The Henson Journals

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Thursday, March 26th, 1914.

I worked at the sermon for St Paul's, but with little success.

In the afternoon, I presided at a Drawing Room Meeting which the Bishop of Uganda addressed: and, when the company had dispersed, I took him for a walk.

The Bishop dined with me. Ella having gone to a meeting at Darlington, we were alone & had much conversation about Uganda. He says that the population is still declining, largely through the ravages of venereal disease. No less than 75 per cent of the children born die as infants. This frightful spread of disease he attributes to the new facilities of intercourse between the tribes & Europeans through the 'opening up' of the country, operating on the chronic licentiousness of the people. He had himself persuaded the chiefs to adopt vigorous measures against illicit sexual relations – the 'boy' was to be flogged, & the girl's father to pay a fine to the chief – & this had immediately affected the situation for good: but an appeal having been made to the British resident, he disallowed both flogging and fine as illegal.

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