MR. PRICE'S VISIT TO THE INTERIOR. 829 



enterprise of her husband. The Rev. Roger Price reached Zanzibar on May 

 2nd. He had resolved on attempting two things untried by any of the expe- 

 ditions of which we have any record — viz., to travel by bullock-waggons, 

 and to try a route from Saadani on the north of the River Waini. 



To accomplish these purposes he had first to construct his waggon, and 

 then catch and train his oxen. By the aid of the Zanzibar carpenters the 

 former was quickly done, but the latter was a severer task. The four oxen 

 when caught were named respectively England, Scotland, Ireland and Wales. 

 England and Scotland were at first stubborn. Ireland refused to work, and 

 lay down in the road with a determination not to stir. He was at last given 

 his liberty, and another ox caught to fill his place. But Wales "took kindly 

 to the yoke." After several days' training the team became more manage- 

 able, and Mr. Price started for Saadani. Having visited the chief, he set 

 out on the expedition of inquiry. For a considerable distance after leaving 

 the coast he had to pass through thick grass, which grows to the height of six 

 to nine feet. Then he entered a jungle which, with the aid of his men, he 

 cut a passage through for the waggon, leaving a solid hedge on each side. 

 The waggon not being strongly put together soon came to grief, and Mr. 

 Price had to accomplish the rest of his journey on donkey-back, or on foot. 



He found the country high and dry. The tsetse fly, infesting the lower 

 j ungles and swamps, was not seen, and he thinks sickness is little to be feared 

 by this route. About eighty miles from the coast he came upon the valley of 

 the Wami, and ultimately joined the route taken by other European tra- 

 vellers. Mr. Price's visit to the East Coast of Africa shows most satisfactorily 

 that it is better for our missionaries to go to the interior of Africa from Saa- 

 dani instead of from Bagamoyo. From the latter place, from which all tra- 

 vellers have hitherto started, there are one hundred and twenty miles marshy, 

 low-lying, malarious country, whilst from Saadani, the way Mr. Price has 

 opened up, the traveller rises at once to high, dry, and healthy ground. 



An important problem in regard to travelling in Central Africa has thus 

 been solved ; and it is found by actual experience that it is perfectly feasible 

 to take a bullock waggon from the eastern sea-coast up to the central plateau, 

 and that there is neither jungle or swamp, hill, nor tsetse fly to hinder them. 

 Dr. Kirk at Zanzibar is delighted with Mr. Price's success ; and so are the 

 Zanzibar merchants, who have been longing for some solution of the difficulty. 

 Dr. Kirk has written a warm letter to Lord Derby on the subject. He thinks 

 that the employment of waggons and oxen secures a ' development of trade 

 which was utterly out of the question so long as anything depended on stringa 

 of pagazis and slaves. 



Referring to Mr. Price's successful experiment, the editor of one of our 

 leading provincial newspapers thus writes: — " A good deal of abuse has been 

 showered at various times upon the heads of our missionaries in Africa for 



