Making a Start. 
HOW to begin is often a puzzle to a missionary 
in a new town or country. A good start 
goes a long way towards making sure of a good 
finish. The first thing the Revs. F. Pickering 
and W. Chapman did when they got to Nkala was 
to go off at daybreak to shoot game that 
the people might have food to eat. Owing 
to the bad farming season and a plague 
amongst the cattle, the people were actually 
starving. But the missionary — whilst will- 
ing to help the people in every possible way — 
is keen on making an opportunity to tell the people 
about God and honouring the Sabbath day. Mr. 
Chapman tells us in his book that he had great 
difficulty in teaching the natives to know which 
day was Sunday. At last he got them to count 
on their fingers, beginning with the little finger 
on the left hand. When they started with the 
thumb on the right hand they knew they had come 
to the leaving-off work-day,'' and the next day 
was Singing day," or Sunday. What a job Mr. 
Chapman had to get his congregation to do the 
right thing during divine service ! The Baila had 
never prayed as we do. To kneel down and shut 
your eyes in broad daylight seemed the funniest 
thing under the sun. After they had learned to 
do it, the Baila mothers made it awkward for a 
time, for they brought their babies with them oti 
