The sun., 1903-05-17
4 BEAUTY SPOT IN AFRICA.
BLANTYRE REMARKABLE AS 4
CENTRE or CIVILIZATION.

Progress OF the Tewn In the Shire High
lands Founded by Scotch Missionaries
A Handsome Church Built by Ma
tives - Social Conventions in the
Heart Of Central Tropical Africa.
High among the hills of the Shire High
lands a little south OF Lake Nyassa. stands
the town Of Blantyre, founded over twenty
years ago by Scottish missionaries. 1t
was named after Iivingstone's birthplace
in Scotland, and, though it has had It's ups
and downs, Blantyre has developed amid
its naturally beautiful surroundings into
a very charming as we'll as busy place.
The stores do a thriving business, for
they are the centre Of supplies from the
zambesi River to the north end Of Nyassa.
The various books and pamphlets issued
for the benefit Of visitors or settlers give
q long list OF European articles which, they
say, the traveller need not take the trouble
to purchase in Europe. because they are
sold by Blantyre stores at very reasonable
prices.
Blantyre is to-day the greatest centre OF
civilizing influences in inner tropical Africa
Nothing approaching this place in the
beauty of some Of it's buildings. in the
variety and prosperity Of its industries in
| the multitude OF its industrious native
workers, in the size and culture OF its white
| colony and In its conveniences and luxuries,
| of life is to be found anywhere else in the
interior OF tropical Africa.
A brief description Of some aspects OF
Blantyre will give an idea Of the supe-
riority Of the place. Its crowning orna-
ment is church. which the explorer, Joseph
Thomson, said was the most wonderful
sipht he had seen in Africa. Many later
travellers have indorsed his opinion.
It is a large and very handsome red
brick building with mixture OF the Nor
man and Byzantine styles Of architecture
and crowned with white domes 1t woulc
be regarded as an ornament In many
suburb Of the finest cities Of the world ano
is really an extraordinarily fine church
for the interior Of Africa. Placed in the
middle OF large square, with no buildings
near at hand to dwarf its proportion, II
makes fine impression.
while ago a coffee planter arriving al
Blantyre went to the church for Sunday
morning service. He writes that he wal
never 40 astonished in his life as he was
bv that first view Of the interior OF this
ambitious edifoe.
The Norman architecture OF the auoi
torium, the stained-glass windows. the
embroidered altar cloths the brass lee
terms and their eagles, the carved altar
rails, the oak pulpit, the well-appointee
seats with scarlet cushions, the sunligh
streaming through the diamond panes o
the tinted windows. all combined to pro
duce an effect he had never expected to sex
in inner Africa.
As he entered the organ was giving fortl
. hymn OF Mendelssohn's. and simultane
ously the choir and clergy took their places
The visitor wrote that he had to fix his eye'
on the black choir in their scarlet and white
vestments TO realize that he was in Africs
and not in Edinburgh or Regents Park.
The congregation was composed mainl.
of Europeans. and the service was In Eng
lish. At a later hour there was servic
attended BY hundreds Of the natives whe'