Chap. XXIII. 



THE EEY. HENRY ROWLEY. 



475 



of the Lisbon Government has since let us know " that their 

 policy was directed to frustrating the grasping designs of the 

 British Government to the dominion of Eastern Africa." 

 We, who were on the spot, and behind the scenes, knew that 

 feelings of private benevolence had the chief share in the 

 operations undertaken for introducing the reign of peace and 

 good will on the Lakes and central regions, which for ages 



ance. Do the Portuguese Ministry, 

 by employing the writer of these 

 papers, mean to endorse the deeds of 

 their officials in Africa? We have 

 believed them to be incapable of so 

 doing ; but they quoted with so much 

 eagerness a private note from the Eev. 

 Henry Rowley, which he never in- 

 tended for publication, that we give 

 our friend's opinion as to the chief 

 cause of the disasters which befell the 

 Mission of which he was a member. 

 In the intercourse between the Mission 

 and Expedition not a single break 

 occurred in our friendly intercourse 

 and good will. 



"Bath, February 22, 1865. 



" Dear De. Livingstone, 



"Waller has written to me on 

 the subject of my letter to Mr. 

 Glover, and he tells me that a certain 

 Portuguese publication, professedly 

 quoting from that letter, says in sub- 

 stance — 



" ' The Rev. Mr. Rowley states that 

 the attack by Dr. Livingstone on the 

 Ajawa was the cause of the final non- 

 success of the Mission.' 



" I never said that ; nor have I at 

 any time said anything from which 

 such a statement could be justly in- 

 ferred. 



" The misfortunes of the Mission 

 were owing to loss of stores, the fa- 

 mine, and, above aU, to the evil prac- 



tices of the Portuguese, who kindled 

 and kept up wars between the tribes, 

 in order that they might purchase the 

 prisoners for slaves. 



" The Portuguese were in our hour 

 of need of great service to us in sup- 

 plying us with food. Personally, we 

 missionaries had much to thank them 

 for; but their conduct towards the 

 natives is past description bad ; and 

 I am entirely one with you in your 

 denouncement of such conduct. 



"I have always said and thought 

 you did well in releasing the slaves, 

 and in going against the Ajawa under 

 the idea that they were a mere slaving 

 horde. My letter to Mr. Glover was 

 not written to blame you for what you 

 had done, nor to throw the responsi- 

 bility of our acts upon you, but to 

 make known to our friends at the 

 Cape that you had clone what we had 

 done, and that you were the first to 

 do it. 



" Had you at that time been in the 

 same mind about our attack upon the 

 Ajawa as you were when you wrote to 

 Sir Culling Eardley, my letter would 

 never have been written ; and seeing 

 the ill effect it appears to have pro- 

 duced, I am very sorry it was ever 

 written. 



" I hope what I have said will meet 

 your wishes. 



" Very truly yours, 



" Henry Rowley." 



