66 
Central Africa, 
day by day the oxen perished under the bite of tsetse fly. 
The rainy season came on, and only one-third of the distance 
between the coast and Ujiji had been traversed. Finding 
that it was impossible to complete the journey in a single 
season, a little settlement of five houses was erected at 
Kirasa, in Usagara, and here, after storing the goods belong- 
ing to the mission, Mr. Thomson settled down to recruit, 
while Mr. Price returned to England, to consult with the 
Directors as to the future course of the mission. In the 
spring of the following year, Messrs. Thomson, Hore, and 
Hutley, resumed the march, engaging bands of native 
porters, after the usual fashion of explorers, instead of ox- 
wagons. . Mr. Dodgshun, together with a trader, went down 
to Zanzibar, to carry up the remainder of the stores, and thus 
a good start was effected. Their next station was Mpwa- 
pwa, and here, after resting awhile, they were reinforced 
by the arrival of more bearers from Zanzibar. With two 
hundred and forty of these bearers, and some thousands of 
pounds' weight of stores, they set out again, and on August 
23rd arrived at Ujiji, having made 600 miles since the start, 
an unusually quick journey. The missionary pioneers had 
visited different chiefs on their way, and had received much 
kindness from them, Mirambo among the number. Writing 
of Mirambo, who it will be remembered had acquired fame 
as a robber-chief, Mr. Hore says, " Mirambo is a study. I 
have seen but little of him, but enough to form an opinion. 
His people and his town tells of activity and organization j 
the far-spreading allegiance to him tells of a man of power, 
if not of influence ; but when one sees his child-like way- 
wardness and surprise in the presence of white men, one 
loses sight of the great and firm man. From what little 
il have seen of Mirambo, however, I have certainly been 
favourably impressed. His acquired power and wealth do 
♦ 
