1872.] THE RELIGION OF THE AFRICAN. 185 



loved, and evil to those who deserved their revenge. Take 

 the case of the slaves in the yoke, singing songs of hate and 

 revenge against those who sold them into slavery. Thev 

 thought it right so to harbour hatred, though most of the 

 party had been sold for crimes — adultery, stealing, &c. — 

 which they knew to be sins. 



If Baker's expedition should succeed in annexing the 

 valley of the Nile to Egypt, the question arises, — Would 

 not the miserable condition of the natives, when subjected 

 to all the atrocities of the White Nile slave-traders, be 

 worse under Egyptian dominion? The villages would be 

 farmed out to tax-collectors, the women, children and bovs 

 carried off into slavery, and the free thought and feeling of 

 the population placed under the dead weight of Islam. Bad 

 as the situation now is, if Baker leaves it matters will grow 

 worse. It is probable that actual experience will correct the 

 fancies he now puts forth as to the proper mode of dealing 

 with Africans. 



10th May. — Hamees Wodin Tagh, my friend, is reported 

 slain by the Makoa of a large village he went to fight. 

 Other influential Arabs are killed, but full information has 

 not yet arrived. He was in youth a slave, but by energv 

 and good conduct in trading with the Masai and far south 

 of Nyassa, and elsewhere, he rose to freedom and wealth. 

 He had good taste in all his domestic arrangements, and 

 seemed to be a good man. He showed great kindness to 

 me on my arrival at Chitimbwa's. 



11th May. — A serpent of dark olive colour was found 

 dead at my door this morning, probably killed by a cat. 

 Puss approaches very cautiously, and strikes her claws into 

 the head with a blow delivered as quick as lightning ; 

 then holds the head down with both paws, heedless of the 

 wriggling mass of coils behind it ; she then bites the neck 

 and leaves it, looking with interest to the disfigured head, as 

 if she knew that therein had lain the hidden power of mis- 



