330 UGANDA AND TEE EGYPTIAN SOUDAN.

linen. Coffee and cigarettes were gravely handed round in the most decorous style by smartly dressed boys. The chief's old mother came to see us ; but she was quite thrown into the shade by her ten daughters-in-law, Amfina's wives, such a bevy of beauty as one does not often see. They were all modestly dressed in robes made either of skins, or of the native bark-cloth. They were very pleased at being allowed to inspect our clothes, stockings, and boots, and asked as an especial favour to see our hair. Their wonder and admiration at Mr.

Wilson's hair, which happened to be rather long, knew no bounds, and only after considerable pulling from their fair no, I am forgetting their dusky hands, would they believe that it was real and would not come off. Of course we were asked the usual stock of questions : they were very much surprised and disgusted to find that we had no wives, but Amfina offered to supply the deficiency in any quantity we might desire. It is hardly necessary to say that we refused on this, as on all such occasions ; but it is well to state, that it is a great disadvantage to be unmarried in Africa ; bachelors at once lose caste with the natives, who cannot understand it. All missionaries would do well to remember this, and to bring out a wife each with them; for I feel persuaded that the fact of their being unmarried does much to set the natives against religion. In Africa, as elsewhere, the example of