26 
EAST AFRICA AND ITS BIG GAME. 
missionaries in Zanzibar. On this account, I was told, 
the men seek their wives among the Mohammedan 
women, upon whose conversion, by the way, a large 
amount of money has been fruitlessly expended by the 
various missions. I have no doubt that Bishop Parker 
has altered all this now, and is endeavouring to do good 
among the veritable heathen on the mainland, instead 
of trying to induce those who have a religion, which 
they understand and which suits them, to exchange it 
for one which does not. Although there are some 
excellent men among these missionaries, few are well 
educated, the majority having been manufactured out 
of traders, clerks, or mechanics. The process is not a 
difficult one: a man, thinking he can improve his 
position by missionary work, has only to go to a school 
for a year or two and learn a certain amount of medi¬ 
cine and carpentering, flavoured with a little theology, 
and he is turned out a full-blown missionary and 
orthodox deacon by the local bishop. This, I am 
assured, is the system in vogue, by those professing 
to be well informed. 
On our return to prepare for dinner, we found one of 
the windows of the house occupied by a swarm of bees, 
and as we did not interrupt them by making any very 
close inspection, they showed no disposition to inter¬ 
fere with us. We had an excellent repast, and, after 
drinking the healths of our present and our absent host, 
returned to Zanzibar, and got to bed early in anticipa¬ 
tion of our intended start on the following morning. 
