Situated to the south of the Congo Free State and westward of Lakes Moero and Bangweolo, with the Lualaba (or Congo) river on the west; the Luapula on the east; southward of the Mochinga or Loenga mountains, separating the Zambesi Congo water systems; and to the north of the Luba country in which are Lakes Lupemba and Moero: the empire of Katanga as known to the Arabs, or Garenganze, to adopt Msidi's designation of the kingdom which he has created, is built on the ruins of the ancient kingdoms of the Muata Kazembe and the Muata-Janow or Yamvo. Some thirty years ago Msidi, a young chief of the Unyamwezi people, was invited by Sanga of Katanga to assist him in repelling certain adversaries. Msidi responded, and victory falling to his hands the patriarchal ruler made Msidi heir to his pos sesions. Sanga died shortly afterwards, Msidi occupied the throne aud constantly strengthening his position, he is the most powerful potentate of all that part of Africa. The seat of Msidi's country is really to the north of Katanga, the capital lying in an immense inhabited plain, called Mukurru, or Mukarru oa Yunkeya Towards Katanga and the sources of the Lufira, Dr. Livingstone was directing his wearied foot

steps when death overtook him at Chitambo's, on Lake Bangweolo.

In September, 1881, Mr. Frederick Stanley Arnot, a young Scotchman who had laid himself on the missionary altar, reached Natal in the hope of finding in the heart of Africa a mountainous, healthy country which might be made a centre for missionary work and the training of natives to advance Africa's evangelization. He made a memorable journey from Natal to Benguella, over the Dark Continent, from east to west, via the Kalahari desert, the Chobe and Zambesi rivers, the Barotsi Kingdom, and Bihé. On the South Atlantic seaboard he had a period of rest and steadily recovered from several fever attacks. Mr. Arnot received the heartiest hospitality from the American missionaries at their stations and, through their assistance likewise, learned something of the Portuguese and Umbundu languages. Of Garenganze, which was not marked on the map, he could gain little information save from the reports of the enterprising Ovimbundu tribe. Courageously the missionary set out on his second long expedition and ultimately, having passed through hairbreadth escapes, planted himself on the boundaries of Msidi's empire. By the

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banks of the Uleya river Msidi ordered the travellers to remain in quarantine for six days, the doctors and diviners of Katanga meanwhile performing a series of ceremonies to learn whether the heart of the stranger was as white as his skin. The ver

dict returned was favorable and the visitor was then led, on a day appointed, by an officer of state through crowds of natives who, clad in the most fantastic costumes of skins and feathers, saluted him in military fashion, climaxed with his presentation to Msidi, sitting in the centre of a large court surrounded by his five-hundred dusky wives. Faithful to his noble mission Mr. Arnot inauguated one of the most remarkable enterprises in modern times and won the confidence of Msidi who eagerly accepted his counsel and sought his company. is noteworthy that Mr. Arnot in his seven years' journeying north and south of the Zambesi without a white or even black companion, and with no body-guard or show of arms, never received physical injury, an event recalling the bloodless travels of Cameron and the peaceful labors of the immortal Livingstone.

It

His work extending, Mr. Arnot greatly needed reinforcements, aud the next ardent crusader to join him was a youthful missionary from the north of England who is probably destined to achieve in Katanga what Mackay accomplished for Uganda. The son of a townsman of high civic position in Sunderland, Mr. Charles A. Swan was converted in 1885, then gave himself for service abroad, and, on February 22, 1886, sailed from Liverpool for the West Coast of Africa. Six months after his arrival on African soil this intrepid soul preached to the natives in their own language. His journey or rather journeys, were of an excitingly thrilling character. The distance from the West Coast to Garenganze is 900 miles, to cover which about four months time is required. Four times he was stricken

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down with fever and most gratefully has he spoken of the kindness of fellow missionaries, particularly those belonging to the United States. East of Bihé with a journey of three months' duration separating him from Garenganze, the tribes were perpetually engaged in warfare. To add to his difficulties he had twice to go back to the coast, once with an invalid. companion missionary obliged to return to England. The chiefs subjected Mr. Swan and his remaining comrade to every kind of imposition, making incessant demands for cloth, powder, guns, goods, etc. By these foes they were constantly betrayed or had their chattels burnt. The chiefs everywhere exercised despotic power, no one daring to refuse their orders however unjust, knowing that any disobedience would be punished with death. Eventually Mr. Swan and Mr. W. L. Faulknor, from Canada, reached the confines of Garenganze, in 1887, and were fervidly greeted by the solitary missionary. Through the long night hours, with no little thanksgiving for the good hand of God which had surrounded them, the travellers recounted the trials, hardships, and adventures of an eventful march. Mr. Arnot presented his brethren to Msidi who accorded them a welcome with permission to commence missionary work in his dominions. Seven years' unbroken labors in Central Africa made it imperative on Mr. Arnot to take rest, and in 1888 he visited his native land. His countrymen in and beyond mission circles, gave him a most hearty reception and by Mr. Arnot's earnest advocacy of the claims of Garenganze fresh support was obtained for this branch of Christian enterprise.

Government in Katanga is on simple, romantic, and primitive lines, in which Msidi's wives have a vital share. At the most important villages of his empire a minor chief is stationed. Each of these

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There is a general tendency of late in our Foreign Mission enterprise toward giving contributions to some definite work for which personal appeal has been made, rather than to the general fund. It is found that when the specific object for which money is desired is brought before the mind of the contributor the interest is greater than when the work is presented as a whole and contributions are asked to be applied at the discretion of a Board of Foreign Missions. This tendency has its advantages, not only in the increase in interest and consequently of the annual gifts, but also in that it is a stimulus towards making those particular objects receive due attention. In other words the personal force of the contributor goes with the money and there is a feeling of direct responsibility to him with regard to results and a desire not to discourage him in the thing in which he has taken personal interest.

There are on the other hand serious disadvantages in this method of giving. Primarily it throws the discretion in the wrong place, that is upon the person who really cannot know the situation as a whole but only by very partial testimony as to whether he is giving to the most needy portion of the work or not. As the writer once heard a good lady pray about some French tracts, "Dear Lord, we don't know what is in these tracts; we hope they may do no harm." Secondarily, it opens the way for an immense army of collectors each with his own particular hobby thus destroying the feeling of responsibility to a wise board.

In seeking to obey the last command of our Lord we unite our efforts and send out certain select ones of our number as our representatives to the foreign field. These These having reached the place where they are

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to labor, spend usually about two years in acquiring the language and becoming acquainted with the people of the country. The missionaries themselves frequently testify that it was fortunate that they did not know the language on arrival, for the time thus required to study it had prevented some serious blunders in their dealings with the natives.

These missionaries do not act in their individual capacity merely but as members of a mission. Do our people at home fully realize the relations existing between the missionary and the mission to which he belongs? When a board sends out two or three missionaries to a hitherto unoccupied field, they canvass the situation, locate and become an infant mission. They, of course, agree among themselves as to the plan to pursue, and then make their estimates as to the money needed to begin their enterprise, all of which is reported to their board at home. They are thus bound together by their mission meeting. Any new proposals must first be brought before it. No personal appeal should be considered until the mission has first heard and acted upon it. Missionaries are human, and like ourselves, have their individual opinions and eccentricities and if each is allowed to follow his or her own likings there would be no unity in the work. Other missionaries must follow in their footsteps, who will have their own. opinions. If those who first open the work need the restraint of mutual counsel, surely those who come into the work later need the help of their experience and advice.

The mission is the unit, not the individual missionary. He does not stand alone. If one of the members suffer all the members suffer with him. They must bear each other's burdens, discouragements, mistakes. For permanent interest there

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is no special object so inviting as a mission. It puts you right in the place of a missionary at the Annual meeting considering the interests of the work as a whole, fortifying you in the things wherein they agree, discouraging you in efforts that are thought unadvisable. Churches, with their native pastors, outposts with evangelists and teachers, day-schools boardingschools, new localities are discussed, and finally an estimate arrived at covering the expenditures for the ensuing year.

These estimates include: (1) Such items as are considered absolutely necessary. (2) Very desirable work already going on. (3) Much needed or new work. (4) Fine things, good ideas, and, possibly, hobbies. Now, if we are put in a position to vote,as we actually are by our contributions, we shall of course vote for the first three classes, and shall give our money for them. But along comes a "fine new thing," a real "good idea," a hobby-no, not a hobby but an "individual appeal." Our money goes to the side-shows, and we have nothing left for the main tent. Of course it is the duty of the board to provide for those uninteresting regular things.

For example, some one comes along with an appeal for a new school-house, or a church-building which is very much needed, but it may not be half as much needed as a new roof on an old schoolhouse, or more itineration among the villages. But the appeal is a strong one, being personal and tangible, and, under the supposition that all that goes to it is extra anyhow, it is permitted. Now, it may not have the recommendation of the mission at all, nor even its approval. They may know very well that the same amount of money cut up into insignificant little portions and sprinkled over their whole field will be infinitely more productive. They may know that it is not only so much money diverted from their necessary expenditures but also that it will require so much addi

[September,

tional labor of the mission force which already has all that it can attend to. There is always the danger that the more pushing applicant will have his way rather than the deepest thinker and most persistent plodder.

We have already suggested the advantage in a special object, in its presenting a concrete case to the mind of the contributor. In dealing with special objects, as with special providences, we are apt to distinguish the extraordinary from the particular. There can be no harm in receiving full information about a particular object which one of our missions recommends. There is a class of objects that they would recommend to an individual for which they would not ask that our regular church collections be applied. The founding or endowing of an institution, a scholarship, an asylum, these may safely be recommended to the benevolence of those who are able to give more largely and who will be most likely to fully investigate and get the opinion of the Board before acting.

But in the conduct of our general mission work we shall be more successful if we throw the responsibility upon the missions themselves. The more each member of those missions feels his individual responsibility to cast his vote on the estimates for the common welfare, the more he feels that there is only so much money to be divided and therefore it must be portioned out to the best advantage, the better it will be for the present and future. of his work. Then those who are the most loyal to the mission and who feel the greatest amount of responsibility for the work as a whole will receive their fair share of consideration in their particular department.

The mission saves the individual many embarrassments in his dealings with the natives. He has the general policy to guide him, and can often say to unadvisable demands that he will ask the mis