tihrary of Che Cheolojvcal ^tmimry PRINCETON • NEW JERSEY PURCHASED BY THE HAMILL MISSIONARY FUND DT 351 .G96 Guinness, H. Grattan, 1831- 1898 . The new world of Central Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2015 https://archive.org/details/newworldofcentraOOguin_0 THE NEW AVORLD OF CENTRAL AFRICA. THE NEW WORLD OF CENTRAL AFRICA. WITH A HISTORY OF THE FIRST CHRISTIAN MISSION ON THE CONGO. MRS. H. GRATTAN GUINNESS, H^n, Sec. of the East Lo-idoji Institute for Hone and FoTei^n Missions^ Hurley House, Bow, E. WITH M.\PS, PORTRAITS, PCsV) ILLUSTR.A.TIONS. I^onbon : HODDER AND STOUGHTON, 27, PATERNOSTER ROW. MDCCCXC. Butler & Tanner. The Selwood Printing Works, Fkome, and LoNnoN. PREFACE. Our Lord Jesus Christ cares for Central Africa. He died to redeem its sons and daughters as well as the rest of mankind. This conviction gives courage to His servants in seeking to save among its dark tribes — difficult, and all but hopeless, as the task at first sight appears. Men of the world mock at the attempt, and ridicule the idea that such " undeveloped " human beings can ever be transformed into God-fearing and spiritually minded Christians. But what can they say to facts ? Such transformations may be, for they have already been. To the Bantu races of the Dark Continent the gospel has proved the power of God unto salvation. Ridicule looks foolish in the light of reality, and expe- rience smiles at incredulity. This book records the work of a band of heroic young Christian men and women, who gave them- selves to live or die, as it might please God, that Central Africa might receive the gospel. Inspiration has preserved for us the acts of the first apostles, and they left us an example, among other things, of rehearsing in the ears of the Church at home the incidents of their missionary undertakings. They b PREFACE. ■^^ssumed that all the disciples were equally interested with themselves in the spread of the gospel. We do the same in giving this story of the Livingstone Inland Mission. We record facts that may cheer the hearts of those now labouring in the field, and point to " Footprints, that perhaps another. Sailing o'er life's solemn main, A forlorn and shipwrecked brother, Seeing, shall take heart again." In telling the story we necessarily depict more or less of the sphere, and present its claims on Christians; relating at the same time some of the remarkable providences which indicate the will of God as to the immediate evangelization of Africa. The book makes no pretension to literary excel- lence. It has been prepared in the scant leisure afforded by the pressing practical duties of a mis- sionary secretary, and this must be pleaded as the apology for many defects. It is in some senses a fresh and enlarged edition of one published some years ago, and long out of print, entitled, " The First Christian Mission on the Congo." But the former work was less than a fifth part the size of this, and told the story of two years only, instead of that of twelve ; so that this is virtually a new book, and we have therefore given it a new title. Since the issue of that first narrative Central Africa has been far more largely explored, and its claims on Christian love and compassion are so much the stronger and better understood. There is no deny- PREFACE. vii ing that mission work in the Dark Continent is ^ hard task, and one that demands much self-denial, faith, and patience. Our pages prove however that it is no forlorn hope, and that the obstacles to success are by no means insuperable. Too much has perhaps been said about the dan- gers of the climate and the difficulties of the work. Pioneering in barbarous countries must always be attended with considerable risk, and Central Africa has been no exception to the rule. But the pioneer- ing work there is now largely done, and the dangers and hardships are proportionately diminished. The Bantu races over millions of square miles are now almost as easily accessible to the gospel as the Chinese or the Hindus. They have been fairly intro- duced to the knowledge of the civilized world ; may they be speedily embraced in the love of the Chris- tian Church ! That this book may to some extent conduce to such a result is the earnest desire of the writer. East London Institute for Home and Foreign Missions, Harley House, Bow, London, E. March, 1890. CONTENTS. SECTION I. THE NEW WORLD OF CENTRAL AFRICA. CHAPTER I. What it Is. Further knowledge about Africa needed. — Reasons why it has been so long concealed. — Christian responsibility towards the Dark Continent. — Definition of the new world of Central Africa. — Length of the Congo water-way. — The Congo Free State. — The Bantu races. — The Soudan as distinct from Central Africa. — Drummond on the African man.— Sketch of a Central African village. — A roadless world. — Its inhabitants not primitive, but sin-degraded. — The last great task of the Church . . . pp. 1-33. CHAPTER II. A Journey through the Nfav World. Lessons learned from book-titles. — Meaning of "Through the • Dark Continent." — From Zanzibar to the lakes. — The Victoria Nyanza plateau. — The Central African Alps. — After two years' travelling, the mighty Congo at last ! — Four months floating down stream. — Struggles with the mighty river. — Tragedies of the Cataract gorge. — The Atlantic at last. — The providence of God in this journey, — PP- 35 -SI- X CONTENTS. CHAPTER III. How THE Free State was Founded. Stanley's third mission in Africa. — The founding of the Congo Free State. — Leopoldville, 1881. — A Congo Candace. — Discovery of Lake Leopold. — Second expedition. — Work on the Upper Congo.— " Friends, this is a rich country." — An African Hercules. — Wangata Station and Mata Bwj'ki. — A brave Scotchman. — Commercial genius of the Con- goese.— Return to Europe, 1884 . . . pp. 53-75. CHAPTER IV. The Berlin Conference. Europe's need of Central Africa. — King Leopold IL of Belgium. — What was to become of the new world ? — Position assumed by Portugal. — The Berlin Conference. — Large ■concessions to Portugal and France. — Formation of the Congo Free State. — Its limits, those of the Congo basin. — Leopold first king. — Provisions for free trade, anti-slavery, and religious liberty pp. 77-88. CHAPTER V. Portuguese Claims to African Territory. Papal geography.— The objects of European interference in Africa. — These never obtained under Portuguese influence. — Portuguese colonial historj'. — Vast empire in the six- teenth century. — Steady decay ever since. — Condition of her internal and colonial resources. — Mercantile marine all but extinct. — Manufactures the same. — Reasons for this singular history. — Condition of her remaining colonies. — Ruined by the abolition of the slave-trade. — Portugal not likely to help East Africa. — The colonists still connive at slavery. — Experience of Cameron and Livingstone. — Testimony of •Antonio Gallenga. — Portugal and Nyassaland.— Freedom tof great natural highways .... 91-113. CONTENTS. xi CHAPTER VI. Africa's Greatest Curse. The " opea sore of the world." — The Arab slave-trade. — Ful- filment of the prophecy about Ishmael. — The Arab plan of campaign. — Commander Cameron's testimony. — Cardinal Lavigerie's testimony. — Stanley's experience. — Ivory and gunpowder at the back of slavery. — Progress of the slave- trade in Nyassaland. — -What Major Wissmann saw among the Basonge. — -Bagna Pesihi. — The harassed and depopu- lated districts. — The Brussels Conference. — Four short railways. — The domestic slavery of Africa pp. ii 5-1 37. CHAPTER VII. Europe's Sin and Africa's Sorrow. The drink traffic. — The guilty nations. — The dimensions of the trade. — Its ruinous effect on natives. — The "vested rights" of drink-sellers. — Experience of W. S. Caine, M.P. — At whose door the crime lies. — Kroo villages a kind of hades. — The extermination of the race a question of time. — Free trade need not include free trade in drink. — Native converts say, " Christians do not drink." — Prohibition the only cure. pp. 138-153- CHAPTER VIII. Present Condition of the New World. Later discoveries. — The Mobangi and the Kasai. — The value of the Congo basin. — The proposed Congo railway. — Legis- lation of the Congo Free State. — Administrative divisions. — Garangange and Kasongo. — The Great Lake district. — The French Congo ..... pp. 155-171. xii CONTENTS. SECTION II. THE HISTORY OF THE LIVINGSTONE INLAND MISSION. CHAPTER I. Why we Began the Mission, and How. An open door. — Deliberations. — Basis of the L.I.M. — The Lower Congo in 1878. — Henry Craven. — Obstacles to pro- gress.— Crocodiles, scorpions, and serpents. — The first Christian home in Congoland. — Poor, bleeding Africa. — The founding of Banza Manteka. — Death of James Telford. First Christian grave on the Congo. — African life by Mr. Henry Richards. — A .Scotchman's devotion pp. 175-201. CHAPTER II. The McCall Expedition, 1880. The need of more vigorous measures. — Adam McCall, of Leicester. — His travels and experience in South Africa, the Transvaal, Matabeleland, on the Zambesi, and in the Barotse valley. — Volunteers for the Congo. — His colleagues. — Importance of thorough outfit — Faith and effort. — "A better investment." — Farewell meetings at Leicester, Ply- mouth, etc. — The Vanguard. — Departure of the party. — The attempt to use donkeys. — Experience with Kroo-boys. — Death of Charles Petersen. — Rescue of native victims. — Matadi Minkanda. — Disappointing experience with don- keys.— Attacked by wasps. — A man burned to death. — No carriers. — A timeless world. — Terrible discouragements. pp. 203-236. CHAPTER III. Change in the Management of the Mission. Need of strengthening the home department. — The Rev. A. Tilly resigns the Secretaryship, which is undertaken by the writer. — Proceedings of the Committee. — Reinforce- CONTENTS. xiii merits needed, 1881. — Three thousand pounds sent in. — Donation of a house for Banana. — The Livingstone steam-launch. — Her trial trip on the Congo. — Messrs. Ingham, Angus, Smith, and Waters. — Wedding and part- ing.— The Congo dialects and the Bantu tongues. — First grammar and translations. — A boy's prayer in Congo, in- terlined with translation. — Drummond's testimony to Moolu. pp. 237-266. CHAPTER IV. A D-^RK Year in the Dark Continent. Need of a steamer for the upper river. — Donation of one from the Antipodes. — Fever and flood. — Death of Hugh Mc- Kergow. — Native difficulties in understanding missionary deaths. — Progress at Palabala and Banza Manteka. — Prayer for rain answered. — Difficulties in canoeing on the river. — Bemba Station among the Basundi. — The 4th of Feb., 1881. — "Dead news for you, sir." — "Cast down, but not destroyed." — Shooting a boa-constrictor. — Need of patience. — Not explorers, but missionaries. — McCall's last visit to Palabala. — Terrible sufferings. — Obliged to come home. — Embarks on the Lualaba . . pp. 267-289. CHAPTER V. The Voyage Home. Last look at Africa. — Final entries in the log. — Lands at Madeira. — Fatal attack. — The good Samaritan. — The gale and the Garth Castle. — -A desolate voyage ; too late ! — Severe trial of faith. — Death of Mary Richards. — The value of a missionary's wife. — Danger no excuse for disobedience. — Our marching orders .... pp. 291-306. CHAPTER VL Reinforcements and Firstfruits. Faint, yet pursuing. — Dr. A. Sims, of Aberdeen, volunteers. — First medical missionary. — Mr. William Appel.— Messrs. Liley and Westlind. — A new party of nine. — " Do send xiv CONTENTS. plenty teachers." — Men, money, sympathy, and prayer. — Baptism of native lads ; firslfruits from Congoland. — Their return, with Mr. and Mrs. Craven to Africa. — Messrs. Harvey and Billington invalided home . 307-317. CHAPTER VII. Progress in Africa in 1882. Difficulties of the North Bank. — -Scarcity of food. — Mukim- bungu and Lukunga stations. — Deserters. — Stanley's visit to Lukunga. — Native conscience about murder. — Burning of Bemba Station. — Fire at Palabala . . /A 319-335. CHAPTER VIII. The De.\th Roll of 1882. Haben's return. — " Lanceley gone ! " — Mr. Clarke's account of the tragic circumstances. — A martyr for Jesus. — Deaths of Jesse Blunt at Palabala and of William Appel at Banana. ■ — Dangerous energy. — Extreme caution required. — The law of fruitfulness. — Livingstone's day of discouragement. — By God's help, " Forward." — In memoriam . pp. 337-353. CHAPTER IX. Leopoldville and the Upper Congo. Dr. Sims at Stanley Pool, 1883. — Preparations for building the Henry Reed. — Description of the mission steamer. — The five hundred loads to be carried about 225 miles. — In- fluence of Christian lads. — Marriages of Mr. White and Mr. Ingham. — Banana Station moved to Mukimvika. — The buildings at Leopoldville. — Description of Stanley Pool. — Two months' voyage in canoe. — First death of a Christian native. — Topsy's brief story. — Equator Station, Wangata. — The N'kundu tribes. — Dr. Sims' voyage to the Falls and back with Mr. Grenfell, of the B.M.S. — Launch ol Henry Reed 355-3^8. CONTENTS. XV CHAPTER X. Transfer of the Mission to American Management. Condition of the Livingstone Inland Mission in 1884. — Pre- liminary difficulties overcome. — Extension and importance of the enterprise. — ^" Individuals die ; societies live on." — ■ The American Baptist Missionary Union. — Its antecedents and present undertakings. — Transfer of the Livingstone Inland Mission. — Staff and stations at the time. — Death of Mr. H. Craven at Kabinda. — Messrs. Hoste and McKittrick and others join the Mission . . . pp- 2>9i-A°9- SECTION III. LIGHT AT LAST J OR, A MORNLNG OF JOY ON THE CONGO. CHAPTER I. The Beginning of Spiritual Blessing. Letters from Messrs. Joseph Clarke and Stephen White. — And from Messrs. Harvey and Hoste. — Accounts of Mr. Richards. — Turning to God from idols. — Witnessing for Jesus. — A Congo baptism. — Recent visits to Banza Manteka described by Mr. Whytock and Mrs. McKittrick . pp. 413-426. CHAPTER II. A Chat with Mr. Richards, of Banza Manteka. The missionary's main work. — Seeking first conversion. — Evidences of the new birth. — Must not aim at Euro- peanizing Africans.— The clothes question. — Men are the same, though skins differ. — "White people actually love each other ! " — Barnabas and Lydia. — Church government. — Native preachers. — Native view of flogging. — How to discipline the unruly. — Native quickness in learning. pp. 429-442. CONTENTS. CHAPTER III. Progress under the A.B.M.U., 1885-90. Brief Summary — The Henry Reed at work — Messrs. Pettersen and Eddie at Wangata — Dr. Sims' return and visit to Ame- rica.— Asbury Park Conference.— Speeches by Dr. Gordon and Dr. Crane. — Fresh Explorers in Africa. — Iron church sent out from Boston to Banza Manteka. — American ladies join the Mission. — The natives on the upper river. — Mr. Hostess itinerations and plans for extension pp. 445-459. CHAPTER IV. Our New Congo-Balolo Mission. The Missionary Conference of 1888. — Progress and policy of the A.B.M.U. — The need of the "regions beyond." — Reasons for an English auxiliary. — Return of Mr. John McKittrick. — Sketch of the Balolo people. — Social and religious condition. — The New Congo-Balolo Mission founded. — Harmonious and auxiliaiy, yet distinct from the A.B.M.U. — The first pioneer party. — Bompole's farewell and letter. — Financial supplies, sailing of the missionary band, and progress to date. — The basis of the Mission. — The Pioneer steamer pp. 461-487. CHAPTER V. The Climate of the Congo. Causes of mortality among Europeans. — Stanley's testimony after having tested it for six years. — Draughts and chill as causes of fever. — Hill stations v. low-lying land. — Typical causes.— Tr)' it at home. — Malaria is a second cause. — Rationale of its operation. — Drink accountable for a large proportion of the deaths. — Alcohol dangerous in the tropics. — " Follies leading to self-destruction." — Good health possible 489-51S. Conclusion PP- l^^-l-l- Appendix pp- 5-3-S35- FULL-PAGE ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE Upper Congo Fisherman 2 The Christopher Columbus of the New World. 34 The Falls of Ntamo 52 A Central African Queen 61 A King and his Court 64 Leopold II 76 A Central African Encampment . . . .81 A Mangrove Swamp 90 The Victoria Falls of the Zambesi . . . 109 Shooting an Exhausted Slave 114 An Arab Slave-Raid 120, 121 Natives Drawing Palm-wine 141 The Kroo Coast 148 A Forest Scene in the Heart of Africa . .154 Pre-historic Africa 168, 169 Portrait of Henry Craven 174 Carriers on a Journey 188 Portrait of Adam McCall 202 A Kroo-Boy Headman 214 Portrait of Rev. Alfred Tilly . . . .241 African Wives and Mothers 254 Portrait of Henry Reed, Esq. ... .to face p. 267 Portrait of Dr. Sims 308 Natural Bridges of Fallen Timber . . . 318 "A Supply of Meat for the Carriers". . . 325 Portrait of George Lanceley 336 Native Execution at a Funeral .... 354 The Henry Reed 359 " Hippos 368 BoLOBO Station of the B.M.S 384 Portrait of Rev. J. N. Murdock, D.D. . . . 390 Portrait of Frederick Stanley Arnot . . . 400 Sowing in Tears ; Reaping in Joy .... 412 Portrait of Mr. Henry Richards .... 428 Group of Thirteen Missionaries .... 444 xvii xviii LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. I- AGE Group of Eight Missionaries .... 460 BoMPOLE's Letter 480 The Steam-launch Pioneer 484 A Tornado in the Forest 488 Dr. Sims' Station at Stanley Pool . . . 496 Harley College and Grounds, London . . 530 SMALL ILLUSTRATIONS. Peep at the Nile 9 Bantus of Bihe 15 A Slave Girl of the Soudan 17 An African Village 20 A Forest Path 27 MoNBUTTO Warriors 38 Crossing Flooded Plains 43 Native Heads 44 Catastrophe on the Congo 47 Dragging Canoes Overland 48 In THE Rapids 49 A Congo Caravan 57 An Upper Congo Home 69 Interview with a Native Chief .... 72 Group of Natives 79 The Inquisition at Goa 99, 100 Ivory Porters 118 A Native Village of Round Huts ... 128 Nyam-Nyam Warriors 153 One of the Lesser Tributaries of the Congo 158 PONTA DA LENHA l6l Manyema Heads 164 Native Jewellery 170 One of the Natives 184 Congo Idols 191 Palm Trees 198 Portrait of Mr. Charles Petersen . . . 218 " Stones and Palm Trees " 223 Mouth of the M'poso River 227 The Livingstone .Ste.\m-l.\unch .... 247 Portrait of Mr. Stephen White .... 274 Portrait of Mary Richards 299 Bird's-eye View of Stanley Pool. . . . 312 Portrait of Miss Spearing 315 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. xTx PAGE A Camp Fire 333 Portrait of Mr. William Appel .... 346 In Memoriam 353 Leopoldville, Stanley Pool 365 A Native of Iboko, Upper Congo .... 367 Islet in Stanley Pool 375 "Poultry, Goats, and Native Productions" . 376 An Upper Congo Woman 379 Trading-canoe on the Congo . . . • 381 "Guided" 399 Portrait of Mr. Joseph Clarke .... 414 Portrait of Mr J. H. Hoste 418 Throwing down Nkisis 421 Prep.\ring the Mid-day Meal .... 422 Carrying 434 A Native Preacher 439 Portraits of Mr. Joseph Clarke and his Boys 441 A Medicine Man 447 Portrait of Mr. Charles Harvey . . . 45' Curious Native Head-dress 453 Portrait of Mr. Banks 455 African Ant-Hills 45^ One of the Kyansi-speaking People . . . 463 BoMPOLE 466 Balolo Heads 469 Portrait of Mr. John McKittrick . . . 472 Mrs. McKittrick and Congo Boys . . . 475 A King's Gr.we 481 Scene at the Funeral of Bompole's Father . 487 The Woody Banks of the Congo .... 501 Kinchassa Station 506 MAPS. Diagram Map of Central Africa . . . . xx Political Map of Central Africa as Settled by THE Berlin Conference 85 Map of the Congo Basin 89 Map of the Balolo Region . . .to face p. 467 Large Map at end. C. A. SECTION I. HOW THE NEW WORLD WAS DISCOVERED, EX- PLORED, AND BROUGHT WITHIN THE PALE OF CIVILIZATION. THE CONDITION OF THE NEW WORLD, ITS HISTORV, GOVERNMENT, INHABITANTS, CLIMATE, FERTILITV, AND EXTENT ; ITS IMPORT- ANCE, ITS RICHES, ITS GREAT CURSES, AND ITS CLAIMS ON CHRISTENDO^L CHAPTER I THE NEW WORLD OF CENTRAL AFRICA. It may safely be said that the great discoveries of Columbus and Americus Vespuccius in the sixteenth century did not make a more important addition to our knowledge of the habitable globe than do the Central African discoveries of the latter half of this nineteenth century. For, though its coast-line and certain of its seaboard countries were long familiar, the vast interior of Africa was to all intents and pur- poses an unknown world till within the last fifty years, and a very great part till within the last twelve. Through the journeys of Burton, Speke and Grant, of Livingstone and Stanley, of Cameron, Schweinfurth, Baker, of Cappello and Ivens, of Wissmann and Pogge, of Montiero, Lacerda, Serpa Pinto, Arnot, and a host of other explorers, it is now for the first time unveiled It contains one-fourth of the entire land area of the globe ; so it is a new world, which, as regards dimen- sions, equals North and South America put together, or North America and Europe combined. It is es- timated to have a population of about three hundred or three hundred and fifty millions, more than one- 5 6 AFRICA'S RACES NOT EVANESCENT. fifth of the entire human race ; and that population, for the most part, is evidently one destined to endurey and not — like the aborigines of the North American continent — to pass away and perish before the ad- vance of the stronger and more civilized white men. We ought to hiow more about such a continent as this ! We, as Christians, have duties towards Africa which we shall never fulfil unless we acquaint our- selves with the character and condition of the countless nations, kindreds, and tribes inhabiting that continent. For eighteen centuries since the gospel came into the world, most of them have been allowed to sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, without any message of eternal life. Sad and sorrowful fact ! Its cause is to be sought partly in the early corrup- tion, and subsequent destruction by the Saracenic conquests, of the primitive Church of North Africa, exterminating the faith of Christ in those regions from which the rest of the continent might otherwise have been evangelized ; and partly in the universal and long-continued apostasy of the Church of the Middle Ages, destroying as it did to a large extent her missionary zeal. That during the last four centuries of rapid and universal exploration of the surface of our globe so large a portion of it as Central Africa should have remained till these our days a terra incognita, is per- haps an indication of a merciful Providence. Until Christianity had so far influenced the minds and con- sciences of the nations of the earth as to lead them to JFJIV SO LONG HIDDEN. 7 see the sin of slavery and abolish it, it was better for the poor African to lie hidden from the world, than that his home should become the haunt of the slave- hunter. The west coast was half depopulated by this curse ; and one cannot but rejoice that Stanley's great journey was not made two hundred years ago ! Had it been so, slave-raiding would have spread all up the Congo, and desolated the heart of x\frica. The present terrible sufferings of the natives in the eastern half of Equatorial /\frica under the Arab slave-trade show what might have been on the other side, had the Dark Continent been unveiled too soon ! Even now the conscience of the civilized nations of Europe and America is not sufficiently enlightened to lead them to refrain from ruining these untaught races by ruin. The greed of gain is greater than the sense of responsibility still, and the deadly drink traffic is suffered to destroy and degrade the native races. Merchants, alas ! are more enterprising in taking them liquors which have well been called " distilled dam- nation " than Christians are as yet in gi\ing them the gospel. We cannot be held responsible for the negligence of other ages, or blamed for not sending the gospel to tribes and kindreds of whose very existence we were ignorant. But now that the tremendous and thrilling facts of the case are made known to us ; now that by the aid of the narratives of explorers, missionaries, tra\-ellers, officers, and traders we can traverse region after region, and make acquaintance with nation after nation of this new world ; now that we can realize 8 AFRICA OLD AND NEW. their deep, deep need of the softening and purifying gospel of the grace of God ; noiv the case is very dif- ferent. Now we are responsible ; now we shall deserve blame in the day of Christ if we feed not these hun- gry souls and rescue not these perishing nations. We fully believe that no part of the world has so strong a claim on the energies of the Christian Church at this time as Central Africa; and that every man, woman, and child who loves the Lord Jesus Christ, and longs in proof of it to keep His commandments, ought to take some part or other in the great task of giving it the gospel. By " the new world of Central Africa " we do not designate by any means the whole of the great con- tinent, most of which is by no means new, even in the sense of being newly made known. Our know- ledge of Egypt goes back four thousand years, to the days of Abraham ; our knowledge of Carthage and of North Africa goes back to the days of Hannibal and the Punic wars , our knowledge of the West Coast — including the mouth of the Congo — and of the Cape dates from the Portuguese discoveries of the fifteenth century. None of these parts can therefore be called new. The region that does deserve that name is the central portion of Africa, lying between the Soudan and the Zambesi. All this is new — so new that the earliest effective explorations of it only go back to the middle of this century. Geographically we may describe this new world as extending right across the continent and through twenty-five degrees of latitude — from the Soudan and the watershed between the Nile and the Congo, in the north, to the Zambesi River in the south, and from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic. This is the -region we intend by " Central Africa" ; and the central portion of this Central Africa is the new Congo Free State, of which we shall have much to say hereafter. Besides it however Central Africa contains many distinct regions. Beginning in the north-east, there is, for instance, the beautiful Masai country — the Switzerland of Africa — with its grand, snow-capped mountains 18,000 feet high, a country running back from the Indian Ocean to the great Victoria Lake, and now included in the sphere of English influence : there is the immense region marked lO COUNTRIES OF THE NEW WORLD. on modern maps as "the sphere of German influ- ence" extending from the shallow territories of the Sultan of Zanzibar to the western shores of the great Tanganyika. There is the southern Nyassa district, which has already made so much progress on the road to civilization, and which is now the theatre of so severe a struggle between its British benefactors and the Arab slave-traders, who are seeking its ruin. There is also the large lacustrine district inclosed by lakes Bangweolo and Moero on the east and the long chain of lakes on the Lualaba on the west, — includ- ing Kasongo and M'sidi's kingdom in the Garangange country. Then there is the great Lunda country, and the extensive Barotse valley, and the Bashilange district ; the immense territory added to the Portu- guese colony of Angola by the Berlin Conference ; and the Ogowe country assigned to France. Lastly there are the northern kingdoms of the Xyam-Nyam and the Monbutto, explored by Schweinfurth, and traversed by the many streams which form the head waters of the great northern tributary of the Congo, the Mobangi- Welle ; and, lastly, the kingdoms of Unyoro and Uganda, the dwarf-haunted forests, and the new countries lately traversed by Stanley. No region on earth possesses a more magnificent system of inland lakes and rivers than does the new world of Central Africa, once thought to be desolate. This seems to be a compensation for the great dis- advantage which weighs upon the African continent in her very short coast-line. History proves that continents progress in civilization in a direct ratio to DISADVANTAGE OF SHORT COAST-LINE. II the length of their coast-Hnes as compared with their superficial areas. Europe, with its area of only three and a half millions of square miles, has a coast-line of seventeen thousand miles ; while Africa, with fully eight times the superficial area, has a coast-line of only fourteen thousand miles in length. Were it relatively of the same length as that of Europe, it would be a hundred and thirty-six thousand miles, instead of fourteen thousand. Hence its backward condition, and its late awakening to the civilized life of the human race. Its inland water system however is some compensation for this serious disadvantage. Besides the Nile and the Niger systems in North and West Africa, and the Zambesi system in the south, Central Africa has no less than eighty thousand square miles of lake water, and in the Congo system the second largest river and river basin in the world. The Congo and its tributaries form a longer line of navigable water than tJie zvJiole coast-line of Ejirope. If we start from the North Cape and the land of the midnight sun, sail in and out of the fiords of Norway, coast round the Skagerack and the Cattegat, all up the Baltic, round the Gulf of Bothnia, and follow every inlet of the Gulf of Finland ; if we then sail on along the North German coast and all round Den- mark, circumnavigate our own little British Isles and cross back to Hamburg, then coast along the shores of Holland, Belgium, France, sail round the Bay of Biscay, and by the shores of Portugal and Spain to Marseilles, along the beautiful Riviera and the coast of Italy, visit every creek and inlet of the Adriatic, and 12 22,000 MILES OF KIVER BANK. of Greece and its glorious Archipelago, pass through the Dardanelles and the Sea of Marmora and the fabulously beautiful Bosphorus, run up the Black Sea by the coasts of Roumania and Bulgaria, and then skirt the southern shores of Russia, of the Crimrea, and of the Caucasus — in all this long voyage we should not sail past a coast as long extended as that presented by the river banks and lake shores of the navigable water-way of the Congo. Europe has a coast-line of about seventeen thou- sand miles, and even with the British Isles of consi- derably under twenty thousand. The Congo and its tributaries have been already explored to a length of eleven thousand miles, giving twenty-two thousand miles of river bank peopled with native villages. All these can be easily reached by the noble water-way which traverses in every direction the Congo Free State. The Chambesi, a small stream rising in the moun- tains to the west of Lake Nyassa and flowing through the lakes Bangweolo and Moero, and called in that part of its course the Luapula, used to be considered the head waters of the Congo. But the recent ex- plorations of the watershed by Cappello and Ivens show that another river, the Lualaba, rising 13" to the south, in the Katanga country, is really the main source of Livingstone's mighty river. This stream — after forming a great number of lakes — ^joins the Chambesi branch at Lake Lanji (6° south), and the united stream flows on past Nyangwe with a north-westerly course to Stanley Falls. There turn- THE ''MIGHTY" CONGO. 13 ing westward it reaches 2° north of the equator, whence it takes its final south-western bend to Stanley Pool, the gorge of the Livingstone Cataracts, the lower river, and the ocean. The course of the main stream alone measures between three and four thousand miles, making it one of the greatest rivers in the world, only the Nile and the Amazon be- ing longer. Many of its very numerous tributaries are themselves magnificent rivers, notably the Mo- bangi from the north-east, descending from the Nile watershed, and running a western and south-western course, almost parallel with that of the main stream, which it joins just below the equator ; and the Kasai, corning up from the south, from the watershed of the Zambesi, and flowing north and north-west, receiving in its turn four very important tributaries, the Lulua, the Sankuru, the Ikata, and the Kwango. Even the minor tributaries of the Congo, such as the Lomami, the Lulonga, the Ikelemba, and the Juapa, on the south, and the Aruwimi, the Loika, the Bunga, and the Alima, on the north, are very considerable streams. The Congo Free State, though not coterminous with the immense geographical basin of the Congo River, comprises the greater part of it. The State has 1,508,000 square miles of territory. England has 48,000 ; so it would take more than thirty Englands to make up the territory of this great Central African government, which is considerably larger than all India, including the native states. Its population cannot be determined with any degree of accuracy, as the estimates of travellers, as 14 THE TRUE HOME OF THE NEGRO. regards the density to the square mile, vary greatly according to the localities they have traversed. But it may probably be placed somewhere between forty and fifty millions. The people live mostly in inde- pendent groups, under the command of a chief or " king," whose dominions comprise, it may be only a few villages or towns, or it may be a considerable ex- tent of country. In those parts where the natives have come into frequent contact with the white men, they are docile and fairly amiable, but in some of the more remote regions they are savage and warlike. Supersti- tion renders them timid, and fear makes them at times fierce and almost ferocious, but a brief acquaintance with kindly disposed Europeans speedily tames them- The popular notion that all Africans are negroes is a delusion.^ Most Africans are, it is true, dark in colour, but the greater part are not negroes. From Cape Colony in the south right up through the con- ^ The proper home of the Ne_wro lies north of this great region. It is the immense .Soudan — a tract of counti-y 4,000 miles broad by about 500 deep, extending from the basin of the Congo River on the south to the .Sahara on the north, and from Egypt in the east to Senegambia in the west. This immense region is now the least known portion of the African continent ; INIungo Park penetrated its western section in the beginning of the century, Denham and Clapperton twenty years later ; and in 1850 Barth entered it from Tripoli on the north, ex^ plored many hundred miles of the Niger region, resided seven months at Timbuctoo, and exhibited wonderful German method and perse- verance in recording his observations extending over 12,000 miles of untrodden country. More recently tlie south-eastern section of the Soudan has been partially explored by Ciordon, Schweinfurth, and others ; but its entire length and breadth are still to a large extent a ttrra incognita, and it is of course totally unevangelized. The Soudan consists of three principal parts : the region round the THE BANTU TAMIL V. 15ANTUS OF ISIHli, SOUTH-CEXTRAL AFRICA. tinent northwards to eight degrees above the equator, all the immense variety of races inhabiting Central Africa belong to the great Bantu family, and are en- tirely distinct from negroes. A recent traveller describing these races says : " The Bantu is a fine, tall, upright man, with deli- cately small hands and well-shaped feet, a fine face, high, thin nose, beard, and moustache. upper waters of the Nile in the east, that lying around Lake Chad in the centre, and the magnificent valley of the lordly Niger in the west. This last is crossed by the long line of the Kong Mountains, the country between which and the coast is familiarly known, including Sierra Leone, Liberia, Cape Palmas, Ashanti, Dahomey, Yoruba, and the numerous English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, and German colonies. These countries form merely a fringe of Negroland, but northward from the Kong Mountains, which run parallel with the coast of the Gulf of Guinea and at no great distance from it, very little is known of the country. From Senegal right across the continent to the highlands of Abyssinia, the multitudinous tribes and nations of Negroland are still unvisited and untaught. They live and die unnoticed and unknown. Darkness covers this enormous world, and gross darkness its peoples. Futa Jallon, Bambarra, Messina, Songhay, and Gando, each an extensive country with towns, many of which contain from 30,000 to i6 THE BANTU RACES. "The farther you go into the interior the finer the I type becomes ; and two points about them contrast ! very favourably with most of the coast races ; namely, their lighter colour, generally a warm chocolate, and their freedom from that offensive smell which is sup- posed wrongly to characterize most of the Africans. Many other details show the comparatively high status of the Upper Congo races, with their small hands and feet, their well-shaped legs, with full calves, and their abundant heads of hair. I " Some of the men are perfect Greek statues, as I regards the splendid development and poise of figure. They have pleasing faces, because of the good- humour which enlivens their features. "Another remarkable point about them is their comparatively great development of hair, on the head especially, but at an early age also all over the body. 50,000 people, have together from fourteen to sixteen millions of in- habitants, and are destitute of any preacher of the gospel. The empire of Gando, which extends along the Niger in its bend from the north to its junction with the Binue, is occupied by a people distinguished for their intelligence and friendliness, fairly industrious and civilized, and who speak a rich and harmonious language, but who are as yet unvisited by any missionary. The cENTRAt Soudan, whicli reaches from the confluence of the Niger and Binue across to Darfur, consists of a group of great negro states peopled by the Fulah and Hausa tribes. It comprises the empire of Sokoto, about as large as the British Islands, the province of Adamawa beyond the Binue, that of Bornu, south and west of Lake Chad, with a population of five or six millions, a civilized negro state whose king has an army of 20,000 well mounted and well armed cavalry. The kingdom of Baghirmi, traversed by the river Shari, which falls into Lake Chad, has one and a half millions ; and the kingdom of Wadai is more than three times the size of England, with a war- NEGRO SLAVE GIRL IIROL'GHT FROM THE SOUDAN. like population, and a sultan who rules with merciless severity over his subjects. All these five countries of the central Soudan are totally unevangelized. Then in the eastern Soudan we have the great kingdom of Darfur, and other populous provinces, which are of a less civilized character, while the region termed the Egyptian Soudan is one of the miserable spheres of the Arab slave-trade. This is fast decimating its population, which is passing away, alas ! without having ever heard the gospel. C. A. '7 2 1 8 BANTU DRESS, TRADE, AND CURRENCY. Although arrived at maturity, their persons are quite hairless; for, like most negroes, they dislike all growth of hair on the body, and pluck out every hair that makes its appearance, scarcely liking the beard to grow. However, eti revanche, the hair of the head is much encouraged, and really attains an astonishing length ; and though crisp and curly, is tortured and twisted by its possessors into all sorts of fantastic coiffures." i The Bantu is a born trader, and therein lies the I great hope of civilizing Central Africa, When America was first explored, the proud-willed, intrac- table Central North American Indian could not be brought into brotherhood with the white man. This native race died out before him ; it would not work either under him or with him. Among the Bantu, on the contrary, the commercial instinct is so powerful. that the people are anxious for intercourse with the richer and stronger race, as soon as their superstitious fears can be allayed. They are more than willing to trade and procure what the white man wants, provided they can get a fair equivalent. They have actually created among themselves a true currency, though not a money one — a proof of considerable commercial activity. They understand also to some extent the division of labour ; one village will make nets, another mats, while another will buy the nets and addict itself to fishing, selling the fish caught, and carrying on the manufacture of palm wine, and so on. The great stimulus to commerce — lack of necessary CENTRAL AFRICAN MAN. 19 things — exists among the Bantus. They want a greater variety of food, more meat especially, and therefore they need firearms to shoot game, even if not for war. They need clothes to shield them from the cold of their nights and the heat of their daj'^s. They need shoes or sandals, at any rate, for their long journeys, and a thousand other things. This makes them welcome the white man and his treasures gladly, and renders them willing to co-operate with him in the development of commerce. Of Central African man in his lowest state, as he saw him in the Nyassa district, Drummond writes : " Hidden awa}' in the endless forests, like birds' nests in a wood, in terror of one another, and of their common foe the slaver, are small native villages ; and here, in his virgin simplicity, dwells primeval man, J without clothes, without civilization, without learning, without religion, the genuine child of nature, thought- less, careless, and contented. This man is apparently quite happy ; he has practically no wants. One stick, pointed, makes him a spear ; two sticks rubbed toge- ther make him a fire ; fifty sticks tied together make him a house. The bark he peels from them makes his clothes, the fruits which hang on them make his food. It is perfectly astounding, when one thinks of it, what nature can do for the animal man, to see with what small capital, after all, a human being can get through the world. " I once saw an African buried. According to the custom of his tribe, his entire earthly possessions — and he was an average commoner — were buried with 20 AFRICAN VILLAGES. him. Into the grave, after the body, was lowered the dead man's pipe, then a rough knife, then a mud bowl, and, last, his bow and arrows, the bowstring cut through the middle, a touching symbol that its work was done. This was all. Four items, as an auc- tioneer would say, were the whole belongings for half a century of this human being. No man knows what a man is, till he has seen what a man can be without, and be withal a man." Central African villages differ widely, of course, in different parts of the continent, as a village in Nor- way would differ from one in the Netherlands, and that again from one in Spain or Italy. Here is a graphic description of a village in Uhombo and its people, from the pen of Stanley, who, as a traveller and author, retains the power of the "correspondent" DESCRIPTION OF UHOMBO. 21 to seize the points of interest in a scene. This ham- let must have been one of the most degraded of its class however. The picture is a sad and painful one, but it is evidently the pen and ink photograph of A Central African Village. " A village in Uhombo consists of a number of low, conical huts, ranged round a circular common, in the centre of which are three or four fig trees, kept for the double purpose of supplying shade to the community and bark-cloth to the chief The door- ways to the huts are very low, scarcely thirty inches high. The common, fenced round by the grass huts, shows plainly the ochreous colour of the soil, and it is so well trodden, that not a grass blade thrives upon it. " On presenting myself on the common, I attracted out of doors the owners and ordinary inhabitants of each hut, until I found myself the centre of quite a promiscuous^population of naked men, women, chil- dren, and infants. Though I had appeared here for the purpose of studying the people of Uhombo, and making a treaty of friendship with the chief, the vil- lagers seemed to think I had come merely to make a free exhibition of myself as some natural monstrosity ! I saw before me over a hundred beings of the most degraded, urrpresentable type it is possible to con- ceive ; and, though I knew quite well that, some thou- ' sands of years ago, the beginning of this wretched humanity and myself were one and the same, a sneak- ing disinclination to believe it possessed me strongly, | and I would even now willingly subscribe some small I 22 OUR RUDELY SHAPED BROTHERS AND SISTERS. \ amount of silver money for him who could but assist to controvert the discreditable fact. "But common sense tells me not to take into undue consideration their squalor, their ugliness, or nakedness, but to gauge their true position among the human race by taking a view of the cultivated fields and gardens of Uhombo ; and I am compelled to admit that these debased specimens of humanity only plant and sow such vegetables and grain as I myself should cultivate, were I compelled to provide for my own sustenance. I see too that their huts, though of grass, are almost as well made as the materials will permit, and indeed I have often slept in worse. Speak with them in their own dialect of the law of meuiii and tiium, and it will soon appear that they are intelligent enough upon that point. Moreover the muscles, tissues, and fibres of their bodies, and all the organs of sight, hearing, smell, or motion, are as well developed as in us. Only in taste and judgment based upon larger experience, in the power of expression, in morals and intellectual culture, are we superior. " I strive therefore to interest myself in my gross and rudely shaped brothers and sisters. Almost bursting into a laugh at the absurdity, I turn towards an individual whose age marks him out as one to whom respect is due, and say to him, after the com- mon manner of greeting : "'My brother, sit you down by me on this m.at. and let us be friendly and sociable ' ; and as I saj' it, I thrust into his wide open hand twent)' cowries, the- currency of the land. One look at his hand as he UNA TTRA CTIVE .' B UT HUMAN. 23 extended it made me think I could carve a better looler cent, upon the hlooi/y venture ! They tell me, however, that the convoys already arrived at Nj'angwe with slaves captured in the interior have been as great as their present band. Five expeditions have come and gone with their booty of ivory and slaves, and these five expeditions have now completely weeded the large territory described above. If each expedition has been as success- ful as this, the slave-traders have been enabled to obtain 5,000 women and children and lake them safe to Nyangwe. These ^,000, out of an assumed million, will be at the rate of a half per cent. , or five slaves out of 1,000 people. If the above figures are trustworthy, then the outcome rom the terri- tory with its million of souls is 5,000 slaves obtained at the cruel expense of 33,000 lives ! And such slaves ! They are females or young children who cannot run away, or who, with youthful indifference, will soon forget the terrors of their capture. Yet each of the very smallest in- fants has cost the life of a father, and perhaps his three stout brothers and three grown up daughters. An entire family of six souls have been done to death lo obtain that small, feeble, useless child. Tliese are my thoughts as I look upon the horrible scene. Every second during which I regard them the clink of fetters and chains strikes upon my ears. My eyes catch sight of that continual lifting of the hand to ease the neck in the collar, or as it displays a manacle ex- posed through a muscle being irritated by the weight or want of fitness. My nerves are offended with the rancid effluvium of the unwashed herds within this human kennel, the smell of other abominations annoy me in that vitiated atmosphere; for how could poor people bound and ''WOLFISH, BLOODY, RAVENOUS INSTINCTS." 127 riveted togethei" by twenties do otherwise than wallow in filth ? Only the old women are taken out to forage ; they dig out the cassava tuber and search for the banana, while the guard, with musket ready, keenly watches for the coming of the vengeful native. Not much food can be procured in this manner, and what is obtained is flung down in a heaj) before each gang, to at once cause an luiseemly scramble. Many of these poor things have been already months fettered in this manner, and their bones stand out in bold relief in the attenuated skin which hangs down in wrinkles and puckers. And yet, who can withstand the feebng of pity so powerfully pleaded for by those large eyes and sunken cheeks ? What was the cause of all this vast sacrifice of human life, of all this unspeakable misery? Nothing but the indulgence of an old Arab's "wolfish, bloody, starved, and ravenous instincts." He wished to obtain slaves to barter profitably away to other Arabs, and having weapons, guns, and gunpowder enough, he placed them in the hands of three hundred slaves, and despatched them to commit murder whole- sale, just as an English nobleman would put guns in the hands of his guests, and permit them to slaughter the game upon his estate. Yes, that is the explanation ! It is the old stoiy of the wicked world, might against right ! Give gun- powder in the hands of lawless men let loose among naked savages, and this is the result. Writing of the Blantyre Mission, south of Lake Nyassa, a Scotch missionary named Scott says : " The Arab .slave-trade is making frightful progress. Cara- vans of Arabs are pouring in — for trade ? No ! Hardly a bale of cloth goes up country from the East Coast ; it is guns and powder, not even spirits. It is simply slaughter ; the slaughter of thousands, and the desolation of the fairest lands — lands where the natives were at peace, where industry and thrift and 128 BEFORE THE ARABS COME. "CLEAN, !.l happiness ruled : where to get through one village yow might start in the early morning and not pass out of it till the sun was half-way down, journeying straight on ; and these are now desolate ! Fresh routes are opening up to the Arabs, and the deso- lation is spreading. It is not slave-trade ; it is ruthless massacre of the most barbarous type." In 1 88 1 Major Wissmann was travelling between the Sankulu and the Lomani among the Basonge. He described their large and well to do towns, clean, regular, well built, and peaceful. The people were confiding and kind. From half-past six in the morning till eleven o'clock were spent in simply walking through the long-extended town of Bagna Pesihi, and there were many such places — continuous streets of houses for eight or ten miles, all inhabited by kind, friendly people. Of the people he wrote : .-/ TRAIL OF BONES AND BLOOD. 129 "They lived in beautiful villages, mile=; in length, cultivated the land, and excelled in the manufacture of cloth, pottery, iron articles, and wood carving. To the east of these tribes, however, I found that, in consequence of a recent inroad of the Arabs of Nyangwe, the villages had been deserted. The Basonge have never yet seen an Arab, nor heard the report of a gun ; but I am afraid their fate is sealed." His prognostication proved, alas ! only too correct ! Four years later he revisited the scene in company with others. Once more we camped near the large town of the Bagna Pesihi. Early on the following morning we approached its palm gioves. The paths are no longer clean, as they used to be. A dense growth of grass covers them, and as we approach the skirt of the groves we are struck by the dead silence which reigns. No laughter is to be heard, no sign of a welcome from our old friends. The silence of death breathes over the lofty crowns of the palms, slowly waving in the wind. We enter, and it is in vain we look to the right and left for the happy home- steads and the happy old scenes. Tall grass covers everything, and a charred pole here and there, and a few banana trees, are the only evidences that man once dwelt here. Bleached skulls by the roadside, and the skeletons of human hands attached to poles, tell the story of what has happened here since our last visit. The Bagna Pesihi — nay, the whole tribe of the Bene Ki — had ceased to exist. Only a few remnants of this once powerful tribe, so we were told, had sought a refuge with a chief on the Sankulu, named Zappu Tapp, himself a refugee from Arab aggression. You may readily imagine the indignation with which the sights we saw filled us, and the detestation in which I hold such wholesale destroyers of human life and happiness. Day after day we luere called upon to witness the same abhorrent scenes until one day, on the banks of the Lukasi, we came upon a camp of these Arabs. They numbered three thousand men, and their leader was Sayol, one of the lieutenants of Tippu Tib. It was with difficulty that I led my people thus far, for they had suffered much hunger when crossing depopulated districts. We had lived on the pith of palm trees, and even fruits reputed to be poisonous were not despised ; yet hardly a day passed without one of my faithful Baluba dropping down dead from exhaustion. Only he who was responsible for the lives of his subordinates can appreciate what I C. A. 9 130 TESTIMONY OF THE " Pi RES BLANCS." suffered in these dark days. And whose the guilt, hut of those devas- tators of regions which before their appearance could be traversed in security by caravans numbering their thousands ? I paid a visit to Sayol's camp. A scaffolding of beams, at its entrance, was ornamented witli fifty hewn-off right hands. Musket-shots, later on, proclaimed that the leader of this gang "vvas practising musketry upon his unfortunate prisoners. Some of my men told me that the victims of this cruelty had been cut up immediately to furnish a cannibal feast for Tippu Tib's auxiliaries from the Lomami. Cardinal Lavigcric is the director of the Roman Catholic mis.sions in the Dark Continent, missions in the prosecution of which much devotion and heroism have been exhibited, and which appear in Uganda at least to have made real converts. The sincerity of these Peres B.lancs seems evinced by the fact that eleven of them have suffered martyrdom and more than fifty have died from fatigue and hardship. Cardinal Lavigerie sa)-s of them : Tlicy have seen with their own eyes, in the course often years, whole provinces absolutely depopulated by tlie massacres of the slave-hunters, and each day they are obliged to witness scenes which point to the rapid extinction of the race. In the last letter which I have received from Tanganyika, dated in March last, they tell me that every day they see caravans of slaves arriving, and that every day they see boats crossing the lake, loaded almost to sinking with their freight of human chattels. They tell nie, particularly, of the province of Manyuema, which at the time of the death of Livingstone was rich in ivor)- and population, but which the slave-hunters have now reduced to a desert, seizing the ivory, and reducing the inhabitants to slaverj' in order that they may carry the ivory to the coast, after which their cap- tives would be sold. The contempt for human life engendered by such examples as these, and by the passions of the slave-hunters, is so great that you can imagine nothing more horrible. An excess of cruelty causes them to make use towards men of terais hitherto reserved for wild beasts— it is all of a piece with the custom of Central Africa ; for the blacks themselves, when they have slaves, adopt the terms of the AWFUL EXTENT OF DEVASTATION. 131 slave-hunlers, and call them by no other name than " my beast," " my animal." The unfortunate people who are captured for slaves are treated like beasts — men, women, and children ; listen to these words, you who are Christians, they are treated like beasts — the horror of their situation passes all imagination ; they are hunted like animals, and when they are caught are compelled to bow under a yoke : their heads are forcibly thrust between the space made by a small triangular-shaped piece of bent wood attached to a long pole, and so they are driven. A map of Africa, in which the chstricts harassed by the slave-raiders atid those depopulated by them are distinctively coloured, tells by rneans of the eye a sad tale to the heart ! Between the Sahara and the Zambesi the country ?iot invaded by them is far less than that disfigured by their blood-red tracks and dull stains. The amount of human woe intimated is absolutely inconceivable ! The entire Soudan \i abandoned to them and enslaved by them ; the Equatorial Province, so long and so nobly held by Emin Pasha, having fallen, 1,500 miles of country from Khartoum to Uganda is at their mercy. The waters of the Congo in the northern part of its course divide Africa for a thousand miles roughly into two halves. Eastern and Western. The Eastern half is all harassed by the Arabs, and they have penetrated far enough into the Western to join hands with the Portuguese slave-traders like Coimbra, alluded to above. But we must not multiply quotations, though it would, alas! be all too easy to fill with similar extracts a volume larger than this ! Cameron has summed up the state of things in a sentence : " Africa is bleed- 132 THE BRUSSELS CONFERENCE. ing out her life blood at every pore. Should the present state of affairs be allowed to continue, the country will gradually relapse into jungles and wilds." God has appointed government for the punishment of evil-doers, and Africa's anguish arises from the lack of this. Hitherto diabolical evil-doers have had things all their own way in the Dark Continent, and they have depopulated whole districts of enormous extent. Europe is now at last undertaking and attempting to govern Africa for its own good, to protect its weak and helpless children alike from domestic tyranny and alien spoliation. Christians should trace the hand of God in this, and .sympathise with cveiy effort, no matter by what nation it is made, which promises to evoke order out of chaos. They should earnestly pray for the prosperity of the attempt to restrain lawless violence in Africa ; for unless the Arab slave-trade can be arrested, the continent cannot be civilized, or colonized in its healthy districts, or developed in any way, or, above all, evangelized. All efforts to ameliorate the existing state of things having proved unavailing, and the Arab traders increasing everywhere in bold aggressiveness, a con- ference of the European powers now engaged in the government of various parts of Africa was summoned at Brussels in the autumn of 1889. The result of its deliberations has not yet been made public. What- ever the)' maj' be, there is good reason to hope that any repressive measures which may be decided on PROPOSED RESOLUTIONS. '33 will be rendered effective by luiitcd action, without which little can be done. Our valued friend Mr. Francis W. Fox, the delegate of the Aborigines Protectian^Societyj wrote to the Times a letter, which Lord Salisbury desired should be read to the conference, and which indicates some of the resolutions which will probably be adopted He proposed that, IJearing in mind the general principles which should actuate the operations of the stronger powers in their dealings with the weaker and unprotected races of Africa, the conference might agree to declare that in all the respective territories and spheres of intluence in Africa of the several powers — 1. That the slave-trade is illegal and punishable. 2. That within these areas all slaves may claim manumission papers. 3. That all systems of apprenticeship and forced labour should be illegal in the same areas. 4. That all the powers shall actively co-operate and assist in seeing these conditions are carried out. 5. That no slave arriving at the boundary of a territory under the jurisdiction of the signatory powers shall be surrendered, unless as a criminal. 6. To follow up proclamation of illegality of the import of slaves into territories under nominal sovereignty of the Sultan of Zanzibar by declaration of freedom 'luithoitt compensation in the islands of Pemba, Zanzibar, Mafia, etc., and of freedom under arbitration in other areas, the " quasi-slave " to work out portion of the redemption. 7. Arbitration courts to be international. 8. The powers to instruct their respective consular or authorized agents to publish in every part of their respective territories the pro- clamation of the illegality of the slave-trade, and of the conditions on which slaves may obtain their freedom. 9. That as the general consensus of opinion of the best men in the several countries represented at the conference is that the importation of spirits and ardent liquors, and the indiscriminate trade in firearms and ammunition, has been, and is, a great curse and injury to the native races of Africa, this conference recommends the prohibition of '34 POSSIBILITY OF riiEVENTION. the importation of all spirits, ardent liquors, fire-anns, and ammunition, excepting under strict and clearly defined limitations. But even should the conference adopt resolutions similar to these, and others equally admirable, the grand difficulty of carrying them into effect will remain. Yox this there is but one remedy, the speedy improvement of the means of communication all over Africa. Without this, the best laws will be useless, because they cannot be executed. Without this, legitimate trade cannot be made as profitable as slavery, or more so, to the Arabs ; and till this can be done they will hardly abandon their present lucrative traffic. But as Africa has so magnificent an international river system, on which steamers can ply for many thousands of miles, besides its great inland seas, rapid communication is by no means so impossible as it might seem. Four short lengths of railway would render available the whole of the inland navi- gation, and one of the four is already in hand. 1. From Matadi to Stanley Pool, about 270 miles. 2. From Mombasa to the Victoria Nyanza, about 400 miles. 3. From Suakim to Berber, 270 miles. 4. From the Zambesi to Lake Nyassa, say 200 miles. With these four railroads, and steamers on all the lakes, Africa could be so far guarded as, on the one hand, to prevent the slave-trade to a great extent, while, on the other, her commerce would be so facilitated that the temptation to make slave caravans would be removed. AFRICAN DOMESTIC SLAVERY. Such railroads would scarcely be constructed by private capital. But governmental security might be given by a national guarantee of interest. The railroads would pay in course of time, and meanwhile incalculable benefits would accrue to poor Africa. It must be remembered that not all the slavery in the Dark Continent lies at the door of the Arabs and Portuguese. To an enormous extent the people enslave each other. It is the very atmosphere of Africa ! Slavery is indigenous. But the domestic slavery in Africa is in some oi its aspects not bad, indeed, it might almost be called good. It averts a great deal of bloodshed, and is the lesser of two evils. The recognition of a right to sell captives and criminals suggests an alternative to immediate execution. Such slaves, if not sent to the sea or to any great distance, suffer but little. They become family dependants, or agricultural labourers, and often grow rich. But there is one horrible aspect of even native slavery which requires stern repression by all the European powers who rule in Africa. It is the reck- less murder of slaves at funerals, to which we have alluded. This terrible custom, based on the super- stition that the life after death in another world is just like this life, leads to the most hideous butchery. A great man must have a retinue of wives and slaves to attend him in the other life, a lesser man fewer ; a king or a queen scores, and even sometimes hundreds. 136 Slaves are bought and kept for the occasion, and their master's death becomes the signal of their own. This evil is deeply ingrained all over savage Africa, but it can be suppressed by European influence. The Congo Free State is bent on eradicating the practice, and is succeeding to some extent in diminishing these funereal murders. Sir James Marshall and Judge Kane have recently begun to suppress it in the dominions of the Niger Company. But they found that moral influence would not do it. The people jiromised not to have these executions, and had them all the same. A little firmness and severity however soon settled the question. One murderer was caught and hanged, and one guilty village destroyed. Then the chiefs sued for peace, and promised there .should be no more killing of slaves. They eagerly accepted a treaty with the government, the first article of which was the cessation of human sacrifices. The results of this treaty were soon seen. A few days after peace had been made, Mr. Taylor informed us that two slaves had come in as a deputation from the slaves of Asaba, who wished to thank the white men for what they had done for them. Having prostrated themselves so that their foreheads touched the ground, which is the salutation of slaves, the spokesman said that at first the slaves could not believe that the war was made for them ; that they had been kept like fowls and goats by their masters, who look them out when they pleased to be killed ; but that now they knew they would be jirotected, and the slaves of Asaba sent them to thank us. I assured them that the war was made on their account, and that, if necessary, the white man would fight again for them, and that it would be their own fault if they submitted to these cruelties any more. The poor fellows immediately prostrated again, and on leaving the older "MY HEART FEELS BIG." 137 man stretched out his arms as wide as they would go, and said, " My lieart feels as big as this. . . . Now we feel we are men, and not beasts." The success of this enterprise against the chief alnise of domestic slavery in Africa shows clearly what may be dune among natives who have not come into contact with the Arab traders, and how a judicious admixture of moral influence and of vigorous measures may mitigate the worst features of the slavery that exists among the natives themselves. ' Every one felt delighted at such a happy ending to the war which had freed the slaves from being used as human sacrifices. It was not only at Asaba that the blow was felt ; it was a lesson which the chiefs and slave-holders in all the surrounding neighbourhood will not forget. On the Mobangi and some of its tributaries canni- balism is rife, and from the southern affluents of the Upper Congo boat-loads of poor victims destined to be fattened for food arc constantly passing down to the market. One way of disposing of criminals is to sell them. ' "Cardinal Lavigerie and Slavery in Africa," p. 327. CHAPTER VII. EUROPE'S SIN AND AFRICA'S SORROW. If Africa's first miser)' be tlie slave-trade as carried on by the Arabs, her second is the rum-trade as carried on by the English, Germans, Dutch, and Americans. The horrors arising from imported liquor in Africa are indescribable and almost incredible. North, South, East, and West alike is the fatal traffic blight- ing the coast nations of the continent, and the interior also, if the traders can reach it. In Egypt and at the Cape, at Zanzibar and in the Gulf of Guinea, on the Nile and on the Niger alike, the white man's vile rum is degrading, demoralizing, and destroying the natives. In Canada it is a crime to sell or give drink to the Red Indians. In Africa the trade is, alas ! unrestricted. None of us arc ignorant of the horrible results of the unrestrained drink traffic in Great Britain. We know that alcohol slays directly or indirectly its 120,000 victims year by year, and that it is responsible for nine-tenths of the crime, pauperism, misery, and cruelty of our great cities. What can be done to restrain its deadly ravages in Christian countries is a 138 THE FATAL FIRE-WATER. 139 grave question. But there is a question which is graver still. What can be done to stop its worst ravages in heathen lands, among the native races of Africa, India, Polynesia, and other uncivilized or semi-civilized countries, where it is being introduced by traders who call themselves Christians ? IMerchants of many nations, especially those of Great Britain, Holland, Germany, and the United States, have for many years been forcing on the weak and ignorant races of Africa rum and brandy, which are to these peoples not only a curse, but a madden- ing poison. This they have done for the sake of the enormous profits arising from the sale of cheap and bad spirits, profits amounting in many cases to seven hundred per cent. They are doing it every year to a larger extent. Vast capital is invested in the trade ; every opportunity for extending it is eagerly sought, and the right to spread this blighting curse on the earth is claimed in the name of free trade. The heathen have their pombe and their palm wine, and get mildly drunk on these without our help ; but the moment they come in contact with Christian civiliza- tion, the fierce and fatal fire-water is freely supplied to them, they fall before the enticing temptation, drink with mad delight, get rapidly demoralized, and die. The trade in this baneful article is enormous. Incredible quantities of it are introduced into Africa. Some tribes have been entirely extirpated through its use. The report of the Government commission on the liquor traffic at the Cape presents the evidence of ex-governors, native chiefs, English bishops, magis- 140 THE PLEA OF THE PERISH/NG. tratcs and inspectors, doctors, missionaries, and others who all give testimony against this liquor traffic, and agree that the natives are being destroyed for lucre s sake. These uncivilized people have neither the strength of mind to avoid this snare, nor the physical stamina to withstand the poison. They are often painfully conscious of the fact, and entreat the Government in pity to remove from them the awful but irresistible temptation, whose dire results they dread, but whose fascinating attraction they cannot resist. Recently, for instance, a large deputation from a tribe of Kaffirs besought the Government in Cape Town not to permit canteens for the .sale of liquor among them, urging that their people were being fast destroyed by it, both morally and physically. Mr. Moir, of the African Lakes Trading Company (which has made a noble stand against this curse), reports having seen boys and girls of fourteen or fifteen years old getting their wages in this poison ; and others mention having seen thousands of black girls lying drunk around the traders' canteens from which the liquor is sold. I An intense desire to shake off the drunkenness which is the consequence of contact with civilization has arisen in several densely populated parts of Africa. The natives of the Diamond Fields implored the Cape Parliament to have public-houses removed from them, but their petition was cruelly rejected. The Malagasy, who had received the gospel from England, and loved the nation to whom they owed so much, are being ruined by the same curse. Mauritius had be- NAl'lVLi IJKAWING TALM-WIM;. 142 MADAGASCAR'S RUM. come a sugar-growing colony, rum was made from the refuse of the sugar mills, and shipped to Madagascar. The crime of the island, it is recorded, " rose in one short year by leaps and bounds to a height too fearful to record." The native government tried to prevent the importation. But the merchants of Mauritius complained, the English officials interfered, and the land is still being deluged with misery and crime ! The young king himself became a helpless drunkard and a criminal maniac, and the wrong done to the country remains unredressed. The same sad story, with local variations, is true as regards all the native races accessible to the trade. A deaf ear is turned to the cries of the unhappy victims of the lust for riches ; the souls of men are bartered for money. Ten thousand barrels of rum have been distributed among half a million of people in one year ! The unscrupulous traders encourage the deadly taste for intoxicants among the coloured races, on the ground that trade is the main point to be considered. So dreadful arc the consequences of drink among savage men, that at Kimberley the natives who come to work in the diamond mines have to be imprisoned — locked into compounds — after working hours, lest they should obtain liquor. The Mozambique tribes and the Egyptians do not escape, though Islam commands total abstinence. Everywhere the poison stream is flowing, and the plague is extending to enrich Christian traders, and destro}- heathen and Mohammadan peoples. The Sultan of Zanzibar threw every obstacle in the SHORTSIGHTED POLICY. 143 way of the liquor traffic, and forbad his own subjects to deal in it ; but he cannot prevent the subjects of other nations from doing so, and in Zanzibar the people are getting rapidly demoralized. Native porters returning from the interior are tempted to spend in the bestial orgies of a week the hardly earned wages of a year ; and a race remarkably sus- ceptible of civilizing influences is being ruined. Let it be specially noted that all this means incal- culable injury to England and Germany, as well as to Africa. The liquor traffic is fatal to every other branch of commerce. It is a revenue raised at the expense of the lives of the tribes with whom we trade. It is a system that threatens the extinction all trades but one. Commerce itself, to say nothing of religion, ought in its own interest to restrict it. It is favourable to no industry, either native or European, save that of the distiller. It fills the pockets of German and Dutch liquor sellers, while legitimate trade and manufacture languish and die. Had it never existed, there would have been from all the countries we have named large demands for a thousand useful articles which Europe supplies, together with a rapid development of the resources of uncivilized states. But at present the "opening up of Africa" means, in most cases, the opening of it to European vices — to gin, rum, and gunpowder — almost to the exclusion of more legitimate commerce. Conventions with the natives that they should not be thus ruined have in certain cases been made, only, alas ! to be broken ; and such a shameful breach of 144 THE CASE IN EGYPT. faith was recently justified in the Cape Parliament by a member on the ground that " the vested rights of the licensed victuallers were not to be trampled under foot for the sake of a pack of blackamoors ! " The faith that the natives once had in us is being rudely shaken and destroyed, and replaced by a belief that the assurances of the liritish Government are unreliable. A single manufacturing firm in the neighbourhood of Boston, U.S.A., recently undertook for a merchant firm to produce for them 3,000 gallons of spirits a day for seven years, to be shipped to the Congo. Sir Charles Warren experienced the evil of this traffic at the Cape. He says, — " The blood of thousands of natives is at present crying up to Heaven against the British race ; and yet from motives of expediency we refuse to take action." Mr. W. S. Caine, M.P., records his experience that even in Egypt, for whose condition we are to some extent responsible, similar ruin is being wrought. " The native races of Egypt are being demoralized. . . . I went to see the khedive about it. ... He said that he had viewed with grief and shame the increase of public-liouses in Cairo and Egypt since the British army of occupation came. He said he should like to prohibit the sale altogether. He was a prohibitionist. His religion told him to be so ; it was an article of his creed. But, he said, 'l am powerless.' I said, ' Why ? ' He replied, ' There are capitulations or agreements which have been entered into between the Turkish Clovem- ment and other powers for the protection of European traders, and imder these capitulations f/iis liquor is forced upon them to sell without control, and so cheap, that you would hardly credit me if I gave you the price.' They import cheap spirits from Hamburg with a duty of nine per cent. ; and you can get drunk for 2.\d., and the natives for less." THE DRINK-JUGGERNAUT. 145 There arc two different missions hard at work among heathen races — God's mission and the devil's ; and the devil's seems for the time to be the stronger of the two. Missionaries and Christian philanthropists arc suffering and making sacrifices to enlighten, ele- vate, and save the heathen in Africa. At the same time hundreds of Europeans and Americans are as energetically working to degrade, brutalize, and ruin the native races. Shame upon these men ! Every trader in poison, every dealer in human destruction ought to be branded with a red mark of infamy, and punished as his heartless, selfish cruelty deserves. Is it not enough that we should ruin our own people, as we do with this trade in liquid fire and perdition, without extend- ing the ruin to other nations beyond the seas ? Have we no pity or humanity ? Are they not our brothers and sisters whom we are thus crushing under the wheels of our most accursed civilization ? What is Juggernaut on his monstrous car crushing a few hundred victims under his wheels to this enormous man-crushing machine, mangling millions all over the world ! Look at that machine of civilization. Listen to the thud of its engines, the hissing of its steam, the roll of its trains, the rush of its steamers. Thousands of distilleries, railways, telegraphs, steamships, foreign factories, capitalists, merchants, traders all at work, to spread this destructive drink traffic to the uttermost ; England, Germany, Holland, America, the foremost Christian nations in the world rivalling each other in this dreadful race of death and destruction, brewing C. A. 10 146 AT WHOSE DOOR THE GUILT LIES'. burning liquid and sending it out in streams to madden heathen men and women. We talk of the wickedness of the heathen ! What is it to ours ? They do not know what is right, but we do. We are enlightened, educated, civilized; and we are strong, armed, irresistible ; we have the riches and the re- sources of the world at our command. They arc ignorant, unarmed, and poor. Ought we not to use our knowledge and power to lift up and bless these less favoured children of our common humanity? Instead of that, we crush them down into deeper darkness than they knew before. We set up what we call protectorates in Africa ; that is, we send out our war-ships, and plant our European flags along its shore. If the natives resist us, we bombard their villages, and burn their towns ; and then we land our troops, and build our factories, and fill them up to the roofs with rum bottles and gin cases, and drive our despicable, selfish trade to the ruin of the souls and bodies of the people. All along that West coast of Africa we have built great warehouses stocked with guns, gunpowder, and drink. We have built them at every river's mouth, and far up every navigable river, in the interior of the country, wherever European capital and power could reach ; where the Senegal, the Gambia, the Niger, and the Congo roll their beneficent waters to the sea, there we have set up our man-murdering factories, and thither we send our cargoes of deadly poison. Look at the green boxes in those factories, packed with gin, infamously bad gin too-— scarcely fit to THE TESTIMONY OF AN EYE-UTTNESS. 147 make paint with — gin boxes by the million. Look at the demijohns of rum, great glass jars inclosed in wickerwork filled up to the brim with burning, mad- dening liquor, rum jars by the million. Look at them in every African village and town all along the coast, positively for thousands of miles, and far away into the interior. See how the deadly trade eats like a cancer into the very vitals of the Dark Continent. See how the rum bottles and gin cases He as thick as the shells along its shore ! And the selfish trader flourishes, and the helpless native perishes, and devils laugh, and angels weep, because a cruel and accursed civilization sacrifices humanity wholesale, — a sacrifice more infamous in the light of this nineteenth cen- tury than was that of blood-stained Moloch of old in the heathen ages that are gone. Well may men like the traveller Thompson pro- test against the abomination : " 111 wandering thiougli some native villages on the Kroo coast," he writes, " one feels as if in a kind of Hades peopled by brutalized human beings, whose punishment it is to be possessed by a never- ending thirst for drink. On all sides yoii are followed by eager cries for gin, gin, always gin. Under their eager appearance one seems to hear the bitter reproach : ' Vou see what you Christians have made us. You talk of peace and goodwill, and yet you put devils into us ! ' I had travelled and suffered in Africa, inspired by the idea that I was doing some good to the world, in opening up new lands to commerce and civilization ; but all my satisfaction was l)lighted as I felt that what little work I had done had better have been undone, and Africa still remain the Dark Continent, if such was to be the end of it all ! For me, as things stand in many places, I am inclined to translate this cry of the opening up of Africa to civilization, as really being the opening up of it to European vices, old clothes, gin, rum, gunpowder, and guns." CHRISTENDOM S COMMON FRUIT. 149 That is the sorrowful conchision of an African tra\-eller who was once fondly proud that he had done something- in opening up the Dark Continent. Look at the testimony of another great African traveller, Sir Richard Burton. " It is my sincere belief," says Burton, " that if the slave-trade was revived with all its horrors, and Africa could get rid of the white man with the gunpowder and rum which he has introduced, Africa would be a gainer in happiness l>y the exchange." Listen to the words of the native African missionary James Johnson as to the rum-trade at Lagos. " This awful drink trade weakens the body, debases the mind, demoralizes the intellect, and feeds the war passions. There has been no peace in Africa for centuries, but this drink traffic makes it worse. Why should European proximity to Africa be Africa's ruin ? Negroes have proved themselves able to survive the evils of the slave-trade, cruel as they were, but they show that they have no power whatever to withstand the terrible evils of the drink. Surely you must see that the death of the negro race is simply a matter of time." It should be clearly understood that England is not the principal offender in this matter. Germany, France, Portugal, Holland, and the United States have also their full share in the guilt. In 1884 Great Britain sent to the West Coast six hundred thousand gallons of spirits, while Germany sent over seven millions, and Am.erica nearly one million. It is not sufficient consequently to rouse the conscience of the British public to this crying sin of Christendom in order to produce improvement. The conscience of Europe and of America must be roused. An appetite has been created. If England does not supply what ISO NECESSITY OF CO-OPERATION. will satisfy it, other countries w ill. The uselessness of anything but a common agreement among Chris- tian nations was evidenced by what happened at the Congo Conference at Berlin. Great Britain, America, and other countries would gladly have joined in excluding the drink altogether from the New Congo Free State. The King of the Belgians himself desired it ; but Ccrnmny, Holland, and Portugal insisted on admitting it, on the ground tJiat the neiv State zvas to be consecrated to free trade ! It is usele.ss merely to drive the trade from the hands of English firms into those of foreign firms. The only cure is co-operation. But the example of what has been effected in the waj' of preserving the North Sea fisheries from the drink traffic by co- operation is encouraging. Britain, Germany, Belgium, Denmark, France, and Holland came to an agree men t by w hich the traffic there has been stopped. Our object should therefore be so to waken the conscience of Europe and the United States as to lead to a joint prohibition of this deadly traffic among all native races. As regards British Crown colonies, such as Sierra Leone, the Gambia, the Gold Coast, and Lagos, where the people have no self-government, no representatives or voice in local legislation, her majesty should be petitioned to repress the trade by enactment, or if the Government feel unable to do this, to take measures for a convention which might succeed in leading to united action among the powers concerned. There are difficulties undoubtedly in the path, but NECESSITY OF PRAYER. difficulties must not daunt us in the endeavour to remove this stumblingblock of colossal magnitude out of the way of the spread of the Christian religion. God and His providence will help those who seek to do His will. Let us pray that the minds of our rulers and of all Christian rulers may be' opened to the conviction that no consideration of expediency, of policy, or of revenue can justify them in placing this most deadly temptation in the way of weak and ignorant races. Let us pray that merchants may be led to the adoption of a more innocent and in the end a more profitable trade, and that the prayers of natives, chiefs, and peoples to be delivered from this curse may no longer be left unanswered. As to the resolutely wicked, they must be restrained. We muzzle dogs in hot weather to prevent ravages of hydrophobia, can we not prevent the ra\-ages of this worse madness ? We forbid the sale of C'un- power to the natives, can we not forbid the sale of alcohol ? Prayer and co-operation alone can meet the case. Prayer to God, persevering, unanimous, believing prayer ; and co-operation, — the co-operation of Chris- tian governments in the proliibition of a traffic pro- ducing more misery and destruction among native races than slaver}- with all its horrors. We trust that the conference now sitting at Brussels, though called together to consider especially the first curse of Africa, may nevertheless do something to « mitigate the second. As yet, happily, the drink does not pass into the Congo basin in any quantity. The 152 THE NEW WORLD'S ONLY HOPE. expense of porterage is prohibitory. But in 1894 the railroad will be opened, and what then ? Is rum to be poured in by steam ? God forbid ! Is Africa's ivory to be exchanged for the death-dealing alcohol? Are we to send missionaries to tell the heathen that God says, " Be not drunk," and traders to invite them to buy and get drunk ? At present the native Chris- tians if tempted by a white man to take a glass reply, "No; Christians do not drink" But even should converts be enabled to resist the temptation, how many converts would missionaries be likely to make among besotted populations and gin-craving crowds ? The power that permits the white man's drink — the cursed firewater and crime-creator of corrupt Christendom — to spread along the ten thousand miles of navigable river which lie open before steamers at Stanley Pool, that power will surely bring down on itself the just judgment of God ! We cannot believe that the grand philanthropist who has done so much for Central Africa will ever permit this. He has the power to prevent it ; he has overcome in the interests of Africa gigantic physical obstacles. Let him not fail before a moral one ! Let him stand for the right, against the world if need be, and God will help him. The weal or woe of fifty millions of the dark-skinned sons of Ham are at stake in this matter. The exist- ing restrictions will be of no use when the railroad is opened. I'rohibition is the only hope for the new world. It wants clothes, it wants tools, it wants a thousand things ; but it does not want drink ! It has ''LEAD US NOT INTO TEMPTATION !" 153 enough of its own. It will buy in its simplicity what- ever we offer it. Shall we sell it mainly " distilled damnation " ? Again we say, God forbid ! NYAM-NYAM WARRIORS. Representatives of the inl.ind races unreached at present by European drink traffic. A lOKLbT ^CE.NK IN IIIE llEAKl OF Al-KICA. Sa /. lOO. CHAPTER VIII. THE PRESENT CONDITION OF THE NEW WORLD. The work of African discovery has proceeded steadily since the Berlin Conference. After the exploration of the Congo, there remained of course no problem of similar magnitude to be solved. But the many tributaries of the great river had to be explored, and two of them prove to be little less important than the main stream. The Mobangi divides between French Congo and the Free State, and connects the Congo system with the Nile water-shed ; it proves to be the lower course of the great Welle River of Schweinfurth, which runs through the Nyam-Nyam and Monbutto territories, some of its head waters being in Emin Bey's late Equatorial Province, within a few miles of some of the Nile head waters. The great Kwa-Kasai-Sankulu affluent, on the other hand, comes up eighteen hundred miles from the far south and south-east, draining the waters from the northern slope of the Zambesi watershed. The Lomami, which runs for many hundred miles parallel with the Congo in its long northward course, proves to be navigable nearly as far as Nyangwe, which can therefore be reached from Stanley Pool 155 VALUE OF THE CONGO BASIN. without any portage : a most important fact. The entire basin of the Congo proves far larger than was at first supposed, and the extent of its navigable waters is almost incalculable. Grenfell considers that there is scarcely a point in the whole basin which is a hundred miles from a navigable river. From all quarters of the compass streams of greater or less magnitude converge on the Congo main outlet, the western two-thirds of the continent sloping from north, south, and east towards it. The exploration of the Congo has therefore proved to be the discovery of Central Africa, the whole of which will all be brought by its means within easy reach of Europe, as soon as the two hundred miles of the Livingstone Cataracts near the mouth are bridged by a railroad. Until that is done the great continent is virtually inaccessible to commerce. A ton of luggage, which can be conveyed from Englajid to the lower river for £2, costs about £/0 for carriage to Stanley Pool, and twice as much to the far interior. The railroad is therefore a prime essential of the further civilization of this populous new world. Can one be constructed ? With perfect facility. Scarcely any engineering difficulties exist. Lines to less important countries, involving ten times the diflfi- culty, have often been built. The short line from Vera Cruz to the City of Mexico, which is just the same length, had, instead of rising gradually for 1,100 or 1,200 feet, to climb the Cordilleras at an altitude nine times as great. It carries its passengers in a few short hours from tropic heat to alpine cold, passing THE PROPOSED CONGO RAILWAY. 157 over aerial bridges and rocky shelves, overhanging abysmal depths, through awful canons and tunnels, and on narrow ledges around giddy heights. Its construction was a triumph of engineering skill, and its cost must have been enormous, as well as the risk and loss of life involved in its construction. Yet its goal is comparatively unimportant. The Congo rail- way presents no such difficulties, and will lead into a vast new world, rich in resources. A Belgian company has undertaken the task of building the requisite line, and has already (Jan., 1 890) commenced operations, the Belgian government having liberally .subscribed to the capital required. A careful study of the proposed route has been made on the spot by competent experts. Accurate and detailed working plans of every mile of the road have been prepared, and estimates based on them and on present prices of labour in the country. It is cal- culated that a million sterling will cover all expenses of construction, provide rolling stock, and pay inte- rest on the capital during the estimated four years of its construction. The total length of the line will be about 268 miles, of which only the first twenty-five present any serious engineering difficulties. The principal bridges will be those over the M'poso, the Kwilu, and the Inkissi ; the gradients arc com- paratively easy, and only in the first section will sharp curves be required. The line will start from Matadi, and run to the south of the usual caravan route to Pdlabala and Banza Manteka, and the ter- minus will be at N'dolo, a little above Kinchassa, on ONE OF rUE I.ESSEU CONCO TRIBUTARIES. Stanley Pool. At this point trucks of goods can be unloaded into steamers alongside, which can then start on a river system presenting from seven to ten thousand miles of uninterrupted navigation. A complete judicial and administrative legislation has been formed for the Congo Free State, of which the sovereign is Leopold King of the Belgians. His 15S LEGISLATION OF THE CONGO FREE STATE. 159 power is exerted by means of three general adminis- trators, who direct respectively the departments of the interior, of foreign affairs, and of finances. They form a council for the consideration of the interests of the country, and submit their resolutions to the appro- bation of the king. At his instance they issue decrees and make laws. The department of the interior undertakes the administration of the police, the development of internal connexions, the service and transports, the public forces, native politics, and the provisioning of the stations. The department of finances considers all questions relating to the impo- sition of taxes, and expense of improvements, and it will gradually introduce a currency. The depart- ment of foreign affairs regulates the connexion of the State with foreign countries, the posts, and the admi- nistration of justice. The government is adminis- tered in Africa by a governor-general, assisted by an inspector-general, a secretary, and governors of the different provinces. A legal code in two volumes has been published, and a bulletin is issued monthly, enacting fresh de- crees as required. These laws are mainly founded on the Belgian code, adapted as requisite. The lands of the Congo Free State are divided into three classes : those in the actual occupation of natives, those occu- pied by foreigners, and those which are at present unoccupied. The natives do not recognise private property in the soil. It belongs to him who culti- vates it as long as he does so, but the possession 13 not permanent. All questions about native laws are i6o UNSOPHIS TIC A TED LAND- LA WS. left to be settled by native customs. Lands occupied by foreigners arc held now under a government title. Before the constitution of the State they were held direct from the natives. Properties when purchased are now registered, so that there is permanent right of possession ; and a proprietor can sell his land with- out difficulty. No title is legal which is not thus registered in the government archives. Every sale and transfer must similarly be registered, as well as every lease ; but the registration is a simple process, involving no legal expense, nor any intervention of a solicitor. On the upper river, any foreigner can without authorization appropriate unoccupied land to the extent of about twenty-five acres, on condition of coming to an understanding with the natives about it. But he is required as soon as possible to give notice to the governor-general of the province. Timber cannot be cut, nor can mines be worked without a concession from the government ; so that the grant of territory is not held to involve possession of any mineral treasures contained. Postal service has been established, and certain taxes imposed. The State governs without interfering in any way with the native customs of the people, except where these involve murder. Having few wants and abundant food supplies for themselves, industries are at a low ebb amongst the native population ; though where there is any incen- tive to work the people, who are well able to labour, soon become willing to do so, and that right heartily. ADMINISTRATIVE DISTRICTS OF THE FREE STATE. i6i They are born traders. Barter prevails over the whole countr)', as money has not }-et been generall}' introduced ; but a rapid preparation is being made for the great change to a money currency which will come shortly. Already fixed standards of value are adopted, and an incipient bank-note or cheque is in circulation. The porters accept a white man's "book" or paper promise to pay, with childlike confidence, and the merchants, missionaries, and officers are all careful to give no ground for distrust. The Congo Free State is divided into eleven administrative districts. 1. Banana, and the district to the north of the mouth of the river. , 2. BOMA, the capital, and the country behind it. 3. Matadi, the port and the starting-point of the THE LANDING STAGE AT I'ONTA D.'V LENIIA, LOWER CONGO. c. a. il A WIDE KINGDOM. railroad, including also the Vivi and Isangila district north of the Congo. 4. The Cataract Region to the Inkissi River, both sides. 5. Stanley Pool, including all the territory between the Inkissi and the Kasai, and eastward to the Kwango. 6. Kasai, the immense central district through \\ hich flow the Ikatta, the Kasai, the Sankulu, and their tributaries. 7. Equator, including the whole Balolo country with its six rivers — the upper part of the horse-shoe bend of the Congo. 8. M0I5ANGI- Welle, the western half of the great forest district lying between the Congo and the Mabangi. 9. The Aruwtmi-Welle, or eastern half of the same region, including the dense forests on the course of the Aruwimi, lately explored by Stanley. 10. Stanley Falls, the country to the east of the "Congo and between it and the great lakes. 1 1. LUALARA, extending from the south of Balolo- land to the Zambesi watershed, south of Lake Bang- weolo, and from Lake Tanganyika on the east to about the twenty-third degree of longitude on the ^\"est. This district includes the lake sources, and head waters of the Congo, and the Garangange country. But the Congo Free State does not comprise the whole of the great new world of Central Africa, for that contains many independent native kingdoms, of which unutterably need the gospel. COUNTRIES OF GARANGANGE AND KASONGO. 163 There is the Cazembe's kingdom in the south, where the royal palace is surrounded with an exten- sive inclosure, ornamented with human heads stuck on stakes, and where the presence of numerous muti- lated wretches in attendance on tlie king serves to warn his subjects of the terror of his presence. There is the Garangange kingdom of M'sidi, where Mr. F. S. Arnot, " the young Livingstone," and his friends are trying to found a mission. This country is picturesque and salubrious, consisting of highlands to the west of Lake Bangweolo. M'sidi is, though a perfect savage, one of the most powerful monarchs of that part of Africa. He is a cruel despot, who governs by means of 2,000 fusileers, whom he has trained and armed, and whom he employs on marauding expe- ditions. His own palace is surrounded by human skulls, and his brother's is indicated by piles of such, visible from a distance ! The celebrated Katanga copper mines are in his dominions, which have also copious sulphur springs, and his people are remark- able for the deference they pay their women — an unusual thing in Africa. There is also the empire of Kasongo, traversed by Cameron, between the Lomami and Lake Tanganyika. Here the ruler is regarded as divine, and as the husband of all his female subjects except his mother ! Yet he surpasses the rest in horrid cruelty. Muti- lation and death are the only punishments in vogue, even for the lightest offences. The slaughter that accompanies the death of a chief, at his burial in the bed of a river, turned from its course for this purpose, 164 URUA AND UNYAMWESr. is SO revolting as to be almost incredible, had it not been described by eye-witnesses. Then there is the strange Urua countrj-, with its troglodytes, and caves twenty miles long ; its people living in them and on grass islands in the Kassali, to hide from ever-advancing Arab slave-hunters. There is Unyamwesi, a pleasant, undulating, gras.sy country, covered with farms and rice plantations, traversed by the great caravan route, and now under German influence. This was the land where Mirambo, the black Napoleon, so long held the people in terror, and secured general submission. Here, thank God ! a mission of the C.M.S. exists — a little light in the great darkness. Then there is Tabora, on the water- parting between the sea and the great lakes, with its capital of 5,000 inhabitants, standing as high as the top of Ben Nevis — a cosmopolitan place, where Arabs and Zanzibaris, W'anyamwesi and Baluchis A MANYF.MA ADULT AND YOfTH. THE GREAT LAKE DISTRICT. 165 from India are found, mixed with Swaheli and other Bantu races. The fish-eating and cannibal Manyuema, once greatly dreaded by their neighbours, are nevertheless a good-looking and fairly gentle people, with some artistic taste and considerable skill, especially in the dyeing of cloths and the building of suspension bridges. Nyangwe has ten thousand inhabitants, Arabs, slaves, porters, and is a purely Mohammedan place. The slave-traders have so desolated the banks of the Congo in this part of its course, that the many villages and towns described ten years ago have all disappeared ! The western slopes of Tanganyika are thickly peopled, the hills are clothed with vegetation and gardens from base to summit. Large apes four feet high, more dreaded by the people than lions, on account of their supposed " evil eye," dwell in the forests and build in the trees. There is no Christian mission among these people, though the London Missionary Society has one on Tanganyika itself Ujiji, where Livingstone stayed so long, has lost its importance, and is now a mere group of hamlets. The south end of the lake, where the Stevenson Road from Nyassa terminates, is the most important part of its shores, but unfortunately it is not healthy. The great lakes are surrounded by country after country — all of them seats of tyranny, cruelty, in- justice, and consequent misery. Uganda and Kara- gwe, Usukuma Urori and Nsoga, and the neigh- bouring districts, belong to the Nile fluvial system, rather than to that of the Congo ; but on the other i66 MO BANG I AND FRENCH CONGO. side of the lofty mountain range that forms the divide between the two systems lies that gloomy forest region, hundreds of miles in extent, lately traversed by Stanley on the Emin relief expedition. A horrible, dark, dismal, swampy, dwarf-infested country ; the human race dwelling there would seem to have sunk beyond all hope of redemption. Yet it may be that here also the gospel is destined to win trophies. The forest extends over a region as large as France, Spain, and Portugal. The populations of the Upper Congo affluents are as yet very little known ; but the Welle basin (or Upper Mobangi) has been traversed by Junker, Lupton Bey, Emin Bey, Casali, Petherwick, Felkin, Gessi, and others. Their accounts represent to us Mon- buttoland as an earthly paradise, with a temperate and delightful climate, lying nearly 3,000 feet above the sea, fertile and well populated, with about a million of people. The Xyam-Nyam are twice as numerous, less cannibal than the INIonbuttos, and remarkable for their strong conjugal affection. The Mobangi is little known in its middle course as yet. It has been explored by Vangcle; but none of its languages have been learned, and its people, who are very numerous on the north side, are fierce and shy. The lower river is still in a very backward condition. On the right bank especially, uncleared forests give shelter and food to enormous herds of elephants, buffalo, and other wild beasts, of which the human inhabitants stand in constant dread. Tra- vellers have remarked that this part of Africa reminds DE BRAZZA'S PEACE-MAKING. 167 them of the prehistoric earth, possessed by the wild beast, while awaiting the advent of man. It is in that condition in which men are hunted by the wild beasts, rather than the wild beasts by men. The Congo Free State has no stations as yet on this southern bank, and the French have only one or two posts on the northern shore. But farther inland and in the valley of the Mobangi, the people are very numerous. The mountainous and well watered French Congo, with the windings and tributaries of its main river, the Ogowe, has meantime been thoroughly explored by the two De Brazzas, Rlixon, Rouvier, and others. It contains 240,000 square miles, and its population is estimated at from two to five millions. Only about two hundred miles of the Ogowe are navigable, though it runs a course of 600 miles. Its fall is so great, that its course is a succession of rapids, unfit for navigation. The Kwilu similarly is navigable for only about thirty-six miles. The French Protestant Church is hoping to establish a mission in this country, and has commissioners to investigate and report, but the country is still practically without the gospel. The French had some difficulty at first in inducing the people to live in peace with them. But De Brazza, that brave and persevering pioneer, persuaded them at last to make terms. Brazzaville is founded on the spot where they " buried the hatchet," or made peace. " We will bury war so deeply, that neither we nor our children shall be able to dig it up ; and the tree that shall take root here shall be witness r 3 A to the alliance between the whites and the blacks." Thus spoke the chiefs, to whom De Brazza replied, " May peace last until this tree produces bullets, cartouches, powder!"^ The Catholics have an indus- trial mission station at Lin- zolo in French Congo. In the enormous basin of the Kasai River there are still tracts of four or five thousand square miles, which have never been visited by any explorer. A few half-caste traders keep up some intercourse with the Portuguese of Angola ; but no Europeans have settled in the country, and no missions are as yet at work. Yet the land which has been traversed is as populous as many of the countries of Europe. The Bassonge and Bashi- lange people, who are intelli- gent and industrious, produc- ing copper, clay, and wood works, earthenware textile fabrics and baskets, have countless and extensive towns and villages, — " interminable ^ Keclus, vol. xii., p. 4S0. NATIVE JEWELLERY. villages," as described by travellers, some of them tak- ing five hours to walk through. Two or three parallel streets, lined on both sides by houses and gardens, wind along the tops of the elevated crests between the river valleys. There arc also the Kalunda people of the Lu- lua country and of the kingdom of the Muata Yauvo, a fine, tall, strong race, hospitable, kindly, and peaceful, who wear much native jewellery, and long sickles or swords ; 8,ooo or 10,000 people live in the capital of this country. There are also the Bakuba, and the Tchibokos, and the Basongomeni, and almost count- less other peoples of whom time would fail us to tell. And all these nations and peoples and kindreds and tongues, who have in the providence of God be- come known to us within the last few years, have yet to be evangelized ! They live within easy distance of England ; they arc perfectly open, and willing for the most part to receive missionaries ; they have no false 170 THE MEANING OF PROVIDENCE. 171 religion to prove an obstacle in the way of the true. They are waiting still, in this nineteenth century, for the- gospel of salvation. How long are they to wait ? Why has God opened up the new world of Central Africa ? We often speak of God in history ; we ought to recognise also God in geograph}'. The time of such great discoveries as those of the last twelve years in Africa is ordered by Providence. They have a voice for the generation in which they occur, a voice which ought to be heeded. They remind us that the gospel is to be preached among all nations before the end comes. TJiat end is drawing very near, and the rapidity with which Divine providence is throwing the entire earth open to the ambassadors of Christ says to us : " The time is short. Son, go work to-day in My vineyard." Opportunity means responsibility. SECTION II. THE HISTORY OF THE LIVINGSTONE INLAND MISSION. 1877-1884. 173 1 CHAPTER I. IVJ/y WE BEGAN THE MISSION, AND HOW. it is frequently by the trumpet -voice of some startling and unexpected providence that Christians arc awakened to a sense of neglected duty. It needed an Indian Mutiny to rouse us to further efforts for the evangelization of India. It was the horrible Druze massacre that led to the establishment of the British Syrian schools ; and it was the fearful outbreak of commun- ism in Paris, with all the cruelties that attended it and its suppression, that gave birth to the blessed " McCall " INIission in that great city. So the wonderful journey of exploration and discovery sketched in our first section seemed to cr}- as with clarion tongue to a slumbering Church, " Africa is open ; enter it with the gospel ! " 176 "AN OPEN DOOR. For forty years societies had been working on the coast, without penetrating more than a few miles into the interior. The results were less' encouraging than might have been hoped. The coast tribes had been formerly degraded and demoralized by the slave- trade, and are now being ruined and brutalized by the equally accursed drink traffic, both trades pur- sued by so called Christians from greed of gain. Poor Africa ! Low enough already, she had been for centuries sunk even lower by these adverse influ- ences. But they had not penetrated very far into the interior. In the merciful providence of God that vast and populous new world had not been thrown open until the conscience of mankind had been sufficiently enlightened to demand the abolition of at any rate the slave-trade, and speedily we will hope also the restriction of the sale of spirituous poison to the heathen. Even before the astonishing news of a grand water- way into the heart of Africa had reached our shores, many hearts had been yearning to get be}-ond the narrow belt of maritime countr}- in which alone missions on the zvcst coast then existed. It seemed unheroic, not to say unfaithful, to rest content with evangelizing these alone : we were surely debtors also to the peoples of the great interior ! Did we not deserve David Livingstone's reproach for standing trembling and shivering on the rim of the great continent, instead of plunging bravely into the vast interior, where mj'riads were waiting in vain for the words of eternal life ? Some of us were j-earning for DELIBERA TIONS. 177 better things, and had decided — even before Stanley's letters appeared — to attempt privately a new depar- ture with a view to interior gospel work. Where would it be best to begin ? A short time previously Mr. Arthington, of Leeds, who has since done so much for Africa, had written to us suggest- ing our sending a mission to the so-called " king " of Congo, and offering ^^"50 towards the expenses. But we had reluctantly declined doing so at that time. We knew how great the difficulties of such an attempt, and that the expense of it would exceed fifty pounds multiplied by ten. We were not then in a position to supply large funds for such a purpose, and more- over we did not feel inclined to send an evangelist to that part of the Congo. San Salvador did not seem to us a desirable centre, as the old kingdom of Congo, when conquered four hundred years ago by the Portuguese, had been forcibly converted by the victors into a nominally Christian country. The re- ception of an idolatrous and corrupt counterfeit of Christianity, differing from paganism only in name, had been made compulsory, under penalty of fire or sword, of the slave whip or other torture ; and it seemed to us that the memories and traditions of that cruel propaganda would be a hindrance rather than a help.^ ' .See Pigafetta's curious " Report," published in Rome 300 years ago, .K.Vi. 1591. a translation of which was issued in London in l88l by Murray, Albemarle Street. After describing the horrible indigenous idolatries of the people of Congo, he says : "This was the sort of religion practised amongst the people of C. A. 12 178 RELICS OF POPERY. True, Portuguese influence had been for more than a century wholly withdrawn from the land, and the only relics of the Popery which had been imposed on the people were certain objects of fetish worship, the real nature of which had been long forgotten. Still virgin soil, as it seemed to us, was preferable, especially as there was so much of it, and as moreover a Protes- tant effort in San Salvador would scarcely fail to excite Portuguese jealousy and Romish interference.^ But though we did not see our way to enter the " kingdom " of Congo — now a name rather than a Congo before they received baptism and the knowledge of the living God. "Now the king, having collected together from the different houses in the city all these false gods, commanded that in the same place where a short time before he had fought and conquered his brother's people, every one should bring a piece of wood, till a great pile was raised. There he cast in the idols and all other things which they had treated before as sacred, so that all might be burnt. Then he assembled all these people together, and in place of their idols gave them crosses and images of the saints, which he had received from the Portuguese, and commanded each of his chiefs to build a church and erect crosses in the city of the province where they ruled, as he had given them example ( I) "After this he announced to them and to the people that he had sent ambassadors to Portugal to bring back priests, who would teach them religion, and administer the holy sacraments, and show the way of sal- vation, and also bring images of God, of the \"irgin Mary, and of the saints, to distribute amongst them. The priests themselves were treated with as great reverence as if they were saints, being worshipped by the people on their knees, who kissed their hands and asked for benediction every time they met them.'' That such Christianity as this should have e.xerted no power whatever ' Our friends of the Baptist Missionary Society subsequently opened a station in connexion with their mission at San Salvador. In process of time they have had considerable blessing there, as well as some opposition from Portuguese komanists. J BAPTIZED PAGANISM. 179 reality, as to any extensive power possessed by the "king" — we were led soon afterwards, to enter the new world rendered accessible by the river Congo. The Rev. A. Tilly, of Cardiff,— one of the directors of the Baptist Missionary Society, and one of those who felt intensely desirous of doing something on behalf of Central Africa, and regretted the exclusive expenditure of men and money on the coast regions — invited our co-operation in an earnest attempt to send a few evangelists right into the interior. He had enlisted the sympathy of the well-known Messrs. Cory, of Cardiff, who were willing to help financially in such work. In the spring of 1877, these three friends, with Mr. James Irvine, of Liverpool — a gen- tleman well acquainted with West Africa — and our- selves, resolved, in prayerful dependence on Divine assistance, to lose no time in sending forth some in elevating the people of the land is small wonder. The exct'.sses, crimes, iniquities of the priests, and their preposterous assumptions, soon roused the people against them ; and they and their creed, after many a struggle, vi^x&coinptdely driven out of the couiitiy, leaving behind them some ruined churches and the art of reading, but apparently not a single native Christian or Bible, for no vestige of Christianity remained when the missionaries of the Baptist Missionary Society first entered Congo. Why the Christianity then introduced into Africa died out so quickly and so completely is a curious problem, connected with the nature and effects of Popery as a Corrupt and corrupting religion. Portugal, under its influence, has sunk from being a noble, enterprising, leading nation in F.urope, foremost in exploration, conquest, and colonization, to being the third-rate, unprogressive power that it now is ; and the religion which the Portuguese gave to Congoland, not having been Christianity at all, but only a baptized paganism, — as is clearly shown by this curious old narrative, —it is little wonder that it did more harm than good in the country, and soon died a natural and de.'^erved death. i8o THE MISSION FOUNDED. volunteers for an inland mission. On the publication of Mr. Stanley's letters in the autumn of 1877, we at once resolved to attempt an entrance into Africa by the new route, and formed ourselves into a committee for the conduct of a mission, for which we adopted the name of "TlIE LiVIXG.STONE INLAND Ml.SSION," Mr. Stanley, with a true recognition of the great explorer's share in their joint discovery, having named the great river after him.^ The basis of our mission was evangelical, but inter- denominational, and we hoped to make it to some extent self-supporting. One of the principles of its constitution ran as follows : That as it is the aim of this mission to introduce into the va.<.t Congo Valley as many Christian evangelists as possible, and as it is believed that land and native labour can be secured at small cost, the agents of the mission shall l)e men willing to avail themselves of these advantages, and resolved to be as little burdensome as possible to the funds of the mission. No salaries are guaranteed, but the committee, as far as the means of doing so are placed in their hands, will supply the missionaries with such needful things as cannot be produced in the country. * At present however the new designation does not seem likely to replace the old, at any rate in popular parlance. The briefer and more familiar " Congo " holds its ground, and will probably continue to do so. In different parts of its course of nearly 3,000 miles the river bears various names. At its rise in the mountains to the west of Lake Nyassa, where Livingstone first saw it, in Januarj', 1867, it is called the Chambesi. After traversing Lake Bemba it emerges under the name of the LUAI'ULA ; \\hile the western branch of its head waters is called the LUALABA. In the sixteen hundred miles of it which Stanley descended between Nyangwe and the ocean, the river changes its name almost every time it receives a fresh tributary. As a name designating its entire length, the name Congo will, for convenience sake, be employed. SELF-SUPPOR T IMPRA C TIC ABLE. iSi Subsequent experience abundantly proved that the cHmate is such as to preclude the possibility of European self-support, at any rate in the Cataract region. The valley of the Congo is not, like South Africa or Natal, a sphere suited for Clwistian colonists. Agriculture is out of the question for Europeans, and the only means of possible self-support is trade. To carry on trade not only requires capital, as well as much time and attention that could ill be spared by missionaries, but it inevitably obscures the true char- acter of a Christian mission, and gives it in the eyes of the natives a most undesirable aspect of self- interest. ]\Iissionaries should be able to say to the people, " We seek not yours, but you," and practically to convince them of the truth of the statement. Not knoxVing fully the circumstances, we could not realize this at the outset. The country being entirely new, work in it was necessarily to some extent an experiment. We had had experience in other parts of the world, but none in such a dangerous climate as that of the Congo. Indeed, our principal qualification for the task we undertook was simply a very earnest desire to see it accomplished, a deep conviction that obedience to Christ required the attempt, and a con- fidence that He would bless the endeavour to send witnesses for Christ into this new world. Our valued friends, W. T. Berger, Esq., of Cannes, Lord Pohvarth, of Mertoun, N.B., and the late J. Houghton, Esq., of Liverpool, and Thomas Coates, Esq., of Paisley, subsequently joined the committee, though not as working members. Distance and other HENRY craven: claims prc\cntecl their active practical co-operation, but they gave good counsel and hearty sympathy, as well as important financral assistance. Not lightly, but in praj-crful dependence on God was this work undertaken. It was foreseen that the difficulties would be great, though how great none of us at the time realized. Had we done so we might never have attempted the mission ; but we saw our way to the initial steps, and the future is graciously concealed. Our " East London Institute " ^ furnished the volunteers for this dangerous pioneer service ; a few friends, mostly members of the committee, con- tributed the means required to start with, and the Rev. A. Tilly, though engaged in active pastoral duties, acted as secretary for the first three years. So in January, 1878, the frail craft of the new mission was launched on what proved to be a very troubled sea. That it weathered the storm and rode over the breakers was owing to the Divine hand that guided and the voice that said, "Peace, be still!" Christ was with His disciples in the ship. They went at His bidding. He remembered them in their hard struggle, and drew near in the darkest hour to help and preserve. Mr. Henry Craven, of Liverpool, was the pioneer of the Livingstone Inland Mission, and was spared to labour most devotedly and bravely in it for se\ en years ; and then, just as it was emerging from its greatest initiatory difficulties, he was very suddenly See Appendi.\, THE LOWER CONGO IN 1887. '83 and unexpectedly called up higher, to receive the Master's "Well done, good and faithful servant!" He was an earnest, gifted, and godly young man, whose devotion to the service of Christ among the dark sons of i\frica was conspicuous and beautiful throughout his all too brief career in that land. The accompanying likeness does but scant justice to his refined and thoughtful countenance, and his kindly beaming, intelligent expression. A simple dignity characterized him, and he wow respect and confidence from the natives from the first. He had been for some years in our Institute, and though aware of the difficulties and dangers of the sphere, volunteered with cheerful enthusiasm for the Congo. He was, in the first place, accompanied by a Danish sailor,^ and reached Banana in February, 1878. At that time the Lower Congo was known by ver}- few. Half-a-dozen trading firms carried on business with the natives at Banana and Boma, to which place, seventy miles up the river, English vessels plied. Beyond, the only conveyance was by native canoes, and at Yellala Falls, 100 miles up the river, all navigation ceased. Save for Mr. Stanley's letters, all above that, whether by land or water, was an absolute terra incognita. No PZuropean had ever penetrated beyond the spot marked on the map as " Tuckey's farthest." This was the point reached in 18 16 by Captain Tuckey, who was sent out at the head of a most carefully selected and amply pro- * This man proving unfit for siicli service was quickly recalled. OBSTACLES TO PROGRESS. vided Government expedition, charged to explore the country. It failed, and its leader and most of its members perished in the attempt. The physical obstacles to progress and the .social difficulties to be overcome before a settlement could be made were great. There were no teachers to be had, to initiate new comers into the language of the people. Europeans were frequently laid low with fever from the first, and when ill there was neither nurse, doctor, proper food, nor shelter to be had. There were no roads and no beasts of burden, and yet as there was no money currency, it was needful to carrj' a quantity of burdensome barter goods. How were these to be transported ? The natives were unwilling or afraid to act as porters ; their gross superstition filled tliem witli alarm at the advent of the white man, whom they did not want in their villages, and they had a great aversion to going far from their homes. There were no large cities, and no influen- tial kings or rulers, whose favour once gained might secure to the missionary a passport through his dominions, as in .some parts of Africa. In the Congo valley there are no large well organized states or king- doms. Each town is independent of its neighbours, and has its own pett}' chief or king. To go onlj- a short distance from home is to go among enemies. The approaches to a village ONE OF "IHE NATIVES." 'FRIENDS! ALL FRIENDS, ONLY FRIENDS!" 185 are purposely made tortuous and inconspicuous, as a precaution ; and mutual distrust, instead of mutual confidence, is the rule.^ In Congoland every few miles the traveller enters the territory of a fresh " king," whose favour must be propitiated, and whose avarice must be gratified with presents. Hence progress is slow and expensive, and the grace of patience is put severely to the test. A merchant, resident at Banana, showed kindness and hospitality to the missionaries on first landing, and gave them a passage in a trading steamer up to Boma, where after a short delay they purchased a large canoe, and made their way over to some native settlements on the south side of the river, Masuka and Nokki. Here they threw themselves right in amongst the heathen. Then began the usual experiences of all who try to live in Central Africa, the difficulties enhanced however in this case by the fact that our friends were few in number and possessed of only extremely limited resources. One of them describes the first " king " with whom they came in contact. He kept them waiting some time for a " palaver " with him, and made his appear- ance at last arrayed in the finery which the natives on the coast love to buy with their palm oil from ' Nothing seemed to astonish some Congo lads whom we once took on a journey into Devonshire, stopping at several places on the way, to pay short visits, as the fact we could go so far and find "friends, all friends, only friends ! " Such a state of things seemed to them most extraordinary. LOWER CONGO KINGS. the traders. He tried to interpose obstacles and delays, but was bought over without too much diffi- culty, and promised a free passage through his terri- tory and carriers, that all-important necessity for African locomotion. But he must send a messenger to ascertain whether the next king wished to receive these white men, before he could allow them to .start. " How long will it take to do that ? When can we get his reply ? " " Oh ! about full moon." That meant in three weeks' time, and the distance was only a few miles. So skilful diplomacy through an interpreter was brought to bear, and by degrees the king discovered that an answer might possibly be obtained the next day. The Yellala king pursued somewhat similar tactics, the great object of each petty potentate being to secure from the travellers as much tribute as po.ssible. The degradation of the common people, many if not most of whom in each town are slaves to the king, struck the missionaries painfully, as also the fearful power of .superstition in driving its votaries to deeds of cruelty and bloodshed. They had not been manj' weeks in the countrj' be- fore they were attacked by that scourge of Africa — fever, and that too at a time when they could not get at their stores, and so were destitute of quinine, the only specific against it. They were consequently both ver\- ill, and their ignorance of the language placed them in a trying position, unable to obtain either food or medicine. They were reduced very rapidly under such circumstances, and unable to help CROCODILES, SCORPIONS, AND SERPENTS. 1S7 each other. At the end of four days Mr. Craven found himself " unable to cross the room," and might have succumbed to this first attack but that a good Samaritan in the person of one of the traders, hear- ing of the trouble, came to the rescue with quinine, which soon restored both the invalids. Subsequent experience taught us that for perma- nent work in such a country, a pioneer party should be larger, and much better provided with native ser- vants, assistants, and interpreters if possible. The impression produced on our friends by the lower river was not at all a charming one. Mr. Craven wrote : " Masuka is a deadly place, this time of change very sickly— heat and cold both bring on illness. The scorpion and serpent bring danger on land, the alligators sv\'arm in the water, and there arc other dangers too numerous to mention. This very week, within 300 yards from me, a boy standing in the water, helping a carpenter to make a stage, was taken away by an alligator, to be seen no more. Four days ago a small canoe, crossing the river, was attacked by alligators, the side of the canoe smashed in, and one man of three lifted right out by one of these brutes, to be food for the rest. Yesterday a native lay down to sleep, and rose no more — sun ■ stroke ! Buried to-day ! " The crocodiles troubled them seriously at their first station, near Yellala, devouring their goats, in spite of all the precautions they could take, till the attempt to keep any was given up. PALABALA. 89 This station at Matadi was built indeed more for its advantages as a landing stage, than for any suita- bility it possessed as a centre of mission work. It was needful to have a pied a terre at that point, the end of the lower river navigation. But the first permanent settlement was formed at Palabala, a town some fifteen miles inland, built on a plateau 1,600 or 1,700 feet above the sea level, and in the midst of a considerable population. Of this place the king, Kangampaka, was friendly, and willing to give land for a house and garden and to countenance the settlement of the white men. A home of a very simple sort soon sprang up here. Mr. Craven and his colleague worked hard with such helps as they could secure. They soon had a two- storeyed house, a school house, boys' house, fowl house, and garden well fenced and planted. Those first buildings were slight enough, constructed of wooden framework and native mats, and thatched with the long grass of the country. Stone abounded, for the place is built on a rocky tableland, but it was far too difficult to manipulate. Wattle and daub buildings, with good strong beams and posts, came afterwards, and can be made very comfortable for a time ; but the white ants soon make havoc with the timbers, and then the walls collapse. Hence they need fre- quent renewing, and are never permanently satis- factory. Mr. Craven was anxious to do what could be done towards self-support, and soon wrote that his garden was already producing an abundant crop of maize, and added : " We have fifty banana trees, also 190 " COME TO MY PEOPLE WHO ARE ILL:' English peas, beans, tomatoes, radishes, onions, cab- bages, scarlet runners, and celery; pineapples, oranges, and limes, besides several native and Portuguese fruits. Our stock includes goats, pigs, fowls, ducks, donkeys, and some very inferior dogs, also pigeons, and parrots." The effect of the teaching of the missionaries was beginning to produce some outward results. Already early in 1879 Mr. Craven had acquired the language sufficiently to preach a little, and he wrote that the truth was evidently beginning to tell on the hearts and minds of the people. He had translated the commandments for them, rightly giving them thus the law before the gospel. It produced a marked effect. By the king's desire a man went round the town ringing a bell, and ordering the people to get their water and gather their sticks for two days, so that they might rest on the Sunday ; and next day the whole town came to the service. They were ad- vised to cast away their idols, and turn to the living and true God. Their great difficulty seemed to be the question of health. What .should they do in sickness ? for the chief use of the idols in their opinion was to heal their diseases! "Would the white man give them medicine if they burned their fetishes ? " " Certainly." " Come then to some of my people who are ill." They went : the men were cured, and a medical practice soon sprang up ; sujoerstition received a shock, and a wide interest was awakened. From neighbouring places came requests for a teacher to visit them, and these "POOR BLEEDING AFRICA!" were as far as possible complied with. The nucleus of a school was gathered, some children were ransomed and adopted, others sent by their parents. The women seemed thankful to have the deceptions of the medicine men exposed, and the missionaries wrote, " The people thirst for knowledge." Well they might, for their ignorance was absolute, and super- stition added its gloom to the mental and moral darkness. Mr. Craven after a time wrote : ". . . Tliere .Tie si.K towns governed by (lur old king Kangampaka. He is a most superstitious old man. I am told he has killed more than eighty persons, since he began to reign, for witchcraft alone. During the three years previous to our arrival more than ten suffered death for the same thing, which means for no crime at all ; but during the two years we have been here only one has been killed, though there have been many occasions on which others would have shared the same fate had we }to( been here. When we first arrived the fetish drum was ever going, now months pass without its being heard at all. This time last year there was an idol house in the town, but the house and the idols are alike destroyed now, and our services held on the site. The palaver house used to be filled with charms, on the floor, on the \\alls, hanging from the roof, charms on every side ; now all have vanished. Our presence here has not been without its effect. "Oh this poor bleeding Africa! could we but lift the curtain and display its un- dressed and terrible moral sores, people at home would surely deny themselves more, in order to send hither the ' balm of Gilead ' ! It is no small thing to put a stop to the cruel and bloodthirsty practices of these people, but we cannot rest till we have taught them the gospel and led them to the Saviour. CONGO IDOLS. 192 "ASK COD TO SEND OTHER BOYS. " In our spiritual work we receive very little encouragement from the older people ; they give a passive assent to all that is said, but show little interest in eternal things ; their creed is, ' Let us eat and drink, for to-morrow we die ! ' The children ask questions and evince much interest, and are most attentive when I am speaking to them. I feel persuaded that our success will be with the young people. " We have two very good boys, who show a desire to love and ser\-e the Lord ; and I think if they were taken to England and trained, they would become useful labourers here. The sharper and brighter boy of the two is twelve j'ears old ; the other is a quiet lad, about fourteen. Could you possibly arrange to receive these two ? They are most anxious to go to England and be trained as teachers for their people. One night, when I was speaking to them about our duty to tell others of Christ, one of them said earnestly, ' Teacher, do ask God to send other boys to do your work, and we will learn to read and write and teach our people.' " These dear lads did come to England later on, and are now successful native helpers in the mission. A sister mission had been commenced in 1878 by the Baptist Missionary Society, who had founded a station at San Salvador. Mr. Comber, one of its first agents, visited Palabala in October, 1879, and wrote thence : " Yesterday and .Sunday I spent with my friends here. AVe have had a very pleasant time together, and I was glad and thankful to find none of the party seriously sick, in fact, they were very much better than I expected. I was also very glad to find myself in a comfortable house. Our brethren have done well to accomplish what they have in so short a time — house of two storeys, school house, boys' houses, kitchen fences, fowl houses, all in going order. They have done z'oy ^^''^'l ' Boys learning to read and write too. Mr. Craven and Mr. Petersen are both getting on quickly with the language, in which the former preached last Sunday. I was specially glad too to hear of Mr. Kichards being away at a new station, from two to three days distant, and close to the river. Were the rains not imminent, I should like to take a trip to it. This is good progress, .nnd heartily and sincerely do I congratulate them, and wish them the Master's blessing. Palabala seems the most important place for a mission station in this district, TIVO NEW MISSIONARIES. 193 nnd is well chosen. It is situated by thermometer 1,622 feet high, and is likely to prove healthy ; and Kangampaka, although a vassal of the king of Congo, is the most powerful cliief or king in the district.'' The new station here alluded to was Banza Max- TEKA, a place which has since become dear to the hearts of many as the scene of the first widespread awakening on the Congo; but that did not come until after many a long year of hope deferred, nor until many a corn of precious wheat had fallen into the ground and died ! Two additional missionaries had joined Mr. Craven in the summer of 1878, Messrs. Telford and Johnson. The former was a remarkably vigorous, healthy look- ing young man, who had grown up on a north country farm, and seemed to have the physical strength as well as the devotion and self-denial needed for rou^rh pioneering missionary labours. He was a man of singular earnestness and force of character, and had for many years resolved to give himself to Africa. For the first six weeks he escaped the fever, and wrote to us in September, that while the other three had all suffered severely he had been spared, adding, " My turn will most likely come next ; but sufficient to the day is the evil thereof" He was shortly after- wards brought so low by an attack, that all thought he was about to be summoned home. But he was restored, and not long afterwards went up to Pala- bala to help in erecting the station there. Here he was unfortunately left alone for a short time owing to circumstances, a thing which should never be done when it can possibly be helped n such a climate. C. A. 13 194 DEATH OF JAMES TELFORD. During this time he was taken very ill, and sent a native down to Yellala to beg Craven to go to him. He and Johnson did so as quickly as they could ; but, alas ! to their great distress, only to find him in a dying condition. Sadly and tenderly they ministered to their suffering, sinking brother, but very friendless and inexperienced did the young nurses feel, helpless among strange and half naked heathen, whose lan- guage they could barely speak. Once, suddenly, in the middle of the night, a noisy crowd of natives gathered round the house, shouting, " Palaver ! palaver ! " They retired after a time how- ever, without doing any further harm than disturbing the dying man. His soul was filled with peace during the closing days, though his sufferings were severe. He did not feel that his young life was wasted, but laid it down gladl)-. On the last night he spoke joyfully of departing to be with Christ, and after the others had prayed by his couch, he too, with his last and fast-failing strength, engaged in prayer, but broke down in the midst, his heart too full for utterance. A few minutes after he passed away to be " for ever with the Lord." It was a sad and solemn night for the two survivors ! Left alone in the dark with their dead ; surrounded with treacherous and unsympathising heathen ; filled with the indescribable awe which a first near contact with death always pro- duces ; conscious that with the morning light they must arise and bury the remains of their brother ; far, far removed from all human help and sympathy, it must have been a night never to be forgotten by THE FIRST CHRISTIAN CRAVE. 195 the young missionaries, an experience leading to a new and deeper acquaintance with God, as a " very present help in trouble." At day-break they dug a grave in the ground be- longing to the mission, and with heavy hearts com- mitted to the dust the body of dear James Telford ; and fencing in the inclosure, they erected a cross on the spot to mark the first Christian grave on the Congo. There was grief in many a heart when the news reached England — in the Cumberland farm-house where parents and brothers dwelt, and in the Institute, where dear Telford was loved and respected by all. We could not gather round his grave, but we gathered at an in Dienioriani service, at which the presence of Him who is the Resurrection and the Life was realized as we sang, — " Some from earth, from glory some ; Severed only ' till He come.' " We rejoiced even in our sorrow to believe that to dear Telford to live had been Christ, and to die gain. He was much addicted to the study of the word and to prayer, most consistent in his conduct as a Christian, " diligent in business, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord." He first began to gather the heathen children of Palabala to the station for in- struction, and he planted a garden, whose crops are now producing luxuriantly around his grave. At a farewell meeting held before he left, he had used an expression which struck some at the time as almost extravagant, but which the event made us 196 'IF IT DIE MUCH fruit: thankfully recall. "/ go gladly" he said, "on this mission, and shall rejoice if only I may give my body as one of tJic stones to pave the road into interior A frica, and my blood to cement the stones together, so that others may pass over into Congoland." The words were spoken with no hasty excitement, but with the calm deliberation of settled purpose. All felt he meant %vhat lie said ; but we little thought it was to be indeed his privilege to be the first pioneer to fall, within six months of leaving England ! Our hearts were sorely perplexed at this provi- dence, strange as it seemed to us. A precious young life, three years of training and preparation, all the expenses of passage and outfit, and the months of travel by .sea and land, all this goodwill and devotion of heart, like so much sweet incense — and the only result a few months' service and suffering in Africa ! Even before the language was fully acquired the willing labourer was called home. Ah ! we had to learn by many a sad repetition of such painful ex- periences, that God's ways are not as our ways, nor His thoughts and plans like ours. The death of Livingstone, his tragic, touching, loncl}' death on the shores of Bangweolo, did more to start the missions which are now planting Christian Churches all over Africa, than all his noble life-labours had done. The now prosperous and self-extending native Church of Sierra Leone cost the lives of thirty labourers in fifteen years, ere it took root and grew. Each of the great Central African missions of the last ten or twelve years has had a somewhat similar ex- THE FIRST WHITE WOMAN- MISSIONARY. 197 pcrience, and to the martyrs of the modern Church it may be said, as well as to those of apostolic days, " Unto you it is given in the behalf of Christ, not only to believe on Him, but also to suffer for His sake." Mr. Craven had written that Palabala Station was so far finished that it required a mistress to preside over it, keep house, and commence work among the women. So Mr. Petersen, a Danish brother, who had been accepted as a member of the mission, and who was sailing in December, 1878, took out with him a Miss Bosson, to whom Mr. Craven had been for some time engaged, and who was the first white woman to enter the Congo valley. She had acquired con- siderable medical and nursing skill before starting, and was a real acquisition to the mission, the hard- ships and discomforts of which she bore with grace, good sense, and fortitude. At the in uieiiioriaiii service for Mr. Telford to which we have alluded there had been present with us a young brother, a student, who was looking for- ward to join the mission before long. " These heavy tidings come in time," we said to him, " for you to change your mind, if you wish, and refrain from taking a young wife to that deadly climate." " Say, rather, to confirm our purpose," he replied ; " we are ready to go, and die there too, if it be the will of God." In the following spring this brother and his wife sailed for Banana, accompanied by another student, Mr. Henry Richards, of Cardiff, one whom God has since honoured by making him an instrument of much spiritual blessing on the Congo. 198 BUILDING OF BANZA .IfANTEKA. The arrival of this party at Palabala early in 1879, with a small gang of Kroo-boys and some donkeys, rendered progress possible, and enabled some pioneers to go forward and erect the third station of the mis- sion on the road to Stanley Pool, Banza Manteka, a town about fifty miles farther up the Cataract Gorge. No white man had ever been here before, but a good character of the missionaries had preceded them, for news spreads quickly among these people, and they were well received. Makokila, the king, was friendly, and wished them to tarry in his town ; and seeing there were many villages and hamlets around, they resolved to pitch their tent in a fertile and sheltered valley close by. Mr. Richards, later on, thus de- scribed this place and people : " There are three towns within a quarter of a mile of our station, very near each other. Each family has its own hut. They have no plan in building their towns. The houses stand neither in blocks nor ranks, but are placed about here and there just as the people like. They know that the hills are more healthy than the valleys, and never build in the latter, though the land is so much belter and watered more plentifully ; but where there is a clump of trees on the top of a hill (and there are plenty of such, mostly palms) one is sure to find a town. The women have to descend into the valley to fetch water, and this fact accounts in measure for the prevailing dir- tiness. The natives build good, strong, weather-proof huts. They are small, oblong in shape, and range from twelve feet by eight to thirty by twelve. The side walls I'alm tkkes. A COLLEAGUE WANTED. 199 are about five feet high, and the ridge-pole seven. They make one small door at the end, not more than tliree feet high and two feet wide, so that it is difficult for an Englisiiman to gain entrance, especially as the door sill rises a foot from the ground. They have no chimneys or ■windows, though they keep a fire after sundown, and very often during the day. How they manage to bear the smoke I cannot tell. The huts inside are black and shiny with smoke. It has one good effect, the white ants and other insects are prevented from destroying the walls. Palm leaves, prepared grass, and poles are the materials used in con- structing these huts. The palm tree is a great friend to the natives ; from it they get wine, nuts, and most of their materials for building. •'As to our own house at Banza Manteka, it can hardly be called a wooden one, as much clay has been used in the construction. Posts were put in the ground, palm branches tied on horizontally on each side of them, and the space between filled with wood and clay ; this makes a good wall, though not so lasting as brick. . . . " You would be surprised at the amount of manual labour we have to do here, besides bartering, attending to the goats, fowls, pigs, etc. I am now fencing in four acres of land, and w^as puzzled at first how to make a good fence. I am putting poles, about seven feet high, into the ground close together, and eigliteen inches deep. Most of these will grow, and my fence will therefore be a living one. But it is tedious and hard work, and the natives will not help me. They bring the poles, but I must put each one in with my own hands. I never worked harder in my life. The natives look on, and see me use the pick and shovel, and clapping their hands in wonder they say, ' How strong he is ! ' But they will not try it themselves ! I often think they do not know how weak I feel. We have to be patterns in everything, and 1 only wish I had the strength I used to have in England. But you will be glad to know that my dear wife and I have had no fever worth speaking about for six weeks. I am not wtW to-day, or should not be able to sit down to write when there is so much to be done. It was needful to make the fence I have spoken of, as with our goats, fowls, and pigs it would be no use to make a garden unless it was protected. I tried once ; but the animals destroyed everything. " But the work is too much for one man, and I should like a colleague who could help me. He should be strong in health, a thorough Christian, tried and proved ; one that can work hard with his hands, and that has plenty of patience ; otherwise he will never be happy here or do much good. He should also have a fair education, and I should prefer an Englishman. . . . " 200 HUGH McKERGOW. In the December of 1879 Mrs. Johnson sailed for the Congo, escorted by an energetic young Scotchman ^named Hugh McKergow. He had not long entered our College for preparatory training, and with all a Scotchman's love of learning and zeal for self-improve- ment he appreciated to the full his advantages. He was a diligent, earnest, successful student, with a single eye to the glory of God, and thorough devotedness of heart. One could fancy that in early days Livingstone had been such a one. Understanding that a carpen- ter was wanted for the mission, he volunteered, with much real self-denial, to go out in this capacity. He had had seven years' experience at his trade, and was proficient in it. He valued exceedingly the oppor- tunity for study afforded him by his reception into the Institute, and surrendered it, pro tem., only with a great effort and for Christ's sake. He said : " I have only one object in view, and that is to help this mission on the Congo ; if I can best do so by going out and building houses for the missionaries, well and good ! I am heartily willing to use my trade for God and the mission. It is only attaining my object in another way." He went out on the understanding that as long as his services were needed for the erection of stations he would stay, and that when he could be spared he was to return and complete the course of study on which he had entered at Harley House. He was greatly needed at the time to direct the construction of a house and depot at Matadi, for the reception of a large party soon to follow. In the earliest stages of a mission in such a rough, uncivilized 201 sphere as was the Congo ten years ago, men of this sort are pccuh"arly wanted. Clever practical workers with all their wits about them, with cheerful spirits, robust health, and a thorough willingness to endure hardness, such men, provided they are true and con- sistent Christians, with hearts full of compassion for the perishing, make first-rate missionary pioneers. The natives can perceive their excellence, and soon learn to esteem and admire them, and listen to all they have to say. Such a one was dear Hugh McKergow. He never, alas I returned to Harley House, as he and we fully intended he should do when he left it. But we must not anticipate ; only we like to recall the spirit in which he left us in Decem- ber, 1879, and to remember in this connexion the Master's words, " If any man serve Me, let him follow Me ; and where I am there shall also My servant be : if any man serve Me, him shall My Father honour." ADAM McCALL. Sailed for the Congo, March, 1880. Died at Madeira, November, 1S81. ^' 1/ it please Thee to take tiiyselj instead of the work tliat I ivould do for Thee, what is that to tite / Thy will be done.^* 302 CHAPTER II. START OF THE McCALL EXFEDITIOA. In the beginning of the third year of the mission, 1880, the friends who had inaugurated and were con- ducting it began to reahze that to pass the Cataract Gorge, and reach the interior and the level of the Upper River at Stanley Pool, was a much more serious task than they had expected. They had learned by experience also that each stage of progress towards the goal increased the obstacles and made the question of transport more difficult. They per- ceived also that, so far from the mission having any tendency to become self-supporting, it had become evident that the early parties had been far too slen- derly supplied with resources and helps ; and that if the mission was ever to be planted on the upper river, stronger and better-equipped detachments must be sent out. It would not do to risk the lives of missionaries for lack of Kroo-boy help. This must be had, though very costly and involving far larger supplies of barter goods, and consequently also more transport, and hence more expense. 203 204 ADAM iVcCALL. Much prayer was made that He in whose providence this new world had been opened up would provide both the men and the means to evangelize it. In answer to these intercessions, and as a result of much hard work, an expedition better organized and better supplied than any previous one left our shores in March, 1880. Its leader was one who had had considerable ex- perience in African travel, and who, though he had not previously been on the Congo, had spent many years in South and south Central Africa. This was dear Adam McCall of Leicester, a bright, brave, dauntless-spirited man, full of energy and resource, strong in purpose, amiable in disposition, and devoted in heart, who had been converted to God during some special services held in his native town by Rev. W. Tiniing. An architect and surveyor by profession, he had, during the seven years from 1872 to 1878 inclusive, travelled over between fifteen and tiventy tliousand miles in Africa. He had traversed in various direc- tions and repeatedly the Cape Colon)', the Orange Free State, Griqualand West, Natal, the Transvaal, Bcchuanaland, the Matabele country, and the Zambesi valley ; — visiting the celebrated Victoria Falls, and the upper waters of the Zambesi, two thousand miles inland from Cape Town. During two years of his tarriance in South Africa, I\Ir. McCall was profession- ally engaged in the civil service of the Government in the Public Works Department. The last two years of his stay he had spent in the far interior, traversing ''WHAT WILT THOU HAVE ME TO DOV 20$ regions almost untrodden by white men, quite cut off from all contact with civilization, hunting elephant, buffalo, and other " big game." He had visited the remote stations of the London Missionary Society among the Matabele, and the sta- tions of other societies in Bechuanaland and else- where ; for, although unconverted himself at the time, he sympathised with such Christian efforts. He met also M. and Mdme. Coillard, the French Protestant missionaries, during their detention as prisoners by the chief Lobengula. In 1878, after this considerable experience in African life and travel, Mr. McCall returned to England, in- tending to go back almost immediately to the Zambesi valley, with a view of exploring the Chobe River (since descended by Major de Serpa Pinto), and of taking a series of photographic views of the country. He had already partly made his arrangements, when all his desires and feelings about life were suddenly changed by his conversion to God. Old things passed away ; all things became new to him ! He could no longer live for mere self-pleasing. His earnest inquiry was, " Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do ? " The answer was quickly and strongly borne in upon his conscience. He must return to Central Africa, to the " Dark Continent " he knew so well : not now to amuse him- self, but to serv^e Christ ; not to be a hunter, but " a fisher of men " ; not as a mere explorer and traveller, but as a missionary of the gospel. The Master had surely been training him all unconsciously to himself for work which He wanted to have done. He had 206 TRAINING. been preparing an instrument for a special service, and now by His Spirit He called him to it. Mr. McCall gladly and with his whole heart devoted his life to mission work in interior Africa ; and when the peculiar claims of the Congo region were pressed on his attention, he decided, after much prayerful consideration, to offer his services to the Livingstone Inland Mission. He rightly felt that after his long exile in Africa, and in view of his recent conversion, he needed some time for the study of the Scriptures and for the enjoyment of Christian fellowship ; and though in certain respects he required no preliminary training, yet he wished to increase his knowledge of medicine by spending a certain time also at the London Hospital. For twelve months he had studied in our Institute and at the London Hospital, where he won a high place in the affectionate regard of all who knew him. His interest in the Congo Mission deep- ened continually, till it became an intense and con- suming zeal. Four other highly esteemed students in the Institute volunteered to go out under his lead : INIessrs. McKer- gow, Har\-ey, Lanceley, and Clarke. The first of these, as we have mentioned, had already gone on before- hand, to put up a station on the river in time to re- ceive the rest. Mr. Charles Harvey, who had been for three years training, was well fitted to make a good teacher and translator, as well as an earnest preacher of the gospel ; and Mr. Clarke, of Aberdeen, who had had considerable experience as a custom- AFRICAN OUTFIT. 207 house officer and in other ways before pursuing a course of study in the Institute, had subsequently acquired various handicrafts, fitting him to be useful in the mission either with head or hands as requisite. Very much more complete and elaborate outfitting is required for a mission party going to Central Africa than for one bound for India or China. Hundreds, not to say thousands, of things have to be thought of and provided ; and on the care and judgment exer- cised in the selection, arranging, and packing of the provisions, camp requisites, stores, and barter goods of the expedition, its ultimate success to a very con- siderable extent depends. Care must be taken that no more is provided than there is carrying power to transport ; that all is packed in loads of fifty or sixty pounds' weight, so as to be portable for long distances by men, who are the only burden-bearers of Central Africa ; that a due proportion be observed between the time to be spent in the proposed expedition and the quantity of provisions carried ; that nothing of importance to life and health be omitted^ lest either should be sacrificed in a difficult crisis, as is sometimes the case, for lack of a trifle. This not unfrequently has happened, recalling the old saying, " For want of a nail the shoe was lost ; for want of a shoe the horse was lost ; for want of a horse the rider was lost ; for want of a rider the kingdom was lost : and all for want of a horse-shoe nail ! " Lieut. Young, who led the Free Church mission party up to Lake Nyassa, carrying the little steamer Ilala in sections, pointed out how very serious were 2oS FAITH AND EFFORT. the consequences of what seemed a most trivial (^mission. The screws and bolts for screwing together the steamer were not well greased before starting, to preserve them from rust ; and no second set was sent in case of accident. They were consequently all rust)' when wanted for use, and days of hard labour and most fatally dangerous exposure to the fever-breeding miasmas of the Lower Zambesi had to be endured by the whole expedition, while these rusty bolts were being polished ! Hence, on the principle that if a thing is worth doing at all it is worth doing well, we spared no pains in endeavouring to secure that this expedition of 1880 should be properly fitted out. And so important did our friend Mr. McCall especially feel this to be, that not only did he make it a matter of daily and earnest prayer with his colleagues, but he worked so hard in seeing to every detail himself, that for many weeks he scarcely allowed himself time for needful sleep. The departure of this party was owing to the oc- currence of a favourable opportunity for the voyage, earlier than had been intended. Communication with the Congo was then not eas}-. The rates b}' the mail steamers from Liverpool were high ; and as they call at a large number of ports on the sickl}- West African coast, passengers to the Congo ex- perience much delay, and are needlessly exposed to fevers. The West African Steamship Companj' run cargo boats to the Congo, but these have not, as a rule, any accommodation for passengers. But it happened that that year they were sending out from England PASSAGES ENGAGED. 209 a small steamer, the Vanguard, for the coast trade, which afforded comfortable accommodation for a party of five or six. The firm offered us moderate terms, and several great advantages. They agreed to send the ship direct to Teneriffe, to take in twenty donkeys ; thence to the best port for shipping Kroo- men, and thence without further delay direct to Banana, thus shortening the voyage, and greatly diminishing the risk of fever. So favourable an op- portunity we had not met before, and might not meet again for a long time. So we decided to avail our- selves of it, and the five passages were engaged in, ^aith, for at that time the funds needed for the expe- dition, £\,200 or ^1,500, were not in hand. We believed they would come however. Need we ever fear that God will fail us, if we do our part in seeking to obey His holy will and to carry out His gracious purposes of mercy to a perishing world ? If we hold back in such work, lest there should be a lack of funds, may He not well say to 2is, as to His fearing disciples of old, " O ye of little faith, lu/iere- fore did ye doubt ? " We endeavoured to present the needs of the Congo valley, and the nature of the Livingstone Inland Mission, to many Christian persons, by means of meetings held in various places, and by the publica- tion of a little pamphlet. Considerable interest was created, and many hundreds of donations were sent in. Some of these were small, a few shillings, or even a few stamps — precious offerings in the sight of Christ! Some were large, though perhaps not in reality more C. A. 14 210 nobly generous. A nobleman sent £i6o in one gift ; several members of the committee gave each £ioo ; many dear children sent their little all ; and one donor was a poor washerwoman, who made a col- lection among her friends ! Leicester (the home of Mr. McCall, the leader of the expedition) came forward liberally and contributed over £ioo, with a promise of future aid and the heartiest expression of sympathy and fellowship in the work ; ^30 were contributed at a drawing-room meeting at Torquay. One gentleman, who had already given liberally to this expedition, subse- quently sent a further contribution of £60, with the following words, which we earnestly commend to the consideration of capitalists : " With our simple mode of life we do not quite live up to our income, and so there is a constantly augmenting balance at our banker's. A few days ago some shares in a concern in which we are already interested were offered to members ; and as it is a very eligible investment we at first thought of using some of our idle balance for buying in. But a few hours' reflection showed us a siill better investment, and so I herewith inclose you £(iO towards the expenses of this dear band of brave warriors of the Cross." Ah 1 how many a capitalist, who has thousands lying idle, would do well to follow this example, and to invest in the eternally remunerative enterprise of sending the news of redeeming love to the perishing millions of Central Africa! This donor is now "absent from the body, present with the Lord " who said that FAREWELL MEETINGS. 211 the cup of cold water should not lose its reward. In His presence he does not regret this investment ! Farewell meetings were held at Leicester and at Plymouth, as well as in different parts of London, to commend to God in earnest prayer the outgoing missionaries, and the work to which they had con- secrated their lives. At one of these, that held at Harley House, we had the joy of greeting, on their arrival in Europe, M. and Mdme. Coillard, the heroic veteran missionaries of the French Protestant Church, from Basutoland, South Africa. These dear friends left their happy home and work among the Basuto Christians some two years ago, to lead a band of native evangelists up to a remote heathen tribe or nation called the Barotse, two thousand miles away in the interior, north of the Zambesi River. They met countless difficulties and dangers, and were detained as prisoners by Lobengula. Mr. McCall had often spoken to us with the warmest interest and affection of M. and JMdme. Coillard, and was rejoiced to meet them again on the eve of his own departure as a missionary to Central Africa. The words of cheer and counsel addressed by them and by the late Major Malan to the outgoing band were wise and weighty, and not soon to be forgotten. Several valuable gifts, not of money, but of money's worth, were received. His Majesty the King of the Belgians and the Royal Geographical Society each made a grant of scientific instruments and apparatus; and one or two manufacturers sent supplies of their goods. The saddles for twenty donkeys to be bought 212 THE LAND OF DISAPPOINTMENTS. at Tenerifife were 'sent, half a dozen good dogs, and a supply of barter goods, to last for some time. In short, everything needful was provided by the kind co-opera- tion of many, under the bountiful providence of God. It was hoped that this party would be able to do what none of the previous ones had been able to accomplish, go right on to Stanley Pool on the Upper Congo in one dry season. They expected to reach Banana, at the mouth of the river, about the end of April, and to start from the last navigable point of the lower river on their march overland, through the two hundred and thirty miles of the cataract region, by the beginning of June. Africa is a land however that disappoints more hopes than it realizes, and it utterly disappointed this hope among others ! For a time all seemed to go brightly and well. Mr. IVIcCall wrote from Madeira : " So far every- thing has gone as smoothly as possible, and we are all in good spirits, and hope to reach Tenerifife on Monday. I feel that I have undertaken a heavy responsibility, and that I shall require all the strength of mind and body I can bring to bear upon my work ; but I trust fully, entirely, from day to day, in Him who has called me and .said to me, ' Go ; I bid you go ; and I, even I, will be with you.' I am putting Christ's promise to the practical test every day, and I intend to do so still, and ' hitherto the Lord has helped me.' Much love to all the brethren at Harley House ; let them pray for the Congo Mission and prepare to follow on ; we shall soon require more volunteers, please God." A'ROO-BOYS. 213 The donkeys were shipped at Teneriffe as arranged, and from Sierra Leone Mr. McCall wrote that he had succeeded in engaging five and twenty Kroo- men on the usual terms ; that is, for a year's service, the hirer to pay travelling expenses both ways. These men are so much in demand as labourers that they get pretty good pa}', and always expect a month's wages in advance. The headmen have two shillings a day each, and the others one shilling. They have to be fed and lodged, and sent home if ill, so that they are pretty expensive helpers. At the time of which we write however no assistance could be procured from the natives, so that these costly imported servants were essential to progress. At first they all refused to go to the Congo, saying it was "a bad country and plenty jigger." But when they understood that the party was a mis- sionary one, they changed their minds. " Oh ! then you be good men ; you do us right, we go ! " Kroo- boy English is a curious jargon, just sufficiently comprehensive for needful uses. One young fellow asked whether there was a Church on the Congo. " No, my boy ; that's just what we are going to try to raise up." " Oh ! I'm so glad ! for I'm a Church member." And he produced his hymn-book and his communion ticket. At Mallacoree, the Vanguard stopped over a Sun- day to discharge, alas ! 1,500 packages of rum and gin, to poison the poor natives, a sight which always sends a pang to the heart, and brings a blush to the cheek of the European or American missionary to A KROO-BOV HEADMAN (Dia.^bED). 214 RUM AND THE GOSPEL. Africa. He is going with a message of life and regeneration, but the ship that carries him is laden with death and demoralization ! These detentions are dangerous too on this fever-stricken coast. But administering quinine all round as a preventive, the party landed, and finding English-speaking natives anxious to "have a Church," a hearty service was held. A reconciliation was subsequently effected be- tween two of the black brethren who had quarrelled. Some of the native Christians expressed an earnest desire to go with the mission party, and help them for love's sake ; and one actually did so. Cheered by the evidence thus afforded of the success of African missions, the party pursued their journey, landing here and there where the vessel called. At one port, walking a little outside the town, they were shocked at the broken gin-bottles lying about, " sad evidences of our commercial Christianity. Alas ! some people will have a fearful account to render of the trade carried on with these places." Towards the end of April the Vanguard reached Banana, at the mouth of the Congo. Mr. McCall wrote : The whole sea, long before we got near the entrance, was of a deep brown colour and quite fresh water, with a strong current running out towards ihe ocean. It is a pretty little place this Banana, consisting of several large stores with numerous outbuildings, all snow white, and showing out boldly amidst the bright green foliage. We steamed up the creek and anchored opposite the French house. After the captain and I had been ashore and duly arranged for the storing of our goods and numerous packages, we went on board again, and set our boys to work to take them ashore. I had a very busy day going backwards and forwards, superintending and directing. We were hard at it until 2l6 THE CONGO AT LAST. daik, commencing again very early next morning. One unfortunate donkey fell into the water from the ship, and obstinately refused to be hauled into tlie boat, so we had to tow him behind ; he however arrived safely. The poor beasts were so glad to get once more on dry land, and evinced their delight by taking a good roll on the soft sand wliicli everywhere abounds. Then I had to make arrangements for our boys' cooking and rations, and to see the donkeys properly looked after. All day on .Saturday we. were busy : on Sunday we held our two services ; a goodly gathering morning and evening ; our boys sing beautifully. All the following ^\•eek we were busy every day, going through our cases and bales (over 300), arranging, opening, rearranging, etc., etc. Then there was our boat to look after, and send to the river for water (fresh), medicines to get out, make up, and administer, instruments to get in order, guns to clean, cartridges to load, rules and regulations to frame and establish, and an endless variety of odds and encls to be done. On Friday we commenced to load a schooner, the Mincn-a, with the bulk of our goods and provisions, and part of our troop of donkeys, and on Saturday it was despatched to Boma with Brother Clarke in charge. I preached yesterday to a good congregation in the afternoon, from the te.xt Ezra viii. 21-23. Our boys are conducting themselves veiy well, and have caused us no trouble as yet, which is a matter for great thankfulness. We are exceedingly well in general health, none of us having had the least symptom of fever as yet. I have adopted pro- phylactic measures, and by God's good blessing with perfect success. Our heavenly Father has been with us, and mercifully guided and protected us hitherto, and we have the most perfect trust and confi- dence in Him for the future. We intend (D.V.) to proceed up the river to Boma in a few d.iys, with our remaining goods, boys, and donkeys. It was not long however before there began the usual African experiences of delay.s, disappointments, and fevers. The timber, which had been sent b\' a sailing vessel from Cardiff, for the new store on the lower ri\-er had not arrived ; Mr. Richards, who was to have met his wife, was laid up with fe\-er at Boma ; McKergow was also ill at Matadi : but throwing DIFFICULTIES AT STARTING. 217 all Ijis cheerful energy into his task, and seconded most heartily by his colleagues, McCall pressed through the initiatory difficulties, and got his part}', Kroo-men, donkeys, and all, up as far as Boma. There they were met by the sad tidings of the death of Mr. Petersen, at Banza Manteka, in May, the second member of the mission called thus early to receive his reward. As in the previous case, this death arose, to all appearance, accidentally, from lack of needful care and nursing when the fever came on. It was one of those unfortunate contingencies to which pioneers are liable, that this good brother was alone at the time he was taken ill. In going to meet his wife and escort her up the country, Mr. Richards had been obliged to leave his colleague by himself, but expected it would be only for a few days, so felt no uneasiness or hesitation about the step. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson were moreover to replace him during his brief absence, and would have been at Banza Manteka before Mr. Petersen's attack, only that they were themselves detained on the way up by illness. But in that brief interval Mr. Petersen was taken ill with severe fever ; and again was the sad tragedy enacted of a sick and suffering white man sinking into delirium and unconsciousness, all alone among the heathen. None to nurse, none to prescribe, none to soothe or cheer the sufferer. When at last help arrived it was, as in Telford's case, too late. Mr. Johnson wrote : " It was on the afternoon of the fourth day that we sighted the station at some little distance. We ex- MR. CHARLES PETERSEN. pected to see Mr. Petersen coming to meet us, for the Kroo-boys had fired to give notice of our approach. But all was still as the grave ! Not a sound was to be heard. " W'e made our way as quickly as possible into the house. It was not difficult, for the door is onl)- a mat. We asked the Kroo-bo}-, ' Where is Mr. Peter- sen ? ' He pointed to an inner room ; it had mats before the \\'indows, and was dark. We entered. Our poor friend was sitting up in a chair, but looking 2lS DEATH OF MR. PETERSEN. 219 more like a corpse than a living man. He could scarcely speak to us, but pressed our hands. He had eaten nothing for a week ; we got him some chicken broth as quickly as possible, and he was able to take it. That night he slept, but he could not keep down the quinine, and the fever got more and more power over him. We tried everything we could think of, and were by his side all day ; but not a word could he speak. About midnight he groaned several times, then was quite quiet till about half-past three or four o'clock next morning, when, with his hand in mine, he fell asleep in Jesus ! It was a solemn night to us — left behind ! . . . As soon as we could manage to see, I had, with the help of the Kroo-boy, to begin to dig his grave. Oh the sorrow that filled my dear wife's heart and my own, as we laid him in his last resting place, to await the resurrection morning ! " Mr. Petersen was a Dane, a valuable and faithful man. He had been little more than a year on the Congo. How our hearts sank on receipt of the news ! This enterprise was going to be as costly in lives as in money. We began to feel it then, though not as we felt it a year later. Yet we could scarcely grieve for the one who had been permitted to die thus for Christ, and for Africa. For had not Christ died for him ? and did not poor, bleeding Africa need to be rescued from death and misery, even at the cost of self-sacrifice? Only a few weeks before, this same dear Petersen had written an account of a rescue he had just effected. A miserable man and woman were accused 220 "BURM HIM ALIVE:' of being possessed with an evil spirit because some chief man's wife had died. The " king " told our friend he was going to kill them, and the capita seemed possessed with a thirst for blood. Both were in a fearful temper, and would listen to no pleading. Mr. Petersen resolved to sec what could be done for the poor fellow. '• I found liim surrounded," he writes, " by ten or twelve murderous- looldni; fellows, with guns and matchets. He wept when he saw me, and said, ' I have done nothing, yet I must die I ' ' Pray to God to save you,' I said; and seeing no time was to be lost, I went to the king's house. He sent me away, would not speak to me, but thundered at the people to take the man out of the town and burn him alive. I insisted on going in, and told him I had a message from God to him ; (}od says, ' blood for blood,' but this man had done nothing. I bad him fear God, who could kill and cast into hell. This moved him. I seized the chance, and said, ' .Sell the man to me ! I will take him away and keep him.' After long arguing and bargaining he consented, on condition I should send him out of the countrj' at once. I could not do this, as Craven is away ; so I have had to chain him up under our dining-room tal)le, or there would be a disturbance in the town : they arc afraid of him. Poor fellow ! how he weeps ! " The man was saved, but the woman, who tried to escape, was caught, and thrown into the M'poso River with a stone tied round her neck. As if death did not bring sorrow and misery enough, it is almost always followed by murder in these dark and cruel lands, and sometimes by murder on a gigantic scale ; the notion being that every death is the fault of some one or other, who deserves to suffer for having killed the deceased. The horrid cruelties to which men are driven by superstitions prove that Satan is a hard taskmaster, — " a murderer from the beginning." A STATION AT MATADI. 221 It was the 25th of May before the party we left at Boma were ready to proceed up the riv-er to its farthest navigable point, just below the falls of Yellala. This they had to do in a sailing boat, which they had taken out with them, one not too large to be rowed when the wind dropped, as it con- stantly does in the tropics in the middle of the day. It was a difficult trip, the current being tremendous at points, requiring ropes to be passed ashore for haul- ing. Our friends were convinced of the necessity for steam power if this same voyage was to be made often ! It took them two days, though only thirty or forty miles, and at night they slept in the boat. Steamers are now plying constantly on this part of the Lower Congo, but in 1880 there were none be- yond Boma, and even to that point travellers had to be indebted to the courtesy of traders for a passage. With a view to the convenience of landing goods and passengers at the last navigable point on the lower river, a station was erected at Matadi Minkanda. This is a rocky point above the M'poso River, and just opposite Vivi. Fi'om this place McCall wrote : Here now we shall have a roomy, comfortable, cheerful home, a capacious store, and suitable out-buildings. Here all our things coming up the river can be received and housed. Here all the dear brethren will find a comfortable home on arrival. Here will be found our base of supplies when we are far up the country exploring ; the base, in fact, of our beloved mission, which strives to open up to the light of gospel truth and the blessings of civilization this dark but beautiful laud. We do not know exactly how or to what extent we shall be sup- 222 ported, but we have no fear, not a bit ; we trust fully and simply in our risen Lord. As we were saying at our prayer-meeting last night, we will all stick together, and come what may, we feel sure that if it is the Lord's will that we shall succeed in establishing ourselves in this land. He will send us all needed support ; and, with you and many kind friends and dear people of God in England to pray for us and help us, we go joyfully and hopefully on. I send you tracings of the new station, which will show you exactly what we are doing. We call it by its native name, the name by which the place is known to all natives, Matadi Minkanda ; the first mean- ing stones, the second palm trees : we have plenty of both. We think this preferable to giving English names to our stations. Our donkeys are all in splendid condition. When at Boma they were dreadfully poor and thin, now they are looking capital. We have two pigs, sixty fowls, several dogs, and quite a little town. Send us out a brother to help here. He must be strong and used to hard manual labour, for we have abundance of that and enjoy it. Clarke, Lanceley, and I start for the interior in three or four days, leaving McKergow and Harvey here for the ])resent ; McKergow to finish the house, Harvey (who is still very far from well, and unable to walk half a mile) to look after the camp and teach our boys. Since I last wrote, Richards has been verj' ill, at dcatli's door. I was sent for, post haste, to attend him (at Palabala). I found him very far gone ; he had been delirious and vomiting constantly for four days. I was able fortunately by the use of appropriate remedies to arrest the vomiting at once, and in two days to reduce all the symp- toms and bring him round on a fair way to complete recovery. All our party have been down again with short attacks of fever, excepting myself; and with them and the boys I have any amount of medical practice; in fact, what with one thing and another, from 6 a.m. to 10 or II p.m., I have scarcely breathing time. The work at Matadi occupied the party until September. No advance up country was attempted until the brethren to be left behind to complete the station and carry on the work, were safely housed and in a position to make progress. The delay in sending on the expected goods and timber was great and unaccountable, and obliged "stones and palm trees." Mr. McCall to go down again to Banana. There he found difficulties thickening around him ; expenses were unaccountably heavy, disappointments and de- lays were vexatious, so that he felt much tried and cast upon God for help. His hope had been to march right through at once to Stanley Pool, and to establish a station there before the rainy season. Theoretically it seemed possible, and all his plans had been carefully laid, but on the basis of the donkeys being able to travel. This, alas ! proved a delusive hope, and its failure shipwrecked the whole 224 DIFFICULT TRAVELLING. scheme ! The experuTient was as complete a failure as the attempt to introduce oxen for the journey from the east coast to Tanganyika, and after much loss of time and money it had to be abandoned. Wiiv NOT Use Donkeys as Beasts of Burden IN Central Africa ? The following extract from Mr. McCall's journal of the first journey in which the donkeys were employed will answer this question, and convey an idea of the difficulties encountered in the attempt to find some substitute for human burden-bearers. It will give also a good notion of the kind of country' through which the missionaries had to penetrate. ''Friday, Sept. 13///, 1880.— Had all the donkeys ranged, saddled, and loaded up, ihe weights having to be equally balanced on either side. In addition to the full saddle bags, small bales, a.xes, spades, pick, saw, buckets, etc., and a heap of other things had to be slung and arranged ; it was dark when we had finished. '^Saturday, i^/Zi. — Before sunrise there was bustle and activity all over the camp. Tents were struck and put away, and a tremendous heap of general impedimenta cleared up ; donkeys loaded ; loud calls for string and rope on all sides. After a hasty cup of coffee I sounded my whistle, and every man stood by his donkey, and all at last being quite ready, I stood at the exit from our camp, and called out the numbers from No. I to 20 consecutively, each man answering to his number and filing out past me in good order. Every donkey has his number corresponding to the number of his saddle, and each pair of saddle bags is numbered and labelled A and B. Every man carried a load on his head also ; medicine chest, office box (filled with writing materials, maps, a few books, surgical case, spare drug box ; our travelling pantry, containing little bags of tea, coffee, sugar, pepper, salt, etc., plates, knives and forks, cups and spoons), a demijohn of oil for our lamps (we carried no candles); ete. All passed muster in EXPERIMENTING IN DONKEYS. 225 capital order, up the rise, and past our new building, and on to the plateau beyond, where we formed our permanent ' order of march.' "The path now abruptly descendetl to the watercourse (whence we obtained our supply at Matadi), and was exceedingly rough, rocky, and slippery. McKergow and I walked ahead, selecting the easiest places and directing the boys where to walk with their donkeys. We got down to the bed of the stream without mishap, but came to woeful grief in getting across ; the passage consists of a confused heap of huge boulders, very unsuitable for loaded donkeys to scramble through. " One donkey went down, and got its legs jammed between the stones, and defied the united strenuous efforts of McKergow, Charlie, and myself to extricate it. So we took off the load and saddle, and then lifted her bodily up, after which she managed to clamber up the bare rock path and arrived safely. All the donkeys were hauled through with a great struggle, even -with every load taken off and carried up to level ground by the boys. This of course entailed an immense amount of heavy work for all hands, and by the time it was finished and everything placed on the level above, it was necessary to have breakfast cooked. .So much for our first march. After break- fast donkeys were loaded again, and we made a fresh start, as it was necessary to reach the M'poso River by the evening. "The path now ascended very steeply indeed, and consisted of slippery rocks ; several donkeys got up the rise with a struggle, then down went No. 4, then No. 5i ''•''"1 so on. Loads had again to be taken off and carried up to the top of the hill, and put on again there. This hindered us of course, but was unavoidable ; all being up, and ' things ' put straight, we went ahead again through a small village called Mabialla's, arriving soon after in a very difficult place, an almost perpendicular wall of rock ascended by a rough rocky stair with turns and twists and jumps of from two to four feet at a time. We made a most determined attempt to get No. l donkey up without unloading her, Mac and I tumbling up alongside and fairly carrying the saddle- bags between us ; but when two-thirds the way up down she fell heavily, and could not rise. So we had again to unload every donkey and have the loads carried up, being the third time this operation had to be performed in as many miles. The heat also was excessive and tried us all sorely. Once more we got in order and proceeded now on a much better path, but always steadily ascending and passing C. A. IS f 226 A MISSIONARY JOURNAL. through rank grass eight or ten feet high, nearly obliterating the narrow path, "Wc pushed on at a fair pace, and gained the top of the dividing ridge of hills, and when well on the level rested men and donkeys for ten minutes. Proceeding now along the shoulder of a considerable hill we commenced the descent to the M'poso valley, a very steep one, the path being thickly strewn with loose quartz blocks, and requiring great care in guiding the donkeys down. I pushed on ahead to select a camping place, and soon found a tolerably good one close to the river. As the donkeys came in one by one, their loads were immediately taken off and arranged in order. As soon as the tent awning (a con- trivance of my own, far more roomy than a tent, and less weight and trouble) arrived, it was unfastened, and throwing the suspending ropes over the branches of a couple of trees about thirty feet apart, it was stretched in a few minutes, the side ropes holding out the awning being tied to the long grass, a very simple and speedy arrangement. Then the hammocks (our own make) were pitched, the ground cleared a bit, firewood fetched, supper cooked, and all put in order for the night. The donkeys, after having been taken to water, were all tied up as usual. Clarke was very poorly, and ' turned in ' at once. Wc divided the night into three watches of three hours each, beginning at nine p.m. until six a.m., I taking the first." " iVoudtiy, i6/h. — Coffee at six a.m., then all hands down to the river to commence the important business of getting our donkeys and goods across. The river here is about fifty yards wide, flowing between high and densely wooded banks, about fifteen feet above the water level. We first stretched our strong rope (carried for .such purposes) across the stream, securing the ends to some large trees conveniently growing just where we required them, and found that one boy, by passing his hands along this rope, could pull a small canoe ea.sily from side to side. No. i donkey was now brought down and pushed into the water, one boy sitting at the stern and holding the donkey by the head, and two others rapidly pulling the canoe across to the opposite bank, where we had other boys to receive them and take the donkey up the bank to grass. We found our plan work admirably, and in a remarkably short time the whole twenty donkeys were safely conveyed over or rather through the M'poso River, the saddles, saddlebags, bales, etc., following in rapid succession. Meanwhile I was superintending ' breaking camp,' and by eight a.m. everything was finished and over the river, which was very good work, and a much shorter time than we had anticipated. We took breakfast, and then proceeded to load HEAVY WORK. 227 MOUTH OF THE m'POSO RI\'ER. up donkeys and men, the loads having to be carried about a quarter of a mile to the donkeys. This of course occupied some time, the boys working hard and willingly. All being ready, my whistle rung out, and away we went. The path was rough but tolerably even, and gradually ascended a very long hill side. After about fifteen minutes' march we had to cut down a couple of small trees which rather obstructed our passage. This was done in two minutes with one of our American axes, kept handy on No. 2 donkey for such cases. I called a halt for six minutes' rest when about half way up the long hill, and another when \ve gained the top. The path now became very good, nearly level, and quite smooth; sun-baked clay, hedged in by tall rank grasses and dense undergrowth, interspersed with tall cotton-wood trees, acacias, and graceful palms. \Ye were now travers- 228 A MAN BURNT TO DEATH. ing the summit of the narrow ridge or range of hills running parallel to the I'alabala range, and obtained on cither hand lovely views of mountain scenery every few minutes. "Away behind us the rocky, palm-crowned heights of Nokki stood boldly and grandly out in the clear warm air. More immcliately behind us the M'poso wound and curved lis silvery length between its verdant and piclurestjue banks. To our left wc caught a glimpse of the great Congo itself through an opening in the perfect sea of hills and valleys intervening ; and on our right the long and wooded eminence of Palabala and one or two other small villages. We were making good progress, both donkeys and men stepping out well. We passed through a small town (juite hidden by luxuriant palm trees, and halted a few hundred yards beyond. . . . Just at the angle where two paths diverged we beheld a strange, sad sight. A native man had been burnt to death for attempting to shoot a young king and seriously wounding him. In the centre of the triangular space was a large circular heap of whitened ashes, with a charred stake in the middle. A few yards from this was the gun with which the deed had been done, stuck into the ground, muzzle down. McKergow and I, advancing to have a nearer look, found the calcined skull of the wretched criminal. . . ." Passing by Palabala with only a brief visit to Mr. and Mrs. Craven and the " king," not delaying the caravan at all, they progressed fairly well on Friday, the 20th, as the path wound about, up and down over gentle rises, and through wooded valleys. Still one or two of the donkeys became intractable, and would not go on — arriving an hour after the caravan at the camping place. On Saturday two of the donkeys were already dead. Each death made a loss of carrying power to the extent of eighty pounds, and the loads of the dead beasts had to be otherwise disposed of " Thursday, 26th. — Started at 6.30 a.m. Very heavy day indeed, steep hills, deep valleys, almost impenetrable woods, and so on, to traverse. No. 18 donkey gave in at once ; its load and saddle were DONKEYS ATTACKED BY WASPS. 229 taken off" and carried, but then it would not move. I was bound to push on with the main body, although I made several long halts to give time for No. iS to be brought on if possible. We did not halt for breakfast until noon, and there was not a drop of water to be had ; we of course carried enough for our own use in our indiarubber water bags (which have proved very valuable acquisitions, and I can recom- mend their use to other travellers in dry countries). "About an hour and a half after we had halted second headman and others came in, reporting No. 18 donkey a fixture, and attacked by hundreds of wasps ; and No. 16 having also come to grief, his loads were brought in ; this was very annoying indeed. I was determined not to leave the donkeys without a struggle, so I sent the second head- man back and two other men to bring up both, or at any rate one of them, ordering him to stay all night if necessary. Tlien we went on again, and emerging from the wood, passed down in an hour and a half to the river Silenne ; camped here all next day, and proceeded on Saturday morning; halted again on Sunday and Mond.ty, the donkeys being so weak." So things went on ! One donkey after another died, till the twenty-five were reduced to half a dozen, and Mr. McCall determined to abandon the attempt to use them, and to get on without their help, which has indeed proved to be only hindrance. It was a sore disappointment, and it was not clear why the poor beasts failed. Whether the fatigue was excessive, or the food did not suit them, or whether they ate something poisonous, their owners were never satisfied. But it was evident they were no use on journeys, and the hope of help from a beast of burden had to be abandoned. With it went also all hope of keeping the party together and carrying at one time sufficient stores to advance boldly to the Pool. Henceforth there 230 NO CARRIERS FOR LOVE OR MONEY. would have to be short journeys, halts, returns of some of the white men in charge of Kroo-boys to bring up more goods and so forth ; and all this meant constant exposure, severe labour, and ever-recurring risks. But there was no help. The natives would not at that time carry ; they were too timid to go up the river into the unknown regions beyond. Nozu native caravans go freely, and without a white man. Pro- gress has already been very rapid on the Congo. The last ten years have made wonderful differences. Many barriers have been broken down, and the confidence of the natives has been gained. But in 1880 gangs of native porters to go to the Pool were not to be had for love or money. With only such stores therefore as could be carried by their own Kroo-boys, the party moved on from Banza jNIantcka While there McCall had a very severe illness, an attack of inflammation of the liver. Years previously in the Zambesi country he had had a similar one. This recurrence indicated that he was really unfit for tropical life ; but he was loth to think so, and treating himself vigorously for the malady, he resolved to push on as soon as at all well enough, in spite of much weakness and pain. Starting on the 5th of October, and aware that by the end of the month the first part of the rainy season would be coming on, they were intensely anxious to lose no time. But, alas ! this most precious treasure is precisely the thing which travellers in Africa must lose, whether they will or no ! The natives have no A TIMELESS WORLD. idea of the value of time, nor can they conceive why it should make the slightest difference whether a party, moves on this week or the next.^ They will cheerfully waste a whole day, or two if it be needful, to secure a better price for their goods, when there is the least chance of doing so at last. With all their ignorance they have learnt the secret of a " masterly inactivity " ; and when they do not wish a white man to proceed with his caravan, they perfectly understand how to oppose without opposing, by simply creating ob- stacles, promising help which they have no intention of rendering, and insisting on imaginary difficulties ahead. The slightest use or even threat of force would at once clear the way in most cases, for the native African is generally a timid being, and in- clined to fear, look up to, and reverence the white man. But missionaries cannot force their way, they have to win it ; and if they cannot do this, to wait, or turn aside and try some other route. So it was on this occasion. The " kings " of the first district • Professor Drummond, in his "Tropical Africa," says: "Amonjj the presents which I took for chiefs, I was innocent enough to include a watch. I might as well have taken a grand piano. For months I never looked at my own watch in that land of sunshine. Besides, the mere idea of time has scarcely yet penetrated the African mind, and forms no element whatever in his calculations. I wanted on one occasion to catch the little steamer on the Shire, and pleaded this as an excuse to a rather powerful chief, whom it would have been danger- ous to quarrel with, and who would not let me leave his village. The man merely stared. The idea of any one being in a hurry was not only preposterous, but inconceivable ; and I might as well have urged as my reason for wishing away that the angles of a triangle are equal to two right angles." 232 'LET HITHERTO. they passed, assured Mr. McCall that there would be fighting if he went any farther, and alluded to the fact that a missionary had been shot at Makuta not long before. This was true, as our friends were aware, Mr. Comber, of the B.M.S., having been shot in trying to escape from a most unexpected and un- provoked attack by the people of that place. Wish- ing therefore to avoid any conflict with the natives, our party turned towards the great river, and making a camp at a place they named Riverleigh pondered prayerfully how best to proceed. From this point the river was evidently navigable, and Mr. Stanley considered it so far as Manyanga, near which place they wished to establish the next station. That the navigation would be sadly risky in native canoes was very evident. But no artificial impediment could be opposed to the progress of the party by water, and as there would be less difficulty about carriage of goods, time would probabh- be saved. So it was decided that, if canoes and paddles and a guide used to the river could be procured, the next stage should be attempted by water. Hiring a couple of large canoes for a month, they were again detained for many days by the duplicity and prevarication of local chiefs, who promised guides and paddles, and then broke their word. They had to start without guides at last on the turbulent and treacherous Congo, and with varj'ing fortunes and not a few perils, made their way up it to a place in the territory of Manj'anga called Bemba. Here they had to put up a temporary shelter, for the rainy '•Aiy TIMES ARE IN THY HANDS." 233 season was, alas ! already upon them, the river tre- niendously swollen, and tornadoes and storms frequent. It was evident little more could be done that year in the way of advance. So the only thing was to gain what knowledge they could of the language, make friends with the people, collect their goods at this point, and prepare for a fresh start as soon as the weather permitted. McCall was greatly dis- appointed ! But he wrote submissively : " We know everything is in the Lord's almighty and loving hands ; He can and will help us ; He knows best, and we are willing to await His own time and way. Our constant trust is in Him, and we rest assured in all our trials that if it is His holy will that this mission shall prosper and advance. He will enable us to do our part towards making it do so. My whole soul and spirit is bent on the success of this work, for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ, and for His sake only. It is His work, and He alone can make it a success ; in Him alone do I trust." He had no thought of lingering longer than was needful at Bcmba. His determination to reach the interior was firm, and his desire to do so strong. He knew that though all this expense of labour and money and time, and even health, did not seem to be on direct mission work, yet that in reality it was so. He had studied with deep interest Blaikie's " Personal Life of Livingstone," with its revelation of the utter falsity of many a critique on the life of that noble missionary hero. The most important missionary work has not 234 LIVINGSTONE'S TRUE WORK: always the appearance of missionary work at all. In this, as in all else, we must judge not according to outward appearance, but " judge righteous judgment." Many were found a few years back harshly criticising the course and career of David Livingstone, and rashly accusing him of having abandoned the work of the missionary for that of the geographer and explorer, or at best of the philanthropist. No one would now venture to hazard such an opinion. It was the high and holy purpose of opening up a new world to the gospel that impelled and sustained this prince of missionaries throughout his thirty years of weary pil- grimage and terrible sufferings. He was not less of a missionary than Moffat or others, but 7nore, though he laid aside the ordinary routine work of a single station, and betook himself instead to the task of introducing to the knowledge and sympathies of the Christian Church an entire conti)ient, cursed under the withering blight of heathenism, and crushed under the cruel yoke of slavery. He once wrote : " My views of what is missionary duty are not so contracted as those of persons whose ideal of a missionary is a dumpy sort of man with a Bible under his arm. I have laboured in bricks and mortar, at a forge and carpenter's bench, as well as in preaching and in medical practice. I feel that I am not my own, and that I am equally serving Christ when shooting a buffalo for my men, or taking an astronomical observation." True ! and it was the material rather than the spiritual side of the work on the Congo which was prominent in 1880. To dear THE GATEWAY TO A LOST WORLD. 235 Adam McCall and his colleagues at that time was committed the hard preparatory task of exploration and station-building, rather than the happier one of direct evangelization. Afterwards came tidings of schools and converts and Churches, but the time of which we now write was one of struggle with overwhelming physical and moral difficulties in the endeavour to obtain a footing in the country. Week after week McCall's diaries conveyed some idea of what it was to try and penetrate to the Upper Congo, and the question would sometimes arise, Was it worth while to make such efforts in order to reach a certain point ? The name of our mission gave the answer. We had christened it the Livingstone Inland Mission. The first word recalled an example, the second defined an aim. Our sphere was the interior, not the cataract region. Was it not worth while, ay, and well worth while, to make a great effort to win the key of a gloomy prison house, if by so doing one might throw open its doors and liberate countless captives from long, hopeless, and cruel bondage? Stanley Pool was the gateway to a vast and unex- plored world, teeming with millions of our fellow crea- tures, to whom Christ had bid us carry the glad tidings of forgiveness and eternal life. It was a lost world, emphatically such ! The law of God had never reached it, much less the gospel ! It was a world showing the depth of degradation into which the human race can sink, when left without any other 336 " THY KINGDOM COME." Divine revelation than the lights of nature and of conscience. But it was a world out of which Christ must have some trophies, a world which God loved, a world in which the gospel must be preached before the end come. Did we not well then to strive to enter its gate with the prayer, " Thy kingdom come " ? And though dear Adam McCall was destined never to set eyes on the Upper Congo, did he not well to risk his life in the endeavour to take into that dark world the light of life ? But we must not anticipate. W'e are as yet only in the autumn of i8(So. Of the fifteen missionaries sent out so far, two had, as we have seen, died, and two had been recalled as not suited for the work. We must leave the remaining eleven at their four stations on the banks of the Congo, to return for a moment to the banks of the Thames, and mention what was meantime going on in England in connexion with the mission. CHAPTER III. CHANGE IN THE MANAGEMENT OF THE ^ Af-,^^ MISSION. HE same blessed Spirit which was working in the hearts of the devoted labourers in Africa was working also in many hearts at home, on Africa's behalf Every foreign mission must needs have a home department, and this latter must bear a due proportion to the former. Now the Congo Mission had been rapidly growing and in- creasing its demands since its very modest and inexpensive commence- ment in 1878, and especially during the year 1880. Experience had ' shown that if the interior was to be reached, these demands could not be ex- pected to decrease, but the reverse. The considerable sum expended on the last ex- pedition had only carried it half way to the upper river. Reinforcements and large supplies would again be needed in the spring. The committee began to feel that the small constituency of friends interested in the Mission would '31 RESIGNATION OF THE SECRETARY. not be able to bear the strain which its proper pro- secution would entail. The Rev. A. Tilly was unable to devote more time or energy to its interests. He was disappointed that there seemed no prospect of the self-support of which he had been sanguine, as indeed were other members of the council. He resigned his position as secre- tary, and as no member of the council was prepared to undertake the post it seemed difficult to see how the rapidly increasing necessities of the mission were to be provided for. A considerable share of the home work — the pre- paration and outfitting of the men, and especially of the McCall expedition — the raising of funds for it ; — the public meeting and literary departments, had already been done in connexion with our Missionary Institute at Harley House. But no responsibility, save that which we shared with the other members of the committee, had hitherto rested on us. But at a meeting of the committee in October, 1880, after a discussion arising out of Mr. Tilly's resignation of the secretaryship, the writer was asked to fill the vacant post, and become official Secretary to the committee. For many reasons we felt unable to accede to this proposal, and various other plans were consequently considered. None of them seemed however likely to succeed in sustaining and extending the work in Africa. Feeling that whatever happened, that must not be allowed to suffer, we subsequently offered, if the committee wished, to take over the mission, and carry it on as a branch of our East London Institute, PROCEEDINGS OF THE COMMITTEE. 239 undertaking the sole responsibility of its support and management. We were conscious that in doing this we were assuming very grave additional burdens, both practical and financial. But Providence had made the Divine will that Central Africa should be evan- gelized so plain, that we dared not doubt that the Lord would provide for His own service in that new and dark world, and supply the strength and wisdom as well as the money needed. We expressed the hope that, should this plan be adopted, the existing committee would continue their connexion with the Mission, in the modified relation of an advisory Council. After full discussion and careful consideration of the question in all its bearings, the committee expressed a decided and unanimous wish that this course should be adopted, and the following entry was accordingly made by the secretary in the minute book : The secretary having expressed his decision that his resignation must take effect from that meeting, the question of a successor was carefully considered. Much conversation ensued as to the advisability of engaging a paid secretary ; but it was felt that if such an officer were engaged, it was by no means certain that he would be able mate- rially to advance the cause of the mission, inasmuch as such a secretary could only reach the constituency of his committee, and the L.I.M., having a very small circle of friends, could not give him such intro- ductions as would make it worth while for him to devote all his time to travelling on behalf of the mission. Under the circumstances, it was the unanimous wish of the com- mittee that Mrs. Guinness should undertake the office. This she entirely declined doing, on the grounds, first, that her hands were already sufficiently full ; secondly, that she never had acted, and never wished to act as secretary to a commiitee ; and, thirdly, that she could not see her way, while acting for the committee, to raise the funds 240 THE WRITER BECOMES SECRETARY. necessary for the carrying on of the mission. The matter however was pressed, and Mr. and Mrs. Guinness, seeing the difficulty in which the committee were, stated that the only ground on which they could lake the secretarj-ship of the mission, involving practically the raising of the funds for its support, would be that it should henceforth be regarded as a branch of their own work, and identified with their " East London Mission Institute." They stated that if it were the wish of the committee, they were willing to consent to such an arrangement, though they did not in the least desire it, nor would they for a moment press it. They added, that should such an arrangement be carried out, they should still hope to benefit by the wisdom and experience of the existing committee, as a council of refcrciuc ; that is, that while the management and sup- port of the mission would be entirely in their own hands, and while they should henceforth speak of it as a part of their work, they would summon the members of the late committee every three months, and take counsel with them on all steps of importance. This was unanimously agreed to by the committee, and it was arranged that the books and papers of the mission should be handed over to Mr. and Mrs. Guinness, who would henceforth be solely responsible for the conduct and support of the mission. A very cordial vote of thanks to the Rev. A. Tilly for his three years' service as Secretary was also entered. The Mission owed to him its inception and birth, and such was his interest in it, that had he been able to continue his management of it he would never have resigned his post. But its increasing demands made the resignation of his pastorate the only alter- native course, and this he could not see to be a justifiable step. The Livingstone Inland Mission thus, in the third year of its existence, became identified with our East London Mission Institute,^ and the writer thence- forward acted as its Secretary. See Appendixi 242 THE FOURTH YEAR OF THE MISSION. HE year 1881 — the fourth of the mission, and the first of our sole management of it — was a very eventful one in its history. Great encouragements were received, on the one hand, and profound dis- couragements, on the other. Our faith was strengthened and our hearts cheered by the evidence that God was graciously working with us, or, rather, permitting us to work with Him, in carry- ing out His purposes of mercy to Africa ; yet was it also severely tested by difficulty, disappointment, disaster, and death. We will take a glance, first at the home side of the work, and then at its African aspect. Many of the missionaries had urged the importance of establishing a base station for the mission at Banana, the port of debarkation for the Congo from the ocean steamers. They had also urged the need of a boat of our own on the lower river. Without this our chain of inland stations, already numbering four, seemed to lack the link of connexion with the outer world. There is noiu an hotel at Banana, but in those days there was no such accommodation ■ and though the traders settled there might be kind and hospitable, it did not of course do to trouble them too much, and was not well to have to depeiid on them. / To take over from a steamer and land in small boats a consignment of goods is no easy work under a tropical sun. It seemed desirable to have a store REINFORCEMENTS NEEDED. 243 ready to receive such consignments, and an agent to see them despatched up the river. Moreover it was constantly needful to have a house at which a fresh party of missionaries could tarry while awaiting transit to Matadi, and where invalid missionaries on the way home could be nursed and cared for until the arrival of the homeward-bound steamer. And besides all this Banana itself needed missionaries. Not only were the natives there as well as elsewhere heathen, but the few Europeans resident in the neighbourhood were totally destitute of religious help. We had given due weight to all these considerations, and our council had agreed with us that it would be well to establish a station at Banana. Being by the sea we hoped the place would prove healthy, and a medical man was resident there in case of need. Representatives of many tribes from both north and south visited Banana for purposes of trade, and it was hoped that by gaining an influence over these men the way for mission work in many directions might be made open. We wrote to Africa consequently, saying that though at the time we had no means in hand for the purpose, we hoped early in the spring to send out four new missionaries, with an iron house to construct at Banana, a boat of some sort for the lower river, and supplies for another twelve months. Mr. McCall had mentioned that he would have to be at Banana in April to send home his gang of Kroo-boys (for they never engage for more than a year at a time), and that if the fresh party were there about that time, he 244 HELPERS together:' would sec to the construction of the house, and to the safety of the boat, which would require a landing stage and anchorage in the Creek. Much prayer was made to God that these various needs might be supplied if it were His will, and we sought to make them known among His people. The sympathy evinced was great. From all parts of this and other lands came donations, varying from a widow's mite and a little Sunday-.school or Bible-class collec- tion to gifts of hundreds of pounds. One lady under- took to pay the passage and outfit of two of the missionaries ; another sent ;^^500 in a single gift. A dear little schoolgirl wrote that she had saved a pound out of her pocket-money, and added, " Is it too little to go to the Congo ? I should like it to go to that ! " The Lord moved many hearts. Four hundred donations were sent for the mission in the first three months of the year, making together a sum of over ;^^3,000. Our hearts were filled with thankfulness, and we realized that all who thus cheerfully aided with their substance were as much workers for Congo- land as the dear brethren and sisters residing among its dark and degraded inhabitants. The bold pioneer, the patient teacher, the clever mechanic, the unwearied traveller, were not more needed in the enterprise than the liberal-hearted merchant in his office and the gentle lady in her drawing-room, who, moved by compassion for the poor Africans, willingly offered to the Lord for their benefit silver and gold. And we remembered with joy that He who loves a cheerful giver would equally reward the widow who sent her N£IV HOUSE FOR BANANA. 245 mite, the little ones who gave their pence, and the hardworking men and women who contributed the fruit of their business and toil. Not one grudging or reluctantly given pound was spent on the mission ! Very rarely did we seek help from individuals at all, and then only from the wealthier members of the council for the larger needs of the mission. The house for Banana was given by two generous brothers in London, well known for noble deeds, and who had the honour of erecting the first substantial dwelling for Christian work on the Congo. It con- tained two sitting-rooms and a large store for goods on the ground floor, with two double and two single bedrooms upstairs. It was provided with a good verandah all round for coolness. The kitchen offices and schoolroom — which in that hot climate it is desirable to keep separate, for coolness, cleanliness, and quiet — were detached from the main building. It was ultimately decided that the boat, instead of being a sailing one merely, as originally intended, should be provided with engines and steam power in case of need. We had hesitated about this at first on the grounds of the additional expense and the need of skilled management. But one of the out- going missionaries had been a sailor, and was able and willing to be responsible for the working of a steamer. The current of the Lower Congo, even in its comparatively calm lower waters, is so rapid that rozviiig against it must always be tedious and laborious work. The breeze from the sea which would carry up a boat under sail is never to be 246 FROM BANANA TO MA TADl. depended on, and seldom blows in the earlier part of the day. The dangerous character of the navi- gation prevents sailing after sunset, for the collision between the inflowing tide and the outrushing river causes such a disturbance of the waters that skill and care are requisite to avoid eddies and whirlpools. Hence, though the distance between Banana and Matadi was only a hundred miles, our friends had often had to spend five or six days in getting from the one point to the other. They had frequently been detained at Boma on the way, and sometimes laid up there with fever. Under steam they would be able to accomplish this voyage with ease in one to two days, and be quite independent of wind and tide. The saving of time thus effected on every voyage was itself important, but the avoidance of prolonged exposure in so dangerous a climate even more so. The launch would be able to go down month by month, to meet the mails and take up cargo. She would be available to take sick men down to the sea at any time, and might thus save life. So a suitable boat was secured, The Steam-launch "Livingstone." This little vessel was beautifully built of mahogany, so that it might not warp on exposure to the sun, copper bottomed to preserve the wood, forty feet long by seven broad, with high-pressure cylinder engines, and small multitubular boiler. She was adapted to 247 sail well with the lightest breeze, and could also be propelled by oars in case no fuel was forthcoming. She was launched from Forrests' yard, Limehousc, on the 9th of March, and prayer was offered from her deck by four of the outgoing missionaries in succes- sion, to which many spectators present, including all the students of the Institute, added heartfelt amens. A glad hymn of praise arose from a hundred thank- ful hearts as the little launch glided down into the waters of the Thames. It was a joy to think what a comfort she would be to the dear missionaries in Africa. She was well fitte'd with awnings to protect 248 THE ''LIVINGSTONE'S''' TRIAL TRIP. her passengers from the sun, and it was calculated that she could carry ten or twelve men and four or five tons of cargo at a time. We sent out with her two small boats, one twenty-two feet long for rowing, and a smaller one for landing from the steam launch, together with a complete equipment of all needful adjuncts. Several prophets of ill omen foretold on the voyage out that this little craft would do no good against the strong current of the Congo. It was a great satis- faction to us therefore subsequently to receive from Mr. McCall at Banana the following account of the trial trip of the Livingstone, which we give here, though a little out of place chronologically, in order to complete the story of the boat. Everybody here, incliuling myself, thought the engines of the "Living- stone " far too small to drive the launch up the river. On Thursday afternoon we loaded her up with a ton and a half of cargo, Iwxes of rice, bales, and packages, together with about three-quarters of a ton of coal. We loaded her carefully, so as to balance her well fore and aft, and put the i^ropellers well down in the water. Everything was prepared for a fair start next morning. May Glh, iSSi. — We steamed out of Banana at 6. 15 a.m., with a pilot at the helm (lent by the French house), Angus and I in the stern, Joe at his post managing the engines, Toe (No. 2) the black stoker also at his work, and the three hands "forr'ad." We started out in good form under seventy pounds steam pressure. I had not seen the pretty little engines working, and was half afraid of their power; but I soon discovered that they could drive us through the current s]ilendidly. It was a lovely morning, the water calm as a lake, the rising sun gleaming brightly over the placid river. Our little Living- stone flew along steady as a rock, graceful as a swan, comfortable as an armchair ! .Soon we rounded Boolambemba Point (the commencement of the Congo River proper), and entered upon our task of steaming up ON THE CONGO. 249 against tlie current ; but io my joy and satisfaction wc went ahead almost as if there -vere no current against us ! We " pounded " away (pardon the word) mile after mile, the strength of the current always increasing, the little engine humming with the rapidity of its revolutions, and the propeller raising a perfect whirlpool astern, making the seething water hiss and curl up under our counter until it nearly reached the gunwales. We soon sighted Bull Island, and, reaching it, crossed the river (to avoid banks, etc.) to the south side, passed close by Kissanga (Dutch and Portuguese trading station), soon after recrossing the river in a long diagonal, past numerous low sandy islands, steering right for Ponta da Lcnha. . . . We ranged up alongside the landing stage of the French house just at 11 a.m., only four hours and three-quarters from Banana, a distance of over thirty miles, about thirty-six I believe. At 12.30 we were again under steam and away for Boma, where we arrived about 5 p.m. and made fast at the pier of the French house, everybody remarking what a capital run we had made. After dinner I called on iNIr. Greshoff to request him to let me have a little coal. We arranged for our boys to come for it in the morning early. Saturday, "jth. — Steam up at 6 a.m. Some delay getting the coal ; finally started for Massuca and Nokki at 7 a.m., and arrived at Massuca, after a capital run of exactly four hours, a distance of thirty miles, and strong current. I met Mr. Grenfell here for the first time, and had a chat with him. Left again for Nokki soon after I p.m., running direct in about one hour, thus making the entire " run," a dis- tance of 105 to 110 miles, in a day and a half, including stoppages, fourteen hours of actual steaming. No steamer on the river, Stanley's or otherwise, has ever done it in a shorter time. I need hardly say I was delighted and proud of our bonnie wee boatie ! We had been taken at first sight, by the white people all the way up, for a man-o'-war's launch, principally on account of our flag, " the red ensign " of dear old England, which waved cheerily from our flagstaff at the stern. On Monday Mr. and Mrs. Craven (to whom I had sent up a mes- sage) arrived at noon en route to Massuca, to pay a visit to Mr. and Mrs. Grenfell. Having discharged cargo, we took on board some things Craven had brought down for me, and thirty sacks of peanuts (for the French house) for ballast, as the propeller must be under water to travel properly. On Tuesday morning at 6.30 we steamed out of Nokki, Mr. and Mrs, Craven and .Signor Martini as passengers j in tiventycight minutes \vc were at Mas>uca. Mr. Grenfell came alongside with his boat, into which Mr. and Mrs. Craven stepped at once, and in two minutes wc were off " full steam ahead " for Boma. We regularly flew down -aith the current, and actually arrived at Boma in two hours from Massuca, i.e. fifteen miles an hour. Magnificent ! Here I had a call or two to make, and to get some more coal, so that we did not start again until lo.io a.m., when we ran for Banana direct without going to I'onta da Lenha. We had a fine run down ; and although the last fifteen or twenty miles were against wind aiid tide and a head sea, we cut through splendidly, tossing the spray far and wide, and, with only half pressure, arrived at Banana at 3 p.m. ; i.e. te)i viiiiutes under five lioiirs, a distance of seventy miles ! With a full head of steam we could have done it easily in four hours and a half. So ended the trial trip of our pretty little Livingstone, to the com- plete satisfaction of all parties, and with hearty thanksgivings to our loving Father, the Giver of all good gifts, and the One in whom is our trust, our joy, and our hope now and for ever. In reply to some advice about being very careful in the navigation and working of the Httle steam launch, he wrote subsequently : " You may rest assured that every care is taken of our dear little Livingstone. We are all too fond of her, and too proud of her, to neglect her, and more- over we look upon her as specially under God's pro- tecting care, because consecrated as we ourselves are to His service. She never leaves for a trip up river without being specially commended to God. Every- thing down to the minutest detail is daily put by us into God's hands, to guide and do with us as He thinks best." 250 THE FIRST PARTY OF 1881. ^^^#SM^gEANS and material help were not however all that were needed in order effectually to reinforce the mission. The great essential was vicn. The Lord alone can send forth la- bourers into His harvest; but we prayed for them and watched for them, and they came, all undaunted by the deaths that had taken place, anxious and eager to close up the ranks and fill the posts of those who had fallen. No less than nine fresh missionaries went out in three de- tachments this year 1881. The first party, which sailed in March, consisted of Mr. Ingham, once a soldier, who had acquired experi- ence in leading and commanding men as a corporal in the army before he became a student in the Institute, and who had also been accustomed, in philanthropic work, to the management of the young, as well as to active gospel efforts among the poor. Mr. George Angus had also been a soldier, but had, in addition, received a nautical training. He had already been in Australia and in Zululand, where he took part in the relief of Ekovve, and formed one of the flying column sent in pursuit of Cetewayo. He was at the burned and desolated kraal of the Zulu king, when he was brought in a captive at last— a giant man, clad in tiger skin, and of a kingly bearing even in his cap- tivity. Mr. Angus had been converted to God when staying in Dublin some time previously. What he A MISSIONARY FAREWELL observed during this sojourn in Zululand made his heart yearn over the heathen, and the gratitude which he felt to God for his own preservation, when multi- tudes fell around him from the bullet, the assegai, and the fever, constrained him to devote himself to the spread of the gospel. Mr. Smith was a Scotchman, from Lanarkshire, and had had, like Livingstone, to struggle with many difficulties in his early life, and in the process of self- education. He was fully qualified as a carpenter and joiner before he became a student, and knew some- thing besides of farming and of the care of cattle. Mr. Waters, the fourth member of the party, had had no experience of this kind, but was acquainted with trade, and was a thoroughly practical man, as well as an earnest preacher and successful home mission worker. All four were consequently men able, not only to evangelize, but to assist in civilizing the tribes on the banks of the Congo. Sir Arthur Blackwood presided at a crowded fare- well meeting held at the West End of London, to commend this party to the care and blessing of God. Contrasting this departure with one of troops for South Africa which had just taken place, he said : " Our meeting may evoke no enthusiasm throughout the United Kingdom, but high heaven watches our proceedings with intense in- terest. In sympathising with and helping this band of ambassadors for Christ, about to start for Central Africa, we are taking part in an enterprise that commands the sympathies of the Lord Jehovah Himself. England can send her noblest and best sons to fight in Southern Africa. "y WILL NEVER LEAVE THEE." 253 The War Office is besieged by officers volunteering their services, and anxious to fill the gaps where their comrades have fallen, to win a bubble reputation at the cannon's mouth ; what then ought we, who are sworn soldiers of the Cross of Christ, to do in view of the unevan- gelized millions of Central Africa ? Should there not be such a press- ing to the front that, instead of four, there should be four thousand young and devoted missionaries starting for the vast regions of Congo- land?" Lord Polwarth (a member of the council) gave a tonic to the faith of those who were staying behind, as well as of those who were going, by dwelling on the fact that we were together striving not to do our own wills, but simply to carry out the piirposes of God. He had purposed that Africa should at last be evan- gelized, and He has pledged the help of His power to those who carry out His purposes. " All power is given unto Me," said Christ ; " go ye therefore, evangelize all nations." To each of the departing missionaries he gave, as a last message, the grand old promise, " I will never leave thee nor forsake thee." The Rev. C. Wilson, who had then recently re- turned from Uganda, was prevented from attending this meeting as he had intended ; but Mr. Fclkin, who had just come back from escorting the Waganda chiefs sent by King Mtesa as a deputation to the queen, on their return to Zanzibar, gave an address, as also our friend and former student, Captain Hore, just returned from Ujiji, Lake Tanganyika. The veterans from the field encouraged the recruits for the field with no faltering tone, and the sympathy of the large gathering was a tonic. A GROUP OK CENTRAL AFRICAN WIVES AND MOTHERS. 254 WEDDING AND PARTING. Thursday, the 17th of March, was the clay on which the missionaries were to start on their long journey. We had arranged to go with them to Liverpool, but one final preparation had to be accom- plished before they left London, and that was — a wedding ! Mr. Smith was to be married, parting immediately afterwards from his newly wedded wife 1 The reason for this strange and somewhat sad course was, that it would have been impossible for Mrs. Smith to accompany her husband at that time, though it was hoped she would be able to join him in a year or so. But they could not postpone the marriage for that hoped for re-union. There was no opportunity of contracting a mar- riage on the Congo in 1 881, as no consul was resident there, and for a missionary to return in order to be married involved loss of time and money. Both parties and their friends wished to adopt this plan. So Mr. Guinness married them early one morning, and after a season of social fellowship at breakfast, and of prayer and praise afterwards, bride and bridegroom bade each other farewell till they should meet a year later on the banks of the Congo. We had reminded the bride of the possibility that she might be left a widow. " I shall feel like one in any case, if he be taken," she replied ; " and I would rather bear his name and be one than not." She employed the interval in acquiring some medical and nursing skill. Large and sympathetic meetings were held at Leicester — where the mother of our friend Mr. McCall received with the utmost hospitality the GOD SPEED! whole i^arty — and at Liverpool, where on the i8th of March a group of Christian friends, including Mr. and Mrs. Reginald Radcliffe, Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Menzies, Mr. Irvine, and many others were gathered to bid the missionaries God speed ! Not a few accompanied them even to the ship, which was lying up the river, remaining on board with them for more than an hour. After seeing to the dispo.sal of the luggage, and inspecting the Livingstone steam launch (which had been safely conveyed on board the day before), we gathered together for one last prayer- meeting in the cheerful little cabin on deck, which had been allotted to our four brethren, and had a blessed season of united and earnest supplication. There was so much to be gratefully acknowledged " with thanksgiving," so much to be asked of God. From how many dangers they needed to be shielded by His almighty hand ! How they would need His all-wise guidance ! How feeble the workers, how great the task, but how certain the promise ! We were comforted and encouraged by mutual faith, and could even praise God, in anticipation of success, in spite of every difficulty. As the tender left the ship some friends started the cheery strains of " Stand up, stand up for Jesu.s," and the group of missionaries on the deck of the Corisco took up the animating song, confessing Christ thus before their fellow passengers from the outset. By the following steamer, a month later, two more members of the mission, Messrs. Stephen White and Jesse Blunt, sailed. The former — from the land DEATH OF HUGH McKERGOW. 257 of Livingstone, like so many of our best missionaries — liad acquired some experience and practice in medical work, and tlie latter was a builder as well as a preacher. They were ready, and intending to start next day, when on April the 14th letters reached us bringing the tidings of a death to which we will allude more fully presently — that of Mr. Hugh McKcrgow, one of Mr. McCall's party. Being greatly shocked by the intelligence ourselves, and by the fresh illustration it afforded of the fatal nature of the climate, we felt for a time as if we could not let these dear brethren go forward on their journey to this fever-stricken land ! We could not have blamed them had they wished to delay their departure till the more healthful interior country was reached. But no such thought seemed to cross their minds. Like ourselves and all the students in the Institute, they were much affected and deeply solemnized by this fresh bereavement ; their courage however did not fail, but seemed on the contrary to rise with danger. They realized that the}' \\'ere needed even more than previously, and were only the more anxious to press forward. We could not but thank God to see that it is still as it was in the earl}' da}'s of West African missions, when as fast as the labourers fell in " the white man's grave," Sierra Leone, volunteers rushed to the front to fill up the vacant places. The truth that Christ laid dozvn His life for lis, deeply engraven on the soul, has a power of conforming that soul to the image of Christ. The willingness of His disciples to C. A. 17 258 FUK THER REINFOR CEMENTS. lay down their lives in His service, and for His sake, is an unanswerable proof that His Spirit divells in His members. Learning by later mails that it had become needful to send home some of the staff to recruit health, and that without still further additions the stations would be undermanned, three more brethren sailed by the July steamer, Messrs. Frederickson, Billington, and Engvall. The first was a Dane by birth, a godly and experienced man ; the second an engineer, who had consecrated his life to gospel work, and had been trained for the ministry in Mr. Spurgeon's college ; and the third was a young Swede, who had been some years with us in the Institute. Thus nine new men were sent out in the course of the year, beside a young Christian sailor of Southampton named Joe Habens, to work the Livingstone. Yet such were at this period the difficult conditions of this mission, that these large reinforcements only left the staff in Africa at the end of the year just where it was at the beginning, nine having from one cause or other been lost to it during the twelve months ! But we will not anticipate the story of what was going on in Africa, but turn rather to another phase of the home work of this period. A USEFUL FURLOUGH. 259 The Congo Languages. In the summer of this year 1881 Mr. Henry Craven, the first missionary on the Congo, came home on furlough, after three and a half years spent in Africa. He was accompanied by his wife and by three native children, two lads and a little girl. He had passed through many dangerous illnesses, as had also Mrs. Craven, and they both greatly needed the rest and change. Years of very hard work and poor living, of serious anxieties and responsibilities as well as of a tropical climate had considerably altered them both, and at first they were liable to attacks of fever and ague, especially on a chilly day or after overfatigue. But the voyage had done them both good, and after a brief sojourn at home they recovered former vigour. Mr. Craven's furlough was even more useful to the mission than his continued tarriance in Africa would have been at the time. His knowledge of the lan- guage was considerable, but he had had no time to attempt to reduce it to writing, or to prepare any translations or any reading books for the children in the schools. It is no easy matter for missionaries in such a country as Congo, with no teachers, no books, no inter- preter, no educated natives to help them, to pick up a language at all. It is a work needing much patience, to accumulate gradually the words to form a vocabu- lary or dictionary, and then so to study and ponder over those words, and the mode in which they are used, as to perceive the grammatical construction of 26o THE BANTU LANGUAGES. the strange tongue, grasp its rules, and throw it into systematic order and permanent form. Even in a temperate climate, in ordinary health, and with abun- dant leisure, it would be no easy work. What must it be in a malarious region, under a tropical sun, with perpetually recurring fevers, with incessant interrup- tions to palaver with extortionate natives for the pur- chase of daily bread, or to look after native children or to attend to the details of daily duty ! Difficult literary work can hardly be expected under such circumstances. This visit was the first opportunity which had arisen of giving close and undisturbed attention to the linguistic requirements of the mis- sion. Mr. Craven, as soon as he was well enough, set to work to prepare a small dictionary ; and when the lads could speak English fairly well, Mr. Guinness made use of them to assist him in studying out the grammar of the Fiote language. It turned out to be no poor, half-barbarous dialect, as might have been expected, but one rich in words, and richer still in verbal inflexions, a branch of one of the most exten- sive and interesting group of languages known, the widespread Bantu family. The Bantu languac.ES extend over the whole of south Central Africa, from six degrees north of the equator to the Cape of Good Hope, and from the Indian Ocean to the Atlantic. To this family belong the Zulu and Kaffir tongues ; the Swaheli of the east coast, the Chinyanga and Kiniassa of the high- lands of the Shire and the shores of Lake Xyassa ; ALLITERATIVE CONCORD. 261 the Bechuana and Basuto ; the Damara, Benguella, and Angola ; all the Congo languages, and many others. All these, though spoken over such enormous areas and by widely different nations, have not only mul- titudes of words and roots identical or similar, but their entire grammatical construction is similar, their idioms are often identical, and one striking and dis- tinctive peculiarity is common to them all. This family feature of the Bantu languages is their alli- terative concord, or the agreement of all the inflected words in a sentence with the governing nouns, as re- gards their initial letter or syllable. Thus the same words change their form, from sentence to sentence, according to the commencing syllable or letter of the governing nouns in the sentence, a most curious and elsewhere unknown form of grammatical concord. In studying Kikongo therefore valuable and im- portant aid \\as derived from the labours of mis- sionaries in other cognate languages, especially from those of Moffat in the Sechuana, Davis in the Kaffir, Bishop Steere in the Kishwaheli, and others. After many months of careful, persevering study and work with the lads, Mr. Guinness succeeded in preparing a small elementary grammar, which was of the greatest service to new missionaries, until they could them- selves with fuller knowledge produce a better one. He also published averysimple compendium of Mosaic and gospel story with interlinear translation, for the use of beginners, and as a reading book for the schools. It was found that the Roman alphabet would serve perfectly to express the sounds of the language, and 262 GRAMMAR OF THE KIKONGO. though it seemed strange for one who had never been in Africa to venture on the task of reducing to a written form one of its tongues, yet the attempt was successful. Mr. H. H. Johnson, — who after his visit to the Congo wrote in the Graphic, and afterwards pubh'shed a volume, — in acknowledging a copy of Mr. Guinness' grammar, referred to " the simplicity and perspicacity which pervade it," and added : " I have written to recommend it heartily at Brussels, in the hope that they may be induced to provide a copy for each employe on the Congo. It is, I need not tell you, the present standard of the Congo tongue." The following specimen of this language may have a double interest. When the lad who had so ma- terially helped in the task was still in England, Mr. Guinness, anxious to gauge his spiritual state, said to him on one occasion, " Robert, you pray to God every day, do you not ? " " Yes, sir." " \\ hat do you say to Him when you pray?" "Oh, many things." " Tell me some of them. What do you say ? Tell me in your own language." Softly and slowly the boy pronounced the following words, which were taken down at the time. A word for word trans- lation is added between the lines. ^ Coitffo ?lati*5' ^Sraprr. O Nzambi Inge Setu ; kutu kebanga ; Inge kutu- O God Thou (art) our Father I'hou us art keeping : Thou (art) vananga edia yayonso lumbu. O Muan' aku wafua giving us footl every day. Son (child) Thy died konta zetu. O katala zazibi zetu. Wuu talanga for us. Take aw ay sins our. Thou us (art) beholding A CONGO LAD'S PRAYER. 263 yayonso lumbu. Katvva fete vanga wawubi. O every dny. Do not let us do evil. D kala yctu kasi kuna tukwcnda. O kalanga omu be with us wherever « e go. O be (contiiuially) in tudimi tuetu. Kwadi kutu bika ko tuavovanga e tongues (speech) our. Do not let us speak (speak- makutu. O Tata, katala ilekwa yayonsono yayibi. ing) lies. O Father, take away things all evil. Utuzesa Mpcvi aku okun chima mietu. Katala Fill Thou us (with) Spirit Thy hearts our. Take away Ndoki. Katala banza yayibi. Inge kaka Setu, Satan. Take away thoughts evil. Tliou .alone (art) our P'ather, utuvanang' edia yayonso lumbu, kasi ilekwa kina Tliou giving us food every day as (whatever) things tutomba, Inge wutuvcni. O Tata, Inge wabiza we find Thou givest us. O Father, Thou (art) good kwandi beni. Inge tondali nsi yayi beni. O Jisus, indeed very. Thou lovest earth this much. O Jesus, wututalanga yayonso lumbu, katwa fete vanga looking on us every day, do not let us do wawubi. O Tata, vangisi missionaries zendanga kuna evil. O Father, make missionaries go (going) to Kongo benda longanga ye wantu ana twizi kala Congo going teaching people to come (and) live yaku oku zulu. with Thee in heaven. O Tata, zesa Mpevi aku kuna nchima mi-a-u, O Father, fill (with) Spirit Thy in hearts their ubavanganga nchima mi-a-u- mia sang' e vwadi kasi making them hearts their believe as wuna belongwanga. O Jisus, Inge wafita kwiza they are taught. O Jesus, Thou shalt come diaka kuza landa yetu ku zulu. again Thou to bring us to heaven. O Jisus, utuvana Mpevi aku kwai yetu utuvanga O Jesus, give us Spirit Thy to us making us ntouzi zabiza beni, ibosi e Mindeli batuvutidi diaka boys good very, then the white men will return us again kuna Kongo tune longi a ni-etu. O Jisus, kala kwai to Congo us to teach our kindred. O Jesus, be witli yetu yayonso lumbu. us every day. 264 ''FILL EARTH T/HS WITH SPIRIT THY.' O Jisus, Nzambi, Ingeye wuna kwaku vava, una O Jesus, God, Thou art (even) Thou here now kutu tala kwctu. O Jisus, kcba zimissionaries zina Thou us seest Thou. O Jesus, keep missionaries those kuna Kongo bana longa Fiote wa-u ; uba sadisa in Congo they teach l"yot (people) there ; them Thou help bazai-a beni c Fiote kiabiza, batoma longanga to know well the Fyot (tongue) good (or well) them with care instructing a Fiote. O uba sadisa bawanga kasi omana Fyot (people). O help them to hear (understand) as they belongwanga kwa Mindeli. Vanga e Mindeli mia- are being taught by white men. Make the white men (to be) mingi, bafidisanga e vanza yayingi, ya sumbwanga e many, sending moneys much to (use in) buying zimbongo, zafidiswanga kuna Kongo zalongila e cloth, sending to Congo (persons) to teach the wantu. Yana kabawilu mpobi a Jisus. O Tata, people. They do not hear (know) the command (or teachings) of Jesus. Q Father, kcba nfumu, vanga nchim' andi esemeni. Kwadi keep the kinc;, make heart his clean. Do not bika ko kavondisanga e wantu. Keba zintouzi let him kill (be killing) the people. Keep boys zazonsono zina kuna Kongo. Ubavanga bazona e all those in Congo. Make them love the zimissionaries. Zesa nsi yayi kwa Mpevi aku. mission.nries. Fill earth this with Spirit Thy. Keba abana kwendanga muna dikumbi ; keba abe Keep those gouig in the ship (steamer) ; keep those kwendang' ombazi. Keba yetu tuna vava. going to-morrow (to Congo). Keep us we who (arc) here. O Tata, keba bana kuna Kilifi ; ya bana kuna O Father, keep those at Cliff, and those at Lesta ; ubavanga nchima mi-a-u semeni. Utu sadisa Leicester; make (making) hearts their clean. Help us tuazaiya beni nkanda, ibosi tuvutukidi diaka kuna to know well book, then we go back again to Kongo. Kwadi bika ko tua vondananga. Inge kutu Congo. Do not let us be killing one another. Thou us kebanga yayonso lumbu. Inge kutu vananga kioso art keeping every day. I'hou us art giving any kilekwa kina tukulomba. Keba bana kuna Kongo. thing we ask Thee. Keep those in Congo. ''THE FATHER SEEKETH SUCH.'' 265 Ubavanga evwadi, kasi mana bilongwa kwa Mindeli. Make them believe as they are taught by (the) white men. O Nzambi Inge Setu ancni. O Mwan' aku Jisus, O God Thou (art) our Father great. O Son (child) Thy Jesus tondeli yetu bcni. Kakwiza va'nsi, kakwiza fwa, loves us nuich. He came on earth, He came to die, konta zazibi zctu. O vanga yetu tuantonda beni. for sins our. O make us to love Him nuich. E mambu maku ana me lungila nsi yayonsono, Jisus The words 'J'hy when extended (in) earth all, Jesus, ana vutukidi diaka kusa landi yetu aonsono tukala when Thou returnest again (do) Thou bring us all to be y'aku, ko ku'nsi aku yabiza, ayonso lumbu yinibilanga, with Thee in land Thy beautiful, every day singing kiesi ya kiesi, kweli mvu kuvutukidi mvu ! A.MEN. liappy, happy, for ever and ever ! (year begetting year). Amen. We were surprised and not a little moved by the desires expressed in the prayer here faithfully tran- scribed ; it seemed a blessed assurance of the coming day when Ethiopia shall stretch out her hands unto God ! Worldly, unconverted men may sneer at the mission children in Africa, but God, who sees the heart, looks on such lads as this very differently. " The Father seeketh such to worship Him." These desires were sincere, the lad's life proved it. He is a useful, consistent Christian man now, preaching Christ to his heathen fellow countrymen. There arc not a few such. When Professor Drummond was in Africa, he was attended on some of his journeyings by a native Chris- tian named Moolu, a convert of the Scotch mission on Lake Nyassa. His testimony to this lad is worth noting, and equally a reply to the sneers of the scoffer. He says, in his diary of Sunday, Oct. 28th : 266 PROFESSO/i DRUMMOND'S " MOOLU:' " In the evening we held the usual service, a piece of very primitive Christianity. Moolu, who had learned much from Dr. Laws, undertook the sermon, and discoursed with great eloquence on the Tower of Babel. The preceding Sunday he had waxed equally warm over the rich man and Lazarus ; and his de- scription of the rich man in terms of native ideas of wealth, ' plenty of calico and plenty of beads,' was a thing to remember. " Mission blacks in Natal and at the Cape are a byword among the unsympathetic, but I never saw Moolu do an inconsistent thing. He could neither read nor write, he knew only some dozen words of English. Until seven years ago he had never seen a white man ; but I could trust him with everything I had. He was not ' pious ' ; he was neither bright nor clever ; he was a commonplace black : but he did his dut}', and never told a lie. The first night of our camp, after all had gone to rest, I remember being roused by a low talking. I looked out of my tent ; a flood of moonlight lit up the forest, and there, kneeling upon the ground, was a little group of natives, and Moolu in the centre conducting evening prayers. Every night afterwards this ser\ice was repeated ; no matter how long the march, nor how tired the men. I make no comment. But this I will say, Moolu's life gave him the right to do it " Mission reports are often said to be valueless ; they are less so than anti-mission reports. I believe in missions for one thing, because I believe in Moolu." HENRY REED, Esq. TASMANIA. CHAPTER IV. A DARK YEAR IN THE DARK CONTINENT. In the summer of this year we received an en- couraging token that the providence of God was furthering our efforts for Africa in the shape of the promise of a steamer for the upper river. So great were the present difficulties of the Cataract Gorge, that we had hardly given much thought as yet to those which would confront us so soon as we should have a station at Stanley Pool. But as the great inland plateau, the elevated and healthy central tableland, was the chosen sphere of the mission, it was evident that a steamer on the upper waters would be a prime necessity if we were to reach the heart of Africa by the new water-way. This steamer would require to be a much larger one than the little Livingstone, and moreover she could not go out whole, and be at once launched on the Congo, as our first boat had been. She would have to go in sections, and make an overland journey of two hundred miles of rough, mountainous road on men's heads, and then be put together at Stanley Pool, a difficult and expensive operation. The sister mis- 267 258 STEAMER FOR THE UPPER RIVER. sion was provided with such a steamer, but then Mr. Arthington had given the 13. M.S. £'^,000 for its con- struction, maintenance, and transport. How could lue ever hope to raise funds for so costly an undertaking? We knew not, but felt that if it were the will of God, He could send the funds for the steamer, and the means to transport it to its destination. In the mean- time we followed as He led in the needful preliminary steps. There was no present need of a vessel, only a prospective one. One morning, shortly after INIr. Craven's return, there reached us, from the A ntipodes, a promise of the gift of just such a steamer as should be needed for the Upper Congo. Our late valued and beloved friend, Mr. Henry Reed, of Tasmania, took a deep interest in Africa and in this mission. He mentioned it on his death-bed to his dear wife as one of the things he left to her care. And right nobly she responded, and proved that her sympathy with the mission was not less than his own. Mrs. Reed wrote from Tasmania, saying she would provide for the needed steamer ; and we wished it to be called, in memory of her late dear husband, the Henry Reed. Thus a very important need of the mission was supplied before it was actually felt, and a strong and pleasant stimulus given to every worker connected with it. It was a real pleasure to have associated with the Congo enterprise the name of a departed friend whose own life had been in some senses a successful missionary one, and whose sympathies with gospel THE y HENRY REED:' 269 effbrts both at home and abroad had been strong and practical, and whose death had been that of a true saint. We were sure he would have greatly rejoiced in the mission, had he lived ; and we were glad that on African waters his name should be memorialized along with those of the late beloved Henry Venn and Henry Wright, both of which are borne by mission steamers of the C.M.S. We shall have more to say of this little vessel later on, the promise of it onlj- belongs to this year. Nor was this all. The carr}-- ing up of the steamer to Stanley Pool would cost as much as the steamer itself ; and He who provided the steamer provided for this outlay also. He aroused to deep sympathy with the mission Mr. W'illiam Blackstone, of Chicago, a friend at that time personally unknown to us, who exerted himself to raise help for this purpose against the time when it would be wanted. He took the trouble to diffuse information about the work in America, which at that time had not commenced any mission in Central Africa. He printed on a whole page of many newspapers a fine map of Africa which he had had prepared, and ap- pended information about the several Central African missions, especially our own. He thus raised many hundreds of pounds to help carry up the steamer. Such proofs of the power of God to move the hearts even of strangers at great distances to help cheered us in many a moment of discouragement and failing faith, of which the following twelve months were to bring us so many. FEVER AND FLOOD. We must now return to Africa, and note the in- cidents of this year, i88r, at the various stations of the mission ; and in doing so we shall need to re- member the blessed promise that " they that sow in tears shall reap in joy." At the first — Matadi, on the lower river — the year opened in deep gloom. Mr. Harvey was suffering from severe illness, and his young Scotch colleague, Hugh McKergow, had frequently to suspend the works of the new station in order to nurse his invalid friend. More than once he himself was laid aside in fever. At last Mr. Harvey became so dangerously ill, that early in January he was sent up to be nursed and kindly cared for by Mr. and Mrs. Craven at Palabala ; where, on the hill, it was hoped he might speedily recover. Not without serious mis- givings, however, was McKergow left alone for the time, and many an injunction was laid on him to send word at once to his friends, if he should be taken ill while left without any European companion. No sooner was Mr. Harvey gone, than he was actually laid low in fever ! As agreed, he immediately despatched a messenger to Palabala. But most un- fortunately the canoe on the M'poso River had been carried away in a flood, and there was no possibility of getting across ! The messenger therefore had to return to the sick man, who was rapidly getting worse. As soon as the ferry was re-established tidings of McKergow's illness were conveyed to Palabala, but some precious time had been lost. Two brethren went down at once to nurse the poor patient, but found DEATH OF HUGH McKERGOW. 271 that he could retain neither food nor medicine, and was becoming alarmingly ill. He wished Mr. Craven to be sent for, which was done. He arrived on the following day, and arranged for McKergow's removal to Palabala, as affording a last chance of recovery. It was not easy to convey an invalid over so* rough a road. Six Sierra Leone men carried him up and down the rocky hills, and he bore the journey well. The Cravens gave up their own room for him, and when comfortably settled in bed he said gratefully, " I think I shall get better now." For a time he seemed to do so, and gave orders to the " boys " as to what they were to do on their return to Matadi. But drowsiness soon came on ; it was difficult to rouse him for food and medicine. Every effort was made to sustain his strength, but he gradually became unconscious, and his colleagues saw that once more the angel of death was visiting the mission, and that a third of their party was to gain the martyr's crown. The young and stalwart frame became weaker and weaker, till life ebbed quietly away, and on Tuesday, the nth of January, 1881, just as the sun was sinking below the western horizon, dear Hugh McKergow entered his eternal rest ! He did not think he would die, but his last words were, " Thy will be done," words which the survivors had to make an effort to echo ! It was a dark day to them when for the third time they had to make a coffin and dig a grave in the night. An invitation was sent to the king, and he came to the funeral 272 ''THY WILL BE DONE:' with many of the natives. Mr. Craven spoke to them out of a full heart. He could not explain the mystery which in their simplicity they fully per- ceived : "If these men are the servants of God, if their God is strong and good, as they .say, why does He let them die thus?" But the people could and did recognise the love and compassion that moved their missionary friends to risk and lo.se life itself for tlieir sakes. They had got past the stage of arguing, as they often did at first, "The white man's country must be a very bad one, since they prefer coming to live with us, though our climate kills them." They had learnt to believe to some extent in disinterested love. A boy of the sister mi.ssion of the B.M.S. wrote to some friends in England later on, in his broken Engli.sh : " Another matter about God's white men we are much surprised at, that they leave their fine country to come to our wild country ; and the trouble they have in travelling and their dying, they do not consider, because out of their pity they desire to snatch us out of the hand of the devil, and to show us the path of our Saviour Jesus Christ. And we too, we like them very much from the bottom of all our heart." The news of this death was a great shock to us when it reached England in April. We had con- sidered Hugh McKergow as one of the strongest of the party, and while \\'& had often been anxious about Mr. Harvey had entertained no fears for him. We could not mourn for him that he had been called D YING FOR CHRIST AND AFRICA. 273 to hear his Master's " Well done ! good and faithful servant," after only one brief year of suffering and toil. The disciple who for Christ's sake and the gospel's has laid down his life is to be envied rather than pitied. But our hearts were heavy as we realized afresh the deadly nature of the climate with which we had to deal, and the heavy cost at which Christianity must be introduced into Congoland. The tidings of this third death in the mission reached us, as we have said, just as two new members, Messrs. Stephen White and Jesse Blunt, were preparing to sail next day from Liverpool to join the mission. The news might well have discouraged them and made them hesitate. We ivished them to take it like Gideon's proclamation to his warriors, and to turn back if they felt faint-hearted. It of course solemnized their views of the step they were about to take ; but after prayerfully considering the letter they felt only the more firmly resolved to go on in the name of the Lord, fully prepared, like dear Telford, Petersen, and McKergow,'to die if need be on the Congo, that Central Africa might receive the gospel. Each of our three first stations on the Congo had thus been founded at the cost of a precious life, a young, strong, earnest, consecrated life, gladly given for Jesus' sake ! Meantime some hopeful signs of progress towards spiritual results were appearing at Falabala, the oldest station of the mission,— -the only one at which as yet any command of the language had been attained. C. A. 18 MR. STEPHEN WHITE, OF DUNDEE. In writing from Palabala soon after his arrival Mr. Harvey said : The work is progressing very favourably here. There is an intense interest in the gospel message, which is ver>' encouraging. One cannot help seeing that the good seed is certainly not falling on rocky ground. The questions asked prove that the people not only listen but grasp intelligently the thoughts of the preacher, and could you glance round upon the eager black faces and watch them as with eyes, mouth, and ears open, they literally drink in the truth, you would realize, I think, as you never have done, that the privilege of dispensing the bread of life to these poor hungiy souls far outweighs any amount of self-sacrifice involved, and is not to be measured by silver or gold. 274 *'IVH0 MADE GOD? 275 One man inquired last Sunday at Idiada's town, " Who made God ?" and another asked, "Who is the stronger, God or the devil?" On being told, he said, "Then why does not God prevent the devil from tempting us ? " This was not an easy question to answer, and it was some time before they were satisfied. But they were at last, and were glad to hear that Satan is not to have it all his own way, for this is just opposite to their superstitions. We preach at three towns evei7 Sunday when able. The last to receive the gospel was Maduda's town. At first the people there were very suspicious of our intentions, and evi- dently afraid that the missionary was but the forerunner of the soldier. Now, after having so long received nothing but kindness, they are anxious to have the benefit of the teaching. At Mr. Richards' station of Banza Manteka some impression was also being made, though the soil was hard. He wrote : " I recently visited two towns which no other white man has, as far as we know, seen. The farthest is only a few hours' walk from this ; and I was told there are two more farther on in the same direction. This neighbourhood is consequently more populous than I had supposed. One of these towns is the nicest African place I have yet seen in the Congo region. It has a good broad road, and the huts on each side are ranged almost in line, though detached from each other. A row of trees borders the road on each side. The town is high, and the next still higher. After I had passed through it I turned round and looked down upon it, and really I never saw a more beautiful scene. The people seemed more in- telligent than their neighbours, but not less super- stitious. I got the native who was with me to call them together, and explain to them the purpose for which I had come to their country. They do not, V 276 AN ANSWERED PRAYER. of course, observe the Sabbath, but seemed wilHng to do so, though one man inquired zuhether the women might not zuork on Sunday. The following week quite a congregation came to the house for worship ; and they were very attentive during the service, though it lasted an hour and a half I spoke to them about the creation, the fall, and sin and guilt. It is difficult to make them believe that they are wicked, for they all assert that they arc good. They have come each week since to the service, and I shall never forget the first time I prayed among this people. I explained that I was going to speak to God, and that He would hear me and look upon each of us. They put their hands to their faces, and put their faces to the ground, and were very silent during the prayer ; but as soon as it was over some of them laughed. On one occasion they asked me to pray to God for rain, as I had told them it was no use to pray to their idols for it. I acceded to their request, and, although we had had no rain for ^ a long time and the crops were suffering, ,.-5=i-, a heavy shoivey came ''MOUNT PLEASANT." 277 Experiences of the McCall Party. We left Mr. McCall and the pioneers of the mission at Bemba in the autumn of 1880. How had they fared during the winter months ? It had been a time of severe physical suffering to dear Adam McCall, though he had said as little as possible about it to his colleagues, and had not men- tioned in writing home how seriously out of health he was. Mr. Clarke had been journeying up and down the river by canoe to get up goods, and the others had meanwhile erected a comfortable, roomy house on a plot of land which they had purchased. They had selected and cut their own timber, a hard and durable kind on the river bank, and chosen a beautiful site on a hill for the station. It had a good view, and enjoyed a delightful breeze, and they named it, poor fellows! Mount Pleasant. Meantime they were living in a very poor sort of hut during the building of the more permanent house. Under the shade of some giant trees by the river they had also constructed a landing stage for their canoes ; and they had planted a kitchen-garden, and established a small stock farm to supply them with food. Mr. INIcCall wrote : I have tinned carpenter in addition to being architect and surveyor, doctor, correspondent, and general manager of the work, the boys, the trading for food, the natives, and all the varied affairs requiring to be continually attended to. Speaking of the natives, we are getting on well with thcni, and they treat us with remarkable consideration, particularly in bringing us the numerous articles we constantly (now especially) require. They bring us thatch grass for our buildings, m'singa (native rope) to tie it with, mats beautifully made of grass or of reeds for our inside lining ; bam- 278 CHARACTER OF NATIVES. boos, palm branches, etc., etc. They bring us, in addition to the list I have previously given you (in a former letter), pineapples, cabbage, beans, honey, pumpkins, and Indian corn. In fact, I think I may say that for situation, salubrity, convenience, food supply, mission pur- poses {i.e. nearness of numerous inhabitants), and general station pur- poses, our new establishment will prove all that could be desired for the present ; probably at some future time we may require more exten- sive premises, but the buildings now approaching completion will answer every purpose for a considerable period. I have been greatly assisted in the erection of our houses by the intelligent co-operation of our "boys," one or two of them in particular, one being a carpenter, another a mason, two others capital thatchers, nearly all more or less au fait at helping to put up a house of simple construction, which accounts for the comparatively rapid progress we have made since all our "boys," excepting those sent to Matadi, finally arrived here, not a month ago yet. Mr. Clarke and Mr. Lanceley both write from this station on the north bank of the river among the Basundi people, that they found them better than they had expected. Stanley had spoken of them as a " most wretched, suspicious, and degraded race, quarrelsome, and intensely disposed to be affronted." Mr. Clarke writes : As to the natives of this country, we cannot say that our experience of them bears out the character which has been given them as a bad race, jealous and hostile, etc. They are, of course, given to stealing and lying, but I fear this is the rule among African tribes. To us they have been far from hostile. Only once during our stay have they shown any disposition to be so, and then the circumstances were an apology, and they have since shown a desire to keep on good terms with us. The king gave us the loan of a canoe without asking us any- thing for it, and without our requesting it ; and though it was left behind, and he wanted it to catch fish, he was not angry. Again to- day several of his men have been here volunteering to go down the river for more of our goods. That they are not of a savage disposition has been shown in many ways. They could easily have taken our lives on many occasions had YEARNING FOR SOULS. 279 they chosen to do so. We have had them helping in the cook house ; and when our supply of food was almost gone, the women cooked some of their native compounds, and brought them to us for sale, and we eat of them heartily and without fear. Had they wished to do it, they could easily have poisoned our food, and helped themselves to all our property. On several occasions I have been up and down the river for considerable distances searching for suitable wood for building. I was accompanied by natives, and without arms of any kind ; had they chosen to attack me, I was entirely at their mercy. So you see they are not bloodthirsty, nor are they wholly unlovable. My soul longs for the time when I shall be able to tell them fully and effectually of Jesu's love and power to save. I could scarcely restrain the tears that rose to my eyes when I was talking to one boy this afternoon, at the thought of his ignorance of the gospel of salvation. Mr. Lanceley similarly wrote that the people were by no means so bad as they had been painted. " They work for us freely ; they have brought up £100 worth of goods without supervision ; we can trust ourselves with them both by land and on the river ; they bring us a fair supply of food at reason- able prices ; if they are kindly treated they are most reasonable. They do not call themselves Basundi, but ' Bezi-Manyanga.' " But just as the new station was finished and the pro- spects of usefulness were looking hopeful, the storm of trouble again burst, and, alas ! never so severely I The earnest young leader was suddenly stricken with a double and treble sorrow, and his health, which had been failing for months, gave way completely under the fresh strain that came upon him. In his diary, the entries made on the 4th of Feb- ruary, 1 88 1, are marked round with a heavy black line. The party were sitting at breakfast that day when a Kroo-boy ran in to say the canoe was in sight. 28o ''DEAD NEWS FOR YOU, SIK:' Hastily finishing the meal, they ran down to their landing stage to greet the ardently longed-for " mail," for they had had no communication for many weeks with the outer world. " Alas, alas ! how little I knew what terrible news was coming upon me ! " writes McCall in his diary. " Stephen Smith first jumped ashore and handed me a large and bulky packet of letters, and then he abruptly added, ' Mr. McKergow is dead.' Incredu- lously I stared at him. ' McKergow ! dead ? ' said I. ' Yes, sir ; and there is dead ncios for you, sir.' ' What do you mean ? ' I asked. ' Your father, sir,' said he. ' What ? How do you know ? ' But I took the packet, rushed back to our house, and hurriedly and tremblingly began to tear open letter after letter till I came to one of Craven's, endorsed ' bad news.' I was amazed, stunned, could not realize it at all ! It held the announcement of my dear father's death." And well indeed might the son be .stunned, for the father's sudden death in the previous October had been a great shock to us and to all who had known him. He had no illness, and was by no means an old man. Erect in form and elastic in movement, bright, energetic, and full of life and feeling, he had seemed scarcely past the prime of life at his son's farewell meeting in Leicester in the previous March. His health had been remarkably good through life, and he was so tall, broad built, and full of robust vigour, that he seemed likely to attain a great age. He went to bed in ordinary health the Saturday night before his death, and on Sunday morning he THROUGH THE GATES INTO THE CITY." 281 entered his eternal rest ! It was supposed that some sudden effusion on the brain took place ; he was gone in half an hour from the first alarm. He was a man of childlike faith, and his life had been one of faithful, untiring service to God and man. For fifty years he had taught in or superintended the Sunday school of the Church of which he was a much-loved officer. The heartiness with which he had resigned his first- born and much loved son for the dangerous mission on the Congo evinced his sincere devotion to the work of God. Mr. McCall continues : " The terribly painful and wholly unexpected news was a crushing blow, . . . yet were there many precious golden and silver threads running through the dark cloud ! ... It was more like a transla- tion than a death ; no sickness, no lingering pain, no watching and waiting, no wasting away of the noble, manly form. Only a quiet, peaceful passing away, early on the first day of the week ! Instead of singing his accustomed morning hymn in the beloved Sunday school, to which he referred in his last words, he sang it in heaven, he joined the glorious, everlasting hymn of thanksgiving and praise to the Lamb that was slain, who redeemed us with His precious blood. Oh how happy a Sunday morning for him ! May the God of all comfort console our dear, dear widowed mother, — now, if possible, doubly dear ! " Other tidings of a painful nature reached him by the same mail — difficulties in the mission itself, and the utter destruction of Matadi Station by a tornado, — so that it was no wonder he wrote : " Putting all 282 DESTRUCTION OF MATADl STATION. together, Friday, February 4th, was the most terrible day I have ever yet experienced. Father dead, McKergovv dead, Matadi completely destroyed ! . . . After I had read the 91st Psalm, we had united prayer to our heavenly Father for special help, for strength and guidance under these very painful circumstances. ... I had to force back my own griefs and cares and take up at once, then and there, the most pressing questions. ... I did not turn in till about 5 a.m., and then could not sleep at all." Severe illness followed, and he was still extremely weak when the duties of his position obliged him to leave his colleagues at Bemba and go down to the lower stations of the mission. He was overtaken by a tremendous thunderstorm in one .stage of the jour- ney, and had to "tumble into a hammock and lie close and get wet all the weary long night," and feel "stiff and giddy" as a natural result in the morning. It was a comfort to reach the house of ]\Ir. and Mrs. Richards after a struggle through grass, " taller and thicker than ever, and all dripping with water. . . I was too tired to sleep, but to lie still with a roof over my head was a comfort ! " In conference with the brethren it was decided that plans must needs be altered to suit altered cir- cumstances, as is so often necessary in all African work. One brother being dead, another completely invalided, and a third going home, it was clear the remaining six could not man all the stations, even with the expected reinforcements. It was therefore resolved not to rebuild Matadi, but to transfer to SHOOTING A BOA CONSTRICTOR. 283 Palabala the building materials that sur\-ived the wreck, and to erect a large store there, and a new and stronger house, for the original one was by this time decaying and becoming dangerous. McCall subsequently went down to the old spot — now an intensely sad one to him — to superintend this operation. Here he was for some weeks kept busy in various tasks, among others in defending his stock from the attacks of a boa constrictor. " A few days ago this brute took one of our young kids. Markham shot with my rille, but of course missed. This afternoon I heard (while working in the store) the half suffocated cry of our other kid, and at once suspected the cause. The boys immediately came running in to tell me that the big snake had got the kid. I took down Mac's double shot gun, and loading with No. 4 shot ran up to the place (the cave), and there sure enough I saw the poor little kid completely encircled in the coils of the huge snake. I gave it both barrels quick, and it let go its deadly hug and wriggled down the sloping rock and tried to make off"; but I gave it two more shots, which put an end to its career effectually, and finally one more shot to make sure. Then I crept in under the over- hanging rock or roof of our cave, and grasping it by the end of its tail dragged its horrid length right out ; it was still engorged and swollen from the effects of its recent repast on our kid. We hauled it down to our ' compound,' and there I measured it, full nine feet six inches. The boys were in high glee over the capture, and the effectual delivery from its further ravages. " Early in March Mr. McCall proceeded to Banana to meet the fresh missionaries, and while awaiting the steamer he secured a good site for the new station there. He had afterwards another severe attack of hepatic derangement ; but sea air, regular and pro- perly cooked meals, and rigid attention to the doctor's advice brought him round, and in May he wrote quite cheerfully of being nearly up to his " usual standard 284 "YE HAVE NEED OF PATIENCE. of health and vigour." He was delighted with the arrival of the fresh reinforcements, as well as with the house, the boat, and all that had been sent, but dread- fully disappointed that it had been found impossible to secure a fresh gang of Kroo-boys, as this again delayed an advance into the interior, and made it difficult also to push on quickly with the building of Banana Station. He sent a special messenger back to Cape Palmas to engage a gang, but he too failed to secure one. This was a great trial of patience, and McCall wrote : I try not to chafe and worry myself because I cannot get away up country to prosecute my plans for getting up to Stanley Pool, but I find my thoughts continually day and night carrying me away to the far interior, and have to pray especially {ox patience. As Livingstone says : " Surely, if God can bear with hardened impenitent sinners for thirty, forty, or fifty years, waiting to be gracious, we may take it for granted this is the best way. . . . NVe must feel that there is a Governor among the nations, wlio will bring all His plans with respect to our human family to a glorious consummation. He who stays his mind on the ever-present, ever-energetic God will not fret himself because of evil doers. ' He that believeth shall not make haste.' " I may just say en passant that I am delighted with this new life of Livingstone, which is grand. One seems to enter into the very soul and spirit of the noble man. How natural and unaffected he was ! how simple and genuine ! May the Lord grant us to be more like him, and thus more like the Master whose footsteps he so long un- weariedly and faithfully followed ! Alluding to the men newly arrived, he writes : We get on well together. Every day I am the more convinced of the necessity of thoroughly unselfish and brotherly co-operation in order to the successful prosecution of our great work ; and of the necessity of simple, absolute trust in the living GoJ, complete dependence on the lovingkindness and perfect knowledge of the blessed Lord whose king- dom we desire to extend. "CAST DOWN, BUT NOT DESTROYED. 285 The summer was spent in erecting the new station at Banana, in distributing the newly arrived mission- aries and stores, in sending home Mr. and Mrs. John- son, who were recalled as not suited to the mission, and Mr. and Mrs. Craven, who, as we have mentioned were sent home on sick leave, and in generally super- intending the interests of ^he mission. But all this time Adam McCall's health was rapidly failing, and serious internal mischief was pro- gressing. On Sept. 9th he wrote : This last week I hnve been very ill indeed, and still am, the old com- plaint, but much worse and more severe ; all my symptoms show that I am hovering on the verge of hepatic abscess, and you know how serious an affair that is. . . . ' I have spoken of going on with my work in the interior, but whether I shall be able to move a single step in that direction I do not know ! I am in a precauous state ; my liver enormously enlarged and permanently affected. I have therefore deter- mined to go to Landana and consult Dr. Lucan. This is manifestly my duty ; all the brethren urge me to do it, and if Dr. Lucan, as I am afraid he will, orders me to leave this climate immediately, \vhat am I to do ? who will direct the onward move of our mission ? I have a most passionate and consuming longing to get away up country, now especially ! I have in my mind a host of plans and arrangements which I could with God's blessing carry out, and I long, with a longing few could understand, to be in the midst of it and carry them out ! We have made very special prayer to God for my recovery, at any rate so far that I may be able to carry out my heart's desire. I am taking a new and powerful medicine, but it only seems to shift the pain about from one part to another. Still I have determined that, if it be at all possible, I will (u.v.) go up in about ten days from now. Though it had been a great trial to him all^through the summer to be unable to advance up the country for lack of Kroo-boys, yet he felt that there was perhaps providential guidance in the hindrance, as 286 NOT EXPLORERS, BUT MISSIONARIES. his presence at Banana seemed of great importance while the new station there was being built and organized, and a new house also at Palabala. He had previously written : It would of course be far pleasanter, and sound as if we were pushing on faster, if I were to leave Banana and Palabala to take their chance, as it were, and go ahead at all risks into the interior. But my desire is not to be considered a hero or anythifig of that kind (though you know how exceedingly desirous I am to go ahead), but firmly lo establish our mission on a thoroughly good -Morking basis. ^Ye are not explorers, but missionaries ; there are plenty of explorers. Stanley Pool is no longer an unknown land, and will soon be occupied by many white men ; it seems to me that what ive ought to do is not so much to rush ahead as to plant real mission stations as we go. For every reason I think this the best. No station can ever begin to be really useful unless it is thoroughly well established to begin with, and unless the brethren settle down at it, master the language, and cultivate the acquaintance and goodwill of the natives in the vicinity. These people get to know and trust us veiy slowl)', and do not like strangers and strange faces too often. Our main object I take it is to preach the gospel, to raise and civilize the people, to plant centres of light and knowledge in the land ; and this, as constant experience has proved, can only be done gradually. We must grow like a tree planted by the rivers of water, slowly but surely, always developing, and so acting that what we do is done rocll, and will last. The feeling that he was needed at the mouth of the river was however exceeded by the strong desire to get to the front. Before the close of this same letter, after describing how well Lanceley and Clarke had " held the fort " up at Bemba all alone for many months, he says : Ah, dear Mrs. Guinness, it is no use ! y must go! My whole heart yearns to be away up river, and to bear the bi-unt with my brothers ! I know I am wanted here ; that is patent ; but I cannot stay and leave them to battle on alone up yonder. No, I simply cannot 1 "rO BEAR THE BRUNT WITH MY BROTHERS." 287 He was soon convinced however, both by his inter- view with Dr. Lucan, of Landana, and by increasing suffering, that there was no time to lose in leaving Africa, if his life was to be saved at all ; and he began to set things in order with a view to sailing for home by the following month's mail. There was however much to be arranged first, as he was director of the mission in Africa ; and though utterly unfit for the journey, on Monday, the 26th of Sep- tember, he started up the river in the Livingstone to take Mr. Smith and Mr. Frederickson to Palabala, and make final arrangements with Messrs. Harvey and Waters. In his diary he writes how he "took the helm for distraction of mind from pain," how on reaching Ponta da Lenha he was " in agony " after dinner, and had to ask his host to excuse him, and to take chloral and retire to bed, but not to sleep, even under the influence of opium subse- quently employed. Still, though unable to walk, he was carried on board next day and proceeded to Boma, and the following day — steering again to keep his mind occupied — to Matadi. Here he was again seized with a fit of very severe pain, had to lie down on the floor for some time, and felt that walking up to Palabala was out of the question. In his diary he writes : Determined however to go on at all risk now ! The others rigged out an impromptu hammock and carrying pole, with a cotton blanket. Into this I crept, and about 11 a.m. we made a start. Heat oppres- sive ! Had to walk every now and then of course. Halted at old site, showed the spot to Smith and Frederickson ; sad ! sad ! always brings poor McKergow before me ! On again ; carrying, heavy work for the 288 ''FOR WHOM I HAVE SUFFERED." men ; reached the river. On again ; suddenly bang! went the blanket, slit right across ! I fell on the ground flat ; it shook me, but curiously enough did not at the time appear to hurt me much. There was no- thing for it now but to take off my coat and try to walk ; it was a terrible struggle ; I shall not soon forget it ; had to halt for breath every few yards ; but I did get down to the IM'poso by some means, and over it, and then screwed myself up for a last desperate effort to reach the little fresh-water stream under the trees. This last attempt was too much, I positively reeled along ; never do I remember being so thanlvful to reach any place as I was to reach this stream, and, taking a draught of cool water, lie down on the rocks. To go farther was impossible, so I sent a note to Harvey for hammock, pole, and native carrricrs, to finish the journey. Just as it was getting dark, Kinkella Mabambo and Lusalla ap- peared, with another strong carrier. The hammock was soon rigged up, and we started to make the tremendous ascent, bad for a good walker in health, but a fearful road to be carried up ! Kinkella took the most difficult post, i.e. the back of the pole, and away w^e went, Lusalla in front. When we came to the remarkable white quartz reefs I got out ; it was not within the reasonable power of man to drag a loaded hammock over than. Having passed them and gained a fair path, I got in again ; and just as they were starting, bang ! went the hammock, once more letting me fall about three feet, on to my back. It was a terrible shock. It went through me like a charge of elec- tricity. Smith rushed to lift mc up, but I begged him to let me lie still a minute. Then I got up, had the hammock refixed, and once more got in, this time keeping hold of the pole ! Up, up we climbed, Kinkella and Lusalla doing wonders, but it was a heavy strain on them. It 289 afterwards became so cold I had to be covered in under my rug, and to leave off holding the pole. We arrived at the old house at 8. 30 p. m. Thursday and Frida)-, the last two days of Septem- ber, he spent at Palabala, too ill even to write, but arranging for some needful building operations, for distribution of stores, etc., and dictating for hours letters and instructions for the different brethren and stations. " With the exception of meals and fervent united prayer, I did not cease dictating nor Waters writing letters, instructions, directions, particulars, cautions, hints, etc., until Saturday morning at 6 a.m. It was awful, but imperative! Then hurriedly putting together my few things and taking a cup of coffee and an egg, I started, carried by two of the Cabinda boys, for the Livingstone, at Matadi." His last hours in Africa were cheered by the recep- tion of the, to him, joj-ful intelligence of the delation to the mission of the Henry Reed steamer for the Upper Congo. " Very good news," he writes in his log, "from Mrs. Guinness"; then after particularizing, " Capital ! Thank the Lord ! Bless His name! " He secured a comfortable, roomy cabin in the S.S. Lnahiha, which brought him this intelligence, and taking leave of Messrs. Billington and Angus went on board. C. A. 19 Noif I fitr/Jicr saw llial /lehuixl tliem and the (^ale -ens a river, but there 7uas vo bridge to go over ; the river was very deep. . . . The pilgrims then began to despond in their minds. . . . They asked the men if the waters were all of a depth. They said, ' No ' ; yet they could not help them in that case ; 'for,'' said they, 'you shall find it deeper or shallower as you beliei'e in the King of tlie place.^ . . . A'oza I sUiL' in my dream, that these two men went in at the gate : and as they entered they were transfigured, and they had raiment put on them that shone like gold. There were also that met them with harps and crmL'ns and gave to them — the harps to praise withal, and the cro^wns in token of honour. . . . No^m just as the gates were opened to let in the men, I looked in after them, and, behold, the city shotie like the sun; the streets also were paved with gold, and in them walked many men, with cr. 311.) It was in the summer of this year, 1882, that we had the joy of witnessing the baptism of the first- fruits to Christ from Congo, N'dambi and Pukamoni, or, as they were named afterwards, Francis and Robert Walker. These two dear lads had been for some time under instruction at Palabala Station before they accom- 315 3i6 ''IVBAT niNDEREril ME TO HE BAPTIZED r panied Mr. and Mrs. Craven to England in the summer of 1881. Since that time we had been in daily intercourse with them, and had learned to love and esteem them. The nature of their occupation, day hy day — furnishing the materials for a study of the Congo language, the native equivalents for English phrases — had of course thrown them much into the company of Mr. Guinness, Mr. Craven, and others, who had thus come to know their minds and characters pretty thoroughly. It had for .months been evident that their hearts were right with God, and that reverence for God and faith in Christ had sprung up within them. Their conduct had been good and satisfac- tory in every way. Their intelligence, perseverance, industry, and amiability, coupled with their love of reading and prayer, were remarkable. Mental effort was of course not easy to lads so recently rescued from savagerj'. Yet thej- studied and toiled at literary work for six and eight hours a day, and often more, without impatience, and they took a vivid interest in the work of translation, or rather of telling the stories of the Old and New Testament in their own tongue, for regular transla- tion was not then attempted. Their earnest desire to please God was very marked. Hence, when they expressed the wish to be baptized as Christian dis- ciples, we felt that there was no ground to refuse their request, but quite the reverse. On the same day on which, after months of patient toil, Mr. Guinness revised the last sheets of THE FIRSTFRUITS OF THE MISSION. 317 his grammar of the Congo language and sent it to press — July 31st, 1882 — he had the joy of baptizing these two dear lads in the East London Tabernacle of our friend the Rev. Archibald Brown. The occa- sion was one of intense interest to all our party. The firstfruits of the mission ! Atid, " gathered in time or eternity, what, oh what, should the harvest be ? " Faith could look forward and see scores, hundreds, nay, why not thousands and millions of such, — Ethiopia's dark sons, — pressing into the king- dom ! F"irstfruits ! Love looked back and remem- bered the men and women who had gone forth weeping, bearing precious seed, and who had endured so much hardness in the endeavour to break up the fallow ground for the .sowing of that seed. They were not visibly present with us, to rejoice in the fruit of their labours ! But who should say their spirits were not in full sympathy with ours ? What would not dear Telford, McKergow, McCall, and Mary Richards have given to see that sight ? What did they not give that that sight might be seen ? Jill they had, all they could give — themselves .' These lads have continued faithful, and been useful in the mission ever since. They returned to Africa with Mr. and Mrs. Craven, who were quite recruited in health, at the close of the year ; while Mr. Harvey, who had been three years nearly on the Congo, was invalided home in the autumn, and also Mr. Billington. NATURAL BRIDGES OF FALLEN TIMHEk. l-^. 3«S CHAPTER VII. FJ^OGRESS IX AFRICA IN 188-2. It had been a great question with many which side of the Congo, north or south, offered the best route to Stanley Pool and the upper river. Stanley had selected the north, but it had proved difficult. W e had so far stuck to the south side ; but before fixing on sites for any further stations, and especially before attempting to send up a steamer for the upper river, we wished the missionaries carefully to examine both sides. A sufficient quantity of goods and provisions hav- ing been by this time collected at the Bemba, and a good gang of Kroo-boys assembled, ^Messrs. Richards, Clarke, and Ingham started in December of this year and went up to the Pool by the north side, a journey of about one hundred and sixty miles, thirty of which they travelled over the road cleared by Stanley for his wagons. He was at this time just building the station of Leopoldville, on the south shores of the Pool. Our party were anxious to see and consult with him, and return by the south side. But a sudden and unaccountable outbreak of warlike hostility 320 DIFFICULTIES OF THE NORTH BANK. among the people at Mfwa prevented their crossing, and though they fired several times, they did not succeed in catching the attention of the white men opposite. Their conclusion was decidedly against this northern road on the grounds of its difficulty, and the great scarcity of provisions, which would make it expensive to feed a large gang of Kroo-boys or other carriers. The road was in places fairly good and easy; in other parts extremely difficult, " like climbing up and down a church tower" — alternate ascents and descents of 800, 1,000, or 1,200 feet, and once even of 1,800. Landslips were frequently visible, of recent occurrence, and the process of forming fresh valleys could almost be seen in operation. About thirty streams and rivers falling into the Congo were crossed in the course of the journey, and each had cut for itself a channel more or less deep through the higher table- land at the sides of the Congo. Most of these streams were shallow enough to be fordable v. ith comparative ease, though it would sometimes be needful to ascend the stream for some distance before crossing. Only five were impassable without canoes ; some of the others-were crossed by natural bridges of fallen tim- ber, and others by bridges of native construction. Very beautiful at times are the mountain torrents, pitching over their rocky beds. One Sunday, when quietly encamped near the Lufu River, Mr. Richards and Mr. Ingham took a stroll some way up its course, led on by the sound of an unseen cataract, and dis- covered a beautiful waterfall. " The river falls in a ''FIRE! IF YOU IV ILL." 321 clear leap of a hundred feet. The trees looked as if they were spreading their leafy hands over the fall in wonder at its beauty, while others bent right for- ward as if awed into humility by its grandeur. It was really one of the most picturesque sights I ever saw. This Lufu River is one of the best sites for a mission station I have seen in Africa : plenty of people, plenty of land, plenty of good water and timber, plenty of water power for a saw-mill, and with a splendid view of the Congo rushing down just above the Ntombo Mataka falls." The country was populous, especially on the road more inland from the river, by which the travellers returned ; and the people were found as a rule friendly. Rudeness and opposition were experienced from time to time, but none of a serious character was encountered save at the Pool. There guns were produced, and even presented at close quarters. On one such occasion Mr. Richards walked right up to the man, and baring his chest, said, " Fire ! if you will." The man dropped his gun and walked off At one place Mr. Ingham speaks of "youngsters rushing about with guns, and beating themselves on the breast after the manner of enraged gorillas." But no harm came of it ! On many occasions the exhibition of the power of a rifle or of a revolver, and of the speed with which white men could fire if they zuished, seemed to have a remarkably sobering effect on unruly mobs, and brotherhood was suddenly acknowledged where just previously war had been C. A. 21 3-2 proclaimed. Mr. Richards remarks, "Might is every- thing with an African — 7'igJit nothing ! " The mere possession of firearms without ever using them, was consequent!)- of occasional service to the party. When asked if they would like the white man to come and live among them, the people generally seemed pleased with the idea, and said, " Yes ! come ! " " May we build a house here ? " " Certainly ! Build away ! build away ! " At times strange superstitious fears were expressed however, and it was evident that in some places the absence of the strangers was more desired than their presence. The languages met with varied a little, but not vcrj- materially, from that in use at Palabala and INIan- teka. Mr. Richards was able to make himself under- stood all the way to the Pool. The greatest difficulty encountered on the road arose from the scarcity of food. Ever^-where it was dear, and in some places unprocurable. There is not much cultivation of the soil, so that in some parts the people looked miserably fed, and their children sadly thin. There is little or no game, and fishing seems the principal source of food supply. " Near Mbu the people laughed at our offer of a handkerchief for a fowl, though we get two for one at Manteka, and three at Bemba. Here they demanded six yards of cloth ! " One king gave the part\- a goat, but before it was killed, being displeased with the return present, he demanded it back. Shortly after some fowls were 323 bought, and the purchasers took care to despatch them at once ! But if meat was scarce and dear, milk not to be had, and only an insufficient quantity of grain, dessert was abundant. Beautiful pineapples could be bought for one bead each ! They grew wild on every hillside, strewed the very path in places, and filled the markets. The danger was that the Kroo-boys would get dj-sentery from eating too many. What a revenue would arise to Congo if its superfluous fruits could only be sent off to the coast, and sold in London and Paris ! Not till the impoverishing effect of the total absence of commerce is seen and felt, is its position as a handmaid of civilization fully realized. The north side route being thus definitely aban- doned, two new stations were this year founded in advance on the southern side of the river, the sixth and seventh planted by the mission. Messrs. Clarke and Ingham selected the site for the first of these two, Mukimbungu, a little out of the direct line to Stanley Pool, nearer to the river. This station afterwards became the centre for the Swedish missionaries connected with the mission, and was ulti- mately transferred to the Swedish Society. It proved a very judiciously selected spot, and was near enough to the river to admit of work on the opposite side. Mr. Clarke wrote of several encounters with herds of elephants on this journey. These animals are fre- quently met with in this part of the country, and were occasionally shot by the missionaries, who^ though they did not go out of their way or waste time and strength unnecessarily for the sake of hunting, 324 MUKIMBUiVGU AND LUKUXGA STATIONS. yet were glad at times to secure for their carriers a supply of meat by the use of their guns, as well as to rid the natives of unwelcome visitors from whom their gardens too often suffered severely. Mukimbungu Station was founded in February, 1882, among a friendly people who pressed the tra- vellers to tarry in their midst. As the plan of using the river and the north shore had been found inexpe- dient, the new station was placed so nearly opposite Bemba that the stores and materials accumulated there could be easily transferred to the new site. The local king gave a large and fertile tract of ground, and liberty to cut down any hard-wood trees in his district except fruit and palm trees. He sent his men to show the best places for good timber, and presented besides a fine pig, and all this for a "dash" or present of " one superior bread knife, three caps, twelve yards of check 'domestic' and twelve of stripe, twelve of super cloth (or calico), and one shirt." So that free- hold property is not expensive on the Congo ! A chool was soon established here, and Mr. Fredrick- son devoted himself to teaching and training the young while studying the language. The seventh station was planted at Lukunga, about thirty miles farther on. It was with great difficulty the carriers were persuaded to go thus far, and far- ther they would not move. There had been some fighting with Stanley's men in advance, and their courage failed. Messrs. Clarke, Richards, and Petter- sen, who were at this time the pioneering part}-, were desirous of reaching the X'dunga towns, which were 326 DESERTERS. only separated from them at Lukunga by one valley. But the men were afraid, and preferred deserting and losing all their w ages to risking an advance ! At first they w ould not even cross the Lukunga stream. They w ere told that if they refused to stay they might go, and that the w hite men would proceed without them. This brought them to their senses, and the greater part consented to remain. Four of them however went off. These " palavers " are some of the most trying experiences the missionaries have to encounter. The anxiety produced by desertion and the fear of it often makes them ill, and to see alterca- tions going on in the caravan increases moreover the distrust of the surrounding natives. "No notice was taken of the deserters, and soon afterwards a depu- tation from the rest of the men came forward praying," writes Mr. Clarke, "not to be sent away, and promising not to make any more 'palaver,' but to do whatever we might ask them. One of them made me almost laugh outright by kneeling on the ground, and with out- stretched hands saying, ' Do you please, niassa ! you please ! We no fit to make no more palaver. Do you please, massa ! ' We con- sented at last that they should stay, and soon all were busy arranging a camp, for we saw it would be impossible to go on for a day or two, as the people were evidently greatly frightened. I was not altogether sorry for the delay, as I was suffering from sore feet, and in other ways ill besides. . " From what we learned we thought it advisable to establish our- selves there for a time— at least, if a suitable place could be found. We could see they are a class of people not much to be trusted, and that unless they got thoroughly acquainted with us it would not be safe to have carriers passing through that district unaccompanied by one or more of ourselves. The river here is not fordable in the rainy season, and at such places we generally experience trouble from the extortionate demands made upon us by canoe owners. After much consideration we resolved to look out for a place where we might build a temporary station, and found a very suitable one on a low hill at a little distance from our SUPERIORITY OF NATIVES OF LUKUNGA. 327 camp. Round one end of it flows the Lukunga, here about thirty yards wide, and having a plentiful supply of beautiful fish, some two feet long. Its banks are wooded, and there is very good soil for gardening. Here, we thought, if we build a station, we shall at all times have a good supply of water and firewood, wood for building, bamboo and palm leaves, as well as abundance of food. Here we can have a canoe of our own ; in fact, a fine tree of which to make one stands close to the spot where we determined to pitch our tent. As this was the second time the Lord had permitted us to be stopped in this district, as I was ill, as the boys refused to go farther, and as the natives wished us to stay, we told them we would build at the river side, a little distance from the village. They said, 'AH right, we are glad' ; and promised to bring us grass, native string, mats, food, etc." A dozen different towns are visible from this spot on the neighbouring hills and mountains. Some of the men who have visited the missionaries from these places seemed superior people, tall, fine-looking men, intelligent and gentle. There are great distinctions between the different tribes of Congoland, some hav- ing a low and vicious look, and others presenting a very different appearance. Mr. Clarke, leaving his comrades to build in this pleasant spot, returned to send up goods and stores, and was taken ill on the road. He wrote while detained for a fortnight by severe sickness : " I am now ill and was in bed nearly all day yester- day ; in fact, I have been ailing for ten days ; but the Lord is with me. His love is sweeter than all else I possess, and I cannot but thank Him for this illness, for it is when I am most troubled that I get the sweetest draughts of the water of life." He was glad to find that he could secure native carriers as far as Lukunga — a great relief, as they could be trusted without supervision, and were of 328 STANLEY'S DESCRIPTION OF LUKUNGA. course less expensive than imported Kroo-boys. Still for a time the missionaries could not get on without the Kroo-boys ; the use of them alone provoked the natives to competition. When they saw strangers earning money in their country by simply doing for others what they themselves were constantly doing for their own trade — carrying heavy loads long dis- tances— then they naturally said, " Why should zve let than do that work ? We could do it just as well, and better ! " Having learned by this time to trust both the kind treatment and the fidelity to engage- ments of the missionaries, they became by degrees willing to do their transport, though often very dif- ficult to manage, and not unfrequently stealing by the way from the packages which they carried. This station at Lukunga has turned out a very satisfactory one in every way. Though it is rather anticipating, we may give here a sketch of it and its surroundings as they struck an observant eye, written later on by a practised pen. On his last journey down the country, in the spring of 1884, Mr. Stanley travelled on the south side of the river, and visited some of our stations. He thus speaks of this one at Lukunga, where Mr. and Mrs. Ingham were then residing, where Mr. Hoste laboured so long, and where Mr. Harvey now is : "A few miles beyond this favoured and amiable community of N'dunga we begin the descent into the broad valley of the Lukunga, where we are hospitably received by Mr. and Mrs. Ingham of the Livingstone Mission. I should have wished that my chiefs who have affected to labour at Manyanga had seen the pretty little station which WOMAN'S INFLUENCE IN AFRICA. 329 this soldier missionary had constructed, with half a dozen men, or rather boys. The mission cottage was as dainty within as any resi- dence need be. A spacious garden behind it presented a vivid promise: a well-lhat the constraining love cf Christ can do would be led to expect. From letters received from Hp and doivn the country, and from personal experience, I can safely say each departure is an additional incentive to those left behind to spend DEATH OF WILLIAM APPEL. 345 and be spent for the Lord Jesus ; and, as the world says, to '''make hay •Mhile the stin shines." There can be not the smallest doubt that to the majority who come and labour here " life is short," and very short ; but, blessed be God ! what is clipped from time may be said to be added to this side of eternity. What gainers then each of us will be who are taken from the evil to come, and admitted to the regions of the blest ! Nevertheless, for more than one reason I am in no hurry as yet, but am willing, very willing, to stay a while and outlive a number of failings and weaknesses, as well as to glorify my God below by offering a goodly amount of heart service to Him. The news from up-country is very cheering. Nor was the death-roll of the year 1882 complete even then ! Another name was yet to be added to it in the summer, and that one of a worker who had only just reached the country — the bright and beloved young brother, William Appel. He sailed in May, arrived out in June, and died in July! We were spending a few weeks in Scotland in September, and had reached Glasgow from the north late one evening to give an address on the needs and claims of Central Africa next day, when we were met by these heavy tidings. They stunned us completely for a time ; we could scarcely believe them true ! None of the deaths that had previously taken place in the mission took us so completely by surprise. He had left us so recently, seemed so well suited to the climate, had written so cheerfully by the last mail, and had been exposed to no severe strain or great danger. It seemed so mysterious a providence too ! W^e had hoped much from his labours ; he was MR. WILLIAM APPEL. Died at Banana, 1S82. better prepared than many to render valuable service to the mission, and no one who had joined it had seemed more full of faith and zeal, or more devoted in heart. And was all this thrown away and lost ? For a moment we felt as if it was. We were inclined to say amid our tears, W/ij> this ivaste? Might not this life have turned to more account elsewhere ? But then we remembered that the alabaster box of oint- 346 . DANGEROUS ENERGY. 347 ment broken on His head, though very precious, was not wasted — only poured forth and expended in the best possible way, and privileged to win the Lord's own special approval. But it was a great trial of faith, and made us again ask, Can we carry on this mission ? Dare we help young men to risk life thus? We were thankful to remember that we had earnestly counselled Appel to work in Natal for a few years before he went to Congo, thinking him too young for the climate. He had however begged so earnestly to be allowed to go with Dr. Sims, that the council consented to his wish. After we had studied the letters giving details of this fresh catastrophe, we perceived that his life had indeed been in one sense thrown away, and that with a little more prudence and discretion, it might in all probability have been preserved for many a year. Dr. Sims reported that he had, in his usual active, energetic way, exerted himself after his arrival, ex- actly as if he had been at home. Just before his fatal illness he had walked in the hot sun thirty-two miles in two days, climbing by rocky and difficult paths from sea-level to a height of i,6oo feet, and taking no rest afterwards. He had been advised to take less exercise, but was unwilling to be idle. The result was fever ! He was taken ill at nine at night on Tuesday, July i8th, and gone before sunrise on Saturday 1 He was doing missionary work even in this brief and severe illness, pleading with the " boys" to come to Christ, rejoicing in Him as "the way, the truth, and the life," " the only w&y for me, the way I 348 CAUTION REQUIRED ON THE CONGO. am taking, the one I am trusting." He had been looking forward with great joy to the thought of joining Ingham up the country. Now he said, " Give my love to Ingham ; tell him I am going home ! " Dr. Sims read to him, " Let not your heart be troubled." " No," he said ; " no ! I am at perfect peace ! I am not troubled : I am happy. Jesus has gone to prepare a place for me. I am going there ! " He thought of the sorrow his death would give at home, and said of one he loved, " It will break her heart ! " and then, knowing how bitterly we should feel his death, he added also, " Poor Mrs. Guinness ! " Up to the last he seemed pre-occupied with heavenly things, his coun- tenance shining with a light and a brightness that were not of earth. " I shall soon be in His presence," he said, and asked Miss Spearing, who was kindly nursing him, for the words of the hymn, — "Then, Lord, shall I fully know, Not till then how much I owe." His illness was largely attributable to over-exertion on arrival. It is very difficult for strangers to the climate to realize the need of extreme caution on first reaching the Congo. They feel as usual, and fancy they may safely exert themselves as usual. A measure of excitement amid new scenes, the eager desire to get to work, the very enthusiasm which grace kindles in the soul, at the first contact with heathenism, all incite the young missionarj' to im- mediate and earnest activity ; while the change of climate demands quietness, and causes even moderate DEATH THE LAW OF FRUITFULNESS. 349 exertion to be attended with risk. We resolved in future to lay the responsibility of caring for new arrivals on older and more experienced men, and to require new recruits to yield to the guidance of ^veterans. Age also had evidently something to do with the sad result in this case. Appel was young. Gordon used to say, " Send me no men under forty for work in the Soudan." He had found young fellows break down quickly. At forty, however, the learning of a language would be difficult, and men have as a rule adopted some life-work long before that age, so that it is difficult to free themselves for missionary service. But there is no doubt that for Central Africa thirty is better than twenty, and that men of forty have a very good chance indeed of escaping illness. Times of discouragement and deep depression occur in the history of all such enterprises for the redemption of men. Very wonderful is the uniform prevalence of that great law of which the sufferings " even unto death " of our blessed Lord Himself were the greatest example. He announced the law, though He did not explain the reason and ground of it : " Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone ; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit." Life comes out of death ; travail is the law of fruitfulness ; nature herself teaches the lesson. The preservation of the individual is in the inverse ratio to the growth and improvement of the race. Every great advance issues from catastrophe and trouble. The regeneration of Africa is and will be 350 LIVINGSTONE'S DA Y OF DISCOURAGEMENT. no exception to the great law whose raison d'etre we shall understand when the mists have rolled away. For the present we have but to bow to it, and they are wise who reckon beforehand on its operation. Such a day of deadly discouragement and difficulty came to David Livingstone, when — after all his long labours and bright hopes for the Christian coloniza- tion of the healthful Shire highlands— a combination of untoward incidents foiled all his well-laid plans, and brought painful defeat instead of hoped for success. The frequent detentions of the Pioneer by sandbanks made it impossible to keep appointments with ocean steamers. The Universities Mission got into collision with the natives. Bishop Mackenzie and Mr. Burrup died just when the sister of the former and the wife of the latter had arrived. Several members of the mission retired. He had heard of the death of the Helmores at Linyanti, and the with- drawal of their colleagues also. Other trials were pressing on him. All seemed dark around him, every- thing going wrong ; and then — detained in the Zam- besi lowlands by one of the frequent and unavoidable contretemps — calamity came still nearer to his heart, and his beloved " Mary," the brave and loving wife with whom he had hoped to make and share a home, at last, stricken with the fatal fever, drooped and died ! He had to dig her grave under the big bao- bab tree at Shupanga, just when he was hoping to enjoy her society after their past frequent long and painful separations. What wonder that, brave hero though he was, he "BY GOD'S HELP— FORWARD r' 351 wrote, " For the first time in my life, I feel willing to die " ! What wonder that his heart was broken, and that he found it difficult to say. Blessed be the name of the Lord ! What wonder that to buckle on his armour and renew the fierce struggle with such a legion of obstacles seemed almost more than he could do? So far, all his great and costly discoveries had apparently only issued in an increase of the cruel slave-trade, and the Portuguese were freely aiding and abetting it. The country was already depopulated in some places by their raids ; skeletons greeted his eyes on the road, slave corpses entangled his paddle wheels on the river ; his heart was riven with anguish. He was powerless, and iniquity was triumphant ! His best efforts seemed frustrated, his expedition was re- called by Government, and with bitter pain he had to leave 900 miles of the coast which he had longed to deliver, to the Portuguese and the slave-traders ! Could anything have looked darker or more disappointing ? Yet the brave heart failed not, and Africa to-day is reaping, and through coining ages will reap, the fruit of his fidelity unto death. The dear missionaries on the Congo similarly cheered our hearts and strengthened our hands by writing after the sad events we have here chronicled : " We are not in the least daunted by these deaths ! Forivard is the order, and, by Gods help, forivard we W'ill go /" Dr. Sims had no sooner reached Banana than his medical help was needed in the very severe illness of Mr. Billington. He had a bad attack of haimaturic 352 DEATH OF TWO COLOURED LADS. fever, and his life was in danger, but careful attention and nursing so far restored him that it was possible to send him home to recruit. Mr. Engvall also broke down, but in quite a different way. He be- came anaimic, the skin colourless, the strength so reduced that he could not cross the room ; the heart severely affected, and no medicine produced any amelioration. He was carried to the ship apparently a dying man, but rallied on the voyage, and has been doing good service ever since in his own northern climate, on the Ural Mountains, and in Cronstadt. Mr. Waters also found it impossible to acclimatise, and had to give up the Congo ; and Joe Angus the sailor was also invalided home. The two dear coloured lads, John Mack and William Faithful, who had joined the mission as helpers, had spent many years in England and Scot- land, having been taken over by captains in childhood. They had been for a year or two with us in the Institute, and had quite endeared themselves to us by their gentle Christian characters and earnest, con- sistent piety. We had hoped much from their in- fluence in Africa. Just before they left however both had contracted inflammation on the lungs, and been dangerously ill. A return to their own climate (the West Coast) was advised as affording the only chance for recovery, and they had sailed in May. Neither, alas! survived the summer ! Willie sank first, and John went into consumption, and died at Banana in October. We grieved greatly over the loss of these dear lads, though to them death was only gain. They IN MEMORIAM. 353 passed peacefully away, and the little cemetery at Banana holds their remains. But the Congo climate is not in the least to blame in their cases, as they would have died only the sooner had they stayed in England. tfjcg rest from tfjEi'r labours; If toe suffer, toe sf)all also reign miti^ P?im. C. A. 23 CHAPTER IX. LEOPOLD VILLE AND THE UPPER CONGO. The fifth year of the mission, 1883, was more encouraging than any previous one, though not with- out its sorrows to some hearts on the Congo. Lest our story grow too long, we must epitomise briefly its events. Dr. Sims had by this time reached the upper river, and had obtained from Mr. Stanley, whom he met on his way up at Manyanga, a piece of land for a station in the new settlement of Leopoldville, which was already becoming a considerable village, the first European settlement on the Upper Congo. To us it was of course a place of profound interest, the key of Central Africa, the goal of five years' arduous labour, the starting-point of a navigable water-way extending for many many thousands of miles all over the interior of the Dark Continent — of a road that was practicable and open, and on which the mission could be independent of gangs of carriers The past experience of our mission had immensely enhanced our appreciation of the value of such a road ! 355 3S6 VALUE OF WATER-WAY IN CENTRAL AFRICA. In a dangerous climate and a country destitute of roads and of all means of locomotion, as is the whole of Central Africa, a navigable water-way is simply invaluable. Oh the money, the time, the lives, that had been spent in penetrating only 330 miles by land ! When would the heart of Africa be reached at that rate ? Never ! But with a steamer once launched on the upper waters, the continent was open, and stations one or two hundred miles apart would be practically nearer together than those only thirty or forty miles distant from each other in the Cataract Gorge. With the location of Dr. Sims, Mr. Banks, and Mr. Pettersen at Stanley Pool, and the erection of a good station there, the first task of our mission was accom- plished. The doubtful dream of 1878 had become the accomplished fact of 1883. A chain of stations had been formed past the Middle Congo, the various tribes on the road had been conciliated, the language had been learned, and some spiritual fruit had been reaped. By the now open access the heralds of sal- vation should follow each other even to the end of the age ; the millions of the great interior were no longer beyond the reach of Christ's ambassadors ! Our hearts were filled with thanksgivings to God, and with hopeful courage we addressed ourselves to the next section of our task — the transportation of the steamer from London to Stanley Pool, and her reconstruction and launch there. Already Mr. Craven had taken out and distributed at the different stations THE "HENRY REED." 357 en route stores of various kinds to pay the gangs of carriers ; and while the brethren at the Pool were preparing houses for the workmen, stores for the material of the boat and for the barter goods for wages, and a shed in which to build her, the Henry Reed herself was in course of construction on the banks of the Thames. Happily Mr. Billington, who had been an engineer before he became a mis- sionary, was in England at the time, and fast regaining health and strength. So he was able to superintend the works, and his service in this line for several months was invaluable. By midsummer she was ready to launch, and to make a trial trip. And we must now give a few particulars of The Mission Steamer. The Henry Rccd is a flexible steel boat, and was necessarily constructed to take to pieces, be trans- ported in plates and portions, and put together again at Stanley Pool. She is seventy-one feet long by ten feet beam, and three feet deep, with a draught of only twelve or fourteen inches. It must be re- membered that the Upper Congo spreads out in some parts of its course to an enormous width, so that its waters become proportionately shallow, and full of islands and sandbanks. Skilful pilotage might always find deep water, but tJiat cannot at times be obtained ; the channels have to be learned by experience, and running aground is a tedious and often a dangerous matter. So it was needful that the draught should be as little as possible. With 358 SIXTEEN THOUSAND RIVETS. two and a half tons of fuel on board she draws four- teen inches only, and has a displacement and conse- quently a carrying power of sixteen tons. She is fitted with a stern paddle wheel, this mode of pro- pulsion being, after mature consideration, considered better than twin screws for so light draughted a vessel, and for a river in which floating weed and wood abound, and huge hippopotami are constantly encountered. She is covered from stem to stern with an awning to protect her from the sun, and has a nice little cabin adapted to be the temporary home of three or four missionaries. Her machinery is simple and easily managed, a great point where unskilled labour has to be employed ; and her furnace is made specially large to burn wood. Her speed is about ten miles an hour, with 8olbs. pressure; but as her boiler is constructed, according to Board of Trade requirements, to work up to loolbs. pressure, she can on an emergency go at a greater rate. It was no easy matter to carry all this up over rocky mountain paths and through many a rushing, bridgeless river for hundreds of miles ! The weight of the boat and machinery complete was about four- teen tons — over 500 man loads. It was an equally difficult thing to rebuild her under African suns on the Upper Congo. There were sixteen thousand rivets to be driven in order to bolt her hundred and sixty plates into one vessel again. Easy enough work this for shipbuilders in England, but pretty serious for amateurs in Africa ! Then there was the machinery and all the internal fittings to be recon- 36o THE HENRY REED" SENT OUT. structed, and the vessel to be painted with several coats to resist the water action of the tropics. But it was well worth the while ; the work was for Christ's sake and the gospel's. The task was undertaken con amove by willing workers, and, thank God ! in due time successfully accomplished, though not this year. It was not indeed until the month of November that Mr. Billington's long supervision came to an end, and that, having seen himself to the packing ais well as to the building and the testing, he was able to despatch his precious cargo to Rotterdam, to be embarked for Banana on the Dutch steamer A/n'kaafi, by which he and his young wife, and Mr. Harvey — who was also returning, and Vemba and Nkoiyo, the two native lads in his care — also took passage. Mr. Insell, a new missionary, who would also, it was hoped, be helpful in the reconstruction, for which previous experience had fitted him, followed by another ship a week later, and all reached the Congo about Christmas. In describing their voyage out Mr. Harvey men- tions an interesting trait in the character of the boys who accompanied him on his return. The first two Sundays we were more or less unwell, and contented ourselves consequently with merely distributing tracts and Testaments. On the third Sunday we were better, and felt strongly that it was a pity we could not hold a service of some kind. The matter evidently weighed on V emba's mind, for he came to us with his face all shaded over, looking as he generally does when anything troubles him. "Holloa, Vemba, what's the matter?" "Oh, please, sir, why don't captain make a church for sailors on Sunday ? They sit, and do not know what to do. They sew clothes, and read, but I am sure they would like to heSiT Afamia Man Zamii (words about God)." "But, Vemba, only "MAMBA MAN ZAMBIA 361 two or three of them could understand us, if we held a service." He agreed that there were not many who understood English, but still he thought a great many would gather something of what would Le said. Feeling pleased at the anxiety of the boy for the souls of the crew, we determined to err on the right side, and get the captain to allow us to hold a service on the fore-deck. We took Billington's portable har- monium, and were pleased to find that not only the crew, but the captain, officers, and passengers attended, and showed every sign of giving respectful heed to what was said. They were much pleased with Sankey's hymns, which were mostly new to them. At the end of the service, no one offered to go away, and some asked us to sing more hymns. Many of the sailors and passengers joined in the singing, some musically, and others making up in heartiness for what they lacked in discretion. The dear boys gave many signs of spiritual life during the voyage. There were two other Congo boys on board. Vemba and Nkoiyo soon began to teach them the Mamba Man Zambi, and arranged with Billington and myself to take them in a kind of Bible- class with themselves in the boys' cabin every evening. We are hoping they will continue to show earnestness when they get back among their own relations and friends. This they did ; their influence over other boys on their return was great and good. Nkoiyo has since gone to America to finish his education, and has turned out a very intelligent Christian man. He has translated into Ki-Congo the Book of Acts and the First Epistle of John, and is beloved and esteemed by all who know him. Vemba has become a most useful evangelist, interpreting for new missionaries as well as speaking himself He has naturally considerable power as an orator, and a real love of the gospel in addition. In August of this year three new missionaries, all students from the Institute, joined the staff in Africa, two of them young sisters engaged to be married to missionaries already in the field.— Mr. Eddie, Miss Neale, and Miss Lanham. By this time it was pos- 362 THREE MISSIONARY MARRIAGES. sible to marry on the Congo. Immediately on reach- ing Banana, the party crossed in an open boat to Mukimvika, accompanied by the Rev. G. Grenfell of the B.M.S. Mr. White and Miss Neale were married the same day, and a Httle later Mr. Ingham came down and was married to Miss Lanham. Both these sisters are still living, and labouring most successfully on the Congo. Mrs. Ingham has been remarkably happy in her school-work among the young people at Lukunga, and in many ways a real help to the mission. Mrs. White wrote to us of the astonishment of her dark-skinned sisters at the first white woman they had ever seen, and especially at her hair ! No- thing would satisfy them till she let it down to its full length, when they expatiated volubly on the wonder- ful spectacle ! She was invited to visit the " queen " of the country, and even to dine with her, and did so, the " king " himself waiting on them on the occasion. The " Mukimvika " Station, alluded to above, was, it should be stated. Banana station moved over to the south side of the month of the Congo. Experience seemed to prove Banana itself unhealthy ; it lies low, and has bad odours from the decaying vegetation of the creek. The natives were less accessible than had been hoped, the trade influence strong, and the demoralization from drink great. Mukimvika is quite a sanatorium on a cliff high above the sea, and with native villages all round. In many of these the idols have already been thrown away, and a medical mis- sion is now established among these people under the HEATHEN SUPERSTITION. .363 care of Dr. Scholes, a coloured physician. Mr. and Mrs. Billington were detained awhile at this station, and the former wrote favourably of the place : Your suggestion ot sending new brethren lieie on first arrival is very judicious, and ought, if possible, to be carried into effect. A stay here would be most advantageous to them as regards health, and much good is being done here. I certainly think this will become a very success- ful centre of mission work. Mr. White has ten native lads with him, and will soon have many more. We have visited several towns, preach- ing the gospel through Vemba and Nkoiyo to very attentive audiences. The people seem to be glad to see us and to hear the word, but those who fear their craft is at stake of course object. How it would sadden your hearts to see and talk with these people, with whom the devil seems to have it all his own way ! Within the last few weeks several have been poisoned and burned, and while we were visiting the town, the last two days the nganga drums were being beaten, and new efforts made for the discovery of other victims to satisfy the cruel and super- stitious minds of the natives. Leopoldville, 1883. The new station at Stanley Pool, completed in the summer, consisted of five or six houses. They were built of poles cut from small trees, the walls being made of interwoven palm branches and grass. There were, — 1. One good three-roomed house for a married missionary, with a good verandah all round, and a cook-house apart, fenced round, and separate from the rest, so as to secure privacy. 2. A well-built house for one or two single mis- sionaries, with verandah in front only. 3. A building to be used as store for the Henry Reed goods, and afterwards as a school, general store, and a cook-house. 364 LEOPOLDVILLE STATIOS. 4. Two houses for native boys or labourers. 5. A general store. 6. A cook-house or kitchen. Mr. Pettersen, the Swede, who had planned these houses and superintended their construction, was often tried by lack of resources, and sometimes by sickness. But he enjoyed his work notwithstanding, and did not forget his missionary vocation even while busy as architect and builder under difficulties. He wrote translations of simple hymns for his evening school or meeting, for adults as well as children came to the meetings, which he described as " very cheering and dear to me." " This week I have been speaking to them about the resurrection of Christ, and about His second coming, and the resurrection of the dead. These truths have deeply impressed their minds, and there has been much earnest asking and inquiring about these things. Several have said they would wish to be Christians, and I often hear them singing the hymns, instead of their native songs." The station, which has about eight acres of ground belonging to it, was finished in July, and Mr. Stanley on his return to Leopoldville was pleased with the progress made. He wrote to us : " We live well and happily here at Leopoldville. I have no reason to regret having given ground to your mission. Dr. Sims has a fine site ; his mission place is compact, neat, well-regulated, / may say the most complete affaif I have seen on the Congo ; all done without flurry, dis- cord, or noise. Though he is about half a mile from the river, yet he has equal share with us in the land- A GOOD WORD FROM MR. STANLEY. 365 THE STATION, LEOPOLDVILLE, STANLEY TOOL. ing place and port, and his steamer can lie side by side with our own, guarded by our people. There is no necessity for me to reiterate the assurance of my keenest sympathy with mission work. . . . Every assistance I can give will be ungrudgingly given to the cause for which, I believe, we are all working." As borne by one who had seen so many Congo stations erected, we considered this a high encomium on the labours of our brethren. Meanwhile Dr. Sims had been making good pro- gress in another direction, the study of the people and of the language, or rather, the peoples and their languages, for both are in the plural at Stanley Pool. We must not reproduce his long and interesting 366 LIFE AT STANLEY POOL. accounts of both here, but may give the following letter to a young friend, which gives a good picture of life at Stanley Pool in 1883 : I must tell you something of the Pool. At this moment, though the beginning of the rainy season, the weather is bright and rainless, the sky half clouded, and the thermometer at 87°. At the quarters of the expedition below me all is animation and work ; 150 Hausas and some Zanzibarites are singing in chorus while removing the base of a large hill in the construction of an immense terrace, a sort of Place de la Concorde, as Stanley calls it. Others are constructing houses for the newly arrived Hausas. A little time back thirty Zanzibarites carried by a huge tree to the saw-pits. At the commercial agent's house there is work enough, for 120 carriers or more have just come in, bearing cloth, brass rods, barrels, and boxes. This will all want checking and the men paying ofT, and in another room there are dozens of Batekes, Bayansi, Babuma, Bawumbu, Bambuno, and Bakungu, all struggling, talking, examining cloth, ex- changing their brass rods for what they want, etc. Trade is not done here yet, though occasionally a tusk may be bought. Along the public road are dozens of men, women, and girls, coming or returning, mostly with food for the expedition. They come from a distance of fifteen or twenty miles, where the great cassava fields are. At the dwelling and dining house I see nothing going forward. The chief is probably resting or busy writing despatches. In one of the rooms there is a poor sick Englishman — Tapp, an engineer from Forrest's, whom you will remember. At the top of the hill is the small watch-house of the expedition. Just now school is being conducted over at Comber's by Brother Moolinaar with six or seven Congo boys. Bentley will be studying Bateke or Bakungu, while Comber himself will be superintending the erection of the house in which the Peace is to be built ; she will be all up here in a week or two. Here at our own little place the two carpenters are hard at work making a bedstead for Mr. Banks, whom I am expecting up here with Pettersen every hour. A mission boy and one of our servants are busily making a new fowl- house, for just at present fowls are very abundant and moderate in price, as also are other provisions. I have something like fift}' fowls in the old house, which is consequently somewhat of a "Black Hole" to them from overcrowding, but when Banks and Pettersen return there will soon be little need of a second fowl-house! LETTER FROM DR. SIMS. 367 The place is filled with conversation, for about fifteen women are shading themselves under one of the stores, waiting to sell their native bread. Our other servants are hoeing ground for maize and rice in the valley garden ; these, with a small Muyansi boy and a dirty cook's boy, make up the household, and represent the activities of the hour. Besides the fowls, I have nine goats tethered outside the fence. The towns at my left are fairly quiet ; the women returning from the fields where they have been cultivating, and market people streaming in for the market of to-morrow morning, which commences at sunrise ; the Bayansi and Babuma meanwhile doing a small trade in peanuts, fish, and oil. The surface of the river in front of my window is ruffled by a slight breeze. There are only a few canoes on its looking-glass-like surface. By-and-by I shall hear the " hippos " ; as evening comes on they grunt to perfection. Opposite I see Mfwa, where ought to be Brazzaville, but there are no white men to direct my thoughts to, for priest and soldier have alike cleared out, to where we know not. At Kinchassa, which I can likewise see, the Englishman, Mr. Swinburne, is building a house and holding his own against the hungry, selfish, troublesome hordes. Farther away is the great Pool, all quiet in the reflection of its numerous islands. Though busy with linguistic studies, Dr. Sims did not forget that the great interior, and not the Pool itself, was our object. He wrote : I want very much to go and establish a new station on the Upper Congo, and am only waiting for the sectional boat and the Kroo-boys. I am constantly thinking of the " regions beyond," of whose inhabitants, Bayansi, Bateke, Banuna, Balolo, Bangala, Bawumbu, and Babuma, we hear and see plenty here. The Lord grant the opportunity of establishing teachers ol TRAVELLING WITH MR. STANLEY. 3^9 the truth in their midst may soon come ! At present I am working at the languages, which are strange and difficult enough ; ministering to those in the house, giving a little medicine now and then, and putting in a word here and there as opportunity offers. The country is quiet ; the men fully occupied with trade, and the women, since the rains have come, in planting. I have sent for rice, and am going to plant some to save importation. On the return of his colleagues, Messrs. Banks and Pettersen, he started in a native canoe, and made a two months' voyage on the upper river, visiting many places and going as far as Bolobo. He decided on a spot which he thought would be advantageous for our first up-river station. "I came back," he writes, "with Mr. Stanley, who has arrived here from his great journey of five months' exploration and work past the equator and in the Aruwimi River. The Congo is now, as he says, practically open right up to the Stanley Falls, where, as well as at the equator, he has founded stations and left white men in charge ; and to his credit, as well as to God's glory, be it said, ivilhoiU lifting a gun 01- cocking a trigger ! With other dangerous and savage tribes he has concluded treaties, thus opening the river to all. He has returned, I am thankful to say, perfectly well. His kindness to me has been very great; he has shown hospitality, given me passages and help in many ways, and especially he has committed to our charge a fine boy, brought from the Aruwimi, rescued from the Arabs, whom he found in force there. He has given one to Mr. Comber likewise. I got another boy from the Arabs myself, when they came here. You will doubtless learn more of his trip from the papers. He ever has, and still does show himself the good and kind man I have ever thought him to be." The health of the missionaries was much better this year than in any previous one. Mr. Picton wrote from Palabala that he had been perfectly well for nine months, and attributed the fact to great care as to diet, which Mr. Craven had advised, and which he believed to be the main secret in preserving health. C. A. 24 370 TOPSY. Mr. White similarly wrote : " I am happy to tell you that we have had no fever here since I was joined by my wife ; in fact, none who have been here have been ill, the place seems quite a sanatorium." Other stations were not quite so favoured as this, but tJLere were no fatal illnesses any zu here — the first time for three years in which this could be said. A death took place at Palabala however in Oc- tober, though not that of one of the missionaries. Yet the story of it moved our hearts, and it was probably The First Death of a Christian Native. The earliest convert of the mission to " depart and be with Christ " was the little maid whom many friends will remember — the child of old Kangampaka, brought to England with them by Mr. and Mrs. Craven — Launda, or, as we used to call her from her funny little black face and twinkling eyes, " Topsy." The news of her death reached us on the morning of Christmas Day. We read the story of the dear child's brief and fatal illness, and of her quiet, peace- ful falling asleep, and our eyes filled with tears of joy as we remembered the angels' song at the birth of the Babe of Bethlehem. It was "peace on earth" not only in England ; " good will towards men," not towards white men merely ! Born and buried on the banks of the Congo, amid dark and degraded heathen surroundings, this little waif of humanity, though ruined, had been redeemed like ourselves, at the cost of the incarnation and death of the Son of God. LAUNDA'S BRIEF HISTORY. 371 In the sight of heaven there is not perhaps so great a difference as we think between one sinner and another. All alike are saved by grace — all alike need to be created anew in Christ Jesus. " There is no difference ; all have sinned and come short ot the glory of God," all are redeemed to one and the same glorious destiny, and in the salvation of each and all Christ sees of the travail of His soul, and is satisfied. It was joy to look up and think of little Launda in heaven ! We quite trust she had received Jesus in her heart. She spent more than a year of her brief life in England, and between three and four, altogether, under Christian influence. Mrs. Craven had taught her English, and trained her to decent and useful habits before she came over from Africa, so that even on her first arrival she did not behave like a little savage. She improved much while in this country, was quick and intelligent, and very merry, sociable, and affectionate. She had, during one of our severe winters, a serious attack of inflam- mation of the lungs, and we feared that she would not recover. She was aware that her life was in danger, but seemed to have no fear of death ; resting with child-like faith on the promises of the gospel. On the occasion of the baptism of her young com- panions, Robert and Francis Walker, she was deeply impressed and moved, and earnestly asked to be permitted also thus to confess her faith in Christ. She was so young however, and so very far from being perfect, poor little pet ! that it was thought better to postpone baptism awhile in her case. 372 A FATAL ATTACK OF TETANUS. On her return home, the influences of surrounding heathenism proved a snare to the child, and she was for a time a cause of much trouble and anxiety to her kind friends the missionaries. But her conduct improved again latterly, and we trust she was, de- spite her faults, truly a babe in Christ. The following letter from Mr. Craven gives the particulars of the illness and death of little Launda : Dear Mrs. Guinness, — How comforting it is to know that we are in the hands o God, and that all things work together for good to those that love Him ! How small the trials and difficulties of life appear when we meet them in the spirit of God ! For some time the following texts have been impressed strongly on my mind, "Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God"; and, "Ye are the salt of the earth." We are experiencing illustrations of this in every town and village brought under our in- fluence here ; and it is cheering to us to see that our labour is not in vain, if it be only in the prevention of gross sin. In conversation, the old king this morning remarked, " You told me not to kill people ; I obeyed you. You requested me not to drink to excess ; I do not do so now. And I know that all you teach is good and true, and my town has been preserved through your coming." Little did I think, when I told you in my last that I would write again in a few days, what these few days would bring forth ! Two weeks ago little Topsy complained of pains in her back and chest. We thought it must be lumbago, but soon saw that it was a slight attack of tetanus, or lockjaw. Her mouth during the whole time of her sickness was not quite locked, and she was able to take nourish- ment ; but on the third or fourth day of the disease she became as stifl as a board from her neck down to her knees. I treated her, and she appeared to get better for a couple of days ; in fact, on 'Monday last, we thought her out of danger. She talked pleasantly both to us and to her father, and we hoped she was going to recover. To our great surprise, at nine in the evening, she passed quietly and peacefully away ; so unexpectedly, that at first we thought she must be asleep. Miss Spearing watched her, and observing that she was very quiet and "GOD HAS TAKEN MY CHILD." 373 still, called me to come and look at the child. I saw at once that the spirit had taken its flight ; the poor little lamb was gone1 With all her faults we loved her, and doubtless she has been taken in wisdom and love, taken to be with Jesus, taken from a life of temp- tation. We were often anxious and troubled about her future, but now all fears are dispelled. The king (her father) had her corpse removed to the town, the night she died, and we did not expect we should be allowed to bury her. Mr. Picton, Robert, and I made a nice coffin the same night. Early next morning I went to the king to ask permission to bury her ; but before I had time to make my request he said, " God has taken my child, my Launda, but that is His affair ; now we must bury her. If you wish to do it, well and good ; if not, we will do it." Of course I gladly consented. Mrs. Craven and Miss Spearing prepared flowers, and laid ihe corpse out in the town, surrounded by nearly all the women in the place. The coffin was then conveyed to our little chapel, where we had a most impressive service, after which we laid her in her last earthly resting-place. Alas ! how quickly is the little graveyard being filled ! For us there needs no engraved tombstones over those who lie in the small inclosure ; their names and memories are written in our hearts. We are filled with heartfelt gratitude to our Father in heaven for His preserving care for our comparatively large staff. Sixteen months have actually passed now, and no white missionary has been removed. We have commenced a daily service in our chapel at 9 a.m., and have a fair attendance each day. It is most refreshing to leave our labours and spend a brief hour in the worship of our Cod. On the whole we have much to encourage us even now, and we gather strength and comfort through believing that our work cannot possibly be in vain through the Lord. Faith looks into the future, and sees schools and churches in each Congo village, hears old men singing the praises of Jehovah, and sees a company of disciples round the Lord's table. Ah ! it must be so ; hath not God given to Christ the heathen for His inheritance? Christ shall reign. Hope bears us upon her wings during this weary season of sowing the seed. Let us con- tinue in faith, in prayer, and in good works, and God, even our own God, shall bless us. 374 ''PRAYING ALWAYS. There is one thing more essential even than the preservation of health, not on the Congo only, but in all mission fields, and at home also, and that is the preservation of spiritual health. Mr. Craven, writing from Palabala, and describing many of the difficulties which surrounded him on his return to his station, urges the request for prayer. He says : You are riglit in respect to the great need of prayer out here. God only knows the struggles we have to preserve our spirituality. We have so many things connected with the work at present which tend to draw our minds away from spiritual things, so that unless we are very careful we get into a miserable, wretched, soulless state. My earnest prayer to God is that in this respect I may be kept, and prove a blessing to all with whom I come in contact. Pray for us constantly : we need your prayers very much indeed. I long earnestly for the time when this people shall believe in the Lord Jesus. At present they appear to be more attached to their idols than ever. May God turn their hearts to Himself ! Always " fervent in spirit," this devoted man was none the less " not slothful in business." He had pushed on bravely with his task of preparing the way for the transport of the steamer, and wrote at last that all was ready, and he did not fear the task. " Our stations are admirably situated for obtaining native carriers. We have been able to render our Baptist brethren valuable assistance between Tundwa and Vunda, having received and forwarded for them over two hundred loads. Our own ropes, tools, paint, oil, etc., etc., for the steamer are already at Stanley Pool, and most of the barter goods for the payment of native carriers are distributed along the line, except some sixty loads here and at Banza Manteka, waiting SCENERl AT STANLEY POOL. 375 ONE OF THE ISLETS IN STANLEY POOL. till we know what you are going to do. May God Almighty guide you 1 We are ready and willing to attempt great things for our God. Let us go forward in His name. Let everything be done for His glory, and He will supply all our needs. Let us hope to see one or two stations planted on the upper river before the close of the year. The Baptist brethren are kindly anxious to help us with our steamer ; Mr. Dixon also asks Billington to reside at Tundwa while unpacking and despatching the loads." Equator Station, Wangata. A tenth station was built by the mission this year, and carried it right into the great interior, at which we had all along been aiming — Equator Station. It stands near Wangata, at the confluence of the Ikelemba and Juapa rivers with the Congo, in o° i' o" N. latitude, seven hundred miles from the coast. Mr. Stanley had planted a station at this spot, which is a centre 376 STANLEY'S ACCOUNT OF WANG ATA. for many tribes from the interior, and a doorway to many rivers giving access to remote regions. He left two young officers and some fifty men here, and on his return was greatly pleased with the progress made, and the report given of climate and people. He thus described this station, when staying at it on his way down : Equator Station is certainly a happy one, not so situated with regard to view as it might be, tut with that sole exception. Many other requisites necessary for well-being are in perfection ; we have abundance of food, obtained very cheaply, and the prices are now so established to every one's content that there is nothing left to complain of. We have apparently friendly and devoted neighbours. Brinjalls, bananas, plantains, sweet cassava, potatoes, yams, Indian corn, eggs, poultry, goats, sheep, the native productions, assisted by vegetables of Europe flourishing in the gardens, with tea and coffee, sugar, butter, " POULTRY, GOATS, AND NATIVE PRODUCTIONS." A HEALTHY CLIMATE- 377 lard, rice, and wheat-flour from Europe, afford a sufficient variety for a sumptuous menu. I have enjoyed puddings every day here, and among other accomplishments of Lieutenants Vangele and Coquilhat, not the least useful is that of knowing how to cook and how food should be prepared. We have sufficient acreage near the station to be able if necessary to feed everybody abundantly. The climate is healthy also, though they have such moist weather here, and the ground is so astonishingly rich, that one would think that fever would be prevalent — yet our officers have been already four inonths at Wangata without experiencing one hour's indisposition. To know the intrinsic value of the rich land of Africa, visitors cannot begin their estimate until they see the bananas grow in the fat soil around this station ! From this station Mr. Eddie wrote : " Mr. Pettersen and I continue to enjoy excellent health here ; for six months I was not sick a single hour, and then I had a little fever. Brother Pettersen was without fever for a still longer period. Is it not strange that some enjoy such good health out here, while others never seem to be well ? This is evidently a very healthy place, and we like the locality well. Our station is built on a piece of ground adjoining that of the A.I. A., and close to the Congo. The country around is flat, and covered with dense forests. The soil is well adapted to agricultural purposes, and the climate also. We have rain all the year round, and no cold season ; if we only had the seeds, we could grow all sorts of vegetables and fruits. The district is very thickly populated, especially close to the river ; we know nothing of the country beyond a few miles inland, as, owing to the timid suspiciousness of the people, it is dangerous to travel farther without a well- armed and organized caravan. The natives are armed and have a good deal of practice in fighting among 378 MR. EDDIE'S ACCOUNT OF WANG ATA. themselves ; but their relations with us are most friendly. Nearly every day crowds of Bayansi come asking to be allowed to work, and, strange to say, they never mention the subject of pay till the work is finished, whether it occupy one day or several. They have more energy and will to work than any African people I have seen, and are in many respects superior to the Ba-kongo tribes. Morally however they seem to have sunk as low as humanity admits of, poor, unhappy, benighted people ! We have not yet been able to do much systematic study of the Kyansi language, beyond the correction of a vocabulary, owing to the much building work we have had in hand, the making of furniture, etc. All the work- people in this country are mere eye-servants, so we find it essential to our interests to look after them. But our men are to leave us this week, and then we shall have more time for study. We have not invited the native boys to come to school yet, but we have three of our own, and six or seven from the A. I. A. station, who all attend school here. These nine boys speak three different languages, and we are anxious that each should hear in his own tongue the wonderful works of God. So we have ordered a small printing-press, that we may be able to print short reading lessons in each of the three languages. " We feel assured that our presence here is already influencing the people for the good, though we are so little able as yet to communicate to them the gospel. Altogether we feel encouraged and full of hope, partly by what we see, but chiefly because of God's faithful AN UPPER CONGO NATION. 379 promises. Oh, how we long to know these people gathered into the fold of Jesus ! The work may pro- ceed very slowly, but we doubt not that God will bring it to a successful issue. By faith we can see the time when these Bayansi will cast their idols away, and rejoice in the true Light — in Him who was given to be ' a Light to lighten the Gentiles.' " The N'kundu Tribes. Later on, in reporting progress from Wangata Station, Mr. Eddie described to us for the first time the Balolo people, among whom the mission was in 1889 extended, as we, shall see later on. He wrote : At the equator there are two different tribes represented, the Babangi, who are chiefly the riverine inhabitants, and the N'kundu people, a branch of the great Balolo tribe. To the latter we have chiefly confined ourselves, although we have had a good deal of intercourse with the former. They are the chief traders of the first five hundred miles above Stanley Pool, and have almost exclusive possession of the banks of the Congo between Kwa- mouth and the Mobeka River, north of Mangala, as also the confluences of the tributaries of the Congo within that space. The Balolo people touch the Congo only at one point, the equator ; but the Juapa, Ike- lemba, Lulonga, and Lomami rivers flow through the country inhabited by them. The Rev. G. Grenfell in his journeys up an upper Congo woman, with hair these rivers found that guides dressed to imitate horns. 38o SUPERSTITIOUS DREAD OF PRAYER. whom he had procured at the equator could easily understand and converse with the natives for hundreds of miles inland from the Congo. That gives the Balolo people a country of about 245,900 square miles, occupying the space formed by the great bend of the Congo northwards. They are physically a fine race. They are bold, enterprising, comparatively speaking industrious, and less superstitious than some other Congo tribes, though more cruel. Through the efforts put forth during last year we know much more about the tributaries of the Congo and the people inhabiting their banks than we formerly knew. Mr. Grenfell, to whom the greatest credit is due, has done the largest share of this important work ; not for the sake of exploring, but actuated with the desire to make an effort to bring the knowledge of the glorious gospel to some of those multitudes who are living in darkness. In every work a first effort must be made. Some one must be the foremost pioneer. . . . Here the work of cultivating the ground, learning the language, teaching in school and otherwise as we had opportunity, and trading with the people, has been going on but slowly on account of our short- handedness. What are one or two in a heathen country where the next mission station is about 500 miles distant ? School work has been maintained at the station throughout almost the whole year, and indeed since the station was first established. The children have shown themselves to be fairly intelligent ; but work among them has been greatly hindered through want of school materials. For a long time we had only two slates among twenty, and no school books whatever. The average attendance since school began has been about twenty. Most of them lived with us. Education is ot no value in the eyes of these people, and so we cannot expect them to get for themselves, or for their children, what to them appears to be quite useless for themselves, though of great value and profit to the white man. Besides school, every morning we have a short service, reading and explaining portions of " Peep of Day," singing and praying, and con- versing with any who are so disposed ; and there is scarcely a native but is fond of conversing, and will talk and ask questions by the hour. For some time they were very much afraid to bow the head or close the eyes in prayer. The boys, who considered that to be a most important item, would urge them to do so ; but instead, they would seize their arms and run off a short distance, where they would wait until the VOYAGE ON THE UPPER CONGO. suspicious looking business (in their eyes) of praying was over, when they would rejoin us. After a time these feelings of fear and suspicion wore off, and we very often had an attentive and inquisitive audience. Interruptions in our services are frequent : one wishes to deny the tnith of some statement which does not happen to agree with his opinions or practice, another to ask some question, and a third to make some remark. But in prayer every face is covered and every breath hushed — we are speaking to God. TRADING-CANOE ON THE CONGO. On October of this year Dr. Sims joined Mr. Grenfell of the B.M.S., in a long voyage of explora- tion on the upper river, in the SS. Peace. The voyage was a deeply interesting and eventful one. Four thousand miles of the great Congo water- way were sailed over, with a view of observing the strategic points for stations, the most populous neigh- 382 FOUR THOUSAND MILES ON UPPER CONGO. bourhoods, and the extent over which certain lan- guages prevailed. Both the sister missions were intending to work in the great interior, and it was important to survey the country before settling plans. Twelve or thirteen hundred miles of new waters were visited in the tributary rivers north and south of the Congo. They went up the Mobangi — that great stream running to the north of the Congo, which is only second to it in importance, coming down sixteen hundred miles from the Nile watershed in the north-east. Its upper waters, as is now known, go by the names of Welle and Makua, and drain the exten- sive country north-west of the Albert Nyanza. It is almost the largest affluent of the Congo, and is navig- able for hundreds of miles, but then interrupted by falls and rapids. In its lower course it passes through country crowded with buffalo, elephants, and other wild animals, and its people are desperate cannibals. The Peace visited Equatorville, and spent three days with Messrs. Pettersen and Eddie, then building a station there, ascended the Ikelemba, passing by the great Juapa with its inky, astringent iron waters, and the Bosira, which together give five or six hundred miles of navigable river-way ; they visited Danda, surrounded by its ditch and with its draw- bridge-like gates, and its people, who are frightfully self-disfigured by cicatrices and lumps of flesh as big as peas or beans, made on their faces by way of ornament ! They followed the northern shore of the island-studded Congo — the far side of which was here, visible , and noted many lazy rivers or creeks UPPER CONGO CANNIBALISM. 383 connecting it apparently with the Mobangi, and much low-lying land, so little above the level of the river that they saw it must be flooded at high water. Everywhere they observed signs of cannibalism and received a painful shock at the horrid custom. They went up the swampy Ngala River, and visited towns where the paths were marked out by rows of skulls, and the people wore necklaces of human teeth ; they saw places of five thousand to eight thousand and ten thousand inhabitants, with a hundred canoes lying on the beach ; they ascended the Loika until stopped by the Lobi Cataract in 2°5o', where was an island full of beautiful orchids. They found many friendly people, who readily gave them food, firewood ; and many fierce, inhospitable ones ; and at last they came to worst of all, the Arab-raided neighbourhood of Stanley Falls ! Burning or burnt villages, hun- dreds of canoes full of fugitives creeping along the river by day and by night ; wreckage floating by for hours together, house roofs, beds, stools, calabashes, fishing nets, ropes, the property of the cruelly de- stroyed towns, brought them face to face with Africa's worst scourge, the Arab slave-trade. Yes ! there, fifty miles west of Stanley Falls, were the east- coast monsters, " the most pitiless marauders of this or any age " at their old diabolical work ! Tippoo Tib was already established at the Falls, and pre- paring to stay and take possession of the country ! They could do nothing, but with saddened hearts note the spreading ruin and pray that some stop might be put to its progress. PERMIT US ALSO TO KILL OUR NEAT." 385 On their return Dr. Sims wrote : The voyage, of which at the moment I cannot speak in detail, per- mitted me to see in a very complete way the enormous work to he accomplished. The horrid practice of cannibalism prevails everywhere, from Bolobo upwards. One poor man was killed the Sunday we were in Mangala, and three while we were absent. When we remonstrated the reply was, " Vou kill your goats without our interference ; permit us also to kill our meat." The roofs of houses are ornamented with the skulls of such victims, and about the Aruwimi squares and circles of them are formed in the ground. The victims are cut up and roasted or boiled at discretion, the brains and face being chosen pieces ; and even the little children are given a taste, to endear to them the same habits. That stretch of river from the Aruwimi to the Falls is deserted by its inhabitants, utterly devastated and burnt by the natives them- .selves, so that the Arabs may find neither refuge nor food in their towns ; the gardens and the fishing are neglected, and the poor people flying like hunted beasts to the islands and forests. They are so clever in escaping and avoiding conflicts that probably not more than twenty or thirty captives have been taken here. The Arab leaders profess that they are sent by the Sultan of Zanzibar, and that they are to see to it that all the ivory goes to the East Coast, and to claim the whole river as far as Banana in his name ! . . . When you can send me the goods and tools, we will proceed to found a station at the Falls, give them some legitimate labour in building for us, and by preaching and persuasion get them to seek better things. I am quite prepared now, also, if the project is approved, to go, either at once, or after I have been home, to Nyangwe, buy a house there, and commence a mission to the 6,000 natives and Mohamniadans there. Messrs. Pettersen and Eddie had the sad honour of being the only two missionaries on the Upper Congo at this time. Launch of the Hexrv Reed. The transport and reconstruction of the Henry Reed were going on all this year. It took a thousand porters to carry up all the loads the 225 miles from Tundwa to the Pool. The materials for the hull had C. A. 25 LAUNCHED AT LAST. reached Leopoldville by April, and as soon as Mr. Billington arrived the rebuilding began. He had the assistance of Messrs. Glenesk, Eddie, and Banks part of the time, and by November the little steamer was ready to launch. As she was snugly docked however, and well placed on the slip, the same which the the B.M.S. had used for their steamer Peace, it was intended to finish her interior fittings before launching her. But on Sunday, the 23rd of November, the waters of the Congo rose unusually high, filled the dock, and lifted the stern of the vessel. Seeing it would not be possible to keep the waters out any longer, it was resolved to launch her the next day. On Monday, the 24th, after some hours' work, and with the kind and very efficient help of Mr. Cruik- shank, of the B.M.S., the Henry Reed was safely afloat in the cove at Leopoldville. The remaining work was quickly finished, and by the end of the year the steamer was ready to start on her first trip into the interior, to convey Mr. Eddie to Equator Station. It was with profound gratitude to God that we recei\-ed the news, and very heartily did we congra- tulate the dear brethren of the mission, through whose unwearied and skilful labours this successful result had been attained. iMuch money, time, strength, and life itself, had been freely sacrificed to secure this result. From England and from America, and from Africa too, many a prayer had ascended that God would prosper this effort. He had graciously done it, and we were filled with thankfulness. THE ''HENRY REED'S" INSURANCE. 387 For now at last a link existed between our chain of stations through the cataract region and the new world of Central Africa. Missionaries might safely pitch their tents hundreds of miles in the interior with- out being cut off from their base of supplies and channel of communication. A journey of a hundred miles would henceforth be accomplished more safely and easily than one of ten before ; the " road " could not be " stopped," and the travellers need not risk life by exposure and over-fatigue. We could not insure this precious mission steamer ; no underwriter would take the risk ! We could only pray God Himself to guard her in the hour of peril, and remember with comfort that storm and tempest, rock and rapid, shoal and sandbank, drift-wood and hippopotami, in- experienced management and native want of skill, — all would be powerless to injure, if He would shield the vessel dedicated to His service ! Mr. Eddie subsequently wrote from Equator Station four hundred miles above the Pool : " Four very wel- come letters reached me by our steamer. The Henry Reed is now running, and doing splendidly. It would be as easy for her to supply seven or eight stations as one, if only we had the men and means to esta- blish them ! " Later he wrote : " Our steam-launch the Henry Reed, has done excellent service. Besides running several times between Stanley Pool and the Equator, she has been up to Stanley Falls, and has taken several shorter excursions. On one trip we went about 130 miles up the Ikelemba River. By all the people we were very kindly received ; and at 388 the farthest point we reached we were pressed by the chief and people to come and build and live with them. He offered us a piece of land to commence at once if we wished. We promised to try and go back at some future time. About three months after- wards he sent a messenger down to the Equator to ask why we were delaying. Here is an open door, a ready and needy field ^ a people quiet, and anxious to get a teacher" DR. J, N. MURDOCK, SECRETARY OF THE AMERICAN BAPTIST MISSIONARY UNION. 393 CHAPTER X. TRANSFER OF THE MISSION TO AMERICAN MANAGEMENT. In spite of a legion of difficulties, the Livingstone Inland -Mission had by this time carried out its original programme, and planted mission stations at intervals through seven hundred miles of countr)% right into the interior. Its missionaries had ex- hibited much true Christian heroism, and had cheer- fully endured hardness as good soldiers of Jesus Christ. Though almost the youngest in the family of great Central African missions, no other had then either so large a staff or so many stations in working order. It had accomplished also much literary work, nor had spiritual blessing been lacking. Some of its converts were already gone home to glory ; others were giving hopeful promise of future usefulness, and some were willingly suffering persecution for Christ's sake. The missionaries were much encouraged. The steamer Henry Reed had been carried up to Stanley Pool, and reconstructed there, and was already float- ing on the Upper Congo, ready for its blessed task of distributing evangelists in the interior. 391 392 POSITION OF THE MISSION IN ISdi. The terrible preliminary difficulties had been over- come, the heavy initiatory expenses met, the first- fruits of the harvest reaped, much precious and costly experience gained, and the mission was occu- pying a i^osition which we had hardly dared to hope it could attain so soon. There had been times and crises in the history of the Mission when we had almost despaired of van- quishing the preliminary obstacles ! But they had all been by Divine help overcome. Five-and-twenty devoted men and women were in the country, mostly acclimatized and acquainted with the language, heartily and successfully labouring among the heathen, and willing to die at their posts, if such were the will of God. The Holy Ghost was actually regenerating human hearts, and confirming the word with signs following. The enterprise was looking far more hopeful than it had ever done before. Our faith in God had not failed about it, nor our conviction of His purpose, as evidenced by His providence, — far from it ; every year of additional experience only strengthened it as with a powerful tonic. We had assumed the responsibility of the Mission — small as it was at the time — with fear and trembling. The first year during which it was under our care £i,,ooo were requisite for its support, and £^,ooo were sent in for that object by the God of missions. The next year it demanded more, and more came ; and we believed, that if ten thousand instead of five had been requisite, God would have supplied the financial need of this Mission. Volunteers for ser\-ice on the THE CHILD OUT-GROWING THE PARENT. 393 Congo had never been lacking, either men or women. We were not weary of the work, — weary in it often, but never weary of it. We loved it with all our hearts, and nothing in the world would have induced us to allow it to collapse. But it had so grown and deve- loped that we felt it could no longer be managed as a subsidiary branch of our East London Training Institute. It had become important enough to rank as one of the principal enterprises of a great Mis- sionary Society. It was fast outgrowing the parent Institution, and becoming the larger enterprise of the two. We had but a fraction of time and attention to devote to it, and yet it demanded a great share of both. As to finances also, the Mission was our second, and not our first, responsibility. We were bound first to pray and labour for the supply of the large and constantly increasing needs of the Institute, which never was intended to be a Missionary Society, though a number of missions in various parts of the world owe to it, directly or indirectly, their existence. Its great object was and is to multiply missionaries, to induce, prepare, and help young Christian workers to evangelize among the heathen in the regions beyond, according to the command of Christ. The training and support of more than a hundred mis- sionary students ; the arranging for their going out into all parts of the world at the rate of one every week, on an average ; correspondence with the hun- dreds who have already gone out ; the conduct of the Home Missions, in connexion with which the students 394 PROPOSAL OF THE A.B.M.U. receive their practical training in evangelization, — all this filled our hearts and hands to such an extent that, for some time past, we had been feeling unable to do full justice to the Livingstone Inland Mission. The enterprise ivas now capable of rapid and ivide extension — a new and uncvangelized world lay open before it. It needed much wisdom and experience to guide and direct it. It demanded not only ample resources, but the aid of coloured Christian agents who could stand the climate, and also a considerable amount of business skill and knowledge, which made a lady Secretary scarcely suitable. We were prayerfully considering the best course to take under these circumstances, when we heard from the American Baptist Missionary Union that they were looking out for a good opening in Central Africa, and feeling that it was their special duty — as having a large constituency of coloured Churches — to do some- thing for the evangelization of the negro's fatherland. We accepted this as guidance, and corresponded with the experienced and able Secretary of this Board — our friend Dr. J. N. Murdock, of Boston, a faithful minister of Christ, with whom we had been ac- quainted years previously in the United States. It was arranged that he and Dr. Crane, of the A.B.M.U. executive committee, should come over as a depu- tation to examine into the nature and working of the Mission, and to confer with us as to the possibility of our transferring it to their care. This they did ; and after hearing their report the Union decided to adopt the Mission, and promised vigorously to pro- AMERICA'S INTEREST IN THE CONGO. 395 secute it. They were to take over the staff as it then was, its members having consented to the transfer ; together with all the stations, steamers, and property of the Mission. The L.I.M. had hitherto been an undenominational enterprise. The constitution of the Union forbad that it should continue to be this ; but the work was still to be conducted in that spirit of large-hearted charity which recognises that the essen- tial points on which Christians are agreed are much more important than the secondary points on which they differ. As it happened, many, if not most, of 395 HISTORY OF THE A.B.M.U. the members of the staff of the Livingstone Inland Mission were Baptists, and the only other mission in the country was that of the English Baptist Mis- sionary Society. We were partly guided in this transfer by the con- viction that it would not be wise to introduce a second denomination into the field. There was besides some- thing appropriate in an arrangement which placed in American hands the first mission established on the great river opened up to the world by American capital and enterprise. But for the New York Herald, and the indomitable courage and endurance of the great explorer Stanley, the Congo River might have long remained as unknown as during past ages. The American Baptist Mls.sionarv Union, to which the Livingstone Inland Mission was thus trans- ferred, was founded in 1813, and adopted its present name in 1846, when a separation took place between the northern and the southern branches of the Society in connexion with the slavery question. Its first Secretary (an Englishman, Dr. Stoughton) for fourteen years gave his whole heart and his entire time gratuitously to its management and develop- ment. The present Secretary of the Board, our highly esteemed and valued friend the Rev. J. X. Murdock, has been annually re-elected to fill the position for the last twenty-five years. It had long been his great desire to see the Union fully embarked in African evangelization before his tenure of office should close. The income of the Board has grown gradually from JI/JSS/OA'S OF THE A.B.M.U. 397 ;i^'3,ooo in 1815 to over i^8o,ooo. It founded and sustains seventeen separate missions. It works in eight different countries in Asia, among the Burmans and Karens, in Tavoy, in Arracan on the eastern shores of the Bay of Bengal, in Siam, in China, and in the Telugu country in India. It has missions also in France, Germany, Greece, in Europe ; and among the Ojibwas, Ottawas, Tuscaroras, Shawanoe, and Chero- kee Indians in America. In Africa, prior to its adop- tion of the Congo, it had one mission only — among the Bassas. The two most widely known and perhaps most successful of these undertakings are the Burman and Telugu Missions. Both had to experience long and bitter years of delay and the apparently fruitless effort at the beginning ; but both have been abundantly fruitful in the end, and are showing constant improve- ment. The Church in Ongole, which had only eight mem- bers in 1867, numbered seven years later 3,300, and was one of the largest Baptist Churches in the world. There are now forty Christian Churches and one hundred native preachers, with a well-organized col- lege for training such among the Telugus. The total number of missionaries of the A.B.M.U. is about 240. It was in connexion with this society that Judson worked so long and so well in Burmah ; and its mis- sions compare favourably for efficiency and success with those of any society in existence. We felt nothing but confidence and satisfaction in placing the 39S AN ILLUSTRATION. Livingstone Inland Mission under its care, believing that the God who had helped it to do so much good in other spheres would also help it in Central Africa. It was not without some measure of pain that we took this important step, for the Livingstone Inland Mission was very dear to our hearts. It was not because we were weary of it that we parted with it, but for its good. We wrote at the time in Regions Beyond : Let the parents who have reared through feeble infancy and deli- cate childhood a beloved daughter, carried her safely through many a danger, made heavy sacrifices to secure her suitable education, ten- derly watched over her as she developed into the budding promise of a charming womanhood, and who yet, with smiles and tears, give her away at the altar to a worthy husband — let thmi say whether their so doing is any evidence that they have grown weary of their child or ceased to love her ! Is it not rather because they love her. because they desire her best welfare, that they thus act ? They have bestowed on her life and being, love and nurture so far, but they know that in the future she will need that which they cannot give her. They must pass away ; who shall care for her when they are gone ? They secure for her by parting with her more than they could ever do by retaining her. She has outgrown their care ; the very development which they have promoted has created needs which they cannot meet. It is thus with us and our Congo Mission. We prize it, yet part with it, love it, yet send it from us, and feel while doing so the glad sadness and sad gladness of parental hearts at a wedding. The pain must be cheerfully borne if the severance of the old links of love and dependence secure the present and future well-being of the loved one. Were any doubt entertained as to this, the separation could not for a moment be thought of ; but this being assured, it must be faced. The wisdom of the step which had been taken in placing this important enterprise under the care of able and experienced men was very quickly illustrated. The transfer was no sooner accomplished than the FAILURE OF THE FORMER SECRETARY'S HEALTH. 399 health of the former Secretary broke down very seriously, and was only slowly and partially restored. From the great inconvenience and injury which must otherwise have resulted, the work on the Congo was happily preserved by the change which in the provi- dence of God had been accomplished. The future is hidden from its, but lies naked and open before the eye of Him with whom we have to do ' GUIUED. CONDITION OF THE MISSION, 18S4 401 At the time of its transfer to the A.B.M.U. the mission had seven stations in working order, stretch- ing seven hundred miles into the interior, and twenty missionaries, four of whom were married. These were all that then remained on the staff of more than double the number who had gone out during the seven years which had elapsed since the first party landed at Banana in 1878. A few had proved unsuit- able and had been recalled ; two or three had been invalided home and obliged to take to less tropical fields of labour ; a few had retired ; and ten white men, one woman, and one coloured helper had laid down their lives on the Congo. But there still remained in Africa Mr. and Mrs. Craven, Mr. and Mrs. Clarke, Mr. and Mrs. Ingham, and Mr. and Mrs. Stephen White ; together with Dr. Sims and Messrs. Harvey, Richards, Billington, Pettersen, Westlind, Fredrickson, Banks, Picton, Glenesk, Eddie, and Hoste ; with the Misses Spear- ing, Cole, Harris, and Skakle. The seven stations were all on the south side of the Congo, and all but one in the Congo Free State. The first only was in Portuguese territory. They were: 1. MUKIMVIKA, built on a cliff overlooking the Atlantic, opposite the port of Banana, but separated from it by seven miles of water. 2. PalabalA, South of the Yellala Falls, on a hill 1,600 feet high, the first station of the mission. 3. Banza Manteka, founded in 1879 by Mr. Richards, where the first Church was gathered, and the first permanent building for Christian worship erected. C. a. 26 402 MISSION' STATIONS. 4. MUKIMBUNGU, near the Itunzuma Falls, built by Mr. Clarke, and occupied at the time by Messrs. Westlind and Fredrickson. 5. LUKUNGA, opposite Manyanga, a pleasant place in a populous district, near the river of the same name, occupied at the time by Mr. and Mrs. Ingham. 6. LeopOLDVILLE, on Stanley Pool, founded by Dr. Sims and Mr. Pettersen, where the steamer was reconstructed by Messrs. Billington and Glenesk. 7. Equatorville, near Wangata, on the upper river, founded by Messrs. Pettersen and Eddie, among the N'kundu people, and on the borders of Balolo- land.i Messrs. Pettersen and Westlind were t\\ o Swedish brethren, sent out and sustained by the Swedish Missionary Society. They had joined our mission in order to learn the language and the ways of the country, before commencing an independent effort. They were not Baptists, and on the occasion of the transfer to the A.B.M.U., it was thought best on both sides, and mutually agreed, that they should, at that crisis, start an independent Swedish Mission ; which they did. The station of Mukimbungu was transferred to the Swedish Missionary Society, which has since sent out many additional workers, both men and women, and opened two new stations on the north side of the Congo, Diadia and Kimbouni. 1 The station of Banana had been moved to Mukimvika, and those of Maladi and Bemba had been abandoned; OUR VETERAN MISSIONARY. 403 Death of Mr. Henry Craven. In the autumn of 1884 the mission was called on to experience the heaviest loss in some senses which it had ever sustained. This time it was no new arrival carried off before he commenced his work, but a comparative veteran, one whom we regarded as thoroughly acclimatized, the first pioneer of the under- taking, the estimable and well beloved Henry Craven. He entered into rest at Kabinda, on the 14th of October. The tidings were very heavy ones to every member of the mission, both in England and in Africa, and to all its friends. He had been for nearly seven years on the Congo, and though he had often been ill he had recovered, and we hoped that he was likely to live and labour for many years in Africa. And so indeed he might have done, but for an error in judg- ment which probably cost him his life. His health was naturally good, and his temperament the right one for a tropical climate, — nervous, sanguine, energetic, with fair hair and blue eyes. He was also cheerful, singularly amiable, and patient. He had borne the burden and heat of the day, as the pioneers of a mission always have to do. His early difficulties and discouragements were very great, and when they were overcome heavy responsiblities began to press upon him. He was superintendent of the lower stations, as Dr. Sims was of the upper ; and Palabala being virtually the base of supplies for all the stations, a large amount of correspondence, ac^ KABINDA. count keeping, and wearying secular work fell to his share, work that involved at times serious anxiety from transport difficulties. He was blessed with a remarkably judicious, practical wife, or he would not have stood the strain as well as he did. The nursing of other missionaries when ill had often devolved on him, and few members of the mission had not been indebted to him for kind care in sickness. Kabinda, where he died, is not on the Congo, but in the small Portuguese territory on the coast to the north. Mr. Craven entertained a high opinion of the salubrity of this place, and wished the mission had a sanatorium there. The last letter we ever had from him was dated from the pretty little coast-town, and urged this suggestion. He wrote : I think a station here would be a great boon to the mission. Of course I cannot speak from experience of the healthfulness of the place, but those who have lived here many years think highly of it. The scenery is delightful, and the people are desirous of instruction. On my return to Palabala I will consult with the brethren and report to you their views on the subject. Alas ! he was never to return to Palabala, and Kabinda was destined to be a fatal place to him ! He continues — and it is his last report : As to the work of the stations in my district, the schools at Pala- bala and Banza Manteka have been carried on without interruption, though Mr. White, at Mukimvika, has had his children taken away on account of a palaver with the princes respecting the customs ; but the affair is now settled, and he expects shortly to get the children back. We have had at Palabala two-and-twenty boarders for the greater part of the year ; four of our elder scholars have gone to help at other stations : Robert and Francis Walker to the Pool, Vemba to Lukungu, and N'koivo to Mukimhungu, A FATAL CHILL. 405 Altliough I cannot report any conversions, yet both Mr. Harvey and myself are of the opinion that at three of our stations a crisis is at hand, when some will come out boldly for Christ. Things cannot continue as they are much longer ; there will be a division among the people ; some will decide for Christ, and others will persecute and slander. I feel sure that our converts, if true, will have to suffer much for Christ. May the Lord give them great grace, and fill their hearts with His own Spirit ! The six weeks' holiday which they had intended to spend at Kabinda had passed pleasantly, and Mr. and Mrs. Craven were just about to return, refreshed and invigorated, when one day he came in from a walk and pressed his wife to go with him to visit some caves which had greatly interested him. She de- clined, adding, " I advise you not to go there again ; caves are chilly places, and I should think dangerous in this climate. You might get a chill." But with all his experience he was not, alas ! .wise enough to follow this counsel. He did revisit the cave to exa- mine more carefully some bones he had seen there ; he did get a chill ; and the result was fatal ! Fever of the bilious remittent type was developed. "From the first," writes Mr. Harvey, "there were some very bad symptoms. As however Mr. Craven had recovered from similar fevers before, neither he nor his wife were alarmed, but hoped that he would pull through, as previously. A very few days however so weakened him, that Mr. Phillips, at whose house they were staying (chief agent for Messrs. Hatson & Cookson, of Liverpool), offered to send the steamer /Kabinda to Landana to secure the services of Dr. Lucan, who resides there, and this offer was very gladly accepted. "When Dr. Lucan arrived, he thought the case sufficiently serious, but hoped for the best with careful treatment and good nursing. That he had the latter, you who know Mrs. Craven will easily believe. The medical advice also was the very best that could be had on the coast, and Mr. Phillips himself — who is a man of no little experience in 4o6 HEAVY LOSS. African fevers — did all that he possibly could in every way, that the result might be favourable. " But it was not so to be ! God's time had come to take His servant home, and so it came to pass that at 1.30 p.m., on October 14th, Brother Craven — so often weary and heartsick, yet the hero of a hun- dred fights for the Master against heathenism — arrived at the gates of the city and entered into eternal rest, for doubtless an abundant entrance was ministered unto him." Mr. Eddie says, writing of the same events' Great is our recent loss in the death of dear Mr. Craven, who passed into his hard-earned rest last month at Kabinda. We are in deep sorrow, but we sorrow not as those who have no hope. We realize moreover that there is but a step between any one of us .".nd death, between us and our eternal home in heaven. That home seems wondrously near, and we continually enjoy in communion with our Lord sweet foretastes of the full and eternal communion we shall have with Him above. We are wondering whom the Lord will send to take up and bear Brother Craven's burdens here. It is all in our Father's hand, and we look to Him. The burden of work at this station is heavy for the strongest man, and there is a limit to our strength, though none to our will. Dear Henry Craven ! He was one whose life said, " To me to Hve is Christ, and to die, gain." His con- secration was true, heartfelt, and practical ; he never wavered in his devotion of himself to Christ or to Africa. He realized the uncertainty of life on the Congo, and often spoke of his consciousness of the nearness of eternity, and of his intense desire so to live as to be approved in the day of Christ. Nothing would have induced him to turn from the task to which he had given himself In spite of all its sorrows and its difficulties, he clung to it. He had much of the spirit of Christ, compassionating the natives, and sincerely loving them. He was a man of "TH\ WILL BE done: 407 nervous, intense, and affectionate nature, who threw himself ferv^ently into his work. His transparent sincerity and perfect truthfulness made even the poor Africans respect and trust him. The mission could ill spare him, and could not easily replace him. His experience had fitted him to be useful as no stranger could be. To us it seemed mysterious that he should thus be called up higher at a very critical stage in the history of the mission. But^we dared not question the providence of God, or doubt that this most unex- pected removal was among the all things that work together for good. 4o8 MR. /. H. HOSTE. Several new workers had joined the mission this year— fully aware of all its risks and hardships. Mr. J. H. Hoste, son of General and Mrs. Hoste, of Brighton, was one of these. His parents have been privileged to give three of their sons to the foreign mission-field. This one, previously a young naval officer, had been converted and had heard the call to fight under a better banner. We saw in him much of the quiet, dauntless, Christian courage and good judgment which are so needful in missionary work, as well as much of the compassionate and self-sacri- ficing spirit of Christ, and we were rejoiced that he felt led to devote himself to Africa. He went up through all the stations in the Cataract region to Stanley Pool, and intended to have made with Dr. Sims a voyage on the Upper Congo, hoping to establish a station at the Stanley Falls. But the time for that was not then come, nor indeed is it so even now ; and Mr. Hoste ultimately settled at Lukunga, where he has been greatly blessed. Mr. John McKittrick, of Belfast, and Mr. Glenesk also sailed for the Congo this year, and two single sisters, Miss Cole and Miss Harris. The former is now Mrs. Richards, of Banza Manteka, and the latter became Mrs. Harvey. Mr. Albert E. Insell also reached the Congo in January of this year. He went out as engineer for the Henry Reed, but never got beyond Tundwa, where he died of fever, after being only a few weeks in the country. He was rallying from the attack, which had been brought on by MK\ ALBERT E. INSELL. 409 unwise exposure to the sun, when an alarm of a native " war," close by the house, agitated him afresh, and induced a fatal relapse. He was a devoted young man, and much attached to the native lads, who had been with us in England. Here we must close the second section of our book, and the history ot our more direct connexion with the Livingstone Inland Mission. Since 1884 it has been directed and sustained from Boston, U.S.A. For the following four or five years we did nothing 071 the Congo, and but little for it ; simply forwarding to our friends in Boston such funds as we received on account of the enterprise, and corresponding more or less with the workers. Then, as will be seen later on, we resumed — on the upper river, in connexion with a fresh and auxiliary effort on the southern tributaries, — efforts on behalf of Central Africa. SECTION III. LIGHT AT LAST ; OR, A MORNING OF JOY ON THE CONGO. 1 88 5- 1 890. 411 CHAPTER I. THE BEGINNING OF SPIRITUAL BLESSING. We must here anticipate the gradually unfolding events of the next few years, as time fails us to trace them all seriatim ; and state that the regenerating work of the Spirit of God in the hearts of the Congo people, of which such hopeful firstfruits were seen in 1884, grew in power and spread in extent during the following years, filling with joy and praise the hearts that had so often groaned in heaviness. At most of the stations there were converts ; many of these sought themselves to spread the gospel ; gradually the movement became more widespread. Candidates for baptism came forward, not by units but by tens, and at one station even by hundreds. The seed was springing. It had long been watered with tears and blood, and now God was giving the increase. Our hearts were filled with joy and thanks- giving, it seemed almost too good to be true ! The dear missionaries however had no doubt as to the truly spiritual nature of the work, or its witness 4'3 JOSEPH CLARKE, OF PALABALA. to the gospel as the power of God to salvation. Mr. Joseph Clarke, of Palabala Station, wrote about this awakening : " About two months ago, at our Mukimbungu Station, there were several candidates for baptism. Of these, five gave good evidence of a change of heart, and, being supported in their request by the resident missionary, they were baptized. Seven weeks afterwards two others at the same station were also bap- tized. We were greatly cheered at this, as some of these 4U A CONVERTED WITCH-DOCTOR. 415 converts had stood faithfully by the truth amid a great deal of persecution. " Recently we have had a more widespread movement at Banza Manteka, where our brother Richards has laboured for about eight years. One after another has been brought in during the past twelve months, till there are now seventeen candidates for baptism. " And, to the glory of God be it told, a revival has begun within the past fortnight, and by the last report at least twenty professed conversion within that time. Mr. Richards, in his note, said, ' I have no time to write — the house is full of anxious ones.' He has had a visit from brothers Harvey and Probert, but they could not stay. He however is in good health, in spite of labours abundant, and finds great comfort and help amongst the earlier converts, especially one Lutete, who formerly was a ' witch-doctor.' This Lutete's wife is also con- verted, and lends very good help in dealing with the women, several of whom are among the converts. " Mr. Richards has just completed a translation of Luke's Gospel, and is now revising it for the press, while Mr. Harvey sends Mark's Gospel by this mail ready for printing." Later on Mr. Stephen White, who had recently returned to the Congo after a stay in England, was at Mr. Richards' station on his way up the country, and wrote us the following glad tidings : " During the last month hundreds of the people have been converted to God, and one who saw them five years ago, as I did, and sees them again now, can see the great change, and cannot but praise God for His wonderful grace, which has brought them salvation. Their faces tell the story, and their lives confirm their profession. " This evening two of the converts returned from a preach- ing tour, and they have visited several villages. They report five conversions. They met with a good deal of opposition, and some of the people threatened to shoot them ; but they replied 4i6 "CONGO FOR CHRIST." that they were not afraid of death now, for it was not death to them, but only going to be with Jesus. One man got up and defended them, and said he would kill any one who killed them. From this same town a n)an and his family have been driven away, because he tried to teach his fellow townsmen what he himself has learned. He is rejoicing in his new-found love. " 1 wish those who take an interest in the work out here could just peep in at the morning and evening services, and see with what vigour the people sing the hymns of praise, the eagerness with which they drink in the word, and the simple, childlike faith they show in their prayers. They would pray and give more liberally to forward the glorious work of ' Congo for Christ.'" Subsequent tidings from Mr. Harvey reported a general stir throughout the country, and evangeHstic journeys undertaken by the native converts along with some of the missionaries to Lukunga and other places, and of the brethren being filled with joy and praise. Mr. J. H. Hoste, then at Mukimbungu Station, also wrote hopefully of many converts at his own station : " Our work is having such a marked effect on the young men of the country, that the older men are displeased, and we get daily notices that we are going to be burned or killed ; but these reports do not trouble me much. All the youths want to live with us ; they are beginning to see something of the reasonable- ness and beauty of the teaching, which contrasts so forcibly with their e.xclusively selfish system of worship. I asked a man the other day, if, when he prayed to his idol, he asked it ever to send good things to others ? The idea was too ridiculous for his gravity ! The great problem of their life is how to get things for theinsslves. . . . MJ^. HOSTE'S ACCOUNT. 417 " I have just come in from a hand-to-hand struggle with a man who wanted to shoot his wife. I would far rather not interfere in such matters, but I could not see my way out of it, as only a little boy seemed inclined to do anything to prevent the catastrophe. The state of these people seems to me to be absolutely and exclusively miserable ! I cannot see a redeeming point about it ! Their polygamy and selfishness seem to exclude affection and peace, or any shadow of satis- faction. . . . " You will be rejoiced to hear that at last the Lord is showing us His power out here. We do not live now by faith, but by sight ! There has been a regular revival at Banza Manteka ; and some hundreds have given themselves to Jesus. Here also the Lord has not forgotten us ; about twenty already have been converted. It is so blessed to see the heathen turning to Christ. I feel very restful in this matter. The efficacy of the work does not depend on me ; I did not save their souls, and I have not to keep them, but simply to hand them the bread of life as God gives it to me. How thankful I am now that God permitted me to s/ay out here and not to go home ! I have to work hard, translating and preparing for this little flock. I believe God will add unto us again. I am so grateful to God that He gave me a good, healthy appetite for the lan- guage. Some people said they thought my head would go, but I had rather see that go than my heart ; and now to-day the blessed gospel is preached, and the Lord Jesus sees of the travail of His soul ! One young fellow has just told me that his chief has been keeping him from coming to hear the preach- ing, but that to-day he has made up his mind that he must follow Jesus, and j€sus only. I expect some visitors in a day or two, brethren coming down for the council meeting at Banza Manteka ; they want me to go there with them, but I feel like Nehemiah, that there is a great work to be done here, C. A. 27 MR. J. H. HOSTE. and I do not want to leave it. You cannot think how happy I am ; it is so blessed to see the work of God in the heart ot these savages, for really they arc nothing else. I have translated the Apostles' Creed, to be our confession of faith, and I am teaching it to them now. "Mr. White kindly came down here to try and persuade me to go home, and to lock up the station ; but I could not do it, and the very day that he left I went out to preach in the after- noon, and the Lord touched the heart of the very man whom I had stopped from shooting his wife, and the next day he came and told me that he had given himself to Christ." SHAKING AMONG THE DRY BONES. 419 The following account of this most interesting movement is from the pen of IMr. Richards. " Since my return from England I have been working, studying, and praying for a blessing on the work ; and for a long time it seemed all in vain. But about some fifteen months ago, a man and his wife were converted, and I began to expect more. Some months however had elapsed when another man declared himself on the Lord's side. Shortly after, another came boldly out. I continued to study hard, work earnestly, and pray believingly. For some time I have been praying for a more complete consecration, — to be filled with the Holy Spirit and power for service, and for a Pentecostal outpouring of the Holy Spirit on the people. " I had also just commenced special services in all the towns. I locked up the house, took the harmonium, the children, and converts, and sang and preached the gospel to the people all day long. The bones that had been shaking for some time past began to stand up, and show very evident signs of life. Truly the Pentecostal power came as I have never seen before ; for the people began to bring out their idols for us to burn, and to cry, ' What must we do to be saved ? ' " There was much opposition and persecution, which only seemed to increase the spiritual po\\'er j for the bitterest ene- mies and the greatest sinners were brought under conviction of sin. The interest increased, and the people came up in large numbers to the station. The house became too strait, and we were obliged to hold the services in the open air, and have con- tinued to do so up to the present time ; and we have more tha?t seven hundred converts. The glorious fact is this, that B ansa Manteka is no longer a heathen count?y, but more Christiail than any I am acquainted ivith. I have scarcely had time to 420 CHRISTIAN BANZA MANTEKA. catjfor,fi-oin vwrning till night, I have been busy preaching, receiving inquirers, and /renting the sick. " I have had one of the officers of the Congo Free State (a Swedish gentleman) staying with me for eight days, to measure the mission land, and he writes from here to Palabala as follows : ' I was rather tired when I reached the top of the hill above Banza Manleka. I was changed in a moment when I saw before me, in bird's- eye view, the pretty villages and green ravines. The tones of a bell greeted me, and the whole impression was one of peace. I was not wrong. Arrived here, I could not believe my eyes I I beheld Mr. Richards preaching in the middle of a large number of men and women throwing away their "nkissis." That is to say, I have been witness to an event of great importance ; and Banza Manteka will be distin- guished in the future Congo history as the first Christian parish, — to-day already mere than six hundred Christian /•cople. ' I remain, yours sincerely, ' C. R. Kakansjon.' "This is testimony from an outsider, which makes it of more value than if it came from within, or from ourselves. Yes, all praise and glory to God our Father ! The ' nkimba,' the ' nkissis,' the poison-giving, the throat-cutting, the demoniacal yells, the diabolical dance, and witchcraft, are things of the past here. ' Old things have passed away, and, behold, all things are become new.' Now this part of Ethiopia stretches out its hands to God, and sends out its heart and voice to Him in thanksgiving and praise. I shall begin to baptize as early as possible. Pray for us. Jesus shall reign ! " Mr. T. T. France (U.S.A.) writes later on : Opposition is principally on the part of the ugani^as, or medicine-men, who fear losing their craft and tlieir living ; hence we fail to get a hear- TURNING TO GOD FROM IDOLS. 421 ing when it is known that the chief or the nganga does not wish the gospel to be preached in the village. On the other hand, when they run no risk of incurring the displeasure of either, the common people hear us gladly. Even this difficulty however is dying away. The chiefs and nganga, in spite of their efforts, are losing their hold of the people. THROWING IiOW.N THE NKISSIS. The Banza Manteka Church is an unanswerable argument to the heathen. The fact that no harm has come upon those who had thrown away or burnt their nkissis (charms), and had left off following their ngangas in spite of their predictions of death or disaster, appeals very strongly to the heathen, and is leading many to see through the decep- tions which have been practised upon them. In addition to this is the witness the Banza Manteka flock bears to Jesus. Taught that it is their duty to make known the way of life to their fellows, and with many among them smitten with a consuming desire to bring their brethren to participate in the liberty and peace they have found through faith in Christ, these native Christians of Banza Manteka embrace eveiy opportunity of delivering the message of salvation. On the road, as they halt to prepare their food for the mid-day meal, or in the evening around the camp-fires, they fail not to speak of the things pertaining to the kingdom ; telling some poor, dark soul the story of the C'ross or some other Bible story, or speaking one with another of the great things the Lord hath done for them. They seem 422 ' GO, TELL THY FRIENDS. to be endowed with the faculty of turning an ordinary conversation into a religious one; and often, as I listened to them going over their past lives, recounting the follies and deceptions in which they had believed, the bondage and fears in which they had been held, and contrasting these with their present enlightenment, liberty, and joyful hope, I have been moved to join with them in blessing the Lord for the wondrous grace which has transformed these dark heathens into loyal followers of the loving Jesus. "as they halt to I'KEl'AKE THE MIU-DAY MF.AL.'' {Sci p. 42I.) The i6tli of June was a day I shall long remember. I had purposed during the week to spend the day in Kinkanza, one of the largest towns in that section of the country, some ten or twelve miles from the station, whose inhabitants are not too well disposed towards the gospel. Thomas, one of our brightest Christians, and a very successful evan- gelist too, had seen me during the week, and promised to accompany me to this place. On Sunday morning, at the time appointed, he turned up, and with him Moses, another sterling brother, full of grace and TAKING PART IN THE "WITNESSING." 423 power for service, and a few others. But besides tliese, there were about twelve women, all Christians, including Thomas's mother. When I first saw them, I thought that they had come on their own business, and that they would stop in some of the towns we should pass by on our way. But we passed town after town, and they did not stop. As we neared the place, I ventured to ask where they were going. To my great joy and surprise they said they were going with us to take their part of " the witnessing. " This is an expression peculiar to them, — "witnessing"; and their part of the witnessing they most faithfully took. Dividing ourselves into several bands, for we num- bered about thirty in all, we went through the extensive plateau over which the town spreads, in a house to house visitation work ; the female Christians joyfully testifying of their deliverance and freedom in Christ, and exhorting their timid heathen sisters, still held in a most deplorable form of superstitious awe and bondage, to the partici- pation of the same blessing through faith in Jesus. There are some believers in this town, and they came out and joined us. On the whole, we had a very blessed time, and concluded the day's work with a prayer-meeting in one of the squares of the place, with many of the heathens standing around and watching us. ^^■e had begun the d£iy in the same way in another ([uarter of the town. More recently Mr. Fredrickson writes from Banza Manteka : May 25th was a day of great joy to all here. Mr. Ingham and I bap- tized into the death of Christ forty-nine who confessed their faith in Him as their Saviour. Many of those had come a distance from six to eight miles ; and as the baptism was on a Saturday, they slept here in town close to the station, and were on the Sunday received into the Church, taking part in the breaking of bread and in prayer. About four hundred people had come down to the water to share our joy. Since then we have baptized twenty more. Mr. Whytock and Mrs. McKittrick, of the Congo-Balolo Mission (of which we have yet to speak), in passing up the Cataract region in 1 889 both wrote to us of incidents at Banza Manteka. Their accounts give sketches of the Church as it is to-day, in that first Christian centre in Congoland, where the dorious work of conversion still eoes on. 424 A CONGO BAPTISM. Mr. Whytock writes : AVhile detained at Banza Manteka I had the privilege of addressing the Church on the Lord's day (Brother Fredrickson translating for me), and had also the joy of sitting down at the Lord's table with hundreds of these dear people. One afternoon I witnessed the baptism of twenty of the converts, and wish I could describe to you that most interesting scene ! It was on the nth June, about two miles south of the station, in a sweet little valley, in some pools fed by perennial springs from the hills. Near the water's edge grew a cluster of palms and some flower- ing trees, which threw a soft and welcome shade over the pool. The nearer slope of the hill beside us was planted out with fruit-trees and tall waving maize ; farther up and beyond, the grass with which one becomes so familiar in Congoland. From various towns and hamlets among the hills the people came in to this selected spot, to witness the baptisms. AYe were seated at one end of the pool (Mr. and Mrs. Ingham and myself). Beneath the palms and behind us, thickly clustered on the grass or standing around, was a crowd of about two hundred people. !Most of these had already made a profession of their faith, and were now present to see their friends received into the Church of Christ. On the other side of the pool, seated on the bank, were the candidates for baptism, sixteen women, two men, and two boys. Noticing the disproportion, Mr. Fredrickson remarked, so I was in- formed, in the course of his address, that as woman was firet in the transgression, so she seemed to be first to forsake her sins and flee to Christ. The majority of the Banza Manteka Church are women, and they are said to be the brightest Christians. The proceedings began with a hymn, "Jesus the water of life has given," which was caught up and sung with wonderful correctness. ^Vhat the singing lacked in culture was made up in heartiness. You could see that the people sing with the spirit and with the under- standing also. One of the evangelists, David, the son of the old king Makokila (who by the way died since I left), led in prayer. " Come, ye that love the Lord," was then sung, and the names of the candidates were read over, and an address from Ingham followed. More prayer and praise, and Brother Fredrickson spoke, and then went down into the water, and the candidates two and two followed him, and were baptized. Judging from the serious and intelligent "GOD BLESS THE LADS." 425 expression of their faces, they seemed to be much impressed by the solemnity of the occasion, and as eacli couple came up out of the water, the people struck up with gieat vigour the verse of a hymn. To me perhaps the most affecting part was the baptism of the two boys, which took place last. They are both scholars in the school, and have given clear evidence of their conversion to God. One of them was such a tiny little chap. It brought tears of joy to my eyes. I could not but breathe again and again the prayer, "God bless the lads ! " Before Brother Fredrickson baptized them, he put his hands on their heads and prayed over them. On the waters of the pool in which they stood, just beside them, were water-lilies, with their beautiful flowers and shapely green leaves floating on the surface : symbols, I thought, of the lives the Lord would have us and these dear boys live. " Lives all lily fair, and fragrant as the place where seraphs are." I pray God that He may spare me and my dear brethren of the Congo Balolo mission to witness many such scenes in the interior ! Mrs. McKittrick writes : The mission premises here are more extensive than at Palabala, and are in splendid order. The iron church, capable of holding 500 people, stands in the middle of the site. On one side is the Inghams' house, with the usual appendages of cook-house, store, boy's house, etc., and on the other side is Mr. Richards' compound, now inhabited by Mr. and Mrs. Fredrickson. In both yards are flocks of sheep and goals, and a goodly number of fowls and ducks. All round the station rises Africa's chief beauty, the palm. Looking out of the window of the house in which we are staying, I can count over thirty of these useful and ornamental trees, either on the mission ground or just outside its limits. We have all been for a walk this evening, visiting some of the villages near at hand. A great many of the people whom we saw are Christians and mem- bers of the Church ; indeed, whole towns formerly given up to the idolatries and superstitions of heathenism are now rejoicing in the light and freedom of the gospel. We found two familiar faces in the towns, Mavuzi and Francis Walker, who were in England six years ago, and are now both settled down in their towns as Christian married men. 426 REAL PRAISE. The meeting in the church was held at one o'clock, but Mr. Ingham conducted previously a Sunday school and a prayer-meeting. Many of the congregation come from considerable distances, and when they do meet together are not satisfied with less than two or three hours' preaching. The bell was rung for about an hour while the congregation were assembling, and at the appointed time three or four hundred people were in their seats, the men on one side, the women and children on the other. This arrangement is for convenience' sake only, because the men do not wish to be disturbed by the babies, and not, as in Syria, because it is the custom of the country for men and women to be separated. Mr. Ingham gave out verse by verse a hymn, which was sung most heartily, both the tune and time being tolerably correct. That the people thoroughly enjoyed the singing was evident from their shining faces and vigorous exercise of mouth and lungs I I have heard some strange attempts at singing in the villages on Mount Lebanon, but I have never heard anything to equal the noise and vocal exertions of these Banza Manteka Christians, and they appeared more refreshed than tired by their efforts when all was over ! Great and small joined in. Old Makokila lifted up his voice with the others, and the great wave of sound, not only filled the building, but must have been heard miles away. It 'Mas real praise, there 7i.'as no doubt of that '. A portion of Scripture was read aloud, and expounded by Mr. Ingham, followed by other hymns and by prayer. Then Mr. Frcdrickson preached, and was listened to attentively. *■*♦♦« Service over, we were surrounded by our coloured brethren and sistere, wishful to make our acquaintance and take us by the hand. We spoke to so many, that it would be impossible to remember all the names, but among those I was introduced to were Adam, Noah, Peter, Paul, John, Malachi, Lazarus, and Moses. Similar results of spiritual blessing have been ex- perienced at most of the mission stations, especially at Lukunga and Palabala. A native Church exists in each place, and there are among the converts many preachers of the gospel. The following chapter will give an idea of the character of Congo Christians. R. HENRY RICHARDS, OF KANZA MANTEKA. 423 CHAPTER II. A CFIAT WITH MR. RICHARDS OF BANZA MANTEKA. WANT you to tell me something about the" African Christians. You were labouring some years, I think, before you had any converts ? Yes ; six years more or less I Of course I had at first to build and plant and get acclimatized. Then I had to learn the lan- guage— no easy task when you have no teacher and no books. It was years before I could understand and enjoy hearing it, and before I could use it with any power. Yes, of course ! And you had illnesses and deep sorrows ? I had. God blessed them to me. On my first visit to England on account of health I was greatly exercised about the apparent lack of blessing in Africa. I felt I must be blessed if I was to be made a blessing. And when I got back my one desire was for converts. A great yearning for souls took possession of me. I could not sleep for it sometimes, and had to pray God to take it away, for it was consuming me. But there was no sign of blessing. I resolved to go elsewhere if the word bore no fruit at Banza Manteka. But first I asked myself what was the fault ? I was preaching the truth, and the people listened ; but they did not seem to feel in the least. Yet you were in earnest, were you not ? Dead in earnest ! But as I read I began to see I had been 429 430 THE MISSIONARY'S FIRST WORK. trying the wrong way to do good to the heathen. I liad been much occupied with many things, and the one great thing to which a missionary should devote himself mainly, if not exclu- sively, ;*mj^/i/«i^, had not been made prominent enough. It is so easy in Congo to get distracted. There is so much to do. Building, planting, ordinary business of various sorts, learning the language, teaching, writing, travelling, — all these things are apt to squeeze the preaching into a corner. I can easily understand that ! Congo is like England in that respect. Ay ! but the consequences are more serious there. Preaching — "the foolishness of preaching" — is God's one great ordinance for the salvation of men. When the revival came I was no longer satisfied with occasional services and regular Sunday work. I gave myself to preaching daily— twice a day. One year I preached seven hundred times. And the people don't care for short sermons. They like a full hour or hour and a half. They have so much to learn. But surely people could never attend so many and such long meetings ? Ah ! but they do. I asked them to choose their own time. They fixed one o'clock, when all their field work is done and they have had their mid-day meal. And again, later in the evening, they come freely and eagerly. But they like to hear the same teacher. Changes put them out very much, for they do not gain confidence all at once. They want the same voice, and the same thing taught over and over again. They learn only from the preacher, at first at any rate ; not, as here, from books and from intercourse. The preaching consequently should be daily, and, if possible, two or three times a day. Weekly preaching is no use ; it is all forgotten before the next service. But a missionary must do other things. He must teach the school, for instance. No ! that is mere waste of time at first. When the people are converted, then have schools for the Christians, that they may learn to read the word of God and teach it in their turn- But preaching with a view to conversion, immediate conver- sion, this is God's commandment, and this is the missionary's conversion; the first step. 431 work — his prime, principal, paramount, peculiar duty. If you want schools, send out teachers ; but missionaries go to make converts. But when people are converted they need teaching ? Undoubtedly. That is the object of our incessant meetings. We have to teach them to observe all things that Christ has commanded ; and I assure you it takes a lot of teaching to do that among the Congoese ! We want to get the converts ready to be in their turn teachers and preachers as quickly as possible. As regards the Christians, it is teach, teach, teach, all the time. They soon learn more than you would think. The Spirit of God seems to make them intelligent. They learn to read fast ; they open little schools in other villages to teach their own townsfolk to do the same. They send their children to school too fast enough as soon as they are converted — though before we had actually to ransom slave children in order to get a school at all. The heathen want to be paid for coming to school. Yes ! conversion makes all the dift'erence. What truths did you find most fitted to awaken attention and touch the heart ? Ah ! that is the core and kernel of the whole thing. I went to work the wrong way at first. My first idea was to teach the heathen the folly of idolatry and superstition, the nature of God, about His will as expressed in the law, about duty and morality and such things, as well as about Christ, His words, His miracles, and parables, His death and resurrection. But I found it all no use. At the end of six years I had not a convert. Well ? Then in bitterness of spirit I prayed and searched the Scrip- tures, and noted what the apostles did, and began to follow their example. But surely they did all the things you just named. Afterwards 1 But they did something else first. They preached Christ and Him crucified ; they made people feel their guilt in killing and rejecting Him, in not resembling Him, in not caring for and coming to Him. They kept to the one point, and Christ Himself bade them do so; They were to 432 EVIDENCES OF THE NEW CREATION. proclaim repentance and remission of sins through Him I Xot a hundred things. One thing— Christ and Him crucified. Yes, and you were trying to lead up to that, to prepare the people to appreciate the gospel. Ay ! But when I gave up all leading to it, and preached that, day by day and week by week, then 1 speedily saw a glorious change ! Then I had proof that Paul was right, when he said that it is the gospel itself that is the power of God to salvation. I don't go into the philosophy of the thing, but I saw the facts ; and I think facts are more convincing than philosophy. When once I took this ground, and charged the people with sin for not believing in Christ, and urged that He was the only Saviour, and ready to save them then and there, then I felt clothed with power, and that it was the Spirit of God who spoke through me. And what were the results .'' Heart-cheering ! Marvellous ! The stolid, stupid people waked up. I saw looks and whispers, and nudges between neighbours, astonishment, eager interest, and soon conviction and shame, tears of penitence ; restless desire to hear, more shame, alarm, and very soon I was assailed on all sides with the question, " What must I do to be saved.'" I was alone most of the time, and positively I had no time, no, not so much as to eat some days. The whole place and the country-side was in a stir. I had to neglect all else ; I was preaching, and dealing with inquirers all day long. And soon the converts were numbered by hundreds. What proof had you they were real converts, that the move- ment was not one of mere excitement Every proof I could desire, or that you would desire here. The people loved Christ and obeyed Him. They began to love their Bibles, or rather such portions of Scripture as they had. They cared for nothing compared to worship and prayer. They began to bear witness for Christ among their people. They cheerfully endured persecution, and risked their lives for the sake of their new faith. The thieves — and they are all thieves to begin with — became honest ; the liars — and lying was customary — became truthful ; the women became modest, and THE CLOTHES QUESTION. 433 wanted dresses directly they were converted. I remember one who, as soon as she had received Christ and was rejoicing in Him, said to the sister who had been evangelizing her, " But now I want some clothes ; I don't like having my skin outside ! " Poor dear woman ! But do the Christians then dress like we do ? Oh, no ! we should be very sorry to urge that. I greatly object to any attempt to Europeanise Africans. Africans they are, and Africans they must continue in all their habits and customs. But the dress of the heathen is not sufficient either for decency or comfort, and the Christians, poor as they are, invariably manage to cover themselves. The husbands do all the sewing in Congo, and Christian husbands soon make their wives a dress, or get them a cloth. The women like dresses ; that is, garments made like a nightgown with a good deep yoke for the neck and a band, and coming down to the ankles. When we have such, we give them, but we get very few ! My wife is very anxious to take back a good stock. They should be made of strong stuff like dusters, blue checked cloth which we call " domestics " and use for trade. Do they like that better than dark prints of various colours Well, at present the women have not seen those, and, like ladies here, they wish to be in the fashion, not peculiar. They don't like to be looked at. If everybody wore print they would like it. If you can get us a number of dresses inade, all alike, it would not much matter what sort of calico was used. Only as the women sit at times on the ground, light or white dresses would soil quickly. What do the men wear ? Generally a cloth round the legs and waist, and a loose jacket or smockfrock, something like a shirt, outside. We often sell them shirts for the purpose. I hate to see an African in trousers ! They suit us, but they spoil them ! And they never keep them in good order. Do they feel the heat as you do ? Yes, so much so that when carrying — toiling in the sun up steep hills with loads on their heads — they perspire most copiously. Then of course they divest themselves of their garments, as C. A. 28 434 ''DIFFERENCE IS ONLY SKIN DEEP." do the women while they work in the fields. But the mornings and evenings are chilly, and garments are a comfort. If the thermometer does not stand above 70° the people shiver and say, " How cold it is ! " Those dear converts of whom you speak, — can you love them and feel to them as you would to English fellow Christians ? Oh ! precisely. Tliey are exactly like us inside; the dif- ference is only skin deep ! They are intensely sincere. What is in comes out ! There are no restraints of any kind — no delicacy or consideration or deference to public opinion or con- ventionalities, of course. A man in the audience, if he docs ■]VHITE PEOPLE ACTUALLY LOVE EACH OTHER! " 435 not agree with my conclusion, or follow my explanation, will exclaim, " Oh, I don't think so," or, " I don't see that at all " ; or if one is teaching any special duty, he will object, " Then why did you do so and so ?"' But that is a matter of custom ; their hearts are just like ours. But are they affectionate, kind, grateful, faithful to those they love, like Europeans? That is just what tliey ask about white men ! My dear wife was very ill one night ; I was up with her and anxious, and I suppose I looked pale next day. Lydia, a woman who kindly came in to help, observed it, and I overheard her saying to a neighbour, " What do you think These white people actually love each other like we do ' She is ill, and he looks pale." It was evidently a new discovery to her that white folks had human feelings ! I have come to the conclusion that there is little difference in reality. There is a mutual want of apprecia- tion at first. Well, but how treacherous and unkind they often are to white people, and how awfully cruel to each other at times, killing the innocent, burning and drowning, and selling into slavery ! True. But all that is easily accounted for. As to the mission- aries, remember that they kneiv white men before they knew mis- sionaries ' It is not long since slavery was done away. Traders and officers are not always so kind as they should be. Any way, the African idea of a white man is that he is a devil; and it takes a good deal of intimate association with one who obeys the law of love, and treats him as a brother and an equal, before he begins to feel that a white man can be a human brother I Then their cruelty to each other is the fruit of love, blinded and maddened by superstition. It is love to each other that makes them seek out and Rill those they believe to be witches ! Nothing else. I once thought that they c^^w/^f not in their hearts believe the nonsense of the medicine-men, or that the accused persons were really guilty of death. But I assure you they actually do, and it is equally useless to ridicule them and to blame them. I once said to Lutete, our first convert, a former nganga, "Surely you did not really believe all that.^" "I did 436 BARNABA AND LYDIA. indeed," he replied, " thoroughly. The devil deceived me as much as that ! " \{ he believed it, how much more the common people I Their cruelty is indeed base and cowardly, but it is born of superstition, and superstition is a terrible tyrant. The Christian of course gives up all that superstition after conversion ? Entirely. His superstitions never once seemed to trouble Lutete after he trusted in Christ. Our house had a ceiling of mats, forming a kind of loft— of which no use was made — under the roof The natives however believed that in that loft we kept the spirits of all that died of the strange sad " sleeping sickness," which has carried off large numbers in our neighbour- hood lately, including twenty of our Church members. It was in vain we tried to show them the folly of the notion, and that there was nothing there. " No, not in the day time, but at 7nght — ah ! ■' After Lutete's conversion he came to live near us, because his life was in danger in his own place. But his wife would not come ; she was afraid of these spirits, out of which it was alleged we got some profit. Lutete was accused of being a traitor to his people, for the sake of sharing in these fabulous "profits" ! After a while he tried to persuade his wife to come and live with him again. " I've been there for weeks, and Tve seen no spirits. Come 1 And I promise you that, if you see them, we will move away." She came, heard the gospel daily, and the Lord soon opened her heart and took away all her fears. We baptized her before long under the name of Lydia. Her husband was called Barnabas, because as my first Chris- tian brother among the natives he was such a comfort to me, a real son of consolation I The people cannot pronounce a ter- minal J, so they call him Barnaba. Why do you change their names on baptism in that way 1 They wish it themselves. They feel they are new creatures, entering on a new life, and they want a new name. Besides many of their names have bad meanings — associated with evil heathen customs. They give us fresh names too, for very often they can't pronounce our English ones. Mine — Richards — is a regular puzzle to them. Both the initial R and the final s are beyond them. They call me Ugiiankasi or uncle, and my 437 wife Mundele N ksntu (white woman), or simply "Mama." Lydia was a thoroughly intelligent woman, and quite under- stood the difference between flesh and spirit, faith and works, and so on. She was a great help among the women inquirers when my wife was in England. Do you ever have occasion to excommunicate any of your Church members? Yes, we have done so four or five times. I do not initiate such action myself. I leave all questions of receiving and reject- ing to the Church, because I don't want to make them like children depending on me. I am intensely anxious to develop them as rapidly as possible into a self-governing and self- extending Church. They cannot become this till they have the Scriptures, and can read them. That is why w-e are pressing on as much as possible with translations. But I teach them to refer everything to Scripture, and decide every case according to its precepts. They perfectly understand that all wicked persons must be put away from among them, and they are inclined to be rather severe. But it is a good fault at first. What sort of cases do you put away ? One man was put out for marrying a second wife, while his first was alive. The other cases were for immorality. This sin is very common on the Congo, and Christians sometimes fall into it. They will come spontaneously and with tears and shame confess their sin. But the Church is very firm, and puts them away, and keeps them away a long time. They sometimes need to be urged to accept evident contrition and restore the offender. We have had three or four such cases. How do you manage about polygamy? If a man is a polygamist when converted we do not make him put away any of his wives. To do so in Africa would be very wrong. But we don't allow a Christian to marry more than one of course. They see the benefits of having only one wife, and say, "Ah ! it is the devil misleads our people about this." They see that we are far better off with one wife than they are with several. One day an unhappy fellow who had three had somehow offended them all. When he went to the first house — for a husband builds a separate house for each wife — the door 438 "SEE, THOSE TIVO ARE ONE I" was rudely shut in his face. He tried the second, only to be greeted with " Go away, I don't want you I ' Nor was the third any more willing to admit him. So he bewailed himself to me and said, " I have three wives, and yet none of them will let me in ! " They see our ways, and say : " When you go home, your wife get yoii cup of tea, make you lie down if tired, nurse you if sick ; kind ! good ! Why does she respect you and be so kind to you? W^e wish our wives were like that." Then I explain that they must first respect and love their wives and treat them as I do mine. I may say that the Christians do so. One of the first things I observed when Lutete was converted was that he was helping his wife in the field ! The people were much struck when they first saw us walking arm in arm. " See I " I overheard them saying, " see ! those two are one I Are they kind to their children The mothers are very much so, and the fathers too, if they are free men, and the children are their own. But so often the father is a sla\ e. Then the children belong to his master, and he does not care much about them. But the mothers are very kind, as a rule. In order to keep the public meetings quieter by dispensing with the babies I once proposed a creche, in which one or two women might mind all the infants. But the idea was laughed to scorn. \\'hat I leave their babies to other ieople? Impossible! Uo the Christians take any part in public worship ? Oh, freely ! They pray in public — men and women, using at times of course curious e.xpressions. I remember one man when pleading earnestly for holiness said, " Lord, make our hearts pure, make them clean : as clean as a white man's plate ! " I could not but smile ; but our washing up dishes, and keeping them bright and clean is strange to them, and had struck this man. As to preaching, the converts are some of them really gifted, and speak with great power. Mr. Ingham wrote to me lately of a boy who has been con- verted since I left, w^ho can hold in rapt attention an audience of hundreds. Yet Congo folk are like people here ; they won't stay in a meeting unless they are interested. Was that lad one you knew CONGO MOTHERS. 439 Ay ! and one I had prayed for, and striven with, and taught, and longed for many a year ! A good, bright boy, but an inveterate thief. We could not trust him out of our sight. He seemed to steal for the sake of stealing, even when he could make no use of the thing stolen Now all is changed. Mr. and Mrs. Ingham are pretty slow to believe in the natives ; but they write that this lad is so good, so earnest, and so gifted, that he ought to be sent to America for a good education at one of the Southern colleges. I hope he may be. Then you believe in educating Congo lads in Europe and America No, not as a rule. I think it generally spoils them, and makes them very troublesome. But there are cases of an exceptional character. We must have some high-class native teachers and preachers by-and-by, to be heads of native colleges, and so on. I would prepare a few such lads who can stand it without getting spoiled. Tommy is such a nice bright fellow, that I never could help loving_him, even when he was always giving me trouble by his dishonesty. He would be utterly ashamed when convicted or caught, but seemed as if he could not help it. Now grace has altered him ; he is honest and trustworthy, and so gifted, that he quite eclipses Lukoke of Lukanga. Have you many such preachers Not so good ; but we 440 FLOGGING AS A PUNISHMENT. have many. Indeed, all the men feel it their duty to testify for Christ, and some of the women. And they do it to white men as well as black sometimes ; for they always ask about any one they meet, " Is he a child of God?" If we cannot say yes, they conclude at once that he is a child of the devil ; for they have no conceptioti of a neutral condition, and I am not sure but they are right in that 1 They perfectly distinguish be- tween the two classes, and that the whites differ just as much as they do among themselves. One of our Christians began evangelizing a young officer once. This man wrote and asked me: "What has come over your Banza Manteka men? I can't understand what has changed them so wonderfully. Do tell me." Ah ! the grace of God is a wonderful power ! What do you think about flogging as a punishment? I altogether and unhesitatingly object to it, even for boys. I consider it quite as ungodly to beat an African as an English- man. What right have we — missionaries, traders, or travellers — to beat men ? None whatever. I have seen horrid, blood- curdling cruelties of this kind perpetrated on helpless natives, on women, ay, and on young women too, by traders. But it is wicked, unprincipled, and unjust I We have no more right to commit a personal assault on a naked black man who is willing to work for us, than on a white labourer employed here. It is a remnant of slavery, and a detestable crime. There is no need for it, only selfishness and passion in possession of un- bridled power lead to it. Other punishments might be anne.xed to crime. The natives themselves never thrash anybody. They are very angry if they are struck, and feel it to be a gross insult. I made it a principle never under any provocation to strike man or boy. I believe that Africans should be treated precisely like Europeans ; kindly, respectfully, and in a brotherly, manly way. Patronage they hate ! We may think ourselves superior, but they do not see it. They often think white men uncommonly poor creatures. We can't do many things they can do, and they don't understand the assumption of Europeans. A white man who strikes a native loses influence with them at once, and can never do them any good. They must be won by love, just like Englishmen. We must forget that they are JOSEPH CLARKE, OF PALABALA, AND TWO CHRISTIAN LADS. black, it makes no real difference. They are men. Even with children, we punish some other way — never by striking. But what would you do with a naughty boy ? Well, I had trouble with one who had been in England. He was cross and sulky, and wanted toilet soap, if you please, and better food, and I caught him domineering over other boys, and even beating them and making them cry. I took him into my room, reminded him he was only a slave to the king, and of all I had done for him and taught him, upbraided him for ingratitude, and told him decidedly I would have no nonsense. "If I see any more such conduct, I take off your clothes and send you away back to the town to be a slave again." The boy 441 442 NATIVE QUICKNESS IN LEARNING. was quite broken down, asliamed, and grieved, and I had no more trouble with him. After the revival I got the king, who set a high price on the lad, to set him free. He is married now, a good Christian man. Are the children in the schools fairly quick in learning ? Not the little ones. But after five or six years old I should say they are remarkably so. N'snuda, a girl of nine or ten, learned to read well in about eight months ; so did Wamba and N'kimba, younger boys, and to do some arithmetic also. One week N'snuda learned by heart perfectly the first, third, and fourth of John. David, a young fellow of twenty, learned to read in public right well. He preached, too, so well that an American lady who heard him said, "If I had known you had such evangelists as that, I do not think I should have come to Africa ! " And you hope to be able to leave the Church at Banza IManteka some day, commending its native elders to God and to the word of His grace ? I do indeed ; as soon as they shall have the word of His grace, or the greater part of it. But as yet they have not this by any means. We have the gospels, and parts of Romans and (ienesis and other books ; but there is very much yet to be done in translation. The language is a most rich and complicated one. Very few missionaries understand it /'/if^rt?^^///)' yet. The people need much instruction before they will be able to stand alone. But really if they had the Bible I should scarcely fear to leave them even now ! The Lord would lead them on I They have set apart some of their number as evangelists, and they strongly realize their joyful duty to spread the glad tidings. That sleeping sickness seems sadly prevalent? Can it not be cured ? No ; patients invariably die. The nature of the complaint is not well understood. I think it is a brain disease, from a strange look in the eyes, which I have always noticed as pre- ceding it. The victim becomes stupid after a time, and loses memory and power of motion. Many die too from small- pox. But the State Government has done good by introducing vaccine, and forbidding sick carriers to enter the towns. The people have learned to vaccinate themselves, and villages have been saved from attack by this. But we have lost many members from both diseases. Not unfrequently when a name is mentioned in calling over the roll at a Church meeting the answer comes, " Balukidi" — gone up ! 444 CHAPTER III. PROGRESS UNDER THE A.B.M.U. 18S5-1890. Space obliges us very briefly to epitomise the occurrences of the last few years of the mission. In the summer of 1885 Mr. BiUington took, in the Henry Reed, a voyage on the Upper Congo to visit Messrs. Pettersen and Eddie at the Equator Station. He wrote us many particulars of the state of things on the upper river, then comparatively little visited. Some most painful sights they saw, such as the one here described. Soon after our arrival at Bolobo we heard tremendous drumming and shouting, and on inquiiy found that some one had died. We went into the towns, and saw a most disgusting, pitiful, and heart- sickening sight. After passing through several villages, we came to an open space, where a great company of natives had assembled. First to attract our attention was a large circle of men, who had been drinking palm-wine till they were nearly drunk, and were then joining in a kind of savage dance, accompanied by wild singing and shouting. A little farther on we saw a still larger circle of women, M ho were smoking pipes about two feet in length, and at the same time laughing, dancing, and shouting in a most hideous fashion. A little to the left of them, in the middle of a native hut whose walls had been removed, stood the coffin, containing the body of the departed, and it was surrounded by women mourners, some wives and some friends of the dead ; the whole formed such a sight that I shall never forget, and even an ungodly man who was with us said, "Let's go ; this makes me feel quite ill." We noticed that two of the women and one man of the party that surrounded the cofiin had been stripped of their usually scanty clothing, 445 446 'INHUMAN, MURDEROUS BUSINESS! and a few blades of green grass given as a substitute ; we saw also that their hands were made fast by native rope. Oh, what a look they gave us as we approached! In answer to a question we were told, " These three are ready to be killed to celebrate the death of this chief." Two of them were his wives, and one of them was a slave. It seems that sometimes they are beheaded by one blow of a specially shaped and prepared knife, and the body then thrown into the river ; sometimes they are suspended to the roof of a native hut, and so strangled, and the bodies buried with that of their chief. The skulls of the beheaded are placed on the roofs of houses to adorn or to protect. I have seen many of these skulls in various towns I have visited. "Cannot you stop this inhuman, murderous business ? " we said to the chief of the state station. "No," he replied; "I am not strong enough yet." He added, "This is no uncommon thing; it is often happening in this district." The daily cutting ol wood for the steamer is a tiresome but essential operation on all these Upper Congo voyages. The Henry Reed burns two hundred- weight for every hour of steaming. Dead wood is preferred, or small trees eighteen inches or two feet in diameter. They are felled by crosscut saws, cut into short lengths, rolled to the beach, split up, and loaded. The presence of a white man greatly expe- dites this operation ! The travellers passed the mouth of the INIobangi, which looks like another Congo, and the Irebu towns (from which Messrs. Pettersen and Banks were stoned as they passed up the river in small boats). They reached the equator, and four miles north of it came to the station at X^'angata. The natives were not then as friendly as they are now. Mr. Billington wrote of them as treacherous, always ready to fight, and going fully armed. But he found already a little mission growing up in their midst. He wrote MR. BILLINGTOM'S LETTER. 447 " Our brethren, Pettersen and Eddie, have worked hard, and done well here ; they have built two good clay dwelling-houses and several out-houses, have made a garden, have partly made and erected a cir- cular saw, are on gootl terms with the people, have a number of boys in the school, and have made some progress in the language. '•The country, al- though lowland, has up to the present proved very healthy ; almost everything can be grown there, and grown all tlie year round ; it is possible always to have fresh vegetables, and this fact alone will greatly help in the preservation of good health. The site of this station is indeed admir- able, a central position, about four miles north of the equator. "The villages below it form a contniuous line by the water for about six miles. A few minutes above it are the ' Wan- gata ' towns, and these join other and more im- portant towns, at the mouth of the ' Uruki ' River. About an hour's steaming up the Uruki you come upon another district of well-inhabited villages ; these could be all easily reached with the use of a small rowing- boat, and the missionary could thus preach tu thousands of people, who have never heard g°^P^l-" A MEDICINE MAN. 448 DR. SIMS' VISIT TO AMERICA. In the following year Mr. Pettersen had to return to England, and leave Mr. Eddie alone for a time at this remote spot. Dr. Sims also came home on furlough in 1886, and soon after his arrival had in London a dangerous attack of the African haematuric fever. His life was in danger for some days, and had he been on the Congo he would scarcely have recovered. He had apparently brought the infection home with him. But skilled advice and good nursing helped him to rally, and later on he went over to America. He was the first missionary to visit the new headquarters of the mission in Boston, and his tour among the Churches in the United States was timely and useful. He found Dr. ]\Iurdock, the esteemed and beloved secretary of the A.B.M.U., laid aside by illness from active duties ; but Dr. Gordon, a member of the committee, received him with the greatest kindness, and visited New York, Philadelphia, and other places with him. There had been some natural anxiety and distrust about the Congo ^lission, but the testimony of an eye-witness removed it, and kindled much interest in the newly adopted enterprise. The vigorous prosecution and enlargement of the work was decided on, at the annual meeting of the Union, held at Asbury Park, New Jersey. There was absolute unanimity in the adoption of this course ; and after an address by Dr. Sims, the assembly sent its good- will and greeting to the brethren in Africa, amid waving of handkerchiefs, prayers, and tears, — a touch- ing and beautiful sight. The adoption of a child that has never been seen THE ASBURY PARK CONFERENCE. 449 is rather an awkward and cold proceeding. There had perhaps been a somewhat analogous feeling between the Churches in America and the mission- aries in Africa up to this time, but thenceforward love and confidence were established. The anniver- sary was felt to be one of the best in the history of the society. A heavy debt had been feared, and indeed existed right up to the week of the meeting. But the Lord moved His people to clear off the whole sum, and, instead of a deficiency, the society had a balance in its favour, and were thus encouraged to press forward the new undertaking. We quote the following from the report of the anniversary. Dr. Gordon of Boston .said : Is there any one amongst us who is dis- posed to speak of a mission to Africa as foolhardy ? Bear in mind the fact that during the year among our missionaries on tliat field no one has died. Contrast this with what others have experienced ! By a striking providence this mission has been put into our hands, and since being received by us has been marvellously exempt from disaster and death. There is no danger of collision with the missions of the English Baptists. The message which our English brethren send to us is, that while we march up one bank of the Congo, they will march up the other, and to- gether we will take the country. As to Baptist orthodoxy, do you know why this mission was given to us ? Because the brethren engaged in it wished to be associated with a body of Christians who believe in main- taining every word and ordinance of God ; because, also, it was the wish of those who gave this mission to us, that it should be in the hands of those who believe and practise total abstinence. It has been said that the executive committee is slow. Do you push us, said Dr. Gordon, and we will push the work on the Congo. Dr. Crane, who was associated with Dr. Murdock in the commission to visit London and examine there the question as to the wisdom of accepting this mission, came next. Dr. Crane gave a narrative of this visit, of the conference with Mr. and Mrs. Guinness and others, with C. A. 29 TIVO UNTENABLE PROPOSITIONS. a view to get all the light possible upon the question they had been sent to examine. The details as given were very interesting, showing withal with what care and fidelity the whole case had been studied. Upon the question whether we should enter a field where the English Baptists also have missions, he illustrated the point he wished to make by supposing that the fifty-five millions of people in the republic of the United States were heathen, and that a missionary society were engaged in giving the gospel to us. What would be thought of the claim, if made, that because this one society was thus engaged, there could be no room fisr any other society to enter the field or share the work? If any shall say that the people of the Congo cannot be reached by the gospel, he commits himself to one or the other of these two proposi- tions : either that Ciod hath not made of one blood all nations of men to dwell on the face of all the earth ; or that Christianity is not the last and the universal religion for the entire humanity. The mission he held belongs to us, as Americans, because by the pluck and courage of an American the Congo and its valley were discovered and explored. Then as to the climate, are we to go, or to send our missionaries, only where the climate is salubrious? Facing the difficulties and dangers of the Congo valley, is this representative foreign mission society, for the first time, to forget that " the blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church " ? Dr. Sims, on his return from America, spent a few months in Vienna studying some special forms of disease, and went out again to the Congo in January, 1887. He was accompanied by Mr. Murphy, from our Institute, going out for the first time, and also by Mr. and Mrs. Ingham, who were returning. Much important fresh -exploration was accomplished in the Dark Continent about this time. Dr. Wolff, a member of Wissmann's expedition, made a reconnissance of the Kasai-Sankulu River, which proved to be a direct water- way from Kwamouth on the Upper Congo to within a few days' march of Nyangwe ; that is, over ten degrees of longi- tude. This stream, which forms a straight line where the Congo makes a vast horse-shoe, is navigable for 820 miles, and flows through a densely populated country, the people MR. CHARLES HARVEY, OF LUKUNGA. [Sap. 329.) being of a superior type and industrious character. They build large and regular towns, some of which take five hours to cross. Their country seems healthful : cattle thrive, and produce was extremely cheap, although Portu- guese half-castes from the west and Kiswaheli traders from the east had already penetrated it. Tusks of ivory were sold for a few beads ! Lieut. Kund, of the German African Society, made another discovery scarcely less important. On foot and 452 " IVE EAT MEK, OF COURSE: with the help of a compass only, accompanied by a few Loango men, he made a round from Stanley Pool to the Kwango, and thence to the Kasai. Then he went north, crossing the Sankulu, till he struck another great river, the Jkatta, of which he thought Lake Leopold to be only a lacustrine enlargement. After traversing the lake, the Ikatta flows on under the name of the Mfini, to join the Kasai and Congo. Thus a fourth great navigable water-way crosses the continent from east to west, and ever)' part of the interior is easily accessible by steamer. Kund met with kind and friendly tribes such as the Ayacca ; but with others who were fierce, warlike, and cannibals, as they did not hesitate to admit. "Yes," they said, "we eat men of course, 7uhen 7ve have tliem to eat ; but, alas ! we get but few ! " Others asked, " Why do you not give us some of your carriers to eat ? You cannot be friendly. The Ayacca always bring us some to eat." Vast herds of game were seen everywhere ; but the people have no guns, though plenty of iron. Between the Sankulu and Ikatta Kund came upon a specially interesting people. Who will have the honour of first carrying them the gospel ? Their physique was striking : not a stupid face was to be seen anywhere. The men had noble heads, "like learned people or members of Parliament " — heads such as one sees only in classes who have devoted their lives to mental work. There was a town every two or three hours (on foot) ; food and animals plenty, and great quantities of ivory. These people — the Basange — are not cannibals, and evidently of much higher capacity than their western neighbours. In 1S87 the iron church given by Dr. Gordon's congre- gation in Boston to their coloured brethren of Banza Manteka was sent out. It made 237 packages, weighing PROGRESS 1883. 453 between five and six tons. It was nicely planned, with a deep verandah round it to keep it cool, and vestries, which serve for consulting room and dispensary, and for the medical mission. The natives carried up the loads free of charge, thus contributing about ^200 in sheer physical strength. So great was the desire to have a share in the CURIOUS NATIVE HEAD-DRESS OF OWN HAIR. work, that the women, who could not carry, worked and earned money, and paid men to go for loads. Three American ladies. Miss Faulkner, Miss Hamilton, and Miss Fleming, joined the mission in May. The two former reside at Lukunga, and have flourishing schools, while Miss Fleming, an educated African, stayed at Palabala. Messrs. Camp and Lewis also went out this year. 454 In 1888 Mr. Banks and Mr. Murphy had replaced Mr. Eddie at Equator Station. The latter had done some useful translations during his stay, and among other things had rendered into two different African languages *' Peep of Day," a book which, though intended for children, suits the undeveloped, childish, yet inquiring minds of the natives. INIr. Banks wrote : 1 have gained a good deal of influence among these people through the medical help I have been able to render them. When we first came many of the people were dying from dysentery. About thirty or forty came to me, and all except one recovered. One day, when holding a meeting in the town, after several people had died, I was accused by some as having been the means of their death. They said, " Before you came here none of us were dying, but since you came many people have died." But other people in the crowd soon spoke on my behalf, and cried out, "No, it is not so; have not all who went to him recovered except one ? And she was almost dead when he went to her." There was considerable discussion about it, but it soon became apparent that those who were against us were in tile minority. Now, when I go to the town, they very readily listen to the good news of the land where denth shall be no more. One day when in a town down river, after service the people said : " We have heard what you had to tell us, but you say nothing about two things of which we wish to hear. What about the riier bchtg so low ? and xvhy do men die ? Before you came the river used to rise so high ? now it comes up a little, and then goes back. It is your well that is the cause of it ; remove it, and we will give you two goats." I rose up, and called all the people to come near to me ; they came, and every face showed expectancy. I then asked, " Can any of you make the river to rise?" — "No." — "Do you know any one who can?" — " No." — " Then why do you think that I can ? Am I not a man even as you? Who made the river?" — " God." — "Then if He made it, He can only make it to rise. Is it not so ? " — " Ves." — "Then why don't you ask Him to give you water? " — " We can't see Him. Where is He ? " — " He is here now, and although you can't see Him, He can hear you. Why don't you ask Him ? " — " We don't know how. You ask Him ! " — " Come then, let us ask Him together."' I then led in prayer, asking that the river might rise soon, as the people were short MR. BANKS. ol food. When I had finished, the people looked at me very hard for a little; then I said : " Now we have asked, trust Him. He never lies, and He has said, 'Ask, and ye shall receive.'" That same night the river rose four Inches, and has continued to rise since. We generally have three or four services every Sunday, besides one among our children and workmen every night. Of course we have only been able to do this within the last few months ; before that we did not know the language sufficiently well. Owing to the rainy weathei', and the miserable state of our houses, I have been much interrupted in my translation work, and I do not see how I can get on with it as I should like for some time to come. Still I get much to encourage me, as trading canoes ofien stop here, and I have a fine opportunity of preaching the gospel to those who have never heard it before. 4 35 4S6 LIFE AT LUKUNGA. Last night just at sunset a dozen men and boys came down to the station, and after sitting in tlie porch for a while, the chief said, "White man, tell us the words of God, and sing." I immediately endeavoured to set before them the gospel of love. After I had spoken to them for a little while, one man with a face full of excite- ment turned to the others, and, tapping his breast, said, "I fee! it, I feel it here." In the spring of 1889 Miss Bernice Royal, of Maine, and Miss Annie Gordon, of Atlanta Seminary, Georgia, joined the Congo Mission, and in the autumn Messrs. Raine Hartsock, and Hyde Mr. Raine was at one time a student in our Institute, but he had been for some years in America, where he was ordained. Mr. Hartsock is supported by the students of Brown University, and is the first Baptist representative of the college missionary move- ment, to go abroad. These three brethren stayed a short time in London on their way to Africa. Their instructions were to open work on the Kasai, if they could be spared from other claims. Miss Royal wrote soon after her arrival at her station to her friends in America. I have already been in Lukunga two weeks, but my tnmks have not yet arrived, such is African transport. We have quite a nice little iron house with dining-room, two bedrooms, and two bath-rooms. We have a school of seventy-five children, only four of them girls. Miss Faulkner and I do their sewing, so you may judge we have not an idle life. There are ninety members of the Church. Vou should be in one of their prayer-meetings ! no lack of prayers or words. Lukunga is a very pretty place. Our station is built in the valley ; AFRICAN ANT-HILLS. OUT-STATIONS. 457 the river runs by two sides. The ladies' house is on a hill at a little distance. The British mission has a station at the left, and the State station is a little farther on. I like the natives very much. There are some good intellects and some grand Christians among them. The up-country path lies directly through our grounds, and one old man takes every opportunity to preach to the carriers that pass. I have three very bright young men in my class in English. They are so anxious to learn, that it is a pleasure to teach them. Miss Faulkner goes to the town twice a day to teach the women. They cannot come to the school, but will come from the fields long enough to take a lesson in reading. The king does not favour the girls going to school, for fear they will not work in the fields when they grow up. The native dress is a loose jacket, with a piece of cloth tied around the waist, reaching to the ankles, but farther up the river they wear only a cloth about the loins. The red ants are the only things I have encountered yet in the horrible insect line. I have not seen a centipede nor a snake, though I hear of one occasionally. You have no idea what a busy life we lead, and yet we do but little housework. One boy cooks ; one does the washing ; one washes dishes, and takes care of Miss Faulkner's room ; one waits on table, and is to take charge of my room when I get anything to put in it. We have a little boy in our house who is supported by one of the mission bands, twenty dollars a year. We call him our baby. He is a cunning little fellow, named Johnnie, who helps about the table, his chin just reaching up to it. Mr. Hoste has now formed an outstation at some distance from Lukunga, and having a familiar acquain- tance with the country and language, is hoping to found several such and to visit them from time to time. He writes to a friend, — I am glad you approve of the circuit plain, for I am feeling more and more every day the dire need of some such arrangement. The evangelization of this country cannot be accomplished by the itineration on any wide scale of whiie missionaries. The climate, the heat, and our bodily weakness prevent. The extremely scattered condition of the towns and villages is also a difficulty, while the travelling and business propensities of the people render the gathering of a congre- gation at any moment uncertain. I have had sufficient experience in 458 THE CHURCH IN LUKUNGA. itinerating to assert that all these are great difficulties, and I think the experience of others is similar. My idea would be to establish myself, say, at a place like Kinkamba, build a dwelling-house, a store, a school, and chapel, start preaching the gospel, and with one or two converts establish ourselves as the Church at Kinkamba. Now that we possess a fair knowledge of the language and can use it effectively, there is good reason to hope that at no distant date members would be added to the little Church. I should try to start a day school in addition to evangelizing in (he tovjiis round aboul. Samar is a very important point. Kimbembe claims that there are some seven or eight Christians there. His oivn mother he stead- fastly asserts died in the Lord, bidding people to make no fuss over her, as she was "going to be with Jesus." This woman as far as I know had never been to the station ; but as a rule and in the long run, without means of reading God's word, or even hearing it, there would of necessity be spiritual weakness, indeed an absence of vigour little distinguishable from death. Kimbembe suggested moving the Christians here, but I cannot advise it. I believe this moving to mission stations to be very injurious. If a Christianity cannot stand in the towns, better for it to be overthrown till it has learned the secret that we neither glorify God nor improve ourselves by running away from troubles and temptations. The grace which is of our Lord Jesus Christ is the true remedv. Possibly Kimbembe's case is outside of this ; but I think to have the nucleus of a Church within ten miles would be a great thing. ^Ve may be doing the country round a serious injury by removing a group of converts from their own place. Miss Hamilton is doing the medical work here, and is exactly adapted for it. Miss Faulkner now has two women's schools, one in Nsenda, in the early morning, and one at Mayambula in the evening. It is a splendid work, and one for which she is admirably adapted. My fear with regard to myself is that my strength will fail me. Whether this is the time to seek rest I do not kno«-. You see the word is just now springing up, and the labourers are sorely few. There may come a time when there will be a more adequate supply of workers, and I might think of taking a holiday ; but the privilege of standing in this breach is to me far more precious than years of life. So God giving me the privilege and the grace through and in Jesus my Lord, I hope He will permit me to be spent in effectual service for the establish- ment of His kingdom here. Oh that God may pour out Holy Ghost fire on the burnt offering offered on the altar to the name of Jesus Christ ! STANLEY POOL. 459 I am thankful to say there is a great spirit of obedience to Christ and His Church as such among us, and a great fear of discipline, which I think is in itself a decided manifestation of the spirituality of the Church. We have found that those cases which we have had to bring to the notice of the Church have resulted satisfactorily. The medical mission at Stanley Pool is gradually gaining the confidence of the people. Dr. Sims has moved his station from the hill at Leopoldville to the beach at Kinchassa, near the town of the great trader N'galiema. A daily service is held with twenty to thirty patients before their ailments are attended to ; and some of the people ask questions and seem interested. But as yet there are no converts, and a good deal of indifference, not to say of actual dislike, is manifested by certain sections of the people. The place has already become such a busy centre of traffic and travel, the meeting point of constant caravans from the coast with the twenty steamers already plying on the Upper Congo, that there is plenty of work and of dis- traction for the natives, rendering it not the most favourable spot for a mission station. On the other hand, native traders from long distances are drawn to the place from the desire of getting gain, and often carry back into the interior news of the strange message from heaven which they have heard. rORTRAITS OF THE FIRST PARTY OF THE CONGO-BALOLO MISSION. {See 474.) Sailed for Africa, Ai-rii., 1889. CHAPTER IV. OUR NEW CONGO-BALOLO MISSION. When in the summer of 1888 the world's great missionary convention gathered at Exeter Hall, Dr. Murdock visited London, among a host of other worthy secretaries and delegates from America. His board had for four years at that time managed, reinforced, and efficiently sustained the Livingstone Inland Mission, and had much cause to rejoice in its spiritual success. We were glad to confer with him once more over the progress of events in Central Africa, and over plans for the future. The blessing of God had rested on the mission, and ii'e felt as if it ought to be extended. Balololand, on whose borders its last station was placed, is a sphere which presents peculiar missionary attractions. One language is spoken all over its vast extent, and it is opened by six navigable rivers, southern tribu- taries of the Congo. Its climate is fairly healthy, to judge by the experience of Wangata Station, Equatorville. It is a totally unevangelized country, and populous, containing, as is supposed, about ten millions of people. But the A.B.M.U. was, we learned, 461 462 THE A.B.M.U. PLAN OF CAMPAIGN. not likely to plant stations up the rivers of Balolo- land, for the following reasons. One of the leading principles governing the policy and practice of the Union is that of concentration, and radiation from a centre. Their experience in Burmah and India has, they think, proved that their best plan is to make a strong station in a good strategical position, to furnish it with a sufficient staff and with schools, dispensary, and books, and then to aim. not only at making converts and gathering these into a Church, learning the language perfectly, and pre- paring translations ; but also at developing and train- ing as quickly as possible a native agency. This agency they subsequently employ to spread the gospel from a whole circle of out-stations, the white missionary in the centre overlooking them all, and carrying on the teaching of the teachers. The specially promising converts from the out-stations can be in their turn trained at the centre, and when ready sent out to occupy a still larger circle of out-stations. This conception is opposed to the idea on which the Livingstone Island Mission had been organized — that of a chain of stations reaching from the coast to Stanley Falls. Ultimately the two methods would reach the same result, but not at first. The central stations of the A.B.]\I.U. extended would form a chain. Each link of the chain of the L.I.M. was of course intended to grow into a centre. But in the start, the two plans arc contrasted. The A.B.M.U. regarded o)ie language as the badge of one mission, and in taking over the Livingstone Inland Mission IVHAT OF THE ''REGIONS BEYOND"? 463 felt that they were virtually adopting several, as it was then working in Kikongo, Kiteke, Kyansi, and Kilolo. Dr. Sims had also done some work in Yalulema. The Board did not wish consequently so early in the day to extend the stations of the mission beyond the equator, already eight hundred miles removed from their first station on the coast. They very pro- perly felt that the languages of the Cataract gorge and of the Pool would give them room enough and to spare for many years to come, extending as they do far both to the north and south. ONE OF THE KYANSI- SPEAKING TEOPLE. We, on the other hand, were constantly asking. But meantime what of the regions beyond ? What of the ten million Balolo ? What of the Bangala of the northern bank ? What of the Lomami and the Aruwimi ? Were they to be left unevangelized ? What of the Ikatta, and of the Sankulu and its many large tributaries ? The Swedish Society was not likely to spread in this direction, and the English B.M.S., though it had explored the region, and even selected sites, had been unable to occupy them all, and did not seem likely to do so for some time to come. Sickness and death had sorely diminished the staff", and it was as much as they could do to hold their existing stations. The duty seemed to 464 CHANCES AT II A R LEY HOUSE. devoh e on us, and we felt as if a call had come to us to go forward. Ever since the transfer we had continued to watch the work in Central Africa with undiminished inte- rest, and to pray for it with unchanged earnestness. We had continued to act as an auxiliary to the American Society, though to an annually lessening degree. Friends in England hardly felt the need of contributing to so strong and rich a society as the A.B.M.U., which acts for Churches numbering over three millions of members ; — and their donations to the Congo Mission consequently decreased. We regretted that their help should be lost to so needy a field. We had moreover in the Institute numbers of men willing and anxious to serve Christ on the Congo, whom the A.B.M.U. were not likely to send out, because they naturally wished to introduce an American element into a staff so largely composed of English and Scotch. Moreover during the years of which we speak, 1 884- 1 888, changes of an important character had taken place in the East London Mission Institute which we conduct, changes which seemed to render possible what before was impossible. A new gene- ration was rising up to help us in our missionary undertakings. Son and daughters were consecrating to the work young energies, sympathies, and talents. Our eldest daughter had herself gone to China as a missionary, and our younger had undertaken home work and editorial duties. In the providence of God our eldest son, H. Grattan Guinness, M.R.C.S., MR. McKITTRICK'S RETURN FROM AFRICA. 465 and his' gifted and efficient young wife, had heartily and freely devoted themselves to the work of Christ in connexion with our missionary undertak- ings. They had relieved us of much of the manage- ment of the London branches and missions, so that former burdens were somewhat lightened to the Secretary, and fresh and valuable help secured to the Institute. They had taken up their residence at Harley House, our London headquarters, and here they naturally received and showed hospitality to returned Congo workers, among other missionaries, from time to time. Early in 1888 Mr. John McKittrick came home on furlough. He had been labouring at Equator Station, on the Upper Congo, the advanced outpost of the mission ; and he brought with him to his old home at Harley College, not only a heart full of love for the Balolo and an overflowing zeal for their conversion, but also a living specimen of the race, a Balolo boy, named Bompole. We were deeply interested in all we learned from them both of this great Central African people. Our hearts were drawn out to so large and dark a nation, and the results of the apparently accidental visit will, we trust, be of eternal importance to the Balolo people, whom we must briefly introduce to our readers before closing. Eighty years ago, the peaceful Bantu dwellers on the southern bank of the Upper Congo River were disturbed by an invasion from the east. A great C. A. 30 BOMPOLE, nation came travelling westward, and took posses- sion of the left bank of the stream, turning out the former occupants, and bringing in a new language, customs, and people. The powerful invaders were significantly called BaLOLO, " iRON-PEOPLE," or, as we should express it, tJie strong tribe* ' Significant names aie the rule in Central Africa. On the Lower Congo we have the Bakonco, or hunters, and the Babwende, or travellers, the two tribes being distinguished respectively as hunters 466 THE BALOLO OR IRON PEOPLE:' 467 And strong they proved themselves to be. The territory which they thus conquered, and have since kept and dwelt in, is nearly five times as large as England. A glance at the map will show that it fills the horseshoe bend of the Congo. From the Lomami in the East to the Lakes Mantumba and Leopold on the West, and from the Lopori on the North to the headwaters of the Bosira and Juapa on the South {i.e. to about three degrees of south latitude), the Balolo are living to-day, and living moreover in a somewhat more civilized fashion than the natives of the Lower Congo. The tangled growth of the tropical forest is cleared away in their settlements, and the fertile soil sown with maize and mandioca by their industry; for, being expert in the working and smelting of brass, they produce axes, planes, hoes, spades, and other useful implements of agriculture. Every Balolo possesses well-tempered knives, and he carries a spear and shield, and sometimes a tastefully carved execution knife, in case of emergency. Every village has its smithy, if not its spreading chestnut tree ; and the smith, who supports himself solely by his own branch of labour, is held in high repute amongst his towns- folk, being skilled in the production of bracelets, and travellers, the latter in connexion with the necessary trading trans- port between the upper and lower rivers. Higher up, at .Stanley Pool; come the Bateke, who live exclusively by trade, even refusing to cultivate the ground, and whose name means merchants. Farther up the Congo we meet with the Bayansi, ox people of the land, who are the aborigines, and with the Balolo, or iron-people, from ba and lolo, iron; In each case the prefix ha means peoplej 468 WOMEN m.p:s in balololand. necklaces, and ornaments, besides weapons of war and more peaceful implements of toil. The workmanship of Balolo canoes is excellent. Hollowed from the trunk of durable trees and manned by practised paddlers, these simple craft are swift and serviceable, a considerable flotilla being attached to every town. Let us visit one of the latter, and notice the incipient civilization that prevails. Here is Molungo's town. We walk down its long street and reach the town-hall of the place. Seated throughout, this room accommodates two or three hundred people. The lords and commons who assemble here to discuss the law of the land are pro- vided with little wooden couches six inches or so in height. If the legislative assembly were sitting, we should find female M.P.'s among the number, for "women's rights " are recognised by the Balolo, and women hold at the equator a position of equality with men. As may be reasonably expected, she has at times a good deal to say in the house ! We pass out of the place of palaver and continue our walk through the town. The people we meet are well dressed compared to the natives of the lower river. The streets are straight and regular, running at right angles in American style ; their large, com- modious houses built of palm fronds. There is no lack of people here ; the population numbers about four thousand. It takes us no less than three hours to walk through this long town, and jNIulonga's town and Bokenula's farther on, have each twice its population. BALOLO HEADS. Steaming against the current of the Congo, we come to Boyela presently. Here the left bank of the river is steep and very high ; we notice the native ladders and ingenious zigzag paths cut in the sides of the declivity, and find that it takes us an hour and a half to steam past the town. And now what kind of people are the Balolo ? We turn from their handiwork and surroundings to themselves, and find that in their physical frames, as in everything else, these Upper Congo natives are a contrast to the dwellers on the lower river. Powerful and finely developed, they are, as a rule, superior to Europeans as far as physique is concerned. Our illustrations, taken from sketches made at Equatorville, give an idea of the Balolo physiogomy. The most casual observer cannot fail to notice the remarkable contrast between this and the negro head. The high forehead and fine mental development, the comparatively delicate lips and lower jaw, the aquiline 469 470 A HEAL THY CO UNTR V AND A UNITED PEOPLE. nose, and the general intelligence, are an index of the Balolo character. Stanley was the first to visit and describe the Balolo, but he only saw them in passing, and no one had made acquaintance with them until our missionaries did so. When in 1884 the pioneers of the L.I.M. planted their farthest station at Equatorville, within five miles of the line, they found themselves on the outskirts of a great unevangelized nation. A new, strange language sounded in their ears ; an intelligent, warlike people surrounded them ; they were amongst the Balolo. Not however till they had learnt the language and spent about two years in the country did they realize what this fact involved. The)' had, as it were, struck at last upon a rich human mine. The constantly varying languages and tribes of the lower river were passed. The mission had reached for the first time a healthy country and a great, united people. For 600 miles a populous land lay before them, vexed at times by petty quarrels, it is true, but never devastated by sanguinary intertribal wars ; for the men who dwelt in it were brothers, speaking one mother-tongue and claiming one original roof-tree. Living a thousand miles from the coast, unvisited as yet by the Arabs of the East, and protected by the Cataract region from the demoralizing influences of the rum and gin trade of Europeans on the West, these simple- minded sons of Ham were living quietly in their millions, and were willing for missionaries to go among them. Intelligent, industrious, and friendly FOUNDATION OF THE NEW MISSION. 471 the Balolo are scarcely to be called savages. They understand division of labour ; farmers, gardeners, smiths, boat-builders, weavers, cabinet-makers, ar- mourers, warriors, and speakers, are already differen- tiated among them. They occupy only a low plane of civilization as yet. but they have begun to emerge from barbarism. They are not idolaters. There exists among them an evident belief in a supreme Being, who is held to be the providential ruler of all human affairs, and also in a future life. They have traditions of the creation, while such expressions as " God is the maker of all," " God reigns over all," are common among them. In spite of this, they are sunk in the most degraded superstitions, believing firmly, like other Central x'\fricans, in witchcraft and charms, filled with childish fear of the supernatural, and having no conception of reward or punishment after death. The old mission had in its early days suffered severely from climate. But these Balolo dwell in an elevated and healthy plateau. Mr. Eddie had written to us from Wangata: "This is evidently a very healthy place ; we enjoy excellent health here; for six months I was not ill for an hour, and then I had only a little fever. Brother Pettersen was without fever for a longer period." This was a great argument in favour of Balololand, and altogether we felt strongly led to attempt an extension of the mission into that region. The New Coxcio-Balolo Mission. After full conference with our friend Dr. Murdock, it was agreed that our au.xiliary should become an MR. JOHN McKITTRICK, OF BELFAST, Leader of the Congo-Balolo Mission. independent though related mission ; that it should be manned, and managed, and supported from England, and that it should undertake the definite work of carrying the gospel to the Balolo. He con- sented on Eehalf of the A.B.M.U. to liberate ;Mr. McKittrick, who wished to be set free to lead the first party of the new mission, and with great kindness and liberality the Union subsequently consented to 472 THE FIRST PARTY FOR BALOLOI.AND. 473 lend us for twelve months the Henry Reed steamer, so that the start of the new mission need not be delayed while a steamer of its own was being procured. The two missions will work in perfect harmony, and assist each other to their utmost, indeed they will be rather two branches of one mission. It was understood between us that if we should ever again be constrained to drop our work on the Congo, the Balolo Auxiliary should be handed over to the mission of the A.B.M.U. But we hope there is no fear of this, as we now possess in the Directorate a com- bination of the experience of age with the energies of youth, our son H. Grattan Guinness, jun., M.R.C.S., and his wife, undertaking the secretaryship and the main home responsibility of the new work. We were convinced that this fresh effort would be pleasing to Him who always yearned over those that were afar off " Other sheep I have, which are not of this fold : them also I must bring, and there shall be one flock, and one shepherd." Here were ten mil- lions of "other sheep," oh how destitute! and we in England, oh how rich in spiritual goods ! Was it not a duty to try and help them ? Reluctantly, and only under the irresistible pressure of circumstances, we had laid aside gospel work in Central Africa for a few years in 1884, and we were right glad and thankful to resume it in 1888. A number of Christian friends of various denomi- nations agreed to form themselves into an Advisory Council to confer with and assist the Directors by advice and by fellowship in prayer. The interest in 474 MRS. JOHN' McKITTRICK. the Congo which had in measure died down, was re-awakened by press and platform, and, in answer to much intercession, the Lord graciously worked with His servants, and moved the hearts of some to give and of others to go, so that no time was lost. The spring is the best season for an expedition to start, but much had to be done both in Africa and in England by way of preparation. The party had to be formed, the funds provided, and a steamer secured against the end of the year for which the Henry Reed was lent. We wished the first expedition to be strong enough to found two stations, as well as to work the steamer, and it was decided therefore that it should consist of eight missionaries. Seven volunteers soon came forward to join Mr. McKittrick for Balololand. Others offered, but were not thought suitable. The portraits on p. 460 of the group which ultimately started will be more interesting if we add a few words about each member of it. One of the party was a bride, a dear young niece of our own, who had already spent five years among the Syrians of the Lebanon and Damascus, and who had just been married to Mr. John McKittrick, the leader of the band. She had become a good Arabic scholar ; but before going to the East had consecrated her life to the Congo, for which field she was how- ever at that time too young. Her sympathies had been drawn out towards the people when very }-oung through knowing the native lads who had been with us in England ; and her missionary experience and MRS. JOHN McKITTRICK, and Three of her Congo Boys, linguistic ability made her an acquisition to the mission. Miss de Hailes, the only other lady in the party, had also for some years had the Congo in view. She was betrothed to the late Alexander Cowe, one of the B.M.S. martyrs of the gospel on the Congo, who died at San Salvador in 1885, when he had spent only three weeks in Africa and preached only once ! This 475 476 BOMPOLE. early and bitter loss brought on a very severe illness, and Miss de Hailes had to learn the difificult lesson of patience in the school of sorrow. But her devotion to the Congo remained; and when she heard of the new mission, she at once volunteered to join it. She had in the meantime increased her own fitness for the work by studying medicine and practising nursing. Mr, Peter Whytock, a Scotchman, had spent some years at Port Said, and gained experience in evan- gelizing in various spheres. A tried and proved .ser- vant of God, he was a valuable addition to the staff of the mission, and better adapted to stand the climate than a younger man. So also is Mr. Gustav Haupt, a beloved and esteemed German brother, an earnest preacher and soul-winner. Mr. James Todd is from Glasgow ; and Mr. Blake of Ipswich is, like his great Master, a carpenter. His help will be of special value in the early stages of the mission. All the party, with the exception of Miss de Hailes, were from our East London Missionary Institute. The coloured boy, Bompole, is the Balolo native who had accompanied Mr. McKittrick to England ; he now returned with the party going to evangelize his people. This lad had been about fifteen months in our country, and was on landing quite unacquainted with English. As it will give a little idea of the capa- bilities of the Balolo, we will quote from an article written at the time of his return to Africa in the pages of our monthly missionary periodical, The Regions BeyoJid. ''WHAT TIME THIS CHIMNEY IVILL FINISH r' 477 Rather more than twelve months ago Bompole landed in England, his Congo home left far behind him, and his little heart feeling "very fyten" at the strange surroundings in which he found himself. He "thought language very funny way to speak, — like music. Couldn't understand." When he arrived at Harley House, he was extremely shy and silent. " So big house, so many people. Never eat with white man before, feel shame to eat breakfast ; shamed when went to church, so many people looking at me," as he explained after- wards. Our barbarous climate and our strange machinery were equally perplexing to his Central African mind. We shall not soon forget his grave — " What time this chinmey will Irtish?" apropos of a London fog; or the solemn "I think — wotiderful !''' of which he delivered himself, after standing awestruck m front of the big timepiece, reverently watching for about five minutes the slow advance of the hands of the clock. " I think wonderful ! — like sun ! " "Why like the sun, Bompole?" " Because — goes slozuly" This in a rather frightened voice, he being evidently impressed by the gradual continuous motion, imperceptible to the eye, except by the distance measured. When the clock struck the hour the little black face beamed. " He like the song/" But that was all a year ago; Bompole is familiar with English now and accustomed to our ways and doings. He is moreover about to return to the Congo, and in view of his approaching departure he wishes, through these pages, to say good-bye to the very numerous friends that he has made in Great Britain and Ireland. To secure this end, he has, with infinite trouble, composed, dictated, ajtd copied out in his own handwriting the letter which we give on p. 480. His writing is in reality considerably larger than it there seems to be, the facsimile having been reduced to fit Regions Beyond. In his own words, 478 "BODY THROW/AG AWAY." taken down just as they were spoken, we give our readers a sketch of Bompole's Recollections. "Am I glad I am going home? Ve— si Another way glad, another way sorry. Glad seeing my people ; sorry saying good-bye. Perhaps if I grow up big man, be able to come back in England. "Glad missionary's wife going with us. People like to see white lady. A good thing to see missionarj' have Wife with him. Xo wife, all people laughing at you. Every one has wife, and they think missionary ought to liave wife. "My father was chief of AVangata people. He was kind of king, had twaily wife ( — twenty wife, or I think more, — I forgot) and many son, daughters too. " We want missionary to tell not to take more than one wife, because God says so in His book. Very shame in our country for rich man to have only one wife I Every daughter married ; man pay money to her father, pay three boy for one wife. If much better looking, y?^JL ^ 4aJ-<.^ ^^ypPOl'd^ , ^^Ao^ ^fo^ C^cui^ ^='^^^^0/ A king's grave in central AFRICA. Money was needed as well as men for the new Balolo Mission, and prayer was answered as to this also. One liberal and wealthy friend was led to give £800 to start the mission, and meet its initiatory expenses ; another gave £2^)0, and another £100. Large numbers of smaller donations were received. The young men of the Y.M.C.A. of Belfast pro- mised ;^500 towards the steamer, which cost ^1,400. A noble " Irish Friend," whose name was not given, made up the requisite amount by one gift of ^^"900 ; C. A. 481 31 482 FROM LONDON TO LULONGA IN FOUR MONTHS. and the vessel was forthwith put in hand. She is called Tlie Pioneer, and, like the Henry Reed, is sent out in plates and sections, to be rebuilt at Stanley Pool. The mission band sailed from England on the 18th of April, 1889, and reached their distant destination on the Lulonga River — the mouth of which lies north of the equator in Central Africa — in the middle of August ; the entire journey, though interrupted by the many delays incident to the arrangements needful for a new undertaking, occupying thus only about four mouths. Yo\ix years would not have accomplished it ten years ago ; it would have been an impossibility ! No unarmed party could then have made its way even to Stanley Pool, much less to the equator, and beyond it into Balololand. What an illustration of the immense progress already made on the Congo ! What a demonstration that the providence of God is opening Central Africa to the gospel. Before another ten years are over it will probably be perfectly easy to do the journey in four weeks ! The kind and hearty co-operation of the missionaries already in the country not only facilitated the advance of the new expedition, but it averted most of the dangers from exposure and inexperience, to which earlier workers had so often succumbed. No fatal illness occurred on the journey, and at the date of the last tidings the missionaries had already founded two stations, one on the Lulonga, and the other on the Maringa, at its con- fluence with the Lopori, and were in good health and spirits, with encouraging prospects before them. BASTS OF THE C.B.M. 483 The basis of the Congo-Balolo Mission is interdenominational, simply Christian, and thoroughly evangelical. Members of any of the evangelical Churches are welcomed as workers in it. It offers no attractions in the way of good salaries or other earthly advantages ; it is a "work of faith and labour of love," seeking the co-operation only of men and women willing to endure hardness and, if need be, to lay down their lives for Christ's sake and the gospel's. Its management is — as that of the Livingstone Inland Mission was — in the hands of the Directors of the East London Institute for Home and Foreign missions,^ who are assisted by a council at home, and by a standing committee of senior missionaries in Africa. The support of the mission is undertaken in depen- dence on God by the Directors of the East London Institute. It is however hoped that the support of such individual missionaries as have no private means will be separately and independently guaranteed by Y.M.C.A.s and Y.W.C.A.s, by circles of local friends, by the Churches of which such missionaries may be members, by individual Christians, or in some other way, so that only the general expenses of the mission, such as passage and outfit, freight, transport, station- building, steamer, printing and publication, schools, native agents, etc., may fall on the general funds.^ ' See Appendix. ^ As those who manage Central African missions know, the stcp/ort " BRE THREN, PR A Y FOR US ! " 485 We should like to ask and to urge every reader of these lines to breathe a heart-felt prayer — God bless the Congo-Balolo Mission ! It stands alone to-day, the first Christian lighthouse among ten millions of dark heathen. How deeply it needs Divine help ! Only God can open human hearts, and shine into human minds : He alone can preserve life, and sustain a devoted spirit ; can give quick intelligence to acquire language, and tender love and sympathy to win the erring and superstitious. He alone can move the hearts of men and women elsewhere, to minister such things as they need to these voluntary exiles for Christ, and to multiply their number by constant additions. All who pity the heathen can effectually help them by earnest and continued prayer. Let such remember the Balolo among others, and let them do also what they can in other ways ! Each can do something, and each is responsible to our Lord and Master to do what he can 1 of the missionaries is the smallest part of the expense of the mission. Journeys, voyages, carriage of goods, building and furnishing houses, schools and chapels, printing books, inevitable home expenses and similar outlay, absorb far more, and are just as essential to success. Personal supplies should if possible come from personal friends. They have then that sweet aroma of home association and Christian sympathy and affection which an official remittance can never possess. The correspondence between the friends at home and the missionary in the field is, besides, a benefit to both parties ; and where effort is made to raise even a small sum, interest is deepened, intelligent and sincere prayer is evoked, and thanksgivings to God abound. The home friends feel themselves engaged in the actual work of missions in a way they cannot otherwise do. 486 BOMPOLE'S ADDRESS AT EXETER HALL. At the farewell meeting held at Exeter Hall for the pioneer party of the Congo-Balolo Mission, March 26th, 1889, many speeches were made; but among the rest there was one of peculiar interest. It was a little speech, most unsophisticated and informal, yet very earnest and true. It was spoken by Bompole's dark lips, and in his clear, shrill voice. Hundreds of listeners in the great hall were hushed into silence to hear. The lad had had no idea of speaking, but the words came straight from his heart. They were few and ignorant, framed into broken sentences, for his vocabulary is very limited, and he is innocent of all grammar ; but the case of foreign missions has seldom been more forcibly put, even at Exeter Hall. What did he say ? It is really hard to answer — there is so little to tell ! The whole address consisted of perhaps not more than half a dozen sentences. The little lad from Central Africa talked, in his broken English, about the Balolo and their ignorance of God, contrasting his country with our country, his people who " zvant gospel" with ours who have it so abundantly, and then asked — " Isiit it a shame ? — shame to keep gospel to yourself? Not meant for English only 1 Isn't it a shame ? My people wanting gospel! Isn't it? \snWt a shame ? " The childish voice with its ringing appeal and its surprised reiteration of the strange, inexplicable fact, above all with its emphatic repetition — "Isn't it? Isn't it a sliaine ? " brought tears into many eyes ! Ah, Bompole, if it seems strange to you that we who have the gospel should keep the gospel to IS IT NOT A SHAME? 487 ourselves, how much more strange must it seem to Him who laid down His life to give us a gospel to carry to the uttermost parts of the earth ! What must our negligence appear to Him as He looks on these gospel-surfeited lands, and on the gospel-lacking millions of heathendom ? Surely He too may well sa}', in wonder, pit)-, and sorrow, "Is it not a shame ?" SCENE AT THE FUNERAL OF BOMPOLE S FATHER. A TORXADO IN THE FOREST. CHAPTER V. THE CLIMATE OF THE CONGO, AND THE CAUSES OF THE MORTALITY AMONG EUROPEANS. Popular prejudice is strong on the subject of the Congo chmate. And this is no marvel. Has not every one who has ever had to do with it learned its terrible nature by sad experience ? Do we not all know about " Tuckey's expedition," of which not one returned to tell the tale ? Did not our own mission lose twelve out of fifty in seven years ? Has not the sister mission been even more severely tried ? Did not Stanley's second expedition lose twenty-four by death, and ninety-two by illness and other causes, out of 263 engaged in its service during about six years ? Can there be any question at all that the climate is a murderous one ? Do not mercantile firms and mining companies, and all West African employers of labour coimt upon the fatality of service in these regions, and consequently give high pay, and allow time to be reckoned double? Prejudice ! Surely the word is wholly inapplicable to the prevalent impression on this subject, at any rate, and the deadly nature of the climate of equa- torial Africa is an undeniable fact ! 489 490 "INTO ALL THE WORLD. Whatever the climate, it is the duty of Christians to take the gospel to the Congoese. The Lord Jesus did not say, " Go ye into all the healthful climates of the world, and proclaim the glad tidings," but, " Go ye into all the world." As the history we have re- corded shows, His servants have been and are willing to obey His behest at the risk and sacrifice of life. But it would be a great mistake to suppose that the mortality which has been must still be, or that the death rate need be so high as it was in the early years of pioneering work. We must dwell a little fully on this point, because we are anxious that hundreds of men and women — yea, even thousands — should respond to the call of God, and devote themselves to the evangelization of Africa ; and we realize that the popular impression about the climate is likely to be a hindrance to many, though not to all. The truth, gathered now from many years of ex- perience, seems to be that, like other tropical climates, that of Central Africa is undoubtedly not suited to the constitutions of the natives of more temperate regions, and that the health of such will inevitably suffer more or less from prolonged residence there. But a broad distinction must be made between the dangers inherent in the climate itself, and those arising from the uncivilized state of the country. Pioneers in savage lands must always risk their lives, whatever the climate, and the Congo is no exception to this rule. The lives that have been lost there have not half of them been lost because of the climate STANLE Y'S TEST! AWN V. 491 This is the point that needs to be made clear, because pioneer risks diminish year by year, and ultimately disappear, whereas dangers from the other source are permanent in character, though they may be decreased and to some extent neutralized by adopt- ing the precautions taught by experience. We shall give the testimony of men who have resided for years on the Congo, as our ground for not — even after all our sad experience — entertaining any feeling of despair about the climate. Stanley's opinion is of special importance in this matter, be- cause he has not only been long in Africa and on the Congo himself for many years, but he has had charge of large numbers of other Europeans there. We shall give, not merely his judgment as to the climate, but the grounds of it, that others may be able to judge for themselves. He considers the climate in itself no worse and no better than other tropical and equa- torial regions, very dangerous to Europeans zuii/iout the needful precautions — fairly safe and healthful when these are taken ; never salubrious to white men — - always requiring a periodical return to Europe for rest and recuperation — but not only safely endurable, but even enjoyable under favourable circumstances, and with proper care. " The world has heard enough," he says, " of the old wives' tales of 'horrible climate' and all such fancies of timorous and feeble minds. Hundreds of raw European youths have been launched into the heart of the ' murderous continent,' and the farther inland we sent them, the more they improved in 492 EXPElilENTIA DOCET. physique. It matters not now what may be said by interested traders, selfish publicists, narrow-minded, grasping merchants, or discharged agents, about the dangers of this climate. We have tested it most thoroughly for six years. There is less sickness by half in the Congo basin, evett in its present U7iprepared condition, than there is in the bottom lands of A rkansas, a state which has dojibled its populatio7i during the last twenty-five years" On his treatise on the climatic causes of sickness Mr. Stanley says : " It should be begun with a confession by the author of having himself lived ignorantly for many years in Africa, just as there are men along the African coast, and up the Oil Rivers, the Niger, and the Congo, living at this minute in the densest igno- rance of the dangers around them, and of the simple philosophy of living healthily and well amid these dangers. . . . " I have suffered during my long African experi- ence over 1 20 fevers great and slight, and I may have suffered over one hundred before suspecting that many of these were preventible in other ways than by taking quinine and its preliminary remedies, or that there were other causes productive of fever besides malaria and miasma. The last six years in Africa have enlarged my experience greatly. Added to my own personal sufferings, have been those of about 260 Europeans, as ignorant as myself of the causes of these fevers. The sick lists of various stations have been inspected by me, and the inspection has DRAUGHT AS A FEVER CAUSE. 493 created a desire to know why fevers and sickness were more frequent at one place than another." From a careful analysis of all the data bearing on the subject, Mr. Stanley attributes the sickness and death which undoubtedly exist on the Congo mainly to three causes — all happily avoidable — draughts, malaria, and drink. I. Draughts. — "While I do not deny that there is a certain quantity of miasm in the air, my belief is that it was the least of the evils from which the members of our expedition suffered. At Banana and Boma, in the midst of marshy exhalations, situate almost at the water's edge, the Europeans have en- joyed better health than our people at Vivi, on that singular rock platform 340 feet above the river. At Kinchassa, just ten feet above high water, better health has been enjoyed (indeed almost complete immunity from sickness) than at Leopoldville, five miles below, situate eighty-three feet above the river. At Equator Station, with a river only five feet below its foundations, creeks sable as ink surrounding it, the ground unctuous with black fat alluvium, Europeans enjoy better health than at Manyanga, 240 feet above the river, and 1,100 feet above the sea. Fourteen miles away from Manyanga, and eight miles removed from the river, we have a station on tJie plain of Ngombi, 1,500 feet above the sea, where our people have enjoyed better health than at Manyanga Hill, 150 yards in diameter, and with ravines 200 feet deep around it on all sides, except at a narrow neck thirty yards across. Banana Point, six degrees 494 INDIAN EXPERIENCE OF CHILL. below the equator, only five feet above the brackish water of its creek, is proved to be much healthier than Sierra Leone, over eight degrees more to the north, which has been called " the white man's grave." This place is surrounded by Lion Hill and its neigh- bouring hills, between the gaps of which the sea breezes sweep suddenly, chilling the bodies who are enveloped in the close heat engendered by its bowl- like position." Stanley is not alone in giving such prominence to the dangerous effects of sudden alternations of tem- perature produced by currents of cool air. Some years ago we sent out to our missionari.es on the Congo an elaborate treatise on tropical fevers written by an Indian military medical man, who had large and varied experience with the British troops in all parts of India. His conclusion was that the one great cause of fever and of mortality was not malaria, but simply cJiill. When we requested the late beloved Henry Craven, who was then at home on furlough, to examine the work, saying at the same time what its theory was, he took it with a smile of pity and incredulity, and said, " Poor man ! if he doesn't believe in malaria, he knows nothing about African fever, at any rate." A few days later he returned the volume to us, saying earnestly : "It is very strange, but positively I believe the author is right ! I have reviewed all our experience- in the light of his remarks, and every incident of it seems to fall in with his theory." Miasma and malaria, or bad air, no doubt play their part in producing illness, in Africa as well HILL STATIONS VERSUS LOWLYING LAND. 495 as in England. Putrid exhalations are unwholesome all the world over, but facts prove that too much has been laid to their charge in the case of the Congo basin. When he originally selected his sites for stations, and planted them, Stanley was above all anxious to avoid the supposed malaria arising from decaying vegetation. Where it was possible therefore he chose high ground, either naturally barren or artificially cleared, well drained, and well exposed to the refresh- ing sea breezes. Such sites were not however always available. On the Pool, and on the upper river especially, some of the stations had to be close to the water's edge, and only a few feet above it. A comparison of the sick lists of the different stations revealed after a time the surprising fact that the breezy hill stations were far more fever-stricken than the low-lying river-side ones where miasmic influences might be supposed to abound ! Healthy men fresh from Europe sickened and died at Vivi, at Manyanga, and at Leopoldville hill stations, while sickly invalids grew strong and hearty at Kinchassa, Lukolela, and Equator stations, all of them " only ten feet above high water, with perhaps hundreds of square miles of black fat loam and damp forest on three sides of them." It proved that the most breezy and elevated stations were the worst, and the most malarious the most healthy ! There was evidently some lesson to be learned from these strange facts, and not considering himself either too wise or too old to learn, Stanley set himself to study the problem. TYPICAL CASE OF CHILL FEVER. 497 What were respectively the peculiarities of the heathy and the unhealthy stations ? Setting aside the extraneous cases clearly attributable to intemperance, imprudence, and accident, there remained a large number of deaths attributable apparently to local causes only. The more he reflected the more he saw that the fatal fact was, exposure to cold currents of air blowing up the caiion of the Congo from the sea. The stations free from this peculiarity were com- paratively free from sickness ; the stations marked by it were sickly in proportion to the severity of this cause. He gives a typical case of a young man stricken down by fever immediately on arrival. Unprepared by wise counsel, he arrives at Banana, feels the heat oppressive, perspires freely till his garments are wet, sits down in the cool, shady verandah, zvithoiit changing them, accepts a glass of wine and a good dinner, lingers outside to enjoy the evening breeze from the sea, and then retires to rest. In the morning he feels unwell, fever develops, and not unfrequently ends fatally. This case is adduced as an instance of deatJi. from chill, "the fever was caught by sitting in his wet flannels in the cold night air." As Mr. Stanley writes : "It must be remembered however, that if a man in a violent state of perspiration subjects his unprepared person to a cold draught of wind while in such a con- dition, the fact that he is temperate in his life and habits, and has always dieted his body wisely, richly, C. A. 32 TRY IT AT HOME! and nobly, will not save him in Africa from a fever, any more than that it will save him in northern Europe from a cold and its tedious pains. Neither ' beef and beer,' nor ' beef and brandy,' nor all the drugs of the pharmacopoeia will save him. Or, if the position of his house is so unwisely chosen that his body is perpetually subjected to violent changes of temperature, one minute in a state of profuse per- spiration, and the other minute out-doors without additional clothing, exposed to a chilling blast that closes the pores, and chills the damp flannel pressed against the body, his perfect diet will not avail him. My wonder is, not that so many have returned to Europe disheartened at the weakness of the resistance their constitutions were able to offer to the vicissitudes to which their ignorance subjected their own persons but at the fact that there are still so many who bravely endured all. And now that so much has been cleared of what was before so mysterious to us in Africa, let us try how it would answer in well- drained and well-fed London, or any other English city. Let us heat our sitting-room, until the under- clothing gets thoroughly soaked with perspiration, then walk outdoors to a street corner, and stand on a windy day without additional clothing, and wait till next morning for the result ; or go to a London ball, become heated with dancing in a crowded room, then walk home in the same dress, and tell me honestly if, in addition to months of this experience you add months of poor diet, bad cooking, and other indescribable discomforts, you wonder that the African COOL MONTHS ARE FEVER MONTHS. 499 continent has an evil character, and that so many unfortunate pioneers of trade and exploration have left their bones in its earth ! " Added to the victims of tliese cold draughts, ivhich greatly ontmiinber all others, were those whose consti- tutions failed by living in malarious hollows, followed by those who led impure and intemperate lives ; next, by those who required more nourishing pabula than our present circumstances would enable us to supply ; and, lastly, those who fell through accidents, caused by carelessness, indolence of mind, unreasoning rash- ness, natural helplessness, and constitutional physical weakness." A further confirmation of the theory that cold chills are the most fruitful cause of fevers is found in the fact that the cool months of May, June, and July are the most fniitful in illness and death. Two fatal cases occurred in the expedition, both at this season, during the first sixteen months of " unexampled labour and privations," and both Stanley's own dangerous fevers were at the same time of the year. 2. Mal.\rIA. — But if situations exposed to currents of cold air are the most dangerous of all, those so surrounded with higher land as to have little or no ventilation at all are from other causes almost equally dangerous. A free, general, equal circulation of air being the thing to be desired, the two extremes are to be avoided, a draughty situation is bad, and a close' one not much better. The white: man falls before the giant destroyer Chill, in the one case, and almost as TkOPICAL MALARIA. surely before his more stealthy compeer Malaria, in the other. This malaria however is no mysterious, invisible influence peculiar to Africa and the tropics. It is a common foe that all must watch and fight against, whether in Europe, Asia, Africa, or America, whether in the palace or in the cottage, in the town or in the country. It is simply bad air. Xo matter where or from what cause, if men inhale poison, they will suffer from it just as surely as if they imbibe it. If our dear missionary friends can in their immediate and habitual surroundings manage to guard against these two things, frequent exposure to chills, and the con- stant presence of bad air, they will, according to Stanley's account, be fairly safe on the Congo. As an instance of a station badly placed in the latter respect Mr. Stanley adduces the old mission house at Banza Manteka. He says : " I will take Banza Manteka, a station of the pious, hard-striving, long-enduring niissioners belonging to the Livingstone Inland Mission, as a type of another cause of sickness. It is situate in a hollow like a bowl deep sunk in the bosom of enfolding hills. Perhaps from one hill crest to the opposing hill crest a line drawn exactly bisecting the station would be a mile and a quarter in length. One side however, that opposite to the prevailing winds, is open, having access to the valley of Ntonibo Lukuti. Here, one would say, is a snug nest where the howl- ing winds cannot chill to death the pale-faced European, and to make it still more snug and cosy there are gardens of bananas and papaw trees, whose beautiful fronds and leafage almost hide the dwelling of these God-serving men. "Now in the high, exposed places we consider the rainy season the healthiest. Some have supposed it to be so from the greater clearness and purity of the atmosphere, whereas in fact it is only because the cold winds are hushed, and we enjoy a uniform warmth. But if this SOME OV THE HILLY AND W UUDY KANKS Ol' THE CONGO. season is the healthiest at Vivi and other stations in the Congo cafion, it is the most unhealthy in hollows like these of Banza Manteka and Lukunga stations. " After a rainfall the atmosphere is clear and the sky is of an Italian hue. During this temporary clearness the atmosphere offers the leait obstruction to the direct power of the sun. If powerful on the hill tops, it must be of liaking heat in these bowl-like hollows. It is shot forth relentlessly through the thickest cork helmet. If an umbrella is used, while increasing the safety from danger above, it only causes a more profuse perspiration, by the confinement to the body of the ascending cloud of warm vapour which surges upward from the damp earth, and encompasses the person at every step. According to the nature and quality of the inorganic bodies in the neighbourhood, it either rises in denser or in a more heated volume. If the neighbourhood is rocky, the heat blazes in the face almost insufferably, and bakes the clothing ; if of wet grass, or damp earth, there is an e-xcess of moist, penetrating warmth, which soon deluges one with perspiration. The top of that swathe of dead grass is nearly dry ; but put forth your hand, and place it utiderneath, and the astonishing warmth of the moisture, whose tern- SOI $02 A BEAUTIFUL BUT FATAL ''PARC" pcratiire is like that of an oven, will illustrate the means by which rapid decay is caused in these lands. Have you ever tested the heat to be found in your own dung-heap at home even in mid winter ? If you inhaled the stifling atmosphere long you suffered what no constitution could endure with impunity. "Well then at Banza Manteka station, the hot, muggy, steamy atmosphere rising up with the clouds of moisture, and bearing the deleterious influences upward in a continued, undrifted volume, from old decaying grass at the base of the green shoots, or from deciying leaves gathered at the base of the beautiful bananas, is more pernicious to health than life on a duu^-hill in an inifloored house in Europe, with a great hot stove inside, would be I Such is the air inhaled in the sickly hollow of Banza Manteka. A young military officer built a native cabin in the Xkusu ravine, near Vivi, in the middle of what he romantically called a pare. He had caused avenues, 'Avenue de Valcke,' 'Avenue Stanley,' 'Avenue de Bruxelles,' to be formed in this pare, and to enjoy the romance thoroughly he dwelt in his native chalet. Poor fellow ! he was soon taken ill of a bilious fever, and he died about sixty hours later. This trough of the Nkusu was still more confined than the bowl of Banza Manteka. " On open ground during the rainy season the air diffuses this pestilential vapour, heavy with putrefaction and decay. Movement over it is not only a relief from the dangerous heat from above, but from that which when a person stands still rises up in a thin, invisible column. " But some one hard to satisfy, and prone to doubt, remarks that on open highland there is sickness also. Vou cannot call ' open high- land ' a plr.teau or plain where the face of it is uncleared of its forests of tall grass and obstructing scrub. The grass of the tropics is several feet higher than the height of a man's person ; the more confined the cleared area in which you stand is, the more unhealthy is your position. Begin at the narrow foot-path, with the grass from two to five feet above your head, with a hot sun glowing burningly on the earth, and your position will be unendurable if you stand still long. Advance into a small open marketplace in its midst, and relief is instantly felt. But suppose you had an area of a few square miles of plain or gently rolling land, without swamp, lagoon, or stagnant body of water, that the dead grass was clean cleared off, and only vegetables and grain growing ; that your two-storeyed house was prepared with windows to admit light, and could likewise admit the cool air without admitting draught, and that the roof projected broad and ample from its walls, your consequent good health would then teach you and teach the coming generations that a tropic home can be made as healthy and as comfortable as any /tome in yonr own dear native land. " Observe the ?;tf//zv custom, and let the dark aborigine teach you by his example, while you, as one would expect from your education, improve your surroundings, after the elementary lesson derived from his example has been well acquired. . . . " So long however as choice was permitted to them, we observe that they have elected to leave the river and its banks, and to build on the high and comparatively open plateau and plain. "At Banza Manteka itself, for instance, we have an illustration ot the manner in which the natives have rejected the unhealthy hollow, presenting a curious contrast to the white man's choice. All around and within view from the mission house are the groves under which nestle the native villages. There is only one native village zvithin the hollow. The white man's house is almost at the bottom, as though he might be in possession of a charm to drive away the foul air and the gases exhaling from that close inland basin." There would seem to be no question, from the fore- going statements, that the original house at Banza 504 DRINK AS A FEVER-CAUSE. Manteki was placed too low. Yet its record was not bad. It was the third station founded by the mission, and was commenced early in 1879, about the same time that Mr. Stanley was erecting Vivi. Two deaths, as we have seen, occurred on this spot, but both were clearly traceable to accidental circum- stances, and cannot fairly be charged to the situation. A new house on a higher site was subsequently built, and the station has been rather an exceptionally healthy one. If it is possible to live and labour at all in a situation so decidedly unsuitable as Mr. Stanley describes this hollow among the hills to be, how much more so where healthful sites have been chosen, and healthful houses constructed ? 3. We turn now to the tJiird great cause of the mortality which has given the Central African climate so bad a reputation. The first, as we have seen, is draught ; the second, malaria ; and the third is drink. Most missionaries being either total abstainers or temperance men, this is of course not a cause of missionary sickness and death ; but it is well that all should know Jiow very large a proportion of the fatal cases among others on the Congo and on the West Coast of Africa generally are attributable to this one tiling. Mr. Stanley is not himself a total abstainer, but he writes : " The evils of brandy and soda in India need only to be remembered to prove hoiv pernicious is the sui- cidal habit of indulgence in drinking alcoholic liquors in hot climates. . . . " With us on the Congo, where men must work ALCOHOL DANGEROUS IN TL/E TROPICS. 505 and bodily movement is compulsory, the very atmo- sphere seems to be fatally hostile to the physique of men who pin their faith on whisky, gin, and brandy. Tliey invariably siicaiinb, and are a constant source of expense. Even if they are not finally buried out of sight and out of memory, they are utterly helpless, diseases germinate with frightful rapidity, symptoms of insanity are numerous, and with mind vacant and body semi-paralysed they are hurried homewards, to make room for more valuable substitutes, lest they draw down a few more objurgatory phrases on Africa, which should be justly applied to themselves. . . . " I solemnly warn men, that to drink any wine, liqnor, or other intoxicating beverage in a tropical country during the day, except when administered under the direction of medical authority, is the height of folly, that it is dangerous to sound health, and consequently to all bodily enjoyment. . . . " From the moment of arrival the body undergoes a new experience, and a wise man will begin to govern his appetite and his conduct accordingly. The head that was covered with a proud luxuriance of flowing locks, or bristled bushy and thick, must be shorn close. The body must be divested of that wind and rain proof armour of linen and wool, in which it was accustomed to be encased in high latitudes, and must assume, if ease and pleasure are preferable to dis- comfort, garments of soft, loose, light flannels. The head-covering which London and Paris patronise must give place to the helmet and puggaree, or to a well-ventilated light cap with curtain ; and as those KI.NXHASSA STATION. {Sec /. 495-) decorous externals of Europe, with their sombre colouring and cumbrous thickness must yield to the more graceful and airy flannel of the tropics, so the appetite, the extravagant power of digestion, the seemingl}' uncontrollable and ever famished lust for animal food, and the distempered greed for ardent drinks nmst be governed by an absolutely nezu regime. Any liquid that is exciting, or, as others may choose to term it, exhilarating or inspiring, the unseasoned 506 DANGER OF THE "PETIT VERRE." 507 European Duist avoid during daylight ; whether it be in the guise of the commonly believed innocuous lager, mild pilsen, watery claret, vin ordinaire, or any other innocent wine or beer. Otherwise the slightest indiscretion, the least unusual effort or spasmodic industry, may in one short hour prove fatal. It is my duty not to pander to a depraved taste, nor to be too nice in offending it. I am compelled to speak strongly by our losses, by my own grief in remember- ing the young, the strong, and the brave, who have slain themselves through their own ignorance. " ' Un petit verre de cognac, a glass of small beer, what can they matter ? ' ask the inexperienced pleadingly. " To me personally nothing ! To you a sudden death, perhaps a coiip-de-soleil. A frantic and insen- sate rush to the hot sun out of the cool shade, an im- prudent exposure, may be followed by a bilious fever of who knows what severity, or a rheumatic fever that will lay you prostrate for weeks, perhaps utterly unfit- ting you for your work and future usefulness. You were inspired by that ' petit verre ' of cognac, which had you not taken you might have been more deli- berate in your movements, and more prudent than to needlessly exert yourself in the presence of an enemy so formidable as is the tropic sun to a white man's head when sensitised by the fumes of cognac. " Should you recover, you will blame Africa. Africa is cruel ! Africa is murderous ! Africa means death to the European ! And your stupid, unreflecting friends in Europe will echo the cry ! Simply because So8 TOTAL ABSTINENCE ON THE CONGO. a weakling like you could not resist your 'petit verre ' at mid-day, must all this continent be subjected to the scourge of your vituperative powers." From the foregoing extracts it is clear that Mr. Stanley's opinion is as strong as it well can be that the habitual and free use of alcoholic liquors is, in a tropical country, dangerous to health and fatal to energy and usefulness. He testifies to the fact that not only in connexion with his own expedition, but as a general rule applicable to all Europeans on the West Coast, a very large proportion of the fatal illness commonly attributed to the climate is really to be set down to the drink. That hard drinkers do sometimes live on to boast that their continued existence is owing to their use of wine and spirits, he attributes to the fact that such men do no work, and cannot there- fore be said to live, so much as to v^egetate. For men and women who mean to do any good with their lives, he considers total abstinence by day, and only the most moderate indulgence in light wine in the evening, essential. Our own experience abundantly confirms these con- clusions as far as they go ; and leads us still further. We feel persuaded that even the moderate use sanc- tioned by Mr. Stanley is not necessary. Men can live and labour just as well without it ; as witness the many missionaries who have worked hard on the Congo for from two to seven years as total abstainers. The late Henry Craven assured us that he felt the better for refraining even from the native palm-wine 509 when fermented, and that he had come to the con- clusion never to take it except when fresh, in which condition it is absolutely non-alcoholic. Alcohol is a poison, and a very dangerous one ; an overdose will produce death itself : and doses short of fatal produce paralysis in various degrees, from that slight paralysis of the moral and intellectual faculties which is per- ceptible only as " soothing " or " stimulative," to that greater degree of the same which causes unseemly exhilaration and foolish talking, right on through all the various shades of intoxication to that final comatose, apoplectic, and dangerous state described as " dead drunk," in which the entire body is as com- pletely paralysed as if it were a corpse, while the moral and intellectual faculties are, for the time, totally suspended. Now some men may be strong enough to bear very slight daily doses of poison, though we question if even they do it with perfect impunity — health may be injured, unconsciously, im- perceptibly, yet really : but if there is no need to touch it, surely the part of wisdom would be to let it alone, especially in a country where the slightest risk to health may be attended with fatal consequences. Every possible danger should be avoided by those who have their mission at heart, for the work's sake, if not for their own.i * The use of stimulants as a medicine in severe illness is of course as justifiable as the use of any other poison in this way. In the com- plete collapse-stage of fevers nothing can take the place of brandy, and every resident in Central Africa should have some in his medicine chest. But the use of stimulants as a daily beverage is quite another matter. 510 ''FOLLIES LEADING TO SELF-DESTRUCTION:' During the seven years from 1879-1885 about 250 white men of different nationahties arrived out on the Congo, in connexion with the African International Association. Of these five were killed by accidents, and twenty-four died. Mr. Stanley writes : The twenty-four deaths were in many cases avoidable. Some have been the result of downright madness. There are few that I know of M'hich might not serve to point a moral and a lesson. Not many of these deaths can be excused on the ground of old age or original phy- sical weakness. They were all men in the prime of life ; fatigiie, want of proper nourishment, exposure to the sun, inveterate intemperance in a few cases ; in conjunction with the ignorance of conduct of life in the tropics which I strive to combat, and which is pardonable since we have all been guilty, were the causes which led to this mortality. I do not wish to offend the susceptibilities of sorrowing relatives, there- fore I will not name the rash unfortunates, but my first duty is to the living, whom I must warn against committing follies hading to self-destriiclion. A European proficient in his duties, willing and devoted, after nearly two years' successful work with the expedition, during which he enjoys unusually good health, returns from a voyage up river, and sud- denly falls sick of a mild form of dysentery. In a few days it is cured, when through some strange cause he has a relapse. Two medical men use their utmost endeavours to cure him, the best attention during many weeks is given to him, and he recovers strength enough to be able to be conveyed to the coast. He arrives in a more hopeful con- dition, and after a few days' stay at the hospital is declared fit to pro- ceed to Europe. That same evening, in the absence of the nurse, he barters a coat for a Iwttle oj gin, drinks it, and twelve hours afteni-ards he is buried at Boma. Another, by being kept up river, serves three years admirably, is sent home with honours, and returns after awhile for another period of service at higher pay. But meantime some unaccountable thirst for ardent spirits has possessed him, and a few days after his arrival he falls overboard into the river while intoxicated, and is drowned. Another appears on the Congo with a character for proficiency and steadiness, but within two months after commencing work he is discovered dead, sitting behind a shed with an empty liquor bottle at his feet. 'CLIMATE" THE GREAT BLAME-BEARER. 511 Two friends visit the coast, go on board the mail steamer, hobnol) socially, and depart for the shore. Both are taken seriously ill, but fortunately recover, remaining however very emaciated and weak. One departs for Madeira, and lives to tell the tale ; the other, on the first evening of his convalescence, indulges too much in ike potent zuine, sits out too late in the night air, and becomes a victim to tetanus, and dies in excruciating agony. Two friends meet in the interior. One has a bottle of burgundy, the other a bottle of cognac. They agree to dine together to celebrate the event ; until a late hour they sit and talk, and, I suppose, drink. The coast-bound friend departs, the other resumes his work and duty. By-and-by the sun appears powerful, with a merciless burning strength. The young man is suddenly stricken down, conveyed to the nearest station, and twelve hours aftei'vards is buried. It is not necessary to recite other illustrations of the incidents which show how men become their own worst enemies. In all lands there are instances of suicidal indifference and gross recklessness of the con- sequences resulting from misconduct. To many preaching avails but little, therefore for ages yet to come people may expect to hear of such lamentable and premature deaths. Were there a moral society formed critically to inquire into the fatal cases along the African coast, a fearful catalogue of human frailties might be published, and it would then be discovered that much that is attributed to the climate ought justly to be ascribed to far different causes. As to the climate, Mr. Johnston says : " It may be said to be infinitely superior to that of the Niger or the Gold Coast. . . . The regular cool breezes from the South Atlantic greatly reduce the tropical heat. . . . The most dangerous malady, the bilious fever, is rarely incurred without much previous neglect of one's health. . . . Be- yond Stanley Pool, I can only call the temperature delightful. It ranged at .such a place as Mswata, for instance, from 87° in the shade at noon, to 60° at two in the morning ; and this in the rainy or hot season. The highest temperature that I have ever observed at 512 Vivi was 98" in the shade on a very hot day. It is quite possible to \vall< about all through the middle of the day, and not feel the heat disagreeable, pro- vided you wear a helmet, and carry an umbrella ; but when you see, as I have done, young men newly arrived from Europe exposing themselves to the noonday sun without anything on their heads but a smoking cap, you would hardly be surprised that deaths from sunstroke take place. . . . It is possible to enjoy excellent health on the Congo if only it be borne upon one's mind to use moderation in all things. Abuse no form of enjoyment, and avoid alcohol as much as you can. Wine and brandy are dangerous adjuncts to a healthy man's repast in Africa. On the other hand, alcohol is simply invalu- able as a tonic when weak from fever and other causes. . . . When people have conquered their unreasonable fear of the Congo climate, and some medical man has deigned to study the local hygiene, and so instructed us as to what we should eat and drink, and how we should live, and how we should become acclimatized ; when transport is facilitated and communication with the outer world easy and assured, . . . then people will be able to live on the Congo as comfortably as at home." These, words should be an encouragement to God- fearing, right-living men and women, who are thinking of devoting their lives to Africa. They will run none of these risks at any rate, and they may moreover now avoid the dangers arising from inexperience, to which so many of the earlier pioneers succumbed. STAiYLEY'S ADVICE. 513 We close this chapter on the climate by giving (with slight total abstinence alterations) Stanley's — ■ Fourteen Rules for Life in Central Africa. the building of your house, mis- sion, or factory, observe well its position. Never build, if you can avoid it, in a gorge, valley, j ravine, or any deep depression of land that may serve as a channel for collected wind currents. A free diffusion of air is required in your surround- ings. The nearest points to the sea-plains, extended plateaux, as far removed as possible from any dominating superior heights that would cause irregular air currents, are the safest localities. The lower storey should be clear of the gi'onnd, unless you have made the floors imporous by cement or asphalte. In a grassy plain the floor of your living-room should be at least tivelve feet above ground. 2. Avoid unnecessary exposure to the sun. 3. Guard against the fogs, dews, and chills of evening and night. 4. Let your diet be good as your circumstances will permit, but be prudent in your choice. Butter, cheese, and dishes swimming in oleaginous matter are unsuitable to the conditions of the climate, Roasted ground-nuts are a mistake. Always reject C. A. 33 514 WHEN TO KNOCK OFF WORK. the fat of meats on your plate. All fat causes bile, rancidity, and nausea in the tropics. Never begin the day with an early meal of meats. Bread made at the station is better than biscuits. The continental cafe au lait is the wisest meal with which to break your fast {i.e. coffee with milk and bread). At 1 1 a.m. cease work and eat your wise dejetmer, or lunch : lean of meats, fish, vegetables, dry bread, and weak black tea with condensed milk. At 1.30 p.m. proceed to your work, and at 6.30 p.m. take your prudent dinner, boiled fish, roast fowl, roast mutton, vegetables, dry bread, rice, tapioca, sago, or macaroni pudding. Amuse yourself with social conversation or reading until 9 p.m., when you may retire to your dreamless couch, to rise up next morning with brain clear, and muscle primed for toil, and with a love for all the world. 5. Sleep on blankets, and cover up to the waist with a blanket or woollens. 6. If marching, rise at 5 a.m., take your coffee or tea with milk, and be ready for the road at 5.30 a.m. Halt at 1 1 a.m. in mercy to yourself, your men, and your animals, and do no more for the day. On halting put on your paletot or wrapper, to allow you to cool gradually. If your camp is on an exposed situation, get under shelter as quickly as tlioitgJi it were raining. You may perform 4,000 miles per annum at this rate. 7. Observe the strictest temperance, drop all thought of " tonics," according to the rules of west BEWARE OF THE SUN. coasters, old traders, African travellers, or your own self-deceiving fancies. If you are in absolute need of a tonic, apply to the doctor. Adhere to the simple rule of never taking any liquor or wine. Your best tonic would be two grains of quinia as prepared by Burroughs & Welcome, of Snow Hill Buildings, London. If thirsty at a station or factory, prepare a glass of sherbet. If marching, drop a compressed tablet of acidulous poivdcr as prepared by these chemists in your cup of water, or quench your thirst from your sweetened and weak tea in the bottle. 8. If engaged in outdoor work, superintending coloured labourers, never for an instant be in the sun, without a strong double umbrella. A large one fastened to your piked staff like a small tent would be better still. For headdress you have a choice of cork helmet, topee, or Congo cap, the last of which is the best of all. 9. If during the march you have been so impru- dent as to be without an ample umbrella, a wetting need not necessarily be dangerous ; but it becomes positively so, if after excessive perspiration, rain, or an accident at a river crossing, you remain any titne quiescent without changing your dress. 10. When on the march, the more lightly you arc clad, the better ; because at the halt you will be reminded of the necessity of your paletot, or overcoat. Very light flannel will be quite sufficient for your dress, owing to the exercise you take. Light russet shoes for the feet, knickerbockers of light flannel, loose light flannel shirt, a roll of flannel round the 5i6 CLOTHING AND MEDICINE. waist, and a Congo cap for the head, will enable you to travel twelve miles per day without distress. 11. At the station, factory, or mission, your clothing should also be light, though not in the un- dress uniform of the road, because you know not what work you may take at any moment — heavy clothing causing profuse perspiration, which should be avoided when circumstances do not compel it. 12. It is to be presumed that if your principal work is indoors, you will not forget your exercise ; between 6 and 7 a.m. and 5 and 6 p.m. are safe hours. 13. Do not bathe in cold water unless you are but newly arrived from a temperate climate. A bath is not safe below a temperature of 85°. Let your bath be in the morning or before dinner. The tepid bath is the most suitable. 14. Fruit, if taken at all, should be eaten in the morning, before the f^/i' or the mi such as oranges, mangoes, ripe bananas, guavas, and papaws. Only the juice of the pine-apple is to be recommended ; never eat any fruit in the tropics at dinner. Medicine. — Obtain your medicine pure and well prepared. Messrs. Burroughs & Welcome will equip you with tropic medicine in chests or cases, with supplies to last you one month or ten years. They have sought the best medical advice, and really seem disposed to study the special needs of the East, West, Central, Northern, or South African traveller, soldier, trader, and missionary. I have informed them of the few diseases such as have fallen under my observa- tion, and they have prepared such medicines as have HOLIDAYS NEEDFUL. 5'7 been tried during the last seventeen years of my African experiences. The same prudence that is required for protection against draughts, sudden "chills, catarrhs, bronchitis, and pulmonary diseases in Europe should be exer- cised, only with the difference that in the tropics the clothing necessary to effect due care need not be so heavy. One more observation will suffice. However well the European may enjoy the climate by wise self- government, years of constant high temperature, assisted by the monotony and poverty of diet, cannot be otherwise than enervating and depressing, although life may not be endangered. The physical force, vigour, or strength becomes debilitated by the heat, necessitating after a few years recuperation in a temperate climate. To preserve perfect health, I advise the trader, missionary, coffee-planter, and agriculturist who hopes to maintain his full vigour, after eighteen months' residence, to seek tliree months' recreation in northern Europe, for the same reason that a man devoted to absorbing business in a European city for eighteen months would do wisel)- to take a few months' holiday. Beyond what has been told above, there is nothing in Congoland to daunt a man — indeed, far less than in many parts of India, South America, or the West Indies. The Duke of Wellington's advice was given with a view to India, but it is equally applicable to Central Africa. " I know but one receipt for good health in this country, and that is to live moderately, to drink 518 DIET DIFFICULTIES. little or no wine, to use exercise, to keep ihe mind employed, and, if possible, to keep in good humour with the world. The last is the most difificult, for . . . there is scarcely a good-tempered man in India." But while strict temperance and moderation are essential to health on the Congo, poor living is equally to be avoided. Elsewhere Stanley has said : " The cause of death of so many in African explor- ing parties is improper food. Feed your European on good English provisions, to be had in preserved form; pet and care for him, and he will live ; give him only native food, and let him rough it, and he will die. Just a matter of commissariat ! " Other African travellers confirm this — perhaps somewhat exaggerated — statement of an unquestion- able fact. Far more African explorers and residents have died from lack of proper food, especially after illness, than is commonly supposed. But each year is diminishing the difficulties on this score. CONCLUSION. Central Africa is a big world, and one scarcely knows how to pause in writing of it, but we have already exceeded our limits, and must put some recollections by various missionaries, which we had intended to add to these chapters, in a separate little book. In closing, we would fain leave on the minds of every reader the one great idea which dominates our own. Providential circumstances have in our days imparted a new significance to our Master's great commission, " Go ye into all the world, and proclaim the glad tidings to every creature." It is now seen, as never before, to include the swarthy millions of the Dark Continent. We have now full knowledge of these Central African races, and we have besides pozver to reach them. Knowledge and power in this case mean responsibility. A purpose has been mani- fested in that providence of God, which has at the close of this nineteenth century unveiled Central Africa; Its people need the hand of help to an extent which few realize, politically, socially, and above all spiritually. They are being victimised, as we have 519 520 HELPLESS AFRICA. seen, by Arab slavers on the East, and European rum-sellers on the West, and they need political pro- tection from the ruthless cruelty and selfish greed of both. They are suffering severely, both physically, mentally, and morally from their age-long isolation from the rest of the human race ; and from this they must be delivered by social help, the help which righteous commerce can afford. But, worst of all, they are buried in spiritual darkness, captives under the power of Satan. Sin has darkened the light of nature among them, and the brighter light of reve- lation has never shone upon them. They have no knowledge of the law of God, much less of His gospel. They have no acquaintance even with their own origin, and are altogether in the dark as regards their duties and their destiny. Hateful, and hating one another, sacrificing to devils and not to God, " filled with all unrighteousness," cruelty, and wicked- ness, their moral misery and their utter helplessness are a powerful appeal to the followers of the com- passionate Christ. From their spiritual destitution the gospel alone can deliver them. The world is busy about Africa. The nations of Europe are appropriating each its portion of this new world. Commerce is eager to enter the rich and freshly opened markets ; selfish and ungodly com- merce, alas ! as well as fair and philanthropic trade. Science endeavours to understand African phenomena, to unravel its geography, ascend its great mountains, classify its fauna and flora, and study its geology. To ethnographers, archjeologists, and linguists alike THE MIGHTIEST MOTIVE— WHAT? this new continent is full of interest. Oh that the Church might prove, by energetic and effective mis- sionary activity, that the constraining love of Christ is a mightier motive than all beside ! If a new expedition for exploration or for the relief of the explorers be planned and started, hundreds are eager to join the ranks, risking all danger, and offer- ing even thousands of pounds for the privilege of par- ticipating in the undertaking. Why is there no such emulation to obtain the honour of opening new lands to the everlasting gospel ? How is it that so few of Christ's servants who have wealth and influence come forward to arrange African expeditions of a nobler kind, expeditions that would produce eternal results ? When the queen appoints her ministers to places of difficulty and danger, do they not gladly go ? Who would decline the honour of being an ambassador even in an unhealthy climate ? How is it that there is so little holy ambition among young Christians ? The world has done much for Congoland. Will the Church be equally unselfish and equally gene- rous in her action towards the new world? If its material interests are worthy to engage the Christian powers of Europe in earnest consultation, are not its spiritual interests still more worthy the deep and prayerful consideration of the Church of Christ? If a Roman Catholic monarch could, out of pure philan- thropy, lay out half a million sterling in making the practical investigations preliminary to the formation of the Free State, is there no prince in the Protestant Israel ready to consecrate, out of devotion to Christ, 522 MEN AND MONEY NEEDED. funds large enough to evangelize this generation of its people ? They are quickly passing beyond our help. Mtesa is dead, Mirambo is dead, Kangampaka is dead. Kings and people alike die off fast in Africa. Tens of thousands of victims have been murdered during, the few years we have described in these pages. Thousands more have perished by small- pox and by the sad sleeping-sickness. Life is short in Central Africa ; and now that an available water- way from 7,000 to 10,000 miles long is open, to carry the ambassadors of Christ to any part of the Congo basin, who will go forward to use it, and who will expedite the work by furnishing the means to send out and sustain missionary volunteers ? Not by twos and threes, but by hundreds and thousands should such be going forth. Teachers, preachers, doctors, artisans — men and women alike — are wanted to evangelize the new world so marvel- lously opened to the efforts of the Church. And donors are wanted too ! Rich disciples must help, though they cannot go. The responsibility rests upon them, even more than upon others. They are stewards, and their Master is showing plainly that He wants Africa to be evangelized. It is costly work, owing to the undeveloped condition of the country. But what is that ? Christ has ample resources for the purpose in the hands of His English and American stewards. What will He say to those stewards if His gold is not forthcoming at this crisis ? There are Christian LET US FRAY! 523 millionaires on both sides of the Atlantic, as well as a recently revealed dark world crying out for the gospel of salvation. The year 1894 will, please God ! see the new railroad to Stanley Pool completed, and opened for traffic, and the Congo basin, with its hundred millions of inhabitants, easily accessible from Europe — brought within three weeks of London. No such event has happened since the discovery of America ; and nine- teenth century science, capital, and population will enable men to take possession of this new world with a rapidity unknown to our ancestors. All this is very solemn ! A hundred millions of benighted and deluded men and women to be taught about the Saviour who died for them ! Have Chris- tians grasped the situation ? May the God who gave Livingstone his lonely courage, his patient endurance, his intense compassion for his fellow men ; — the God who endowed Stanley with his wonderful enterprise and untiring energy, his indomitable firmness of purpose and fertility of resource ; — the God who enriched Leopold with his largeness of heart and exceeding liberality : MAY HE RAISE UP OTHERS LIKE TO THESE THREE MIGHTY MEN TO CARE FOR THE CHRISTIAN SIDE OF THIS GREAT UNDERTAKING ! APPENDIX A. List of present Missionary Agencies IN the Congo Free State. Eleven different missionary agencies are already at work in the Congo Free State — three Roman Catholic and eight Protestant. 1. The Mission du Saint Esprit, at Banana and Boma, under the care of Mgr. Carrie. Four priests and two lay brethren are connected with this mission, which has small schools, and gives some industrial training to the children. 2. The Belgian Mission, established only in 1888 at Kwamouth, on the Upper Congo, and hoping to plant a second station at Luluaberg, on the Kasai, shortly. 3. There is a mission worked by the Pi-res A Igerie (ox A\ge\ \an priests) in the south-east part of the Free State. It has two stations at Mpala and Kibango, on Lake Tanganyika, but it does not seem to be having much success. The Romanists are showing more activity in Portuguese territory than in the Free State. The Protestant missions are : I. The Livingstone Inland Mission of the American Baptist Mis- sionary Union, with seven stations — Mukimvika, opposite Banana on the coast, Palabala, Banza Manteka, and Lukunga, in the Cataract gorge ; and Leopoldville, Bwemba, and Wangata on the upper river. This mission has now about thirty missionaries, and has many schools and chapels, with some hundreds of baptized Church members, including many native preachers. It has a steamer on the upper river, and has prepared, in the various dialects spoken through seven hundred miles of country, many translations from the Scriptures, besides vocabularies, grammars, and school books. It has also medical 525 526 PROTESTANT MISSIONS missions at Mukimvika and Kinchassa. It has been working for the last twelve years, and exerts a good deal of influence among the natives. 2. The English Baptist Missionary Society lias seven stations — Tundwa, on the lower river, St. Salvador (Portuguese territory), 'Ngombe, or Lutete, in the Cataract region, and Kinchassa, Bolobo, and Lukolela, on the upper river. The steamer Peace belongs to this mission, and in it Mr. Grenfell has done much good service by ex- plorations of many of the tributaries of the Congo. Mr. Bentley, of 'Ngombe, is the author of the best dictionary extant of the Ki-kongo language : and several translations have also been prepared. Mrs. Bentley is endeavouring to teach the natives the working of the tele- graph, in preparation for the time when the railway will require young telegraphists. Sire took back with her from Europe a miniature tele- graph line for teaching purposes. Many native converts are connected with this mission, which has also been working twelve years in the country. 3. The excellent Swedish Missionary Society's work was originally connected with the Livingstone Inland Mission, and occupied its station of Mukimbungu, between Isanghila and Manyanga ; but when the transfer of this Mission to the American Baptist Missionary Union took place in 1884, it was arranged that the Swedes should work an independent mission from that station as a centre, supported and directed from their own country. They have now about twenty missionaries, and have formed two additional stations on the north side of the Congo — Diadia and Kibunzi. They have many converts, Mr. Westlind is a remarkably good linguist, and has translated John's Gospel. 4. Bishop Taylor' s Mission was formed to work on the great southern tributary of the Congo, the Kasai ; but though commenced four years ago (in 1886), with an unusually large first party, consisting ot twenty-four missionaries, under the bishop's own leading, it has not yet reached its field of labour, or commenced any missionary work proper. The peculiar plans which were adopted have proved totally unsuited to the country. Very large sums of money were expended on a raft and traction-engine, brought from America, and subsequently on a steamer, so constructed that its heavier portions could not be landed at Vivi or carried up country. None of this machinery has been of any use as yet. The principle of self-support was attempted ; and as a result the agents of the mission have suffered great privations, many having died, and others have left the Congo. The rest are scattered around Banana, Vivi, and Isanghila, and are making a brave struggle IN THE CONGO FREE STATE. 527 to sustain liCe by shooting hippopotami, and selling the dried flesh to the natives, in exchange for the produce of the country. Four of the parly are occupying an old State station at Kimpoko, on Stanley Pool, and attempting a little agriculture and trade ; but none of the would- be missionaries have been able to devote much time to studying the languages, or teaching the people. None of their stations exert as yet any spiritual influence over the neighbouring districts, and consequently no converts have been made. But the mission has not been long at work. New plans are not always an improvement on old ones ! Nothing can exceed the bishop's cheerful courage and confidence in the ultimate success of his methods, nor his enthusiastic desire to do good in Africa. We hope that he may yet — by somewhat modifying his plans, and adapting them to the backward state of development in the country — succeed in planting his mission on the Kasai. He has come to the conclusion that he will have, like others before him, to found a chain of stations before he can launch a steamer on the Pool, and that the heavy one first taken out is no use for this purpose. He intends to reconstruct and use it on the lower river, where however trading steamers are now plying. 5. A second American agency has tried to follow somewhat on these lines. The Missionary Evangelical Alliance; but its operations, at present, consist only of one small attempt near Vivi, where the mis- sionaries reside in a little native hut, and live by hunting buffalo and antelopes. They smoke the flesh of these animals, and sell it to the natives. It is clear that men who have to support themselves and their families in Africa will never have much time for either study or teaching ! The Congo country is not one for colonists : its climate renders it totally unlike South Africa in this respect. For European teachers to live in it al all is difficult, and every working hour of their lives ought consequently to be devoted to direct missionary work. It is a pity if the Church of Christ, which gives such large sums to sustain its ministers at home, cannot afford to sustain its ministers abroad, and thus liberate them from the necessity of wasting their priceless time and risking their precious lives in order to procure them- selves food. 6. In the south-east part of the Congo Free State, among the sources of the Congo in the Garengange country. Air. F. S. Arnot has estab- lished his mission. After years of weary peregrinations through the Zambesi and Barotse districts he found this location suitable for the 528 mSSIONS IN THE CONGO FREE STATE. residence of Europeans. The mission is still in its infancy, though Mr. Arnot has not yet succeeded in making his way back to his station with his wife and new helpers, and in rejoining his colleagues there. It is one of the inost interesting and heroic of missions, very far removed from all communication with other Europeans, and hundreds of miles distant from any base of supplies. The climate of Garangange is fairly healthy, and the king of the country friendly. But the immense distance from the coast, and tlie absence of a connecting chain of stations, make the difficulties, dangers, and expenses very great. 7. The London Missionary Society's Mission, on Lake Tanganyika, is also in the Congo Free State. Their stations are Kav.\la Island and FwAMBOON, the southern extremity of the lake. This mission, long under the care of Captain Hore (who is now in England), has endured severe trials, and has felt the immense difficulties arising from its remote position — a walk of 800 miles from Zanzibar being involved in getting to the lake. The only other means of access [via the Zam- besi, Shire, Lake Nyassa, and the Stevenson Road) being, though easier, too precarious to depend upon, and frequently blocked by Arabs. This mission has the steamer Good Nrws on the lake, and has done some excellent work in schools and preaching the gospel ; but the sphere is a hard one. 8. The Congo-Balolo Mission, on the Upper Congo — our own mis- sion born last spring — has selected for its sphere the six southern tributaries of the Congo beyond Equatorville, the Lulanga, Maringa, Lopori, Ikelemba, Juapa, and Bosira, presenting together about 2,000 miles of navigable water-way, with towns and villages on both banks. It has eleven missionaries. The first party reached their destination about six months after leaving England, though taking with them a considerable amount of material for the construction of their first stations. They have the use of the A.B.M.U. steamer Henry Reed, kindly lent for a year, before the expiration of which it is hoped their own steamer, the Pioneer — sent out in December, 1889, for recon- struction— will be ready for the use of the mission. Mr. and Mrs. McKittrick, Messrs. Whytock, Haupt, Howell, Todd, and Blake, tQO'ether with Miss de Hailes, formed the first party of this mission. They were reinforced early in 1890 by Messrs. Adamson, LuflT, and Cole. The two former went out in charge of the new steamer : and the latter as missionary agriculturist to assist on the Lulanga. The mission has already two stations, Lulongo and Ikau. UNEVANGELIZED AFRICA. 529 When we remember that all this country was unknown eleven years ago, and that the Congo Free State itself dates only from 1885 — such an array of agencies, scattered over its vast area already, is a most hopeful sign. Christianity, even in its least pure form, is a vast ad- vance on the cruelties and fetish of Central Africa. In its pure form it is life from the dead. When the Livingstone Inland Mission began its operations in January, 1878, it stood alone; now it is, thank God! one among a dozen dif- ferent organizations having the spread of Christianity for their object. We hear also that the American Presbyterians intend to enter the field, which is vast enough— being as large as all India — to welcome a dozen more agencies. All these missions together only muster about a hundred effective workers, and there are about fifty millions to be evangelized in the Congo Free State alone, and probably five limes that number in the rest of unevangelized Africa. From the last mission station on the Upper Congo, a journey of a thousand miles would be needed to reach the nearest stations on the east — those on the great lakes. Seventeen hundred miles to the north- east lies the Red Sea, and there is no mission station between I Two thousand two hundred miles due north is the Mediterranean, and no mission station between ; while two thousand five hundred miles to the north-west are the stations of the North African Mission, but no single centre of light between I Seven hundred miles to the west is the Cameroons Station, but the whole intervening country is unvisited ; and in the south-west the American Mission at Bihe is fully a thousand miles distant. Our Lord Jesus Christ said, "If ye love !Me, keep My command- ments." His last commandments were : "Go YE INTO ALL THE WOULD, AND PREACH THE GOSPEL TO EVERY CREATURE." And "Ye SHALL BE WITNESSES UNTO ME . . . UNTO THE UTTER' MOST PARTS OF THE EARTH." C. A. 34 THE EAST LONDON INSTITUTE FOR HOME AND FOREIGN MISSIONS. Founder and Hon. Director : H. GRATTAN GUINNESS, D.D., F.R.G.S. Hot. Secretary: MRS. H. GRATTAN GUINNESS. Treasurer : SIR ARTHUR BLACKWOOD. Bankers : London and South-western Bank (Bow Branch). Hon. Auditors: Arthur J. Hill, Vellacott & Co., Finsbury Circus. Trustees : Theodore Howard, Esq., Westleigh, Bickley, Kent. Capt. the Hon. R. jNIoreton, Hamilton, Ontario. Rev. J. Stephens; M.A., Somerset Villa, Dartmouth Park Hill, N. J. VAN S0M>rER, Esq., 13, New Inn, Strand, W. C. Sir Arthur Blackwood, K.C.li., Shortlands House, Shortlands, Kent. Hon. London Director: H. GRATTAN-GUINNESS, M.R.C.S. This Institute was founded in March, 1872, with a view to increase the number of ambassadors for Christ among the heathen, and in the darker regions of Christendom. The world's population, according to the best estimates, is at present about 1,400 millions. Only about 400 millions are, even in name, Christians, and the remainder of over a thousand millions are conse- quently non-Christians, and for the most part heathen. The greater part of this almost inconceivable mass have never heard of Christ, and have little chance of doing so, for Protestant missionaries are scattered among them only in the proportion of ONE to every 53t 532 THE EAST LONDON INSTITUTE three or four hundred- thousand. No single indivi- dual could possibly minister the word of life to such a multitude, even in Christendom ; how much less in heathendom ! The supply is clearly inadequate, and yet the evangelical Churches at home are rich both in men and money. There is no reason why it should not speedily be doubled, trebled, multiplied tenfold. There arc in our home Churches thousands of con- verted and devoted young men and women suitable for missionaries, and willing to become such ; and there is wealth enough in the hands of Christians to send them forth and sustain them among the heathen. Some of these are educated, and have already engaged more or less in the service of God in this land, and having means of their own, can go forth into heathen- dom when they will. Others hear the call of God, and desire to obey, but lack the needful education, and have neither leisure nor means to acquire it, nor the ability to go forth at their own cfiarges. Our Institute seeks to arouse men and women of this latter class, to hear and heed the last great command of Christ : it helps them to fit themselves for service in heathendom, or in other needy spheres, by offering them, freely, a course of suitable study and practical training. It then introduces them to the field for which they seem best adapted, and, if need be, sustains or helps to sustain them in it. It seeks also, and in order to all this, the diffusion of informa- tion by press and platform as to the world's wants and the Lord's work, so as to deepen in the hearts of Christians at home practical compassion for the heathen and a sense of responsibility to give them the gospel. T^V0 Colleges, each adapted for fifty men — one in East London and the other in North Derbyshire — FOR HOME AND FOREIGN MISSIONS. 533 are connected with the Institute, which has also a Training Home for thirty young women stu- dents preparing for missionary work. The course of study and practical training is adapted to afford the students such help as they are capable of receiv- ing, and as will fit them for future usefulness in the sphere to which they may seem best adapted. It extends over three years, and, in the case of regular medical students, over a longer time. All the stu- dents receive a certain measure of medical preparation, both theoretical and practical. An extensive Home Mission work, in which the students receive practical training, is carried on in connexion with the Institute, among the working classes in East London. Its operations comprise a medical mission with a numerously attended dispen- sary, and a maternity department worked under a certificated lady by the young women students ; mothers' meetings ; night schools for men, for lads, and for factory girls ; a soup kitchen ; Band of Hope and temperance meetings ; house-to-house visitation, open-air preaching, tent meetings in summer, Sunday schools and Bible classes, and gospel preaching. Two mission halls in Bow and Bromley, with school- rooms and classrooms attached, are worked directly and exclusively by the Institute, and the students help in a large number of other mission halls, and preach also in churches and chapels. The Institute is broadly catholic in its principles and practice ; it trains men of all evangelical denoviinations, of all nationalities, and of all classes ; and it trains them for all societies, all lands, and all spheres of Christian effort. It is as comprehensive as it is possible to be, within the limits of evangelical truth. It seeks to be GODLY and practical in character and in methods : to cultivate 534 EAST LONDON INSTITUTE devotion, dependence on God, self-denial, self-support as far as possible, and self-sacrifice ; and it aims especially at " the regions beyond," or neglected and uncvangclizcd fields at home and abroad. The students have been of various nation- alities : not only English, Scotch, Irish, and Ame- rican, but French, German, Italian, Spanish, Swedish Danish, Russian, Bulgarian, Syrian, Egyptian, Kaffir, Negro, Hindu, Parsi, Kurdish, and Jewish. They have also been of various denominations. The large majority of those who have gone out as missionaries are now connected with about twenty different so- cieties and associations, while a number arc working independently as self-sustaining missionaries, medical or otherwise. More than five hundred missionaries, former students in the Institute, are now labouring in China, India, Syria, Armenia, Egypt ; in France, Spain, Portugal, Italy; East, West, North, South, and Central Africa, in Natal and Cape Colony ; in Prince Edward's Isle, Cape Breton, Canada, and the Western States of America ; in the West Indies, Brazil, and the Argentine Republic ; in Australia and New Zealand ; as well as in various parts of the home mission field. The object of the Institute is especially to send evangelists to " the regions beyond " those already evangelized. One hundred and twentv students are now in training, and some of their number are continually passing out into the great world-field. One every week, on an average, enters on active missionary life. Contributions in aid of any of the objects of the Institute may be sent either to the Treasurer, Sir Arthur Blackwood, K.C.B., Shortlands House, Shortlands, Kent ; or to the Secretary, Mrs. H. Grattan Guinness, Harley House, Bow, London, E., from whom fuller information can be had on application. AND CONGO BALOLO MISSION. 535 is formed for the evangelizalion of the millions of Balolo people dwelling in the great horseshoe-shaped territory of the Upper Congo, and accessible by its southern affluents, the Lulonga, Lopoii, Maringa, lUelemba, Juapa, and Bosira. It is a continuation and extension of the Livingstone Inland Mission, commenced in 1878, and now occupying and working a chain of seven Stations from the Coast to the Equator. It was founded in the spring of 18S9, and has eleven Missionaries, two Stations, and the steamer Pioneer. directorate. The Managers of the East London Institute. TREASURER. Sir .A.RTHUR Blackwood, K.C.B., Shortlands House, Kent. BANKERS. The London and County Banking Company, Limited, Lombard Street, E.C. HON. AUDITORS. Arthur J. Hill, Vellacott & Co., Finsbuiy Circus. HON. SECRETARY. H. Grattan Guinness, Jun., M.R.C.S., Harley House, Bow, E. ADVISORY COUNCIL. Rev. Archibald G. Brown, 22, Bow Road, E. P. S. Badenoch, Esq., Mildmay Conference Hall, N. Richard Cory, Esq., Oscar House, Cardiff. Dr. H. Grattan and Mrs. Guinness, Cliff House, Curbar, vi& Sheffield. Mr. and Mrs. H. Grattan Guinness, Jun., Harley House, Bow, E. Miss L. Guinness, Cliff House, Curbar, via Sheffield. Richard Hill, Esq., 3, Lombard Court, E.C. E. J. Kennedy, Esq., Exeter Hall, W.C. Dr. Macrae, i, Bow Road, E. W. Seagram, Esq., 86, Piccadilly, W. Just Fithlished. Secotul and enlarged Edition of Coloured Map, Portrait, and numerous Illustrations. In cloth, price 5J-. Direct from Harley House, post free, y. 6d. In boards, 4^. ; post free, 2s. 6d. " Instinct with life. Yet all is told so gently and with such effusive- ness of love for the work, that many, we hope, may be led to recognise the beauty of individual self-devotion, animated by a principle so lofty as to be able to sustain iiself undaunted, in view of difficulties that, to human sight, might well be deemed invincible. The volume is beauti- fully illustrated." — Scoltisk Guardian. " A beautifully prepared and tastefully illustrated book on Chinese mission work. The evident sincerity breathed in every line, and the 536 spiritual needs of the vast Chinese empire lying as a heavy burden on the writer's heart, find constant expression in burning words of self- consecration and appeal." — Methodist Recorder. "Very bright and graphic letters, . . • charmingly 'got up,' under skilful editorship ; . . . altogether most attractive. The very thing to read aloud." — Church Missionary Intelligencer. " A choice and dainty volume, beautifully illustrated with pictures of Chinese life and scenery. The letters are worthy of the setting, being natural and picturesque descriptions of missionary travel, life, and work, bringing China and its millions home to us in all their need. The tone is high and earnest." — Church of Scotland Mission Record. " I have been dipping into your so beautiful ' In the Far East,' with my dim, dim eyes." — Dr. David Bro'^i)n. " Thank you most sincerely for sending me this book. I have read it with great interest, and will do what little is in my power to make its burning pages known." — Professor Henrv Druminond. "The best account of the first experiences of China to a traveller and missionary that I have ever met with ; altogether beside their value for deep piety. The extreme taste and beauty of the illustrations and general get up of the volume leave nothing to be desired." — Rev. F. B. Meyer, M.A. "I have greatly enjoyed 'In the Far East.' God blessing it, the book should send armies of believers to invade the Flowery Land. Your sister is happy in her editor. God bless you, and all the beloved household. Yours heartily." — C. H. Spurgeon, "The gift of writing well for the great cause of missions, joined with the consecrated art of working well therefor, we see admirably exhibited in this little volume. The earlier letters of the collection we were privileged to hear read in the English home from which the beloved daughter went forth, and to which she sent back these glowing records of her evangelistic journeyings and labours. We were deeply impressed then, as we have been in the re-reading, with the graphic beauty and evangelical richness of these missionary epistles. They are worthy of publication for the spirit which is in them, for the in- formation which they convey, and for the fire which they are sure to communicate to Christian hearts by the burning zeal which kindles in their every word and sentence." — A. J. Gordon. 537 The foUoiuiitg works, in various Congo languages, have been prepared, among others, by members of the mission : A SMALL DICTIONARY OF THE LANGUAGE (English-Congo and Congo- English) : together with a list of useful sentences for Missionaries and Travellers in the Congo Cataract Region. Ky the late Henkv Ckaven and John Bar- field, B.A. 248 pages. THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN, EXODUS XX., AND GENESIS L-IU. I rans- lated into Ki-kongo. By T. H. Hoste. A VOCABULARY OF KILOLO, as spoken by the Bankundu, a section of the Balolo tribe, at Ikengo (Equator), Upper Congo. With a few Introductory Notes on the Grammar. By J. B. Eduie. 200 pages. A GRAMMAR OF THE CONGO LANGUAGE, as spoken 200 years ago. Trans- lated from the Latin of Brusciotto. Edited by H. Gkattan GflNNESS, D.D. 112 pages. A GRAMMAR OF THE CONGO LANGUAGE, as now spoken in the Cataract Region below Stanley Pool. By H. Gkattan GuiNNES.s, D.D. 267 pages, 8vo. MOSAIC HISTORY AND GOSPEL STORY, Epitomised in the Congo Language. By H. Gkatt,\n Gl'inxkss, D.D. 87 pages, 8vo. THE CONCORDS OF THE CONGO LANGUAGE. Being a Contribution to the •Syntax of the Congo Tongue. By John Barfield, B..^. 160 pages, small 8vo. THE PEEP OF DAY, translated into the Ki-kongo Language. By J. B. Eddie. THE PEEP OF DAY, translated into N'Kundu, a dialect of the Kilolo Language, as spoken at llie Equator. Upper Congo. By J. B. Eddie. 120 pages. THE GOSPEL OF ST. MARK, translated into the Ki-kongo Language. By C. H. Hakvev. 98 pages. KJBANGI VOCABULARY. By A. Sims, M.B. jii pages. YALULEMA VOCABULARY. By A. Sims, M.B. 35 pages. CONGO READING BOOK. 96 pages. THE GOSPEL OF ST. LUKE, translated into the Ki-kongo Language. By H. Richards. 154 pages. ST. MATTHEW V.-VU. (Mataioiia), translated into Ki-kongo. EXODUS {lyavaikti/ii), translated into Ki-kongo. By Chas. E. Ingham. 69 pages. Ttuo Reading Books, compiled by C. E. Ingham, consist of the folloiving : No. 1. HOME LESSONS, by Mrs. Ingham. Short Sentences, etc. Collection of Congo Fables. No. 2. HOME LESSONS. Genesis i.-iii. : Romans i., ii. ; Luke i., ii. ; Sermon on Mount ; Romans viii. ; Hymns. 1. GENESIS I.-XXIl. By C. E. Ingham. 2. MATTHEW I.-XL By H. Richards. 3. JOHN'S GOSPEL. By Westlind, S.M.S. 4. MARK'S GOSPEL. By Cameron, of B.M.S. 5. THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES. By Nkoivo, A.B.M.U. 6. KITEKE VOCABULARY. By A. Sims, M.B. As spoken by the Beteke and kindred tribes of the Upper Congo. 190 pages. 7. THE EPISTLE TO THE ROMANS. By H. Gkattan Guinness, D.D., assisted by Nkoivo. 8. THE FIRST EPISTLE OF JOHN. By H. Grattan Guinness, D.D. , assisted by Nkoivo. 9. JOHN'S GOSPEL. By .\. Si.Ms, M.B. Translated into Kiteke. iluu Edinml Sinnlunl.se A 27 Gidniiur SVammig C DT351 .G96 The new world of Central Africa. Prmcetot 1 Theological Seminaf7-Spee T Library lllllllllllll 1 1012 00023 7943