THE UNIVERSITIES’ MISSION.
One brilliant effort to introduce Christianity into this region of Africa
was occasioned by the explorations of Dr. Livingstone. An excellent
staff of clergy headed by Bishop Mackenzie was sent out by the English
Universities. The party reached the scene of their work in July, 1861.
They met with their first difficulties at Mbami, a short day’s march from
the Shire. A large caravan of 84 slaves brought from Zomba came into this
village, and Livingstone set the slaves free. Bishop Mackenzie wrote on
this occasion ‘Livingstone is right to go with loaded guns and free the
poor slaves; and there being so few English here, we are right, though
clergymen and preachers of the gospel, to go with him’.
[Illustration: MISSIONARIES BUYING FOOD AT MAGOMERO.
(_See the Story of the Universities Mission by the Rev. H. Rowley._)]
They soon chose Magomero, on a stream called the Namasi, as the site
of their first Mission station. The rescued slaves felt that they were
safe only with their deliverers, and staid with them. The Wayao were
now pressing into the country of the Anyasa, killing, enslaving, and
spreading terror on all sides. On July 23rd, Dr. Livingstone, the
Bishop, and nearly all the party went toward their encampment. Dr.
Livingstone told them he was come for peace, but they did not believe
him, and a fight ensued. The Yao thought they were more than a match for
the Europeans and rushed forward, but after receiving a few well directed
rifle shots they changed their minds. One Anyasa man was slain on the
English side, and another wounded.
By the 14th of August they were fully committed to the policy of going
against the Yao. The lesson this tribe had received already had not been
sufficient, and great bodies of them were pillaging the Anyasa. The
latter had applied to the Missionaries for aid, which, after three days’
deliberation, was promised them, on certain conditions. These conditions
were:—
“I. That all the chiefs then present should solemnly promise that they
would never buy or sell men, women, and children again.
II. That all captives found with the Yao should be perfectly free; that
no chief or person should claim any one of them; but that all should have
liberty to go to whom they liked, and where they liked.
III. That all chiefs present promise that they will unite to punish any
chief who sells his own people, or the people of any other chief, and
that each chief will punish any of his own people found guilty of buying
or selling men, women, or children for slaves.
IV. That if any Portuguese or other foreign slavers came into the land
they would drive them away, or at once let us know of their presence.”
The Missionaries clearly saw what was needed, but their theories were
somewhat bold, at least for a beginning. Probably if they had been as
many weeks in the country as they had been days, the idea of binding
natives to promises of this nature would have struck them as a doubtful
method. As I read these conditions I think of the poor Interpreter that
had to translate them: the English idioms employed are not such as would
facilitate his task. The conditions, as we might infallibly anticipate,
were all received, and the English undertook to help the Anyasa against
the Yao. As we might as infallibly anticipate from a slight knowledge of
the natives, those that appeared with guns on the eventful day had “no
powder,” and expected English ammunition. August the 14th must have been
felt to be the beginning of a new era. All were up by four o’clock. There
were eight Englishmen, besides the great multitude of Anyasa. The party
marched straight on Zomba, where a great body of Yao lay. A parley was
tried but failed. Then the battle began, and when the Yao found that the
English guns carried so far, they were soon in retreat; perhaps about
five of them were killed.
But the Yao tribe continued to give trouble. By 17th of October another
march was made against them. Though the Anyasa guns took about an hour
to load, the expedition was able to start at six in the morning. The
majority of the mission staff were unwell, and in no fit state for such
troubles. On the 18th the Mission force reached Lake Shirwa. They found,
as the Bishop remarks, that they could rely on their Anyasa allies “only
for cowardice and falsehood”. But the Wayao, instead of fighting, ran
away after two shots were fired, and the party went on and burned their
huts.
During all this time, and in spite of difficulties and interruption,
the missionaries were labouring hard among the natives. On the 4th of
November the Bishop writes, “We have plenty of room here for setting
down six or eight missions”. On the 2nd of December another interruption
occurred. Messrs. Proctor and Scudamore, two clergymen, went to see
whether the Ruo could be made available for the transport of goods. They
were received and treated civilly by Mwanasomba, a chief near Mlanje,
who offered them a hut to sleep in all night. His plan was to burn this
hut at midnight, kill the missionaries, and then take possession of
their goods. The treachery was fortunately discovered, but it was with
difficulty that the party made their escape.
On 31st December “it was arranged that they should start very early, so
as to get to Mwanasomba before people were awake”. “They were not going
in private revenge, but to free the captives and punish the robber and
would-be murderer in God’s name. They had the good word and the approval
of the chiefs around.” When they were about half-an-hour from the village
they met Mwanasomba and his people who called out “Stand still, do not
come on,” but when it was perceived that the party was well armed and
contained many Englishmen Mwanasomba’s people ran away. The natives with
the English tried to catch some of the opposite party for a consultation,
but failed. The English party then pressed on to the village and set the
huts on fire. They recovered some of their goods, and found a number of
sheep, goats, and ducks, which would be a great temptation to the natives
that were with them. As they were making their way through some reeds on
their return, they were fired on. Two of their natives were wounded; one
afterwards died. The Bishop says, “We had vindicated the English name,
and had shown in this neighbourhood that it is not safe to attack an
Englishman: and I hope the lesson may not be thrown away on these people”.
On the 31st of January, 1862, Bishop Mackenzie died. He had been little
more than half-a-year on the Shire Highlands, but he had fully faced
all the difficulties and trials of mission life there. A month before
his death he wrote, “I have much at times to depress me; more than ever
I had. But I expected it, and must not complain. I should not mind
discouragement among the heathen, but it is among our Cape Town men.”
His death was a great blow to the Mission. Still the Mission was strong
in its band of clergy, and they had one medical man; but war and famine
desolated the country, they had the greatest difficulty and anxiety in
getting food, sickness was ever among them, and death called many of them
away. The Rev. Mr. Burrup, a strong young man, came into the country to
die: he was buried at Magomero.
In a short time the Station at Magomero was abandoned. A letter of Dr.
James Stewart, now of Lovedale, written in 1862, states that there was
a stampede at the end. “The Yao tribe had been ravaging the country
round about, and had come within a few miles of the Station, which was
threatened. Then a precipitate retreat was made with nearly all their
goods and chattels down to the River Shire.” Both Dr. Livingstone and
Dr. Stewart thought the Mission had lost all “prestige”. I quote this
merely to illustrate the atmosphere in which the Missionaries lived.
Everywhere was war, and they may have felt to some extent unsettled. But
they had now been about a year in the country; they had found plenty of
work to do in trying to acquire the language, &c., and in proportion
as they were busy these scares would not so much affect them. But no
doubt the danger was great, and as they were suffering from fever they
would feel it all the more. The Anyasa were ever asking their aid, but
they ‘determined to go and fight for them no more,’ and as they did not
consider Magomero a healthy site they settled on the banks of the Shire.
This was an advantage for communication, but I fear they had by no means
found a healthier spot. The removal took place about May; on 1st January,
1863, the Rev. Mr. Scudamore died; and in a short time Mr. Dickinson,
the surgeon, was in a grave beside him. One of their greatest trials was
want of food, which rendered their position almost desperate. The Mission
never returned to the Shire Highlands again, although some members like
the Rev. Horace Waller were much in favour of doing so, and this course
would have likely been pursued if the Mission had continued in the
country. But just as all their troubles seem to have been overcome they
withdrew. Most of the survivors were so reduced by sickness that it was
necessary for them to return home if they would save their lives.
One of their great difficulties had been to get provisions. Large
supplies were sent from England, but scarcely anything reached them, as
their stores were plundered by the way. Many of the deaths might have
been prevented by proper food. It happened at the same time, that there
was a great famine in the country, and it was difficult to get food for
the poor people that came under their protection. One sentence from Mr.
Rowley will describe this. “War and famine,” he says, “had done their
work, and ninety per cent of the Anyasa were dead; save in our immediate
neighbourhood, the land was a desolation.”
Their troubles with the natives had involved them in misunderstanding
with the Church at home. To quote again from Mr. Rowley:—“The news from
home, informed us of the condemnation of our policy against the Yao,
by some of our friends at Oxford. This did not come to us officially,
for the committee simply expressed confidence in us individually and
collectively. I do not think any of us were surprised that our policy had
been condemned, seeing the men who condemned it, did not understand the
causes leading us to adopt it, and the motives actuating us. We were not
angry; but we were thankful that the Bishop and Scudamore were removed
from the pain, which the manner of some in condemning, would have given
them.”
In 1863, Livingstone refers to the famine and death caused by the slave
trade, and writes, “I have been visiting Bishop Mackenzie’s grave. At
first, I thought him wrong in fighting, but do not think so now.” Bishop
Mackenzie’s successor considered the country too unsettled for continuing
the Mission. For about twelve years, nothing further was attempted for
this unhappy land.