Page:The future of Africa.djvu/120

114 And thus, by these adventures, vast millions of that continent have been brought into contact with civilized men; with the fabrics of civilized nations; with the quickening ideas of superior men; and the whole continent itself, save a slight belt on either side of the Equator, has been opened to the scrutiny of travellers; and even this has been recently trenched upon by Burton and Speke in the East, directly upon the Equator. (c.) Another effective agency now in use in West Africa for a permanent work of regeneration, is the missions and missionary schools scattered along some 2,000 miles and more of that coast, and which are giving, mostly, English instruction to many thousands of native African children. These mission stations are those of the Church of England and the Wesleyans, both north and south of Liberia; and which form a complete cordon of spiritual posts from about the fifteenth degree of north latitude to Liberia; and from the southern limits of Liberia to ten degrees of south latitude. The most northern mission station is that of Gambia. Here the English Church and the Wesleyans have important stations, with several ministers and catechists; stations on the coast, and interior stations some 160 miles up the river Gambia. About 400 miles lower down the coast, the English Church commenced, in 1856, a mission on the Pongas River, among both pagans and Mohammedans; which has had such real success that it may now be regarded as established. At about the eighth degree of north latitude is the