It is encouraging to note the activities among the different nationalities for the development of trade and internal improvements in that portion of the Nile Basin which we hope to occupy, but especially the fact that He who has affirmed that Ethiopia shall stretch out her hands unto God, is moving upon the hearts of Swedish, English and American Christians simultaneously to enter and occupy that country for Christ.
BERBER, ON THE NILE, Dec. 31, 1881.—“We arrived in Berber, safe and sound, day before yesterday, the 29th, being sixteen days from Korosko. We were nine days to Aboo Hamed, making forced marches of twelve and thirteen hours, and averaging, to that place, thirty-three miles a day. At Aboo Hamed we rested one day, and from that place to Berber averaged twenty-one miles a day. I have only time for a few lines now, as we go on board our dahabuyeh for Khartoum to-night. The Atmoor desert is a trying one, and nobody had better undertake it who has not a large amount of pluck and endurance. We, however, are in perfect health and good spirits. On our arrival we found all the merchant boats engaged. There was here only one dahabuyeh belonging to the Governor. We went to him and asked for it. He refused. We fell back on our orders from Cairo. He changed his mind, and said we might take it _if_ we could get an order for it from Khartoum. We telegraphed to Raouf Pasha, Governor-General of Soudan. This morning the order came by telegram, and also a telegram of welcome to the Soudan. The Reis has reported to us. The dahabuyeh now lies in front of our tents, subject to our orders and ready to sail. In a few minutes we go on board, and hope to reach Khartoum by the 5th. I will try to send my journal from there, and bring it up to date. We are highly pleased with Berber and the people we find here. Everything so far has gone well. We are pressing forward just as fast as is possible.”
[Illustration: _Map of Mission in Eastern Africa._]
If ever the real genius for music seems to have been born in the soul of an entire race, that race is the African. Explorers of the dark continent speak of a marked musical taste among the negroes on their native heath, but the American type of African is still more largely developed in that direction.