f /\h A/:-. JtHE STORY OF UBRARY A. B. C. F. Rl y\'h MASHONALAND AND THE Missionary Pioneers QHap gpeciaffg bra®n ant> 3ffu0^ra^ton0 from Ortgmaf ^^ofogrojj ^0 Edited by the Reu. E W. MACDONALD PRICE SIXPENCE IToubon THE WESLEYAN MISSION HOUSE, BISHOPSGATE STREET WITHIN C. H. KELLY, 2, CASTLE STREET, CITY ROAD, E.C. WESLEYAN SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION, 2 , LUDGATE CIRCUS BUILDINGS, E.C. MONTHLY, PRICE THREEPENCE. Work and Workers in the nission Field. Edited by Rev. F. W. MACDONALD, Secretary of the IVesUyan Missionary Society. A HIGH-CLASS MONTHLY MAGAZINE OF MISSIONARY INFORMATION AND LITERATURE. WELL ILLUSTRATED. READABLE. DEALS WITH MISSION WORK OF /ILL KINDS IN ALL COUNTRIES. li’onLioit: WESLEYAN METHODIST MISSION HOUSE, 17, Bishopsgate Street Within. C. H. KELLY, 2, Castle Street, City Road, E.C. Maij be ordered throngJi fin;/ lioohseller, or irilt be foriearded direct from the 3Iisslon House, 2>'Jst free, for Tour Shitlinf/s per Annum, EXTRACTS EROIVI LETTERS. From Rev. Dr. MOULTON, The Leys, Cambridge. “ It is not easy for me, without seeming to use language of exaggeration, to express my high sense of the value of Work and Workers. The articles which appear in it from month to month are well written, fuU of instruction, and very interesting; the topics are admirably chosen ; and the taste and skill ol the editor are manifest throughout. In the interest of our foreign Missions I most heartily wish succtss to Mr. Macdonald’s serial.” From Rev. Dr. RIGG, President of the Conference. “ Work and Workers supplies a want long felt. It is not merely a monthly contributor to the contem¬ porary annals of Missionary work, it is a Miss onary IVlagaz ne, which, besides giving fresh information, deals witn principles and with Missionary history. It en¬ shrines the memory of Missionary heroes and heroines ; it compares the present with the past; it tract s the line of progress ; it surveys the whole field. Nor is it only Methodist, it is broadly catholic in its range. It notes the whole work of Christianity in the uncivilised re¬ gions of the w'orld. It is a most valuable monthly.” READY EARL V IN DECEMBER. VOLUME for 18 93._ Bound in green cloth, gilt lettered. Super royal 8vo. 530 pages. 168 Illustrations. PRICE FOUR SHILLINGS. This handsome Volume contains articles of great and lasting interest on every aspect of Mission Work, life in distant hnds, sketches of past and present workers, etc., etc. Portraits and Illustrations in the best style. SUITABLE FOR SUNDAY SCHOOL LIBRARIES, PRIZES FOR MISSIONARY COLLICTORS FAMILY READING, ETC. THE STORY OF MASHONALAND AND THE MISSIONARY PIONEERS linitb flDap 0 pcdall^ brawn anb 3llu6tratiou5 from ©riQiual pbotoarapbs Edited by the Rev. F. W. MACDONALD ILoiiDon THE WESLEYAN MISSION HOUSE, BISHOPSGATE STREET WITHIN C. H. KELLY, 2, Castle Street, City Road, E.C. WESLEYAN SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION, 2 , Ludgate Circus Buildings, E.C. 3iitrobuctoi\> HAotc, The journal of the Rev. Owen Watkins, an African traveller and missionary of much experience, and the bright and vigorous letters of the Rev. Isaac Shimmin, pioneer missionary in Mashonaland, form the substance of this little book. The Rev. Ceesar Caine, F.R.G.S., has brought his geographical know¬ ledge and enthusiasm to the task of writing a short account of the country, the people, and our mission. He has also prepared the map, which will enable the reader to follow intelligently the movements of the story told in these pages. As a contribution to the literature of missions, and for the information it gives respecting lands and races in which, for many reasons, a strong interest is now being felt, I commend this Story of Mashonaland and the Missionary Pioneers to all whom it may concern. Wesleyan Mission House, Bisiiopsgate Street Within, Nov. 20 th, 1893. Contcnt 0 . Part I.- -The Country . «.• ••• ••• .*• Part II.- -The People. ••• ••• ••• ••• Part III.- -The Wesleyan Mission . ••• ••• ••• JJ Chapter I. —The Journey of the Fort Salisbury and Missionary Party to Umtali. ,, Chapter II. —The Experiences of the Missionaries after THEIR Separation . „ Chapter III. —Development of the Mission. „ Chapter IV. — Mr. Shimmin’s Journey to the North (Lo Magondi’s) . „ Chapter V. —Mr. Shimmin’s Journey to the South (Gambisa’s) . Latest News of the Mission ... PAGE 5 12 21 21 28 40 46 62 THE STORY OF MA5H0NALAND. PART I.—THE COUNTRY. \ Y / E have been long accustomed to see only the extremity of South Africa V V painted red. But now, partly by the desire of native chiefs, and partly by the conditions of the Anglo-German and Anglo-Portuguese agreements, we are able to spread this British colour over the vast area stretching from Cape Town to the shores of Lake Tanganyika, a distance of more than two thousand miles. The average breadth of this territory may be put down roughly as five hundred miles. British possessions and protectorates in South and South-central Africa are equal to the combined areas of Germany, France, Spain, Austria, and Italy, or are more than eight times larger than the British Isles. Matabililand, which receives its name from the Matabili, an off-shoot of the once fierce and warlike Zulus, lies between the rivers Zambesi and Limpopo. This territory was conquered by the Matabili during the third and fourth decades of the present century. The Eastern portion of this area is known as Mashonaland, from the original lords of the soil, who, since their conquest, have existed in a state of vassalage to the Matabili. Mashonaland is described by all who have visited it as presenting a great diver¬ sity of scenery, well wooded, well watered, and abounding in granite and minerals. Two characteristics of this country merit special attention. 6 THE STORY OF MASHONALAND, I. Mashonaland is the most suitable ground for colonization in the whole of the African continent. Lieut. Maund, who has travelled through the country in all seasons, in a paper read before the Royal Geographical Society, said: “ Compared with the country lying south of it, Matabililand is like Canaan after the wilderness; lying high, generally healthy, and very rich in minerals—gold, copper, and iron having been extensively worked by the ancients, with their rude appliances. Its numerous rivers have plenty of water in them. The soil is rich and admirably adapted for corn ; cattle thrive, and there is abundance of grass and wood. White children can be reared in the country, which is a sine qua non if it is to be successfully colonised by white men, and above all it is sparsely populated.” It may be asked, how such a country has so long eluded the colonising instincts of the British people ? Our late occupancy of so desirable a territory is explained, chiefly, by two facts. The fierce character of the Matabili forbade any advance into the interior on the part of the unprotected or non-combatant emigrant. Again, false reports, founded chiefly upon experience in the river gorges, led to a deep- seated conviction that the interior was extremely fatal to European life. This latter alarm was raised again shortly after the British advance into Mashonaland. Though the number of fatalities has been over-stated, it is neverthe¬ less true that there were, at one or two points, an abnormal number of deaths for a new country which has been so eulogised as Mashonaland. These fatalities, however, are not to be attributed to the general conditions of climate, etc., but, very largely, to the fact that the victims were detained for weeks by floods in a swampy region, where they ran short of provisions, and especially of medicines. These are evils which can be overcome. THE COUNTRY. 7 2, The second characteristic of this country deserving attention is that it is rich in minerals, and is pre-eminently a gold country. The fascination which Mashonaland has cast over the minds of men, originated, chiefly, in the prospects of wealth which are presented by the deposits of the precious metal scattered over the country. The fact that this south-eastern side of Africa is a gold region was well known in England in the seventeenth century, and in Portugal early in the sixteenth. The matter seems afterwards to have been very generally lost sight of, except as a legend. To-day commissioners, mining experts, and hunters agree that Mashonaland is rich in gold above' all the auriferous regions of South Africa. The country has long been reputed as possessing immense stone ruins, some account of them being published in this country 250 years ago ! Hunters, who, in more recent times, proceeded into the interior in search of big game, constantly heard of these mysterious buildings, but . 1 • , A pioneer’s grave. found that the natives resented any attempt on the part of white men to view these ancient relics, for they regarded the vener¬ able stones with * superstitious awe. They believed, for instance, that these fallen walls were haunted by evil spirits, and that if these demons or their haunts were molested, no rain would fall for three years. THE STORY OF MASHONALAND. We first obtained authentic information of the ruins of Matabililand from a German traveller named Mauch, who, in 1871, discovered some of these ruins at MINING commissioner’s HUT. Zimbabwe, on the River Sabi. Their great age was evident from the fact that the masonry was almost overgrown with jungle. “ The forest had reasserted her old rights torn from her by the hand of civilization.” THE COUNTRY. 9 The Great Zimbabwe ruins are situated fifteen miles east of Fort Victoria, on a granite plateau 3,300 feet above the sea level, surrounded by valleys of rich and varied vegetation. They are the most important of the ruins yet discovered, and GliNERAL VIEW OF ZIMBABWE. (a) Circular ruin; Temple. ( 6 ) Ruins stretching towards the hill. («/) Fortress on the hill. consist of three distinct portions : (i) A large temple ruin of elliptical form, 260 feet long and 200 feet wide, standing on the edge of a gentle slope; (2) A mass of circular ruins in the valley below; (3) A fortress on the extreme summit of a hill. lO THE STORY OF MASHONALAND. 400 feet above, naturally protected by immense granite boulders, and a precipice from seventy to ninety feet high. The entrance to this stronghold was by a narrow crevice in the granite precipice. Mr. J. Theodore Bent, F.S.A., F.R.G.S., thus describes the masonry of the temple ruins, and his words give a general idea of the character of the buildings throughout :—• “ It is built of small blocks of granite, broken with the hammer into a uniform size, but bearing no trace of chisel marks whatsoever, and no mortar has been used in the construction. In parts this wall is thirty feet in height, and between sixteen and seventeen feet in thickness, and the courses of small stones are carried out with surprising regularity, arguing (i) an excessive amount of labour at a time when slave labour was abundant and time no object ; and (2) an accurate knowledge of levelling. Externally, the walls are very fine, and the courses, from their extreme evenness, give the building a neat and compact appearance. “ On the outer wall, facing the south-east, is a decorative pattern formed by having two courses of stones laid chevron-wise, with the interspaces filled in with small stones, receding a little so as to throw the pattern into relief. This pattern seems to have been symbolical of fertility, and it extends along the part of the wall which receives directly the rays of the sun v/hen rising in the summer solstice. “ The most striking object in these ruins is a solid round tower, the lines of which are as true as those of a Greek column. ’ A smaller one stands near, both proclaiming the builders to have been phallic worshippers. The largest was originally about thirty-five feet high.” Similar ruins, embracing smelting works, dwellings, and forts, are scattered throughout the country. THE COUNTRY. 11 Ruined Cities. They are clearly the remains of a civilization which perished ages ago. It used to be gravely asserted that they mark the locality of the ancient kingdom of the Queen of Sheba or the mines of Solomon. Others have contended that they are the work of the Moors, or the Phcenicians, or the Persians. Early in 1891 Mr. Bent went to Mashonaland for the purpose of exploring the ruins, and, if possible, of learning the secret of how they came to be, and the vicis¬ situdes through which they have passed. This archgeologist, in a lecture before the Royal Geographical Society, said, “The first point that is obvious is that the ruins and the things in them are not in any way connected with any known African race. “ The second point is also obvious—that the ruins formed a garrison for the protection of a gold-producing race in remote antiquity. So we must look around for such a race outside the limits of Africa, and it is in Arabia that we find the object of our search. Arabia and her early commercial enterprises form a study but inaccur¬ ately known now. That the Red Sea was bustling with activity centuries prior to our epochs is an accepted fact; that Arab ships brought spices from India, the Cassia tree from China, is also clearly proved, and all ancient authorities speak of Arabian gold in terms of extravagant praise. The Bible has allusions to this fact. From the sculptures at Thebes we learn they paid tribute in golden ingots and rings. Aristeas tells us that a large quantity of spices, precious stones, and gold were brought to Rome by the Arabians, not from Arabia, but by the Arabians (as carriers of such things) from the outer seas. Travellers in Arabia bear testimony to the fixct that little, if any, gold came from Arabia itself. There is little room for doubt that the 12 THE STORY OF MASHONALAND. builders and workers of the Great Zimbabwe came from the Arabian peninsula- “ When the Portuguese reached Sofala at the close of the fifteenth century the Arabs were still in possession of the coast, and though banished from the interior they still obtained gold by trading with the natives. I have no hesitation in assigning these buildings to Arabian origin and to a pre-Mohammedan period.” Mr. Bent is of opinion that these ancient builders were overwhelmed, and annihilated by hordes of barbarous natives. Mr. F. C. Selous, the great hunter of Zambesia, while accepting the theory that the builders of Zimbabwe were Arabians, combats the idea that they were destroyed by native impis. He contends that the Arabian gold-seekers brought with them very few, if any, women. They therefore took wives from the people around them, and thus became submerged into the native population. If the early builders of these strange ruins came from Arabia, then they have mixed with the population they found there, which down to quite recent times has continued to build fortifi¬ cations and dig gold just in the same way as their remote progenitors. One thing, at least, is certain—we must still ivait for the final word to be spoken about these ruins or “ ruined cities.” PART II_THE PEOPLE. \ Y / E shall speak first of the conquerors, the Matabili, and then the conquered Y Y Mashona. I. The Matabdi, as already stated, are an offshoot of the Zulus. In 1822 a disaffected section of this tribe, under a chief named Mozilikatse, entered and occupied the country now known as the Transvaal. At a later date they were THE people;. 13 driven northwards by the Boers. Ultimately, they crossed the Limpopo, carrying war wherever they came, and finally asserted their dominion over all tribes between the Limpopo and the Zambesi, excepting those of the maritime region. That apostle of South Africa, Robert Moffatt, visited Mozilikatse in his northern kingdom no less than three times. The impression made upon the mind of this veteran pioneer by all he observed at the kraal of the chief was most distressing. “ Everything I saw filled me with melancholy.” Nevertheless, he was permitted to establish a mission here, and since i860 the country has never been without a representative of the London Missionary Society. Mozilikatse died in 1868, and in 1870 his son, Lo Bengula, succeeded him. The euphonius title—Lo Bengula—means the defender. Other titles sustained by this royal savage are “ Stabber of the Sun,” and “ Eater of Men.” His capital is known as Bulawayo, or “ the place of killing,” a name which points to a not very distant period when the palace was a human slaughter-house, because of the numerous victims there sacrificed to appease imaginary deities, but oftener to satisfy the wrath of the king or the bloodthirstiness of his warriors. The Matabili are organised wholly upon military lines, as were the Zulus prior to their conquest by British arms, and as a rule a regiment gives its name to the town in which it is located. The Matabili number 150,000 persons, that is, about one person to the square mile of the whole territory. 2. What is the numerical strength of the tribes subject to the Matabili it is difficult to say, but the number can only be small, for the assegai has depopulated many parts of the country. The land of the Mashona is in many parts “ empty and silent.” The term Mashona is a “coined word,” and is unknown to the people to whom 14 THE STOR Y OF iMASHONALAND. it is applied, except where they have learned it through contact with Europeans. Those who know the country best are unanimous in suggesting that the native word Makalaka should be substituted for Mashona. Some whose opinions on matters affecting Mashonaland have been regarded as almost final, have given the Mashona a very bad name indeed—a lazy, lying, thieving, stupid, and cowardly people. It would, however, appear that these comments are the result of prejudice, or familiarity with only bad specimens of the race. Those who have had the strongest reasons for studying these people and their habits, and are not merely interested in the country for commercial and similar reasons, express a very different view of the case. As we are here chiefly interested in the Mashona, it will not be a loss of space to quote some of the more favourable opinions to which reference is made. Mr. Theodore Bent thus expresses his opinion of them : “ During my wanderings I had ample opportunities of studying the natives and their customs, and I must say that I think the general verdict on the Mashonas is too hard. We had from fifty to sixty of them working for us at Zimbabwe, and many afterwards acted as bearers for months at the small remuneration of a blanket a month, and we never lost a thing. We found them exceedingly obliging and faithful. Crowds were round us at every kraal, but no one attempted to steal from us. Doubtless on the traversed roads and large centres where they are brought into contact with traders, and certain would-be civilisers of the race, the people become thieves and vagabonds, but in his primitive state the Mashona appears to me naturally honest, exceedingly courteous in manner, and cowardice appears to be their only vice, arising doubtless from the fact that for centuries they had to flee to their fastnesses before the raids of more powerful races. Contrary to the warnings of our advisers, we found that they rapidly learn their work and were very careful excavators. THE PEOPLE, 15 “ They are good-natured, as we experienced at one camp where it rained and was wretchedly cold. Our naked bearers shivered round the fire all night, singing and GROUP OF MASHONA. talking gaily, and crowing like cocks to make believe that dawn was coming before its time. '^4 ^ 4 , i6 THE STOR y OR MASHONALAND. “ Oddly enough, there is a trace of a Sabbath amongst them. In the ploughing season they work for five days.” The Rev. Owen Watkins’ account of these people is very similar. “The people are a superior but a very gentle-spirited folk, who have been cowed for over fifty years by the fierce Matabili. At present they are rather fearful of the presence of strangers. Many of them are good-looking, having refined and regular features—some of the Jewish, and some of the English type—but all are black or bronze. They have pretty cows, which look something like Jerseys, and have plenty of sheep and goats. They grow rice, tobacco, millet (Kafifir corn), maize (mealies), sweet potatoes, tomatoes, and pumpkins. They dig and smelt iron, and make their own axes, spears, Knives, and picks. They make wooden bowls, basins, and spoons, ornamented with very neat patterns cut into the wood Every man carries in his girdle one or two knives, which they make with beautiful wooden handles and sheaths. They make bows and arrows, tambourines, whistles, and an instrument with metal keys which hunters call a “ Kafifir piano.” They also manufacture two kinds of pottery, one a brown kind for holding water, or beer, the other a black kind, which will stand fire, and which they use for cooking purposes. Like the locusts, they have no king, and each separate village will have to be treated as an independent nation. Whether this will make for or against the reception of the Gospel, I have yet to learn, but at present I incline to the opinion that it will tend to the furtherance of the Gospel.” A valuable testimony to the intelligence of these people has been given by Mr. Shimmin. Speaking of .what he saw upon a short journey to the north from the headquarters of our Mission at Salisbury, in December, 1891, he says:—“At one of the villages I saw a native weaver at work. Everything was of the rudest description The frame upon which the warp was stretched was only about three feet long and THE PEOPLE. NATIVE WEAVER AT WORK. pressed down by a long stick. It would take the weaver several days to make a yard of stuff, but time is of no consideration to these people. The wild cotton bushes two wide. The shuttle was carefully put through by hand, and every new thread was i8 THE STOR Y OF MASHONALAND. grow about their huts, and they have only to clean the cotton, spin it into thread, and patiently manufacture it into cloth, which, when finished, is much superior to the fiimsy limbo of barter. I got a piece that would not have disgraced a Manchester warehouse. It was beautifully made, and had three or four ornamental stripes running through the whole length. I mention all this to show the natural ingenuity of the people, and their future possibilities.” 3. The attitude of the Matabili towards the Mashona, though a painful subject, must not be passed over. Reference has already been made to the martial character of the Matabili nation. Their mili¬ tary organisation plays upon the passions of each male member of the tribe by insisting that no youth can attain manhood, nor YOUNG MATABILI WARRIORS IN UNDRESS. can he marry, until he has “ washed ” his assegai in blood. It is happily true that with the corruption of the original Zulu blood these conditions have been relaxed, so that young men adopt the head-ring worn in token of manhood and responsibility, and further, presume to marry The people. without any of the qualification that was necessary a few years ago. still strong enough to sway the mind of the young manhood of the nation, and the eager desire for opportunities to display valour and martial prowess manifests itself in continuous raids upon surrounding tribes. These raids are made to serve many purposes —the suppression of sub-chiefs whose powder is considered too great, the securing of cattle, women, and boys who may be drafted into the army, etc. “ The number of natives who fall victims to the ‘ system ’ is variously es¬ timated by different travellers and residents. In a ‘ good ’ season perhaps 10,000 might be ‘wiped out.’ Obviously an impi such as that which has just returned from Barotsiland (1893)— estimated to number 6,000 fighting men—can hardly fail to do a considerable amount of execution in a thickly- But the law is XUTWAYO. [Conimander-in-Chief of the Matabili Army, 20 THE STORY OF MASHONALAND. populated country. In ‘ dull ’ times, however, it is possible that not more than a couple of thousand or so are ‘ eaten up,’ to use the native phrase.” None have suffered from these raids like the Mashona. The Bishop of Mashona- land (the Right Rev. G. W. H. Knight-Bruce) has endorsed this statement of the case of these unfortunate people. “ Till two years ago poor Mashonaland was kept by the Matabili chief as a Scotch laird might keep a deer-forest. Every spring his regiments of fighting men were marched in to kill, and sack, bringing back with them girls, boys, and cattle. The Matabili had everything to gain and nothing to lose by the process ; it provided them food without the drawback of labour; it blooded the young regiments; it gave future recruits to the army. The poor Mashona were incapable by nature of offering any resistance, and their disintegration into separate tribes, with no one paramount chief, left them helpless before the disciplined power of the Matabili, with their thousands of fighting men in organised regiments.” Those who have followed the Rev. Isaac Shimmin in his pioneer missionary journeys must have felt themselves overcast by sadness, and even awe, to see him, like others before him, traversing, at times, a country “ empty and silent ” because depopulated by the Matabili assegai. It is no purpose of mine to whitewash Englishmen, or to be blind to the faults of their administration, nor would I reprobate a native chief and race, however cruel, without giving their case a fair hearing, but this much I may say, without fear of being charged with uttering the prejudices of a biassed mind, that the present crisis is the direct outcome of the Matabili practice of raiding the harmless Mashona. The first scene in this unfortunate episode has thus been stated in a few dispassionate words: “On Sunday, July 9th, a Matabili impi invaded the streets of Victoria, and butchered there the Makalaka servants of the white settlers before the very eyes of THE WESLEYAN MISSION 21 their masters. The English official summoned the leaders of the impi into the fort. He told them that he would not permit them to slaughter the Mashona, and gave them one hour to retire. The lordly indunas informed him that the business was none of his—they came, they said, to kill their slaves, the Mashona.” From this event the present “ war ” has arisen. The occupation of Mashonaland by the British, says Mr. Selous, has saved its inhabitants from “ absolute destruction at the hands of the Matabili.'* PART III.—THE WE5LEYAN MISSION. CHAPTER I. The Journey of the Missionary Party to Fort Salisbury and Umtali. ^ I HE AVesleyan Methodist Church possesses a peculiar interest in this new country. Early in 1891 the Hon. Cecil Rhodes, Premier of Cape Colony, and founder of the British South Africa Company, offered the Wesleyan Methodist Missionary Society, on behalf of the Company, ;^ioo per annum toward the expenses of a Mis¬ sion station or stations in the area of South Africa over which the Company exercises jurisdiction. The Missionary Committee directed that a mission should begin at once, and requested the Rev. Owen Watkins, who since 1876 had laboured with eminent success in Natal and the Transvaal, to organise the work, and at the same time appointed the Rev. Isaac Shimmin to the new Mission. With great promptness, wisdom, and courage they entered upon their labours. By exploring the country, by obtaining valuable concessions of land both in townships 22 THE STOR Y OF MASHOHALAm. and near the villages of the natives, and by beginning the work of teaching and preach¬ ing, they have laid, in a short time, the foundation of what bids fair to be a most successful mission. Besides our own, other missions have been commenced in the country—i. The Church of England, under the direction of Bishop Knight-Bruce; 2. The Roman Catholic Church, and 3. The Salvation Army. On the second of June, 1891, the Rev. Isaac Shimmin left 'Kilnerton Mission station, near Pretoria, with the wagon and oxen which were to be the means of transport. Mr. Watkins left Pretoria, by coach, three weeks later, and joined his colleague at Good Hope Mission station, in the north of the Transvaal. After calling at Pietersburg they turned their backs upon civilization, and com¬ menced in good earnest their journey towards the Limpopo, which divides the Transvaal from Matabililand. Three men REV. OWEN WATKINS. • j • • • iv/r- u i accompanied the missionaries, Michael Bowen, a first-class native evangelist, who speaks several languages, and is a bright, happy Christian; John Peters, the driver, a good and trustworthy native, who had THE WESLEYAN MISSION 23 previously travelled with Mr. Watkins in Zululand, Swaziland, the Transvaal, and else¬ where ; and John Walters, a Cape half-caste, who is a leader of oxen, and a willing, active man. Their journey to the northern limit of the Transvaal was not without interest. Within a week, Mr. Watkins and his colleague received their first instruction in the Mashona language. Mr. Watkins relates: “ This morning about eight o’clock the coach for Tuli, with only one passenger, came up to us at Witte Klip, where there are stables. At these stables we met the first Matabili man we have seen. He seemed a happy sort of fellow, and friendly. Our men drew from him much information about the customs of his own land. We found that the Mashona have a language of their own, and it sounds to us at present quite unlike any other language of South Africa. This man calls himself ‘ By-and-bye,’ a name which must have been given him by a white man. He speaks Seshona, that is the language of the Mashona, quite as well as he speaks his own. We took our first lesson in Seshona from him. Our method was simple and effective. We pointed to MRS. OWEN WATKINS. 24 THE STOR Y OF MASHONALAND. s r'- -r^ ' nose, mouth, teeth, head, hands, feet, and so on. He gave us the Seshona word for each. We repeated the word after him until we had caught it, and then Mr. Shimmin wrote the word in a book. We have already a vocabulary of more than fifty words, and hope to increase it as we travel on.” On Tuesday, the 14th July, the Limpopo was reached. Fortunately, the travellers had fallen in with some friendly Boers, who lent their oxen to aid the mission team in pulling the heavily laden wagon over the drift. Even then the crossing was no joke. The ford was so deep that in one place only the heads of the oxen were visible, and so strong was the current that only by the united strength of forty-four of these patient creatures, and the skill of eight drivers, was the wagon landed safely on the northern bank of the river. This ought to be a calendar day in the history of Methodist Missions. On Tuesday, the 14th of July, 1891, Methodism advanced into Central Africa ! Fort Tuli, the first station of the Char¬ tered Company in Mashonaland, was reached on Friday, July 17th, 1891. At this time the fort was garrisoned by 100 pioneers, and on the following Sunday, Mr. Watkins conducted parade service for the men off duty. REV. ISAAC SHIMMIN. THE WESLEYAN MISSION Mr. Watkins writes :— “Sunday, 19th July. Having obtained permission to hold a service at the Fort, Mr. Shimmin and I went across the river, and in honour of the day and the service, we put on black suits. It would have done anybody good to see us ! Having got through the heavy sand, we came to the channel of the river, fifty yards wide. iWe took off some portions of our dress, and , rolled up our trou¬ sers, and walked and waded across. At the request of Captain Leonard, I took the parade service with all the men off duty. It michael bowen, native evangelist. had to be held in the open air, and as the sun was strong, and the wind blowing across the river keenly, I am afraid the service was not very enjoyable or profitable to the men, all standing in full dress, rifles in their hands. However, I feel it a grand thing to hold a service for white men, so far in the interior of Africa.” One can imagine, in part, the feelings of our brethren, when they were again on 26 THE STOR Y OF MASHOHALAND. the move northwards. Though they were still 400 miles from the station which was to be the headquarters of their Mission, they were now advancing through the land towards which they had been toiling for weeks, and around which, through the whole period, all their hopes and fears and prayers had centred day and night. Here and there they met with the Makalaka—but only here and there, so depopulated is the land in some parts. Mr. Watkins writes : “ On Saturday, August ist, passing through a wild country, broken into rugged hills and mountains, we came to Matibi’s Hill, and saw a peculiar kind of native village. The Makalaka people, in whose country we now are, build their huts among the rocks and high up in the mountains. The greater portion of such a native village cannot be seen, being hidden by the fastnesses of the hills. They have secret paths between the rocks, and seemingly in the heart of the mountain, in order to get from one group of huts to another. It sounds almost ‘ uncanny,’ when passing along, to hear voices coming as from the heart of the moun¬ tain—mothers scolding, babies crying, men talking, boys and girls shouting and laughing—all seemingly quite near, and yet you cannot see them. Of the huts you can see, perched on the tops of the rocks, you wonder how the people ever get to them, and then, having reached them, how they can ever get away from them. The Makalaka are obliged to live thus high up amongst the rocks and in the secret recesses of the mountains for fear of the fierce Matabili, who sweep off their cattle, kill the men, and carry away captive the women and children.” Towards the end of the month the missionaries entered Fort Victoria, 600 miles from Pretoria, and 200 from Fort Tuli. During their brief rest here they visited the famous Zimbabwe ruins, and also another wonderful sight a few miles away from Zimbabwe, to which Mr. Watkins gave the name of The Mount of Footprints. “ Here are thousands of impressions in the granite rock. Human footsteps by hundreds. THE WESLEYAN MISSION 27 some long (ii in.), some short (5 to 7 in.), some of right feet, and others of left feet, some going up the rock, and others going down. Then thousands of footprints of animals—lions, jackals, wolves, and various kinds of antelopes, with others we could not identify. In most places the feet are so crowded together it is difficult to separate them, and indeed, on the top of the mount the appearance is as if a crowd of men and animals had rushed up there in a fright in some time of danger, and had hustled each other. At whatever period these footprints were made, it must have been before the outer surface of the rocks had hardened. The distance from where the footprints begin to where they culminate on the mount is about 200 yards, while the space on the mount where they are so crowded is about thirty yards square. Further on, along the ridge of hills southward, Mr. Shimmin could find no sign of any footprints, though the rock is exactly the same. Here, then, is a problem for the learned in such things.” It is to be regretted that Mr. Watkins’ description cannot be printed in extenso^ for at present his is the only account of this curious spot. Leaving Fort Victoria early in September, Fort Salisbury, the most northern station of the Chartered Company, was reached on the 29th of the same month. Here application was made to the Hon. Cecil Rhodes for land for mission purposes, a request which met with very cordial and generous response. It was now resolved that Mr. Watkins should return home, travelling to the mouth of the Pungwe River, thence by steamer to Durban, and then overland to Pretoria, calling in the first place at Umtali, 160 miles S.E. of Fort Salisbury, in order to arrange about the land which had been granted to the Mission there. Mr. Shimmin accompanied Mr. Watkins to Umtali, and assisted him in his negotiations, and after his departure for the coast, “ pegged out ” a farm, in which work he was THE STORY OF MASHONALAND. helped by a young Wesleyan layman of the King Williamstown Circuit (Cape Colony). This young man had come up with the pioneers, and knew the country well CHAPTER 11 . The Experie 7 ues of the Missionnries After their Separation. Mr. Watkins’ homeward journey was not without peril. In order to reach the east coast he had to walk 200 hundred miles through Manicaland. He suffered great hardships, and contracted the coast fever. Ill as he was, he managed to return to his home near Pretoria, and then for ten weeks he lay nigh unto death. As soon as he could be moved he was ordered to England. Mr. Shimmin left Umtali for Fort Salisbury at the beginning of November. On his journey back from Umtali he became the hero of a lion adventure, killing a huge brute at the moment it had seized a hunter whom it had charged. A leopard also fell to his gun. Soon after his arrival there, he set off to the N.W. to “ peg ” out a farm as near to the Zambesi as possible, without “going beyond the edge of the healthy plateau.” It was his intention to visit a chief called Lo Magondi, but he heard just before starting that he had been killed by the Matabili. A party of forty Matabili warriors spent several days near Lo Magondi in a friendly manner, and completely disarmed all suspicion. They then marched straight down to Lo Magondi’s town, and without any provocation whatever killed the old chief with four of his men and four women. They also carried off about fifty women and children, and a great many head of cattle. They said that Lo Magondi must die “because he had shown the white man where to find gold.” Later, Mr. Shimmin THE WESLEYAN MISSION. 29 learned that Lo Magondi’s would not, in any case, be suitable for a farm, as the country was low, and consequently unhealthy. VIEW ON THE HANYANE. Advised by Mr. Selous, the hunter, and Mr. Spreckley, a mining commissioner, who was stationed about seventy miles N.W. of Fort Salisbury, Mr. Shimmin pegged 30 THE STORY OF MASHONALAND. out a farm near the river Hanyane, in a region controlled by a chief named Zimba, and called it Hartleyton. Mr. Shimmin tells his own story as follows :— “On Tuesday, December 15th, we marked out and ‘beaconed’ our new Mission Farm ‘ Hartleyton,’ and I could not help feeling rather proud of the task. Flere I was nearer the centre of Africa than any other Wesleyan minister had ever been before— within ninety miles of the great river Zambesi —the first to carry the Gospel into these wild regions ; hundreds of miles of unoccupied territory behind me, and in front an open door to millions of heathen. But I have no doubt regarding the future. * The people called Methodists ’ believe in Forward Movements—here then is a mighty stride onward in the foreign field! Since last June our Church in South Africa has moved forward nearly seven hundred miles beyond Good Hope, our most northerly station in the Transvaal. And surely the fact that our flag is now waving within a few days’ journey of the river Zambesi is sufificient to intensify the enthusiasm of every earnest worker in the kingdom of Christ. Our flag is there, and we must never desert it; rather will we fight up to it and beyond it until we cross the Zambesi, and join hands with the other great churches in penetrating the darkest parts of the heart of this great continent. I could say a great deal more, but I must come back to my journal. But if missionary zeal is not yet dead, and the claims of Africa are not yet forgotten, if the spirit that inspired Livingstone and Hannington is not yet extinguished, and if the Methodist Church is true to her glorious traditions, then I expect to hear very soon that this new work upon which we have just entered is receiving that strong, practical help that its importance imperatively demands. “ Zimba was delighted to hear that we intended sending a Christian teacher to live with him, and he promised to give him both protection and assistance. There are several other villages on the farm, and the great path to Zumbo (the Portuguese town THE WESLE VAN MISSION. 31 on the Zambesi) passes through the place. We hope to make ‘ Hartleyton ’ an active centre from which our missionary operations will radiate in all directions amongst the benighted heathen kraals. May God give us great success! ” Mr. Shimmin was back in Salisbury at Christmas, and thus reviews his travels which had occupied seven months :— “We reached Fort Salisbury two days before Christmas. When inspanned for the last trek, or stage, of our journey, I took a photo of the wagon and oxen. When w^e left Pretoria we had sixteen bullocks; we lost some on the road, and had to replace them, and now w'e were finishing our travels with only ten. Nearly thirteen hundred miles ! This is not much by rail or steamer, but it means a great deal by wagon in a new country. Travelling at the rate of two miles an hour is hardly express speed, and forty or fifty miles a week will never cause palpitation of the heart. But all through the seven months of our journeying the hand of God had been leading and protecting us, and now we had come to the last mile ! Thankfully we look back on the past, and very hopefully we faced the future. To Him who will ever protect His own people and give prosperity to His own work, we ascribe all the praise and glory.” CHAPTER III. Development of the Mission. In this chapter we shall place before the reader some of the first results achieved by our missionaries in Mashonaland. The first Wesleyan “premises” erected in this new region was a hut for the 32 THE STORY OE MASHONALAND. missionary’s residence at Salisbury. This building was put up by natives under the direction of Michael Bowen during the absence of Mr. Watkins and Mr. Shimmin at Umtali. li is built of poles and mud, and has a thatch roof. Mr. Shimmins tells us, THE FIRST METHODIST PARSONAGE IN MASHONALAND. “As the thatch was not sufficient to keep out the heavy rain, we had to cover it with the wagon sail, a common expedient in this part of the world. In fifty years’ time, when the Methodist magnates of Mashonaland will have beautiful villas and rich parks, it will do them good to look back to my humble parsonage and trace the beginning of 2 'HE 11 ESLE \ \ LV J/JSS/OiV. 33 things. Including the luxury of one door and three windows—no glass—tlip building CROUP OF NATIVE EVANCIUTSTS. cost about —a very small sum in this dear country. I hardly think the most rigid disciple of economy will grumble at that.” 34 THE STORY OR MASHONALAND. The group in the picture is a company of evangelists who were sent forward to help Mr. Shimmin in his work. He has located them, two and two, on the farms, or in other suitable spots among the natives. After Mr. Shimmin’s return from Zimba’s at Christmas, 1891, it was necessary to consolidate the work at Salisbury. Hitherto the Wesleyan services here had been conducted in empty stores, and in the dining-room of an hotel, the proprietor of which was a Jew. It was determined to form a subscription list, in order to put up a wattle and daub church. The success of the scheme so surpassed the hopes of the promoters that they were able to erect a brick church capable of seating 150 persons. And now let Mr. Shimmin finish the story. He says, “The interesting ceremony of laying the foundation stones took place on Saturday, March 26th, 1892, and proved a great suc¬ cess. Most of the principal inhabitants of Fort Salisbury witnessed the historic event; the singing, led by the Salvation Army Band, was bright and lively, and the collection was very satisfactory. Before laying the stone. Dr. Jameson, the Administrator, mrde an excellent speech, in which he referred to the good work being done by the various denominations, and specially complimented the Wesleyans in having taken the leading place, by building the first permanent church in the country. The whole affair passed off most successfully, and will not soon be forgotten by those who were present.” The building was completed and opened on Friday, June loth, 1892. The chair as taken by A. E. Caldecott, Esq. (Solicitor to the Chartered Company, and brother of the Rev. W. S. Caldecott, Wesleyan Minister). Dr. Jameson and many other officials were present, and we had a most successful evening. There was an excellent programme of music, combined with a few short speeches, full of good old-fashioned fervour. THE WESLEYAN MISSION 35 The following Sunday evening the preacher was Dr. Johnston, founder of the Evangelical and Medical Mission in Jamaica. i'IRST METHODIST CHURCH IN SALISBURY, MASHONALAND. The church itself is thus described by Mr. Shimmin :— “You will be glad to hear of our success in opening the church free of debt 36 THE STORY OF AIASHONALAND. 'rhe people here are much pleased with the building, and it is certainly an ornament to the town. We thought it best to have a thatch roof for the present, as galvanised iron is so very expensive. You will also notice in the photograph, which is taken by a friend, that the windows are of calico, but proper windows will be put in later on. In this out-of-the-way place we are thankful for small mercies and very limited achieve¬ ments. “The church is built on the back part of the stand, and there is abundance of ground in front for a Methodist cathedral, when the time is ripe for doing things on a large scale. I think, however, that the present building will suffice for a few years to come.” The farm at Salisbury (five miles from the town) is known as Epworth, being so named after the birthplace of John Wesley. We have made the acquaintance of the first evangelists, and learned something of our first buildings, and here follows Mr. Shimmin’s account of our first school :— “ Quite recently I spent a Sunday at Epworth, and was very much surprised at tne great improvement that had taken place amongst the people since the arrival of the teachers—only two months before. At seven in the morning we had our first service, at which fully a hundred and twenty men, women, and children were present, and the manner in which they sang and listened was most gratifying. After breakfast forty or fifty adults and children sat down in groups to study the mysteries of the alphabet. They all appeared eager to learn, and plodded patiently along the thorny path, both men and women good-humouredly conning over the strange signs, and no doubt looking forward to the happy time when the book will speak to them as it did to the white man. Occasionally the crying of a child would interrupt the studies of the mother, or the school under the trees would strike up a verse of a hymn, and then THE WESLEYAN MISSION 37 the serious business of learning would be resumed. This lasted for an hour or two, after which the people went off to their homes perfectly contented. Later on another OUR FIRST SCHOOL IN MASHONALAND. small party, including the chief, came from a village some miles away to get a share of the good things they had heard about, and soon they too were grinding away at their lesson as if working for an examination. To me it was a scene full of the 38 THE STORY OF MASHONALAND. most absorbing interest. A few weeks ago these people were like the heathen around them, now they are diligently learning the first steps in the way of righteousness. On the Sabbath all work is suspended, and most of the day is passed as I have indicated. It was no use beginning here with the profound truths of theology, for in the first place, the teachers are not as yet sufficiently strong in the language to venture beyond the most simple instruction. And, secondly, these people with centuries of barbarism behind them, and with the bias of their moral nature so set against godliness, are at first incapable of comprehending even those plain religious facts which appear so self- evident to every Christian child. But a wise plan has been adopted to suit their capacity—homely conversation, simple illustration, and, above all, lively and attractive singing will help in many ways to make known the charms of the ‘ old, old story.’ In a case of this sort adaptability is everything, and our end is securely gained— ‘ When truth embodied in a tale Shall enter in at lowly doors.’ “ A large number came to the afternoon service, and it was very touching to hear them sing m their own language the good old prayer-meeting hymn, ‘Come to Jesus’ —for the work of simple translation has already made a humble beginning. And as they bowed their heads in prayer to Him after whom they were so blindly groping, how fervently we longed for the coming of that day when, like the Greeks of old, they too will ask to see Jesus. Their progress will of necessity be very slow, and for a long time they will ‘ see men as trees walking,’ but their thirst for knowledge, and their will¬ ingness to obey, will surely result in victory. If our good friends at home could only have witnessed this strange sight of the first struggles of a people to free themselves from the tyranny of an age-long heathenism, how thankfully would they have lifted up THE WESLEYAN MISSION. 39 their hearts to God, and how gladly would they have opened their purse to keep on the good work, •'In the evening I went to the village and finished up the day with another spe of singing. It was very amusing to notice the manifest pride of the parents when the children did well—they were as proud as fathers and mothers are at home when they see their little ones ranged on the platform on the great Anniversary Sunday. “ The day had so strengthened my faith in the work, and so brightened^ the out¬ look, that I felt it only fitting that we should now have a good hearty British cheer from the children. A certain traveller in Central Africa states that m those parts t e natives find the “ English hurrah ” an impossibility of pronunciation. It is certain y very different here. I can assure you that these youngsters might have been at a Sun¬ day School picnic, or a political meeting in the old country, judging by the vigorous and delighted cheers that rang out on the evening air. After a few parting words e many varied services of this happy Sabbath came to a close with thanks for the ess- ing of the present, and earnest prayers for the hopeful future. ,, u a During the summer of this year (.89a) the Rev. G. H. Eva, an old Richmond student, who has been labouring at Johannesburg, was sent forward to assist Mr. Eva took pastoral charge of the little church in Salisbury. In a little time he erected a second chapel for the use of natives, and this too was opened free o '"'"^he most important result of Mr. Eva’s advent was, doubtless, that it set Mr. Shimmin free to travel. Towards the close of 1892 he undertook a journey towar s the north-west, and about the middle of the present year (.893) he made a circuit towards the south-east. Both of these journeys were successful in obtaining the 40 THE STORY OF MASHONALAND. consent of chiefs to receive teachers, and in obtaining permission to' “ peg ” out farms suitable for mission operations. The missionary’s own account of these journeys will be found in the two following chapters. CHAPTER IV. A Jotmiey to Lo Magondi’s. By Rev. Isaac Shimmin. 'I'he arrival of Mr. Eva and the native teachers was heartily welcomed by those who, for nearly a year, had been patiently holding the fort in this distant corner of the Methodist mission field. We saw that the work was very great, and we often longed and prayed for additional helpers. The Missionary Committee did not fail us, and instead of one English minister and one native agent, this new district has now two ordained men and eight evangelists, all hopeful and enthusiastic as to the future of the mission. Michael Bowen, our native pioneer, was only engaged for twelve months, and his term has already expired. He has done grand work in this new country, and as long as our Church can train and send out such devoted and successful native teachers, she need have no fear as to her future amongst the Kaffir races. But the new men having arrived, the next step was to locate them at the various centres where they could best begin their battle against heathenism. Mr. Eva, of course, took my place in the English Church at Salisbury. His previous training at Natal, and his strong love for mission work, make him a most valuable colleague. We decided to make our first journey in the directtion of Hartleyton and Lo Magondi’s, and by the first of September we were ready to start. There were eight of us altogether—four of the new teachers besides Michael, the driver, and leader, and myself. The small wagon was heavily laden with provisions and baggage, our six THE WESLEYAN MISSION 41 oxen were in good condition, and we set off with bright hopes of a prosperous journey. Passing the famous Mount Hampden, we trekked steadily on, and got to our old friend Zimba’s within a week. You will remember my visit here last December, and the pegging out of our mission-farm at Hartleyton. The chief was greatly delighted to see us again, as he had come to the conclusion that we had altogether forgotten our promise to send him a teacher. We told him that we were bringing him twice as much as he expected, as two of the evangelists would live on the farm, and instruct his people in the Gospel of the Christians. It is best to station the teachers in couples—at any rate, for the rainy season—so that they can help each other in case of sickness. By next year they will have formed a wide circuit here, making Hartleyton the base of operations. Shimanga, the neighbouring chief, an intelligent-looking old man, informed us that he had heard some strange stories of the manner in which the white men made the people Christians. “They first had a large house built, in which they made an extraordinary amount of noise of various kinds, then they induced the natives to enter and put them to death.” He was much relieved when I explained to him that his knowledge of the usual mode of conversion was greatly at fault, and when I showed him the advantages of accepting the religion of peace and goodwill nothing would satisfy him but that he too must have a teacher. “ My people must also hear the truth, and my children must learn the right way.” As the two villages are only about three miles apart we decided that he should have his desire, and thus two fires should be kindled on the farm instead of only one. Although these poor natives are so ignorant of spiritual matters that any absurd story about Christianity is suffi¬ cient to cause alarm, yet in other ways they are most intelligent, and their anxiety to 42 THE STOR Y OF MASHONALAND. hear further of these strange things could not be more gratifying. The two teachers are men of the right sort, and we left the place feeling that a great victory would yet be won here for the Master. In due time we crossed the river Hanyane, the furthest point of our journey last year. The new country we now passed through was most interesting, but very thinly populated. Having safely crossed the Angwa, another large river flowing north to the Zambesi, the next day we came to the first of Lo Magondi’s villages. The people 'were very friendly, and crowded round the wagon, bringing meal, fowls, etc., to exchange for “ limbo,” beads and salt. They told us that the great chief lived about fifteen miles further west, in the “ fly ” country. As the bite of the tsetse is fatal to oxen, as well as to other domestic animals, we found we should have to leave our wagon here, and travel the remainder of our journey on foot. We had no difficulty in getting carriers, and early next morning we got away. Our caravan consisted of six “ boys ” carrying packs, three teachers and myself, and as our little party tramped along, single file, through the African forest I felt as proud of our expedition as if I had been marching to the relief of another Emin Pasha. Certainly rescue was our object, but it was from superstition and the bondage of evil. Our narrow winding path took us through a rich and fertile country—which we hope will teem with busy farmers before another half century is gone—passed several native kraals, and reached the end of our journey early in the afternoon. Our camping-place was on the top of a steep hill near the head village, and we soon had the usual throng of friendly, good- tempered natives all eager to do some trade with the white man. The next day we had a long talk with the chief and his principal men upon the subject of the new religion. The chief (Mazimbagupa) has only recently been appointed by the Chartered Company, and will assume the title of Lo Magondi as THE WESLE VAN MISSION, 43 soon as the native ceremony of installation takes place. They listened to our story with deep attention ) told us that we were the first messengers of the Gospel they had GROUP OF CARRIERS, ETC. i,s thev were all eager to learn the white man’s faith; but that they ::::i r*;':: org.. ...oph^ess h.d bee„ obtained. This w.as the first time for me to hear of the mysterrous personrrge, and 44 THE STORY OF MASllONALAND. in answer to further questioning they gave me the following information which will show how wide is her range of power. The Salokazana {old woman or prophetess) lives about a day’s journey to the west from the chiefs place, and a visit to her stronghold is never undertaken without the fortifying influence of various gifts of a specified and particular nature. The mother of the present occupant of the office was also a prophetess or witch, and as such was acknowledged by the mighty Moselikatse, the first Matabili king. The reigning Salokazana came into power after his death, and Lo Bengula has always been largely governed by her prophecies and advice. It is said amongst the natives that two years ago, when the forces of the Chartered Company marched into Mashonaland, it was chiefly owing to the council she then gave Lo Bengula that the expedition was per¬ mitted to enter and occupy the new country without bloodshed. Had she spoken otherwise there is no doubt that a long and fierce struggle would have taken place between the English and Matabili. Amongst the heathen her name is invested with great mystery, and their fears and superstitions clothe her with authority almost divine. They say she can make rain, govern the harvests, avert sickness, or bring punishment. In her hand is the power of life and death, and to disobey her voice means destruction for the present and the future. As no white man is allowed to consult her in person, I agreed to the suggestion of the chief, that he should send a special messenger who would explain the situation and request her permission to have the new teaching established amongst them. This was all we could do besides praying that the Holy Spirit might open our way to these people, and that He would soon put down the mighty from their seats in the kingdom of the evil one. We then walked about four miles to the east, in order to select a suitable farm THE WESLEYAN MISSION 45 for our future missionary work. We had faith to believe that sooner or later our flag would be planted here, and we wanted to be fully ready to begin the fight fort wit The locality we thought best was a beautiful valley, fertile and well watered, and con- taining several flourishing villages. It is just in the centre of a large native district and will eventually become a most important place. With a sublime disregarc o correct measurement, which must be attributed to our early training we marked out a farm four or five times the usual size (and afterwards got it granted from the Com pany). The deserted kraal, where Lo Magondi and some of his men were killed last ear by the Matabili. is on the place-a memento of savage hatred and erue ty Soon we hope to have a monument of Christianity erected near the shape of a small church, and thus shall we change the old order into the new-the Ihouis of battle will for ever cease, and the valley will be filled with the peaceful After splding two or three happy days amongst these people, we marched back to the wavon, and the day after our arrival the messengers arrived with the importan a"!: frok Ihe prophetess. To our great satisfaction it was ^ttitoly m our favom as far as she was concerned, but she felt that in a matter of this so t h had be consult with Lo Bengula, and would at once send a native deputation to . . y ■ This means a two months’ journey, so I decided to leave the for the nresent If the reply of the Matabili king is favourable, they will go m at once, and possess the good land in the name of the Lord; but if *e be against us, they will return l^’^owing to' his unfriendly 46 THE STORY OF MASHONALAND. involving the Company in serious difficulties with the king. Therefore if this door be closed against us there are many others standing wide open that we can enter without any difficulty. All this will show how much the new mission, especially at this early stage, needs the loving sympathy and earnest prayers of the Methodist people at home. We are extending widely the sphere of our influence, but the work is not without its excitement and danger. Nothing particular occurred on our journey home with the exception of the break¬ ing of our disselboom (wagon-pole). This meant that for the time the parson became a carpenter; a tree was cut down, the iron taken off the old pole, and within a day we were ready again for the road. By the way, would it not be a great boon to missionary students if a chair of carpentery and blacksmithing were established at Richmond College—although I hardly know how we should designate such a professor in the “ Minutes.” Got safely back to Salisbury by the middle of October, very thankful to God for our safe and successful journey. CHAPTER V. Journey to Gambisa's. Bv Rev. Is.vac Shiimmin. Having just returned from a month’s journey to the south-east, a few notes of my experience may be of interest to some of our missionary friends at home. The journey was remarkable for the exceptional amount'of “roughing it” required, and also for the fact that it gave me an insight into some new phases of the life of the Mashona people. During the unhealthy months of the summer the three teachers at Epworth had done good work both at the station itself and amongst the surrounding 47 THE WESLE VAN MISSION. kraals but the claims of this great country arc so pressing that we determined to extend our line of operations by securing two additional “ circuits.” We could easily find work for ten times our present number of helpers, and until our staff is increased the men must work separately, although not too far apart to prevent their mutual assistance Our great aim is to have a line of central stations which we hope will eventually reach from the Limpopo on the south to the Zambesi on the north. We left Epworth on May 26th, accompanied by the two teachers who, full of genuine missionary zeal, turned their faces towards the unknown land m the south. Thev knew not where their future home would be, but felt certain that in seeking to brim^ the Gospel to the heathen they were following in the true apostolic succession. Noth\ic. could be more strong and simple than the faith of these humble workers in the°vineyard, and their hopeful persistence in well-doing has often put my own doubts to shame. 1 We travelled along the Ut.itali road for about thirty miles, and then struck off due south across the veldt. A small stream with rather steep banks was the cause of our first breakdown, but as we always carry the necessary tools with us „e were soon ready again for resuming our journey. Twenty miles further we out- snanned by the principal village of a chief called Nungubo, where the people gave us a very friendly welcome. One of the teachers had already paid the place a visit, "d had explained our mission amongst the natives, so to some extent our way was ‘nreoared and we soon had a large company clustering round the wagon and sitting fr the lire eager to talk and willing to listen. The appearance of a white man at their kraal ’was of rare occurrence, and they evidently wished to make the most o the the district lives a few miles from the village, and the MASHONA GUinr, THE WESLEYAN MISSION. 49 next day I rode over to his place and fortunately found him at home. He is in charge of a large farm (eight miles by three) belonging to the Hon. C. J. Rhodes, and spoke very hopefully of his agricultural prospects. Wheat, barley, potatoes, tobacco, etc., had all turned out well, and in a few years he hoped to make it a good paying concern. Having spent several years farming in Canada, he is just the right man in the right plaee, and although admitting the natural drawbacks of a new country, yet in his opinion Mashonaland offered great possibilities to the tiller of the soil. I remained to “ tithn ” and enjoyed the luxury of a good chat. Like many others up here, he is the son of a elergyman, and it did us good to indulge in pleasant reminiscences ; but in that lonely hut in the veldt old England and all its memories seemed indeed very far away. He kindly offered to give any help he could if I dec'ded to station a teacher at Nungubo’s. Soon after my return to the wagon I had a novel and most agreeable surprise. An old man came as a deputation from the chief, bringing a goat and some meal for the minister. This in itself was an extraordinary manifestation of generosity, as the Mashona are not in the habit of giving pre.sents to white men, especially when they can barter the same for the much-prized “ limbo ” and beads. But he had come with a request from the chief and people that I should not go away before decidin'^ to le.ave a teacher at their place. This had been my real object in visiting them, but I wished to do nothing without full consideration, and you can imagine my satisfaction when the people themselves took the initiative in the matter. I tried to find out from the messenger what benefits he expected to reap from the presence of a teacher. He could not tell very clearly, but knew that the Gospel must be good, and said that they wished to hear more of the white man’s God. In the morning I had a large gathering of men, some of them coming several miles, 5 ° THE STORY OF MASHONALAND. and I found that they were unanimous in their request. Not only would they send their children to school, but they would also come themselves to learn the right way. I promised to do my best for them, and should meanwhile leave one of the teachers at the village. When I returned we should decide the matter. I had heard of an important chief, named Gambisa, who lived about fifty or sixty miles further south, and I was very anxious to pay him a visit. His principal place was only a few miles beyond Mount Wedza, but although we could clearly see the great mountain looming in the distance, they assured us that the country intervening was impas¬ sable by wagon, and advised us to go round by Charter. Two or three days’ steady travell¬ ing due v/est brought us to the main pioneer road running up to Salisbury. We found Charter occupied by only three or four police, whose principal duty consisted in preserving order amongst the surrounding tribes. From here we trekked to the south-east, thus taking two sides of a triangle from Nungubo. We now entered a country very rough, but thickly populated. Spent a night at Umtigesa’s, where the Bishop has already established a station, although a resident teacher has not yet been appointed. Flere we got a guide to Gambisa’s, and we unquestionably required his services. Our road was only a faint “spoor,” or track, which took us through ploughed fields and thick bush, across rocky streams and amongst stony crags, until we feared that the more we travelled, the further we were wandering from our destination. I have journeyed thousands of miles by wagon, but this experience beat anything I had ever known. And yet it was strange to find how calmly we at length regarded every fresh obstacle and difficulty. However bad the river we had to ford, in we went, knowing that the worst that could happen would be only a temporary collapse, but we generally came out safely on the other side, and plodded stolidly on to the next barrier. It was a real steeplechase in a “ cow carriage.” Crossing a small river, the guide told us that we were now in Gambisa’s district, THE WESLE VAN MISSION. Si and amongst the people called Sinjanja. The next village with its forges showed that we had also entered their iron, or “ black country.” Passed several more kraals, and the next morning outspanned by Gadza. When leaving this place our wagon was a great curiosity. Some hundreds of people saw us off, and scores followed us for several miles, the children running on in front and playing round our “ moving tent.” To these people it was a wonderful thing that oxen should submit to the yoke and obey the voice of the driver. The same afternoon we came to anchor at Gambisa’s town, all thoroughly knocked up with our trying journey. Climbed the hill, and paid my respects to Gambisa, who gave me a hearty welcome. Like the majority of the more powerful chiefs, he did not speak to me direct, but his words came through his native “ prime minister.” We made an interchange of presents, and the greatest good fellowship prevailed. The following morning (Sunday) we had a large meeting at the wagon, the chief being one of the number. As I proceeded to explain our object in coming, they became greatly interested, and when I asked them at the close if they were willing to receive the new teaching, they responded readily in the affirmative. The chief said, “You are the first minister I have ever met; we all want to learn, the country is open to you, do as you will.” Then th-e driver and teachers gave a sample of Christian singing, to the great delight of the people. I may say here that all the members of our party seemed to have great pride in their work. Even the Mashona boy who led the oxen, and who has been with us some time, showed that he realised the high honour of being connected with the Mission. I have often been amused, when sitting by the camp fire after I had finished speaking, to hear him take up the tale, and with natural eloquence go on to tell the great things that were being wrought at at his own place (HartleytOii)» 52 THE ST'ORY OF MASHONALAND. and at other kraals by the teachers of the new religion. And I always noticed that he waxed unusually earnest when describing the singing and the schools. A few months ago he was a raw heathen, but now he rejoices in the possession of two or three European garments, and is daily learning more of the truth. Already he helps me as much as if he were a “ full local,” and is proud that he belongs to our company, although in so humble a capacity. I remained several days at Gambisa’s, and nothing could have been more friendly than the conduct of the people. Every morning a large number would crowd round the wagon, bringing food, etc., to barter. The variety was great, and the quantity more than we required. They brought several kinds of meal, rice, potatoes and fowls in abundance. The scene was striking and picturesque, and very characteristic of the country. Money, of course, was useless. A coin with a hole in it might do for an ornament on the neck, but for some time to come the services of a mint will not be required for the natives of Mashonaland. Limbo, beads, and salt are the pounds, shillings and pence of aiativc trade. But woe betide the unfortunate traveller if he has mistaken the true colour and quality of his wares. Strange to say, the tyranny of fashion is felt quite as much amongst these simple ])eople as amongst those in the higher walks of life. Small red beads are eagerly sought, but yellow ones are laughed at, and black would spoil the market. When I said good-bye to the chief, he again expressed a hope that a teacher would soon be sent, and said that he would at once give orders to prepare the jDoles for the teacher’s house. I came away feeling that these people were waiting to be fed, and rejoiced that very soon we should have at least one faithful agent in their midst distributing the bread of life. Instead of going back round by Charter, we decided to strike across country and THE WESLEYAN MISSION 53 reach Nungubo in a straight line. Took another guide as far as Mount Wedza. This boy had a strong fascination for me; he was so phenomenally ugly and savage MORNING MARKET AT GAMUISa’s. looking that I could not help taking his photo. At first he was very much alarmed, evidently thinking I meant to shoot him with the camera, and seemed quite relieved 54 THE STORY OF MASHONALAND. when the operation was finished. His good temper counterbalanced his excessive plainness. Wedza is the most important mountain I have yet come across in this part of the world. It is about five or six miles long, and can be distinguished at a great distance from every side. Immediately south of Wedza we crossed the Sabi, one of the largest rivers in Eastern Africa. For a few miles we followed an old track, and then turning north made straight for Nungubo. It was a continuation of our previous experience of “ roughing it,” and meant hard work for us all. In many places we had to keep ahead of the wagon, cutting down trees and bushes to make a road through the wood, or searching along a stream for the best drift or ford to cross. It was true pioneer work, for we travelled many miles where no wagon had ever been before, and we were all very thankful when we came within sight of our old camp at Nungubo’s. Everything had been going on well during our absence, the teacher had been kindly treated, and word had been sent from a kraal some miles away that they were coming to settle by Nungubo in order to learn the truths of Christianity. In the evening, we went up to the village, and after making a fire in an open space, for the night was cold, the people gathered round for a talk. But my astonishment was great when the teacher started them singing, and they went through several tunes fairly correctly, evidently enjoying the novel performance. We had only been away eighteen days, and this was the result ! By means of song, the teacher had first won their confidence and awakened their interest, and they were now thirsting to know more. I expressed the pleasure I felt, and asked if they still wanted the teacher to remain. Their response was clamorous- no other word is fitting—and when I told them that all was settled, and that he would soon be living amongst them, they fairly shouted with delight. I explained to THE JVESLE VAN MISSION. 55 them that singing was only the first step, but our chief work was preaching the Gospel; they were now drinking milk fit for babes, but must go on to the strong meat. This they admitted, but wanted the process to be slow and gradual. The site for the teacher’s house was selected, and they promised to have it ready by the time he returned. Arrived in Salisbury without accident, and I at once saw the Surveyor-General, and got the two additional farms granted to our church; also had a very agreeable conversation with the Bishop, who wished us God-speed at the new stations, and said he would soon be our co-worker in that part of the country, as he had just made arrangements for resuming work at some of his old stations. Thus we are keeping within our own boundaries, and at the same time we are working in closest harmony with all other churches. A few days later the two teachers, having got their supplies, set off with a stout heart to begin work in their new circuits. What pleases me most in this our latest advance is that the stations are just where I had hoped to get them, although I then knew nothing of the country. Nungubo is fifty miles from Salisbury, and, including the surrounding villages, will some day be an important centre. Gambisa, fifty miles further south, is chief of a district and has quite a number of populous kraals under him. It may be advisable to appoint a second teacher to this place, and some time in the future, when the work has sufficiently grown, we hope to see an English minister take charge of the mission. . Brief Notes by the Way. Last year at Lo Magondi’s I visited the Manchester of Mashonaland; ^ this year at Gambisa’s I saw something of their Wolverhampton. True, both their cotton¬ spinning and their ironworks are in the crudest condition, but we look to the 56 THE STORY OF MASHONALAND. possibilities of the future. Mount Wedza is full of good iron ore, and in any other country would be valued as a mine of wealth. The people from all the surrounding district take away as much as they want, piling it in sacks on the backs of oxen. Every village we saw had several forges, and it was very refreshing to hear the sound of the hammer, and see the workmen busy making hoes, hatchets, knives and spears. It naturally increases one’s respect for a Mashona to find that he has genuine mechanical skill, and that he stands upon a much higher platform than a common field-labourer. At Gambisa’s we found the village smithy under no “spreading chestnut tree,’’ but on the top of a steep hill, and just outside the kraal. Here the blacksmith had made a rude booth round a large granite boulder, which served the purpose of an anvil. I send you a photo of this interesting scene. You will notice the man that blows the bellows sitting behind the (charcoal) fire. He has a couple of goat-skins, one for either hand, which are worked alternately. When the skin is drawn up an aperture at the top lets in the air; the opening is then grasped, the skin pressed down, and the wind is forced into the fire through a pipe at the lower end. The smith takes the red-hot iron out of the fire, using a piece of bent bark as tongs, and places it upon his stone anvil, and with a small iron pointer he taps the place where the iron is to be struck. His two assistants stand in the foreground; one of them I thought a splendid specimen of humanity, well built in every way. “ And the muscles of his brawny arms Are strong as iron bands.” Their “ hammers ” are heavy, round stones, with which they pound the iron until it is cool. The smith generally gives a few finishing-off touches with a small NATIVE FORGE, GAMBISA’S. 58 THE STORY OF MASHONALAND. hammer of native manufacture. I had the pleasure of giving them an order, as the “ bugle,” or heavy clasp on the end of the disselboom, had somehow got broken, and we were forced to have a new one made. The smith had never before attempted any¬ thing of the sort, but after I had made a pattern out of an old newspaper, and given a few unprofessional hints, he accepted the commission, and soon had his establish¬ ment working at very high pressure. Early in the afternoon he brought me the finished article, and considering it was the first thing of the kind he had made, the work was very creditable indeed. It proved that they could both weld and make bolt-holes, which cannot be done by the more primitive workers. But when I pro¬ ceeded to fasten it on the pole, they returned the compliment of the morning. Then I had regarded them as objects of very great interest, but nmv it was their turn to marvel at the wonders wrought by saw, chisel, and bracebit. They felt that, after all, they were far behind the times. But the question may well be asked, are not such people worth training and educating ? and would not the establishment of an industrial school, combined with Christian teaching, be one of the best means of lifting them to a higher level, and developing to the fullest their mechanical aptitude ? A rather peculiar experience when outspanned by Umtigesa’s kraal gave me an illustration of the ignorance and degradation of these Mashona people. As we generally begin our day’s journey before sunrise, we find it necessary to turn in pretty early, and as a rule we sleep soundly till the first streak of dawn. But on this particular night I found sleep an impossibility, owing to the uproar that came from the neighbouring village. I thought the people must either be giving a sort of native “ at home,” or going through some of their heathen ceremonies. The singing, stamping, beating of drums and clanging of cymbals, continued without intermission, and as I found the barbarous music (!) had but little power to soothe to rest, I THE WESLEYAN MISSION 59 called a couple of the boys, and about midnight went up to unravel the mystery. We made our way to a large round hut in which the performance was taking place, and stepping through the low doorway, at once stood in the midst of a strange gather¬ ing. A small fire was burning in the middle of the clay floor, and as there was neither window nor door to permit the smoke to escape, the ventilation was hardly satisfactory. Seated by the fire were a number of children, and in the dim light on the other side of the hut were about a dozen women dancing and singing. One of them thumped vigorously on a big drum (a hollow log of wood set on end, the top covered with skin), others banged together flat pieces of iron, and now and again a snatch of weird song was sung or a shrill cry uttered, joined in by the children. The gloom and smoke and noise made it a real witches’ dance, and I shall not soon forget the strange scene. As soon as a pause occurred, we asked the meaning of it all. “ These women,” they said, pointing to three sitting on the floor, “ are sick, and we are driving away the evil spirit.” “ But what good will this do ? Come to the wagon, and you can have proper medicine.” But I could not persuade them. Politely but firmly they refused to listen to any reasoning from a heretic. This was their custcm, and they meant to carry the business through. “ These women must have the Mashabi, and the evil spirit must be conquered.” “But,” I replied, “if you keep up this awful row the whole night, the evil spirit will surely come to me. I want to get to sleep; could you not adjourn the meeting till to-morrow?” They regarded me with looks of pity because of my ignorance, and smiled at the thought that anyone should object to their concert. It was no use, we looked at the whole thing from totally different standpoints. The doctor (or witch), with hollow, rattling bangles on arms and ankles, again struck up the tune, her accomplices joined in the discord, the orchestra got into full swing, and as the patients, or culprits, on the 6o THE STORY OF MASHONALAND. ground did not appear to improve, we soon made a bolt for the open air. It was not until three in the morning that we judged by the sounds of shout and laughter that the ceremony had come to an end, much to our relief. The next day we heard that the cure had been effective, and all the evil spirits had been completely exorcised. I took some pains to enquire into the meaning of the Mashabi, and found it only one of the many forms of witchcraft and superstition that are met with amongst all South African tribes. A man becomes possessed, they say, with the spirit of a lion or dog, and roars or barks accordingly ; a dose of the Mashabi soon sets him right. If he continually misses the game when hunting it is a proof that he is bewitched, and the Mashabi is the cure. If a woman refuses to obey her rightful lord, and shows a spirit incompatible with domestic felicity, the chief sends straightway for the doctor, and the Mashabi is prescribed. Thus the custom enters very largely into the common life of the people, and as the presiding genius receives numerous fees and presents for her services, her opinions on the matter will remain decidedly conservative. But the beginning of a new day has dawned for these benighted heathen; already the pure rays of light are penetrating the gloom of their homes, and soon we hope to see the dread of malicious demons give place to a loving trust in the Saviour of all mankind. These records sufficiently illustrate the energetic and effective lines upon which this new work has been commenced and, without doubt, in due time a living Christian Church in Mashonaland will more than justify the hopes which have been THE WESLEYAN MISSION 6i entertained, and more than reward the care and toil and money which have been expended in founding this mission. It remains to add, that our occupation of Mashonaland is invested with impor¬ tant issues affecting the whole colony of Africa. Until recently Christian and civilising influences had penetrated from Cape Colony as far as South Matabililand. Again, commencing at Lake Nyassa, north of the Zambesi River, we had these same influences at work northward almost to the mouth of the Nile. But there was an unexplored gulf between these spheres of Christianising influence. Zambesi itself HAD NOT BEEN OCCUPIED. Now, however, this country has been entered. Thus, South Africa has joined hands with Central Africa. In fact, it appears as though the dream of Sir Bartle Frere—a British dominion from Cape Colony to the mouth of the Nile—may become an accomplished fact at a no very distant date. There is a shaft of redeemmg light brightening from Cape Town to Alexandria, and we regard it as a pledge that ere long darkest Africa shall be a land of radiant and gladsome day ! LATEST NEWS OF THE MISSION. From Mr. Shimmin. The unusually heavy storms of last wet season so greafly injured our English Church in Salisbury that we were forced to contemplate the necessity of pulling part of it down. The thatch roof, when soaked with rain, had settled down at one end, thus forcing out part of the front gable and making it necessary to place strong supports outside to keep up the wall. Under the circumstances this accident came upon us as a great calamity. We had felt a certain degree of pride in the structure, 62 THE STORY OF MASHONALAND. and its homely and picturesque appearance had an attractiveness all its own. We had worked hard to get it built, and now most of our time and money seemed thrown away. . However, it was not the fault of the builders, but a clear case of atmospheric disturbance, and we thought it best to calmly face the difficulty. All we had towards the cost was presented to our church by Mr. Rhodes. This would not go far, but it was a good beginning. The Matabili scare had thrown all trade out of joint, miners had had to abandon their work, and money was remarkably scarce. We first ordered the new roof from Pretoria—thereby effecting a considerable saving—and then started in faith for another appeal to the people. The subscription list is a grand institution, although at times it requires careful handling, and the amount of financial support it receives’ is not always equal to the energy expended. However, we had no cause for complaint. If there was any hesitation we would simply point to our sickly-looking church, and the pathetic sight of our wobbling edifice had a splendid effect. I confess that the illustration reminded me of the beggars in Madeira, who can regulate their income by the number of their deformities. But collecting in these unsettled times was no very pleasant task, for though we had the sympathy of the people in our affliction, it was often difficult for them to transmute their friendly feeling into the necessary coin. But little by little the money came in, and we ventured to begin the necessary alterations. First the front gable and then part of the back were taken down, and then the whole church was built higher than before, and roofed with iron. A good brick floor and platform, with a handsome rail, set off the interior. Then the painters’ art was brought into requisition, until at length the whole church was so transformed and improved, that our feelings of humility were put to a most unusual strain. We must judge church-work very often by the comparative method. Our modest THE WESLE VAN MISSIOH. 63 building would not make any startling sensation in a Methodist circuit in England, but we can safely say that in all Mashonaland there is no church to equal it. And when you remember that there are only three or four Wesleyans in Salisbury, and that we had to look for help from all sorts and conditions of men, most of horn had assisted to build the church last year, you will admit that we had some reason for being satisfied with our success. Then we had raised over ;^3oo, and had opened the church free, and last Sunday (September 24th) we again had the pleasure of opening the building without a penny of debt, after having paid over ;,^2oo for the alterations. Moreover, two of the friends presented us with a handsome Communion service, which we used for the first time on Sunday evening. We had two capital services, and the power of God was felt in our midst. And as we knelt at the Lord’s Table to “eat His flesh and to drink His blood,” we realised that, though gathered from- many different parts, and living in the midst of danger and alarm, we could nevei- theless keep our minds in perfect peace whilst we heard the voice of the Master communing with His disciples. May the Holy Spirit fill our restored temple with mighty power, and make it the hallowed birthplace of many souls 1 DATE DUE mar 2 3 7 : GAYLORD FRINTKOlNU.ft.A. Mesle^an /Iftissionav^ Society. Missions Commenced, 1786. Society Organised, 1813. HE Society’s Missions arc—In India (Madras, Negapatam. Trichinopoly, Hyderabad, Mysore, Calcutta, and Lucknow T Districts), Ceylon, China (Central and Southern), Burma, Western Africa, The Transvaal, Swaziland, and Masho- naland, Honduras, The Bahamas, and the Continent of Europe. Number of Missionaries (more than half of whom are 338 Native Ministers) Other Mission Workers ------ 2,295 Church Members, fully accredited or on trial - - 44,291 Children and Young People under instruction - - 70 973 The Mission Agency includes—Medical Missions and Hospitals, Schools for the Blind, Homes for Lepers, Orphanages, Training and Industrial Schools, etc. There are many opportunities for the extension of the work. Contributions for the Mashonaland Mission, or for the General Work of the Society, may be sent to the Secretaries, Revs. G. W. Olver, F. W. Macdonald, and Marshall Hartley, 17, Bishopsgate Street Within.