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THE CONGO FOR CHRIST 
 
 HI}* ^torn of tljc Congo jHission 
 
 JOHN BROWN MYERS 
 
 (association secretary baptist missionary society) 
 author of "thomas j. comber," "william cake\ ," etc. 
 
 SECOND EDITION. NINTH THOUSAND. 
 
 FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY 
 
 NEW YORK CHICAGO TORONTO 
 
 Publishers of Evangelical Literature. 
 
LOAN STACK 
 
^ ■ fJT/g r 
 
 a\/ 
 
 PREFACE. 
 
 NUMEROUS inquiries have been made for a 
 concise history of the Congo Mission, brought 
 up to date. With the view of meeting this 
 demand the present volume has been written. 
 The late esteemed Treasurer of the Baptist Mission- 
 ary Society, Mr. Joseph Tritton, published " The Rise 
 and Progress of the Congo Mission" in 1885, which 
 publication has for some time been out of print, and 
 during the last ten years the Mission has greatly 
 developed. Considerable information is also to be 
 found in the Memoir of Thomas J. Comber, appearing 
 in this Series, but that work is necessarily restricted 
 by its biographical character. The story of this 
 remarkable Mission has been told in such leisure 
 moments as the writer could command, and may 
 therefore, on that account, as also on account of the 
 limited space at disposal, be inadequately told. It is, 
 however, confidently believed no one can read these 
 pages without being led to thank God for the great 
 
 337 
 
VI PREFACE. 
 
 work which has been accomplished, and for the heroic, 
 Christ-like spirit displayed by those who have served, 
 and suffered, and died in the prosecution of it. 
 
 The records of the Baptist Missionary Society have 
 largely contributed to the matter, as also its woodcuts 
 to the illustration of the volume. 
 
 It now only remains to express the prayerful hope 
 that, as the book shall find its way into Christian 
 homes and Christian Churches, into Sunday Schools, 
 Christian Endeavour Societies, and other institu- 
 tions, the study of it may help to sustain and 
 deepen the interest which from its origin has been 
 so extensively taken in this Congo Mission. 
 
 J. B. M. 
 
 May, 1895. 
 
 NOTE TO SECOND EDITION. 
 
 Since the issue of the First Edition, circum- 
 stances have led to the substitution of YAKUSU, near 
 Stanley Falls, for Mojembo, not at present practi- 
 cable, as the site of the new station. It may also be 
 stated that a commodious School-House has been 
 recently erected at Bolobo. 
 
 To the death-roll a further name has been added, 
 that of Rev. Philip Davies, B.A., of Wathen Station, 
 who passed away on the 4th of December, 1895. 
 
CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE COUNTRY, PEOPLE, LANGUAGE, AND CLIMATE, 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 HOW THE CONGO MISSION BEGAN, . 
 
 17 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 EARLY DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME, 
 
 24 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 INGATHERING OF THE FIRST-FRUITS, 
 
 41 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE WORK AMONGST THE CONGO BOYS AND GIRLS, . 5 1 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 LITERARY LABOURS, 
 
 . 62 
 
viii CONTENTS. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 PAGE 
 
 THE SERVICES OF THE MISSION TO CIVILISATION AND 
 
 PHILANTHROPY, 71 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE NATIVE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES, 
 
 . 88 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE NATIVE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES— {continued), . „ IOO 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE EVANGELISTIC EFFORTS OF THE NATIVE CHRISTIAN 
 
 CHURCHES, 113 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 THE DEATH ROLL AND HOW TO REGARD IT, . . . 1 23 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE FUTURE OF THE CONGO MISSION, . . . .139 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 OTHER MISSIONS IN CONGO, 147 
 
THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE COUNTRY, PEOPLE, LANGUAGE, AND CLIMATE. 
 
 IT was in the January of 1878 that the Pioneer 
 Baptist missionaries first landed upon the shores 
 of the Congo, some six months after Mr. Stanley's 
 emergence from the mysterious depths of the 
 Dark Continent. The knowledge of Congo country, 
 previous to the wonderful journey across Africa of 
 that intrepid traveller, was most meagre. During the 
 four centuries which elapsed since Diego Cam dis- 
 covered the mouth of the river, little of interest 
 had transpired save the entrance, almost immediately 
 after that discovery, of some Portuguese Roman 
 Catholic missionaries into the chief town of Congo 
 proper, to which town they gave the name of San 
 Salvador, and where they built a cathedral and 
 received the king and the inhabitants generally into 
 a nominal Christian Church. In less than a hundred 
 years, however, the Portuguese were driven from the 
 
 9 
 
10 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 place, who then transferred their ecclesiastical influ- 
 ence and privileges to St. Paul de Loanda on the 
 coast of Angola. 
 
 Mention may also be made of a British expedition 
 in charge of Captain Tuckey, sent out by the Admir- 
 alty at the beginning of the present century to explore 
 the course of the Congo. But the results were slight, 
 owing to the fatality with which the expedition was 
 attended, though useful information concerning the 
 lower reaches of the river was obtained. 
 
 The only other preliminary event requiring notice 
 here, is the expedition sent out by the Royal Geo- 
 graphical Society, under the command of Lieutenant 
 Grandy, organised for the search of Dr. Livingstone. 
 Not finding it expedient to follow the course of the 
 Congo from its mouth, Lieutenant Grandy proceeded 
 from Ambriz, reaching San Salvador after a month's 
 journey. The knowledge of the interior country 
 which he was enabled to communicate to the Geo- 
 graphical Society was very valuable, and was of great 
 service to the missionary pioneers. It will thus be 
 seen that, at the best, the knowledge of the country 
 obtainable was very limited, and bearing in mind 
 that the details of Stanley's journey were not yet in 
 their possession, the country into which these pioneers 
 of the Cross were entering may be truly described as 
 "Terra Incognita." 
 
 But while Congo country was at that time an 
 unknown territory, it is very far from being so to-day. 
 It would be out of place, in this volume, to detail the 
 various steps which have resulted in the present 
 development of the Congo Free State, the founding 
 of which took place in 1885. A glance at the map 
 recently published in Brussels, showing the state, the 
 trading and the mission stations, the postal offices, 
 the railway projections, as well as the various districts 
 into which the vast territory of the Free State has 
 been sub-divided, is abundantly sufficient to produce 
 the impression that a more rapid and remarkable 
 
COUNTRY, PEOPLE, LANGUAGE, AND CLIMATE II 
 
 instance of progress in civilisation has not been 
 witnessed in this or in any other age. 
 
 The tract of country, over which the philanthropic 
 and noble-minded King of the Belgians, Leopold II., 
 rules as sovereign, and which by the consent of the 
 Powers is on the point of being transferred to Belgium, 
 thus virtually becoming a colony of that nation, in- 
 cludes an enormous part of equatorial Africa, extending 
 in its more northerly points about 5° N. Lat, and in its 
 
 THE LOWER 
 
 CONGO 
 
 1- 4.0O0.0OO 
 Stntuteiiila 1 
 
 10~ 20 30 -tO SO ■ 
 
 FRENCH C-^0 .i\' ..G---0 MBf*"*" 1 " 
 
 <gu 
 
 V ytampa 
 
 MkwyiJJ ^*?lZ_ _»* \ / 
 
 f%Jj 1 ^fedhen . i.'.MZett J 
 
 J* LuMtnt;<t 
 
 L-i*i 
 
 
 li 
 
 Ire lySaVaacrS _fo 
 
 JfcJcOUtCL 
 
 r «: 
 
 O 
 
 BAPTIST MISSION STATIONS. 
 
 OTHER MISSION STATIONS. 
 
 southern boundary 12° S. Lat, stretching across the 
 continent to the great Eastern Lakes, 30° E. Long. 
 The extent of area thus covered is no less than nearly 
 900,000 square miles, with splendid navigable water- 
 ways of some 5000 miles in length, the population 
 being estimated at 50,000,000, an estimate which, on 
 further explorations, may be largely exceeded. 
 
 It is a great satisfaction, in view of missionary 
 operations, that in the delimitation of frontiers the 
 
12 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 districts of Banana and of Boma, situated on the 
 north bank of the Lower Congo, should have been 
 ceded to the Free State, thereby the great gateway 
 into the interior being neither under the control of the 
 Portuguese nor of the French Powers. 
 
 It is appropriate that in this introductory chapter 
 a brief reference should be made to the general 
 questions of the Religion, Language, and Character 
 of the Congo people, as also to the Climate of their 
 country. As to the first of these questions, that of 
 Religion, it may be said the ideas of a God, of a future 
 state, and of retribution exist in the native mind. 
 " But," as has been graphically remarked, " over all the 
 religious beliefs of the Central African rests a dense 
 cloud of superstition. He trembles before the witch- 
 doctor. He kills his own wife when he imagines her 
 bewitched. He kills one child because it cuts the 
 upper teeth before the lower. He kills another child 
 when it turns from one side to the other in sleep. 
 The ghost-like medicine-man, the universal demi-god 
 of savage nations, with his hideous miscellany of dead 
 lizards, hide, nails of the dead, lions' claws and 
 vulture-beaks, stalks through the village imparting 
 strange efficacy to claw or bone, stick or stone. And 
 as beneath the dull, leaden skies of the distant north 
 there are believed to be structures haunted by ghosts 
 and goblins, so here the forest, with its tenantry of 
 owls and bats, is the abode of malignant spirits, 
 and the rustling of the foliage at eventide is their 
 mysterious dialogue. Shadowy vagueness and super- 
 stitious terror are the cardinal elements of Central 
 African religion." 
 
 With respect to Language, it cannot but be of great 
 advantage in the evangelisation of the Congo, that as 
 the people, — with the possible exception of the dwarfs, 
 the singular beings with whom Mr. Stanley has made 
 us familiar, — are of the same origin, belonging to the 
 great Bantu family, the language spoken, though vary- 
 ing much in dialect, and practically distinct in several of 
 
14 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 its tongues, is yet throughout Central Africa governed 
 by the same grammatical principles and rules. " In 
 a general and wide study of the Bantu, or of any 
 other family of tongues/' says the Rev. W. Holman 
 Bentley, who has devoted himself more especially 
 to the study of language, " we may expect to find 
 certain individualities, forms, and tendencies, much 
 more developed in some languages than in others ; 
 some forms most rare and obscure in one member of 
 the family occurring frequently in another, in which 
 also the construction appears most simple. Thus, 
 each language reduced, should not only aid us towards 
 a fuller knowledge of the general principles of its 
 class, but, should elucidate some of the difficulties 
 belonging to other branches of its family." "The 
 Congo language," says Dr. Cust, a high authority on 
 the modern languages of Africa, " takes its place by 
 the side of the Swahili, the Zulu, and the Pongwe, as 
 one of the typical languages of the Bantu family. 
 Differing from each other in many particulars, they 
 still have such ineffaceable affinities as indicate their 
 common stock. The mechanism of one often explains 
 misunderstood anomalies in the others." 
 
 In Character, some of the tribes are less cruel and 
 more open to influence than others. Whilst occasion- 
 ally, the missionaries have been received with hostility, 
 and in some towns have found it unsafe to dwell, 
 generally speaking, their visits have been cordially 
 welcomed, and their message listened to with respect- 
 ful wonder. In mental capacity, the natives are said 
 to be bright and quick, and by no means the stupid 
 and stolid creatures they are sometimes represented. 
 High hopes are entertained that, as Christianity and 
 civilisation advance, the Congo people will take rank 
 with the foremost nations of the earth. 
 
 A final word as to the Climate of the country. 
 Hereafter we shall have occasion to touch upon the 
 sad losses, which have so sorely tried the hearts of 
 the supporters of African Missions, and of those of 
 
i6 
 
 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 this Congo Mission in particular. Optimists cannot 
 commend the climate as being without risk to health. 
 No one in his senses will go forth to a tropical 
 country, where malarial fever is frequent, denying 
 that he incurs peril ; but the reputation of the Congo 
 climate has unquestionably had to suffer through 
 consequences resulting from ignorance and lack of 
 prudence. With increasing knowledge is coming 
 greater medical skill, and given certain conditions — 
 conditions deemed more and more possible, and the 
 prospects of continuous and prosperous work will 
 grow brighter. 
 
 This, then, is the nature of the country in which, 
 and the kind of people among whom, the Christian 
 Mission is being conducted, whose remarkable pro- 
 gress and beneficent labours are about to be traced 
 in subsequent chapters. 
 
CHAPTER II. 
 
 HOW THE CONGO MISSION BEGAN. 
 
 VERY evident to a devout mind is the working 
 of a Divine Providence in the circumstances 
 which led the Baptist Missionary Society to 
 enter upon missionary labours in Congo land. 
 In the origin of no similar enterprise were the con- 
 currence of events and conditions more remarkable. 
 The labours of other Societies whose representatives 
 had entered from the East Coast — those of the Free 
 Church of Scotland Mission on Lake Nyassa, the 
 Church Missionary Society's Mission in Uganda, and 
 the expedition sent out by the London Missionary 
 Society to Lake Tanganyika — had awakened the 
 interest of the Christian Church generally in the 
 evangelisation of Africa. 
 
 For a long time the conviction had been strengthen- 
 ing in the minds of the supporters of the Baptist 
 Society, as the result of experience gained at coast 
 stations, that their true policy, wherever practicable, 
 was to penetrate into the interior, where the Gospel 
 might be preached unhindered by the hostile influ- 
 ence of demoralising traders. The opinion strongly 
 expressed by many, pre-eminently by Dr. Livingstone, 
 
 17 B 
 
1 8 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 who was continuously calling upon missionaries " to 
 leave the unhealthy, fever-stricken, trade-cursed tribes 
 on the coast," created a readiness to embrace any 
 favourable opportunity for work in inland regions. 
 In pursuance of this desire, special journeys at this 
 very time were being made from the Cameroon 
 stations, to ascertain if it were possible to enter the 
 interior from that part of Western Africa. 
 
 It was just at this particular moment — date the 14th 
 of May, 1877 — when the Committee at home were 
 desirous to start operations in central regions, and 
 when missionaries abroad were exploring with a view 
 to that end, that Mr. Robert Arthington, of Leeds, 
 whose interest in the degraded peoples of Africa is 
 well known, and whose gifts to promote their moral 
 and spiritual welfare have been most generous, 
 communicated with the Committee of the Society, 
 calling their attention to a part of Africa, " not too 
 far, I think," to quote his own words, " from places 
 where you have stations, on which I have long had 
 my eye with very strong desire that the blessings of 
 the Gospel might be given to it. It is the country of 
 the Congo." And then after referring to the Romish 
 Missions of three hundred years ago, the traces of 
 which may be seen in the Cathedral ruins at San 
 Salvador, and giving certain information respecting 
 the country thus mentioned, he concluded his letter in 
 the following terms : — 
 
 " It is, therefore, a great satisfaction and a high and 
 sacred pleasure to me to offer ^"iooo if the Baptist 
 Missionary Society will undertake at once to visit 
 these benighted, interesting people with the blessed 
 light of the Gospel, teach them to read and write, and 
 give them in imperishable letters the words of eternal 
 truth. By-and-by, possibly, we may be able to extend 
 the mission eastwards on the Congo at a point above 
 the rapids. 
 
 " But, however, that may be, I hope that soon we 
 shall have a steamer on the Congo, if it should 
 
20 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 be found requisite, and carry the Gospel eastwards 
 and south and north of the river, as the way may 
 open as far as Nyangwe. The London Mission- 
 ary Society take twenty miles west of Lake Tangan- 
 yika." 
 
 The receipt of this communication at so opportune 
 a moment awakened the liveliest interest. Was not 
 a voice from heaven speaking ? Was not the hand of 
 God discernible in such an incident? 
 
 On Mr. Arthington's letter being laid before the 
 Directors of the Society, a special sub-committee was 
 at once appointed to make all necessary inquiries 
 and gain all possible information. The practical out- 
 come of their deliberations was to suggest a prelimin- 
 ary exploration of the Congo. On Mr. Arthington 
 being informed of this proposal, that gentleman wrote 
 a second letter as under: — 
 
 " It is to the King of Congo, and the existing com- 
 munities of the ancient Christian Romish civilisation 
 now decayed, at San Salvador, of the country called 
 Congo, that I have so long, and so strongly desired 
 to send, in all its life-giving freshness, the Word of 
 God, and to give them in their own tongue, never to 
 be forgotten, the words of Jesus and His Apostles. 
 
 " Then, besides that, I want us to be on the Congo 
 River by-and-by (when we get the intelligent interest 
 and co-operation of the King of Congo) above the 
 rapids, and sail the messengers of the everlasting 
 Gospel on the mighty river up as far as to Nyangwe. 
 
 " Does not God call us by His providential indica- 
 tions to attempt great things for His Christ, and the 
 Gospel. 
 
 " God is over all, and we may depend upon it He 
 intends now to open out Africa to Christian evan- 
 gelisation. Think of the thousands of souls come 
 across by Cameron west of Tanganyika. Are these 
 to live and die without the knowledge of the all- 
 precious Gospel? Nay, hardly so. In my opinion, 
 it would be wise, without delay, to send a man, most 
 
HOW THE CONGO MISSION BEGAN. 21 
 
 prayerfully chosen, full of faith and love, who will 
 determinately make his way to the King of Congo, 
 and ask him if he would receive and encourage your 
 Christian missionaries ; and, at the same time, he 
 should make all needful inquiries. 
 
 "If you find the man and inform me, I intend at 
 once to send you £50 to encourage you." 
 
 When the July quarterly meeting arrived, the 
 special sub- committee were prepared with their 
 report, which was unanimously and enthusiastically 
 adopted, its recommendation being most gratefully to 
 accept Mr. Arthington's proposals, and assure him of 
 the deep and hearty sympathy of the Committee in 
 his desire to send the Gospel into the interior of 
 Africa by way of the West Coast ; to appeal to the 
 friends of Africa on behalf of the expenses of a 
 proposed preliminary visit to San Salvador; and to 
 appeal for one or more suitable pioneers to undertake 
 the projected journey. 
 
 The public announcement of this decision called 
 forth the fervent approval of the Churches, and 
 promises of support were speedily forthcoming. 
 
 We have referred to indications of Divine leading, 
 and in this connection we have now to mention a 
 significant concurrence of events, surely to be regarded 
 as something more than a mere coincidence. In the 
 appeal made by the Committee for the funds needful 
 to enter upon the preliminary undertaking, they made 
 use of the following language : — " Who can say but 
 that it may lead to the proclamation of the glad 
 tidings of the Gospel all along the banks of the 
 mighty Congo ? That, with San Salvador as a base, 
 the missionaries may be able to follow that mysterious 
 river from above the Falls, as far as Nyan gw£, and 
 thus solve the great and perplexing question as to the 
 Lualaba being identical with the Congo? 
 
 " The gallant Cameron says : — ' This great Lualaba 
 must be one of the head waters of the Congo, for 
 where else could that giant among rivers, second only 
 
22 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 to the Amazon in its volume, obtain the two million 
 cubic feet of water which it unceasingly pours each 
 second into the Atlantic' 
 
 " Probably this question will soon be set at rest by 
 the intrepid Stanley, who is now engaged in trying to 
 find his way from Nyangwe to the West Coast, by the 
 banks of the Congo, from the very point where 
 Commander Cameron was most reluctantly compelled 
 to turn southwards, and abandon his long-cherished 
 idea of reaching the West Coast by the waters of the 
 Congo." 
 
 At the very time the article containing this appeal 
 was being prepared for the press by Mr. A. H. 
 Baynes, the General Secretary of the Society, to 
 whose skilfulness and enthusiasm, both as to its 
 inception and management, the Congo Mission owes 
 so much, Mr. Stanley's famous despatch, dated 
 Embomma, Congo River, ioth August, 1877, 
 announcing the successful accomplishment of his 
 marvellous journey, and publishing his most import- 
 ant discovery of the identity of the Lualaba and the 
 Congo rivers, was on its way to England. 
 
 By this great discovery the purposes of the Com- 
 mittee were naturally much strengthened ; and, 
 further, their way was made still more clear by the 
 receipt of a donation from Mr. Wathen (afterward 
 Sir Charles Wathen) of ^500 to meet the estimated 
 cost of the proposed preliminary expedition. Other 
 gifts followed ; and, as showing the spirit of intense 
 interest which had been aroused, we may quote a 
 typical letter received from a Staffordshire collier : — 
 
 " To the Secretaries of t]ie Baptist Mission. 
 
 "25th September, 1877. 
 
 " Dear Sirs, — Ever since my conversion, now 
 
 some few years ago, I have taken a deep interest in 
 
 mission work, especially mission work in Africa. 
 
 I always carry a map of Africa in my pocket, and 
 
HOW THE CONGO MISSION BEGAN. 23 
 
 often look over it in my spare time in the pit. For a 
 long time I have been thinking of the great Congo 
 River, and praying that missionaries may be sent 
 there, and I now see in the Missionary Herald for 
 this month that the answer is coming, and the Lord 
 has put it into Mr. Arthington's mind. 
 
 " Times have not been very gay with us of late, 
 but I have put by from time to time a little for 
 Africa, and now with a glad heart I send you a five 
 pound bank-note for the Congo Mission, with a 
 prayer that the Lord may bless it, and I remain 
 yours in Christ, 
 
 "A Staffordshire Collier. 
 
 "PS. — I have just heard about Mr. Stanley and 
 his wonderful journey. How the Lord seems to be 
 opening up Africa. Can't we all do something more 
 for Africa ? " 
 
 Careful deliberations as to the persons to whom 
 this important expedition should be intrusted forced 
 upon the judgment of the Directors the desirability of 
 seeking the assistance of those who possessed some 
 experience of African life, and who were men of 
 proved capacity. The choice fell upon the Revs. 
 George Grenfell and Thomas J. Comber, two 
 missionaries then stationed at Cameroons, and whose 
 recent journeyings into the interior from that part of 
 the West Coast had helped to fit them to undertake 
 the new enterprise. No sooner did the communica- 
 tion reach these brethren, inviting them in the name 
 of the Lord Jesus to render this service, than they 
 both placed themselves, in the spirit of heroic devo- 
 tion and in humble dependence upon Divine help, 
 unreservedly at the disposal of the Society. 
 
 Such, then, were the circumstances in which the 
 Congo Mission was originated. 
 
CHAPTER III. 
 
 EARLY DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME. 
 
 IT was not without an adequate sense of the for- 
 midable character of this Congo undertaking 
 that the initiative steps were taken. The diffi- 
 culties certain to be encountered were not 
 under-estimated. It was deeply felt that much 
 patience and prudence, courage and endurance, would 
 be required. 
 
 As indicating the fitness of the men to whom the 
 enterprise had been intrusted, no sooner had they 
 intimated their readiness to serve, than they deter- 
 mined, whilst waiting for the detailed instructions 
 from England, to take the first opportunity to sail 
 down to the mouth of the Congo River, so that on 
 the spot they might gain all the information obtain- 
 able, and thus be the better prepared to make the 
 necessary preliminary preparations. The advantages 
 secured were great. They gained a practical know- 
 ledge of the river for some sixty miles into the 
 interior ; they ascertained to what extent they might 
 be able to rely upon native carriers ; they entered 
 into cordial relations with Mr. Bloeme of the Dutch 
 Trading House, who promised them all the assistance 
 24 
 
? s 
 
 ^ g 
 
 S o 
 
 I 
 
26 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 in his power ; and they were able to despatch a letter 
 to the King of Congo advising his Majesty of their 
 intended visit. 
 
 After returning to Cameroons the Home instruc- 
 tions arrived. And then, as soon as the preparations 
 could be completed and the small party got together, 
 they embarked again for the Congo, their spirit being 
 expressed in the following terms : — " Earnestly, most 
 earnestly do we pray that the gracious Lord, our 
 Master and Guide, may give us favour in the eyes of 
 the people, open up a way for us, go before us, be 
 round about us and ever with its; we indeed are 
 weak, as but children, but He can so order and over- 
 rule, as to enable us to unfurl the Banner of the Cross 
 at San Salvador, that with that for a base, from it, 
 may enable us or others to pierce the interior, and 
 carry the glad tidings of salvation through His blood 
 all along the densely populated bank of the mighty 
 Congo and its great tributaries." 
 
 After eight days' sail Banana was reached, and in 
 fourteen days more the expedition, increased to 
 thirty-five persons all told, was on its way to San 
 Salvador. The journey was uneventful ; the route lay 
 over rough roads, hills some seven hundred feet high, 
 and through valleys where the paths were nearly 
 blocked by tall thick grass, in some places as 
 much as twelve feet in height. In eight days their 
 destination was reached, and they were immediately 
 ushered into the presence of the king. The first 
 impressions of San Salvador were far from favourable. 
 They were disappointed in the size of the town, as 
 it did not contain more than about one thousand 
 inhabitants. They found, too, that the Portuguese 
 Jesuits, having heard of their intentions, had preceded 
 them, and had arranged regular services, and in other 
 ways had asserted their influence. They came, 
 therefore, to the decision to settle, if possible, in 
 preference, at Makouta or Kinsuka, of which places 
 they had gained encouraging information. After 
 
EARLY DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME. 27 
 
 remaining, however, for a short time at San Salvador, 
 and having visited the district of Makouta, they 
 eventually came to the conclusion — especially as Dom 
 Pedro, the king, expressed a very earnest wish that 
 they should live in his town, at the same time assur- 
 ing them of his protection — that it would be better 
 to found a station, as originally intended, at San 
 Salvador. 
 
 The purposes of the preliminary expedition being 
 now fulfilled, it was deemed desirable for Mr. Comber 
 to visit England, so that he might confer with the 
 Committee of the Society as to future proceedings, 
 and especially to procure reinforcements, Mr. Grenfell 
 returning to Cameroons. 
 
 The enthusiasm which Mr. Comber's home-coming 
 awakened, the success with which the appeal for new 
 missionaries was attended, his marriage to Miss Minnie 
 Rickards, the ever-memorable meeting in Cannon 
 Street Hotel — all these deeply interesting particulars 
 are described at length in Mr. Comber's Memoir, that 
 book being one of the volumes of this Missionary Series. 
 
 After a six weeks' voyage, on the 9th of June, 1879, 
 the missionaries — Mr. and Mrs. Comber and the three 
 new men, Messrs. Bentley, Crudgington, and Hartland 
 — arrived at Banana, and thence proceeded without 
 delay to San Salvador. At the calling station previ- 
 ous to Banana they had heard with intense interest 
 the most important news " that Mr. Stanley was 
 expected soon from Zanzibar, where he had gone to 
 procure carriers ; and that he was intending to enter 
 Africa from the mouth of the Congo, going first to 
 Stanley Pool, with the object of establishing trading 
 stations along the bank of the river." 
 
 Though this important information did not lead to 
 any alteration in their plan to attempt to reach the 
 Upper Congo River from San Salvador as a base of 
 operations, the missionaries nevertheless felt that Mr. 
 Stanley's movements might have a very significant 
 bearing upon their future action. 
 
28 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 It is not proposed in these pages to detail the 
 labours and experience of the Congo pioneers during 
 the period they endeavoured to force their way to 
 Stanley Pool from San Salvador ; neither do we 
 dwell here upon the first great trial which came upon 
 the mission in the lamented death of Mrs. Comber. 
 For these particulars we must refer our readers to Mr. 
 Comber's biography, already mentioned. We cannot 
 do better than sum up the results of this period in the 
 words of Mr. Bentley : " Our work at San Salvador 
 made good progress ; but our aim was the evangelisa- 
 tion of the Upper Congo, and this had to be kept in 
 view. Beyond the king's territory we were blocked 
 by native traders. When we endeavoured to make 
 our way from San Salvador towards Stanley Pool, 
 they steadily and persistently refused to allow us to 
 pass, in spite of all we told them of our errand. ' No,' 
 they said, ' you white men stay on the coast ; we will 
 bring the produce to you there ; but if you go to the 
 Pool you will know our markets, and buy where we 
 buy ; our trade will be lost ; then how shall we obtain 
 our guns and powder, beads and brass, crockery-ware 
 and knives, cloth, and all the fine things we get now ? 
 No, we will never let you pass our towns ; and if you 
 persist, you will be killed.' They could not conceive 
 of people who were not traders. Thirteen attempts 
 were made, first on one road and then on another, 
 until Mr. Comber was attacked and shot. He was 
 able to escape, and the slug was extracted. Then 
 followed long palavering, and at last the road was 
 declared open. Meanwhile, we learned that Mr. 
 Stanley had returned to the Congo, and was engaged 
 in making a road from Vivi, on the north bank of the 
 Congo, the point where the river ceased to be navig- 
 able. He was said to be acting for the King of the 
 Belgians, and to have instructions to open up com- 
 munications between the coast and Stanley Pool. 
 This was good news indeed." 
 
 It was then resolved that an effort should be made 
 
V 
 
30 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 to reach Stanley Pool along either bank of the river, 
 Mr. Comber and Mr. Hartland taking the south and 
 Mr. Bentley and Mr. Crudgington the north bank. 
 The attempt of the former party was soon found to be 
 impracticable, and had to be abandoned ; but that of 
 the latter was ultimately crowned with success. As 
 this very remarkable journey, from obvious reasons, is 
 barely mentioned in the memoir of Mr. Comber, it is 
 appropriate that some detailed reference should find a 
 place in this volume. 
 
 Starting from Musuka on the 17th of January, 1881, 
 Messrs. Bentley and Crudgington kept the south bank 
 until Matadi was reached, from which place they 
 crossed over the river to Vivi on the opposite shore. 
 For the next five days, as far as Isangila, they were 
 able to avail themselves of Mr. Stanley's road. At 
 some points they were charmed by the impressive 
 scenery ; particularly was this the case just above the 
 Yellala Falls. "On our right roared the Falls, tumbling 
 and foaming madly over huge rocks in the bed of the 
 river. On our left rose a very high mountain of 
 rocks almost perpendicularly from the water, and we 
 were amazed at the wonderful piece of engineering 
 which Mr. Stanley has accomplished. To get round 
 this mountain he had to blast and throw over huge 
 masses of rock, to build up a strong road which the 
 river should not wash away even when it rose to its 
 highest, which was within a foot of the level of the 
 road. At low water — i.e., in the dry season — this road 
 or embankment is about ten feet above the river. In 
 front of us lay a fine undulating road through this 
 wood which runs down to the edge of the river. 
 Beautifully shaded from the hot scorching sun, it was 
 a most inviting spot to camp for the remainder of the 
 day. The air seemed alive with butterflies of every 
 conceivable colour and tint. Birds of every descrip- 
 tion fluttered from branch to branch, while the small 
 monkeys laughed defiance from the tops of the trees. 
 We did not hurry our boys along this part of our 
 
EARLY DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME. 3 1 
 
 journey. Indeed we said we would like to spend a 
 week here exploring the beauties of the place, and 
 rinding fresh bursts of lovely scenery ; but we were 
 bound for Stanley Pool, so could only take a passing 
 enjoyment." 
 
 On leaving Isangila the missionaries entered an 
 unknown country, with their compass as their guide, 
 and dependent upon the information they might pick 
 up as they passed along. In some parts they had to 
 pull themselves up steep ascents by tufts of grass and 
 roots of trees. So difficult was the way that their 
 headsmen refused to proceed farther, and, moreover, 
 declared the people ahead to be bad people, with bad 
 customs. The next day the same difficulty again 
 occurred, the guides who had been obtained at the 
 town where they had spent the previous night, declin- 
 ing to go beyond a certain point because they were 
 not acquainted with the people in front. After remon- 
 strating, it soon became evident that the men were 
 conducting them in a wrong direction. " At length," 
 says Mr. Crudgington, "we declared we would go no 
 farther with them. They began palavering, and — we 
 were in the midst of a lot of towns — the men collected 
 with their guns, and we feared mischief." Having left 
 their guides, they struck off in an almost opposite 
 direction, but only to lose the path in a marshy river. 
 Cutting, however, their way through the tall grass, 
 they entered upon another path, which brought them 
 to a small town, the people in which soon showed 
 them a friendly spirit. 
 
 We may here refer to the difficulty these pioneer 
 missionaries were continually encountering through 
 the necessity of crossing the streams which so often 
 impeded their progress. In some instances, these 
 rivers were without bridges, and so had to be waded 
 or swam across, the men getting their loads over as 
 best they could ; and where the streams had been 
 bridged over, it was only with creepers swung from 
 trees on either side. " Sometimes," they said, " the 
 
32 
 
 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 bridge would be so badly made, and swayed so 
 dangerously, that when our men began to cross with 
 their loads we had to steady it by means of other 
 
 SUSPENSION BRIDGE. 
 
 long creepers tied on each side of the bridge, and at 
 times they would be so high above the river that 
 when we had crossed we had to scramble down a 
 palm tree like bears down a bear-pole." 
 
EARLY DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME. 33 
 
 The accommodation available for the travellers 
 was frequently of the most uninviting character, so 
 undesirable that sometimes they had to sleep in the 
 open, whilst drumming and dancing and yelling 
 would be kept up till dawn. On arriving at a place 
 called Kibindika they described the women as being 
 the ugliest without exception they had ever seen — 
 round flat faces, with noses of very broad proportions, 
 and large thick lips. This ugliness, they remarked, is 
 increased by putting on a mixture, which might, by its 
 appearance, be soot and treacle. The hair is carefully 
 preserved until it is of sufficient length to allow of its 
 being clothed up with a similar mixture, giving the 
 head a mop-like appearance. Over all this preparation 
 of hair and face an oily mixture is poured. The ears, 
 of course, are pierced, and, failing rings or beads, a 
 bundle of rags, three or four inches long, sometimes 
 containing medicine, helps to finish the adornment 
 of the person. 
 
 After having been rather more than three weeks on 
 their march, on the 10th of February, an event of 
 great interest occurred, being nothing less than the 
 sighting of Stanley Pool, the travellers' then " Ultima 
 Thule." They had heard from the natives that the 
 pool was not far distant, and they were naturally full 
 of excitement. " Our anxiety," they say in their 
 diary, " was now greater than it had ever been lest 
 at the last hour we should get turned back and not 
 accomplish what we wanted." After rising early the 
 next morning, they passed through fine woodland 
 country, with many sandy streams and some beauti- 
 ful open spaces covered with short grass. At one of 
 these open spaces on a little hill, Mr. Crudgington 
 sighted a wide stretch of water on the horizon, which 
 appeared a long streak of cloud. He exclaimed to 
 Mr. Bentley, " Look, there 's Stanley Pool ! " They 
 thought they must be mistaken, but another view a 
 little farther on made it unmistakable. They then felt 
 they could walk any distance to reach the Pool that day. 
 
 C 
 
34 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 Not that, but the next day, however, to their inex- 
 pressible joy, found them on its shores. The physical 
 characteristics of the Pool in many respects surpassed 
 their anticipations. The White Dover Cliffs, the grass 
 covered and tree-clad hill, the numerous sand islands, 
 composed a lovely picture. The Pool itself they 
 found to be in size about twenty-four miles long, and 
 in some parts the same distance broad. 
 
 Here the missionaries made the acquaintance of 
 the great chief, Nga Liema of Ntamo. After a long 
 palaver they were admitted into his town, but their 
 position was by no means without peril, as the follow- 
 ing extract from their journal will show : — " We were 
 conducted into an enclosure and shown a house. The 
 people, many of whom were hideously painted about 
 the face and body, were hanging about us with their 
 formidable looking spears and knives. Some other 
 chiefs, of not a very prepossessing appearance, ex- 
 amined the exterior of our baggage. In the evening 
 our capata expressed great fear. The chiefs had 
 been talking to him about our cloth, and had ex- 
 pressed a liking for ears and tongues. This a chief 
 repeated in my hearing," says Mr. Crudgington, 
 " and his manner of expressing himself conveyed 
 very graphically his kind intentions. They also 
 said, ' Kroo boys had plenty of salt in them.' This 
 had a very significant meaning. Fearful, lest our 
 Kroo boys, who were very much afraid of the people, 
 should take the canoes and go off in the night, we 
 had the headman and another to sleep in our house. 
 I need not say we did not sleep comfortably that 
 night. There were many rats running up and down 
 the grass wall of the house by the side I was lying, 
 and sometimes I wondered whether a native were 
 outside trying to get his spear through. Needless 
 fear, perhaps, as they were large enough in numbers 
 to easily overpower us. But amongst such people any 
 suspicion makes simple things assume horrible forms." 
 
 From Ntamo the missionaries proceeded to Nshasha, 
 

3^ THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 but when within a short distance of the town, some 
 two hundred savages, hideously painted, rushed out 
 upon them armed with knives, spears, clubs, and 
 guns, and yelling in a most threatening manner. 
 "As they advanced," records the journal, "we re- 
 treated, palavering with them the whole time, in 
 order that our men might have a chance of escape. 
 Once or twice we felt it was utterly useless to hope 
 for our lives. True, our lives were in God's hands, 
 and we did not fear though they might kill us ; but 
 our great sorrow and concern were for the men whom 
 we had brought with us, and whose lives to a certain 
 extent were in our hands." 
 
 Their escape, it would appear, was due to a dis- 
 sension that arose amongst the chiefs. 
 
 On the 14th of February, just a month according 
 to the day of the week from their start on the upward 
 journey, the missionaries began to retrace their steps, 
 their return journey being marked by various inci- 
 dents. Two of these may be mentioned. When 
 three-fourths of their way down they were agreeably 
 surprised on entering a small town to see a white 
 man's house some two or three hundred yards beyond. 
 There they were pleased to find two brethren stationed 
 of the Livingstone Inland Mission. After spending 
 two pleasant and refreshing days in their fellowship 
 they resumed their travel. 
 
 Soon after this incident, Messrs. Bentley and Crud- 
 gington were very fortunate in meeting with Mr. 
 Stanley's camp. The great traveller was most 
 friendly, showing them and their party all possible 
 hospitality. Having persuaded them to stay the 
 night, Mr. Stanley entered most sympathetically 
 into their plans, and next morning sent them down 
 to Isangila in his steam launch. 
 
 On the 15th of March these brave pioneers reached 
 Musuka, the point from which they had started, with 
 hearts overflowing with gratitude to their Heavenly 
 Father and Divine Protector, the whole journey, 
 
EARLY DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME. 37 
 
 partly by river in canoes, and partly on Hnd, having 
 been accomplished, not reckoning the time occupied 
 between Salvador and the Congo River, in forty-seven 
 days. 
 
 This great feat, so essential to the development of 
 the Congo Mission, having been thus so successfully 
 achieved, it was felt by the missionaries that time and 
 expense would be saved if Mr. Crudgington were to 
 proceed forthwith to England to confer with the home 
 authorities on the establishment of a Mission station 
 at the Pool and at suitable intermediate points up 
 from Banana. 
 
 Mr. Grenfell who had returned to the Congo from 
 the Cameroons, wrote, shortly after Mr. Crudgington's 
 departure, pleading with Mr. Baynes "to urge the 
 Churches at home to do their utmost to fully realise 
 the high privilege that the Master has given to us ; 
 the taking so important a part in the evangelisation 
 of this part of Africa. When," he asks, " has a wider 
 door been opened or a greater work attempted ? Cer- 
 tainly not, in my judgment, since the noble founders 
 of our Mission undertook their grand work in India." 
 
 The executive were not slow to respond to this 
 appeal from the missionaries — indeed their appeals 
 had been anticipated. Many generous gifts before 
 Mr. Crudgington's arrival had been received, and 
 amongst them a splendid sectional steel boat for use 
 on the navigable parts of the Lower River, this being 
 the gift of an anonymous friend at Plymouth, after 
 which town the boat was named. 
 
 As the result of conference with Mr. Crudgington, 
 the Society resolved that the station at San Salvador 
 should be maintained ; that the route to Stanley Pool 
 should be by the north bank of the river ; that a steam 
 launch for service on the Upper Congo, according to 
 Mr. Arthington's proposal, should be provided ; that 
 intermediate stations should be founded ; and that 
 six additional brethren should be added to the mission- 
 ary staff. These decisions having been deliberately 
 
38 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 and prayerfully reached, Mr. Crudgington, with Mr. 
 Dixon, one of the accepted new missionaries, returned 
 to the Congo. 
 
 The deep interest awakened by the announcement 
 of these resolutions called forth further most encour- 
 aging expressions of sympathetic support, certain 
 friends generously taking upon themselves the cost 
 of maintaining some of the reinforcements. 
 
 And now it was felt that the time was fast approach- 
 ing, when the proposed steamer would become the 
 great want of the Congo Mission, as it was hoped 
 that the intermediate stations on the Lower River 
 would without delay be planted. It was consequently 
 determined to put the vessel in hand at once, and its 
 construction was duly intrusted to the well-known 
 firm, Messrs. Thornycroft & Co., of Chiswick, the cost 
 to be about £2000, Mr. Arthington meeting the entire 
 expense, as well as contributing .£3000 besides to be 
 invested for its maintenance. To Mr. Grenfell 
 would be committed the responsible task of putting 
 the vessel together again at Stanley Pool, and it was 
 deemed desirable that he should return to England 
 for the purpose of watching its construction, Mr. 
 Doke, a student of Bristol College, the last of the six 
 new brethren (the other five being Messrs. Dixon, 
 Weeks, Butcher, Moolenaar, and Hughes), assisting 
 him. In the construction of the steamer a great 
 difficulty presented itself, owing to the unnavig- 
 able nature of the greater part of the Lower Congo, 
 thus necessitating the building of the boat in sections, 
 each section not to weigh more than 64 lbs., the weight 
 of a carrier's load. When it is stated that the steamer 
 would consequently have to consist of some 800 loads, 
 it will be felt how stupendous was the task to be 
 accomplished, her length being 70 feet, and her width, 
 10 feet 6 inches. The boat was constructed with 
 screw propellers, and in seven watertight compart- 
 ments, and could be driven at full speed at twelve 
 miles per hour. 
 
40 
 
 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 Early in December, 1882, Messrs. Grenfell and 
 Doke left Liverpool, taking with them this precious 
 steamer, henceforth to be known as the Peace, at the 
 donor's special request. But a terrible trial awaited 
 the Mission, being nothing less than the death of 
 Mr. Doke almost immediately on his arrival. 
 
 The cargo being discharged at Underhill station, and 
 carriers being procured, the march up country began. 
 About a year and a-half passed away before the Peace 
 was launched, the reconstruction and whole manage- 
 ment of the undertaking being regarded as a remark- 
 able exhibition of resourcefulness and engineering 
 skill. 
 
 Thus the early pioneer difficulties of this Congo 
 Mission, from the starting of the preliminary expedi- 
 tion to the launching of the steamer, were one after 
 the other, in dependence upon God's blessing, heroic- 
 ally and triumphantly overcome. 
 
Epi^OTW 
 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 INGATHERING OF THE FIRST-FRUITS. 
 
 AFTER perusing the foregoing pages some readers 
 may be disposed to ask : Is it for such work as 
 this a Missionary Society exists ? Is this 
 procedure after the Apostolic method? We 
 thought the great commission ran : " Go and preach the 
 Gospel!" Is this preaching the Gospel! Only fail- 
 ure to grasp the special conditions of such a field of 
 missionary labour as that of the Congo could permit 
 of these and similar interrogations. And how much 
 of the work done at home would have to be dis- 
 approved on like grounds ? But who in the mission- 
 ary enterprise can distinguish between the religious 
 and the secular, labelling this spiritual and that 
 earthly ? If ever there were a mission, originated and 
 developed by men who brought to their work the 
 purest, noblest, highest motives, men who found their 
 inspiration and powers of endurance in living fellowship 
 with the Divine Saviour, it was this Congo Mission. 
 
 But do not let us think these Congo pioneers were 
 indifferent to spiritual results. It was truly no love 
 of adventure, no mere liking for foreign travel, that 
 
 41 
 
42 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 took them from home and friends. The power by 
 which they were impelled was surely none other than 
 the constraining love of Christ, and ardently through 
 all the weary days did they long for the time to come 
 when they would be able to devote all their energies 
 to the more spiritual aspects of their service, and when 
 their great message should everywhere be understood 
 and received. " Oh for the time," exclaimed one of 
 their number — and he but expressed the yearning 
 of all their hearts — " when we can write of hundreds 
 of souls saved ! This is our only aim ; we only live 
 for this, and we shall not work in vain." 
 
 It would be a mistake, however, to suppose that the 
 whole of the preliminary period was entirely occupied 
 in travel and physical toil. Not only at San Salvador, 
 but elsewhere, much direct and continuous evangel- 
 istic effort had been put forth. It is noteworthy that, 
 as in William Carey's experience, and in that of other 
 distinguished missionaries, years of patient labour had 
 to precede the ingathering of results. 
 
 It was not until the March of 1886, more than eight 
 years after the first entrance into Congo, that the first 
 baptism gladdened the missionaries' hearts. The 
 convert was Mantu, Mr. Comber's personal boy. For 
 a long time he had given evidence of true conversion, 
 but there was care not unduly to hurry the profession. 
 Two other converts would have been baptised with 
 Mantu, but one was in England with Mr. Bentley, 
 and the other had a charge alleged against him which, 
 though false, it was needful thoroughly to disprove. 
 
 With something akin to the rapt feelings with 
 which Dr. Carey baptised his first Hindoo convert, 
 Krishna Pal, Mr. Comber administered the Christian 
 ordinance to Mantu, the first convert of the Congo 
 Mission. The service took place about a mile outside 
 San Salvador, in the presence of the principal men 
 from the town, a few women, and the boys from the 
 school, of whom at that time theie were as many as 
 fifty-two in attendance. It was a solemn occasion, 
 
INGATHERING OF THE FIRST-FRUITS. 43 
 
 and the spectators were deeply impressed by what 
 they saw and heard. 
 
 About six months after this event, Lo, the personal 
 boy of Mr.Davies,who went to Congo in 1885, became a 
 decided Christian. The account written by Mr. Davies 
 from Stanley Pool is so beautifully interesting — not 
 only because of the information it imparts concerning 
 Lo, but as well because of the insight it gives into the 
 spirit of the missionary — that we are glad to reproduce 
 it in these pages. "During all the travelling I have had 
 since the beginning of April, Lo and I have been thrown 
 a good deal together ; and at night in the tent, when 
 everything was settled for the night, we generally 
 talked together a good bit about God and His Son ; 
 and while I was pleased with the conceptions he was 
 forming about God, I never said anything to him to 
 make him declare himself a Christian, but preferred 
 to wait and let careful instruction bear its own fruit 
 in course of time. There was always the utmost 
 naturalness and freedom in all we said, and it was he, 
 more than I, who led our chats round from things in 
 general to God and salvation. I shall never forget 
 the decisive night, in a native house a day's march 
 from here. We had had an hour or two's talk first 
 with some of the carriers, which Lo carried on for me 
 with great earnestness with them. 
 
 " By nine o'clock they had all gone out to sleep, 
 and, as usual, we had a little quiet talk between our- 
 selves, only, instead of gradually settling down to 
 sleep, he made more anxious inquiries than I had 
 ever heard before about salvation, asking me to teach 
 him. He told me he wanted to serve God and to do 
 right, but felt unable from his weakness ; and a thing 
 that pleased me was, he seemed to want more to be 
 saved from sin — from sin itself — rather than the 
 punishment of it only. He showed so much know- 
 ledge of the true nature of God and of sin, that I felt 
 I must do all I could to help him to be really con- 
 verted that night ; and as he leant over the side of my 
 
44 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 bed and took my hand, I put my arms round him and 
 drew him to me, and I could feel all his frame tremb- 
 ling and his breast throbbing, not with hysterical 
 excitement, but with intense emotion ; in fact, we 
 were both so quiet, that any one half asleep would not 
 have heard us. For long intervals we could neither 
 of us speak at all, but we both prayed ; and as I 
 thought of things that might be helpful, I spoke to 
 him. We went on in this way till nearly midnight, 
 when we lay down again, he possessing the new heart 
 which he was longing for. Every one that asketh 
 receiveth, and he that seeketh findeth ; and with all 
 his heart he had that night asked for salvation and 
 sought the Saviour. He is only a boy, perhaps 
 fourteen years old, and he needs help. I have loved 
 him for a long time, and all the more now ; and as 
 his failings and weaknesses much resemble mine at 
 his age, I may be able to help him till he has devel- 
 oped a strong Christian character, and, as far as man's 
 help goes, can stand alone." 
 
 In the meantime, the good work was proceeding at 
 San Salvador. It being felt that several of the 
 people there had become real Christians, the mission- 
 aries in charge of the stations resolved to have a week 
 of special meetings. The natives came in large 
 numbers, so much so, that the new large chapel then 
 in process of building, capable of holding 500 persons, 
 had to be used for the services. The names of over a 
 hundred inquirers were taken ; many brought their 
 fetishes and publicly discarded them. 
 
 As Mr. Comber's knowledge of the people was of 
 longer duration, and of the language more complete 
 than that of the missionaries then at San Salvador, it 
 was deemed desirable that he should be specially 
 asked to pay the station a visit at this deeply interest- 
 ing but critical time. He arrived on a Friday, in 
 good time for the Sunday's services. Unfortunately, 
 as he thought, when the Sunday came the weather 
 was anything but inviting, being wet and chilly. It 
 
INGATHERING OF THE FIRST-FRUITS. 
 
 45 
 
 was questioned whether it would be wise to hold the 
 morning service, but when the bell was rung, in five 
 minutes the chapel was being filled — the women 
 hurrying along clanking their heavy anklets. Mr. 
 Comber was thrilled with joy and gratitude when the 
 people joined in singing the opening hymn ; and 
 when he addressed them from the words : " Old 
 things are passed away, behold, all things are become 
 
 INTERIOR OF THE CHAPEL, SAN SALVADOR. 
 
 new," the utmost decorum and most earnest attention 
 prevailed. 
 
 At other meetings it was most delightful to hear 
 the simple prayers of the native converts, and the 
 fervent words with which they entreated their fellow- 
 countrymen to become disciples of Jesus also. 
 Amongst those who declared themselves Christians 
 were several of the wives of the old king. Dom 
 
46 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 Pedro did not altogether approve of their attendance 
 at the meetings. On his forbidding them to go, they 
 felt they ought not to be obedient. " The king 
 became furious. He took gun and sword, and in spite 
 of his age and enormous size, which renders it difficult 
 for him to move about, he came to the outside of our 
 gate, and waited in the dark for his wives. Immedi- 
 ately after the meeting, as the people were going to 
 their homes, there was a tremendous clanking of 
 anklets and screaming, as the king was found outside 
 the gate ; but no harm came, only one woman being 
 struck with the flat of the king's sword. His wives, 
 however, were not allowed in his enclosure, and they 
 slept with Matoko's women. The following day three 
 of them came to see me (Mr. Comber) privately, for 
 a little encouragement and advice in their trouble. 
 They were very strongly determined not to give up 
 attending the meetings, and one of them said, ' Never 
 mind if he kill us. We don't mind dying for Jesus; He 
 died for us.' I promised to go and see the king about 
 it, and after a few words to them, and a little prayer, 
 in which one of them joined, they went back to 
 Matoko's enclosure, and I went to see the king. 
 I told him that as king he should require obedience 
 in many things, but that it was very wrong to try to 
 force his people in matters of religion, as their souls 
 were at stake. After a long talk he agreed to with- 
 draw his opposition, and to let his wives return to 
 him, but wished the time of the evening meetings to 
 be altered to an earlier hour, so that his wives should 
 be home before dark. This, of course, we acceded to, 
 and hold our services at five instead of seven." 
 
 The missionaries, feeling it to be most important 
 that time should test the genuineness of these pro- 
 fessions, baptism was delayed. And as it was neces- 
 sary to extend the probationary period in some cases 
 longer than in others, the baptisms occurred at various 
 intervals, until at length, in the course of about two 
 years, twenty-six, out of a large number of inquirers 
 
INGATHERING OF THE FIRST-FRUITS. 47 
 
 concerning spiritual things, had been encouraged to 
 make a profession of their repentance towards God 
 and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. 
 
 At other stations the first-fruits were also being 
 ingathered. In the early part of 1888, Wathen station 
 witnessed the baptism of Nlemvo, Mr. Bentley's boy, 
 and shortly after, two native girls were baptised. 
 The first of these girls, Aku, had been brought down 
 from near Stanley Falls by an Arab chief, to be used 
 as ready money. Through some transaction, she 
 came into the hands of one of the work-people at the 
 station. Hearing of this barter, the missionary paid 
 the man what he had given for the girl, and thus her 
 freedom was procured. On a visit of Mrs. Bentley 
 to England, Aku, acted as her little nurse. Some- 
 time after her return, she became thoughtful, and 
 eventually gave her heart to the Saviour. The other 
 girl, Kavazwila, whose home was some distance 
 beyond the Falls, whither the Arabs had conveyed 
 her, Mr. Grenfell redeemed and brought her down 
 the river. As the result of some talks Mr. Comber 
 had with the children at Underhill, she decided 
 to love and serve Christ, and became a happy and 
 devoted Christian. Several were present to witness 
 the baptism of these two native girls, amongst them 
 being three gentlemen of the State Station, and some 
 of the men. The Communion Service which followed 
 in the evening of the same day was particularly 
 sacred and blessed ; four of those who were present 
 as spectators found in the service the means of their 
 conversion. 
 
 At Arthington Station on the Pool, too, similar 
 encouraging events were being experienced. Through 
 the influence of Mr. Silvey, who was stationed there, 
 three of the native boys were constrained to give their 
 hearts to the Saviour. The following particulars sent 
 to this country by Mr. Silvey cannot fail to interest. 
 
 " Simbi is from the Madimba district, near San 
 Salvador. He was one of twins, but the brother, 
 
4 8 
 
 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 who was born at the same time, died. A witch 
 palaver was held, and the ngang'a ngombo decided 
 Simbi was the witch. He had caused his brother's 
 death. The matter was allowed to lie over until 
 Simbi was five years of age. A great palaver was 
 called, and the people wished to put Simbi to death. 
 His chief did not wish to lose the boy, and so paid a 
 large sum as a ransom. Simbi became impressed 
 
 MR. SILVKY S TiiKEii CONGO BOVS. 
 
 during the San Salvador meetings. He has a very 
 bad temper, and when it has hold of him, he used to 
 lose control of himself. This has caused him to fall 
 several times. For the last year, with the help of 
 God, he has been able to keep it under control. We 
 believe he has had a change of heart, and is truly 
 following Jesus. Mr. Grenfell, Mr. Brown, Mr. Billing- 
 ton, and myself are satisfied as to his conversion. 
 
INGATHERING OF THE FIRST-FRUITS. 49 
 
 " Mwema is also from San Salvador, and has been 
 with me full three years. His heart was touched 
 at the San Salvador meetings, and his consistent 
 Christian life since leaves no room to doubt. He had 
 a bad leg recently, and went to Dr. Sim's hospital at 
 Kintamo. A few days afterwards I saw the doctor, 
 and told him we were sorry to give him the trouble of 
 looking after Mwema. ' Why,' he said, ' I am glad to 
 have him ; he is an influence for good among my 
 boys ; he is always speaking to one or another of 
 them. On Sunday evening I asked him to speak to 
 the boys after prayers ; he stood up and gave a 
 splendid testimony. I have not a shadow of doubt 
 Mwema is savingly converted.' 
 
 " Ntoni is at present visiting his home at San 
 Salvador, and could not be baptised yesterday. He 
 will be baptised as soon as convenient. Ntoni is a 
 bright little fellow. Everybody loves Ntoni, and if I 
 wished to part with him there would be no difficulty 
 in finding someone to take him. Ntoni has been 
 impressed for some time, and hung back a little ; but 
 I urged him to settle the matter once for all, and I 
 believe he has now given his heart to Jesus. When 
 travelling on the road in the quiet of the night, I 
 have seen Ntoni creep into a corner of the tent to 
 pray. I asked Mr. Billington to talk with Ntoni. 
 He, Mr. Billington, told me he was very pleased with 
 Ntoni's answers ; but he says, ' A little incident came 
 under my notice the other day that speaks to me 
 louder than words. Bafuka, my boy, was quarrelling 
 with one of the Bateke boys in the boys' house. 
 Ntoni tried to stop them, but the boys were too angry 
 to listen. Ntoni took them both by the arms, and 
 said, " Let us pray about it ; " and down on the floor 
 all the boys knelt, while Ntoni asked God to take 
 away the angry spirit. There was no more quarrel- 
 ling that day.' Nobody saw this, and Mr. Billington 
 would never have known about it if his own boy had 
 not told him. 
 
5o 
 
 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 " These boys are boys of many prayers and much 
 personal effort. God has promised we shall reap if 
 we faint not. To Him be all the honour and glory." 
 
 Thus the early efforts in the pioneer days were 
 receiving proofs of the Divine favour ; God did not 
 leave Himself without a witness, His Word was not 
 returning unto Him void. In subsequent chapters, 
 the progress of the spiritual work of the Mission will 
 be recorded. 
 

 CHAPTER V. 
 
 THE WORK AMONGST THE CONGO BOYS AND GIRLS. 
 
 IT was only to be expected that the missionaries 
 would feel the importance of bestowing much of 
 their attention upon the welfare of the young. 
 They were wise in remembering that in the 
 course of a few years the boys and girls, who might 
 be won for Christ, would develop into useful Christian 
 workers ; and at several of the stations to-day, the 
 religious services, the school teaching, and the evangel- 
 istic efforts, are being largely maintained by those who 
 in early life learned to love the Saviour. 
 
 And then some of the missionaries, previous to 
 their life on the Congo, in the home country had been 
 especially happy in their work amongst the young, 
 so that it was most natural that they should manifest 
 a similar care for the poor degraded African children. 
 How sorely the Congo children needed the kind 
 help of the missionary their bitter lot declares. The 
 cruel customs which prevail are fatal to the existence 
 of home love and joy. Owing to the lack of care in 
 early life, a large percentage die in infancy, albeit, the 
 mothers suppose that witchcraft is the cause of death. 
 In consequence of the custom of regarding children 
 
 5i 
 
52 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 as the property of the relatives of the wife,- the father 
 has little interest in his family. " The right of inherit- 
 ance/' says Mr. Bentley, in his Life on the Congo, " is 
 from uncle to nephew ; thus a man's slaves and real 
 property go to the eldest son of his eldest sister, or 
 the next-of-kin on such lines. His uncle also, knowing 
 that his nephew is to inherit his goods, while his own 
 children belong to his wife's clan, cares more for his 
 nephew than his own children." 
 
 The boys at a very early age have an eye to making 
 gains by barter. It is their aim, for instance, to pos- 
 sess, as soon as possible, a pig of their own, which they 
 may be able to sell profitably at the market. They 
 spend not a little time in hunting for rats, especially 
 when the tall grass has been fired, and the rats are 
 more easy to catch. Whilst they are quite small they 
 will frequently leave their own homes to live with 
 other and older boys in what is called a Mbonge. 
 
 The girls help on the farms and in the cooking ; 
 they, like their mothers, do most of the menial work. 
 They are often betrothed when little children, and 
 before their marriage the price which has been fixed 
 upon by the girl's relatives has to be paid. Some of 
 the girls are free girls ; but most of them are slaves, 
 and thus being the absolute property of their masters, 
 are exposed to most cruel treatment. 
 
 It must not be supposed that the children are 
 always unhappy. The boys at least enter with zest 
 into their native games, and much of their time is 
 merrily spent in swimming, fishing, and fighting sham 
 battles. 
 
 They are naturally very superstitious, being led to 
 believe from infancy in the powerful influence of 
 charms, and the terrible powers of the witch doctors. 
 
 As so much of the time of the missionaries has 
 been devoted to the Christian education of the 
 children, it will be interesting if we give a specimen 
 of the stories the lads tell each other as they sit at 
 night around their fires. We are indebted to Mr. 
 
WORK AMONG THE CONGO BOYS AND GIRLS. 53 
 
 Darby of Lukolela for the following rendering of one 
 of their stories : — 
 
 "THE LEOPARD, THE DOG, AND THE TORTOISE. 
 
 " A dog and a leopard lived near together in the 
 forest. Each had his own hole in the ground, and in 
 it he lived. One day the leopard gave birth to ten 
 children. The dog came to see them, and the leopard 
 said to him, ' Hey ! Mister Dog ! You stop here and 
 watch my children while I go and hunt some food for 
 them. When I come back, if I find that you have 
 taken good care of my family, I will give you a piece 
 of meat for yourself.' ' All right,' said the dog. The 
 leopard had scarcely got hidden among the trees 
 when a tortoise came along. ' Hello, dog ! ' said he, 
 1 how are you to-day, and what are you doing here ? ' 
 ' Oh,' said the dog, ' the leopard has gone out to hunt, 
 and he has left me to watch his children, and when he 
 returns he is going to give me some meat.' ' I say, 
 dog,' said the tortoise, ' it is no use waiting until the 
 leopard returns ; bring out one of those young leopards 
 and let us kill and eat it.' ' I dare not,' said the dog ; 
 1 when the leopard returns and finds one of his children 
 missing he will immediately kill me.' ' Oh, never 
 mind the leopard,' said the tortoise, ' he can't count, 
 and the young leopards are all alike, he does not 
 know one from the other, so can't tell if one is missing.' 
 At last the dog brought forth one of the young 
 leopards, killed it, and he and the tortoise ate it. In the 
 evening the leopard returned when it was dark. ' Well, 
 dog ' said he, ' are the children all safe ? ' ' Oh, yes,' 
 said, the dog. ' Very well, then, come and let us have 
 some supper.' Next day the leopard again went in 
 search of food and left the dog in charge of his family. 
 The tortoise came again as before, and another young 
 leopard was eaten. So it went on for five days, and 
 only five of the young leopards were left. At the end 
 of the fifth day, when the leopard returned, he said, 
 
54 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 ' Dog, are the children all safe ? ' ' Yes,' said the dog. 
 ' Let me see them ! ' The dog began to tremble, 
 but, acting on the advice of the tortoise, he brought 
 out one young leopard at a time, and then returned it 
 to the hole before bringing out another. In this way 
 he made it appear as if there were ten young leopards. 
 The leopard was satisfied. They ate their suppers 
 and went to bed. Next day the leopard went off 
 hunting again, and again the tortoise came up begging 
 for another young leopard. The dog was afraid, and 
 told him how the leopard had counted the children 
 the day before. The tortoise said that it was very 
 easy to deceive a leopard. All he had to do was to 
 trust to him (the tortoise) and he would see that all 
 was right. So they ate another young leopard. At 
 last only one of the family remained. ' Dog,' said the 
 leopard, ' my heart yearns for my family ; let me see 
 them one by one.' So the dog went to the hole and 
 brought out the young leopard and showed it to its 
 mother. Then he carried it back into the hole and 
 brought it back again. This he did ten times, so 
 making the leopard believe that all her family remained 
 in the hole. 
 
 " Next day the tortoise came again, and he and the 
 dog ate the last of the young leopards. ' Now, dog,' 
 said the tortoise, 'when the leopard asks you how 
 many children he has, you tell him, None. If he says, 
 Where are they ? Tell him that you and I have eaten 
 them, and then run off as hard as you can to the 
 towns, and live among the people there, for they like 
 dogs, but always try to kill leopards.' 
 
 " In the evening, when the leopard came home and 
 asked the usual questions, the dog replied as the 
 tortoise had instructed him. Then the leopard 
 became very angry, and ran after the dog as fast as 
 he could, and the dog also ran as fast as he could 
 until he reached the town. When the people saw 
 him, they said, ' Hello dog, have you come to live 
 with us ? That is good ! Abide here always.' Just 
 
WORK AMONG THE CONGO BOYS AND GIRLS. 55 
 
 then they heard a noise in the forest, and, looking 
 around, they saw the leopard. They immediately got 
 their guns and spears and drove him off. He returned 
 and told all his brother leopards, and from that day 
 to this, whenever a leopard can carry off and eat a 
 dog,* he does so in order to revenge the death of his 
 young kinsfolk." 
 
 The first school opened for these Congo boys was, 
 of course, at San Salvador. When the missionaries 
 had succeeded in overcoming their shyness, and 
 established a feeling of friendship, the boys were most 
 eager to be taught. They watched for every oppor- 
 tunity that arose, they followed the missionaries 
 about, and were disappointed when no school could 
 be held. By their kindness and interest in them, the 
 missionaries gained such an influence over them that 
 there was nothing the boys would not do to be in 
 their company. No wonder that a considerable 
 school was soon established, and that as the mission 
 developed, and other stations were planted, school work 
 should grow to be one of the most important factors. 
 
 The boys are represented as remarkably quick 
 in learning, being by no means dull and stupid. 
 When it is borne in mind that they were without any 
 literature, without indeed a formulated language, the 
 rapid progress many of the lads have made in read- 
 ing, writing, and arithmetic, indicates most promising 
 intellectual ability, so that there is good reason to 
 believe that as Congo-land advances in civilisation, 
 the Congo natives will be quite equal in mental 
 capacity and attainment to the requirements of their 
 improved lot. 
 
 It must not be thought that the boys are induced 
 to come to the schools by reason of bribes. When 
 they do come from a distance, it is found necessary 
 
 * The natives say among themselves that leopards prefer dog flesh to 
 that of any other animal. 
 
56 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 to provide them with the means of subsistence, but 
 this being of the most frugal character is inexpensive, 
 and in most cases is provided by the special offerings 
 of Sunday schools in England. When, however, the 
 friends of the boys live at or near a station, such 
 supplies are not allowed. 
 
 The accompanying picture represents a midsummer 
 treat at the Bopoto Station — one thousand miles from 
 the coast — which, with the Christmas entertainments, 
 are the only inducements given to secure attendance 
 at school. 
 
 The late Mrs. Cameron, just before her death, sent 
 to the Mission House in London the following 
 account of the way in which Christmas had been 
 spent at Ngombe or Wathen Station on the lower 
 river. "About half-past seven in the morning my 
 husband called all the boys and workmen together, 
 and I gave each boy a shirt and waistcloth, the men 
 a cloth and handkerchief. The girls and women on 
 the station got each a dress. In this way we clothed 
 in all about a hundred and twenty. At eight o'clock 
 a service was held. Afterwards the children amused 
 themselves as they liked, many of them going into 
 the house of Mr. Davies, others coming into ours, 
 playing with toys and looking at picture-books, etc. 
 
 "About half-past one the great event of the day 
 took place. This consisted of races, jumping, tug- 
 of-war, and scramble. 
 
 " Mr. Davies and my husband were the judges, and 
 awarded the prizes to those who had won them. 
 These lasted for about two hours, and the children 
 were glad of a rest after their exertions. 
 
 " About five o'clock we began to share out the pig, 
 which constitutes to the Congo mind a feast. No 
 festival is complete without a pig. 
 
 " We also used during the day ten gallon^ of lemon- 
 ade, and a large number of pine-apples. We left the 
 children enjoying their feast, and went to get our 
 house ready for the evening's entertainment 
 
schoolboys' midsummer treat, bopoto. 
 
 57 
 
58 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 " Outside the house we had a number of Chinese 
 lanterns, which, when lit, gave quite a bright light 
 all around. 
 
 "About half-past seven the children came to the 
 house, and we had a magic-lantern entertainment ; 
 the subject was ' The Pilgrim's Progress.' I ex- 
 hibited the views, and my husband explained them. 
 The children listened most attentively, and seemed 
 to enjoy the views very much. When this was over, 
 a large tin trunk was brought out, which contained 
 a present for each child, with its name written on the 
 paper which was wrapped round it. I wish you who 
 have so kindly sent toys to me could have seen the 
 children's faces when they opened their parcels. You 
 would indeed have been glad you sent the toys to 
 make these children happy ; but I 'm afraid the noise 
 they made when they began' blowing trumpets, etc., 
 would almost have frightened you away. At last we 
 said good-night, and before very long all the children 
 were fast asleep, most of them having been up since 
 five o'clock in the morning. We all spent a very 
 happy day." 
 
 At this particular station, Wathen, the facilities for 
 imparting instruction to the young have been greatly 
 extended by means of a generous gift of a school- 
 house from the late Sir Charles Wathen, after whom 
 the station has been named. This building is thirty- 
 six feet wide by eighty feet long, being equally divided 
 into a school-room and dormitory. The structure is 
 admirably arranged with a view to good sanitary 
 conditions. The dormitory has accommodation for 
 one hundred and twenty boys ; at the present time, 
 the attendance at the school is about one hundred, 
 including a small number of girls, who are under 
 Mrs. Bentley's care. The largest girls' school is at 
 San Salvador, which Mrs. Lewis superintends. 
 
 And not only is the educational progress of the 
 Congo boys a cause for much encouragement ; but by 
 their devotion, their fidelity, their tenderness in times 
 
TWO LUKOLELA BOYS. 
 
 59 
 
 [/. 60. 
 
60 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 of sickness, they have endeavoured gratefully to repay 
 the kindly interest the missionaries have taken in 
 their welfare. 
 
 The aptitude which has been shown by these boys in 
 the various industries taught them, will find more 
 fitting reference in a subsequent chapter. 
 
 A large part of this volume might be filled with 
 deeply interesting accounts of the personal history, 
 the conversion and Christian character of these Congo 
 scholars. We cannot more appropriately conclude 
 this chapter than by giving a description of the 
 Lukolela lads, whose portraits, taken by Mr. Darby, 
 are seen in the illustration on page 59. 
 
 The one on the right dressed in white is Bateku. 
 He was Mr. Richard's boy. " I was born," he himself 
 says, " in a town, far away inland, many, many miles 
 from this place. I do not know its name. There 
 were many people there, and they were always fight- 
 ing with the neighbouring towns. It was in one of 
 these fights that I was captured and made a slave. 
 The people who captured me brought me a long way 
 from my town and parents, though I do not now 
 remember my father or mother. These people (my 
 captors) sold me to some other people. They cut 
 some of these marks that are on my body. After 
 living here some time I was again sold and carried to 
 the River Lulanga. Here they put their marks on 
 my body. While living here Diwoko (his present 
 master) came and bought me ; he brought me to 
 Lokoele. The people here cut these marks on my 
 forehead. After awhile the white men came, and now 
 I have come to live at their town." 
 
 The other boy on the left is Mr. Darby's personal 
 boy. His native name is Latumba, though he is 
 called "Jack." Let him tell his own story: — "I was 
 born far away inland at a town called Likuba. It is 
 many days' journey from here. There is no large 
 river there. The people are all very poor. Every- 
 body wears the native grass cloth. They have no 
 
WORK AMONG THE CONGO BOYS AND GIRLS. 6l 
 
 white man's cloth. I remember both my father and 
 mother, and if I were to see them I think I should 
 know them. One day some people came from 
 another town to fight us. My people were obliged to 
 run away. My mother left me on the ground and 
 ran away with the rest. I and several other little 
 children and a number of women were captured and 
 made slaves. They brought me a long way from my 
 home and sold me. I lived here a long time. Some 
 people came from the Lulanga to trade, and I was 
 sold to them and carried to their town. After living 
 here some time I was again sold. This time Eyoka's 
 wife bought me, and I was brought to Lokoele. 
 (Eyoka is one of the big chiefs at Lokoele.)" 
 
 " How much did you cost, Jack ? " Mr. Darby 
 continues. 
 
 " Soko ! " (perhaps), he replied. 
 
 " Perhaps ten brass rods ? " (about 6d.) 
 
 " Perhaps ! I don't know." 
 
 " I do not think the elder of the two is more than 
 nine years old." 
 
CHAPTER VI. 
 
 LITERARY LABOURS. 
 
 ONE of the peculiar characteristics of the Congo 
 as a mission field, was the important con- 
 sideration of its language not being available 
 to the missionaries in any reduced, literary- 
 form. Upon the pioneers, therefore, devolved the 
 immensely difficult task of collecting words with a 
 view to the compilation of a Dictionary, and for the 
 purposes of translation, of the still further duty of 
 constructing a grammar on sound principles and rules. 
 But as in other missions, so in this Congo Mission, 
 the Divine Providence is conspicuously seen in sup- 
 plying the workman to accomplish the work required 
 to be done. To Mr. W. Holman Bentley belongs the 
 great honour of having been called to fill the high 
 position of Philologist and Translator in connection 
 with this particular African Mission — a position grate- 
 fully and unanimously recognised by his fellow- 
 missionaries. 
 
 At the outset Mr. Bentley was absolutely without 
 
 the use of any vocabularies with the exception of 
 
 some fifty words which Mr. Comber and Mr. Grenfell 
 
 had picked up on their preliminary expedition. The 
 
 62 
 
LITERARY LABOURS. 63 
 
 most helpful work to which he had recourse was 
 Bishop Steere's Handbook of Svvahili, which enabled 
 him to gain some idea of a language in certain re- 
 spects similar to that of the Congo. After he had pro- 
 ceeded some way with his task, he was glad to become 
 acquainted with a translation by Mr. H. Grattan 
 Guinness of a Latin work, discovered in the British 
 Museum, containing some rules for the more easy 
 understanding of the most difficult idioms of the 
 people of the Congo, written by a Roman Catholic 
 Prefect in 1659. A small grammar also, which Mr. 
 Guinness published subsequently, of the dialect spoken 
 at Mpalabala, supplied some fifty words. 
 
 In entering upon this tremendous undertaking, Mr. 
 Bentley was almost entirely dependent upon the 
 workmen, the carriers, and especially upon the child- 
 ren. With the children he was, therefore, constantly 
 in contact, often playing with them at their games, 
 ever ready to note down any new words he might 
 happen to hear. In the evenings he would discuss 
 with his colleagues the additions made to his stock. 
 As his own knowledge of the language and facility 
 for speaking it grew, he was, of course, able to take 
 the opinion of the natives so as to correct his mis- 
 takes. 
 
 The study of the language was necessarily much 
 interfered with by the itinerating required for estab- 
 lishing the new stations. " It was very difficult," says 
 Mr. Bentley, "to find time to record the words 
 acquired and make the necessary corrections. Now 
 and then we had opportunities for taking down some 
 fire-side stories, and this folk-lore gave us new words. 
 We were too busy to study, classify, or enter the 
 words ; but our careful notes and rough memoranda 
 were treasured up, and whenever a little leisure could 
 be found, the attempt was made to lessen the ever- 
 growing bundle of papers." 
 
 A large stock of material having been thus accumu 
 lated Mr. Bentley returned to England to set about its 
 
64 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 preparation for the press, bringing with him a lad 
 named Nlemvo, who had been taught in the school 
 at Salvador. This was in the year 1884. "On 
 arriving in this country," to quote again Mr. Bentley's 
 own words, " it was found that there was much more 
 to be done with the chaotic manuscript which I had 
 brought home with me than we at first expected. 
 Prepositions, pronouns, adverbs, and conjunctions 
 seemed to be used indiscriminately ; Vo, for instance, 
 standing for ' on, off, from, there, when, after, thither, 
 if, etc' It was clear that more time and thought 
 were necessary to solve these difficulties, and find out 
 the rules by which things worked. This was done by 
 making up English sentences, in which the English 
 adverbs, conjunctions, etc., were used in every conceiv- 
 able way, and then translating these into Congo. 
 Bishop Steere's and other vocabularies were again 
 searched for special phases of action and ideas, which 
 should form their counterpart in Congo, and so things 
 began to take a more definite form. Finally, 
 in writing out for the printers, Mr. Kolbe's ' Herero 
 Dictionary ' was before me, lest any shade of idea of 
 English verbs, simple or compound with prepositions, 
 such as ' to come ' or 'to come in crowds/ etc., 
 should have escaped my attention. Even at this 
 stage, new words were constantly cropping up, and, 
 wherever possible, inserted into the proofs that were 
 under correction. My work was growing larger than 
 I had ever expected. Instead of being simply a 
 clear transcription of the material brought home with 
 me, the end of the work seemed ever receding. I 
 had hoped and expected to keep my printers well 
 supplied with copy as the transcriptions progressed, 
 but the correction of the proofs revealed errors, and 
 sometimes also fresh niceties of thought, which required 
 a great deal of time to formulate correctly. 
 
 " As the proofs of the English-Congo section came 
 in from the printers, I sent them to a friend, to be 
 written for the reversed section of Congo into English. 
 
6s 
 
66 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 He wrote each word, as it appeared, with its English 
 equivalent on a separate slip of paper. As he sent in 
 his slips from time to time, they were sorted into 
 alphabetical order, according to the Congo word on 
 each slip. Later corrections or additions were also 
 written on slips and sorted in, so that finally every 
 usage of a word, any corrections made, were found 
 together in its alphabetical order. In this way not only 
 the type was corrected, but the mistakes were elimina- 
 ted from the second section. These reversal slips, 
 eventually numbering 25,000, being kept in trays and 
 measuring between nine and ten feet in thickness. 
 As fast as the type was set up, the writing and sorting 
 of these slips progressed; and when the first section was 
 finished and the last slip written, the work of revising 
 them for the press began. All the slips containing 
 one particular Congo word were examined, and the 
 different translations grouped and written under one 
 heading." 
 
 Whilst this important and careful work was pro- 
 ceeding Mr. Bentley's eyesight for a time seriously 
 failed him, insomuch that it was impossible for him to 
 continue his labours ; but Mrs. Bentley, who had 
 been rendering him most valuable assistance, under- 
 stood the principles upon which the work was 
 conducted, and so was able, under his direction, to 
 carry on the undertaking. The picture we are able to 
 give shows Mr. and Mrs. Bentley with Nlemvo at 
 work, the girl upon the right being a native who had 
 been brought down from the upper Congo. 
 
 It should be mentioned here that Mr. Bentley and 
 his colleagues ever felt grateful that they were led in 
 the first instance to San Salvador, the Congo language 
 as spoken in that old capital being far superior to 
 dialects used elsewhere and being understood over a 
 wider area. 
 
 It must be especially remembered that in all this 
 arduous labour of collecting words, reducing them to 
 dictionary and grammar, Mr. Bentley had ever kept 
 
LITERARY LABOURS. 6? 
 
 steadfastly before him the great object which all such 
 labour was intended to promote — viz., the translation 
 of the Scriptures. . He consequently felt that the 
 greatest care and thoroughness were required. 
 
 In the September of 1886, Mr. Bentley was again 
 in Africa, and in the following year, his most 
 valuable work, under the title of " Dictionary and 
 Grammar of the Congo Language " appeared, dedi- 
 cated by special permission to His Majesty, Leopold 
 II., King of the Belgians and Sovereign of the Congo 
 Free State, who, in acknowledging the presentation 
 copy, described the volume as "this noble contribution 
 to the progress and development of civilisation in 
 Central Africa and the material improvement and 
 uplifting of the Congo people." 
 
 In the introduction to the volume, consisting, it 
 may be stated, of over 700 pages, Dr. Cust, the 
 Honorary Secretary of the Royal Asiatic Society, thus 
 writes : — " It is for the purpose of advancing the 
 Kingdom of the Lord that this great work has been 
 commenced, continued, and completed. It is a solid 
 brick in the great edifice of the evangelisation of 
 Africa, for, how can they hear unless they are spoken 
 to ? How can they be spoken to unless the mission- 
 ary masters the vulgar tongue of the people to whom 
 he is sent ? Mr. Bentley has concentrated his great 
 talents to this noble work in the hope that it will 
 enable his colleagues, and those who come after him, 
 to spread the Gospel of Christ. This was his main 
 object, and for this purpose only, the funds of a 
 Missionary Society can be properly devoted to the 
 expense of such publications. 
 
 " But the scholars of Europe and North America 
 would indeed be dead to all feeling, did they not feel 
 gratitude to missionaries like Mr. Bentley, who have 
 revealed to them new worlds, and helped them to 
 enter in, and admire the beauties of hitherto sealed 
 gardens. The Congo language takes its place, by the 
 side of the Swahili, the Zulu, and the Pongwe, as one of 
 
68 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 the typical languages of the Bantu family. Differing 
 from each other in many particulars, they still have 
 such ineffaceable affinities as indicate their common 
 stock. The mechanism of one often explains mis- 
 understood anomalies in the others. Mr. Bentley has 
 been able to get to the bottom of many knotty points, 
 which will, no doubt, throw a reflected light on un- 
 explained features in sister languages, of which the 
 study is only now commencing." 
 
 About two years ago this work was rendered still 
 more valuable by the addition of an appendix con- 
 taining about 3000 new words. 
 
 As to other literary productions, for use in the 
 schools in San Salvador and the lower river stations, 
 where the Congo language is spoken, Mrs. Bentley 
 has translated " The Congo Primer," a book of 
 Arithmetic, in three parts, " More about Jesus," and 
 a Bible History. Nlemvo has contributed a trans- 
 lation of "The Peep of Day," whilst Mr. Weeks 
 has translated several of the Psalms and some ele- 
 mentary school-books as well as issued a Congo 
 Hymn-Book. 
 
 But the great want of the Mission was ever kept in 
 view. To supply that want was the purpose for which 
 the dictionary and grammar had been prepared 
 — viz., the translation of the Scriptures into the 
 vernacular. The publication of Mr. Bentley's work 
 rapidly facilitated the issue of portions of the Bible ; 
 Mr. Weeks translating the Gospel of Matthew, Mr. 
 Cameron the Gospel of Mark, whilst Mr. Bentley 
 himself not only supplied in separate issues the 
 Gospels of Luke and John, but actually carried on 
 his translation work with such success that in March, 
 1893, he rendered into Congo all the rest of the 
 books of the New Testament ; and having completed 
 this second great achievement on behalf of the Congo 
 Mission, the sheets of the entire New Testament 
 were sent to the press, the British and Foreign Bible 
 Society defraying the expense of printing. 
 
LITERARY LABOURS. 69 
 
 But these literary results to which we have so far 
 referred, concern only the stations at San Salvador, 
 and those on the Lower Congo, Underhill and 
 Wathen ; though it is doubtless true that the diction- 
 ary and grammar will be of real service in regions 
 where other languages than that of the Congo proper 
 are spoken. 
 
 But not a little progress has been made in the 
 other four languages prevailing in different parts of 
 the Congo mission field. 
 
 At Bolobo, the first station above the Pool, Messrs. 
 Darby and Glennie have collected considerable 
 material for a dictionary of the Bobangi language. 
 
 At Lukolela, Mr. Scrivener has rendered into the 
 same language the Gospel of Matthew, a book of 
 Bible stories, and the first part of "Line upon Line;" 
 whilst Mr. Clark has issued a short life of Abraham ; 
 and Lusala, the native assistant, " More about Jesus." 
 A hymn-book and a school-book by Mr. Whitehead 
 have also been published, and still more recently the 
 Gospel of Mark by Mr. Whitehead and Mr. Clark 
 conjointly. 
 
 At Monsembi, a knowledge of the language spoken 
 by the Bangala : the Ja-Bonsembi, is being mastered, 
 and a few hymns, some simple Gospel stories, and a 
 school primer have already been passed through the 
 press by Messrs. Weeks and Stapleton. 
 
 At Bopoto, the most distant station, thousands of 
 words of the spoken language, the Ja-Upoto, have 
 been collected, and a school reading book, some 
 Scripture lessons and several hymns have been 
 published. 
 
 It is cause for wonder and thankfulness that such 
 substantial progress should have been made in so 
 comparatively short a period, to supply the natives 
 with educational and sacred literature. And there is 
 every prospect that still further invaluable contribu- 
 tions will be made to this essentially important part 
 of the missionary enterprise. 
 
70 
 
 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 It should be stated here that in these literary 
 labours the " Hannah Wade " Press, the gift of a 
 friend at Halifax, and which is under the superintend- 
 ence of Mr. Scrivener and Mr. Whitehead, and 
 which is located at Lukolela has been of the greatest 
 utility. By a recent additional present of plant, the 
 printing demands of the Congo Mission, and of other 
 missions on the Upper River can be fully met. It 
 may be mentioned in closing this chapter that at the 
 recent Exhibition in Antwerp, the specimens of the 
 Lukolela printing which were then on view called 
 forth general admiration. 
 
CHAPTER VII. 
 
 THE SERVICES OF THE MISSION TO CIVILISATION 
 AND PHILANTHROPY. 
 
 THE presence of a Christian missionary amongst 
 a degraded, heathen people, necessarily makes 
 for the improvement of the conditions of life. 
 His influence is humanising and ameliorating. 
 As the Divine Father sent the Divine Son into the 
 world, even so hath the Son sent His servants into 
 the world to preach the Gospel to the poor, to heal the 
 broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, 
 recovery of sight to the blind, and to set at liberty 
 them that are bruised — and this not alone in the 
 higher, the spiritual sense, but to a large extent also 
 physically and materially. Testimonies from men 
 high in station and authority, well qualified to judge, 
 might be multiplied a hundred fold, who have borne 
 unsolicited witness to the temporal benefits resulting 
 from Christian missions. 
 
 The Congo, in this respect, is no exception to 
 other mission fields. The gathering together of the 
 children in Christian schools for instruction in the 
 elements of education is bound to have its good 
 effect upon the general community. Already, not a 
 
 71 
 
J2 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 few of the boys, having entered upon manhood, have 
 come to realise that knowledge is power, and because 
 of the religious training they have received are using 
 their power for the advantage of others as well as of 
 themselves. • 
 
 The pioneer nature of the Mission, necessitating the 
 founding of stations, the building of houses and other 
 structures, the cultivation of the land, and general 
 station work, has given the missionaries abundant 
 opportunity to teach the natives many useful arts. 
 The Congo Mission is not entitled "An Industrial 
 Mission," but no mission bearing that name ever 
 rendered more real service in this direction. Most of 
 the missionaries, knowing well how to use their hands 
 themselves, have not been slow to teach the boys and 
 young men at their stations to do the same. And 
 just as many of the natives have shown remarkable 
 aptitude in book learning, so they have also become 
 expert in carpentry, in brick-making and building, 
 in printing and in agricultural pursuits. 
 
 It is interesting to note in this connection that 
 when a telegraphic apparatus — the gift of two friends 
 — was set up at Wathen station, one of the boys soon 
 mastered the working of the Morse code. Writing to 
 the kind donors, Mr. Bentley said: "The apparatus has 
 been set up, and is in full work. My two colleagues, 
 who are with me here, are both able to use it, having 
 been used to such work when in England. I am 
 making good progress myself, and some of the senior 
 boys are taking lessons." The governor-general of 
 the State, visiting Wathen, was much pleased to 
 inspect this the first telegraph line on the Congo. 
 He thought it a capital idea. When the Congo Rail- 
 way shall be completed, telegraph clerks, remarks Mr. 
 Bentley, will be needed, and some of the boys may 
 find good openings. 
 
 The medical knowledge possessed by the mission- 
 aries is a most important civilising and humanising 
 influence. Apart from the unique advantage it gives 
 
SERVICES OF THE MISSION TO CIVILISATION. Jl 
 
 to the missionary as the minister of healing mercy, 
 thus winning the confidence of the natives, and dis- 
 posing them to listen to the Gospel message; in itself, 
 the practice of medical skill necessarily undermines 
 the power of the witch-doctor, whose terrible influence 
 over the people is as evil as it is widespread. Very 
 often in their journeyings have the missionaries come 
 into contact with the " medicine man," their hearts 
 being deeply saddened, and their righteous indigna- 
 tion aroused by the awful cruelties they have witnessed. 
 Mr. Stapleton, referring to the fact that the natives 
 never admit that sickness comes naturally, but is 
 always ascribed to the occult influence of witches, 
 tells of a chief who was brought home from a trading 
 expedition very sick, and carried into his hut to die. 
 Rumours having been spread about that he was being 
 bewitched, the missionaries went to see him. They 
 found a large group of men holding solemn debate, 
 the son of the chief presiding. As the result, it was 
 decided that five people must take the " Nkasa " (the 
 test poison). Two days after, a man and a woman 
 who had undergone the ordeal were said to be dying. 
 Instantly Mr. Stapleton took the bottle of sulphate of 
 zinc, while Mr. White took a jug of water, and 
 started off to the town, On arriving, they at once 
 heard the cry of mourning women, and hastening to 
 the hut whence the cries proceeded, they found it 
 full of howling women gathered round a dying man. 
 Entrance into the hut was refused them. In answer 
 to their reiterated cry, " Will you let us save him ? " 
 they got the heartless reply, " He is old and no more 
 good ; let him die." Mr. Grenfell, who had followed, 
 arriving on the scene, in stirring tones told the 
 villainous son that he was guilty of murder, that he 
 had rendered himself liable to death at the hands of 
 the State authorities, and that he must answer to God 
 for his crime. Mr. Grenfell's vigorous protest was 
 not without good effect. Though the woman, the old 
 man's sister, died of the poison, a further effort was 
 
74 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 made to reach the old man himself, and with success. 
 He expressed a wish that the missionaries should do 
 their best for him. God blessed the means that were 
 used, and the man recovered. This successful treat- 
 ment dealt a heavy blow at the dreadful "Nkasa" 
 custom. The late Dr. S. R. Webb, the qualified medical 
 missionary of the Society, was hopeful that as the 
 people came to know more of the use of medicines as 
 administered by the Mission, they would lose their 
 faith in witchcraft and in magic. 
 
 Another horrible custom extensively prevailing is 
 that of burying the living with the dead. The greater 
 the position of the chief the larger the number of 
 attendants required to accompany him in the long 
 last journey. The sacrifice of human life caused by 
 this superstition is revolting in the extreme. Take 
 as a specimen the instance given of one of the wives 
 of a comparatively young man being made to sit in 
 the grave and support the corpse on her knees, then 
 being buried alive with it, and this after the heads of 
 four unfortunate individuals had been cut off, and all 
 to testify respect for the dead, and to gratify the 
 public taste for a spectacle. 
 
 Earnest efforts are continually being made by the 
 missionaries to bring this abomination to an end. 
 
 The picture given opposite illustrates a " palaver " of 
 Bolobo chiefs which took place in the yard of the 
 Mission Station, when the Commissiare of the District, 
 the Free State authority in that part, was also present, 
 to consider what could Le done to put a stop to this 
 cruel burial practice. 
 
 The late Mr. Michael Richard gives a graphic 
 account of a visit he paid to a town where a chief had 
 died and the obsequies were about to be observed in 
 the usual fiendish manner. Let the story be told in 
 his own words : — 
 
 " I went into the towns not knowing what had 
 taken place. Everybody was preparing for some- 
 thing great by either eating their full, decorating 
 
SERVICES OF THE MISSION TO CIVILISATION. 75 
 
 their bodies, adjusting gaudy pieces of European 
 cloth, or ' trying on ' hats of feathers, etc. ' My friends, 
 why all this preparation ? ' I asked. ' The father of 
 Mbuma Njokup is dead, and to-day we dance and 
 cry.' I approached this chief's house with caution, 
 knowing the people think white men are witches. 
 " What a sight ! the like of which I had never 
 
 BOLOBO CHIEFS ASSEMBLED FOR PALAVER. 
 
 before seen. Women yelling, with only a few leaves 
 around their waist. Some rolling in the dirt, others 
 sitting around an artificial arm-chair. Many had put 
 charcoal on their faces and breasts, over which a little 
 water had been sprinkled, to represent tears. The 
 dead man was seated in the arm-chair — chalked all 
 over, and spotted with black, yellow, and blue ; on 
 his arms long brass bracelets, on either side of him a 
 
76 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 flintlock gun, on his head a large cap of feathers — 
 leaning back a little, like a gentleman at ease before 
 his drawing-room fire. The women asked why I had 
 come. I speedily told them. They were pleased, 
 and invited me to a seat. Just what I was waiting 
 for, and I was soon on the piece of burned stick. 
 People asked if we white men could give medicine to 
 raise the dead. ' No ; but we can give medicine to 
 sick folk that may keep them from dying, and, if you 
 wish it, I will come in the morning.' 
 
 " The chief now came up, but he was too busy for 
 many words. But something said 'Speak to him.' 
 I waited my opportunity, then called him aside, and 
 asked if any heads were going to be cut off. We had 
 a short conversation, when he turned to the mourners(P), 
 repeating what I had said. Silently the people looked 
 at me, expecting further words ; and, for the first 
 time, I addressed the people of Lukolela, finishing 
 by asking them to bury the dead without heads being 
 cut off. The chief replied : ' No person shall be 
 killed. The white man's words are good.' I looked 
 at two women lying nearest the dead man. The 
 chief saw my eyes fixed upon them, and said : 'You 
 need not look at them, they are only crying. Have 
 I not said no one shall be killed ? Look at the 
 people, and come to-morrow ; you will then see if 
 I tell the truth or not.' 
 
 " Soon after this dancing began, drums were beaten, 
 and from every town came crowds of men, women, 
 and children, clothed with skulls, branches of trees, 
 old baskets, fetishes, etc., etc. They joined together 
 and raced about like mad folk, shaking rattles, 
 beating drums, waving fetishes, and twisting and 
 turning themselves into all manner of shapes. Every 
 now and then the five hundred got as close as possible 
 together, and sang a song lustily. The din I leave 
 you to imagine. 
 
 " I went to the towns the next morning and 
 doctored fifteen persons. The people kept their 
 
SERVICES OF THE MISSION TO CIVILISATION. JJ 
 
 promise, and I have certain reason to know ' no per- 
 son accompanied the dead one on his long journey.' " 
 Instances might be multiplied of missionaries inter- 
 viewing chiefs on the occasion of a death, and by 
 their influence preventing these murders being com- 
 mitted. And as through their teaching a public 
 sentiment against this cruel superstition shall be 
 
 A SLAVE, BANGALA TRIBE. 
 
 created, it will become eventually as much a thing of 
 the past in Congo land, as child drowning or widow 
 burning is unknown in India to-day. 
 
 In this chapter it is fitting that some reference should 
 be made to slavery — Africa's open sore, as Livingstone 
 described it — the source of so much untold wrong and 
 woe. In any consideration of this great question the 
 distinction should ever be borne in mind between 
 
78 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 the slave trade and domestic slavery ; and yet, though 
 the former is far more oppressive and inhuman than 
 the latter, in both alike there is the disregard of the 
 inalienable right of man, the right to enjoy personal 
 liberty. The slave is not permitted to look upon him- 
 self as in any sense his own property ; he has no 
 right of possession in his own wife, or children, or 
 goods. Now the interest of the Christian missionary 
 cannot but tell, and tell powerfully, against even the 
 domestic slavery. The example of his own home 
 life as well as the inculcation of the principles of the 
 Gospel, must necessarily tend to bring to an end this 
 ownership of human beings. 
 
 It is, however, the abominations of the slave trade, 
 the merchandise in human flesh, that provoke the 
 deepest indignation and command the most deter- 
 mined effort. No missionary can reside long in 
 Africa without being compelled to witness slav- 
 ery's dreadful ravages. " I have seen," says Mr. 
 Grenfell, " thousands of poor refugees afloat on the 
 river in their canoes, having been driven from their 
 homes by ruthless slave raiders, who have carried off 
 their wives and children. In one single day I counted 
 as many as twenty-seven burning villages destroyed 
 by the Arabs, and who can tell the sum of misery 
 and crime such a fact involves ? The mere thought 
 of it weighs our hearts down to the ground." 
 
 It is satisfactory to know that the article in the 
 General Act of the Berlin Conference, dealing with 
 the slave trade, is most emphatic on its prohibition. 
 It reads as follows : " In conformity with the principles 
 of the right of nations as recognised by the signatory 
 Powers, the slave trade being forbidden, and opera- 
 tions which on land or sea supply slaves for the trade 
 being equally held to be forbidden, the Powers which 
 exercise or will exercise rights of sovereignty or 
 influence in the territories forming the basin of the 
 Congo, declare that these territories shall serve neither 
 for the place of sale nor the way of transit for the traffic 
 
SERVICES OF THE MISSION TO CIVILISATION. 79 
 
 in slaves of any race whatsoever. Each of the Powers 
 undertakes to employ every means that it can to put 
 an end to the trade, and to punish those who engage 
 in it." 
 
 It is very certain that the Congo Mission, as other 
 missions, will render all possible service to give effect 
 to this most important declaration. 
 
 In the early part of 1892, the Committee of the 
 Society received a very earnest request from His 
 Majesty, King Leopold, that Mr. Grenfell should be 
 permitted to undertake certain difficult duties in con- 
 nection with the delimitation of the Southern Frontier 
 of the Free State. The fact of this request being 
 made was in itself a high testimony to the value set 
 upon Mr. Grenfell's judgment and abilities,but in grant- 
 ing it the Committee took into their consideration 
 the bearing which the undertaking, if successful, 
 would have upon the slave trade. The commis- 
 sion was one of great delicacy, but the missionary 
 plenipotentiary was equal to the position. The satis- 
 factory terms upon which the delimitation of the 
 boundary was settled, secured immense benefit to a 
 population occupying some 20,000 square miles, who 
 hitherto have been subject to raids systematically 
 carried on for the levying of blackmail and for the 
 capture of slaves. The duties of the commission 
 extended over a period of more than a year, long dis- 
 tances having to be traversed. In all these journey- 
 ings Mr. Grenfell was accompanied by Mrs. Grenfell ; 
 over a thousand miles had to be accomplished in the 
 mode of travelling depicted in the illustrations given 
 on the next page. But whilst the commissioner 
 successfully fulfilled his difficult task, and had had 
 opportunities of making known the Gospel in regions 
 where no missionary had ever previously been, he was 
 thankful when his duties for the State were over, and 
 he found himself once more at his mission station, 
 able to devote all his time and energies to direct 
 missionary work. 
 
So 
 
 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 _ It may be stated here that the King of the Belgians 
 signified his approbation of the manner in which Mr. 
 Grenfell had discharged the service in the most gra- 
 cious and commendatory terms. And it may be also 
 stated that the Mission was financially compensated 
 for the temporary absence of their missionary from 
 his work. 
 
 MRS. GRENFELL ON liULL-BACK. 
 
 A further most valuable service the Congo Mission 
 has rendered to the cause of civilisation, consists in 
 important geographical discoveries. When so excel- 
 lent a steamer as the Peace for navigating the Congo 
 river was provided, it was only to be expected that 
 new tributaries and new territories would be ex- 
 plored. The fact that in making the acquaintance cf 
 
'"'"- :',|! 
 
 Ira 
 
 ^ 
 
 AJlJ 
 
 Mb Imp* 
 
 ■Ml wAfflr 
 
 
 HE REV. GEORGE GRENFELL— A NEW MODE OF TRAVELLING ON THE CONGO. 
 
 81 
 
82 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 the Upper Congo region and in prospecting for new 
 mission sites, Mr. Grenfell was in command of the 
 Peace, was certain to issue in results especially inter- 
 esting to members of geographical societies. As far 
 back as 1887 the Peace had made no less than seven 
 considerable journeys, traversing nearly the whole of 
 the 5000 miles at that time known to be navigable. 
 During these journeys some doubtful points of previ- 
 ous travellers were cleared up, whilst in two and three 
 cases new waterways were explored. 
 
 But the discovery which will ever place Mr. Gren- 
 fell amongst the great African explorers is that of 
 the Mobangi river. 
 
 When the fact of this discovery was announced in 
 England in July, 1885, the Times newspaper declared 
 that since the discovery of the course of the Congo 
 itself no more important addition had been made to 
 our knowledge of the hydrography of the region ; 
 that the details which had come to hand showed 
 what an admirable piece of exploring work Mr. Gren- 
 fell had done, as he had proved that the Mobangi, 
 which enters the right bank of the Congo, forming a 
 great delta between 26 and 42 S. latitude, nearly 
 opposite Equator Station, is probably its greatest 
 tributary ; that the river banks are far more populous 
 than any equal length of the Congo. The Times 
 further affirmed that the commercial importance of 
 Mr. Grenfell's discovery could not be exaggerated, 
 that whether the Mobangi be the Welle or not it 
 must form an important link between the basin of 
 the Congo and the basins of the Niger, the Shari, and 
 the Nile. 
 
 This contribution to geographical knowledge being 
 deemed so important, the account of the discovery 
 sent to the Mission House will be of sufficient interest 
 to reproduce in these pages. Having described the 
 previous part of his journey, Mr. Grenfell writes : — 
 
 " We now commenced to look out for the mouth of 
 the Mobangi river, but as we maintained a course of 
 
SERVICES OF THE MISSION TO CIVILISATION. 83 
 
 N. by E. and N.N.E., which corresponded with that 
 of the Congo, we thought that ' Mai Mobangi ' was 
 just a name given, as in other places, to a particular 
 portion of the main stream, and that we were still on 
 the Congo itself. It was not till we had journeyed 
 nearly 130 miles up the Mobangi that we made sure 
 of its independence. Its islands were so numerous, 
 and the points of the mainland (as they afterwards 
 proved themselves to be) appeared, as we caught 
 glimpses of them here and there between the islands, 
 so much like the heads of other islands, and the 
 course was so nearly identical with the Congo, that 
 I did not determine the question till I was farther 
 north than the point (i° io' N.L.) where my know- 
 ledge of the right bank beyond the equator com- 
 menced. On the 4th November the sun's meridian 
 altitude put us in i° 6' N., and we then knew that if 
 we were on the Congo we should reach Lobengo that 
 afternoon ; but, as no Lobengo came in sight, we 
 anchored that evening, certain of being on the 
 Mobangi. 
 
 " The next morning, soon after we started, we saw 
 towns to the eastward, and were then sure we saw 
 the opposite bank, and determined to go across, 
 hoping to get on better in returning on that side 
 than we had succeeded in doing on the one by which 
 we had ascended, for it was only at one or two places 
 that we had been able to open communications with 
 the people. Our approach was generally the signal 
 for a stampede. Cooking-pots were left simmering 
 on the fire, houses all open, and household gear all 
 scattered about ; and, together with the astonished 
 goats and fowls, at our mercy. In several places 
 little children were left behind to face the fate the 
 older folk all feared. In other places, again, the 
 bolder spirits set about putting their stockades in a 
 proper state of defence (all the towns hereabouts are 
 fortified), while others stood behind holding their own 
 and their comrades' weapons and shields. At one 
 
84 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 town the medicine- man began to make his charms to 
 ward off the expected evil by tying the long grass 
 into peculiar knots ; and as we steamed slowly on, 
 trying to get him to speak (he was the only man we 
 saw in a large town), he kept just ahead of us, 
 dodging behind the bushes till he had completed his 
 'bonganga' (medicine) defences covering the whole 
 river frontage of the town, and then he darted off to 
 join his people, and, I 've no doubt, to make a big 
 dance and sing his own praises for having, single- 
 handed, warded off the attack of the white men and 
 his big fiery monster whose breath was as the beating 
 of war-drums. 
 
 " At one town we were greeted from behind the 
 stockade with shouts of ' Bedimo ! bedimo ! ' (spirits). 
 But although one of their countrymen whom we 
 found at Lukolela, and brought with us, assured them 
 that we were not spirits, and that we went to bed and 
 slept like ordinary people (of course, spirits never 
 sleep), we could not overcome their prejudice, and, 
 short of food as we were, had to go empty away. It 
 now remained to see if the people on the left bank 
 were more tractable ; but on our crossing the river 
 and approaching the first town the people all fled. 
 We could see plenty of food about, and as it was 
 imperative that we should get something to eat, we 
 were not prepared to give up our quest at the first 
 rebuff. Three of our people volunteered to go ashore, 
 and try to talk to the people, who evidently had not 
 gone far. We, therefore, put the steamer close into 
 the beach and landed our ambassadors, who took a 
 good supply of cloth, beads, and brass wire, wherewith 
 to open negotiations. But we had not to wait long 
 before they came running back, retreating before an 
 angry crowd, that received the spokesman with a 
 spear thrust which he marvellously escaped. This 
 was serious for hungry folk, but we were not yet 
 willing to give up, so steamed off a short distance 
 beyond spear throw, and waited awhile, thinking 
 
SERVICES OE THE MISSION TO CIVILISATION. 85 
 
 perhaps when the people returned and found their 
 cooking pots still on the fire, and their corn and 
 plantain still standing, that they would be convinced 
 of our good intentions. As we steamed off they 
 came slowly to the beach, and we took the oppor- 
 tunity of displaying our bells and looking-glasses, and 
 the trinkets the natives delight in, all with the hope 
 of subduing them into friendliness. After awhile, 
 thinking we might venture again to make overtures, 
 we turned round and came in a little closer ; but the 
 warriors all began to get into their awkward, sleeve- 
 less jackets of elephant and buffalo skin, to get 
 behind their shields, and make ready their bundles of 
 spears, and as we came still closer they got up a war 
 dance, and, with a terrible yell, made a charge as 
 though they intended to come through the water to 
 get at us. It was evident we must wait yet a little 
 longer, and in another hour or so we tried again ; but, 
 though they were not so demonstrative (they only 
 stood ready, and did not dance this time), we felt we 
 could not do more than just steam slowly by, that 
 they might the better see what manner of people we 
 were. 
 
 " They seemed specially impressed by the presence 
 of my wife and the children, and seemed to say 
 among themselves : ' Not only are there no signs of 
 war about, but there is a woman, and there are 
 children, and nobody takes them when they go to 
 fight' A little more waiting, and another slow 
 approach, and we managed to get the principal man 
 to accept a fathom of cloth from the end of a long 
 stick, and soon afterwards to make the steamer fast 
 to one of the bushes on the bank. It was not long 
 before they were quite assured of our harmlessness, 
 and we were able to buy plantain and food in 
 abundance, as well as a few of the curious jackets, 
 shields, knives, and spears, as mementoes of the four 
 hours' siege we maintained and the capitulation that 
 followed. The people in this part of the river, we 
 
86 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 learnt, were Baloi', and quite distinct in appearance 
 and language from both the Bakke and Bayansi, who 
 monopolise so much of the middle Congo. 
 
 " Having replenished our food supplies, we were 
 soon away down river again, and looking out for 
 firewood. So much of the other bank had been 
 under water that we had been in great straits for fuel, 
 and had had lots of tree climbing to get it ; happily, 
 here we found good wood, and firm ground to cut it 
 on, and were soon able to lay in a good stock. 
 Unfortunately, when we came to get up anchor we 
 found it had caught in a snag, and, after a couple 
 of hours' hard work in trying to get it clear, we had 
 at last to cut the chain and leave six fathoms of it 
 together with the anchor in the bed of the river. 
 This was a serious loss, and liable to recur, and 
 though we had spare anchors and chain on board, we 
 were sorry to lose even a portion of such valuable 
 gear. The next day, after passing some suspicious 
 people, we came to friendly towns, and were able to 
 lay in a stock of fresh meat and fish in addition to 
 the plantain, which had cost us so much trouble to 
 get the day before." 
 
 Before re-entering the Congo the Peace one night 
 came into contact with a large floating island. Mr. 
 Grenfell, awaking his crew, gave orders to get up 
 steam, and endeavoured, but without success, to push 
 on one side the thousand square yards of grass and 
 herbage. The situation was critical. The men landed 
 on the island with their hatchets to try and chop 
 through it, but in vain ; the floating mass carried the 
 little steamer ever onward. The hand-saws were 
 next tried, and in ten minutes, the tough roots and 
 stems being run through, the Peace was set free, 
 having been dragged along some two miles. After 
 anchoring in a sheltered spot, the Congo was reached 
 the next morning without further anxiety. 
 
 Though Mr. Grenfell knew very well the important 
 bearing of his discovery upon the great work of the 
 
SERVICES OF THE MISSION TO CIVILISATION. 87 
 
 Mission, he was concerned lest the supporters of the 
 Society at home should think that " too much fuss 
 was being made about geography, and that he did 
 not write enough about the Gospel." He comforted 
 himself by the remembrance of David Livingstone's 
 memorable words : " The end of the geographical feat 
 is the commencement of the missionary enterprise," 
 adding, "we shall soon have intelligent knowledge of 
 what is really before us, and where best to concen- 
 trate our main efforts ; with our present incomplete 
 knowledge only of the vast central waterways and 
 the populations accessible thereby, we might make 
 great mistakes as to procedure, and spend much 
 money and treasure in attacking outposts only, while 
 we might with just as much ease operate against 
 important and strategic centres." 
 

 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 THE NATIVE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES. 
 
 THAT religious communities, consisting of indi- 
 viduals, once degraded, lawless savages, but 
 now endeavouring to walk according to the 
 pure and gentle principles of the Gospel of 
 Jesus Christ, should have been brought into existence 
 in Congo-land, is a strong argument for the super- 
 natural origin and power of the Christian faith. And 
 that such communities do exist, and are becoming 
 stronger in numbers and in influence, is a fact full of 
 encouragement and promise. 
 
 In this and the following chapters we propose to 
 give some particulars as to the converts of whom 
 these churches are composed, and as to their church 
 life and work. 
 
 The first church connected with the Congo Mission 
 was formed at 
 
 San Salvador, 
 
 in December, 1887. Five young men having been 
 baptised, the missionaries who were then at the 
 station — viz., Messrs. Lewis, Phillips, and Graham, 
 had the joy of communing at the Lord's Table for 
 
THE NATIVE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES. 89 
 
 the first time with native Christians in Congo. After 
 one of their number had explained the principles 
 upon which a Christian Church should be founded, 
 the right hand of fellowship was duly given, and 
 then European white men, together with their black 
 African brothers, commemorated the dying love of 
 their common Lord and Saviour. The following 
 Sabbath a Sunday school was started ; a day school 
 for boys, and Mrs. Lewis's school for girls being 
 already in existence. Two months later Mr. Lewis 
 reported three more baptisms, and that the work was 
 growing more and more interesting and encouraging. 
 No excitement or extraordinary conversions, but a 
 quiet, deep and increasing interest in spiritual matters. 
 
 Knowing the tendency of Africans to act together 
 in numbers, being influenced very much by one 
 another, the missionaries felt the necessity of exer- 
 cising great care to test the genuineness of their 
 professions before admitting them into membership. 
 And so, from time to time, down to the present, the 
 little San Salvador Church has been increasing — slowly 
 it may be thought, but this owing to unwillingness to 
 baptise before full proof of change of heart has been 
 given — until exclusive of those who have removed or 
 have died, some sixty-eight converts are now in actual 
 fellowship. 
 
 During the residence of Mr. Weeks at the station, 
 and just previous to the formation of the Church, a 
 chapel capable of holding between four and five 
 hundred people was erected, the walls being made of 
 bamboo palm ribs nailed perpendicularly on a wooden 
 frame, the roof being also of bamboos and thatched 
 with grass. The picture on page 90 shows the chapel 
 with a group in front representing some of the boys 
 and girls belonging to the San Salvador schools. For 
 a view of the interior of the chapel see illustration, 
 page 45. 
 
 The Bible-class held during the week is an import- 
 ant institution, the simple teaching given in the 
 
ao 
 
 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 Scripture being specially required. What with ser- 
 vices, prayer meetings, and teaching, the time of the 
 missionaries and that of their native Christian helpers 
 is fully occupied. 
 
 In a further chapter reference will be made to the 
 evangelistic efforts of the San Salvador Christians in 
 their surrounding districts. 
 
 Amongst the members of the Church at this station 
 
 SOME BOYS AND GIRLS OF THE SAN SALVADOR SCHOOLS. 
 
 particular mention may be made of Don Miguel, a 
 blacksmith, the ring of whose hammer, as he worked 
 in his forge, might be heard all day long, his trade 
 being mainly in agricultural hoes. This man was 
 amongst the earliest to welcome the white men to 
 San Salvador, and was always friendly disposed. His 
 knowledge of Portuguese, in which language he would 
 come and chat in the evenings, was of great service. 
 
THE NATIVE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES. 9 1 
 
 Miguel's simple and earnest faith in Christ was a 
 great joy to the missionaries, and a fine example to 
 his fellow-townsmen. Some five years ago he fell a 
 victim to the " sleep sickness " so terribly common in 
 Western Africa. The Church deeply mourned his 
 loss, for by his real, earnest piety he was indeed a 
 power for good. 
 
 Matoka, whom Mr. Comber engaged as his Portu- 
 guese interpreter on his first visit to San Salvador, 
 and who proved particularly helpful because of the 
 willingness of his disposition, may also be named. 
 He, as well as Don Miguel, was one of the first five 
 converts of whom the Church was formed. Much 
 satisfaction has been and is still felt in the consistency 
 of Matoka's Christian character. And so with respect 
 to others the same kind of testimony might be borne. 
 The Gospel as preached by the messengers of the 
 Cross has indeed proved itself to be the power of God 
 unto salvation. 
 
 What cause for thankfulness exists may be seen in 
 the following report of the death of one of the San 
 Salvador native converts. " We have recently," writes 
 Mr. Phillips, " lost one of our members by death. 
 Her last hours were exceedingly peaceful, and she 
 left a very decided testimony behind her. 
 
 "I baptised Nzumba in May, 1888. At the time 
 of her baptism we noticed how quiet and unobtrusive 
 she was, rather a contrast to the self-assertion of many 
 of the women. These characteristics have marked 
 her life ever since. About three weeks ago she was 
 taken ill, and, during her illness, suffered a great deal 
 with severe ulceration of the throat. At the beg-in- 
 ning of last week it became evident that she was 
 passing away, and the women of the town gathered 
 round to show their sympathy. Mrs. Graham and 
 Mrs. Phillips went in to see her day after day, and she 
 was able to converse with them intelligently. Two 
 days before she died she told those around her that 
 she knew she was dying, and then divided her little 
 
92 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 possessions among her various friends ; after she had 
 done this she turned to all the women who were 
 sitting around, and said : — ' Now I have done with all 
 these things, everything is settled, and I am just ready 
 and waiting to die. I am not afraid, because Jesus is 
 my Saviour and my only hope, and He is soon com- 
 ing to take me to be with Him in Heaven.' This 
 little incident happened when none of us were there, 
 and what she said was quite spontaneous on her 
 part ; we did not hear of it until the next day. 
 
 " The day before she died Mrs. Graham and Mrs. 
 Phillips saw her, and again, at their request, she told 
 those round her how she was not afraid, to die, and 
 urged them to prepare for the time when they would 
 have to leave this world. When she had finished, she 
 turned to Nlekai, who was standing by, and said, 
 ' Pray for me and for all these ; ' and there, in the 
 native hut, kneeling round the dying one, earnest 
 prayer was offered that she might be strengthened, 
 and her words might be blessed to those around. It 
 was such a touching scene that all present were 
 unable to refrain from weeping. Again is it true, 
 1 she being dead yet speaketh,' for in two instances, at 
 any rate, concern was aroused by these things. A 
 definite and clear testimony like this is all the more 
 important when we remember how the natives dread 
 death, and never think or speak of it, however bad 
 they may be, but always persuade themselves they 
 will get better. Our Congo Mission a failure? Do 
 our beloved brethren, Comber and Hartland, our 
 noble pioneers, think so as they welcome these first- 
 fruits in the better land ? Verily, no, but there is 
 rejoicing as these sheaves are gathered in." 
 
 Coming now to the stations on the river, and taking 
 them in their geographical order, we shall first refer to 
 
 UNDERHILL OR TUNDUWA 
 
 (see frontispiece). This is the base station for the 
 whole Mission. Here the supplies for up country are 
 
THE NATIVE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES. 93 
 
 received and duly despatched, this transport business 
 being very arduous and responsible. Mr. J. Lawson 
 Forfeitt, who has been ably assisted by Mr. Pinnock 
 and Mr. Pople, is the missionary in charge, and acts as 
 local secretary. Whilst the site of this particular 
 station had of course to be determined by its suita- 
 bility as a base of operations, and the time of the 
 missionaries located there must necessarily be given to 
 the business duties of the Mission, yet not a little real 
 spiritual work has been effected. The resident popula- 
 tion being sparse, the services on the Sunday and week 
 days are largely for the sake of carriers engaged in 
 transport work, and for workmen belonging to trading 
 factories. The preaching of the Gospel at Underhill 
 has not been in vain ; occasional baptisms have 
 gladdened the hearts of the missionaries, and a small 
 Christian community is now in existence. A night 
 school has also for some time been doing good service. 
 The " Edwin Wade " Printing Press has recently been 
 transferred to San Salvador, and is now placed under 
 the care of Mr. Phillips. We must not forget here to 
 state that at Underhill opportunities are frequently 
 occurring for showing kindness and hospitality to 
 missionaries generally, as well as to others en route up 
 river or returning to the coast from the interior. 
 
 About one hundred and fifty miles higher up the 
 Congo than Underhill is 
 
 Wathen or Ngombi. 
 
 In the early period of the Mission this second station 
 was fixed at Manyanga, but in 1884 was transferred to 
 Ngombi. The illustration on page 95 shows the 
 ground plan of the station. The mission house was 
 erected in 1888, and was a great improvement upon 
 the earlier house, which consisted of clay walls and 
 thatched roof. The new house was, for sanitary 
 reasons, built of bricks, made by the natives them- 
 selves. It affords considerable accommodation, and is 
 well protected from the winds by a verandah and a belt 
 
94 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 of trees. In addition there are various out-buildings, 
 and the Wathen School-house, described on page 58. 
 
 On New Year's Day, 1889, seven native converts 
 formed themselves into a Christian Church. The 
 population immediately around the station is scanty. 
 The hope for the future lies mainly in the large 
 number of boys who come to the station from the 
 district around, many of whom show signs of a change 
 of heart. An early service is held every day for the 
 workmen who may be about, and for traders and 
 others who may be passing through the place. 
 
 It was at Wathen that Nlemvo, Mr. Bentley's boy, 
 professed his faith in Christ. Much interest attaches 
 to the conversion, Christian character, and usefulness 
 of this Congo native. In the first instance he was 
 brought by an uncle to be taught in the San Salvador 
 School ; afterwards he became Mr. Bentley's attend- 
 ant. He was, as we have seen, of great use in the 
 completion of the dictionary and grammar, and sub- 
 sequently in the translation of the New Testament 
 In the early part of 1888, Nlemvo was married to 
 Kalombo, an event of considerable interest, inasmuch 
 as it was the first marriage between Congo Christians. 
 According to the report of the incident, the place 
 where the ceremony was celebrated was decorated 
 with flags and palm branches ; two gentlemen from 
 the State were present, and a crowd of other people. 
 Kalombo wore a white dress, and Nlemvo a singlet 
 and a handsome cloth with a leopard cat's skin as a 
 kilt, in the finest Congo style. Great wonder was 
 excited as to what a Christian wedding would be like. 
 It seemed strange to many that the man should vow 
 to love and care for the woman. " Why that," they 
 said, " is what the wife should do for the husband." 
 It was felt that the example of two young native con- 
 verts living together in holy wedlock, loving each 
 other, and seeking to be fellow heirs of the grace of 
 life would prove a powerful influence upon the heathen 
 mind. And as other weddings were to follow, much 
 
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96 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 importance naturally attached to this first Congo 
 marriage. 
 
 In less than a year after this event, Nlemvo heard 
 of the death of his uncle, in consequence of which he 
 was entitled to become the chief of his town. But 
 the young Christian knew very well that if he were to 
 accept the position, the observance of various customs 
 would be expected of him. These he could not 
 conscientiously observe, and rather than do so, he 
 would forego the chieftainship. And this he bravely 
 and nobly did. For years now he has maintained a 
 truly consistent character, and hereafter we shall refer 
 to his earnest endeavours to make known the Gospel 
 he has himself received, and according to which he is 
 prayerfully seeking to live. 
 
 Of several others who have been baptised upon a 
 profession of their repentance towards God and faith 
 in the Lord Jesus Christ, we might give interesting 
 particulars. Mr. Davies and Mr. Cameron with Mr. 
 Bentley find no little cause for encouragement. A 
 recent report from one of the missionaries says : — 
 " I feel very hopeful as to a large number of people, 
 of a good many of our scholars and some of our work 
 people and town people, but am afraid of saying what 
 might perhaps produce an exaggerated impression at 
 home. We have abundant reason to thank God and 
 take courage." Thirty-three are now in the member- 
 ship of this Church. 
 
 The next station is 
 
 Arthington or Nshasha, 
 
 about eighty miles beyond Wathen, and near to the 
 Pool above the cataracts, the point where the river 
 enters upon its long reach of navigable waterway. 
 
 As at Underhill so here, much time is necessarily 
 occupied with the up-river transport, forwarding by 
 the steamers the supplies which have come up by the 
 land journeys. It was toward the end of 1886 that 
 this station was established, having been removed 
 
98 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 from a less convenient site. Just, however, before the 
 removal, a heavy loss was inflicted upon the Mission 
 by the outbreak of a terrible fire, consuming most of 
 the buildings, which contained very valuable stores 
 for the new up-river stations. The loss was estimated 
 at no less than ^4000, but such was the splendid and 
 spontaneous generosity of the friends of the Mission, 
 that in a short time the whole of this sum was contri- 
 buted to repair as far as was possible this very serious 
 disaster. 
 
 On the removal of the station to Nshasha, much 
 time had to be given to the erection of the new build- 
 ings, and the transport of stores, but the missionaries 
 had many Gospel talks with the natives, and were 
 enabled to begin daily services, as well as regular 
 teaching in the school. The work was, however, 
 unfortunately hindered by the migration of the people 
 away from Nshasha to the north bank of the river, in 
 consequence of some State troubles that arose. In 
 time they returned, and in 1892 Mr. Gordon reported 
 a good work of grace amongst the boys. Still the 
 progress was slow, but at length Mr. Roger was able 
 to write as under : — 
 
 " It is a great joy to me to report to you our first 
 baptism here at Stanley Pool for the last five years ; 
 it has cheered our hearts in the work, and we are 
 hoping that more will soon follow. It was on the 
 third Sunday in April that we all gathered to the 
 water's edge, and, in the presence of all our boys and 
 workpeople, Mr. Gordon baptised two of our school 
 boys. It was a most impressive service, and we all 
 felt it to be a very solemn time ; the boys spoke out 
 so boldly to the others of their love to Christ and the 
 longing desire they have had to follow Him. We 
 know there are several others who have lately given 
 their hearts to Jesus, and trust soon to have the joy of 
 welcoming them into the Church. On the Sunday 
 evening, we all gathered around the Lord's Table, and 
 after I had given the right hand of fellowship to the 
 
THE NATIVE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES. 
 
 99 
 
 two who had been baptised, Nkendi and Zikubaka, 
 they for the first time joined us in partaking of that 
 sacred ordinance. I am sure we all felt refreshed after 
 this most sacred service." Four other boys have 
 recently been baptised, and a Christian Church has 
 been formed. 
 
 This station has recently been visited by the 
 governor of the Congo Free State, who seemed very 
 pleased at the work which was being done, and was 
 greatly astonished that the buildings should have 
 been put up by the native boys. He was kind 
 enough to examine the school children, and when 
 one of them read to him out of Lusansu Lu Nkand 
 'A Nzambi, the highest class-book in use, he patted 
 him on the head, saying, "Well done; as good as a 
 white boy." 
 

 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 THE NATIVE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES — {continued). 
 
 IN accordance with the original purpose of the 
 Society, stations have been founded on the 
 upper reaches of the Congo — as far as oppor- 
 tunity and means have allowed. 
 The first station above the Pool, some two hundred 
 miles beyond is 
 
 BOLOBO. 
 
 Though prospected earlier, it was founded in 1888. In 
 the course of a few weeks a small grass house and a 
 mat-covered building, serving as a school-house, were 
 constructed. At the very first service that was held, 
 besides the workpeople and the crew of the Peace, 
 some eighty natives were present. This station is 
 planted in the midst of a large population. For five 
 miles there is a continuous series of houses, whilst 
 with intervals for more than twenty miles there 
 are towns densely inhabited, affording a splendid 
 sphere for missionary labour. Feeling the great 
 importance, for health reasons, that proper accommo- 
 dation should be provided for those resident at the 
 
m \ Is mffi* 
 
 fir II 
 
 iki is.mii :X 1 
 
102 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 station, Mr. Grenfell, with the help of a young man 
 from the coast, set himself to build a suitable dwell- 
 ing-house, a fire-proof iron store, and a further house 
 for Miss Silvey's use. 
 
 In 1890 Mr. Grenfell was able to report a small band 
 of eight consistent believers. The accommodation 
 proving too limited to hold those who came to hear 
 the Gospel, a larger building had to be erected. The 
 little church was in time gladdened by the addition 
 of several converts, as many as twenty-seven young 
 people, three of them the sons of a chief, being 
 received into fellowship. Well might Mr. Glennie 
 write, " From the enthusiasm manifested by these 
 converts we have formed a happy augury of the 
 future of the work." 
 
 On the 4th of September, 1893, Mr. Kirkland, a 
 new missionary, reached Bolobo. Giving an account 
 of his first Sunday, he wrote : — " In the forenoon we 
 had a service in the school, and in the afternoon Mr. 
 Darby had a Bible-class in his house, and a number 
 of the English-speaking boys came together to study 
 the second chapter of Luke's Gospel. Evening we 
 had a splendid open-air service in one of the towns 
 close by the station. Mr. Darby was preacher, and 
 had an audience of over two hundred people, who 
 gave wonderful attention to his message, and we hope 
 the seed thus sown will spring up and bear fruit." 
 Later intelligence reports further baptisms and more 
 inquirers seeking religious instruction. 
 
 It should be here mentioned that Bolobo has been 
 selected as the most convenient spot for a dockyard 
 to the Mission, where needful repairs can be effected. 
 Workshops have consequently been erected, in which 
 is used the lathe supplied by friends in Birmingham, 
 the working of which greatly astonishes the natives. 
 The new steamer Goodwill, referred to in the follow- 
 ing chapter, has been reconstructed and duly launched 
 at this station. 
 
 About one hundred miles beyond Bolobo is 
 
the native christian churches. i03 
 
 Liverpool or Lukolela 
 
 station, which came into actual existence in Novem- 
 ber, 1886, being called Liverpool on account of 
 contributions raised in that city. The up-river 
 extension having been long delayed, owing to 
 many difficulties and trials, it was, therefore, with 
 much satisfaction and keen zest the missionaries at 
 length entered this new district. Messrs. Biggs, 
 Richards, and Whitley, who had come up by the 
 Peace, interviewed the chief, who showed a most 
 cordial spirit, inviting them to settle in his town and 
 promising to help all he could. He willingly sold 
 two native huts, which were re-erected upon a cleared 
 plot of ground. The people were very friendly dis- 
 posed. In a few days the Peace left with Mr. Whitley 
 and Mr. Charters, who had charge of the steamer, on 
 board ; Mr. Biggs and Mr. Richards remaining to 
 occupy the station. Before separating, the four 
 brethren held a prayer meeting in the cabin of the 
 little steamer, when a blessing was earnestly sought 
 upon the new undertaking, Mr. Biggs adding the 
 following postscript to a letter he had written giving 
 the above particulars : — "Peace going early to-morrow 
 morning ; Richards and I comfortably housed in a 
 native hut, rather crowded, but happy in spite of the 
 hardship. We are both in excellent health, and are 
 working hard with shovel, axe, and saw." 
 
 Mr. Bentley visiting the station some months after- 
 wards reported as under : — " It was a great pleasure 
 to find things progressing well. The buildings were 
 as forward as could be expected, for only a few work- 
 men were available, and they had not enough barter 
 stuff to feed or pay native labourers until we arrived. 
 A dense forest surrounds the station, and the felling 
 and clearing away of a sufficient number of trees to 
 render it safe to live in the house has taken much 
 time and energy ; and even now some twenty tall 
 trees must come down before they can be sure that 
 
104 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 nothing could fall on them during the wild tornadoes 
 which are so common. A second and larger house 
 was nearly finished ; but most satisfactory of all were 
 the relations with the people. The medical work, 
 and the intimacy due to frequent visits to the towns, 
 have won the esteem of the people. They begin to 
 understand our work better. Good progress has been 
 made in the language, and already our brethren 
 learn, talk, and understand with fair ease. With 
 such progress as this, and well-filled stores, we can 
 now reckon Liverpool Station to be fairly established." 
 
 In the autumn of 1889, Mr. Clark and Mr. Scrivener 
 became the resident missionaries. Some six months 
 afterwards the latter wrote : — " I wish I could send 
 you statistics of church membership, but we have no 
 converts yet. Now is the time for ploughing and 
 sowing — by-and-by the harvest and the time of 
 reaping. O, that we may be privileged to help to 
 bring in the sheaves ! God will give the increase." 
 God honoured the confidence of His servants and 
 rewarded their prayerful toil ; for on the first Sunday 
 in 1892 a Christian Church was planted, six converts 
 being baptised. A crowd of natives gathered to 
 witness the observance of the rite. The Lord's Supper 
 followed, " when again," says Mr. Scrivener, " we real- 
 ised God's blessing and presence." All through the 
 day they were wondrously helped. Nothing occurred 
 to mar any of the proceedings, some of which were so 
 strange to the poor benighted folk there. One of 
 the boys baptised was Mr. Richard's boy ; another, a 
 lad ransomed from slavery, having changed owners 
 some ten or twelve times ; whilst others were slaves 
 of men in a town close by. The work has since been 
 slowly but surely progressing, several having become 
 thoughtful, and Mr. Whitehead speaks of the school 
 as doing well, and anticipates great things from the 
 attention that is paid to the instruction given upon 
 spiritual subjects. 
 
 Before proceeding, it may be noted that a small 
 
106 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 paper, entitled " Fraternal Notes," has been published 
 at Lukolela, which is circulated amongst the missi&n- 
 aries of the different societies especially with a view 
 to promote unity in method. 
 
 MONSEMBI 
 
 station is two hundred miles farther up the river 
 than Lukolela. It was prospected in July, 1890, 
 by Mr. Weeks and Mr. Stapleton. The account 
 given by the former of their journey brings so 
 graphically before the mind what searching for a site 
 may mean that we quote at some length. " The first 
 place we stopped at the people ran away and left us 
 an empty town. We went ashore, and called to the 
 natives to sell us some fowls, but they would not 
 come near. They said if the white men stay behind 
 they would sell fowls to the boys. We did so, and 
 after a few minutes, hearing who we were and what 
 we came for, they were very friendly and wanted us 
 to settle in their town, and were quite rejoiced to find 
 we had not come to fight, as they did not want to. 
 We had no trouble in getting two men from there to 
 go to see other places, so that we might have less 
 trouble with the people. We quietly entered and 
 walked through several other towns, and were much 
 amused at the reception we had from the people, and 
 partly fixed upon a site in the Bundundu district ; 
 but we are going to see if we can find a better. We 
 came upon one large town and wanted to go ashore, 
 but directly we stopped the women scouted and the 
 men put themselves in fighting posture, and gave us 
 distinctly to understand that we should not land 
 without a spear or two at us. We sent the two men 
 from a neighbouring town ashore to ask them to let 
 us land, but they threatened to kill them. So we 
 thought it best to get away. We went to another set 
 of towns and then on to Bangala State Station for a 
 permit to build. After leaving Bangala we thought 
 
THE NATIVE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES. 
 
 107 
 
 it better to go on, so we went as far as the river Luika, 
 which is about 900 miles from the Pool. 
 
 "We started on the 8th of August on our return 
 journey down river. I have not yet seen signs of 
 the vast population of the Upper River. I believe 
 there are millions of people, but all you can see of 
 
 4W- 
 
 iWmmm 
 
 mtwmm 
 
 FIRST MISSION HOUSE AT MONSEMBI STATION, UPPER CONGO RIVER. 
 
 them are the towns indicating their presence along the 
 river banks. What we shall have to do is to get as 
 large a sphere as we can for work on the river, and 
 in years to come work back to the people in the 
 interior where the vast population is. The river 
 scenery up here is much more beautiful and tropical 
 
IOS THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 than it is below. The banks are alive with the notes 
 of a thousand birds and insects, and the river is full 
 of fish and reptiles. In every town we landed we 
 caused a considerable amount of excitement. The 
 people were not sure whether we had come to fight or 
 not, so they always got ready for us. We landed 
 with our walking sticks only, chatted with the people, 
 bought fowls with empty bottles, brass wire, and tin 
 plates ; and, in a very little time we were all friends. 
 In these towns no women or children were to be 
 seen, only men with ugly-looking knives, long spears, 
 bows and arrows ready ; in some places they all ran 
 away with the exception of a few men, perhaps too 
 old or too sick to run. It was amusing to hear these 
 braves (?) laugh and jeer those who had gone. We 
 have decided to settle in the Monsembi district, at 
 a town called Boguidu ; it is sixty miles above 
 Lulanga on the north side of the Congo river. It is 
 the centre of a populous set of towns at the mouth of 
 a large creek that runs into the Mobangi. The creek 
 is lined with towns. The people are Bangalas, one of 
 the most energetic and progressive tribes on the river, 
 and in learning their language we shall have a great 
 area opened up to us. In a year or two we shall need 
 a boat, but for the present we can do all we shall 
 have time to do in a canoe." 
 
 The missionaries soon found they had settled down 
 amongst veritable cannibals. They had abundant 
 and most horrible evidence that it was common 
 custom for the Bangala to feast upon the flesh of 
 those whom they might capture in their petty wars. 
 When impelled by the lust of blood they found that 
 there was no cruelty too shocking for them to perpe- 
 trate ; and yet they estimated them to be the finest 
 people on the river — athletic, intelligent, manly, ener- 
 getic and fearless to a degree — inspiring the hope that 
 when subdued and conquered by the power of Divine 
 grace the Bangala converts would become fit instru- 
 ments for the evangelisation of their numerous tribes. 
 
I i 'A 
 
 
HO THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 The school started by Mr. Weeks and Mr. Stapleton 
 soon became popular, the boys around readily respond- 
 ing to the call of the bell. The first two years were 
 mainly occupied with the inevitable building, with 
 cultivating a plot of ground on which to raise necessary 
 produce, school teaching, reducing the language to 
 writing, and with establishing relations of friendship 
 with the people. Mrs. Weeks, too, had succeeded in 
 getting together a large school of girls. 
 
 Early in 1893, Mr. Stapleton wrote home to the 
 following effect:— "As yet we claim no Bangala 
 converts, but regard our work as being in a very hope- 
 ful condition. We count it a joy to work amongst a 
 tribe savage to a degree, but largely open to the 
 influence of new ideas, and of a native independence 
 of character which, transformed by grace, shall develop 
 into a noble, sturdy African manhood in Christ Jesus. 
 Monsembi is the only Protestant mission station 
 amongst this growing tribe. The greatness of the 
 work at times appals us ; but the Almighty Father is 
 with us, and by the help of the Divine Spirit we will 
 work on until Christ shall bless this tribe with peace, 
 and reign King over all." 
 
 According to recent intelligence strong hopes are 
 entertained of some of the senior boys because of the 
 marked change in their characters. Several have 
 expressed eager desires to be baptised, but it is 
 thought wise to defer their baptism for a while, clearly 
 to prove the genuineness of their profession. 
 
 BOPOTO 
 
 is the station last founded, being 200 miles still farther 
 into the interior, and 1000 miles distant from the 
 coast. In 1890, Mr. Grenfell fixed the site, the cost 
 of establishing the station being generously met by 
 two Bristol friends, Mr. W. L. Forfeitt and Mr. Oram 
 being appointed as the resident missionaries. Soon 
 after their settlement they were able to testify to the 
 
THE NATIVE CHRISTIAN CHURCHES. Ill 
 
 kindliness of the Bopoto folk, and to the curious 
 interest taken by them in everything they possessed, 
 and in everything they did. After six weeks, when 
 their knowledge of the language spoken was of course 
 very limited, they were able on Sundays to gather large 
 congregations, who listened to the hymns they sang, 
 mostly in English, and looked with eagerness to the 
 pictures they exhibited. The medical work at this 
 early stage was found of immense value. Great 
 progress was made in acquiring the language, as in 
 seven months' time the missionaries could conduct the 
 services entirely in the Bopoto tongue. Mr. White, 
 who had gone up to the station, met with encouraging 
 success in school work, and was most helpful in build- 
 ing operations. The garden, too, sown with the various 
 seeds given to the Mission by Messrs. Sutton of 
 Reading, was being well cultivated. 
 
 At the end of the second year the missionaries 
 were full of thankfulness, feeling assured that they 
 were really gaining the confidence of the people, 
 and thereby laying a good foundation upon which 
 they or others in days to come might build up a 
 Church for Christ. Mr. Forfeitt then returning for 
 furlough to England, and Mr. White having removed 
 to another station, Mr. Balfern went out to join 
 Mr. Oram. 
 
 Early in 1894, tidings came of a largely increased 
 school, no less than 125 boys being in attendance, 
 a girls' class being also started by Mrs. Forfeitt. The 
 new chapel was a great success, the congregations 
 being considerable. At the beginning of the present 
 year, 1895, Mr. Brown, who had recently returned to 
 the Congo after a visit home, wrote : — " Yesterday 
 being Sunday, the usual service was held on the 
 station, and not only was the building itself full, but 
 numbers peered in through the apertures that serve 
 as windows, listening and gazing intently at our 
 worship of God. Here then," he adds, " is our oppor- 
 tunity for preaching the Gospel, and in Bopoto this 
 
112 
 
 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST 
 
 is done to-day, but what of the hundreds of towns 
 that surround us on every hand ? Who shall carry 
 the Gospel to these ? " Later intelligence conveys the 
 glad news of the first triumphs of the cross in Bopoto. 
 After Mr. Forfeitt had been speaking in the chapel, 
 two lads came to him manifesting great concern 
 as to their spiritual condition. In the evening, " their 
 troubled hearts found peace in trusting the Saviour." 
 The next evening the boys came for conversation and 
 prayer, bringing others with them. Each evening the 
 numbers increased, and meetings became frequent for 
 testimony, prayer, and praise. 
 
 Thus, at five out of the eight stations, Christian 
 churches have already been founded. Of the remain- 
 ing three, two are those most recently opened — viz., 
 Monsembi and Bopoto, where the spiritual conditions 
 as we have seen are full of promise ; whilst at Under- 
 bill, where the population is very sparse, the station 
 being mainly for the transport of goods, baptisms 
 have lately been reported. 
 
CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE EVANGELISTIC EFFORTS OF THE NATIVE 
 CHRISTIAN CHURCHES. 
 
 AS in other mission fields, so in this of the Congo, 
 the great hope of winning the heathen for 
 Christ lies in the propagation of the Gospel by 
 its own peoples. The foreign missionary can 
 never do what can be done by an indigenous ministry, 
 by native converts commending by example and pro- 
 clamation the faith they have themselves received. 
 Hence the foremost place given in the missionary 
 enterprise to training a native ministry, and the 
 encouragement afforded to those who become disciples 
 of Jesus, to go and tell their kindred, their neigh- 
 bours, their fellow-countrymen generally, what great 
 things God hath done for their souls. 
 
 The aggressive zeal of the Congo Christians is full 
 of promise for the religious future of their country. 
 
 It is, of course, at San Salvador, where most 
 time has been allowed for spiritual development, 
 that we naturally look for evidence of the self-pro- 
 pagating power of the Gospel, and we do not look 
 in vain. So far back as 1888, Mr. Lewis was able 
 to report the zealous devotion of the male members 
 
 113 H 
 
114 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 of the little church, in visiting the neighbouring towns 
 on Sunday mornings, to tell their fellow-countrymen 
 of the love of God and of the way of salvation in 
 Christ Jesus, and how that they were well received, 
 the people listening gladly to them. From the very 
 formation of the Church the converts had been taught 
 the duty and privilege of contributing to the work of 
 Christ ; and when it was suggested that their offer- 
 ings might be applied to the support of one of their 
 number, who should be set apart as an evangelist, 
 they heartily approved the suggestion, their choice 
 falling upon Kivitidi, a Christian young man of about 
 twenty years of age, well qualified by the training he 
 had received from the missionaries. 
 
 This step being taken, a preliminary journey was 
 made by Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, the elected evangelist, 
 and one or two others, into the district around, to deter- 
 mine upon a good centre where Kivitidi might be loca- 
 ted. The place selected was Etoto, where there were 
 about ninety houses, and some four hundred inhabitants. 
 " The next thing," wrote Mr. Lewis, " was to ascertain 
 the feelings of the chief and people on the matter. It 
 took the chief some time to believe that I was in 
 earnest. It was too good for him to believe it, he 
 said. In the evening he spoke to his people about it, 
 and next morning they came to say how delighted 
 they were to hear th; t we would start a station in 
 their town. I took good care to explain that they 
 were not to expect us to give them any cloth or 
 beads ; that we only came for the sake of teaching 
 them about God. I am very anxious to make them 
 understand this from the beginning, for I do not 
 believe in giving away presents for the sake of mak- 
 ing friends, much less for being allowed to come 
 among the people to build a station. The natives 
 ought to be taught that it is for their benefit alone 
 we come to them, and not to bring presents. This 
 having been properly explained, we came to the ques- 
 tion of a site for our sub-station. There was no 
 
Il6 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 difficulty about this. The whole of the hill at one 
 end of the town was free for us. We could appro- 
 priate as much as we wished for houses and farms. 
 We then went over the ground and fixed a place to 
 build a house." Kivitidi being well taught in car- 
 pentry soon erected such buildings as were required. 
 The work was so prospered that nearly every man 
 and woman in the town came to the services on the 
 Sundays. The Church at San Salvador was greatly 
 encouraged, and they arranged for some of their 
 number to go in turn to reside for a while at Etoto to 
 assist the evangelist, and help in visiting the district 
 around. But the work begun so hopefully, was after- 
 wards hindered by an unfortunate palaver. The dis- 
 appointment was great. For a time it was thought 
 well to suspend the services, but at the earnest re- 
 quest of the Etoto people they were resumed, several 
 of the San Salvador members volunteering their 
 assistance. 
 
 At Mbanza Mputu another member of the San 
 Salvador Church, Nlekai, has been much blessed in 
 his visits to preach the Gospel. Among those who 
 have accepted the Saviour is the chief, Mbumba, 
 whom Mr. Lewis describes as having been a very 
 cruel man, and the terror of his people and the 
 neighbouring chiefs, a man who would punish slight 
 offences with death, whose town was consequently 
 the scene of most horrible sights. The depth of the 
 conviction of sin expressed by Mbumba was felt to 
 be most satisfactory. " What about the sins of the 
 past ? Will God pardon the wicked things I have 
 been guilty of? " were his inquiries, asked with the 
 deep undertone of one in great spiritual anxiety. On 
 the occasion of his baptism, with four other converts, 
 everyone in the town was present, rejoicing over the 
 marked change that had come over their chief. As 
 Mbumba has been placed by the Portuguese Govern- 
 ment next in power to the present King of Congo, he 
 may be of still greater influence for good in days to 
 
EVANGELISTIC EFFORTS OF NATIVE CHURCHES. 117 
 
 come. Several of the converts at Mbanza Mputu are 
 in fellowship with the Church at San Salvador. 
 
 Mawunze is another out-station being entirely 
 worked by native Christians, where large congrega- 
 tions come together at the Sunday services. 
 
 A fourth sub-station, Kimpesi, has, at the earnest 
 
 
 CHIEF OF MBANZA MPUTU. 
 
 request of the people living there, been started, a grass 
 house having been built, which is used for worship. 
 
 These three last-mentioned towns are placed under 
 the care of two Christian young men, Elembe and 
 Vita. And besides these fully planted stations, there 
 are several other places regularly visited every Sunday 
 by native workers, at some of which the inhabitants 
 have themselves built houses where the services can 
 
Il8 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 be held, and are asking for a teacher to settle down 
 amongst them. 
 
 It is most satisfactory to know that the entire cost 
 of working these various sub-stations is borne by the 
 Church at San Salvador. 
 
 From Wathen station a large amount of evangelis- 
 tic itinerant work has been effected, and in some of 
 these journeys Nlemvo has rendered good service. 
 As far as he could be spared by Mr. Bentley from 
 literary and translation duties, he has gone into the 
 district around preaching the Gospel, and his influ- 
 ence over his fellow-countrymen has been very marked. 
 
 The little Church at Wathen has been enabled to 
 start two regular sub-stations, one at Kinsuka, where 
 they have appointed Lo, and for whose support they 
 have voted 100 brass rods per month, an allowance 
 considerably less than he was able to earn, but which 
 he was quite willing to receive for the sake of being 
 regularly engaged in preaching and teaching ; the 
 other at Tungwa, which is in charge of Nkaku. Both 
 of these native evangelists meet with encouraging 
 signs of God's presence and blessing as they labour, 
 not only in the towns where they reside, but as they 
 also itinerate in the surrounding districts. 
 
 Though at the up-river stations the little churches 
 are not yet sufficiently developed to maintain out- 
 posts, yet the native converts accompany the mission- 
 aries on their preaching tours, bearing testimony to 
 their own conversion, and commending the Gospel to 
 their fellow-countrymen ; and it is anticipated that as 
 at San Salvador and Wathen, so before long at other 
 stations, some of the converts will be set apart to do 
 the work of an evangelist. 
 
 Mention may here be made of the interest shown 
 by the Congo Christians in missionary operations in 
 other lands than their own. When they were informed 
 of the celebration of the Centenary of the Baptist 
 Missionary Society, they became desirous to unite in 
 the commemoration. Contribution lists were opened. 
 
EVANGELISTIC EFFORTS OF NATIVE CHURCHES. 119 
 
 From San Salvador no less a sum than £33, 14s. 3d. 
 was forwarded to the Secretary at the Mission House 
 in London, accompanied by the following letter 
 written by one of the deacons : — 
 
 " Dear Sir, — As a Church here we feel very thankful 
 that the Gospel has come to our country. Since it 
 came to us it has done us much good and made us 
 very happy, so we thought we would like very much 
 to give something to help you to send out more mis- 
 sionaries to take the light of the Gospel to those that 
 are in benighted lands like ours. Therefore we 
 heartily made a collection, and collected a sum of 
 £33, 14s. 3d. 
 
 " Kivitidi and I send it, on behalf of the Church. 
 Do accept it as our thank-offering to your Centenary 
 Fund of the Baptist Missionary Society. 
 
 " We are, on behalf of the Church, 
 
 " Kivitidi, } n 
 "NLEKAl, '^Diaams. 
 
 The list of contributions is in itself so remarkable 
 and so suggestive, as to call for reproduction in this 
 volume : — 
 
 No. 
 Men. 
 
 Name. 
 
 Matoko 
 Kalandenda 
 Kivitidi 
 Nlekai 
 Ndonzwau . 
 
 6 Elembe 
 
 7 Vita . 
 
 8 Diakensra . 
 
 9 Mpondo 
 
 10 Senulembwa 
 
 1 1 Mauwele . 
 
 12 Diongwa . 
 
 13 Matata 
 
 14 Suvusu 
 
 Description of Goods paid. 
 
 1 pig and 1 piece of cloth 
 
 2 pieces cloth . 
 
 100 large ferret bells 
 1 piece Turkey red twill 
 1 „ trade handkerchiefs 
 1 „ red baft 
 
 1 >» » 
 
 100 strings beads and 1 
 
 piece handkerchiefs 
 1 piece white drill . 
 1 „ „ 
 
 1 flannel shirt . 
 1 piece handkerchiefs 
 
 1 » )> 
 
 150 strings beads 
 
 Native 
 Value. 
 Dollars. 
 
 16 
 
 8 
 5 
 4 
 4 
 3 
 3 
 
 4 
 12 
 
 o 
 16 
 16 
 12 
 12 
 
 \z 
 
 12 
 12 
 IO 
 
 8 
 
 8 
 6 
 
 Carry forward, 
 
 60 12 
 
120 
 
 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 No. 
 Men. 
 
 Name. 
 
 15 Elembe 
 
 16 Mpombolo 
 
 17 Dika . 
 
 18 Mingedi . 
 
 19 Etalanga . 
 
 Women. 
 
 20 Nembamba 
 
 21 Wavatidi . 
 
 22 Mpuna 
 
 23 Lau . 
 
 24 Fotelvva 
 
 25 Ponta 
 
 26 Umba 
 
 27 Mianza 
 
 28 Mansanga . 
 
 29 Nengudi . 
 
 30 Mbaujikisa 
 
 31 Nkidiaka . 
 
 32 Mansonso . 
 
 33 Menga 
 
 34 Ntadila 
 
 35 Soloka 
 
 36 Luvuma 
 
 yj Nkiamindele 
 
 38 Ntinu a Nximba 
 
 39 Tonba 
 
 40 Dima 
 
 41 Mona 
 
 42 Mbwaku . 
 
 43 Mbwanji . 
 
 44 Kinsukulu . 
 
 45 Mayeto 
 
 46 Mr. and 
 
 Phillips 
 
 47 Mr. and 
 
 Lewis 
 Small sums 
 
 Mrs. 
 Mrs. 
 
 
 
 Native 
 
 
 
 
 Description of Goods paid. 
 
 Value. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Dollars 
 
 £ 
 
 s. 
 
 </. 
 
 Brought forward, 
 
 60 
 
 [2 
 
 
 
 
 
 Fowls . 
 
 I* 
 
 O 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 1 piece prints . 
 
 I 
 
 O 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 1 „ red baft 
 
 I 
 
 O 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 1 » >f * • 
 
 I 
 
 O 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 1 piece scarves 
 
 I 
 
 O 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 1 keg gunpowder 
 
 6 
 
 I 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 2 pieces red baft 
 
 6 
 
 I 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 1 piece red baft, 200 beads 
 
 6 
 
 I 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 1 basket ground nuts and 
 
 
 
 
 
 two fowls 
 
 4* 
 
 O 
 
 18 
 
 
 
 1 piece Oxford check 
 
 4 
 
 O 
 
 16 
 
 
 
 1 11 11 11 
 
 4 
 
 O 
 
 16 
 
 
 
 i piece prints . 
 
 4 
 
 O 
 
 16 
 
 
 
 1 „ trade cloth . 
 
 4 
 
 O 
 
 16 
 
 
 
 90 large ferret bells . 
 
 4lf 
 
 O 
 
 18 
 
 
 
 3 baskets ground nuts 
 
 3 
 
 O 
 
 12 
 
 
 
 300 strings beads 
 
 3 
 
 O 
 
 12 
 
 
 
 1 piece red baft 
 
 3 
 
 O 
 
 12 
 
 
 
 1 „ ,, • 
 
 3 
 
 O 
 
 12 
 
 
 
 10 yards red baft 
 
 2 i 
 
 O 
 
 10 
 
 
 
 10 „ . 
 
 4 
 
 O 
 
 10 
 
 
 
 1 basket nuts, 200 beads . 
 
 3 
 
 O 
 
 12 
 
 
 
 150 beads, 1 piece cloth . 
 
 2- 
 
 O 
 
 10 
 
 
 
 1 piece blue baft 
 
 2 
 
 O 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 1 „ scarf 
 
 
 2 
 
 O 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 2 baskets nuts . 
 
 
 2 
 
 O 
 
 8 
 
 
 
 Fowls 
 
 
 . 1 
 
 1 2 
 
 O 
 
 6 
 
 
 
 1 piece red baft 
 
 . 
 
 
 O 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 1 „ » • 
 
 
 
 O 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 1 » ■>■> • 
 
 
 
 O 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 100 strings beads 
 
 
 
 O 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 100 „ „ 
 
 
 O 
 
 4 
 
 
 
 Cash 
 
 IO 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 Cash 
 
 IO 
 
 2 
 
 
 
 
 
 Various . 
 
 o3 
 
 0-i 
 
 O 
 
 15 
 
 3 
 
 Dollars 
 
 ■ i67i 
 
 
 
 
 .ctedby Nlekai (No. 44,194 
 
 ) 
 
 * 
 
 O 
 
 5 
 
 
 
 
 j33 
 
 14 
 
 3 
 
EVANGELISTIC EFFORTS OF NATIVE CHURCHES. 121 
 
 From Underhill, Wathen, Lukolela, and Bolobo 
 stations, similar gifts were also remitted, with the 
 prayerful wish expressed that " God would send 
 missionaries out to all people." 
 
 Another instance may be mentioned, showing the 
 earnest desire of these Congo Christians to make 
 known the glad tidings to those who are in ignorance 
 of them. It was on the occasion of some Chinamen 
 employed on the Congo Railway, now in course of 
 
 THE NEW CONGO MISSION STEAMER, "GOODWILL." 
 
 construction, going to San Salvador. Being much 
 interested in these Chinese visitors, they were told 
 how missionaries were sent to their country, and that 
 Mr. Dixon, who was once in Congo, was now one of 
 those missionaries. So greatly was their interest ex- 
 cited that they proposed to send Mr. Dixon a contri- 
 bution for his work, and no less than .£30 was raised, 
 being the gifts of as many as two hundred and eighty 
 persons. 
 
 When it is remembered that these offerings for the 
 
122 
 
 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 spread of the Gospel were contributed by those, who, 
 but a very few years ago, were selfish, hardened 
 heathen, the radical change in their disposition is 
 strikingly apparent. 
 
 In this chapter it is fitting that reference should be 
 made to the evangelistic facilities afforded by means 
 of the two mission steamers Peace and Goodzvill. 
 Whilst these vessels are of incalculable value for the 
 transport of stores to the up-river stations, and for 
 general purposes of communication, they are of such 
 great service in strictly spiritual work that they may 
 be regarded as equal, if not more than equal to two 
 additional stations. In the journeys taken by the 
 missionaries, they are frequently accompanied by 
 native Christians, who take their part in publishing 
 the good news of salvation. As the first steamer, 
 Peace, has already been described in these pages, it 
 may here be stated, with respect to the Goodwill, that 
 it is of larger dimensions than the former, being 84 
 feet long by 1 3 feet beam, having 8 berths instead of 
 4, and twice the carrying capacity. In the early part 
 of last year, this excellent vessel was duly recon- 
 structed and successfully launched. 
 
CHAPTER XL 
 
 THE DEATH ROLL, AND HOW TO REGARD IT. 
 
 IN the foregoing chapters little or no reference has 
 been made to the many and sad losses which, 
 in the course of founding and developing the 
 Mission, have been sustained through death. 
 These losses require separate and special attention. 
 In their pathetic personal interest, and in their 
 serious bearing upon future policy, they constitute an 
 important part of the story of this Congo Mission. 
 
 No one possessing any knowledge of the climatic 
 conditions of Western Central Africa could have 
 expected that the pioneer work necessary to the 
 founding of stations would be accomplished without 
 risk to life. The early history of all previous missions 
 in tropical and malarial regions forbade such an 
 expectation. The missionaries were very well aware 
 that as they went forth they were " hazarding their 
 lives for the name of our Lord Jesus Christ," and that 
 the possibility, and even the probability of such 
 losses was a contingency never absent from the 
 minds of the promoters of the enterprise at home. 
 
 But the losses, great as they are. have been far less 
 in proportion than those sustained by the Free State 
 
124 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 in founding an earthly kingdom, or by traders bent 
 on material gains, or than even the losses which have 
 befallen some other Christian missions. And further, 
 before attributing these losses to the necessarily 
 baneful influence of the climate, it would be desirable, 
 if it were possible, to determine to what extent they 
 were preventible — preventible by the adoption of 
 different methods, or by the exercise of a zeal 
 under the control of a greater knowledge. It is also 
 a question how many of these deaths would have 
 occurred as certainly in this country as in Africa. 
 
 But weigh as we justly may these and other 
 considerations it is only when we rise to the height of 
 the spiritual plane that those reasons can be applied 
 which are calculated not only to mitigate but effect- 
 ually and completely to reconcile our minds and 
 hearts to these great trials. To these reasons, 
 however, we will turn our attention presently. 
 
 That the losses simply regarded in and by them- 
 selves have been severe and are even appalling, no one 
 can question who is acquainted with the death roll. 
 The first name on the roll is that of the bride-wife of 
 the pioneer missionary, Thomas J. Comber. Then 
 follow, at varying intervals of dates, these names : — 
 W. H. Doke, J. S. Hartland, H. W. Butcher, J. W. 
 Hartley, S. A. Comber, M.B., D. M'Millan, A. H. 
 Cruickshank, A. Cowe, W. F. Cottingham, J. Maynard, 
 J. H. Shindler, F. C. Darling, T. J. Comber, Miss 
 Spearing, H. G. Whitley, J. E. Biggs, M. Richards, 
 A. D. Slade, S. Silvey, J. G. Brown, W. F. Wilkinson, 
 Mrs. P. E. Comber, P. E. Comber, Mrs. Cameron, F. 
 R. Oram, W. P. Balfern, and S. R. Webb, M.D., of 
 whose death we sorrowfully hear as we go to press ; 
 and to these lists may be added three engineers who 
 went from this country to assist in the reconstruction 
 of the steamer Peace, whilst nine other missionaries 
 from one cause or other have resigned their connection 
 with the Congo Mission — viz., H. Dixon, W. Ross, 
 H. E. Crudgington, W. Hughes, W. Seright, M.B., 
 
THE DEATH ROLL, AND HOW TO REGARD IT. 125 
 
 D. Charters, H. K. Moolenaar, F. A. Jeffard and 
 R. D. Darby, two of whom are now labouring in other 
 parts of the mission field : Mr. Dixon in China and 
 Mr. Crudgington in India. 
 
 However sad and painful the enumeration of these 
 names of the sainted and heroic dead, yet it is fitting 
 they should severally find record in this volume. We 
 refrain, however, from biographical sketches or 
 obituary notices but as indicating the sublime devo- 
 tion and Christ-like consecration of spirit by which 
 these martyrs of the Cross were characterised ; 
 and as showing how they themselves regarded 
 their own death, it were well to quote some of their 
 personal utterances. Said one at his valedictory 
 meeting: " He might come home again; if so, good- 
 bye till then. It might be that death's bright angel 
 might call him to higher work, and perhaps they 
 might never meet again till before the throne ; yes, 
 good-bye till then." Wrote another to Mr. Baynes : 
 " In this enterprise of winning Africa for Christ there 
 must be, I know, my dear Mr. Baynes, much of what 
 the world calls loss and sacrifice, and it may be that 
 many will fall in the blessed work of foundation 
 building only ; but what of this ? To have any share 
 in this noblest of all toil, however humble or obscure, 
 be it only hewing wood or drawing water, is, surely, 
 honour and privilege any servant of Christ must court 
 and long for. I desire to go to this work feeling yet 
 more intensely day by day, as the days pass on, that 
 to live is Christ, and to die, gain ; and if He should 
 ordain for me early death, after a few years of humble, 
 obscure, pioneering work only — well, it must all be 
 right; for it means early and complete satisfaction. 
 ' Then shall I be satisfied, when I awake in Thy 
 likeness.'" 
 
 On New Year's Day another made this entry in his 
 journal: "How is this year to be spent? In useful 
 service in the vineyard of my Lord or called home to 
 see Him as He is and behold His Glory and Majesty 
 
126 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 for ever ! Lord, Thou knowest best. In all things 
 make known Thy blessed will and give me grace to do 
 it." Said another : " I know not what may be in store 
 for me, but I pray you remember, if I should be early 
 called away, with my last breath I hope to pray for 
 more men, deeper devotion, and more thorough 
 surrender of all for Christ. 
 
 " To die in such a cause is lofty privilege, while to 
 live and work is solemn responsibility. 
 
 " Oh ! the joy and peace of feeling FULLY that all 
 is committed to His wise and loving keeping. 
 
 " Father, I know that ALL my life is portioned out 
 by Thee." 
 
 "Are you sorry," asked the watchers by one of 
 these servants of God when passing away, "■ are you 
 sorry you came to the Congo ? " " Oh no," he replied, 
 " very thankful." " My work 's soon done, isn't it ? 
 There are many more of our men (his fellow-students) 
 who will soon come." "For Jesus' sake." " I '11 soon 
 be home ! I '11 soon be home ! " " Work on, brethren ; 
 don't let the loss of your men hinder you. Never 
 give up — hope always. O Jesus ! soon be at home. 
 This is the valley ; I will fear no evil, for Thou art 
 with me. 'Twill soon be over. Tell all our boys 
 (the boys at the Stockwell Orphanage) to seek the 
 Saviour. Good-bye ! I '11 look for you ; I '11 wait for 
 you. Faith can firmly trust Him, come what may. 
 Brethren, brethren, be of good cheer. Rock of Ages 
 cleft for me ! " 
 
 Whilst others expressed themselves in the following 
 strains : — " Work for Christ in Africa must be my 
 life work. I desire this work more than all else, and 
 be my life long or short, I pray it may be faithful 
 unto the end. And who knows how soon the end 
 may come ? Life is not always to be measured by 
 years." " As I think of the dear ones now with the 
 Saviour, I seem to feel in a very solemn way bound 
 to Africa. Their graves seem to be speechful, and to 
 bid me gird up my loins and work while it is day. 
 
THE DEATH ROLL, AND HOW TO REGARD IT. \2J 
 
 What a sublime privilege it is to be allowed to carry- 
 on this Congo Mission Work ! Words can never tell 
 how greatly I rejoice in it." " Remember," to quote 
 one other when writing to his parents, " remember, I 
 am just as safe as if our dear brothers had not died. 
 You committed me to God, did you not ? And He 
 is ever the same. Nothing can or shall harm me 
 until He sees fit. A gloom is cast over us ; but God's 
 grace is equal to the emergency, and is being propor- 
 tioned to our need. I go forward in His strength ; 
 that was my New Year's motto, you know. And 
 pestilence, however rampant, shall not come near me 
 unless there is a 'needs be.' And if so, who shall 
 murmur ? " Such then was the spirit of these Christ- 
 ian missionaries, who by laying down their lives for 
 Christ's sake have for ever made sacred this Congo 
 Mission. 
 
 Upon the heart-sorrow such early deaths must have 
 caused to relatives and friends we do not dwell. 
 Better were it to recall the Christian fortitude and 
 heroic faith which, by God's grace, have been so 
 wonderfully displayed. One knows not which the 
 more gratefully to admire and revere, the brave devo- 
 tion of those who have fallen on the field, or the 
 trustful acquiescence of those who surrendered their 
 sons or their daughters for the sake of Africa's 
 redemption. Said one of the bereaved, and she a 
 widowed mother : — " This Congo Mission is, I am 
 confident, dearer to me to-day than ever ; instead of 
 being discouraged by our losses, let us rejoice that 
 our loved ones have been counted worthy, let us seek 
 a baptism for the dead, and let us all remember that 
 now we are specially encompassed with a great cloud 
 of witnesses — our Congo missionaries included." 
 
 " We shall indeed miss our dear son very, very 
 much," wrote another, " but we do not regret having 
 given him up, 'even to die,' in such a glorious cause. 
 
 " The Lord must know best, and He cannot have 
 made a mistake. ' 
 
128 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 " This surely must be part of His divine plan for 
 the up-raising of poor down-trodden Africa ; and 
 although the sowing time is bitter and sorrowful, and 
 the sacrifice, humanly speaking, enormous, yet surely 
 the reaping time is not far off. Ere long doubtless 
 we shall witness a rich and abundant harvest, where 
 so many of our loved ones have had the high honour 
 of laying down their lives for the Christ they so dearly 
 loved." 
 
 " Sorrowing as we do for the loss of our dear son," 
 said yet another, " we propose to erect no monument to 
 him in far-distant Lukungu — he lives in our hearts for 
 ever ; but we do propose to endeavour to forward the 
 grand objects which he had so much at heart, and as 
 we cheerfully gave up our son to the work, so now, 
 parents, brother, and sister unite to equip some other 
 soldier of the Cross, who, stepping into the gap, may 
 carry on the warfare against heathenism ; and we 
 pray earnestly that our Heavenly Father may grant 
 His blessing in large measure to him who will take 
 our son's place. For this purpose I have great pleas- 
 ure in enclosing a cheque to cover outfit and passage 
 expenses of a new Congo missionary." 
 
 In view of the nature of the motives actuating those 
 who laid down their lives for Christ in Congo, and as 
 well of the fine spirit of surrender characterising the 
 friends from whom they parted, does not the serious 
 question arise whether any interposition intended to 
 restrain and hinder might not have resulted in viola- 
 tion of solemn duty, in the resistance of a Divine call, 
 yea, in the denial of a privileged ministry which 
 angels might have coveted ? 
 
 And further, for the purpose of regarding aright 
 the losses on the Congo, it needs to be said that these 
 young missionaries were by no means under the spell 
 of a maudlin fanaticism ; their pious aspirations did 
 not come of a sentimental religiousness ; on the other 
 hand, their piety was robust, and their views of things 
 were practical ; they went forth hoping and intending 
 
THE DEATH ROLL, AND HOW TO REGARD IT. 1 33 
 
 to live and to live long in the service of their Divine 
 Master. Those responsible for sending them to 
 Africa have done all in their power to inculcate 
 this healthy Christian spirit and proper estimate of 
 the preciousness of life. 
 
 And again, before referring to the higher con- 
 siderations which we are aware alone can reconcile 
 to these losses, it is of great importance to point out 
 that, of late years, the deaths have been much less 
 frequent than in the earlier period of the history of 
 this Mission. Taking the six years, beginning with 
 1883, the year when the first death occurred after that 
 of Mrs. T. J. Comber, during that period there were 
 eighteen losses, whereas in the subsequent six years 
 there were eight, less than half, in four of which years 
 there were only three, two of the three being ladies. 
 It is believed that the greater immunity from loss is 
 the result of the more settled state of the Mission, the 
 improved sanitary condition of the stations, and the 
 ability to treat with better medical skill the fever of 
 the country. And so, as experience further increases, 
 it is reasonable to hope that the lives of the mission- 
 aries will be, to a still larger extent, preserved. 
 
 But great as is the relief afforded by the remarkable 
 decrease in the mortality of late years, and hopeful as 
 such a fact unquestionably is with respect to the 
 future, there can be no doubt that, in a malarial coun- 
 try like the Congo, mission work must be under- 
 taken at some peril to life. This being so, it is only 
 when the high spiritual results produced by these losses 
 by death are considered, that the right position is found 
 from which to meet the inquiry — not always put in a 
 calculating, much less cynical spirit — to what purpose 
 is this waste ? Many sincere Christians, staggered by 
 the repeated tidings of disaster, have questioned the 
 wisdom of sending young men out to Africa, as they 
 say, to die, feeling that brave lives are being need- 
 lessly sacrificed, and sorrow to the bereaved unneces- 
 sarily occasioned. 
 
 K 
 
134 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 But what if, through the self-sacrificing love and 
 devotion of these young missionaries, the foundation 
 of the kingdom of God could only be effectively laid ? 
 What if, in this connection, the great principle of 
 Christ's teaching applies — viz., the necessity of the 
 death of the wheat corn for the sake of the much 
 fruitfulness of the golden harvest? Is it not signifi- 
 cant that hard heathen hearts should be moved to 
 tenderness and pity by the very fact of suffering and 
 death ? " These white men must love us much, or 
 they would never leave their beautiful country, so far 
 away, to come here and get fever and die," was the 
 potent conclusion to which, in the early history of the 
 Mission, the natives were compelled to come. And 
 as progress was made, these were the sentiments, as 
 expressed by one of themselves, which widely prevailed : 
 " How very very sorry I am for Mr. Comber's death and 
 for Mr. Percy's sake. The people, too, at San Salva- 
 dor and Ngombiare very very sorry to lose a very 
 kind friend like Mr. Comber ; they say that he was 
 not only a kind friend, but that he was a chief, settling 
 palavers in their towns better than chiefs do, and tell- 
 ing us good messages from God ; and the people ask 
 why has God taken Mr. Comber so quickly, and other 
 white men who have died lately, and even I, I often 
 wonder how it is God is doing this ; perhaps God is 
 teaching us something which we do not know yet, but 
 God knows everything and what is the best for His 
 work." 
 
 And when fever claimed the last of the Comber 
 family one wrote thus : — 
 
 "From our side, the side of the blank, and the 
 silence, and the cold grave, this loss is very sad. 
 But if 'we have not followed cunningly devised 
 fables' there is another side, bright with the light 
 of God's face, musical with Heaven's harmonies, glad 
 with the energy of perfect service, and the peace of 
 an Eternal Home. Nor on this side is it all loss. 
 When the alabaster box was broken the house was 
 
THE DEATH ROLL, AND HOW TO REGARD IT. 1 35 
 
 filled with the odour of the ointment ; and though 
 the last of the Combers has fallen, the stimulating 
 fragrance of their sacrifice will steal all round the 
 world." 
 
 Not so very long ago a missionary addressing an 
 audience in this country said, in words something to 
 this effect : — As an illustration of Christ's love for 
 sinners, he had sometimes ventured when speaking to 
 the natives to refer to the love of dear fellow-mission- 
 aries in coming out to Congo even to die for their 
 sake, and then as he had spoken of the Saviour's love 
 in coming down from Heaven, and had told the story 
 of the Cross, light seemed to dawn upon their under- 
 standings, and tears of mingled sorrow and joy started 
 from their eyes. 
 
 And if after this manner God is working out His own 
 redeeming purposes, and the blood of these martyr- 
 spirit missionaries is thus, as heretofore, becoming the 
 very seed of the Church in Congo ; so also the influence 
 of the Christian heroism displayed in that distant 
 land has without question been reacting for good upon 
 the Churches at home. No one can tell how the 
 spiritual life of individual believers, and the godly zeal 
 of Christian communities, have been quickened afresh 
 by the inspiration flowing from the examples of dis- 
 interested, unselfish devotion the Congo Mission has 
 furnished. And is it not further certain that the 
 missionary interest in other parts of the mission field, 
 and this, not with regard only to the Baptist Mission- 
 ary Society, has gained a new stimulus through the 
 holy valour of these young lives so early but so 
 triumphantly closed in Christ's service in Africa ? 
 
 OUR HEROES. 
 
 We talk sometimes of the days long past, 
 
 Of our ancient chivalry. 
 We praise the deeds of the knights of old, 
 
 Their courage and courtesy. 
 
136 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 They faced the foe on the battle-field ; 
 
 They crossed o'er the deep sea wave ; 
 They travelled far into Eastern lands, 
 To save from Islam's cruel hands 
 
 Their Lord and Saviour's grave. 
 
 In many a ballad quaint and old, 
 
 In many a poet's rhyme, 
 The names and the famous deeds are told 
 
 Of the knights of " ye olden tyme." 
 Say ye that men's hearts are colder grown 
 
 Than in days of long ago — 
 That this age knows nought of chivalry — 
 That only for wealth, or station high, 
 
 Great deeds are attempted now ? 
 
 But the deeds I tell and the men I praise 
 
 Belong not to days of yore ; 
 Brief is the time, and the months but few, 
 
 Since these heroes left our shore. 
 Yet never Crusader among them all 
 
 Had courage more brave and high, 
 Nor among King Arthur's Table Round 
 Could knights with nobler aims be found, 
 
 Or more perfect courtesy. 
 
 They went not to rescue the sepulchre 
 
 Where once the dear Lord had lain ; 
 But to raise a land from age-long sleep 
 
 Into life and light again. 
 For long over Afric's streams and plains 
 
 A dense, dark veil was spread. 
 That veil had in part been lifted now, 
 They saw that ignorance, sin, and woe, 
 
 Were hidden beneath its shade. 
 
 'Twas not for the sake of a " ladye fayre," 
 'Twas not for an earthly home, 
 
 That they bade farewell to their native land 
 And crossed o'er the ocean foam ; 
 
THE DEATH ROLL, AND HOW TO REGARD IT. 1 37 
 
 But a tender pity rilled their hearts, 
 
 For their brethren across the sea ; 
 They heard a wail from those far-off lands, 
 They saw, in fancy, those " stretched-out hands " — 
 
 Stretched out in their misery. 
 
 They went by command of no earthly king, 
 
 They followed no captain here ; 
 Yet an order, clear as a trumpet call, 
 
 Fell on each listening ear. 
 " Lord, what wilt Thou have me do?" they. prayed, 
 
 And swiftly the answer came, 
 " Go seek thy brothers on Afric's shore, 
 They perish in darkness, their need is sore ; 
 
 Go, tell them of Jesu's name." 
 
 Go, tell of the Father's wondrous love, 
 
 How He gave His only Son ; 
 How the Saviour left His home above 
 
 To ransom them every one. 
 Tell of His wondrous life on earth, 
 
 Of the tender words He spake ; 
 Tell that He died for the black man's sin, 
 That He rose from the dead and the fight did win, 
 
 And their sleeping souls will wake. 
 
 O ! gladly they followed their King's behest, 
 
 Fearlessly crossed the sea. 
 Yet they little dreamed that in Afric's land 
 
 So brief would their labour be. 
 But the summons came from the King they loved, 
 
 And they knew His will was best. 
 They laid down the task they had just begun ; 
 They put off the armour so late put on ; 
 
 And peacefully sank to rest. 
 
 Calmly they sleep by the Congo's stream, 
 
 'Mid those that they yearned to save ; 
 Yet a voice still speaks to the black man's heart, 
 
 As he stands by the white man's grave, 
 
M8 
 
 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 Telling of patient toil and care, 
 
 And of tender sympathy ; 
 Leading their thoughts, through the human love, 
 To the Father of black and white, above, 
 
 To the Saviour of bond and free. 
 
 Were they not heroes ? These men I sing, 
 
 So tender, so true, and brave. 
 O ! who will finish the task they left 
 
 To rest in the peaceful grave ? 
 Ah ! we know the heroes will never fail, 
 
 Till the heathen are gathered home, 
 Till the Afric joins in the glorious song, 
 Till the whole wide earth shall to Christ belong, 
 
 Till the Kingdom of God is come. 
 
 U.S. 
 
 '■i J? ' 
 
CHAPTER XII. 
 
 THE FUTURE OF THE CONGO MISSION. 
 
 IN the foregoing chapters the story of the difficulties, 
 the trials, and the achievements of this remark- 
 able Mission, with such detail as space would 
 allow, has been told. But what about the future? 
 The narrative extends over some seventeen years. 
 What will be the record of another similar period of 
 time? Or what will be the condition of this Mission 
 when its jubilee shall be commemorated ? The 
 initiatory stage may now be said to be past. Will 
 the progress be equal to the expectation and the 
 possibilities ? The foundations are now it is believed 
 well and surely laid. Will the superstructure be 
 reared without needless delay ? The future of this 
 Congo Mission lies with God, yes, but with God, as 
 He shall answer the prayers, and accept and use the 
 gifts in means and in men His own people shall 
 supply ! Thus, in a very true and real, if subordinate 
 sense, the progress and triumphs of this missionary 
 enterprise rest with the Churches at home. If the 
 honour of being permitted to begin so important a 
 work for God is great, the responsibility of its con- 
 tinuance and its growth is surely greater. 
 
 1 39 
 
140 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 Let it be here stated, that as far back as 1885 it was 
 solemnly and deliberately resolved to establish at least 
 ten stations on the uninterrupted waterway of the 
 Upper Congo, between Stanley Pool and Stanley 
 Falls, at about an average distance of a hundred miles 
 apart. Of these stations, including the one at the 
 Pool, only, as we have seen, half have been founded. 
 The sites, however, of two others have been secured, 
 but wait occupation, one being near the Lubi Falls on 
 the Loika river, which, in the future, as the country in 
 that region shall become better known, may be a 
 most important station, being possibly on the high 
 road to the Eastern Soudan ; and the other at Mojembo, 
 on the great Mobangi river, where an eligible plot of 
 land was obtained two years ago, the necessary 
 material for founding it being in hand, but which, at 
 the present moment, continues unoccupied. 
 
 Let Mr. Grenfell, the discoverer of this mighty 
 waterway, speak for himself as to the importance of 
 the Mobangi. After referring to the possibility of the 
 Aruwimi and the Loika affluents being barred for the 
 present, and thinking perhaps that the contemplated 
 plan for extension might be better carried out on the 
 Mobangi, Mr. Grenfell has said : — 
 
 " The more we hear of the Mobangi as a route to 
 the interior, the more are we impressed with the 
 advantages it offers for the carrying out of our plans. 
 On the farther affluents of the Mobangi we hear of 
 large towns, and such a measure of civilisation as we 
 have not elsewhere encountered in the whole of the 
 Congo basin. Captain Van Gele tells us that at 
 Bangasso, between six and seven hundred miles from 
 the confluence of the Mobangi with the Congo, he was 
 received by the chief in great state, accompanied by 
 some two thousand trained soldiers, and a bodyguard 
 of thirty men in Soudanese uniforms, and armed with 
 weapons evidently secured through the trade routes of 
 the Soudan. The language here belonged to quite a 
 different stock from those spoken over the greater 
 
THE FUTURE OF THE CONGO MISSION. 141 
 
 portion of the Congo basin, being Negroid, and not 
 Bantu, and communication was maintained through 
 the medium of Arabic. This place, Bangasso, is only 
 one of several important districts the Belgian explor- 
 ers tell us of, and with which they have been able to 
 enter upon satisfactory relationship ; and the accounts 
 just recently to hand make us very desirous indeed 
 to include them within the range of our forward 
 policy." 
 
 And Mr. Darby, visiting Mojembo some eighteen 
 months after the above utterance, was able to report 
 of the projected site as follows : — 
 
 "There are six or seven towns within touch by 
 canoe on either side of the place ; there is an inland 
 population not far away. The people there are the 
 most industrious I have yet seen in the whole of 
 Africa ; every art practised on the Congo we found 
 carried on in this place in the most business-like 
 fashion — iron smelting, smith's work of all kinds, 
 brass necklets, anklets, bracelet making, copper manu- 
 facture, cloth making, oil-extracting from the kernels; 
 plenty of food, good houses, friendly people, clean, 
 and plenty of them — surely such a site could not be 
 excelled ! . . . During the remainder of our explora- 
 tion, we saw many eligible sites, but none that seemed 
 so suitable as Mojembo. I wish I had space to write 
 you all we saw at Mojembo, that instinctively drew us 
 to it as a fitting spot. The language is strange, it is 
 true; I got about 150 words of it. They are very 
 peculiar in form ; some, I think, induce me to suppose 
 that it belongs to the Bantu family — in fact, so far 
 as the list I have secured goes, I may say I am certain 
 it belongs to that family ; its nearest relation, is, 
 I think, in the Bopoto language. For this and 
 many other most cogent reasons, we think that this 
 spot is singularly suitable and hopeful for the new 
 station." 
 
 But two years have passed away, and owing to cir- 
 cumstances, no station has as yet been established on 
 
142 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 this very eligible spot, though, happily, there is good 
 reason to believe it will shortly be occupied. In the 
 very near future it is earnestly hoped Mojembi will 
 become the centre of important missionary activity. 
 
 Should the planting of the rest of the proposed 
 stations be delayed, it has to be borne in mind that 
 an immense amount of most promising evangelistic 
 itineration will be possible now that two steamers and 
 other boats are at the service of the Mission. The 
 recent addition of so splendid a vessel as the Goodwill 
 will enable the missionaries to avail themselves as 
 never heretofore of the Congo riverine system, afford- 
 ing as it does such wonderful facilities of communica- 
 tion with the vast populations of the country. 
 
 It has further to be borne in mind, as an induce- 
 ment to persevering endeavour, that every year the 
 native evangelistic resources are becoming greater, 
 and consequently the fresh needs caused by extend- 
 ing operations may, by converts trained for service, 
 be more readily supplied. 
 
 But if, contemplating the millions of people who 
 wait for the proclamation of the Gospel, remembering 
 the perfect natural facilities for reaching them which 
 so wonderfully obtain in the Upper Congo region, and 
 if in view of the blessed results already achieved, the 
 prospects may be truly described as most promising 
 and most inspiring ; then the main question appears 
 to be : will the Christian Churches, by whose prayerful 
 sympathy and consecrated gifts this Congo Mission 
 was begun and has so far been maintained, be prepared 
 for a forward policy ? Will the funds be forthcoming, 
 without which new stations cannot be founded and 
 manned ? 
 
 That the Congo Mission is costly, owing to the 
 conditions in which it has to be conducted, cannot be 
 gainsaid, inasmuch as about one-half of the total 
 expenditure is absorbed in freight, transport, and 
 other charges incidental to the exceptional nature of 
 the enterprise. To what extent the present rate of 
 
THE FUTURE OF THE CONGO MISSION. I43 
 
 outlay may be relieved when the railway, in the Lower 
 Congo from Matadi to Stanley Pool, now in course of 
 construction, shall be completed, it is impossible to 
 tell, but that in time some relief may be obtained it is 
 reasonable to expect. The greater carrying capacity 
 of the new steamer, the Goodzvill, for supplying the 
 up-river stations with the needful stores, will doubtless 
 too effect some pecuniary advantage. And further, 
 the possibility, as the conditions of life improve, of 
 the missionaries remaining for longer periods at their 
 post without the necessity of such frequent changes, 
 will also help to reduce expenditure. And as the 
 country becomes more civilised and developed, other 
 methods of procedure less costly may be devised. 
 
 Giving, however, all these and other points their 
 due consideration, there is little prospect of this 
 Congo Mission being conducted without considerable 
 outlay, if its operations are to proceed upon the lines, 
 which, after most careful consideration and long 
 experience, have been adopted as those alone likely in 
 the main to lead to permanent success. 
 
 Will then the Churches which are interested in this 
 Mission be ready with the requisite support? Do 
 they so realise the responsibility and blessedness of 
 this service for Christ in dark Africa that as the 
 demands grow their gifts will increase? May the 
 great Head of the Church bestow abundantly His 
 grace upon His servants, so that having been intrusted 
 with the Gospel, they may worthily and faithfully 
 discharge the solemn but glorious trust ! 
 
 But perhaps it will be asked, Instead of attempting 
 any further extension, would it not be wiser and every 
 way more desirable to concentrate effort upon the 
 stations already founded ? Better to have a few 
 stations efficiently worked rather than a larger number 
 feebly maintained. There must, it will be affirmed, 
 be a limit to the sphere of labour. Much may be 
 said in favour of a policy of concentration, provided 
 always that the points of concentration are as numer- 
 
144 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 ous as earnest and self-denying efforts will permit. 
 It is possible to become content to settle down, not- 
 withstanding the great commission reads : Go and 
 preach the Gospel to every creature. 
 
 As this phase of the missionary enterprise is most 
 important in its bearing upon future policy, it will be 
 appropriate and useful to quote in this connection 
 the opinion of Mr. Grenfell : "It has been urged," he 
 said on a certain occasion, " by some that we are 
 scattering our energies over too wide an area. They 
 ask : ' Why not concentrate your efforts upon a 
 narrower field, as business men would do ? ' They 
 say — and they have been successful business men who 
 have said it, as well as enthusiastic missionary helpers 
 — ' It has been far better in our experience to 
 thoroughly work a small district than to spend the 
 same amount of work over a larger one.' It is an 
 argument that falls with great weight upon the ears 
 of practical people, and, so far as business in this 
 country is concerned, I have no doubt that it indic- 
 ates the right policy ; but in Africa we are dealing 
 with quite a different set of circumstances, and are at 
 work under quite different conditions. There was a 
 time when the traders on the Congo maintained 
 the policy our friends now urge upon ourselves. 
 In those days the missionaries led the van towards 
 the interior, but they are bygone days, for business 
 men have pushed ahead of us, and left us far behind ; 
 and, as a consequence of their spreading out, the 
 short dividends of the policy of concentration have 
 given place to as much profit in one year as they used 
 to make in ten. So, you see, the advice of our 
 friends, though apparently so sound, and backed up 
 as it is with such great experience, and also with such 
 very practical sympathy for our work, does not hold 
 good under all conditions, and much less does it hold 
 good in the distinctly different sphere of the Christian 
 propaganda. We missionaries on the Congo have 
 been greatly impressed by the effectual working of 
 
THE FUTURE OF THE CONGO MISSION. 145 
 
 the ' leaven of the Kingdom,' and we maintain we 
 are pursuing the wisest policy, and the policy most in 
 accord with our Divine Master's will, when we carry 
 the ' leaven ' to the greatest number of separate 
 centres, and in His name set it working there. And 
 we also feel, considering the needs of the case, and 
 the commission we have received, that we ought to 
 march boldly and attempt great things in our 
 Master's name. We never hear of Paul being afraid 
 of getting too far away from Jerusalem. Our past 
 experience affords us every encouragement for push- 
 ing forward, for God has very markedly blessed 
 and kept our foremost ranks, and He has greatly 
 impressed us all with the very manifest power of the 
 Spirit in its gracious operations on the hearts of the 
 people." 
 
 The opinion thus decidedly expressed by one, 
 whose length of service and of experience is beyond 
 that of any other Congo missionary, and whose leader- 
 ship, on the ground of his acknowledged abilities and 
 particularly his wise judgment, is gladly recognised 
 by those of other societies as well as those of his own, 
 deserves most careful consideration. 
 
 Much by God's help has been accomplished in the 
 past ; by the same help more may be accomplished in 
 days to come. 
 
 We conclude this chapter with a table showing 
 the present stations and the missionaries located at 
 them. 
 
 LOWER CONGO. 
 
 Stations. Missionaries. 
 
 San Salvador, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis, Mr. and Mrs. Graham, 
 
 arid Mr. and Mrs. Phillips. 
 Under hill, . Mr. and Mrs. J. L. Forfeitt, Mr. Pinnock, 
 
 Mr. Pople, Mr. Stephens, and Mr. 
 
 Beedham. 
 Wathen, . Mr. and Mrs. Bentley, Mr. Cameron, Mr. 
 
 Bell, and Mr. W. B. Frame. 
 
146 
 
 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 UPPER CONGO. 
 
 Stations. Missionaries. 
 
 Arthington, . Mr. and Mrs. Roger, and Mr. and Mrs. 
 Gordon. 
 
 BoZobo, . . Mr. and Mrs. Grenfell, Mr. and Mrs. 
 Scrivener, Mr. and Mrs. Glennie, Mr. 
 Clark, and Miss de Hailes. 
 
 Ltikolela, . Mr. and Mrs. Whitehead. 
 
 Monsembi, . Mr. and Mrs. Weeks, Mr. and Mrs. Staple- 
 ton, Mr. Stonelake, and Mr. Dodds. 
 
 Bopoto, . . Mr. and Mrs. W. L. Forfeitt, Mr. Kirkland, 
 and Mr. K. Smith. 
 
 Yakusu, . Mr. and Mrs. White. 
 
 s.s. " Peace " and " Goodwill," . Mr. Field, and Mr. 
 
 Howell. 
 
CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 OTHER MISSIONS IN CONGO. 
 
 CONTEMPLATING the vast myriads upon 
 whose ears the sound of the glorious Gospel 
 J of the Blessed God has not yet fallen, it is 
 indeed a satisfaction and a relief to know that 
 there are other missions in Congo than the one whose 
 work has been recorded in the foregoing pages. It 
 is also most pleasant to be assured — though the fact 
 is only what might have been expected — that the 
 relations between the agents of these various socie- 
 ties are of the most cordial and brotherly nature. 
 Indeed, in the case of the two Missions, the Living- 
 stone Inland and the Congo, the policy pursued is 
 avowedly intended to be mutually beneficial, their 
 stations being so planted as to permit of the heartiest 
 co-operation. 
 
 When, now more than ten years ago, the Hon. 
 J. W. Merrill of Boston, the then President ot 
 the American Baptist Missionary Union, with which 
 Union the Livingstone Mission was then about to 
 become identified, was visiting London, he was 
 warmly welcomed to the Committee of the English 
 Society by the late Treasurer, Mr. Joseph Tritton, 
 
 M7 
 
148 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 who expressed the earnest hope that by mutual 
 confidence and wise arrangements the great object of 
 both Societies might be the more efficiently secured ; 
 a sentiment most emphatically endorsed by Mr. 
 Merrill. And so also on subsequent occasions of a 
 similar nature these feelings of fellowship have been 
 freely expressed and confirmed. 
 
 And abroad the opportunities for showing kindly 
 hospitality are continually occurring. In the matter 
 too of forwarding stores, most invaluable help is 
 rendered by each Mission respectively. The import- 
 ance, moreover, of a common understanding as to 
 methods of working so as to secure greater efficiency 
 is increasingly recognised and desired. And as to the 
 sympathy shown in times of sorrow, the ungrudging 
 and unwearied attention given in seasons of sickness 
 — all such brotherly ministries have been as readily 
 rendered as, alas ! the occasion for them has been 
 frequent. Particular mention may be made here of 
 the important services so often given by Dr. Sims, the 
 qualified Medical Missionary now stationed at Leopold- 
 ville, and whose missionary life has extended over 
 some fourteen or fifteen years. 
 
 The Livingstone Inland Mission. 
 
 of which we first write, was originated by certain 
 individuals who were deeply interested in the 
 evangelisation of Western Central Africa. For more 
 than two years it was under the direction of a 
 Committee, of which Mr. and Mrs. H. Grattan Guinness 
 were members, Rev. A. Tilley acting as Secretary, and 
 Mr. John Cory as Treasurer. The pioneer Mission- 
 aries, Mr. Strom and Mr. Craven arrived at the mouth 
 of the Congo at the end of February, 1878, some few 
 weeks after the landing of Mr. Grenfell and Mr. 
 Comber, Messrs. Telfourd and Johnstone joining them 
 about the end of June. 
 
 The first station was founded at a place about five 
 
OTHER MISSIONS IN CONGO. I49 
 
 miles from the Yellala Falls. In Mr. Strom's journal, 
 under date the 9th of June, Whitsunday, there is the 
 following entry : " We held to-day our first public 
 service. I gave each of our workmen a body-cloth ; 
 then at 8 a.m. called them together, explained as 
 well as we could that we should worship God. Then 
 I gave out a hymn, read Acts ii., had another hymn, 
 and prayed, then Mr. Craven and I partook of the 
 Lord's Supper. The Spirit of the Most High was in 
 us, on us, and with us. May this be the little stone 
 cut out without hands which shall roll on until it 
 becomes a great mountain." 
 
 In December of the same year, 1878, Mr. Peterson 
 and Miss Bosson, to be married to Mr. Craven, started 
 for Africa. Soon after this contingent had embarked, 
 the sad news arrived of the death of Mr. Telfourd, the 
 first of the missionaries to lay down his life for Christ 
 in Congo. 
 
 It is interesting to record that in the s.s. Volta, by 
 which vessel Mr. Comber returned with his reinforce- 
 ments, Mr. and Mrs. Vickers and Mr. Richards, 
 additions to the Livingstone staff, were amongst the 
 passengers. As time passed on others were sent out ; 
 of these may be mentioned an important contingent 
 consisting of Messrs. M'Call, Clarke, Harvey, Lanceley, 
 and Mrs. Richards, sailing in March, 1880. The 
 Mission had now become identified with the Harley 
 House Institute, being indeed a branch of it, the 
 original Committee acting as the Council. 
 
 On hearing of a further loss occurring about this 
 time, Mrs. Guinness wrote : — " We must not sorrow 
 because a costly gift gladly and willingly offered to 
 the blessed Lord Jesus has been accepted by Him. 
 We must not sorrow that a wearied servant has been 
 welcomed Home with exceeding joy and greeted with 
 a cordial ' well done.' Nor must the friends of the 
 Mission be discouraged because it is experiencing 
 trials which were expected. We knew that to evan- 
 gelise Central Africa would prove a costly project, 
 
 L 
 
150 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 demanding large sacrifices both of life and means. 
 But knowing this, we felt, did we not ? that we had 
 no choice in the matter. Our path was to obey, and 
 the command to go into all the world was plain ! " 
 
 Notwithstanding these difficulties and trials the 
 work on the field was making good progress, three 
 stations having been planted — viz., Matadi, Palabala, 
 and Banza Manteke. With the next expedition the 
 little Livingstone steamer launch was despatched. 
 And in July, 1881, the Directors at home expressed 
 their hopeful feelings in the following terms : " There 
 is much that is encouraging. The Mission is gradu- 
 ally taking root and securing the respect and confid- 
 ence of the natives themselves. Our brethren have 
 so far acquired the language as to be able to com- 
 municate pretty freely with the people, and to instruct 
 them and their children." 
 
 We have thus dwelt somewhat in detail upon the 
 first stages of this important Mission, but limited space 
 forbids our following its progress step by step. Pass- 
 ing over the next two or three years, we come to 
 an event of great moment — viz., the transference of 
 the Mission to the American Baptist Missionary 
 Union. Though for some months negotiations with a 
 view to this transference had been proceeding, it was 
 not until November, 1884, that the American Society 
 took over the Mission formally into their manage- 
 ment. Mr. and Mrs. Guinness were in Boston on the 
 occasion. It was felt to be a red letter day in the 
 history of the Missionary Union. The story of the 
 opening of Central Africa as told by these English 
 visitors, and "of the heroic struggle of their dear 
 pioneer missionaries to introduce the Gospel in that 
 great new world seemed," they said, " to create deep 
 interest wherever they went, and to elicit warm sym- 
 pathy and Christian zeal." 
 
 At the date when the Livingstone Inland Mission 
 was thus handed over to the American Baptists it 
 consisted of six well-established stations, twenty-five 
 
OTHER MISSIONS IN CONGO. 
 
 151 
 
 missionaries (men and women), with a steamer just 
 being launched at Stanley Pool, the Henry Reed, 
 generously provided by Mrs. Henry Reed, of Tasmania, 
 but which was unfortunately completely wrecked a 
 short time ago ; the only condition imposed being 
 
 //^§C- 
 
 -c. 
 
 THE "HENRY REED." 
 
 that the work should be vigorously maintained, Harley 
 House continuing to act as a British Auxiliary. 
 
 On the very same month as this transference was 
 effected Mr. Craven was removed by death, the loss 
 of whose services, as one of the founders and a 
 
I5 2 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 devoted leader of the Mission, was deeply felt. But 
 whilst these repeated losses tried the faith of the 
 workers abroad, and saddened the spirits of friends 
 and supporters at home, experience of another kind, 
 such as well might thrill all hearts with thankful joy, 
 was in store. Hitherto, the spiritual results had been 
 few, the past had been a time of sowing ; but a 
 Pentecostal blessing was about to be outpoured. 
 The station to realise this wonderful manifestation of 
 Divine grace and power was Banza Manteke. Mr. 
 Henry Richard, the missionary in charge, writing 
 under date of the 6th of August, said : "The bones 
 that had been shaking for some time past began to 
 stand up and show very evident signs of life. Truly 
 the Pentecostal power came as I have never seen 
 before ; for the people began to bring out their 
 fetishes for us to burn, and to cry, ' What must we do 
 to be saved ? ' There was much opposition and 
 persecution, which only seemed to increase the spirit- 
 ual power ; for the bitterest enemies and the greatest 
 sinners were brought under conviction of sin. The 
 interest increased, and the people came up in large 
 numbers to the station. The house became too strait, 
 and we were obliged to hold the services in the open 
 air, and have continued to do so up to the present 
 time, and we have more than 700 converts. The 
 glorious fact is this, that Banza Manteke is no longer 
 a heathen country, but more Christian than any I am 
 acquainted with." 
 
 It must, however, be said that in many of these 
 cases time proved the conversions to be nominal 
 rather than real, discipline having to be freely exer- 
 cised. Yet, taking this fact into consideration, there 
 can be no question but that a great work of God was 
 effected. So much so that when Mr. Grenfell was in 
 this country in 1891 he was able to refer to it with 
 great confidence. Touching upon the encouragement 
 afforded by past experience for pushing forward with 
 the work, and then ascribing the results produced to 
 
OTHER MISSIONS IN CONGO. 1 53 
 
 the gracious operations of the Spirit of God upon the 
 hearts of the people, he said, " What else was it that 
 produced that wonderful result to the labour of our 
 brother, Richards, of the A.B.M.U. ? He went to the 
 Congo almost at the very outset of the missionary 
 enterprise there, and laboured for seven long years in 
 one place without a single sign to encourage him ; 
 and the people were so bound up in their cruel 
 customs and superstitions, and their hearts seemed so 
 hard, that he was on the point of giving up and going 
 elsewhere ; but at this very time, when he was talking 
 to me of his disappointment and sorrow, the ' leaven : 
 was at work in the heart of the man who had been 
 his strongest opponent, and shortly after he renounced 
 his fetishism, and became the first of a distinguished 
 band of earnest Christians. The work, having com- 
 menced, grew apace ; and very largely, humanly 
 speaking, as the results of the labours of the native 
 Christians themselves, there is to-day round our 
 brother at Banza Manteke a Church of some three 
 hundred members." 
 
 And Banza Manteke is not the only station where 
 large results have been ingathered, the labours at 
 Lukunga being as encouraging. At other stations, 
 Matadi for example, the work is largely of a business 
 nature, as at Underhill, of the Congo Mission. And 
 some stations, which, when planted, were full of 
 promise, have become much restricted in the scope 
 they afford, owing to the removal of the population 
 to other towns. 
 
 As to general operations, it may be said, school- 
 teaching, evangelistic efforts, literary and medical 
 work — all these various labours have been and are 
 still being zealously pursued. 
 
 Whilst the Livingstone Inland Mission has suffered 
 perhaps more severely than the sister Mission — whose 
 course has been followed in the preceding pages — 
 through loss by death and enforced return of mission- 
 aries, there have never been wanting devoted volun- 
 
154 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 teers ready to take vacant places, so that the work 
 has not only been maintained but extended. The 
 report for July, 1894, in its statistical tables, shows 
 ten stations, being enumerated in their order of founda- 
 tion : — Palabala, Banza Manteke, Matadi, Lukunka, 
 Mukimvika, Leopoldville, Bolengi, Bwemba, Kinjila, 
 and Irebu ; forty-six missionaries, including wives of 
 missionaries and single women, with a church-mem- 
 bership of twelve hundred and seventeen — the last 
 figures, however, it is believed, through the great 
 mortality occasioned by the fatal sleeping sickness, 
 and other circumstances, having undergone consider- 
 able revision. 
 
 Balolo Mission. 
 
 When Mr. and Mrs. Guinness transferred the Living- 
 stone Inland Mission to the American Union, there 
 was no intention to cease missionary effort on behalf 
 of Central Africa. An opportunity, therefore, arising 
 in the Providence of God to enter Balolo-land, it was 
 prayerfully and eagerly embraced. The circum- 
 stances in which the new enterprise was begun can 
 be simply described. In 1888, Mr. M'Kittrick, who 
 had been located at the then Equator station of the 
 Livingstone Mission, visited England. The sphere 
 of his labours had been within a few miles of the 
 Balolo country. Mr. M'Kittrick, who brought with 
 him a native lad, gave glowing accounts of the 
 people, representing them to be more advanced in 
 civilisation, more intelligent, and more friendly than 
 most of the tribes nearer the coast, but a people, 
 estimated at some ten millions, altogether unevange- 
 lised, that it was felt the moment had arrived when a 
 special mission to the Balolo should be attempted ; and 
 Dr. Harry Guinness undertook the secretarial duties. 
 To prevent misunderstanding with the American 
 Society, a conference was sought with Dr. Murdoch, 
 its secretary, and as the result, it was cordially decided 
 that the Harley House Auxiliary should henceforth 
 
156 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 concentrate its energies upon the effort to send the 
 Gospel to Balolo-land. 
 
 The first party set sail in April, 1889, consisting of 
 Mr. and Mrs. M'Kittrick, Miss De Hailes, Messrs. 
 Todd, Blake, Whytock, Howell, Haupt, and the Balolo 
 lad, Bompole ; and after calling at the various stations 
 en route, arrived safely at their destination, the mouth 
 of the Lulongo, one of the great tributaries of the 
 Congo, some 750 miles from the coast, or about 400 
 miles beyond Stanley Pool, in the month of August, 
 being conveyed along the reaches of the upper river 
 in the Henry Reed, under the direction of Mr. 
 Billington. 
 
 Steering some thirty-five miles up the Lulongo, the 
 party cast anchor and ventured to land, notwithstand- 
 ing the fact that some hundreds of men, armed with 
 spears, had been attracted by the sight of the vessel. 
 Their welcome, however, was not unfriendly when the 
 object of their visit was known. After some pala- 
 vering, a piece of ground for a station, now called 
 Bonzinda, was secured, and as soon as possible the 
 required houses were erected. 
 
 Very interesting is Mrs. M'Kittrick's account of a 
 preaching service in a palaver house on the second 
 Sunday after their arrival : — 
 
 " In the cool of the evening, John (Mr. M'Kittrick), 
 Mr. Whytock, and myself went out in a canoe to visit 
 some of the neighbouring towns. We first crossed 
 over to the island which lies a few hundred yards 
 from us. A great crowd gathered on the beach to 
 receive us, and we marched through the town at the 
 head of nearly a thousand people. They were not at 
 all shy, and the children, particularly the boys, were 
 very bold, shouting and laughing all round us. The 
 houses were poorly built, and close together. There 
 were some exceptions, however, to the bad buildings. 
 The public palaver-houses, consisting of large roofs, 
 lofty in the centre and sloping gradually downwards 
 until within two feet of the ground, were the finest 
 
OTHER MISSIONS IN CONGO. 1 57 
 
 erections we have seen in Africa. We entered one 
 capable of holding 500 people. The inside was dark 
 and very smoky, ten or twelve fires being kindled in 
 different parts of the room, and it was with some 
 difficulty we were able to make out where we were. 
 When our eyes had become accustomed to the gloom 
 and the smoke, we saw a large high chamber, decently 
 clean, except where culinary operations were being 
 carried on. Some charms, fetishes, etc., were hanging 
 from the roof, and running round each side were large 
 pieces of canoe boards, with backs to them, making 
 capital seats. These filled rapidly on our entrance, 
 and in a few moments the place was full, men, women, 
 and children crowding eagerly in to look at the white 
 man and hear his words. Truly an open door is before 
 us ! John stood up in the middle and told them the 
 reason of our coming amongst them, and the message 
 of God's love in Jesus Christ His Son. I mean- 
 while sat and looked at the bright faces, with their 
 black, shining eyes, and gleaming, white teeth, and 
 I must confess my first feeling was one of something 
 very much like despair as I thought, What are we, a 
 handful of feeble, unarmed men, amongst these 
 thousands of heathen savages, and what hope is there 
 of their ever being converted and civilised ? It seems, 
 humanly speaking, so improbable, so impossible. 
 Nothing but a miracle can ever change them, and 
 yet, this we have a right to expect from our wonder- 
 working God, in whose hands are the hearts of all 
 men. 
 
 " We walked away to the end of the island, and 
 whilst waiting there for the boat, John had another 
 opportunity of delivering his message. We then 
 paddled across to another large town on the main- 
 land, and there found the same thing, hundreds of 
 curious, expectant people. After speaking in the 
 palaver house, we were walking back to the canoe, 
 when a man ran up, saying : ' Give us a little bit of 
 Inzakomba' (God). We willingly consented, and 
 
158 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 standing still sang the first verse of 'Jesus loves me' 
 in Lunkundu. The words were very simple, and as 
 we made the people repeat them several times, they 
 soon picked them up, and tried to join in as we sang 
 the verse over and over again. It was quite encourag- 
 ing after one's dismal thoughts to perceive the 
 readiness with which they listened to what was said 
 to them, and their appreciation of it. 
 
 " We have certainly been guided as to settling in 
 this place, by far the most populous district we have 
 seen, and utterly untouched by the Gospel. To-day, 
 for the first time in their lives, many of them have 
 heard the good news. The words which seemed to 
 make the most impression on them were'Jisu a to 
 Somb iso ukingo' — 'Jesus bought for us a neck.' 
 This idiom conveys to them the idea of substitution, 
 and each time John repeated them a low murmur of 
 surprise or approval, I could not tell which, passed 
 through the crowd. The numbers are overwhelming, 
 but in time we shall reach them, by the help of God." 
 
 In November of the same year, 1889, a second 
 station at Ikau, a point on the Lunongo at the con- 
 fluence of the Lopori and Maringa rivers, was planted, 
 Mr. Whytock and Mr. Haupt being the missionaries 
 left in charge. The next station was opened at 
 Lulalga at the mouth of the Lunongo, where it flows 
 into the Congo ; and soon after a fourth at Bondon- 
 danga on Lopori, 250 miles from the spot where the 
 Lulongo enters the Congo, the reinforcements which 
 had followed the first contingent permitting of this 
 extension. It should also be stated here that by this 
 time the little steamer Piojteer, the need of which 
 was so deeply felt, had safely arrived. 
 
 As in the initial stages of the Congo Mission, so in 
 those of the Balolo Mission, much of the time of the 
 missionaries had necessarily to be occupied with all 
 kinds of operations involving hard manual labour, or 
 persevering attempts to acquire the language or 
 tedious palavers with chiefs. 
 
OTHER MISSIONS IN CONGO. 1 59 
 
 The following description given by Miss De Hailes 
 o( the way in which she spent her life at Bonzinda is 
 instructive and interesting. 
 
 " This is the way my day is generally employed. 
 I rise at six, so as to get a quiet hour for Bible- 
 reading and prayer before breakfast, at half-past 
 seven. After that we have prayers, and I attend to 
 household duties before service, which is from half- 
 past eight till nine. Then I have Bompole for an 
 hour's study. After that I can never be sure of my 
 time ; patients come in, and I am often unable to get 
 a quiet moment till dinner, at twelve o'clock. After 
 dinner I rest for an hour ; and if no one comes for 
 medicine, I get a little study or reading. At two 
 o'clock, I have a sewing class for native girls ; and 
 then, after a cup of tea, I walk to the town, to teach 
 my school, and often go to visit some of the people 
 on the way back, as I have time and opportunity. 
 They run after me and ask me to go into their houses 
 and tell them of God, and I never like to refuse, 
 though want of time sometimes compels me to do so. 
 It is not wise to stay out after sundown, at least not 
 far away from home. In the evening, after supper, 
 I have a night-school, then attend our evening 
 worship, and afterwards get my writing done. 
 
 " Our new houses have boarded floors, and the 
 rooms are beautifully cool and convenient. I like our 
 houses better than any on the Congo, though others 
 are more beautiful ; but I prefer ours, made of native 
 material and therefore less expensive. I wish I could 
 get on faster with the language, for I find it very 
 trying to the patience. On Sundays, after service in 
 the chapel in the morning, we visit the towns, each 
 taking a different direction. The darkness and sin in 
 which these poor natives live is awful." 
 
 In January, 1891, it was decided that Dr. Harry 
 Guinness should pay a visit to Congo, and in March 
 of that year he started upon his journey, his visit 
 occupying twelve months. 
 
1 60 
 
 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 Arriving at St. Thomas on his way home, it was 
 his painful duty to despatch the following telegram, 
 conveying the terrible news of the death of two of the 
 Balolo band, "John M'Kittrick died, November 22nd; 
 Luff died, December 19th." This was, indeed, heart- 
 
 JOHN M'KITTRICK. 
 (Leader of the Congo Balolo Mission.) 
 
 rending news. But the very next mail that arrived 
 brought intelligence of the ingathering of the first 
 fruits. And so with blended sorrow and joy the sup- 
 porters of the Mission gave themselves anew to prayer. 
 As soon as possible a " welcome home " meeting 
 to receive Dr. Guinness and Mrs. M'Kittrick was 
 
OTHER MISSIONS IN CONGO. l6l 
 
 arranged, which was also a " God speed " meeting to 
 bid farewell to five Balolo missionaries, four of them 
 being reinforcements. 
 
 Notwithstanding great difficulties and many trials 
 through sickness and death, the Mission has continued 
 to prosper ; and so recently as March of the present 
 year, the Directors were able to report fresh indica- 
 tions of the Divine blessing. 
 
 The Swedish Missionary Alliance 
 
 sent its first missionary to the Congo in 1881, at 
 which date it was in connection with the Livingstone 
 Inland Mission, two other representatives going forth 
 the following year. On the transference of the Living- 
 stone Mission to the American Baptist Missionary- 
 Union the Alliance became independent, establishing 
 itself at Mukimbungu, where already its agents had 
 been labouring. Three other stations have since been 
 founded — viz., those at Kibunzi, Diadia, and Nganda, 
 besides a transport station at Londe, all three places 
 being in the neighbourhood of Mukimbungu, on the 
 Lower Congo. Since the commencement of this 
 Mission, forty missionaries, male and female, have 
 been sent out, twelve of whom have succumbed to 
 fever; the missionary, Nils Westlind, who had laboured 
 for the longest period (since 1882) having died as 
 recently as March of the present year. Mr. Westlind 
 was enabled to complete a free translation of the 
 entire New Testament into the language spoken in 
 the district, which was printed at the Kibunzi Mission 
 Press. Other literary work has also been accom- 
 plished. The present membership is about 150, and 
 several of the converts are labouring as evangelists. 
 There is much cause for thankfulness on account of 
 the good work done by this Society. 
 
 Bishop Taylor's Mission. 
 The leader of this Mission is a Bishop of the 
 
l62 THE CONGO FOR CHRIST. 
 
 Methodist Episcopal Church of the United States. 
 In the year 1886, with the object of founding stations 
 on the Kasai, an important affluent of the Congo, he 
 set sail from America with a large missionary band 
 of no less than twenty-four in number. Though the 
 bishop is a man of singular devotion, the principle of 
 self-support upon which he founded, and has since 
 conducted his Mission, judged by results, has proved 
 anything but encouraging. Whatever may be the 
 suitability of such a principle to other mission fields, 
 its application to the Congo has proved most dis- 
 astrous. The bishop has found no lack of men and 
 women ready to labour for Christ in Africa, and he 
 has spent large sums of money in the preliminary 
 steps of establishing stations. 
 
 The great loss of life and treasure, issuing in little 
 or no spiritual results, has been cause for sincere 
 lamentation and regret. Many missionaries, owing 
 to want of the means of subsistence, have died, or 
 have been compelled to return to America, whilst 
 those who have attempted to support themselves by 
 agricultural and other pursuits have found, for the 
 most part, the conditions of the Congo anything but 
 favourable. 
 
 A traction engine and a vessel sent out, have 
 proved, from lack of adaptation, absolutely useless, so 
 far as the Mission has been concerned. 
 
 Stations at Vivi, Isangila, and Kimpoko have been 
 attempted, but the most satisfactory work is that 
 done, on a small scale, at Banana. 
 
 Whether the experience of Bishop Taylor's Mission 
 may be regarded as conclusive we do not decide, but 
 so far as the experiment has gone, it is certainly most 
 unfavourable to the policy of self-support. 
 
 The other missions at work in Congoland are the 
 American Presbyterian Mission on the Kasai, the 
 Evangelical Missionary Presbyterian Alliance, some- 
 times called "Simpson's Mission," located near Matadi, 
 and several Roman Catholic Missions working at 
 
OTHER MISSIONS IN CONGO. 163 
 
 various points, both on the Lower and Upper 
 Congo. 
 
 It does not come within the scope of this volume 
 to record the operations of societies, other than those 
 whose representatives are labouring in the Congo 
 country. It is fitting, however, it should conclude 
 with the devout and earnest prayer, that whether the 
 messengers of the Cross enter the Dark Continent 
 from the North or the South, from the East or from 
 the West, they may, one and all, as the Divine 
 blessing rests upon their several labours, be instru- 
 mental in hastening the happy day, when, from 
 the lands bordering on the Mediterranean to Cape 
 Colony, from the Zambesi to the Congo, the people 
 shall everywhere see the great Light, and rejoice 
 under His healinsr beams. 
 
 THE END. 
 
INDEX. 
 
 Arlington's, Mr., Communi 
 
 cations, 
 Arthington Station, 
 Balolo Mission, 
 Bishop Taylor's Mission 
 Bolobo Station, 
 Bopoto Station, 
 Burial of Living Persons, 
 Centenary Contributions, 
 Contributions to China Mis 
 
 sion, .... 
 Congo Dictionary and Gram 
 
 mar, .... 
 Congo New Testament, . 
 Deaths of Missionaries, . 
 Evangelistic Efforts by Natives, 
 First Journey to Stanley Pool, 
 
 Folk Lore 
 
 Grenfell's, Mr., Delimitation 
 
 Commission, 
 Livingstone Inland Mission, . 
 
 18 
 
 96 
 
 154 
 161 
 100 
 110 
 
 74 
 119 
 
 121 
 
 67 
 68 
 124 
 "3 
 3° 
 53 
 
 79 
 1 48 
 
 Lo, his Conversion, 
 Lukolela Station, . 
 Mbanza Mputu, Chief of, 
 Mantu, Baptism of, 
 Medical Work, 
 Mobangi River, Discovery of, 
 Monsembi Station, 
 Nlemvo, Baptism of, 
 Our Heroes, . 
 Present Missionaries, 
 Printing Press, 
 San Salvador Station, . 
 School, First, Opened, . 
 Slavery, .... 
 Stanley Pool first reached, 
 Steamer Goodwill, . 
 Steamer Peace, 
 Swedish Missionary Alliance 
 Underhill Station, . 
 Wathen Schoolhouse, 
 Wathen Station, 
 
 ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 A Suspension Bridge, . . 32 
 Bangala Slave, . . -77 
 Bentley, Mr. and Mrs., Proof- 
 
 Reading, . . . -65 
 Boma, Congo River, . 15 
 
 Bopoto, View from, . .109 
 Cathedral Ruins, . . 19 
 
 Chief of Mbanza Mputu, . 117 
 Discharge of Peace Sections, . 39 
 Etoto, Native Town of, . . 115 
 Goodwill, . . . .121 
 Grenfell, Mr. and Mrs., Travel- 
 ling, . . . . 80, 81 
 Groups of Deceased Mission- 
 aries, . . . 130, 131 
 Henry Reed Steamer, . -151 
 Lukolela Station, . . .105 
 M'Kittrick, John, . . . 160 
 
 Missionary Expedition, . 
 
 Monsembi Mission- House 
 
 Nshasha Village, . 
 
 Palaver of Bolobo Chiefs, 
 
 Peace on Slip, 
 
 San Salvador Chapel, 
 
 San Salvador Scholars, . 
 
 Schoolboys' Treat, 
 
 Silvey's, Mr., Three Boys, 
 
 Two Lukolela Boys, 
 
 View from Underhill, Frontis 
 
 piece. 
 Wathen Station, . 
 Yellala Cataracts, . 
 Map of Balolo Country, 
 Map of Lower Congo, 
 Map of Stanley Pool, 
 Map of Upper Congo, 
 
 LOKIMEl; AND GILLIES, PRINTERS, EDINBURGH. 
 
111 men »m lcs 
 
 I 
 
 ffc«*3 
 
 IV^USSS^B