ns,'5 as Blantyre Mission of the Church of Scotland dominated the southern region with its headquarters at Blantyre in the Shire Highlands. Murray's choice of Mvera in central Malawi was influenced not only by the salubrious climate in these Dowa highlands but also by its closeness to Mtsala, a lake 'port' for mail and other traffic. Besides, Mvera's position on a slave route in Chiwere's country meant that the mission would help to check this human traffic. This anti-slavery strategy sometimes failed to work, as was the case with Livingstonia Mission16 at Cape Maclear, and also Blantyre Mission to a considerable degree. However, the opening of the first D.R.C.M. Station on 28th November, 1889 in a Ngoni chief's country represented in itself a strategic breakthrough at least in the local political situatio