VICTORIA AND CAMEROONS. 
57 
the evil, harmful examples set by many Europeans 
on the coast. He was obliged to recognise as true 
many of the charges made against professing native 
Christians on the coast: their idleness, self-conceit, 
selfishness and worldly policy, though he at the same 
time remembered that the same defects might be seen 
amongst some professors at home ; but he felt there 
would be far fewer temptations and tendencies to the 
indulging of such dispositions if there were the simple, 
unsophisticated African to work upon. 
Actuated by these convictions, he made several slight 
incursions to gain a practical knowledge of the interior, 
so that he might be able to form his plans for future 
work. In April of this year, 1877, he resolved upon a 
more extended journey, but was persuaded to defer it 
until he had become more thoroughly acclimatised, 
and had gained more knowledge of African travelling. 
It was suggested that he should take a preliminary 
week’s journey to gain some experience in matters 
of food arrangement, camping, and management of 
men ; and it was thought that if he were to try the 
ascent of the Cameroons Mountain, the attempt would 
not only afford him the practical knowledge he 
required, but would be also serviceable for geographi- 
cal purposes, the glimpses that he would obtain 
from the various heights showing the character of 
the country. 
After a successful ascent, Mr. Comber felt himself 
fully prepared to undertake what proved to be his first 
important journey. He started with seven men, and 
Mr. Wilson, belonging to the Mission, as interpreter 
and companion. They took provisions for a month, 
with goods to buy vegetables, &c., as well as plenty of 
tobacco, cloth, knives, spoons, beads, snuff-boxes, bells, 
whistles, looking-glasses, caps, shirts, rings, earrings, 
and the like, for presents. The direction taken was 
round the northern side of the base of the Cameroons 
Mountain, as far inland as Balombi-ba-Kotta, through 
the Bamboko country. The road was rough in the 
