COMM UNICA T10N A CROSS AFRICA. 871 



was supposed to be nothing but a great desert, but which had since proved 

 to be full of rivers. By means of this water communication they could pene- 

 trate the furthest point reached by Dr. Schweinfurth, who travelled down 

 from the north, and they would come across the people who had been carrying 

 desolation into the dominions lately annexed by the officers of the Khedive. 

 He thought that the time had come when something should be done as re- 

 garded this matter, and the only question was as to how it should be done. 



Whatever they did they should make up their minds to stick to it, and 

 not to give it up because of any temporary rebuffs they might experience, 

 whatever they might be. In the first place they should establish their trunk 

 line stations across Africa, and from them they should carry out a network 

 of stations across the whole country. In Africa there were elephants without 

 number, but they were never utilised for carriage, although, if they were, the 

 present difficulties that existed regarding porterage would go for nothing. 

 Elephants were now wantonly shot in order to procure their ivory, or else for 

 the sake of their flesh. He considered that, with the use of the elephants, 

 the introduction of the water system, and a line of light railways across the 

 country, Africa would be opened up. The climate was not half so bad as it 

 was represented to be. If they gave it a fair chance it was all right, but it 

 should be understood that people travelling in Africa had not with them such 

 appliances as organised expeditions had. When one got wet, and had to travel 

 without food, and to go on marching when ill with fever without halting, then 

 one did not give the climate a fair chance; but with proper medicine, food, 

 and shelter, such as they would have in a well organised expedition, the 

 climate of Central Africa would be found to be far better than that of British 

 India, and although it could not be seen at once, yet if fair and honest work 

 were done in Africa, places now unknown would in a few years become the 

 centres of the future civilisation of the negroes. 



The Bev. B. C. Billing believed that that great meeting had met together 

 not for the desire only of doing honour to the great traveller, but to evince 

 their purpose to carry out the order of the Master, " Go ye into all the world 

 and preach the Gospel." But they should not forget that they must realise 

 Christ's idea of missionary effort; and he was decidedly of opinion that the 

 Church of England had so far done its duty in this matter, although the diffi- 

 culties were stupendous. It was a great thing to know that they had already 

 translated the word of God into the native tongue, and it was a matter for 

 rejoicing to know that so much in the way of civilisation had been performed. 

 It was their object, not only to show the natives a Christian community main- 

 tained by its own industry, but also to train up a native agency which should 

 do material and good work among their fellows in the future. The speaker 

 referred to the new expedition going out under the command of Lieutenant 

 Smith,- whose father served on board the vessel which captured the slaver 



