Of Africa a Work of Time - Site of Kilimane -
Unhealthiness - Death of a shipwrecked Crew from Fever -
The Captain saved by Quinine - Arrival of H. M. Brig "Frolic" -
Anxiety of one of my Men to go to England - Rough Passage in the Boats
to the Ship - Sekwebu's Alarm - Sail for Mauritius - Sekwebu on board;
he becomes insane; drowns himself - Kindness of Major-General C. M. Hay -
Escape Shipwreck - Reach Home.
Appendix. - Latitudes and Longitudes of Positions.
Appendix. - Book Review in Harper's New Monthly Magazine, February, 1858.
Appendix. - Notes to etext.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Missionary Travels and Researches in South Africa.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Introduction.
Personal Sketch - Highland Ancestors - Family Traditions -
Grandfather removes to the Lowlands - Parents - Early Labors and Efforts
- Evening School - Love of Reading - Religious Impressions -
Medical Education - Youthful Travels - Geology - Mental Discipline -
Study in Glasgow - London Missionary Society - Native Village -
Medical Diploma - Theological Studies - Departure for Africa -
No Claim to Literary Accomplishments.
My own inclination would lead me to say as little as possible about myself;
but several friends, in whose judgment I have confidence,
have suggested that, as the reader likes to know something about the author,
a short account of his origin and early life would lend additional interest
to this book. Such is my excuse for the following egotism;
and, if an apology be necessary for giving a genealogy,
I find it in the fact that it is not very long, and contains only one incident
of which I have reason to be proud.
Our great-grandfather fell at the battle of Culloden, fighting for
the old line of kings; and our grandfather was a small farmer in Ulva,
where my father was born. It is one of that cluster of the Hebrides
thus alluded to by Walter Scott:
"And Ulva dark, and Colonsay,
And all the group of islets gay
That guard famed Staffa round."*
-
* Lord of the Isles, canto 4.
-
Our grandfather was intimately acquainted with all the traditionary legends
which that great writer has since made use of in the "Tales of a Grandfather"
and other works. As a boy I remember listening to him with delight,
for his memory was stored with a never-ending stock of stories,
many of which were wonderfully like those I have since heard
while sitting by the African evening fires. Our grandmother, too,
used to sing Gaelic songs, some of which, as she believed, had been composed
by captive islanders languishing hopelessly among the Turks.
Grandfather could give particulars of the lives of his ancestors for
six generations of the family before him; and the only point of the tradition
I feel proud of is this: One of these poor hardy islanders
was renowned in the district for great wisdom and prudence;
and it is related that, when he was on his death-bed,
he called all his children around him and said, "Now, in my lifetime,
I have searched most carefully through all the traditions
I could find of our family, and I never could discover
that there was a dishonest man among our forefathers.
