Dead Man’s Letter

When searching for David Livingstone, Henry M. Stanley had a most unusual reception from King Mutesa in Uganda. The queen had a strange dream about the white man’s God and His Son Jesus Christ shortly before Stanley’s arrival. She related her dream after the arrival of Stanley at the royal house.

The king and queen pleaded with Stanley to send a letter to England and ask for a missionary teacher to be sent to them. He wrote the letter and sent it out by a young Frenchman who was leaving Stanley’s party.

The bearer of the letter was murdered. Several months later his body was found by some British soldiers. Searching through his clothing, they found Stanley’s letter in one of his boots. They sent it to England, where it was featured in the Daily Telegraph.

Great interest was aroused. When the Church Missionary Society appealed for missionary volunteers to go to King Mutesa’s land, several young men responded.