56 A NATURALIST IN MID-AFRICA. 



particularly Buhimba and Kakaruka (see p. 252). 

 They are mentally superior to, though morally far 

 below, the average black man. In the Victoria 

 region, they are much mixed with the aboriginal 

 races, whose women have been brought as slaves 

 from all directions, and the mixture produces a 

 particularly promising type. They may be almost 

 called the Japanese of Africa, from the manner in 

 which they seem inclined to adopt and assimilate 

 European ways and products. One Mganda, in 

 Kampala, is a really good gunsmith ; there are 

 some who have begun to grow corn to sell to 

 Europeans ; and they are extremely anxious to 

 get books, paper, pens, ink, crockery, European 

 clothes, and, in fact, all articles which they see 

 Europeans employ. 



On entering the country I was much impressed 

 by the way in which the first man I met begged 

 me to give him a book. The only one I could 

 spare was Coventry Patmore's "Angel of the 

 House," with which he was entirely delighted. 

 Probably, as he did not know a word of English, it 

 really cultivated him as much as a Bible would 

 have done. 



It is this industrial development which should 

 be fostered and encouraged by every possible 

 means, and it is to my mind a great pity that the 

 Church Missionary Society seem to have entirely 

 dropped this part of their work which was most 

 brilliantly inaugurated by Mackay. The French 



