232 Wild Life in Central Africa. 



in many cases is most insolent to white men. These 

 mission boys are frequently scroundrels and past masters 

 in lying and thieving ; but they are cunning to such a 

 degree that the missionaries are often quite hoodwinked 

 by them, and think them paragons of virtue and integrity. 

 This is not a singular opinion ; but is that of most men 

 who have had a good experience of this country. I do not 

 wish for a moment to insinuate that all mission boys are of 

 the type I have portrayed, but that the majority are is 

 a fact that cannot be gainsaid by all honest men. 



On the other hand, the mission teachers (natives) of the 

 White Fathers' missions throughout this country are a 

 much better type of native, as they are taught to be 

 respectful and honest ; and my former remarks apply to 

 the native so-called converts of the Scotch mission in 

 Blantyre. The whole matter is one of education, and the 

 White Fathers are a much better type of men in their 

 own country than are most of the missionaries of the 

 Scotch mission. There is a very strong feeling in the 

 country about the missions, and they have only themselves 

 to blame for this feeling, as they go about their work in the 

 wrong way, for they try to go too fast, with the result, 

 to use a slang term, that they " botch " it, and instead 

 of improving the natives, as is probably their earnest desire, 

 they unfortunately end by spoiling most of them. The 

 medical part of the Scotch mission is a most worthy one, 

 and so are all industrial missions. 



To get back to the Angoni, I saw a strange custom the 

 other day. A man had bought some pigeons, and in putting 

 them into the cote the man put in the hen birds and his 

 wife the cocks. I asked the reason and was told that if 

 this was not done the birds would prove unfertile. 



Not very long ago I shot a hippo in the Bua River. The 

 men had disrobed to get it out of the deep pool, and were 

 in a state of nature in other words stark naked. An old 

 woman who had smelt the meat appeared and was a keen 

 witness of the proceedings. Some of the men shouted to 

 her to go away, and I was greatly amused at her reply, for 



