The Grange advance. [volume] (Red Wing, Minn.) 1873-1877, 1876-10-25
English Missionary Expedition to Lake Vic
toria Niyanza.

tor1a Niyanza.
The Times of India publishes the
following interesting letter, dated
Alden, June IA, respecting the English
church Missionary expedition to the
Lake Victoria NiyanZa:
s'The passengers on board the P. and
O. Co.'s steamship Siam have just bid
a hearty God-speed to two earnest and
enthusiastic English gentlemen who
land here and leave on the 10th inst.
for Zanzibar. From thence they are
to proceed for nearly 1000 miles in.
land across an unknown wilderness of
fetid fever-lurking, swamps of dismal
forests, of bleak and barren mountain
chains, and over the grandest inland
seas of all the continents, till they
find an abiding resting place in the
very heart of central Africa. Through
their kindness I am at liberty to lay
before your readers the whole genises,
scope and intent of their expedition,
and may add that am the first jour-
nalist who has had the good fortune to
come in contact with them.
ssEarly in November last the Daily
Telegraph published letter from
Stanley containing glowing account
of his sojourn with M'tesa, king of
Uganda-a fertile country clasp
ing for $50 miles, by so inland,
the N. W. shores of Victoria Nyanza.
According to the enterprising CORES
pondent, M'tesa had strangely altered
since 13 years before Spoke and Grant
found him murderous and despotic
youth, civil, certainly through vanity,
to strangers of rank. but signalling
every new day by the slaughter Of
slaves and enemies, of wives and
friends. Now he had the polish Of a
true gentleman and was at once "a
generous king and an intelligent ruler
Now the fetishes had been hurled from
their high places, and he not only pro-
fessed Islamism, but even dressed and
drilled his troops in Arab fashion.
Now he had constructed broad high
roads throughout his kingdom and,
impressed, through Stanley teaching,
Of the superiority of the English mind,
willingly accepted the Ten Command.
ments, the Lords prayer, and that no.
blest precept in all religions, Love thy
neighbor as myself but above all, he
longed for the civilizing influence Of
the English missionary. If they will
come, cried M'tesa, Il will give them
all they wanJ. But as Stanley points
out the missionary needed here is the
practical Christian tutor, who can
teach people how to become Christians,
cure their diseases, construct dwell
ings, understands and exemplifes agri-
culture, and turns his hands to any,
thing like sailor.
"This appeal to English Christians
was at once answered by AN unprofit-
able Servant who anonymously Of
fered the Church Missionary society
f5 900 as nucleus for the expense of
the undertaking. if the society were
prepared Immediately and with energy
to organize mission to Victoria N.Y.
ANA. A private subscription list was
opened, the necessary amount, ELS, 900
speedily gathered in, and, after much
advice from Grant and Cameron, the
details of the expedition was formu-
lated.
*|At first it was suggested that the
White Nile formed the best and easiest
route; this view was backed for awhile
by the anonymous donor, but was ulti-
mately given up. But it was unani-
mously agreed that the expedition
should be framed in the full spirit of
modern missionary enterprise, and be
at once evangelistlc, educational, and
Industrial.
''There was no lack of enthusiastic
volunteers for work that, however
perilous, will probably do more than
any before to open central Africa to
English religion, English civilization,
and English trade. Still, out of the
numerous candidates, those only were
carefully selected who had the fittest
physique for the dangers of the serv-
ice, the highest technical knowledge
Of the departments they were to COM
mand, and who, along with these es-
sential qualifications, appeared from
their antecedents, to be inspired by a
thorough missionary spirit.
early in March Of this year, the lay
leader of the whole expedition, Lieut..
Shergord Smith, R. N, of Ashantee re.
pute, accompanied by Mr.. Clarke, a
civil engineer. started from England in
a small steam yacht, the Highland Las
sic. This little vessel is primarily in
tended for coast service in connection
with the Mombas mission settlement
for freed slaves, which, at all events
at first, is to be the parent station of
these central African missions. But
the two Englishmen will have pro-
ceeded after an interval to Zanzibar.
At the end of April Mr.. A. M. Mackay,