Fighting The Slave Hunters in Central Africa

Published by London: Seeley Service, 1910. 1st edition. Very good worn and slightly creased black cloth with gilt titles and native on the front board. Gilt slightly faded. Internally good with some rashes of foxing throughout. Numerous black and white ills. Map. London Missionary bookplate on front pastedown. Book well thumbed but scarce.

Arrival At Zanzibar--Preparations For The Journey "who Will Volunteer For Central Africa?" It was in May, 1882, that I read the above words in a journal published by the British and Foreign Sailors' Society. The question was addressed to the public by Captain Hore of the London Missionary Society. He was about to proceed to Lake Tanganyika with a steel life-boat, which he intended to transport in sections through East Africa, on carts specially constructed for so great an undertaking; for it is 820 miles from the coast to Lake Tanganyika. There are no roads, and the native paths leading from village to village are too narrow for carts. However, it was not my business to question the Captain's ability to overcome the innumerable difficulties familiar to any one acquainted with the writings of Livingstone and Stanley.

My work was to respond to the appeal if I wanted to take a hand in the opening up of this part of Africa. Applicants were required to possess a Board of Trade certificate as chief officer in the Mercantile Marine, and to be willing to submit to an examination before the rather formidable Board of Directors of the London Missionary Society. Having spent twelve years at sea on both steam and sailing vessels, and possessing the necessary certificate, I at once wrote and offered my services.

In due course they were accepted by the Society, and I was appointed second in command of the expedition to Lake Tanganyika; afterwards to act as chief officer in the marine department which we were going to establish on the Lake. The London Missionary Society had received a large donation from a supporter for the express purpose of commencing mission work around the great Lake. As the undertaking was certain to ...