Light and Darkness. 
A FEW years ago two gentlemen were sent to 
pay a special visit to our missions in Nigeria 
and Fernando Pdo. In this country the people 
spoke of them as the deputation''; among the 
Africans they were described as **the great white 
chiefs.'' It took them just about three weeks to 
reach Calabar, where the missionary and the mis- 
sion-boat took charge of them and conveyed them 
to Oron. From Calabar to Oron is a boat journey 
taking four hours to accomplish, and during that 
time the darkness of the African night came upon 
them. All were tired before the beach was reached, 
so much so that one of the visitors from the home- 
land refused to wait until the cargo was landed and 
everything put away under lock and key in the 
boat house. He said that he would go up the hill 
to the mission forthwith. Led by a small boy he 
started, but did not get very far before something 
happened. The black ants were on the march- 
thousands of them — and were cro'ssing the 
road which led up the hill in their usual 
orderly fashion. In the dense darkness the 
deputation knew nothing of this, and managed 
to put his foot right amongst them. Some ants, 
of course, gave up the ghost right away, but others, 
more fo'rtunate, found themselves on the white 
chief's boot, not under it. They did not stay there, 
but ran up his leg and sampled both his flesh and 
