W PRINCETON, N. J. ^ Purchased by the Hamill Missionary Fund. DT 625 .M2 1896 McAllister, Agnes. A lone woman in Africa Digitized by tine Internet Archive in 2015 https://archive.org/cletails/ionewomaninafricOOmcal_0 A Lone Woman in Africa OEC 4 SIX YEARS ON THE KROO COAST, AGNES McAllister MISSIONARY UNUliK UlSIlOl' WILLIAM TAYLOR NEW YORK: EATON & MAINS CINCINNATI : JENNINGS & PYE Copyright by HUNT & EATON, 1896. Composition, electrotypiiig, printing, and binding by Hunt & Eaton, 150 Fifth Ave., New York, ct (H^ y^'p-x^ ^^^^^^^^ ^-f CONTENTS. PAGE Introduction by Bishop William Taylor, ... 5 CHAPTER 1. The Call to the Work 11 CHAPTER II. First Days in School, ...... 28 CHAPTER 111. The War 47 CHAPTER IV. The End of the War 68 CHAPTER V. Liberia — Its People, Languages, and Customs, . . 85 CHAPTER VI. Burying the Dead 100 CHAPTER VII. Native Theology and Morals, . . . . .116 CHAPTER VIII. Incidents of Missionary Life .130 CHAPTER IX. Visiting Neighboring Tribes, . . . . .146 CHAPTER X. In Journeyings Oft, ....... 161 V 8 Contents. CHAPTER XI. rAGK Ups and Downs, 1 79 CHAPTER XII. Sasswood Palaver, . . . . . . .193 CHAPTER XIII. The African Woman, . . . . . .210 CHAPTER XIV. Farming. — African Curios, ..... 233 CHAPTER XV. House-building. — The Liquor Curse, .... 255 CHAPTER XVI. A Revival 270 ILLUSTRATIONS. A Lone Woman in Africa, .... Frontispiece Miss Agnes McAllister 10 Garrav/ay Mission House, . .... 25 Men of Garraway, ....... 33 A Trio of Witch Doctors 135 Children in an African Maize Field, . . . .216 Woman's Work in Africa, . ..... 222 African Curios. — I. ....... 240 African Curios.— II 248 West African House, 254 Miss Agnes McAllister, OF GAIJRAWAY MISSION, LIliEKIA. A LONE WOMAN IN AFRICA. CHAPTER I. THE CALL TO THE WORK. "There is Time enough yet." — Full Surrender. — A Voice out of the Night. — Off for Africa. — Monrovia. — Appointed to Garravvay. — The first Saljbath. WHILE attending Sabbath school in the old log schoolhouse in the neighbor- hood of my home, and listening to the ser- mons of the Methodist preachers, my heart was drawn to Jesus. I well remember one Sabbath afternoon. The pastor, Rev. Mr. Swan, had announced that he would preach a sermon to the children. We sat in our classes with our teachers, the infant class in front. I was in the infant class, on the very front row ; and I well remember that my feet did not touch the floor, for I was but seven years old. Miss Jennie Trever, our teacher, sat at the end of the same seat. The preacher took for his text, " There is time enough yet." I have forgotten most that 12 A Lone Woman in Africa. he said. But one story which he told I have never forgotten. He said tliat in a certain place a little boy and girl lived, with their mother, very near the sea ; and one day the children begged of their mother to let them go down to the seaside to play. She let them go, but told them that they must not stay too long, as the tide would be coming in and they might be overtaken and drowned. They went down to the beach, and found an old man sitting there. After they had played for a little while they said, " We must go home." But the old man said, " There is no hurry ; there is plenty of time yet." So the children went back to play, but after a short time said again, " Well, it is time to go now." But the old man replied, " You need not hur- ry." " O," they said, " but our mother told us not to stay long because of the tide. We would better go now." "Yes," said the old man, " but there is plenty of time. There is time enough yet to have anothergood play." So the children went back to play, and the tide came rushing in, and they were both carried out to sea and drowned. By this story the preacher showed what God meant when he said that now was the time to seek salvation. There was danger in delay. The devil, like the old man, was trying to per- The Call to tiik Work. 13 suade us to put off the decision ; not by say- ing, " Don't go home," but just, " There is time enough yet." God had warned us that there was danger, and the Holy Spirit was drawing our liearts to himself ; and it was for us to decide whether we would give him our hearts now, while we were young, or listen to the devil and be lost. That very afternoon I decided that I would give God my heart, for there was not " time enough yet." Then and there I yielded my heart to God, and from that time I sought to do God's will. But it was not until I was fifteen that I joined the church, for I was surrounded by people that did not believe in children's being converted ; and even at the age of fifteen I was considered too young to decide such a question. I had never heard much about holi- ness or a complete surrender to the will of God, and my highest aim was to be a good girl and keep the law of God, to trust in Jesus Christ for salvation, and to get to heaven. I was not very strong, and this world did not have much attraction for me ; and even in my girlhood days I often wished and prayed God that I might not live long. At nineteen years of age I attended a meet- ing where the minister took for his text, " Fol- low peace with all men, and holiness, without 2 14 A Lone Woman in Africa. which no man shall sec the Lord." I listened attentively to him as he made plain to us that the Holy Ghost was come to be our Comforter and Guide, and would abide with us if we would receive him. I learned that there was a new joy and a bright side to life that I had not yet seen ; and I, among others, answered the invitation and went to the altar to sur- render myself to God and receive all that he had for me. As we stood there while the minister talked to us before kneeling my strength gave way, and I sank to the floor and made a complete surrender, saying, "All I have I give to Thee." God accepted me, and the Holy Ghost so filled my heart that I knew I had stepped on new ground ; and I rejoiced as never before. I went on for some time rejoicing in the Lord, but always burdened for others. I had taken part in the public prayer meetings be- fore this. But now I felt that I must speak to persons about their souls. I was not always kindly received in doing so. To satisfy my desire to do something for Christ I used to write short notes — any words that I thought might arrest the readers' attention and make them think — and then as I went along the street I would give them to those whom I met. I generally had a number ready on prayer The Call to the Work. 15 meeting night, unci as I went through the park I would drop tlicni near the scats, to be picked u[) by the chance passer-by. I always folded these papers in the shape of notes, thinking so to induce the finder to examine them. I began to think more seriously about the heathen, and to consider whether I might not be able to go and take the good news of salva- tion to those in darkness. But I was surprised at myself for letting such a thought ever enter my mind, for I, of all persons, seemed to be the most unlikely ever to go far from home. So I reasoned with myself and wondered and asked the Lord what he would have me do, feeling satisfied in myself that this was only a passing thought. But the burden grew heav- ier, and I became more and more concerned for others, until a Christian lady to whom I had confided my feelings said she thought it very possible that the Lord was calling me to the work, and if so he would make it plain in answer to prayer. Although I had given myself to God entire- ly and thought I was ready to do anything for him, yet I found that a missionary's life, as I conceived it, was not pleasing to me. I hoped it might not be my lot, for I did not then look at it as a privilege to go to labor among the i6 A Lone Woman in Africa. heathen. Nevertheless, I knew that the will of the Lord was the only safe guide for me, and I prayed that I might know with certainty what he would have me do, promising that if he would only make his will known beyond doubt I would go even to a foreign land. After some days spent in prayer and serious thought the Lord declared his will. I was sit- ting in the house in the evening, just as it grew dark and quiet, when I thought I heard a step on the walk. Then there came a knock at the side door. I expected a friend to spend the evening with me. As I opened the door, however, and looked out into the dark no one was visible ; but I heard a voice plainly say, " I want you to be a missionary." I recognized that this message was the answer to my prayer. I stood silent for a moment, then came in and closed the door. But I did not answer the call. I did not say, " Yes, I will go." When I went to dinner it seemed as if the food would choke me. I felt as if some person was following me, as I went about the house from room to room, saying, " Now what do you say? Will you go? Will you be a mission- ary ? " The burden became so great that at last I sat down and cried, then bowed before my Saviour and said, " Yes, Lord. Grant me rest. I will go. I will do anything." So it The Cai-l to the Work. 17 was all settled. 1 know it was from the Lord, During all the time 1 have spent in Africa — six years and two months — I have never once doubted the fact that the Lord had called me to the work. I wrote to my parents. Mother wrote back, " Well, I always thought you would do some- thing of the kind." My friends were not sur- prised ; and this made it much easier for me. The Lord gave me the privilege of spending some time in school in special preparation for the work, and I enjoyed some practical expe- rience in city mission and revival work, which was one of the best things I could have done to prepare me to deal with the heathen. For human nature is the same in all lands, and many of the same excuses that we meet in the home land we meet in heathendom. In reading the account of Bishop Taylor's work in 7\frica, my mind was drawn in that di- rection. The appeal to the Church, " Who will come over and help us among these poor dark sisters ? " touched my heart, and I offered myself and was accepted. In 1888 I sailed for the west coast of Africa, and was stationed at Garraway, in Liberia, where I have been ever since. Many a day, when the work has been hard and everything has looked dark, I have thanked God that it was by no choice of mine i8 A Lone Woman in Africa. that 1 was in this place, and that, no matter what liad come or might come, I knew tiiat 1 was called of God to the work. Thus I was never once discouraged. All the time I have praised God that, although the way was rough, yet it was bright to me. Parting with home and friends, and all our familiar surroundings, to go to an unknown land is always hard. When I went out to Africa, it seemed a much greater undertaking than it does now. It was like burying me; for few thought that I would ever return. Nor had I any assurance myself that I should ever see the faces of my friends again. But the ways of the Lord are past finding out. His ways are not ours. I found kind friends on every liand to help me. As I knew that I was going to the most unlikely place in the world to pro- cure articles for personal use, or for house- keeping, I supplied myself well with clothing. Many kind people who were interested in me gave me quilts and blankets and dishes as well as dried fruits and other things which they thought would be useful. On December 13, 1888, we sailed — a party of fourteen — from New York harbor for Ham- burg. We had a pleasant voyage, and entered the Elbe on the day before Christmas. We had to wait in Germany until the third of Jan- The Call to the Work. 19 uary for a steamer going down the African coast. On that day wc set sail for the field of our labor. At first the weather was pleasant, and all went well ; but when wc came to the Bay of Biscay most of our party were down with seasickness. I was very sick for three days, and really felt as thougli I would as lief die as live. But we got through the bad water, and all were bright and happy again. We found it getting much warn\er as we steamed southward. When we came to Madeira, the young Por- tuguese boys came out to dive for money. They stayed around the ship all day, calling out to the passengers on deck, " A penny for a dive, sir!" "Sixpence for a dive, sir ! " "One shilling, and I will go under the ship, sir!" As the passengers would throw the money into the water, they would jump in to get it, always coming up with the coin in their hand. But I shall never forget the feeling that came over me as I got the first sight of these people, who in some respects suggested heathendom. We sailed to the coast of Africa, and cast anchor at Monrovia, about three miles out at sea. It is not safe to take the steamer near the beach, and there is no wharf ; consequent- ly, passengers and freight must go ashore in surfboats. When we approached the shore in 20 A Lone Woman in Africa. these boats wc had to anchor several yards out in tlie water, and a boat load of natives came alongside to take us to the beach. We stood up on the side of the boat, and they took us in their arms like babies, and set us down on the sand, making trips until all were landed. We were met on the shore by one of the missionaries. As it was Sunday, and near the hour for service, we were all taken to the chapel, where we joined in worship with the crowd of natives that followed. They were very much pleased to see so many white people come to their country, and the little children would allow us to carry scarcely anything in our hands, they were so anxious to do some- thing for us. African sights and sounds were every minute becoming more familiar; and from that day I felt that I really had reached the home of those whom I had come to help and lead to the Saviour. From the chapel we went to the mission house, where we had some " lime-ade " — made like lemonade, from a na- tive fruit which is something like our lemon, and takes its place very well. After a few hours on shore, which were a treat to us after the rolling of the ship for so long, we returned on board again. On the twenty-first of January we reached Cape Pal- mas, the end of our journey. We arrived in The Call to 'iiie VVokI):. 21 time to liavc gone ashore the same night, had the sea not been so rough. Some of the boats from the shore tried to rcacli us, but liad to go back, as tlie sea was bad and the night dark. In the morning all was calm. We were called up before daylight, had a cup of coffee, and then started for the shore. It was about seven o'clock when we landed. We were met by some of our missionaries who had been sent out the year before. Every- thing was strange enough to my eyes; but as Cape Palmas is one of the civilized towns of the Liberians, we did not see much of heathen- dom during our stay there. We saw the hea- then as they came in to trade ; but they lived in the surrounding country, and we saw little of their homes and manner of life. The sup- plies that we had brought with us to commence our work with had not come on the same steamer with us, and we were obliged to wait for them. Then Bishop Taylor was expected, and we had to await his arrival to receive our appointments. Several steamers passed, but he did not come. At last our agent started out up the coast to Sinoe, Avhere the bishop was, to bring him down. After several days they re- turned together, and we all received our appoint- ments. Our goods came, also, and at the end of three weeks we left for our several stations. 22 A Lone Woman in Africa. Sister Binklcy and I were appointed to Gar- raway. We started for our new honae on the sixteenth of February, 1889, Bishop Taylor and the mission carpenter and ourselves sit- ting on the top of the boxes and goods while we sailed up the coast twenty miles in an open surf boat. It was eight o'clock in the evening when we arrived. As we were carried ashore in the strong arms of the natives, a crowd of the people gathered around us, delighted to see so many white people, and to know that two women had come to stay among them. The station owned an iron building. This had been opened more than a year before by Rev. Mr. Gortner, his wife and two sons, and a Mrs. Meeker, who had come out as a teacher ; but they had not been able to do any work among the people, being down with fever most of the time. When the Gortners came the natives gave them a bullock and a sheep, for meat, in order to show their gratitude. The fever was less kind, and Brother Gortner, his wife and eldest son, and Sister Meeker were all confined to bed at the same time. Only the youngest son, about nine years of age, and an old Liberian woman were able to be about and do anything for the sick. Mrs. Meeker, who was well on in years and not very strong, was the first to die The Call to the Work. 23 irnm the fever. It was in the afternoon that she left tlie work to be with her Lord ; and in the evening of the same day Mr. Gortner also went to be with Jesus, " which is far better," leaving his wife and son too sick to help them- selves or attend to burying their dead. The Liberian woman took this opportunity to help herself to everything in the house that suited her fancy ; and the two dead bodies lay there until the third day before anything was done toward burying them. Some sailors, hearing of the deaths at the mission, went up and made two coflfins from the board partitions of the house and buried the bodies. Mrs. Gortner was too sick at the time to stand on her feet, and crept on her hands and knees to take a last look at her husband. On their re- turn to Cape Palmas these Liberian sailors told what they had done, and our bishop being there, he went at once to Garraway and did what he could for the sick. Mrs. Gortner and her son recovered and returned to America, and the station was left in the care of an old native man and one of the Liberian women. Soon after we reached Cape Palmas word was sent to Garraway that new missionaries had come, and that some person would soon be sent to take charge of the station. So a chicken was caught and tied, ready to be cooked 24 A Lone Woman in Africa. for tlic first meal when the missionary should arrive. When we reached there that evening' in February they killed and cooked the fowl, and prepared a dinner for us. We were all hungry, for we had been several hours on the water, had been seasick, and were quite ready to eat. The meal consisted of chicken soup, a native vegetable called cassada, some sea bis- cuits, and coffee. The soup smelt good, but, when we tasted it, it was so hot with the na- tive red pepper that it brought the tears to our eyes, and we could not eat a mouthful. A great crowd of the natives had followed us to the mission. Everything was new and strange to us, the mission house not less than the people. The house was built of galvanized iron, and was set up on posts six feet from the ground. As I entered it, I thought of a barn. The rough framework was all visible inside, for there was no ceiling. The partitions — what was left from the coffin making — were only hand-high, and the whole appearance of our fu- ture home was desolate enough. The crowd stayed till late ; and as we were all very tired and needed sleep we told them that they had better go home. So they departed, and we found a place to sleep for the night. The mis- sionaries that had been there before us had fixed up some beds, and we spread out our The Call to tiik Work. 27 bhinkets and lay down. All rested well, and in the morning the kings and chiefs came in to see us, and the carpenter put some chairs to- gether that had been brought out in boxes, all ready to be fitted. After an early dinner the bishop left for the Cape, and we were alone. It was Saturday, and Miss Binkley and I set things in order. The next day was Sunday. Although the people tlid not know the difference between that tkiy and any other, many of them came to us out of curiosity, and we had a good service. Our first service was with the children, at half past nine in the morning. At eleven o'clock wc had another service, with more of the old people present. At two wc had another meet- ing, and still another at six. We had many of the same persons at the different services, as they stayed over from one service to the other. The day was very warm, and as we did not get any rest we were very tired at night. But we had told many people of Jesus, and retired feel- ing that the day had been well spent, and that the good seed had been planted that would yield fruit that should never pass away. 28 A Lone Woman in Africa. CHAPTER II. FIRST DAYS IN SCHOOL. A School among the Heathen. — Opening Day. — A Royal Beggar. — Teaching the Interpreter. — The Children of the Mission. — Clothes. — Farm work. — Native Curiosity. — Left Alone. — " Zion Village." — The War. ON Monday morning we promptly opened our school. A few minutes after six o'clock eager boys were waiting to have us teach them ; at half past eight we commenced with thirteen pupils and had school till ten. Five men sat and listened to the children and to our teach- ing. They said, "You teach book proper," which meant that they were satisfied that we knew how to teach their children. At two we had forty-five children and seven women pres- ent. Several of the women sewed some cloth very well, which showed us that they could sew if they cared to learn. At four a lot of new ones came in, and they had to have a les- son too. In the evening the old king brought all the old letters he had for me to read over to him. Some of them were five years old — letters that the coast traders had written to him. The next day we had a crowded house. iMKST Days in School. 29 After teaching the children until I was tired I told them they could go, for school was finished for them. But three of the larger ones suc- ceeded in getting the rest outside and then came back, saying, " We did not have plenty lesson ; wc want to read more book." So I gave them slates and pencils and some letters to make, and they had a good lesson before they went away. Miss Binkley had a class of ten young men. After teaching them each a lesson separately, she told them to go home and come back the next day; but in the after- noon they were all back, bringing six more with them. So we had school again at two o'clock with fifty-one children and several women. These latter repeated their letters and printed them on their slates like the chil- dren, but wanted me to pay them for what they did ! They brought their babies and were much pleased when we took them in our arms. We were wondering what we should have for breakfast when one of the chiefs sent us a piece of deer meat, which was very acceptable to us. It was a small token of his feeling that he ought to do something for us because we were strangers who had come to do his people good. Frequently after this he would send us limes or bananas. One of the king's sons came early one morn- 3 30 A Lone Woman in Africa. ing to beg us to give him some potatoes. I told him that it was a shame for him, a bi nursing their hatred against the tribe which had deprived them of their coastland, and ready for any enterprise which should restore them to their own. There are two main causes of the almost un- ceasing warfare which is the history of the Li- bcrian tribes. One is the desire for more ter- ritory ; for the land is not definitely allotted, and between the tribes lie tracts, usually heavily timbered, which furnish building mate- rials, lumber, thatch, and " tie-tie " — the rope which takes the place of nails. This common ground is a bone of perpetual contention. The The War, 51 other source of discord is " the woman cjues- lion." Tlie native men buy tlieir women, and have as many wives as they can pay for ; the more wives a man has the Jiiore respected he is. M.uiy of these women take no interest in their famiUes, and after a trifling dispute with their husbantls will run away to other tribes to become the wives of other men. To lose a wife is to lose an investment; and the first husband accuses the new one of dishonesty, un- less he returns her value in money. This a member of a hostile tribe will not do. So the quarrel gets hotter and hotter, until the two tribes are in open war. In the present case our people told us that they wanted no war, and should not be the first to begin hostilities, but if they were fired on they would protect their homes and lives. Some time previously the Garraway and Nemia people, who were originally one tribe, met together and offered sacrifice to their gods. Then they buried a gun, and every war- rior turned his gun downward ; and they de- clared before their gods that they were brothers and would never fight each other again. This treaty was faithfully kept for a number of years. But when we arrived in the beginning of i88g the Nemia people had threatened to attack the Garraways unless they granted the Peddies a 52 A Lone Woman in Africa. place on ihc beach by themselves. Our people were in readiness, for they had suspected treachery. The road taken by the two allied tribes in visitintj each other was through Gar- raway territory, and the Garraways now forbade their further use of it. After that no man's life was safe on this road ; but for a while the women w^ere allowed to go back and forth un- molested. Soon, however, even they were for- bidden to pass. Our young men, when they came to the mission for their lessons, were always on the watch for these women. The mission bein"; situated on a hilltop, was a good lookout for them, and many a lesson was cut short as they sighted women passing along that road. In an instant they would drop book or slate, and without a word of explanation rush out of the house and away down the hillside as fast as they could go. Most of them seemed pleased whenever they found that the women were not of a hostile tribe; but some seemed not at all pleased, for they would have preferred to show their patriotism by sending the women back empty-handed. I have seen our men stop a company of these women who were carrying loads of vegetables and other articles of food on their heads, take away everything they had, and send them back with threats that if they Till': War, 53 ever p;issetl that way a^ain it would go worse with tliem. 1 he G.irraways would never eat the things they had taken, for fear of poison, but would dig a hole and bury them just as they were. After the road was closed to them the women used to pass during the night, but with great caution and fear, lest they should be caught and imprisoned or tortured. ]k)th our people and the enemy were con- stantly defying each other, and scarcely a week passed without several warlike messages being exchanged between them. It was no longer safe for the women to go to the bush alone after wood, or to the vegetable farm for food. The people on the beach do not culti- vate rice farms in time of war, since to do so they would be compelled to go to a distance and leave their homes unprotected. Conse- quently, war always brings famine. Our peo- ple suffered much from this cause, not having enough to eat. Day and night they kept on guard. The women did all the planting that was done, but while so engaged were kept in constant terror, not knowing at what time they might meet the ambushed enemy. For several weeks before a battle was fought the guards used to walk until morning through the long grass and the bushes between the mission and their towns, blowing their war 54 A Lone Woman in Africa. horns and ringing their war bells, that the enemy might know they were not asleep. They erected barricades at places where they feared the enemy might attempt to pass. These bullet-proof barricades were made of the stalks of banana trees, which are from eight to twelve inches thick, ami were built like a hol- low wall and were filled with sand, leaving small loopholes through which to fire at the enemy. A war fence was built round each of our towns — not a very strong fence, for they had no heavy timber at hand and could not venture out to the big bush for heavy sticks. I have since seen very strong war fences in the interior where timber was plenty. The timber was cut from five to eight inches thick and about fourteen feet long, a trench was dug, and the timbers set endwise into the ground close together and bound with strong rope. I have seen war fences of this sort, whose gates were always shut at night, that it would have been hard work to break down without artillery. I often heard the enemy come out of their towns to where our people could hear them, and then, with their war horns, curse and taunt them and call them every insulting name they could think of. One morning about ten o'clock they called TiiK War. 55 our [)coi)lc out to fii;lil, aiul our i)Coi)lc, to show they were not cowards, went out, with gun and sword, to meet them. After many liard words they began to cut at one another with tlieir swords; and after two hours of blows of this kind they both returned to their towns. Our people sent a man to summon me to dress their wounds. I took bandages, sticking plaster, some arnica, a needle and thread, and a pair of scissors. Asking God to give me all the grace and strength I should need for the duty, I went to town, and found first one of our head warriors with his head wrapped in a cloth red with blood. It was, indeed, a trial to me, as I had always shrunk from anythingof the sort; but the people stood all around, no one seeming to know what to do. I leaned hard on Jesus, and he sustained me. I took off the cloth and found three great sword gashes on the top of the wounded man's head. The next thing was to get a razor and shave the hair off his head. They brought me an old, dull one. I went to work and shaved or scraped off the hair the best I could, until I could get the sticking plaster to hold the cuts together. Then I applied some medicine, ban- daged the head, persuaded the man to lie down and be quiet, and went on to the next patient. A young man had sat down beside me when $6 A Lone Woman in Africa. I began on the first case. But he was bleeding badly, and soon got too weak to sit up any longer, so they took him to his father's house, where I found him. I took off the bandag-es and found a great gash in his cheek, and an- other over the shoulder blade. He had been passing a tree, when, looking back, he saw close behind him one of the enemy with his sword upraised; and before he could get away the man, with one stroke of his sword, had cut a great gash down through his cheek and shoul- der. The point of the sword had made a cut in his face three inches long and almost through to the teeth. After cleansing this thoroughly, since there is always danger that the blades may have been poisoned, I drew the wound carefully together with needle and thread, ap- plied remedies, and bandaged it up. Then I dressed the gash on his shoulder, and went on to the next sufferer. For weeks I did not for a day miss being in the town, and I spent more time caring for the wounded than in school. Those that could came to the mission when I could not stay in town long enough to attend to them all. I had no one to leave with the children, and could not always take them with me. On the fifth of November, about two weeks after this first battle, I was awakened very early The War. 57 by loud talking. Our people had started out to surprise the Nemia town, but, finding they were not going to reach the place before day- light, had come back and were arguing together down at the foot of our hill. Finally they went home. But about noon the Nemia and Peddie warriors came out together and challenged our people to a battle with swords. Our peo- ple went out to meet them, still saying that they would not be the first to fire a gun, though every man carried one. I heard the first sound of the war horn ; and, going to the door where I could observe plainly all that was passing, I saw the Nemia people not far from our town. The Garraways gath- ered from all their towns. I saw them march- ing out to meet the enemy. I could sec their swords glittering in the sun, and hear their shouts and the sound of the war horn and bells. ■ The enemy, scattered in a long line, with gun in hand, waited till our people came close enough to take good aim at our principal men. Then they fired. The first volley killed one of our best men, and his son, who was just behind him. This was a great blow to our people, and yet God used it for good. No other man that had gone into the battle carried so many charms and so much " medicine." He 58 A Lone Woman in Africa. had been to a number of devil-doctors and tliey had all told him that the " medicine " they had t^iven him was sufficient to protect him in battle, and that no ball couhl penetrate his skin while he wore the charms they had given him. When our people saw this man and others fall they were frightened, for all but two of them had gone trusting for their lives to the " medicine " they wore. But, while they had reason to fear, the enemy had yet more reason. They remembered the treaty promise they had made, never to kill their brotliers. God Avas their witness and the judge between them, and by being the fust to break the Law they felt that they had lost his favor. Their courage failed them ; and, although they had had the advantage in firing the first shot and killing one of our best men, yet the consciousness of having broken their oath made their hearts sink. The Garraway people, on the other hand, felt that, according to the covenant between them, victory was theirs, and they took fresh courage. Sheath- ing their swords, they took their guns and be- gan to fire. From the door of the mission house I saw the first gun fired and heard the shots which followed in quick succession. I knew when our people began to fire, and could see them TiiK War. 59 slowly drivini^ the enemy back. After two hums of figlitint; with guns, swords, da^^gers, and cannon 1 saw the smoke begin to rise from the enemy's town. Then I knew that our tribe had been victorious and driven the enemy back to the town, then out of it, and had set it on fire. lieforc any fighting had taken pL'icc the )-oung men liad talked of the day wlicn they would be on the battlefield, and I had said, " If you fight I am going to come to town." They had told me not to come until I saw that they had fired the enemy's town and the smoke came up black. Then I might know that the town was well destroyed and the enemy had fled. So, when I saw the town on fire I got ready medicines and bandages, and when the smoke became black I went to town. It was about two o'clock in the afternoon when I got there. I found many of the wounded soldiers, and at once set to work to dress their wounds. Some were shot in the leg, some in the trunk, and some in the arm. Some of the wounds had the bullets still in them, and we took them out with a penknife. The mission carpenter, who was working on a house near the town, was there before me and had already bound up several of the wounds. We both worked all afternoon, being called first to one 6o A Lone Woman in Africa. place and then another. One man was shot between' the eyes and seemed a hopeless case, although he lived for several days in great suf- fering. Our first interpreter had promised to trust God, and not the " medicine." But liis moth- er, fearing for him, had gone to the devil-doctor and inquired about her son's safety. The doc- tor had told her not to let him go to the war. But he, not willing to believe the devil-doctor, declared he would go, nevertheless, and fight for his home and country. He accordingly went along with the rest, and, being in the front of the battle, was shot in the temple and brought back to town. He knew that his mother would be alarmed to see him carried, and so had two men take hold of his arms and help him walk. When the, poor woman saw him she was wild with grief. I dressed his wound, but perceived at once that it was se- rious, and, in fact, I did not see how he could live. I took out several pieces of bone ; and we washed the wound well, to guard against possible poison. Eight men who had gone out to battle had died on the field, and twenty-two had fallen in the towns on the beach, while a number more in the bush towns were wounded. So the towns were filled with the groans of the The War. 61 wounded and mourning for tlic dead. I never witnessed sucii a sight or heard such waiHng as I did that day ; and I liope, so long as I may be spared to labor in Africa, I may never meet the same again. It was long after dark when I started for home. The mission carpenter had already gone, and I could get no person to go with mc to the mission, for the towns were all in confusion, every man either wounded or on guard or burying the dead or busy about something. There was no hope of getting anyone to accompany mc that night. I started alone. It was so dark that I could scarcely see to keep the narrow footpath among the bushes and grass. It is in such hours that I have tested the power and presence of God to keep me. And how wonderfully he has done it and brought me through all these most try- ing periods ! To his name be all the praise ! When I reached home the children had had their supper, and I sat down and ate some- thing ; but, hungry as I was, I was so tired I could scarcely eat. Just as we were ready for bed, our presiding elder and his wife came in from up the coast. They had been thirty-six hours in the boat without food or water, and were quite over- come from exposure to the tropical sun and 5 62 A Lone Woman in Africa. the cool night air. We got something for them to eat, and then all retired to rest. They went on their way to the Cape in the morning, and I went to the town to attend to the sick. Many of our mission children had friends killed in the war, and their people called them home to mourn with them ; therefore, I had only two little boys to teach. As I found that I could not spend much time at home — being continually summoned to town — I let these two little boys go to their own people for a timiC, leaving with me one boy of another tribe and an old man. It was impossible to attend to the wounded and do anything in the mission house. When I went to town I found that our in- terpreter, " Bob Charcoal " — a name which the traders had given him because he was so very black — had become very weak. I took him a cup of tea, which he drank ; and I dressed his wound, talked with him a few minutes, and then went on to attend to the rest. I had gone to another town to attend to patients there, when a woman came running up and shouted at the top of her voice that Bob was dead. I went back at once to where he was, and found the people standing around the house. I forced my way through the crowd and into the house. It was a little hut about twelve feet square, The War. 63 and full of women, with a fire in the center, and three old women holding Bob up in the corner. It was so hot and smoky that I could remain but a few minutes. I forced my way to Bob, looked into his face, and saw that he was not dead, but was almost smothered. I rushed out and told some of the men that he was alive, and that they must bring- him out- side. They went in, shoving the screaming women aside. The uproar was deafening. The women, far from imagining that they them- selves were smothering him to death, believed that by hiding him away in the little hut he would be safe from the witches, and that keep- ing him beside that smoky fire was his only chance for life. Their crowding round him and their cries were to show him that he was much appreciated, and that they were all very sorry to lose him. I ran for water, since I knew that in such ex- citement there was no hope of getting anybody to send for it. I found some in a house near by. When I came back, the men had Bob out- side. I made all the women stand back and stop their screaming, while I bathed him with cold water until he revived. Then I told the people to take him to his own house, and that I would take care of him myself. So they car- ried him home, and we put him to bed. 64 A Lone Woman in Africa. I told the kiiit^, who was his uncle, that the townspeople must not be allowed to come around and make a noise. We kept them rea- sonably quiet so long as I was there, but the great trouble in time of sickness with these peo- ple is to get any person to assume responsibility. The nearest friend, even the mother, if she should show any uncommon attention to her son, might be accused of witching him and taken out and subjected to the deadly ordeal of the "sasswood." It is impossible to have a sick person cared for, unless you do it yourself. The people are likely to have him sitting up close by the fire, or lying on the bare ground outside, or to bathe him thoroughly in hot water, I could not bear the thought of Bob's dying from neglect ; so I took my cot bed to town, put it up in his house, and stayed by him all night. He was very restless, and all the next day suffered much. I left him only to attend to my other patients. The fifth day he was unconscious part of the time, but at other times I talked with him a little when he was quiet. He had told me be- fore that if the people buried him, it would be all right, for he was " God's man," and was going to live in heaven with God. I read and prayed with him every day, and we used to talk of God and heaven. The last night, after The War. 65 wc liad h;ul prayer, he said, " Now, I waiil you to say tluit chapter aU over, and let me say it after you." So I repeated it, a few words at a time, and lie repeated it after me. It was the seventy-first Psalm — one that had been given to him for a lesson when he used to come to school. After repeating it all over, he prayed in his native language. The king was sitting near him, and called to him until he answered him. I said, " King, Bob was praying, wasn't he?" The king did not answer me; but Bob replied, " I was. Ask him what he stopped me for." He fell asleep for a while, but was restless all night. Some of the soldiers were returning from the watch during the night, and called in to see how he was. He had been suffering much, and wanted to turn over while they were there. I asked them to help him ; but not one of them would touch him, for they believe if a soldier going to war should touch a wounded man he would be sure to be wounded himself when he went into battle. So Bob, seeing that none would help him, made a desperate at- tempt and stood straight up in his bed. His sister and I got him to lie down, but he was quite exhausted and never spoke after that. At eleven o'clock the next morning he died without a struggle, resting quietly as if asleep. 66 A Lone Woman in Africa. Men, women, and children cried when they heard that Bob was dead, for he was loved and respected by all. I felt as sad as if my own brother had died, for he had been a brother to ine; and I sat down and cried with the rest. The people were kind to me and felt sorry for me. One of the chiefs took me by the hand and led me away from the house, to his own, where they put up my bed and told me I should lie down and rest, but must not cry. They began at once to prepare to bury him ; for it is their custom in war time not to keep their dead, but bury them at once. They took a canoe and made a coffin out of it, and soon were ready to lay the body away. They came to call me, and said that I must bring "the Book" and read. I did not know how I could speak or read through my tears ; but they urged me to go. I asked God to give me grace for that special duty, and, through sobs and tears, I read a part of the seventy-first Psalm— the one Bob had repeated the night before he died. I held in my hand the Bible I had given to Bob ; it was all soiled at the places where he had studied his lessons. He was buried within two hours after he died, as there was danger of the enemy attack- ing them, and there was no time for their hea- then rites. They buried him among the chiefs, TiiK War, 67 on the beach, aUliough he was not more tlian twenty-seven years old, and, according to their custom, was called " a small boy." But he was a man of such principle, and was so liked by all, that they buried him by the side of a king who had died in battle. The afternoon was wet, and I could not go home. I was so tired and worn-out from sit- ting up at night that I felt I must lurve a rest or I should be sick myself. So the next day I returned to the mission and went to bed. In the morning I went to see the sick again. For two or three days I spent most of my time in the town, coming home at night. I had lost so much sleep that I was weary ; but the thoughts of the war and the sufferings of the people often kept me long awake. 68 A Lone Woman in Africa. CHAPTER IV. THE END OF THE WAR. The Famine. — Dethroning a King. — A Night Alarm. — Best- man's Bravery. — Woe to the Vanquished. — The Devil- doctor's Money. — End of the War. — " The Spevi'ing of the Water." ONE day when I was in town a letter came to the king, who called me to read it. It was from a friendly tribe at Cape Palmas, warning him that the Fishtown people were going to bring war against him by sea. Our people began to look so worn, weary, and thin that it was very evident they were famishing. I felt that many of the hungry ones were not likely to see Christmas, now not many days distant, and, if they did, would not be able to enjoy the day, on account of the war. I thought the greatest kindness I could do to them would be to give them some- thing to cat. I baked a few loaves of bread, measured out half a sack of rice, some tea, dried apples, and sugar, also a bag of potatoes, and sent word to the king that he must send up to the mission to get them, so that they might have a dinner. He sent up six men TiiK End ok the War. 69 to get the things and to thank nic. Many thanks I received the next day when 1 went to town. All was war palaver in town. They had accused the king of witching the war, and two of the devil-doctors of making medicine to kill their own people. Everybody was excited. Men and woman came down from the bush towns of our tribe to talk this war palaver. The women did the principal part of the talk- ing. The people all sat down in the sun be- fore the king's house at ten o'clock ; and, although there came a heavy shower of rain, they did not move their seats, but talked on through it all. Some of the women are great talkers and can hold the attention of all the people. Although the king denied the charge, yet many of the people believed him guilty and threatened his life if any more lives were lost in the war. That night the king, fearing the anger of the people, started to run away, but was caught by the people as he was crossing the river to the other tribe. They tied him hand and foot, put him in the top of a small hut, built a fire, and threw red pepper into it. They smothered the flames to smoke with green grass and bushes, and, shutting the door, left the poor creature there until morning, when 70 A Lone Woman in Africa. he fell down to the floor through the hole in the ceiling through which they hud put him up. They untied him then ; but he was so stift" and stupid that he could scarcely move. When he felt better they again asked him whether he was guilty or not. Knowing that the people Avould take no explanation, he said that he was, but would make some " medi- cine " to counteract all the witchcraft he liad used in the war. They kept him shut up all day, but let him go to his own house that night. The next day, being Sunday, I went to one of the small towns to hold service. We had not been able to have service for several weeks, since the excited people could not be induced to sit together in one place ; and it was seldom they were in town, for all the smaller towns had to be guarded. I had just got a congre- gation together and started the service when there came a man who called all the people to the king's town for palaver. My meetings were at an end for that day, and I went with the rest to hear the palaver. It was about the king's witching the war, and the warriors were furious. Some of them wished to take the ring off his ankle and take him out and kill him. But he begged them so hard not to do it that they TiiK End of tiik War. 71 left liiin to make tlic " nicdiciiic " which he had said would counteract all the witchcraft and yive them sure success. 1 had been in the habit of taking one day for rest and letting the children go to the river to fish. But since the w^ar had begun I had had no rest day, for many people called at the mission, and I never liked to refuse to see them. In those war times I felt that pos- sibly I should never sec them again or have another chance to urge them to accept Jesus Christ as their Saviour. One morning the king passed our house vi'ithout coming in. I asked him to stop, but he said he was going to find some " medicine " and would be back soon. So I set the tea on the stove, as I knew he would be sure to want a drink of tea and something to eat on his way home; for he was always hungry. I looked for him for some time, but he did not come. I thought that he had perhaps gone home by another way and was making the " medicine" for the war. Just as it was growing dark he came, and stood for a few minutes under the house, listening to discover whether any of his per- secutors were there. One of my boys came to tell me that the king had arrived. I at once felt that something was the matter, for these 72 A Lone Woman in Africa. people do not like to be out in the dark if they can help it. I went out and met him just as he came into tlie house. It was almost dark. I asked, "Is this you, king?" " Yes," he answered; "is there anyone in the house?" I told him there was no person but our family, and in- vited him to sit down. He said the people had been all ready to kill him in the morning; but he had run away and had been in the bush all day without anything to cat. He had two cassadas in his hand, and asked me to cook them for him. We made a fire and got some- thing for him to cat. He asked to stay all night. I told him he could, but inquired what he meant to do in the morning. He said that he intended to run away and never come back to the country again. When a man is made king a metal ring is put on his ankle as a sign of his authority ; and this ring belongs to the tribe and is handed down from one generation to another. I asked him whether it would not be a good thing for him to take the ring off" his foot and leave it with me. I would take it, I said, to the people in the morning and tell them that I had seen him, and that he had gone to another tribe ; and I would beg them not to search for him. "Yes," he said. If it had not been The End of the War. 73 for the l ing on his foot he would have gone far away that day, but by the anklet any person he met would know that he was a king, and he would be more easily found out. I got down on the floor and, with a pair of I)incers, unwound the wire that fastened the ring. After supper I gave him matches and a blanket to wrap himself in and prepared him for his jouriic)'. lie had a dagger with him. lie said he was going to sleep in the bush and would take some vegetables from the farm as he passed along. lie wanted the matches to light a fire to roast them. He lay down on his mat to sleep, but asked me to let the lamp burn by him. He kept his dagger by his side, and was so nervous that he would start at the least sound. None of us slept much that night. At four o'clock I got up and got something for him to eat, and he started off before daylight. He intended never to return to his home again, but hoped to meet some friendly tribe with whom he might live out the rest of his days, which would not be many, for he was already an old man. About eight o'clock his brother came up to the mission to see whether I knew anything about the king. I showed him the king's ring, related what I knew, and told him that I was 74 A Lone Woman in Africa. only waiting; for the dew to dry off the grass before coining down to bring the ring and ex- plain that the king was gone. When I went to town they called the warriors together. I gave them the anklet and, telling them what had passed at our house, asked them not to follow the king, but let him go in peace. They thanked me many times for taking the ring off the king's foot and bringing it to them, saying I had done them a good service. The king wandered on for three days, crawl- ing through the thick bushes at night and hiding away during the day, that he might not be found by his own tribe. But when he was near the place where he was going for refuge, a hunter discovered him, and he was brought to one of the bush towns of our own people. They were kind to him, keeping him for several months, and finally making peace be-, tween him and his own town people and bringing him again to his former home. For many months he had no power at all among the people. At length, however, the devil- doctor declared that the devil was not pleased with the way they had treated their king, and wished them to put the ring on his foot again. Accordingly a sacrifice was offered to the devil for the wrong they had done, and the ring was The End ok the War. 75 restored to the king's foot ; and he wore it until he died two years later. On a Saturday I was awakened just as it began to grow light, by the firing of guns. I threw open the window — not a glazed sash, but a rough board shutter — and looked out to see what was the matter at that early hour. I found that the enemy had come by stealth and seemed to be in one of our small towns. There was a force of about eighty men ; and in quick succession they fired their guns. I heard the screams and cries of our people. I feared they would burn the town that morning, and kill many of the people, for I knew that this town was not so well fortified as the others, and I remembered that on account of its location it was not guarded as closely as the others. The foe had come in by a back road, and had reached the fence, which was only fifteen feet from the first house in the town. Inside of this light fence was a barricade. For several days everything had been quiet, and no guard had been stationed there until that night. In place of our dead interpreter we had chosen " Bestman," a young man who was anxious to learn and was one of the two who went through the war without " medicine," charms, or protection from the heathen gods. His mother's house was the nearest to the 76 A Lone Woman in Africa. fence, and slic had prevailed on her husband, the chief man in the town, to have a guard set at the barricade behind the house. Bestman, so named because of his good qualities, was one of the four sentinels posted there. They thought it would be sufficient to watch only during the early hours of the morn- ing, the most likely time for an attack. But Bestman could not sleep all night. Several times he was up. He had called the rest of the guard more than once. One of them was angry at being awakened "just when the gods were telling him something," as he said. He had placed his idols at his head when he lay down, that they might talk to him while he slept ; and he believed the dreams that came to him were what the idols told him. Only two of the watchers, Bestman and his brother, were in their places when the enemy appeared. A grove of palm trees had hidden them until they were near the town, and now that they were seen they were close to the fence. The two men at the barricade fired their guns and gave the alarm. The other two came at once, and met the leader of the enemy just entering the gate of the town. They fired, and he dropped dead. Another of the enemy began to hack at the fence with his word, but was shot by a man who had rushed The End of the War. 77 to the liclp of tlic guard. Six others of our people fired ; and the enemy, seeing that they were discovered and their leader was fallen, began to retrace their steps. I supposed from the dense powder smoke that the town must be burning. The noise was terrible • and in the still of the morning we could hear every sound. In a few minutes I saw a crowd running from the town, and thought them our women and children fleeing for their lives. They came in the direction of the mission, and I soon dis- covered them to be the enemy, for they had guns in their hands. They went around the fence of our farm, over the hill into the swamp, and on to their own village. The enemy had planned to take the small town that clay, and to this end had divided their forces into three bodies, one advancing directly to the town in question, a second pro- ceeding by another road to make a pretended attack upon the large town, and a third ap- proaching in canoes as if to attack the king's town by sea. When the firing began in the small town the enemy showed themselves at the other two places. Every one of our m&n had to stand at his own post, and none could be spared to go to the help of the weaker vil- lage. The men who attacked the small town 6 78 A Lone Woman in Africa. outnumbered the villagers three times, and could easily have taken the place, had it not been that God was set for the defense of our people. In this small town lived the two men who had trusted God through all the war ; and I believe that God gave our people the victory to show them that it came not by might, but through his aid. As soon as the enemy had passed I went at once to the town, feeling that surely there would be many killed and wounded after so much firing at close range. On the way I met several of our soldiers, who said to me, " O, teacher, nobody die, no man hurt." I went on with them to the town, and found the villagers gathering together to discuss the attack. The defenders of the town were running to and fro, and the women were taking up dust and throwing it over them, and were shouting and singing their praises. I found our interpreter, Rcstman, with his coat and trousers on. This was a remarkable thing for a native. Generally they cannot be induced to put on such clothes. All they wear is a small piece of cloth about the loins. When they go to battle they add their war charms, anything that will disguise them and make them look hideous, and cover their bodies with " war medicine," to make their The End of the War. 79 skin bullet-proof; or it may be that this charm is to keep the balls from strikinj^- them at all. The people crowded around liestman, seeing him with his clothes on antl knowing that he had been one of the brave guard. They would ask him if " for true " he had worn those clothes when the enemy came. When he an- swered that he had they would exclaim, " For true, true, God got strong. God help we to- day. If it no been God help we, our town done burn this time." The leader of the enemy lay where he fell, just outside the fence. I went to look at him ; and O, what a sight ! Every soldier that passed had cut a gash in the body with his sword, until it was completely mangled, the arms and feet cut off, and the head laid open. Every additional passer-by displayed his brav- ery by bestowing one wound more. Meanwhile the enemy were being pursued ; and one of their men was found with both of his legs broken. He was most unmercifully hacked to pieces by our cruel-hearted warriors. They followed on and found another, who suffered as the first. Several guns were picked up on the road. A few days afterward they discov- ered another man, a deserter of their own peo- ple, who had been wounded in the assault and left in the swamp to die. 8o A Lone Woman in Africa. Three days after the battle our people found a young man with both his legs broken. He had crawled at night among the bushes until he was nearly home. The young warriors who found him cut his head off and brought it to town in great triumph. But the old men were not pleased with them, and saitl that he should have been brought in alive and made to tell the plans of the enemy and how their towns were fortified. One evening a woman came from Nemia to be the wife of one of our men. Our people were rejoiced to receive one who could give them information of their enemies. They fired eight guns that night and four in the morning, as a sign to the enemy that they had received the woman and were exulting over it. There were ten devil-doctors in our tribe, who made much " medicine " in time of war. But the people feared defeat if they trusted to their medicine alone, and had sent for a more famous devil-doctor who lived several miles away. He had been with our tribe for months, and had been given everything he asked for, as an inducement to make " medicine " that would surely give them victory. They had given him bullocks in return for the charms and idols he had made. Some of these he had sold and intended taking the The End of the War. 8i money home willi him. But one night when he was drunk he lost it. Wlien lie became sober he missed it and accused some of our people of stealing it. He was very angry, and said that nothing should be done in the town until his money was found. He even forbade the women going for water or cooking. Ev- erything in the village came to a standstill. The town was searched, and the accused per- sons were threatened with having to drink " sasswood " if the money was not found be- fore a certain day. After a general uproar, much excitement, and many hard words one of his own wives — for he had brought three of his ten wives with him — confessed to having taken the money while he lay in a drunken stupor. She had feared lest he should spend it all, and she get none. The people were much offended by the way he had acted, but were glad to have the truth known at last. In spite of their victories the people re- mained in constant fear. The enemy far out- numbered them, and they stood in constant danger of attack. For some time all the sol- diers slept in the bush outside the town, and some of the women slept across the river with a friendly tribe — the Po River people. The devil-doctor counseled the Garraways 82 A Lone Woman in Africa. to wait until he should consult the devil as to the best time for attacking the remaining towns. But one day the Po River people came over and told our people that they were tired of the war and were going" to make an end of it. The devil-doctor objected to their fighting on that day and urged tlicni to wait for him ; but the people answered that they meant to let nothing stop them. They were determined to burn the other towns and make an end of the war that day. Accordingly they put "medicine" in their guns and on their skins, and set out. Their departure was not known to all the people ; for some of the young men who hapiDcncd to be at the mission house knew nothing about it until they saw the smoke. Then we listened and heard the firing. The young men ran to town for their guns and then started to join their comrades ; and I soon followed to see what I could find to do. One man had been killed, and five were wounded. They had fallen upon the enemy unexpectedly and entered their town with little difficulty, but few senti- nels being on guard. The other allied tribes had gone home to get ready for a fresh attack, and the men of the town were compelled to retreat, leaving the women and children to flee to the bush for safety. Our people that day TiiK End of the War. 83 burned three towns they had left at the time of the previous battle, and then returned to their own homes jubihuit over tlieir victories. The enemy was thoroughly defeated, their homes being burned. The Teddies had begun the war ; and they and their friends, the Ne- mia people, had been defeated and lost their homes, and they realized that there was no use in fighting any longer. Our people, being in control of the beach, had forbidden any trade with their enemies in the interior, thus depriv- ing the bush people of many commodities, and especially salt, which they prize very highly. Our people kept a close guard over the cap- tured places, and soon began to build a new town for themselves on the site of one of the Nemia towns they had burned. This was ac- cording to the covenant made between the tribes when they had called the gods to wit- ness that they would never fight again. That the enemy might be discouraged from all hope of returning, our people cut down all the cocoa- nut, plum, and other fruit trees planted by the Nemia people. One morning, about two weeks later, to the great delight of our people, the Peddle tribe sent two women to acknowledge for them that they were defeated and ask for peace. They came first to our bush towns and then down 84 A Lone Woman in Africa. to the beach. One of the women held a small native-made ax in her hand, and went around to all our towns holding it over her head and calling out, " Dwa oh ! dwa oh ! dwa oh ! " — which is their way of confessing themselves conquered and of begging for pardon. That was a day of rejoicing. Our people sent the women back with a message to their tribe that, if they really wished for peace, two of their soldiers should come down and make " medicine," and then our people would send men to make medicine in the Peddie town. One rite that has to be performed as a part of any reconciliation is what is called " the spewing of water." All parties concerned meet together, fill a basin with cold water, and each in turn lifts some of the water in his hands to his mouth. Then he blows it out upon the palms of the hands of the other party. This is done by each party three times, these words being repeated : " 1 do this to show that I wash myself from all the past. We shall be friends from this day." It is the native law that those defeated in war shall pay a fine to the conquering tribe. This the Peddies and Nemias have not done, and consequently to-day the tribes live as ene- mies, although they have not been in open warfare since 1889. People, Languages, and Customs. 85 CHAPTER V. LI15EU[A — ITS I'KOl'l.K, LANGUAGES, AND CUS- TOMS. The Government of Liberia.— Means of Liveliiiood.— Tiie Native Peoples.— Native Kings.— Pode Seere.— " Witcii- ing." — An African "Coronation" — Kalenky. — The Po River King. — A Revolution. — A Royal Exile. THE republic of Liberia lies in western Africa, on what is known as the Grain Coast. It is about three hundred miles in length along the Atlantic and extends fifty miles back into the interior. It was founded as a home for emancipated slaves from the United States of America, and its laws are modeled upon those of that republic. The Liberian flag is somewhat like the American, though it has but a single star. The American Colonization Society organized and sustained the settlements until 1847, when an independ- ent form of government was adopted, which was recognized by most of the nations of the earth. There are an elective president, vice president, and legislature, and a well-organized system of judiciary and of trial by jury; and besides there are governors for the counties and mayors for the towns. 86 A Lone Woman in Africa. TIicsc Libcrian citizens arc quite separate from tlie natives. Many of them have learned the languages of the natives, but their own language is the English. Some of the men are excellent mechanics. The farmers raise chiefly vegetables, as well as some coffee and sugar cane, from which last they make molasses, and occasionally a little brown sugar. The principal means of support is by trading with the natives for the products of their coun- try. A number of the Libcrians do a good business as merchants. They go up and down the coast and rivers in surfboats, taking to the natives rice, tobacco, fish, powder, firearms, rum, salt, brass kettles, iron pails, beads, basins, crockery, and other manufactured articles, which they exchange for palm oil, palm ker- nels, fowls, ivory, rubber, camwood, walnut, and other kinds of wood. The law of Liberia allowing the white man neither to own land nor to become a citizen of the republic gives the whites no interest in the country beyond an opportunity of making all they can out of its people by trading. White residents are in Liberia only for the sake of money, and care nothing for the welfare of the people or the good of the country. Christian missionaries have done much in the way of teaching the people. To the differ- Pkoi'I.k, LaN(;ua(;i:s, and Customs. 87 cat societies of the church of God Liberia owes its present condition. The people have re- ceived ahiiost all their education at the hands of the different missionary societies. The native peoples of Liberia arc very easily distinguished from those Liberians who arc de- scended from the emancipated American slaves. They live in native huts, built according' to the pattern of their fathers. They arc subject to the government of the republic in some things, yet have their own customs and settle their own private disputes. Rarely except in case of war do they apply to the government for protec- tion, and rarely are they consulted by the presi- dent, except in matters of common interest. In every native tribe there is the first, or head, king, for all the people. His office cor- responds to that of the president of the re- public. In every town there is, besides, a local king, corresponding to the mayor in a civilized town. There are also chiefs in all the towns, who are the king's assistants ; and all matters of dispute or difficulties of any kind among the people come before the king and chiefs of the town. Whatever cannot be settled by this council is taken before the head king, and all the other kings and chiefs make up the royal council. The kingship belongs to a certain family. 88 A Lone Woman in Africa. But when we speak of ii family in Liberia we mean the whole family connection, or clan, for the natives live much as the children of Israel used to live, many households having some one man whom they all look up to and call their father, the whole family bearing his name. Any member of this family may be chosen king by the people, and if he fails to give satis- faction his office may be taken from him and another appointed in his place. But the new king must be of the same family ; none other can hold the office. Some years ago our king died, and for a time the Garraway people on the beach got along without a king. During this period they discussed the question who was the proper person to rule over them. Two men were suggested. One was a young man named Pode Seerc. But some objected to him on ac- count of his youth, and others because he was given to drink. When Pode Seere was a boy his father had been king and had been greatly loved by all the people; but when the small- pox had swept through the land he had been numbered among its victims. The people had a law that no person should cry when any of the people died of this pest, for great nurnbers were perishing, and it was said that the mourning only made the plague Peoi>m:, Languages, and Customs. 89 worse. They had restrained their feeUngs, and seen many of their dear ones fall by the terrible disease ; but when their king died they all burst out in a wail for him. They would cry now, they said, for they were all dead. The ravages of smallpo.x had left tliem few and weak, and a devil-doctor had prophesied that the tribe would never prosper until their late king's son should become king. Pode Seerc, his only son, was at this time quite a lad. Another member of the royal family was made king; but he, too, died, and his successor was deposed because a jealous rival persuaded the people that he was always " making witch " and using his influence with the devils to de- feat anything they wished to accomplish. This cunning rival was then made king, that he might exert his influence with the devils for good. This man was king when I went to Garraway, and he died three years ago. After thoroughly discussing who should be chosen the next king, all the chiefs met in council to decide what should be done. A number of them were chosen to consult the devil-doctor. They took with them the man whom they had selected as the most capable man among them to rule. The devil-doctor said that this was the man whom the devil ap- proved, no doubt having heard whom the peo- 90 A Lone Woman in Africa. pie wanted. After making several new idols and a number of charms, the devil-doctor sent the chiefs home, the monarch-elect of course not having heard all the discussion. The chiefs reached home the same day, and kept their own counsel. But in the night, when all were asleep, a number of the principal ones went quietly to the town where the man whom they had selected — Kalenky — lived, awakened him and his wife, and told them that he was to be their king and must come with them to the royal house, which was in another town. So they quietly took Kalenky and his head wife — Doladdy — and lodged them, as king and queen, in the king's house, built in the town where the king always lives. No one but the chiefs knew what was done until the next morn- ing. When the people of Kalenky's village got up they missed their fellow-townsman. When they learned what had been done in the night they all sat down and cried for him, as if he had been dead, for he was a good man and they all liked him as a neighbor. Certain ceremonies need to be performed and certain sacrifices offered when a new king is established. A steel ring is put upon his ankle as a mark of his authority. This anklet is a band of metal which has been beaten thin at several points and the edges brought to- PKorLE, Languages, and Customs. 91 gather so as form little cups or bells. In each of these cups is a bit of loose metal, w hich tinkles when the wearer walks. After the proper ceremonies had been com- pleted and Kalenky acknowledged as king he bc;-';an to move his boxes and other i)roperty to his new home. The queen was very sorry to leave her old home, and did not think that the honor made up for all the inconvenience and loneliness she had to endure. For weeks she might be found sitting on the floor and crying and lamenting over the calamity that liad befallen her, of which some would have been very proud. After the rice was cut and the harvesting done, the king's son and nephew, who liatl lived bcsitle him in his old home, moved from their own village and built near him. He also brought his other wives, and after some time he was again settled, and his head wife began to feel at home. Soon afterward a new king's house was built for him, where he lived until the devil-doctor again declared a change to be necessary. Ac- cordingly the people rose up one day, caught Pode Seere, took the ring off Kalenky 's ankle, put it on Pode Seere, and declared him their king, believing that the fulfillment of the old devil-doctor's prophecy would bring them peace and prosperity. A-king has very little 92 A Lone Woman in Africa. authority among his people. They are very superstitious, and he can do httle to im- prove the country or introduce better modes of living. The king of our neighboring tribe, the Po River people, was an enterprising man, who had been down the coast and seen more of civilization than most of his subjects. He had a large family of sons, who were often away from home with the traders, and would bring back to their father cloth, powder, firearms, rum, and numbers of plates and bowls, with which the natives are fond of decorating their houses. They drill holes in these dishes, put a string through them, and hang them up in rows back of the waterpot. Most of the chiefs and principal men have their houses orna- mented in this way. One family in our tribe thought to surpass all the rest. In order to do this every man in the family made palm oil and sold it to buy white soup plates and wash basins, all of which were put into one house. I counted them once and found five hundred and fifty, hanging in five rows round the wall. This is the largest house in the tribe ; there would not have been room for so many on the wall of an ordinary house. This king of Po River — Yaba was his name — instead of wasting the money his sons brought Pkoi'lk, Langua(;es, and Customs. 93 home, put it carefully away. The plates and basins he hung up for decoration in his own house, and his quarter of the town began to assume a greatly improved appearance. Every- thing was going on quietly, and he was en- couraged to think that, perhaps, better days were in store for him and that he would be able to make further improvements which would be an example and inspiration to his people. But his people began to look at him with suspicion. " What is Yaba trying to do ? " said they. " This is not our country fashion. We never saw any man do this before in our coun- try." The truth was they wanted to have a share in the earnings that the king's sons brought home, and were jealous of his fortune. This year there had been a great deal of rain, and the rice crop was poor. So they de- clared that Yaba had witched the rice. For two days they quarreled ; and on the third day I, with all the young men, went over to see if we could do anything for the king. We found the people in a great rage, the warriors gath- ered together in council, and the king sitting in the door of his house looking very sad. His sons were sitting around, unable to do anything to help their father. They gave us seats, and we asked why there 7 94 A Lone Woman in Africa. should be so much disturbance among them. The king replied that the people had accused him of witching the rice and making it rot, and were determined to give him " sasswood," or else drive him away from his home. They had taken the ring off his foot and had stripped hi in of everything he had in his houses. The bowls and plates had all been taken down, and they had even compelled his family to give up many things of their own in order to atone for the harm done to the rice by his witchcraft. The people had already eaten a bullock and a goat and were now cooking a dinner of chicken soup, rice, and vegetables. The war- riors had been through the town and caught every fowl they could find that belonged to the king or to any of his relatives. As we went into the town I had seen a man come out of a house with one of these fowls which he had captured. Holding it up as high as he could, he swung it around by the neck in great triumph until the fowl's head was wrung off and its body dropped to the ground. He then picked it up and carried it to where a number of the young warriors were cleaning and pre- paring the fowls for cooking. The king's head wife had carefully cultivated a little garden of cassada near her house, for People, Languages, and Customs. 95 use on a rainy day or in case strangers should come in unexpectedly. In a few minutes she could dig some of these roots and prepare a meal without going to the large farm a mile or two away. Her little garden was in better condition than that of any of the other women, and the cassadas were large and just ready for using. These cruel people had taken her cas- sadas for their dinner, and there the roots lay in a pile on the floor. I stopped to talk to them about their doings and tried to persuade them to let their king remain alive in peace, for they all knew that he was a good man and had not harmed the rice. They did not want to listen, and kept up a perfect babble all the time I was talking. Some of them said they would put pepper in the fire and smoke me out, and one went out and brought back a basin half full of pepper. He set it down, however, because he knew I could better .afford to leave the house than they, for they had brought their fowls and vegetables there to clean and cook. After a time we went back to the king's house to see what could be done. Soon a crowd of furious warriors came to the house. Their leader held in his hand a whip of ele- phant hide. It was about three quarters of an inch thick, and had been cut and twisted 96 A Lone Woman in Africa. while soft and then dried. With this slave whip in his hand he stood before the king's house and summoned him to come out. The king put on his hat and came out. A more piteous man I think I never saw — a king, yet treated like a slave ! The warriors accused him of spoiling all the rice, his own along with the rest, and told him that he was not fit to live among them, much less to be their king. I asked to be allowed to speak a few words, and they all sat down while I begged them not to give their king the " sass- wood." If they wanted to banish him from their country that would be enough. The Po River tribe are known as a very heartless people, and it is not an uncommon thing for them to put some of their number to death after a witch palaver or when any- thing else aroused their anger. They were eager to make another man king ; and there was danger that they might take»this opportu- nity to put Yaba out of the way by giving him " sasswood," and, in case the poison did not kill him at once, by knocking him down and break- ing his neck with a mortar pestle. And then they would say that he had been put to death because he was a witch. The people, however, declared they were not going to kill him, but, because of the harm Peotle, Languages, and Customs. 97 he had done their country, that they intended to drive him away. They started him along the road to the beach, and they all followed him. Then they told him that he must take the beach road and leave their country, never to return. We waited in town at the king's house till the warriors came back and we knew that the king was gone ; then we started home across the river, feeling that " the tender mer- cies of the wicked " were indeed cruel. Yet it was because of their darkness and ignorance that these people obeyed the devil-doctor ; and they really believed that, somehow, good would come out of it. The king started off up the beach, not knowing in what other direction to go or where to find a friend. The road led to an- other town of his own tribe ; and before he had gone far he was met by a man who had come out to tell him to avoid the town for fear of his life. The poor king was terrified. His own people were both behind and before him. They were now his bitterest enemies. On the left the ocean barred escape, and a thick jungle lay on his right. Night was com- ing on ; he was hungry and weary and had no covering or shelter against the long, chill hours of the morning. He stopped to consider. He was not willing to die, and had a horror — as 98 A Lone Woman in Africa. all human beings have — of being put to death by the hand of man. He turned aside into the jungle and sought a secluded plaee for the night, where he might be safe from his enemies. He sat down alone in the dark ; and after the town had quieted down his son found him in his hiding place. As soon as day began to break the two made their way to the land of the Garraway people. They were received in a friendly manner by the king, and the son returned to his home, leaving his father with the Garraway king, who entertained him for ten months. During this time the son died, but Yaba was not allowed to go home to see him. After his people thought he had been suf- ficiently punished for what he had done — he had really done nothing except try to rise a step above the condition of his fellows — they allowed him to come back to his own town, where he still remains, though he is held in great reproach among the people. The poor man is so crushed by his misfortunes that his only ambition is to get enough to eat and do as little as he can, that the envious people may not again rise up and devour all the fruit of his industry and economy. His sons were very angry over their father's treatment, and their minds constantly brooded PliOI'LK, LaNCJUAGES, AND CUSTOMS. OQ upon rcvcnt;c. Tlicy used to say to nic, "We no fit to forget this ; when we are men wc will do some of thein so." And so the strife qocs on, and nothing; will stop it but the Gospel of love. Peace on earth and good will to men are the weapons with which to conquer these hearts and show them that there is a nobler life for them — one that, instead of filling the heart with bitterness, will fill it with love for their enemies and give to them a joy and satisfac- tion they have never found in returning evil for evil. The people of Africa need many things. They are steeped in superstition, sin, and ig- norance. A darkness that can be felt pervades the whole land. They live the lowest kind of life, and yet hope to reach some place of rest after death. All ye who know the love of God and the power of salvation, shrink not from obeying God's voice. Whatever work in his vineyard he has given you to do, do it with your might, that the light of the glorious Gos- pel of the Son of God, who is the joy of the whole earth, may shine into these dark hearts, and that they, too, may rise up and call him blessed. loo A Lone Woman in Africa. CHAPTER VI. BURYING THE DEAD. Peculiar Manifestations of Sorrow. — Preparations for Bur- ial.— Burying "Proper." — Gifts to the Dead. — Modes of Burial. — A Cemetery Rock in the Sea. — Nymer's Child. — ■ Unwelcome Spirits. — Mourning for a Chief — Communing with the .Spirits. — Funerals without the Corpse. — Punish- ing a Dead Wizard. — Victims of Witchcraft. ALTHOUGH the Africans wear charms to keep them from death, yet they die as surely as other people. There are different modes of burial. No one dying a natural death is buried without, first, a great wailing and lamentation, and then a dance and rejoicing. As soon as a person dies a near relative — mother, sister, wife, or daugh- ter— goes from house to house and from town to town wailing and crying and calling out the name of the dead. She does not stop to speak to anyone, but rushes on like mad, screaming at the top of her voice, throwing herself in the dust, and rolling on the ground ; then up and away, paying no attention to anyone. She comes back finally to the corpse and throws herself down by it. And if any person touches BUKYINC; THE DKAD. lOI her she is off for anotlicr frenzied round. She keeps this up for several hours, until she is too hoarse to speak above a whisper. Her friends and neighbors come in and sit around the corpse and cry, until they, too, are hoarse. The body is washed, dressed, and laid on a mat in the center of the house. For the first day, especially if the death has occurred late in the day, there is a solemnity about the sur- vivors that would indicate their deep sorrow at parting with their friend. They believe that the soul hovers around until the body is buried, and sees and hears all that is done. After they have sufficiently mourned over the departed they prepare to bury the body. It is decked with beads, bracelets, and anklets. If it be that of an old person it is furnished with a pipe. A man has also a hat or cap placed on the mat at his head, and a woman has a comb put in her hair. A cloth is wrapped about the loins, and is sometimes changed every day until the corpse is buried. A num- ber of posts are driven into the ground in the form of a summerhouse and covered with palm leaves, or sometimes with cloth. Boxes brought from the house form a bed, on which the corpse is laid with all the trinkets that adorn it. A waterpot stands near by with water for the fre- quent washing of the corpse. When the body 102 A Lone Woman in Africa. is placed in the sunimcrhousc tlic yard is dressed with tables, boxes, dishes, glassware, and pictures until it looks more like a variety store than anything else. The dancing then begins ; but the near relatives never join in the dance. If the de- ceased be a man his wives sit near him, the favorite wife at his head. They do not leave him until they are ready to take up the corpse and bury it. Then an old woman comes and takes the head wife by the hand and leads her away to a quiet place. She must not look around at her husband after she starts away. She is in mourning for a month or six months, as the case may be. She never puts on any- thing but an old blue cloth. Not until she has a new husband does she put off her mourning. Two women died in our town, and we went to sympathize with the mourners, for they all expect this. They were not to be buried un- til the next day ; but all the people were gath- ered there dancing. When any person dies all the town people are supposed to refrain from work out of respect to the deceased. One of the dead women had a son who had been down the coast several times, knew something about civilization, and wished to show the peo- ple that he could bury his mother " proper," Burying the Dead. 103 as they say. lie had a house for the corpse made of cloth, and had put up two Hues on wliich he had spread out many yards of cloth, as if to prove how well provided for his mother had been. Poor woman ! if she had had some of it while alive she might have lived more comfortably. Tables and boxes were set out with all kinds of trinkets. The corpse was dressed in the finest beads and anklets he could procure, and wrapped in a cloth of very good quality; and a piiiv of spectacles were put on her face — upside down. The people never wear glasses in life. This dutiful son had supplied rum for the people, and they were all gathered at his place. The town women were dancing, singing, play- ing the ^(7/^, ringing bells, and laughing in great glee. They would carry the bell into the house, ring the bell over the head of the body, and dance around it. Then the leader would talk to the corpse and give it messages to de- liver in the spirit world. The two dead women were not both in the same town ; and after the people had gone through this performance in one town they would march over to the other town and go through it all again over the other woman. And so they spent the afternoon ; and the night was spent in dancing and drink- ing. 104 Lone Woman in Africa. Two goats were tied to the house ready to be killed in sacrifice the next da)', together with some fowls. Human sacrifices are not now offered in Liberia ; but it is common to kill a cow, and sometimes several, when any of the chief men die. When Paha died ten bullocks and several sheep and fowls were slaughtered. He was not a king, but a " big gentleman," and had the largest house in the tribe. There are certain places set apart for bury- ing grounds, which have been so used for years. Near every town is a place overgrown with low shrubs, where little children are buried. In another place grown people are buried; and in still another the kings and principal men. In our tribe the bodies of certain classes of people are left on a rock out in the sea, near the mouth of the river. The people in general feel a horror at the thought of being buried in the ground, and desire to be laid away on the rock. It is the aristocratic burial place, and no one of notoriously bad character is taken there, nor any who cannot swim. They say that when the spirits meet for council only swimmers would be able to get away from the rock. A sacrifice must be offered for all who are taken there. The coffin is carried to the top Burying the Dead, 105 of tlic rock, ;iik1 the corpse left to waste away in the sun. Rice and oil are placed near the coffin for the spirit to eat ; and usually plates, cloth, powder kegs, boxes, brass kettles, jew- elry, and other articles are placed by the corpse. In proportion as a person receives honor at his burial so, it is believed, will be his standing in the next world. All these articles — or the souls of them, for the natives attribute souls to all things — are the possessions of the dead in the spirit world. How many times I have tried to persuade them from burying on this rock! And they are beginning to see that they ought not to do it. Since my return to America my sister, who takes my place at the mission, has written me the following experience of her own : Garraway, May 16, 1895. Sister Dear : This has been a busy day. Yesterday morning a cliild died — Nymer'sson — at tlie waterside town. After school I went and called on tiie family. This morning I heard that they were going to buiy on the rock. So I went down and met Sampson, the king, and a lot of the chief men. I told them my errand. Wisser interpreted for me. Sampson heard me, and said that I must tell Ka- lenky and the other men. When I told them Gray said, " No, we will bury on the rock. The first people did so, and we will do so too." Claba, Tie, Blay, Seere, Newey, and others, said it was their country fashion, and they were going to do as they io6 A Lone Woman in Africa. had always clone. I told them that it was not a good way to do ; that they had been douig as the first people told them a long time; that they believed the devil- doctor, who had never done them good or told them when they were going to die ; and that it was time for them to leave the old way. After some persuasion I said to Nymer, " Are you willing that your son shall be buried on the beach ? " He said he was willing. I then asked if I might come and read and pray. Those there said, " Yes," and seemed glad. I then came home. It was 9:30 A. M. I hurried the children who were cooking the breakfast, while I selected a reading for the occasion. Soon a man came for the shovel to dig the grave, and told me that they were going to do as I said and bury the child on the beach. A man was sent to tell me they were ready to bury the dead and that I must come. I took the children with me to help us sing. We first knelt and asked God to bless our efforts to show the people the true light. When we got there they were not quite ready. They were findmg some things to bury the boy with, and some of them were having dinner at Newey's place. The king sent me a plate of palm butter and rice, with some fish. I ate some of it. Then another man brought me some water to drink. They found seats for all the children and paid us every respect, even holding my umbrella over me while I ate. When they were all ready they called me to read the Bible. They were very attentive to the end of the serv- ice. One of our young men interpreted for me. They had their own ceremony, and killed a goat and fowl. When they were ready two men took up the coffin and carried it quietly to the grave. They fired three guns in the town, and three more at the grave. Burying the Dead. 107 When I speak to the people so many times they say, " So teacher told us ; we lielieve the word you and teaciiersay." I am not lonely, but happy, blessed, busy, and joyful every day. Your sister twice, Jennie Hunt. The Africans believe that the dead can come back again. If for any reason they have no desire to see a person again they insidt him during his burial so that the spirit will never care to venture back. A woman who had al- ready buried three children became the mother of twins; and they, too, died very young. When they were buried the family said that the same children had been coming back to the woman all the time, but would not stay. So the two were buried in one grave, and sev- eral shots were fired into it; This was done to discourage them from ever venturing back to this world. Another child was born of a mother who had been very sick for some time before its birth, so that the child was a delicate little thing. It Hved several months, but was always ailing ; and when it died it was wrapped in a mat of rushes and buried. Heavy stones were thrown on its httle corpse, and it was told that it was never wanted back in this world again. Every tribe takes pride in having the grave of some chief located in a prominent place, and io8 A Lone Woman in Africa. so decorated as to convey the idea that he has had great honor from his people. In 1893 oneof our chiefs died, and "was buried proper," as the people say. He was an old man, and the people, except his near relatives, were not sorry to see him die. They said that he had lived a long time and eaten " plenty good things," and that it was time he should go and give some other man a chance. They buried him with great ceremony. A house was afterward built over the grave, with a fence around it ; and on the fence were hung many yards of good cloth, holes being cut to make it useless so that the people would not steal it. Three umbrellas were stuck in the fence, and four hats. A rum barrel was set by the fence to show how much rum had been drunk in his honor at the funeral. Inside the fence were boxes, a table, and two good Ameri- can chairs that his son had brought from sea, and spread out on these were looking-glasses, plates, bowls, basins, fancy dishes, and glasses of all kinds. On the pickets of the fence were eleven powder kegs, to show the quantity of powder fired off at his funeral. At the time of the funeral the men dressed themselves in their war dress. Ever since the chiefs death they had been dancing, drinking, firing guns, and having a good time generally, Burying the Dead. 109 such as they had not enjoyed for months. They painted themselves with clay, some red, some white ; and some took pot-black and oil and made themselves blacker than they were born. All this was done to manifest their re- spect for the dead man — even to firing their guns at the coffin, until it was divested of the cloth with which it had been covered. Three bullocks, several goats, and some chickens were killed for the deceased to take with him into the spirit world. All persons at- tending the funeral are supposed to bring a present to their departed friend. Dozens of plates, bowls, basins, and glasses, and many yards of cloth are given to the dead. But the family do not bury them all. They inform the dead man that they are his and give him a portion, but the rest are put away to be used for the survivors. The third day after this chief was buried I was in the town, and I noticed that the women seemed anxiously looking for something. I inquired what they were searching for, and found that they were looking for a brass kettle. They said that the dead chief had come back and told them that in the land where he had gone there was no brass kettle for him to wash in, and he had come back to get one. The largest one in the town was brought out, a 110 A Lone Woman in Africa. hole made in the bottom of it, and it was put on the grave with the rest of his possessions. A hirge silk flag was raised over the grave, and remained there until it was torn to tatters in the wind. This flag had been brought home from a sea voyage by his son, who had taken it in part pay for his work. Quite frequently the kings and chiefs take a bottle of rum, go to this grave, light a fire, sit down and drink, and, as they say, consult the old chief in regard to the interests of the people. His share of the rum is poured on the top of his grave. It is a common thing for them to send messages to the devil and the spirits by this man. Especially in case of war or any serious trouble they put great depend- ence upon the devils and spirits. In some tribes many persons are buried in one grave, the remains of earlier corpses being taken out and put on top of the new body. Another strange custom prevails among them — that of " burying " those who die away from home or at sea. When the relatives hear of the death of their absent kinsman they mourn for him and go through the regular ceremony as best they can without the corpse. The rude coffin is made — a box four feet long being sometimes used to " bury " a man five feet in height ! It is covered with cloth, and Burying tiik Dead. tlic usual offcriui^s arc made. 15ut instead of being put in the earth, it is set up on a stand, made of poles, near the town. A small house or shelter is built over it, and all the offerings are hung on this house or laid on the top of the coffin. In case of a person being put to death as a witch, by drinking a decoction of the deadly " sasswood " bark, there is no mourning. Even his near relatives rejoice that a bad person has been put out of the way ; for they believe that a witch will harm his dearest friend. In such cases there is neither ceremony nor offering ; but as soon as it is dead, and sometimes be- fore it is really dead, the body is dragged out and thrown into the bushes, and a little mud is heaped over it to hide it from view. I once saw them bury a young man who had died from the "sasswood " in this way. Hedied in the night and was at once buried by the people, who rejoiced that they had found out a witch and put an end to his crimes, which had culminated in the death of a man in the town. But after he was dead they feared that the disgrace heaped upon him and his family might cause him to take revenge. So women were sent into the woods where his spirit was supposed to be lingering, to lament for him and bring his spirit back to town again, that he 112 A Lone Woman in Africa. might have a home among them. Otherwise they feared that when they went out to gather wood he might attack them and take revenge for the treatment lie had received. I knew nothing of what was going on until I heard the women crying and saw them coming in a long line out of the bush. When I inquired what this meant I was told that they had been to the woods to bring back the spirit of the young man whom tliey had put to death. The " bodier," or high priest, is never buried like other people. His body is taken away by a few men appointed to do so, and is buried at night under a stream of running water. A young man who had gone to the bush to cut palm nuts was bitten by a snake. He died and received a common burial, and all the town mourned for him. But after the funeral the devil-doctor said that this young man had been a witch and had not deserved such re- spect. He had gone to the bush, not to get palm nuts, but to find "witch " with which to kill the king. The people were so enraged when they heard this that they went to the grave, took away everything they had placed there, brought their offerings back to town, and washed them. Then they took up the body and dug a hole in a swamp and buried it under water to show their contempt for the ]?UKVING THE DEAD. "3 young niim's iiiciiiury because of wliat llio devil-doctor had accused liiui. These are but a few of the niaiiy awful thini^s tliat are done aniony tliis people. And the spirit in which they are done is the most hea- thenish part of it all. In our own land, when a dear one has been called away, when the heart is sore with grief, and the world, with all it can give, docs not fill the void that the departed friend has left, one's heart is softened and he is inclined to listen to the truth. Even the bystanders feci solemn when the funeral pro- cession passes through the streets. But, alas, how different is a funeral proces- sion in Africa, especially if a person is sup- posed to have been witched ! There is no hearse or wagon, not even a handcart, to bear the dead to the grave. Two men carry the coffin on their heads. If it be said that the departed has been the victim of witchcraft these men, after starting off in the direction of the grave, will turn and come back, sometimes running all over the town with the corpse still on their heads. Everyone stands by in fear to see what will happen ; for they believe the spirit of the dead man has taken possession of the bearers. When the two men come to a house they will stop and knock the coffin against it, start 114 ^ Lone Woman in Africa. on again, and then go back to knock the coffin agahist the house a second time. As the houses are low it generally strikes the roof just over the door. The native house has two doors — one called the men's door, and the other the women's door. If the coffin stops before the men's door it is believed that the owner of the house is the one who has witched the deceased; if before the women's door, then the wife is the witch. After the person is thus formally ac- cused of being a witch, tlie bearers continue their way to the grave and the body is buried. I have noticed that the men always stop with the coffin at the house which the people have already decided among themselves to be the dwelling of the witch. Sometimes they take the accused out of the village and ad- minister the poisonous "sasswood " drink. He lives or dies, according as his stomach is strong enough to throw it off or not. Our Christian young men are doing a great deal to destroy this custom, and often take up the coffin and carry it quietly to the grave and bury it. The greatest power at work in Africa to-day to overturn these heathen customs and bring in a better day is the power of God ; and ac- cording as we who know the light display it before them will the darkness disappear and the true light shine among them. The natives BuKviN(; iiU'; Dead. 115 look to the white man for the better way and are aeeepting the light. Wherever I have gone among them, their one request was, " Can't you stay in our town? we want white man to he in our town ; " and when I have told them that I could not leave my station, as I was alone and must do the work which had been given me, they have answered, " Well, can't you write to big America, and tell the white people we want them to come and live with us?" "A call from a land where the beautiful light Is slow creeping o'er hilltop and vale, Where broad is the field, and the harvest is white, But the reapers are wasted and pale. " All wasted and pale with their wearisome toil, Still they pause not, that brave little band. Though soon their low pillows will be the strange soil Of tiiat distant and grave-dotted strand. " Tiiere the strong man is bowed in his youth's golden prime. But cheerily sings at his toil ; For he thinks of the sheaves and the garnering time, Of the glorious Lord of the soil. " But ever they turn, that brave little band, A long, wistful gaze toward the West. Do they come, do they come, from the dear distant land — That land of the lovely and blest? " Do they come, do they come ? We are feeble and wan, We are passing like shadows away, But the harvest is white — lo, yonder the dawn ! For laborers, for laborers we pray." ii6 A Lone Woman in Africa. CHAPTER VII. NATIVE THEOLOGY AND MORALS. Belief in a Supreme God. — Devil Worship. — Native Rest Days. — Their Treatment of Murderers. — IIow They Pun- ish Marriage Infidelity. — Effectual runisluuent of a Thief — Talebearers. — Native ISelief in the f'nd of the World. — How the Moon Became Cold. — The Sky Will Fall. — Giv- ing First Fruits to the Devil. IN Rom. i, 19, we read, " Because tliat which may be known of God is manifest in thcin ; for God hath showed it unto them." To believe that there is a God who has made all things, who gives us life and takes life away, we do not need to be educated. The heathen, who have no conception of edu- cation or theology, who do not even know one written sign from another, who have no char- acters to represent ideas, are quite convinced of his existence, although they call him by as many different names as they speak languages. The natives of Liberia call God " Niswa." They believe he is ever near and sees them and knows all they are doing. They always call upon him to witness when offering a sacrifice or judging a " palaver " (a dispute of any kind) or a trial. In case of trial NaTIVK TuiiOLOGY AND MORALS. II7 by drinking " sasswood," the victim, buforc tak- ing;- the poison, thus calls upon God, with eyes uplifted, to hear his solemn statement to the [)eople : " God, thou knowest that 1 am not guilty. I have not committed this crime. Thou, who J>:no\vest the truth, knowest that I am not the guilty party ; therefore I am not afraid to drink this ' sasswood.' I know that I might lie to these people and deceive them, but I could not deceive thee ; and if I were guilty this ' sasswood ' would kill mc." Thus they drink it, not fearing the deadly poison, but believing that the all-seeing God will prove their innocence and make known the truth. In case of sudden death or any terrifying calamity the heathen call upon the unseen God — Niswa — not upon their idols. The word of God truly says, " For God hath showed it unto them." I have come into direct contact with the heathen and have observed how much confidence they place in the Almighty God. Although in all their homes they have idols that they worship, and although all wear charms and trust in their ^m'-^rrrj-, yet when danger or trouble comes they look to him, be- lieving that he alone can help them. This has given me new^ light on many passages in the Bible, and I have said of a truth, " God hath ii8 A Lone Woman in Africa. showed it unto them," for there was no other source whence they could have received such Hght and knowledge. The heathen arc not without law. They have no written statutes, no books to which they can refer to settle their disputes. Yet in many things they follow the laws which are found in the Bible ; and the Ten Command- ments, which are the foundation of law in all civilized nations, are practically acknowledged in many of the heathen customs. The idol worshiper, or devil worshiper, be- lieves that, if he should turn away from his idol to the true God, his devil would, out of jealousy, send some affliction or calamity upon him or his. He has the secret conviction that one God is all he ought to worship, which, however faulty in its application, is really an inkling of our first commandment — " Thou shalt have no other gods before me " — as well as of a clause in the second — " For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God." The word of God tells us that man has " changed the truth of God into a lie." These people once had the truth ; and now the lie of devil worship has become one of the greatest hindrances to their receiving the Gospel. Almost without excep- tion they will say, " God way is better. 'Tis true these gi-cc-^rccs no do us better." But Native Theology and Morals, i 19 they arc in constant fear of offending tlicir false gods, and live a life of terror trying to please them, that they may escape the conse- quences which would follow their disobedience. The third commandment forbids the taking of God's name " in vain." The heathen have great respect for their gods. Their idols arc carefully handled, and their names spoken with a certain amount of reverence. The fourth commandment relates to the day of rest to be kept holy unto the Lord. In the busiest time of the year the African heathen arc to be found taking their rest on certain days. Sometimes I have gone to town and found the men, or perhaps the women, there, and have asked why they were not on the farm. " O," one would say, "I am tired; I am having a rest to-day." They do not all choose the same day, but rest on whatever day suits them best. Nobody ever thinks this cus- tom wrong. But they oftener take the fourth or fifth day than the seventh. When we tell them that they ought to take the Lord's day they answer, "Yes, we fit to do that, for we all have a rest day." But the trouble is to get them to all keep Sunday together. Each thinks it all right if he keeps any day he chooses. The natives do not have a day which they I20 A Lone Woman in Africa. keep holy unto their gods, except that when- ever the devil-doctor sees fit to make a sacri- fice to the devil or the gods he forbids the people to go to the farms or do any kind of work, sometimes not even allowing rice to be beaten for their meal or water to be brousfht : and the people show their reverence by leaving off their daily work. It might be said that they keep such days holy unto their gods, though not unto our God. In our tribe a boy or girl who did not obey his parents was considered a bad child, and got many a beating for it. The heathen par- ent knows that his child should obey him, and expects the respect that God appointed when he said, " Honor thy fithcr and thy mother." The next law of Moses is that against mur- der. Murders are rare among the natives. In case of one person's accidentally causing an- other's death, the offender is banished and not allowed to return to his own people for a term of years — it may be five, seven, or ten. Often he never returns, having settled down by that time in another tribe. In such cases the stranger is kindly received, and often marries, learns the language, and becomes one of the new tribe. If a person is known to have intentionally caused death he generally flees to another part Native Tiik(M.()(;y and Morals. 121 of the country, fearing the vengeance of his own tribe if they should find liim. If caught, there is no mercy for hini. They sometimes give him " sasswood ; " but if that docs not kill him they knock him down with a pestle and then lay it across his neck, while a man jumps on either end and breaks his neck. Then they throw "sasswooti" over him, and say the "sass- wood " killed him. Sometimes they tie a large rock about the body of the guilty man, put him into a canoe, and take him far out to sea. Then they capsize the canoe, and he sinks to the bottom. The Po River folk, who live across the river from our tribe, sent a number of their young men down the coast to work for the European traders. While there four of the young men died, and the survivors accused one of their number of having poisoned them. When their term of service was over and they returned home, the families of the deceased were so en- raged at the accused young man that they met him in the boat as he landed, and, without trial, tying a rope round his waist, took him out into the river to drown him. Our tribe, who could see what they were doing from their own side of the river, rushed to the spot, took the young man from them, and saved his hfe. These heathen, who have never been taught 122 A Lone Woman in Africa. from books that it is lawful and right for every man to " have his own wife " and every woman to '* have her own husband," have in every tribe a severe law against adultery. While it is often broken, yet the breaker is liable to suffer the extreme penalty. Shortly after I went to Garraway a man came to our house early in the morning, his face scratched and bleeding, and his eyes bloodshot from the sand that was still in them. He asked us to do something to relieve his pain, and we did what wc could for him. Afterward we learned that he was suffering the penalty of breaking this law. In fear of the offended family he had fled to another tribe and spent some years there, hoping that the anger he had aroused would pass away. Then he had ventured home again. But members of the injured family, hearing that he was coming back, met him when he landed, gave him a se- vere beating, and rubbed sand in his face and eyes till he was in the pitiable condition in which he came to us. A woman never receives more severe treat- ment at the hands of her husband than for the breaking of this law, often being burned with firebrands. They will rub her body with oil, stand her over a fire with a staff in her hand, and hold a blazing torch to her body. They Nativk Theology and Morals. 123 say that unless she is guilty the fire will not burn her. If they arc satisfied of her guilt they burn her severely — sometimes until she cannot rise from the ground. A man is some- times so offended by this unfaithfulness that he will never live with the woman again, and will compel the offending man to take her and pay him money with wliich to buy himself a new wife. The eighth commandment is recognized in every native town. But a few weeks before I left Garraway a woman had been found steal- ing vegetables from one of her neighbors, and the "Ouee," which is a secret society of the men, undertook to execute the law in her case. Soon after the town became quiet at night a company of these men, with drum, cymbal, and horns, went dancing and shouting past our house. They went to the town where the woman lived, marched into her house, and de- manded a goat for their supper. The troubled husband caught the animal and gave it to them. Then they demanded rice. She had to give them all she had. Next they wanted her firewood, and she gave them all she had piled in her wood racks to dry for the rainy season. These articles they took and went away to prepare a meal to be eaten before morning. 124 ^ Lone Woman in Africa. But, wishing to beat the rice, they sent back for her mortar, and then for her fanner. Tliey needed hot water to clean their meat thor- oughly, and so sent to her for her pots, and then for her gkbhics (rests to hold the pot over the fire). Soon they needed a knife, then some bowls, then salt and pepper for the soup. When all was ready they desired chairs to sit on, and rum to finish up the meal. All these things the woman or her husband or friends had to furnish, or it would have gone worse with them. By morning all that was left to the woman was the empty house. This was her punishment for having broken the law, " Thou shalt not steal ; " and nothing " Quee " de- manded was ever returned. It is in this way that they suppress thieving. The ninth commandment is against lying or bearing false witness. A liar is despised among them, although they do not always tell the truth. They have their notorious talebearers, who make the usual amount of trouble. Some- times the accused, to prove his innocence, will drink "sasswood" orgo through the trialof pick- ing palm nuts out of boiling oil. In case his charges are proven false the talebearer often pays for his offense by having his house torn down or being compelled to give a bullock to the accused. Native Theology and Morals. 125 The man thus proved innocent will dress himself in all the finest trappings the tribe can produce out of their boxes and make the round of the towns singing his own praises and tell- ing all the hateful things the talebearer has done and said, until he who has borne " false witness against his neighbor" is glad to make humble apologies for the untruths he has ut- tered and confess that he is in the wrong, l^y the time he gets the matter settled he has learned a serious lesson, which has, perhaps, cost him as much as if he had been in a court- room and settled it before a judge. Covetousness is a curse to any people, and many deeds that blacken the homes of the Af- ricans, as well as our own homes, spring from this sin. The eleventh commandment, given by Jesus — " A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another" — is not found in heathen lands, and it is this want that makes the dark- ness in their homes and lives. " God is love." But the heathen do not worship God. This is the hardest thing of all for us missionaries to bear — the darkness with which we are sur- rounded. Jesus came to bring peace on earth and good will to men ; but the heathen have no Jesus, no peace, and no light. The dark- ness can be felt. They are always at war one 9 126 A Lone Woman in Africa. with the other ; and the only way to better their condition is to preach Jesus to them. Let us all work to this end. I had been in Africa four years before I learned that the native people had any idea that there would be an end to this world, or that everything would not always be as it had been. It was not until I learned the language and could understand them when they talked among themselves that I overheard the chil- dren talking about it. One Sunday evening we were sitting on the veranda of our house. The moon was shin- ing brightly. Many stars were visible in the sky, and the children were talking about them. I asked how big they thought the stars to be. They didn't know exactly — perhaps as big as their fists. I told them that they were as large, or far larger, than the earth on which we live. They could not understand how that could be, and were much interested in hearing about the heavenly bodies. I asked them what they had been talking about, for I had just heard enough to make me curious. They replied that they had been told by their people that the sun and moon were both hot alike at first. But one day the sun and moon said, " Let us go and wash." They went down to the water ; and the sun Native TiiKOLorA' and Morals. 127 UAd the moon to plunge in first. So the moon got into the water and washed ; and when it came out it was cold. Thereupon the sun re- fused to wasli, for it did not wish to become cold. That is why the sun is hot and the moon is cold. It was ni\- turn to be interestetl now, and I be^^ged (ov another stor)'. They told me that their people said that the woodpeckers were cutting down the trees of the forest, the sand- pipers counting the sands on the seashore, and the sea gulls drinking the ocean dry, and that some day woodpeckers, sandpipers, and sea gulls were all going to finish their tasks to- gether, and that then the sky would fall. I asked them who had told them this. Their fathers, they answered, and that, furthermore, when they heard the people converse about these things they were very much afraid. I told them that they need not fear, because God held the sky up, and it would not fall till he said so; but that God had said that some day this world should come to an end, and we must all be ready. The next day I went to town and asked the people concerning these stories. They said they knew from their fathers that the sky was coming down some day. Some, however, did not believe it, for it was a long time since 128 A Lone Woman in Africa. they heard the story and the sky had not come down yet. But the people generally do be- lieve it, and I have often seen them during a thunderstorm beat the war drum, blow the war horn, and, sometimes, fire guns while the storm lasted. I asked why they did so, and was told that they were begging God not to let the sky come down upon them. It is the law of God that man shall not con- sider all his earnings as his own, but shall give a part to his God. We read in the Bible that we are to give him the first fruits of all our enterprises. Some, in civilized lands, object to this giving and regard all they have as their own. They do not feel under any obligation to give to the cause of the God they profess to worship. It is not so with the heathen in Liberia. I have often seen the people during the time of the rice harvest eating vegetables which they consider very inferior to rice, while at the same time they have the new rice in their houses. A native will not eat, or even taste, of the new rice until the harvest is all gathered. Then he will cook a pot of it, put oil upon it, or else kill a fowl and offer it in sacrifice to the devil whom he worships. He feels that he has no right to eat the first of the new rice which he has cut. So the first fruits are given to the devil, Native Tiikolocy and Morals. 129 who is really his god. The young Africans, who arc becoming more enlightened, do not feel it their duty to give the first to the devil, and some of them do not give him any at all. If you watch a woman closely when she goes to dish up the rice for dinner you will see that after she puis the wooden spoon into the pot she takes some of the top of the rice in her fin- gers and places it on the floor for the devil's dinner. Thus, all untaught, and in their poor, blind way, these poor Africans carry out the com- mand of God, " Honor the Lord with thy sub- stance, and with the first fruits of all thine in- crease." But their lord is the devil ; and so, because they have " changed the truth of God into a lie," God is robbed of the honor due to him. I have often noticed the old men taking snuff. One will take his snuffbox out of his hat, take a pinch of snuff out of it, then put his hand down by his side and drop a little on the floor before raising it to his nose. He was giving the devil the first of the snuff. His heart tells him that the first part of all he has does not belong to him, but to a higher power. I think that in this respect they might be an example to many a so-called Christian. 130 A Lone Woman in Africa. CHAPTER Vlll. INCIDENTS OF MISSIONARY LIFE. An African Devil's Den. — Queer l''uniiuiic. — 'i'lie Place where the Devil Smokes. — A Shameless Impostor. — Delicate Surgery.— Two Boys Struck l)y Lightning. — An Amateur Oculist. — The Kroo Mark. — A Garraway Enoch Arden. ONE of the first thing.s we learned when we I'eached Africa was that tlie people be- lieve in a personal devil. God is " Niswa," and they say that he lives up in the sky; but the devil is quite a different person. He lives in this world and has many and various homes. Sometimes a certain piece of bush where heavy timber grows, generally on a hilltop, is called " the devil's home," and is not allowed to be used for any purpose. We lived on the coast, and several of our towns were near the beach. At a certain place on the beach stood a very large rock. In it, on the side next the sea, was a cave where our people said that the devil lived. He had assumed the shape of a tiger. All the people lived in constant dread of this place. Not one of them could be induced to go near it except a certain devil-doctor, whose Incidents of Missionary Life. 131 business it was to attend upon this devil ; and lie had taught them — and tliey thoroughly be- lieved it — that if they should see the devil they would die. Miss Binkley and I often asked where this rock was — there were several large rocks along the coast — sa} ing that we wished to visit it. They told us that it was not safe to go there, and that even the chief men and the warriors never ventured near it, knowing that if they did they would never be seen again. One day while visiting in the town we in- duced two of the young men to take us to the rock. They went with us until the rock could be seen, and pointed it out to us. " There is the cave," they said, " where his home is, and he is inside. No man can go and see him and live." But we said that we had never seen the devil, who did not live in the rocks in our country, and were determined to see him now. They were surprised that we were not afraid of such a place. They begged us not to go, assuring us that there really was a devil there, and tliat we would never come back. But we told them that we did not believe it. We had never heard of such a thing in " big America," and we were going to see if the devil really did live there. They did all they could tc stop us. 132 A Lone Woman in Africa. But we started on alone, saying that we would tell the devil we were white women and had never seen him before. Surely he would not kill us just because we had come to see him. So we left the two men, who were in great fear lest this was the last time they should ever see us. For themselves nothing would induce them to go to such a place. The tide being out, we walked along on the dry sand till we came to the rock. The mouth of the cave was not more than four feet high. We took off our hats and crawled inside. It was almost dark, for the only light that got in came from the small entrance, or sifted down through a crack in the top of the rock. In the center of the cave we saw something that looked like a grave. At one end a stake about four feet high was stuck into the ground, and on the top of it was a strip of white cloth about a foot and a half long and two inches wide. Near this stake was a row of gin bottles. These the devil-doctor had taken there full of liquor for the devil, and after drinking most of it himself had given the devil the rest by pour- ing it out on the ground. He had then set the bottles halfway into the ground, to show how well he had treated his friend, the devil. There were twelve bottles in the row ! On the ground lay a lot of decayed rice. This had been cooked Incidents of Missionary Life. 133 and brought there for the devil to eat. A dis- mal place it was — cold and damp and dark. After a thorough investigation we came out, and found the men where we had left them. They were much excited over our adventure. We told them that there was no devil in the cave, and that we thought that he must have gone away on some business or other, for we had talked loud, had looked the place well over, and knew that if he were there we should have seen him. We described to them what we had seen, and soon satisfied them that the devil- doctor was deceiving them. We started back to town, and on the road came to a place where the grass had been cleaned away and a stake set up with several strips of cloth, such as we had seen in the cave, hanging on it ; a pipe and some tobacco lay there, with several half-burned sticks, as if there had been a fire. The men said that this was where the devil came to light his pipe and smoke, and that the devil-doctor lit the fire and supplied everything he desired. The cloth was for the devil to wear. The piece was small, it was true, but he wore it in spirit and not in reality, and could make it as large as he liked, so that a little piece served his purpose as well as a big one. We came back to town, but said little, for 134 A LoNK Woman in Africa. wc realized Irom the manner of the young men that it was no common thing we had done, and that they were fearful of what the people might do to them for showing us the way. Nothing happened, however, to make the peo- ple suppose that we had so insulted their devil as to visit him, the fears of the men wore away in consequence, and wc began to speak of our having been to see the devil and not being able to find him. One moonlight evening, when we were in town holding service, I spoke of the rock, and told the people that they feared the place without cause, because I had been there and had gone inside of the cave. I then described all that was there, and said that if any of them wished to see the cave I would gladly be their guide. I said that the devil-doctor had been telling them lies to frighten them ; that they must not believe him ; that the devil did not want a home in the rocks, but in their hearts. Quite a crowd had gathered round me and had sat down in the sand. After the service I went about to shake hands with them, and there was Kiew, the devil-doctor, himself, among the rest. He had listened to it all without a word. I shook his hand and said, " You are the man that tells all the lies about the devil, and keeps these people in fear. And you know A Trio of Witch Doctors. Incidents of Missionary Life. 137 it is not right. All those things you have given to the devil are wasted, and you know better." But he only laughed. lie knew that I had been there, for he could see the tracks of my shoes ; and as no other person at Garraway wore shoes he knew that I was speaking the truth. Ever since the days of Jesus, who was the great Physician of both the bodies and souls of men, and went about laying his hands on the sick, ministering to the suffering, and urg- ing the ungodly to repent and be converted, have people expected to see his followers do the same. The life of Christ was the example of the Church, and wherever she enters the suffering flock to her for relief. I believe every missionary of the cross in heathen lands, as well as at home, has a long story to tell of the physical sufferings they have been called to relieve. The people ex- pect them not only to preach salvation for their souls, but to give them some healing for their bodies. This is one of the first things that impressed me in Africa. The natives had not been told that I had any medicines, but naturally thought that I would understand all their pains and aches and be able to give them relief. In a civilized land, where doctors and nurses 138 A Lone Woman in Africa. arc easily found, it is not the minister's work to care for the sick and dress the wounds of the unfortunate. But in Africa, where there are no capable doctors and where the people know so little about surger}', I often felt it my duty to do what I could for the suffering, knowing that there was no one else who would do more for them or understand tlieir cases better. Cuts are very common among the natives. I have had numerous cases of the sort to at- tend to, and have had considerable success in treating them. One of the king's sons, who had gone to the rice farm with his mother, went off to play with some other boys while she was weeding the rice. He climbed a slant- ing tree, but fell, striking a stake below and cutting a gash in his abdomen three inches long. The intestines protruded, and the people were much alarmed, fearing that there was no hope for the boy. They brought him at once to the mission house, and laid him down on the ground out- side. We were busy in school, and did not see them until one of the men came to the door and spoke. They called me outside. I went and saw the boy. He lay on the grass quite exhausted. They told me what was the matter. I felt Incidents of Missionary Life. 139 very timid about doing anything in a case of the kind. There was no one, however, who could do any better, and the father begged me to do wliat I could, promising, in case I cured his boy, to allow him to remain always in school, lie looked upon his son as dead, knowing that the case was quite beyond the skill of his people. I appointed one of the older boys in the school to teach the rest, and then went to work. With a soft cloth and lukewarm water I got the intestines back into place. I sewed up the wound with a common needle and thread, applied arnica, and bandaged it well. Then I brought him into the house and laid him on his back. He stayed with us, and with rest and good nursing it was not many weeks be- fore he was well again. The native way would have been to keep the wound open, and bathe it several times a day in hot water. This, of course, would have been very danger- ous, for soon there would have been a badly inflamed sore, with probably fatal results. I have found the people very poor doctors in treating wounds and cuts, though in treating some other things they do very well. One day, in a heavy thunderstorm, two of our mission lads were stunned by lightning. They were in the house at the time, and were I40 A Lone Woman in Africa. both felled to the floor. One of our mission- aries happened to be present, and together we picked them up, carried them out into the yard, and began to bathe them with cold water. Neither of us had had any experience with such accidents before, and I feared that perhaps we were not doing the best thing pos- sible. So I ran and looked in the doctor's book. The directions were : " Put the patient on fresh ground, turning the face to the west, and then bathe well with cold water." I ran back, and we continued to bathe the boys un- til the pain was gone and they could stand on their feet again. By this time quite a crowd had gathered. I asked them, " Now, if this had been in town, what would you have done?" They replied, " Our people dig a hole in the ground, put the person in the hole, cover him up to the neck with dirt, and then pour water on him." I told them that that was about what I had read in the book, and that I believed they knew a good deal more than they thought they did. Our American doctors, who had spent many years going to school to learn these things, said this was the right thing to do. At another time some of our boys went to gather shells off the rocks out in the sea. While knocking these shells off a rock, one of Incidents of Missionary Life. 141 the boys struck a kind of jellyfish, some of which spurted in his eye. He did not say much when he came home that day ; but the next morning his eye was swollen and red. He told me that this was a very bad thing to get into the eye, as it would sometimes cause the eyeball to burst. I went to the doctor's book to learn what to do. The book said that in many cases one of the best things for the eye was spittle. It added that, although some physicians were too polite to spit in the eye of a patient, but would prescribe some preparation not half so good, yet saliva was often best. I thought this a very simple remedy for so serious a case, for the boy seemed really in danger of losing his sight. I thought that his mother might perhaps know of something that would be better; so I sent him to town to see whether he could not get relief from some one who understood the working of this poison. He soon came back with three palm nuts in his hand. I asked him what his mother said. He answered that she had chewed up a palm nut, then spat it all out and spat in his eye. She had given him these three palm nuts and told him to have somebody do the same thing for him two or three times a day. I did so, and his eye was soon well. 10 142 A Lone Woman in Africa. These things showed me that knowledge is not all confined to the learned, and that in some things the heathen are as well posted as the civilized and educated. The people on the coast of Liberia have an ancient custom of putting a mark on the mid- dle of the forehead. It is not for decoration, as similar marks are with many heathen peo- ples. Among uncivilized peoples who wear no clothes it is a very general custom to tattoo their bodies. Some of our African people, in- deed— especially those who are not very black and on whom the marks show well — have their bodies elaborately decorated ; and some of our young men who have worked for Europeans and received an English name have this name tattooed upon their chests. But the mark on the forehead is known by all the European traders as the " Kroo " mark, and when they find a man with this mark they know he is from the Kroo coast. This custom has grown out of slavery, and is a sign that these people are not slaves, but free, and were born in a free country. This indelible mark is made in early child- hood, by cutting several small gashes with a knife in the skin until it bleeds well, and then rubbing into it a mixture of oil and pot soot. When it heals it is black and cannot be washed Incidknts of Missionary Life. 143 off. 1 think it a vcr)' t^ood thiiii;- in that land where slavery is so common and where the people mix with all kinds of strangers; and it has been the means of saving some of them from being carried away into slavery. Some time before I arrived at Garraway a number of these Kroo boys had gone down the coast to work. One of them, named Tub- bah, had been sent in a surfboat with some other boys to a distant place. While on their way they got into a quarrel, and the others threatened the life of this young man. Hav- ing none to befriend him, he jumped into the sea and swam ashore ; and the people on the beach seized him and sold him to a slaveholder in the far interior. His wife and friends at Garraway waited anxiously for some word from him, but heard nothing, until after several years they gave up rdl hopes of ever seeing him again and mourned for him as dead. His wife was given to an- other man. After six years had passed word came home that Tubbah was still alive and would soon re- turn. His master had kept him away from the coast all these years, fearing lest he should be recognized by his Kroo mark. But at this time he had to come down for some purpose and thought it would be safe to bring Tubbah along. 144 A Lone Woman in Africa. While they were on tlie coast an EngHsh gentleman saw him and asked him where he came from, who he was, and how he came to be there with that mark upon his face. Tub- bah told his story. The Englishman then sent for his master and told him that he could not take a free man home with him, that Tub- bah was his own Kroo boy and he knew where his home was, and was going to take him to his own people. The master could make no reply, for he knew that he had enslaved a free man. So the Englishman kept Tubbah and sent him home to Garraway by the next steamer. I saw him as he walked up the little road that went past our house into the town, with the people crowding around to welcome him home again. He spent several days among them. Soon he learned that his wife had been given to another man and was living in another town twenty miles distant. After a short time he went to see her. It is not a custom in Africa to rap on the door be- fore entering, but, without an invitation, the visitor walks in and sits down. Tubbah found the house of his wife and walked in and sat down. She and her present husband were as- tonished to see one whom they had believed to be dead ; but Tubbah was very pleasant, and Incidents of Missionary Life. 145 thanked the man for being kind to his wife and takin<^' care of her for him during his absence. Then he turned to his wife and said, " Dwady, I have come for you. Come on and let us go home." She was quite cross with liim at first, and acted as if very much vexed at her old hus- band for coming after her. But in a few days she said to her second husband, " Well, I have made up my mind to go back to Tubbah, and I shall have to say good-bye to you." So she took her son and started off to her old husband. Tubbah, of course, was very glad and the other man very sorry, for he had but one wife. He urged her to stay ; but she said she must go. " Is it possible," he said, " my good wife is going to leave me?" and sat down and cried when she departed. I have visited Tub- bah and his wife since they commenced keep- ing house again. They are living very happily in one of our towns. 146 A Lone Woman in Africa. CHAPTER IX. VISITING NEIGHBORING TRIBES. Visit to the Po River People. —First Ride in a Canoe. — "Yem Plu Deen E Oil."— A Talkative Meeting. —A Trying Night. — Up River to Peddie. — Caught in the Rain. — Peter's Conversion. T^HE tribe nearest to us was the Po River Every tribe of any size is divided into two sections, living several miles apart. This is done that tliey may be better able to control their land and may more easily attend to their farming. If they all lived in one place some would be obliged to go too great a distance to their plantations. The Po River tribe occupied a long, narrow tract of land on the coast. The principal towns, where the king lived, were fifteen miles up the coast. The smaller part of the tribe lived in three towns, just across the river, and within plain sight of our house. We had been in Garraway but a short time when several young men who were anxious to accept Christianity and attend the school went with us one Sunday morning to hold service in Visiting NiiiciinoRiNd Tribes. 147 the towns across the river. We were a com- pany of thirty, and all had to cross in a canoe. It was my first canoe ride, and I confess that I felt a little shaky. As the sand was all wet one of the men took me in his arms, carried me to the canoe, and set me down on a small box they had brought for me to sit on. At every move I made the canoe tipped threateningly; but when a number of the others got in they were so much at home there that their confidence gave me courage, and I began to breathe more easily. The canoe was of medium size — about two feet in breadth and twenty feet long. After we had crossed one of the party paddled back for the rest. When they were all over we started for the town. We marched along one after the other, and as all the young men were dressed in their best clothes they looked quite respectable to my eyes. It was very encouraging to notice the difference between them and their almost naked fellows we had left behind us. As we neared the town the people came out to see who were coming. They had seen some of their own young men dressed in civilized clothing; and, since they knew all the young men who were with me, they were not so much surprised at their appearance. They knew. 148 A Lone Woman in Africa. moreover, that there were white women at the mission in Garraway, for many of the Po River men had been to call on us. So now their first thought was that these young men were bringing one of the white women over to see them. When they discovered me among the rest they began to call out, " Yem plu deen e oh ! Yem plu deen e oh ! Koo deen e oh ! Koo deen e oh! " The word "koo" is their word for both " devil " and " white people." When they first saw a white person they thought it was the devil or a spirit, and so they call the white people " koo." They also call us " yem plu," meaning " white man." Soon every person in the town heard the cry and came out to see the great sight, for no white woman had ever been there before. But few of the people, outside of the young men, had ever seen a white person. Many of the women, as soon as they saw I was white, ran away and kept at a safe distance until I was gone. Some of the women and all the men came and shook hands with me and were quite friendly. But the children were all afraid, and many of them ran crying to their mothers, and remained in terror until I left the town. An old blind woman came out of her little hut as I passed by and asked to put her hands on Visiting Nkiciihorinu Tkibks. 149 mc. She felt my hands and face, my hair, and all my clothes, and then said, " I see something I never see before." She told those staiidin. Tlie Children's Talk.— The Coming of the Blessing. — Notes from a Journal. — Bestman and Daniel. — " The Big Devil.'' — " The Power of Cod." — "The Sky Coming Down." — Garraway After Seven Years. — Sanuiel's Letter.- — Africa for Christ ! ONE evening wc sat on the veranda in the beautiful moonlight of Africa; and the children were talking about the stars and the sky. They commenced by telling the story I have already referred to — how the moon be- came cold, while the sun is still hot. They told me, besides, about a fish that the people say once saved a man. They say it was a flying fish. This I believe to be their version of the story of Jonah. There are now three men living in Garraway who will not eat the flying fish. I know them all personally. They say that the man saved by the fish belonged to their family, and in honor of this friendly act to them they will not eat the fish. The children said that when God made man he made a white man and woman and a black man and woman. He set a table, and at one A Revival. 271 end put two plates, with knives, forks, spoons, bread, butter, tea, and all kinds of "American food," while at the other end he put one large bowl of palm butter and rice, without any spoons. Then he called them to cat. The white man and woman took the place with the bread, butter, tea, etc., and ate with the knives, forks, and spoons ; and the black man and woman took the place with the palm butter and rice and ate with their hands. This was their own choice ; and so, because the black man did not take the American victuals, God had made them all fools. Both white and black people might have had the good food ; but the black people chose the palm butter and rice, and thus the curse fell on them. The first black people " did them bad," and so they will never have the good things that the white people have. This is their version of the fall of man, but the story has been handed down orally until you can hardly recognize it. They then repeated their strange story of the last day, which they say their fathers re- ceived from the first people. The sea gulls are drinking the oceans dry, the sandpipers counting the sand on the beach, and the wood- peckers cutting down the trees. They will all finish on the same day, the sky will then come down, and then this world will be destroyed. 272 A Lone Woman in Africa. They told inc also of a story they have of God's Son who came into the world. They say he knew everything. This so impressed mc with the fact that these people are responsible to-day for all they do that it threw new light on all iny work. Gar- raway seemed like a new place to me after this ; for I had been telling them all these things, thinking they knew nothing about them. And now to learn that they knew and believed all these traditions, so like the Scripture records, gave me a groundwork to begin upon. So far I had not got much hold on them. I felt now that the fact that their fathers had told them before would give me a great hold on them. " Everything is quiet to-day," I wrote in my journal next day, " and we have school as usual ; but the thought of what the children told me makes everything seem different, and I cannot help believing that a new time has come." After supper the children all took their books and went to study, and I lay down to rest. But the conviction came forcibly to me that I ought to have a religious meeting with the children. Accordingly I told them all to put away their books for the night; and then I explained to thcni \\hat it was to be saved, or A Revival. 273 converted, ;uul told them that Jesus wanted to take all the devil out of them and come and live in their hearts himself. I told them that we were going to study about it, that next night we were going to have a penitent bench, and that any one of them who made up his mind to be saved ought to come and be saved, for Jesus had been waiting a long time to save them, and if they were willing he would save them at once. All next day we felt the presence of the Spirit, though little was said. The children each learned a new verse, and considered the matter. We did not tell those living in " Zion " (our Christian town) that we were going to have a meeting, but the children told the Zion children at school ; and in the evening after we had commenced the meeting the Zion children came. I gave the invitation for any who wanted to be saved to come forward. I told them I did not mean anyone who wanted to pray, for we all prayed, but that God wanted to do some- thing new for them — something they had not yet experienced. (I had already one boy who had received this experience of the new birth the previous March, had lived for God ever since, had the assurance of his acceptance, and had testified to it.) 274 A Lone Woman in Africa. We all knelt at the bench, and they all prayed at once. George, one of the older boys, was very much troubled, and soon laid all down before God, and it was not long till he knew that he was a free boy and that the burden was gone. O, how he shouted the praises of God ! He felt so free that he threw up his arms many times and asked God to take him to heaven at once. I shall never, never forget the night when George was saved. Before school the following morning the children had a meeting to pray God to save them. The girls went up stairs, and the boys to the schoolhouse. I was in my room, and thought I would let them be alone and get their eyes on God, for I did not want to have them look to me. The Zion men came to school, and, finding the boys having a prayer meeting, joined them. They were all so much in earnest that they for- got when their half hour was up, and when I rang the bell for school they did not hear. After a time I went to the schoolhouse and found them all on their knees. George had told what a wonderful Saviour he had found, and all the rest were anxious to find him too. When they rose from their knees I asked them if they were ready to have school, and they said yes. A Revival. 275 This being our regular prayer meeting night, we all met at the close of the day. We placed the bench in the middle of the room. I said that if anybody wanted God to take the devil out of his heart and come in and live there he had better get down on his knees before him; and they filled the bench. We had the old-time Methodist shouting. Surely the Spirit came down from heaven, for there was no one there who knew anything about shouting in meeting or had ever attended a revival and seen people saved. They did not shout because they had heard other people do so. No one there knew what was coming. I myself am not a shouter ; but I said a loud " amen " to it all. Jacob was the first saved ; and he was sweetly saved and testified to it. lie fell over the bench and lay so for a time ; but when he had the witness of his salvation he was on his feet shouting the praises of God. Whom the Lord makes free are free indeed. Little Mary and Lizzie were saved also. The next day we had an early morning meet- ing, and school as usual. A sweet, quiet spirit pervaded our home, such as we had never had before. At seven in the evening we had meet- ing again, and God was there to bless and save. All who were not converted knelt at the bench, 276 A Lone Woman in Africa. and four of them were saved — Tom, Matilda, Nathan, and Scott. I felt like hiding out of sight and letting the blessing comedown. No tongue can tell the joy that filled my heart when I saw those saved for whom I had labored and lived for four long years. My journal is full on the work of these days: " Friday, yamiary 20. — I have felt that we ought to be quiet, and not do anything that might seem like indifference and grieve the Holy Spirit; for I can just feel that he is hov- ering around us, ready to enter the willing heart. " I have never seen the devil try any person as he has our Charles ; it does seem as if the devil makes him laugh at everything. He has seemed unable to contain himself until to-day ; however, all this day he has been very quiet. "As the Zion people were not here as soon as we were ready for service, the children all being hoarse from shouting and singing, I said they had better get down and pray. They did, and Charles was the first to pray ; and as he did not stop they all commenced, and they all prayed at once. The Zion people came in and brought some town people with them. Before we rose to our feet Charlie was saved. O, he was so very happy, and shouted all kinds A Revival. 277 of praises to God, aiul begged everybody to just open his licart and let the dear Saviour come ill. It was such a sweet meeting, for we all felt that Jesus was there. Although none but Charlie was saved, we had agood testimony meeting. The town people who had come in were afraid, and could not understand how God's people could be so happy. '''Saturday, Jamtary 21. — Last evening we said that we should not do any work wc could help, but wait on God and look up to him for an especial blessing. The children did the necessary work for Saturday, and two of the larger boys went to the bush for palm nuts, re- turning about twelve o'clock. After eating their breakfast the children all sat down for prayers. I was tired and lay down in my room to rest. " As I closed my eyes and looked up to God I could see the Spirit hovering over us, ready to descend in blessing upon us. I could not lie quiet any longer, so got up and went to enjoy the blessing with the children. They were on their knees when the blessing of God came down upon us. Annie was the first to receive Jesus into her heart — she is five years old ; next was Solomon, and then Will, my two little boys of six years. I have never heard children shout the praises of God as these three children did. 278 A Lone Woman in Africa. " At tlic time that \vc were praying in the mission the men in Zion felt the Spirit descend, and at once Jacob came up to the mission house. Bestman went into his room in his own house in Zion, but soon felt that he must come to the mission house. " Daniel ^vas on his farm near by. He heard the shouts of the children and felt that he must come to prayers. He dropped his cutlass and cassada stick, which he was using on the farm, ran to Zion for his Bible, and started for the mission house. When he came to the schoolhouse he felt that he must go in there. So he went in and knelt down to pray for him- self— he was not yet saved. " Bestman, who had been praying alone at home, felt he must come to the mission. Not knowing at all what was going on or that there was anybody there before him, he, too, felt that he must go into the schoolhouse. He went in ; and, not knowing Daniel was already there praying, he knelt at the other end of the table from Daniel, and wrestled with God for liberty from the bondage of sin that held him in darkness and distress. " We were still on our knees at the mis- sion house. Soon Charlie went to the door, an.d came back and said, ' Teacher, Best- man is saved.' 'How do you know?' I A Rkvival. 279 asked. lie answered, 'I hear Iiiin in the schoolliouse.' "I went to the door and heard him praising God. The tiiree htlle children who had just been .•■■aved were still on their feet praising God, and I left them there and went to Best- man in the schoolliouse. I found Bestman and Daniel on their knees just entering the king- dom, and wet with perspiration from the struggle to get free. Soon they got through ; and O the shouts of victory from those two strong men ! They threw their arms around each c:)ther, danced round and round the house, and shook everybody's hand, not able to give expression to the joy they felt in being born again — born of God. " I don't wonder that the people on the day of Pentecost thought that the disciples were full of new wine. I should never be able to make such a demonstration myself; but I would not dare to say it was not of God and just as pleasing to him as my own quiet way. God has many ways of manifesting his power to men. " A man came in from town just as the two men were rejoicing and telling what God had done for them. He was very much afraid, and felt that the presence of God was with us. He wanted to leave ; but I told him that God was 28o A Lone Woman in Africa. here and had come to save sinners, and that he must not go now. He remained until we all left the sclioolhouse, and then went to town very much impressed with what had been done. " After spending some time in testimony and praise to God for his goodness we parted, and the men went home to tell what great things the Lord had done for them. " In the evening we all met again. Nobody could sing much, so we all prayed. A number of the town people came in. It was the work of those who were converted to go and bring somebody else ; so they brought their unsaved friends. We all knelt in prayer, those seeking the Saviour kneeling at the altar. How won- derfully God showed his power among us ! All in the room testified, ' Surely the Lord is in this place.' " The unsaved and those who had come just to see, never having seen anything of the kind before and not knowing that there was such a thing as being born again, were afraid, and went to town and reported that it was the big devil who, they believe, lives on the hill in the big trees, and that he had made us crazy. Four were saved, and there were still more seeking at the altar. We separated at half- past nine, and all went home rejoicing in what God had done for us. A Revival. 281 " Sunday, January 22. — The Sabbath day. We all went to town to tell the good news and invite sinners to conrie to Jesus and be saved, taking for our text, ' Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up.' We had a very interesting meeting, and then went home for our regular morning service at eleven o'clock. After reading the Scriptures, especially some of the promises to those who are seeking Jesus, we knelt in prayer. All who were not saved knelt at the altar. " One of my big boys, who had been seeking and had one night testified that he believed God had forgiven his sins, had since doubted and was in darkness. When we knelt I began to pray, and he came and put his hands on my shoulders and said, ' Teacher.' I at once took hold of his hands and, without asking him what he wanted, began to pray for him. It was only a few minutes till he fell back with the power of God and began to roll on the floor. He surely did act like a crazy boy, and tore his shirt all to pieces. He rolled out of the door on to the veranda, and fell from there to the ground, a foot below. For about half an hour he kept it up, rolling all around the yard. When the devil was cast out he rose to his feet, but 'walking, and leaping, and prais- ing God ' was not sufficient to give expression 282 A Lone Woman in Africa. to the joy he felt in his heart. After a testi mony meeting we went home for dinner. " In the evening we all went out and marched around to three towns, then to Bai- lie, the king's town. We went inside Samp- son's house, and had such a meeting as we had never had in Garraway before. We praised God, testified, and sang the songs of Zion. God's Spirit was with us to convince the people of sin and of his power to save. Captain was saved, and the people in town could but believe in the power of God. Many of them were afraid. " Monday, January 23. — I could not sleep last night ; in fact, have not slept nor eaten much for the last week. At the break of day I called all the children, and we went to Tyes town — one of the towns quite near. We did not go alone, for God, our great Leader, was with us, and the people knew we had not come of ourselves. When in town I felt that I should stay there ; but the rest seemed ready to go back. So I thought that perhaps it was not of God that we should stay, and so we all went home. I lay down to rest, and the children got breakfast. " As I lay there I felt that I ought to go to town and stay with the people, but they were having a big dance and drinking rum. One A Revival. 283 of the traders had been to tlic Cape and had brought back some rum to treat the women, who were having a big drink. I knew if we had stayed in town in the morning they would not have had their play that day, for I had called at the trader's house, and he, with two other men, had hidden in a small room. I called them all by name, but they refused to answer me or come out of the room. I knelt on the ground at the open door and prayed God to have mercy upon them and help them to turn from the life they were leading. " The people were afraid, for we commenced just where they were and at what they already believed — that the sky was coming down. We read 2 Peter iii, 8-15. I told them that I had now been here four years, and they saw what I wasdointj. I was not trading. I was not mak- ing money. Since I had been here I had been reading the Bible to them and telling them about God, and that Jesus came and lived and died in this world to save sinners. " I had taught that when people died they could not live with God in the good world if they did not do his way while they lived here; but that the devil had a very bad place where he and his angels lived, and when people died who did not keep God's law while they were in this world God would not let them come 284 A Lone Woman in Africa. into his home, because they would make pa- hiver (disputes) there and not keep his law. God's home in the sky — they believe that God lives in the sky — would be spoiled by these bad people, just as this world was. So, when God would not let them come in, the devil would just pull them down to hell. They are familiar with the word ' hell,' having learned it as a curse- word at sea, and know it is some bad place. " I said that I was glad that their fathers had told them about the sky's coming down, and that my father had told me ; and that when I had learned to read the Book I had read it there myself. The white people be- lieved it, too — anybody that could read the Book could read it for himself. I had come to their country to tell it to them, because I thought they did not know. When Jesus was here in this world he said that when all the people knew of him, ' then shall the end come ' (Matt, xxiv, 14). "'If you do not get ready,' I told them, ' God won't wait long for you. He is waiting now — that is what the Book says. But when God sees you make "hard head '"(an expression much used among them, meaning stubborn- ness) ' he will cut you down at once — that is what he tells us. He is sparing you a little while, just to see if you will receive him ; and A Revival. 285 if not, you shall be cut down. " Why cumber- eth it the ground ? " ' " Many came. Others feared to come where we were. A man in the adjoining house came and knelt down, and after a time became so alarmed that he went back into his house and tried to hide behind a box. I went in to find him. He was trembling, and said, ' O yes, I know I ought to leave devil way ; I am afraid of God to-day.' " Soon after he was taken sick, but refused to yield to God. He counted the approval of his neighbors and idols of more value than the blessing God was holding out to him. He died, soon after, as he had lived. It was his last chance. Poor Baffalo! in trying to please his gods, which the devil-doctor had said were angry with him because he would not be a devil-doctor, he joined the devil-doctors and took a few lessons; but God had said, 'Cut it down,' and he died. " I went to Zion and told the men that I felt I ought to go to town and stay there ; that when we were in town the people felt the presence of God ; and that when we went back to the mission they felt that we were gone and the devil had charge again. After supper I told the children to get my cot ready, for I believed God wanted me to stay in town. 19 286 A Lone Woman in Africa. " So, we started for town, carrying the bed with us. We had a good meeting, keeping this one thing before the people — tliat the sky was coming down, and we had come to tell them that God said it, and he was not a man, that he should lie. They should believe it and come to Jesus, and he would take the devil out of them, who did not live in the bushes, as some of them say, but in their hearts. Unless they got him out now where would they go when the sky came down ? With the devil in the fire in hell — no place else ! " I stood at Sampson's place and called out the names of all the chiefs in the town, and told them we had come to beg them to be- lieve in God, not the devil ; to trust in Jesus, not the devil, and be ready ; for true, true, the sky was coming down, and I did not know what day, and God said nobody should know but himself. The only thing for us to do was to get ready, for it would come ' like a thief in the night.' "We said we had come to stay, and if they would not let us sleep in their houses we would sleep on the ground. I consulted the con- verts. They said, ' Yes, and if need be we will die for the souls of our friends. We have come to stay.' So I said that if they would not give us anything to eat I would give my A Revival. 287 life for them, and they could carry my body to Zion and bury it there. ' But don't,' I said, ' let the grass grow over me ; for, living or dying, I beg of you to be saved by the blood, for there is no other way to God's country.' " I dismissed the meeting and said, ' Now go to bed and sleep ; but if the sky comes down to-night what will you do?' They re- fused to go away, so I said, ' Well, you must come here and kneel down and beg God to save you.' A great many came. We prayed for the presence of the Spirit to show the need of a Saviour." O, the darkness of the heathen mind, all blinded with the superstitions of years, so in- capable of comprehending the things of God at first, until these obstructions have moved out of the way! They say, " My father told me to wear these charms, worship these gods " — or, rather, make offerings to them, for the African is not a worshiper in the sense that we use the word " worship." He makes offer- ings to appease the wrath of the dead and of the evil spirits. If he does not attend to these duties, he believes that any calamity that may come to him is the result of his neglect, or of the wrath of some witch man or woman. So, in keeping the law of his fathers he has 288 A Lone Woman in Africa. a certain sort of peace. Yet God in his mercy to man has left him " without excuse." He has the law of God written on his heart, and, although he has " changed the truth of God into a lie," yet the original stamp remains, and when you get down to it his heart re- sponds, and he can hear a voice within him saying, " This is the way, walk ye in it." The journal of this day continues : " It was growing late, and Sampson had gone. He was afraid, and did not know what to do. He was under conviction, and had been on his knees praying, but, fearing he might get saved and become a Christian, he had left and was not to be found. We took possession of his largest house. Finding mats tied up to the ceiling, we took them down and made our beds, the children and myself, four- teen in all. " As no person put in an appearance we lay down to sleep, after shutting the doors. When all was quiet, Sampson came and called out, 'Teacher, did you get a bed?' I said, 'Yes; where are you going to sleep ? ' ' O, I'll find a place,' he answered." No amount of "excitement" could have put mc through what I went through that A Revival. 289 month. But I believe God docs not always choose persons especially gifted, but those who will deliver the message he gives. How often have you thought you should speak to some person about his soul, yet, because it would seem out of place or you would seem peculiar, you have not done so ? " Be not conformed to this world." What does that mean but that we are not to be as they are or do as they do ? "A peculiar people." O, how we shrink from being peculiar! How we rob God of his glory and retard the wheels of the Gos- pel chariot by not delivering the message given by the King ! Let us fear to disobey our God, though all the people think us peculiar or crazy and fail not to report their opinion of us. The father of one of our girls from the in- terior heard that I had gone crazy and had seen the devil, and came down in great haste one morning to see what was to be done with his daughter. When he came he at once told me what had brought him, and said, " O, I be very glad to see you better ; we hear news in our town that you be sick bad." " No, no," I said, " I am not sick, but the Gar- raway people told me some big news. Do you know the sky is coming down ? " He answered, " I have been hear about that when I was a small boy, and it make me afraid ; 290 A Lone Woman in Africa. but this time I think the sky is no fit to come down no more." After some conversation on the traditions and customs of the people, referring especially to their custom of firing guns, beating drums, and blowing their war horns, in time of a thunderstorm, with the hope that the great noise may reach God's car and he be persuaded to have mercy on them and not let the sky down for the present, he said, " You talk true ; we all do that." After I had read some pas- sages from the Word to him, he said, " Them book talk true ; we know this world can finish." He is one of many that have the truth of God written on their hearts. God has given us the work of lifting up Jesus to a perishing world, and the heathen feel their need of him as other sinners do. We had those among us who, when we came, were in sin and caring for none of God's ways ; but, because we told them of a Saviour and pointed them to him who alone can save, they have been persuaded to turn to him for salvation, and are now re- joicing in his love. When we went to Garraway, six and a half years ago, there was no knowledge of the Sab- bath, no religious services, no school, not one person that could spell or write his own name. Now the people know that the seventh day is A Revival. 291 the Sabbath of the Lord our God, to be kept holy. We have a church organization, althougli not a church building. The services are held in the mission house. We have thirty-two members. Every Sabbath morning we have open-air meetings in two towns. At eleven o'clock wc have the regular morning serv- ice, followed by a fellowship meeting at the close. At four o'clock we have Sabbath school. Wednesday evening we have our regular prayer meeting ; and Friday evening the children have their meeting. On a moonlight night it is a very common thing for some of our members to march into the town, sing up a crowd of the people, in- terest them by telling them of God and eternal life, and urge them to accept salvation. The native children in the towns sometimes gather together and go from town to town singing- Gospel songs. In our Christian town, Zion, our people gather at the close of the day in somebody's house or yard, and have worship together be- fore retiring. These gatherings are often rather prayer meetings than family worship, as they sing, recite Bible verses, and sometimes have an experience meeting. And they have an ex- perience to tell. 292 A Lone Woman in Africa. I give hero a letter I received fruin one of our boys when I was away from home. He has been in the school four and a half years. He knew nothing of books, and but few Eng- lish words, when he came : " Garrawav, September 17, 1895. " My Dear Teacher : " I received your letter. We all are well. We have been in the interior and cleaned the coffee there, and have had a good time. I wish you were here to eat some of the palm butter and rice. " Hallelujah ! We are doing all we can to stir this country for God. The people are hungry for the real Gospel. We are expecting to see done that shall astonish men and devils and glorify our God forever. We praise the Lord for those he has saved, and ask for more and more. O hallelujah ! " These are the very best days of all my life — days of sharp contest with the foe and com- plete and sweeping victory. It seems to me that the sur^light of heaven never shone so bright on my soul as now. The cross never seemed so precious, the way so bright, and our lovely Jesus so near and dear. Bless his name ! Fellow-workers, I am with you to stand by this clean way until I lay down the cross and re- A Revival. 293 ccivc the crown. Allien ! Let us be true to the trust lie has left us, and never shrink or falter, gladly bearing the cross. *' Your loving boy, " Samuel James Mony." This letter of Samuel's shows what has been done for him in our day school. We have upon an average twelve scholars, and teach five days in tlie week. Many of our people are very proud of what they have accomplished ; and they have reason to be. The mission has done for them what nothing else has ever done ; and some of the old heathen men, who never intend to become Christians themselves, will encourage the young men and say, "You must do this new way ; our old fashion never fit to do us better." And when they see their sons learning to read and write and dressed like civilized people they feel that brighter days have come to them, and hope that they may rise from the igno- rance of the past to enjoy the advantages and privileges that civilization and Christianity bring to every nation where they are received. The natives know a good thing when they see it, and are quite convinced that the mission has done them more good than anything they could do for themselves. 294 A Lone Woman in Africa. Africa is the land to wliich all eyes are being turned in these days. It offers to the explorer the grandest lakes, rivers, and forests the world can give ; to the hunter, all kinds of game ; to the miner, untold wealth. But to the mission- ary it is, in these last days, the land where jewels bright and sparkling are to be found, that shall shine through all eternity as stars in the crown of Him who died to save the lost. Fellow-missionaries, let us rejoice, even if things may look dark before us at times. I have seen very dark days in Garraway, and know I shall see them again ; but God lives, and has given us many blessings along the way. Some- times it looks as if the people will not accept the Gospel ; but when the darkness is past, if we have trusted God through it, we can see the rays of light on the other side. Let us praise our Almighty God and exalt his name to- gether. The showers are coming ; these are only the first drops we feel now to tell us the season has come. Some people very skeptically ask, " Do you think you are doing any good ? Have you any idea that the native people will accept Christianity or be benefited by your going to them?" O yes, if I believe there is a God, whose word we read, I must' believe that it is doing good to obey his voice. Even in my A Revival. 295 short day I have seen his word fulfilled in so many ways that I must believe it all. The little stone that Nebuchadnezzar saw, that struck his powerful image and sent it like chaff before the wind, is this Jesus that we preach. Let us obey his every command, heed- ing not how dark it looks to human eyes if only we have Jesus on our side. " We're a band that shall conquer the foe, If we fight in the strength of the King ; With the sword of the Spirit we know We shall sinners to Calvary bring." THE END. i DATE DUE I— — ■ ■•"-''"^■tli if^ TJ J DEMCO 38-297