vi 
Preface, 
of a portion of Africa and its peoples, and of pioneer 
missionary work, as possible ; not to draw a picture, 
but the picture ; abjuring couleicr de rose, making no 
attempt to magnify difficulties or to exaggerate ad- 
venture, but stating the truth regarding everything, 
relying upon reality and veracity for the interest we 
aim at exciting. 
The part of the country over which we have to 
conduct the reader is entirely distinct from that 
which has been so exhaustively dealt with by Burton, 
Speke, Grant, Livingstone, and Stanley ; the only in- 
formation upon it before the pubHc being that which 
has been supplied by Krapf, Rebmann, and Von der 
Decken, the two former in a volume which, from its 
price, we believe has not circulated widely, and which 
is now out of print, and the latter in a work which 
has only been published in German. Moreover, some 
portions of the country we describe had never been 
visited hitherto by any European whatever. The 
present work may therefore claim something on the 
score of novelty, the land, peoples, scenes, circum- 
stances, and experiences portrayed being almost 
entirely new; and, to indicate an additional attrac- 
tion, we may express the opinion that no part of 
Africa possesses characteristics of greater interest 
than that which it is our endeavour to bring before 
the notice of the reader. 
Some changes have taken place in Eastern Africa 
