414 REV. JAMES STEWART. Chap. XX. 



mind of a man of Bishop Mackenzie's enlarged views — there 

 being moreover room for hundreds of Missions — we gladly 

 extended the little aid in our power to an envoy from the 

 energetic and most respectable body above mentioned, but 

 recommended him to examine the field with his own eyes. 



During our subsequent detention at Shupanga, he pro- 

 ceeded as far up the Shire as the Upper Cataracts, and saw 

 the mere remnants of that dense population, which we at 

 first had found living in peace and plenty, but which was 

 now scattered and destroyed by famine and slave-hunting. 

 The land, which both before and after we found so fair and 

 fruitful, was burned up by a severe drought ; in fact, it was 

 at its very worst. With most praiseworthy energy, and in 

 spite of occasional attacks of fever, he then ascended the 

 Zambesi as far as Kebrabasa ; and, what may be of interest 

 to some, compared it, in parts, to the Danube. His estimate 

 of the highlands would naturally be lower than ours. The 

 main drawbacks in his opinion, however, were the slave-trade, 

 and the power allowed the effete Portuguese of shutting up 

 the country from all except a few convicts of their own 

 nation. The time of his coming was inopportune; the dis- 

 asters, which from inexperience had befallen the Mission of 

 the Universities, had a depressing effect on the minds of many 

 at home, and rendered a new attempt unadvisable ; though, 

 had the Scotch perseverance and energy been introduced, it 

 is highly probable that they would have reacted, most bene- 

 ficially, on the zeal of our English brethren, and desertion 

 would never have been heard of. After examining the 

 country, Mr. Stewart descended the Zambesi in the beginning 

 of the following year, and proceeded homewards with his 

 report, by Mosambique and the Cape. 



On the 7th of April we had only one man fit for duty ; all the 

 rest were down with fever, or with the vile spirit secretly sold 



