首页 >出版文学> Travels and Researches in South Africa>第119章
  WeoughttoencouragetheAfricanstocultivateforourmarkets,asthemosteffectualmeans,nexttotheGospel,oftheirelevation。
  ItisinthehopeofworkingoutthisideathatIproposetheformationofstationsontheZambesibeyondthePortugueseterritory,buthavingcommunicationthroughthemwiththecoastAchainofstationsadmittingofeasyandspeedyintercourse,suchasmightbeformedalongtheflankoftheeasternridge,wouldbeinafavorablepositionforcarryingouttheobjectsinviewTheLondonMissionarySocietyhasresolvedtohaveastationamongtheMakololoonthenorthbank,andanotheronthesouthamongtheMatebeleTheChurchWesleyan,Baptist,andthatmostenergeticbody,theFreeChurch
  couldeachfinddesirablelocationsamongtheBatokaandadjacenttribes。
  Thecountryissoextensivethereisnofearofclashing。
  AllclassesofChristiansfindthatsectarianrancorsoondiesoutwhentheyareworkingtogetheramongandfortherealheathen。
  Onlyletthehealthylocalitybesearchedforandfixedupon,andthentherewillbefreescopetoworkinthesamecauseinvariousdirections,withoutthatlossofmenwhichthesystemofmissionsontheunhealthycoastsentailsWhilerespectfullysubmittingtheplantotheseinfluentialsocieties,Icanpositivelystatethat,whenfairlyintheinterior,thereisperfectsecurityforlifeandpropertyamongapeoplewhowillatleastlistenandreason。
  EightofmymenbeggedtobeallowedtocomeasfarasKilimane,and,thinkingthattheywouldthereseetheocean,Iconsentedtotheircoming,thoughthefoodwassoscarceinconsequenceofadearththattheywerecompelledtosuffersomehungerTheywouldfainhavecomefarther;forwhenSekeletupartedwiththem,hisorderswerethatnoneofthemshouldturnuntiltheyhadreachedMaRobertandbroughtherbackwiththem。
  Onmyexplainingthedifficultyofcrossingthesea,hesaid,“Whereveryoulead,theymustfollow。”AsIdidnotknowwellhowIshouldgethomemyself,IadvisedthemtogobacktoTete,wherefoodwasabundant,andthereawaitmyreturnIboughtaquantityofcalicoandbrasswirewithtenofthesmallertuskswhichwehadinourcharge,andsenttheformerbackasclothingtothosewhoremainedatTeteAstherewerestilltwentytusksleft,IdepositedthemwithColonelNunes,that,intheeventofanythinghappeningtopreventmyreturn,theimpressionmightnotbeproducedinthecountrythatIhadmadeawaywithSekeletu’sivoryIinstructedColonelNunes,incaseofmydeath,tosellthetusksanddelivertheproceedstomymen;
  butIintended,ifmylifeshouldbeprolonged,topurchasethegoodsorderedbySekeletuinEnglandwithmyownmoney,andpaymyselfonmyreturnoutofthepriceoftheivoryThisIexplainedtothemenfully,andthey,understandingthematter,replied,“Nay,father,youwillnotdie;
  youwillreturntotakeusbacktoSekeletu。”TheypromisedtowaittillIcameback,and,onmypart,IassuredthemthatnothingbutdeathwouldpreventmyreturnThisIsaid,thoughwhilewaitingatKilimanealettercamefromtheDirectorsoftheLondonMissionarySocietystatingthat“theywererestrictedintheirpowerofaidingplansconnectedonlyremotelywiththespreadoftheGospel,andthatthefinancialcircumstancesofthesocietywerenotsuchastoaffordanygroundofhopethatitwouldbeinaposition,withinanydefiniteperiod,toenteruponuntried,remote,anddifficultfieldsoflabor。”
  Thishasbeenexplainedsinceasaneffusioncausedbytemporaryfinancialdepression;but,feelingperfectconfidenceinmyMakololofriends,Iwasdeterminedtoreturnandtrusttotheirgenerosity。
  Theoldloveofindependence,whichIhadsostronglybeforejoiningthesociety,againreturnedItwasrousedbyamistakenviewofwhatthislettermeant;forthedirectors,immediatelyonmyreachinghome,sawthegreatimportanceoftheopening,andenteredwithenlightenedzealontheworkofsendingtheGospelintothenewfieldItistobehopedthattheirconstituentswillnotonlyenablethemtobegin,buttocarryouttheirplans,andthatnomaterialdepressionwilleveragainbepermitted,norappearanceofspasmodicbenevolencerecurWhileIhopetocontinuethesamecordialco-operationandfriendshipwhichhavealwayscharacterizedourintercourse,variousreasonsinducemetowithdrawfrompecuniarydependenceonanysocietyIhavedonesomethingfortheheathen,butforanagedmother,whohasstillmoresacredclaimsthanthey,Ihavebeenabletodonothing,andacontinuanceoftheconnectionwouldbeaperpetuationofmyinabilitytomakeanyprovisionforherdecliningyearsInadditionto“clergyman’ssorethroat“,whichpartiallydisabledmefromthework,myfather’sdeathimposednewobligations;andafreshsourceofincomehavingbeenopenedtomewithoutmyasking,Ihadnohesitationinacceptingwhatwouldenablemetofulfillmydutytomyagedparentaswellastotheheathen。
  IfthereaderremembersthewayinwhichIwasled,whileteachingtheBakwains,tocommenceexploration,hewill,Ithink,recognizethehandofProvidenceAnteriortothat,whenMrMoffatbegantogivetheBibletheMagnaChartaofalltherightsandprivilegesofmoderncivilizationtotheBechuanas,Sebituanewentnorth,andspreadthelanguageintowhichhewastranslatingthesacredoraclesinanewregionlargerthanFranceSebituane,atthesametime,rootedouthordesofbloodysavages,amongwhomnowhitemancouldhavegonewithoutleavinghisskulltoornamentsomevillage。
  HeopenedupthewayformeletushopealsofortheBible。
  Then,again,whileIwaslaboringatKolobeng,seeingonlyasmallarcofthecycleofProvidence,Icouldnotunderstandit,andfeltinclinedtoascribeoursuccessiveandprolongeddroughtstothewickedoneButwhenforcedbytheseandtheBoerstobecomeexplorer,andopenanewcountryinthenorthratherthansetmyfacesouthward,wheremissionariesarenotneeded,thegraciousSpiritofGodinfluencedthemindsoftheheathentoregardmewithfavor;
  theDivinehandisagainperceivedThenIturnedawaywestwardratherthanintheoppositedirection,chieflyfromobservingthatsomenativePortuguese,thoughinfluencedbythehopeofarewardfromtheirgovernmenttocrossthecontinent,hadbeenobligedtoreturnfromtheeastwithoutaccomplishingtheirobjectHadIgoneatfirstintheeasterndirection,whichthecourseofthegreatLeeambyeseemedtoinvite,IshouldhavecomeamongthebelligerentsnearTetewhenthewarwasragingatitsheight,insteadof,asithappened,whenallwasoverAndagain,whenenabledtoreachLoanda,theresolutiontodomydutybygoingbacktoLinyantiprobablysavedmefromthefateofmypapersinthe“Forerunner“Andthen,lastofall,thisnewcountryispartiallyopenedtothesympathiesofChristendom,andIfindthatSechelehimselfhas,thoughunbiddenbyman,beenteachinghisownpeopleInfact,hehasbeendoingallthatIwaspreventedfromdoing,andIhavebeenemployedinexploring
  aworkIhadnopreviousintentionofperformingIthinkthatIseetheoperationoftheunseenhandinallthis,andIhumblyhopethatitwillstillguidemetodogoodinmydayandgenerationinAfrica。
  ViewingthesuccessawardedtoopeningupthenewcountryasadevelopmentofDivineProvidenceinrelationtotheAfricanfamily,themindnaturallyturnstotheprobableinfluenceitmayhaveonnegroslavery,andmoreespeciallyonthepracticeofitbyalargeportionofourownraceWenowdemandincreasedsuppliesofcottonandsugar,andthenreprobatethemeansourAmericanbrethrenadopttosupplyourwantsWeclaimarighttospeakaboutthisevil,andalsotoactinreferencetoitsremoval,themoreespeciallybecauseweareofonebloodItisontheAnglo-Americanracethatthehopesoftheworldforlibertyandprogressrest。
  Nowitisverygrievoustofindoneportionofthisracepracticingthegiganticevil,andtheotheraiding,byincreaseddemandsfortheproduceofslavelabor,inperpetuatingtheenormouswrong。
  TheMauritius,amerespeckontheocean,yieldssugar,bymeansofguano,improvedmachinery,andfreelabor,equalinamounttoonefourthpartoftheentireconsumptionofGreatBritain。
  Onthatislandlandisexcessivelydearandfarfromrich:
  nocropcanberaisedexceptbymeansofguano,andlaborhastobebroughtallthewayfromIndiaButinAfricathelandischeap,thesoilgood,andfreelaboristobefoundonthespotOurchiefhopesrestwiththenativesthemselves;andifthepointtowhichIhavegivenprominence,ofhealthyinlandcommercialstations,berealized,wherealltheproduceraisedmaybecollected,thereislittledoubtbutthatslaveryamongourkinsmenacrosstheAtlanticwill,inthecourseofsomeyears,ceasetoassumetheformofanecessitytoeventheslaveholdersthemselvesNativesalonecancollectproducefromthemoredistanthamlets,andbringittothestationscontemplated。
  ThisisthesystempursuedsosuccessfullyinAngola。
  IfEnglandhadpossessedthatstripofland,bycivillydecliningtoenrichher“frontiercolonists“by“Caffrewars“,theinbornenergyofEnglishcolonistswouldhavedevelopeditsresources,andtheexportswouldnothavebeen100,000Poundsasnow,butonemillionatleastTheestablishmentofthenecessaryagencymustbeaworkoftime,andgreaterdifficultywillbeexperiencedontheeasternthanonthewesternsideofthecontinent,becauseintheoneregionwehaveapeoplewhoknownonebutslave-traders,whileintheotherwehavetribeswhohavefelttheinfluenceofthecoastmissionariesandofthegreatNigerexpedition;
  oneinvaluablebenefititconferredwasthedisseminationoftheknowledgeofEnglishloveofcommerceandEnglishhatredofslavery,anditthereforewasnofailureButontheeastthereisariverwhichmaybecomeagoodpathwaytoacentralpopulationwhoarefriendlytotheEnglish;
  andifwecanconciliatethelessamicablepeopleontheriver,andintroducecommerce,aneffectualblowwillbestruckattheslave-tradeinthatquarterBylinkingtheAfricanstheretoourselvesinthemannerproposed,itishopedthattheirelevationwilleventuallybetheresultInthishopeandproposedeffortIamjoinedbymybrotherCharles,whohascomefromAmerica,afterseventeenyears’separation,forthepurposeWeexpectsuccessthroughtheinfluenceofthatSpiritwhoalreadyaidedtheeffortstoopenthecountry,andwhohassinceturnedthepublicmindtowardit。
  Afailuremaybeexperiencedbysuddenrashspeculationoverstockingthemarketsthere,andraisingthepricesagainstourselves。
  ButIproposetospendsomemoreyearsoflabor,andshallbethankfulifIseethesystemfairlybeguninanopenpathwaywhichwilleventuallybenefitbothAfricaandEngland。
  ThevillageofKilimanestandsonagreatmudbank,andissurroundedbyextensiveswampsandrice-groundsThebanksoftheriverarelinedwithmangrovebushes,therootsofwhich,andtheslimybanksonwhichtheygrow,arealternatelyexposedtothetideandsun。
  Thehousesarewellbuiltofbrickandlime,thelatterfromMozambique。
  Ifonedigsdowntwoorthreefeetinanypartofthesiteofthevillage,hecomestowater;hencethewallsbuiltonthismudbankgraduallysubside;
  piecesaresometimessawnoffthedoorsbelow,becausethewallsinwhichtheyarefixedhavedescendedintotheground,soastoleavethefloorshigherthanthebottomofthedoorsItisalmostneedlesstosaythatKilimaneisveryunhealthyAmanofplethorictemperamentissuretogetfever,andconcerningastoutpersononemayheartheremark,“Ah!hewillnotlivelong;heissuretodie。”
  AHamburghvesselwaslostnearthebarbeforewecamedown。
  ThemenweremuchmoreregularintheirhabitsthanEnglishsailors,soIhadanopportunityofobservingthefeveractingasaslowpoison。
  Theyfelt“outofsorts“only,butgraduallybecamepale,bloodless,andemaciated,thenweakerandweaker,tillatlasttheysankmorelikeoxenbittenbytsetsethananydiseaseIeversaw。
  Thecaptain,astrong,robustyoungman,remainedinperfecthealthforaboutthreemonths,butwasatlastknockeddownsuddenlyandmadeashelplessasachildbythisterriblediseaseHehadimbibedafoolishprejudiceagainstquinine,oursheet-anchorinthecomplaint。
  Thisisratheraprofessionalsubject,butIintroduceithereinordertoprotestagainsttheprejudiceasalmostentirelyunfounded。
  Quinineisinvaluableinfever,andneverproducesanyunpleasanteffectsinanystageofthedisease,IFEXHIBITEDINCOMBINATIONWITHANAPERIENT。
  Thecaptainwassavedbyit,withouthisknowledge,andIwasthankfulthatthemodeoftreatment,soefficaciousamongnatives,promisedsofairamongEuropeans。