368 
UGANDA 
[CH. XIII 
gulfs of savagery ; and this apart from the direct 
stimulus to development conferred by the consciously 
and unconsciously exercised influence of the white man, 
wherein there is much of evil, but much more of 
ultimate good. In any region of widespread savagery, 
the chances for the growth of each self-produced 
civilization are necessarily small, because each little 
centre of effort toward this end is always exposed to 
destruction from the neighbouring masses of pure 
savagery; and therefore progress is often immensely 
accelerated by outside invasion and control. In Africa 
the control and guidance is needed as much in the 
things of the spirit as in the things of the body. Those 
who complain of or rail at missionary work in Africa, 
and who confine themselves to pointing out the un¬ 
doubtedly too numerous errors of the missionaries and 
shortcomings of their flocks, would do well to consider 
that even if the light which has been let in is but feeble 
and grey, it has at least dispelled a worse than Stygian 
darkness. As soon as native African religions—prac- 
cally none of which have hitherto evolved any substantial 
ethical basis—develop beyond the most primitive stage 
they tend, notably in middle and western Africa, to 
grow into malign creeds of unspeakable cruelty and 
immorality, with a bestial and revolting ritual and 
ceremonial. Even a poorly taught and imperfectly 
understood Christianity, with its underlying foundation 
of justice and mercy, represents an immeasurable 
advance on such a creed. 
Where, as in Uganda, the people are intelligent and 
the missionaries unite disinterestedness and zeal with 
common sense, the result is astounding. The majority 
of the people of Uganda are now Christian, Protestant 
or Roman Catholic ; and many thousands among them 
