—Mr. Penrose, of the Church Missionary Society, with all his camp followers, has been killed in the country of the Unyamwesi.
—Mr. Mackey, of the C. M. S., arrived last July with the caravan at Kagei, on the Victoria Nyanza. (See map.) He visited Lukonge at Ukerewe, in regard to the murder of Mr. O’Neill and Lieutenant Smith; heard the explanations given, and demanded the note-books and pistols of his friends, as an evidence of regret and a pledge of friendship. These were not given up to him, and he, therefore, declined to have further relations with that people.
—Mr. Wilson writes of the healthiness of the Uganda country, and thinks that missionaries’ wives may safely accompany them thither.
—There are large deposits of kaolin, or china clay, near Mtesa’s capital, and abundance of nutmeg trees.
—Col. Gordon has advised the C. M. S. to establish a mission on the west shore of the Albert Nyanza, which he represents to be a healthy location, free from foreign influence, and substantially under protection of the Egyptian Government.
—Rev. J. B. Thomson, of the London Missionary Society at Ujiji, on Lake Tanganika, died at his post January 20th. It is a great loss to this new mission. The Directors ask, “Who now will be baptized for the dead?”
—The English Baptist Missionary Society will occupy San Salvador, 50 miles from the west coast of Africa and south of the Congo, as the head-quarters of their work, with a station at Makuta. Mr. Comber returned to England after a tour of observation, and hopes to return this month with two associates.
—Mr. Stanley strongly advocates the construction of a railway, which would be about 500 miles in length, from a point on the east coast to the southern end of the Victoria Nyanza. Another railway 150 miles long would bring us to Lake Tanganika, which has a water-way of about 330 miles, and another 200 miles long to Lake Nyassa, which gives many hundred miles of water-way. A fourth short railway would lead to the navigable waters of the Shire and the Zambesi, which flow into the sea. These link-lines of railway would open up about 1,300 miles of splendid navigable water. Connect these lines also with the sources of the Congo or Livingstone river, and a chain of trading posts is possible across the continent to the west coast. The value of this new market to English and American merchandise would thus be immense, and the speedy downfall of the slave trade be made sure.
—The Wesleyan (English) Missionary Notices publishes an account of a recent visit by two of their missionaries into the interior, seventy miles west from Sierra Leone. They found a healthier country, though only 210 feet above sea level, and a cooler climate. Fruit is grown, cotton spun, and iron implements made. The villages were increasing in size, and are now at peace. Slavery and polygamy exist among them. The country is open to missionary effort, and Mr. Huddleston is speedily to be located at Fouracaria, in the Limba country.
—The following extract is of special interest as relating to the region proposed to us for missionary work by Mr. Arthington: