The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-03-31
CURIOUS CUSTOMS.

A Lady Missionary's Experiences Among the
Natives OF Africa.
The annual meeting of the Missionary
Society OF the Presbytery Of Baltimore was
addressed by Mrs. S. B. Hendricks, re-
Gently returned from Gaboon a missionary
station on the west coast of Afri "a, where
she has labored for several years among the
negroes. Mrs. Hendricks, who is a logical
speaker, expressed her thoughts with ease,
and III concise but striking manner, re-
latedat length many of her experiences and
adventures She said the average intelli-
gence Of the Africans is far superior to that
Of the colored race Of this country, SO long
borne down Ivy oppressive slavery. She
sketched the routine work of the mission
airy in brief, and referred to the many diff
culties encountered, one of the principal of
which was the fact that q mans riches is
measured by the number of wives he pos
sesses. The women were miserable, down.
labor, while the men live in idleness. An
other great curse was the liquor traffic,
which was carried on to an alarming extent.
The liquor sold was adulte1ated with pois-
onous drugs. and it's effect on the negroes
was startling; they were transformed into
perfect demons, and were capable of per-
petrating any atrocities upon the women.
''When a man is DESTROYS of joining the
church" said Mrs. Hendricks, The is re-
| quired to give up ali his wives, ex-
| cept one, which requires great
| sacrifice in more than one sense.
This they often refuse to do; woman is
| admitted to the church no matter if she is
| the twentieth or thirtieth wife of any man,
| as the fact is recognized that she is not re-
sponsible." Mrs. Hendricks, referring to
| the barbarious customs of the country,
touched upon the practice of burying peo-
pie alive over the coffin of any deceased
person Of prominence. In this co4nection
| she related all experience of her own. The
king of the Island where she was located
died some time after her arrival, and the
missionaries successfully used their in
fuence to prevent the carrying out Of the
unnatural custom, which, in view Of the
rank Of the deceased would have resulted
in the death of thirty or forty people. On
the day OF the funeral she attended, and
found the body in large coffin. The scene
was hnmorously described by Mrs. Hen
bricks: s. was sure that the body was in
the coffin, but the fact was could not see
it. First there were dozen hats purchas-
ed at the missionary station; it was said
the deceased might have need of so many
before he reached the end of the long jour-
ney. Then there were several pairs of
boots; the king never wore them when
alive, but his subjects said that they did
not know what kind Of road he might travel,
and that they might be necessary. A guam
tity of liquors and tobacco was also in the
coffin, in order that if the king should meet
any friends on the road he could treat
them. [Laughter.] There were number
of other delicacies with which the king was
expected to sustain his honor by contribut-
ing to any banquet that might be given up
on his arrival at his destination. The coffin
was buried under the floor of the front
apartment, the latter being occupied at the
time by twenty of his chief wives. Thirty
more wives were in the back room, and all
united in mourning for their deceased
husband, being literally supplied with to-
bacco and liquor for the purpose.