rstanding　the　height　and　depth　of　their　self…sacrificing　devotion　　to　God　and　the　poor。
  I　have　also　to　acknowledge　valuable　literary　help　from　a　friend　of　the　　poor；　who；　though　not　in　any　way　connected　with　the　Salvation　Army；　　has　the　deepest　sympathy　with　its　aims　and　is　to　a　large　extent　in　　harmony　with　its　principles。　　Without　such　assistance　I　should　probably　　have　found　itoverwhelmed　as　I　already　am　with　the　affairs　of　a　　world…wide　enterpriseextremely　difficult；　if　not　impossible；　to　　have　presented　these　proposals　for　which　I　am　alone　responsible　in　so　　complete　a　form；　at　any　rate　at　this　time。　　I　have　no　doubt　that　if　any　　substantial　part　of　my　plan　is　successfully　carried　out　he　will　　consider　himself　more　than　repaid　for　the　services　so　ably　rendered。
  WILLIAM　BOOTH。
  INTERNATIONAL　HEADQUARTERS　OF　THE　SALVATION　ARMY；　LONDON；　E。C。；　　October；　1890。
  CONTENTS
  PART　1。　THE　DARKNESS。
  CHAPTER　1。　　Why　〃Darkest　England〃？
  CHAPTER　2。　　The　Submerged　Tenth
  CHAPTER　3。　　The　Homeless
  CHAPTER　4。　　The　Out…of…Works
  CHAPTER　5。　　On　the　Verge　of　the　Abyss
  CHAPTER　6。　　The　Vicious
  CHAPTER　7。　　The　Criminals
  CHAPTER　8。　　The　Children　of　the　Lost
  CHAPTER　9。　　Is　there　no　Help？
  PART　2。　DELIVERANCE。
  CHAPTER　1。　　A　Stupendous　Undertaking
  Section　1。　The　Essentials　to　Success　　　Section　2。　My　Scheme
  CHAPTER　2。　　To　the　Rescue！The　City　Colony
  Section　1。　Food　and　Shelter　for　Every　Man　　　　Section　2。　Work　for　the　Out…of…WorksThe　Factory　　　Section　3。　The　Regimentation　of　the　Unemployed　　　Section　4。　The　Household　Salvage　Brigade
  CHAPTER　3。　　To　the　Country！The　Farm　Colony
  Section　1。　The　Farm　Proper　　　Section　2。　The　Industrial　Village　　　Section　3。　Agricultural　Villages　　　Section　4。　Co…operative　Farm
  CHAPTER　4。　　New　BritainThe　Colony　Over　Sea
  Section　1。　The　Colony　and　the　Colonists　　　Section　2。　Universal　Emigration　　　Section　3。　The　Salvation　Ship
  CHAPTER　5。　　More　Crusades
  Section　1。　A　Slum　Crusade。Our　Slum　Sisters　　　Section　2。　The　Travelling　Hospital　　　Section　3。　Regeneration　of　our　CriminalsThe　Prison　Gate　Brigade　　　Section　4。　Effectual　Deliverance　for　the　Drunkard　　　Section　5。　A　New　Way　of　Escape　for　Lost　WomenThe　Rescue　Homes　　　Section　6。　A　Preventive　Home　for　Unfallen　Girls　when　in　Danger　　　Section　7。　Enquiry　Office　for　Lost　People　　　Section　8。　Refuges　for　the　Children　of　the　Streets　　　Section　9。　Industrial　Schools　　　Section　10。　Asylums　for　Moral　Lunatics
  CHAPTER　6。　　Assistance　in　General
  Section　1。　Improved　Lodgings　　　Section　2。　Model　Suburban　Villages　　　Section　3。　The　Poor　Man's　Bank　　　Section　4。　The　Poor　Man's　Lawyer　　　Section　5。　Intelligence　Department　　　Section　6。　Co…operation　in　General　　　Section　7。　Matrimonial　Bureau　　　Section　8。　Whitechapel…by…the…sea
  CHAPTER　7。　　Can　it　be　done；　and　how？
  Section　1。　The　Credentials　of　the　Salvation　Army　　　Section　2。　How　much　will　it　cost？　　　Section　3。　Some　advantages　stated　　　Section　4。　Some　objections　met　　　Section　5。　Recapitulation
  CHAPTER　8。　　A　Pratical　Conclusion
  IN　DARKEST　ENGLAND
  PART　1。　THE　DARKNESS。
  CHAPTER　1。　　WHY　〃DARKEST　ENGLAND〃？
  This　summer　the　attention　of　the　civilised　world　has　been　arrested　by　the　story　which　Mr。　Stanley　has　told　of　Darkest　Africa　and　his　journeyings　across　the　heart　of　the　Lost　Continent。　　In　all　that　spirited　narrative　of　heroic　endeavour；　nothing　has　so　much　impressed　the　imagination；　as　his　description　of　the　immense　forest；　which　offered　an　almost　impenetrable　barrier　to　his　advance。　　The　intrepid　explorer；　in　his　own　phrase；　〃marched；　tore；　ploughed；　and　cut　his　way　for　one　hundred　and　sixty　days　through　this　inner　womb　of　the　true　tropical　forest。〃　　The　mind　of　man　with　difficulty　endeavours　to　realise　this　immensity　of　wooded　wilderness；　covering　a　territory　half　as　large　again　as　the　whole　of　France；　where　the　rays　of　the　sun　never　penetrate；　where　in　the　dark；　dank　air；　filled　with　the　steam　of　the　heated　morass；　human　beings　dwarfed　into　pygmies　and　brutalised　into　cannibals　lurk　and　live　and　die。　　Mr　Stanley　vainly　endeavours　to　bring　home　to　us　the　full　horror　of　that　awful　gloom。　　He　says：
  Take　a　thick　Scottish　copse　dripping　with　rain；　imagine　this　to　be　mere　undergrowth　nourished　under　the　impenetrable　shade　of　ancient　trees　ranging　from　100　to　180　feet　high；　briars　and　thorns　abundant；　lazy　creeks　meandering　through　the　depths　of　the　jungle；　and　sometimes　a　deep　affluent　of　a　great　river。　　Imagine　this　forest　and　jungle　in　all　stages　of　decay　and　growth；　rain　pattering　on　you　every　other　day　of　the　year；　an　impure　atmosphere　with　its　dread　consequences；　fever　and　dysentery；　gloom　throughout　the　day　and　darkness　almost　palpable　throughout　the　night；　and　then　if　you　can　imagine　such　a　forest　extending　the　entire　distance　from　Plymouth　to　Peterhead；　you　will　have　a　fair　idea　of　some　of　the　inconveniences　endured　by　us　in　the　Congo　forest。
  The　denizens　of　this　region　are　filled　with　a　conviction　that　the　forest　is　endlessinterminable。　　In　vain　did　Mr。　Stanley　and　his　companions　endeavour　to　convince　them　that　outside　the　dreary　wood　were　to　be　found　sunlight；　pasturage　and　peaceful　meadows。
  They　replied　in　a　manner　that　seemed　to　imply　that　we　must　be　strange　creatures　to　suppose　that　it　would　be　possible　for　any　world　to　exist　save　their　illimitable　forest。　　〃No；〃　they　replied；　shaking　their　heads　compassionately；　and　pitying　our　absurd　questions；　〃all　like　this；〃　and　they　moved　their　hand　sweepingly　to　illustrate　that　the　world　was　all　alike；　nothing　but　trees；　trees　and　treesgreat　trees　rising　as　high　as　an　arrow　shot　to　the　sky；　lifting　their　crowns　intertwining　their　branches；　pressing　and　crowding　one　against　the　other；　until　neither　the　sunbeam　nor　shaft　of　light　can　penetrate　it。
  〃We　entered　the　forest；〃　says　Mr。　Stanley；　〃with　confidence；　forty　pioneers　in　front　with　axes　and　bill　hooks　to　clear　a　path　through　the　obstructions；　praying　that　God　and　good　fortune　would　lead　us。〃　But　before　the　conviction　of　the　forest　dwellers　that　the　forest　was　without　end；　hope　faded　out　of　the　hearts　of　the　natives　of　Stanley's　company。　　The　men　became　sodden　with　despair；　preaching　was　useless　to　move　their　brooding　sullenness；　their　morbid　gloom。
  The　little　religion　they　knew　was　nothing　more　than　legendary　lore；　and　in　their　memories　there　dimly　floated　a　story　of　a　land　which　grew　darker　and　darker　as　one　travelled　towards　the　end　of　the　earth　and　drew　nearer　to　the　place　where　a　great　serpent　lay　supine　and　coiled　round　the　whole　world。　　Ah！　then　the　ancients　must　have　referred　to　this；　where　the　light　is　so　ghastly；　and　the　woods　are　endless；　and　are　so　still　and　solemn　and　grey；　to　this　oppressive　loneliness；　amid　so　much　life；　which　is　so　chilling　to　the　poor　distressed　heart；　and　the　horror　grew　darker　with　their　fancies；　the　cold　of　early　morning；　the　comfortless　grey　of　dawn；　the　dead　white　mist；　the　ever…dripping　tears　of　the　dew；　the　deluging　rains；　the　appalling　thunder　bursts　and　the　echoes；　and　the　wonderful　play　of　the　dazzling　lightning。　　And　when　the　night　comes　with　its　thick　palpable　darkness；　and　they　lie　huddled　in　their　damp　little　huts；　and　they　hear　the　tempest　overhead；　and　the　howling　of　the　wild　winds；　the　grinding　an　groaning　of　the　storm…tost　trees；　and　the　dread　sounds　of　the　falling　giants；　and　the　shock　of　the　trembling　earth　which　sends　their　hearts　with　fitful　leaps　to　their　throats；　and　the　roaring　and　a　rushing　as　of　a　mad　overwhelming　sea　oh；　then　the　horror　is　intensified！　　When　the　march　has　begun　once　again；　and　the　files　are　slowly　moving　through　the　woods；　they　renew　their　morbid　broodings；　and　ask　themselves：　　How　long　is　this　to　last？　Is　the　joy　of　life　to　end　thus？　　Must　we　jog　on　day　after　day　in　this　cheerless　gloom　and　this　joyless　duskiness；　until　we　stagger　and　fall　and　rot　among　the　toads？　　Then　they　disappear　into　the　woods　by　twos；　and　threes；　and　sixes；　and　after　the　caravan　has　passed　they　return　by　the　trail；　some　to　reach　Yambuya　and　upset　the　young　officers　with　their　tales　of　woe　and　war；　some　to　fall　sobbing　under　a　spear…thrust；　some　to　wander　and　stray　in　the　dark　mazes　of　the　woods；　hopelessly　lost；　and　some　to　be　carved　for　the　cannibal　feast。　　And　those　who　remain　compelled　to　it　by　fears　of　greater　danger；　mechanically　march　on；　a　prey　to　dread　and　weakness。
  That　is　the　forest。　　But　what　of　its　denizens？　　They　are　comparatively　few；　only　some　hundreds　of　thousands　living　in　small　tribes　from　ten　to　thirty　miles　apart；　scattered　over　an　area　on　which　ten　thousand　million　trees　put　out　the　sun　from　a　region　four　times　as　wide　as　Great　Britain。　　Of　these　pygmies　there　are　two　kinds；　one　a　very　degraded　specimen　with　ferretlike　eyes；　close…set　nose；　more　nearly　approaching　the　baboon　than　was　supposed　to　be　possible；　but　very　human；　the　other　very　handsome；　with　frank　open　innocent　features；　very　prepossessing。　　They　are　quick　and　intelligent；　capable　of　deep　affection　and　gratitude；　showing　remarkable　industry　and　patience。　A　pygmy　boy　of　eighteen　worked　with　consuming　zeal；　time　with　him　was　too　precious　to　waste　in　talk。　　His　mind　seemed　ever　concentrated　on　work。　　Mr。　Stanley　said：
  〃When　I　once　stopped　him　to　ask　him　his　name；　his　face　seemed　to　say；　'Please　don't