Fromboyhoodupwardswehavebeenaccustomed，fromtimetotime，toreadinbooksoftravelsaboutthegreatadvancesannuallymadebyMohammedanisminAfrica。Therateatwhichthisreligionspreadswassaidtobesorapid，thatinafterdays，inourownprettyextensivetravels，wehaveconstantlybeenonthelookoutfortheadvancingwavefromNorthtoSouth，which，itwasprophesied，wouldsoonreducetheentirecontinenttothefaithofthefalseprophet。Theonlyfoundationthatwecandiscoverfortheassertionsreferredto，andforothersofmorerecentdate，isthefactthatinaremotecornerofNorth-WesternAfricatheFulahs，andMandingoes，andsomeothersinNorthernAfrica，asmentionedbyDr。Barth，havemadeconquestsofterritory；buteventheycaresoverylittlefortheextensionoftheirfaith，thataftertheconquestnopainswhateveraretakentoindoctrinatetheadultsofthetribe。ThisisinexactaccordancewiththeimpressionwehavereceivedfromourintercoursewithMohammedansandChristians。ThefollowersofChristaloneareanxioustopropagatetheirfaith。AquasiphilanthropistwouldcertainlyneverneedtorecommendthefollowersofIslam，whomwehavemet，torestraintheirbenevolencebypreachingthat\"Charityshouldbeginathome。”
ThoughSeleleandhiscompanionswereboundtotheirmastersbydomesticties，theonlynewideatheyhadimbibedfromMohammedanismwas，thatitwouldbewrongtoeatmeatkilledbyotherpeople。Theythoughtitwouldbe\"unlucky。”JustastheinhabitantsofKolobeng，beforebeingtaughttherequirementsofChristianity，refrainedfromhoeingtheirgardensonSundays，lesttheyshouldreapanunluckycrop。Sofaraswecouldlearn，noeffortshadbeenmadetoconvertthenatives，thoughthesetwoArabs，andaboutadozenhalf-castes，hadbeeninthecountryformanyyears；andjudgingfromourexperiencewithadozenMohammedansinouremployathighwagesforsixteenmonths，theAfricanswouldbethebettermeninproportionastheyretainedtheirnativefaith。ThismayappearonlyaharshjudgmentfromamindimbuedwithChristianprejudices；butwithoutanypretentiontothatimpartiality，whichleavesitdoubtfultowhichsidetheaffectionslean，thetruthmaybefairlystatedbyonewhoviewedallMohammedansandAfricanswiththesincerestgoodwill。
OurtwelveMohammedansfromJohannaweretheleastopenofanyofourpartytoimpressionfromkindness。Amarkeddifferenceingeneralconductwasapparent。TheMakololo，andothernativesofthecountry，whomwehadwithus，invariablysharedwitheachotherthefoodtheyhadcooked，buttheJohannamenpartookoftheirmealsatadistance。This，atfirst，weattributedtotheirMoslemprejudices；
butwhentheysawthecookingprocessoftheothersnearlycomplete，theycame，satbesidethem，andatetheportionofferedwithouteverrememberingtoreturnthecomplimentwhentheirownturncametobegenerous。TheMakololoandtheothersgrumbledattheirgreediness，yetalwaysfollowedthecommoncustomofAfricansofsharingtheirfoodwithallwhositaroundthem。WhatvexedusmostintheJohannamenwastheirindifferencetothewelfareofeachother。Once，whentheywereallcomingtotheshipaftersleepingashore，oneofthemwalkedintothewaterwiththeintentionofswimmingofftotheboat，andwhileyethardlyuptohiskneeswasseizedbyahorridcrocodileanddraggedunder；thepoorfellowgaveashriek，andhelduphishandforaid，butnoneofhiscountrymenstirredtohisassistance，andhewasneverseenagain。Onaskinghisbrother-in-lawwhyhedidnothelphim，hereplied，\"Well，noonetoldhimtogointothewater。Itwashisownfaultthathewaskilled。”TheMakololoontheotherhandrescuedawomanatSennabyenteringthewater，andtakingheroutofthecrocodile\'smouth。
Itisnotassumedthattheirreligionhadmuchtodointhematter。