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Fromboyhoodupwardswehavebeenaccustomed，fromtimetotime，toreadinbooksoftravelsaboutthegreatadvancesannuallymadebyMohammedanisminAfrica。Therateatwhichthisreligionspreadswassaidtobesorapid，thatinafterdays，inourownprettyextensivetravels，wehaveconstantlybeenonthelookoutfortheadvancingwavefromNorthtoSouth，which，itwasprophesied，wouldsoonreducetheentirecontinenttothefaithofthefalseprophet。Theonlyfoundationthatwecandiscoverfortheassertionsreferredto，andforothersofmorerecentdate，isthefactthatinaremotecornerofNorth-WesternAfricatheFulahs，andMandingoes，andsomeothersinNorthernAfrica，asmentionedbyDr。Barth，havemadeconquestsofterritory；buteventheycaresoverylittlefortheextensionoftheirfaith，thataftertheconquestnopainswhateveraretakentoindoctrinatetheadultsofthetribe。ThisisinexactaccordancewiththeimpressionwehavereceivedfromourintercoursewithMohammedansandChristians。ThefollowersofChristaloneareanxioustopropagatetheirfaith。AquasiphilanthropistwouldcertainlyneverneedtorecommendthefollowersofIslam，whomwehavemet，torestraintheirbenevolencebypreachingthat"Charityshouldbeginathome。”
ThoughSeleleandhiscompanionswereboundtotheirmastersbydomesticties，theonlynewideatheyhadimbibedfromMohammedanismwas，thatitwouldbewrongtoeatmeatkilledbyotherpeople。Theythoughtitwouldbe"unlucky。”JustastheinhabitantsofKolobeng，beforebeingtaughttherequirementsofChristianity，refrainedfromhoeingtheirgardensonSundays，lesttheyshouldreapanunluckycrop。Sofaraswecouldlearn，noeffortshadbeenmadetoconvertthenatives，thoughthesetwoArabs，andaboutadozenhalf-castes，hadbeeninthecountryformanyyears；andjudgingfromourexperiencewithadozenMohammedansinouremployathighwagesforsixteenmonths，theAfricanswouldbethebettermeninproportionastheyretainedtheirnativefaith。ThismayappearonlyaharshjudgmentfromamindimbuedwithChristianprejudices；butwithoutanypretentiontothatimpartiality，whichleavesitdoubtfultowhichsidetheaffectionslean，thetruthmaybefairlystatedbyonewhoviewedallMohammedansandAfricanswiththesincerestgoodwill。
OurtwelveMohammedansfromJohannaweretheleastopenofanyofourpartytoimpressionfromkindness。Amarkeddifferenceingeneralconductwasapparent。TheMakololo，andothernativesofthecountry，whomwehadwithus，invariablysharedwitheachotherthefoodtheyhadcooked，buttheJohannamenpartookoftheirmealsatadistance。This，atfirst，weattributedtotheirMoslemprejudices；
butwhentheysawthecookingprocessoftheothersnearlycomplete，theycame，satbesidethem，andatetheportionofferedwithouteverrememberingtoreturnthecomplimentwhentheirownturncametobegenerous。TheMakololoandtheothersgrumbledattheirgreediness，yetalwaysfollowedthecommoncustomofAfricansofsharingtheirfoodwithallwhositaroundthem。WhatvexedusmostintheJohannamenwastheirindifferencetothewelfareofeachother。Once，whentheywereallcomingtotheshipaftersleepingashore，oneofthemwalkedintothewaterwiththeintentionofswimmingofftotheboat，andwhileyethardlyuptohiskneeswasseizedbyahorridcrocodileanddraggedunder；thepoorfellowgaveashriek，andhelduphishandforaid，butnoneofhiscountrymenstirredtohisassistance，andhewasneverseenagain。Onaskinghisbrother-in-lawwhyhedidnothelphim，hereplied，"Well，noonetoldhimtogointothewater。Itwashisownfaultthathewaskilled。”TheMakololoontheotherhandrescuedawomanatSennabyenteringthewater，andtakingheroutofthecrocodile\'smouth。
Itisnotassumedthattheirreligionhadmuchtodointhematter。
ManyMohammedansmightcontrastfavourablywithindifferentChristians；but，sofarasourexperienceinEastAfricagoes，themoraltoneofthefollowerofMahomedispitchedatalowerkeythanthatoftheuntutoredAfrican。TheancientzealforpropagatingthetenetsoftheKoranhasevaporated，andbeenreplacedbythemostintenseselfishnessandgrossestsensuality。TheonlyknowneffortsmadebyMohammedans，namely，thoseintheNorth-WestandNorthofthecontinent，aresolinkedwiththeacquisitionofpowerandplunder，asnottodeservethenameofreligiouspropagandism；andtheonlyreligionthatnowmakesproselytesisthatofJesusChrist。Tothosewhoarecapableoftakingacomprehensiveviewofthissubject，nothingcanbeadducedofmoretellingsignificancethanthewell-
attestedfact，thatwhiletheMohammedans，Fulahs，andotherstowardsCentralAfrica，makeafewproselytesbyaprocesswhichgratifiestheirowncovetousness，threesmallsectionsoftheChristianconverts，theAfricansintheSouth，intheWestIndies，andontheWestCoastofAfricaactuallycontributeforthesupportandspreadoftheirreligionupwardsof15，000poundsannually。{7}ThatreligionwhichsofarovercomestheselfishnessofthehumanheartmustbeDivine。
LeavingKota-kotaBay，weturnedawaydueWestonthegreatslaveroutetoKatanga\'sandCazembe\'scountryinLonda。Jumalentushisservant，Selele，toleadusthefirstday\'smarch。HesaidthatthetradersfromKilwaandIboecrosstheLakeeitheratthisbay，oratTsenga，oratthesouthernendoftheLake；andthatwherevertheymaycrosstheyallgobythispathtotheinterior。Theyhaveslaveswiththemtocarrytheirgoods，andwhentheyreachaspotwheretheycaneasilybuyothers，theysettledownandbeginthetraffic，andatoncecultivategrain。Somuchofthelandlieswaste，thatnoobjectionisevermadetoanyonetakingpossessionofasmuchasheneeds；theycanpurchaseafieldofcassavafortheirpresentwantsforverylittle，andtheycontinuetradinginthecountryfortwoorthreeyears，andgivingwhatweighttheirmusketspossesstothechiefwhoismostliberaltothem。
Thefirstday\'smarchledusoverarich，well-cultivatedplain。
Thiswassucceededbyhighlands，undulating，stony，andcoveredwithscraggytrees。Manybanksofwellroundedshingleappear。Thedisintegrationoftherocks，nowgoingon，doesnotroundofftheangles；theyaresplitupbytheheatandcoldintoangularfragments。OnthesehighdownswecrossedtheRiverKaombe。Beyonditwecameamongtheuplandvegetation——rhododendrons，proteas，themasuko，andmolompi。Atthefootofthehill，Kasuko-suko，wefoundtheRiverBuarunningnorthtojointheKaombe。Wehadtogoamileoutofourwayforaford；thestreamisdeepenoughinpartsforhippopotami。Thevariousstreamsnotpreviouslynoticed，crossedinthisjourney，hadbeforethisledustotheconclusion，independentlyofthetestimonyofthenatives，thatnolargeriverranintothenorthendoftheLake。NosuchaffluentwasneededtoaccountfortheShire\'sperennialflow。
OnSeptember15thwereachedthetopoftheascentwhich，fromitsmanyupsanddowns，hadoftenmadeuspuffandblowasifbroken-
winded。Thewaterofthestreamswecrossedwasdeliciouslycold，andnowthatwehadgainedthesummitatNdonda，wheretheboiling-
pointofwatershowedanaltitudeof3440feetabovethesea，theairwasdelightful。LookingbackwehadamagnificentviewoftheLake，butthehazepreventedourseeingbeyondtheseahorizon。Thescenewasbeautiful，butitwasimpossibletodissociatethelovelylandscapewhosehillsanddaleshadsosorelytriedourlegsandlungs，fromthesadfactthatthiswaspartofthegreatslaveroutenowactuallyinuse。Bythisroadmany"Tenthousands"havehereseen"theSea，""theSea，"butwithsinkinghearts；fortheuniversalideaamongthecaptivegangsis，thattheyaregoingtobefattenedandeatenbythewhites。Theycannotofcoursebesomuchshockedasweshouldbe——theirsensibilitiesarefarfromfine，theirfeelingsaremoreobtusethanours——infact，"theliveeelsareusedtobeingskinned，"perhapstheyratherlikeit。Wewhoarenotphilosophic，blessedtheProvidencewhichatThermopylaeinancientdaysrolledbackthetideofEasternconquestfromtheWest，andsoguidedthecourseofeventsthatlightandlibertyandgospeltruthspreadtoourdistantisle，andemancipatingourracefreedthemfromthefearofeveragainhavingtoclimbfatiguingheightsanddescendwearisomehollowsinaslave-gang，aswesupposetheydidwhenthefairEnglishyouthswereexposedforsaleatRome。
Lookingwestwardsweperceivedthat，whatfrombelowhadtheappearanceofmountains，wasonlytheedgeofatable-landwhich，thoughatfirstundulating，soonbecamesmooth，andslopedtowardsthecentreofthecountry。TothesouthaprominentmountaincalledChipata，andtothesouth-westanothernamedNgalla，bywhichtheBuaissaidtorise，gavecharactertothelandscape。Inthenorth，massesofhillspreventedourseeingmorethaneightortenmiles。
TheairwhichwassoexhilaratingtoEuropeanshadanoppositeeffectonfivemenwhohadbeenbornandrearedinthemalariaoftheDeltaoftheZambesi。NosoonerdidtheyreachtheedgeoftheplateauatNdonda，thantheyla
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