Chap. XXV. MOHAMMEDAN AMBITION. 515 



compliment when their own turn came to be generous. 

 The Makololo and the others grumbled at their greedi- 

 ness, yet always followed the common custom of Africans 

 of sharing their food with all who sit around them. "What 

 vexed us most in the Johanna men was their indiffer- 

 ence to the welfare of each other. Once, when they were 

 all coming to the ship after sleeping ashore, one of them 

 walked into the water with the intention of swimming 

 off to the boat, and while yet hardly up to his knees was 

 seized by a horrid crocodile and dragged under ; the poor 

 fellow gave a shriek, and held up his hand for aid, but 

 none of his countrymen stirred to his assistance, and he 

 was never seen again. On asking his brother-in-law why 

 he did not help him, he replied, " Well, no- one told him 

 to go into the water. It was his own fault that he was 

 killed." The Makololo on the other hand rescued a woman 

 at Senna by entering the water, and taking her out of the 

 crocodile's mouth. 



It is not assumed that their religion had much to do 

 in the matter. Many Mohammedans might contrast favour- 

 ably with indifferent Christians ; but, so far as our experi- 

 ence in East Africa goes, the moral tone of the follower 

 of Mahomed is pitched at a lower key than that of the 

 untutored African. The ancient zeal for propagating the 

 tenets of the Koran has evaporated, and been replaced by 

 the most intense selfishness and grossest sensuality. The 

 only known efforts made by Mohammedans, namely, those in 

 the North-West and North of the continent, are so linked 

 with the acquisition of power and plunder, as not to deserve 

 the name of religious propagandism ; and the only religion 

 that now makes proselytes is that of Jesus Christ. To those 

 who are capable of taking a comprehensive view of this sub- 

 ject, nothing can be adduced of more telling significance than 



2 l 2 



