PRINCETON • NEW JERSEY 
 
 KI^^J). 
 
 PRESENTED BY 
 
 Dela,van L. Piers on 
 
^ 
 
PILKINGTON . . 
 . . OF UGANDA 
 
K. W. Simpson & Co., Ltd., 
 The Richmond Press, 
 
 BlCHMcND AND LONDON. 
 
La/ayettc, Dublin. 
 
piLKINGTON 
 
 OF UGANDA 
 
 BY 
 
 CHARLES F. HARFORD-BATTERSBY, M.A., M.D. 
 
 (Principal of Livingstone College.) 
 Author of "Daily," "Do you pray?" &c. 
 
 WITH AN INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER BY 
 
 REV. J. H. SKRINE, M.A., 
 
 (Warden of Trinity College, Glenalmond). 
 
 XonOon. 
 
 MARSHALL BROTHERS 
 
 Keswick House, Paternoster Row, E C 
 
to the parents of 
 George Lawrence Pilkington 
 
 THIS RECORD OF THEIR SON's LIFE AND 
 
 WORK IS DEDICATED, IN RECOGNITION 
 
 OF THE INFLUENCE OF HIS EARLY TRAINING 
 
 UPON HIS MISSIONARY CAREER. 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 Pagk 
 
 Preface ------- xl 
 
 Introductory Chapter - - - - xi 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 Home ------- i 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 Uppingham ------ 8 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 Cambridge Days - - - - - 20 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 The Missionary Call - - - - - 4i 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 A Visit to Kilimanjaro - - - - 65 
 
 CHAPTER VI, 
 The Long March 
 
 80 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 Uganda at last - - - - - ii3 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 A Lull in the Storm - - - - 127 
 
viii CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 Civil War - - - - - - i6o 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 Language Study - - - - - 185 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 The First Mutiny .... - 2o9 
 
 CHAPTER XIL 
 A Revival - - - - - - 221 
 
 CHAPTER XHL 
 On Furlough .-.-.. 240 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 Bible Translation . . . . . 264 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 The Church in Uganda : A Retrospect - - 272 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 The Future of Uganda : A Forecast - - 287 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 By Bicycle 10 Uganda 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 A Last Word 
 
 302 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 The Second Mutiny ----- 31Q 
 
 339 
 
PREFACE 
 
 This book is an attempt to record the life story of 
 one who, whether as a boy at school, as a Master, 
 or as a Missionary, " tried to do his duty." 
 Wherever possible he speaks for himself, and it will 
 be understood that the majority of the letters are 
 private, and were never intended for publication. 
 The usual allowances must therefore be made for 
 some freedom of style, and for a certain abruptness 
 in passing from one subject to another, which may 
 be noticed in some letters. It is hoped that this 
 memoir may form a fitting sequel to the biography 
 of Mackay of Uganda, which tells the story of 
 Uganda work during the earlier days of the Mission, 
 up to the time when Pilkington was appointed to 
 Uganda. With this in view, a title has been 
 adopted which may serve to connect the two 
 volumes. There is no attempt here to give a history 
 of the Mission, except in so far as it refers to the life 
 and work of Pilkington of Uganda. 
 
 The author begs to tender his hearty thanks to 
 the Rev. J. H. Skrine, friend and former master of 
 George Pilkington, for an Introductory Chapter, 
 and for many valuable suggestions ; to his parents 
 
X PREFACE. 
 
 and other members of the family, who have 
 unreservedly placed at his disposal letters and other 
 materials, besides assisting in many ways; to the 
 Church Missionary Society for free permission to 
 use any portion of their publications, and for 
 supplying the maps which are given in this volume, 
 and to which special attention is directed; to Messrs. 
 Lafayette, of Dublin, for permitting the reproduction 
 of the frontispiece ; and to] Dr. Cook, for allowing 
 the use of the photograph taken by him in Uganda. 
 
 Also to a large number of friends, who have 
 supplied materials or otherwise rendered assistance. 
 
 That this book may lead to practical results in the 
 Evangelisation of Central Africa is the prayer of 
 
 The Author. 
 
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 
 
 I AM asked to give my reminiscences of George 
 Pilkington as a boy at Uppingham and later. 
 My first sight of him was when he came from 
 Ireland to try for an Entrance Scholarship, 
 which he gained. His look is still distinct in my 
 memory. A solid little figure of a boy, with features 
 promising to be handsome when the nose should 
 rise ; a complexion with the bloom on it of a boy 
 from the soft West ; and fine eyes, large and deep. 
 But most I remember the steady, purposeful air 
 with a shade of attractive shyness in it. It was 
 the look of a boy who would have, perhaps, genius, 
 but certainly the power of doing something 
 distinctive in life. Most boys at that age (and it is 
 well for them) look as if they were only conscious 
 of being boys ; he looked also conscious of going 
 to be a man. 
 
 I do not think that I knew him, as a boy, ' all 
 round.' As a pupil in class, I saw much of him, 
 and in another aspect which I am coming to. But 
 he was not in my own House, and I hardly have a 
 view of him in his ordinary life among other boys. 
 
 The gravity which one noted in him when ' on 
 duty' did not, I believe, prevent him from being as 
 blithe as the rest of the world, and an eager talker ; 
 
i INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 
 
 also, I fancy, fond, as afterwards, of argument. On 
 the football field I remember him distinctly, where 
 his play was solid, business-like, of a good quality, 
 though without genius. 
 
 We formed good expectations of his scholarship, 
 which were not disappointed, but classical scholar- 
 ship, in the strict sense, was not a thing in which 
 the strongest side of his mind was represented. He 
 rather lacked pliancy and imagination in the 
 direction of language; and his success in Latin and 
 Greek was somewhat of a tour de force. His friends 
 look back upon his classical studies as the 
 foundation of his linguistic success in Uganda; and 
 so, no doubt, in a sense they were. Yet it was not 
 because he was a * scholar,' in the literary sense, 
 that he made so great an interpreter and translator : 
 the power of languages is not the same thing as 
 the power of language, and his splendid work on 
 the African tongue is owed, I expect, first to the 
 scientific element in him, and next, to that 
 characteristic of him noticed by those who knew 
 him best from childhood — a power of minding his 
 own business and doing it. 
 
 Only one incident of his school life, worth 
 chronicling, recurs to me. But it was nearly being 
 the last. Bathing in the pool under the Weliand 
 * lasher,' at Thorpe, before he could swim, he stepped 
 out of his depth, went under, not once, but twice, with- 
 in a few yards of his unconscious comrades, and was 
 sighted and saved only as he sank a third time. He 
 told^me there was no discomfort or anxiety in the 
 experience. Remember, superstitious mortals, that 
 
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. xiii 
 
 one may be saved from drowning to die, not by the 
 basest, but the noblest, of all deaths. 
 
 But if I recall few incidents, there is a season of 
 his school life which, among my memories of him, 
 is to myself the most worth retaining, for it is the 
 most prophetic of the life which followed. It is the 
 season when he was preparing for confirmation. It 
 fell to me to be his instructor, and as he did not 
 join one of the confirmation classes (his confirmation 
 was at home and at another time than the 
 Uppingham Confirmation), but came to me alone, 
 my observation of him was the more intimate. It 
 is one best recorded, however, by briefly saying 
 that, in the young boy then at my side, with his 
 silent but felt intelligence and shy enthusiasm, I 
 see the man who lived and died for Christ in Africa. 
 
 And I ask myself, did he, in the later stress of 
 religious vehemence, tell himself that this young boy 
 was not yet converted, and did not yet know Christ 
 
 aright ? 
 
 * * * * 
 
 When he left Uppingham, I saw him only once 
 more. He came back there in the summer of 1886. 
 He was much transformed. No wonder, for the 
 tide of that religious impulse which set in during 
 his Cambridge days was now running strong. I 
 felt something of shock at first. The enthusiasm, 
 of course, was boyish, crude as new wine always is, 
 and slightly, though only slightly, aggressive. 
 The strain of what I should have then called 
 Salvationism had, in a man reading for a classical 
 First, much of the unexpected and even odd : it 
 
xiv INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 
 
 wanted taking in. Then an Uppinghamian of 
 those days could not but reel a shade of regret to 
 nrtice how the ' old school ' sentiment and what we 
 will call the ' Uppingham legend ' had been pushed 
 (most naturally) into the background of his mind. 
 But all this went by when we came, as we did at 
 once, to close quarters, and he laid bare the new 
 thoughts at work in him. He talked out the 
 religious movement at Cambridge (which was leaving 
 poor old Oxford a long way behind, I remember), 
 and the group of men who brought the ' new wine ' 
 in ; and we argued with much fulness, and mutual 
 tolerance, I hope, the theory of Conversion, 
 touching on the question, which some of his 
 Cambridge friends had raised, of the practicability 
 of sinlessness. Then we came upon Missions to 
 the Heathen, and here, I must frankly say, I 
 trembled ; for he told me of some one who had gone 
 out to convert China (if I am correct) with no 
 companions, and no appliances except the Bible in 
 his pocket. George seemed to think my demur to 
 this plan had some reason in it : but I trembled, 
 seeing how congenial was the plan to the theories 
 running in his brain, lest another life, and one I had 
 some share in, should be lost in a morass. 
 
 That fear of mine was not unshared by other 
 friends. A knightly love of adventure conspired 
 with the disproportion of thought inevitable in a 
 time of religious stress, to push him towards courses 
 which we thought barren, if not dangerous. It was 
 with a sense of relief that we heard later of his 
 destination to a well - organised field of mission 
 
INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. xv 
 
 work. Meanwhile, the touch of the ' clear spirit,' 
 of the glorious whole-heartedness of him, charmed 
 these apprehensions away. It was hard to do 
 anything but rejoice in him. It was easy to say he 
 was a little fanatical (why not, at one and twenty?), 
 but whatever there was of the fanatic was sweetly 
 redeemed by his sincerity, by a true freedom from 
 self-conceit, in spite of his assurance of mind, and 
 from any harshness, except, again, that which 
 new wine must always have. Pleasant, too, it was 
 to see how the old patriotism of school had only 
 undergone transformation, like the rest of him, and 
 was there again in the desire to evangelise. Two 
 years later, I heard of him as having given the boys 
 at Uppingham a singularl}^ moving address on 
 religion and conduct. 
 
 As we walked, we reached the Welland and the 
 pool (it made him tell me the story) where he was 
 all but drowned ; and I remembered how, when we 
 had bathed, he discovered on the bank a gypsy 
 camp, and was at once in talk with the wanderers 
 on the greatest matters. Next morning he was 
 away across the hot three miles to endow the camp 
 with a Bible, which they promised him to read. 
 
 Where could I leave off better than with these 
 gypsies ? For I never talked with him again, and 
 have no further first-hand memories of him, except 
 a letter from Uganda describing some of his doings 
 with a modesty and an absence of colouring which 
 quite disguised the splendid character of his work 
 there ; a note on his coming the last time to 
 England with the promise of a visit to me ; and 
 
xvi INTRODUCTORY CHAPTER. 
 
 another, dated from an unmooring ship, to wish 
 goodbye and speak his regret that his hard work 
 had robbed us of the visit. So I like to think 
 of him last among the gypsies. Are they not named, 
 rightly or wrongly, of Africa ? Is not the little 
 scene a picture in small of the scene to come, of the 
 brave, whole-hearted, confident love of his 'bar- 
 barian ' brother in Christ, which has been so echoed 
 in the wild men's love for him ? 
 
 And yet that must not be my very last word. 
 For it does not fall to me to write of the Missionary, 
 but of the boy of my ' old school.' So what I 
 would say is this. A chivalrous boy from an English 
 Public School is one of the beautiful things in God's 
 world of men ; and, to me, that knightly tale in 
 Africa will be most thought of as the full blowing 
 of a beauty of soul which I saw first and shall 
 last remember in a boy at Uppingham. 
 
 John H. Skrine. 
 
E\STERV (TNTRU S.IU\C\ 
 
 u" -„ ?£Krs5^d°' 
 
CHAPTER I. 
 
 HOME. 
 
 Oh : 'tis a noble thing to trace 
 Our lineage thro' a noble race ; 
 But nobler far where lineage leads 
 To nobler thoughts and nobler deeds. 
 
 George Lawrenxe Pilkington was born on 
 Sunday, June 4th, 1865, at 35, Gardiner's Place, 
 Dublin ; being the fourth son of H. M. Pilkington, 
 Esq., Q.C., of Tore, Westmeath. 
 
 It is no mere formality to speak, in his case, of a 
 noble ancestry, and the lines with which this chapter 
 opens, taken from a story in verse, by his father, 
 recounting the brave deeds of some early members 
 of the Pilkington family, voice well the aspirations 
 which have been handed down from generation to 
 generation, and which found a response in none 
 more truly than in Pilkington of Uganda. 
 
 To come to more recent history, the family of 
 the Pilkingtons is universally respected in the 
 country side of Westmeath, and amid all the 
 troublous times through which the Irish landlords 
 have passed, they were able to secure the love and 
 affection of their tenants. Though well known as 
 an old Protestant family amid a Roman Catholic 
 constituency, they have been able to over-ride the 
 
2 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 bitter prejudices which have so often been aroused 
 over religious questions, and by their care of their 
 poorer neighbours, endeared themselves to all, 
 Roman Catholic and Protestant alike. 
 
 George's father was a most respected member of 
 the Irish Bar, from which he has now retired, and 
 he is chiefly known in connection with the framing 
 of the constitution of the Irish Church in which he 
 played a prominent part, and, for his distinguished 
 services in this respect, he was awarded the Honor- 
 ary Degree of LL.D. Trinity College, Dublin. 
 
 His mother was a member of the McDonnell 
 family, so well known in Ireland, her grandfather 
 being the celebrated Dr. McDonnell, of Belfast, 
 and her uncle, the late Sir Alexander McDonnell, a 
 scholar of the first rank, and one who, as Resident 
 Commissioner to the Board of Education in Ireland, 
 earned a brilliant reputation. Some words written 
 concerning him at the time of his death, in the 
 Spectator of Feb. 20th, 1875, are so striking in 
 their likeness to the character of this Memoir, that 
 they are worth recording. 
 
 After a description of his life and work, the article 
 concludes: — "Those who have enjoyed his conversa- 
 tion must despair of expressing its charms. Frank, 
 enthusiastic with the enthusiasm of a boy, full of 
 recollection of the men he had known and of the 
 statemanship of fifty years, yet happiest and most 
 winning in the region of pure literature, and above 
 all, poetry. With his physical constitution, his 
 abstemiousness of habit, and his love of air and 
 exercise, he seemed to bid fair for fourscore and 
 
HOME. 3 
 
 ten, but bronchitis, caught in a season more than 
 usually deadly, carried him off at the age of 80, 
 leaving few like him or approaching him." 
 
 With traditions such as these, it is not surprising 
 that Mrs. Pilkington possessed an unusual power in 
 the training of her children, to whose education and 
 development she devoted herself. 
 
 One who was a companion of George Pilkington 
 as a boy, and who shared with him Mrs. Pilkington's 
 teaching, says unhesitatingly that "his gift of 
 languages came from his mother." It is remarkable 
 that, in teaching her children to spell, she adopted a 
 phonetic system, very similar to that system which 
 George afterwards so strongly recommended as a 
 basis for the learning of a foreign language, though 
 we are not aware that he himself recognised the 
 likeness to his mother's teaching. 
 
 His mother, and those who knew him as a child, 
 noticed from very early days a remarkable power of 
 concentrating his attention upon anything he had in 
 hand, whether it was upon his lessons or the 
 manipulating of a toy. He seems to have had 
 naturally a scientific bent of mind, rather than any 
 particular taste for languages, and he was always 
 anxious to learn about everything. 
 
 He had a profound admiration for his uncle. Dr. 
 Robert McDonnell, of Dublin, and was particularly 
 fond of questioning him ; on one occasion when he 
 had inflammation of the lungs and his uncle was 
 attending him, his mind was absolutely set on the 
 scientific aspects of his illness. " Now, Uncle 
 Robert," he would say, " I want to know what is 
 
4 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 giving me this pain," or, '' My pulse is too quick, 
 and I'm very hot, I want to understand about it." 
 
 At that time, his mother was afraid that, young as 
 he was, he had sceptical tendencies. He would 
 often say when he had been reading in the Bible 
 about some miracle, " I don't believe a word of it." 
 On one occasion, when they were reading the old 
 story of Elisha and the complaint of the sons of 
 the prophets that there was " death in the pot," 
 George vehemently exclaimed, " I don't believe 
 there was death in the pot either before or after." 
 
 On another occasion, he came to his mother v/ith 
 the question, " Is every word in the Bible absolutely 
 true ? " His mother's answer was one that might 
 well be remembered by others under similar circum- 
 stances, — " The Bible is intended to teach you to 
 serve God ; read it for that purpose, and in that 
 sense every single word of it is perfectly true." 
 
 With the advice of various friends, it was con- 
 sidered best that his attention should be turned to 
 classics, rather than that his mathematical and 
 scientific powers should be too strongly developed. 
 
 The basis of his classical training was well laid by 
 Mr. Bassett, to whose school, in Dublin, George 
 went as a day scholar when he was eight years 
 old. 
 
 Mr. Bassett seems to have been a schoolmaster of 
 great power, and with an intense belief in the 
 influence of Latin and Greek. He was noted for 
 extreme accuracy, and was a strict disciplinarian. 
 
 A former schoolfellow writes : — " He may be said 
 to have been Mr. Bassett's ' white boy,' as he was 
 
HOME. 5 
 
 clever and hard-working, and was always well up in 
 his work. He was often held up to us other boys as 
 an example we would do well to follow. He was 
 by no manner of means, however, a bookworm. On 
 the contrary, he was fond of football and of all other 
 games, and took an active part in them. 
 
 He was of a distinctly pugnacious turn, and I 
 remember many a light in which he played a 
 principal part. I have very vivid and distinct 
 recollections of a terrible encounter I had with him, 
 which ended in much bloodshed. We bathed our 
 bleeding noses in the pond in Wilton Square, 
 Dublin, in the presence of an admiring crowd. 
 
 He was chiefly characterised by a certain stub- 
 bornness of will and a tenacity of purpose which 
 showed themselves by his hard work at his books, 
 his pluck and doggedness in a fight or in games, and 
 his determination in sticking to a thing, once he had 
 put his hand to it." 
 
 Another, writing of the same time, says: " He was 
 always a boy with great confidence in himself. Often 
 he would almost irritate us by the way he would 
 develop a line of his own in any game we were play- 
 ing. He was always full of spirits." 
 
 Although born in Dublin, and at school there 
 later on, he spent the greater part of his childhood 
 at his father's country seat at Tore, in the county of 
 Westmeath. Here he was in his element, revelling 
 in all kinds of outdoor occupations. Here he gained 
 his knowledge of cooking, which was so useful to 
 him afterwards, and he was known, with one of his 
 brothers, to have improvised a rough oven in a field 
 
6 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 near his home, so that he was quite prepared for the 
 sort of cooking which fell to his lot on the march to 
 Uganda and elsewhere. 
 
 It was in the old home that he gained from his 
 mother his knowledge of cows, which gave him the 
 proud position of being in later years the chief 
 Uganda dairyman. 
 
 He was fond of all kinds of animals, and had a 
 special affection for pigeons, of which there were a 
 considerable number at his father's home. 
 
 George was ready for all kinds of games with his 
 brothers and sisters, and had a leaning to anything 
 of a mechanical nature. Electric bells, telephones, 
 or little engines had a fascination for himx, and he 
 was exceedingly fond of watching any kind of 
 machinery. 
 
 At the same time he evinced, even at an early age, 
 a remarkable appreciation of books, and seemed to 
 take in the points of a story. When only ten years 
 old, his mother writes of him : " The boys are in 
 immense delight with ' Ivanhoe,' and I, as well 
 pleased to read it as if for the first time. George 
 gave witness to the admirable writing, by springing 
 to his feet and calling out with flashing eyes : ' It's 
 not fair, it's not fair, three of them had no right to 
 come at him at once,' when we were reading about 
 Bois Guilbert, Front de Boeuf, and Athelstanc, all 
 attacking Ivanhoe." 
 
 Thus, in his early years, he gave evidence of the 
 chief traits in his character, indomitable persever- 
 ance, a keen sense of what was right, and a deter- 
 mination to do it, though without much religious 
 
HOME. 
 
 impression, and, withal, every inch a boy, with a 
 boy's faihngs and a boy's instincts, only with some 
 premonition of the man that he was to be. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 UPPINGHAM. 
 
 A MESSAGE FROM CENTRAL AFRICA TO THE BOYS 
 OF UPPINGHAM. 
 
 H^rc from the land of the sun, of the blazing sand and the 
 
 plantain, 
 Write 1 a letter to you, my brothers afar in the home land. 
 Written in metre strange, in ancient hexameters, metre 
 Not unfamiliar to you who, grinding away in your studies 
 Late on a Saturday night, fill up the due complement weekly. 
 Brothers I say— not only as schoolfellows — brothers in kindred, 
 Race, and language ; and oh, how dear is this brotherhood 
 
 only 
 We who have missed it long can realize. Brothers we have 
 
 here, 
 Africans tried and true, who love us, whom we love ; united, 
 Yes, by the mightiest bond, the surest, the dearest, eternal 
 As is the Lord who binds us in one. And yet there is some- 
 thing, 
 Something we miss, and our hearts go imagining, wondering, 
 
 yearning. 
 Conjuring up old scenes, old faces, old voices, recalling 
 What we had never prized till we lost them, the blessings of 
 
 England. 
 Rich inheritance, known in its fulness to those who in far 
 
 lands 
 Mourn at the lack of love, at the lack of joy, at the tedious 
 Round of a hopeless life, wherein joy-bells are silent, 
 
 8 
 
UPPINGHAM. 9 
 
 Joy-bells that only wake at the voice of the Lord of all glad- 
 ness — 
 
 Noisy, but joyless mirth, discordant, meaningless, aimless, 
 
 Empty cackling of geese as they splash in the mud of the 
 horsepond ; 
 
 Not the full-throated hymn, the melody born of the woodlands, 
 
 Born of freedom and joy welling up at the bidding of nature. 
 
 While pure streams spontaneous sing pagans in harmony with 
 them ; 
 
 Stagnant mirth of the world, that wots not the joy of the 
 Ransomed — 
 
 Yet here joy-bells have waked that will yet end the groaning of 
 ages. 
 
 Ages of bloodshed and wrong, of rapine and raiding triumphant. 
 
 Oceans of tears wrung out of tortured slaves ; that will end 
 the 
 
 Long, dark night, that already have ushered in " joy in the 
 morning." 
 
 Thus I to you, my dear brothers of Uppingham, home of my 
 boyhood, 
 
 Home that I loved, and do love, and will ever love ; where yet 
 a vision 
 
 Floats of a face I know, whose frown was sore punishment to 
 me. 
 
 Whose smile heaven : a face where love and wisdom were 
 blended 
 
 With adamantine will ; his voice no more through the school- 
 room 
 
 Rings harshly sweet— the old man— our second founder, my 
 master. 
 
 Master, so far as to man that title is loyally given. 
 
 You who inherit his name, his work, his zeal, and his fore- 
 thought, 
 
 You who inherit the wealth, the stored-up blessings of ages. 
 
 Gathered by saints and apostles, by heroes who suffered and 
 laboured, 
 
 Won for us freedom and light, the soul-gladdening light of the 
 Gospel, 
 
10 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 What is the issue to be ? What legacy, say, to your children 
 '.Vill you bequeath ? What increment added ? What further 
 
 example 
 Yet of noble deeds, what self-crucifixion in laying 
 All that you have, that you are, at the feet of a crucified 
 
 Saviour ? 
 This my message to you from the land of the sun and the 
 
 plantain, 
 Borne from far Uganda, where blood of African martyrs 
 Freely was shed because they accepted Christ's perfect 
 
 Redemption, 
 Took Him to be their Saviour from sin and from sin's retri- 
 bution ; 
 You, the Christendom's heirs, you heirs of England, you sons 
 
 of 
 English martyrs and saints, you rightful owners of heaven, 
 Sell not, despise not your birthright, your heritage, heirs of the 
 
 ages. 
 So farewell, and remember in field, in hall, or in class-room, 
 You are in training for deeds to be done in the might of the 
 
 Saviour, 
 Worthy the mighty past and the glory whereon you are 
 
 builded. 
 
 G. L. PILKINGTON, 
 
 C.M.S., Mengo, Uganda, 
 
 Saturday, 8th July, 1893. 
 
 The choice of Uppingham, as a Public School, had 
 already been made in the case of George's eldest 
 brother, largely owing to the advice of the late Dr. 
 Phillips, then master of Queen's College, Cambridge, 
 Mr. Pilkington's brother-in-law. Since then, Mrs. 
 Pilkington had visited the school and was more 
 than ever satisfied that this was the right school for 
 her boys. 
 
 The one paramount consideration which led to 
 
UPPINGHAM. 11 
 
 choice of Uppingham was undoubtedly the great 
 reputation of Edward Thring, who was not only a 
 clever and distinguished man, but what is much 
 rarer, a great headmaster. What Mrs. Pilkington 
 thought of him is well stated in a letter to her 
 husband during the time that George was at the 
 school. She writes : " I am, every time I hear him, 
 struck with how remarkably Mr. Thring is one of 
 those who ' speak with authority.' I never heard 
 anything in the way of reading, to me, so fine as his 
 reading of the Commandments. Every vestige of a 
 thought ' is there anv other school I should like 
 better ? ' vanishes the instant I hear him say * I 
 am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have none other 
 gods but me.' The intense force with which, with 
 his whole being, he himself is loyal to that God 
 comes out, and it is a thing that, in these days of 
 unsettled belief, is invaluable." 
 
 In another letter from Uppingham, Mrs. 
 Pilkington writes : " At three o'clock afternoon 
 chapel, we had a beautiful little sermon from Mr. 
 Thring, about ten minutes long, on these words: 
 ' Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done.' I rarely 
 come across anyone who expresses with such force 
 and clearness just precisely my own opinions about 
 religion and education. What we want for our 
 boy is just precisely and exactly what he wants 
 for him. I look with wonder at that large chapel 
 perfectly full of boys, and reflect that, personally 
 and by name and character, that man knows them 
 every single one. ' More than three or four 
 hundred boys,' he says, * no headmaster can 
 
12 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 possibly know, and he has no business to have 
 more boys than he can know.' George says there's 
 not a doubt that he does know them, both in their 
 games and their work." 
 
 George entered Uppingham at Easter, 1878, 
 obtaining a scholarship of £^0 per annum, and so 
 rapidly did he rise in the school, that, by the end of 
 1879, he was in the sixth form. That he was a very 
 small boy to be in the sixth is shown by an incident 
 recalled by a contemporary of his, who had assisted 
 in putting him into an empty top shelf of the sixth 
 form room (the old library), to remind him that, 
 though he might be the cleverest, he was still the 
 Baby of the Sixth. 
 
 His house was Fircroft, and his first House- 
 master, Mr. Rawnsley, speaks of him as follows : 
 " He was always a merry-natured boy and ready for 
 fun, and was a boy of genuine courage, always 
 ready to dare anything, and would have been 
 pleased to lead anv sort of a forlorn hope at any 
 time since I first knew him. His ability there 
 was no doubt of from the very first, he always 
 worked well, and he was always absolutely truthful." 
 
 Of his first few years at school there is little to be 
 said, except what has been already mentioned, which 
 could not be said of most boys, unless it were his 
 steady application to his work, and the enthusiasm 
 with which he entered into every department of 
 work or play. 
 
 As time went on, however, his work began to be 
 more and more appreciated, and it was evident that 
 his was to be a career of more than ordinar}/ success. 
 
UPPINGHAM. 13 
 
 " This boy is going to do us credit, Mrs. Pilkington," 
 was the remark of Mr. Thring, some time in the 
 summer of 1882, and even in the previous Easter, 
 Mr. Thring had written about him, " I am exceed- 
 ingly pleased with his work . . . and if he, as I 
 feel sure he will, continues steadily on, and stays 
 here his full time, I feel absolutely certain he will 
 win a high place." 
 
 During Mrs. Pilkington's visit to Uppingham, in 
 May, 1882, she was staying chiefly with the Rev. 
 J. H. Skrine, who became an intimate friend of the 
 family and took the greatest interest in George, who 
 was ever afterwards greatly attached to him. On 
 this occasion, Mrs. Pilkington spoke to George 
 about his future. She writes : '' I told him Mr. 
 Thring hoped and expected he would distinguish 
 himself at the University. He was delighted, and 
 said, ' Now, what do you think of me mother ? ' I 
 thought, I wonder what you would think of yourself 
 if I told you the half of what Mr. Thring did say." 
 
 In the same letter, Mrs. Pilkington speaks of 
 having told Mr. Skrine that Mr. Thring had 
 proposed that George should stay on for two years 
 more, and added, " Mr. Thring found him so 
 young." Mr. Skrine answered, " Well, you see, he 
 is pretty sure to be second in the school next term, 
 that must age him a little." The complaint that he 
 was too young seems to have been the chief fault 
 that could be found against him, and his House- 
 master, Mr. Perry, complained that he was too fond 
 of the little boys, and allowed them to take liberties 
 with him which they ought not to take with their 
 
14 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA, 
 
 captain. This love of boys he always retained, and, 
 even as a Missionary, he did not lose a certain 
 amount of almost boyish enthusiasm. 
 
 For the last two years of his time, he was captain 
 of his House, and Mr. Perry wTites : " I felt that 
 things were absolutely safe in his hands." He 
 continues, *' That he exercised a good influence in 
 the school generally, and still more in the House, is 
 undoubted. I may say that I had reason lor 
 knowing that there was a certain amount of bad 
 language used in the House soon after he became 
 Head. With the help mainly of Pilkington, I 
 believe we succeeded in stopping this, and Pilkington, 
 later, was able to assure me that for many months 
 he had not heard an evil word spoken in the House. 
 If such words were spoken, it was in secret corners, 
 and not where the public opinion of the House 
 could be brought to bear." 
 
 In October, 1882, Pilkington secured another 
 scholarship of £^0 a year, which is thus announced 
 by Mr. Thring : — 
 
 " Dear Mrs. Pilkington, — 
 
 Doubtless you have already received the 
 notice of your son's election to a scholarship in the 
 school for two years. I congratulate you heartily. 
 He is doing very well, and giving me much satis- 
 faction. I think he will be a really successful scholar. 
 With kind regards, 
 
 Believe me, 
 
 Yours very truly, 
 
 Edward Thring." 
 
UPPINGHAM. 15 
 
 During the next Christmas Holidays, he obtained, 
 largely through the recommendation of Mr. Thring, 
 a holiday tutorship to some boys at Windermere. 
 Mrs. Broadrick, their mother, gives us the following 
 reminiscences of his stay with them at that time : — 
 
 " My first recollection of George Pilkington is one 
 winter afternoon in December, 1882, when he 
 arrived at the Windermere station from Uppingham 
 to commence his duties as companion and tutor to 
 my three little boys, during the Christmas Holidays. 
 He was not more than 17 then, and very young and 
 fresh and bright he looked as he stood there on the 
 platform and introduced himself to us all. He came 
 with the highest testimonials. I remember Mr. 
 Thring, the headmaster, said that, if we could prevail 
 upon G. L. Pilkington to take the charge, we might 
 indeed consider ourselves most fortunate. And very 
 soon we found this out for ourselves. A deep friend- 
 ship sprang up between him and the boys. His 
 scholarly attainments and high position in the school 
 filled them with respect, almost amounting to awe, 
 and his keeness for all games and outdoor exercises 
 was an endless and most delightful resource, during 
 those wintry days and long evenings. 
 
 What struck me very specially about him at that 
 time was his remarkable power of concentration. 
 He put his whole heart and soul into whatever he 
 undertook at the moment, both in work and play. 
 If he was reading to himself, no outside noise, or 
 chatter, or merriment seemed to distract him in the 
 least — he was completely absorbed in his book ; that 
 accomplished, he would fling it aside, rise up and be 
 
16 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 the truest boy again, as eager in the successful 
 manufacture of small fireworks and balloons as if 
 that was the highest object of his ambition. Tobog- 
 ganing down snowy slopes, runs after the harriers 
 up and down the frosty mountains, rowing expedi- 
 tions on the lake, merry games in the long evenings, 
 made the holidays fly, until, one bitterly cold day, 
 he caught a chill which developed into a sharp attack 
 of pneumonia. 
 
 He was ill for a few weeks, but never was invalid 
 more cheery or light-hearted. His mother came, 
 and how glad he was, and how difficult it was to keep 
 him properly quiet. He requested that there might 
 be a special display of fireworks to celebrate his first 
 coming downstairs, and I can see him now, laughing 
 and rubbing his hands with glee as he watched 
 through the drawing-room window, as the little com- 
 positions went off with more or less success." 
 
 But to return to Uppingham, Pilkington could not 
 be called a distinguished athlete, though he took part 
 in most kinds of sports. Football was more to his 
 taste than cricket, as he considered it waste of time 
 waiting about for his turn to bat. 
 
 He was a long distance runner and was keen on 
 paper chases, which gave opportunity for the testing 
 of his powers of plodding, which were shewn in his 
 running as they were also in his work. 
 
 In his last year, he was elected a member of the 
 school committee of games, a high honour among 
 the boys, and he was one of the five out of the nine 
 members who were elected by ballot of the rest of 
 the school, a thing which necessarily speaks much 
 
UPPINGHAM. 17 
 
 as to his popularity. At the same time he was not 
 popular with all, as Mr. Perry writes: "he was 
 too uncompromising for this ; he also saw the 
 ridiculous side of things rather too keenly, and did 
 not hesitate to show it : boys don't like being 
 laughed at, even when there is not a trace of unkindly 
 feeling in the laughter." At the same time he could 
 bear chaff at his own expense, and his nickname of 
 " Pilks," which he bore at school, stuck to him 
 through life. 
 
 Another point which Mr. Perry mentions is 
 alluded to by very many who knew him, and that 
 is " his really beautiful and melodious reading. In 
 those days, Mr. Thring made a great point of good 
 reading, and Professor D'Orsay used to visit us for 
 three days, twice every year, and every boy in the 
 school used to have to read from the platform before 
 the whole assembled school. Prizes also were given 
 for reading, and Pilkington won several. He was 
 one of the best readers I have ever heard, both in 
 humorous as well as pathetic passages. Of course, 
 this was partly due to his general intelligence, but 
 he had a remarkably sympathetic and melodious 
 voice, and the touch of Irish accent seemed to add 
 to its charm." 
 
 His great friend, Mr. Martineau, alludes to this, 
 and adds, " His voice and style were suited to a 
 lady's part ; he was very clear and refined in his 
 mode of reading. He was also generally one of 
 those who took part in the school plays given on 
 other occasions." 
 
 Referring to his aptitude in this respect, Mr. 
 c 
 
18 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 Skrine writes to Mrs. Pilkington to tell her how well 
 George had acquitted himself at a Shakespeare 
 reading. "I find George is starting to-day, and 
 will be with you sooner than any note can be, but 
 he won't have told you, what I can, that, in the 
 opinion of good judges, the scene in which Portia 
 figured was the best bit in the play. I don't think 
 they are wrong, and am rather proud of my scholar's 
 distinction in this new field. He has naturally a 
 very good voice, and he put a degree of feeling into 
 his part, which we hardly expect in so young a boy. 
 I wished you had made your visit to Uppingham, 
 and made it just then. 
 
 That you may have your due, I ought to add that 
 one of our audience told me that the boy had his 
 mother's voice and manner. Well, it is, perhaps, a 
 little thing that his performance should give the 
 hearers pleasure, and do himself credit, but it is not 
 a little thing that he should have the power of 
 feeling deeply what is noble and beautiful in 
 literature." 
 
 Perhaps the most striking testimony to his power 
 of effective reading was given by a boy, who, in 
 telling of the reading by Pilkington of a piece 
 of Shakespeare about the putting out of Prince 
 Arthur's eyes, remarked, ''there was not a boy in 
 the room who could help blubbing." 
 
 Among other prizes at school, he obtained the 
 H olden essay, but what was of more value than any 
 other was the silver " Good conduct medal," which 
 he received when leaving, with the inscription, "For 
 good work and unblemished conduct." 
 
UPPINGHAM. 19 
 
 Whilst at school, he was prepared for confirmation 
 by Mr. Skrine, and he used for some time to attend 
 a Sunday evening New Testament class, which Mr. 
 Shrine held privately at his house for a few boys. 
 
 No more fitting close to the story of his career as 
 a Public School boy could be given than the words 
 employed by his House-master, Mr. Perry, as 
 Pilkington was leaving Uppingham. Writing to 
 his mother, he says, " Whatever happens to George 
 in the future, and there is every reason to hope that 
 it will be a worthy continuation of his beginning, 
 the good done by his bright example, and manly 
 and consistent stand on the side of right, can never 
 be blotted out. What he has done for our House 
 has laid me and all its well-wishers under a very 
 deep debt of gratitude." And once more he says, 
 
 "I do not think I can say anything more than that 
 his loss to me, as Captain of the House, seems 
 almost irreparable. Few boys, I think, will have 
 left with a fairer record." 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 CAMBRIDGE DAYS. 
 
 In October, 1884, Pilkington came into residence 
 at Pembroke College, Cambridge, having obtained 
 a Classical Scholarship there, and a leaving ex- 
 hibition from Uppingham. He was quartered 
 with other scholars of his College in the new 
 buildings, and there entered upon his University 
 course, which was to have the most important 
 influence upon his future career. His first ex- 
 amination was the Little-go, which, but for an 
 amusing incident, might have been passed over 
 without notice, but, on his way to Cambridge 
 Pilkington had lost his luggage, and in his port- 
 manteau was the classical author which was set for 
 the examination. As he had depended upon looking 
 it over at the last moment, he was obliged to go 
 into his examination quite unprepared, and, though 
 he was able to do the translation perfectly, he was 
 absolutely ignorant of the subject matter of the 
 book, and so he was ploughed in the Classical part 
 of his Little-go ! 
 
 It must not be thought from this incident that it 
 was Pilkington's plan to leave all his work for 
 examinations until the last moment. On the 
 
 20 
 
CAMBRIDGE DAYS. 21 
 
 contrary, he had an intense horror of cramming, 
 which he had derived from his teachers at Upping- 
 ham, who had no sympathy with the modern craze 
 for results in examinations, but sought rather to 
 turn out good men. 
 
 Throughout his Cambridge career, he worked 
 steadily about six hours a day, and, as soon as one 
 examination was over, he began to work for the 
 next. He always timed himself when at work with 
 his watch before him, so that he knew how much he 
 was getting through, but he never sat up late to work. 
 
 He had definite methods of study which must 
 have influenced largely his linguistic work when in 
 Uganda. One of his contemporaries remembers him 
 saying: — "Many men who are in for the Classical 
 Tripos try to read all of every Classical author that 
 is at all likely to be set. My object has been to get 
 such a perfect knowledge of the root ideas of the 
 language, that I can understand anything at first 
 sight." 
 
 He took part in various forms of athletics, but 
 did not distinguish himself particularly in sports ; 
 at the same time he fully maintained his reputation 
 for energy and perseverance in whatever he took up. 
 He was fond of walking, and did a certain amount 
 of bicycling. 
 
 The College debates, in connection with the 
 Martlet Debating Society, engaged a good deal of 
 his attention, and he was also a member of the 
 Union. 
 
 When he first went up, he was very keen on 
 whist, which he studied with the aid of 
 
22 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 " Cavendish," and he used to have whist parties in 
 his rooms, probably in connection with an Upping- 
 ham Social Club. A member of this club at the 
 same time, who was at another College, remembers 
 playing a rubber in his rooms, but adds, " we 
 played for love at his wish." 
 
 His love of argument is well illustrated by a 
 postscript to one of his letters, in which he writes : 
 ** Whether has the man who draws first in a lottery, 
 or who draws last, the best chance of drawing the 
 winning lot ? I argued this question with the 
 Senior Mathematical Scholar of our year in this 
 College, and proved this morning, to his satisfaction, 
 that I had been right, he wrong." 
 
 It was about the middle of his time at Cam- 
 bridge, that the great change took place which 
 eventually led to his going abroad as a Missionary. 
 In order to understand this aright, it may be 
 interesting to give a short sketch of a religious 
 movement, which at that time was in progress in 
 the University. 
 
 In the year 1882, Moody and Sankey visited 
 Cambridge, and held their memorable meetings. 
 By many, the idea of a comparatively uneducated 
 man like Moody addressing an audience of under- 
 graduates was ridiculed, and their first meeting was 
 a most uproarious one. Moody gave his address on 
 the subject of Daniel the Prophet, whom he would 
 persist in calling " Dannel," and when Sankey had 
 given a solo he was encored. Yet, by the end of 
 the Mission, an effect was produced in Cambridge 
 which has never been effaced. 
 
CAMBRIDGE DAYS. 23 
 
 Largely owing to Moody's work in Cambridge, 
 Douglas Hooper (through whom, later, Pilkington 
 was led to offer for service in Africa), was converted, 
 and, as a result of Moody's work in London later 
 on, C. T. Studd, the well-known cricketer, decided 
 to go out to China as a Missionary, and it was in 
 the early part of 1885 that he, with a party, who 
 have been often spoken of as the " Cambridge 
 Seven," went out to China under the China Inland 
 Mission. This party visited Cambridge before setting 
 forth, and their visit greatly quickened the 
 Missionary spirit in the 'Varsity. 
 
 It was at this period that the attention of under- 
 graduates at the Universities was being turned to 
 the opportunities for influencing boys and girls of 
 the wealthier classes, during their holidays, by 
 means of seaside services. Mr. Edwin Arrpwsmith 
 was the leader in this movement, and with him 
 parties of young men from Oxford and Cambridge 
 visited such places as Scarborough and Llandudno 
 in connection with the Children's Special Service 
 Mission, with which Pilkington was closely iden- 
 tified on leaving Cambridge. 
 
 A particularly strong party visited Llandudno in 
 the summer of 1885, including Sidney Swann, of 
 the Cambridge boat, and Tyndale-Biscoe, the 
 Cambridge cox ; also Hector MacLean, from the 
 Oxford boat, and Cecil Boutflower, who has since 
 written a sketch of Pilkington 's life for the Upping- 
 ham School Magazine. Wigram, Carr, Lewis, 
 Paterson, and others, who, later on, went forth as 
 missionaries of the Church Missionary Society, were 
 
24 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 members of this band, and that happy month, spen 
 in one another's society and in such splendid work, 
 had far-reaching results. 
 
 One result of this work was that those who took 
 part in it were led to see that it was not sufficient to 
 bring the Gospel to bear upon the poorer classes of 
 society, but that a great responsibility lies at our 
 door towards those who have been well called the 
 *' poor rich," and who have been greatly neglected 
 as regards spiritual things. This led men to see the 
 great opportunities which presented themselves at 
 the 'Varsity to Christian men in seeking to win their 
 brother undergraduates to Christ. 
 
 Accordingly, it was decided to hold some special 
 meetings for prayer at Cambridge, at the beginning 
 of the October term, and from these were arranged 
 a series of meetings, held by undergraduates for 
 undergraduates in the Alexandra Hall. Sunday 
 after Sunday, men testified to the great things that 
 God had done for them. There was nothing par- 
 ticularly remarkable about the addresses, but they 
 came from full hearts ; they broke down the barrier 
 of constraint which is so often felt in speaking of 
 Spiritual things, and a great impulse was given to 
 the work of God in Cambridge University. 
 
 Meanwhile, there had come up to Pembroke, in 
 October, 1884, at the same time as Pilkington, a 
 very remarkable set of men. Their work may be 
 best described by one of them, now a Missionary of 
 the Church Missionary Society in India. The Rev. 
 H.J. Molony writes: — "I cast in my lot at once 
 with the most aggressive evangelistic set; and, 
 
CAMBRIDGE DAYS. 25 
 
 perhaps you will understand why moderate men 
 felt it difficult to join us, when I say that four of us, 
 who were nicknamed in the College ' the four 
 apostles,' divided the fifty-two Freshmen of our year 
 between us, and visited every man in his rooms, 
 until we had direct conversation with him on 
 Spiritual matters. To whom Pilkmgton fell in this 
 visitation, I cannot remember, but very likely it 
 was to Arthur Klein, our leader, a deeply loving and 
 faithful disciple of Christ. In the summer of 1885, 
 we held some meetings for our year, after hall, in 
 the rooms of Mr. H. T. G. Kingdon (of Clare), in 
 Silver Street. I think it was at the first (and 
 whether there was more than this one meeting I 
 forget) to which Pilkington and other men came. 
 One of us (perhaps R. D. Bishop, who lost his life 
 by accident in the summer vacation) spoke on the 
 words, ' when I am weak, then am I strong,' and I 
 well remember that Pilkington stopped behind, and 
 I see him now, as he stood with his back to the 
 fireplace, and rated us well for preaching such 
 nonsense." 
 
 At about that time, George told one of his sisters 
 that Klein and his companions were mad, and he 
 probably would have scorned the idea that these 
 men could have any influence upon him, yet, in 
 spite of their unwisdom, as many may think, and 
 the want of tact which may have been shown in 
 some of their methods, it was largely owing to their 
 instrumentality that Pilkington was brought to that 
 great crisis in his life which he always referred to as 
 his conversion. 
 
26 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 Letters written about that time by George to his 
 mother, describing this change, are not to be found, 
 but, in answer to a question addressed to him by 
 the authorities of the China Inland Mission, in 
 November, 1887, as to the circumstances and time 
 of his conversion, he answers, "Two years ago, I 
 beheve, on taking a Sunday school class ; but at 
 that time 'I saw men as trees walking.' Ever since, 
 my eyes have been opening more and more." 
 From his friends at Pembroke we learn, however, 
 some interesting particulars of some of the events 
 which must have influenced him. Amongst others 
 were, probably, some words spoken at a very 
 extraordinary meeting of the College Debating 
 Society. 
 
 The meeting had been called for the arranging of 
 the papers which the Society should take in, and it 
 was the occasion when each man proposed his 
 favourite papers, and various men took the oppor- 
 tunity of ventilating their own hobbies. The 
 Sporting section, for instance, would bring forward 
 " the Pink un " ; the Ritualistic party, " the Church 
 Times," and so forth. 
 
 Klein, and his followmg, consequently decided to 
 make this an opportunity of addressing men in the 
 College who would not ordinarily come to an 
 evangelistic meeting. They therefore proposed the 
 " Life of Faith," and Klein proceeded, amid some 
 uproar, to give a ten minutes address in which he 
 said there were two classes of msn there in that room, 
 those who professed to be Christians, and those who 
 made no profession, and then he gave it as his 
 
CAMBRIDGE DAYS. 27 
 
 opinion that those who made a profession of being 
 Christians, were not half so real as those who made 
 no profession, and that if the former would take 
 example from the latter in the thoroughness of their 
 methods, it would be a great thing for Christianity. 
 Three other men followed. Brand, Bishop and John 
 Mclnnes, so far as they could do so amid the fre- 
 quent interruptions, and so the meeting ended. 
 Strange though it may seem, it was probably from 
 this meeting that Pilkington was led to' see that, 
 though he was outwardly religious, his heart was not 
 right in the sight of God. 
 
 Another friend, Murray Webb-Peploe, speaks of 
 the influence upon him of the meetings in the 
 Alexandra Hall. He writes : " There it was that, 
 for the first time, he was convinced of sin, and saw 
 himself to be a lost sinner in the sight of God, with- 
 out hope, or peace, except that which Jesus Christ 
 had provided on His cross. I cannot say how long 
 he was in this state of conviction, but, I believe, 
 from his own confession, he was unhappy and 
 miserable for some weeks, ' seeking rest and finding 
 none.' Here, however, his godly training stood 
 him in great stead in his need, for he knew some- 
 thing of his Bible, and betook himself to it most 
 earnestl}', striving with prayer to God to obtain 
 guidance into the peace of soul for which he longed. 
 I believe it was in his own room, in the New 
 Buildings of Pembroke, that dear old Pilkington at 
 last found that peace and joy of heart, which so 
 characterised him ever afterwards. I know of no 
 human instrument in the matter. I believe he 
 
28 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 withdrew himself into the desert of lonehness, as it 
 were, alone with God — and prayed until the light 
 came direct from God in His written Word to 
 his soul. I cannot help thinking that this was what 
 made Pilkington such a champion afterwards for the 
 Truth of God in the Bible. His change of heart, his 
 conversion, was not of man, nor by man, but entirely 
 the work of God the Holy Ghost, to whom be all the 
 glory. This one thing he used to tell me, however, 
 that he thanked God for his faithful friends at 
 Cambridge, who, in his own words, ' would not let 
 him alone ' until they saw the grace of God working 
 in his heart. 
 
 From that time onwards, there was no man at 
 Cambridge more energetic and earnest in seeking 
 the salvation and spiritual welfare of his friends. He 
 attended regularly at the Sunday evening meetings, 
 at the Alexandra Hall, and almost invariably, I 
 believe, brought men with him, that they might, if 
 possible, share the blessing and joy of heart, which 
 he himself had thus learnt to know. 
 
 He was a teacher at the Jesus Lane Sunday 
 School most of his time at Cambridge, but his work 
 there became, after his conversion, a new thing 
 altogether, in that he sought the definite salvation 
 and turning to God of his class, as he had not done 
 before. He also joined enthusiastically in the 
 College open-air services, in Barnwell, on the 
 Sunday evenings of the May Term, and whether 
 it was on such occasions, or when he gave his 
 personal testimony at the Alexandra Hall, his 
 addresses always were characterized by clearness 
 
CAMBRIDGE DAYS, 29 
 
 and definiteness of Spiritual truth and personal 
 appeal. 
 
 It was a great privilege to work with Pilkington. 
 His uncompromising attitude in regard to sin of any 
 kind, and his clear perceptions and definition of 
 salvation were truly helpful and encouraging to 
 those who listened to him. He never hid his light 
 under any pretence of a bushel, and it seemed to me 
 as if he made a special point of telling his friends and 
 acquaintances of former days of his newly-found joy 
 and peace in Christ." 
 
 That this was so is fully borne out by an old 
 school friend of his, who writes : " Though at 
 College we were constant friends, in my pigheaded 
 ness, when he took to his more serious line, and 
 would discuss religious questions in my rooms when 
 other friends were there, I told him, unless he could 
 avoid that subject, I could not welcome him there, 
 consequently he, for a long time, would not come to 
 see me. I suppose, feeling it his duty to put for- 
 ward his views on every occasion." At the same 
 time he adds that this had no effect on their friend- 
 ship. Of his habits, a contemporary writes : — " As a 
 matter of fact, though I pretty often met him and 
 always greatly admired him, I wasn't very intimate 
 with him. I think the very greatness and goodness 
 of the man, perhaps, kept men, with his high objects 
 and thoughts, from getting very near him. His 
 soul was * like a star, and dwelt apart.' To know 
 him was to condemn oneself. I don't think, with 
 his work and various engagements, he had time 
 for the long hours of idle talk, which may be a 
 
30 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 waste of time, but enable men to know each other 
 so well. Pilkington seemed even then to have 
 greater things to occupy him. 'Wist ye not 
 that I must be about my Father's business ? ' You 
 could not meet him and not feel he was different 
 from most men in his purpose and objects. But 
 I think I used to be most impressed by the great 
 happiness he possessed. Another thing was the 
 respect all showed for his goodness and character, 
 how it influenced their conversation and behaviour." 
 
 Of the change that took place in his life there can 
 be no doubt ; but, it may be asked, what were the 
 great truths which laid hold upon him, and gave 
 him the rest and peace and happiness which all 
 noticed in his life ? Of this he shall speak for 
 himself, and two letters — one to his aunt and the 
 other to one of his sisters — give us his answer. 
 
 Writing to his aunt, the late Mrs. Phillips, at 
 Queen's Lodge, on March 6th, 1889, he comments 
 on a service which he had attended at Holy Trinity 
 Church, Cambridge, whilst staying with his uncle 
 and aunt, in the following words : " Mr. Sholto 
 Douglas preached about the assurance of forgiveness 
 and salvation in this world, showing that a true 
 child of God is not only saved here, but may, and 
 should, know it. My friend, on leaving the church, 
 expressed much pleasure at the sermon ; and I, not 
 knowing the man well, but believing him to be a 
 Christian, began telling him how, when I came up 
 to Cambridge as a freshman, I had been bitterly 
 opposed to any such belief, and considered it absurd 
 presumption for any man to say that he was saved 
 
CAMBRIDGE DAYS. 31 
 
 He answered : ' I should have thought the same 
 before to-night.' However, he had seen from Mr. 
 Sholto Douglas's quotations from the Bible what 
 the true and glorious teaching there is. I was 
 greatly encouraged by this." 
 
 It was no doubt the realisation of the great fact 
 of the possibility of having real assurance of salvation 
 in this life that gave to him the peace and joy of 
 which he so otten spoke, but there was more than 
 that, and we have a much more detailed statement 
 of his position, in a letter which George wrote to his 
 sister, in continuation of a conversation, as follows : 
 *' The first thing (this is to finish what I was going 
 to say in the 'bus) is for a man to realise that he is a 
 sinner, and then, to desire to flee from the wrath to 
 come. This is hateful to man's pride. ' I never 
 intend to be driven to do right from fear : I work 
 from love.' (Just what I used to say when I was 
 unconverted and only working from love of self, and 
 when I was converted, but in the dark, for a year at 
 least.) Let a man once see that he is a sinner, 
 deserving — in the past, in the present, and for ever 
 (no matter how much saved), still always deserving 
 — to perish everlastingly ; that in him there is 
 nothing, and can never be anything, which can 
 merit salvation, then he can say and understand : 
 
 I ask no other righteousness ; 
 
 I need no other plea : 
 It is enough that Jesus died, 
 
 And that he died for me. 
 
 Seeing that his justification rests altogether on 
 something outside of himself, he can accept the 
 
32 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 words, ' My sheep shall never perish ' ; seeing that 
 he can never deserve to perish more than at the 
 present moment, he can believe that he is predesti- 
 nated unto eternal salvation before the world began. 
 Then he can say ' Abba Father,' indeed, in perfect 
 and child-like confidence. And all this depends on 
 his seeing his own sinfulness. Then gratitude 
 comes in. Now gratitude is not a power to keep us 
 from sin, though many try to make use of it in this 
 way. Gratitude ought to send us to the only true 
 source of power and victory ; gratitude ought to 
 make us wish to lead holy and consistent lives, and 
 to win others to the Saviour; but only the Holy 
 Spirit can give the power. By preaching the 
 depravity of human nature ; by proclaiming that the 
 heart is desperately wicked, deceitful above all 
 things, that there is no difference, for all have sinned ; 
 that they that are in the flesh cannot please God ; 
 that, except a man be born again, he cannot see the 
 kingdom of God, then men may be brought by the 
 Holy Spirit to see their utterly lost and ruined 
 condition: then there is no fear of their apparent 
 conversion being a mere passing whim. On the 
 other hand, by urging beyond measure the duty of 
 living morally, men may satisfy themselves by mere 
 moral reformation. 
 
 You see, when a man is really converted, being a 
 new creature in Christ, ' he that is born of God 
 doth not commit sin.' The new birth is such a 
 reality that it must produce fruit. A good tree 
 cannot bring forth evil fruit. The new heart must 
 bring forth good things. If we declare these most 
 
CAMBRIDGE DAYS. 33 
 
 unacceptable facts of man's ruin, and God's hatred 
 and wrath against sin, and certain and awful punish- 
 ment of it — emphasizing its awfulness by teaching 
 that without shedding of blood is no remission. 
 
 What can wash away my stain ? 
 
 Nothing but the blood of Jesus. 
 What can make me whole again ? 
 
 Nothing but the blood of Jesus. 
 Nothing can for sin atone, 
 
 Nothing but the blood of Jesus. 
 Nought of good that I have done 
 (or am doing — such as repentance, prayer, faith — or will do) 
 
 Nothing" but the blood of Jesus. 
 
 Once a man sees the awful danger from which 
 he has been rescued, he won't see how close he can 
 get to the precipice without tumbling over. He will 
 hate that which so nearly ruined him, and which 
 crucified his Saviour — sin and the Devil. 
 
 Repentance {fxeTupoia) means a change of mind, 
 and doesn't imply sorrow of necessity, true sorrow 
 for sin cannot come, I believe, till after conversion. 
 Regret for its evil effects is quite possible ; but 
 sorrow, because God hates sin, is impossible till our 
 heart feels the same holy impulses as God. 
 
 Repentance is as much — or a great deal more — 
 an action as a feeling — it is an entire turning away 
 from sin (perhaps only mentally, but still an active 
 thing), because first, sin is deadly and dangerous, 
 and secondly (when converted), because God hates 
 it. 
 
 To conclude what's been in my mind all through 
 this letter, doubt of our own acceptance with God, 
 P 
 
34 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 of our everlasting salvation, comes from self- 
 righteousness in the garb of humility. It is because 
 a man imagines that something in himself is 
 necessary to atone for sin, that he doubts whether 
 he is saved. I stick to Leviticus xvii. 2. 
 
 ' For I have nothing (and never shall) else to plead 
 In earth or heaven above 
 But just my own exceeding- need 
 And His exceeding love.'" 
 
 It will be noticed that reference is made in this 
 letter to a time when, as he says : "I was converted, 
 but in the dark, as I was for a year at least." This 
 probably means that he did not at first realise the 
 full privileges of the Christian life, nor the responsi- 
 bilities which it entails. 
 
 Towards the latter part of his time at Cambridge, 
 he entered into all kinds of Christian work, besides 
 that of a Sunday School teacher in the Jesus Lane 
 Sunday School, and especially helping in various 
 ways at Christchurch, Barnwell. 
 
 Probably his first experience of special Mission 
 work was in connection with the Navvy Mission, 
 and an account of this is given by the Rev. H. J. 
 Molony. He writes: ''In the Easter vacation, 
 1887, Pilkington came with me to conduct a Navvy 
 Mission in Yorkshire. I had had a meeting in my 
 rooms at College, addressed by Mrs. Garnett, at 
 which he was present, and, needing a companion 
 in the work, I asked him to join me and he 
 agreed. We stayed about a week in a farm-house at 
 Skipton, near which a huge reser oir was being 
 
CAMBRIDGE DAYS. 35 
 
 formed by damming a valley. We worked in the 
 mornings and afternoons, he at his classics ; and at 
 midday we went out and talked to the men in their 
 dinner hour, and, in the evening, we held Mission 
 services in a small hall in the village, or another on 
 the works. My memory of him at that time is that 
 he wished to learn, and would not take a leading 
 part, but he gave addresses which were of an 
 argumentative evangelistic character. 
 
 We had one very definite conversion in the case 
 of a lad named Billy, who decided for Christ as we 
 were walking home one evening. We knelt down 
 and prayed with him in the lane, and he gave his 
 heart to God. He was afterwards an earnest and 
 consistent Christian." 
 
 During the next term, which was his Tripos term, 
 he took part in the' open-air meetings, which were 
 held chiefly by undergraduates in various parts of 
 Cambridge, and, towards the end of that term, it 
 was laid on his heart to hold some Gospel Meetings 
 in the neighbourhood of his own home. The letters 
 which he wrote to Mr., now Dean Dowse on that 
 occasion show so well the humble spirit in which he 
 sought to undertake such work, that we give them 
 in extenso : — 
 
 " Pembroke College, 
 
 Cambridge, 
 
 June 3rd, 1S87. 
 My dear Mr. Dowse, — 
 
 A number of Cambridge men have, this 
 year, been holding open-air Evangelistic Meetings 
 on Sunday evenings in various parts of Cambridge 
 
36 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 — in particular, several men of my own College 
 (Pembroke)— about twenty — including our Dean, 
 have been working in this way, with the approval 
 and help of the Vicar of the parish where we hold 
 our meetings. Having seen something of the 
 blessing which can come by means of such work, it 
 has occurred to me that it might be possible to do 
 something of the kind in your parish next summer. 
 Of course, the first thing necessary would be your 
 sanction and co-operation. That is the reason of my 
 writing. I believe I could get several Cambridge 
 men to come over and stop at Tore, in the Summer 
 or Autumn, and take part in the work. We should 
 address ourselves to all, without distinction of creed, 
 who chose to listen, who do not know Christ as 
 their Saviour. Of course, I cannot promise that the 
 men would come, and I consider it wiser to ask your 
 opinion before definitely writing to them; in case of 
 your approval, my next step would be to consult my 
 father, who knows and approves of our work here. 
 Therefore you need not write to him, or speak to my 
 people, before you let me know what you think 
 yourself. 
 
 I cannot believe that we can be justified in 
 hiding God's blessing from those about us by our 
 silence ; and, in our poor country, how much less, 
 when the knowledge of Christ is shared by so few ? 
 
 Hoping to hear from you soon, 
 
 I am. 
 
 Yours very sincerely, 
 
 George L. Pilkington,' 
 
CAMBRIDGE DAYS. 37 
 
 " Pembroke College, 
 
 Cambridge, 
 
 Jmie 8th, 1887. 
 
 My Dear Mr. Dowse, — 
 
 I am very thankful for your letter. So 
 far, the way is made plain before us. I can answer 
 for myself and, I think, for any men I ask to come, 
 that we shall do all in entire dependence upon God, 
 knowing our own utter inability, and that only so 
 can our weakness be made strong ; we shall, I trust, 
 do nothing but lift up Christ, remembering the 
 promise, and I hope that everything may be done in 
 a way suitable to our solemn Mission, and so 
 ' decently and in order.' We shall, I think I may 
 promise, conform ourselves to your wishes, as is 
 only right. I do not yet know whether obstacles 
 may not arise; but I am confident th^t all will be 
 for the best. We shall have done our part : the 
 rest will be in other hands ; so, be the results what 
 they may, we shall be satisfied. Let us all, in the 
 meantime, give ourselves to earnest prayer that God 
 may both direct and bless the whole undertaking. 
 
 Believe me, 
 
 My dear Mr. Dowse, 
 
 Gratefully and sincerely yours, 
 
 George L. Pilkington." 
 
 It is, perhaps, not to be wondered at that, at this 
 time, there was a tendency for him to despise the 
 acquirements of mere knowledge, just as, before, he 
 had probably unduly exalted it. ^ For a time, feeling^ 
 that he had neglected the study of his Bible, he ' 
 
38 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 thought that he should read the Bible to the exclu- 
 sion of all other books. And he even contemplated 
 abandoning his Tripos and going abroad as a 
 Missionary. 
 
 ~^ Of this time, his mother writes : " It appeared to 
 me at that time that his whole mind was absorbed in 
 the one thought — his sins were forgiven — he did not, 
 for the time, see that anything else w^as worth 
 knowing. He felt, I suppose, that he had not 
 arrived at this knowledge by any intellectual process, 
 and so, got to think intellect of little consequence, 
 and regarded the years spent in learning Latin and 
 Greek as absolutely wasted, I tried to make him see 
 that all knowledge was the knowledge of God, that 
 ' knowledge rich and varied, digested and combined, 
 and pervaded thro' and thro' with the light of the 
 Spirit of God,' is what it becomes a Christian man 
 to have. He could not for a long time see it, and 
 it was, I believe, only in deference to our wishes, 
 that he continued to work for his Degree." Having 
 decided to do so, he steadily worked on for the 
 Classical Tripos, and, in the end, came out in the 
 second division of the first class in the memorable 
 year when Miss Ramsey (now Mrs. Butler) was 
 Senior Classic, being the only one in the first 
 division. 
 
 During the Summer, the Meetings about which he 
 had written to Mr. Dowse, were held at Tyrrell's 
 Pass, Mr. Murray Webb-Peploe, who was present 
 and assisted in the services, writes as follows : — 
 
 "In organising our meetings, we were advised 
 not to have open-air services on the village green 
 
CAMBRIDGE DAYS. 39 
 
 as we proposed, so our efforts were confined to 
 evening meetings in the Hall next the Church, and 
 to personally visiting as many individuals as we 
 coald. The Rector, Mr. Dowse, was very kind 
 to us, and, if I remember rightly, took the chair for 
 us at more than one meeting. The attendances 
 were very good, but we were told that numbers 
 of the Roman Catholics, forbidden of course to 
 attend the meetings, used to listen outside in the 
 darkness, and so we arranged accordingly for open 
 windows and a loud voice when speaking. But it 
 was in visiting from house to house that dear old 
 Pilkington shone to my mind. He knew and 
 seemed to understand the people, and nothing 
 hindered him from witnessing faithfully to the 
 consequences of sin, and the love and power of Christ 
 to redeem. 
 
 He always had a word in season ready, owing, no 
 doubt, to his continuing instant in prayer, and living 
 in conscious nearness to Christ." 
 
 Mr. Hyslop, who was a friend of Pilkington's 
 during the latter part of his Cambridge career, 
 writes of him as follows : — 
 
 " To the outward eye, ' Pilks,' — as w^e used to call 
 him — was then much what he appeared to those 
 who saw him during the last years. I can recall in 
 my mind's eye the tall, stalwart figure, the square 
 head, the broad brow, the brilliant complexion, 
 and the somewhat feminine parting in the middle 
 of his hair. I cannot remember that he showed any 
 marked vein of humour, such as one had a right 
 to expect from his Irish nature. But he certainly 
 
40 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 used to cause his University friends much amuse- 
 ment by his spirited advocacy of all articles of 
 apparel made on the Jaegar principle. He would 
 show us with delight his patent ventilated Jaegar 
 boots, and explain their advantages ; and in many 
 a trudge through country lanes have I accom- 
 panied him when he was testing the same Jaeger 
 boots for their African travels." 
 
 During the long vacation of 1887, he was at 
 Cambridge for a short time, reading Theology. He 
 was a member of a class of a few men who were 
 studying the Greek Testament with the Rev. C. H. 
 Prior, of Pembroke College. Mr. Prior remembers 
 very clearly Pilkington's unwillingness to accept any- 
 thing conventional in the way of interpretation. It 
 is interesting to note here what Mr. Prior has men- 
 tioned Pilkington's great loyalty to Edward Thring, 
 his old Headmaster, whom he regarded as a hero. 
 
 He was up at Cambridge for another term, and 
 many hoped that he would go on and read for the 
 Theological Tripos ; among others, Mr. Boutflower 
 tried to persuade him to do this. He writes : '' I 
 remember urging him, with his brains, to stay on a 
 year at Cambridge and read Theology. He asked 
 me if I considered Moody a good Theologian. I 
 said I didn't think he had a right to expect God's 
 blessing unless he made himself a better one. But 
 nothing would shake his view that he should be 
 content if he could do Moody's work with Moody's 
 equipment." 
 
 He held to this view at that time, and at 
 Christmas, 1887, he finally left Cambridge. 
 
CHAPTER IV. 
 
 THE MISSIONARY CALL. 
 
 Few men leaving Cambridge have had better 
 prospects of a brilHant career than those which 
 presented themselves to George Pilkington. His 
 friends and relations hoped that he would become 
 a distinguished schoolmaster, or that in some similar 
 way he would make use of the powers which he 
 possessed, and which had been so successfully put 
 to the test at Cambridge. 
 
 No better indication of his abilities can be gained 
 than by quoting some of the testimonials given to 
 him when applying for a mastership soon after 
 leaving the University. 
 
 Mr. R. A. Neil, Fellow and Classical Lecturer at 
 Pembroke College, Cambridge, writes of him: *' His 
 course here was marked by a steady and continuous 
 improvement in scholarship, which is, I think, un- 
 exampled in my experience. This improvement was 
 naturally due to an honest and intelligent devotion 
 to work, and was fitly rewarded by a place in the 
 highest division of the Classical Tripos of his year 
 in which men were placed. His place was well 
 
42 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA. 
 
 deserved, and forms a sufficient guarantee of his 
 capacity to undertake high school work. I beheve 
 his scholarship will be supplemented by a very high 
 interest in his pupils, and that, if he is appointed to 
 a mastership, he will have the success to be expected 
 from the combination of most creditable attainments 
 with a high and vigorous personal character." 
 
 At the same time, Dr. Verrall, Fellow and 
 Assistant Tutor at Trinity College, Cambridge, 
 writes : '' Mr. G. L. Pilkington, B.A., was my pupil 
 at Pembroke College during a considerable part of 
 his course as an undergraduate. He is a good 
 scholar both in Greek and in Latin. His com- 
 position was always correct and sensible, and 
 improved steadily with time. Before he went up 
 for his degree it had become often brilliant, and 
 I quite anticipated for him the high degree which 
 he actually obtained. 
 
 All I heard and saw of him was to his advantage, 
 and I have much pleasure in recommending him for 
 employment as a schoolmaster, an occupation for 
 which I believe him to be thoroughly fit." 
 I That he would have been fitted for the work of a 
 schoolmaster, his subsequent experience abundantly 
 showed, but there had already come into his life a 
 conviction which he recognised as the call of God 
 leading him to devote himself to Foreign Missionary 
 service. 
 
 Some thoughts of this came to him, as we have 
 already seen, before taking his degree, but it was 
 during his last term at Cambridge that he first 
 offered himself for the work. The Mission to which 
 
THE MISSIONARY CALL. 43 
 
 he made application was the China Inland Mission, 
 whose work had been prominently brought to the 
 front through the visit of *'The Cambridge Seven." 
 When asked as to the reasons which led him to 
 offer, he answered in the following way : " Because 
 I believe it to be God's will, and I think this 
 because the need abroad is great ; we have a sort of 
 plethora at home, and I am free to go, and Mark 
 xvi., 15. The need of Missions has come before me 
 urgently for a year." At the same time, he wrote 
 to his parents asking for their consent. In reply, 
 his father urged a delay of at least two years before 
 deciding such an important matter, and in conse- 
 quence, although George was accepted by the 
 authorities of the China Inland Mission, he 
 altogether abandoned his project, saying, " What 
 such a man as my father does not wholly approve of, 
 cannot be right for me to do." Thus, for the time 
 he gave up his cherished plans and set himself to 
 whatever his hand found to do at home. 
 
 One more honour came to him, after leaving the 
 University, in the shape of the Winchester Reading 
 Prize, for which he was bracketted first with another 
 candidate. 
 
 During 1888, he was chiefly occupied in Mission 
 work amongst boys, in connection with the Children's 
 Special Service Mission. 
 
 Missions held by him, in co-operation with other 
 University men, at Newcastle and at Clifton are 
 specially remembered. 
 
 One who heard him as a boy at Newcastle, and who 
 from that time became a fast friend of Pilkington's, 
 
 "J 
 
44 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 writes thus of him : " It was his utter manHness 
 that first struck me : here was a thorough man 
 ringing true from top to bottom. Then that he was 
 a man of God : one who knew God and beheved in 
 God. So he was a man of power. How well I 
 remember my first glimpse of him, eleven years ago, 
 as he came swinging round the corner — the great, 
 tall, strapping figure ; the beaming face — almost as 
 red as his scarlet tie — his hat far enough back to 
 show his broad forehead ; a huge, calf-skin Bible 
 ; under his arm, and a club of a walking stick in his 
 r I hand. I never saw him without that Bible ! But, 
 
 alas ! a Uganda calf ate it all but a few pages of 
 Revelation." 
 
 He also visited Durham and held Meetings at 
 the Grammar School, and, at the same time, some 
 Meetings for young men. One young man, brought 
 to Christ through his instrumentality, wished to 
 follow him to Uganda, but, being prevented on 
 medical grounds, is now working in connection 
 with the Irish Church Missions. Of his Clifton 
 Missions the Rev. J.T. Inskip gives us the following 
 reminiscences : — 
 
 " In July, 1888, Pilkington came to Clifton with 
 Murray Webb-Peploe for two weeks' work. The 
 meetings were held in a private house in a central 
 position, near Clifton College. The results were, 
 speaking frankly, very disappointing. The time 
 fixed was unfortunate, as all boys, of the class for 
 whom the Mission was intended, were at school. 
 On Sundays, the meetings were very large, but, on 
 week days, very few boys attended. On the second 
 
THE MISSIONARY CALL. 45 
 
 Sunday morning, Pilkington arranged an Open-air 
 Service on the Downs. He knew that a large 
 number of the College boys would be within reach 
 after their service in the School Chapel, and he 
 hoped to attract some to this service. I had then 
 not long left the College, and, unhappily, courage 
 failed me and I did not attend the service, but 
 Pilkington and several of the workers persevered. 
 He was not discouraged by the apparent failure of 
 the Mission. He saw that there was a grand 
 opening in Clifton, and promised to come again in 
 the following January. In the opening days of 
 1889, he began work aided by a band of young men. 
 Meetings were held every morning at the same 
 private house, in the afternoon football was played 
 on the Downs, and, in the evening. Drawing Room 
 Meetings were held by invitation. Boys flocked to 
 the Alission this time and the impression made was 
 deep and widespread. I can see him now — his tall, 
 upright figure, his solemn face, standing out against 
 the background of dark wall-paper in the meeting 
 room at Worcester Lodge. Some of his anecdotes 
 and illustrations are still fresh in one's memory. He 
 told the boys how useless it was, and how wearying, 
 to tie fruit on a fruitless tree — the nature of the 
 tree must be changed. He described himself as 
 being not the same person since his conversion — in 
 fact, as almost literally someone else, a new 
 creation. He stated that he had very little 
 conviction of sin at his conversion, but that he had 
 since found out more and more what sin really was. 
 And, in the afternoons, how heartily Pilkington threw 
 
46 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 himself into the games. One dreary Saturday 
 afternoon, there was a run to Wick — a village 
 between Mangotsfield and Bath. The way was 
 unfamiliar and fog came, and some of the runners 
 began to lose heart. But Pilkington was in the 
 best of trim, and carried one or two boys in turn 
 on his back, breathing perseverance into the spirits 
 of all, till at length a hospitable reception and a 
 hearty meal at Wick Vicarage put everyone to 
 rights. All too soon the mission ended, but not a 
 few will bear through life the impress of Pilkington's 
 influence under the blessing of God. Some few 
 who took part, as boys or workers, have been called 
 away, one worker (S. W. Day) being killed by an 
 accident when riding only a month after Pilkington's 
 death. The majority are now scattered over the 
 world. But none will forget the happy weeks 
 spent together under Pilkington's leadership, 
 or the quietness and confidence which were his 
 strength." 
 
 Rev. Murray Webb Peploe, writing of the first 
 Clifton Mission, says: — "At Clifton, there were 
 some five of us Cambridge men taking part in the 
 mission to the Schoolboys, but, to my own mind, 
 Pilkington was a head and shoulders above us all 
 in his power of speaking to boys. This capability 
 he proved himself to possess either in addressing 
 boys publicly or in speaking privately to them 
 alone. His common sense, manly, straight talks 
 were the very thing for boys. He was, as I 
 remember him, like a big, simple boy himself, and 
 as he had a special love for boys, I do not doubt but 
 
THE MISSIONARY CALL. 47 
 
 that he helped many a lad to clearly understand the 
 way of life and salvation." 
 
 During the time that he was working as Assistant 
 Secretary of the Children's Special Service Mission 
 he was associated with Mr. Martin Hall who was, 
 in after years, his colleague in Uganda. 
 
 As has been already stated, Pilkington felt most 
 at home when he was addressing boys, and Mr. 
 Murray Webb-Peploe adds : " Girls were never in 
 his line at all ; " consequently, as he did not find 
 sufficient opportunities for mission work amongst 
 the boys alone, he turned his thoughts once more to 
 school-work. 
 
 He spent a few days at Dover College, towards 
 the end of 1888, and, of his time, there a corres- 
 pondent writes to the Morning Leader : " He was a 
 first-rate classical scholar, at once precise and 
 deeply read, almost too much so for school pur- 
 poses. A splendid figure of a man — well over six 
 feet, and broad in proportion — he brought into the 
 schoolroom the imperturbable sweetness of temper 
 and childlike simplicity — in short, the Christianity 
 — that marked his whole life. 
 
 His earnest recognition of such things as services 
 in chapel that boys are only too prone to scamp, 
 the lonely, walks, spent in serious converse, that he 
 would take with one or two members of his class 
 who particularly interested him, were thought 
 lightly of at the time. Perhaps they had a more per- 
 manent effect for good than the Greek verbs that Mr. 
 Pilkington taught with such conspicuous ability."' 
 
 One of these boys, now Rev. E. H. Elwin 
 
48 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 Acting-Principal of Fourah Bay College, Sierra 
 Leone, writes of this time : " Pilkington was the 
 first man I remember to speak of Christ to me 
 when a boy at Dover College. He came to take 
 the Sixth, when our Headmaster was ill, in 
 November, 1888, and I well remember him taking 
 me to his rooms and asking me to read a paper 
 pinned to the wall. To my surprise, I read John 
 iii. 16. He then asked me if I knew the verse, and 
 how glad he was that I did in some degree. He 
 stayed with us at the College for twenty days, and, 
 throughout that time, kept asking boys to his rooms 
 to tea, and sought to win them for Christ. I 
 remember what a lift I got during those days, and, 
 after nearly eight years, with what pleasure he heard 
 he had been a help when I reminded him at Oxford, 
 about it just before he last sailed for Uganda." 
 
 The summer term of 1889 found him taking 
 temporary duty as a master at Harrow School, and, 
 of this period, Mr. Hyslop says : — " he seemed 
 thoroughly to enjoy his work amongst the boys, and 
 I can remember well his telling me of the various 
 expedients by which he tried to make his boys 
 reahse that 'life is earnest,' and to point them 
 onward and upward to the service of his Divine 
 Master. It is clear that he must have spoken to 
 them *in season and out of season,' and I think of 
 this as one more proof of his whole-heartedness 
 and devotion to the work of God." 
 
 The Rev. W. D. Bushell, one of the senior 
 masters at Harrow, who knew Pilkington intimately, 
 speaks of him as one "who loved the school with 
 
THE MISSIONARY CALL. 49 
 
 singular affection from the first day he knew it to 
 the end " ; and certainly his correspondence bears 
 witness to the very warm place which Harrow 
 always held in his heart. After Pilkington's death, 
 Mr. Bushell was entrusted with the following 
 message which was conveyed to the boys from the 
 chapel pulpit : *' Whilst he was at Harrow, it 
 happened, by the providence of God, that he was led 
 to think of the possibility of sudden, early death ; 
 he had no fear of it, nor reason to expect it, then, 
 but he wrote down these simple words to leave 
 behind him : ' If I die here, tell the Harrow boys, 
 especially those of my own form, I sent this 
 message to them : 'Come to Jesus.' " 
 
 It is not to be wondered at that Pilkington's 
 plain and faithful dealings with the boys committed 
 to his charge formed the subject of a certain 
 amount of criticism ; he would have been the last 
 to claim infallibility of judgment ; but there is no 
 question that many, who were boys under him, will 
 rise up to call him blessed. 
 
 The chief reason of his success was undoubtedly 
 the thoroughness and reality of his whole life. If he 
 spoke to the boys about their souls, it was not 
 merely to satisfy his conscience ; his whole heart 
 was in it, and his life so bound up with those 
 amongst whom he was working, that their joys 
 were his joys, their sorrows his sorrows. His 
 mother recalls how, one day, he came home with the 
 news that some boy in whom he was interested had 
 gone wrong, and says that he felt it so keenly that 
 he sobbed like a child. 
 
50 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 On another occasion, he writes home to his sister 
 telHng the good news of two brothers who he had 
 reason to beheve had been helped by one of his 
 missions. He writes:—'' the younger one in 
 particular sees everything in a new light — he 
 never saw before that eternal life was a gift; he 
 sees it clearly and with wonder now — thank God ; 
 moreover, he intends to stand up at school for 
 Jesus ; do pray for him, for he will have a hard time ; 
 he has announced that he intends to start by 
 burning his cribs. — Pray for him and his brother." 
 
 On leaving Harrow, in the summer of 1889, he 
 had in contemplation the possibility of acting as 
 Classical Lecturer in Melbourne University. One of 
 his testimonials was from Mr. Welldon, who wrote 
 as follows: "Mr. G. L. Pilkington, who is a 
 candidate for a Classical Lectureship in Trinity 
 College of the Melbourne University, is known to 
 me as a man of exceptionally strong physique, of 
 high scholarship and of Christian conviction and 
 character. If I may base an opinion upon the 
 printed list of qualifications for that responsible 
 post, I should say it would be hard to find a Lecturer 
 who could render more efficient service to the 
 College than Mr. Pilkington. He was my colleague, 
 at Harrow, for one term, so I have some direct 
 knowledge of his work. I have a sincere respect 
 for him and should be glad to hear of the success 
 of his present application. 
 
 J. E. C. Welldon, 
 
 Head Master of Harrow School." 
 Sept. 1 2th, 1889. 
 
THE MISSIONARY CALL. 51 
 
 But a wider sphere of usefulness was to open 
 before him than a lectureship in Melbourne 
 University, and it was in November, 1889, when he 
 was acting as an assistant master at Bedford 
 Grammar School, that the call to Africa came to 
 him. 
 
 In order to understand this aright, some reference 
 must be made to the plans before the Church 
 Missionary Society, at this time, for extension in 
 East and West Africa. 
 
 Mr. Douglas Hooper had returned from East 
 Africa, and Mr. Graham Wilmot Brooke, and Rev. 
 J. A. Robinson, from West Africa, and, in each case, 
 proposals had been made for an advance on some- 
 what more simple lines than had hitherto been 
 deemed possible, at the same time great stress was 
 laid upon the importance of securing a small band 
 of University men to act as a pioneering party. 
 
 Having gained the Committee's assent to his 
 proposals, Douglas Hooper set to work to find 
 companions to join him, and the account of his 
 stay at Cambridge may be given in his own words. 
 He writes : — 
 
 *' After four years in Africa, I went home and had 
 the great privilege of being at Ridley Hall again. 
 Very many were the talks enjoyed there with men 
 as to Man's claim on God and God's claim on Man, 
 and one day, Ernest Causton, now working at 
 Narowal, said: 'The doctors will not let me go 
 with you, but I know someone who might, he is 
 now a master at Bedford ; next Sunday he will be 
 my guest here and I will bring him to call on you,' 
 
52 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 and so I met George Pilkington, and he told me 
 his sympathies were with the China Inland Mission. 
 Sometime before, he had wanted to go out in 
 connection with that Society, but his parents had 
 asked him to drop the matter for two years. He 
 was struck with the fact of this time being just up. 
 Ttold him I believed the C.I.M. offered him nothing 
 that he might not enjoy in the C.M.S. My 
 sympathies were then, and are now, very much with 
 the C.I.M., and I venture to think that the 
 missionary cause owes no living man more under 
 God than the beloved and honoured Mr. Hudson 
 Taylor. But, at Cambridge, there was a feeling that 
 the more deeply spiritually taught men must join 
 the C.I.M. in preference to the C.M.S., and one 
 tried to disabuse minds on the subject. [From the 
 \ ffirst Sunday, Pilkington never seemed to doubt once 
 ^''n^hat God had called him to Africa.^ The idea was 
 that a few of us (the C.M.S. limited us to four) 
 should go to Ulu and live together in as simple a 
 way as possible. The people there were many, the 
 district healthy, and the food plentiful ; but it was 
 not to be, for, shortly before leaving, Mr. Wigram 
 asked one and all to go to Uganda. Mackay was 
 pleading for reinforcements." 
 
 Thus the call came, and there seemed to be no 
 doubt about it, but, before he would give a final 
 answer, he determined to put the whole matter 
 before his parents. He had heard God's voice 
 before, as he believed, speaking to him through 
 them ; he believed it would be the same again ; 
 accordingly he wrote to his father as follows : — 
 
THE MISSIONARY CALL. 53 
 
 " Pembroke College, 
 
 Cambridge, 
 Sunday, 3rd Nov., 1889. 
 
 My Dear Father, — 
 
 I have a very important matter to write 
 to you about, to-day. I hope we shall all be able to 
 see it in the same light ; at any rate, I am not 
 making the mistake of not first writing to you and 
 Mother about my plans, before taking any step or 
 speaking to other people with regard to them. 
 
 Douglas Hooper (an old Harrovian and Trinity 
 Hall man) has come home, some months ago, from 
 Africa, where he has been working under the 
 Church Missionary Society for four years. 
 
 He has come back with a new plan of work on 
 the East of Africa, which he has laid before the 
 Church Missionary Society, and which they have 
 accepted and promised to supply the necessaries for, 
 if he can find the men. It is to take five or six 
 Cambridge men and make a station on a new route 
 to the Victoria Nyanza, between Frere Town and 
 the Lake : on the principle of living as simply and 
 as much in native style as is possible. There are 
 four points in his plan on which he lays stress : — 
 
 (i.) Not less than five or six men. — The deaden- 
 ing effect of heathendom is such that isolated men 
 succumb to it. 
 
 (2.) Cambridge men. — Experience has convinced 
 him that educated gentlemen are absolutely needed 
 for Africa. 
 
 (3.) A new route. — Virgin soil — because, on the 
 old routes, the natives are so habituated to the old 
 
54 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 system of buying the chiefs' favour by innumerable 
 presents, that those who go on another princ iple are 
 not tolerated. 
 
 (4.) Native style. — As far cheaper and healthier 
 — so he says by experience — and also as the right 
 way of getting into touch with the natives. 
 
 This is the plan : he has with difficulty succeeded, 
 after some months, in getting three men besides 
 himself; no others seem forthcoming: he considers it 
 wrong to go unless four at least go with him. Most 
 men have ties and engagements which make it im- 
 possible, had they the mind, to go. How about 
 myself? If no one comes forward during the next 
 week or two — he wants to start in January — he will 
 give up the plan, and the East Coast will have to 
 be given up to darkness still, for we know not how 
 long, till another opening like the present occurs. 
 Mr. Wigram, secretary of the C.M.S., told him that 
 the Society's prospects never looked brighter than 
 they do at present in Africa : but what if this 
 attempt be given up ? What do you say ? It 
 probably lies between you and Mother and me 
 whether it will be carried out or no. 
 
 May I point out some of the advantages ? I 
 know you would like me to go out with the C.M.S. 
 rather than, as might happen, independently, or 
 with an undenominational Society. I am sure you 
 would be glad that five or six of us should be 
 standing together and helping one another to hold 
 fast by God rather than singly, or in twos, or even 
 threes. Again, the climate is not unhealthy for 
 Africa, as the proposed country is high. I know 
 
THE MISSIONARY CALL. 55 
 
 how much you and Mother wish me to be a school- 
 master, but you would, I know, only wish me to 
 be a good schoolmaster; and, when the mind is 
 distracted even by a mistaken idea of duty, it is not 
 possible to produce good work. Supposing then, 
 for argument's sake, that I am best suited for a 
 master, even so, would it not be better that I should 
 be a good missionary {i.e., a missionary with his 
 whole heart in it) rather than a half-hearted and 
 dissatisfied schoolmaster — or, if unsuited to be a 
 missionary, should convince myself thereof in the 
 only efficacious, if unpleasant manner, by a sad 
 experience ? Neither you, nor Mother, nor anyone 
 else knows how little satisfaction I have had during 
 the past two years — a continual, ceaseless, restless 
 apprehension, ' You are not where God wants you.' 
 Suppose this is a delusion ; the delusion itself is a 
 terrible fact which is spoiling my life, preventing 
 me from doing anything with all my heart, and 
 rendering me more miserable than I can describe ; 
 I assure you this is no exaggeration. To get rid of 
 this, by buying my own experience at the price of 
 all the pain of going out and the humiliation of 
 coming back ' a sadder and a wiser man,' even so, it 
 would be a cheap bargain. But I don't want you 
 to think of my feelings. I want you to consider the 
 need — one man, a Cambridge man, is wanted : no 
 one is ready to go. How few men there are who 
 have so little to keep them at home ; don't mis- 
 understand me — in the way of inclination, from 
 home happiness and friends and love, who have so 
 much — but in the way of duty ? No one dependent 
 
56 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 on me ; no one whom I should leave, who would not 
 have more than one to take my place: and the 
 blessings with which God has surrounded me, 
 though making it harder to go, ought, from grati- 
 tude, to be my greatest incentives, if He wants me 
 there. 
 
 I have said all I can say, and I can only pray 
 that God will guide us all to see and to do His 
 Will, which who yet regretted having done ? 
 Your loving Son, 
 
 George L. Pilkington.' 
 
 Two days later, he writes to his mother : — 
 
 "Tuesday, 5th November, 1889. 
 
 Dearest Mother, — 
 
 . . . I am wondering how circumstances 
 will strike you and Father and all ; just two years 
 ago, if you remember, you said, ' Wait two years.' 
 I engaged up to, but not beyond, the time when 
 it is proposed to start. Harrow left, from which, 
 perhaps, God knew I would not have torn myself 
 away to Africa ; my mind for two years in this 
 unsettled condition ; my daily and hourly longing 
 ' Only to know that the path I tread is the path 
 marked out by Thee.' 
 
 You don't know how I long for that knowledge : 
 I believe I should be satisfied to black boots if I 
 knew that was 'the right way,' by which the Lord 
 was leading me. Now, if all these coincidences 
 with the definite need of a definite sort of man for a 
 definite work (which, unless I go, will — I may say — 
 
THE MISSIONARY CALL. 57 
 
 be abandoned) ; if they strike you all at home with 
 the conviction that the Lord has called your son, 
 then the last doubt will have gone, and I will have 
 the answer to my prayer for definite and clear 
 guidance ; to stay at home or to go abroad — mind, 
 I've not asked for guidance to go abroad — but clear 
 guidance one way, that I might knoWj and so DO 
 with a whole heart. 
 
 " Indeed, if unuttered wishes are prayers, I've 
 prayed to be allowed to stay at home. Anyhow, 
 dearest Mother, don't be unhappy ; if I ^o go, it will 
 only be in the perfect certainty that this is my 
 * vocation,' in which case, what an honour to be the 
 King's ambassador — and if I stay at home — all right 
 too. 
 
 Your loving son, 
 
 G. L. PiLKINGTON." 
 
 On receiving George's letter, Mr. Pilkington said 
 to Mrs. Pilkington, " God has asked for him, and we 
 must give him," and from that time every help and 
 encouragement was given to their son as he 
 prepared to go forth to his unknown work in Dark 
 Africa. The following is George's reply : — 
 
 "54 Midland Road, Bedford, 
 
 Wednesday, 6th Nov., 1889. 
 
 Dearest Mother, — 
 
 Thank you so much for your letter, and 
 Father for his. I am glad to have the way marked 
 so clearly now. Not a sorrow, indeed, dearest 
 Mother ; and I'm sure we'll all see that some day ; 
 but, for the present, we walk by faith, not by sight. 
 
58 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 I've telegraphed to Douglas Hooper, whom you 
 would like immensely. You'll tell people how much 
 one man was wanted to prevent the work falling 
 through. 
 
 Pray for all of us. One of the men, Cotter, of 
 Trinity, who is coming, was at Scarborough last 
 summer ; then there's a Corpus man, whose name I 
 
 forget. 
 
 Your loving son, 
 
 George L. Pilkington." 
 
 Having received his parents' consent, he at once 
 entered into communication with the Church 
 Missionary Society, and after some preliminary 
 correspondence, he wrote as follows to Rev. F. 
 Wigram, Hon. Sec. of the C. M. S., especially with 
 reference to his call to East Africa. 
 
 54 Midland Road, Bedford, 
 
 Sunday, 17th Nov., 1889. 
 
 My Dear Mr. Wigram, 
 
 Thank }Ou very much for your kind and 
 sympathetic letter. May I explain, if at some length, 
 what I feel about East Africa ? For two and a 
 half years I have felt the overwhelming importance 
 of Foreign Missionary work : during the whole of 
 that time, I may say, I think, I have not passed an 
 hour without wondering whether I ought not to go 
 abroad. My prayer has been for distinct and definite 
 guidance — ' only to know that the path I tread is the 
 path marked out for me.' I undertook school- work 
 because, in spite of these strong feelings, I could not 
 
THE MISSIONARY CALL. 59 
 
 be certain that I was being called to any special 
 foreign work ; but neither could I be sure that 
 school- work was ' the right way.' What I longed 
 for was certainty that I was going on a path of God's 
 choosing, not mine. When Douglas Hooper pro- 
 posed East Africa with his party, a fortnight ago, I 
 was convinced that my prayer was answered, and 
 this conviction was immensely strengthened by the 
 cordial assent of, first, my parents, and then of 
 many others from whom experience had led me to 
 expect at least a mild disapproval. Under these 
 circumstances, I feel so sure of God's leading, that 
 I not only hope that I may, but firmly believe that 
 I shall, be sent to East Africa. 
 
 Believe me, 
 
 Yours very sincerely, 
 
 George L. Pilkington." 
 
 The most remarkable testimony to his fitness for 
 missionary work was furnished by the Master of 
 Pembroke, who wrote : — 
 
 " I can hardly find words sufficiently strong to 
 describe his fitness for the work which, for years, he 
 has been anxious to attempt. He has the zeal of an 
 Apostle and Evangelist, and, being a highly cultured 
 man, will be an enormous accession to the mis- 
 sionary cause. I have never had any pupil, who 
 has gone out, in my opinion, so qualified spiritually, 
 intellectually, and physically. There is the promise 
 of a Hannington or a Gordon in him. He must not 
 be too much interfered with. Allow him a free hand. 
 
 November 19th, 1889." 
 
60 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 Pilkington's preparation for missionary work was 
 different from that which is usually recommended 
 for intending missionaries, and, in view of the varied 
 character of missionary work, it is worthy of con- 
 sideration if it would not be well for some to 
 engage in educational work previous to going forth 
 to the mission field. It may seem remarkable that 
 Pilkington did not seek ordination. On this point, 
 the Master of Pembroke, preaching in the College 
 Chapel after his death, says : — 
 
 "With many of you it will not detract from his 
 praise that he was a layman — that he joined the 
 Mission as a layman, and remained as such. I 
 never argued with him about his motives, but I 
 think I can fathom them. His mind was of that 
 independent order that does not easily submit to 
 dictation — especially of an absent committee. I 
 made a point of this, in writing to the C. M. S., that 
 they must not worry him with rules, or attempt too 
 much control, and that he would do original things 
 if he were unfettered. He was altogether unprofes- 
 sional, and you would mistake him if you associate 
 any affectation or sanctimoniousness with his 
 character and conduct. (A frank, genial Irishman 
 he remained to the last, with an overflow of spirit). 
 This is different, I know, from some of our concep- 
 tions of a modern missionary. 
 
 Being as he was, he can be used as an argument 
 for the freer and fuller employment of laymen in the 
 Church, which, I am glad to think, is gaining ground 
 amongst us. We do not now interpret Christ's 
 command to preach the Gospel to all nations to be 
 
THE MISSIONARY CALL. 61 
 
 only a clerical obligation, we recognise that His 
 Society is of laymen, and we have ceased to describe 
 an intending clergyman as ' one who is going into 
 the Church.' That is wrong in thought and ex- 
 pression." 
 
 On December 3rd, 1889, George L. Pilkington 
 was accepted as a missionary of the Church 
 Missionary Society at the same time as Baskerville 
 and Cotter, all of whom were destined for Eastern 
 Equatorial Africa, Graham Wilmot Brooke and 
 Eric Lewis being accepted for the Niger on the 
 same day. 
 
 From December 3rd, i88g, to January 23rd, 1890, 
 the date when the East African party left London, 
 was none too long for the work of outfitting, and 
 for taking leave of friends, and other preparations 
 for the journey. Since the plans for the East 
 African party had first been formulated, news had 
 reached England which led to a change in their 
 probable destination. The need of reinforcing 
 Uganda, now that it seemed possible to reach it, was 
 felt to be the primary duty of the new band, and 
 they were ready to fall in with the arrangements 
 which were made for them, their instructions being 
 to proceed to the coast and to wait there until the 
 way opened for them to proceed up country. 
 
 The public leave-taking was a most impressive 
 occasion, being the first occasion on which Exeter 
 Hall had been taken for a valedictory meeting of 
 C.M.S. Missionaries. Of this, a correspondent of 
 the Church Missionary Intelligencer, now a member 
 of the editorial staff, wrote : — 
 
62 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 " It was a bold experiment to engage Exeter Hall 
 for a Farewell Meeting to the band of missionaries 
 set apart for Africa, but it was a venture more than 
 justified by its success. On the evening of January 
 20th, the doors were besieged as at the Annual 
 Meeting of the Society, and, when they were thrown 
 open, the crowd surged into the great hall. Many 
 of the features of an Annual Meeting of even more 
 than usual interest were there — the room full to the 
 back of the gallery and the furthest corner of the 
 great platform ; gangways crowded with people 
 unable to obtain seats ; and well-known faces to be 
 seen on every side. We were especially pleased to 
 welcome representatives of other Missions, such as 
 Mr. James Mathieson, Mr. Hudson Taylor, and Dr. 
 Pierson of Philadelphia ; and also sixty Cambridge 
 undergraduates, who had come up in a body with 
 Mr. and Mrs. Moule. 
 
 One is led to ask what was the immediate cause 
 of all this interest. The explanation is to be found 
 in the striking character of the missionaries on the 
 platform. In Bishop Crowther, we have the only 
 non-European bishop that has been consecrated 
 since the days of the early Church, and a man whose 
 romantic career and long services will always com- 
 mand the public attention. In some of the younger 
 missionaries, we have men of marked individuality, 
 of great ability, and of still greater devotion. And 
 the novelty and danger of their plans have attracted 
 the liveliest interest of all friends of Missions." 
 
 There were no long speeches at this meeting, but 
 each of the male members of the two missionary 
 
THE MISSIONARY CALL. 63 
 
 parties proceeding to East and West Africa, rose, one 
 after another, and either told of the works in which 
 they had already taken part, or asked for prayer as 
 they went forth for the first time. 
 
 After the President of the C.M.S., Sir John 
 Ken n away, had spoken, followed by the Rev. H. C. 
 G. Moule, Bishop Crowther addressed the meeting, 
 and, after him, Mr. Graham Wilmot Brooke, the 
 Rev. Eric Lewis, and Dr. C. F. Harford-Battersby, 
 proceeding to the Upper Niger with a view to 
 reaching the Sudan; the Rev. F. N. Eden, the 
 Rev. H. H. Dobinson, and Mr. P. A. Bennett, 
 appointed to the Lower Niger; and the Rev. H. 
 Tugwell, now Bishop Tugwell, located to Lagos. 
 This formed the West African contingent. The 
 East African party followed, consisting of Mr. 
 Douglas Hooper, Mr. G. L. Pilkington, Mr. G. K. 
 Baskerville, and Mr. J. D. M. Cotter. 
 
 Mr. G. L. Pilkington said he was going out 
 because he knew the Lord had saved him, and that | 
 nothing could separate him from the love of Christ ; ! 
 because the Lord's command was laid upon him ; i 
 and because, since He is King, we have but to do ! 
 His will and we shall be safe. He had been kept, | 
 he said, ' with a light heart,' not that he was going 
 lightly, for he had never given anything such care- 
 ful consideration. He urged upon those present to 
 forestall the coming of Christ by accepting His 
 salvation and by doing Him service." 
 
 A little incident connected with this meeting is 
 recorded by a friend of his, the Rev. R. S. Heywood, 
 now a Missionary in India. Mr. Heywood writes : 
 
64 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA 
 
 " At his first dismissal meeting at Exeter Hall, a 
 number of us went up from Cambridge, and I was 
 glad to come across him at the bottom of the stairs 
 at the Hall, so as to have a last chat. As we stood 
 there, I noticed several people going up and looking 
 with great interest at him, some evidently pointing 
 him out to others. I mentioned this to him, and at 
 once, with an exclamation Of distress, he asked me 
 to move with him into a more remote corner, where 
 he would not be conspicuous. This was only one 
 instance of the humility which all my acquaintance 
 with him showed was most truly genuine." 
 
 The last night in England was spent under the 
 hospitable roof of the Rev. W. D. Bushell. From 
 there, he wrote to his mother as follows : — 
 
 " I am just beginning this letter before going to 
 bed to-night, to finish it in the morning. I can only 
 praise God for His goodness to me during the last 
 few days. He has been so with me both here and 
 in Cambridge. We had 3,000 in Exeter Hall, more 
 than 50 men came up from Cambridge." 
 
 Next morning he writes : *' Bushell has given me 
 a pedometer and several other things — he is kind. 
 It's all right. I've never doubted that this is the 
 way (Rom. viii. 28)." 
 
 On the same day, January 23rd, 1890, the East 
 African party left London in the s.s. ''Kaparthala," 
 and, after an uneventful voyage, reached Frere Town 
 where they were to wait till arrangements could be 
 made for them to proceed to Uganda. 
 
CHAPTER V. 
 
 A VISIT TO KILIMANJARO. 
 
 Not long after arriving at Frere Town, finding 
 that there must be considerable delay before starting 
 tor Uganda, Pilkington accompanied Mr. Binns on 
 a journey to the neighbourhood of Kilimanjaro, of 
 which he gives the following description : — 
 
 "Taro, E.E. Africa, 
 
 (Half-way from Mombasa to Taita), 
 Sunday, April 20th, 1 890. 
 
 Seated on a box, with two other boxes for a 
 table, our porters squatting or standing all round, 
 just finishing their breakfast of rice and dried fish, 
 Mr. Binns, Secretary of the C.M.S. for the Coast 
 districts, writing beside me on our only little table, 
 ten o'clock this Sunday morning, I am answering 
 your letters. 
 
 I want to write a letter which will give you 
 some idea of what an African Safari is like, and so 
 I write to \'ou only, but, of course, you will show it 
 to the rest. If I tried to write a lot of letters, none 
 would be satisfactory. I am keeping a diarv, to 
 which I shall refer now, and tell you all that has 
 happened since I left Frere Town. By the wa\', 
 
 F 65 
 
66 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 Hannington came this way, as he relates in the 20th 
 and succeeding chapters of his Hfe. 
 
 We started at 2.30 on Monday from Frere 
 Town by boat up the creek, which stretches up a 
 dozen miles or so inland. " We " means Mr. Binns 
 and his dog Nellie, myself, Edgar and his dog 
 Minnie, whose existence I was, till last Sunday, 
 ignorant of, but on Monday he, Edgar, presented 
 himself with a bit of rope round the animal's neck, 
 and fully determined on having this gaunt, half- 
 starved, and, to me, specially obnoxious beast as his 
 companion to Chagga. 
 
 Miss Ramsay went with us to Rabai, to take 
 back Miss Barton to Frere Town next day. 
 
 Our porters were to meet us at Rabai. 
 
 We sailed and towed up the winding creek, 
 sometimes as much as a mile broad, but narrowing 
 further up between mangrove swamps, and, finally, 
 not more than twenty yards across. I had a shot 
 at a big water-bird with Binns' gun, but missed. 
 
 We reached the "banderini," or landing place, 
 about 5.30, where we waited till the dhow contain- 
 ing our loads, i.e., tents, clothes, food, rice for the 
 men, should arrive, to be carried up to Rabai by the 
 forty men or so whom we found waiting our arrival. 
 After a few minutes — during which we drank the 
 juice from some " dafu," or young cocoanuts, which 
 Binns had brought — we heard the panting of the 
 Company's Steam Launch coming up the creek. 
 We hoped it would be tugging our dhow, but it was 
 not ; it brought Crawfurd of the Company, who, I 
 told you, was to go with us to Taita. We left the 
 
A VISIT TO KILIMANJARO. 67 
 
 men to bring the loads, hearing that the dhow was 
 only just behind, and started on our way to Rabai. 
 It was a very good road for Africa, European-made, 
 and therefore several feet broad — the native roads 
 just like sheep tracks, — it was very pretty, through 
 undulating, country ; we saw lots of orchids. We 
 reached Rabai, which is four miles distant, about 
 6.30. Passing the fine church, which it was almost 
 too dark to see, we came to Burness's house, where 
 we were kindly received by Mr. Burness and his 
 wife. Miss Barton, of Frere Town, was with them 
 as I mentioned before. After tea, I went out with 
 Burness, but could see nothing for the darkness but 
 fire-flies, of which there are thousands. 
 
 Crawfurd had not yet got enough Rabai men to 
 supplement his Zanzibaris up to the 100 he wanted, 
 so we could not start till the afternoon of Tuesday. 
 I walked round Rabai with Binns in the morning ; 
 it has a population of 1,500. At Church, in the 
 morning at 6.30, there were 300 or so present. 
 The native pastor, Jones, is often mentioned b\- 
 Hannington. The population consists half of 
 Waswahili and half of Wanyika, drawn there (for 
 IJinns said he remembered when there were not 
 more than fifty or sixty people), by the security of 
 property which a European settlement gives (we 
 heard of an incursion of Masai only ten miles away 
 from Rabai the other day), and, let us hope, some 
 perhaps, by the Gospel. It is, at any rate for Africa, 
 an important place and market. The Wanyika 
 huts are very primitive — from the outside just like a 
 small rick of damaged hay — no windows whatever ; 
 
68 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 the Swahili huts are very superior. I saw, in Rabai, 
 an India-rubber tree, from which Binns, in a lew 
 minutes, by cutting the bark and rubbing the sap on 
 his hands, made a Httle piece of india rubber. 
 
 We started at 2.15, and reached Mwachi (seven 
 miles) at 4.10. These halting places are not towns 
 or villages as a rule, but merely places where water 
 is. The water here (which Crawfurd called splendid) 
 was like the water in the pond at Tore to look at, 
 only covered mostly with green stuff. We boil and 
 then filter all our water ; the natives drink it neat. 
 We pitched our tents and set up our bedsteads for 
 the night. Edgar sleeps on my waterproof sheet in 
 my tent ; the men sleep out ; but since that first 
 night, when there was heavy rain, they have rigged 
 up little tents with sticks and a little cloth or cut 
 grass. The first thing on arriving in camp is, for us, 
 who have carried nothing heavier than an umbrella 
 and a monstrous hat, to rest — for the men, who have 
 carried a load of 5olb. to 6olb. (sometimes more), 
 generally on their heads, to fetch firewood and 
 water. Last night, I counted more than a dozen 
 fires round about. The men sleep with feet toward 
 them, and they keep off wild beasts. And now to 
 make a digression. The contrast will have struck 
 you already. The people, to whom we have come to 
 preach, lie on the ground or in a reed or grass hut, 
 at rice and a bit of dried fish (two cupfuls of 
 rice and a handful of dried fish is a day's ration), 
 carry a load under a burning sun for ten or 
 twelve miles which I should be sorry to carry 
 a mile in England, walk barefoot on the 
 
A VISIT TO KILIMANJARO. 69 
 
 scorching ground, while we live in grand houses 
 or tents (palaces to these people), sleep on beds as 
 comfortable as any at home, eat chickens (carried in 
 a box alive), preserved meat, green peas (preserved), 
 tea, cocoa, biscuits, bread, butter, jam. Necessary 
 for health, perhaps, some of these things may be. 
 It's all very well for people at home, who know that 
 we should have these things and others too, if we 
 had stayed at home ; but how are these ignorant 
 people to know or to believe that ? They see we 
 live like princes (in their eyes) ; they cannot but 
 believe that it is for these luxuries we come here : 
 they're not luxuries at home, at least, nothing like 
 to the same extent. Now my feeling at the present 
 moment is that, if it is not possible, or if there is 
 not a prospect of its becoming possible, to live ver\ 
 differently, we might almost as well be at home. 
 Don't think I'm complaining of anything or any- 
 one. I enjoy these things and with a clear con- 
 science at present : the roast chicken we had the other 
 night was very good ! so were the peas ! and I sleep 
 on my comfortable bed as well as if I \Nere at home : 
 but I stick to what Fnc said, and say what I think. 
 It's no good coming out here unless we persuade 
 these people (not people at home) that we've come 
 out for something that is not for our own comfort, 
 nor profit, nor sport ; and, to do so successfully, it 
 may be ncccssaiy to do things which would other- 
 wise be foolish and wrong. However, don't be 
 frightened. I take tremendous care of my health, 
 and mean to do so. One more remark about above 
 subject — our life ought to be such as to compel the 
 
70 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 natives — not Englishmen — to ask, " What on earth 
 brings these fellows out to live like this among us ? 
 
 There is such a gulf between us already — language, 
 character, thought, and religion ; it is terrible if it 
 is necessary to set up another barrier, a physical 
 one, to point all the others out as by an object 
 lesson to these children, such children they are, I 
 think, and so Irish, so like myself, coming in with 
 their loads after a long march, singing and running to 
 shew that they're not tired; taking the tool out of the 
 w^hite man's hand, when he sets himself to some rough 
 work, saying that such is not for the likes of him, an 
 acknowledgement of a social distinction which you 
 will find in Ireland, but not much in England. 
 
 We were up about five on Wednesday morning ; 
 pack all things in great haste, drink cocoa and 
 biscuit, and start at 6.40 (a late start — the sun 
 always rises at six, and we ought not to start later). 
 We reached Mto Kajembe at 9 a.m. (nine miles) ; here 
 we had breakfast, pitched tents, slept, etc., till 2.30 
 when we started, and reached Mto W^a Munyo (Salt 
 River) at a quarter to four (four and three-quarter 
 miles). W^e stopped here for the night. I had a 
 bath in a portable India-rubber bath, very delightful ; 
 we saw a lot of partridges on this and next day ; 
 we have also seen several vultures. The general 
 appearance of the country is that of an undulating 
 (or even hilly) plain, well sprinkled with small trees, 
 chiefly mimosa, occasional thick, impenetrable bush 
 — the soil is sand}-, covered by coarse grass, as on 
 the edge of the bog at home. 
 
 On Thursday, off at 5.50 ; we had not got far 
 
A VISIT TO KILIMANJARO. 71 
 
 when the men in front stopped and waited for us to 
 come up, as two splendid antelopes, very dark, long, 
 straight horns, big as mules, were grazing about 300 
 yards ahead. We saw what Binns said was a flowering 
 fungus, and very rare. We saw two small antelopes 
 at a place called Gora, perhaps mentioned by 
 Thomson or Hannington. We reached Samburu at 
 8.35, ten and three-quarter miles (all measurements by 
 pedometer, given me by Mr. Bushell). On, one and 
 three-quarter miles, in the afternoon, to what Thomson 
 calls, "the stone reservoirs of Duruma." A Duruma 
 man here asked why no Missionaries came among 
 them. Three of Crawfurd's Zanzibaris ran off thi 
 day ; they had been paid fifteen dollars {£2) in 
 advance. 
 
 Left next day at six ; went on, with an hour for 
 breakfast, to this place, Taro, twelve and a quarter 
 miles, reaching this before eleven, the day before 
 yesterday. We then waited for mails which arrived 
 yesterday at 4.30. Forty of Crawfurd's Zanzibaris 
 made their escape on this last march ! Seventeen 
 loads are missing, stolen by the men ; runaway 
 porters generally leave their loads on the road, but 
 these, Crawfurd says, are a mere pack of thieves. 
 They were engaged for him by a clerk, who got a set 
 of boys to begin with, and besides, the riff-raff of 
 Zanzibar. His headmen accompanied Stanley on 
 the Emin Pasha relief expedition, but he doesn't 
 know whether he can trust even them. He lost, 
 among other things, some most valuable papers, 
 and he is himself now ill with dysentery. The 
 mails arrived yesterday, and with them the news 
 
72 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 that Mackay was dead ! Since he went to Uganda 
 in 1876, he has never come down to the coast. He 
 has left us an example of perseverance. 
 
 Crawford started back this morning, carried by 
 four men, in a waterproof sheet slung on poles. 
 
 Now just a word as to my health ; I am thankful 
 to say I am perfectly well ; this Safari has cured my 
 prickly heat and trilling tropical rash." 
 
 " Freie Town, 
 
 June 17th. 
 
 We went on again on Monday. The next place 
 where we were sure of water was forty miles away ; 
 so we had to push on. We found some water, as a 
 matter of fact, about half-way, but it didn't help us 
 much, as we only rested a little time, while the men 
 re-filled their gourds, dried, in which they carry 
 water. We walked seven-and-a-half hours on 
 Monday, and then slept without water, i.e., at a 
 place where there was no water, and without tents. 
 Off again at 5.20 a.m., still dark, four-and-a-half 
 hours' of hard walking, such a crooked road, ending 
 up a steep hill ; under a blazing sun, we at last 
 reached the hill of Maungu. (I forgot to explain why 
 this letter was delayed. Three weeks ago to-day, I 
 wrote to Mother ; that evening the doctor sent me 
 to bed in high fever, which continued, more or less, 
 for a fortnight ; I am thankful to say it is gone now, 
 but I am still fearfully weak. We hope to start to- 
 morrow week for Zanzibar, en voutc for Uganda. We 
 like the four new men very much, and the Bishop 
 extremely, which, I expect, I said in my last letter). 
 
 At Maungu, the unfortunate men, after arriving 
 
A VISIT TO KILIMANJARO. 73 
 
 some time after us with their heavy loads, had to 
 mount the hill for water, a good hour's walk. It is 
 a lovely place, a high pass between two hills, \\ itli 
 a splendid view, filled with flowers ; convolvulus 
 creeps over half the little trees. In the afternoon, 
 Binns and I went up to the top, washed (how- 
 delightful), and saw a troop of chattering monkeys, 
 and — Kilimanjaro's snow\- head, far, far awaw 
 Within the last few months, Dr. Meyers, a German, 
 has got to the top ; it is almost 20,000 feet high, 
 Mont Blanc with Ben Nevis piled above it. 
 
 Next day we reached Taita (Mt. Ndara 6,000 feet 
 high), a C. M. S. station, just given up, for the 
 present at least. We saw the Missionary (who has 
 just left this room, Morris), after that a splendid swim 
 and wash, with soap, in a mountain stream, that 
 was very full after the rains they had had, and filled 
 a fine rocky basin, almost out of my depth. 
 
 Next day, on again, five-and-a-quarter hours' morn- 
 ing walk to a populous village — Matali — in a lovely 
 and well-cultivated valley ; the afternoon we rested in 
 our tents, eating roast Indian-corn cobs and sucking 
 sugar cane. The people very friendly. On next 
 day, up and around a mountain — lovely \iew of 
 Kilimanjaro — and down again into a rich and 
 wooded country. Then we started across Seringete, 
 the waterless track of fifteen hours' march. How- 
 ever, we found a fine pool half-way, where we 
 camped. Here, and all this day, we saw animals in 
 great numbers — zebra, ostriches, eland, hartebeest, 
 vultures, giraffes, and buffaloes — very dangerous 
 beasts, (not so many tracks of lions), leopards, 
 
14 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 elephants, rhinoceros, and, of course, hyenas howHng 
 every night. We have them here. Quails there 
 were in endless numbers, also partridges and guinea- 
 fowl. The flowers are often magnificent, but I 
 can't describe them, and, except at Maungu, they 
 were, as a rule, so scattered that there was nothing 
 so fine as a spring or summer field at home. 
 
 Next day, Binns shot an Eland as big as a cow, 
 to the men's great delight, for, of course, we could 
 eat only a little of it. We had to camp on the spot 
 while they cut it up and cooked it, and gorged 
 themselves all night long. The cooked, or, rather, 
 burnt morsels they disposed of to great advantage (as 
 I thought, for I wouldn't have touched it) for splendid 
 bunches of bananas and plantains and sugar cane. 
 This was at Taveta, a prosperous village below 
 Kilimanjaro, hidden in the heart of a great forest. It 
 was fine making our w^ay under the great trees, dark- 
 ened by creepers (not so dark, perhaps, as Stanley's 
 forest), till we came to the " gate" where you have 
 to fire off guns and pay so much cloth to get in. 
 These great log gates, remind one of Irish 
 " gates " on a huge scale. The " gate " consists of a 
 huge pile of logs which have slowly to be unheaped 
 to let you pass. Then through another forest, this 
 time of bananas — a beautiful sight, with the huge 
 bunches of fruit hanging down everywhere. We 
 spent a pleasant afternoon and morning next day 
 buying food and watching the Wataveta. Then 
 we started about one, but alas ! some non-Tavetans 
 had barred the road by the other gate, they wanted 
 cloth ; this was an imposition we considered, so we 
 
A VISIT TO KILIMANJARO. '^5 
 
 came back, re-crossing three rivers, either on 
 sHppery, dangerous planks, or rather round poles, 
 at the risk of a wetting, or by wading them. One 
 of the '' Elders"' of Taveta, on our return, assured 
 us they had no authority at that gate, and advised 
 our taking another road. After losing our way, and 
 having to come back a good bit— three times I 
 think— at last we really started at half-past three. 
 We only got two hours on our way and had to 
 camp in a bad place, where there was no water. 
 Next evening we got within one-and-a-half hours of 
 Chagga ; the men, who were behind, thought we had 
 pushed right on, and camped on their own account 
 We were left with boys, cook and guide, no food, no 
 change of clothes, no tents, and it was raining— with 
 a fire, indeed, by which we lay— till the cook and 
 guide, who had gone back, brought up the men with 
 the loads which we wanted. Next day early, we 
 reached Chagga." 
 
 The chief object of this journey was to interview 
 the King of Chagga, and to bring him, if possible, 
 to treat the work of the C.M.S. more favourably. 
 Of the interview, and of some further incidents of 
 their visit, Mr. Pilkington writes : — 
 
 *'The kingdom of Chagga, where Mundara, the 
 one-eyed king, reigns, is a lovely spot on the lower 
 ridges of the great, twin-peaked, snow mountain, 
 Kilimanjaro. Here we found ourselves in the 
 presence of this one-eyed, African despot. 
 
 The contrast was strange :—' The palace,' more 
 like a cabin to our eyes : the courtyard, a horrible 
 quagmire of filthy mud; and there sat, in a full- 
 
76 PILKINGtON OF UGANDA. 
 
 length shirt — that ought to have been white, but it 
 wasn't — Mundara, the dreaded ruler, the ambitious 
 conqueror, whose evil fame reaches to the coast. 
 And another contrast : so polite he was, his words 
 ' smoother than oil,' and yet he is the man who has 
 exterminated whole tribes ; has depopulated mountain 
 sides, killing many of the people, and selling the 
 rest into the miseries of slaverx'. This is human 
 nature as it is, before it knows Jesus, the Saviour of 
 the world. 
 
 Mr. Binns' words had a good effect ; the 
 attendance of twenty-one boys at the Mission 
 House showed that the king had withdrawn the 
 opposition to that extent, at least. He had been 
 under the impression that, the boys once taught, 
 we should want to carry them off to the coast. 
 
 Most interesting our ' safari ' was : the natives 
 were sometimes (as we were told), so superstitious 
 that, when our missionaries at Taita went up to the 
 top of the mountain for a walk, they were un- 
 pleasantly surprised by a crowd of angry men, 
 armed with bows and poisoned arrows, who insisted 
 that they had gone up there to make " medicine ' 
 to keep the rain oif ! The Missionaries' assurances 
 were at last belie\-ed, and they w^ere allowed to start 
 homeward, followed, however, when they had gone 
 a little way, by a shower of arrows. On the other 
 hand, at Taveta, that Arcadian paradise as Thomson 
 calls it, in the heart of the forest, we found the 
 natives so friendly and interesting. Some of the 
 customs were so odd : beads and cloth are the 
 money of the country — but beads, which are greatly 
 
A VISIT TO KILIMANJARO. 77 
 
 prized at Taveta, are just a shade too blue and a 
 trifle too large for the fashion at Chagga, where, 
 accordingly, they are valueless ! How I wish I had 
 had the skill to depict the features of the chief of 
 Matati, when Mr. Binns induced him to try his 
 bottle of smelling salts ! At this place, too, we 
 found a huge demand for common salt ; a few 
 spoonfuls would buy three fine sugar canes, each 
 ten feet long. In Duruma, nearer home, a man 
 asked us why no missionary was among them : 
 perhaps he only wished for the temporal advantages 
 which come with the white man ; but the question 
 stands, why is it ? Because, if five times as many 
 men were at work here, they could find work to 
 spare in the stations already occupied. 
 
 A few days later we started back; we got drenched 
 for the first four days regularly, and had to sit 
 waiting once, foodless, fireless, in drenched and muddy 
 clothes, lying tired on the wet ground, under a sort 
 of improvised arbour to keep out the drizzle, for 
 two-and-a-half hours till the men came up, with 
 hyenas yowling round. A day or two later, 
 one of our boys walked with us all the way, 
 down with small-pox, covered with the rash ; 
 he has recovered, though one of Binns' bo\'5 
 caught it and died here ten days ago. The last of 
 the four days on which we got drenched, sitting b}- 
 the fire, with the small-pox boy on the other side, I 
 reflected on what the Greeks called the ' irony of 
 fate,' that in my coat pocket on the same ' safari ' 
 should be a letter of Mother's beseeching me to 
 take care of my health ; so I do, but — well, I 
 
78 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 shan't describe our return in detail ; we reached 
 Rabai, after tremendously hard marching ; on the 
 way in, Edgar said to me, * Have you heard the 
 news ? ' 
 
 'What news?' said I. 'Mr. Cotter's dead.' 
 And so it was, two days before. 
 
 And so I have got here again — to be laid up ten 
 days with my foot, and then, just this day three 
 weeks ago, by fever ; and I've not been out yet — am 
 very weak, but the Doctor says it's all right ; can't 
 expect to get up one's strength at once after a sharp 
 attack of fever ; and to-morrow week, please God, 
 we shall start for Zanzibar on the way to Uganda, 
 the change will do me good. 
 
 June 19th. 
 We hear this morning that the ship from 
 Bombay, by which we expect to travel to Zanzibar, 
 will not be here till Friday or Saturday week, 
 which gives me two or three days extra to 
 mend in. I have just re-read my last mail and 
 proceed to answer one or two things. You know 
 that not only Hill, of Corpus, but three other men 
 whom we like very much, have come out ; they are 
 not Cambridge men. By the way, you say in one 
 letter that I belong to a superior race to the Africans; 
 do you know I doubt it ? Physically, much inferior, 
 except in appearance. I cannot notice that they 
 are intellectually inferior ; inferior in knowledge, 
 indeed, because this country provides them (as 
 the ancients said of the golden age) of itself 
 with all they feel the need of; they are, therefore, 
 indifferent to what we call progress, or the know- 
 
A VISIT TO KILIMANJARO. 79 
 
 ledge of nature, and the turning her to our uses. 
 Glad to hear Aunt B's interest in this most 
 interesting of countries. D's assertion, which 
 puzzled K, is most presumptuous. How can any 
 man say of a country, of which four-fifths, if not 
 nine-tenths, are utterly unknown, that there is this 
 or that ? The fringe on which his own eyes have 
 rested, he may partly know, but the rest 
 
 June 2oth. 
 
 I was much stronger yesterday, and went out 
 for a ride on a donkey ; a splendid beast ; to-day, 
 I feel stronger again. The rest have been terribly 
 busy packing loads, all to be made up to 70 lbs. ; 
 how would you like one on your head ? 
 
 By the bye, you will be glad to hear that to have 
 had a severe attack of fever — and mine was a very 
 severe one — is considered a good thing ; in fact, the 
 doctor told me to-day that he did not think it likely 
 I should ever have so bad an attack again. 
 
 June 2ist. 
 Douglas was ordained the other day ; three of the 
 new men are to be to-rnorrow. 
 
 Monday, June 23rd. 
 The mail may be starting to-morrow, so this 
 letter goes in to be stamped to-night. 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE LONG MARCH. 
 
 "Ye have need of patience " is a maxim constantly 
 to be remembered by the x\frican traveller. More 
 than five months had passed since our party left 
 England, and it was only after this long delay that 
 they were able to start on their long journey. 
 
 Pilkington describes the first stage of their journey 
 in the following letter : — 
 
 " Criterion Hotel, 
 
 Zanzibar 
 Wednesday, July 9th, 1890. 
 
 Here we are, started at last, I am glad to say. We 
 left Frere Town at 3 p.m., on Monday ; after a little 
 tossing about, and a night on deck (we travelled as 
 deck passengers), we got here at 10.30 a.m. yester- 
 day, and, since then, I have been resting, and hope to 
 do so till early to-morrow morning, when we are to 
 leave for Saadani, by H.M.S. ' Redbreast,' and 
 start, I expect, with Stokes next day. You'll under- 
 stand why I need resting, when I tell you all the 
 news. It has been w^onderful how God has brought 
 us all (except one, and there are four in his place) to 
 the start. About a fortnight ago, I began to feel 
 something like myself; but Douglas and Mrs, 
 
THE LONG MARCIL PA 
 
 Hooper bci^an to be uilin;;, Dou-las with fever, .niJ 
 Mrs. Hooper with overwork : it would h:i\e j^^reatly 
 increased tlic hardness of leavin*^' one another had 
 either been ilL Well, they both reco\'ered before 
 the end of last week — worn out a ,i;ood deal indeecL 
 but neither ill. Hnt witli myself it is e\cn niort- 
 striking: mv foot is only n(n\. two days before 
 startin^^-, reco\-ered ; it has been healed for a week or 
 so. Then my fever : I had a sharp attack last 
 Friday for twenty-four hours, then again, on Sunday 
 morning, mv temperature was 105 ' : I was three 
 times awfully sick, and felt as ill as I could be. and 
 I belie\ed. as I lay in bed that morning, that tli( 
 steamer was to leave at () a.m. lu^xt morning. WC 
 should liave had to be uj) at lour, and breakfast, and 
 get our personal luggage (I had still two-and-adiall 
 loads, 70 lbs. each, unpacked, and accounts to be 
 settled) on board in the dark. Was it possible. 1 
 thought ? And the horrors of a steamer, too, with 
 the Monsoon dead against us, all night as deck 
 passengers. But it was all made quite right and 
 pleasant — pleasant surprises coming continually."' 
 
 •• Bv the wav, another horror I forgot, the passage, 
 and if I did reach Zanzibar ali\e, to Saadani by 
 dhow eight hours at least, and \'er}- likely becalmed 
 indefinitely halfway, there would have been no time 
 for rest here ; we might have gone on immediately 
 yesterday. Well, on Sunday at midday, I began to 
 improve; then we heard the steamer was not to 
 start till 2 p.m. On Monday, I was a good deal 
 better and just managed m}- packing, etc. The 
 ' Yuba' and our deck quarters turned out infinitely 
 G 
 
82 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 better than I had expected. I got better and was 
 not sick on board. The Bishop (who, expecting us 
 to follow in two days, came here a fortnight 
 ago) met us with the good news that the 
 Admiral, who is here on the ' Boadicea ' with 
 a fleet altogether of ten ships, and two trans- 
 ports expected, had promised to send us across 
 in the ' Redbreast,' a fast vessel, though not 
 a large one, whether strictly a man-of-war or a gun- 
 boat, I don't know ; this gives one-and-a-half days' 
 rest, and spares us the dhow journey, to God be the 
 thanks. 
 
 I'm quite well, but still weak : anyhow, its all 
 right, we have been joined at the last moment by 
 Hunt, of the Company, a delightful fellow and, 
 perhaps, the Mombasa doctor, Dr. Edwards, who 
 was so good to us when ill, sending Douglas and 
 me his own milk, may come too. The Bishop 
 telegraphed yesterday, Emin Pasha has reached 
 Mpwapwa three weeks ago ; he has been fighting ; 
 of course, in the present state of things, without 
 Stokes we could' nt go.'" 
 
 " Saadani, 
 
 14th July, 1890. 
 
 Here still ! We had a delightful crossing in the 
 ' Redbreast,' the Commanding Officer giving us his 
 own cabin, where we had breakfast. On arrival we 
 found the start put off until Monday (to day) : now 
 it is off again till Wednesday ; Shall we really start 
 then ? Our first communication long ago with Stokes 
 made us expect to start nearly two months ago. 
 
 We are camped here in our tents by the sea ; 
 
THE LONG MARCH. 83 
 
 Stokes a hundred yards awa}' (to hear him talk 
 Swahih, with an Irish brogue!), and his men in a 
 regular town half-a-mile off, but extending a mile or 
 more beyond that. My loads are all satisfactorily 
 made up, and have been accepted by the porters. 
 On Saturday morning, we had a trying time, finally 
 packing our loads, which the porters then inspected, 
 choosing each man one to suit him. Mine went 
 immediately, though each of two was ^Ib. or lib. 
 over the regulation weight — yolbs. Besides this, the 
 poor men carry 35lbs. of cloth, their own pay, and 
 water and cooking pots for themselves ! The men are 
 very capricious about their loads — some shapes are 
 objectionable, so some of our men had difficulty in 
 getting their loads accepted. It was a trying time, 
 because the tents, too, had to be made into loads, so 
 shelter from the blazing sun was hard to get. But 
 none of us, I think, were an}- the worse. The same 
 evening we got our mails. 
 
 We have a Bible reading, every day after our mid- 
 day meal, each choosing and starting a subject by 
 turns." 
 
 " Sunday, August 3rd. 
 
 Two-thirds of the way to Mamboia, near the 
 Mbula Mountains. 
 
 At last, an opportunity of writing, or rather 
 starting, a letter ; perhaps it will go from Mamboia, 
 which we hope to reach in a week or so. To-day, 
 being Sunday, we rest as usual. 
 
 You have heard of Hill's death : he left Saadani 
 for the hospital at Zanzibar, early on Sunday 
 morning, and died that night. We started next 
 
84 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 mornino^, so we did not hear of his death for a few 
 days. 
 
 Baskerville has had fever : temperature 105*'' just 
 now. I wonder whether he will be able to go on 
 my donkey to-morrow ? I don't think he is as ill 
 as his temperature seems to make him. However, 
 his illness is too like Hill's not to make one feel that 
 there is danger. 
 
 Now about myself. I'm quite well, but still 
 weak. We have two donkeys, and I generally 
 ride half the march. We go an average of nine 
 miles a day, and I assure you I find half that plenty. 
 Isn't that a confession ? Then this is Africa. 
 
 Baskerville and I in one tent, Dunn and Dermott 
 in another. Smith and Hunt in a third, Douglas 
 in a small one, and the Bishop in a big one 
 by themselves. This is the way we travel. 
 We divide the work as follows: D. and D. (as 
 above), the canteens, packing and unpacking for 
 meals; B., the food boxes; Smith, filtering water ; 
 Hunt, making the tea; Myself, the cooking; 
 Douglas, everything. Stokes is a most pleasant 
 man and extremely kind to us. 
 
 We are getting among some fine mountains, but 
 hitherto there has been little striking in any way, 
 hardly any fiowers, lions or beasts of beauty or 
 interest that I could see. M}- chief interest is 
 learning Kiganda. No one else has begun it. I 
 have really got on lately. I've been able to get 
 some of the main things of the grammar out of my 
 friend Noah, who seems to enjo}' teaching me. We 
 walk together on the way, and sometimes I find an 
 
THE LONG MARCH. 85 
 
 opportunity of establishing myself in a tent with 
 pen and ink and m\- old Harrow bank book (which 
 is being transformed into a Kiganda grammar) 
 while Noah crouches on the floor and is pumped as 
 to singulars and plurals, futures and perfects, though 
 I need hardly sa}s I don't put it that way. Indeed, 
 it has interested, though not surprised me to see 
 how utterly foreign and puzzling to N's ideas any 
 thought of grammar is. He has never given me a 
 rule ; he never generalizes. You would think that 
 any one — especially a very intelligent man like N., 
 anxious to please me and teach me — would give me 
 some general formula for making the future, when 
 I ask him, say, ten verbs, in the form ' I shall go,' 
 ' I shall send,' but no, he doesn't see what I'm 
 driving at a bit, but fills up my ' I shall see ' into 
 a complete sentence, which he urges me to write 
 down, assuring me that his words are ' very good." 
 
 Then again, when I notice what seems an irregu- 
 larity, say in one of these futures as compared with 
 the others, and ask him why do you say so-and-so, 
 whereas in the rest you say so-and-so, why don't 
 you say this instead, he answ^ers, ' Oh no,' its not 
 that, and repeats it as he said it before. If you urge 
 him for an explanation, he says it's words only, 
 ' don't you see, of course it's this,' and repeats it as 
 if you were deaf, or very stupid. 
 
 I've got one or two tiny books with pra\ers and 
 the Commandments, and Bible texts, which arc a 
 great help, but no grammar. Noah knows Swahili, 
 but no English. 
 
 The Germans sent us twice this week a leg of beei 
 
86 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 or veal. Besides this beef, we buy chickens from 
 the natives, eggs sometimes, and we use tinned 
 meats when we can get nothing else. 
 
 We have for our first meal, oatmeal and Indian 
 meal porridge, tea or cocoa, hard biscuits and 
 butter (tinned), at 5.30 in the morning. Awful 
 scramble while beds, tents, or other loads are being, 
 or are to be, packed and sent off, everyone shouting 
 for something or someone, all in the dark, made 
 visible by one lantern. March before 6. In camp, 
 8, g, 10. Food : — Chickens, rice, biscuits, native 
 beans, perhaps dried potatoes, jam, any native 
 vegetables ; we are looking forward to sweet pota- 
 toes (on Sundays, apple rings), at 4.30. Same with 
 soup (peagenerall}'), at one or other meals." 
 
 " Mamboia, E. Africa, 
 
 Tuesda)-, August 12th. 
 
 We got here about nine o'clock yesterday morn- 
 ing, the day before, Sunday (our usual practice is not 
 to march on Sunday), we had a long march of six 
 hours, most of which I did on Stokes' donkey : the 
 Bishop had hurried ahead a few days before to be 
 at Mamboia the longer, taking the larger of our two 
 donkeys. Baskerville, who is still weak from the 
 late fever, was riding the other. So, of late, I've 
 been borrowing S.'s donkey, for I'm not quite 
 m\self yet ; though, on the whole, with occasional 
 relapses, I've been getting stronger ever since we 
 left the coast. 
 
 We stay here (a lovely place, of which more anon) 
 till Thursday or Friday. Messrs. Cole and Beverlby 
 
THE LONG AiARCH. 87 
 
 and Price (of Kisokwe, first two men, and Mpwapwa) 
 are expected here to-morrow, for a conference with 
 the Bishop, who is not very well. 
 
 ^[y last letter didn't enter into details of the 
 march as much as I intended, so here goes : — We 
 get up some at four, others a bit later, invalids per- 
 haps not till five ; then comes a scene, some washing 
 in the bucket or basin outside their tent (unless 
 they think that an evening wash is enough, for the 
 early mornings are very chilly, and the whole thing 
 is a rush), others calling for their boys to pack up 
 their camp-beds, that the tents may be pulled down, 
 which is sometimes done while, if late or lazy, one 
 is still inside. Douglas calling out that the man 
 for the loan of buckets and basins has come, and 
 will everyone send the same at once to his tent. 
 Meanwhile, others are seeing to the food, porridges, 
 Indian and oatmeal, tea and biscuits. At last a 
 whistle is three times blown, and we assemble round 
 the cook's fire for S\\ahili prayers ; then the rush is 
 resumed, increased by the food being ready, as 
 everyone is anxious to get some and be off, if the 
 march is to be long and the sun likely to be hot 
 later on. 
 
 Then comes Dunn and Dermott"s turn, who have 
 to pack the canteens from which we eat, and which 
 it is well to get off earl}', as we shall want them for 
 our next meal. Douglas stays last of all and sees 
 that the men take their loads, often carrying what is 
 left behind. More than twenty porters have died 
 since leaving Saadani, dysentery chiefiy. Remember, 
 there are 2,200 odd. 
 
88 PILKIXGTON OF IGAXDA. 
 
 Tli(jn coiiitis the inarch. (Juite cold at first, the 
 grass, perhaps, dewy. On past the porters, who 
 \\ ahv quite slowly with their loads of /olbs. for an 
 hour (the men have been so ill), two, three or four 
 hours, as the case ma}- be. Some of our men go 
 ahead and choose a camp well in front of the rest. 
 Then the question is, w^hen will this load or that 
 load come in? Is my tent in? Ha\e they brought 
 my bed in, or left it down among the other loads ? 
 How about the canteens and the food boxes ? Shall 
 we have anything to eat before twelve? (ii a.m. 
 is the hour we aim at.) Has the man we sent, two 
 liours ago — immediately on reaching the camp — to 
 buy chickens and eggs and sweet potatoes, come 
 back } et ? Ha\e the bo}s draw n water }'et, or ha\e 
 tJie buckets not conu; in yet ? Here's ni}- tent, but 
 has the man with the ]>egs come ? The sun's so 
 hot, and there's hardly an\' shade — where's m\- bo\- 
 wdth my water bottles ? etc., etc., etc. 
 
 At last, several tents are pitched, and in one of 
 them we get the table ready for food and have our 
 second meal. Then we have our Bible reading : 
 then we read, rest, wash, etc.. as we severally please. 
 Meanwhile food has again to be seen to. This 
 comes oft' at 4.30. Then Swahili prayers, which 
 Douglas and I take by turns. Idien, after everything 
 which can ])e packed in the e\'ening is done with, to 
 bed. It is an interesting and a novel way of life, 
 but it would be a stretch to call it a pleasant one. 
 and a pause in a house, as liere, is a great relief and 
 a resU 
 
 Now 5 ab'jul liic plaLc Maniboia li a collection 
 
THE LONG MARCH. 89 
 
 of villages, some of only a dozen beehiNe huts, lying 
 in a broad \allcy, among beautiful mountains, rising 
 not high above the valley, though 4,000 feet or so 
 above the sea. The hill-sides, too, are crowded with 
 villages. Wood, the C.M.S. man here, says you 
 can pass thirty-two villages in an hour's walk. The 
 \alley is extensively cultivated — Indian corn, millet, 
 sweet potatoes, banana, and pine apples, etc. The 
 mission station is situated most beautifully, high 
 abo\-e the vallc}-, 3,960 feet above sea level, com- 
 manding a grand view of it. It is built on a com- 
 paratively level slope. There are two houses, three 
 rooms in each, besides store rooms (the Roscoes, 
 whom C. and S. met at Cambridge, were here.) 
 Belo^^• the house is a garden, where, beside nati^•c 
 things, English flowers and vegetables are grown. 
 It is wonderful to see the geraniums and petunias in 
 full bloom in Africa (it is so cold here) ; carrots, too, 
 and potatoes. A church is being built — stone walls ; 
 for mortar, the ordinary earth, which is better than 
 our mortar, for it has all been worked by white ants ; 
 walls three feet thick. It is paid for b}- Wood 
 himself and the natives, who give either in kind or 
 in labour. Wc had service there this mornin^r: 
 thirty natives or so present. They speak a language 
 which is called Kimegi, which bears resemblance to 
 both Kiswahili and Kiganda. 
 
 This is a splendidly healthy place and we hope to 
 gather health and strength here. I wish I could 
 tell of anything encouraging in our work. The 
 Lord is with us, and to Him all power is given in 
 Heaven and in earth, even in Africa. Frav that 
 
90 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA. 
 
 this power may be shewn, and that nothing in us 
 may hinder it/' 
 
 " Kisokwc (six miles beyond Mpwapwa), E. Africa, 
 
 Friday, 22nd August, 1890. 
 
 Here we are at Kisokwe, rather over two hundred 
 miles from the coast, not quite so far as Chagga, 
 from which we came back in ten days, and yet on 
 Monday, when we expect to start again, it will be 
 five weeks since leaving the coast. We arrived 
 early yesterday, 7.15 a.m., from Mpwapwa. Here I 
 was met by Mwaka or Andreya (Christian baptismal 
 name) the boy who taught me on the steamer. He 
 came running to meet me. I gave him some 
 chocolate, and hope to give him a piece of cloth 
 before I go. He has been preaching to the people 
 since he came back. His mother comes each 
 Saturday to the Mission to be taught ; this means 
 a walk of three hours over the hills with a child on 
 her back. She goes back on Mondays. This is 
 the most encouraging thing I ha\'e heard or seen 
 in Africa. I hope and believe we may say in both 
 cases, ' This hath God done.' 
 
 You will have heard what is at present uncertain 
 news about Uganda. The Germans, in the fort at 
 Mpwapwa, have received news that the English 
 Company's expedition to the lake (we know they 
 are live hundred rifles strong, and are even now 
 followed by probably a second party eight hundred 
 strong) have combined with the Protestants in 
 Uganda, and ousted Mwanga and put Kalema, the 
 Arab nominee, upon the throne. Likely enough, 
 
THE LONG MARCH. 91 
 
 too, if the jealousy between the Roman Catholic 
 chiefs and the Protestants comes to a head. We 
 heard of the growing jealously in Zanzibar, but 
 wh}' Kalema ? Surely the Arabs are not in league 
 with the English Company ! Was it in default of 
 an\- other of the blood royal, or has he turned 
 Protestant (I don't say Christian) on the chance of 
 a crown ? Had Mwanga favoured the Roman 
 Catholics or even taken to Protestant persecution 
 again ? Or is it all a lie ? I daresay we shall all 
 know when you read this letter. 
 
 By the way, I'll say here that I've not ridden a 
 donkey since Mamboia and am strong and well ; 
 Baskerville is still rather feeble. The house at 
 Mpwapwa was burnt down by the Arabs ; all agree 
 that it was a \er\' good thing ; the house \\as so 
 grand as to be a hindrance to the work. Mpwapwa 
 is a ver\- populous place. Lateh', Price, the 
 Missionary there, has been encouraged by the 
 increased numbers coming. Here they have three 
 hundred in church on Sunday and sevent\' every 
 day. Kigogo is the language here. Cole, the 
 Missionary, was nearly killed by a buffalo not so 
 long ago. 
 
 We have come through some magnihcent \alle\s 
 — some of them populous enough; the country, from 
 Mamboia as far as this, is the mountain region of 
 Usagara. On Monday, we start into a comparati\ely 
 flat th(nigh ele\ated country. Just beyond 
 Mamboia is the pass of Rutako, 4,700 feet higher 
 than Ben Nevis. You ought to look all these out 
 in the C.M.S. Atlas." 
 
92 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 " Sunday, 24th August, 2 p.m., Kisokwe. 
 We had a confirmation this morning. Fourteen 
 from Mpwapwa, and I think twelve from Kisokwe ; 
 some big men, rough and wild looking. Three 
 hundred natives or so were present. Our visit here 
 has been encouraging." 
 
 After leaving Kisokwe,, the roughest part of the 
 journey began, and is graphically described by 
 Bishop Tucker in a letter from Unyanguira, about 
 one hundred and twenty miles beyond Kisokwe. 
 
 The Bishop writes as follows : — 
 
 " Unyanguira, E.E. Africa, 
 
 September 6th, 1S90. 
 
 " As you will see from the above address, we arc 
 getting on. We are now, I suppose, within six 
 weeks of the Victoria Nyanza. Our progress has 
 been slow, but not the less sure on that account. I 
 believe xAfrica is one of those countries in which it is 
 essentially true that it is the pace that kills. The 
 tortoise very frequently wins the race here. 
 
 The solemn services of Sunday, August 24th, over 
 — that is to say, the ordination of Messrs. Cole and 
 Wood, and the confirmation of thirty candidates — 
 we prepared for an early departure on Monday, 25th. 
 We left Kisokwe at 6.30 a.m. Mr. Cole accom- 
 panied us as far as our first camping ground. We 
 there bade him an affectionate farewell, and, as a 
 party, were once more alone. 
 
 To get water entailed a journey of three hours, 
 and, when obtained, it was found to be distinctly 
 brackish in flavour. The night spent at this spot we 
 
THE LONG MARCH. 93 
 
 shall not easily forget. It was an open, sandy plain, 
 across which the wind rushed with unobstructed 
 force. Our tents, happily, had been pitched in good 
 time, so that, when the wind arose, we had some 
 shelter, however precarious. Every moment we 
 expected our tents to be blown away. Not one of 
 us got a wink of sleep that night. As w^e were to 
 make a long march through a porri or waterless 
 desert the next day, it had been arranged to start at 
 3.30 a.m., so, at two o'clock, I gave the signal to 
 prepare for the march. The wind, a few minutes 
 later, dropped in a very remarkable way. We were 
 thus enabled to pack, and prepare breakfast in 
 comfort. Most providentially, the day proved to be 
 cloudy, so the march was robbed of half its horrors. 
 None but those who have experienced it can under- 
 stand what it is to have a burning sun beating down 
 from above, and scorching heat rising from the 
 burning ground or sand at the same moment. This, 
 happily, we were spared in going through this 
 porri. We marched for six hours, and then 
 halted to prepare some food with the water from our 
 water-bottles. After an hour's rest, we resumed our 
 journey, and, in a couple of hours, reached our 
 camping-ground ; but here again, alas ! the water 
 was brackish. Still, we had to drink it, and were 
 very thankful for it. It is wonderful the things you 
 take kindly to when there is no other alternative. 
 During the last two months, I have swallowed more 
 mud in water than in all m}- life previoush'. And 
 not only swallowed it, but swallowed it thankfully. 
 Another day of brackish water had to be endured, 
 
94 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 and then we started on another long march through 
 another waterless tract of country. We were now in 
 Ugogo — which is indeed a weary land — a land which 
 seems stricken with a curse — even the forests are 
 leafless and bare. Here and there, out of the sandy 
 plain, rises a conical hill, 200 or 300 feet high — 
 whether volcanic in its origin, I cannot tell — probab- 
 ly the ants have had something to do with the work 
 of raising them. About these hills, a few huge 
 boulders have been tumbled. How grateful their 
 shade — ' the shadow of a mighty rock within a 
 w^eary land.' Of a truth, with the exception of 
 these few^ hills and rocks, the country is a sandy 
 waste. The inhabitants of the few villages we came 
 across have to dig for water in the earth. Some of 
 these holes are thirty feet deep. These holes are 
 our only hope of water. You can imagine how 
 eagerly we look down into their depths. This second 
 long march in this waterless district was distinctly 
 more trying than the first. Still we held upon our 
 way, upborne with hope of fresh and sweet water. 
 This, happily, we found as we halted at Mizanza. 
 
 Here we spent two days, in order to bring up the 
 rear. Our rear was in a considerable state of excite- 
 ment ; a straggler had been speared by the Wagogo, 
 and his load taken from him. The surgical skill of 
 Messrs. Dermott and Dunn was again put to the 
 test. Of course he had been speared in the back. 
 The wound was a bad one, but still not fatal. The 
 oest was done for him, and he is now, I am glad to 
 sa};, all right again. This incident was a disagreeable 
 reminder that we are now in a country in many 
 
THE LONG MARCH. 95 
 
 respects hostile. The Wagogoare <::^reat thieves and 
 bullies. We have just received the startling news 
 that they have almost utterly destroyed an Arab 
 caravan of 500 porters — within a few miles of where 
 we now are — men, women, and children, all 
 massacred. Two or three of our own mail-men have 
 also been murdered. This very serious business will 
 probablv delay us a few days, as the German com- 
 mander is going to punish the chiefs of the tribes 
 implicated. This will probably mean burning 
 villages and hanging one or two of the chiefs. Oh, 
 when will this country — this land of misery, and sin, 
 and death, emerge out of its utter darkness ? Truly, 
 to pass through is oppressive to the spirit in the 
 highest degree. Owing to the state of the country, 
 the German commander has intimated to me that 
 he will not be responsible for my safety (not that I 
 regard him as in any sense responsible), if I do not 
 keep nearer the main body on the march. Usually, 
 I am in the habit of going ahead with our fastest 
 donkey, so as to be in a position to choose the most 
 favourable site for our camp, when the kiongozi — or 
 leader — has indicated the spot where water is to be 
 found. Of course, when a large number of Natives 
 are travelling together, this is a most important 
 matter. I generally try t(^ get to windward of their 
 camp. I suppose now I shall have to be a little 
 more careful. Yesterday, for the first time, I made 
 the acquaintance of zebra-steaks. Wo passed a large 
 herd of zebras whilst on the march, and one of the 
 (rermans managed to shoot one at long range : this 
 was brought into camp later in the day, and the 
 
96 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 f^iiccessfiil marksman very kindly sent us a joint. 
 We found it very good — quite an acceptable change 
 in our diet/' 
 
 "September 9th, 1S90. 
 
 " The air for the last few days has been full of war 
 and rumours of war. Saturday night was a night 
 to be remembered. After we had pitched our tents 
 near Unyanguira, and were preparing for our meal, 
 we were startled by hearing that two German 
 soldiers had been murdered at a village hard by, 
 whither they had gone with cloth to bu}^ food. 
 
 '' Some time previously — that is, almost at the time 
 of our arrival here — I informed the German oflicer, 
 Lieutenant Siegel, that I had seen a number of 
 Wagogo marching off from a neighbouring tembe 
 (or village) with shields and spears, apparently in 
 military order. He seemed to attach no great im- 
 portance to this fact. To my mind, it seemed an 
 indication of the state of the country around. After 
 events proved the correctness of my surmise. The 
 moment the news arrived of the murder, Lieutenant 
 Siegel called his men together and marched off to 
 endeavour to bring in the dead bodies, with the 
 arms and ammunition with which the men left the 
 camp. In about an hour's time he returned, bring- 
 ing in one dead man — the other body he was unable 
 to recover. One of the men died very nobly. When 
 he left the camp, he received strict orders that on no 
 account was he to fire on the natives. When he 
 approached the village, he held his gun in his left 
 hand and his cloth in the right. He said, ' I have 
 
The long xMArcH. 97 
 
 come to buy food." The natives threatened him 
 with their spears. He answered, ' I am not going 
 to light with you. My orders are to buy food, and 
 not to shoot. You can kill me if you like,' and held 
 out his arms. Immediately the spears were plunged 
 into his body in half-a-dozen places, and he fell, in 
 obeying orders, as nobly, it seems to me, as ever any 
 soldier fell in battle. The other poor fellow had no 
 rifle ; he immediately took to flight and endeavoured 
 to escape. He was pursued for half an hour through 
 the porri by these Wagogo bloodhounds, and fell, 
 pinned by a dozen spears. The Lieutenant also 
 informed us that the country was swarming with 
 men in arms, and that evidently they meant 
 flghting ; that, in all probability, an attack would be 
 made upon us some time during the night. We at 
 once set about making as good a disposition of our 
 men and loads as possible. At the moment, they 
 were actually in as bad a position as they could be 
 — scattered about in little camps over a wide plain. 
 Word to concentrate was sent round, and soon we 
 had the Wan3'amwezi camped all around us. Our 
 force was, unfortunately, divided ; Mr. Stokes, with 
 several hundred men, was some miles in the rear. Mes- 
 sengers were sent ofl" to him with information as to the 
 serious state of affairs. (We afterwards learned that 
 these runners did not leave the camp until five hours 
 after they had been ordered to leave). The German 
 officer in command had only seventeen soldiers now 
 left. It is true they were armed with breechloaders, 
 but it was a force altogether insufficient to deal with 
 the mass of men which filled the country in front. 
 
 H 
 
98 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 Our trust was in the Lord God Omnipotent. We 
 placed men to watch during the night, and com- 
 mitted ourselves into the hands of our Keeper — the 
 Keeper of Israel — who neither slumbereth nor 
 sleepeth. I could not help being struck with the 
 evening portion of ' Daily Light,' which I read as I 
 turned into my tent : * Watchman, what of the 
 night ? ' I slept from nine till four in the morning, 
 and then rose. The Lieutenant was of opinion that 
 if an attack came, it would be about half an hour 
 before sunrise, that is to say, at about half-past 
 five a.m. We were on the alert, but, happily, no 
 attack came, and, as the sun rose above the level of 
 the plain, we felt that we, through the goodness of 
 God, had escaped a great danger. Of course, you 
 know that we missionaries, as a party, are entirely 
 unarmed. There is no doubt at all that, had the 
 Wagogo chosen to attack us during the night, they 
 could easily have massacred the whole lot of us — 
 even had we been armed. I do not regret in the 
 very least coming without arms. We should not 
 have used them, and they would only have been a 
 temptation to the men and boys. 
 
 A little after eight o'clock, on Sunday morning, 
 Mr. Stokes arrived, and I felt at once that, humanly 
 speaking, things would be arranged. He is a man 
 of great influence with the natives — a man who 
 keeps his word with them, and who has never done 
 an unkind action with regard to them. Besides all 
 which, he has travelled up and down and through 
 this country for years. He at on':e sent out men to 
 try to get hold of a native through whom communi- 
 
THE LOXG MARCH. 
 
 99 
 
 cation could be opened up and the matter arranged. 
 In this they were successful, and, in an hour or two, 
 words were spoken between the parties. The chief 
 of the country disavows the action of his people. 
 The men, he says, were killed contrary to his orders. 
 This disavowal is most satisfactory, as it puts a 
 different complexion upon the matter. The death 
 of these men was therefore murder, and not an act 
 of war. Mr. Stokes thereupon demanded that the 
 murderers be given up for punishment. Whether 
 this will be done or not it is impossible to say. I 
 cannot help feeling, myself, that the chief is merely 
 excusing himself and trying to put the best possible 
 aspect upon the matter. There is no doubt in my 
 mind that the Wagogo would destroy us if they 
 could as completely as they have destroyed the 
 Arab caravan. What they fear is the presence of 
 many white men. When they came into camp, they 
 said, What can we do against loo Muzungu, or 
 white men ? (We are only fourteen). 
 
 A letter has just arrived from Dr. Wolfendale, 
 who is some miles awa)-, stating that he is in 
 difficulties, and asking for assistance. Dr. W^olfen- 
 dale, you will remember, is a brother of Mr. 
 \\'olfendale, the Congregational minister in Durham. 
 He has come out in connection with the L.M.S., 
 and ]s travelling with a caravan of his own, and is 
 bound for Urambo. It seems that a Wagogo chief 
 has stopped or barred his passage until he has paid 
 heavy hongo. He hears, moreover, that there is 
 another chief, a little wa}- in advance, who is waiting 
 to make a still heavier demand upon him, and so he 
 
100 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 has written asking if we can help him out of his 
 difficulties. This we are very glad to be in a 
 position to do. We have sent off armed men, who 
 will, in a few hours, we trust, bring him on here, and 
 then we shall travel on together until we get out of 
 Ugogo. Dr. Wolfendale's kind attention to poor 
 Hill, who died at Zanzibar, I shall never forget, and 
 I am only too thankful to be in a position — in some 
 degree — to requite that kindness. Dr. Wolfendale 
 in his note says that so far he has had a pleasant 
 and prosperous journey. We expect him to arrive 
 at about four or five p.m. I trust there will be no 
 fighting in getting him here. I do not anticipate it." 
 
 Later. 
 
 " Dr. Wolfendale and his caravan have just come 
 into camp, escorted by the German soldiers sent by 
 Mr. Stokes for his rescue out of the dangerous 
 position he was undoubtedly in. Lieut. Siegel 
 thinks that, without question, he has escaped a 
 great danger. The country is simply swarming 
 with armed Wagogo. A single act of imprudence 
 will be like throwing a firebrand into a powder 
 magazine. May God give patience and wisdom to 
 those who are concerned in the arrangement of this 
 matter ! " 
 
 "September loth, 1890. 
 
 " I am thankful to say that all danger of a collision 
 with the Wagogo seems now to be over. The chief 
 has sent in the murdered man's rifle and ammuni- 
 tion, but declares his inability to produce the 
 murderers, as they have fled out of his country. 
 
THE LONG MARCH. 101 
 
 He is willing, however, to pay the blood-money in 
 ivory and cattle. He says he has no cause of war 
 with us, and desires peace for himself and people. 
 I believe, myself, that he simply fears our strength, 
 and that, had we been a small caravan, he would 
 have smashed us up without mercy. However, 
 * all's well that ends well.' We shall probably 
 take him at his word and go on our way. Mr. 
 Stokes will probably leave the Germans at 
 Mpwapwa, on the coast, to call the Wagogo to 
 account for the destruction of the Arab caravan. 
 I am thankful to be able to report the safe arrival 
 of our mail men at Usongo. They escaped the 
 massacre, and are now, in all probability, at 
 Usambiro." 
 
 "September nth, 1890. 
 
 We left our camp in front of Unyanguira this 
 morning, and a two hours' march brought us to an 
 abundance of water and food. We shall evidently 
 get through Ugogo without any attack by the 
 natives. They seem thoroughly to respect our 
 strength. An Arab caravan, bound for the coast, 
 has just come in, and I must send this and other 
 letters by it, so must close. We are all in good 
 health and full of hope, greatly cheered by our near 
 approach to a country more hospitable than Ugogo. 
 The Master has indeed been with us, guiding, 
 keeping, strengthening, and comforting us at all 
 times. All being well, we hope to be in Uganda 
 before this letter reaches you. We expect to reach 
 Usongo about the end of September, and to be at 
 
102 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 Usambiro about October 21st. But we are in the 
 Lord's hands, and can calculate on nothing ; content 
 to live a day at a time." 
 
 On October 3rd, 1890, Pilkington continues, writing from 
 Byaba, 12 miles South of Usongo. 
 
 " Here is another chance (sooner than we expected) 
 of writing. Mail men have just arrived from the 
 Lake ; they go on to-morrow. I was not expecting 
 to have an opportunity of writing till we had reached 
 Usongo, so you must excuse a scanty letter. Usongo 
 is Stokes' village; the chief, Mtumginya, is his 
 ardent friend and supporter. We hope to get there 
 at 8 a.m. to-morrow, after a four hours' march 
 through a ' porri,' or scrubby forest (nothing but 
 scrubby little trees, fairly close together, nothing 
 grand), these ' porris ' are uninhabited tracts, in 
 fact, where there is a village, a clearing is made for 
 cultivation ; uninhabited, I should say, but for 
 robbers, who catch stragglers with loads of cloth 
 and kill or disable them. We got through the 
 ' Mgunda Mkali ' at last ; we had a two da3^s' halt 
 on the verge, owing to difficulties with our 
 Wasukuma porters, which made it especially trying 
 to the men, whose cloth, for food, had to last all the 
 same. My cookery has, of late, been greatly helped 
 by quantities of native butter and honey. I have 
 just borrowed, to my great joy, a Kiganda Grammar 
 in French, by a Priest, from one of the German 
 party, a Dane ; it will be a great help and most 
 interesting, after I have tried to make things out for 
 so long without such help. 
 
THE LONG MARCH. 103 
 
 Have just come back from packing my bucket, or 
 rather arranging for packing in the morning — getting 
 out loads and stowing in tins, native meal, rice, milk, 
 honey, butter, pea-flour, etc., etc — not quite all these 
 to-night. We shall be called about 2.30 a.m. to- 
 morrow — the loads will go off to-night now that I 
 have done with them. I am writing, through the 
 Bishop's kindness, in his tent, and on his materials. 
 You will have heard, by telegram perhaps, a 
 month before this reaches you, the news of general 
 interest which goes by this mail, the various 
 incidents in Uganda ; Emin Pasha, just beyond 
 Usongo, unable to proceed because of war in 
 Usukuma — we are thankful to hear that now this 
 is at an end ; the death of four French Priests. 
 Anyhow, the upshot of all this, as far as we are 
 concerned, is this : that we hope and believe at the 
 present moment we shall be able now to go right on 
 into Uganda without delay, except four days or so 
 at Usongo to settle about the carriage of forty or 
 fifty C.M.S. loads (left there long ago) to Usambiro 
 (the C.M.S. station at the South of the Lake, 
 where Deekes and Walker, of the C.M.S., and 
 Gedge, of the British Company, are at present 
 trying to buy from the Arabs), and such further 
 delay at the latter place as may be thought desirable, 
 or may be necessary, for preparing the boat or boats 
 to^convey us and our effects. The C.M.S. boat was 
 soon to go back with Gedge ; it will now, no doubt, 
 wait if possible for us, as they ought to have 
 received the Bishop's letter from Mamboia some 
 days ago, just after the departure of their mail men. 
 
104 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA. 
 
 who arrived here to-day, having passed our mail 
 men a few days only from Usambiro. 
 
 We are now in a land of plenty, such a relief 
 after Ugogo. Usongo is a goal we have long 
 looked forward to. Our rest there will give an 
 opportunity, much needed, of washing and mending 
 our clothes, our bodies and other effects, e.g., my 
 camp bed, which is rather out at elbows. We 
 are all quite well and strong, and so we can see a 
 great deal for which to praise God, not that this is 
 not always ' comely for the righteous,' ' it becometh 
 well the just(ified) to be thankful.' We have long 
 hoped in vain for letters : there'll be the more when 
 they do come. We got our last at Mamboia. 
 
 Douglas has just come for letters, and for buckets, 
 the porter whereof wants to do them up for an early 
 start ; nobody knows where they all are — I chiefly 
 use them for the kitchen — so I have promised to 
 hunt them up, and, as it is pitch dark, I had better 
 set to at once, as it is now 7.10 p.m., and we are to 
 get up at 2.30, and lots of other things are to be 
 done." 
 
 " Nera (two days from Usambiro), 
 
 Saturday, October i8th, 1890. 
 
 We expect to start on Monday from here, and 
 reach Usambiro early on Wednesday. The C. 
 M. S. boat, we heard yesterday, started, a 
 fortnight ago, for Uganda, with Walker. The 
 Bishop will be greatly vexed at this, for it 
 means our stopping at least a month at this end of 
 the lake. Two rnen of our party are going to stay 
 
THE LONG MARCH. 105 
 
 at Nassa with Deekes for the present, and Usambiro 
 will be given up ; this is not certain, but only very 
 probable. Nassa is four days from Usambiro to the 
 West, on the Lake, Hooper's old station, very good 
 for the work, except for a cantankerous chief. \\'e 
 had a note from Emin Pasha yesterday, asking for 
 letters to be forwarded ; he is four or five days from 
 here. 
 
 We are all, I am thankful to say, perfectly well. 
 We arrived here, after some hard days, very tired ; 
 so the rest is very acceptable though tantalizing, 
 when so near the end, but unavoidable, as this is 
 the home of most of our W^asukuma porters, and they 
 have nearly all run off and left their loads, declaring 
 they only agreed to carry them as far as this. 
 
 We have lately had lots (well, comparatively 
 speaking) of milk, much of it sour, which we all, 
 myself not least, appreciate very much. 
 
 This is a very populous country — people very 
 friendly — I should think as populous as a great part 
 of the country in England. We are stopping a mile 
 or so from the Capital, where the chief lives, at the 
 village of a Mwanangwa (or village chief), who has 
 been with us from the coast. We killed a bull 
 yesterday, given us by a chief some way back, so 
 the cooking department is busy, and boys and all 
 are in clover. How pleasant the prospect of reach- 
 ing a station is, I can't express, except by asking 
 you to imagine reaching Dublin or Kingstown by 
 steamer after a stormy crossing : — No more cooking, 
 no more marching, no more resting (?) in a broiling 
 tentl 
 
106 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 At Usongo, where Stokes had a place of his own 
 built for him by the chief, we found among a lot of 
 C. M. S. property stored, most of which is to 
 follow us, a Kiganda grammar in English, a very 
 poor one, still a great treasure, and a cookery book ! 
 both of which were presented to me. I succeeded 
 in making a very good sweet omelette the other day, 
 but good eggs are scarce ; out of 38, the other day, 
 less than ten were eatable. They were a present ; 
 I weigh them in water before buying. Yesterday 
 and to-day I tried and rejected 20, I daresay. 
 
 No mail from the coast yet. 
 
 It has been decided to send mail men to Stokes 
 to get our loads taken on from here ; w^e shall go on, 
 we hope, with a few of our personal things. 
 
 " We also got a French Kiganda grammar at 
 Usongo ; it is a far better one than the English ; 
 it was published three years later. 
 
 Did I tell you that the Latin word ' mensa,' 
 ' table,' has passed through Portuguese into 
 Swahili in the form of * meza,' and thence by a 
 reverse process into Kiganda, as * menza ' ? I am 
 afraid I shall find it hard not to go on with 
 ' menzam, menzae, &c., &c.' " 
 
 Two days later the party arrived at Usambiro, 
 and thus came to the end of the long march from 
 the coast. 
 
 A member of that party. Rev. F. C. Smith, gives 
 some interesting reminiscences of this journey. He 
 says that Pilkington was specially noted for the 
 keenness with which he would urge the claims of 
 
THE LONG MARCH. 107 
 
 his favourite hobbies, whether it were superfatted 
 soap, or Jaeger boots, or, it might be, his methods of 
 language study. 
 
 When he got hold of a man who would help him 
 in his language, he almost made his life a burden to 
 him, and it is said that some of the Baganda, on the 
 way] up, shunned him if they thought they were 
 going to be catechised. 
 
 He was always great on controversy, or on the 
 solving of problems. Bishop Tucker once set a 
 problem on political economy which Pilkington 
 would not leave till he had solved. 
 
 He strongly contended with his fellow Missionaries 
 that the worth of a thing was the amount that it 
 would fetch at a particular place. 
 
 " Usambiro, E.E. Africa, 
 
 Saturday, November ist, 1890. 
 
 We got here ten days ago : Wednesday, the 
 22nd. Douglas arrived the evening before, by an 
 afternoon march ; the Bishop and Dermott on the 
 Saturday mid-day, having gone ahead from Nera. 
 On Thursday, i.e., the next day, the Bishop and 
 Hooper and Deekes went on to Nassa, to see 
 about re-establishing a station there. This place 
 is to be given up as a Missionary Station, and 
 Deekes and Dermott are to go to Nassa. They 
 left me with the five other men in temporary charge 
 of this place, where there are about twenty boys 
 and eight girls on the station ; most of them, 
 including two dwarfs, left here by Stanley. They 
 had been seized by his men during the wars in the 
 
108 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 interior, and were redeemed from them by Mackay. 
 Seeing after them and our own boys, and the 
 household arrangements, as well as school in the 
 afternoon—besides trying to buy a good supply of 
 meal, rice, honey, etc., to support us here and to 
 carry on to Uganda (where the late disturbances 
 have caused great scarcity) — makes me busy. 
 Besides, I want to do Luganda and read all day, 
 what seems, after Safari, the endless wealth of books 
 that we find here. I sleep at night on a bed made 
 by Mackay, on which both he and Bishop Parker 
 died. The graves of these two and Blackburn (who 
 formed three of the party of six who were here 
 when Hooper w^as last at Usambiro), are within a 
 stone's throw almost. 
 
 The reading sheets we use, each afternoon, were 
 printed — at least the large letters — with wooden 
 type cut by Mackay with his knife. We have this 
 type in the printing office. 
 
 The C.M.S. boat, as I think I told you, has gone 
 on to Uganda. Stokes' boat we expect here any 
 day, but how many of us will be able to travel by 
 her we don't know yet. The Bishop and the two 
 others may be back in three or four days, now. By 
 the way, I had a day-and-p.-halfs fever soon after 
 we got here (temp. 103^) but not much, and it is 
 
 Here, two subjects dealt with in this letter may 
 be mentioned, showing that, although deeply 
 occupied with his own Mission work, he kept up a 
 deep interest in the spheres in which he had worked, 
 
THE LONG MARCH. l09 
 
 and especially in Harrow, and also in other Mission 
 Fields. 
 
 "My letter's in The Harrovianl It tickles my 
 foolish pride to know it, and it is pleasant not to be 
 forgotten. There are so many at Harrow of whom 
 I think continually, that it is only fair that they 
 should have been reminded of me. It w^as interesting 
 seeing the pictures of Harrow in The Illustrated, 
 which has just arrived. 
 
 I have just written a note to Mr. Broomhall, in 
 which I promise him £10 for the work in China, 
 w^hich he says is to help ' an attempt to evangelise, 
 in the course of the next ten years, the whole of 
 China.' To give £10 for such a purpose looks 
 almost like a joke, but every little helps, and it will 
 be accepted according to what I have, not what I 
 have not." 
 
 "Sunday, nth. 
 
 More than a fortnight since I began this, and 
 much has happened. I have not written because, 
 during that time I have had two more attacks 
 of fever (Temperature 105*^ and 104*^), both 
 short and not serious. But I have sad news : 
 another of our company has been taken to rest. 
 Hunt, w^ho joined us at the coast, having been in 
 the service of the Company, died on Friday, after 
 six days' illness, of fever, and finally we thought we 
 saw symptoms of typhoid. We buried him that 
 evening. I was asked by the others, Deekes — who 
 had returned from Nassa — and our men, to read the 
 service in English. He was buried beside Mackay, 
 near Parker and Blackburn. That evening, the 
 
no PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 Bishop and Hooper came back ; the Bishop not yet 
 well from two attacks of fever he has had at Nassa. 
 Hooper had had fever too. Deekes had come back 
 a week before. Dunn has had fever twice here, and 
 is seriously ill still. Baskerville is just recovering. 
 Myself, three times ; everyone of our coast boys too. 
 The latter we have sent back to the coast now, and 
 very glad they are gone. Coast men and boys are 
 the worst in all Africa, they combine the vices of 
 European and Arabian civilisation with those of 
 Africa. 
 
 We have divided up the boys here among our- 
 selves, each man undertaking to provide for his 
 three or four, and to take complete care of them. 
 In fact, we adopt them, as they have no relations 
 or other friends for such time, at least, as we shall be 
 in the country. I've got three intelligent and very 
 willing boys, Nasitu, who came with Stanley (say 
 14 years), Matruki, about the same age, and Kitera, 
 12 years. I expect I shall now have one of Hunt's. 
 
 We expect the boat ever}/ day. I'm particularly 
 well now ; these touches of fever for two or three 
 days are totally different from what I had at the 
 coast. I'm thankful for that now, both because I 
 probably escaped thereby having a bad attack on 
 the road, or here without a doctor, and other things, 
 and also without the experience of myself which I 
 have now. We had Communion this morning at 
 7 a.m." 
 
 "21st November. 
 
 More sad news. I told you Dunn was ill. 
 He died last night very quietly. I've had wot 
 
THE LONG MARCH. Ill 
 
 more quite slight attacks of fever ; they are 
 good things, as taking the place of a heavy 
 attack. Hunt had been in Africa a year without a 
 day's illness. His first attack carried him off in six 
 days. Dunn had merely a touch of fever two or 
 three days before, and then, in a week, he is taken. 
 Most thankful I am that my first and serious 
 attack was at the coast. We hope to be off soon 
 for Uganda." 
 
 At last, after six weeks delay fraught with such 
 terrible disaster to the party, the long-looked for 
 boat arrived. Mr. Smith tells us that, when the 
 natives sighted the boat, they called out in Luganda 
 which Pilkington was the first to understand, and 
 danced about in glee at having been the first to bear 
 the good news. 
 
 " Usambiro, 
 
 Tuesday, December 2nd, 1890, 
 I am thankful to say the boat arrived a few days 
 ago, and we hope to start on Thursday. We shall be 
 glad indeed to get out of this poisonous place ; I've 
 had my sixth dose of fever since I came here, and 
 am seedy now. Baskerville was ordained deacon 
 and Hooper and Dermott priests, yesterday." 
 
 "Christmas Eve, 1890. 
 On the boat among the Sesse islands, Victoria 
 Nyanza. Within a day or two of Uganda (or 
 rather Mengo, the Capital) we have met canoes 
 on their way to bring up the rest of our loads — 
 so I write a line. We have had, on the whole, a 
 
112 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 pleasant voyage. I've had fever four times, but 
 am particularly well. We shall miss Christmas 
 in Uganda ; I'm to try with bananas, Mtama 
 flour, &:c., to make a pudding for Christmas. On 
 Sunday, I spoke, through Noah, and a little on 
 my own account, to twelve Waganda in the morning 
 and fifty in the evening, sitting outside my tent. 
 I've also spoken to little knots on islands and main- 
 land since we reached the Uganda country. 
 Captain Lugard has reached Uganda, so the place 
 will soon be settled." 
 
 So he thought, but the settlement was not to 
 come so soon as he expected. 
 
f 
 
 7 E A^-S;fT^^'^ A ¥/,R I 
 
 ^ 
 
 'li 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 UGANDA AT LAST. 
 
 Ox the threshold of Uganda, it may be well to 
 pause for a moment in order to remind ourselves of 
 some of the events which had taken place since 
 Missionaries of the Church Missionary Society first 
 entered on work in this great district of Central 
 Africa, and also to gain an idea of the meaning 
 of some of the terms which will be used in this and 
 succeeding chapters. 
 
 It was in November, 1875, that Stanley's mem- 
 mor^ble letter to the Daily Telegraph appeared, 
 telling of King Mtesa's willingness to receive 
 teachers, which led to the sending forth of the first 
 band of Missionaries. Since that time, in spite of 
 disease and death, and in spite of the fickleness of 
 Mtesa, the work was maintained. 
 
 Mwanga succeeded his father in October, 1SS4, 
 and then indeed, a reign of terror began. 
 Persecution tried to the utmost the early Baganda 
 converts, some of whom were tortured and burnt 
 to death ; then followed the murder of P>i5hop 
 Hannington, the excuse for which was that the 
 bishop had approached Uganda from an unlucky 
 side. Still, Mackay and Ashe kept the field, the 
 
 I 113 
 
114 PILKIXGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 former for a considerable time alone. Gordon and 
 Walker took his place in the summer of 1887, 
 Alackay retiring to the south end of the Lake. The 
 following year they were obliged to leave Uganda 
 owing to a revolution in which Mwanga was driven 
 from the country. 
 
 He was, however, re-instated at the end of 1889 
 and Gordon and Walker returned with him. 
 
 Meanwhile Mackay, who had been a member of 
 the first Missionary party and had never left Africa, 
 died at Usambiro on February 8th, 1890, at which 
 place Bishop Parker had also died. Mr. Jackson had 
 entered Uganda as a representative of the British 
 East Africa Company, followed a little later by 
 Captain Lugard. Such was the condition of affairs 
 when Bishop Tucker and his party arrived. It may 
 not be out of place to explain here that the term 
 Uganda is a word used by English travellers and 
 others as a name for the country to the north of the 
 Victoria Nyanza, which is known by the natives as 
 Buganda. Still, the name Uganda is so familar to 
 English readers that its use is justifiable. The 
 inhabitants of Buganda are known as Baganda, or, 
 as it is in Swahili, Waganda ; a single native of 
 Buganda is known as a Muganda, whilst the 
 language is termed Luganda, or, as the Swahili 
 have it, Kiganda. 
 
 The Victoria Nyanza is the largest of the chain of 
 lakes which extends in a broken line from the Nile 
 Valley to the Zambesi. Its area is rather greater 
 than that of Scotland, so that it may almost be called 
 an inland sea. 
 
UGANDA AT LAST. 115 
 
 Reference to the map of the entire lake will <(ive 
 the best idea of the position of Uganda, and it will 
 be noticed that there are a large number of islands 
 in its immediate vicinity, and closely identified with 
 It in politics and religion. The land is said to 
 consist of a succession of hills and hollows, and the 
 soil is exceedingly fertile, so that the hillsides are, in 
 many cases, covered with rich groves of plantains 
 and bananas. 
 
 The climate is an unusually healthy one for 
 Africa, and, when the railway is completed, it is 
 hoped that the risks to health may be still further 
 dnnmished; as the trying journey from the coast, 
 through belts of the most malarious country, has 
 been responsible for much of the sickness and death 
 of members of the Uganda Mission. 
 
 The most interesting geographical boundary of 
 Uganda is the River Nile, on the east, which flows 
 out of the Victoria Nyanza over the magnificent 
 Ripon Falls. 
 
 The appearance of the country has been changed 
 by the laying out of roads in the neighbourhood of 
 the capital. In other parts, there are only the 
 ordinary African paths. 
 
 The capital of Buganda is generally known as 
 Mengo, though that word is more accurately applied 
 to the hill on which the king's residence is 
 situated, which is only one of about thirteen hills of 
 which the capital is composed. The best known of 
 the other hills are Namirembe, the centre of the 
 C. M. S. Mission ; Rubaga, of the Roman Catholic 
 Mission: Kampala, at that time the hcad-(juarters 
 
116 
 
 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 of the representatives of the British East Africa 
 Company ; and Natete, where the Mohammedan 
 chiefs have settled. 
 
 With this short preface, and with the aid of the 
 maps and plans which illustrate these points, we 
 may pick up our travellers where we left them pre- 
 
 Map of Uganda and surrounding districts. 
 
 paring for a voyage across the great inland sea of 
 Central Africa. 
 
 Of this, Pilkington writes : '* We coasted round 
 the lake in a small sailing and rowing boat of the 
 Mission, camping in our tents at night, or, indeed. 
 
UGANDA AT LAST. 117 
 
 owing to head winds, by day and sailing by moon- 
 light. We had to leave most of our things behind 
 pro tern., and still with three loads, five Europeans, 
 men, boys, and sailors, we were all squashed like 
 sardines in a box." 
 
 The voyage was not without incident, and here 
 we may quote the story told by Bishop Tucker. 
 He says : — 
 
 " We were sailing with a fair wind, but there 
 were signs of a coming storm. The thunder was 
 behind us, and dark clouds were crowding up ; the 
 water was becoming disturbed. The boatmen 
 thought it a good thing to spread the awning —a 
 most dangerous thing to do under the circumstances. 
 The main-sail, instead of being held loosely in the 
 hand, was tied to the side of the boat. Hooper 
 shouted, ' Loose the sheet ! ' but before the words 
 were out of his mouth, the storm struck us. The 
 boat heeled over in such a manner that it seemed 
 utterly impossible she could right herself again ; 
 but just at that moment, most providentially, the 
 sail gave way, it split, and we were saved. Had it 
 not done so, it is almost a matter of absolute cer- 
 tainty we should all have gone down like a stone." 
 
 Continuing his story the Bishop remarks : — 
 
 "After paying a visit to Emin Pasha on the 
 western shore, we approached the confines of the 
 country of Uganda, and it was truly wonderful the 
 evidence we saw, from day to day as we camped, 
 of the intense desire of the people for Christian 
 instruction. W' ithin a few minutes of our landing, 
 quite a crowd came about, and those who had books 
 
118 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 would bring them and ask to be further instructed, 
 whilst those who had none, begged and implored 
 us to give them some. Mr. Pilkington, who was 
 the only one able to speak the language of Uganda, 
 would frequently have within a few minutes, quite a 
 crowd round about him, who would be engaged in 
 learning and repeating texts of Scripture ; and by 
 simply giving notice that, in an hour or so, a service 
 would be held, some fifty or more would come 
 together for prayer, &c. Of course, all this filled us 
 with great hope and increased our impatience to 
 reach the capital. At length, after many delays 
 caused by light and variable winds, on the twenty- 
 third day of sailing, and on December 27th, we 
 reached the capital. And how shall I tell of that 
 warm welcome given to us by the Natives of the 
 Church and by Brethren Walker and Gordon, who 
 for so long have so nobly held the fort ? " 
 
 " On Monday, December 29th,'' Bishop Tucker 
 writes, " we paid our respects to the king in open 
 court. At about half-past nine, a messenger came 
 from the king to say that he was ready to see us. 
 So, setting off, we reached the royal residence at 
 about 10 a.m. Our party consisted of Messrs. 
 Walker, Gordon, Pilkington, Baskerville, Smith, 
 Hooper, and myself. Outside the palace, another 
 messenger met us, his work being apparently to 
 conduct us into the royal presence. I suppose he 
 must have been the Chamberlain. As we came 
 near the reed gate which separated us from the 
 audience or reception room, drums were beaten and 
 trumpets blown. The gate was immediately thrown 
 
UGANDA AT LAST. 119 
 
 open and we were in the presence of the king and 
 his court. The former at once rose up to greet us, 
 shaking each one by the hand. Our seats — for we 
 had taken the precaution of bringing our chairs 
 with us — were placed on the right hand of the 
 king. He at once inquired about our journey and 
 made various inquiries about our ages, &c., &c., at 
 the same time making remarks as to the colour of 
 our hair, our height, &c., &c. With regard to the 
 king himself, his appearance is certainly not pre- 
 possessing. The impression he gives one is that of 
 his being a self-indulgent man. When he knits his 
 brows, his aspect is very forbidding. During the 
 whole of the time we were there, he kept giving his 
 hand either to the Katikiro on his left hand or to 
 the Admiral on his right, or to anyone who amused 
 him and was near at hand. I had intended to 
 bring with me one or two presents for the king — not 
 on the old scale or principles, but as a simple 
 acknowledgment of his courtesy in sending canoes 
 to Usambiro for our goods. But his unfaithfulness 
 in regard to his promise recoiled upon his own head. 
 Thinking that the canoes would follow us from 
 Usambiro in a few days, I left the presents for the 
 king to be brought on later. No canoes appearing, 
 no presents were forthcoming. I thought the king 
 seemed quite angry with those about him who were 
 responsible for the delay in the departure of the 
 canoes. At any rate, he asked several very sharp 
 questions with regard to the causes of the delay. 
 The atmosphere of the reception-room was oppres- 
 sively close, and so we were not sorry when the king 
 
120 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 rose up from his seat as the signal that his audience 
 was at an end. Instead of retiring to the rear, as 
 his custom is, he followed us to the front of the 
 barraza, not merely, I think, as a matter of courtesy, 
 but in order to inspect us a little more narrowly." 
 
 Pilkington's early impressions of the position in 
 Buganda are given in a letter to his friend, Mr. 
 Martineau. 
 
 " C. M. S. Station, Uganda, 
 
 January 4th, 1891. 
 
 This is a wonderful country and a wonderful 
 people ; war has ruined the country for the present ; 
 the bananas, which, with sweet potatoes, form four- 
 fifths of the food of the country, won't be bearing 
 again, barring the few spared in the war a year ago, 
 for two more years ; what with war and disease, 
 there are hardly any cattle left ; in fact, we are only 
 just now coming out of the famine. In spite of this 
 we have been amply supplied, seven of us, and our 
 ' boys,' with bananas, sweet potatoes and meat from 
 our native friends here, as presents, for which they 
 expect no return in material things ; we live mainly 
 on green bananas boiled. Three houses, in native 
 style though of English cottage shape, have also 
 been built to receive us ; we shall give the builders 
 a present, but not the value of their work ; and very 
 likely they are not expecting anything. So we 
 needn't cost the C. M. Society much. The houses 
 are built of a strong and tall grass cane dried in the 
 sun, and tied firmly in regular lines with strips of 
 bark (if you can call it so) of the banana tree ; the 
 
UGANDA AT LAST. 121 
 
 grass roof is supported by stems of a palm that grows 
 here (no eatable fruit, however). The doors are 
 made of the same as the walls, and are at present 
 just leaned in the doorway. The windows are holes, 
 over which we are putting blinds of native bark 
 cloth. These houses keep out rain and sun, but not 
 wind and cold ; however, I think them very com- 
 fortable and pretty to look at ; the floor is earth 
 beaten down, rather damp as yet. 
 
 A thousand or more come to our service on 
 Sunday ; half of these at least can read, though 
 some would be only beginners ; the Church is over- 
 crowded. On week days, 500 or so come to ' read ' 
 (i.e. to worship and to be taught) from six to nine in 
 the morning. The keenness to learn is incredible. 
 Many, I believe, would keep it up all day long if 
 you let them ; how far and in how many cases this 
 is a sign of real Christianity in them, I can't say at 
 present. 
 
 The state of the country is still very unsettled, 
 though much improved. There are five political 
 parties in the country (to none of which do we, the 
 white men, belong — politics are not our business) : — 
 i. — The English Company, with Capt. Lugard at 
 present at its head. He has not strength enough 
 yet, or thinks he has not, to take a strong and 
 decided course. ii. — The Roman Catholic Party, 
 headed by the King and half the big Chiefs. The 
 Kmg hates and fears the first and following party, 
 iii. — The Protestant Party, headed by the biggest 
 and wealthiest of the Chiefs, the ' Katikiro,' and 
 the remaining Chiefs. iv. — The Heathen party 
 
122 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 which is not a party, but the great majority of the 
 population, who have lost nearly all political power. 
 V. — The Mohammedan party, which is no longer in 
 this country, but in the neighbouring and once 
 subject State of Bunyoro, whither those who have 
 not been killed have been driven. The Christian 
 parties have all the guns, 2,000 each perhaps, hence 
 their exclusive power. 
 
 The people are like children, or like tinder, and 
 the least excitement sets them in a blaze. The other 
 morning they had come to Church here with their 
 guns, of course, when a report got about that the 
 Roman Catholics were about to attack — all a lie. 
 Immediately, they all rushed out in tremendous 
 excitement into the main road, and had the Roman 
 Catholics had time to collect, they might have 
 caused a fright. A night or two later, the Roman 
 Catholics got a similar scare. All through the 
 night they were assembling at the King's. In the 
 morning, the Protestants gathered at the Katikiro's. 
 They were at last calmed with great difficulty ; now 
 each party has sent in to Captain Lugard a list of 
 grievances against the other ; I hope he may settle 
 them justly and wisely, and be able to have his 
 decisions fairly carried out. 
 
 This is a beautiful country, very hilly, covered 
 with banana trees (our houses are in the middle of a 
 banana ' shamba,' or garden, which is the Mission's), 
 10 miles or so from the lake, and a good bit above 
 its level, very healthy, we are told, for Africa ; we 
 are just north of the Equator. 
 
 This place is to my mind a fresh proof, or I should 
 
UGANDA AT LAST. 123 
 
 say, confirmation, of the living power of the Word 
 of God ; it has turned the world upside down here. 
 They are ready to pay as many cowries, 1,500, as 
 would amply feed a man for two months, for a New 
 Testament in Swahili ; of course, we don't give 
 them awaw for many would take them only to sell 
 them again ; and we are out of books at present, we 
 can't supply the demand fast enough. 
 
 My work here, if God lets me work here, is to 
 be chiefly in the language; the four Gospels are 
 nearly finished ; nothing else ; so plenty is left for 
 me." 
 
 Thus early, Pilkington was marked out for 
 linguistic work, and in this connection the following 
 letter from Bishop Tucker is of great interest, 
 particularly as it refers to others who had already 
 done splendid work in reducing Luganda to writing 
 and producing the earliest translations : — 
 
 " Buganda, 
 
 Jan. 1 89 1. 
 
 Mv. Dear Mr. Pilkington, 
 
 It seems to me to be clearly pointed out 
 by Him, who never leaves his Church without 
 guidance and direction, that the special work to 
 which you are called in Buganda, is translational 
 and linguistic ; in entrusting to your care this 
 important part of the vvork of the Mission, I do 
 so with the utmost confidence, believing that the 
 Word of God will have in you, one who, as a 
 Christian, will handle it with holy reverence, and 
 who, as a scholar, will translate it with accuracy. I 
 
124 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 am, however, not forgetful of the fact that at present 
 you have scarcely done more than make a beginning 
 with the language. I am, therefore, glad to know 
 that you have, in Mr. Gordon, one who will greatlv 
 assist you in your studies, and in every wa}' co- 
 operate with you in your work. For some time to 
 come you will naturally seek Mr. Gordon's help, and 
 consult him in matters in which his experience and 
 linguistic attainments will qualify him to express an 
 opinion. He is at present engaged — as I dare say 
 you know — in the completion of an important work 
 commenced by Mr Mackay : this will, of course, 
 remain in his hands until its passage through the 
 press. After this, it is Mr. Gordon's own wish that 
 the translational and linguistic part of the work 
 should be placed in your hands. I am sure you 
 may depend upon his hearty support and loyal 
 co-operation in all that is undertaken for the Glory 
 of God, in the spread of the knowledge of His word. 
 This translational work will not, I am sure, prevent 
 you from engaging as opportunity may present 
 itself from time to time, in the more directly 
 Spiritual work of the Mission, for this, you will place 
 yourself at the disposal of those who have charge of 
 that work. Praying that a great blessing may rest 
 upon your labours, and that you may have health 
 and strength given to you for all that you under- 
 take, and that much joy and peace may fill your 
 own soul. I remain. 
 
 Ever yours in Christ, 
 Most faithfully and affectionately, 
 
 Alfred, Bishop, E. E. Africa." 
 
UGANDA AT LAST. 125 
 
 " P.S. — 1 cannot help thinking that one of the 
 most useful pieces of linguistic work to which you 
 can put your hand would be (as soon as you feel 
 yourself qualified to undertake it) a simple Gram- 
 mar. Its usefulness to those coming up country for 
 the first time would be simply incalculable. I 
 commend it earnestly to your attention." 
 
 Early days in Buganda were not idle ones. 
 Pilkington writes to his mother on 
 
 January 3rd, 1 89 1. 
 
 " We've had a lot to do, the houses to rig 
 up, get the floor pounded down, get a trench dug 
 round it to keep off the rain, rig up a shift for a 
 table, etc., etc. Then I've had to set a Swahili 
 
 paper, and shall have to look over it for , who 
 
 is to be examined for orders, to be preparing Noah 
 for confirmation, besides getting oneself and one's 
 clothes washed, 'learning Luganda, etc., etc. 
 
 Then, on Monday, we're to start classes for 
 confirmation, about fifty candidates to be taken in 
 Swahili by four of us. So I've plenty to do." 
 
 Later on, writing to one of his sisters, he 
 describes his surroundings as follows : — " I'm sitting 
 on a native stool, cut out of solid wood. As my 
 table, I have put my large tin writing desk on my 
 native bed (a strong wooden framework with a 
 cowhide stretched tightly), my table is too high for 
 the stool. On my right side against the wall is my 
 camp bed, whose canvas is greatly torn in the 
 middle, and which I use only as an untidy table to 
 put tilings on. liy the way, one of the chiefs lent, 
 
126 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA 
 
 and then gave, the native bedstead. Then comes a 
 basin, supported on a four cross-legged stool made 
 by my Muganda boy, Erasito ; intended to make a 
 stool for myself, but unsatisfactory. Then I have a 
 table behind me, strewn with books, standing on 
 four legs that are fixed in the ground, and the top 
 formed, like the walls of the houses, of the grass 
 cane tied to the frame with strips of banana bark — 
 this is only temporary. Over the windows and 
 door I have curtains of bark cloth. On the pole 
 which stands in the middle of the room and 
 supports the roof, I have two bags of clothes 
 hanging. 
 
 Above my head I have a large package — a yard 
 long, six inches in diameter — of native salt done up 
 in banana leaves — salt is very scarce here. For this 
 salt — 10 lbs., perhaps — I paid four 3ards of the 
 miserable w^hite calico which is called cloth here ; 
 this is equivalent to 20,000 cowries, or, as we say, 
 20 strings, which, in normal times, would buy 40 
 huge bunches of bananas, each with 100 or 200 
 bananas on it ; or three fat goats or sheep ; 40 
 strings would buy a cow. A string of shells costs 
 us, including carriage, about a shilling." 
 
CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 A LULL L\ THE STORM. 
 
 For some little time there was a cessation from 
 those violent outbreaks of hostilities which had so 
 often interrupted Missionary work, and though, to 
 those who were familiar with the situation, it was 
 evident that this was not likely to last, opportunity 
 was afforded for considerable progress, especially in 
 translational work, and on the part of the people in 
 their desire for books. 
 
 Pilkington felt the need of more books most 
 keenly, and his letters about this time are full of 
 schemes for expediting the production of books. 
 
 On February 24th, 1891, 
 He writes : — " In the loads came books, which 
 went (at least the New Testaments)," — no doubt 
 these were in Swahili — "like wild-fire at 1,000 
 cowTies apiece ; 200 cowries buy ample food for a 
 man for a week. Only 120 New Testaments or so 
 came ; after a day and a half all had gone, and 
 many people had to be sent away disappointed. 
 We want thousands of books and hundreds of men. 
 
 "February 25th, 1891, 4.30 p.m. 
 I've just finished a spell of writing translation; 
 this is, of getting a Muganda who kno\\s Swahili to 
 
 127 
 
128 PILKIXGTOX OF UGANDA. 
 
 translate from that language into Liiganda. I am 
 doing the Acts in this way, every morning, for three 
 hours, with Henry V.'right Duta, the most educated 
 of our people. In the afternoon, I am doing some 
 Bible stories from Swahili. These translations won't 
 be perfect when they are done, but I think they 
 will be correct and intelligible, and the need of 
 Luganda books is most pressing. Matthew, and 
 an abridged prayer-book, and a reading sheet with 
 the Commandments and Lord's prayer, are the only 
 Luganda publications we have or have had, for as 
 soon as we get any they go like the wind. . . . 
 The four Gospels have been translated. Now to 
 have them printed and sent here, there's the rub 1 
 We got the other day the first copies of Matthew 
 that reached Uganda, and they were printed in '88, 
 two or three years' delay. I can't imagine how it 
 was, and the people here dying for books and ready 
 to pay for them. Now what I want to do is this, 
 only I want your help : I want friends at home to 
 subscribe money to get these books printed, and 
 want you, that is my family, to get them printed, 
 and to look over the proofs, because you know my 
 handwriting ; to have a proof out here means a 
 delay of six months or so. Do you think you could 
 manage this ? The need of native books is 
 enormous. We should sell them here for cost of 
 printing and carriage, and send the money home to 
 get more printed. You, that is all you who are 
 familiar with my writing, could look over the proofs 
 more satisfactorily than anyone else. I've no doubt 
 Father knows a good printer in Dublin. If I try to 
 
A LULL IN THE STORM. 129 
 
 get them printed in any other way, I am sure it 
 would only mean endless delay. Where each book 
 had been thoroughly revised (and to do this printed 
 copies here would be an immense help) I should 
 send it to the Bible Society. But this wouldn't do 
 at first, and we must have an immediate supply. 
 The natives here are ready and fit to teach a great 
 deal, only they want books. The first thing is to 
 gather some money together. I shall write to a 
 good many people, and I am sure this will be no 
 difficulty. But still, if you would write to anyone 
 who would like to help, it would be a great thing. 
 I don't think you would find it either very difficult 
 or very tedious looking over the proofs, because all 
 you could do would be to compare them with my 
 copy, original corrections you could'nt make. What 
 do you say ? " 
 
 "Sunday, March ist, 1891. 
 
 I shall write more about the above matter when 
 Gordon has come back from Busoga, and I have 
 consulted him ; whether that will be before this letter 
 goes (we expect him for Easter perhaps) or not, I 
 can't say. I can't bear to think of delay of six months 
 at least, perhaps a year, while the proofs could come 
 and be sent back, when the people are so eager for 
 books. At the same time, I don't wish to burden you 
 at home ; however, I am sure that my sisters would 
 think it a great privilege to have a part and a very 
 important one in so grand a work. I believe that 
 the results of having a Luganda Bible here would 
 be amazing. 
 
 The position of Uganda, within easy reach by 
 
 K 
 
130 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 steamer of all the country that fringes the lake, a 
 central position too, in Africa, generally com- 
 manding further the South end of the Nile valley, 
 makes me think the events of the last dozen 
 years : — Stanley's visit, the Missionaries coming, 
 the great movement (whether you think of it as 
 religious, intellectual, or political), the persecutions, 
 the coming of the English Co., the death of 
 Mackay, and Stanley's return to England (because 
 of the interest in this country aroused by these two 
 events), all these things coming together, seem to 
 me in a most special way to be providential. In 
 other words, I think all these things point to the 
 fact that ' Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands 
 unto God,' and that Uganda will be a great centre 
 of light. 
 
 Henry Wright Duta, whom I mentioned as my 
 translator, is a very clever man. He might have 
 been a big chief, Katikiro had he chosen, but he pre- 
 ferred the position of a simple teacher ; others have 
 made the same choice. 
 
 We had the Lord's Supper in Church to-day. 
 Captain Lugard (theoretically the King, but it was 
 Captain L's advice that prevailed) has decided th^t 
 the Sesse islands are to be divided as originally 
 agreed between the Protestant and the Roman 
 Catholic parties. The Roman Catholics have 
 hitherto held them to the exclusion of all other 
 parties ; this has been decided. When will it be 
 carried out ? When that happy time comes we 
 shall be able to get canoes for our loads from 
 Usambiro. The canoes are now under the control 
 
A LULL IN THE STORM. 131 
 
 of Roman Catholic chiefs and the King, who 
 promises anything but performs nothing. 
 
 We expect De Winton to afternoon tea to-morrow 
 afternoon. I've undertaken to make the bread. I've 
 made very fair bread from native materials lately ; 
 rice, plantains, potatoes, milk, and pombe barm, but 
 now I've got English flour, butter and cake, with 
 raisins and currants, of which we have a few. So with 
 translations, etc., I'll have a busy day to-morrow. So 
 good night, it's 9.15 now." 
 
 "Sunday, 8th March, 1891. 
 
 We are getting canoes sent. We hope to-morrow to 
 send to Usambiro for loads, so the letters are to start 
 on Tuesday and catch the others up. The political 
 state of the country is still very unsettled. Smith and 
 Gordon are still in Busoga, at least, so we suppose, we 
 have not heard of them since they crossed the Nile. 
 
 With Henry Duta, I have now translated nearly 
 half the Acts. I hope to send to the Bishop by this 
 mail, short translations of Bible stories, Adam, 
 Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Moses, Samson, Jonah, 
 Nebuchadnezzar, etc., which would be very useful 
 while we have no Old Testament in Luganda, and 
 especially for teaching children both the Bible and 
 reading. They have been translated by different 
 natives who know Swahili. In another fortnight or 
 so, I hope to finish the Acts, and in another month, 
 perhaps, the Grammar which the Bishop suggested. 
 All these things will, of course, at first, be very im- 
 perfect, but I want the Grammar to be ready, if 
 possible, to give what help it can to the 20 men the 
 Bishop hopes to bring out soon. 
 
132 PILKINGTON OE UGANDA. 
 
 Do you know the picture leaflets which are pub- 
 lished b} the Children's Special Service Mission ? I 
 am going to write to Mr. Bishop to-morrow to ask 
 whether he could get some in Luganda printed for us, 
 and I mean to send him, in case he can do it for us, 
 the story of Naaman with a few words in explanation 
 of its typical meaning. The last part of Revelation 
 VII., Psalms LI. i, 2, and 7, ist John, I. 7, and a 
 hymn, of which this is a translation .... It is 
 very doubtful whether the C. S. S. M. can under- 
 take to do them, but I think it worth trying. The 
 rains are on now, which makes it much cooler and 
 pleasanter, to my mind. My boys, who came from 
 Usambiro, are thriving fearfully here. One had 
 dysentery when he first came, he was dangerously 
 ill, nearly as bad as Edgar on the road (to 
 whom I am writing by this mail). In both cases, 
 ipecacuanha was successful. Now this boy, who 
 was a skeleton, is as fat as ma}^ be ; so is Najibu, 
 whom I hear in the next room practising ta, to, te, 
 ta, to, te, from his reading sheet. He has the 
 reputation of being the cleverest of the boys whom 
 Stanley brought to Usambiro. The other boy 
 who was ill, was Emin Pasha's, Erasito. My 
 Muganda boy is 17 or so, and can read perfectly, 
 and knows Swahili well ; he is the brother of the 
 Katikiro, the ' Lord Chancellor,' as Ashe calls him 
 in his book. Have you read it? 'Two Kings of 
 Uganda.' The smallest of them is Kitera, who 
 arrived here with the last mail. 
 
 In writing to Mr. Bishop about the picture leaflets 
 he says : " I have been thinking lately of the picture 
 
A LULL IN THE STORM. 133 
 
 leaflets of the C. S. S. M., and wishing very much 
 to get some for our people here (who would 
 appreciate them immensely and buy them with 
 shells) ; and wondering whether it would be possible 
 to get some in Luganda 
 
 I think this country has a particular claim on 
 you, because the oldest of its people are only over- 
 grown children." 
 
 This request was gladly granted by the Children's 
 Special Service Mission. 
 
 "April 5th 1891. 
 
 Nearly all the Waganda have gone out to fight 
 the Mohammedans, who were ravaging, a week ago, 
 only six hours' march from here. The Katikiro is 
 ' Mugate,' i.e., General, and Henry Duta is with 
 him as his Secretary. Samwili (who went as a 
 sort of Ambassador to the three Consuls, English, 
 French and German at the coast, who has just 
 come back), was to have taken Henry Duta's place 
 in helping me, but he has fever. The Waganda have 
 driven the Mohammedans off, they are retreating to 
 their stronghold in or near Bunyoro, the Captains 
 are soon to start with seven hundred men and two 
 Maxim guns in pursuit ; they will offer them terms, 
 and, if these be refused, will take their stronghold. 
 
 The Acts, Henry and I finished a week ago, but 
 I must still revise it. I am working hard at the 
 grammar now, making voc:ibularies just at present. 
 I hope to be able to send something in the way of a 
 Grammar and general Handbook to the language in 
 two months more, but I shall have to work hard. 
 This might be ready to help the men coming out 
 
134 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 in the Autumn. I have written ten Luganda hymns 
 to the tunes, and to some extent following the 
 words of the following : ' Art thou weary ? ' ' There 
 is a fountain,' ' There is life for a look,' ' Onward 
 Christian Soldiers,' ' Look ye Saints,' ' I heard the 
 voice of Jesus,' ' Grace, 'tis a charming sound,' ' I 
 lay my sins on Jesus,' ' Just as I am.' I intend to 
 send a copy of this to Deekes at Nassa ; he may be 
 able to print us some. This, and Grammar, and 
 translations, making bread, butter, and pancakes 
 (you should see me toss them before a group of 
 admiring black boys) have chiefly occupied me since 
 I last wrote. 
 
 Gordon is back from Busoga. Smith is still 
 there. Walker went the other day to Budu, the 
 Pokino's country, to make a start there. Kitera, 
 my small boy, was Gordon's originally, so Gordon 
 has taken him. He starts home in a month or two. 
 I have an odd bit of black mortality in his place 
 called Kisasiro, a very odd little boy. Nasitu told 
 me to-day that one of Stanley's porters bought him 
 for a doti, that is four yards of calico ; he seemed 
 rather proud of having been worth so much. One of 
 Walker's boys was bought for an old tin cannister ; 
 to remind him of it is a favourite method of teasing 
 him. I think he tries to make out it was a biscuit tin." 
 
 "April 1 2th, 1 89 1. 
 
 I've been particularly well lately, and accordingly 
 
 my Grammar makes good progress ; the whole 
 
 thing is to consist of grammar, syntax, notes on 
 
 pronunciation, specimens of Luganda, especially 
 
A LULL IN THE STORM. 135 
 
 conversations, Luganda-English Vocabulary, and 
 English- Luganda ditto. I hope to finish it by the 
 end of next month ; a good deal is done already. 
 
 De Winton has asked us all to tea this afternoon. 
 Lugard and Williams and the Doctor are out at the 
 war ; no fighting yet. The enemy shewed some 
 desire to fight before the English came up, but I 
 expect they are retreating now. 
 
 We have planted beans, Indian corn, guavas, 
 pawpaws, lemons, peas, and radishes ; cabbages we 
 have had several of lately. There are four fresh 
 eggs on this table waiting for me to cook. I have 
 made some excellent bread lately. A good deal of 
 wheat has been planted, but not by us. The 
 country is rapidly improving ; perfect quiet now and 
 confidence in the English Company." 
 
 In a letter to Mr. Martineau he remarks: — ''Sugar 
 here is a great luxury ; we have some left, but only 
 use it on great occasions. I daresay you look on 
 saccharine with scornful eyes : but as articles cost 
 about 2s. per lb. to bring up here, or sometimes 5s., 
 lightness is a very valuable quality for us. The 
 Society pays for our loads, but of course we all try 
 to cut down expenses as much as possible (you see 
 at the present moment we could find ample work for 
 twenty Europeans here and this would cost, to 
 bring them here, ^^5,000 at least) ; so there is every 
 reason to economise : accordingly, I've only ordered 
 saccharine for next year, a couple of little bottles. II 
 you could tell me any simple process by which 
 sugar-cane (which we grow, but not much, here) 
 could be used for sweetening things, it would be 
 
136 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 very useful. Slicing it and putting it in hot water 
 makes no earthly difference; I find : indeed, it's ol 
 very little use to us. The people chew it lar^^ely, 
 spitting out the fibre, but we don't care for it. 
 We get honey from the South end of the lake 
 occasionally." 
 
 With reference to the demand for books, Mr. 
 Walker writes from 
 
 " Namirembe, Buganda, 
 
 March 9th, 1891. 
 
 Just lately we sold 4,000 Luganda reading-sheets 
 and about 200 Swahili New Testaments, as well as 
 other books. The demand is very great for the 
 New Testament, but Ezekiel and Jeremiah are not 
 much cared for because they are not understood. 
 Could you have sent up of the Luganda reading- 
 sheets, 10,000 copies ; of St. Matthew in Luganda, 
 3,000 copies ; of the Prayer-book in Luganda, 
 3,000 copies ? I should like to ask for more, but 
 the above will make 22|- loads. We do not intend 
 to charge the actual cost-price here in Buganda 
 necessarily, but so near to this that there should be 
 no great loss on the books. For a Swahili New 
 Testament we have charged the people 1,000 shells, 
 and these we have sold for 3s. 6d. The book in 
 England is sold for 2s. and weighs one pound. 
 There must, therefore, be a small loss on each 
 book, but it is only a small one. On the Luganda 
 reading-sheets we have made a little profit, as we 
 sell each for thirty shells. 
 
 The French priests are here in great numbers 
 and are very active. Surely many people in 
 
A LULL IN THE STORM. 137 
 
 England, who cannot come to help us themselves, 
 would like to help on the work by sending the Word 
 of God here in its written form." 
 
 Pilkington writes to Bishop Tucker on the same 
 date — 
 
 '*The other day the first instalment — only lOO or 
 so — of the Luganda St. Matthew, which had been 
 printed in England, arrived at last. We are 
 naturally extremely anxious to get anything that we 
 can manage to get translated, printed and sent back 
 without loss of time. I have begun the attempt at 
 a grammar which you recommended me to make, 
 and in another month I expect to have ready what 
 would, I think I can say, (though, of course, it 
 would have many little faults and deficiencies) be a 
 great help to new men coming out. I have got 
 Natives to translate from Swahili (making use both 
 of the Bible and the ' Picture Bible ' in Swahili) a 
 good many Old Testament stories ; these are meant 
 especially for teaching children, although, while we 
 are without an Old Testament in Luganda, they 
 would be also generally useful. Henry Duta and 
 I have also begun and nearly done half of the 
 Acts. In another month I hope this will be finished 
 too. I believe we could dispose of 2,000 at least of 
 any small book in Luganda at cost price. The 
 books which have hitherto come have quite failed 
 to satisfy the demand.. We ought to aim at having 
 the books as small and hght as is consistent with 
 good printing and binding, both in order to save 
 cost in carriage and because the Waganda are far 
 
138 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 readier to buy a neat book and one which they can 
 easily carry about with them, than anything large 
 and clumsy. If you could see the eagerness of this 
 people for books — I am glad to think you did see 
 something of it — how they swarmed round us day 
 and night while the books lasted and after they 
 were all gone, and would not believe that there 
 were no more New Testaments or St. ]\[atthews or 
 reading-sheets to be had, you would be as anxious 
 as we are to see them satisfied at last. Even the 
 Roman Catholics buy our books. Even the sending 
 out of more missionaries is, to my mind, at present 
 scarcely so important. With native books, so 
 many here are already capable of teaching a good 
 deal." 
 
 The next letter tells of a visit to one of the 
 islands rendered necessary by an attack of fever. 
 
 " Island of Sowe, 
 
 V. Nyanza, 
 
 4th July, 1 89 1. 
 
 I had an attack of fever for a week, and so De 
 Winton asked me to come here for a change, which 
 I did, and it has done me a lot of good, only, alas, 
 we've missed the mail and my vocabulary is here. 
 Capt. Williams assured me that the mail would pass 
 here, but it did'nt. We are negotiating for a canoe, 
 and I heartily hope we'll get one, but the prospect 
 is dark. 
 
 I've started the Galatians with Henry. Walker 
 we expect back from Budu every day ; he wants 
 Baskerville to go back to Budu with him,. We 
 
A LULL IN THE STORM. 139 
 
 hope to have the Church started now, the new one, 
 large enough to accommodate with comfort our 
 large and increasing congregations. Smith is back 
 in Busoga, Gordon on his way to England. We 
 have had no mails yet, and so we don't know any 
 more about Ashe's coming. The Waganda are 
 tremendously fond of Ashe. 
 
 I got fever going through a marsh on my way 
 with Baskerville to the Mumenga, a big chief, who 
 had had ulcers, and who refused to use medicine on 
 the ground that God could cure him without. We 
 did'nt know of this abominable marsh, and I had 
 hardly reached the Mumenga's when fever came on, 
 and I had to be carried back. The Mumenga still 
 refused medicine, but agreed to use water for his 
 ulcers. I have not heard since, except that the 
 poor fellow has now got small pox ; but his faith is 
 encouraging to see, even though we may think it 
 mistaken in a way. 
 
 We intend to go back to Mengo on Monday, 
 and then I hope I shall get on with translation all 
 the quicker and better for this rest, but if we can't 
 send off these letters and my vocabulary, it will be 
 a great disappointment. I should not have dreamt 
 of coming here at such a sacrifice. 
 
 De Winton has been shooting at hippos and 
 crocodiles, which abound here ; we believe he killed 
 one of the latter, he was hit and careered about, 
 lashing his tail and showing his great jaws, but we 
 could'nt actually get him. If we had a good boat's 
 crew, we could get hippos, but our paddlers are 
 afraid to go near enough ; they are hideous monsters, 
 
140 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 I have seen them quite close. We have wanted to 
 shoot and eat some parrots, which abound here, how- 
 ever we've been unsuccessful as yet. The butterflies 
 are wonderful ; there are honeysuckers here, green 
 and red and black; also a fine osprey. Mosquitoes are 
 terrible, but De Winton's description of the same in 
 Canada throw our mild experience into the shade." 
 
 A letter to his mother, ten days later, speaks of 
 another attack of fever, and in it he gives his opinion 
 on a variety of topics. Of religious papers, he 
 prefers The Christian, as he finds that it is not bitter. 
 He adds : '' The Christian deserves its name." 
 
 His order for articles of clothing and other things 
 gives some idea of his views as to dress in the 
 Tropics. It is evident that Jaeger boots must not be 
 confounded with Jaeger slippers ! 
 
 "14th July, 1 89 1. 
 
 If you could order me a fairly decent suit of 
 clothes, not too heavy, but fairly warm and large 
 enough — I don't mind if they are a size or two 
 too big ; but tight clothes in this country are an 
 abomination. Also a couple of football sweaters — 
 R. will tell you what they are — and a couple of 
 Pyjama (is that right) suits, rather warmer than the 
 last (which were just what I wanted, only I like 
 warmer things now), and a few pairs of socks, a pair of 
 slippers (leather wears better than Jaeger), and six 
 pocket handkerchiefs. Could you get these things 
 packed, and sent out to Boustead, Ridley and Co. ; 
 also some rennet powder and baking soda." 
 
 The doings of the next few months are well 
 
A LULL IN THE STORM. 141 
 
 described in the following series of letters, some to 
 Mr. Eugene Stock, and some to his mother :— 
 
 " Namiiembe, Uganda, 
 
 August nth, 1 89 1. 
 
 The mail arrived this afternoon. I am alone (of 
 our missionaries) here. 
 
 BaskerviUe went to Budu, intending to come back 
 for a while, at any rate, in a month. The month 
 will be up in a week or ten days, but, m a letter 1 
 cot from him on arrival at Masaka, he spoke of 
 staying longer, as he would be delayed in visitmg 
 Zekanya's place, because the p^tty kmg of Koki 
 Kamswaga, had come into Budu, and, being jomed 
 by the Roman Catholics, had burnt and destroyed 
 several houses and gardens, including Zekanya's. 
 I was alarmed by the first reports that reached us 
 of this business : ' The Pokino killed ! Three of 
 Walker's boys, whom he left at Masaka durmg 
 his recent visit to this place, murdered ! This 
 would have been terrible. Walker is very fond of 
 his boys; so are we all, but Walker especially, per- 
 haps. But, thank God, things were, as usual, 
 immensely exaggerated. 
 
 Now about things here. Politics (how I ha e 
 them, but I suppose they are necessary evils.) 
 hinder the work more than anything. When 1 
 came back from the island of Sesse, after a week s 
 change to try to shake off fever, the country- was 
 terribly excited: we all of us (Walker and 
 BaskerviUe were here then) really apprehended war, 
 or at any rate, that the Protestants would leave the 
 
142 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 country. This was caused by a proposal from 
 Captain Williams to abolish the agreement made 
 between the two parties, and to permit chiefs (all 
 of whom now hold office qua Protestant or Roman 
 Catholic, appointed by one or other party) who 
 change their religion to retain their chieftainships. 
 We should, of course, be delighted to see full 
 religious liberty, but the people do not understand 
 it, and the Protestant party was very resolute 
 against accepting the proposal ; this was because, 
 whereas the Roman Catholics, in the choice of their 
 chiefs, had been guided by the priests, and had 
 appointed consistently the most thorough-going 
 Roman Catholics, our party, on the other hand, 
 were guided by general, at least as much as by 
 religious, considerations (e.g. hereditary claims, 
 fitness other than religious) — Gordon and Walker 
 refusing to choose the chiefs. Well, the other day, 
 the Roman Catholic Bishop claimed ' religious 
 liberty ' from Captam Williams, on the ground that 
 the country was under the British flag ; our party 
 answered that if that were the case, and we were 
 really under British government and therefore we 
 could have British justice, let Captain Williams 
 hoist the English flag, and let us follow British 
 customs ; he tried to do so, but the attempt did not 
 succeed, the Roman Catholics and the king refusing 
 point-blank. 
 
 Well, this, and the division of the islands, and the 
 innumerable cases of men turned out of gardens, 
 houses destroyed, goods stolen, &c., &c., has 
 occupied every one for weeks past. At first, the 
 
A LULL IN THE STORM. 143 
 
 church was empty on week-day mornings, but a 
 day or two after Walker and Baskerville went, 
 I made a round of visits to various chiefs, urging 
 them to be patient and aim at ' peace at any 
 price,' and to come and bring their people in the 
 mornings. Since then we have always had fair 
 and sometimes very large (500 or 600) congregations 
 — on weekdays, I mean ; on Sundays, the church 
 is crowded out. During this time I have started 
 giving them Bishop Ryle on St. Matthew every 
 morning after the ' reading ' is over ; the ' reading ' 
 means that the people are divided into classes, 
 each with a leader, who translate the Swahili 
 of various books of the New Testament into 
 Luganda, with exposition (as far as they are able). 
 When I come into church after my breakfast, 
 between seven and eight o'clock, I attach myself to 
 the senior class, of which Henry Wright Duta is the 
 leader (when he is here ; he has just gone off to a 
 garden lately received). My arrival is the signal for 
 the class to turn from St. Matthew to Romans, which 
 we read and translate. Someone first reads it in 
 Swahili, the reader then reads it clause by clause, 
 and the fir>t reader translates into Luganda, cor- 
 rected by the leader. Then they appeal to me for 
 explanation, which I attempt to give, but most of 
 them find Romans ' kizibu nyo ' (extremely hard). 
 
 Ten days ago, Duta and Sembera came to me on 
 a Sunday to say they could not preach in church 
 (I generally preach at one Sunday service, and one 
 of the six who have the Bishop's license at the other) ; 
 they had ' not been taught to preach ; what was the 
 
144 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 good of preaching if they had not proper words to 
 preach ? ' To tell you the truth, I think them quite 
 fit to preach, but I did not say so exactly (though 
 I showed it by still asking Henry to preach as 
 arranged that afternoon, and Sembera the next 
 Sunday), but told them that a knowledge of one's 
 own ignorance is the beginning of knowledge (and if 
 Socrates is to be trusted, the end, too), and we 
 arranged an afternoon daily class for these two and 
 Johana Mwira, to which also Nataneli Mudeka came, 
 a very nice young fellow, just made a church elder. 
 These meetings are rather handicapped by politics 
 just now, and by Henry's departure to the country. 
 We started on Romans again ; the first eight verses 
 of chapter iii. were a terrible puzzle. They could 
 not grasp them, so we left them for the next day ; I 
 in the meanwhile to make a Luganda translation, 
 much amplified and simplified, which I did with the 
 help of Conybeare and Howson, and I believe they 
 understood them the next day. 
 
 I started translating Galatians two months ago 
 with Henry : fever and politics interrupted me, after 
 finishing the first chapter, till to-day. To-day 
 Sembera and I started again. I am translating 
 Genesis with Noah (here called Nuwa), who came 
 with us from the coast. These thino's, and looking 
 after the boys and place, and visiting for an hour or 
 two most afternoons, keep me very busy. I visited 
 two of the Roman Catholic chiefs lately, who gave 
 each a goat. I have since been given two more by 
 the Roman Catholics, to the great delight of my 
 boys, who eat the lion's share of it. 
 
A LULL IN THE STORM. 145 
 
 \\ e have some melons coming on in our garden ; 
 also wheat and potatoes ! We have great reason for 
 thankfulness for the healthiness of this country, 
 greatly owing, I believe, to the comparative variety 
 and excellence of its food, and clean water. 
 
 I have the names of thirty-six chiefs, who have 
 offered to build for and feed a European residing at 
 their place. I could easily add to this if I tried, but 
 surely this is enough to show what is wanted. At 
 most of these places, a good number of the people 
 have already learnt, or are learning, to read. The 
 outlay would be (the missionary once in the country) 
 next to nothing, and who can estimate the returns ? 
 The Baganda have already begun to go out to preach 
 in other countries (in Busoga and Usukuma). J 
 believe that, with God's blessing, this ought to be 
 the centre of African Christianity, sending the 
 messengers of peace east and west, north and south. 
 We have here, I believe, the fulcrum by means of 
 which to work Africa (and is it not Archimedes who 
 could move the whole earth, if only he had a 
 fulcrum ?), but the lever must, in the first instance, 
 be Europeans, men of God, who do not mind being 
 used as levers in Africa or elsewhere in God's hands. 
 — I wrote, ' who do not mind,' but when I read it, 
 it sounds almost blasphemous ; ' not mind ' being 
 in God's hands for His work ! Could there be a 
 safer, a happier position ? Could there be a greater 
 privilege ? " 
 
 " September 14th, 1891. 
 
 A long time has passed since I began this letter, 
 and a lot of things have happened. News came 
 
 L 
 
146 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 yesterday from Captain Lugard, and the Company 
 are sending a mail to-day, so I must wind up as 
 shortly as possible. 
 
 On the day after I wrote the beginning of this 
 letter, I saw, in the Intelligencer, that Ashe was 
 translating Genesis ; so I left the eight chapters I 
 had done, and w^ent on to Exodus. I hope to send 
 by this mail, and indeed with this letter, the 
 Galatians ; I hav3 no time to write to Gordon or 
 the Bishop. I also enclose a table of Luganda 
 concords, which I hope will be printed soon, and a 
 few copies sent to us here. 
 
 Smith is here now ; he was ill on the road. 
 Captain Williams was extremely kind in fetching 
 him, also in visiting me w^hen I had a week of fever, 
 a fortnight ago. Baskerville has had fever three 
 times in Budu. My last was my twentieth attack in 
 fifteen months. Smith brings a much more 
 encouraging account of work in Busoga ; I hope one 
 of the new men will go there till Ashe's coming 
 (which we expect in about a month — he is due at the 
 south of the Lake to-morrow). Smith is going to a 
 place on the Busoga road near the Nile, and there- 
 fore in the Buganda province of Kyagwe — about 
 three day's from here ; they have offered to build 
 him a church there. The elders are choosing four 
 Waganda Christians to go with him and occupy 
 this place and three others, all within three or four 
 hours of each other. Smith will superintend, going 
 from one to the other. I hope to have a sort of 
 dismissal service before they all start. Smith now 
 says the people of Busoga are anxious to learn, and 
 
A LULL IN THE STORM. 147 
 
 friendly, and even Wakoli is friendly. The Church 
 agrees to support entirely the Waganda working in 
 Buganda. When Ashe comes, I hope it will be 
 possible to do the same as in Kyagwe in the country 
 between this and Budu, the provinces of the Katam- 
 bala, Kasuju, and Kayima. There will then be left 
 the province of Singo, and with it that of the 
 Kitunzi, and the province of Bulemezi : these two 
 provinces are to the north, and have no lake-shore, 
 and are therefore most exposed to the Mohammedan 
 attacks, and, at present, are not thickly peopled. Four 
 more men are needed for them. Suppose six men 
 come in a month, we might have three in Budu 
 (Walker and Baskerville have their hearts set on 
 Budu), one in Katambala's country, three in Mengo, 
 one in Kyagwe, two in Busoga. Sesse should be 
 occupied. We ought to have twenty men. 
 Kavirondo might be occupied soon ; Smith is 
 longing to go there." 
 
 Later in the same day, he writes to his mother : — 
 *' This morning, two Waganda came to me to offer 
 to teach in the Katambala's country ; two more for 
 Bulemezi. These were men selected by the church 
 elders. They are looking out men for Singo. Praise 
 God ! They have been clearly told to expect no 
 wages except from God. They are to be fed, housed, 
 and clothed at the expense of the Church here. 
 There are besides four men for Kyagwe, where Smith 
 goes in a few days. But we must have Europeans 
 to superintend. Baskerville has had three attacks 
 of fever in Budu. I had my twentieth dose a 
 fortnight ago ; now I am looking, everyone says, and 
 
148 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 feeling better than I have been since my fever at the 
 coast. Any amount of work to be done. Every 
 morning, if I can manage it, I teach in the church. 
 Deekes has printed ten of my hymns, and I am 
 teaching them these. I visit a great deal and am 
 received with the greatest kindness and hospitality 
 by all. The other day, I went to the king to ask 
 for canoes. On his promise of thirty, I sent nine 
 cakes of Pears' unscented soap and about two 
 pounds of the commonest washing soap — this as an 
 earnest of what would come if our thirty canoes 
 really appeared. To-day, he sent me down ten 
 magnificent bunches of plantains, weighing, I 
 suppose, 3cwt., and a magnificent fat sheep (in the 
 last few days, by-the-bye, the leopards have taken a 
 goat, a kid, and a sheep of ours). The sheep must 
 have had 2lb. of fat (splendid for frying) in its tail. 
 I shall boil it down and bottle it. I have quantities 
 of milk and butter. I have bought up cows in 
 expectation of Ashe and his party. Every European 
 in this country should have a cow. You might send 
 me a small box of very strongly scented soap, also 
 some intensely powerful scent. With two such 
 cakes of soap I could buy a cow. ... I want 
 maps of Bible countries, Africa, and large pictures 
 for hanging up ; all for teaching a large number at 
 the same time. Oh ! for a magic lantern. Ashe is 
 due at Nassa to-morrow. One of the chiefs began 
 his house to-day. My house has just been altered, 
 and is now most comfortable and healthy. . . . 
 I am drinking tea and eati ng Indian meal 
 bread — while de Winton smokes (alasl he goes 
 
A LULL IN THE STORM. 149 
 
 to join Lugard to-morrow). Emin has dodged 
 
 past to Wadelai, after ivory no doubt 
 
 I have several new boys now, one of them the 
 naughty httle Bobby Kayinga, mentioned in ' Two 
 Kings of Uganda.' Ashe to come in a month. I am 
 very well indeed." 
 
 " Namirembe, 
 
 8th October, 1891. 
 
 I'm by myself still, as I have been since July 
 20th, but for Smith's short visit. I have a kind of 
 kitten (a ' mondo ' — it will be nearly as big as a 
 leopard), three grey parrots (which I have been 
 given and have passed on to my boys), and a 
 monkey, with which the boys are playing now in 
 in this room. He is a great delight to them, most 
 human and ridiculous, awfully afraid of me, but 
 bites the boys ; desperately fond of sugar-cane. 
 
 I have been teaching the hymns which I have 
 written, and reading Jeremiah, in church, with some 
 of our people. I have written to Mr. Stock, pointing 
 out how absurdly few we are in this country for the 
 vast work there is to be done 
 
 Our potatoes are doing well. I enclose a copy 
 written by Mackay, probably a good many years ago, 
 when he was at Natete ; also a letter written to me 
 by the Mugasi, the chief of the soldiers, a Roman 
 Catholic, in which he calls me Pere Kitene, being 
 accustomed to Peres among the French priests; 
 also a letter written in the King's name for him, by 
 the same chief, asking for paraffin oil, the first in 
 Swahili, the second in Luganda. Observe the 
 
150 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 Royal signature, 'Kataka Mwanga' (King Mwanga); 
 also a letter from Sembera Mackay, a most excellent 
 man 
 
 This climate is not perfection. I call no climate 
 perfect wherein, if you stand outside for five minutes 
 while sun is shining, with double felt hat on and 
 umbrella up, at any time between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m., 
 you feel (if you are G.L.P., or like him) the effects 
 of it for an hour afterwards in faintness and head- 
 ache. . . . You might just as well be in a 
 Turkish bath all day as to be here, or, rather, a 
 great deal better, for here decency demands clothes. 
 It's a grand farming climate I've no doubt, damp 
 and broiling." 
 
 For some time Pilkington had been feeling 
 urgently the need of more workers. This is summed 
 up in a letter to Mr. Eugene Stock. 
 
 " Namirembe, Mengo, Uganda, 
 
 October 2nd, 1890. 
 
 I sit down to utilize a few moments this evening 
 by writing, in the hope that I may be able to say 
 something that may show people in England how 
 much we want men here. You see I write in the 
 hope that you will be able to find something in this 
 letter which, if put into any of your papers, might 
 induce some at home to come to the help of the 
 Lord against the mighty. 
 
 And let me first say that for more than ten weeks 
 I have been here now by myself, except for Smith's 
 short visit, which lasted a fortnight only, and he 
 was half an invalid. People may blame us for 
 
A LULL LN THE STORM. 151 
 
 leaving one man (and he not in orders) here alone 
 for so long. But, in the first place, Baskerville was 
 to have come back in a month, but was hindered 
 by fever, &c. Secondly, how can we stand by and 
 see the whole country occupied by the Roman 
 Catholic priests (there are eleven of them, besides 
 ^frcres,'' I believe ; and ten or fourteen coming), 
 especially when a previous occupation is a ground 
 which the Company wdll recognize for refusing 
 permission to the opposite party to go into any 
 territory ? 
 
 At the same time, 'here am I alone here, with 
 work enough ready to hand for ten men in England, 
 not to say here, where hitherto about one day out 
 of every four is lost owing to fever, and the remain- 
 ing three none the better in consequence. We 
 have every morning in our church from lOO to 300 
 eager learners, for three hours, from 6 or 7 a.m. to 
 g or 10 a.m. Most of the teaching is done by 
 Natives ; I drop in for an hour or so (and they are 
 grateful for this) towards the end ; with my other 
 work I can't do more. I am reading Jeremiah with 
 them now, some of them only. If we had, say, a 
 couple of Europeans, with time enough at their 
 disposal to prepare the morning's lesson thoroughly, 
 and to wind up with a general address, I have no 
 hesitation in saying that these numbers would be 
 doubled. After this school and service is over, I 
 am translating each morning till mid-day Romans 
 with Henry Duta ; then, after a hasty meal, I sing 
 with all the boys who care to come (teaching the 
 adults to sing I have given up as hopeless, so have 
 
152 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 the French priests) ; I am teaching them hymns I 
 have written, and which Deekes very kindly printed 
 at Nassa. In the afternoon, I translate Exodus 
 (two-thirds are done) with Noah. In the cool of 
 the day I visit, and this is, perhaps, the pleasantest 
 work on3 could have ; everywhere I meet with the 
 warmest welcome. I visit Protestants and Roman 
 Catholics alike. Yesterday, the Kimbugwe, the 
 biggest of the Roman Catholic chiefs, gave me 
 * bugenyi,' or a guest-present of a goat ; the second 
 he has given me. In all this work I feel as if an 
 ocean lay before me to be crossed, and I were 
 paddling on the edge of it. 
 
 Let me put down what I think we really want, 
 and I don't want to exaggerate in the least. I put 
 down so many men for each sort of work, not that 
 one man would be confined to any one work, but 
 merely expressing by the number of men the amount 
 of work urgently needing doing : — 
 
 For Mengo — 
 
 Services on Sunday, class for 
 
 teachers, and communicants' class i 
 Class for catechumens and teaching 
 
 daily in church ... ... ... i 
 
 Visiting and teaching in houses ... i 
 Doctor's work, accounts, &c ... i 
 
 Translation ... ... ... ... i 
 
 Itinerating in the neighbourhood 
 
 within two days ... ... ... i (? 3) 
 
 Substitute in case of fever either at 
 
 Mengo or in the country ... ... i 
 
 Total for capital ... 7 
 
A LULL IN THE STORM, 
 
 153 
 
 Kavirondo 
 
 Busoga 
 
 Budu 
 
 Kyagwe 
 
 Kalambala's 
 
 Singo 
 
 Bulemezi 
 
 Islands ... 
 
 . 2 
 
 . 2 
 
 • 3 
 . I 
 . I 
 1 
 . I 
 
 . I (? 2) 
 
 Total for elsewhere . 
 
 . 12 
 
 Grand total ... 
 
 .. ig 
 
 Now in Uganda 
 
 Expected 
 
 .. 4 
 .. 6 
 
 Extra men urgently needed . 
 
 10 
 
 .. 9" 
 
 The above figures might easily be revised and 
 largely added to in view of recent developments. 
 It is, however, exceedingly interesting to notice 
 the careful way in which Pilkington planned out 
 the field, as he often did later on, in view of the 
 needs of the time. Commenting on these figures 
 he continues : — 
 
 " This is without counting Koki and the countries 
 to the north, or Kikuyu, &c., to the east. Besides, 
 the Committee ought to send an extra number of 
 men here, in view of illness and consequent early 
 returns home, and deaths. Walker, I expect, will 
 have gone by the time the next lot of men after 
 Ashe comes. 
 
154 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 The expenses, once a man gets here, are next to 
 nothing ; the eagerness for learning is the most 
 remarkable thing I have ever seen or heard of in 
 that line. 
 
 This country has had hitherto, since the work 
 was started, possibly an average of one Protestant 
 European with a knowledge of the language ; one 
 book only of the Bible, St. Matthew, has been hitherto 
 put into the hands of the Natives in their own 
 language, and yet God has used such very small 
 efforts in an amazing way, so much so that I fully 
 believe that if a number of missionaries at all 
 approaching what this country has a right to expect, 
 considering what these men have borne for Christ's 
 sake, and their eagerness to be taught, and their 
 readiness to welcome and support teachers — if this 
 were done, I believe we should soon have Waganda 
 missionaries working throughout Central Africa. 
 To occupy completely this country now is to put 
 out the resources of the Society at loo per cent, 
 interest ; to miss the opportunity of doing so is to 
 allow this country, and with it, perhaps, the whole 
 of Central Africa, to become (God forbid !) Roman 
 Catholic. I remind you that I have the names of 
 39 chiefs (and if I tried I daresay I could make it 
 lOo) who are ready and anxious to support with 
 native food and build for a missionary. Having 
 eased my mind by writing this letter, which I hope 
 you will believe keeps clearly on the near side of 
 exaggeration, although I am an Irishman, I'll stop 
 for to-night. No more news of Ashe ; Baskerville 
 expected." 
 
A LULL IN THE STORM. L55 
 
 "Sunday, October 4th, 1891. 
 
 It is about twelve o'clock, and I am just out 
 from church, where Henry Duta preached an 
 excellent sermon to our usual congregation of a 
 thousand or so ; ' the roaring lion conquered by, 
 and to be conquered through, Jesus alone.' I write 
 now, just while I feel strongly what the sight of 
 that congregation and the hearing of Henry Wright 
 Duta's sermon roused in me. 
 
 I am astonished that more men haven't come 
 here, considering the opportunities. Where are all 
 the Christian men I knew at Cambridge ? I look 
 for their names in every mail, but they are few and 
 
 far between. Why don't men such as Mr. "' 
 
 [here Pilkington mentions several well-known 
 Evangelical clergymen] ? " They would find here as 
 fine a field for work as in the whole world. Our work 
 here is the evangelization of Africa, aud how can 
 we, young and inexperienced as we are, take proper 
 charge and direction of a work so difficult and so 
 vast ? When I think of myself here by myself, with 
 a large church, needing teaching and guiding and 
 correcting, with hundreds reading daily and bring- 
 ing all their ' knots ' to be ' untied ' to me, with 
 marriage difficulties naturally arising in a country 
 just reclaimed from heathenism, and then think of 
 all England's resources for Christian teaching, it 
 does seem, I was going to say, ridiculous, but I 
 would rather say, a cause of wonder, and shame, 
 and tears. 
 
 The two facts that impress me most strongly in 
 this country are, the smallness of England's efforts 
 
156 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 for this country, and the greatness of what God has 
 been pleased to do in spite of it. Why, if Spurgeon 
 or Moody were to come here, they would soon have 
 audiences of immortal souls (faces black, no doubt, 
 if that makes any difference) as large as any they 
 address in England or America, and more receptive, 
 and less hardened, and far more grateful. 
 
 I had hoped that the example of Mr. A. O. 
 Williams, a vicar in Leeds, who went out to China, 
 would have been largely followed. To tell you the 
 truth, I was thinking the other day of writing 
 
 myself to Mr. " (one of the clergyman Mr. 
 
 Pilkington had mentioned above), "and suggesting 
 that he should come here ; but perhaps that would 
 seem to him a piece of interference and impertinence. 
 But all the same, I can't but believe it would be a 
 cause of rejoicing to the Church on earth, and to 
 God in heaven, if he, and such as he, did come. 
 
 There are several of these Waganda now, who 
 are fit, with a little systematic teaching, to go' out 
 as missionaries far and wide. What we want is 
 that (i.) these men should receive the teaching they 
 need, and (ii.) that the whole spiritual tone of the 
 Church here should be so raised as to press out 
 these its best men to far countries. If there is any 
 truth about Missions which all parties accept as an 
 axiom, it is ' Africans for Africa,' and here are men 
 all but ready to supply this long-felt need ; and 
 what makes it more urgent still, is that, if these men 
 are not soon working for us, or rather for the 
 Gospel, they will be against the Gospel in the ranks 
 of Roman Catholicism. Of course, in this last 
 
A LULL IN THE STORM. 157 
 
 sentence I refer to the Waganda generally, not to 
 the few to whom I referred above." 
 
 Thus for the greater part of i8gi the mission 
 work at the capital was carried on with only 
 temporary interruptions, due to political difhculties. 
 Meanwhile, events were being enacted in other 
 places which have had a profound bearing upon the 
 subsequent history of Uganda. 
 
 Captain Lugard, upon whom lay the onerous task 
 of administering the government of the Uganda 
 district, as the representative of the British East 
 Africa Company, found himself severely handi- 
 capped, owing to the want of suitable soldiers. 
 
 At the same time, he knew that there was within 
 no great distance from Uganda, and within the 
 territory which had been secured for British influence, 
 a large body of Sudanese under the command of 
 Selim Bey, who had formerly been in the service of 
 Emin Pasha, and who had been left behind when 
 Mr. Stanley's expedition started for the coast. 
 
 Not only did Captain Lugard feel that they might 
 form a valuable acquisition to his fighting force, but 
 he considered that it was absolutely necessary to do 
 something to provide for these men, who, if left to 
 themselves, might prove a source of great danger 
 within the British sphere. 
 
 He therefore entered into negotiations with Selim 
 Bey, whom he met at Ravalli's on Lake Albert Ny- 
 anza, and eventually came to an arrangement with 
 him, by which he and his men were to serve under 
 Captain Lugard, provided permission were accorded 
 by the Khedive, as he regarded himself as pledged 
 
158 PILKINGtON OF UGANDA. 
 
 to continue in the service of the Khedive, and he 
 refused to enter into any binding contract without 
 leave from him. 
 
 Another difficulty arose from the fact that Selim 
 Bey, as Captain Lugard tells us, " w^ished to 
 stipulate that he should remain in absolute control 
 of his men." This, however, could not be allowed, 
 and eventually '' Selim had to give in." 
 
 The number of Sudanese left in Selim Bey's force 
 was about 600 fighting men. 
 
 Of these, some were distributed throughout a chain 
 of forts established on the border of Unyoro, whilst 
 others were brought on to Uganda for garrison duty 
 there. 
 
 On his return to Uganda, Captain Lugard found 
 heavy news awaiting him, to the effect that the 
 British East Africa Company had decided to with- 
 draw from Uganda. 
 
 To be obliged to repudiate the solemn treaties 
 which had just been concluded, and to abandon the 
 country to anarchy, was felt by those carrying on 
 the government in Uganda to be as dishonourable 
 as it would be disastrous, and, happily, the matter 
 presented itself in that light to people at home. 
 Missionaries had not sought the protection of the 
 arm of flesh, but now that a civilised government 
 had undertaken responsibilities with regard to the 
 country, it was felt that it could not so lightly 
 dismiss them. 
 
 Bishop Tucker was in England at the time, and 
 lo st no opportunity of representing the true state of 
 the case, and much sympathy was aroused, and the 
 
A LULL IN THE STORM. 159 
 
 conscience of England was touched. It was, how- 
 ever, given to the friends of the Church Missionary 
 Society to afford more practical proof of their sym- 
 pathy than mere paper resolutions, and when, on 
 October 30th, i8gi, Bishop Tucker had told his 
 story at the annual meeting of the Gleaners' Union 
 a fund was started by the friends of the CT^LS. 
 gathered at that meeting, though not officially 
 connected with the Societ}^, which produced a sum 
 of no less than ;fi6,ooo. This, with a sum of 
 ;f 20,000 contributed by the Directors of the Imperial 
 British East Africa Company and their friends, 
 enabled them to continue the occupation of Uganda 
 for another year, the British name was saved from 
 what would have been lasting disgrace, and one 
 more step was taken towards the consolidation of 
 that part of the British Empire, which lies in 
 Eastern Equatorial Africa. 
 
CHAPTER IX. 
 
 CIVIL WAR. 
 
 " We are living on a volcano," writes the Rev. G. 
 K. Baskerville in his journal on December 4th, 
 i8gi — " the whole country is in a ferment. The 
 Roman Catholics started all the trouble by sending 
 men to destroy the Melondo's place in Kyagwe. 
 He is one of our biggest and most respected chiefs. 
 Wisely, he, before taking any hasty measures, went 
 to consult Captain Williams, who told him to go 
 and defend his property. Accordingly yesterday he 
 went, and the king (i.e. the Roman Catholics) has sent 
 four Roman Catholic chiefs after him to kill him ! 
 Here our friend Mwanga has put his foot into it, 
 and deserves no mercy at the hands of the 
 Company. Well, Williams went to the king and 
 told him that unless he sent counter-orders to stop 
 these men he would fight with him. Our people 
 have acted nobly and kept from violence ; we went 
 to see one chief who was for fighting at once, but 
 he promised to refrain out of respect to our opinion 
 and advice. If the Protestants throw themselves 
 upon the Captain and do nothing rash, they will 
 win; but if they act independently they will lose. 
 They are now waiting to hear from the messengers 
 
 160 
 
CIVIL WAR. 161 
 
 sent after the chiefs who had gone to fight the 
 Melondo. If he has been killed there will be war, 
 and it will mean the expulsion of the Roman 
 Catholic party, for Williams will aid the Protestants 
 as being the aggrieved party. To-morrow will 
 bring us news. If there is fighting we are to go up 
 to the camp, leaving only one of our number here 
 to protect the property. Our going will show the 
 people that we have no wish to meddle. Pilkington, 
 knowing the language and people, will stop if it is 
 necessary for us to go. Dear plucky old Sembera 
 Mackay, he has visited the king when no one else 
 would go ! He has gone unarmed. One of the big 
 Roman Catholic chiefs ordered his men to fire on 
 him, but no one dared to do so, and he walked past 
 all into the king's enclosure. Then he went to see the 
 Kimbugwe, the chief of the Roman Catholic party, 
 and got him to call in his men ; he then went to the 
 camp. Captain Williams has been this evening, 
 and expressed himself greatly pleased with the 
 conduct of the Protestants. Being prohibited 
 from walking out, we spent an hour in sowing 
 vegetable-seeds in our garden. ' In Jesus' keeping 
 we are safe and they.' Good-night. 
 
 " Dec. 5th. — The morning rose tumultuous ; 
 murmurs of war and incessant noise and parading 
 of men. Of course no work could be done. About 
 noon we could hear the Mujasi's war-drums. He is 
 a Roman Catholic, and was the first on a former 
 occasion to commence ; then, he pleaded drunken- 
 ness as an excuse. Our people have behaved 
 grandly. They have taken no step without the 
 M 
 
162 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 Captain's permission. One chief of ours was on 
 his way quietly home at about four o'clock, when 
 we, from our garden where we were walking, 
 saw a Roman Catholic chief fire four times on his 
 men. One man was clubbed in the jaw, and a 
 general melee seemed unavoidable. The people, 
 however, saw the folly of leaving the immediate 
 vicinity of the capital to avenge a petty insult, and 
 resolved to wait till Williams could be consulted. 
 My man, Tito, was asked to go off to the camp, 
 which he did, and saw the Captain. The Roman 
 Catholic chief is to send his guns to the camp. 
 But the people are still waiting news of Melondo's 
 fate ; this will bring matters to a crisis. If he is 
 killed, nothing, it would seem, can avert terrible 
 war. We hear that Martin has crossed the Nile, 
 and should therefore be here by Wednesday. We 
 can have no public services to-morrow, for it would 
 never do for the people to assemble as a body." 
 
 The next letter from Pilkington, written on 
 December 7th, 1891, shows how, amid all the 
 turmoil, the work steadily progressed. 
 
 " We have just avoided war by the skin of our 
 teeth for the third or fourth time. I am thankful 
 to say the provocation (as Captain Williams 
 admitted) was mainly, if not entirely, on the Roman 
 Catholic side this time. Had there been war. Captain 
 Williams would have helped the Protestants. 
 
 Till this disturbance, our work was going on, to 
 all external appearance, splendidly, ten or twelve 
 classes each morning (Roscoe was able to start one 
 with Sembera's help, in Swahili, as soon as he 
 
CIVIL WAR. 163 
 
 came), and between 500 and 700 people in church 
 each morning, then a class for teachers and others 
 at 2 p.m. for Pilgrim's Progress. I had sixty people 
 (twelve boys, the rest adults) who want to be 
 baptized. I hope some of these will be baptized 
 next Sunday. The intelligence and the earnestness 
 of some of them, and of others who were baptized 
 a fortnight ago, has struck me very much, and given 
 me great encouragement and pleasure, not for their 
 own sakes only, but because, being all pupils of our 
 elders, their clear knowledge in many cases of 
 Gospel truth, and evident earnestness, are the 
 surest evidence of the fitness of those who taught 
 them. I wish I could send you in full some of 
 Henry's sermons. Some of them have been logical 
 forcible, interesting Scriptural explanations of the 
 work of Christ for sinners. He is a very able man ; 
 he would be above the average in Europe. I doubt 
 that he has his equal in ability in Africa. How far 
 his superiority is due to the Universities' Mission 
 (he was with them at Zanzibar), I do not know ; 
 but certainly his sermons are compositions, not 
 rambling discourses, and are delivered admirably. 
 Ephesians and Philippians, and some of 
 Colossians and i Timothy, I have translated with 
 Henry and Sembera ; I am waiting to finish 
 Genesis and Exodus, in order to get all the 
 New Testament done first. If that could be 
 printed and sent out quickly we would thoroughly 
 revise it. I want to get time for studying the 
 language more thoroughly than I have yet been 
 able to do ; perhaps I may be able to succeed in 
 
164 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 this when Ashe comes, of whom we know only that 
 he left Usambiro about a month ago. I hope to 
 enclose two grammatical sheets which I have made, 
 and which Collins has copied two or three times, so 
 that the men have a sort of substitute for a 
 grammar. Martin's caravan is expected in two 
 days ; Captain Lugard by Christmas. 
 
 Oh, for books and reading-sheets ! and slates and 
 slate-pencils ! and men ! It is delightful beginning 
 to be able to teach these people who are so eager to 
 learn, not by pouring a flood of wisdom over them, 
 as one might pump water on a duck's back, but 
 by question and answer (teaching, when one has 
 anything worth knowing to teach, is the noblest 
 calling in the world). To preach in a language is 
 easy comparatively, but to teach in it — but, till 
 one can do that, it is not much good. But are 
 there not many in England who love teaching, 
 and, above all, teaching the truth of God, who have 
 but little scope at home ? They would find a field 
 here, teaching young, teaching old, teaching 
 morning, noon, and night ; and oh, so warmly 
 appreciated, so attentively listened to, so gratefully 
 remembered as Mackay, and O'Flaherty, and Ashe, 
 and Gordon are." 
 
 "December 14th, 1891. 
 
 Mail goes to-morrow; I have addressed Ephesians, 
 Philippians, Colossians, and my two sheets to you. 
 
 Henry, in preaching yesterday on the loaves and 
 fishes, said that, really, for those who think, the 
 growth of the plantains on the tree is just as 
 
CIVIL WAR. 165 
 
 wonderful ; ' fools say it grows, because, I suppose, 
 it is its nature ' ; but really it is a miracle. And, 
 if a miracle is a thing which we cannot in the 
 least understand, he was right, and I believe that 
 this thought was original on his part. 
 
 Forty - seven persons — thirty - three men, four 
 women, and ten boys — were baptized yesterday. I 
 had had classes for them for some time, and finally 
 examined each one separately (six I told to wait till 
 I could teach them further) ; the forty-seven seemed 
 to me to have an intelligent trust in Christ as their 
 own Saviour, and an honest desire to lead a new life 
 by His help : pray for them especially, and for us. 
 
 The 'Nalinya' (queen-sister) brought four girls 
 yesterday, whom she asked me to prepare for 
 baptism. I am wondering whether Henry's wife 
 could help in this work ; it shows that ladies are 
 wanted here." 
 
 The next development of the political situation 
 is described in private letter from Pilkington. 
 
 " Namirembe, Mengo, 
 
 December 27th, 1891. 
 
 I am writing to-day (the anniversary of our 
 arrival in Buganda) to tell you, while I remember 
 clearly, some events of this morning which will 
 interest you. This morning .... about 6.30 
 
 a.m I heard Henry calling to one of 
 
 my boys. I answered him, and, getting out of bed 
 and putting on some clothes, called him in. He 
 and Sembera, Samwili, Mika, and Stefano had 
 come to tell me that the king wished to become a 
 
166 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 Protestant, having quarrelled with the Roman 
 Catholics. I took them into Roscoe's house and 
 we consulted about it. The king had sent them to 
 us. We told them finally to tell the king that, in so 
 far as the matter was a political one, it was none of 
 
 our business We further advised them 
 
 to do nothing till they had consulted with Captain 
 Williams. We then had prayer with them and 
 they went to Captain Williams. He, we hear, will 
 not allow the king at present to become a 
 Protestant, as it would, he says, mean war, and an 
 alliance between the Roman Catholics and Moham- 
 medans. We shall do nothing more in the matter 
 at present. The king's proposal comes, I suppose, 
 only from political motives. Really we have not 
 much to do with it." 
 
 " December 28th, 10.30 p.m. 
 I am sitting up to-night till midnight, when 
 Collins is to relieve me, and then Roscoe him, 
 because threats of burning our houses down have 
 been made by the Roman Catholics. Last night, 
 their temporary Church was burnt down, we suppose 
 most likely by some of the king's people, six of 
 whose houses the Roman Catholics have lately 
 
 burnt down, besides killing four men 
 
 The Pokino has just been round to see our guard, 
 and he brings the news that the king has returned 
 to the Roman Catholic side, having received a 
 
 present His people of the capital, 
 
 thirty in number, have, however, determined to 
 
 join the Protestant side It is a 
 
 terrible pity that, at this critical time, we have not 
 
CIVIL WAR. 167 
 
 more men, and especially more men who know, if 
 
 not Luganda, at least Swahili These 
 
 houses, if fired once, burn, every scrap of them, like 
 tinder, only more so ; hence our precautions. A 
 chap can steal up and throw on a smouldering 
 torch, and your first warning is the smell of smoke 
 and the crackling of the fire, which is almost 
 inextinguishable." 
 
 "January 20th, 1892. 
 I ought to have told you how I 
 went to the king, after the events I started with, 
 and asked to see him alone, as I had things to 
 speak of which I thought he would rather hear 
 in private. He turned out all his chiefs, keeping 
 one man only with him. I then explained what 
 we thought of his proposed turning Protestant; 
 I told him his soul was of no more value in our 
 sight, or in God's, than the meanest of his subjects, 
 and that we w^anted real, not nominal Protestants. 
 I reminded him of his father Mutesa's opinion, that 
 * the English had the truth.' I began this by 
 saying, ' Your father, Mutesa, was a clever man,' 
 to which he answered the single word, ' Kitalo,' 
 which means, a marvel. I finally told him to do 
 what he believed God wished him to do." 
 
 On January igth, Pilkington gives voice to 
 the great desire for further books and reading- 
 sheets in a letter to Mr. Wigram, of which the 
 following is an extract. 
 
 " I cannot express the earnest longing we have 
 for these books : what I feel is, that the whole 
 future of Africa is in the balances here now, and 
 
168 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 delay in the arrival of these books may tell fatally. 
 I believe any expense ought to be incurred to 
 deliver these books at the very earliest opportunity. 
 It is terribly trying thus writing for books which 
 don't come, or if they do, come in driblets of 200 
 or 500, when we want thousands ; 500 Gospels sell 
 off in two days at a price which, at any rate, fully 
 pays for carriage. 
 
 The Roman Catholics are rushing in in the mean- 
 times. We pray every day for books ; really, I 
 think that men are less important. 
 
 The new Church is very fine : the labour, I 
 calculate, would have cost ^j,ooo at threepence 
 per man per day. I don't think people at home at 
 all realize yet what a fine people the Waganda are, 
 and what an opportunity there is here to advance 
 God's Kingdom." 
 
 A few days later, the storm-cloud, which had been 
 so long gathering, suddenly burst, but, before giving 
 the graphic and temperate description of the 
 conflict and the circumstances which led up to it 
 from the pen of Mr. Baskerville, it may be as well to 
 remind ourselves of the description of the political 
 parties in Uganda which have been already 
 mentioned. We use the word " political " advisedly, 
 for, though they bore religious names, their aims were 
 political rather than religious, and, as a further 
 confirmation of this, we learn that the Roman 
 Catholic party on the one hand, and the Protestant 
 on the other, were known as the Wa Franza and the 
 Wa Inglesa. 
 
 The cause of this unfortunate division of two 
 
CIVIL WAR. 169 
 
 professedly Christian parties is not far to seek. 
 
 Picture a small body of men at work in the 
 centre of gross heathenism, seeking to lead the 
 people to a knowledge of the true God and of His 
 Son Jesus Christ. 
 
 Just as they are beginning to gain an influence 
 over the people, another party of men appears on 
 the scene, of a different nationality and teaching a 
 different creed, and bearing in their hands large 
 presents with which to ingratiate themselves with 
 the chiefs and people. 
 
 Is it a wonder that the people of Uganda were 
 bewildered, and that between the followers of each 
 Mission there grew up a rivalry which permeated 
 the whole life of the people ? 
 
 None could regret this state of things more 
 than the Protestant Missionaries, and, as far as 
 possible, they tried to steer clear of such con- 
 troversies. It was impossible, however, not to be 
 affected by such a state of things as Mr. Baskerville 
 describes. 
 
 " Namirembe, Uganda, 
 
 January 31st, 1892. 
 
 I know you will like some particular account of 
 the terrible events of the last few days. I wrote to 
 you a long letter when in Budu, telling you some- 
 thing of the state of the country with reference to 
 the work of the Company, and also with reference 
 to the position of the two great religious parties. 
 Some six weeks ago, I think anyone who had been 
 in Uganda, during the first twelve months of the 
 
170 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 Company's administration, would have said that the 
 country was rapidly quieting down again after its 
 past troubles. The policy of the Company had been 
 one which, taking the goodwill of the Protestant 
 party for granted, had always rather favoured the 
 Papist party; most careful had both Captains 
 Lugard and Williams been to let no national or 
 religious prejudices seem in any way to influence 
 them in their administration. A year had passed 
 since the expedition commanded by Captain Lugard 
 had arrived here at the capital, just a few days 
 previous to the arrival of Bishop Tucker and his 
 party. War had been staved off from time to time, 
 the Company contriving to balance the parties ; 
 meanwhile, the Protestants ceding point after point 
 for the sake of avoiding collision. The Resident 
 has certainly done all in his power to avoid war — 
 even swallowed personal insults rather than undo 
 the work of twelve months — and it has been with 
 the greatest regret that he has been forced into 
 violent measures. Troubles began to brew about 
 the middle of last month, just after the Company's 
 new steel boat had left for the south end of the 
 Lake, commanded by Mr. Bagge. But, before this, 
 it had been proved on some four occasions that the 
 Protestants were the aggrieved party. First, some 
 six months ago, in August, a number of houses in 
 the capital were burnt wantonly by the Roman 
 Catholics, including the place of Ham Mukasa, a 
 man who was wounded in the battle of Rubaga Hill. 
 Second, in Budu, Kamswaga, King of Koki, a 
 country south-west of Budu, was sent for, it was 
 
CIVIL WAR. 171 
 
 said, by the king, to turn the Protestants out of 
 Budu ; this was done to a great extent, and, because 
 of the unsettled condition of the country, I was 
 unable for a month to move on from Walker's place 
 at Masaka. Third, with regard to Kaganda, one of 
 the islands which had been secured to the Protestant 
 party, the Roman Catholics sent one hundred guns 
 to turn out the chief sent by the king. Fourth, about 
 the middle of December, the Mulondo, a prominent 
 Protestant chief in Kyagwe, hearing that his place 
 was likely to be attacked, asked leave to go down 
 and protect it. Leave was refused by the king, but 
 Captain Williams told him to go. On this, the kmg 
 despatched four leading Roman Catholic chiefs, with 
 five hundred guns, with orders to kill the Mulondo 
 wherever they found him. This angered Captain 
 Williams, and he told the king that he must at once 
 send off messengers to stop these men ; and further^ 
 he told us that if the Mulondo were to be killed, 
 that the camp would be forced into war, which 
 meant taking the Protestant side and probably 
 driving out the Papists from the country. The 
 messengers were recalled, and so the affair blew 
 over. On December gth, a large caravan for the 
 Company had arrived, bringing a great quantity of 
 ammunition. This had put the king into a great 
 state of excitement, and the day after Christmas 
 Day, the king sent a message to the Katikiro, saying 
 that he wished to become a Protestant. He saw that 
 the power was on the Protestant side, a large 
 caravan had arrived. Captain Lugard had returned 
 as far as Budu with a large number of Sudanese 
 
172 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 soldiers, recovered from the two regiments of Emin 
 Pasha's, left after Stanley had passed on to the 
 coast. And he had been put in a further state of 
 alarm by the Kimbugwe, the leading Roman 
 Catholic chief, sending a party of men to destroy all 
 his bhang pipes. These men had burned one of the 
 king's houses and killed four men. That night, he 
 asked for a Protestant guard to stand over his place. 
 The Roman Catholics then came to our party, pro- 
 posing to depose the king and put one of Kalema's 
 sons, his nephew, on to the throne. To this the 
 Protestants would not agree. Mwanga was bad, but 
 what could they hope from a boy who had been in 
 training at the Roman Catholic station of Bukumbe, 
 near Usambiro ? Accordingly, the king saw that the 
 tirrte was come for the weather-cock to shift. He 
 was not, however, to be allowed to change his 
 religion so easily. The French Bishop, the plan of 
 deposing him being frustrated, thought that it would 
 never do to lose the king from the Papist party, and 
 went out and put the enormity of his sin before him, 
 exhorting him to come to confession. ' First,' said 
 Mwanga, ' I must have a present. My men have 
 been killed, and my house burned.' ' All right,' says 
 Monseigneur, ' you shall have forty tusks of ivory.' 
 ^ As soon as I get them,' says the king, * you shall 
 confess me.' Captain Lugard reached Mengo on 
 December 31st, and we at once felt the position of 
 the Company secure in the country. We had heard 
 news a little before, that the English papers were 
 talking of the probable early withdrawal of the 
 Company from Uganda, and, about the same time. 
 
CIVIL WAR. 173 
 
 arrived a fresh party of French priests, who, it is 
 evident, gave this information to their people, repre- 
 senting to the king that this was only a trading 
 Company, and that it would be against their 
 interests to fight ; and, further, that if they were 
 about to withdraw, and if the Roman Catholic party 
 held out a little longer, they would soon have every- 
 thing their own way. You will see, as I go on, how 
 this gave great confidence again to the king, and caused 
 him, so far, to defy the power of the Company as to 
 challenge them to fight him. 
 
 On Friday, January 22nd, about mid-day, we 
 heard three or four shots fired quite close by, and 
 reports came in to say a Protestant had been 
 murdered by the Roman Catholics. The Protestants 
 immediately went to report the matter to Captain 
 Lugard, also telling him that the Roman Catholics 
 were guarding the body and refused them leave to 
 take it away for burial. Lugard immediately left to 
 see the king, when he was kept waiting for two 
 hours — in itself a great insult to a Commissioner of 
 the Queen. At last, he was taken in to the king, 
 who professed ignorance of the whole occurrence, 
 and asked the chiefs sitting round to tell him the 
 whole story. Lugard said that before he could hear 
 anything, the body must be removed, for it was a 
 disgrace to the king and his country. A Roman 
 Catholic and Protestant were immediately sent off 
 to remove the body. Captain Lugard, too, reminded 
 the king how that, when he had first come to the 
 country, he had told him that, owing to the state of 
 affairs and that a murder would probably cause civil 
 
174 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 war, any murderer must be executed. The king said 
 he remembered all this, and that the words were 
 very good. Captain Lugard, not feeling well after 
 his long waiting in the sun, left Du Wallah, a 
 Somali in whom he places great confidence, to be 
 present at the subsequent trial. The man was 
 brought in, and told the following story : — His gun 
 had been stolen from him by one of the Katikiro's 
 men, and he had taken his case before the Katikiro, 
 who had promised to see his gun restored, if his 
 story should be proved true. Two or three days 
 elapsed without anything being done, and then this 
 man thought that, as he had not been given another 
 gun, he had better try and take one from the Protestants 
 by force. Accordingly, he made a regular plot. He 
 bought some beer and sat in his gateway offering it 
 for sale — the plan being to take the gun from the 
 first Protestant who should offer to buy it. He had 
 several companions ready to help him, and two men 
 inside his fence with loaded guns. A man presently 
 came by, and came up to buy the beer, asking first 
 to taste it. An argument then arose, and a man 
 slipped behind him, seized his gun, and the whole 
 party rushed into the fence. The Protestant and 
 his friends followed, and were fired on by the two 
 men with guns inside, one shot killing the man. 
 The Protestant fired one shot without effect. The 
 king, on hearing that the thief had been followed 
 into his fence, said that he was, by the law of Uganda, 
 justified in the subsequent murder, and that the 
 prisoner must be set at liberty. It was late before 
 Du Wallah returned, but early next morning he was 
 
CIVIL WAR. 175 
 
 sent back with a note, asking the king to reconsider 
 this decision, and telHng him that, if he persisted in 
 it, he would lead his country into war. For some 
 time Du Wallah was not admitted, but he insisted 
 on delivering the letter into the king's own hand. 
 With the king were the Kimbugwe, the Kanta, and 
 the Musalosleb, all leading Roman Catholic chiefs. 
 The latter read the letter to the king, and when he 
 came to Lugard's words about probable war if 
 this decision was adhered to, the king caught him 
 up, saying, 'What's that he says about war ? Let 
 him come and fight, if he will ' ; and all the others 
 began to laugh at Du Wallah. Du Wallah told the 
 king that he was a Mohammedan, and that he had 
 no leaning to either Roman Catholics or Protestants, 
 but that he had never known such an obviously 
 unfair and rotten judgment given anywhere ; and that 
 he could assure the king that Captain Lugard had 
 done his best to avoid war and give justice to all 
 parties. 'What answer shall I take to my master?' 
 said Du Wallah. The Kanta said, ' Tell him that, 
 if he fights, we shall take all his wealth, and wipe out 
 the English from the country.' This was too much 
 for Captain Lugard to stand, and he sent to demand 
 the person of the murderer ; if he were given up, 
 the insulting message would be pardoned. Our 
 people went to the king, and asked him why, when, 
 in an exactly similar case, one of the Mugema's 
 men had killed a Roman Catholic, the Mugema had 
 been fined ? The king talked about exchanging 
 bodies, and so being quits. No, said our men, we 
 have other grievances besides this for which we have 
 
176 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 never had justice at all. Captain Lugard, the king 
 and Roman Catholics seeming determined to defy him, 
 resolved at last on stringent measures. On Saturday 
 night, some 500 rifles were served out to the Protes- 
 tant leaders for distribution, and a large quantity of 
 ammunition ; for even then Lugard hoped that it 
 would not be necessary for him personally to 
 interfere. 
 
 On Sunday, the 24th, of course services were out 
 of the question. The Katikiro had been told by the 
 Roman Catholics that if the Protestants did not 
 fight they were a pack of cowards; and further, in 
 the morning, as Roscoe had Sembera Mackay and a 
 few others at a Bible Reading, we heard shots, the 
 outcome of which we soon heard had been the 
 murder of a man belonging to the Katikiro. Further 
 Bible-reading was abandoned, and soon our whole 
 place was deserted. We went off to have a short 
 English service together ; before we had finished 
 Sembera came, summoning us to go up to the fort, 
 for both sides were all prepared for fighting. We, 
 however, refused unless sent for officially by Captain 
 Lugard, and, even when he did send for us, we said 
 that we could not consent to go and leave all our 
 things. He kindly sent forty men, and, after a 
 quarter of an hour's hurried packing, we were off 
 about twelve o'clock to Kampala. At the market- 
 place we met Sembera, who, on hearing that most 
 of our goods were still left behind, said he should go 
 off and find a guard for the station. About 12.30 
 we arrived at the camp, and as we were quietly 
 sitting in the house we heard four guns. Lugard 
 
CIVIL WAR. 177 
 
 had previously sent demanding the original murderer, 
 the murderer of the morning, and the Kanta, who 
 had sent the insulting message, to be all given up. 
 The man who had murdered the Katikiro's man was 
 sent in, and a soldier of the Company who had been 
 captured in the morning escaped. The Kanta refused 
 
 
 ...-] 
 
 ^>^P''-^ 
 
 Rough plan of the capital, marking the chief centres. 
 
 to come, and the first murderer could not be given 
 up at all. Well, so anxious was Captain Lugard to 
 avoid war that he had sent a further message 
 demanding only the first murderer to be given up, 
 and other affairs would be overlooked, when these 
 four gunshots sent us all flying out to seek the cause. 
 
 N 
 
178 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 We saw smoke over at the foot of Mengo, close by 
 Mr. Stokes's garden, and soon other shots followed 
 in a regular fusillade, and we could see the Papists 
 fleeing before the Protestants. On the top of 
 Rubaga Hill was some sharp fighting, and soon the 
 Roman Catholic new church and houses were in one 
 immense blaze, and the Protestants pushing on down 
 the farther side of the hill towards the king's fences. 
 All this while the camp Maxims were silent. Captain 
 Lugard having decided not to interfere unless an 
 attack was made on the fort. Presently we saw a 
 large body of men coming down the opposite hill 
 from the Kimbugwe's at the double, obviously making 
 for the fort, and now the Maxims both opened a 
 deadly fire. The Roman Catholics stopped and 
 stared round, not knowing who or what was 
 attacking, but when they realised that it was the 
 cannon, they turned round and ran like rabbits in 
 amongst the bananas. We hear some forty w^ere 
 killed by these first volleys from the Maxims, and 
 and the Kimbugwe and Kanta were wounded in the 
 former's house, where they thought no gun could 
 reach them. These men rallied at the top of the 
 hill, and, joined by the men of the Musalosalo, 
 managed to drive back the Katikiro and burn his 
 house. Countless houses were now in flames, and 
 one could scarcely see for the smoke. The Katikiro 
 retreated on Kampala, and now Captain Lugard 
 sent out Captain Williams with the Sudanese 
 soldiers, who soon settled matters — the Katikiro's 
 men and Pokino's re-formed behind him, and they 
 went on burning all the Roman Catholic houses aiid 
 
CIVIL WAR. 179 
 
 driving the Papists far away towards the Lake. 
 Leniency alone prevented them from driving them 
 right into the water. The Protestants were vic- 
 torious, the king's flag had been hauled down, but 
 deep sorrow had come to us — the very first guns 
 fired had killed. Sembera Mackay, our best and ablest 
 man and most deeply-taught Christian. He had 
 gone to find a guard for our place, and, as he was 
 passing some houses where some of the king's 
 slaves lived, he was shot at and died almost imme- 
 diately — dear, brave Sembera, whom ever}- one 
 loved, and of whom I never heard a disparaging 
 word, has entered into his reward — and we are left 
 to sorrow over his loss, and to trust our God to 
 supply his place. Two other Church elders have 
 been wounded, and two Protestant chiefs, one badly 
 so. The doctors have their hands full every day 
 now, and I expect never had such work before. 
 Rubaga Hill had been taken by the Mugema and 
 Pokino, together with the Mwanika — they were 
 never once repulsed, but carried everything before 
 them. It had been impossible to bring the priests 
 over to the fort, and their station was manned by 
 Roman Catholic chiefs who made a determined 
 resistance ; one of their black Hausa doctors, who 
 foolishly fought in person, was shot dead. The 
 priests were all conducted to the fort the same 
 evening, their place being a total wreck. 
 
 We returned the same evening to our station, the 
 whole of the Roman Catholics having fled. The 
 king, with some 300 guns, had fled to the small 
 island of Burungugi, just half a mile from the shore, 
 
180 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 about two hours from Mengo. Here he had his store 
 and had sent all his wives and wealth, and here 
 it was that the Christians so long withstood the 
 Mohammedans. Here they thought that they were 
 quite safe, remembering the unsuccessful attacks of 
 the Mohammedans. The great object, of course, of 
 the Company was now to get hold of the king and 
 restore him to his throne, knowing that he was a 
 mere puppet, and, if once in their hands, would do 
 all they told him — of course they did not want the 
 old chiefs back again, but the king alone. They 
 sent several messages asking him to return, but he 
 sent back to say that he wished to come but was 
 guarded and unable to escape. Friday morning the 
 French Bishop came to say he wished to leave the 
 fort, but Lugard refused him several times officially. 
 At last he came to say that unless he was forcibly 
 detained he should go, for these were his orders from 
 Rome. Accordingly, he went with all the priests 
 except two, who, however, followed soon afterwards. 
 He promised Lugard to persuade the king to 
 return, and pass on himself to Sesse, and when 
 there do all he could to protect Mr. Bagge, 
 who is daily expected back with the boat, and 
 also to send messages to Budu to his people 
 to protect Ashe, Walker, and Smith, who are there 
 at Masaka. He did none of these things, but went 
 to the king, and he, abetted by Kisali, a blacksmith, 
 a former pupil of Mackay, against the wish of all 
 the Roman Catholic priests and chiefs, refused the 
 king permission to return to Mengo. Does it not 
 seem as if the French Mission is just God's 
 
CIVIL WAR. 181 
 
 appointed instrument to complete the confusion of 
 Rome here in Uganda ? He, moreover, sent to 
 Lugard to come with his Maxim and kill all the 
 Roman Catholics on the island and then he might 
 get the king ! Little, I expect, did he think that 
 this would be so literally done. Yesterday, at 
 10 a.m., Captain Williams marched out with one of 
 the Maxims and some hundred soldiers, together 
 with the majority of the Protestant party ; he hid 
 his force on the Lake shore in the trees, watching 
 his opportunity. Presently two women of the 
 king's came off to get food in a canoe, and he sent 
 out two soldiers to take them prisoners; the canoe- 
 men, seeing this, made off to inform the people on 
 the island. Two of the French priests camped on 
 the beach of the island now came out and fired at 
 the soldiers. These shots and the report of the 
 canoe-men soon brought all the Roman Catholics 
 to the shore, and some entered some of the canoes 
 to come across and recover the women, evidently 
 thinking that only a few peasants had seized them. 
 Meanwhile, W^illiams had his Maxim brought into 
 position, and I expect they were surprised at the 
 warm reception they met with — the people on shore 
 were quickly fleeing, and eleven canoes were sunk. 
 On the first noise of firing, the French Bishop went 
 to the king, and when he ascertained that it was 
 really the camp soldiers, he got into the king's one 
 canoe, and they made off together, and we hear are 
 now in Sesse Island. The paddlers, on the first 
 noise of shots, had all made off, and thus the 
 Roman Catholic part\- were left absolutely without 
 
182 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 canoes. Many tried to make rough rafts of reeds 
 and leaves, which quickly sank. The Mujadi, one 
 of the principal Roman Catholic chiefs, fought 
 furiously, and finally hid himself amongst the trees, 
 and has not yet been found. The Kangoo was 
 killed, and a great number of the Roman Catholics, 
 but not one man of ours was so much as wounded. 
 
 The camp and people are making every exertion 
 to recover the king, who they feel sure is kept back 
 against his will. If it should prove impossible to 
 get him, the Mohammedan King Mbogo, Mutesa's 
 brother, will be invited in as king. The people are 
 very strong on royalty, and would prefer Mwanga 
 back to anybody else, in spite of all his failings." 
 
 A letter of Pilkington's, dated April ist, tells of 
 the King's return, "having given the Roman 
 Catholics the slip," and so he says, " there is a 
 prospect of peace and security and firm government." 
 With regard to the result, he continues in the same 
 letter, " the rejoicing here is tremendous. I hope 
 the work won't suffer for all this political success ; 
 however, it has been God's doing. You know very 
 well that this is not the sort of thing we count 
 success, or care for, except in so far as it opens the 
 door for the Gospel. . . . The English flag at last 
 is really hoisted on Mengo." 
 
 Reference has already been made to the serious 
 loss to the Mission caused by the death of Sembera 
 Mackay. 
 
 Pilkington's letter about him furnishes us with 
 such a beautiful instance of his power of sympathy, 
 and of the brotherly relations existing between him 
 
CIVIL WAR. 183 
 
 and his African colleagues, that with it we may fitly 
 close this sad story of civil war in Uganda. 
 
 " Namirembe, Uganda, 
 
 25th January, 1892. 
 
 Dearest Mother, — 
 
 I must write to you to-night, though I can 
 hardly see for tears, and my heart is bursting with 
 sorrow. Our faithful friend, our dear, dear Brother, 
 Sembera, was shot yesterday ; awful day. The very 
 first to fall ; fittest for death ; God took him. 
 Praise to His Name, but we are left bereaved. Oh, 
 Mother, you don't know how I loved him, and love 
 him still with all my soul ; everyone loved him ; the 
 best, the bravest, the noblest, the wisest. Never to 
 see his kind face in this w^orld again, or hear his 
 cheery voice, and I was safe in Kampala ; I couldn't 
 even bid him good-bye for the last time. But good- 
 bye or no, God was with him, for he walked with God. 
 
 Our joy, our comfort, our right hand is gone ; 
 praise be to God who gave us such a treasure for a 
 while, and now has taken it to Himself; but it is 
 hard to flesh and blood. He is a loss greater than 
 any almost I can think cf to our work here; he was 
 respected by both parties, and his humble, useful, 
 consistent life has been, and will be, an eloquent 
 sermon on the grace of God. God will not suffer 
 His Work to suffer, 
 
 ' But O for the touch of a vanish'd hand, 
 And the sound of a voice that is still.' 
 
 His is the joy of meeting with his Lord ; ours is the 
 
184 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 pain, and the sure and certain hope of glory. His 
 dear name is written for ever on my heart. 
 
 He leaves a wife and a baby girl — one of his boys 
 has asked to be with me. His last words were : 
 ' God is taking my soul.' I won't in this letter, or 
 now, write of the other events of that sad day. 
 This letter is, alas ! heavy enough, when it has this 
 one burden to bear, that ' a prince and a great man 
 has fallen to-day in Israel.' 
 
 Your loving son, 
 
 G. L. PiLKINGTON." 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 LANGUAGE STUDY. 
 
 The war over, the next few months afforded 
 splendid opportunities for working at the language. 
 As, however, the strain of recent events had been 
 rather great, Pilkington was persuaded to take a 
 holiday, of which he gives the following realistic 
 description : — 
 
 " It was on Saturday, 26th March, that I started for 
 our * country seat ' by the Lake (if I may so call it) ; 
 it is called Kuilwe, and is a peninsula running out 
 into the Lake, pretty well due south of Mengo. 
 
 As I was going partly for change — except for my 
 visit to Sowe, you remember, I've been in the capital 
 for fifteen months — I didn't intend to rough it more 
 than I could help, and so I took, not only our 
 donkey (ours is admittedly the best in the country, 
 his only rival, also ours, had to be left, alas ! to the 
 tender mercies of the Roman Catholics in Budu), but 
 also one of my cows and its calf; for, in this 
 country, a calfless cow is unmilkable ; I wish, by- 
 the-way, father would send me directions thereanent 
 (as John Paton says in his most delightful book, 
 which I've been again reading with renewed pleasure) 
 
186 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 when and how should a calf be taken from its 
 mother ? 
 
 You will like to hear what I took with me exactly. 
 Let me tell you, by w^ay of loads. My porters con- 
 sisted of a Aluganda, whom I asked from his master, 
 James Kabuga, late Mission servant ; three boys of 
 Ashe's, whom he was kind enough to lend me ; and 
 two boys of my own — six in all. The loads were : 
 (i) a large bag containing blankets (three of them, 
 Jaeger's), a mattress, a mosquito net, a change of 
 clothes, pyjamas, towel, soap, brushes, etc.; this was 
 carried by the Muganda. (2) My tin writing-desk, 
 which contained besides writing materials, tea, 
 coffee, sugar, saccharine, quinine, pills, anchovy paste, 
 a little cheese, a little fresh butter in two small 
 Liebig pots, some needles and cotton for use and 
 also for presents (a line needle is worth twenty shells, 
 a coarse one fifteen; by-the-way, I'll try and send 
 you some Uganda needles in this letter), and some 
 fish-hooks. (3) A bucket, containing knife, fork, 
 spoon, cup, jug, with some home-made bread, wheat 
 and Indian corn mixed, made into a kind of toast or 
 biscuit by a second turn in the oven (you know my 
 oven is a large native pot inverted, with a bonfire of 
 grass on the top), and some broken biscuit of the 
 kind that, at Uppingham, we called ' dog-rocks,' 
 but which are a considerable luxury out here. (4) 
 An iron basin, containing a kettle and a saucepan, 
 with a folding chair ; the two remaining boys carried 
 my three water bottles (which I filled with milk), 
 and looked after the donkey and cow and calf. I 
 actually started from Ashe and Walker's ph :e ; they 
 
LANGUAGE STUDY. 187 
 
 arc living in what was the place of a Roman Catholic 
 whom I knew well, and in whom I was, and am, 
 rather interested. He told me that he was a Roman 
 Catholic because it was they who followed the 
 teaching of the New Testament, c.i^., ' Where was 
 the cross that we took up in following Jesus ? ' I 
 told him that, if he convinced me of that, I, too, 
 would become a Roman Catholic, as there was no 
 other authority we followed but the Word of God. 
 We have had a little correspondence since the war, 
 and, in his letter, he asks me where our Fold is, 
 and where is our Shepherd ? However, this is a di- 
 gression. 
 
 Walker, as I started, proved himself a true prophet 
 of evil, when he warned me that my newly-cobbled 
 boots would not hold out. (Fve turned cobbler of 
 late ; mended my dear old Jaeger boots with buffalo 
 hide, only the soles of them. Jaeger boots are the 
 best for Africa ; this would do for an advertisement !) 
 
 At last, we are off — loads in front, cow and calf, 
 donkey, boy, and, last of all, myself. It was a lovely 
 walk through a sort of country lane, sweet smelling 
 trees every now and again making the air very 
 pleasant ; then up some hill-side, from the top of 
 which a splendid view of Lake, creek, and island is 
 visible ; then along the side of a valley, with the rich 
 banana plantations crowding up on each side from 
 the wooded valley below ; then down into the valley, 
 where there is a scrap of what I suppose a tropical 
 forest is like on a more extensive scale ; and then 
 through a river, or rather a marsh, which stretches, 
 perhaps, half-a-milc in width, and for which the 
 
188 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 donkey comes in very useful, unless some strong 
 and not too lazy Baganda happens to be at hand to 
 take one over; it is really amazing how these men 
 carried me, who am no light weight — I expect I'm 
 as heavy now as ever I was. I mount on the 
 shoulders of one, who kneels down to receive me ; 
 with the help of a second, he stands up, and then up 
 to his middle in water, and up and down banks three 
 feet in height, he carries me alone. 
 
 I stopped half-way, and had some refreshment in 
 the way of milk, bread and butter, and cheese. Then 
 on again, not waiting for the mid-day sun to go 
 down at all, for I wanted to be in early, that a house 
 and some sort of a bed might be got ready for me. I 
 was now going along by the Lake shore, and in a 
 couple of hours, it was evident that we were on a 
 peninsula, about a mile broad, runnmg out into the 
 Lake. It was like a park, the soil was very rocky 
 and sandy ; in consequence the grass was short and 
 light for this country, and not unlike a rather poor 
 meadow at home ; clumps of trees were sprinkled 
 about in a very pretty way, some of the trees rather 
 like laurel (a thing which I hate), which greatly 
 increased the artificial appearance of the place ; the 
 Lake that bounded it added to the effect. Here, I 
 rode the donkey for a bit, while my boy Serukwaya, 
 quite of his own accord, carried the tired calf; we 
 were the only two who needed either milk or a lift. 
 
 At last, we have reached our destination ; it is not 
 yet three o'clock, I should think (a watch that will 
 go has long been a thing of the past with me). 
 Kudumusinayi, one of the two tenants, though each 
 
LANGUAGI£ STUDY. 1^9 
 
 has several under him, and underlings of underlings 
 also abound, gives me a warm welcome. I knew 
 him as our tenant at Natete. 
 
 My boys and I are allotted a small round house, 
 not as big as an average Irish cabin, and yet the 
 seven of us slept and lived there very comfortably for 
 three days. I found the house with a hole in the 
 roof, the floor deep covered with ancient grass and 
 dust, and a very suspicious bed in the corner ! 
 Suspicious, in that I fancied that many creatures 
 other than human slept in it. 
 
 However, when I came back from a short explora- 
 tion of our property, I found the hole mended, the 
 floor swept, and a very nice bed in the course of 
 erection. I also found quite a crowd collected to 
 see me ; I tried to make friends with them, and 
 invited them to a Service in the morning. Then I 
 had food — coffee, plantains, potatoes, fish, and 
 bread and butter. They also cooked in profusion 
 for my boys. Next morning, about fifty, nearly 
 all men, came to the service. I read and ex- 
 plained and made them say the Ten Command- 
 ments, and then pointing out how we could not 
 establish our own righteousness, tried to show them 
 what Jesus had done for us ; then we had the 
 Commandments as in the Communion Seryice, and 
 a few Prayers. 
 
 I was told that many of the fishermen still believe 
 that if they take a fish in their hands, immediately 
 all the fish will die ; I told them of the quantities 
 of fish I had seen caught on the North Sea ; was it 
 only the Uganda fish that dreaded hooks ? 
 
190 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 I had another httle Service in the afternoon, and 
 then went coasting along for a bit in a canoe, and 
 visited a remarkable cave on the end of a long, low- 
 lying, narrow peninsula : the rock which formed 
 the cave was twenty feet high, and covered with 
 trees and creepers, making a very pretty object as 
 seen from a sandy piece of beach, near which I want 
 to get a house built, that will receive any of us who 
 might go to teach or for a change ; of course it 
 would be part of the people's business to build for 
 us, either there or at the Capital. 
 
 The trees on the island were, some of them, 
 magnificent ; three kinds of fruit grow there — 
 empafu, something between plums and olives ; 
 ensali, something like a very acid cherry, and 
 eroyidu, not unlike sloes ; there is also some coffee. 
 I saw lots of monkeys, crocodiles, and hippos. 
 
 On the Monday, I visited each house in the place ; 
 men, women, and children, might reach, perhaps, 
 200 , if the ground were full cultivated, i,ooo might 
 be supported there. 
 
 If only the reading sheets and other books would 
 come soon ; among all these people, five only, I 
 think, had books at all. 
 
 I came back on Tuesday, just in time to see the 
 king return, to inaugurate, I hope, a new era in his 
 strange and eventful reign. In writing in detail as I 
 have done, I have this special object : I wish, when 
 the country is quiet, to undertake some itinera- 
 ting work, in Kyagwe especially, which is the 
 province between this and the Nile ; possibly 
 in the Islands too. You will, from this account, be 
 
LANGUAGE STUDY. 191 
 
 able to understand a little better how 1 am likely to 
 live while engaged in this sort of work, which, 
 however much I appreciate the privilege and the 
 need of translational work, is what I came for most 
 of all, and which is, moreover, indispensable if the 
 translation is to be done properly." 
 
 In April, news was received of the death of Mr. de 
 Winton, son of Sir Francis de Winton, in Toro. 
 Pilkington felt his loss keenly, as the following 
 words shew : " We were all of us here, I know, very 
 fond of him; he was a most dehghtful companion. 
 He brightened many an evening in this house, and 
 I spent many a pleasant hour with him when he 
 was alone at Kampala. I was the invalid then ; 
 and he would keep me interested for hours to- 
 gether with stories of his American and other 
 experiences. 
 
 It is hard to believe that I shall never hear his 
 
 cheery voice again in this world He didn't 
 
 hide his Hght, but was known by the others at 
 Kampala, and, indeed, by the Christians here, as a 
 Christian man ; he sometimes came to our Luganda 
 service in the morning, and often to the Lord's 
 Supper." 
 
 It is hard to over-estimate the value of such 
 a man holding an official position in the Mission 
 Field. 
 
 On his return to the Capital, Pilkington devoted 
 himself once more to his translational work, and on 
 June 2nd, 1892, he wrote at some length to Mr. Lang, 
 giving some description of the progress of his w urk, 
 
192 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 and offering some valuable suggestions as the im- 
 portant subject of Language Study : — 
 
 " I have two or three matters connected v^ith 
 translation and language, that I have for some time 
 wished to write to you about, and I take this 
 opportunity, as, having had fever twice lately, the 
 Doctor recommends me not to do so much trans- 
 lation as I have been doing, and so I'll write this 
 letter instead. The first point is about the trans- 
 lation of the New Testament in particular ; in ten 
 days or so, if nothing occurs to hinder my w^ork, I 
 should finish Corinthians. Hebrews is finished, — 
 the New Testament will then be all translated. 
 Gordon took the Gospels, and Acts. Ashe, I believe, 
 translated i John ; and I shall have sent the rest, 
 when Hebrews and Corinthians shall have gone. I 
 am afraid you may think that the work has 
 been too quickly done to have been well done. I 
 want to explain to you how this is not really the 
 case. There never was anyone w'ho more than I 
 entered into other men's labours. I found several 
 men, H. W. Duta far ahead of them all, with a 
 good knowledge of the whole New Testament ; they 
 knew Swahili, and were thoroughly practised in trans- 
 lating from Swahili into Luganda ; there were none 
 of the ordinary difficulties of searching for w^ords to 
 translate the important terms and phrases of the 
 Gospel ; these w^ere not only at hand, but so far 
 stereotyped by extensive use, that any radical 
 changes, had I wished to make them, could hardly 
 have been justifiable. This fact made the work 
 possible, and it also makes nic hope that the trans- 
 
LANGUAGE STUDY. 193 
 
 lation (thanks not to me, but to my predecessors 
 and to the Waganda themselves), is a better one 
 than a first translation into a new language generally 
 can be ; it has been, really, beaten out during many 
 years by the best brains among the Waganda them- 
 selves, with the help of Mackay, Ashe, Gordon, 
 Walker, and the others who have been here. So 
 you see there were exceptional facilities. I think 
 there was also an exceptional need, for I should 
 think there was hardl}' ever so large a body of 
 Christians, in modern days, so eager to learn, for so 
 long a time with only one book of the Bible in their 
 own tongue, and that in such limited quantities. 
 There is a special reason, too, which makes me long 
 for Luganda books : the idea has gained ground 
 that — as no can know much of Christianity without 
 being able to read, and knowing Swahili — therefore, 
 reading, and a knowledge of Swahili makes a man a 
 Christian — nothing will quite eradicate this motion, 
 I think, but books in Luganda. There is one defect 
 in the translation, which is at the same time, I 
 think, a merit in a first translation : I have not 
 always translated, or tried to translate, the same 
 Greek word by the same Luganda ; I preferred, in 
 the present state of my knowledge, to leave the 
 question open by translating it variously ; better 
 leave the decision till the time when we shall be in 
 a position to be sure that the selected translation 
 is the best. There is another defect which, I'm 
 afraid, could not and cannot be remedied — the use 
 of one Luganda word for two or three different 
 Greek ones ; for, of course, Luganda, though a very 
 
194 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 rich language, may happen to be weak just where 
 Greek is strong ; we have used one word for the 
 Greek Trvevfxa, y\rv^r] (in sense of soul), and Kaphla — 
 the word for ' spirit,' was one of those stereo- 
 typed words I spoke of, and I never thought of 
 changing it (Ashe, however, the other day, said it 
 was still not too late — but I think it is) — otherwise, 
 I think I should have preferred a word meaning 
 ' air ' or ' wind,' to the word chosen, which simply 
 means soul or spirit in a metaphysical sense, and 
 has no material meaning. Again, the word for 
 ' to love ' and ' to will ' is the same in Luganda ; 
 hence, ' according to the will of God ' might mean 
 'the love of God.' Again, for 'to accept' and 
 ' to believe,' there is only one word. I had in- 
 tended not to attempt much of the Old Testament, 
 until I had gone home and read Hebrew, but lately, 
 I have started at the Psalms and Joshua. Joshua 
 is finished (but I want to go through it with Henry), 
 and about fifty of the Psalms. About half of 
 Genesis and Exodus is done, too ; but I have to go 
 over this again. Before I get an answer to this 
 letter, I am likely, if the Lord will, to get the 
 Pentateuch and a good deal of the Historical Books 
 translated. I should like to know what you think 
 of this, i.e., my doing it without the Hebrew. 
 There is another even more important matter that 
 I wished to write about. I don't think the Com- 
 mittee can realize how much difficulty most men 
 have in learning these African languages, else I 
 don't think they would send men, not specially 
 qualified, into a country where the language is not 
 
LANGUAGE STUDY. 195 
 
 known. I believe that it's, in most cases, worse 
 than useless sending a man who has not had special 
 training in language and the theory of it, to such a 
 place ; it is awfully trying to himself, physically and 
 spiritually ; at the same time, very discouraging ; 
 and I cannot but strongly suspect that it would 
 account for a good many promising careers cut 
 short. The long period that must elapse, before 
 such a man can express to the natives the object 
 which has brought him there, must surely cause a 
 host of misconceptions on their part ; his apparently 
 luxurious life — as it is to them — must surely give 
 them very misleading ideas which for years the 
 Missionary canT correct. It isn't enough to send a 
 man of ordinary all-round education ; he ought to 
 have made a special study of language — that is, 
 thoroughly compared the structure of any two 
 languages ; and, besides that, he ought to know 
 Steere's book (except the vocabularies) absolutely, 
 so as to know the skeleton of a Bantu language. 
 I beg to respectfully suggest to the Committee to 
 appeal specially for such men — Cambridge men, e.g., 
 who have at least got a Second in Classics ; and, 
 farther, that Stations, where a new language has to 
 be learnt, should not be opened till such men be 
 forthcoming, as otherwise great expense will be 
 incurred and perhaps more harm done than good. 
 The language once mastered and a grammar written, 
 men with less aptitude for languages, but, perhaps, 
 far better Missionaries can step in and, without 
 unnecessary loss of precious time and health, 
 begin work. But to send such a man up in the 
 
196 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 first instance, what a sad waste ! I assure you, the 
 majority of the men whom I've seen in the field 
 closely, wouldn't learn a new language without help 
 in twenty years. If you doubt this, write a circular 
 to the Missionaries, asking them how long they 
 they suppose they would be learning a new 
 language without any sort of help from books. I 
 expect the average would put down ten years. I 
 hope I don't seem to be puffing the facility which I 
 have in learning a language : after all the years I've 
 spent on the subject, I should be a duffer if I hadn't 
 profited at all by it ; what have I that I haven't 
 received ? But I assure you I am prompted to 
 write this by the earnest desire to see the Gospel 
 preached to all nations, an object which I am 
 convinced will only be retarded by sending men 
 not specially trained in language to new stations in 
 the first instance. If men, interested in language, 
 knew what a magnificent field this is, they might 
 come for that reason ; but I had rather they came 
 for the Gospel's sake — but the other reason might 
 do as a counterpoise to fever, journeys, and other 
 annoyances." 
 
 Commenting in another place on the need of 
 trained men for language work, Pilkington writes — 
 
 " Let those who are sometimes inclined to feel 
 that the years spent on Greek and Latin were 
 partially wasted come out here, and in one short 
 year I venture to say they will have ' redeemed the 
 time ' so spent. Do any such think they are too 
 good for Africa ? If so, may God forgive them a 
 thought so presumptuous and silly ! They will get 
 
LANGUAGE STUDY. 197 
 
 no higher returns on any abilities, spiritual, 
 intellectual, physical, which God has given them 
 for investment, than they will get in Africa, and, 
 perhaps, especially here. Every qualified worker 
 might be the means, in God's hands, of sending 
 out in a few years time, say twenty, well-taught, 
 spiritual, zealous Baganda as missionaries to the 
 surrounding nations — each one of them in many 
 ways far superior to an English missionary. Would 
 not this repay any labour, any loss ? The 
 evangelization of Africa is visible from Uganda. 
 How long it is to be before it shall be an 
 accomplished fact Christian England must decide." 
 At this time he was working at a Root dictionary, 
 of which he writes as follows : — 
 
 " I aim at 20,000 words. I don't think I shall 
 find this difficult. Luganda is a very wealthy 
 language. I think it will be necessary to go in for 
 a little Luyima (or Kituse) and Lusoga to do the 
 root work perfectly. These three languages are 
 barely more than dialects and throw enormous 
 light on one another. So does Swahili, but to a 
 much smaller extent. I have also written, some 
 time ago, for a Zulu grammar, as I have reason to 
 think (I have a Zulu Prayer Book) this language 
 very closely allied to Luganda. 
 
 I am very hopeful — from the slight investigations 
 I have been able to make into Lusoga and Luyima 
 — that a single Bible will do for these two countries, 
 and Uganda, as well as Unyoro (I expect). The 
 idea (once entertained, I believe) that Swahili would 
 do for these countries is a mere dream. It would 
 
198 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 be about the same thing us trying to introduce 
 German into England. Luganda is entirely 
 different from and superior to Swahili. Out of a 
 considerable number of Lusoga words I have got, 
 five, I think, in every ten, are identical with 
 Luganda, four the same root, modified, perhaps, and 
 with a different prefix, and one a totally different 
 word, although otten a word which also occurs in 
 Luganda but in a different sense. In the Root 
 dictionary, I hope to be able to include (by a simple 
 system of signs that won't, I think, interfere with 
 its usefulness and handiness for Luganda) a good 
 many Lusoga and Luyima and Lunyoro words — 
 the roots being identical in so many cases, this will 
 not be difficult in a Root dictionary ; and where they 
 differ they do so by regular changes. 
 
 It would be well still to have a Vocabulary on the 
 old system, as in Steere's book, for beginners, 
 containing the words in everyday use only. 
 
 My own belief is that a thorough knowledge of 
 the language must be gained if Uganda is to be the 
 great centre of civilization and teaching which I 
 cannot but suppose the Committee expect it to be. 
 In order to give you a better idea of what 
 I propose to do in the Dictionary, I give a couple 
 of roots worked — good specimens of course ; you 
 mustn't suppose that all roots are equally prolific, 
 but I think you will admit these to be very pretty. 
 
 Three thousand such roots would give a very 
 
 ample vocabulary." (For specimen quoted above see p. 199.) 
 
 A little later hs describes the eagerness of the 
 people to obtain books. 
 
LANGUAGE STUDY. 1^^ 
 
 Specimen of Luganda Roots. 
 
 ^' We have been selling books (Matthews, Prayer 
 Books, and reading books, 130, iSo, and 600 
 respectively) to-day and yesterday. How shall I 
 describe it ? Feeding the lions at the Zoo, a scramble 
 (^f street boys for coppers, perhaps a distribution of 
 food in famine time, these are the things suggested. 
 
 (J 
 
200 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 The people who came with shells to buy and went 
 away empty were twice as many as those who 
 received books, and then this is only one place in 
 this large country ; and further, it is not easy to 
 collect shells on one day's notice. What we want 
 are books, not thousands, but millions of books. 
 I should like to see -f 5,000 spent at once on printing 
 and sending up of books ; this would be a glorious 
 way of advancing God's Kingdom. 
 
 All day long the place has been crowded with 
 people who refuse to believe that there are no more 
 books. How would you feel if at a Christmas 
 party the tea and cake ran so short that only one in 
 every five got anything at all ? I feel something 
 like that. And yet these books are of more value 
 to these starving souls than are tea and cake to a 
 starving child. I wish you could run a long pin 
 into every one at home who's asleep and won't wake 
 up to help us. It's disgraceful the way we've been 
 left without books — simply dreadful. I trust and 
 hope and pray that better times are coming. In 
 other places, money and energy is spent in trying to 
 get people to buy and read (or even take) the Bible ; 
 but here, be the reason what you will, the wild desire 
 to read and possess a book has seized the whole 
 country. If we don't supply the demand the 
 Roman Catholics will." 
 
 Two letters from George to his mother, written in 
 August and September, besides giving some account 
 of the progress of the work in Uganda, deal with 
 some interesting questions which came before him 
 at this time. 
 
LANGUAGE STUDY. 201 
 
 " Namirembe, Mengo, 
 
 Sunday, 7th August, 1892. 
 
 In Buganda itself, things are going on quietly. 
 The new Church — really a magnificent building that 
 impresses you like a Cathedral — was opened last 
 Sunday. The king came, and a vast congregation, 
 enough to fill the Church twice, not much short, I 
 think, of 10,000 people. I read the Bishop's letter, 
 Henry and Nikodemo preached. This morning 
 there was a congregation of 3,000 or 4,000, I think ; 
 Church not quite full, and I preached on Matthew 
 22, and we had Communion to which about 100 
 people stayed 
 
 However, the news from Busoga is very alarming. 
 Wakoli (where Smith is), was shot by one of the 
 Company's coast men (originally a Musoga), 
 whether by accident or not nobody knows. Smith 
 had the narrowest possible escape with his life ; 
 forty Waganda, we are told, were murdered. 
 Captain Williams, on hearing of it, immediately 
 set out with the Maxim and 170 men, on the day 
 that I came back from the Islands, 28th July. No 
 news from him yet. 
 
 . . . . One of the elders told me the other 
 day that we should never satisfy the demand for 
 books. More people begin reading day by day, 
 and month by month, than books come. Oh for 
 books ! However, Ashe's printing press is doing a 
 great work. 
 
 I quite agree with you about 
 distinctions between secular and religious. To a 
 Christian man nothing should be secular : he is a 
 
202 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 soldier on duty always (or neglecting it — never off 
 duty) ; to one who is not a Christian nothing, is 
 religious ; in this, as in everything, not that which 
 ' entereth into a man ' from without, nothing ex- 
 ternal ' defileth the man,' but that which comes 
 out of his heart, that ' defileth a man,' and a 
 man's heart is not visible to us. To his own 
 master, each servant stands or falls. I am no priest 
 to usurp that which is God's alone. 
 
 If a man wants to go in for what are called 
 worldly pleasures, I can't see what good it would be 
 to hinder him ; if he tastes the pleasures which God 
 gives, the others drop off, as a dog drops a bit of 
 potato when you offer him a bone. There isn't 
 time for both. I say, let every man do according as 
 he is disposed in his heart. A man is what he is 
 disposed in his heart to be ; what he does is only a 
 symptom of what he is and of very trifling 
 importance comparative^ — except as a symptom. 
 The Devil chained would be a Devil still. Even 
 when he appears as an Angel of light, he's still the 
 Devil. 
 
 At the same time, when I see a chap raking in a 
 muck heap, it's only common charity and common 
 sense to ask him what he finds there worth looking 
 for, and point to the crown. Not that I would 
 venture to say that I don't often have a rake at it 
 myself. When I do so, I hope I should be grateful 
 to anyone who showed me what a fool I was. 
 
 Don't imagine that I suppose that nobody does 
 God's will who is not a missionary or a preacher or 
 a ' professional Christian ' of some sort. Very far 
 
LANGUAGE STUDY. 203 
 
 from it. ' Let every man be fully persuaded in his 
 own mind.' ' Whatsoever is not of faith is sin.' 
 Good-bye for to-night." 
 
 "9 p.m., Thursday, i8th August. 
 Mail goes to-morrow. Captain Williams back 
 from Busoga. Smith is all right; is at Luba's now." 
 
 "C.M.S.. Namirembe, Uganda, 
 
 3rd September, 1892. 
 
 . . . In spite of a good deal of fever lately, I've 
 been wonderfully strong and well ; able to go up 
 every morning to the great church on the hill, where, 
 after the regular reading and prayers, I have a class 
 of seven elders ; then, while they teach seven classes 
 of candidates for baptism on the lines just given 
 them by me, I have a class of some twenty boys, 
 the most promising ones ; then I sing with a sort of 
 choir, which I have started. You will be surprised 
 that I should teach singing, but, as nobody else does 
 it, and they sing awfully badly, I do what I can. In 
 the afternoon, I translate with Henry — Exodus, 
 at present ; also I am writing, at the request of our 
 Committee here, a little book in Luganda of outlines 
 of Christian doctrine, which is meant to be a help to 
 Baganda teachers. . . . Luganda is ten times 
 as hard as Swahili ; true, Swahili is the easiest 
 language in the world to get a superficial knowledge 
 of, but Luganda is undoubtedly difficult. 
 
 My b3ans are growing splendidly. I have two 
 little broods of fowls (four and six respectively), one 
 hen sitting, and another laying ; six goats, nine 
 sheep, a ram, three lambs, a bull, fourteen cows and 
 
204 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 eight calves. I think this a better way of keeping 
 my cloth (investing it in beasts) than keeping in my 
 house, where the dangers to it are so many. 
 
 The produce of my flocks and herds supports me. 
 Leopards are my bugbears. 
 
 The rennet powder works beautifully ; milk in 
 various forms is my chief food ; the other men despise 
 skim milk — I think it the thing for this country. 
 Whey is a great thing, too. . . . Don't be 
 afraid of my not taking care of my health ; I am a 
 perfect old woman, awfully afraid of a draught or 
 anything damp, over-exertion, or anything else — one 
 learns to be careful here — that is the most important 
 part of acclimatization, though, I believe, one does 
 get to some extent acclimatized besides. I am too 
 much interested in the work here to do anything 
 that might force me to leave it. I hope to live to 
 see the whole of Africa evangelized. If only Christian 
 England made a honest effort, it wouldn't take 
 many decades to do it. But England, I'm afraid, is 
 in earnest about one thing only — making money. 
 
 By the way, my flocks and herds above-mentioned 
 are altogether worth only about a load of cloth, 
 costing about £3 at the coast, and £j for carriage — 
 total £10. Besides, four of the cattle and three of 
 the goats were presents. About 100 lbs. of common 
 washing soap would buy the whole lot." 
 
 A little later, he speaks of receiving some wheat 
 from the Katikiro, which he ground in a coffee mill, 
 and made brown bread with it, '' besides first-rate 
 pancakes ; cakes and puddings occasionally ! " 
 
LANGUAGE STUDY. 205 
 
 Another trip down the lake gave him another 
 change, and in November, 1892, he writes :— 
 
 " Uganda, 
 
 November 23rd, 1892. 
 
 I have just returned from a trip to Nassa, about 
 which I wrote to Mr. Lang, undertaken by the 
 advice of the brethren here. I am glad to say that 
 it has done me a great deal of good and I feel as 
 well as possible. I got back on the i8th. I was 
 interested to find that the languages spoken all along 
 the West Coast of the Lake and on the Island of 
 Ukerewe are very close to Luyima (Kituse), the 
 language of the Wahuma, as Stanley, I think, calls 
 them. My Mwima boy could talk fluently with 
 them all and understand them. I felt this as an 
 additional reason for extension into the countries of 
 the Bayima, to the West of Uganda, Toro, etc. I 
 believe that this language, in different dialects, is 
 spoken over a greater area than Luganda. But, at 
 present, the miserable reinforcements of which we 
 hear, make me despair of extension even into Busoga, 
 where, as you know by this time, the work was 
 temporarily given up. I do not think that either the 
 Christian public or even the C. M.S. Committee have 
 grasped how^ great the need is here. There are vast 
 arrears of work to be done here ; vast numbers call 
 themselves Christians, and are regarded as such by 
 the people generally, who have not only no heart 
 religion, but not even a knowledge of Christian 
 morality. What I fear is a widespread misconcep- 
 tion of the meaning of Christianity, if this state of 
 
206 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 things continues. This calamity can be averted only, 
 I venture to thmk, by an adequate supply of teachers, 
 and also of books ; at present, we have neither in 
 anything like the numbers needed. We already see 
 many sad instances of inconsistency, and, what is 
 worst of all, they are evidently not regarded as any- 
 thing very bad by the great bulk of the people ; I am 
 afraid that this will spread and corrupt the Church. 
 * Reading ' is getting, it seems to me, to be less and 
 less regarded as inconsistent with drunkenness and 
 fornication. Naturally enough, for now great 
 numbers are ' reading,' and few have renewed 
 hearts and therefore renewed lives. Individual work 
 is what is needed here, and this takes such a time. 
 
 It is wonderful, and yet, perhaps, not really so 
 when you consider that we are foreigners here, how 
 the Gospel, when preached to numbers even in the 
 simplest and plainest way, seems to be not under- 
 stood, or at any rate not realized, as a personal 
 matter. 
 
 I have quite failed to express how urgent, how 
 terrible seems to me the need of men." 
 
 It is clear from the above that the Missionaries 
 fully realized the dangers of a rapid spread of 
 Christianity in Uganda, and, if there have been 
 exaggerated ideas abroad of the progress of the 
 work, it has not been the fault of the Missionaries 
 who have all along told of discouragement as well 
 as success. 
 
 Just a month after the writing of this letter, 
 Bishop Tucker arrived for the second time in Uganda, 
 and his testimony as to Pilkington's gifts as an 
 
LANGUAGE STUDY. 207 
 
 interpreter, and as to the progress of the work in 
 Uganda, form a valuable commentary on much that 
 has been already mentioned in this chapter. The 
 Bishop writes : — 
 
 " At about 4 p.m., to our great joy, our long and 
 weary journey of eighty-nine days was at an end, 
 and we were with our dear brethren at Mengo. A 
 heavy storm of rain had prevented people coming in 
 any large numbers to meet us, but, as the weather 
 cleared up, we were soon besiged with visitors. To 
 see the friends and brethren who, two years ago, had 
 travelled up from the coast with me was indeed a 
 great joy. Mr. Pilkington was looking the very 
 picture of health. Mr. Baskerville, too, was looking 
 very well, and enjoys, I am glad to think, excellent 
 health. After some refreshment, we went to see the 
 houses in which we are to live. They have been 
 built for us by our Native brethren. My house 
 astonished me. It is one of the largest in Buganda. 
 It has six rooms in it. 
 
 Christmas Day dawned, and verily it is a day 
 never to be forgotten. The thrill that went through 
 me when, two years ago, I addressed a congregation 
 of 1,000 souls in the old Church is still fresh in my 
 memory. If I was thrilled then, I was simply over- 
 whelmed yesterday when I stood up to speak in the 
 name of our Master to a congregation numbering 
 over 5,000 souls. I wonder whether, in the 
 whole mission-field, such a sight has been witnessed 
 since Apostolic days. Tlie perfect stillness as I 
 stood up to speak, and indeed throughout the 
 service, was almost as awe-inspiring as the sight of 
 
208 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 the great multitude itself. Mr. Pilkington inter- 
 preted for me, and it was quite evident that he 
 performed his task to perfection. In the afternoon, 
 a second service was held, and I suppose between 
 three and four thousand people must have been 
 present. At this service about thirty women were 
 baptized. Mr. Baskcrville preached in Luganda. 
 Later in the afternoon, an English service was held. 
 At this service a larger number of Europeans were 
 present than have been gathered together before in 
 Uganda. Christmas Day was a trying day, but an 
 intensely joyful day — a day worth coming to the 
 ends of the earth to enjoy. 
 
 I have brought with me from the coast more than 
 8,000 portions of the Word of God. The delight of 
 the people is indescribable. Daily my house is 
 besieged by w(Mild-be purchasers. Last time when 
 books arrived, the eagerness to possess them was 
 such that there was danger of the house being 
 knocked down. It has therefore been decided to 
 sell them at different centres at one and the same 
 time. Those who come for books are therefore 
 turned away until the arrangements are complete 
 for the sale to go forward. Many more loads of 
 books are coming up by the old road, and I trust, 
 by our friends at home keeping up the supply, to 
 pour a constant stream of God's truth upon the 
 land.'' 
 
CHAPTER XI, 
 
 THE FIRST MUTINY. 
 
 The early days of 1893 were great days in Uganda ; 
 six natives were ordained deacons on the under- 
 standing that they were to be supported by the 
 Native Church, and ten others were licensed as lay 
 evangelists. In February, the Bishop held his second 
 Confirmation in Uganda; of this he wTites: — 
 
 ''Seventy-five were confirmed, all adults. This was 
 the first Confirmation in the new Church, or, as I 
 think I must call it, the Cathedral. For Central 
 Africa it is as wonderful a building as Durham 
 Cathedral is for England. There are nearly 500 
 trees used in it as pillars; somj of them were 
 brought five and six days' journey and needed 
 several hundred men to carry them. The order and 
 decency of the services is most admirable. The 
 Confirmation was a much more reverent ceremony 
 than many which I have been at in England." 
 
 In March, Sir Gerald Portal, Impsrial Commis- 
 sioner to Uganda, arrived in Mengo, and, on April ist, 
 the Company's flag was hauled down and the Union 
 Jack took its place, in token that Uganda was now 
 to be regarded as part of the British Empire. This 
 was intended, in the first place, to be a temporary 
 
 P 209 
 
210 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 measure, the final arrangement being announced to 
 Parliament in April, 1894. 
 
 During his stay in Uganda, the Commissioner was 
 chiefly occupied in seeking to arrange terms of 
 agreement between the rival factions in Uganda. 
 With the assistance of Bishop Tucker and 
 Monseigneur Hirth, an arrangement of territory was 
 made which, it was hoped, would be satisfactory to 
 all parties. On May 30th, Sir Gerald Portal left for 
 the coast, Bishop Tucker leaving three days later by 
 the Southern route. He then wrote : '' The position 
 of our friends is absolutely secure in our opinion." 
 
 How^ soon these hopes of peace were to be dis- 
 appointed is shown by the following letter from 
 Pilkington, dated Kampala, June 20th, 1893 : — 
 
 " You will see that something is up by the address, 
 Kampala ; we have had exciting times again these 
 last few days, but I am thankful to say that things 
 are, I think, all right again now ; they might easily 
 have been anything but all right. First of all, so 
 that you may understand the events of the last few 
 days, let me explain the state of affairs. Captain 
 Lugard, you remember, brought some 500 Soudanese 
 soldiers with their ' Colonel,' Selim Bey — who had 
 mutinied at Wadelai under Emin Pasha — from the 
 North. He also brought in the Mohammedan party, 
 and gave them three small provinces lying close 
 together to the North-east of Budu. Since they 
 came into the country, they have done no work for 
 the king, as in duty bound. 
 
 Sir G. Portal, when here, insisted that they should 
 do their proper work, and told them that, if they 
 
THE FIRST MUTINY. 211 
 
 refused, they would be driven out. They demanded an 
 increase of territory, as they saw that the Roman 
 Catholics, who also, hitherto, have done no work, 
 had received so large an increase. This was refused 
 by Sir G. Portal, and the attitude of the Mohamme- 
 dans had been threatening. However, Captain 
 Macdonald, who was left in charge on the Consul's 
 departure, made them promise to work about ten 
 days ago, and they sent to their country places for 
 men to come and work. However, our people 
 assured us that they did not mean to work, and were 
 only making this a pretext for getting up their guns, 
 as they said that Selim Bey (of course, the Soudanese 
 are Mohammedans and very thick with the Baganda 
 Mohammedans) had promised, and, iadeed, we hear 
 now, sworn on the Koran, that, in case of war, he 
 would help the Mohammedans. This fort was 
 garrisoned by some lOO of the Soudanese ; some 200 
 more, with Selim Bey, were at Ntebe, on the Lake, 
 some twenty-tive miles from here ; and another 150 
 with Major Owen, away in the Toro forts. On 
 Saturday morning, 17th June, Captain Macdonald 
 came round to tell us that Selim Bey had sent him 
 a message, the night before, that nothing must be 
 done respecting the Mohammedans without con- 
 sulting him, and that if the king (Mwanga) fought 
 against the Mohammedans, he would be fighting 
 with him (the Bey). Captain Macdonald had, he 
 told us, decided to take the bull by the horns : he 
 had sent for Messrs. Gedge and Reddie to come up 
 at once with their 100 Swahilis from Ntebe ; they 
 would be in that afternoon. He intended, at three 
 
PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 o'clock, to parade the Soudanese at the Fort as 
 usual and tell them that the Bey had mutinied, and 
 ask those who were for him (Captain Macdonald) to 
 go off to one side and those for the Bey to the other, 
 when he proposed disarming the latter; also he 
 intended to tell the Mohammedans that they must 
 give up their four leading chiefs as a pledge of their 
 peaceful intentions, by that evening, or he would 
 order the Protestants to attack them next morning. 
 So he wished us to go up to the fort at mid-day, that 
 the presence of a large number of Europeans might 
 overawe the Soudanese. He then went to the 
 French, who also agreed to come up. 
 
 So w^e went up ; the Soudanese all protested their 
 loyalty, and Captain Macdonald got the Moham- 
 medan chiefs and we thought it was all over. So 
 we went back to our places that Saturday night. 
 
 However, first thing on Saturday morning was a 
 note from Captain Macdonald, asking us to go over 
 at once. Gedge and Reddie had come in in the 
 night, and the Bey had told the latter that, in case 
 of war, he meant to help the Mohammedans. When 
 Reddie suggested that this might mean fighting 
 against the Europeans, he shrugged his shoulders. 
 So Captain Macdonald, considering the circum- 
 stances very serious, had decided to disarm the 
 Soudanese. As soon as we reached the fort, Captain 
 Macdonald asked me to translate the following into 
 Luganda, and to explain it to the Katikiro : — 
 ' Whereas Selim Bey has mutinied, and whereas 
 the common law is not sufficient for the emergency, 
 I hereby declare that martial law is in force through- 
 
THE FIRST MUTINY. 213 
 
 out this country of U.c^anda until further notice' I 
 have missed out a few words defining the common 
 law, but this gives the sense. 
 
 He then armed all the Swahilis, 150 or so, and us 
 Europeans, and put the Maxim gun in position, and 
 marched the Soudanese down below, and, after 
 explaining things to them in a speech, ordered them 
 to lay down their arms, which, thank God ! they did 
 at once. 
 
 Meanwhile, the excitement among the Baganda 
 was increasing ; the Mohammedans had brought up 
 300 or 500 guns in the night, and had already beaten 
 their war drums. I interpreted for Captain 
 Macdonald when he was speaking to Mbogo (the 
 late Mohammedan king, who had been kept at 
 Kampala all through), and the Mohammedan chiefs, 
 who had been given up on the previous da\', so I can 
 tell you exactly what he told them. He told Mbogo 
 that all his men, with guns, must go off at once to 
 Xatete, the Mohammedan quarter; that if all had 
 not gone by noon, he (Mbogo) would be responsible. 
 They all went, so Mbogo has saved himself. 
 
 He then told the three Mohammedan chiefs to 
 send to their people and order them back to their 
 country places, and that, if the Mohammedans 
 fought, he should shoot all three. They said that, 
 if one of their number went, the Mohammedans 
 would listen to him, but that they would not mind 
 a mere message. So one of them was allowed to 
 go on promise of return, but he never came back. 
 During this interview, Mbogo came, and in great 
 fear and almost with tears, upbraided Juma, the 
 
214 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 chief of the Mohammedans, with writing to his 
 people to come up and fight, saying that he had 
 been against it all through. 
 
 About one o'clock, the Katikiro sent a message 
 that the Mohammedans were not going, so Captain 
 Macdonald sent a message to them by one of 
 Mbogo's men that he w^ould be there in an hour 
 with the Maxim gun, and if he found them there he 
 would attack them. Twenty minutes later, we 
 heard the guns firing, in the Natete direction, and 
 we knew that war was inevitable. A few 
 minutes later, a message came from the Katikiro, 
 that the Mohammedans had attacked them, and 
 Captain Williams sent back the message, 'Dispose 
 of them all.' The next news was a wounded man, 
 whose boy told me that the Mohammedans were in 
 flight, and the pursuit was kept up right to the 
 boundary of the Mohammedan country. At mid- 
 day on the Monday, the Protestants (all the Roman 
 Catholics, led by the priests, had flitted on Saturday 
 night) came back to ask w^hether they should drive 
 the Mohammedans right out. Captain Macdonald 
 had intended and expected that they would do so, 
 but, as they had spared them of their own accord, 
 he told them to leave them and he would go down 
 and see their chiefs when he had finished matters at 
 Ntebe. 
 
 Messages were accordingly sent to those who had 
 not fought to stay quietly where they were, and the 
 Europeans would go dow^n and see them and 
 arrange matters. I heard the Katikiro saying 
 yesterday to the king that they must do all they 
 
THE FIRST MUTINY. ^15 
 
 can to save them. I think that in this they ha\c 
 showed themselves no unworthy disciples of their 
 God and Saviour : in judgment, they have 
 remembered mercy ; in the flush of victory, with 
 the enemy running before them and all their 
 property in their mercy, they voluntarily refrained ; 
 the first time, perhaps, that such a thing has 
 happened in the history of Uganda. 
 
 However, I've not finished my story. Captain 
 Macdonald asked us to stay at Kampala till the 
 trouble was over, as our presence would, more than 
 anything, intimidate the Bey and the Soudanese ; so 
 we stayed, and some of us took a couple of hours 
 at night going round to see that the Guard was 
 all right. Yesterday (Monday), about mid-day, 
 news came in that the Bey was on the move, 
 intending, apparently, to skirt the capital and join 
 the Mohammedans. The Protestants had just 
 returned, 3,000 guns, and they were told to go out 
 and intercept him, and kill them every one. But 
 it proved to be a false alarm ; the Bey had sent up 
 ten men with guns, and twenty others to say that 
 he was ready to obey Captain Macdonald in every- 
 thing, and to explain away his messages to the 
 Captain and his words to Mr. Reddie. This 
 morning (Tuesday) Captain Macdonald and four 
 other Europeans w^ith the Maxim, and 500 Baganda 
 with guns, and, of course, innumerable spearmen, 
 have gone to Ntebe to settle the Bey. They 
 anticipate that the Soudanese will all be loyal and 
 lay down their arms, and I expect that tlie Be} , 
 who was the real cause of all this trouble and 
 
216 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA 
 
 Sunday's bloodshed, and who, but for Captain 
 Macdonald's prompt action, might have had all of 
 us in chains — as he once had Emin — will be shot. 
 
 Juma, the Mohammedan chief, is in the chain 
 gang ; Mbogo is here, very cheerful apparently, 
 because he is exonerated from blame ; I hope it will 
 be possible to spare Juma's life: he is quite a young 
 man and he has had a terrible lesson." 
 
 " Namirembe, 
 
 Saturday, July 12th. 
 
 The Soudanese laid down their arms all right 
 and the Bey was court-martialed and condemned 
 to be degraded and sent away to an island on the 
 Lake, Nsagi by name. Last Monday, all the 
 Protestants went off to drive out the Mohammedans. 
 No news yet except that half the Mohammedans 
 want peace." 
 
 I have not yet mentioned the death of Captain 
 Portal, by sunstroke, about a month ago. He was 
 buried up at the Church by Hannington and De 
 Winton. 
 
 In all this. Captain Macdonald has acted in the 
 promptest, bravest, and wisest manner. God gave 
 the right man for the right place." 
 
 Few will doubt that the English Missionaries 
 were right in standing by the British authorities. 
 They were not asked to take arms against the people 
 of the country, but to help to overawe by their 
 presence the mutinous Soudanese troops who were 
 foreigners to the country. Had they refused, it is 
 possible that the British administration would have 
 
THE FIRST MUTINY. 217 
 
 been swept away, and Mohammedanism, with its 
 slave-raiding and cruelty, have reigned supreme. 
 Pilkington's story of these events is a clear 
 one. It may, however, be interesting to give 
 Captain Macdonald's account of his appeal to the 
 Missionaries. 
 
 " I visited the Church Missionary Society in 
 Namirembe, where I saw Mr. Pilkington, who at 
 once summoned the Head of the Mission, the Rev. 
 J. Roscoe, at that time engaged at the church in 
 superintending classes. To these two gentlemen 
 the situation was explained. I told them my hopes 
 that a rapid initiative would defeat the proposed 
 combination in detail, and that the best chance of 
 success appeared to be in all the Europeans showing 
 a united front, irrespective of creed or profession 
 At the same time, should they prefer to do so, they 
 were free to withdraw to the Eastern provinces 
 while there was yet time ; but I explained that such 
 a proceeding would necessarily have a very dispirit- 
 ing effect on the Protestant Waganda and might 
 lead to their flight from the capital. Other members 
 of the Mission were called in, and it need hardly be 
 said that, in an assemblage of Englishmen con- 
 fronted with a crisis like this, there was no dis- 
 sentient voice, b|it one and all decided to stand 
 or fall by me as the representative of British 
 authority. 
 
 I then went to the Roman Catholic Mission 
 Station, at Rubaga, and explained the situation and 
 proposals, in almost the same words that I had 
 used at Namirembe. Here, too, the Missionaries 
 
218 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 resolved to stand by the Government. Both 
 Missions having thus decided to support me, it was 
 arranged that the Missionaries should come to 
 Kampala in the afternoon — not in a body, so as to 
 create alarm, but dropping in by twos and threes." 
 
 After all was over, the Consul wrote thanking 
 the Missionaries for their *' valuable services," 
 and adding that " the record of their invaluable 
 services will be laid before Her Majesty's Secretary 
 of State at the first opportunity." 
 
 One of the most striking points in connection 
 with the suppression of the mutiny was the part 
 played by the Protestant Baganda. Captain Mac- 
 donald particularly mentions the Sekibobo, the title 
 by which Nikodemo, one of the most important 
 Protestant chiefs, was known, who was with him 
 when he went to arrest Selim Bey. 
 
 Writing of this incident in his recent book. Captain 
 Macdonald says : — 
 
 "The Sekibobo managed his men excellently. 
 When I went to arrest the Bey, several small 
 columns were draw^n up concealed by a fold in the 
 ground, but ready to rush into the Soudanese 
 quarter had the Bey's private following offered any 
 resistance ; and when, before nightfall, a European 
 inspected the Sekibobo's arrangement of pickets 
 and sentries, there was really nothing to alter. 
 With this stern old Waganda chief, it was like a 
 return to the ancient Covenanting days in Scotland : 
 for, every evening, the day's work closed with a 
 prayer-meeting conducted by the Sekibobo in 
 person, and always largely attended by his follow^ers. 
 
THE FIRST MUTINY. 219 
 
 The discipline he maintained in his contingent was 
 particularly good and he carried out my orders in 
 the spirit, not merely in the letter." 
 
 Pilkington, referring to his death nearly two 
 years later, speaks of him as follows: "We have 
 had a great loss ; our dear brother Nikodemo, kind, 
 good, earnest, Christian man (the Sekibobo, i.e., 
 chief of Kyagwe), also one of those ordained deacon, 
 has been taken from us. As great a loss as 
 Sembera's personally to us and to the work : the 
 Lord who gave him can fill up the vacant place.'* 
 
 The great change is all the more remarkable 
 when it is realized from what degrading superstitions 
 the heathen of Uganda have been delivered. 
 
 The nature of this is described in a letter from 
 Pilkington, shortly after the mutiny, as follows : — 
 
 " You ask about the religion of the people here. 
 They had an elaborate religion ; each county or 
 province had its tutelar god (lubale) ; each god had 
 several shrines, w^here there lived the priest and the 
 ' Mandwa,' i.e., a man supposed to be possessed by 
 the god ; people gave offerings which priest and 
 Mandwa shared, besides which a great many 
 gardens were given up to the lubale. 
 
 People came and enquired of them as at an oracle 
 the priest was the medium, the Mandwa gave the 
 answers. Besides this, the spirits of dead people 
 were supposed to possess the Mandwas in the same 
 way as gods, especially the spirits of dead kings. 
 Mutesa, before he died, told the people that if, after 
 liis death, anyone professed to be possessed by his 
 spirit, they were to tell him to read an Arabic book. 
 
220 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 and, if he failed, they would know he was an 
 impostor as he (Mutesa) knew how to read it ; and 
 this actually happened, and the Mandwa was well 
 beaten for his pains. 
 
 The same king had a favourite dog which died, 
 and a man professed to be possessed by its spirit, 
 and would do nothing but bark ! 
 
 When a man is possessed in this way, and some 
 beer is brought in, they all drink, and the spirit 
 leaves him ; then the Mandwa is sure to upbraid his 
 friends for not leaving any for him, and when they 
 are surprised, he explains that he didn't drink any, 
 it was the god. The great rivers or marshes, too, 
 were regarded as gods, and, before crossing, they 
 would throw^ in coffee-berries, or human beings, to 
 propitiate them. Periodically, they sacrificed human 
 beings to both river and other gods, 500 at a time. 
 There were special places where these human 
 sacrifices were made till only a few years ago." 
 
 The mutiny having been thus vigorously dealt 
 with, peace was speedily re-established, and 
 Missionary work, which had been suspended for a 
 short period, was carried on with redoubled energy. 
 
 Selim Bey was sent away from the country, but 
 died on his way to the coast. 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 A REVIVAL. 
 
 Hitherto we have dealt chiefly with the U^^^anda 
 Mission, and the part played in it by the chief 
 character in our story, from what may be called the 
 external point of view. 
 
 We have watched him as he first took his place 
 in the Missionary circle at Mengo, daily gaining in 
 influence over the natives as he grew more and 
 more familiar with their language ; his counsel in- 
 creasingly valued by his colleagues, in many a 
 diflicult problem connected with the work, and 
 appealed to by the British authorities to act as their 
 interpreter on every occasion when accuracy and 
 secrecy were particularly needed. 
 
 In his hands, during this time, the translation of 
 the Bible had made rapid progress, and the number 
 of readers became so great that their eagerness for 
 books could not be satisfied. 
 
 These external results, the only thing which the 
 world looks for, might have satisfied some, but they 
 were not enough for George Pilkington. 
 
 It is true that there were outward and visible 
 signs which betokened prosperit}-, but was there in 
 proportion the inward and spiritual grace ? It was 
 
222 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA. 
 
 this for which he sought, but the dearth of spiritual 
 results was to him and his fellow Missionaries a 
 keen disappointment. Pilkington himself was so 
 much discouraged, that he spoke of giving up 
 Missionary work altogether, unless some change 
 took place. For a time, it is said that he used to 
 absent himself from the prayer meetings held 
 amongst the Missionaries. 
 
 In this state of mind he went alone for a visit to 
 the Island of Kome, and it was there that he learnt 
 the great secret of the indwelling power of the Holy 
 Spirit, which transformed his whole life. 
 
 Speaking of this at a great gathering of students 
 in Liverpool, in January, 1896, he said : — 
 
 " If it had not been that God enabled me, after 
 three years in the Mission field, to accept by faith 
 the gift of the Holy Spirit, I should have given up 
 the work. I could not have gone on as I was then. 
 A book by David, the Tamil evangelist, shewed me 
 that my life was not right, that I had not the power 
 of the Holy Ghost. I had consecrated myself 
 hundreds of times, but I had not accepted God's gift. 
 I saw now that God commanded me to be filled with 
 the Spirit. Then I read, ' All things whatsoever 
 ye pray and ask for, believe that ye have received 
 them, and ye shall have them,' and, claiming 
 this promise, I received the Holy Spirit. 
 
 Another verse which impressed me was, St. John 
 xvi., 7 — 'It is expedient for you that I go away; 
 for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come 
 unto you ; but if I go I will send Him unto you.' " 
 
 But perhaps the clearest view of the influence on 
 
A REVIVAL. 223 
 
 his life of this remarkable experience, may be gained 
 from a letter written by him to his mother on May 
 30th, 1895. He writes : — " Next Sunday is 
 Whit-Sunday. Oh, for another Pentecost here, and 
 at home. ' He that believeth on Me out of his belly 
 shall flow rivers (not a stream or a single river) of 
 living water. Greater works than these shall ye do, 
 because I go unto the Father.' Where are these 
 rivers and where are these mighty works ? We 
 must ask rather, where ' is he that believeth on 
 Him ? ' Surely He is not unfaithful to a single line 
 of His promise. What w^onder that infidelity 
 abounds, when the worst infidelity of all is in our 
 own hearts. What wonder that Popery increases, 
 when we have dethroned the Holy Spirit from our 
 hearts. What wonder that Mohammedanism defies 
 us, and still occupies vast fields once held for 
 Christ, when Mohammed's successors can still ask 
 as the false prophet himself did, ' Where, but in 
 Mohammed is the promised Paraclete ? ' Even 
 the Mohammedans here, ignorant as they are, ask 
 that. Praise be to God, many of our people here can 
 answer, ' In my heart and life.' May abundant 
 fruit of the Spirit in our lives prove our witness 
 true. 
 
 The people here are hungry and thirsty for the 
 Holy Ghost, they are searching the New and (as far 
 as they have it) the Old Testament to see if these 
 things which we tell them be so. I am looking for 
 a wonderful outpouring of the Holy Spirit on them. 
 ' I will pour water on him that is thirsty, and 
 floods on the dry ground.' (Is. 44, 3.) From God 
 
224 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 has this thirst come in our souls here for the Holy 
 Spirit, and He who gave the thirst is also satisfying 
 it, and will satisfy it to the full. 
 
 It would be an easier thing for the Church 
 of Uganda to evangelize in twenty years all 
 unevangelized Africa than it was for the Primitive 
 Church to evangelize as far as she did in the same 
 period. The Waganda are born Missionaries, they 
 are splendid travellers, and in ability, a good deal 
 above, so far as is known, the nations round them ; 
 their country is an island in a vast sea of ignorance ; 
 they have been brought in contact with, and have 
 learnt to contend with, the three forms of darkness 
 which they will meet in Africa : Heathenism, 
 Mohammedanism, and Popery. What we want 
 first, middle, and last, is the Holy Spirit. The 
 Holy Spirit is Christ in the heart. See Rom. viii. 
 and Eph. iii. 
 
 This reminds me that you once wrote as if you 
 thought that I had meant to say that, till eighteen 
 months ago, I had not had the presence or the help 
 of the Holy Spirit in my work. I never meant to 
 convey that impression. I distinguish between the 
 presence of the Holy Spirit with us and in us ; our 
 blessed Lord said to His disciples, ' He is with you 
 and shall be in you.' John xiv. It is the birthright 
 of every Christian to have the Holy Spirit in him, 
 to be full of the Holy Ghost as St. Paul commanded 
 the Ephesians to be, but I believe that my unbelief 
 and other sins was a hindrance to the Holy Spirit 
 in my own heart till about eighteen months ago, 
 when God Himself, I humbly believe, opened, or 
 
A REVIVAL. 225 
 
 enabled me to 'open the door,' and He came in, 
 according to His gracious promise, to sup with me, 
 even me, and I with Him. Amazing condescension 
 and mercy to such an awful, awful, awful sinner as 
 I know myself to be." 
 
 On December 7th, 1893, Pilkington returned 
 to Mengo from Kome, and everyone noticed 
 the wonderful change in Him. His very face told 
 of the reality of the change. His boys noticed it, 
 the Christians of Uganda were conscious of it and 
 all who came in contact with him, and that not only 
 from his words but in a thousand little ways which 
 speak more forcibly than the most eloquent sermon. 
 But it was not only Pilkington who was thus 
 blessed, others of the mission party had been led 
 to seek a special blessing from God, and thus thev 
 were able to rejoice together. 
 
 Of this Baskerville writes on December 8th: — 
 '' Pilkington got back yesterday from Kome about 
 5.30 ; he came over to dinner with us at Roscoe's, 
 and told of the glorious times he had had on 
 Kome. He told us, too, how he had definitely, 
 while away, received by faith the Baptism of the 
 Holy Ghost, and manifestation of His power had 
 followed. People had testified to the saving power 
 of Christ, including Christians of some standing, I 
 mean some who had been baptized but who as yet 
 had not really accepted Christ. One man, a 
 genuine native of Kome, stood up and said, ' You 
 see me a native born, not a Waganda, not a native 
 of Kome, do not call me any longer by my old 
 name, for I have been born anew.* Others said, 
 
 9 
 
226 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 ' I was blind, now I see.' Praise to God for His 
 goodness." 
 
 Baskerville continues : " It has been our private 
 wish for some time to have some mission services 
 here. We can scarcely hope for special missioners 
 until a railway comes, and it occurred to us that 
 God wants to use us. We all, in prayer, dedicated 
 ourselves to Him, and asked Him to baptize us 
 anew. This morning we began ; we had not told 
 the people but w^ent up after prayer at the usual 
 time, believing for a blessing. Pilkington conducted 
 the meeting. We began with our version of ' Have 
 you been to Jesus for the cleansing power,' and then 
 Pilkington prayed. He began by speaking about a 
 man, a very sad case which has been the indirect 
 cause of these meetings. A certain Musa Yakuganda 
 has come to us and told us that he gets no profit from 
 our religion, and wants to have his name given out 
 as having returned to the state of a Heathen. Asked 
 if he knew what he said, he replied, ' Do you think 
 I have been reading seven years, and do not under- 
 stand ? Your religion does not profit me at all. I 
 have done with it.' Pilkington pointed out what a 
 cause of shame this was to us. . . . I cannot on 
 paper describe every detail of the meeting. On two 
 occasions, some hundreds were all praying for for- 
 giveness, others praising in the simplest language. 
 We left the church at twelve, having been 
 there since 8.30. Roscoe is now with some of the 
 teachers, and Pilkington has some boys in the next 
 room. We go up to the church directly to another 
 service," 
 
A REVIVAL. 227 
 
 The Rev. J. Roscoe writes of the services on the 
 next day, December gth : — " We have had another 
 day of great spiritual blessing. At each service God 
 was present, and souls were brought into union w^th 
 Jesus Christ. The beaming faces of some who found 
 peace yesterday were sufficient testimony to their 
 changed state, and words were unnecessary. The 
 Katikiro wrote his testimony ; in September he found 
 peace, but has now entered into fuller blessing. 
 Each morning we have had fully 500 present at 
 these meetings. This afternoon, we had a specially 
 solemn service for those who had the assurance of 
 salvation, about 200 being present. We expect from 
 the Lord showers of blessing to-morrow, and await 
 the outpouring of His Spirit in faith. 
 
 loth (Sunday). We are in the midst of a great 
 spiritual revival. To the Lord be praise and glory 
 and honour ! Our joy is beyond expression. After 
 the morning service, fully 200 stayed to be spoken 
 to, and I believe the majority w^ent away rejoicing in 
 the Lord." 
 
 Baskerville adds : " Musa has come back. It is 
 grand. He was in the Church when Pilkington told 
 the people about him, at the first meeting, on Friday. 
 No one dreamt of his being there. The Lord had 
 brought him." 
 
 The Rev. Ernest Millargives the following account 
 of the mission : — "The majorit}' of those converted 
 could read a little, but some could not read at- all, 
 and, on being converted, at once wished to learn to 
 read. One of Pilkington's bayima (cow boys) came 
 out very brightly, and told the others about God's 
 
228 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 love, the consequence being that on the next day 
 one of our Bayima, whom we had previously not 
 thought much of, came to me, and said he had 
 accepted the gift of God, eternal life, and now wished 
 to have a reading book, that he might learn to read. 
 Needless to say, I gave him a book at once, and we 
 can see the change in his life — he is quite a different 
 man, and full of joy ; since then, another cowboy 
 has come forward. This is the more wonderful, 
 because the Bayima are generally very backward in 
 learning to read. (The Bayima are the tribe whose 
 especial care is that of looking after cattle ; there is 
 a proverb to the effect that you can more easily kill 
 a Muyima than you can take his cattle.) The 
 Mission only lasted three days, but the effect will, I 
 trust, last for ever. One remarkable feature of this 
 work, in the eyes of outsiders, is that the great chiefs 
 in the land were not afraid to confess that they had 
 not hitherto accepted Christ, and that they wished 
 to do so. At the service at the king's, on the last 
 day of the mission, one chief, who had been one of 
 the leading teachers, but had been suspended for 
 misconduct, confessed, in front of the king and his 
 boys, that he had not previously accepted the Lord 
 Jesus as his Saviour, but did so then. We had 
 special meetings for the deepening of the spiritual 
 life during the week which followed the mission, and 
 we trust that many were helped." 
 
 One other missionary, Mr. R. H. Leakey, gives 
 his impressions of these wonderful three days ; he 
 writes : — 
 
 '' You will have heard from other Missionaries of 
 
A REVIVAL. 229 
 
 the special services here, on December 8th, gth, 
 and loth, and of the wonderful blessing we had. 
 Many, who had long been looked upon as leading 
 Christians, realized a new force and power in their 
 Christian life. Some said to us, ' Why have you 
 been here so long and never told us this glad news 
 before ? ' All we could say was, ' You have been 
 been told, but have not believed it.' May God 
 forgive us for any lack of power, or of faith, or of 
 prayer on our part. . . . Before the services we 
 prayed with power to God, and then went to them, 
 expecting great blessings, and we got more than we 
 had dared to expect. I never in my life so realized 
 the power of the Spirit of God present to save and 
 working in our midst as I did at those meetings." 
 
 The reason why it was necessary to hold the 
 Mission, without time for preparation, was that 
 the Baganda army was about to start for Bunyoro, 
 to fight with King Kabarega, and Pilkington elected 
 to accompany the Baganda troops, as their chaplain. 
 Of this, Baskerville writes : — 
 
 " 13th. — Pilkington has gone. On Monday night 
 he told us that God was calling him to go out to the 
 war with the Baganda. We all felt it to be the 
 right thing, and all has been arranged well, and he 
 left this morning. He will be thrown in contact 
 daily with hundreds of people, who never come near 
 the capital, drawn from every corner of the country, 
 many of them Roman Catholics and Mohammedans. 
 He is not travelling with the white men from the 
 Fort, but with the Baganda. He wanted at first to 
 go without a tent, but the people would not hear of 
 
230 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 it, nor indeed would we. They have f^iven him 
 about ten porters. The people are all delighted 
 that he has gone — their joy was very touching. In 
 fact, we are all about as full of joy as we can 
 hold, and the people are particularly rejoiced that 
 Pilkington has gone. All say what a unique oppor- 
 tunity he will have. He has two cows with him, 
 and he will, I am sure, be well looked after by the 
 people. Last night we had a very solemn service 
 as a farewell, the Colonel, and all the men at the 
 Fort came, but one. Pilkington preached a short 
 sermon, and several of them particularly thanked us." 
 
 Captain Villiers, speaking of Pilkington's presence 
 with the Baganda army on this occasion, remarks 
 that it w^as " the cause of their abandoning all their 
 former ideas of warfare, and behaving as well as 
 civilized troops." It may be well to add that 
 Pilkington was strictly a non-combatant on this 
 occasion. News received from him by the Mission- 
 aries in Mengo is given by Mr. Baskerville, who 
 writes : — 
 
 " Two letters have come from Pilkington since he 
 left for the war, the second from Kadoma's, ten 
 miles over the Buganda frontier and their first 
 camping-place in Bunyoro. In his first letter 
 he says, ' Some twenty-five have professed salvation 
 since w^e left Mengo ' ; in his second, he says, ' The 
 Mohammedans are listening eagerly, even their 
 chiefs come to hear. I have preached to great 
 crowds four times, numbering from i,ooo to 2,000, 
 and on Sunday Zacharia preached a capital sermon 
 to some 2,000 people." " 
 
A REVIVAL. 231 
 
 On returning from the expedition against 
 Kabarega, Pilkington paid a visit to Singo, where 
 Mr. Fisher was at work. Here he was greatly 
 struck with the plan, adopted by Mr. Fisher, of 
 erecting reading houses, or, as the people called 
 them, " Synagogi," where they could be instructed 
 by native teachers under the direction of more 
 experienced workers, these in turn being supervised 
 by the European in charge of the district. 
 
 On returning to Mengo, Pilkington proposed that 
 this plan should be adopted much more widely, and 
 he and Baskerville decided to delay their return 
 to England until this new movement could be 
 organized. 
 
 Thus it became possible to bring the more 
 distant places into closer touch with the centre of 
 the work, and the revival, which had started in the 
 capital, spread in the same year far and wide through 
 the outlying stations of the Mission. 
 
 A letter written by Pilkington on the ist of April, 
 1894, gives some account of the sending forth of 
 new teachers. He writes : — 
 
 '' A good many teachers — between thirty and forty 
 — have offered to go out and teach in the country 
 parts ; we had a sort of ' dismissal ' last Sunday, 
 when thirteen were sent, and another seven are to 
 be dismissed this afternoon, including a very faithful 
 boy of mine called Musa (Moses), who will be a 
 great loss to me, but, I believe, a great gain to the 
 work. 
 
 Leakey came back yesterday from South of Lake 
 with 120 loads of books (a load is 70 lbs.), i.e, three 
 
232 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 and a half tons, 800 New Testaments, only I wish 
 it were 8000. 
 
 Captain Macdonald is going home. We owe him 
 a great debt. He saved this country. He has won 
 the confidence of all the people by firmness, good 
 sense, and kindness. We are very sorry indeed that 
 he is going ; we shall hardly see his equal again. 
 
 We hope very much that he may come back 
 here again. 
 
 I hope before long to pay a visit to the Islands ; 
 we hear there has been an enormous increase of 
 'reading' in them lately : and so I hope to find large 
 congregations to whom to preach the Gospel, and I 
 expect many will be saved through the mercy of 
 God and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit." 
 
 At the end of July and during the month of 
 August, Pilkington visited the Islands in company 
 the Rev. Ernest Millar. In most cases they were 
 received with the greatest enthusiasm. Mission 
 services were held with splendid results. Candidates 
 for baptism were examined and baptized, and a 
 great impulse given to reading. One serious 
 interruption to the work at Mengo occurred not long 
 after his return from the journey, which he records 
 as follows, writing on 4th of October, 1894 : — 
 
 " Last Tuesday I was sitting in this room when 
 my cook, a woman, rushed in, saying, ' The Church 
 has fallen, and I don't know whether people haven't 
 been killed in it.' There was at the time a 
 tremendous storm of wind and rain. Thank God 
 no people had been killed. Walker w^as last out of 
 the Church. He refused to believe that it was 
 
A REVIVAL. 233 
 
 falling, till he saw the great poles actually coming 
 down on him, and only just got out when down it came. 
 The poles apparently sound, and not leaning in the 
 least, had rotted inside and broke off one after the 
 other under the great pressure of wind, aided by the 
 enormous weight of the grass roof, drenched by the 
 downpour of rain. 
 
 It seems a calamity, but we believe that God's 
 hand is in it ; I daresay, as in Acts viii., he wants 
 to scatter our work more in the dark surrounding 
 country. 
 
 They are going to build another with a different 
 kind of wood, palm trees, and we hope on a some- 
 what improved principle. But it is difficult to make 
 so vast a building safe without mortar or ironwork. 
 
 . . . , We have had great encouragement 
 among the Mohammedans lately. Two of them, 
 friends of mine, converted I believe, and two 
 others, leading men among them, intending to 
 come out. 
 
 I believe that there is a Spirit of enquiry among 
 the Roman Catholics such as I have never seen 
 before. Not less than three or four of them daily, 
 often more, come to see me to talk about things, in 
 ones and twos. They are on the most friendly 
 terms with me. 
 
 Before the Church fell, 2,000 at least w^ere coming 
 every week-day morning, besides, I should think, at 
 least 7,000 more in the 200 country Churches. On 
 Sunday not less than 20,000 in the various Churches. 
 Of these, 6,000 were under regular instruction in 
 classes ; and this vast work extendi n^^ riirht down 
 
234 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 to Koki and Toro on one side, and Busoga on the 
 other, 200 miles in one direction and lOO in the 
 other, has to be directed by twelve Europeans, often 
 down with fever, and knowing the language very 
 imperfectly. The natives can't yet organise ; they 
 are good when led, they seem unable to lead yet. 
 Oh that they may be led by the Holy Ghost ! They 
 are improving, one of them is doing a grand 
 work about ten miles to the north of Mengo, really 
 organising, I think. May God give us many like 
 him. He used to be a strong opponent of present 
 salvation, but thank God, no longer so. 
 
 I want to finish translating the Old Testament, 
 and that, with seeing after the teachers, who have 
 been sent into the country, teaching daily a class of 
 would-be teachers in Romans, and holding a service, 
 half in the open air, in the neighbourhood every 
 afternoon, leaves me but little time for corres- 
 pondence. 
 
 The Mohammedans here tell me that they believe 
 and love the Lord Jesus, and I believe that, in a 
 sense, they do ; but it is not the same Jesus that I 
 know." 
 
 Writing again on Sunday, 4th November, 1894, 
 he continues: — "The work goes on wonderfully; 
 our reading sheets have run out ; we are anxiously 
 expecting more. Every afternoon I am now going 
 for an hour or two, to the Mohammedan quarter, 
 Natete, the C. M. S. Station in Mackay's days, and 
 have a sort of friendly discussion, consisting chiefly 
 of reading the Scriptures, with the Mohammedans ; 
 they have themselves invited me, and we are great 
 
A REVIVAL. 235 
 
 friends, they are not like the bigoted Mohammedans 
 of India, and still they are quite bigoted enough. 
 They ask me questions such as : 'Is Jesus the Son 
 of God ? ' ' What about Abraham ? ' ' Why don't 
 you keep the law of Moses ? ' Which I answer by 
 reading, e.g., Heb. i, Mat. iii., i6, 17, Rom. iv.. 
 Acts XV., and they listen with utmost attention. 
 But their most interesting question is about Him 
 whom Jesus said was to come (the Holy Spirit — 
 they say Mohammed), and it is glorious to have 
 such an opportunity of testifying to the reality and 
 the power of the Blessed Spirit. This is the lost 
 Truth, the loss of which gave Satan the oppor- 
 tunity of introducing both Mohammedanism and 
 Popery. Of course, you know that in the Koran (of 
 which I have a translation) is mentioned the Trinity, 
 as Mohammed supposed Christians to believe, the 
 Father, Son, and Mary ! 
 
 We have seen during the last year many hardened 
 and notorious sinners (baptized though they were) 
 definitely brought to Christ, and openly professing 
 to be saved (one of them the other day, just after 
 his conversion). When we told the Church Council 
 that he wanted to go out as a teacher, the proposal 
 was met with uncontrollable laughter as they didn't 
 know about his conversion ; and he is now living 
 a life w^hich shews to all the world, the reality 
 of the change. 
 
 The Roman Catholic version of St. Matthew 
 (with copious notes from the Fathers) is expected in 
 a day or two. Thank God for this." 
 
 The work of that vear, which had been a most 
 
23(S PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 eventful one in the history of the Uganda Church, 
 is thus summed up in Pilkington's annual letter for 
 1894 :— 
 
 " Mengo, 
 
 December 12th, 1894. 
 
 Since my return from Unyoro — where I had 
 wonderful opportunities of preaching the Gospel to 
 many who probably would not have heard it other- 
 wise, and of getting into closer touch and sympathy, 
 with the Waganda — my work has been chiefly that of 
 looking after the rapid extension of the work into 
 the country, which has been one of the most marked 
 features of the year ; in fact, I have acted, I may 
 say, as secretary to the Church Council, as far as 
 this special work is concerned. I have also done 
 language work, especially the revision of the New 
 Testament, with Henry Wright Duta ; but I pro- 
 pose, in this letter, only to review the work of 
 extension into the country parts and neighbouring 
 countries during the past year. 
 
 At the beginning of this year, there were not, 
 probably, more than twenty country churches (or 
 reading-rooms or ' synagogues ' ) ; there are now 
 not less than 200, of which the ten largest would 
 contain 4,500 persons ; the average capacity of all 
 would be, perhaps, 150. In these there now 
 assemble every Sunday not less than 20,000 souls to 
 hear the Gospel ; on week days not less than 4,000 
 assemble (these numbers are exclusive of the 
 capital). The first teachers paid by the Church 
 Council were dismissed in April ; there are now 131 
 of these teachers, occupying eighty-five stations, of 
 
A REVIVAL. 237 
 
 whom just t\vent\' are stationed outside Uganda 
 proper, and may be regarded as more or less foreign 
 Missionaries ; those in Usoga and Uvuma are 
 supported by the C. M. S. This by no means 
 represents the whole of the work that is being done 
 in the country ; there are some places, notably 
 Jungo, some fifteen miles south of Mengo, where a 
 splendid work is being done, and there are probably 
 not less than twenty teachers at work under Henry's 
 able superintendence, and not one of these teachers, 
 nor Henry himself, is reckoned in the above. At 
 Bu'si again, an island near Jungo, there are only 
 two of these regular teachers, and yet there are 
 three churches and about 2,000 people under in- 
 struction. This extension into the country has 
 produced, as might have been expected, visible 
 fruit in the enormous increase in the number of 
 those under definite instruction for baptism. At 
 this time last year the catechumens numbered 170 ; 
 during the year some 800 (I have not the exact 
 number at hand) have been baptized, and there are 
 now 1,500 catechumens. 
 
 A blow has been struck at the numerous and 
 absurd slanders current about baptism by the work 
 of the Native deacons, who have, whenever possible, 
 taken baptism in the country churches. While 
 writing this letter I have received a note from 
 Zachariah Kangao, who went to his country place 
 some days ago to baptize some candidates ; he says 
 that a great number collected to see the baptisms, 
 and went away saying, ' It was all lies they told us 
 about eating snakes" tails and human flesh,' Sec, 
 
238 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 One slander he mentions, which I think is not onh^ 
 interesting but most encouraging — that baptism 
 consisted ^ in making an incision in the head and 
 rubbing in a powerful medicine which kills the old 
 heart, and then there comes in its place a new 
 religious heart that does not lust for anything,' a 
 glorious Heathen testimony, I take it, to the renew- 
 ing power of the Gospel of Christ. 
 
 Then, further, the work is being extended by the 
 fuller organisation of the country churches. It has 
 been decided to elect six churchwardens whenever 
 the number of baptized men is not less than ten ; 
 this organising has only just been begun, but we 
 have seen enough of resultant activity to lead us to 
 hope that the effects, when the scheme is complete 
 and in full working order, will be most important. 
 
 To sum up, the year's work has been by far the 
 most encouraging that I have been privileged to 
 witness, and I venture to think that the Church 
 here is only just beginning its course of testimony 
 and victory. I anticipate that next year will see an 
 enormous accession. Is the C.M.S. prepared for 
 the calls upon its resources which the rapid increase 
 of the work here might mean ? What if we should 
 require a hundred thousand copies of the New 
 Testament in the course of the next two or three 
 years, and say a million reading-sheets ? this would 
 make about 1,500 loads; how are they to be brought 
 here in addition to everything else ? 
 
 Let me add one word about reinforcements. Is 
 it not obvious that our present staff is not nearly 
 sufficient ? There are, thank God, several most 
 
A REVIVAL. 239 
 
 able Natives, real soul-winners too ; but they are not 
 yet fully qualified to organise and keep books, nor to 
 train people for this work. Europeans are needed 
 for a few years in considerable numbers ; men of 
 ability and education and spiritual power are 
 needed. Such then would, as far as one can fore- 
 see, be the means in God's hand of putting into 
 the field here, say, each of them, ten Native 
 Missionaries in a few years, each of the ten in 
 most w^ays equal, in many ways superior, to any 
 European ; therefore, I venture to say, that one 
 European of the kind required now is worth ten, five 
 years hence. May the Lord of the Harvest open 
 the eyes of those at home to see it ! " 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 ON FURLOUGH, 
 
 In the summer of 1895, Pilkington and Baskerville 
 came home on furlough. They travelled by the 
 northern route which passes through British territory, 
 and it is by this route the railwa}^ is being con- 
 structed, the commencement of which has proved 
 the most certain indication of the intention of the 
 British Government to maintain the Uganda Pro- 
 tectorate. Mr. Baskerville gives a graphic account 
 of the difficulties of the march and the sufferings 
 of the porters, which will be at an end when the 
 railway is completed. He writes : — 
 
 " Though the north road has been proved to be 
 far more healthy for Europeans, yet it is a far more 
 terrible journey for the native porters. There are 
 the waterless districts near the coast, and the long 
 stretch of foodless country, stretching from Kikuyu 
 to Mumia's in Kavirondo, a three wrecks' journey, 
 for which food has to be carried in addition to the 
 ordinary load. This foodless district is very high 
 ground, rising over the Mau escarpment to 8,500 
 feet, and is consequently very cold, and the porters 
 suffer much. Then, too, man-eating lions seldom 
 leave any caravans alone, and highwaymen are 
 always on the look-out for stragglers. 
 
 g40 
 
ON FURLOUGH. 241 
 
 Let me recall a few facts connected with our 
 home journey last summer. We laid in our food 
 supplies in Busoga and distributed them between all 
 members of the caravan. The ordinary African 
 does not look far ahead, and it is not an uncommon 
 thing for a man to throw away a large portion ot his 
 rations, keeping just enough for his immediate need, 
 or some will eat up three weeks' food in one, and 
 then tell you they are starving. The Government 
 provide all their porters with a blanket and water- 
 proof sheet for crossing the Mau escarpment ; the 
 men constantly sell these to natives of Kavirondo, 
 and then die of cold. One day we had just come 
 to a river, when we saw on the opposite bank an 
 up-country caravan approaching. We waited and 
 watched it go by. Many of the men looked greatly 
 emaciated, some mere skeletons. Some were offer- 
 ing things in sale for flour. We had not gone more 
 than a mile when I noticed a man by the side of the 
 path. He had no earthly belongings except a rag of 
 cloth round his loins. We asked him who he was. 
 He said he had been carrying the head man's tent, 
 but that morning could not manage it, so his load 
 had been given to another, and he had been left. 
 That night he would have been eaten by hyenas. 
 He had dysentery and a bad cough. We gave him 
 brandy and milk, and helped him along that day, 
 feeding him at night in camp with arrowroot. The 
 next day he started walking, but arrangements had 
 to be made to carry him. By no force of argument 
 could we persuade our Swahili headman to leave 
 behind a load of drums he was takintr down to a 
 
242 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 friend. We would give him double the price. No, 
 his friend wanted the drums, not the money ; for- 
 tunately our provision boxes were getting light, and 
 by putting two or three loads together w^e managed 
 to get two bearers. The next day we were detained 
 by two more sick men. We had passed many 
 corpses of men and donkeys, some only recently 
 dead. When we found these two men by an old 
 hut in a camping place in a very wild spot just by a 
 marsh, one had been there nine days without food. 
 He had bad feet, an old sore had become poisoned 
 by wading through marshes. He had been under 
 the care of a headman, who had thought it less 
 trouble to leave him, and probably reported him 
 dead. We learned the headman's name and re- 
 ported the matter at Kikuyu, and I trust our friend 
 will get a warm punishment. Thus abandoned, 
 he was found by another caravan, and robbed by 
 them of all he had, food, cloth, and water calabash. 
 A few days before we found him, he had been joined 
 by another, and the night before a third man had 
 crept in to die, and there we saw his corpse lying 
 close by. Strange to say, our friend seemed quite 
 cheerful, and only asked for a fire and some water. 
 We made a fire and drew water for him, and fed 
 him and his companion with some cooked food we 
 had with us. He said, ' If when you get to the 
 Ravine (a Government Station, two days' march 
 away), you tell the white man to send for me, he 
 will find me still alive.' Of course we could not 
 leave him thus, and his companion was evidently 
 dying. We managed to carry them on, one on a 
 
ON FURLOUGH. 243 
 
 small donkey we had ; and by giving some light 
 loads to our boys, we set free two men to carry the 
 other. Had we met more sick men, we could not 
 have carried them on, except by leaving behind 
 food, or tents, or clothing, and thereby endangering 
 the lives of ourselves and our own men. 
 
 The horrors of the road for these poor porters 
 can only be understood by one who has travelled on 
 it. All this the railway will change, and also it 
 cannot fail to check what remains, and that is a 
 good deal, of the slave-trade." 
 
 It may be added that the railway, so far as it is at 
 present completed, as far as Kibwezi, is marked on 
 our map of Eastern Central Africa, as well as the 
 survey up to the Lake. 
 
 On arriving at the coast, the missionaries were 
 most hospitably received bv the Rev. W. E. and 
 Mrs. Taylor. 
 
 Mr. Taylor's reminiscences of their visit furnish an 
 interesting review of this period. He writes : — 
 '' The arrival of Baskerville and ' Pilks,' as he was 
 familiarly called by his missionary comrades, caused 
 quite a stir among us, his friends at the coast, when 
 in August, 1895, they came to Frere Town, with 
 their Waganda porters and boys. We were very 
 curious to see men whose doings and labour had 
 been so wonderfully honoured of God in Uganda. 
 We found them very modest and retiring, which 
 natural trait was further heightened by the shyness 
 they felt to appear before the lady workers at Frere 
 Town in their rough, up-country rig, now very much 
 the rougher for an 800 miles journey on foot, without 
 
244 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 the possibility of a renewal of their travelling kit 
 through such deserts as those they had traversed. 
 However, I think a deposit of European clothes, &c., 
 thatw^as awaiting Mr. Baskerville at the Accountant's 
 Office, was divided between them, and they forth- 
 with became more presentable ; and so in Pilkington's 
 case also, the way-worn garments and ' clouted 
 shoon ' were soon discarded for a more conventional, 
 if not a ver}' well-fitting, garb, although he need not 
 have minded, for he looked well in anything. One 
 odd little matter as to his person struck me — a thick 
 pile of short hair that came well down on the side of 
 the neck. It struck me that this formed a covering 
 to the neck where it otherwise would have been 
 naked to the bitter rays of the oblique morning and 
 evening sun, which are much more dangerous, be- 
 cause more insidious, to the European than are the 
 vertical ones. This may in part account for what I 
 thought an uncommon tolerance of glare, and, there- 
 fore, I think it may not be amiss to mention it. 
 Also he told me, in regard to his precautions against 
 sunstroke in itineration and travel, that before going 
 out he would give his headgear — a pith topee — a good 
 soak in water, and also place a fresh banana leaf 
 within the helmet, further to protect his head, and 
 then he was ready for anything, and would suffer no 
 inconvenience in this way for as long a time as the 
 headgear retained its dampness, when, if possible, he 
 would repeat the process. 
 
 Very soon after his arrival, we had a walk 
 through Frere Town — he was staying with us in the 
 Bishop's House, which Bishop Tucker had loaned to 
 
ON FURLOUGH. 245 
 
 us, to afford us a change from Mombasa, and 
 Baskerville was resident in another, and boarded 
 with Mr. Binns — and one of the first things that 
 struck one, was the way he could enjo}- a walk with 
 his bhstered feet because of the talk I We found in 
 the languages, in fact, a most absorbing topic. We 
 had several such walks, which were to me full of 
 instruction, as we compared notes concerning our 
 respective language studies, and their bearing on 
 our work. 
 
 He told me practically what he repeated in a 
 letter which I received only shortly before his death, 
 of his great indebtedness to Sweet's ' Primer of 
 Phonetics,' which I was privileged to have recom- 
 mended Millar to take out to him in 1892. He said 
 that that book had been the means of making things 
 in the language clear as daylight to him, where all 
 before had been like groping in the dark. He 
 attributed to this book his discovery and fixing the 
 rationale of the most important phonetic feature of 
 the Uganda tongue — the longs and shorts in 
 consonants and vowels. He also traced to my little 
 book on the Proverbs of the East Africans (' African 
 Aphorisms, or Saws from Swahili Land,' S.P.C.K.) 
 his beginning the study and collection of the Uganda 
 proverbs, which he turned to such good account in 
 his Tractate on Roman Catholicism and Mohamme- 
 danism, and in his Evangelistic and Pastoral work in 
 Uganda. He said justly, that without the study of 
 the National Proverbs, one could never properly 
 know the workings of the African mind. In almost 
 all these things we had come by different ways, 
 
246 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 to the same, or nearly the same, general conclu- 
 sions. He was good enough to be present 
 at the weekly Swahili lectures I was giving at that 
 time to the candidates for the Language Examina- 
 tions, and would give excellent illustrations of the 
 matter in hand from his own experience in the 
 language of Uganda; and I used to call upon him 
 for a demonstration of various African sounds, 
 compared with those sounds as uttered in Irish 
 brogue, with which he was conversant. He was 
 surprised at the similarity thus emphasized. 
 
 Pilkington was no half-an-half Protestant, but 
 withal there was no personal bitterness imported 
 into his uncompromising statement of opinion in 
 the Romish controversy which he had had to wage 
 while in Uganda." Reference is then made by 
 Mr. Taylor to some special lines of argument which 
 were afterwards developed by Pilkington with great 
 effect in the little book "anonya alaba," which 
 will be referred to later on. There is little doubt 
 that his knowledge of Ireland and the Irish gave 
 him a keen insight into the difficulties of Roman 
 Catholics, whilst at the same time he knew how to 
 deal with such questions in a way calculated 
 to attract, rather than to repel those with 
 whom he came in contact. Mr. Taylor con- 
 tinues : — " He would give one in private, as 
 also he and Baskerville did in a meeting con- 
 vened for the purpose, the stirring account ot 
 God's dealings with the Uganda Mission ; which, 
 in leading the Missionaries and Teachers to just 
 views of the absolute necessity for personal con- 
 
ON FURLOUGH. 247 
 
 secration and the direct and supreme work of the 
 Spirit of God, so happily brought about the 
 vivification of the Church in Uganda. He had 
 conceived a great respect — and surely he was a 
 judge, as capable as he was conscientious — of the 
 abilities and graces of the Uganda converts, and 
 especially of those who had become teachers, and 
 he would relate anecdotes in support of his opinion, 
 some of which I took notes of as he told them. 
 A preacher at Mengo said in his sermon, that to 
 form a judgment of a man's deserts, mart's way is to 
 put his evil deeds into one scale, and his virtues and 
 religious observances into the other ; whereas God's 
 way, in such a case, would be to put both these into 
 the debit scale. Another similar pulpit utterance, 
 was a determination the preacher made between the 
 spheres of faith and works, or rather of inward 
 holiness and heart religion on the one hand, and 
 outward observances on the other. Said the 
 preacher : ' Religion may be compared to a banana.* 
 The real heart religion is the juicy pulp, the forms 
 and ceremonies are the skin. While the two are 
 undivided, the banana keeps good till it is used, and 
 so it is with religion. Separate the forms from the 
 spirit, and the one will be of no more value than 
 the banana husk, while the latter will speedily 
 decay and corrupt apart from the outward ex- 
 pression.' Observances, the preacher pointed out, 
 had their value in protecting the holy germ within, 
 and fostering the feelings of the heart. This was 
 called forth by the arising of a certain spirit of in- 
 subordination to the ordinances of the Church, and 
 
 * The banana is the national food of the peojTle of Uganda, 
 
248 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA 
 
 had its effect. What European teacher, Pilkington 
 asked, could have used such a simile ? He was 
 always insisting on the necessity to true progress 
 of the African for Africa. Another wise saw was : 
 , No poisoner gives poison neat, if he would remain 
 undiscovered. The devil knows that.' Again : 
 ' The devil has two devices ; he will do one of two 
 things — first he will try and deprive you of the food ; 
 and if he cannot deprive you of it, he will corrupt 
 it.' These were spoken by the native preacher in 
 reference to the Romish teaching, which was then, 
 and is now, combating the work of our Missionaries 
 so keenly and so persistently. One man (I think 
 Samwili), in a praj^er for the blessing of God on the 
 Evangelists, used an expression which had greatly 
 struck our friend : * We have the line, Thou hast 
 the hook ! ' When the Mohammedans of Mombasa 
 had heard him proclaim the conversion of three 
 known Mohammedans in Uganda, w^hich I asked 
 him to attest at our open-air meetings in Mombasa, 
 — for the reason that the Mohammedans at the 
 coast had said that the conversion of a Moslem was 
 a simple impossibility, — they characteristically ex- 
 plained it away by saying, * Oh, the Waganda were 
 written down to the English from eternity ! ' — 
 by the English meaning ' Christians.'" 
 
 On reaching England, at the end of October, 
 1895, Pilkington stayed for a few days with Mr. 
 Bushell, at Harrow, before visiting his Irish home. 
 
 He made his first appearance at the Annual 
 Meeting of the Gleaner's Union, on November ist, 
 and he created a great impression as he told of 
 
ON FURLOUGH. 249 
 
 the change which had come over the lives of many 
 of the Uganda converts, not to speak of the 
 Missionaries, as the result of the great revival at 
 the out-pouring of God's Spirit. At the same 
 meeting he made an earnest appeal for men to 
 devote themselves to literary work in the Mission 
 Field. 
 
 But he had not returned home in order to go from 
 place to place, seeking to rouse the home Church to 
 her responsibilities to the unevangelised world, as in 
 the case of most Missionaries. His mission was a 
 very definite one— to see through the Press the revised 
 Luganda New Testament, to complete the trans- 
 lation of the Old Testament, and thus to furnish 
 for the Uganda Church, on his return, a completed 
 Bible in one volume. But, if he did not often 
 appear on the public platform, when he did speak 
 an impression was made in many cases which will 
 never be effaced. In no case was this more remark- 
 able than in his visits to the Universities of Oxford 
 and Cambridge. At Oxford he spoke at Canon 
 Christopher's Annual C. M.S. breakfast— that remark- 
 able annual gathering, when so many distinguished 
 graduates of the University, as well as under- 
 graduates, gather year by year to meet some 
 Missionary from abroad. On this occasion the 
 gathering was a particularly representative one. 
 Pilkington's review of the history of the Uganda 
 Church was unusually comprehensive, and his 
 illustrations most interesting, and, in conclusion, 
 he made the follovving stirring appeal to Oxford 
 men : — 
 
250 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 "Surely there must be many," he said, "who 
 longed for opportunity to show their devotion to 
 Christ in some more adequate way. There were 
 thousands and thousands of miles in the Soudan 
 waiting for self-sacrifice, and let them not suppose 
 the Soudan would be won for Christ without 
 sacrifice. Surely it would come from somewhere, 
 and why not from Oxford ? They could not choose 
 for themselves the sacrifice — that would be no real 
 sacrifice — but when God called them, when God 
 opened the way, when God gave them the privilege, 
 surely they would not shrink from it. Might he 
 end by giving them a message from a Mohammedan 
 in Uganda ? He was speaking to him about the 
 riches of Christ, and he replied, ' Do you think we 
 should ever leave this religion of ours which has 
 cost us so much suffering ? ' He loved his religion 
 because it cost him so much, and he believed it was 
 true that most things w^ere worth to them what they 
 had cost them. If God gave them the opportunity, 
 and opened the way and called them to it, he 
 begged of them not to shrink. He believed they 
 could do a work in Uganda, such as could be done 
 in no other part of the world, because in no other 
 part of the world was there material lying waiting 
 as in Uganda. Here was the opportunity. He 
 challenged them to accept it." 
 
 Among the senior members of the University 
 present at that gathering was Sir Henry Acland, 
 late Regius Professor of Medicine, and he rose to 
 express the thanks of the audience to Mr. Pilkington, 
 and, in the course of his speech, he said ; — 
 
ON FURLOUGH. 251 
 
 " They saw before them a man of strength, a man 
 of heart, a man of education, who went forth amon^^ 
 the milhons of their fellow creatures to teach every- 
 thing that mankind required to know for their 
 progress, their well-being, their happiness here and 
 hereafter. What more was to be said ? They were 
 aware that the study of physical science had, within 
 the last half-century, become an essential part of 
 the curriculum of the University of Oxford. He 
 wondered w^hether the time would not shortly come 
 when their able, thoughtful, excellent undergraduates, 
 who studied in that department of human know- 
 ledge, would qualify themselves especially to go as 
 highly accomplished, medical advisers to assist 
 Missionary work throughout the world — (hear, hear). 
 He spoke from knowledge of some of their young 
 scientific men that he believed, if that idea was put 
 into their minds, they would be proud and anxious, 
 on behalf of God's work, on behalf of their Queen, 
 to go and faithfully join under the instructions and 
 guidance of such a man of vigour and goodness 
 and sympathy for his fellow creatures as they had 
 heard address them that morning — (applause). He 
 would only presume to add one word. Was it not 
 a blessed thing to hear so much that was so deeply, 
 scientifically, and intellectually interesting as was 
 Mr. Pilkington's account of the people of Uganda, 
 without one single word of politics or of the quarrels 
 and disputes of party men all over the world ? They 
 had set before them the high object of elevating 
 these poor people, so that they might be e\en 
 teachers in England," 
 
252 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 But, perhaps, even more interesting than this 
 meeting at Oxford, was the breakfast held in the 
 hall of his own College, Pembroke College, Cam- 
 bridge, at the invitation of the Master. It was an 
 unique occasion, and Dr. Searle's account of this 
 gathering, given in the course of a chapel sermon 
 after Pilkington's death, is a valuable record of that 
 day. He says : — 
 
 *' His appearance in our hall about two years ago 
 made a great impression. The majority at the 
 breakfast in hall at that time had never met him, or 
 heard him speak. One was the present Bishop of 
 Rochester, Dr. Talbot, who kindly wrote to me to 
 condole with me on the loss of my friend, and 
 adds : ' I see him standing at your high table that 
 morning, and his manners and words made a great 
 impression on me, as strong as any that I have 
 received for some years.' I can recollect how 
 intently the Bishop followed him, and took notes of 
 his address. 
 
 Others were greatly impressed. The Master of 
 Trinity referred to his choice language and exquisite 
 delivery, and remarked, though ignorant of his 
 classical distinction, ' it is like the address of a 
 scholar.' 
 
 All this can be remembered, and serves to show 
 how precious all natural gifts can become when 
 consecrated to God. His fine person, his rich voice, 
 his linguistic ability, his classical knowledge, all told. 
 But there was something more; he kept back 
 nothing of the Gospel, and as he spoke of the 
 deepest things with a holy reverence, I know our 
 
ON FURLOUGH. 15^ 
 
 hearts burnt within us, and we felt that we had a 
 prophet amongst us, a man young, indeed, in years, 
 and though not a doctor of theology, who could, 
 notwithstanding, lead us to a high wisdom and 
 instruct us in the way of God more perfectly. 
 
 So do teachers learn from their pupils, and must 
 not disdain to confess it." 
 
 Previous to these meetings, Pilkington was present 
 at the historic Conference of the Student Volunteer 
 Missionary Union, at Liverpool, in i8g6. Here there 
 were 717 student delegates from the Colleges of the 
 world, yy being foreign delegates including repre- 
 sentatives of ig foreign countries, and at this 
 conference the motto * The Evangelisation of the 
 world in this generation,' was deliberately chosen 
 as the watchword of the S.V.M.U. 
 
 We have seen something of the work of Christian 
 men at Cambridge during the time that Pilkington 
 was an undergraduate, and at the same time a 
 similar work was being carried on at Oxford, though 
 amid greater difficulties, and even then there had 
 been organised year by year for a considerable time, 
 an annual Conference of members of the Oxford and 
 Cambridge Christian Unions for their mutual help 
 and encouragement. 
 
 Meantime, owing to the visit of the "Cambridge 
 Seven," already mentioned, under the leadership of 
 C. T. Studd and Stanley Smith, a revival was 
 taking place in Edinburgh University, fanned to a 
 flame by the work of Professor Henry Drummond 
 and by other Christian Professors. 
 
 It was some years later, however, that the idea 
 
254 PTLKIXGTOX OF UGANDA. 
 
 borrowed from the Student Volunteer Missionary 
 Union of America, laid hold on British students and 
 resulted in the formation of the Student Volunteer 
 Missionary Union, which, with its sister organisa- 
 tion, the British College Christian Union, has 
 drawn together students from all the chief 
 Universities and Colleges of Great Britain and 
 Ireland, and through the World's Students' 
 Christian Federation, is uniting in one great bond 
 of brotherly Christian sympathy, the National 
 Students' Christian organisations of Europe, Asia, 
 Africa, America, Australia and Japan. 
 
 The Liverpool Conference was the first outward 
 demonstration to the churches of this country of the 
 wide-reaching importance of this movement, though 
 even that was only an imperfect forecast of the 
 development which has taken place since that time. 
 This was the first time that Pilkington had been 
 brought face to face with the work of the Student 
 \'olunteer Missionary- Union, and this Conference 
 was an inspiration to him, whilst his presence was 
 an inspiration to the Conference. 
 
 The evangelisation of the world in this generation 
 was a possibility which he had already contemplated, 
 and he threw his heart and soul into the working out 
 of this great ideal, contending that if only the natives 
 of Uganda were used as they might be, Africa at 
 least might speedily be evangelised. 
 
 No one, however, must suppose that Pilkington 
 was a mere theorist ; he did not encourage others to 
 high aims and expectations without giving them 
 the most practical suggestions as to the methods of 
 
ox FURLOUGH. 255 
 
 work to be adopted, and the qualifications needed 
 for it. 
 
 His remarks on this subject at the Liverpool 
 Conference were of so great value that we may repro- 
 duce the main part of his address. 
 
 He said : — 
 
 " I wish to speak to you first of all about the 
 methods of directly evangelistic work, and secondly, 
 about the main qualifications needful for it. 
 
 I. Methods: — It is most needful to seek to 
 understand the ignorance of those with whom you 
 have to deal. If you speak to an African of God, he 
 does not know what you mean, and your words 
 convey no meaning to him. If you would win him, 
 you must give him the testimony of a Christian life. 
 These people must see that the Gospel will meet 
 their needs ; they must be made to realize that it is 
 a power in your life, and can be in theirs. They 
 must know by your life that your profession is a true 
 one. See that your words of preaching come 
 naturally and freely. Never speak to a soul to salve 
 your own conscience, but only when impelled by the 
 Holy Ghost. 
 
 To gain the heathen we must live with them. 
 Get close to the hearts you would ivin for Christ. Let 
 your heart be entwined with their hearts ; let no 
 barrier of big houses, or clothes, or custom come 
 between you and the souls you would reach. See 
 that you suffer no barriers of national prejudice to 
 mar your work, nor any pride or daintiness. God 
 can take all these things away from us. Let us 
 become all things to all men ; become, not pretend 
 
256 PILKINGTON OF^ UGANDA. 
 
 to be. We need not necessarily dress like the 
 natives, nor make any external change. It is our 
 hearts that must be one with the hearts of those 
 we seek. We must love and sympathise with them, 
 ever remembering that each soul may be made like 
 the Son of God. 
 
 Two practical hints as to method. In Uganda, 
 we have found after-meetings of great service and 
 very successful. It is just the outcome of the 
 principle, that there is no salvation save by the 
 dealing of the soul with God. We point the people 
 to God, and say, ' We cannot save you ; God can 
 and will.' 
 
 The power to read the Bible is the key to the 
 Kingdom of God. With the exception of one case, 
 I have never known anyone profess Christ who 
 could not read. 
 
 2. Qualifications. There are four things essential 
 for the work of evangelisation. 
 
 1. Physical qualifications. 
 
 2. A knowledge of the language. 
 
 3. Love and Sympathy. 
 
 4. The Power of the Holy Ghost. 
 
 The first two are, of course, possessed by natives 
 in far greater measure than by ourselves ; the third 
 we share with them ; the fourth is free to all. 
 
 If this be so, then the natives are more qualified 
 to evangelise than we are. The evangelisation of 
 Africa must be carried out by Africans, and it will be 
 accomplished when we have a hundred native 
 evangelists to every European missionary. 
 
 Physical Qualifications. I was speaking once to a 
 
ON FURLOUGH. 257 
 
 man of the world, and he said he beheved that 
 success or failure depended on this, that some men 
 do, and some do not, realize the importance of 
 physical care in the matter of food and sleep. The 
 best training for a missionary is to be able to live on 
 the simplest food, and never to indulge in sleep. It 
 is a most important thing that a man should have 
 perfect control over these things. It was in the 
 matter of food that the Israelites were first tempted, 
 and in the matter of sleep that the disciples failed 
 in th2 hour of their Lord's need. 
 
 Knowledge of the Language. Learn the native 
 language till you can read the hearts of the people 
 and get to understand their thoughts. Do not be 
 content to speak as a European, but aim at 
 perfection, for on this may depend immortal souls. 
 Do not let English come between you and the 
 people. Do not study the language before you go 
 out, but study the sounds of spoken language — that 
 is, phonetics. Study not only the Bible and the 
 hearts of men, but also their throats. Now is the 
 time to do it. Get Sweet's Primer of Phonetics, 
 which will teach you to combine sounds and get 
 control of your vocal organs. When at length you 
 are learning the language, seek to associate sounds 
 with objects. Let each object bring some native 
 sound ringing in your ears, so that the sound brings 
 the object before your eyes. 
 
 Love and Sympathy. Now and here is the time 
 and place for preparation in these essentials. Take 
 every opportunity of exercising love and sympathy 
 towards all whom you meet, 
 s 
 
258 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 The Pouer of the Holy Ghost. I would urge every 
 man to accept the power of the Holy Ghost to 
 change his life now. It is only by the fulness of the 
 Holy Spirit in our own hearts that we can really 
 get at the hearts of the people. Let us each one 
 maintain by any means, and by all means, and at all 
 times, the fulness of the Holy Ghost in our lives." 
 
 Considering the success which Pilkington attained 
 not only in his Bible translation, but in his knoW' 
 ledge of the colloquial, his hints on the methods of 
 acquiring a foreign tongue may well be laid to heart 
 by those who would follow in his steps. 
 
 He frequently stated that, in his opinion, it was 
 not so much an essential to be possessed of rare 
 abilities, as it was to follow definite methods of study, 
 such as those mentioned in his Liverpool address. 
 
 In a letter to his sister at the time she was 
 working as a Missionary in India, he writes : 
 
 "... I think you will find that the real and 
 most stringent test of knowledge of a language is, 
 whether you can understand the natives speaking 
 among one another. 
 
 I believe we must learn like children, through 
 the ear, not by books much ; rather the office of 
 books is to enable us to make up and understand 
 when we hear spoken words and sentences, which 
 only constant hearing (whether by repetition to our- 
 selves aloud, or by hearing others say them) will 
 teach us to know in that instinctive way which is 
 necessary to real speaking or understanding. To 
 know thoroughly by book is an utterly different 
 thing from knowing by ear." 
 
ON FURLOUGH. 259 
 
 But it is not all vvlio are ready to adopt the 
 methods which he adopted. He never cared what 
 anyone thought of him, and did not mind how 
 ludicrous he seemed to others, as he copied even the 
 grimaces of the natives, if only he could achieve his 
 object of speaking like a native. Nor was he dis- 
 appointed, for we are told that the natives spoke of 
 him as "a true Muganda." 
 
 But he was not satisfied with a mere knowledge 
 of the sounds of the language, and the ability to 
 produce them. If he was to be understood, he felt 
 that he must master the native idiom, and be able 
 to use their similes instead of European ones, which 
 would be utterly unintelligible to the African mind. 
 
 It is strange how often this is forgotten by those 
 who go to work in foreign c ountries, and it is largely 
 owing to this, that so much of the knowledge gained, 
 even in mission schools, is superficial, because the 
 books used in teachmg have been based, not on the 
 customs or even the objects seen in the country, but 
 upon things which the children have had no oppor- 
 tunity of understanding, owing to the land in which 
 they live. 
 
 Pilkington therefore devoted himself to the study 
 of the proverbs and similes of Luganda, and he 
 describes his plan in a letter to his mother from 
 Uganda, dated April 5th, 1895. 
 
 '* I am learning every day, and am d^ilv realizing 
 my ignorance more. It is a beautiful language, and 
 most rich and expressive, but with very little in 
 common with English ; it is necessary to know their 
 similes and metaphors as well as the mere words ; 
 
260 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 what European would talk of having ears as ' sharp 
 as an elephant's,' or being as thin (not as a poker), 
 but ' as a blade of grass ' ; or of being afraid (not of 
 your shadow), but 'of the breaking of a blade of 
 grass,' etc., etc. These are the things that make 
 one intelligible and interesting to these people, but 
 to get to use them naturally, without effort, is 
 extremely difficult. Then their proverbs ! Half of 
 our English ideas are only translatable by means of 
 proverbs into Luganda — e.g., the words ' impartial 
 or partial,' ' interested or disinterested,' would have 
 to be turned by using the proverb, ' In matters that 
 concern the forest, is the monkey judge ? ' or to 
 translate the expression, ' he's only got himself to 
 thank, your own fault, etc.,' you must use a proverb 
 about sores, that come from self-inflicted cuttings 
 in the flesh for ornamentation ; and nothing else 
 would be really intelligible to these people in that 
 context, except that particular proverb. So we are 
 still a long way from being masters of this lan- 
 guage." 
 
 Such was the great burden of his conversation 
 when he met with those who, like himself, felt the 
 paramount claims of the unevangelised world, and 
 who desired to gain from him some hints as to the 
 great secret of his success during only one term of 
 service on the mission field. 
 
 At the same time, his earnest devotion to this 
 great work of his life did not in any way act as a 
 depressant upon his naturally buoyant spirits, and 
 he was just as ready as ever to enter into the 
 interests of those around him, and to have a game 
 
ON FURLOUGH. 261 
 
 with some boys, who always seemed to be to him 
 the most congenial of companions. 
 
 Mr. Hyslop writes of his impression of him at this 
 period : 
 
 " In personal appearance he was, I thought, 
 unchanged. But in the place of the young University 
 man there was, I might almost say, the mature 
 veteran missionary, whose heart seemed to be 
 ' bound in the bundle of life ' with his beloved 
 Baganda, and whose mind was intent on giving 
 them the Bible in their own tongue. Anything 
 ' Ugandese ' (if I may venture to coin a barbaric 
 word) attracted and interested him, and I can 
 remember how inexhaustible was his patience in 
 answering all importunate questions on his favourite 
 subject. He was equally at home whether he 
 discussed the phonetics of the native languages, or 
 detailed the varieties of plantains to be found in 
 Central Africa ; whether he enumerated the vagaries 
 of King M'Wanga, or described the customs of his 
 people." 
 
 At the Keswick Convention, in July, 1896, his 
 testimony to the work of the Holy Spirit in his own 
 life and in the Uganda Church was a stimulus to 
 many, especially to the young men who were there 
 in large numbers. 
 
 One special meeting, at which he took part, was 
 held, during the time of the Convention, of workers 
 on behalf of Africa. It was felt to be most desirable 
 that African Missionaries should have greater oppor- 
 tunities of benefiting by one another's experiences, 
 and at this meeting it was suggested that some paper 
 
262 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 might be started which would embrace all African 
 Missions, and form a means of knowing how far the 
 work of evangelization was being carried on in 
 different parts of the continent, and by what 
 agencies. The idea of having an African Year Book 
 of missions was also mooted, and the need of a text- 
 book for students of African Mission -work was 
 mentioned. This latter has since been drawn up by 
 Mr. Douglas Thornton,* who was one of the 
 conveners of this meeting. 
 
 From Keswick, Pilkington went for a few days to 
 one of the Universities' Camps for Public School- 
 boys, at Bexhill, where he was in his element. He 
 had his bicycle with him, and had some splendid 
 rides with parties of boys, but even during his time 
 under canvas he was revising the Uganda Bible, and 
 he would press boys into the service by getting them 
 to read out to him from the English revised version, 
 whilst he had the Luganda before him. 
 
 Afterwards, he took one of the elder fellows, whom 
 he had met at the camp, to have a bicycle tour with 
 him in Ireland near his home. 
 
 This was good preparation for his great ride, 
 especially as he had one or two minor accidents, 
 which tested, to some extent, his powers of endurance. 
 He is said, for instance, to have ridden for the 
 greater part of one day, with only one pedal, having 
 damaged the other. We have dwelt at considerable 
 length on some of the occasions when Pilkington 
 had the opportunity of taking part in public meetings 
 
 • '' Africa Waiting,'by Douglas M.Thornton. Published by the 
 Student Volunteer Missionary Union, 32 Warwick Lane, E.G. 
 
ON FURLOUGH. 263 
 
 and conferences during his furlough ; it must be left 
 to another chapter to speak at greater length of 
 that which was his first work, Bible translation. 
 
CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 BIBLE TRANSLATION. 
 
 " God's revelation on the one side, its breadth, its 
 depth, its height ! On the other, a heathen nation, 
 heathen ideas, a heathen language ! How can the 
 gulf between them be bridged ? 
 
 First, we must understand that a translation of 
 the Bible can, in the nature of things, be adequate 
 only in so far as the ideas therein contained have 
 been transferred to the native mind. 
 
 Love, joy, peace, forgiveness, God, worship — 
 such ideas as these cannot be adequately represented 
 in any heathen language at first ; because they are 
 conceptions unknown to heathendom. The words 
 which are used to translate them will gradually 
 assume a new, and deeper, and purer meaning ; but 
 only in so far as the native mind grasps these new 
 conceptions. Therefore teaching must go hand in 
 hand with translating. This was markedly the 
 case in Uganda. 
 
 The Swahili language was first used as a 
 temporary bridge, so to say, on which to stand to 
 build the permanent one, a translation in Luganda. 
 This Swahili version we owed to the work of Krapf 
 and Rebmann, and Bishop Steere and others. 
 
 264 
 
BIBLE TRANSLATION. 265 
 
 For a long time the Swahili New Testament was 
 the text-book of Uganda ; day after day the most 
 intelligent of the Christians translated from it into 
 their own language ; day after day they discussed 
 among themselves the proper rendering of terms, 
 appealing to the European as to the exact force of 
 the original ; for years they were thus occupied in 
 hammering out a version on a native anvil. 
 
 Then a tentative translation of St. Matthew's 
 Gospel was made by Mackay and Ashe ; this was 
 printed in the country, eagerly read, and criticised, 
 and revised ; reprinted, again revised, and again 
 printed; and so on, until a version was produced 
 which was faithful to the original and idiomatic, a 
 splendid piece of work, and a grand basis for future 
 translation." 
 
 So wrote Pilkington in "The Gospel in Uganda" 
 of the first steps of Bible translation in that country. 
 
 The difficulties of first committing to writing an 
 unwritten language is naturally a task of very great 
 difficulty, and this had been chiefly carried out by 
 Mackay, who in the first place had printed reading- 
 sheets from wooden type cut with his own hand. 
 
 Assisted chiefly by Ashe in the way just referred 
 to, some progj ess had been made in the translation 
 of the Gospels ; this work was taken up by the 
 Rev. E. C. Gordon on the death of Mackay, and at 
 the time Pilkington had arrived in Uganda, he had 
 translated the gospel of St. Mark and commenced 
 St. Luke, having as his helpers Henry Wright Duta 
 and Sembt^ra Mackay. He also completed the 
 translation of St. John's Gospel which had been left 
 
266 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 unfinished by Mackay. Pilkington then took up the 
 work of translation, and, with Henry Wright Duta 
 as his chief assistant, he translated the rest of the 
 New Testament, and later on revised the whole, 
 carrying it through the press when in England. 
 
 He had translated, also, a considerable part of the 
 Old Testament while in Uganda; the minor prophets 
 being contributed by the Rev. W. A. Crabtree, and 
 the remainder, Pilkington carried out in Ireland 
 with the help of notes made in Uganda, in association 
 with Henry Wright Duta. 
 
 How he actually did his work, whilst on furlough 
 in his Irish home, is told us by his sister. Miss 
 Pilkington, who writes of this as follows : — 
 
 " George reached Tore for his furlough in Novem- 
 ber, i8gfS. He had set before himself the translation 
 of the Bible during that time. With this in view, 
 before leaving Uganda, he went over the untranslated 
 books with Henry Wright Duta, taking copious 
 notes. 
 
 He had not been at home many days before he 
 began to work systematically. He first calculated 
 how much translation he ought to do daily, in order 
 to finish the whole, leaving a margin of time, and 
 then set himself a task for each day. 
 
 He had no type-writer at first, nor could he 
 discover any way in which he could be helped. His 
 progress was thus very slow, and each day he fell 
 very far short of his appointed task. Soon, however, 
 he found that it would save him much time to have 
 the portion to be translated read aloud. I read 
 from the revised version, with the authorized open 
 
BIBLE TRANSLATION. 267 
 
 beside me for reference, and also a French Bible, in 
 which he found delicacies of expression which do 
 not appear in the English. The writing was very 
 fatiguing to him — it was with great joy that he 
 received a present of a type-writer. At first, he 
 could not accomplish as much with it as with pen 
 and ink, but soon he learnt to write so fast that the 
 amount of work got through in the day was almost 
 doubled, and with much less fatigue. We now 
 secured the services of a lad in the neighbourhood, 
 who shared the reading aloud with me. 
 
 The type-writer was placed on an erection at 
 which he could stand, without being compelled to 
 stoop as in writing ; he could now work for hours 
 without being over-tired, and thus standing sur- 
 rounded by commentaries, Greek Testament, and the 
 parts of the Bible already finished, and his notes, he 
 translated and wrote as I read. As a rule, he was 
 able to write off quite rapidly ; sometimes there were 
 long delays while a word was hunted up to ascertain 
 how it had been translated in a former passage, or 
 an obscure portion looked out in the commentaries. 
 As well as I remember, 'Proverbs' was the book 
 he translated with the greatest ease and rapidity, 
 that book seemed specially to be adapted to the 
 Luganda mode of expression and way of thought, 
 while the long lists of proper names in i Chronicles, 
 each of which had to be spelled, were by far the 
 most tedious parts. 
 
 He generally worked on w ithout much pause for 
 conversation, but now and again some verse 
 suggested a thought, and a talk or discussion ensued, 
 
268 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 or some idiom or beauty in the languas^e was too 
 interesting to be passed over in silence ; then would 
 follow a comparison between Luganda and Hindu- 
 stani, with probably a digression on the characteristics 
 of the Waganda and the natives of India, and the 
 best methods of reaching these different peoples. But, 
 as a rule, we worked hard without interruption ; I 
 used often to be reminded of our more youthful days 
 when play was more absorbing than work, but his 
 keenness was just the same, and in a game of lawn 
 tennis, whether as partner or opponent, he never 
 would allow one to grow slack for a moment — as boy 
 or man. Not only was he himself whole-hearted 
 in whatever he undertook, but he inspired others to 
 be so ; it seemed as if half-heartedness could not 
 exist in his presence. 
 
 He worked generally for six or eight hours a 
 day, and for three weeks, when we had the house 
 almost to ourselves, the rest of the family being 
 away, he reached an average of ten hours a day. 
 At this time especially his bicycle was a great help, 
 for half-an-hour's run on it refreshed him so 
 completely that he could start with new energy. 
 
 He always worked with the window of his room 
 wide open, he being stationed near it, his brain 
 refused to act without an abundance of fresh air ! 
 
 When a book was translated it had, of course, to 
 be carefully revised, then sent to the Printer, the 
 proofs received back, revised, and again sent to the 
 Printer, then once more carefully looked over before 
 the final printing took place. 
 
 -He was sometimes away for a few weeks at a 
 
BIBLE TRANSLATION. 269 
 
 time addressing meetings, but in order that he 
 might have time for the translation he was not called 
 upon to do much deputation work. He spoke at a 
 good many meetings in our own neighbourhood. 
 
 When not at work he was generally talking over 
 plans for the extension of Christ's Kingdom all over 
 the world, especially in Uganda and its neighbouring 
 countries, but Arabia, the Soudan, and all the 
 Mohammedan world lay very near his heart ; the 
 great problem of how to bring the Gospel Message 
 home to the hearts of the Mohammedans was a 
 most frequent topic of conversation. 
 
 He liked to talk over anything that he was about 
 to write, such as articles for Magazines, and ' The 
 Gospel in Uganda,' which Mr. Baskerville and he 
 wrote while at home. 
 
 During the last months of his furlough, his 
 thoughts were much occupied by the three years 
 enterprise for Uganda, he was constantly making 
 plans and calculations as to how the European 
 Missionaries might move on to new ground, leaving 
 the work already established to natives. The 
 evangelisation of the whole world was always before 
 
 him. 
 
 He was one of those w^ho longed to impart a 
 new idea to others, and sometimes at a very early 
 hour in the morning, unable to wait any longer, he 
 would seek me out full of eagerness to tell of some 
 new plan that had struck him, or calculation he had 
 made as to how many heathen could be reached in 
 a given time ; he loved to work out his ideas in a 
 mathematical form, and tn illustrate them with 
 
270 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 diagrams, or sometimes it was to put forward some 
 fresh argument in a discussion which had been cut 
 short the night before. 
 
 Notwithstanding the fact that so much of his time 
 was devoted to work, his interest and share in the 
 family Hfe was very keen. He entered into all our 
 plans for amusement with boyish zest, and was 
 always the life of the party, bringing fun and good 
 humour wherever he went. 
 
 He left us for Uganda in October, 1897, deeply 
 happy in having accomplished the task he had set 
 before him." 
 
 Besides his translation of the Bible, Pilkington 
 also revised the Prayer Book, and the Rev. 
 T. W. Drury, Principal of the Church Mission- 
 ary College, Islington, who came in contact 
 with him in connection with this work, bears 
 witness to the clear grasp of Christian doctrine 
 which he possessed. This is all the more remark- 
 able, seeing that Pilkington had not in the ordinary 
 way been trained in Theology, yet no doubt the 
 close study of God's word necessary for the 
 translation had been in itself a Theological training. 
 
 But in addition to translational work, Pilkington 
 was the author of one important original pamphlet 
 in Uganda, as well as a number of hymns. This 
 pamphlet, under the title of " Anonya Alaba, He 
 who seeketh findeth," dealt with the teaching of 
 the Church of Rome. 
 
 The title of the first chapter, *' Love," is 
 suggestive of the spirit in which he entered into 
 the discussion of controversial questions with those 
 
BIBLE TRANSLATION. 271 
 
 who differed from him, and it was this which gained 
 for him the respect in which he was held by all 
 parties. 
 
 The basis of his argument was, as he said, " the 
 book of the Apostles of our Lord." He referred to 
 this as the source from which both parties professed 
 to derive their teaching, at the same time illustrating 
 his remarks by references to Church History. 
 
 One chapter is headed with the extraordinary 
 title " Mr. Eat and put back." In this he alluded 
 to the way in which the Church of Rome had taken 
 away much from the Word of God and inserted 
 her own traditions in its place ; this he compared 
 to the action of the white ants who eat out the 
 inside of a log of wood and put earth in its place. 
 
 By such similes as these he was able to gain the 
 attention of ths paople, and what is more, to make 
 his words intelligible to them. 
 
CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE CHURCH IN UGANDA : A RETROSPECT. 
 
 The story of the Uganda Church, whether we think 
 of it as the wonderful cathedral on Namirembe Hill 
 and all the work connected with it, or as the body 
 of Christians gathered out from heathendom in the 
 centre of dark Africa, was often told by Pilkington 
 during his furlough. But he did more. He has 
 furnished us with a vivid picture of the work in 
 Uganda, in the shape of four scenes, which are 
 published in pamphlet form,* but which we are 
 enabled to reproduce here as we believe they form 
 the best permanent record of these addresses. 
 " A HUNDRED thousand souls brought into close 
 contact with the Gospel — half of them able to read 
 for themselves; two hundred buildings raided by 
 native Christians in which to worship God and read 
 His Word ; two hundred native evangelists and 
 teachers entirely supported by the Native Church ; 
 ten thousand copies of the New Testament in 
 circulation ; six thousand souls eagerly seeking daily 
 instruction ; statistics of baptism, of confirmation, 
 of adherents, of teachers, more than doubling yearly 
 
 * " The Gospel in Uganda." Church Missionary Society, 
 Salisbury Square, EC. 
 
 27i2 
 
THE CHURCH IN UGANDA. 273 
 
 for the last six or seven years, ever since the return 
 of the Christians from exile ; the power of God 
 shown by changed lives ; and all this in the centre 
 of the thickest spiritual darkness in the world ! 
 Does it not make the heart reel with mingled 
 emotions of joy and fear, of hope and apprehension? 
 
 Well may Christian hearts rejoice with trembling 
 as they hear of it ! Well may they ' labour in 
 prayers ' for such possibilities, either of magnificent 
 success or heartbreaking disaster ! " 
 
 The following is an attempt to describe what the 
 writer has seen of these things : 
 
 Scene I. 
 " We are in the great church in the capital on 
 Namirembe Hill. It is a week-day, any week-day 
 but Monday, about eight o'clock in the morning. 
 As we glance down the aisles of poles, we see that 
 the whole building is filled with groups of learners, 
 sitting most of them on the floor, but the teachers 
 and some others on chairs or stools ; some dressed 
 in robes of snow-white calico, others in bark-cloth 
 knotted over the right shoulder. What is this large 
 group, fifty or sixty in number ? This is a class for 
 St. Mathew's Gospel, and this teacher with refined 
 and intellectual face is Thomas Semfuma, and he is 
 teaching St. Matthew's Gospel. There are two or 
 three other classes for this one Gospel, which, as it 
 was the first translated, is still the most popular. 
 And who is that keen and energetic little man who 
 is organizing those elementary classes for reading 
 near the end of the church ? That is Wambu^i, 
 t 
 
274 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 God-gifted for that, to us, tedious and trying work. 
 No hound keener after game than he after every 
 soul that can ft-om Heathen be transformed into a 
 seeker after God ; none more unwearied than he 
 in hammering into dull heads the letters and 
 syllables which are to be the means of letting in 
 the Gospel light. Come out for a moment from the 
 church, and from the high vantage point of Nami- 
 rembe's summit, look out at that cluster of bee-hive 
 huts on that hillside opposite. That is an encamp- 
 ment of Wasoga, come from their homes across the 
 Nile to make noisy music with the blare of their 
 horns and the monotonous twang of their harps for 
 Mwanga's royal ears. If you go there this after- 
 noon, you will be not unlikely to meet indefatigable 
 Wambuzi as he passes from hut to hut, trying to 
 coax these wild and untaught, but good-natured and 
 easily-led Wasoga, into giving heed to the things of 
 God. Many and many a Musoga has gone home 
 with the first beginnings of Divine knowledge 
 instilled into his mind by Wambuzi's persevering 
 efforts. May God give many like him ! 
 
 There are many other classes, forty or so in all, 
 with an average of thirty or forty in each class. 
 Each of the four Gospels is represented by more 
 than one class ; and some of the European Mission- 
 aries are teaching the Epistles, while one organizes 
 and supervises the whole. 
 
 But what is that sound that recalls us to the 
 church and its congregation, nearly forgotten as we 
 gazed across the hills into far-off Kikabya and 
 Bulemezi, and thought of the millions lying behind 
 
THE CHURCH IN UGANDA. 275 
 
 those hills to north, and . east, and west, .and 
 
 wondered when, oh, when ! 
 
 But the loud, rhythmical beat of the great drum 
 calling us to prayers, heard for some four or five 
 miles round, disturbs our reverie, and we return to 
 the church as the classes break up and gather in the 
 front while one of the native readers or deacons 
 gives out a hymn ; then the Apostles' Creed is 
 recited as by men who believe it : then prayers, 
 some from the Prayer-book, some extempore. And 
 then the assembly breaks up, and we watch them 
 dispersing, the bright sun gleaming on the snowy 
 robes of the chiefs, and less dazzlingly on the 
 humble bark-cloth of the poorer folk, as down the 
 hill they go to pursue their various avocations — 
 chiefs to decide disputes or pay their respects to 
 the king ; women to cultivate and cook ; boys to 
 dance attendance on their lords or run messages ; 
 some to the market, some out to their farms in the 
 country." 
 
 Scene II. 
 
 " It is three o'clock one Friday afternoon, and again 
 we climb the hill and enter the great church ; it 
 is not full, but perhaps a thousand or more are 
 gathered on this first Friday in the month to hear 
 what God has been doing throughout Uganda and in 
 some neighbouring countries, and to bid prayerful 
 farewell tc those who are being sent out with the 
 Go>pel me sage to needy places, and to bring 
 offerings to God for the support of this work. 
 
 Who is that youn^ fellow who is pleading with 
 
276 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 tears for more labourers for that dark spot where he 
 has been working against great odds for some 
 months ? That is Nathaniel. As he speaks of the 
 need and the encouragemi nts he has met with, and 
 the difficulties, we are encouraged and depressed by 
 turns. 
 
 And who is this who is telHng of a great work in 
 Koki, far away to the south-west ? Defiant opposi- 
 tion, slander, misunderstandings, and then prayer 
 answered ; charms brought to be broken or burnt ; 
 a weekly congregation of two or three hundred souls, 
 besides others in the country ; books bought in con- 
 siderable quantities, and sixty able to read a Gospel 
 where not one could read before. This is lame 
 Michael, who, in spite of his lameness, result of a 
 bullet in the Mohammedan wars, undertook the 
 journey to Koki, one hundred and thirty miles away, 
 and with the help of half a dozen other teachers, bore 
 a bright Gospel testimony in that interesting country, 
 befriended, it is true, by the King, Kamswaga, whose 
 handsome and intelligent features and quiet dignity 
 of manner have greatly impressed all Europeans who 
 have known him. This young ruler decided a year 
 ago to be instructed in the reformed Christian 
 religion, in spite of the great pressure brought to 
 bear on him from more than one influential quarter. 
 He spent a few weeks in the capital, and at that 
 time declared his intention of being a Protestant 
 by attending services on Sunday in the big church ; 
 after his return to Koki with Michael, and when he 
 had by his instruction learnt more of the Protestant 
 religion, he wrote a letter to the Church at Mengo 
 
THE CHURCH IN UGANDA. 277 
 
 declaring his fixed intention of persevering in the 
 course he had entered on, in spite of opposition. The 
 possibihties of service offered in Koki are unique. 
 
 Or perhaps we have the privilege this afternoon of 
 listening to the story of evangelisation in Toro, two 
 hundred miles due west from Mengo, and therefore 
 within only a trifling distance of Stanley's Great 
 Forest and the dwarfs. Perhaps it is Noah Nakiwafu 
 who is telling about the trials and encouragements 
 there ; how Kasagama, the King of Toro, welcomed 
 them, and how presents were sent and efforts made 
 to induce him to profess a less pure form of Christain 
 faith— in vain. How, imitatmg the example of the 
 native evangelists, although they never spoke to 
 him about it, he became a total abstainer, strange 
 novelty for a great African chief; and how now (if 
 we may project into past time what we now know 
 to be the case) he has asked for baptism. How a 
 church was built in some still more remote spot, and 
 application made for teachers, and how none were 
 forthcoming ; how the two churches in Toro were 
 filled each Sunday with congregations of two or 
 three hundred ; how the King of Unyoro, Kabarega, 
 sent an army and broke up the work in the more 
 northern of the two stations (where Japheth, long 
 ago baptised, is chief), but only for a time ; and how 
 the natives with their teachers were in hiding until 
 the army retired ; and how afterwards Lwabudongo, 
 Kabarega's prime minister, wishing for peace with 
 the British, came to Kasagama and became his man, 
 and is now. with many of his followers, desirous of 
 Christian instruction. 
 
278 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 But we must pass on from Noah's most interesting 
 story, and listen to the accounts from nearer home : 
 from Kyagwe, where some sixty churches have in a 
 year sprung up, under the fostering care of the 
 central station at Ngogwe; from the Islands of Sese, 
 where more than twenty churches on as many islands 
 testify to the wish of the sailors and fishermen of 
 Uganda to hear the Gospel, in spite of the foolish 
 belief that no Christian or reader ever can be a 
 successful fisherman ; as soon as the fish see a book 
 in the angler's hands, either they will all die, or, at 
 any rate, refuse to be caught. 
 
 But at last the various speakers have finished, 
 and a hymn of praise has been sung, and prayers 
 have been offered for further blessing on the work. 
 And now a list of names is being read, and as each 
 name is called out, we see a young man rise from 
 his seat, till some eight or ten are standing up ; 
 these are evangelists who are being sent out to some 
 of the country churches. And now an address is 
 being given, urging, probably, on these young 
 messengers of Christ, their duties and responsibilities, 
 and on the Native Church their part in the work, 
 their duty of prayer, and the pri\ ilege of giving in 
 support of their evangelists, for all the native 
 teachers are supported by the natives: 'It is more 
 blessed to give than to receive, and we Europeans 
 cannot rob you of your blessing by supporting your 
 teachers,' so we have often told thern. And so, 
 when the address is over, we shall see them coming 
 forward with their offerings to God— shells, which 
 they deposit in a large native basket placed in "the 
 
THE CHURCH IN UGANDA. 279 
 
 centre of the aisle ; calico, bark cloth — the beauti- 
 fully prepared bark of a kind of hg tree, torn off in 
 strips, scraped, beaten with grooved mallets, and 
 sewn together with plantain fibre ; mats ; fowls ; 
 goats ; cows sometimes, and even ivory ; and then 
 comes a long stream of women and girls, each 
 carrying a bunch of plantains or a bundle of sweet 
 potatoes on her head, till the pile of offerings grows 
 to an alarming size, though its money value is not 
 great ; and then a prayer of dedication is oftered, 
 and we ask the Lord to accept and make use of 
 these gifts which He has allowed us to give Him ; 
 and then the benediction, and the service is ended. 
 
 These monthly Missionary Meetings are now 
 b^ing established in other centres too. 
 
 Do these evangelists do good work ? 
 
 A Missionary visited a small island in the Lake 
 two years ago, and found one person only there who 
 could read at all. Two teachers were sent, and 
 after nine months sixty were able to read a Gospel. 
 Two teachers were sent to another island : in a 
 year one church, or rather hovel, capable of con- 
 taining a hundred by crushing, had become four 
 churches, one of them holding seven hundred souls, 
 and the congregation of a hundred had become a 
 thousand, and some fifty or more had been baptized, 
 and many more were catechumens ; its name is 
 Busi. You can see it on the map. 
 
 The teacher whom God chiefly used to produce 
 these wonderful results is a man of spiritual power ; 
 on fire with love to God and man. ' Oh, Lord, we 
 have only the bare line, Thou hast the hook,' so he 
 
280 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 prayed one day as he asked that souls might that 
 day be saved. And God has proved that hook 
 sharp and barbed to His servant who has counted 
 upon Him. 
 
 The v^ork done and being done by these teachers 
 has opened our eyes to marvellous possibilities for 
 Africa and the World. ' The World to be 
 evangelised in this generation ' — can it be done ? 
 
 Kyagwe, a province fifty miles square, has had 
 the Gospel preached, by lip and life, through almost 
 every village in the space of one short year, by some 
 seventy native evangelists, under the supervision of 
 only two Europeans : more than two thousand 
 square miles and only two Europeans ! The 
 teacher, on Busi above mentioned, has by this time 
 probably accomplished his purpose of visiting every 
 house in that island with the message of Salvation 
 on his lips. Soon we may hope that there will be 
 no house left in Uganda that has not had God's 
 message brought thus to its very threshold. What 
 is to prevent the extension of this system two 
 hundred miles" in every direction round Mengo — 
 this is the distance of our furthest outpost, Toro — 
 in the course of a few years, three or four ? Only 
 the lack of the comparatively few European trainers 
 and organizers needed for so magnificent an 
 expansion ! Will they not be forthcoming ? ' Let 
 us go up at once and possess it ; for we are well 
 able to overcome it.' " 
 
 Scene HI. 
 ''And now let me transport you to the wooded 
 
THE CHURCH IN UGANDA. 281 
 
 island of Kome ; for, standing on its centre ridge, 
 we can gaze across the Lake to east, and west, and 
 north — a very lovely sight. There is Ntebe twenty 
 miles away on the mainland, the Government 
 Station, the port of Mengo ; we have there a church, 
 in fact, three churches and four teachers, with a 
 promising work. On that bare island of Nsazi, 
 separated by only a narrow piece of water from that 
 on which we stand, and contrasting strangely its 
 treeless hillsides with Rome's rich forests, there is a 
 small church. It is only some two years since a 
 missionary, visiting Nsazi, found there only one soul 
 who could read at all. Two teachers were sent 
 there. After nine months' work there were sixty 
 who could read pretty well. 
 
 Then over to the east lies Lwaji, first of the 
 Buvuma Islands, though politically part of Uganda ; 
 here is a church and a keen desire to learn. And 
 far away behmd Lwaji, we see the large Buvuma 
 Island, dark-wooded ridge bounding the furthest 
 horizon ; and about it lie its smaller sisters of the 
 Buvuma group, all still unoccupied by the Gospel, 
 except uttermost Bugaya, the one bright spot in 
 great darkness. On this outlying island a good 
 work seems to be going on ; the two chiefs of it seem 
 favourably disposed, and several have learnt to read ; 
 a church has been built. The three Muganda 
 teachers sent there showed much real Christian zeal 
 and self-denial, resolutely putting up with food to 
 which they were not accustomed (and little enough 
 of that), a kind of canary seed made into porridge, 
 husks and all ; eaten with milk, or with a kind 
 
282 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 of sour fruit ; it is poor stuff after plantains. 
 
 A boy from this island of Kome, a slave by old 
 native law, followed one of the missionaries to the 
 capital, and finding that he could claim his freedom, 
 he did so, and was declared free by the Katikiro. A 
 bright idea struck him ; he would go and release 
 from domestic slavery a sister, whose master owned 
 her by the same right by which he had owned him, 
 the brother. So off he went — to return crestfallen ; 
 he had met only ridicule and contempt. ' What, 
 she, a member of a decent family, take a freedom 
 which wasn't hers! Was ever the like heard!' 
 Like the Irish-woman, who replied to the kind- 
 hearted stranger who, summoned by her screams, 
 rebuked her husband for so cruelly beating his wife, 
 *And who's got a better right?' A willing slave is 
 a slave indeed. 
 
 Turning our eyes a little to the south, we see 
 Bukasa, now a C.M.S. Station, and the centre of the 
 work in the Sese Islands. Yes, let our eyes rest a 
 while on its long ridge ; it is a bright spot ; had you 
 once seen its tall and hideous (with sm_all-pox marks) 
 but delightful master, you would not soon forgot 
 him. He it was who sent back, unbidden by any 
 voice but that of God and the native teacher, the 
 slaves captured on Buvuma Island, in the war that 
 took place there some four years ago. Those who 
 saw him shoving his way through crowds of book- 
 buyers in the old days on Namirembe, and returning 
 to the fray again and again to purchase reading 
 sheets for his islanders, when dearth of books had 
 caused the missionaries to refuse to sell more than 
 
THE CHURCH IN UGANDA. 283 
 
 one copy at a time to a single purchaser, will not 
 forget his persistence and jovial good temper. 
 
 He and two other island chiefs, when almost all 
 the islands were in the hands of the Roman 
 Catholics, stood firm in spite of much opposition, 
 and that, though their own knowledge at that time 
 was only trifling. Would that we had as good 
 reason to believe that the other two are the Lord's 
 as we have of him ! 
 
 The large Island of Sese is not generally visible 
 from Kome, but we can imagine that we see it some 
 ten miles beyond Bukasa, rising high above all its 
 satellites, twisted like some great snake upon the 
 Lake's bosom. All its chiefs are Roman Catholics; 
 yet on it are some three hundred and twenty Protes- 
 tants, nicknamed, we are told, ' the people of the 
 Holy Ghost,' and enduring some persecution and 
 opposition for the truth's sake, ignorant as they are. 
 The Native Church has sent them two teachers and 
 a plentiful supply of books; and they hold the fort 
 there, despite the presence of three French Mission- 
 aries ; the latter have had a station there for years. 
 Pray for this little struggling church. 
 
 On that Sese group of islands, and on those in 
 the midst of which Kome lies, there are some twenty 
 churches ; and in no part of Uganda has a greater 
 desire for * reading ' been shown than on Sese. May 
 the holy fire be passed on to Buvuma and Kigulu, 
 and on through the islands that lie along the 
 Kavirondo coast to Ukerewe, and there mingle with 
 the flame that is already glimmering at Nasa, from 
 which bright reports have reached us lately of the 
 
284 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 Gospel preached each Sunday in six different places 
 round; and where the Gospels are rapidly being 
 translated into the Sukuma language and being 
 printed. And may it also spread down the western 
 side to Bumbide, most northern of the islands in the 
 German sphere, and along the southern shore of the 
 Lake to Nasa again." 
 
 Scene IV. 
 
 ** It is Sunday afternoon, and some eighty souls 
 are just about to be admitted into the visible Church 
 by baptism. They are arranged — men on the left, 
 women on the right — in a great semicircle by the 
 font near the door of the church. One by one they 
 answer the solemn questions, and are baptized into 
 solemn covenant with the Triune God. 
 
 It is a solemn scene, and yet the truth must be 
 confessed, that familiarity has taken much of its 
 solemnity away. How solemn must have been those 
 secret baptisms ten years back, when baptizer and 
 baptized must have felt that before long the baptism 
 of water might be sealed by a baptism of blood ! 
 But, now, when fifty baptisms take place on an 
 average every week, and when, alas, a profession of 
 Christianity is sometimes made for the sake of social 
 advantages, the service is often not what it might be. 
 
 How have the candidates been prepared for 
 admission to this solemn rite ? Probably some two 
 or three years ago they began to learn to read, 
 taught in their own homes by their friends, or, 
 perhaps, by teachers in the various country churches. 
 It is astonishing what an educational value this 
 
THE CHURCH IN UGANDA. 285 
 
 reading of God's Word has ; their ver}^ physiognomy 
 seems to be changed by it, so that it is almost 
 possible to tell a reader by his outward appearance. 
 And in no other way does the reality of God seem to 
 impress itself so forcibly on the native mind as by 
 the daily poring over the pages of the New Testa- 
 ment, at first mechanically, and then with more and 
 more glimmering of meaning, until at last the Divine 
 message of love is intelligently grasped, and perhaps 
 driven home by some sermon, or meeting, or the 
 faithful words of a friend, and another catechumen 
 is added to the roll, and, we trust, another soul to 
 the company of Christ. It is a noticeable and 
 deeply instructive fact that profession of conversion 
 never, or hardly ever, has been made by a M Uganda 
 who cannot read, except, of course, a few special 
 cases of blind or old. At the close of some of our 
 services, after-meetings are sometimes held, and those 
 present are asked to signify in some way their 
 acceptance of God's gift of eternal life ; out of many 
 hundreds the writer has never known any such 
 profession made by a person who had not learnt to 
 read ; the very words are not intelligible to those 
 who hear them for the first time — sin, salvation, 
 love, faith, etc., convey little meaning to their minds. 
 Be it understood, at the same time, that on this very 
 account we take the greater pains to point out to 
 tl-.em continually that there is nothing to prevent an 
 absolutely ignorant and utterly sinful soul, the very 
 moment the Gospel message is grasped and believed, 
 obtaining the full and free salvation which we 
 proclaim. 
 
286 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 In some such way, with infinite variety of detail 
 and experience, has each individual of the class of 
 thirty cate-^humens, whom we see sitting at the feet 
 of, say, Samuel Naganafa, now Mukasa, been brought 
 to desire baptism ; some, alas, no doubt, have been 
 influenced by worldly motives of social advancement, 
 or by the mere example of others to enrol themselves 
 for admission into the Church. 
 
 For two or three months past they have been daily 
 carefully instructed in St. Matthew's Gospel, and are 
 now half-way through St. John. One of them reads 
 aloud a passage, then Samuel makes comments and 
 asks questions, and his pupils ask questions, some 
 wise, some foolish, e.g., ' Why did John the Baptist 
 send disciples to the Lord to ask if He were the 
 Christ ? ' ' Wisdom is justified of her chldren— 
 what does this mean ? ' ' What was the name of 
 Peter's wife's mother ? ' ' and his wife's name ? ' 
 ' How is it that Herod, whose death we read of 
 some time ago, reappears on the scene ? ' and so on. 
 
 When four month's instruction or so is com- 
 plete, they will be examined, and some tears shed, 
 probably, if they ' fall ' {i.e., are ' ploughed ') ; then if 
 no reason appears, on inquiry made, to prevent their 
 baptism, they will be brought forward the next 
 Sunday afternoon. And so the Church grows." 
 
CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 THE FUTURE OF UGANDA: A FORECAST. 
 
 We have glanced at the past, how about the future? 
 Time was, when Uganda was regarded as a mere 
 isolated centre in the mission field, a land of 
 romance but little more. Bat that day is gone. 
 Africa is no longer looked upon as the special 
 preserve of the explorer, the scientist, or the 
 Missionary. We need fields for the development 
 of our commerce, and an outlet for the energies of 
 our race. A great part of our British Empire lies 
 in Africa, and we must see to its development. We 
 have had put before us the ideal of a great highway 
 from Cairo to the Cape, with its two most important 
 junctions, Khartum and Uganda, and whilst we 
 owe the conception of this project to one well- 
 known living Englishman, we must not forget those 
 to whom, as much as any, is due the interest now 
 being taken by Great Britain in this splendid 
 scheme. 
 
 Gordon from the north, Livingstone from the 
 south, advanced along this line, each to die alone, 
 though under very different circumstances ; yet 
 each was fully convinced that some day Christian 
 England would awake to her responsibility to these- 
 
288 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA, 
 
 regions. " I beg to direct your attention to Africa," 
 said Livingstone in the Senate House at Cambridge 
 in December, 1857. " I know that within a few 
 years I shall be cut off in that country which is now 
 open ; do not let it be shut again ! I go back to 
 Africa to try to make an open path for commerce 
 and Christianity ; do you carry out the work which 
 I have begun ; I leave it with you." 
 
 "An open path for commerce and Christianity" 
 was that for which these great pioneers lived and 
 died, one in purpose with the men who laid down 
 their lives for Uganda, the chief connecting link 
 between the north and south of the new World's 
 highway. 
 
 It is not for naught that Mackay pleaded for 
 helpers to help to bridge the chasm between 
 civilization and savagery, that Hannington lost his 
 life ere he reached Uganda, furnishing by his death 
 a trumpet call to the Church, more eloquent even 
 than his life, or that Pilkington gave to the Uganda 
 nation a completed Bible, in itself the best bridge 
 from heathenism to Christianity. These African 
 graves do not breathe to us the language of despair, 
 keenly though we feel the loss of leaders such as 
 these, are they not an inspiration to others to follow 
 in their steps ? There has been some talk of revenge 
 as our brave soldiers step by step approached 
 Khartum, and when the great victory of Omdurman 
 was an accomplished fact we have been told that 
 Gordon is avenged. But is it so ? Gordon's death 
 calls for something more than that, above all it is a 
 challenge to Christian England to carry the 
 
THE FUTURE OF UGANDA. 289 
 
 blessings of Christianity thoughout that land which 
 has been desolated by the scourge of Muslim 
 fanaticism. How, then, is this to be done ? The 
 answer which Pilkington would have given may, we 
 think, be summed up in one word, " Uganda." 
 
 It has ever been the aim of British administrators 
 to employ the peoples of savage or semi-civilized 
 lands to be the chief agents in the development of 
 their own countr}^ and to this fact may largely be 
 attributed the success of British colonisation. In 
 no part of the world is this so important as in 
 Central Africa. Whatever is to be done there must 
 be done by the native races, and our first efforts 
 should therefore be directed to learning the native 
 languages, studying the characteristics of different 
 peoples, bringing to the front those who are qualified 
 to be the leaders of others, rather than attempting 
 to do all b}' European agency. 
 
 Pilkington realised this most fully, and in his 
 plans for the development of the Uganda Mission, 
 he regarded Uganda and its people as the great 
 means by which East Central Africa at least should 
 be evangelised. 
 
 With this in view he put forward what he called 
 " A three years' enterprise in Central Africa," to 
 correspond to the celebration of the last three years 
 of the first century of the Church Missionary 
 Society all over the world. 
 
 In this he said : — 
 
 " The Church Missionary Society is entering on a 
 Three Years' Enterprise. The key-note is Exten- 
 sion. New supplies of men and means, it is hoped, 
 u 
 
290 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA, 
 
 will be forthcoming. How are they to be applied 
 to the best advantage ? May God Himself guide ! 
 
 With great diffidence, conscious as he is of only 
 partial knowledge of the World's needs, and 
 conscious also of the bias that must attend all 
 strong affections ; with great diffidence, therefore, 
 but none the less with great earnestness, does the 
 writer put forward a Three Years' Enterprise for 
 Central Africa, asking for it the calm, and balanced, 
 and prayerful consideration of all friends of the 
 Society and especially of those who directly control 
 its operations. Need it be said that the basis of 
 operations for this proposed enterprise is Uganda ? 
 
 Half of the great country of Unyoro is ready to 
 receive evangelists ; there are already under instruc- 
 tion a good many hundreds of its inhabitants ; 
 through this country, and by means of its people, 
 lies the road to the Nile valley and to the great 
 forest. Kavirondo is open, Usukuma is open, 
 Karagwe is open, Koki is open. Nkole and Ukedi 
 are within reach and touch, though not absolutely 
 open at present. In fact, for two hundred miles east, 
 south and west from Mengo, the country lies, for 
 the most part, wide open to the Gospel ; to the north, 
 seventy or a hundred miles is open. The country 
 is healthy ; native help is available as it is nowhere 
 else in the world ; the desire for reading has already 
 been carried to some of the extreme points within 
 this radius ; in language, and sentiment, and mode 
 of life, the whole region is closely knit together ; in 
 a word, there is good reason to hope that, as far as 
 local conditions are concerned, a circle, including 
 
THE FUTURE OF UGANDA. 291 
 
 within its radius of two hundred miles the three 
 lakes, the Albert, Albert Edward, and the Victoria, 
 an area (excluding the lakes) of nearly 100,000 
 square miles, might be fully occupied, if not 
 evangelised, within three years' time ! 
 
 How would this enormous extension — multi- 
 plying by ten at least the present area of occupied 
 territory — be undertaken ? 
 
 Wanted, first, European leaders for bands of 
 native evangelists. The province of Kyagwe, as 
 already mentioned, more than 2,000 square miles, 
 is being evangelised by means of two Europeans at 
 the central station, directing the work of seventy 
 or a hundred native helpers. At the same rate, a 
 hundred European Missionaries would be needed 
 to lead and organise the evangelisation of this vast 
 circle. Will they not be forthcoming ? 
 
 Wanted, secondly, an army of native evangelists ; 
 it is believed that the raw material for these would 
 be forthcoming, but in order to train them efficiently, 
 a few more European missionaries are needed. 
 
 Wanted, thirdly, about ten men to master the 
 native languages, and translate into them. 
 
 Wanted, in all, from home, one hundred 
 additional men missionaries and some lady mis- 
 sionaries, full of the Holy Ghost. 
 
 Is this too large a demand ? 
 
 Even judging by the irrational method of a 
 count of heads, it is not much ; these men are not 
 needed for Uganda, not even for this circle of two 
 hundred miles only ; we plead for the millions upon 
 millions of souls in Central Africa ; and we only 
 
292 PILKIXGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 ask for a paltry one hundred missionaries. Area 
 and population alike call for large reinforcements in 
 Central Africa. 
 
 But there is another method, a rational one, of 
 distributing missionary workers, and that is, so to 
 dispose of available forces as to bring in the greatest 
 return in the end. 
 
 Take an illustration : There are two places that 
 may be occupied. Let us call them A and B. To 
 one or both of these, six missionaries are to be sent. 
 At A, there is a great desire for instruction and a 
 missionar}' spirit among the converted. At B, there 
 are practically no converts and no missionar}' spirit ; 
 in fact, the Holy Spirit is at work at A but not at B. 
 Although the population of B is ten times that of A, 
 the irrational, but plausible, method is adopted, and 
 five are sent to B, and only one to A, and even so 
 complaints are made that A is receiving more than 
 its fair share of workers. 
 
 After ten years, little or no impression has been 
 made at B ; the five workers are discouraged and 
 depressed, and their depression has acted on the 
 Church at home. At A the work has progressed, 
 but the workers cannot keep pace with the growing 
 need ; and the missionary enthusiam, not having 
 found any adequate outlet, has decreased. But let 
 the other method be adopted, and let all the six be 
 be sent to A, in spite of short-sighted objections. 
 In five years, as one result of their work, a body of 
 twenty well-trained native evangelists invade B ; by 
 the end of another five years the fire of God has 
 been transferred to the second centre. The Church 
 
THE FUTURE OF UGANDA. 293 
 
 at home and the Church abroad aHke are encouraged 
 and strengthened in faith. 
 
 But this is a digression. 
 
 How would our supposed reinforcement be em- 
 ployed ? 
 
 Each fresh missionary would spend a year or 
 more at first in Uganda ; he would learn the Luganda 
 language, become acquainted with native ways of 
 thought (the same through all that region), gather 
 round him a few native helpers, and open communi- 
 cations across the missionary frontier. To do this he 
 would most probably settle down at the furthest 
 C.M.S. station in the direction of his proposed ad- 
 vance ; for instance, for Central Unyoro, Wadelai, 
 and the Nile \' alley, he would proceed at first to 
 Kinakulya ; for the west and the Great Forest, to 
 Toro ; for the south, to Koki ; for the east and 
 south-east, to Luba's or Mumia's ; for the north- 
 east, to Xamuyonjo's. When the time appeared ripe, 
 he would advance with his chosen helpers across 
 the border, and open a tentative station some fifty 
 miles beyond what had till then been our outpost ; 
 this new station would in turn become a basis from 
 which to advance still further, as fresh reinforcements 
 came out. There can be little doubt that in places, 
 more numerous than we could even wish to occupy 
 by Europeans, the natives would extend a welcome, 
 and in most cases build a native house for the mis- 
 sionary, and supply him with native food. 
 
 Consider (i.) the geographical position of 
 Uganda. 
 
 (ii.) The present open doors. 
 
294 PiLKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 (iii.) The construction of a railway. 
 
 (iv.) The suitability of the natives for evangelistic 
 work. 
 
 (v.) Their desire to engage in it. 
 
 (vi.) Their preparation by contact with two typical 
 forms of perversions of Scripture truth. 
 
 (vii.) Their former leading position in the Lake 
 Region. 
 
 (viii.) The past marvellous history of the country. 
 
 (ix.) The abundant ' seed of the Church ' sown 
 (martyrs, Bishop Hannington, Mackay, and many 
 others). 
 
 Are not all these leading up to a future worthy of 
 such a past ? " 
 
 Pilkington, as will be seen by much that has been 
 already said, was a firm believer in the evangelisation 
 of Africa by Africans, and in support of this he 
 furnishes us with the following contrasts : — 
 
 " An European is on a journey in Central Africa: 
 how laboriously he trudges along, followed by a train 
 of porters, who carry his tent, his clothing, his camp 
 bed and bedding, his cups, plates, knives and forks, 
 his box of provisions, his cooking utensils, his chair 
 and table ; notice how eagerly he avails himself of 
 the shade of any tree that he is fortunate enough to 
 find at his mid-day halting-place ; see him carried 
 over that great papyrus swamp, half a mile broad, 
 on the shoulders of the strongest of his porters, 
 themselves up to the chest in water. Observe the 
 elaborate preparations for his meal ; the tent pitched, 
 the table laid, the cloth spread on it, the plates, the 
 tea, the meat, the potatoes, the rice ; and when all 
 
THE FUTURE OF UGANDA. 295 
 
 is done, it seems to him a rough and hard life, 
 calculated to produce fever, or send him home, 
 prematurely worn out, to a more congenial climate 
 and surroundings. 
 
 A Muganda is on a journey : how gaily he trots 
 along; his head, it may be bare, it may be covered 
 with a turban of cloth or bark-cloth, not for fear of 
 the sun so much as for appearance sake ; or perhaps 
 he is carrying all his luggage on a plantain leaf, 
 twisted in turban shape, on his head. It is twelve 
 o'clock ; he has had no food since the previous 
 evening ; but he thinks nothing of that — he is pre- 
 pared to march on, if need be, till sundown, fasting; 
 but probably he will turn into one of the houses in 
 the garden just ahead, and make an ample meal of 
 steamed plantains or potatoes. He needs no table, 
 table-cloth, or plates; the plaintain leaves which 
 have helped to cook the meal, pressed down in the 
 mouth of the huge earthen cooking pot to keep the 
 steam in, will supply the place of all these three 
 European necessities. Spread on the grass-covered 
 lioor, they receive the mass of steamed and steaming 
 plantains ; and the guests sit round, on mats if they 
 have them ; and the master of the ceremonies divides 
 the huge lump into chunks for each guest, using his 
 hand, covered with a piece of plantain leaf, as a 
 carving knife : and so they fall to, with their fingers 
 for knives and forks ; they have previously carefully 
 washed their hands with plantain fibre or with 
 water. And so the lump disappears, as bit by bit 
 they roll it in their hands, push in their right thumbs 
 to make a sort of spoon, and dip it in the gra\y (if 
 
^96 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 they have any), and so convey it to their mouths. 
 The meal done, the hands are washed again ; and 
 off goes our traveller, prepared to travel, should that 
 prove necessary, for another twenty-four hours with- 
 out any further meal, though he will be disappointed 
 if he does not reach some hospitable roof that 
 evening where similar refreshment will be provided. 
 When night comes, no elaborate preparations are 
 necessary ; no camp bed, no mosquito net, he simply 
 undoes his pack, takes out his mat, lies down on it, 
 and, wrapping himself up, head and all, in a bark- 
 cloth, he sleeps till day-break. Is it surprising if we 
 sometimes feel inclined to envy their simple lives ? 
 
 Another picture: an European is teaching a 
 class ; how slowly come his words, how painfully 
 sometimes ; how he struggles to express himself ! 
 Do you see the lurking smile on those faces that 
 good manners would fain hide ? — but the struggle is 
 a hard one ; some mispronunciation, some solecism, 
 some mistake has provoked it. How flat some of 
 his illustrations seem to fall ! And yet this is not 
 some young missionary in his first attempt ; for 
 years he has endeavoured to master the native 
 language, and not without success ; but it is a 
 partial success only. 
 
 Beside this class is another, taught by a 
 native. How the words flow from his lips ; how 
 quickly question and answer and exposition follow 
 one another ! If there is a smile, it is at some apt 
 illustration or some apposite proverb : ' Does the 
 monkey decide forest cases ? ' z.c, ' Is it reasonable 
 to appeal to an umpire who has a personal interest 
 
THE FUTURE OF UGANDA. 297 
 
 in the point at issue ? ' or another of that infinite 
 store. Africa must be evangelised by Africans ; 
 surely this is the obvious moral that we are forced 
 to drav^\ 
 
 Africans are fitted for the work, because they are 
 better adapted to the country. Especially are the\- 
 better travellers than Europeans. Then they arc 
 better adapted by their knowledge of the language 
 and native modes of thought. An illustration which 
 appeals to a European need not impress a native, 
 and vice versa. Arguments which are conclusive to 
 us prove nothing to a native, and again vice versa. 
 Most important of all, it is impossible, too, in this 
 case, to attribute the effects of the grace of God in 
 his life to a white skin or to his bringing up. A 
 native can say to a native with a cogency that no 
 European's words can have, ' The Lord and Saviour 
 who saved and saves me, can save you too.' 
 
 Where are Africa's evangelists ? God must 
 have them somewhere. Let us find them, and train 
 them, and use them. The promise of the fulness of 
 the Spirit is as much for the native as for the 
 European, for the promise is ' to all that are afar off, 
 even as many as the Lord our God shall call.' " 
 
 But there is another contrast to which he would 
 draw our attention, which shows to us the wonderful 
 change which the Gospel has wrought in Uganda. 
 He writes : — 
 
 '' The work that is going on in Uganda is mainly 
 carried on by natives ; the Sunday services, the 
 preaching, the teaching, all are done by men who 
 once were heathen. Do you know what that word 
 
298 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 means ? Ask old Isaiah, * the good-natured giant,' 
 how three hundred brothers and cousins of the king 
 were penned within the narrow compass of the dyke, 
 that still may be seen by the roadside some two or 
 three miles north of Mengo, and left there by their 
 brother's orders to starve to death, a six days' misery 
 of nameless horrors. 
 
 *0h, a goat I was herding got lost, and so 
 my master cut off my ear' — so a boy of fifteen 
 answers, as if it w^ere the most natural thing in 
 the world, when you ask him how he became so 
 mutilated. 
 
 Ask Sezi, jovial Sezi, in spite of the loss of both 
 his eyes, who it was that gouged them out, and 
 why ? Ask any of our people what Heathenism 
 means ; for they have seen and can tell you ; they 
 know (better than many a wiseacre at home) what 
 Christless humanity (black or white) is and always 
 will be, when the salt taken away : it is left to itself, 
 and relapses to its native corruption — inevitable 
 consequence ! 
 
 In those days, if some unfortunate courtier 
 accidentally trod upon the king's mat, death was 
 the sure penalty. 
 
 In those days, none dared raise a protest when 
 the king, to maintain his royal dignity, commanded 
 the slaughter of all who happened to be standing on 
 his right hand or on his left ; or of all whom a band, 
 sent for the purpose, should meet in the streets. 
 * Why kill the innocent ? ' we innocently ask. 
 Their innocence is their doom. ' If I only kill the 
 guilty,' so would the king have replied, ' the innocent 
 
THE FUTURE OF UGANDA, 299 
 
 will not respect me.' They have no word in their 
 language for respect, except fear. 
 
 In those days, no protest was heard when women 
 and children were sold into the hopeless misery of 
 Arab slavery. Now, even domestic slavery has been 
 abolished, at least, its legal status. And in this 
 matter the Protestant chiefs were the movers and 
 imitators, so much so that Sir Gerald Portal, who 
 was in the country at the time, considered that 
 perhaps their movement was premature. To-day it 
 is the law of the land that any slave may claim his 
 or her freedom, and that it must be granted as a 
 matter of course. 
 
 Not that the Waganda had no religion of their 
 own. They were very religious ; they worshipped 
 and propitiated the spirits of ancestors. These spirits 
 were believed to possess mediums, who uttered 
 oracular sayings with foaming at the mouth, a close 
 reproduction of the Delphic prophecies. There was 
 the priest, too, who acted as go-between for the 
 inquirer and the spirit-possessed medium. Many of 
 the gardens of the country were set aside for these 
 priests ; hence their bitter opposition to the Gospel, 
 continued to this day. 
 
 Once a man professed to be possessed by the 
 spirit of the King Suna's dead dog, and went about 
 yelping. By the king's orders, a fine house was built 
 for him, and he lived in ease and luxury all his life ! 
 
 Then charms were worn, and are still worn, 
 and implicitly believed in. Horns (either actual 
 horns or imitations in pottcTv) were tilled with 
 various substances, supposed to have magical powers 
 
^ PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 — for instance, blood or earth — and sold as certain 
 remedies for various diseases. 
 
 In old days, woman was but a beast of burden ; 
 how wonderful to see her now in many places begin 
 to take her rightful place by man's side ! It will be 
 a gradual work — the elevation of woman ; but we do 
 see it already proceeding. The arri\al of the live 
 ladies who accompanied Bishop Tucker last autumn 
 will, no doubt, greatly accelerate it. Cultivation is 
 woman's work in Uganda, and too often the heaviest 
 work is still left to her. The men are lazy ; the 
 Gospel not only shows them the duty and nobility 
 of work, but also provides them with motives for 
 working. 
 
 But it is in individual lives that the greatest and 
 most marked change is apparent. A slave of drink, 
 a big chief, was converted. He had been baptized 
 long before, but had no strength to conquer this 
 vice ; he had often prayed with one of the mission- 
 aries that he might be saved from this curse ; he had 
 even prayed with tears ; the will was there, but not 
 the power. He was converted, and was enabled to 
 win the victory. 
 
 A Mohammedan began reading our books : he 
 was convinced of their truth, and gave up Moham- 
 medanism ; a month later, so he told us, he 
 accepted God's gift of eternal life. ' In old days,' 
 he said one day, ' I was like a bird trying to fly 
 without wings ; I thought my fastings, my prayers, 
 and ceremonies would save me. I now know that 
 Christ is the way.' 
 
 Another, a teacher, told how, long ago, when he 
 
THE FUTURE OF UGANDA. 301 
 
 first became a nominal Christian, he had hoped to 
 be saved by his works ; as he read God's Word he 
 found this would not do, and then he hoped he 
 would be saved by a combination of faith and works. 
 ' But now I know that Christ is all.' Many have 
 given up the vicious habit of smoking Indian hemp ; 
 the Christian Church will not permit any hemp 
 smoker to be baptized, so utterly inconsistent is it 
 considered. 
 
 Could you come and see some Sunday morning 
 while men and women, brought up as heathen, 
 gather round the Lord's table, and reverently eat 
 and drink those ' pledges of His love,' there would 
 be a joyful echo in your ears of the Apostle's 
 words — ' These have been washed, these have been 
 sanctified, these have been justified in the name of 
 the Lord Jesus Christ, and by the Spirit of our 
 God ! '" 
 
CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 BY BICYCLE TO UGANDA. 
 
 Owing to the length of time occupied in carrying 
 his work through the Press, Pilkington did not 
 leave England until two months after the party 
 with whom he expected to travel to Uganda. He, 
 however, managed to reach Frere Town in time to 
 accompany them, as the following letter indicates :— = 
 
 Frere Town, 
 
 Friday, 27th November, 1896. 
 
 I arrived, after a delightful voyage, on Wednes- 
 day, to find the party still here, hoping to start 
 to-day. We are now hoping to start to-morrow. 
 Goods, including bike, here, all right. Europeans 
 and Waganda boys all well, so there is much to 
 thank God for. . . . 
 
 We are really to start, it seems, to-morrow 
 morning — it is now nine p.m., so I suppose we 
 shall. 
 
 I rode up and down the road here on my bike. 
 A sort of light case, easily detachable, has been 
 made for it ; I propose to ride it where possible. 
 
 There has been much rain lately, and so the dry 
 part of road near the coast ought to be much better 
 than usual." 
 
BY BICYCLE TO UGANDA, 303 
 
 The early stages of the journey are described in a 
 letter to Mr. G. A. King, dated : — 
 
 " Kibwezi 
 
 (190 miles from Mombasa), 
 
 Monday, 14th December, 1896. 
 
 I came on here last Friday on my bike from 
 Ndi (called seventy-eight miles, but eighty-one and 
 seven-eights by my cyclometer). The caravan, 
 which I propose to meet to-morrow about half-way 
 and come back with it, will probably be here on 
 Friday, perhaps Thursday. I started at 5.5 a.m., 
 and got here, not much fagged, at 3.55 p.m. — the 
 first time, I suppose, anyone, even a native, has 
 come from Ndi to Kibwezi in one day. 
 
 I came on to try to settle a serious difficulty 
 about some of our porters who are claimed by a 
 trader. I have every confidence that it will be all 
 right now ; no thanks to me and my bike, for I 
 found it settled already, I may say, when I got here, 
 and no wonder, for we have made it a matter of 
 special prayer for a fortnight past. This is the 
 second remarkable, and from the merely human 
 side, most unlooked-for removal of difficulties in 
 answer to prayer, since I reached Mombasa in the 
 nick of time on the 25th to start on the 28th ! 
 
 We ha\'e had a delightful journey — especially 
 we bicyclists ; when travelling with the caravan, we 
 reach our camping-place, though we start last, two 
 hours before the rest, generally before eight a.m., 
 and so entirely avoid the sun. We expect to leave 
 this day week; we should be at Nzawi, where 
 
304 PILKIKGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 are some American Missionaries, for Christmas." 
 Having once tasted the joys, not unmingled with 
 sorrows, of bicychng in Central Africa, he determined 
 to go on ahead, and our next letter, reproduced as it 
 was written on the journey, gives us his itinerary to 
 the borders of Busoga ; it is instructive for intending 
 bicyclists in Central Africa. 
 
 •' Kikuyu, 
 
 Christmas Eve, 1896. 
 Here I am at Kikuyu, about a hundred miles, I sup- 
 pose, ahead of our caravan. I came on to fetch Mr. 
 Snowden, of the Railway, who was here till to-day, 
 because his wife, who is travelling with our caravan, 
 is, or was, seriously ill. I left her with the rest at 
 Kibwezi. I shall carry this letter in my pocket (for 
 having come thus far, I shall, if practicable, go on to 
 Uganda), and give it to the down mail men when I 
 meet them, and so you will have the latest news of 
 my movements. I have come on very successfully, 
 a few punctures, etc., and delays, and bad bits of 
 road, but neither I nor the bike are any the worse ; 
 and now I am in this splendid healthy country. 
 
 Sunday, 3rd January, 1897. — Nandi Station. I 
 arrived here the day before yesterday, Friday ; 
 and so am now within sixty miles of Mumia's in 
 Kavirondo, which is go miles from our station at 
 Luba's, which is 60 miles from Mengo. The 
 whole journey from this on is inhabited, and 
 so, thank God, the worst part of my journey is 
 over. I propose going on to-morrow to Mumia's, 
 if possible ; if not, half way. 
 
BY BICYCLE TO UGANDA. 305 
 
 From Kibwezi (from which I started a fortnight 
 a^o) to this place is about 330 miles, most of it 
 desert and full of wild beasts ; from here to Mengo 
 is 200 miles of friendly country. 
 
 Let me give you my itinerary : — 
 Sunday, 20th December. — Kibwezi to Nzawi, 57 j 
 miles, only half the road rideable ; arrived 5.30 
 p.m. 
 Monday, 21st. — Kilungu, 10 miles, fearful road. 
 Tuesday, 22nd. — Machakos, 37 miles, fearful road. 
 Wednesday, 23rd. — To Kikuyu, 47 miles, good 
 road ; 2^ hours delay owing to tyre ; arrived 6 
 p.m. 
 Thursday, 24th. — Rested. 
 
 Friday, 25th. — To Naivasha, 47 miles ; tyre broke 
 down three times ; should have been there 2 
 p.m., got there 5.30 p.m., having had to ride 
 on deflated tyre, or should have been benighted ; 
 tyre spoiled. I had to go on through Christ- 
 mas Day, because I knew^ I should have to go 
 on with mail men, who had left Kikuyu on 
 Christmas Eve. They reached Naivasha on 
 Saturday, and so I had to start on Sunday. 
 Saturday, 26th. — Rested ; taiiea to mend tyre. 
 Sunday, 27th. — \\'ent on with mail men, sho\ing 
 bike, to Kambi ya Mbaruk, 29 miles : hard 
 work. 
 Monday, 28th. — To Kambi }a moto, 30 miles 
 
 through grass 5ft. high ; fearful day. 
 Tuesday, 29th. — To Ravine, 25 miles ; bad road. 
 Here Mr. Jackson with infinite kindness put on 
 rope and raw hide on hind wheel as substitute 
 
306 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 for tyre, and gave me provisions for the road. 
 At all the other stations, Nzawi and Kilungu, 
 the American Missionaries ; at Machakos, Ains- 
 worth and De Hinde ; at Kikuyu, Hall and 
 others ; at Naivasha, Major Smith ; here Dr. 
 Macpherson, have been kinder even than I 
 could have expected. 
 
 Wednesday, 30th. — To Mianzini, 18 miles; bad 
 road ; had to shove bike nearly all the way. 
 
 Thursday, 31st. — To Chini ya kihma, 24 miles ; 
 shoved bike nearly all the way, but in riding one 
 very rough down hill piece cracked my seat 
 pillar — not a very serious damage ; when it 
 breaks through, the longer bit of it will do very 
 well. After getting into camp, had a nasty bit 
 of fever, which lasted till I got here. 
 
 Friday, ist January, 1897. — Came on here with 
 some difficulty, 16 miles, pushing my bike 
 because of the cracked seat, which I propose to 
 repair here with wire pro. tern. 
 
 Saturday, 2nd. — Rested and bound my seat pillar 
 with Dr. Macpherson's kind help. Recovered 
 from fever. So glad of a rest again. 
 
 Sunday, 3rd. — Rested and wrote this letter, which 
 I propose to give to the down mail men. I met 
 the other down mail the day I left Kikuyu, just 
 
 after the final explosion (E knows the 
 
 sound) which convinced me that my hind tyre 
 would carry me no further. It was 1.20 p.m., 
 and I was about 20 miles from Naivasha, and 
 so I had no wish to alarm you by writing a 
 letter under such circumstances ; besides, it 
 
BY BICYCLE TO UGANDA. 307 
 
 would have taken too much precious time. It 
 has been most wonderful how accidents, 
 punctures, etc., have occurred so as to let me 
 reach each station by sundown ; and how, in 
 spite of it all, it has been possible to come 
 steadil}' on : e.g., had the tyre given way ten 
 miles before, on Christmas day, I don't know 
 what would have happened. Had I waited at 
 Kikuyu for Christmas I could not have gone on 
 from Naivasha. Had I had fever on any other 
 of the six days from Naivasha here, I should 
 have failed to get here with the mail men, and 
 could not have come on alone. The mail men 
 left this yesterday ; I can now go on alone, and 
 it doesn't matter whether I catch them up or 
 not. The bicycle goes fairly well on the rope 
 tyre ; it is down hill from here to Mumia's, 
 2,000 feet lower, I may get there to-morrow. 
 
 Now I will finish up this letter, so that if I meet 
 the mail men suddenly, I need only add the place 
 where I shall be, and anything else of importance in 
 a pencil postscript. 
 
 I had one accident with tyres at least every day 
 from Kibwezi until the final breakdown ; it's the hot 
 sun. 
 
 Tuesday, 5th January. — Safe at Mumia's. All 
 well ; a few more troubles with bike, but all 
 right again. I hope to reach outskirts of Usoga 
 to-morrow, Luba's probably two days later ; 
 then two da}S to Mengo. 
 
 Your Homocea (the box you gave me when I had 
 
308 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA, 
 
 that bad fall) has been invaluable to me ; my left 
 le^ has been a little sore, but is healing rapidly. 
 
 I came yesterday from Nandi to a place where 
 Corporal Clark of the road party is camped, bridg- 
 ing a river — 40 miles or so ; thence here only 20 
 miles. 
 
 I leave this letter here, as the mail men leave 
 Liiba's to-day, and I might miss them. You ought 
 to get this letter in two months' time." 
 
 His next letter is from Uganda: — 
 
 " Namirembe, Mengo, 
 
 28th Jan. 1897. 
 
 All's well that ends well — and here I am, having 
 been here for 17 days, all well. I had a little attack 
 of fever a few days ago, but I'm all right again now. 
 I got here on the nth January, having been 23 days 
 from Kibwezi where I left the caravan. I shall 
 probably find that I gained more than a month on 
 the caravan. From England two months later — in 
 Uganda one month earlier ! 
 
 From Ndi here (650 miles) in 19 journeys — a 
 record for Africa ; of course I waited at Kibwezi and 
 went back from there and rested elsewhere ; and so 
 I did not travel from Ndi here in 19 days ; but it 
 took me only 19 days of actual travelling. 
 
 I am busy getting my house into order, though, 
 of course, until the caravan arrives (I expect it in 
 another 12 or 15 days) I can't do much; and yet 
 with borrowed and native things I am beginning to 
 be comfortable. I am having a daily class in 
 Luganda for the ladies especially, but the others 
 
m BICYCLE To UGANDA. 309 
 
 come too. A language examination is to be held as 
 soon as possible. 
 
 I propose to devote the greater part of ni}- time 
 for a year or two to the language. I hope to start 
 almost at once on the exercise book I used to speak 
 about when at home ; then on an enlarged and im- 
 proved grammar, and then on a dictionar\- : or 
 rather the last two simultaneously. I am looking 
 forward to letters from home : they ought to be 
 here in ten days or so. 
 
 I took 74 days from London to Mengo — a record, 
 I think ; and of that I practically spent 9 days at 
 Kibwezi — I say ' practically,' because I actually 
 rested only three, and then went half wa\' back and 
 returned. I hope when next I write to be able to 
 say that my bike is once more in running order. I 
 am waiting for my extra tyres, and Rowling, who is 
 very good at mechanics, to help me. In the mean- 
 time I have taken it all to pieces except the centre 
 crank. I have taken out and cleaned no fewer than 
 138 steel balls ; this is the number the machine con 
 tains exclusive of said bracket which has, I suppose 
 20 more. A couple of the spokes of the hind wheel 
 have given, and one crank is twisted, nothing much 
 wrong besides except the tyres. 
 
 I've not had time to look round yet, so I say 
 nothing about the state of the country, but externally 
 all is well." 
 
 The impression produced upon the missionaries in 
 Mengo, by Pilkington's sudden appearance among 
 them, is thus described by Miss Chadwick. 
 
 " About half an hour before tea time I was in my 
 
310 PlLRlN^GtON OP UGANDA. 
 
 room .... when I heard a strange voice 
 saluting the children down in the pathway below% 
 and thought ' No one from Kampala talks Luganda 
 like that, yet it's not any of our men that / know.' 
 A minute later Tabitha and some of the youngsters 
 came up simply yelling — Pilkingtoni ! Pilkingtoni ! ! 
 and we at first declined fiatly to believe them. 
 How Mr. Pilkington, who, when we last heard, 
 had not even arrived at the coast, should have 
 passed and left the others behind, and arrived a 
 month sooner than we expected even to see them, 
 seemed incomprehensible; however, by the aid of 
 his bicycle, he had done so, and arrived absolutely 
 without an attendant, with nothing but a tiny 
 knapsack. . . . 
 
 A rather unshaven man in borrowed clothes 
 decided!}' too small for him — he beats even Mr. Pike 
 in stature — and about as sunburnt as a man can be. 
 Furthermore, having overtaken the mail men, some 
 little way back, he had stirred them up to such effect 
 that we got, on Monday, the letters not supposed to 
 be due till Friday." 
 
 Of the value of his language lessons, already 
 referred to, Miss Chadwick writes : — 
 
 " I have already written to mother about Mr. 
 Pilkington's unexpected appearance a month before 
 w^e were expecting any of them .... I had 
 always heard his praises sung so very loudly . . . 
 but after a week's acquaintance and two grammar 
 lessons, I am quite ready to join in the chorus of 
 admiration of a truly great and good man. As for 
 his Luganda, it is just beautiful. He is giving us a 
 
BY BICYCLE TO UGANDA 311 
 
 lesson every evening at 6.30, but I fear it will last all 
 too short a time." 
 
 On February 26th, 1897, Pilkington writes: " The 
 rest of the party got here on Monday, the 15th, live 
 weeks after me, having come across the lake by 
 steamer, except Baskerville, Cook and Weathcrhead. 
 The latter stayed in Usoga, and the other two got 
 here on the 19th, a week ago. 
 
 I have chiefly been engaged in getting my house 
 in order, making tables and shelves, &c., and getting 
 boys, and teaching them something, especially to 
 cook. My old boys have got married most of them, 
 or are going to be. Talking of cooking, an exciting 
 incident has just happened. A bottle of barm I was 
 making has burst and flown all over the room in 
 small pieces, but no harm done. Yesterday, the 
 corks flew out, and Hall (who is staying with me, 
 having arrived yesterday from the islands) and I 
 were douched with barm ; but I didn't expect the 
 bottle itself to burst. . . . The new men are 
 scattering day by day to their various destinations. 
 I am glad to say that they have been specially 
 requested to devote their first eight months, at least, 
 to the language. 
 
 I have been examining some of those who have 
 been one or two years here. Miss Chadwick has 
 done the best of all at present, and Miss Browne 
 very good. Ireland for ever ! " 
 
 By March 26th, Mr. Rowling's assistance had been 
 procured for the unfortunate bicycle, and a letter of 
 that date describes the method of repair : " My time 
 for the last few days has largely been taken up with 
 
312 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA. 
 
 mending my bike, or, rather, in giving Rowling some 
 feeble assistance in so doing. He has made a 
 wonderful job of it : soldered and riveted a brass 
 plate into the broken rim, mended two or three 
 spokes, adding a piece on to one with a wire nail, put 
 a copper plate on to the cogged wheel where it was 
 cracked, straightened (and is going to harden by 
 heating and plunging in oil) my crank, and, most 
 remarkable of all, soldered on to the main hub a tiny 
 piece of steel, so that the loose crank now fits 
 perfectly. He has also strengthened the seat pillar 
 by putting into it a piece of hard wood, tight fitting. 
 We stripped my old outside tyre of the rubber, and 
 put it on with the new one (which, to our horror, 
 3'esterday, we found a size too large) over it ; and I 
 have this morning been riding about Mengo as 
 comfortably as ever on it." 
 
 Apparentl}- the tyres did not last very long, and on 
 April loth we read : " I am mending my tyres with 
 the sap of a native rubber tree, called ' mulemu,' and 
 I'm inclined to think it is going to prove successful. 
 It takes a long time drying, but we are not in such a 
 terrible hurry in Africa as you are at home. 
 
 I'm hoping to go over to Ngogwe (Baskerville's 
 Station) on it for a mission in a fortnight or three 
 weeks' time. It is thirty-five miles — a nice day's 
 ride in this countr}-. 
 
 When the rains are over, probably in May or June, 
 I hope to go out a good deal through the country, to 
 try to iniprovu the organisation of the teachers and 
 the nati\e church generally." 
 
 By April 23rd, he was convinced that " pneumatic 
 
BY BICYCLE TO UGANDA. 313 
 
 tyres wont do hero," and adds, '' I am trying to 
 convert mine into solid ones by stuffinj; the outside 
 cover with cotton wool." 
 
 The solid tyres do not seem to have been a ^^eat 
 success, but much later on in the year he writes : 
 " My bike is on the go again. Fresh t\Tes (pneumatic) 
 have come by post, thanks to the kindness of my 
 friend Mr. G. A. King." 
 
 With regard to the progress of the work, he writes 
 on 19th May, 1897, to Mr. Dowse the Vicar of the 
 parish who had adopted him as their own mis- 
 sionary: — 
 
 " The increase in the number of adherents is not 
 going on as it was two or three years ago. Why is 
 that ? I can't answer, of course, dogmatically, but 
 I fancy there are two reasons. The greater part of 
 the country has now been e\'angelised, or those who 
 were willing to become readers have been taught a 
 certain amount ; those who were opposed are only 
 coming over in small numbers. Then, again, a 
 considerable number who began reading two or three 
 years ago, but were really ne\'er converted, have 
 learnt to read, and ha\e read a Gospel or two, and 
 then have got tired and given up reading, and their 
 example is deterring others, for they are supposed 
 to know all about Christianity, and themselves so 
 suppose, and yet they don't think it worth while to 
 persevere. 
 
 These remarks apply chiefly to Uganda itself, 
 and not to the surrounding countries. 
 
 We are in great difficulties about the self- 
 support of the Native Church. I fear a good many 
 
314 PiLKlNGTON OP UGANDA. 
 
 teachers have been sent out too hastily, and we 
 shall be forced to recall them. But I trust we 
 shall always abide by the principle of entire self- 
 support ; Waganda teachers supported by Uganda 
 money, and by that alone, whatever happens. I 
 notice a considerable growth of independence in 
 the leading teachers and Christians. A great deal 
 of work is now being done by natives, which two 
 years ago was being done, and only could be done, 
 by Europeans. There is a large district between 
 the Capital and the Lake, which is now in the 
 charge of Yairo, who is in priest's orders; very 
 encouraging reports of activity and really indepen- 
 dent life have lately come in. We are just going 
 to commit another district to native charge, the 
 district of South Bulemezi, which Buckley is leaving 
 for Toro, to take the place of our dear brother Callis, 
 who has just been taken from us. We hope that 
 this will prove as great a success as Yairo's district 
 seems to be. My own work at present is chiefly 
 that of looking after the supply of teachers in the 
 various country places." 
 
 On May 20th, 1897, Pilkington wrote to the 
 Church Missionary Society announcing his engage- 
 ment to Miss Bertha Taylor, who was a member of 
 the second party of lady missionaries to Uganda. 
 
 For some time after his return to Uganda, he 
 seems to have been chiefly occupied in making plans 
 for the further consolidating of the Native Church, 
 and particularly with the subject of self-support. 
 In the course of a letter written from Mengo on 
 June 3rd, 1897, he writes concerning the principle 
 
BY BICYCLE TO UGANDA. 315 
 
 of "Teachers supported wholly and only by the 
 Church of which they are members." " The C.M.S. 
 has come to the conclusion that if this Church were 
 to depart at all from this principle, it would strike 
 a blow to the Missionary cause all the world over. 
 
 To support any native with forei^m money is to 
 wrong the native Church, depriving it of a privilege 
 and a stimulus to which it has a right. 
 
 It is unfair to the teachers, depriving them of a 
 powerful testimony to the Gospel ; when supported 
 by native funds, they can appeal to these as evidence 
 that natives like those with whom they plead, have 
 found the Gospel so well worth having that the}' 
 have been willing to deny themselves in order that 
 others might hear it. 
 
 It lays the teachers open to the suspicion that 
 they are the bribed agents of foreigners who desire 
 to denationalise the country for their own ends: it 
 alienates from our side the patriotic feeling, and 
 those men in whom this feeling is strong ; the very 
 men we need to build a really independent Church. 
 
 If it is objected that an infant church cannot 
 support its own sons who are teachers, it surely 
 seems reasonable to suppose that if the church has 
 had strength enough to produce a genuine teacher 
 sent by God, the less precious product of a few 
 shells for his support will be forthcoming. 
 
 On these grounds would it not be better to re- 
 frain from sending out teachers than to send them 
 out supported bv European money, w^hether loan or 
 
 gift ? " 
 
 At the end of this letter he says " I propose 
 
316 PiLKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 to ^^o to Budu and Koki, starting some day next 
 week." 
 
 On June 29th he arrived in Koki, in company 
 with Mr. Clayton, having passed through Budu, on 
 the wa\'. He found Mr. Leakey in Koki, and whilst 
 there, sent messengers to the neighbouring district 
 of Nkole to find out if there were opportunities for 
 work there, but without any satisfactory result. A 
 few days later, Mwanga revolted and fled from 
 Mengo, having done his best to rally round him 
 people from the various countries round Uganda. 
 Some idea of the state of affairs may be gathered 
 from a letter written by Miss Chadwick on July 
 24th, 1897. 
 
 "It has really been an anxious week for every- 
 body, and, of course, all kinds of rumours came up 
 to us of people deserting to Mwanga. However, 
 the native chiefs as a body, seem to have been 
 splendidly loyal to the English, and their people, as 
 a whole, to them. 
 
 This is, I think, the most hopeful thing we have 
 seen in this people yet, as, after all, we have to 
 remember we are foreigners, and personal loyalty to 
 Kampala would hardly have carried this vast body 
 of men to fight as they have done, if it were not 
 that English rule is more or less understood as 
 synonymous with law and order and religion, and 
 we now see, in spite of all our doubts and suspicions, 
 the reality of the friendliness of the Baganda. 
 Practically, all the big chiefs have decisively declared 
 in favour of law and order, and against a return of 
 despotism and heathenism, which Mwanga's victory 
 
BY BICYCLE TO UGANDA. 317 
 
 would certainly have meant for the time being. 
 He meant to turn every Englishman out of the 
 country, I believe. That is pretty widely felt, and 
 it is really everywhere spoken of as a war between 
 religion and heathenism. ... I have not yet 
 told you what the news really is, for which we feel 
 so much thankfulness. Our last letters went out 
 just when our men had gone off to Budu to look for 
 a runaway king. Then came two or three days of 
 quiet, and then, very disturbing reports that the 
 kingdom of Koki, next door to Budu, w-as inclined 
 to befriend Mwanga ; that the King there, 
 Kamswaga, had lent him 300 guns (an utter fabrica- 
 tion), and that the lives of Messrs. Pilkington, 
 Leakey, and Clayton were in great danger. In fact, 
 Mr. Pilkington sent up a letter to the effect that 
 they had no hope of getting up to Buganda again, 
 but might possibly escape to German territory, and 
 made his will, but this was before they knew how 
 close our party were on the heel of the king, and as 
 a matter of fact, Kamswaga, so far from helping 
 ^Iwanga, lent Mr. Pilkington and his party 50 guns 
 to protect themselves." 
 
 Pilkington's short summary of the rebellion is 
 given in a letter dated August nth, 1897 : 
 
 '• When I was in Koki, Mwanga ran to Budu (50 
 miles from us), and raised a rebellion against 
 Europeans, Christianity, civilization, and progress. 
 He and his friends are for a return to heathenism, 
 slavery, polygamy, and all the horrors of the past. 
 Ninety per cent, of the people are probably witli 
 him in their sympathies, but, in the body, they 
 
SIS PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 prefer the 5;ide which musters niost gjrins and holds 
 the gardens. We were in some danger for a time in 
 Kold, but on the arrival of a large native army and 
 Major Ternan \Aith 200 Soudanese in Budu, and 
 after two \'ictories, each of them fought and won 20 
 or 30 miles from where we were, things became all 
 right, and I came back. Mwanga has been to the 
 Germans, who have taken him prisoner. The 
 French priest? in Koki retired to German territon', 
 when it all began. Our sta3Tng was useful, we 
 believe, in helping Kamswaga, King of Koki, to 
 stand firm, and indeed Major Teman, so he told us, 
 ^Tote to Lord Salisbun' to say that our action in 
 staying there had helped the Administration. God 
 will bring good out of it all, as always hitherto," 
 *• August 17th. On Saturday, Daudi Chua, a 
 one-year-old baby, son of Mwanga. wa? proclaimed 
 King. The two Katikiros (Protestant and Roman 
 Catholic) "with Zachariah Kangao, one of the native 
 deacons, form a Council, who will rule the country 
 till His Majest}' is old enough. Politically, the 
 Protestants are immensely stronger than the}' were, 
 which is good for the peace and stability of the 
 countr}', but a fresh danger to the Church. Still, 
 we can't but be most thankful. The Commissioner 
 asked me to translate into Luganda. and read out 
 for him, the proclamation and a speech to the 
 chiefs." 
 
CM \rriK win. 
 
 Till:; SKii^Nh \ir riw . 
 
 Willi tlu^ (\n\Miatioii ot" tlu' lU'w kmi; aiul ilu* 
 lorniation ot" a C\nincil nt' trnstworilu rhii>t"s to 
 adniiiiinistc^r the L^oxornnuMU. it was Iii^jhhI tliat 
 peace aiul qiiieinoss had been sitiuihI onci' niorr. 
 and on the i uh o\ Septotnhia-. rilkiiii^ton writes:' — 
 
 •• Mwani;a has been taken to ilie S^nitii oi' the 
 Lake, -and the eountiv is setthni; iKnvii attain. 
 
 I am workini^ at the Liiiina kini^iKiL^e. tlie 
 shepherd tribe ; and also at ' l'^lenientar\- LnL;anda 
 Lessees.' I have just perceived how ver\- important 
 a part o{' a hingua<:^e intonation is (^thanks to Sweety 
 and I am working- at that specialU ncwN ; many 
 \\iM\ls are distin^jnished only by intiMiation. 
 
 1 am ha\im; two classes per week witli the 
 teachers, to help them with (x) preaching;, (ii) read- 
 ing, and iiii"! teachini^s 1 am tryini; to show them 
 at present how to preaeh horn notes. 1 i^c^ round 
 to different Churches on Sundays, and taki> special 
 note of the preaching and reading. 
 
 Miss Chadwick is doing something at Arabic ; I 
 have lent her m\' (^irammar. 1 am teaching one of 
 ni\- boys to use tiie typewriter ; he can cc^p\- fairl\- 
 correctly now ; I hope soon to make great use of 
 him. 
 
 919 
 
320 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 We have started football lately ! I play most 
 afternoons. It is great fun and good for the boys. 
 
 The rebellion is still greatly hindering the work ; 
 I hope we shall be able to resume fully soon." 
 
 With regard to the football, Dr. Cook writes : — 
 
 " September 2nd. 
 
 " Archdeacon Walker has got a football out from 
 England, and Pilkington has been diligently coach- 
 ing the boys. It is very comic to see him, as he 
 enters with great earnestness into it. . . . I, with 
 my boys and about ten others, stood Pilkington and 
 another lot. We got two goals each. We play on 
 a large grass field between Kampala and Rubaga." 
 
 Meanwhile a danger was at hand greater than 
 had ever yet threatened British rule in Uganda. 
 In order to understand the situation rightl}', it may 
 be well to remind ourselves of the method by which 
 the Protectorate of Uganda was being administered. 
 
 At the end of 1891 it will be remembered that 
 Captain Lugard brought into Uganda a number of 
 Sudanese who had at one time been in the service 
 of Emin Pasha. Since then — in spite of the treachery 
 of Selim Bey, which, but for Captain (now Major) 
 Macdonald's prompt action, might have had the 
 most serious consequences — the Sudanese had con- 
 tinued to be employed as the chief soldiers in the 
 employ of the government, and not only was the 
 garrison at Kampala largely composed of them, 
 but they were scattered over the country to form 
 garrisons for various forts under the command of 
 British ofBcers. That their influence upon the people 
 
THE SECOND .MUTINY. 321 
 
 of the country had been an evil (jiie, can hardly be 
 doubted, but, at the same time, they were well- 
 trained fighting men, and served a useful purpose. 
 During 1897, they had their hands full, going from 
 one place to another, in order to put down the 
 revolution, and in August, Major Ternan left for 
 the coast with a company of Sudanese who had 
 been engaged in the recent fighting, in order that 
 they might join Major Macdonald, who had been 
 commissioned by the British Foreign Office to con- 
 duct an exploratory expedition to the north of Lake 
 Rudolph. Major Ternan accordingly met Major 
 Macdonald, as arranged, and the latter was just 
 starting northwards, when, owing to certain reasons, 
 disaffection spread amongst the Sudanese who had 
 come from Uganda, who accordingly deserted him. 
 Of the causes of their disaffection, and the blame 
 which might be attached to one or another in this 
 unfortunate affair, it would be out of place to enter 
 on here, suffice it to say that after unsuccessful 
 attempts on the part of Mr. Jackson to come to 
 terms with them, they made their way towards 
 Uganda. They were joined by other Sudanese 
 from the forts of Nandi and Mumia's, and eventually 
 reached Luba's in Busoga. 
 
 With this brief statement we may now turn to 
 the graphic account of the outbreak of the mutiny 
 given by Dr. A. R. Cook. 
 
 " In Camp at Luba's, 
 
 October 23rd, 1897. 
 Terrible things have happened in Uganda. 
 About three weeks ago, 300 Sudanese soldiers from 
 Y 
 
322 PILKIXGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 the Kampala garrison at Mengo were sent to the 
 Ravine (Eldoma station). Here they mutinied, and 
 looted a large store of the Government Agent's. All 
 the Government stations in Uganda are manned by 
 Sudanese — perhaps i,8oo in all. After revolting, they 
 determined to march back to Mengo, raise the 
 standard of revolt, kill the Europeans, and start a 
 Sudanese kingdom here. They arrived at the station 
 of Nandi and looted it, obtaining, among other 
 things, 3,000 rounds of ball cartridge. Fortified by 
 this and provided with plenty of ammunition (nearly 
 40,000 rounds of ball cartridge), they marched on to 
 Mumia's. Here Tomkins, though he had only heard 
 native reports, had fully grasped the situation and 
 promptly disarmed all his garrison, armed the few 
 Swahilis he could get, and prepared to fight to the 
 death. He cut down all the bushes round, &c., and, 
 when the mutineers appeared, they were so cowed 
 they failed to attack. Passing on through Busoga, 
 they killed the natives and looted the cattle, finally 
 appearing before the fort at Luba's. 
 
 Meanwhile, rumours were brought to us at Mengo 
 of what was going on, and Major Thruston started 
 off at once to meet the mutineers. Though repeatedly 
 warned, he declared he was perfectly confident as to 
 the loyalty of his men, and, being a splendid Arabic 
 scholar, was confident that he could persuade his 
 troops to remain loyal. He crossed over to Luba's 
 and admitted thirty of the mutineers to a conference. 
 They immediately revolted, with the whole garrison 
 at Luba's, and seized Major Thruston and the 
 commander of the fort, Wilson, and tied them up. 
 
THR SFXOND MUTINY. . 323 
 
 They then occupied the fort. Of course, the great 
 danger was a general rising of the Sudanese through- 
 out Uganda and the massacre of the Europeans. 
 
 We heard the news at Mengo on Monday night 
 (October i8th). The officers were seized on the 
 Saturday, and we also heard that our two Busoga 
 missionaries, Weatherhead and Wilson, were both 
 in chains in the fort. This turned out to be false. 
 Special messages were instantly sent out to all 
 the ladies and other missionaries to come into the 
 capital. That night we hardly got any sleep, as it 
 was feared the Sudanese garrison would rise. It 
 was decided, on the advice of the native chiefs, not 
 to send the ladies away to an island, as they said 
 they would be probably speared en route by the 
 Bakopi. Early in the morning, we made our way to 
 Kampala, and rifles and ammunition were served out 
 to us, the Hotchkiss gun and Maxim were got ready, 
 and then the Sudanese were summoned to lay down 
 their arms, which, to our great relief, they did. 
 Meanwhile, the Baganda were being summoned in 
 from every side, and hurried off to the Nile to 
 prevent the Sudanese from crossing. It was a great 
 answer to prayer that the Sudanese were disarmed 
 so quietly. None of us quite knew if we should go 
 back that morning. 
 
 On Tuesday, October 19th, matters were so 
 threatening that Mr. Wilson (the Acting-Commis- 
 sioner of Uganda) asked for volunteers from the 
 missionaries, as he wanted to give moral support to 
 the Baganda, and they placed great confidence in 
 the missic^naries. We at once held a conference of 
 
324 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 all the male missionaries in Mengo, and it was 
 decided that Pilkington and myself should go — 
 Pilkington to act as interpreter, myself for medical 
 duty. This was the unanimous opinion of Archdeacon 
 Walker and all the missionaries. Meanwhile, the 
 Mohammedan Baganda had joined the rebels, and 
 things looked worse and worse. Fortunately, the 
 ex-Mohammedan king, who is a political prisoner at 
 Mengo, remained loyal to the Government, and 
 actually sent in the letters he had received from the 
 rebels telling him to make himself king and kill 
 us all. 
 
 The attacking expedition consisted of fifteen 
 Europeans and 2,500 Baganda, but, at the last 
 moment, all the Europeans — save Pilkington, 
 myself, Captain Malony, and Mr. Malick — were 
 recalled, and also 1,000 of the Baganda, to make 
 the capital quite secure. 
 
 We started — i.e. Pilkington and myself — at 3 p.m. 
 on Wednesday afternoon, and pitched our camp 
 with the Katikiro, only four miles from Mengo. 
 After three and a half hours' sleep, we struck camp 
 at 4 a.m., and marched thirty-one miles to Ngogwe. 
 We were not too tired, though my arms were badly 
 burnt by the sun ; for, as the sky was covered with 
 clouds, I marched with my coat off and my shirt- 
 sleeves rolled up to the elbow. At Ngogwe we 
 found Baskerville, who decided to stick to his post 
 until we returned, as in all probability the station 
 would be looted if he left. He is now in no danger, 
 as our army is between him and the Nubians. 
 
 Meanwhile, we heard the distressing news that 
 
THE SFXOND MUTINY. 325 
 
 the Government steamer, which had been sent with 
 forty Sudanese soldiers and a Maxim to fight the 
 rebels, had fallen into their hands. These Sudanese 
 revolted and joined their companions, seizing the 
 unfortunate engineer. We had also the good news 
 that Major Macdonald and nine other Europeans 
 had hastily armed 300 Swahili porters, and, with 
 eighteen Sikhs, were keeping one day's march behind 
 the mutineers. Pilkington and I were well ahead of 
 the other Europeans and were able to open up com- 
 munication with Macdonald. 
 
 All the ladies and men, with the exception of the 
 two Koki missionaries and Buckley in Toro, were 
 now in the capital. Weatherhead had a marvellous 
 escape. He was on his way up to the capital for a 
 visit to Ngogwe, when, hearing there was trouble in 
 Busoga, and not understanding that the Sudanese 
 had risen, he at once started back to look after his 
 station. He arrived at Luba's at 4 a.m., Saturday 
 morning, just as the rebels were tying up the officers, 
 and, passing quietly through them, went over the 
 hill to his station and lay down to rest. In a short 
 time, however, Unwa, the faithful Buganda teacher, 
 rushed in and told him of his imminent peril. 
 Groups of Sudanese were then passing the house, 
 and he hurried him away through the bananas and 
 jungle, and crossed the Nile at Jinja (the Ripon 
 Falls), and so on to Ngogwe, carrying him on his 
 back part of the way, and then put him in a 
 canoe and sent him to Mengo, where he is now 
 safe and sound. Of our other missionary in 
 Busoga, Wilson, we have no definite news, but 
 
316 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 believe he is quite safe, as he is twenty-live miles 
 north. 
 
 To return to Pilkington and myself. After a very 
 disturbed night at Ngogwe, we pressed sternly on, 
 and at g a.m. sighted the Nile in the far distance. 
 We arrived opposite Luba's, and saw the rebel fort 
 five miles across the Nile at 1.45 p.m., having 
 reached the Nile (fifty-nine miles) in forty-six and 
 a half hours after leaving Mengo. Meanwhile, 
 Major Macdonald had fought a great battle on the 
 19th, and, though driving off the rebels, was very 
 short of ammunition. One European, Fielding, was 
 killed and two wounded, including the doctor. We 
 had sent back urgent messages for ammunition, and 
 at 10 p.m. it arrived. There were only two small 
 canoes, however, so we sent it on and crossed over 
 with the Katikiro and a fleet of twelve canoes in the 
 morning, and, making a long detour to avoid the 
 rebel fort, arrived at Macdonald's camp at noon, 
 where we had a most warm welcome. Meanwhile, 
 (on the 20th) the rebels had brutally murdered the 
 three prisoners — Major Thruston, Wilson (the 
 Government captain), and Scott (the engineer). Mr. 
 Jackson, who was on his way to be Acting-Commis- 
 sioner until Mr. Berkeley returns, is severely 
 wounded in the shoulder, and thanked us most 
 warmly for coming. Dr. Macpherson was wounded 
 himself, and, though suffering, had all the wounded 
 to look after ; he was most grateful for my assistance. 
 
 The fight on Tuesday was most severe ; Major 
 Macdonald's party managed to arrive at the summit 
 of this hill without the Nubians seeing them. He 
 
THE SECOND MUTINY. 327 
 
 had with him two Maxims, about 250 Swahih porters 
 armed with Sniders and Martinis, eighteen Sikhs, 
 and nine other Europeans. Next morning, 300 of 
 the Sudanese, who, of course, are well armed and 
 disciplined, came up laughing and chatting, and 
 saying they did not want to light. Major Macdonald 
 was not a man to be caught napping, and quietly 
 got everything ready. Suddenly the Sudanese 
 crammed cartridges in their rifles, and lired on the 
 Europeans, and for over five hours a fierce battle 
 raged, the men often firing at only thirty yards' 
 distance. At length the ammunition of the Major's 
 party began to fail, and, giving the word to charge, 
 they made a desperate effort and drove the Sudanese 
 back, who then retired to their fort, where they have 
 remained since. They lost sixty-four killed and 
 thirty or forty wounded ; our side, one European and 
 sixteen Swahilis, and many severely wounded. The 
 Sikhs fought magnificently. 
 
 Some 2,500 Baganda have now crossed over, and 
 the rebels are cooped up. The Hotchkiss gun is 
 expected in to-morrow, and if they do not surrender 
 then, I suppose there will be some desperate fighting. 
 Of course, there are no non-combatants in Centra 
 Africa, and Pilkington and I take our turn at night 
 duty, etc., each having our allotted station in case of 
 an attack. The view from here is superb, thirty 
 miles each way. Through the telescope we can see 
 the rebels walking about below ; two or three days 
 longer will settle it. There are still some corpses 
 lying unburied, but the vultures and hyatnas are 
 clearing them a\va\-. 
 
328 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 My hands are very busy with the wounded. I 
 know how much you will remember us in prayer — it 
 is a very serious time for Uganda. We cannot feel 
 certain as to the garrisons in Budu (300 Sudanese 
 and two officers), or in Toro and Bunyoro. The 
 answers to prayer have been wonderful. The camp 
 is pitched about the very spot where Bishop 
 Hannington was seized. If it comes to a fight, 
 Pilkington and myself will stick together. I feel 
 sure we are here in the line of God's will." 
 
 "October 24th, (Sunday). 
 
 Mail now going — the rebels are hemmed in and 
 cannot possibly escape. The men here are practising 
 for an attack as I am writing. We had an alarm 
 this morning, and all turned out ; but the enemy 
 merely sent out a strong picket. There are now 
 most of the big Baganda chiefs with us, and perhaps 
 3,000 or 4,000 spearmen and guns. Port Victoria 
 and Ntebe are practically abandoned. The capital 
 is strongly manned and quite safe. No one quite 
 knows what will happen, but it will be just right. 
 Of course. Mission work in the country is almost 
 stopped. The ladies behaved very pluckily when 
 the alarm came. All eight are at the capital, and 
 probably Namirembe Hill will be fortified. 
 
 Poor Thruston ! Only a few days ago he was 
 chatting with me, and showing me his sketches 
 from Bunyoro ; and Wilson, too, last time I was 
 here, he so kindly entertained us — and now . 
 
 God has been very good to us and the whole 
 Mission. For a time there was very real danger, 
 
rHi-: SHCoxD ^1UTIN^^ 329 
 
 but now I trust it is passing over. x\ll of us 
 Europeans (except the sick ones) are messing 
 together. I must now close." 
 
 Dr. Cook has already referred to the reasons 
 which led him and Pilkington, after conference with 
 the other Missionaries and with their unanimous 
 approval, to help in quelling the mutiny ; but as it 
 is of the greatest importance to understand the 
 circumstances aright, it may be well to quote 
 Pilkington's own view of his position and also that 
 of Major Macdonald. 
 
 On November 23rd, Pilkington wrote a letter 
 to be sent home in case of his death, in which he 
 says : — 
 
 " We go down to-morrow morning to attack the 
 Sudanese, and, as it is possible that I may be 
 killed, I write this to be sent to you in that case. 
 I hope you won't think my being here and my 
 going down with Capt. Woodward unjustifiable for 
 a Missionary. It seems to me to be my clear duty, 
 and I go without any doubt or hesitation. I may 
 be able to save many lives by maintaining a clear 
 understanding between Woodward and the Waganda : 
 to put it another way, a misunderstanding might 
 cost many lives." 
 
 But nothing could make matters clearer than the 
 following letter from Major Macdonald, in answer 
 to a letter from Archdeacon Walker, asking how 
 soon it would be possible to dispense with the 
 services of the other Missionaries who remained 
 with Major Macdonald after Pilkington's death: — 
 
 •• With reference to vour wish to know whether 
 
330 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 it would not be possible to withdraw from the army 
 in Usoga the two members of the C.M.S. who are 
 serving with the forces there, I have the honour to 
 inform you that I consider such a step would be 
 highly undesirable and fraught with public danger. 
 Messrs. Lloyd and Fletcher, together with the late 
 Mr. Pilkington, whose death I so deeply deplore, 
 have lent invaluable assistance in acting as inter- 
 preters between the Government officers and the 
 Waganda, in carrying orders and in preventing 
 misunderstandings which might so easily occur. 
 Their withdrawal in this crisis would undoubtedly 
 greatly detract from the value of our Uganda levies, 
 who, in the siege of the mutineers' fort, at Lubwa's, 
 have to fight in a way to which they are quite 
 unaccustomed. I have no hesitation in saying that, 
 but for the presence of the members of the Mission 
 with the army in Usoga, the Waganda would lose 
 far more heavily than they have done, as they would 
 not so fully understand the wishes and plans of 
 the officer commanding. 
 
 I need hardly mention that the present military 
 operations are quite different from an ordinary 
 campaign in Uganda, as our very existence, whether 
 Government officials, missionaries, or traders, 
 depends on our quelling this mutiny. It behoves 
 all British subjects, whatever their profession, to 
 stand together until the mutiny is suppressed, and, 
 far from agreeing to the withdrawal of Messrs. 
 Lloyd and Fletcher, I would ask you whether you 
 could not spare another member of your Mission 
 to help these gentlemen in their arduous duties. 
 
THK SECOND MUTINY. 331 
 
 I am aware that these duties are not those for 
 which they came to Uganda, but when the existence 
 of the Protectorate, and consequently of the 
 Missions, the lives and honour of English ladies, 
 and the saving of bloodshed are at stake, I have no 
 hesitation m calling on all British subjects to assist 
 in these military operations to the extent of their 
 power." 
 
 When these circumstances are realised, and when 
 it is understood that the Missionaries were not 
 fighting against the natives of the country, but 
 standing shoulder to shoulder with their own native 
 brethren to help to defend them and their country 
 from what was in effect a foreign invader, who 
 could suggest that they were not in the place of 
 duty? 
 
 But to return to the situation in Busoga. On 
 November 4th, Dr. Cook returned to Mengo in 
 charge of Mr. Jackson and others who were 
 wounded. Pilkington still remained on, anJ on 
 November 12th, 1897, after referring to the battle 
 described by Dr. Cook, which took place on 
 October igth, he writes : — 
 
 " Next afternoon, the friendly Waganda began 
 arriving, and then the position began to change to 
 what it is now ; the Sudanese shut into their fort, 
 and getting into a bad way for want of food. 
 
 The Waganda have twice fought with them, and 
 inflicted considerable loss, losing themselves, alas, 
 some 25 killed and 80 wounded ; five of the killed, 
 teachers of ours. We are waiting now for ammunition 
 before going down to the fort to invest it by making 
 
332 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA. 
 
 a fort or forts if necessary round it. I am to go 
 with Major Macdonald as ' staff officer ! ' in order to 
 interpret between him and the Waganda. 
 
 We had a night attack the other day ; the 
 Sudanese came up in the middle of a great storm 
 and fired 20 or 30 shots ; we fired 137, inchiding 
 some rounds from the Maxim. It was 12.30 a.m., 
 and I got wet through. We have night watches, 
 after every second night, at first more frequently. 
 
 The Waganda fought most bravely the other 
 day, to the great surprise and admiration of the 
 men here ; but their praise is poor compensation 
 for the lives of our friends. 
 
 Dr. Cook returned a week ago to the Capital 
 with Mr. Jackson (shot through one lung, going on 
 well) and other wounded. About the same time 
 Fletcher, Lloyd and Wilson, all of C.M.S., came 
 here, so we are four missionaries here ; and two 
 Roman Catholics came a few days later. 
 
 Captain Kirkpatrick, one of Major Macdonald's 
 officers, is a cousin of Lefroy of Delhi, and met E — 
 at Delhi. 
 
 Captain Woodward, also, was at Harrow, and 
 so knows many whom I know. 
 
 Major Macdonald, you remember, was in 
 Uganda before, and saved the country from a 
 Mohammedan outbreak. He has saved it a second 
 time now. No man has been in Uganda for whom 
 I have a greater respect and admiration. 
 
 The great danger was that the rest of the 
 Sudanese in Uganda and Unyoro, over a thousand 
 in all, would join the mutineers, and that they 
 
THR SF:C0XI) AlUTIXV. 333 
 
 would be joined by all the Mohammedan Waganda : 
 or that the rebel heathen part\-, Mwanga's friends, 
 would seize the opportunity to make fresh trouble. 
 However, up the present all is quiet. 
 
 The rest of Major Macdonald's expedition, 400 
 strong and four Europeans, have been sent for. 
 And 800 Indian soldiers from the Coast are ex- 
 pected in a couple of months. Then things ought 
 to be pretty secure. But, after all, our trust is, 
 and has been, in God, who has always so wonder- 
 fully overruled all sorts of evil in this country to 
 His glory invariably." 
 
 " Luba's, 
 
 26th November, 1897. 
 
 Dearest Mother, — 
 
 I must write a line to tell you of the fight 
 two days ago, lest you should be anxious. We went 
 down to the fort first thing in the morning, the 
 Wasoga and Waganda on our flanks. However, 
 the Waganda went too fast ahead, and were met by 
 the Sudanese, whom they drove back into the fort, 
 but with frightful loss to themselves, 71 killed 180 
 wounded, among them one of my friends, Obadiya. 
 who wrote you that letter, shot dead. 
 
 We t 00k up a line about 250 or 300 yards from 
 the fort. I was with Woodward, who was in 
 command, about 50 yards further back, but I 
 spent most of the day superintending the making, by 
 Waganda, of a fort which we intended to occupy at 
 night, about 450 yards from the fort. Firing was 
 very brisk at first, and two or three sorties were 
 
334 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 made, and driven back, but the heavy tiring was too 
 much for the Waganda workmen, of whom one was 
 killed and one wounded ; but they would run away 
 in parties when the bullets came much over our 
 heads ; and so by evening the fort was not finished, 
 and we had to leave it. The Sudanese broke it up 
 next morning. 
 
 The position in Uganda is still serious, because 
 more Sudanese may mutiny, or there may be a fresh 
 anti-European rebellion among the Waganda ; but 
 these things haven't happened yet, thank God. 
 And the Sudanese here are much reduced in 
 numbers, and can have very little communication 
 left. 
 
 The rest of Major Macdonald's expedition (450 
 rifles) is expected soon, and Indian troops. 
 
 It's terrible to see these Waganda being killed 
 in a quarrel not theirs but ours 
 
 It was some comfort to share a little of the 
 danger the other day. I sometimes half wish that 
 some of us Europeans had been killed, or at any 
 rate wounded, if it weren't for friends at home. 
 
 All the Europeans except those on watch and 
 three Roman Catholics came to a prayer Meeting 
 the evening before. 
 
 We, and the Country, and God's work here, are 
 all in His hands, and it's all right. 
 
 Your loving son, 
 
 G. L. Pilkington." 
 
 This letter, written in pencil, is actually the last 
 letter received from him. 
 
THE SECOND MUTINY. 335 
 
 On December nth, the following:;- letter was 
 written by Major Macdonald to Archdeacon 
 Walker :— 
 
 nth December, 1897. 
 
 Dear Archdeacon, — 
 
 I am very sorry to say that Pilkington was 
 killed in to-day's fight. I know w^hat a loss this 
 is to you all and to Uganda, and more especially 
 does my heart-felt sympathy go out to Miss Taylor, 
 as such brave, fine men as Pilkington are scarcely 
 found. I cannot quite express what I feel, as not 
 only have I lost in Pilkington an old friend, but my 
 brother was also killed in to-day's fight. We also 
 lost seven natives killed and fifteen wounded, and 
 the Waganda lost three killed and ten wounded, 
 but the Nubians were completely defeated, and lost 
 more than all our loss together. 
 
 The Nubians fought desperately to prevent our 
 cutting the last of their shambas on the right, but 
 it was no use ; they were repulsed at every point 
 and driven from the position they took up, and the 
 Waganda, under Fletcher, completed the destruction 
 of the shambas. 
 
 So our victory, though dearly purchased, was 
 complete. 
 
 Yours very sincerely, 
 
 W. R. S. Macdonald." 
 
 This letter was accompanied by a detailed account 
 of that sad day from the pen of Mr. A. B. Lloyd : — 
 
336 PILKIXGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 " The Fort, Luba's Hill, 
 
 December nth, 1897. 
 
 But I must tell you some of the details. It was 
 arranged this morning that the banana gardens 
 from which the Nubians get their food should be 
 cut down by the Waganda. A covering party was 
 to go out to the front, clear the gardens of all 
 Nubians, and the cutting party directed by our dear 
 brother, to follow after. The advance began about 
 seven a.m. Pilkington took up his position with 
 Captain Harrison, who was leading the attack. 
 Presently Pilkington's boy (Aloni), who was by his 
 side, shouted out ' There they are, close to us.' 
 Both Pilkington and Captain Harrison saw men 
 coming towards them, but thought them Waganda, 
 and told Aloni so, but he being quite sure about it, 
 fired a shot into them as they advanced, and this 
 proved, without doubt, that they were Nubians, for 
 they then opened their fire upon our men. One man 
 took several deliberate aims at Pilkington, but 
 missed him. Then Pilkington fired a few shots at 
 him, but the shots went wide, and then it was that he 
 fired again at our brother, shooting him right through 
 the thigh and bursting the femoral artery. He 
 cried out, ' Harrison, I'm hit,' and sat down on the 
 ground. One of Harrison's Nubian officers then 
 shot at the man, who was still close by, w^ho had 
 wounded Pilkington. He missed him, and the 
 fellow returned the fire, hitting the officer in the 
 left arm, breaking his arm, and shouted out to him, 
 ' Bilal, what are you doing here ? Go back to 
 Egypt. Have you come here to fight against vour 
 
THE SECOND MUTINY. 337 
 
 brothers?* ' Yes,' said Bilal, 'you arc rebels, and 
 we will wipe you all out.' And with his right hand 
 he drew his revolver and shot the man who had 
 killed Pilkington. 
 
 While this was going on Harrison had made 
 arrangements for some Waganda to carry Pilkington 
 back to the fort. Aloni knelt down by his side and 
 said, ' Sebo bakukubye,' (' Sir, have they shot you ? ') 
 Pilkington replied, ' Wewao omwana wange bank- 
 ubeye ' (' Yes, my child, they have shot me ') ; then 
 he seemed to get suddenly very weak, and Aloni said 
 to him, ' My master, j^ou are dying, death has 
 come,' to which he replied, ' Yes, my child, it is as 
 you say." Then Aloni said, ' Sebo, he that 
 believeth in Christ, although he die, yet shall he live. 
 To this Pilkington replied, ' Yes, my child it is as 
 you say, shall nevej' die.' Then they carried him 
 some little distance to the rear of the battle 
 which was now raging most furiously. When 
 they had put him down again he turned to those 
 w^ho carried him and said, ' Thank you, my 
 friends, you have done well to take me off the 
 battle-field ; and now give me rest,' and almost 
 immediately he became insensible and rested from 
 his pain. 
 
 They then brought him into the camp, but we 
 soon saw that the end was very near. We did all 
 we could to restore him, but he fell quietly asleep 
 about 8.30. 
 
 Just before they brought in Pilkington, Lieu- 
 tenant Macdonald was brought in quite dead, 
 shot right through the spine by Nubians concealed 
 7. 
 
338 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 in the long grass. It was awful work, and one's 
 heart seemed to melt within one. 
 
 The fight lasted till about 12 o'clock midday. 
 The banana cutting went on ahead and a huge 
 garden was levelled to the ground. Fletcher took 
 Pilkington's place in this work. At midday, the 
 force came back to the fort. The Nubians had 
 fought with more determination than ever before. 
 They made repeated charges down upon our men 
 and poured in volleys of shot. Still, our total loss 
 was comparatively small. I suppose, all counted, 
 Waganda and all, not more than 30 killed and 
 wounded. The Nubians, we think, lost far more 
 than that. We are hoping that they have got 
 through their cartridges, and that they will not 
 again be able to fight with such cruel results. But 
 it is a bad business, and there must be a good deal 
 of fighting yet before all is over." 
 
 "December 12th. 
 
 Last night another attack was made by the 
 Nubians upon our lower fort, but with little success 
 — not more than two wounded on our side. 
 
 We buried Macdonald and Pilkington last even- 
 ing under a tree outside of this fort. I read the 
 English burial service, and all the Europeans, with 
 the Sikhs, attended. A most solemn time." 
 
CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 A LAST WORD. 
 
 To give expression in any adequate degree to the 
 sense of the loss sustained by the Church of Christ 
 and the British nation generally, by the death of 
 George Pilkington, would occupy more space than 
 we have at our disposal. The public Press, secular 
 and religious. Committees of Missionary Societies, 
 and individuals of all ranks and opinions, have 
 joined with one voice in lamenting the sudden 
 cutting off of a life characterised by such singular 
 gifts and graces. 
 
 But most touching of all are the messages that 
 have been received from the people of Uganda, from 
 his fellow-missionaries, and from Government 
 officials who knew him in the field. 
 
 First of all we may give, as representing the 
 feelings of the Christians of Uganda, the letter of 
 the Rev. Henry Wright Duta, Pilkington's chief 
 assistant in the translation of the Bible. He writes 
 to the Rev. E. Millar as follows: — 
 
 " Uganda, 
 
 December 14th, 1897. 
 My Dear Millar, — 
 
 How are you, m\' friend ? 1 Lell you 
 about the sorrow which has jus I come to us about 
 
340 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 our brother, Mr. Pilkington, whom we love very 
 much. He was killed in the Sudanese war in 
 Usoga on December nth. 
 
 When he saw that the Baganda and the Govern- 
 ment were going to war with the Sudanese because 
 they had mutinied — you know what his love for us 
 is — he went to the war with Dr. Cook, Lloyd, and 
 Fletcher ; and of the Baganda many — no — were 
 killed, but of all the English not one was killed. 
 Pilkington was very sorry, and said, ' I want very 
 much to die. I should have liked to have died in 
 place of those Baganda.' Well, when they fought 
 for the fourth time they killed him and Lieutenant 
 Macdonald, but we were all very much distressed at 
 the death of Pilkington. We all shed tears ; we 
 cried our eyes out. Of Pilkington we have only 
 now the footprints ; but it is difficult to follow in 
 the footsteps when the leader is not there. Pilking- 
 ton has died, but his work has not died ; it is still 
 with us. He preached to all men the Gospel — 
 Protestants, Roman Catholics, and Mohammedans, 
 all lamented him when he died, because he was 
 beloved by all. He always welcomed both the wise 
 and the foolish. All black people were his friends. 
 
 We jsorrow very much, beyond our strength ; 
 we do not see among the missionaries whom we 
 have anyone who can fill his place and take on his 
 work. I worked very hard at teaching him 
 Luganda ; he learnt it very well, and was able to 
 speak Luganda like a native, and could translate 
 any book into Luganda without my help, and I was 
 not afraid of him making any mistakes. 
 
A LAST WORD. 341 
 
 You see this is what makes all of us Baganda so 
 sad. Where is another Englishman to give himself 
 as he did to this work of translating our books ? 
 
 Therefore, I want you, if you are still in 
 England, and have not yet left, to go to the Com- 
 mittee of the Church Missionary Society and tell 
 them how our brother Pilkington has been killed ; 
 tell them the Baganda sorrow very much for 
 Pilkington — that if we could write their language 
 (English) we would have written to them in tears, 
 and our tears would have fallen upon the letter as 
 we begged them to seek for a man of Pilkington's 
 ability, and to beg him to come here and take on 
 Pilkington's work. 
 
 His body will be disinterred from Usoga, and 
 buried here in Uganda, near our church, that we 
 may always remember him. If we had known 
 how to carve his likeness on stone we would have 
 done it ; but the sight of his tomb will suffice us. 
 
 My friend Millar, I entreat you, do not fail to 
 send my message to the leaders of the C.M.S., that 
 they may send us someone to succeed Pilkington ; 
 and you yourself, do you beseech with tears those 
 Christians, who have hearts filled with the love of 
 Jesus Christ, to come and pity us and help us. 
 
 It would be an excellent thing to circulate this 
 letter among all the English. I know their love 
 for us. They will hear us. I trust so. 
 
 H. W. D. KiLAKULE." 
 
 "Someone to succeed Pilkington," that is the 
 plea of the Church in Uganda, and shall they 
 
342 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 plead in vain ? To our readers we leave the 
 answer to this question. 
 
 By his colleagues his loss is very keenly felt, as 
 the following extracts from letters by Archdeacon 
 Walker and the Rev. G. K. Baskerville, clearly show. 
 
 Archdeacon Walker, in a private letter from Ugan- 
 da, dated December 21st, 1897, writes as follows: — 
 
 '' By telegram you will have heard of the sad loss 
 this Mission has sustained in the death of Mr. 
 Pilkington. We have lost not only a friend, but 
 one who was completely devoted to the work here. 
 Pilkington was always ready to give advice, and to 
 hear patiently any matter that concerned the good of 
 these people. He was a man of very great intellectual 
 ability, and had gained a very complete knowledge 
 of the native language. We had hoped that he 
 would have prepared many useful books for these 
 people. A commentary, and histories, as well as a 
 grammar and dictionary, were all in contemplation, 
 and partly begun. We always looked to Pilkington 
 for advice in any forward movement. He was so 
 fair in all his judgments, and so much respected and 
 beloved by all the people, that his influence was 
 very largely felt. We always felt that Pilkington 
 was so much in sympathy with the natives that he 
 could do almost anything he liked with them. But 
 now he has been taken from us, and we are deprived 
 of all the help and comfort his presence gave us. I 
 trust the native Christians, and especially the 
 ordained men, will exert themselves, and so supply 
 in some measure what we have lost." 
 
 Mr. Baskerville, \vho was Pilkington's companion 
 
A LAST WORD. 343 
 
 on so many occasions, and especially in his journeys 
 to and from Africa, writes : — 
 
 " My heart bleeds about dear Pilkington. I can- 
 not see how the gap will be filled in the work. 
 Clear head, sound judgment, grasp of native 
 language, customs, &c. ; universally respected by all 
 creeds, a born leader. I feel as if I ought to write 
 an ' In Memoriam,' but what can I say ? " 
 
 From the Administration comes the following 
 remarkable tribute. 
 
 " Kampala, 
 
 December 13th, 1897. 
 
 Sir, — 
 
 I have been asked by Mr. Jackson and the 
 whole of the staff of this Administration to give 
 expression to the deep and heart-felt sympathy, 
 which they feel with the members of the Church 
 Missionary Society in the loss they have sustained 
 by the death of our friend, Mr. Pilkington. 
 
 We join with you all the more deeply, in that 
 we feel that the misfortune is one that falls upon all 
 Uganda, and I am sure that no higher tribute could 
 be paid, nor one which Mr. Pilkington would have 
 esteemed greater, than the sorrow which is expressed 
 by the native population of the country for which 
 he has worked so hard, and for the honour of which, 
 I believe we can say in all sincerity, he has given up 
 his life. 
 
 I am. Sir, 
 Your most obedient, humble servant, 
 
 George Wilson. 
 The Venerable Archdeacon Walker. 
 
 Namirembe."' 
 
344 PILKINGTON OF UGANDA. 
 
 Captain Villiers, of the Royal Horse Guards, 
 who had known Pilkington in Uganda, bears the 
 following testimony to his work : — " It is owing to 
 the attachment of the Protestant Waganda to men 
 like Mr. Pilkington, that we have been able to hold 
 Uganda so easily up the present time. In Mr. 
 Pilkington's death the cause of civilization in 
 Africa has received a severe blow, and England has 
 lost a most devoted servant." 
 
 One more quotation may be given, and that is 
 from the letter of Bishop Hanlon, the English 
 Roman Catholic Bishop in Uganda, who writes to 
 Archdeacon Walker : — " We do heartily condole 
 with you in the deep affliction that has befallen you 
 by the death of a dear friend and fellow-labourer of 
 such ability. I can to some extent realize, dear 
 Archdeacon, what the death of a member of Mr. 
 Pilkington's worth must mean to your mission, and 
 that he has left a void it will be difficult to fill." 
 
 From later information we learn that the wish of 
 the people was carried out, and " on Friday, 
 March i8th, Mr. Pilkington's body, which had been 
 brought from Busoga, was buried with military 
 honours at Mengo. The Acting Administrator and 
 Major Macdonald and most of the officials and a 
 large crowd of natives were present. The coffin 
 was covered with a Union Jack, and a party of 
 Swahilis and Punjabis fired a volley over the grave. 
 The Rev. Henry Wright Duta and the Rev. G. K. 
 Baskerville conducted the service. A grave had been 
 dug in line with those of the other Europeans who 
 had been buried on what is called the ' Church Hill." " 
 
A LAST WORD. 345 
 
 Of the state of affairs in Uganda after Pilkington's 
 death, it is sufficient to say that, after considerable 
 trouble in dealing both with detachments of the 
 mutineers and also with Mwanga and his con- 
 federates, the peace of the country seems to have 
 been once more secured. Missionary work has 
 been re-opened in many places where temporarily 
 it had been closed, including Luba's in Busoga, and 
 it is hoped that the future may see a great 
 development from Uganda as a centre for all the 
 surrounding countries. 
 
 And now we have told our story, and we may 
 close most fitly by giving Pilkington's concluding 
 message from the little pamphlet, "The Gospel in 
 Uganda," and which is entitled, "A Last Word." 
 
 "We have stood together now in fancy on 
 Namirembe's far-viewing summit ; we have looked 
 across Unyoro's plains into the far Nile valley and 
 the vast Sudan : we have gazed in imagination 
 across the Albert on into the Great Forest, and 
 wondered when that strange pigmy race will learn 
 that they, too, are objects of the Eternal Love. 
 We have looked across many a mile into wild 
 Kavirondo ; we have pictured the great Lake the 
 centre of a united, active Church, sending its 
 evangelists east and west, north and south, to many 
 nations and many tongues. 
 
 But now comes the question : Is all to end here ? 
 
 Oh, let us be real ! Emotion is no substitute for 
 action. You love Africa, do you ? ' God so loved 
 that He gave — ' 
 
 God gave — what? Superfluities? Leavings ? That 
 which cost Him nothing? 
 A 2 
 
346 PILKINGTON OP UGANDA. 
 
 ' When ye shall have done all. say. We are 
 unprolitable servants ; we have done that which was 
 our duty to do.' 
 
 If we are doing less than all, we are robbing God. 
 
 What is the present position ? 
 
 (i.) The Son of God sitting on the right hand of 
 His Father, all power in heaven and earth His, 
 having reached the gift of the Holy Ghost to pour 
 on each yielded, believing soul. 
 
 (ii.) The world wide open almost e\'erywhere. 
 
 (iii.) Two-thirds, at least, of the human race 
 having never heard the message of forgiveness which 
 is for all. 
 
 (iv.) Mohammedanism and Heathenism and In- 
 fidelity increasing more rapidly than Christianity ! 
 
 (v.) Christians (so we call ourselves) satisfied ! Is 
 God satisfied ? 
 
 We salve our consciences by doing a little, and 
 refuse to recognize the fact that the work for which 
 the Lord died is not being done. 
 
 A house is being built : the workman, paid by the 
 day, does not care if for each brick he lays two 
 others fall down : he gets his pay. 
 
 But is the Master satisfied ? 
 
 Let us confess that hitherto we have only been 
 playing at Missions. God has given us much more 
 than our miserable efforts have deserved. 
 
 Let us begin in a new way. 
 
 New prayer ; new giving ; new going. 
 
 The World for Christ, Christ for the World, in 
 this generation ! " 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Accompanying Troops, Reasons 
 for, 217, 323, 329. 
 
 Acland, Sir Henry, 250. 
 
 Aloni, 336, 2,2,7. 
 
 Anonya Alaba, 246, 270. 
 
 Ashe, Rev. R. P., 132, 139; 
 Translations, 146, 265. 
 
 Baganda, IF4, 224, 295 ; Thirst 
 for knowledge, 12 1-3, 136-8, 
 iS'j 199 ; Political parties, 
 121, 168; Evangelistic work, 
 145-7, 275-280; liaptisms, 
 284 ; Ordinations, &c., 209 ; 
 vSpiritual revival, 222 - 239 ; 
 Teachers, 231, 236, 273-4; 
 Native church, 272-286, 314. 
 
 Baptisms, 284. 
 
 Barter, Articles of, 76-7, 126, 
 148. 
 
 Baskerville, Rev. G. K., 63 ; 
 Ordination, in; Furlough, 
 240; Letters from, 160, 225- 
 230, 342. 
 
 Bassett, Mr., 4. 
 
 Bayima, 228. 
 
 Bedford, 51. 
 
 Bexhill, 262. 
 
 Bible Translation. 264-271. 
 
 Bicycle Journey, 302-310. 
 
 Binns, Rev. H. K.. 65. 
 
 Books, 137, 164-8, 193, 199, 200. 
 
 Boutflower, Rev. Cecil, 40. 
 
 British East Africa Company, 
 158, 170, 209. 
 
 Broadrick, Mrs., i 5. 
 
 Budu, 317. 
 
 Buganda, 114-5; Revolutions, 
 9c, 141, 161, 316 ; C. M. S. 
 work, 113, 157, 236; The 
 king, 119, 180-2, 316, 318, 
 324; Country, 120; Roman 
 Catholics, 142, 160-184; 
 Provinces, 147, 152; Civil 
 war, 161 -184; British Pro- 
 tectorate, 209 ; Mutinies, 210- 
 220, 320-338 ; Native church, 
 272-286; Missionary meet- 
 ings, 275-280 ; Future pros- 
 pects, 287-301 ; New king, 
 318. 
 
 Bugaya, 281. 
 
 Bukasa, 282. 
 
 Bushell, Rev. W. D., 48, 64, 248. 
 
 Busi, 279. 
 
 Busoga, 145-6, 201, 322-338. 
 
 Buvuma Islands, 281. 
 
 Cambridge, 20-40, 252. 
 
 Cathedral, 168, 201, 273. 
 
 Chadvvick, Miss, 309, 316. 
 
 Chagga, 75. 
 
 Children's Special Service 
 Mission, 23, 47, 132. 
 
 China Inland Mission, 43, 52. 
 
 Christian, The, 140. 
 
 Church Collections, 278-9. 
 
 Church Missionary Society : 
 Boat, 103-4, 108-111, 1 16-7; 
 Committee, 60-1, 205 ; Meet- 
 ings, 61-64, 159, 248-9. 
 Missionaries, 61-63, 65, ']2>'> 
 89, 91, 113,217; Policy, 52-4, 
 289-294,315; Secretaries, 58, 
 
INDEX. 
 
 65 ; Stations, 7^, 75> S9, 91, 
 103, 115, 120, 293. 
 Civil War, 160-184. 
 Classics, xii, xiii, 4, 20, 21, 35, 
 
 38, 41, 42, 50, 195-7, 252. 
 Clifton College, 44. 
 Climate, 115, 145, 150. 
 Clothing, 140, 187. 
 Cole, Rev. H., 92. 
 Cook, Dr. A. R., 320-9, 331. 
 Cooking, 131, :{ii. 
 Cotter, J. D. M., 63, 78. 
 Crabtree, Rev. W. A., 266. 
 Crawfurd, Mr., 66. 
 Daudi Chua, 318. 
 Deacons, 209. 
 Deekes, D., 107, no. 
 Dermott, Rev. J. V., 84, 94, 107. 
 De Winton, Mr., 139, 191. 
 Donkeys, 84, 86, 95. 
 Douglas, Rev. Shoito, 30. 
 Dover College, 47. 
 Dowse, Dean, 35, 313. 
 Drury, Rev. T. W., 270. 
 Dublin, 4. 
 Dunn, Mr., 11 1. 
 Duta, Henry Wright, 128, 130, 
 
 143, 163, 339. 
 Du Wallah, 174. 
 East Africa : Description of 
 Country, 70, 73, 89, 91, 94, 
 115, 120; Fauna and Flora, 
 70-4, 140, 190; Native races, 
 95, 114, 228, 319; Religions, 
 219, 299 ; British East Africa 
 Company, 158, 170, 209 (See 
 also " Buganda.") 
 El win, Rev. E. H., 47. 
 Emin Pasha, 82, 103, 149. 
 Fauna and Flora, 70-74, 140, 
 
 190. 
 Fever, 72, 78, 146. 
 Fisher, A. B., 231. 
 Food, 69, 86, 95, 102, 10;, 11: 
 
 186. 
 Football, 320. 
 Frere Town, 64. 
 
 Gleaners' Union Meetings, 159, 
 248. 
 
 Gordon, Rev. E. Cyril, 118, 124, 
 265. 
 
 Gordon, General, 288. 
 
 Hanlon, Bishop, 344. 
 
 Hannington, Bishop, 66, 328. 
 
 Harrow, 48, 109. 
 
 Heathenism, 219, 299. 
 
 Hey wood. Rev. R. S., 63. 
 
 Hill, Mr., 78, 83. 
 
 Holy Spirit, 222-9, 235, 258, 
 261. 
 
 Hooper, Rev. Douglas, 23, 51, 
 81, 84, III. 
 
 Hunt, Mr., 109. 
 
 Hyslop, Mr., 39, 48, 261. 
 
 Inskip, Rev. T. J., 44. 
 
 Interpretation, 207, 212, 324, 
 330. 
 
 Islands, 205, 232, 281-4. 
 
 Itinerary, 304-8. 
 Jackson, Mr., 321, 332. 
 Jaeger Boots. 40, 106, 187. 
 Jungo, 237. 
 
 Kampala, 176-8, 191, 210. 
 Kamswaga, King of Koki, 141, 
 
 276. 
 Kanta, 175-8. 
 
 Kasagama, King of Toro, 277. 
 Katikiro, 133, 174, 214, 227. 
 Keswick, 261. 
 Kiganda (Swahili), 114. (See 
 
 Luganda.) 
 Kilimanjaro, 73. 
 Kimbugwe, 152, 172. 
 Kimegi, 89. 
 King, G. A., 303, 313. 
 Kisokwe, 90. 
 Klein, Arthur, 25 
 Koki, 141, 276, 317. 
 Kome, Island of, 222, 225, 281. 
 Kuilwe, 185, 189. 
 Kyagwe, 278, 280. 
 Lang, Rev. R., 191. 
 Languages — see Philology. 
 Leakey, R. H., 228, 316. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Ill 
 
 Literature, Importance of, 167, 
 200, 206. 
 
 Livingstone, David, 288. 
 
 Lloyd, A. B., 330, 335. 
 
 Lubale, 219. 
 
 Luba's, 321-338. 
 
 Luganda, 1 14 ; Language study, 
 106-7, 123, 192-208, 258; 
 Translations, 123, 128-131, 
 144, 192-208, 264-271; General 
 suggestions, 192 ; Grammar, 
 125, 134 ; Dictionary, 197 ; 
 Specimens of roots, 199 ; 
 Phonetics, 245, 257 ; Native 
 proverbs, 259 ; Intonation, 
 
 319- 
 Lugard, Captain, 114, 121, 157, 
 
 170-5. 
 Lusoga, 198. 
 Luyima, 198, 205, 319. 
 Macdonald, Captain (now 
 
 Major), 21 1 -2 18, 232, 320-335. 
 McDonnell, Sir Alexander, 2. 
 McDonnell, Dr. Robert, 3. 
 Mackay, A. M., 72, 114, 265. 
 Mackay, Sembera — see " Sem- 
 
 bera." 
 Mamboia, 86, 89. 
 Mengo, 115, 152 ; Plan of, 177 ; 
 
 Cathedral, 168, 201, 273 ; 
 
 Native congregations, 201, 
 
 207, 273 ; mutiny, 323. 
 Methods of work, 255. 
 Mgunda Mkali, 102. 
 Milk, 105, 185. 
 Millar, Rev. E., 227, 339. 
 Missionary Meetings, 61, 249, 
 
 275. 
 Mohammedans, 122, 211-216, 
 
 234, 324. 
 Molony, Rev. H. J., 24, 34. 
 Mpwapwa, 91. 
 Muganda, 1 14, 295. 
 Mundara, King of Chagga, 75. 
 Musa Yakuganda, 226-7. 
 Mutesa, 167. 
 Mutinies, 210-220, 320-338. 
 
 Mwanga, 119, 160, 166-7, 180-2; 
 Flight, 316 ; Taken prisoner, 
 318, 324. 
 
 Namirembe, 141, 273. 
 
 Nassa, 205. 
 
 Nathaniel, 276. 
 
 Native Agency, 234, 248, 289, 
 294-7. 
 
 Native Church, 272-286. 314-5- 
 
 Native Proverbs, 247-8, 259, 260. 
 
 Native Tribes, 95, 228, 319 ; see 
 also Baganda, Wagogo. 
 
 Neil, R. A., 41. 
 
 Nikodemo — see Sekibobo. 
 
 Nile, River, 115. 
 
 Noah, 144, 277- 
 
 Northern Route, 240. 
 
 Nsazi, 281. 
 
 Ordinations, 79, 1 1 1, 209. 
 
 Oxford, 249. 
 
 Parker, Bishop, 114. 
 
 Pembroke College, Cambridge, 
 20-40, 53. See also Dr. Searle. 
 
 Perry, Mr., 14, 17, 19. 
 
 Persecution, 298. 
 
 Philology : Methods of Study, 
 84, 107, 192, 258-9; General 
 suggestions, 192 ; Roots, 
 197-9 ; Allied languages, 106, 
 197, 205, 245 ; Phonetics, 245, 
 257 ; Dialects, 197, 3^9 ; In- 
 tonation, 319; see also Lu- 
 ganda, Kimegi, Lusoga, Lu- 
 yima, Swahili. 
 
 PiLKlNGTON, George Law- 
 rence : Birth, i ; Parents, i ; 
 Boyhood, 3 ; Uppingham, 
 xi.-xvi., 8 : Scholarships and 
 prizes, 12, 14, 18, 20, 43 ; 
 Tutorship, 15 ; Athletics, 16, 
 320; Confirmation, 19; Cam- 
 bridge, 20 ; C.S.S.M., 23, 47 ; 
 Conversion, 26 ; Christian 
 work, 28, 34 ; Gospel Mis- 
 sions, 34, 36-8, 43-4 ; Classical 
 tripos, 38 ; Testimonials, 41-2, 
 50; Missionary call, 41; 
 
IV 
 
 INDEX. 
 
 China Inland Mission, 43, 52 ; 
 Harrow, 48; Bedford, 51 ; Ac- 
 cepted by C.M.S., 61 ; 
 Arrival in Africa, 64 ; Visit to 
 Kilimanjaro, 65; Fever, 72, 78, 
 146; Travels, 80-112, 240-3, 
 302-310; Arrival in Uganda, 
 117; Early impressions, 120; 
 Language work, 123, 128, 134, 
 144, 146, 192-208, 245, 264- 
 271 ; Appeals, 150, 155, 291. 
 345-6 ; Love for natives, 183, 
 340 ; Spiritual revival, 222- 
 239 ; Accompanying troops, 
 229-232, 320-334 ; Annual 
 letter, 236 ; Furlough, 240 ; 
 Protestantism, 246, 270-1 ; 
 Bible translation, 264-271 ; 
 Bicycle journey, 302-310 ; En- 
 gagement, 314 ; Death, 335- 
 338 ; Burial, 338, 344. 
 
 Pokino, 141, 178-9. 
 
 Political Parties, 121, 168. 
 
 Portal, Sir Gerald, 209. 
 
 Portal, Captain, 216. 
 
 Prior, Rev. C. H., 40. 
 
 Protestants, 121, 160-184, 218, 
 318. 
 
 Rabai, 67. 
 
 Railway, 240, 243. 
 
 Rawnsley, Mr. 12. 
 
 Reading, 121, 143, 206, 227. 
 
 Religions, 219, 299. 
 
 Revival, 222-239. 
 
 Rochester, Bishop of, 252. 
 
 Roman Catholics, 121, 142, 151, 
 160-184, 233, 246, 270-1. 
 
 Roots of Language, 197-9. 
 
 Roscoe, Rev. J., 217, 227. 
 
 Routes — Northern, 240-3, 302- 
 310; Southern, 80-112. 
 
 Rowling, Rev. F., 311. 
 
 Rubaga, 179. 
 
 Rutako, Pass of, 91. 
 
 Saadani, 82. 
 
 Searle, Rev. Dr., 59, 60, 252. 
 
 Sekibobo, 218-9. 
 
 Self-support, 314-5. 
 Selim Bey, 157-8, 210-220. 
 Sembera Mackay, 143, 161, 179, 
 
 183. 
 Sese Islands, iii, 130, 278, 
 
 282-4. _ 
 Siegel, Lieut., 96-100. 
 Singo, 231. 
 
 Skrine, Rev. J. H., xi-xvi, 13, 19. 
 Slavery, 76, 299. 
 Smith, Rev. F. C, 106, 146, 201. 
 Stanley, H. M., 113. 
 Stock, Eugene, 150. 
 Stokes, Mr., 82, 98, 106. 
 Student Volunteer Missionary 
 
 Union, 253-8. 
 Sudanese, 157, 210-220, 320- 
 
 338. 
 Superstition, 76, 189, 219, 220, 
 
 278, 299. 
 Swahili, 197, 203, 264. 
 Sweet's ' Primer of Phonetics,' 
 
 245, 257, 319. 
 
 Taita, 'j'i,, 76. 
 
 Taveta, 74-5. 
 
 Taylor, Miss B., 314, 335. 
 
 Taylor, Rev. W. E., 243. 
 
 Teaching, 164, 273. 
 
 Thornton, Douglas M., 262, 
 
 Three Years' Enterprise, 289- 
 294. 
 
 Thring, Rev. Edward, 11, 14, 
 40. 
 
 Thruston, Major, 322, 326. 
 
 Tore, I, 36, 38. 
 
 Toro, 277. 
 
 Translations, 123, 128- 131, 144, 
 192-208, 264-271. 
 
 Travelling, 87,93, 186, 240, 294- 
 295, 302-310. 
 
 Tucker, Bishop, 82, 137; Letters 
 from, 92, 117, 123, 206-8, 209. 
 
 Uganda — see under Baganda, 
 Buganda, Luganda ; also 
 under Climate, Political par- 
 ties, Religions, &c. 
 
 Ugogo, 94. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Universities' Camps, 262. 
 
 
 Water Supply, 145. 
 
 Unyanguira, 92, 96. 
 
 
 Weatherhead, Rev. H. W., 311, 
 
 Unyoro, 236. 
 
 
 325- 
 
 Uppingham, xi-xvi, 8-19. 
 
 
 Webb-Peploe, Rev. H. Murray, 
 
 Usambiro, 103, 107. 
 
 
 27, 46. 
 
 Usoga — see Busoga. 
 
 
 Welldon, Rev. J. E. C, 50. 
 
 Usongo, 102, 106. 
 
 
 Wigram, Rev. F. E., 54, 58, 167. 
 
 Victoria Nyanza, 114, 281 
 
 ; see 
 
 Williams, Captain, 146, 160, 
 
 also under " Islands." 
 
 
 170, 181. 
 
 Villiers, Captain, 230, 344. 
 
 
 Wilson, Mr. George, 323, 343. 
 
 Waganda (Swahili), 114; 
 
 see 
 
 Wilson, Mr (Government cap- 
 
 under " Baganda." 
 
 
 tain), 322, 326, 328. 
 
 Wagogo, 95-101. 
 
 
 Wilson, Mr. (C. M.S.), 323,325. 
 
 Walker, Ven. Archdeacon, 
 
 118, 
 
 Wolfendale, Dr., 99. 
 
 329, 342. 
 
 
 Wood, Rev. A. N., 89. 
 
 Wambuzi, 273-4. 
 
 
 Zulu, 197. 
 
 i 
 
R. W. Simpson & Co., Ltd., Printers, Richmond,