HISTORY OF THE PROTECTORATE TERRITORIES 223 



response. Before many months were over (]jerha})S less than a year after 

 Stanley had issued the appeal from far Uganda), the first party of Anglican 

 missionaries of the Church Missionary Society had started in two sections 

 for Uganda. One-half went by way of Zanzibar and Unyamwezi, the other 

 went up the Nile. Both met in Uganda, and the establishments of the 

 Church Missionary Society, which were destined after extraordinary vicissi- 

 tudes to result in an immensely successful })ropaganda, commenced in 1877 

 their work in Uganda. Truly Stanley's letter, the blood-stained sheet 

 of paper found in the boot of the nuu-dered de Bellefonds, was l)ig witli 

 fateful results for the Kingdom of Uganda. 



The excitement caused by this bold step on the j)art of the Anglican 

 propaganda roused attention at Kome, or rather struck the imagination 

 and intelligence of a remarkable prelate of the l\oman ('hurch — Bishop 

 (afterwards Cardinal) I.avigerie, who, as Bishop of Algiers, had founded 

 the ^Mission of the White Fathers, a body of ardent missionaries who were 

 to imitate the Arabs in their dress, to lead in many respects an Arab life, 

 and thus to convert Northern Africa and the inhabitants of the Sahara to 

 the Christian faith. The views of Cardinal Lavigerie were, perhaps, 

 consciously or unconsciously, as much political as religious, and he yearned 

 to acquire fresh territory, not only for his Church, but for his own nation, 

 France. Kesolved that the British missionaries .should not have it all 

 their own way in Central Africa, he despatched his White Fathers to 

 the Victoria Nyanza and Uganda on the one hand, to the Zanzibar coast 

 and Tanganyika on tlie other. On 'J'anganyika the White P'athers have 

 done a really great work in making their missions points of refuge for 

 the slaver-raided natives, in introducing the elementary arts and industries 

 of civilised life, and in conferring such benefits on the local agriculture 

 as the introduction of wheat and European vegetables. In Uganda, un- 

 fortunately, they came into rivalry, both religious and political, with the 

 Anglican missionaries who had been first established there, and this struggle 

 for ascendancy between representatives of two branches of the Christian 

 faith perplexed and irritated the weary and fickle Mutesa, who in his 

 last days was often heard to regret that he had invited any missionaries 

 at all to his country. 



After Stanley's departure from Uganda and the deatli of Linant de 

 Bellefonds, General Gordon's Government again began to interest itself in 

 the question of Uganda. Indeed, about this time the Government of the 

 Egyptian Sudan, during the last years of Ismail Pasha's reign over l%yi)t, 

 became strangely ambitious. It had annexed the greater part of Somali- 

 land ; it had annexed, but failed to maintain the annexation of, Abyssinia; 

 and its fleet, under a Scotchman, McGillop Pasha, liad steamed down the 

 east coast of Africa and had attempted to seize the mainland ports. 



