PREFACE. 
AFTER a stay of seven years in Africa Mr. F. S. Arnot came 
to England for six months. This brief period has been 
occupied with much correspondence, travelHng, giving addresses, 
seeing to the enlargement of his work, etc., so that he could not 
find time to write an account of his African experiences. To 
meet, however, the wishes of many enquiring friends he has pre- 
pared this volume by making use of diaries and letters originally 
sent to the members of his family (chiefly written to his mother), 
supplementary information being added. The simple and homely 
style of these pages is thus accounted for. The faith in which 
he was, as a child, carefully nurtured by his parents is shown 
by the undesigned references to scripture interwoven with the 
narrative. As his years increased he learned to tread for himself 
the path of faith, the fruits of which are seen in his life. 
His work in Africa has been largely a preparatory one, but by 
widely gaining the esteem and confidence of the natives, as 
Livingstone did before him, he has done much to pave the way 
for other servants of Christ. 
In connection with this pioneering efibrt, a few remarks on 
aggressive Christianity in the light of Scripture may not be out 
of place. It is often admitted that much of the extensive 
missionary work now going on is very feeble in character. The 
cause surely is, that in this, as in other respects, we have departed 
from the divine pattern. 
In the tenth chapter of the Gospel by Matthew certain pre- 
ceptive principles were given by the Lord to His disciples, when 
He first sent them forth to proclaim the glad tidings of the 
kingdom of heav^en. We would not forget that these disciples 
were commissioned to go among a people who were looking for 
the fulfilment of promises regarding a coming Messiah ; nor that 
