fired at random on the fortifications of Romanism, inveighing against peculiar errors and doctrines, such as Purgatory, Pardons, Worship of Images, and such like. All their artillery ought to have been concentrated on the one institution of the celibacy of the clergy. If this rule had once been broken down in the several Churches, each Church for itself would have asserted its independence of the Pope, and most advisable reforms in doctrine and practice would have followed as a matter of course. Old Gregory the Seventh, and those who helped him in establishing the spiritual dominion of Rome, well understood the only means of doing it. They promulgated the virtue of abstaining from marriage, and canonised virginity in the person of our Lord's mother, knowing that this idea was the corner-stone of their ecclesiastical fabric. The novel doctrine of the Immaculate Conception of Saint Mary herself has furnished them with an additional bulwark, unless, indeed, the bulwark is so rudely placed as in the end to ruin the old wall. Hence sprung an organised society, the individuals of which have no ties of country, because they have no homes or families. - They are subjects of the Pope, not of Victoria or Napoleon. Their religious tyranny is founded on a political usurpation; and it is that political usurpation which ought to have been pointedly protested against as the only sure means of sapping the religious tyranny. It is astonishing to think how little would have sufficed. Had the Reformers even allowed the seniority of the Bishop of Rome while they denied his supremacy and destroyed the celibacy of the clergy, the Reformation would in all probability have worked its way to a very wholesome end, the great countries would have enjoyed a spiritual emancipation, and the flagrant anomaly, which displays imperial countries like France and Austria in bondage to a decayed fragment of Italy, would have been effectually obviated. It has pleased Heaven to decree other wise; but surely it is inexpedient that we in Oxford, who take such tremendous oaths against the notion of the Bishop of Rome possessing any

power or authority in this realm of England, should, by our practice, keep in countenance that very institution which is the main-stay of the Roman power. Celibacy ought to be looked upon, not as a thing desirable in itself, but an inconvenience forced on men by occasional and exceptional circumstances.

CŒLEBS.-I confess that puts the matter before me in a new light. I give up the principle, but the expediency of the continuance of the practice may still be open to discussion. As a matter of fact, Fellows of Colleges are generally able to marry as soon as other men in the same rank of life, who have not the same advantage or disadvantage-as soon, for instance, as barristers or medical

men.

CELSUS. That these men are not able to marry earlier is the fault of the artificial state of society in which we live. A London man must be able to keep a brougham, and a certain establishment, and a certain staff of female servants and flunkies. He does not really enjoy any of these things, but he does them for the sake of his neighbours, in most cases, and the effect is simply to make his neighbours break the tenth commandment. His work in life would be done better if he were more anxious to consult his own internal happiness, without thinking what men thought of him, or women said of him. Such men as Lord Stowell, who bravely roughed it at first, have generally got on quite as well as those who worked with greater caution. sides, even supposing that there were some insuperable impediments to the early marriages of doctors and barristers, I do not see why Fellows of Colleges should be obliged to sail in the same boat. Their Fellowships, with some certain work added to them, would enable them to commit wedlock gently and easily. Because the duties of a soldier force him to live in a camp and bivouac in the open air, there is no reason why those left at home should leave their four-posters and lie among the cabbages of their kitchen-gardens. Besides, those professions are progressive; the literary profession-I do not intend a pun-is stationary; its

Be

culminating point is soon reached; its prizes, when they are gained, are less lucrative than those of other professions. There is no object in the waiting.

CELEBS.-It strikes me, now, that there is a certain inconsistency in your arguments. You are arguing that Fellows of Colleges ought to be allowed to marry on their Fellowships; and yet, as I interpret it, you are urging me to cut the matter short, and marry without a Fellowship. Why should I not wait for the change?

CELSUS. Because you might just wait till the Greek Calends. There is a mighty conservatism of evil in this country, which, under the long domination of the Whigs, has become part of its nature in place of the conservatism of good. The attention of the nation has been directed to getting rid of the motes in the vision of political administration, while it has remained blind to the beams in the eyesight of the body social. We hope matters may change now; but when Whigs are in office, no benefit will accrue to any members of the community who do not belong to their narrow and selfish cabal. If Fellows of Colleges had been generally Whigs, and connected with the mushroom aristocracy of liberalism, it would have been otherwise, but as it is, they have naturally enough been left in the lurch. As far as I can see, it will take some time for Lord Derby to clean out the Augean mess his predecessors have left him. If you like to wait till then, on the strength of belief in his remaining in office,

well and good. He may, and probably will emancipate you. But I should think you had had enough of waiting. I would advise you to take your choice now, Wait and wither, or do and dare.

CELEBS.-I will write to Patience Hope to-night, and beg her to name the day.

CELSUS.-Do, my dear fellow, and God speed you. I abominate the very name of Celibacy. Not only is the idea a negative one, as far as good is concerned, but implies positive evil. That Celibacy has ever been held in any estimation at all, is simply owing to the contrivances of the See of Rome. It was a disgrace among the ancient Greeks and Romans-a disgrace among the Jews, or Jepthah's daughter would not have spoken of bewailing her virginity. Its worst objection is that it throws discredit on the holy institution of matrimony by assuming a moral superiority, and assimilates marriage to a less authorised kind of connection. Thus the very idea is of immoral tendency. In a Protestant University it is also, as I have shown, extremely impolitic to retain it, as it is the main-stay of the domination of Rome - a domination which is inconsistent with obedience to all established governments; and, setting all religious objections aside, tends to make the subjects and citizens of all other states but its own disloyal and unpatriotic. Yes, write to Patience Hope by all means, and have done with it, while the wine of life is not yet drained to the lees.

ON the 10th of February, after a night of desert-silence, we arose betimes, and applied ourselves to the work of porterage. Our luggage again suffered reduction.* It was, however, past 6 A.M. when, forming Indian file, we began to descend the thorn-clad goat-track, which spans the north-east spur of Mount Tongway. Wazira, as usual in times of difficulty, disappeared-we had heard the groans of a lion. At length, by dint of wandering through rush and tiger-grass, we struck into the Pangany Road. After three hours' hard walking, we rested at some fetid pools in a reedy finmara. The sun began to blister, and we had already occupied the shadow of a tall rock, intending to doze till the afternoon, when Wazira, for reasons of his own, induced us to advance by promising better water. The path ran over stony ground, with frequent thorny ridges, and narrow green dales or rather ravines, bordered with lovely amphitheatres of lofty and feathery tropical trees, showing signs of inundation during the rains. But the kizkazy (north-east monsoon) had dried up the marrow of the earth, and, though we searched as for treasure, we found no water.

Noon came, and the sun towered in his pride of place. Even whilst

*

can

toiling up the stony dirty track over a series of wearisome monotonous slopes, which no sea-breeze reach, I could not but admire the novel aspect of the land. The ground was brick-red, and this colour extended half-way up the tree-bores, which the ants had streaked with ascending and descending galleries. Over head floated a filmy canopy of sea-green verdure, pierced by myriads of sunbeams, whilst the azure effulgence above, purified, as with fire, from mist and vapour, set the picture in a frame of gold and ultramarine. Painful splendours! The men began to drop off. None but Hamdan had brought a calabash. Shaaban clamoured for water. Wazira and the four slave-boys retired to some puddle, a discovery which they wisely kept to themselves, leaving the rest of the party to throw themselves under tree and bush upon the hot ground.

As the sun sank westward, Wazira joined us with a mouthful of lies, and the straggling line advanced. Our purblind guide once more lagged in rear, yielding the lead to old Shaaban. This worthy, whose five wits were absorbed in visions of drink, strode blunderingly ahead, over the hills and far away. My companion, Captain S-, keeping him in sight,

and I in rear of both, missed the road. Shortly after sunset we three reached a narrow finmara, where stood, delightful sight! some puddles bright with chickweed, and black with the mire below. We quenched our thirst, and bathed our swollen feet, and patted, and felt, and handled the water as though we loved it. But even this charming occupation had an end. Evidently we had lost our way. Our shots and shouts remained unanswered. It would have been folly to thread the thorny jungle by the dubious light of a young moon we therefore kindled a fire, looked to our arms, lay down upon a soft sandy place, and, certain that Shaaban would be watchful as a vestal virgin, were soon lulled to sleep by the music of the night breeze, and by the frogs chanting their ancient querele upon the miry margins of the pools. That day's work had been little more than five leagues. But "These high wild hills, and rough uneven ways,

Draw out the miles."

It seemed as though we had marched doubly as much; a circumstance which the African geographer would do well

to note.

At dawn after our bivouac, we retraced our steps, and soon came upon our people. They had followed the upper or northern path, and had nighted near the higher bed of the finmara which gave us hospitality. The "Myuzi" is a rocky line about 20 feet broad, edged with thick trees, gummy acacias, wild mulberries, and wood-apples, and bearing traces of violent periodical torrents. Even in the driest season the sole preserves pools, sometimes 100 feet long; and by digging in the mud, water is always procurable. The banks conceal various antelopes and birds, especially doves, kites, and curlews, whilst around the water iguanas congregate to dine upon the small fish-fry which lie expiring with heat in the shallows.

After shaking hands all round and settling small disputes, we spread our beds in the grateful shade, and solaced the past with tea and tobacco. During the day our Belochies shaved one another's heads, and plaited sawás or sandals of palm-leaves. Our guide

secured, as extra porters, five wild men, habited in primitive attire. Their only garment was a kilt of dried and split rushes or grass, with the upper ends woven into a cord of the same material. This thatch, fastened round the waist, extends to mid-thigh. It is clean, cool, and certainly as decent as the garb of the Gael. All had bows and poisoned arrows except one, who boasted a miserable musket, and literally a powder-horn, the vast spoils of a cow. The wretches were lean as wintry wolves, and not less ravenous. We fed them with rice and ghee. Of course they asked for more-till their stomachs, before like shrunken bladders, stood out in the shape of little round bumps from the hoopwork of ribs. We had neglected to take their arms. After feeding, they arose, and with small beady eyes, twinkling with glee, bade us farewell. Though starving, they would not work. A few hours afterwards, however, they found a hippopotamus in the open; killed it with their arrows, and soon left nothing but a heap of bones and a broad stain of blood upon the ground.

Having rested till 3.15 P.M., we persuaded, with the usual difficulty, our human cattle to load one another, and advanced over a path dented by the wild buffalo's hoof. The rolling ground was a straggling thorn-jungle, studded with bright flowers. In places "black-jacks" were scattered about a plain fired to promote the growth of fodder; and ant hills, like Irish "fairymounts," rose regularly as if disposed by the hand of art. Khombora's cone fell far behind. The walls of Sagama, whose peaks, smoking by day and burning at night, resembled volcanoes, changed their blue tints, first for brown, and then for distinct green. At length, emerging from the wood, we entered an alluvial plain, and sighted the welcome river, flashing bright through its setting of emerald trees, as it mirrored the westering orb of day. Traversing the tall rushes, young trees, and thick underwood of the bank, we found ourselves about sunset opposite Kohoday, the village of a friendly Mzegura chief. Sultan Momba" having recognised the Belochies, forthwith donned his scarlet coat, superintended the launching of

the village boat from its cadjan cover, stood surrounded by the elders watching our transit, and, as we landed, wrung our hands with rollicking greetings, and those immoderate explosive laughings which render the African family to all appearance so "jolly" a race.

The Thursday was a halt at Kohoday. It is the normal cultivators' village of these regions, built upon the high and stiff clay bank of the Pangany river, here called the Lufu, or Rufu. From without it has a charming look of seclusion and rural comfort. Rendered invisible, till near, by bosoming tree, bush, and speargrass, it is protected by a stout palisade of trunks. When foes and beasts abound, this defence is doubled and trebled. The entrances in the shape of low triangles, formed by inclining the posts en chevron, lead to a heap of wattle and dab-thatched huts; here square, there round; generally huddled together; but if space allow, scattered over a few hundred yards. Goats, sheep, and cows-they thrive beyond the coast-are stalled near or inside the human habitations. From the deep strong stream, red with hill-loam, and here about 80 yards wide, a bathing-place is staked off against the alligator and the hippopotamus. Our Belochies, who, like all Orientals, believe that drinking the element at night weakens digestion, make of this an exception; and my companion, an old Himalayan, thought that he could detect in it the peculiar rough smack of snow-water.

These villagers are cultivators. Formerly tame, harmless, heathen to all but one another, they have become masters of muskets, which they use, to spoil and oppress those who have them not. We were shown, on the mountain - pass of Usumbara, the watch-fire which is never extinguished; and the Mzegura chief, when supplying us with a bullock, poked his thumb back towards the hills, and said, with a roar of laughter, that already we had become the king's guests. Our Beloch guard applauded this kindred soul, patted him upon the shoulder, and declared that, with a score of men of war like themselves, he might soon become lord of all the mountains.

Sultan Momba once visited Zanzibar, where his eyes were opened to Keranie truth, by the healing hand of the Kazi Mukij el din. This distinguished Sawahili D. D. conferred upon the neophyte the name of Abdullah, and called him son. But the old Momba returned strong upon Abdullah when he sniffed once more his native air. He fell from prayer and ablution to the more congenial practices of highwaying and hard drinking. He is a stout, jolly, beardless young black, with a boatswain's voice, an infinite power of surprise, and an inveterate itching for beggary. This graceless youth inspected our weapons for hours, and sat with us half the day. At one time he begged for the Colt; at another for a barrel of gunpowder; now he wanted to barter slaves for ammunition; and when night fell, he privily sent Hamdan to request a bottle of brandy. All these things were refused, and Sultan Momba was fain to be content with two caps, a pair of muslins, and a cotton shawl. He seriously advised us to return with twenty barrels of gunpowder, which, as the article was in demand, would bring, he assured us, excellent business. Our parting was pathetic. He swore he loved us, and promised, on our return, the boat to conduct us down the river; but when we appeared with empty hands, he told the truth, namely, that it is a succession of Falls and Rapids.

After a night in which the cimex betularius had by a long chalk the advantage of the drowsy god, on the 13th of February we were ferried across the stream, attended by divers guides from Sultan Momba's village. At 7 A.M., emerging from the thicket, we fell into the beaten track over the alluvial plain, which here, as at Chogway, must, during rains, be a sheet of water. We crossed the Luangua, a deep silent affluent of the Lufu river, by a bridge composed of a fallen tree. Then stretching over the grassy expanse, we skirted two small cones, "Ngua," the roots of the high Vingiri range. Like Sagama, this bulwark of Usumbara is a mural precipice, with bluff sides of rock, well wooded on the summit, and looking a proper place for ibex. It forms the rampart or escarpment separating the