, 1878-08-01
Massacre of an English Expedltion
ut Nyauza,

""9e"cre Vi al English Expedition
ut NYanza.
Three or four weeks AGO the Chrroh
Missionary Society received news by tele.
graph OF the murder in Africa of Mr.
ShergoId Smith aud Mr.. O'Neill, with
their party; the news is uufL .,nuateIv
confirmed by the Times of India, which
publishes the following letter from ito
correspondent at Zauzibar:
The unfortunate news have to send
you to-day will probably reach yonr
readers before it is known in London
where it is certain to create excitement
as the first practical result of Mr.. Stan.
Iey'S 'Ss"ashbucking policy Two or three
days ago DIR. Kirk, the Political AGENT
and Consul. General of Zanzibar received
Information of the brutal murder of Mr.
Shergold Smith, late a lieutenant in the
Royal Navy, and Mr.. O'Neill, together
with nearly the whole Of their party
The expedition, it seems, had landed on
an island in Lake Victoria Nyanza, where
the people were known to be friendly
AS soon, however. as the news of their
arrival was bruited abroad, large gang
of natives belonging to the tribe against
whom Stanley, with the British flag fy.
ing before them, had conducted muir
derous campaign, assembled together and
attacked them.
The expedition seem to have made no
defence, and it is known that their am.
munition was scanty, The whole party
was brutally murdered as they stood only
one or two natives escaping to tell the
tale. Some two years ago rowing cor.
respondent, dating from Alden, described
this little missionary enterprise in your
columns, and may recall with mcan-
choly interest one paragraph from that
letter: "The whole party have resolved
to make any sacrifice of time and dis
tance rather than stain their sacred mis-
sion by single drop Of blood. Even
from mere practical point of view, there
is a strong necessity for nothing but
peaceful measures, if they desire per-
mauent connecting road to Zanzibar"
Stanley's lawless conduct has, however,
changed all this.
Many of your reaiers will remember
poor Shergold Smith as a naval officer of
much distinction in the Ashantee cam
paign. He afterwards came out from
England in a little steam yacht, the High
land LasSie, which was intended for cost
service in connection with TIE Mombas
Mission. At Zanzbar he was Joined by
ONeill, an engineer and architect, who
was the practical man of the party, and
three or four other Europeans; and en-
gaging the services of an escort of ma
tives, they left for Nyanza last August
twelvemOnth.
Here they were to have been joined by
the Rev. G. Il. Wilson, B. A., Of st. Mary's
Hall, Oxon, who was the spiritual, as
Smith the lay, leader of the expedition,
together with the surgeonS Mr.. j. Smith,
and four other Europeans, who all came
out together as far as Alden in the Siam
in June, 1876. The mission was started
by "An Improbable Servant" who
anonymously offered $4,000 to the Church
Missionary Society to organize perma-
nent settlement ut Lake Nyanza-an of
fer that was at once seconded by num-
Der Of Jealous people. But the mission
may now be considered as over. The
first party have been massacred, Mr.. Will
son himself is the only survivor of the
second party, while the doctor aud car
penter both died of fever within few
days of leaving Zanzibar. 1t is melan-
choly end to the eager hopes of these en-
thusiastic men, but one that was unhap-
PLY foreseen by everybody who met
them here. They had enthusiasm,
but they had little besides. The whole
Of the second party, indeed, were raw
and inexperienced young men, without
the training, without the knowledge,
without the physique TO render such II
task as they attempted at all feasible.-'
PdN Mall Gazette.