830 LIFE OF DA VID LlVhXGSTOJSF, LL.D. 



the zeal, uatempered with discretion, with which they sometimes pursue 

 their objects, to the hindrance of commercial and geographical explorers ; but 

 the London Missionary Society, at all events, may claim to have rendered 

 valuable assistance to the cause of African exploration by the successful issue 

 of a great recent experiment. For six months past they have been arranging 

 to establish a mission on Lake Tanganyika, in the very heart of the newly- 

 explored territory, with a view to the evangelisation of the central tribes of 

 whom Livingstone has spoken of favourably, and, like others who have had to 

 confront the long journey thither from the nearest point on the East Coast, 

 they have been greatly troubled by the immense difficulties connected with 

 the carriage of goods, the large numbers and unmanageableness of the bearers 

 or porters required, their high pay, the heavy tribute demanded on the road, 

 the huge quantities of cloth, beads, wire, and other stores, which have to 

 be carried, and which are always subject to be stolen or thrown away in criti- 

 cal emergencies. They have now succeeded, however, with the aid of resolute 

 and experienced agents, in overcoming these grave difficulties in a manner 

 which promises to be productive of important consequences to the cause of Afri- 

 can exploration. Their long experience in South Africa, and among the Bech- 

 uana tribes, had led them to believe that the troubles and losses incidental to 

 African travel in the east and centre were not a necessary element of the 

 problem, and it struck them that if the South African wagon, with its three 

 thousand pounds weight of stores and its long string of oxen, could be trans- 

 ported into Central Africa, many of those trials and troubles would dis- 

 appear. 



"In order to test the feasibility of this scheme, they dispatched the Rev. 

 Roger Price to Zanzibar in the month of May last, and, as a result of that 

 gentleman's inquiries and experiments, they have found 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 

 prevent them if they take the proper road. Mr. Price having had a length- 

 ened experience of African modes of conveyance, as a member of the Bech- 

 uana Mission, and being warmly encouraged by Dr. Kirk and others at Zan- 

 zibar, went in the first instance to Saadani, a little town on the north bank, 

 at the mouth of the Wami River. He was assured that there was no fly on 

 the route to Mpwapwa, that bullocks were sometimes brought down to the 

 coast, and that the road itself was passable. Chief and people all begged him 

 to try it. Returning to Zanzibar, he found a pair of wheels, knocked up a 

 cart, and proceeded to train bullocks. On the 5th of June he crossed with 

 his team to Saadani taking with him thirty bearers, with supplies of cloth and 

 beads, both systems of carriage being necessary, as the bullocks were an 

 experiment. His effort was a complete success. In twenty-six days he reached 

 Mpwapwa on the plateau, bullocks and all ; rested four days, and in sixteen 



