1 66 DISTINGUISHED CHURCHMEN
The Bishop smiled enigmatically, as if re collecting something not particularly gratifying. " Well," he said, " I am sorry to say we do not. The fact of the matter is that, shortly after these French Roman Catholic missionaries came into the country, it became quite clear that their objects were political as well as religious ; and they sought to extend French influence. Cer tainly their efforts have been consistently directed against the interests of Great Britain. I have no hesitation in saying that the lamentable conflict in 1892 in the early part of January 1892 was largely due to the influence of these French Roman Catholic missionaries."
" You said that you had to do the journey from the coast to Uganda on foot. Your work must call for a lot of endurance ? "
" Yes ; I reckon that altogether, since I went out to East Africa, I have tramped from 15,000 to 16,000 miles about my Diocese. That, you may be sure, has led me into a variety of coun tries healthy and unhealthy. I have crossed Lake Victoria Nyanza half a dozen times, gener ally in native canoes, which in itself is a difficult matter, the lake being almost 200 miles from one shore to the other. The first time I crossed the Victoria Nyanza, I recollect that it took me thirty-two days. One can do it sometimes, under favourable circumstances, in about a fortnight by canoe. Things, however, are becoming different.
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