For what purpose was this immense sum of money sent?  It was forwarded to the Society in consequence of a very famous letter which appeared in the Daily Telegraph of November 15, 1876.  This letter was written by Dr. Stanley, the great African traveller.  It told of a new country he had discovered in the heart of Africa, a country inhabited by a nation clothed and living in houses, and reigned over by a king of some intelligence named Mtesa.  Dr. Stanley had talked to this man, he had shown him his Bible, and told him something of Christianity, and in this letter in the Daily Telegraph Dr. Stanley stated that King Mtesa was ready and willing to receive Christian teachers, if any were prepared to go out to his kingdom of Uganda.

The result of that letter was, that in a few days no less than L14,000 was sent to the Church Missionary Society, in order that they might have the means to establish a mission by the shores of the Victoria Nyanza.  A committee meeting was accordingly held, and the Society declared themselves ready to take up the work.

The money was forthcoming, but a great difficulty stared them in the face.  Where were the men?  Who would be found willing to go to such a place as the heart of Africa?  The climate was most trying and dangerous for Europeans, the food was bad and scanty, and, worst of all, the country was so unsafe that all who went must go with their life in their hands, feeling that at any moment they might be attacked and murdered by the natives.

Would any offer for such a post of danger?  Would any be found willing to volunteer for the work, would any be ready to leave their safe, comfortable homes in England to take up their abode in Uganda?

Yes, men were found who willingly offered themselves for the work.  Eight noble men at once came forward.  A young naval officer, Lieutenant Smith; a clergyman from Manchester, Mr. Wilson; an Irish architect, Mr. O’Neill; a Scotch engineer, Mr. Mackay; a doctor from Edinburgh, Dr. Smith; a railway contractor’s engineer, Mr. Clark, and two working men, a blacksmith and a builder.

’And the people blessed all the men that willingly offered themselves to dwell’ in Uganda.

A meeting was held in the Church Missionary Society’s house, to bid them farewell and to pray for a blessing on their work.  Then each of the eight volunteers was asked to say a few words to the friends who were taking leave of them.  Mr. Mackay, the young engineer, was the last to speak.  Looking round on those who were sending him out, he said: 

’There is one thing which my brethren have not said, and which I want to say.  I want to remind the Committee that within six months they will probably hear that one of us is dead.’

There was a great silence in the room as he spoke these startling words.

‘Yes,’ he went on, ’is it at all likely that eight Englishmen should start for Central Africa and all be alive six months after?  One of us at least—­it may be I—­will surely fall before that.  But what I want to say is this, when the news comes do not be cast down, but send some one else immediately to take the vacant place.’