This is the front cover of the volume, 'Dark Africa and the Way Out, or a Scheme for Civilising and Evangelizing the Dark Continent' (1892) by the Rev William Hughes. Hughes, a Baptist minister, was among one of the first people to work as a missionary in the Congo. He visited the country between 1882 and 1885 and, having witnessed scenes of great suffering, became convinced that his missionary work would be far more effectively carried out if the native people could be educated back home in Wales. Hughes finally realised his dream in 1892 when the Congo Institute was officially opened at Colwyn Bay. As a result of an agreement with the Elder Dempster shipping company, students were transported free of charge from Africa to Liverpool. In addition to receiving religious instruction, students at the Institute were given the opportunity to acquire apprenticeships, before returning to their native country as missionaries. The Congo Institute received support and financial backing from many religious groups and individuals, including H. M. Stanley and Leopold II, the King of Belgium. The success of the venture was shortlived, however, for in 1911 a public scandal involving its founder, William Hughes, resulted in the closure of the Congo Institute. In a story which appeared in the magazine 'John Bull', Hughes was alleged to have fathered an illegitimate child by a Congolese woman. Hughes decided to sue the editor, Horatio Bottomley, but lost his case at Ruthin Assizes. Subscriptions to the Institute dried up immediately, the remaining students were sent home to Africa and, the following year, Hughes was declared bankrupt. He died at Conwy Workhouse on 28 January 1924.