TEE KING OF TEE BELGIANS' CONFERENCE. 865 



was in this work, and who, speaking on behalf of the Government, said, he 

 knew England meant to back up her old policy, and he promised that every 

 support should be given to the Sultan of Zanzibar. On the authority of Sir 

 Fowell Buxton, Mr. Kennaway stated that some £10,000 or £50,000 had 

 already been expended in making settlements, and in carrying them on, and 

 this he considered some little contribution from England towards the debt she 

 owed Africa for past neglect. 



They, as Englishmen, boasted that this was a subject peculiarly their 

 own, and there was no doubt that while recognising the travellers of other 

 nations, they might still claim for themselves a foremost place. But they 

 must remember that the King of the Belgians was the first to recognise the 

 fact that this subject was so large and important that it ought not to be the 

 work of one nation, but of all Europe — and every country of Europe should 

 step in, and, as far as possible, take a share in the work. Whether the notion 

 of the proposed trade route was possible or not remained to be seen; but, at 

 all events, he felt sure the greatest good would have been done by public 

 attention being called to this subject, and no one who had the honour of 

 attending the Conference on the subject, called by the King of the Belgians, 

 could forget the earnest interest which his Majesty showed, nor fail to be 

 acted upon by the stimulus which must have been felt by all who obeyed his 

 Majesty's summons. He must not, however, trespass further upon their 

 time, but as the noble President had sounded the death-knell of many a 

 speaker there that day, and they expected him soon to sound his, so he 

 called upon that assembly, as representing the Church of England, and 

 through the Church of England the people of England, to do their best 

 towards sounding the death-knell of this accursed institution. 



Then it might be, if England carried on the work as she had begun it, 

 that, with God's help, they might look forward to a glorious success, when 

 would be fulfilled the prophecy of Mr. Phipp, who half a century ago said : 

 " The time will come when some of us will look upon the reverse of that 

 picture, from which we now turn with shame and regret. We may live to 

 see the natives of Africa engaged in the calm occupation of productive 

 industry, and in prosecuting an advantageous and legitimate commerce. 

 We may see the bright beams of science and philosophy breaking in upon 

 the land, and joining their influence to that of pure religion, illuminating 

 and radiating the most distant colonies of the vast continent." 



The Rev. H. Rowley was announced as the next speaker. He said he 

 quite agreed with those who thought that something more than the mere 

 promulgation of Gospel truths was needed in Africa. He by no means 

 wished to advocate civilisation as apart from or superseding Christianity. 

 Christianity was the parent, or the sanctifier of all civilisation worthy the 

 name, but mission work in Central Africa must be comprehensive and 

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