第25章

Guinea-fowlabounded，butnograincouldbepurchased，forthepeoplehadcultivatedonlytheholmesalongthebankswithmaizeandpumpkins。Timeenoughhadnotelapsedsincetheslave-trader\'sinvasion，anddestructionoftheirstores，forthemtoraisecropsofgrainontheadjacentlands。Todealwiththemforafewheadsofmaizewasthehungrybargainingwiththefamished，sowehastenedonsouthwardsasfastastheexcessiveheatwouldallowus。Itwasimpossibletomarchinthemiddleoftheday，theheatwassointolerable；andwecouldnotgoonatnight，because，ifwehadchancedtomeetanyoftheinhabitants，weshouldhavebeentakenformarauders。

Wehadnowthundereveryafternoon；butwhileoccasionalshowersseemedtofallatdifferentparts，nonefellonus。Theairwasdeliciouslyclear，andrevealedallthelandscapecoveredeverywherewithforest，andboundedbybeautifulmountains。Onthe31stOctoberwereachedtheMukuru-Madse，afterhavingtravelled660geographicalmiles，or760Englishmilesinastraightline。Thiswasaccomplishedinfifty-fivetravellingdays，twelvemilesperdiemonanaverage。Ifthenumerousbendingsandwindings，andupsanddownsofthepathscouldhavebeenmeasuredtoo，thedistancewouldhavebeenfoundatleastfifteenmilesaday。

ThenightwesleptattheMukuru-Madseitthunderedheavily，but，asthishadbeenthecaseeveryafternoon，andnorainhadfollowed，weerectednoshelter，butduringthisnightapouringraincameon。

Whenverytiredamanfeelsdeterminedtosleepinspiteofeverything，andthesoundofdroppingwaterissaidtobeconducivetoslumber，butthatdoesnotrefertoanAfricanstorm。If，whenhalfasleepinspiteofaheavyshoweronthebackofthehead，heunconsciouslyturnsonhisside，thedropsfromthebranchesmakesuchcapitalshotsintohisear，thatthebrainringsagain。

Wewereoffnextmorning，the1stofNovember，assoonasthedaydawned。Inwalkingaboutsevenmilestotheship，ourclotheswerethoroughlydriedbythehotsun，andanattackoffeverfollowed。Werelatethislittleincidenttopointoutthealmostcertainconsequenceofgettingwetinthisclimate，andallowingtheclothestodryontheperson。Evenifwewalkinthemorningswhenthedewisonthegrass，andonlygetourfeetandlegswet，averyuneasyfeelingandpartialfeverwithpainsinthelimbsensue，andcontinuetillthemarchonwardsbathestheminperspiration。HadBishopMackenziebeenawareofthis，which，beforeexperiencealonehadtaughtus，entailedmanyaseverelesson，weknownoearthlyreasonwhyhisvaluablelifemightnothavebeenspared。ThedifferencebetweengettingtheclothessoakedinEnglandandinAfricaisthis:

inthecoldclimatethepatientiscompelled，or，atanyrate，warned，bydiscomforttoresortatoncetoachangeofraiment；whileinAfricaitiscoolingandratherpleasanttoallowtheclothestodryontheperson。AMissionaryinproportionashepossessesanathleticframe，hardenedbymanlyexercises，inadditiontohisotherqualifications，willexcelhimwhoisnotfavouredwithsuchbodilyendowments；butinahotclimateefficiencymainlydependsonhusbandingtheresources。Hemustneverforgetthat，inthetropics，heisanexoticplant。

CHAPTERXV。

Confidenceofnatives——BishopTozer——WithdrawaloftheMissionparty——

TheEnglishleave——HazardousvoyagetoMosambique——Dr。Livingstone\'svoyagetoBombay——ReturntoEngland。

Weweredelightedandthankfultofindallthoseleftattheshipingoodhealth，andthatfromtheemploymentsinwhichtheyhadbeenoccupiedtheyhadsufferedlessfromfeverthanusualduringourabsence。Mycompanion，ThomasWard，thesteward，afterhavingperformedhispartinthemarchrightbravely，rejoinedhiscomradesstrongerthanhehadeverbeenbefore。

AnAjawachief，namedKapeni，hadsomuchconfidenceintheEnglishnamethathe，withmostofhispeople，visitedtheship；andassertedthatnothingwouldgivehiscountrymengreaterpleasurethantoreceivetheassociatesofBishopMackenzieastheirteachers。Thisdeclaration，coupledwiththesubsequentconductoftheAjawa，wasverygratifying，inasmuchasitwasclearthatnoumbragehadbeentakenatthecheckwhichtheBishophadgiventotheirslaving；theirconscienceshadtoldthemthatthecoursehehadpursuedwasright。

Whenwereturned，thecontrastbetweenthevegetationaboutMuazi\'sandthatneartheshipwasverystriking。Wehadcomesoquicklydown，thatwhileontheplateauinlatitude12degreesS。，theyoungleaveshadinmanycasespassedfromthepinkorothercolourtheyhaveonfirstcomingouttothelightfreshgreenwhichsucceedsit，here，onthebordersof16degreesS。，orfrom150to180milesdistant，thetreeswerestillbare，thegreycolourofthebarkpredominatingovereveryotherhue。Thetreesinthetropicsherehaveaverywell-markedannualrest。OntheRovumaeven，whichisonlyabouttendegreesfromtheequator，inSeptembertheslopesupfromtheriversomesixtymilesinlandwereofalightashy-greycolour；andonascendingthem，wefoundthatthemajorityofthetreeswerewithoutleaves；thoseofthebambooevenlaycrispandcrumpledontheground。Asthesunisusuallyhotbyday，eveninthewinter，thiswitheringprocessmaybeowingtothecoolnights；

AfricadifferingsomuchfromCentralIndiainthefactthat，inAfrica，howeverhotthedaymaybe，theairgenerallycoolsdownsufficientlybytheearlymorningwatchestorenderacoveringorevenablanketagreeable。

Thefirstfortnightafterourreturntotheshipwasemployedinthedelightfulprocessofresting，toappreciatewhichamanmusthavegonethroughgreatexertions。Inourcasethemusclesofthelimbswereashardasboards，andnotanounceoffatexistedonanypartofthebody。Wenowhadfrequentshowers；but，thesebeingonlytheearlierrains，theresultontheriseoftheriverwasbutafewinches。Theeffectoftheserainsonthesurroundingscenerywasbeautifulintheextreme。Alltraceofthedryseasonwassoonobliterated，andhillsandmountainsfrombasetosummitwerecoveredwithamantleoflivinggreen。Thesunpassedusonhiswaysouthwithoutcausingaflood，soallourhopesofareleasewerecentredonhisreturntowardstheEquator，when，asarule，thewatersofinundationaremadetoflow。Uptothistimetherainsdescendedsimplytowatertheearth，fillthepools，andmakereadyforthegrandoverflowforwhichwehadstilltowaitsixweeks。Itisofnousetoconcealthatwewaitedwithmuchchagrin；forhadwenotbeenforcedtoreturnfromthehighlandswestofNyassawemighthavevisitedLakeBemba；butunavailingregretsarepooremploymentforthemind；sowebanishedthemtothebestofourpower。

AboutthemiddleofDecember，1863，wewereinformedthatBishopMackenzie\'ssuccessor，afterspendingafewmonthsonthetopofamountainaboutashighasBenNevisinScotland，atthemouthoftheShire，wheretherewerefewornopeopletobetaught，haddeterminedtoleavethecountry。ThisunfortunatedecisionwascommunicatedtousatthesametimethatsixoftheboysrearedbyBishopMackenzieweresentbackintoheathenism。Theboysweretakentoaplaceaboutsevenmilesfromtheship，butimmediatelyfoundtheirwayuptous。

Wetoldthemthatiftheywishedtoremaininthecountrytheyhadbettersoarrangeatonce，forweweresoontoleave。Thesequelwillshowtheirchoice。

AssoonasthedeathofBishopMackenziewasknownattheCape，Dr。

Gray，theexcellentBishopthere，proceededatoncetoEngland，withaviewofsecuringanearlyappointmentofanotherheadtotheMission，whichinitsoriginowedsomuchtohiszealforthespreadofthegospelamongtheheathen，andwhoseinterestshehadcontinuallyatheart。Aboutthemiddleof1862weheardthatDr。

Gray\'seffortshadbeensuccessful，andthatanotherclergymanwouldsoontaketheplaceofourdepartedfriend。ThispleasingintelligencewasexceedinglycheeringtotheMissionaries，andgratifyingalsotothemembersoftheExpedition。Aboutthebeginningof1863thenewBishoparrivedatthemouthoftheriverinaman-of-war，andaftersomedelayproceededinland。TheBishopoftheCapehadtakenavoyagehomeatconsiderableinconveniencetohimself，forthesoleobjectofpromotingthisMissiontotheheathen；anditwassomehowexpectedthatthemanhewouldsecurewouldbeanimageofhimself；andwemustsay，thatwhateverothers，fromtherepresentationsthathavegoneabroad，maythinkofhischaracter，weinvariablyfoundDr。Graytobeatrue，warm-heartedpromoterofthewelfareofhisfellow-men；amanwhosecourageandzealhaveprovokedverymanytogoodworks。

ItwashopedthatthepresenceofanewheadtotheMissionwouldinfusenewenergyandlifeintothesmallbandofMissionaries，whoserankshadbeenthinnedbydeath；andwho，thoughdiscouragedbythedisasterswhichtheslavewarandfaminehadinduced，andalsodispiritedbythedepressinginfluencesofalowandunhealthypositionintheswampyShireValley，wereyetbravelyholdingouttillthemuch-neededmoralandmaterialaidshouldarrive。

WebelievethatweareutteringthesentimentsofmanydevoutmembersofdifferentsectionsofChristians，whenwesay，itwasapitythattheMissionoftheUniversitieswasabandoned。Thegroundhadbeenconsecratedinthetruestsensebythelivesofthosebravemenwhofirstoccupiedit。InbarejusticetoBishopMackenzie，whowasthefirsttofall，itmustbesaid，thattherepudiationofallhehaddone，andthesuddenabandonmentofallthathadcostsomuchlifeandmoneytosecure，wasaseriouslineofconductforonesounversedinMissionaryoperationsashissuccessor，toinaugurate。

ItwouldhavebeennomorethanfairthatBishopTozer，beforewindinguptheaffairsoftheMission，shouldactuallyhaveexaminedthehighlandsoftheUpperShire；hewouldthushavegratifiedtheassociatesofhispredecessor，whobelievedthatthehighlandshadneverhadafairtrial，andhewouldhavegainedfrompersonalobservationamoreaccurateknowledgeofthecountryandthepeoplethanhecouldpossiblyhavebecomepossessedofbyinformationgatheredchieflyonthecoast。Withthisexamination，ratherthanwithastayofafewmonthsonthehumid，drippingtopofmistyMorambala，weshouldhavefeltmuchmoresatisfied。

InJanuary，1864，thenativesallconfident

后续内容为VIP可读请开通VIP，或购买此章节