BRITISH CENTRAL AFRICA. 299 



of cloth, and goes home with or without a return 

 load. A fresh set of men at Fife take the loads 

 on to Kituta ; the 240 miles being covered in 

 about fourteen days ! If a native finds his load 

 too heavy he lays it down on the road, folds up his 

 posho-cloth, and leaves it on the load, and then goes 

 home with a clear conscience ! 



Some of the races, e.g., the Yao, seem capable 

 of any development. In that magnificent church 

 at Blantyre, which was designed by Mr. Scott, 

 and erected by native labour under his super- 

 intendence, one sees that these native boys, 

 fresh from barbarism, have learnt and practise 

 carpentry, wood-carving, brickmaking, tilemaking, 

 and building, with really good results. 



Mr. Johnston's paper, the British Central African 

 Gazette, is as well turned out as most of our 

 London evening papers, and it is printed and 

 revised entirely by native boys from Nyassa. 



It seems to me most unfortunate, therefore, 

 that the development of these promising races 

 should be in any way hindered by the introduction 

 of natives of India, which has been inaugurated by 

 Mr. Johnston. 



The cost of Indian labour in Natal seems to be 

 from 25 to 29 shillings per month, including pas- 

 sage out and home, but even supposing that Indian 

 labour costs only half as much again per head, 

 and is worth in work three or four times the 

 amount produced by natives at present, it is a 



