292 REV. JAMES STEWART. CHAP. XI. 



that we possessed their friendship and sympathy in onr 

 labours. 



The Eev. James Stewart, of the Free Church of Scot- 

 land, arrived in the "Gorgon." He had wisely come out to 

 inspect the country, before deciding on the formation of a 

 Mission in the interior. To this object he devoted many 

 months of earnest labour. This Mission was intended to 

 embrace both the industrial and the religious element ; 

 and as the route by the Zambesi and Shire forms the only 

 one at present known, with but a couple of days' land 

 journey to the highlands, which stretch to an unknown 

 distance into the continent, and as no jealousy was likely 

 to be. excited in the 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 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 disasters which, from inexperience, 



