I.] FKENCH MISSION AT BAGAMOYO. 25 



isliment, we declined this friendly proposal, and made np our February, 

 minds to bear our losses philosophically. ^^'^'^• 



At the conclnsion of our morning's work, we paid a visit to 

 the French mission, to which we had been invited, meeting on 

 our way two donkeys with European saddles and bridles kindly 

 sent for our use. After luncheon we went over the well-culti- 

 vated grounds and plantations, where bread-fruit-trees and veg- 

 etables, including asparagus and French beans, grew in abun- 

 dance, and then visited the buildings, nearly the whole of which 

 were greatly damaged in the hurricane of 1872. 



About three hundred children were being trained here to 

 different trades and useful callings, and a school for girls was 

 placed under the control of the Sisters belonging to the mis- 

 sion. In the boys' dormitories the arrangements were very 

 simple, the beds consisting merely of a couple of planks. on 

 iron sujjports, with a few yards of merikani to serve as mattress 

 and bedclothes, and in each room was a small screened space 

 for the brother in charge. 



A new chapel was being erected outside the former building, 

 portions of which were removed as the other progressed ; and 

 though this was rather slow work, owing to the scarcity of la- 

 bor and the laziness of the natives, yet by this arrangement the 

 religious services were never interrupted. 



The foundation of a new stone (pucka) building had also 

 been laid, and, when completed, was to be used as a dwelling- 

 house and school. 



The fathers seem to be laboring hard, and doing a good 

 work both by precept and examples-find amidst their many dif- 

 ficulties are cheerful and confident ; and I have no doubt their 

 efforts will tend much toward the civilization of this part of 

 Africa. 



Nothing could exceed the kindness and attention shown to 

 us by these estimable men during our stay at Bagamoyo. They 

 frequently sent us vegetables and bundles of palmiste for salad, 

 and on one occasion a quarter of wild boar, which, in the in 

 efficient state of our cooking appliances, was not a trifle tanta 

 lizing, as we could devise no means of dressing it ourselves, a;nd 

 our followers — Mohammedan in nothing but their prejudices- 

 declined to touch it. 



