I 3 4 ALEXANDER MA CRAY. 
 
 tion, had sent on a lot of bales and boxes to be taken 
 care of. A three days' war broke out at Usambiro, 
 and Mackay was in terror that the relief stores 
 would be plundered in the event of the enemy being 
 victorious. During these three days he and his 
 men were armed to the teeth, and prepared to 
 defend their Mission station and property with 
 their lives. Fortunately the enemy were defeated, 
 and after burning several villages and killing a few 
 men they departed, much to Mackay's relief. 
 
 Shortly after this Mackay was startled by the 
 appearance of Gordon and Walker at Usambiro, 
 worn out in body and sad at heart. From them 
 he heard the startling news that Uganda was in 
 revolt, and Mwanga deposed from his throne. From 
 the beginning of his reign there had been secret 
 dissatisfaction with his wholesale robberies and 
 selfish ways. Lately he had been found out in a 
 plot to ship his bodyguard to a desert island in the 
 Nyanza, and leave them to die of starvation. Open 
 revolt at once took place, a new king was elected, 
 and Mwanga had to flee for his life, accompanied 
 only by a few women and boys. He was now at 
 Magu, on the south end of the lake, without stores, 
 and dependent upon the Arabs who had fleeced him 
 of everything. 
 
 From here he wrote a humble letter to Mackay 
 begging his help to get back his throne, and assuring
 
 M WANG A IN TROUBLE. 135 
 
 him that he had repented of his wicked life, and 
 was now a changed man. Mackay had not much 
 faith in his promises of amendment, but he felt 
 sorry for the wretched king, and wrote inviting him 
 to Usambiro. For present needs he sent him a 
 present of cloth and a body of men to bring him 
 away. But Mwanga was a terrible coward, and 
 fearing that the Arabs would pursue him he would 
 not stir without Mackay's personal protection. 
 Mwanga now begged of him to take him away, 
 even if he sent him to Europe, or preferred to kill 
 him. 
 
 Mackay saw, however, that to show any personal 
 sympathy for the deposed king might excite the 
 jealousy and suspicions of the chiefs of Uganda, and 
 seriously injure the prospects of the Mission. Much 
 as he pitied the wretched man, he could not there- 
 fore go to bring him away, but in token of his 
 sympathy he sent two additional supplies of cloth 
 Cor his wants. I may as well state here that 
 Mwanga managed to escape to a Roman Catholic 
 Mission station, where he professed to be converted, 
 and was baptized by the French priests in charge. 
 After many ups and downs, and various humiliations, 
 he was restored to his kingdom, to find, however, 
 that the real power had passed into the hands of 
 the Christians, and that he himself was a king only 
 in name. Many of the Christians who had fied
 
 136 ALEXANDER MACK AY. 
 
 from Uganda during the revolt were now with 
 Mackay, and helping him in his work in various 
 ways. Mr. Walker had gone to another station, but 
 Mr. Gordon remained to comfort Mackay by his 
 fellowship, and assist him greatly in the regular 
 work of the Mission. 
 
 Stanley had arrived and spent some time with 
 Mackay. He was greatly impressed with the work 
 that had been accomplished. Speaking of the 
 Christians who had fled from Uganda, and were 
 now working under Mackay, he writes : ' I take this 
 powerful body of native Christians in the heart of 
 Africa who prefer exile for the sake of their faith 
 to serving a monarch indifferent or hostile to their 
 faith as more substantial evidence of the work of 
 Mackay than any number of imposing structures 
 clustered together and called a Mission station would 
 be. These native Africans have endured the most 
 deadly persecutions. The stake and the fire, the 
 cord and the club, the sharp knife and the rifle- 
 bullet have all been tried to cause them to reject 
 the teachings they have absorbed. Staunch in their 
 beliefs, firm in their convictions, they have held 
 together stoutly and resolutely; and Mackay and 
 Ashe may point to these with a righteous pride as 
 the results of their labours/ 
 
 Of Mackay himself Stanley conceived the highest 
 regard and admiration. In all respects he was the
 
 THREE WEEKS WITH STANLEY. 137 
 
 ideal missionary whom he had in his mind, when he 
 sent Mtesa's message to the people of England. He 
 spoke of Mackay in his letters as the greatest 
 missionary since Dr. Livingstone; and this from 
 Stanley was highest praise. 
 
 Mackay, for his part, had always been an admirer 
 of Stanley. More than once he had written home, 
 defending the great explorer from the adverse 
 criticism that was passed upon his methods by a 
 number of people in Great Britain. A personal 
 acquaintance with Stanley did not lessen iNt 
 strengthen the esteem he had always felt for him. 
 ' I must say,' he writes, ' that I enjoyed Mr. Stanley's 
 company during his short stay here. He is some- 
 times unsparing in his criticisms on men and their 
 actions ; but being a man of strong resolution, he 
 naturally has little patience with feebleness or 
 vacillation in others. He is a man of iron will and 
 sound judgment, and besides is most patient with 
 the natives. He never allows any one of his 
 followers to oppress or even insult a native: I am 
 certain that he only resorted to arms when all other 
 means failed. I much fear that those who condemn 
 him most know him least, nor do they probably 
 know anything of the difficulties of African travel. 
 His officers show a fine spirit of prompt and cheerful 
 obedience to orders.' 
 
 For three weeks Mackay enjoyed the company of
 
 138 ALEXANDER MACK AY, 
 
 Stanley and the members of his expedition, and on 
 the 17th September 1889 the expedition set out for 
 England. 
 
 Stanley and his party urged Mackay to come 
 with them, but, true to his sense of duty, with 
 a stern fidelity which almost moves one to tears, 
 he refused to leave his post. When some one was 
 ready to take his place, he would gladly come home 
 to recruit ; till then he must hold the fort alone. 
 
 It is a sad picture this of Mackay bidding good- 
 bye to Stanley and his officers. They were going 
 back to ' European platforms and royal receptions ; ' 
 he to darkest Africa and a life of privation. While 
 they were being feted and feasted in Great Britain, 
 and welcomed as heroes, he would be toiling, a 
 lonely man among savages. It was only for a little 
 while. A little more hard work, a few more priva- 
 tions, and then this noble soldier of God would have 
 his welcome home and royal reception. But it 
 would not be in earthly courts and palaces, and 
 before the monarchs of Europe. His triumph was 
 awaiting him on the eternal shore, his ' well done ' 
 would be spoken in the palace of the King of 
 kings.
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 LAST DAYS. 
 
 Last few months of Mackay's life A Railway wanted First symptoms 
 of illness Mackay's death News received in England Re- 
 newed missionary efforts. 
 
 HE last few months of Mackay's life 
 were months of exhausting toil. 
 He had resolved to build a steam 
 launch, and thus describes the 
 progress of his work : ' I have been 
 toiling at the forge and lathe, and have got our 
 steam arrangements far on to completion. The 
 three-cylinder engine and two steam pumps and 
 injector stand all ready fitted for the boiler. The 
 main boiler shell is also carefully jointed and riveted 
 together, and so is the fire-box. Eut that has been 
 a most serious job, as these years of knocking about 
 have thrown all the shells terribly out of shape, 
 rendering them steely and brittle. Many new parts 
 had to be made, and rivets by the hundred. 
 
 It was only in spare hours that he could do this 
 
 109
 
 1 40 ALEXANDER MACK AY. 
 
 kind of work. The regular mission routine of 
 teaching, translating, printing, binding, and giving 
 out medicine, filled up the best part of each day. 
 But with mind and body thus fully occupied with 
 duties and responsibilities around him, he yet found 
 time to write home stirring letters setting forth 
 Africa's claims upon Christians and the urgency of 
 her needs. 
 
 ' Eagerly I long for a strong batch of good men for 
 the work,' he cries impetuously ; and again : ' Our 
 people are most urgent that we should plant stations 
 all over Uganda, not merely at the capital ; and no 
 one will hinder us if we had only the men.' To 
 save others from the hardships and loneliness that 
 he had suffered, his idea was to plant large stations 
 at various accessible places on the coast, well 
 equipped, and with powers to act independently of 
 the home committees, if occasion required. The 
 missionary toiling in Central Africa would thus not 
 have the feeling of isolation that proved so terrible 
 at times. He could keep up constant intercourse 
 with his brethren by this means, and secure their 
 help comparatively easily in a time of need. 
 
 Another of Mackay's pet ideas was the construc- 
 tion of a light railway from the coast to the lake. 
 He foresaw in this scheme carried out, a great 
 development of Christian missions and European 
 trading. The Arabs, with their religion and slave
 
 A RAILWAY WANTED. 141 
 
 trade, were the ruin of the country By a railway 
 established, white men would find a footing, European 
 traders would displace the Arabs, and, as a natural 
 consequence, slavery would be banished. To-day 
 the railway is being constructed, and Mackay's 
 dream will soon be an accomplished fact. 
 
 When Stanley saw Mackay he was surprised to 
 find him looking well and strong, after so many 
 years of African climate and hard work. There 
 were then no indications in his appearance that his 
 life was neariug its close, and there is no reason for 
 thinking that he himself felt any premonition of his 
 approaching death. Although toiling every day far 
 beyond his strength, from early morning to sunset, 
 and sometimes working far on into the night, trans- 
 lating the Scriptures and writing letters, he felt in 
 excellent health and spirits. 
 
 Mr. Deekes from the Church Missionary Society 
 had now joined him, and he declares that till 
 within a few days of his death he was ' as jovial and 
 well' as he had ever known him to be. When 
 Deekes remonstrated with him for working so hard, 
 his reply was that the great secret of health in 
 Africa was to keep oneself fully occupied.' But to 
 the anxious eye of his friend, it was all too evident 
 that, worn out in body and mind as he was, he was 
 ill fitted to withstand the fevers with which they 
 were constantly threatened.
 
 142 ALEXANDER MACRAE. 
 
 His first symptom of illness was a cold in the 
 head, caught by working at his steam boiler in a 
 draughty shed. There was at first nothing alarming 
 in his symptoms, and despite his cold he busied 
 himself in making arrangements for Deekes leaving 
 for England. 
 
 On the day fixed for Mr. Deekes' departure, he 
 found Mackay in bed in the 'hot stage of fever.' 
 Attached as he had become to him, Deekes could not 
 leave Mackay alone in sickness ; and so, dismissing 
 the men who had been engaged to carry his loads, 
 he took up his position by Mackay's side, hoping 
 that a few days would see his fellow-missionary him- 
 self again. On the next day he was delirious. Dur- 
 ing the deliriums he talked wholly in English, and 
 constantly asked 'it' Stanley and his party were 
 being properly entertained and made comfortable.' 
 The fever had now assumed alarming symptoms, and 
 Mr. Deekes feared the worst. No help could be 
 had; and four days later, on the 8th February 1890, 
 the brave, the devoted, missionary hero of Uganda 
 entered the presence chamber of the King of kings. 
 
 A coffin was hastily made of the wood he had 
 prepared for the boat, and at two o'clock on the 
 following Sunday Mr. Deekes buried him by the 
 shores of the Nyanza which he had loved so well. 
 ' The Baganda Christians and the boys of the village 
 stood around the grave, and I began to read the
 
 NEWS RECEIVED IN ENGLAND. 143 
 
 burial service, but broke down with grief and weak- 
 ness. The boys and the Baganda Christians sang 
 the hymn, " All hail the power of Jesus' name," and 
 we returned to the house. Never shall I forget that 
 day.' 
 
 The news of Mackay's death caused great grief in 
 this country. Stanley's letters home had made 
 everybody familiar with the brave young Scotsman, 
 and his marvellous work in Uganda ; and his death 
 seemed something like a national loss. 
 
 During the last years of his life Mackay had been 
 greatly vexed by the want of interest in foreign 
 missions displayed by the Christians of Great Britain. 
 But his death, more than anything else, perhaps, 
 was the means of stirring up the Churches to a sense 
 of their responsibility in the salvation of the heathen. 
 This has been evinced in a general ' forward move- 
 ment ' among the large missionary societies. Many 
 of the best students at our universities have given 
 themselves up to foreign mission work. The 
 Church Missionary Society propose putting one 
 thousand new men into the field, and the London 
 Missionary Society is sending out a hundred new 
 missionaries. Money is being freely given for their 
 support, and ' self-denial ' of luxuries and dress has 
 been practised by thousands in order to swell the 
 funds. 
 
 All these things are hopeful auguries for the future.
 
 144 ALEXANDER MAC KAY. 
 
 In Africa, in China, in India, and Polynesia, and all 
 over the world, missionaries are taking courage ; 
 renewing their enthusiasm, and redoubling their 
 efforts. Conversions are multiplying, and gradually 
 the Sun of Righteousness is rising on the dark places 
 of the earth. The day is rapidly approaching when 
 ' they shall teach no more every man his neighbour, 
 and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord : 
 for all shall know Me, from the least of them unto 
 the greatest of them, saith the Lord.' 
 
 It is not too much to say that the life and death 
 of ALEXANDEK M. MACKAY have brought that day 
 nearer. 
 
 THE END. 
 
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