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Updated: June 17, 2025
No men who ever lived could, if they worked all through their lives, make one thing so marvellous as one of these boys. Will you, then, sell one of these miracles, one of your children, for a bit of red rag which any man can make in a day?" All eyes turned to King M'tesa to learn what he would say.
And he had, we remember, already written in his diary: "Livingstone died a Scotsman and a Christian loving God and his neighbour, in the heart of Africa. 'Go thou and do likewise." Mackay did not hesitate. Then and there he took pen and ink and paper and wrote to London to the Church Missionary Society which was offering, in the daily paper that lay before him, to send men out to King M'tesa.
The entrance to the hut was darkened by a tall, swarthy Arab in long, flowing robes, followed by negro-bearers, who cast on the ground bales of cloth and guns. The Arab wore on his head a red fez, round which a coloured turban scarf was wound. He was a slave-trader from the coast, who had come from the East to M'tesa in Uganda to buy men and women and children to carry them away into slavery.
And M'tesa, who often sent out his executioners to slay his own people by the hundred to please the dreaded and horrible god of small-pox, would also sell his people by the hundred to get guns for his soldiers. The Arab slave-trader bowed to the earth before King M'tesa, who signalled to him to speak.
Most of these boys were the sons of chiefs. When they were not occupied with some errand, they would lounge about playing games with one another in the open space just by the King's hut. Often when Mackay came to speak with the King, he had to wait in this place before he could have audience of M'tesa.
M'tesa would give him anything that he desired houses, land, cattle, ivory. It is the practical Christian who can ... cure their diseases, build dwellings, teach farming and turn his hand to anything like a sailor this is the man who is wanted. Such a one, if he can be found, would become the saviour of Africa."
The King with a wave of his hand dismissed the scowling Arab, while he took counsel with his chiefs, and came to this decision: "My people shall no more be made slaves." A decree was written out and King M'tesa put his hand to it.
The memory nerved him for the fight he was now to make. Mackay turned to M'tesa and said words like these: "O King M'tesa, you are set as father over all your multitude of people. They are your children. It is they who make you a great King.
The Katikiro was dressed in a snowy-white Arab gown covered by a black mantle trimmed with gold. In his hard, guilty face treacherous cunning and masterful cruelty were blended. M'tesa was gracious to Mackay, and gave him land on which to build his home.
For our Lord, when He lived on earth at Nazareth, worked with His own hands at the carpenter's bench, and made all labour forever noble. Alexander Mackay In the court of King M'tesa, Mackay always saw many boys who used to drive away the flies from the King's face with fans, carry stools for the chiefs and visitors to squat upon, run messages and make themselves generally useful.
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