CROSSING THE LOANOWA. 373 



I felt some turmoil of spirit in the evening at the pros- 

 peet of having all my efforts for the welfare of this great 

 region and its teeming population knocked on the head by 

 savages to-morrow, who might be said to "know not what 

 they do." It seemed such a pity that the important fact 

 of the existence of the two healthy ridges which I had dis- 

 covered should not become known in Christendom, for a 

 confirmation would thereby have been given to the idea 

 that Africa is not open to the gospel. But I read that 

 Jesus said, "All power is given unto me in heaven and on 

 earth: go ye, therefore, and teach all nations; . . . and lo, 

 I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." I took 

 this as His word of honor, and went out to take observa- 

 tions for latitude and longitude, which, I think, were very 

 successful. (The church: lat. 15° 37' 22" S., long. 30° 

 32' E.) 



Ibth. — The natives of the surrounding country collected 

 around us this morning, all armed. The women and chil- 

 dren were sent away, and one of Mburuma's wives, who 

 lives in the vicinity, was not allowed to approach, though 

 she had come from her village to pay me a visit. Only one 

 canoe was lent to us, though we saw two others tied to the 

 Dank. The part we crossed was about a mile from the 

 confluence, and, as it was now flooded, it seemed upward 

 of half a mile in breadth. "We passed all our goods first on 

 to an island in the middle, then the remaining cattle and 

 men ; occupying the post of honor, I, as usual, was the 

 last to enter the canoe. A number of the inhabitants 

 stood armed all the time we were embarking. I showed 

 them my watch, lens, and other things to keep them 

 amused, until there only remained those who were to enter 

 the canoe with me. I thanked them for their kindness, 

 and wished them peace. After all, they may have been 

 influenced only by the intention to be ready in case 1 

 should play them some false trick, for they have reason to 

 be distrustful of the whites. The guides came over to bid 



as adieu, and we sat under a mango-tree fifteen feet in cir- 



32 



