564 LIFE OF DA VID LIVINGSTONE, LL.D. 



country. Hence, while in general willing to have missionaries themselves, 

 in order to increase their importance in the eyes of the bush people, they 

 wish to control their movements, in so far as to prevent them from residing 

 permanently among the people of the interior. Although the missionaries 

 may be allowed to make a journey of a few days, they cannot remain for 

 any length of time. Were they to attempt to settle down, means would 

 easily be found to compel them to return ; supplies would be cut off, or the 

 superstitious fears of the bush people would be so cunningly wrought upon 

 as to make continued residence impossible ; or failing these, violence would 

 be resorted to even by those otherwise friendly. In this way many attempts 

 to get beyond the unwholesome swamps of the seaboard have been frustrated. 

 The whole seaboard of the West Coast of Africa, with little exception, may 

 be said to be a region of swamps, the malaria arising from which is so deadly. 

 Far away, ranges of hills or mountains may occasionally be discerned, and 

 the poor missionary, enervated and dispirited, longs to go there, to be 

 refreshed by the bracing upland breeze ; but he must toil on where he is, or, 

 in very favourable circumstances, he may be privileged to visit the desired 

 region, and wander for a few days over hill and dale, every now and again 

 coming upon some gushing brook or stream of pure, limpid water, reminding 

 him of his ' ain countrie.' But he may not remain ; he must return again to 

 his home among the steaming swamps. 



" The other obstacle to getting into the interior which I have mentioned 

 is the wonderful diversity of tongues which exists in this part of Africa. A 

 thorough knowledge of any one of the languages spoken on the coast is 

 available for but a limited distance on either side or towards the interior. 

 From my residence at Mapanja, about two thousand seven hundred feet 

 above the level of the sea, a pretty extensive view is obtained of the country 

 lying to the south and east ; and I believe it is not going beyond the truth 

 to say, that in that visible region seven or eight different languages are 

 spoken, or dialects so widely different as to render oral communication very 

 difficult. The distance of Cameroons from this is somewhere about sixty 

 miles ; there the Dualla is spoken. At Bimbia, about ten miles from this, 

 the Isubu is spoken. Another language is spoken by the fishing tribe close 

 by us ; and here, on this side of the mountain, the Bakwelli is spoken. As 

 to the other side of the mountain we are ignorant, except that some other 

 language or languages are in use there. I have been informed of another 

 small tribe of fishermen, inhabiting the skirt of the mangrove swamp lying 

 between Bimbia and Cameroons, who have a distinct language of their own, 

 and are otherwise quite a distinct tribe. The seaboard and the country for 

 some distance inland seems to be peopled by detachments of tribes, or by 

 remnants of tribes that are passing away. 



" Such influences as these have hitherto prevented progress being made, 



