The sun., 1881-01-16
MISSION woRK AND IT'S pEarIs.
The Experiences aud Observptions .c6 Tive
Priests In UncivIiised Central Africa.


Catholic order called at the ofIice OF THE SUN.
They said that they had just arrived from
equatorial Africa. where for some years they
had been engaged in missionary work. Tho
object OF their visit to America was to collect
money to enable them to prosecute their labors.
One OF them is Frenchman the other an
Italian.
The Pore Describes. tho Frenchmnn. was born
In the Hautes Pyren6es about thir,y-three
years ngo but he looks fully ten yenrs older.
He Is strongly built with full foy ing board
like Cnpucin. Some silvery streaks can be
detected here and there In liz reddish mass.
His head is bald; the brow is broad and be-
speaks Will power and mental vigor. His eyes
are soft. and look with Gances OF benevolcnce
out from hie spectaces. He Is en-
dowed With the eloquenoe and enthusiasm
OF true apostle OF tho faith. Ho
studied at tho African Missions in the
city Of Lyons. and sfter being ordained was
despatched in 1871 on q mission to tho king
dom OF Dahomey Broken in health by three
years sojourn in that pestilential region. he
WAS recalled to France. and appointed to found
and direct another seminary like that in which
ho had himself been educated at Cermont-
Ferrnnd. In tho department OF Puy-de- Dome
After few years OF comparative repose he set
OF again for western Africa. where he has re-
manned till the close Of Inst year passing from
one mission to another in his aoal TO further
the spread OF civilization.
Father Fordinando Merlini Is n native OF Mi
Ian n is about twenty eight years o! age. hmt.
like his COMPANION. looks much older. His
frame is more delcately built than that OF his
brother missionary and shows deeper traces OF
the ssminnry of Milan and afterward in the
aforesaid African Missions ut LYONS, no was
ordqinod priest by particular dispensatIon from
the PoI when lie was scarcely twenty years OF
nae. Sent to the missions IN Upper Egypt and
Nubio, no has spent four or nv, wears chiefly
iVafg In. lGtt ~
Upper Nile. During his sojourn there it has
been his privilege to meet with ,rrent number
panions with whom he set out. only ono sur:
wives. Fever carried the others of after brief
aionaries rnroly have been able to endure the
climate for more than fonr years.
80. The French African missions we're - fret tr or
J, was IN 1856 that this praate ohtnined from
Pope Plus TX. authority, to. establish semi
pcrious tosk Of CARRYING the Gospel TO the ne.
gro.s Of Africa. In 1853; three missionaries
| Monsigncur dc Br6silac So. out in person TO
| join in the good work. At sight OF the African
coast his Joy was such ms can only be understood cd
| Of martyrs. At Freetown the intelligence met
| him that the country was rnvaged by n terrible
| to prevent his landing. but in vain. He lunded.
| but only to witness the death Of the fret three
| shore in the previous year. Within three weeks
| ne, e,Nenerable nrelate and the six new comers
| ma all PAM with thelr lvCS Tor the zeal thOy
| had displayed in bringing assistance to the nu-
| merous native sufferers from the plague. The
| pere Plandue continued tho work of orgnniz-
ing new expeditions and seeking for, new re-
cruts for the missionary army to Hll UP the
gaps which death was continuously Great
upward OF one hundred missionaries engaged
| IN the work. and ns many have persisted In the
| few years since the missions have been in ope-
| ration. Dahomey is naturally the country
| which demands and receives most victims. The
| population over which the mission OF Dahomey
ia 81 ntAIn nt hivih hnl
into several Kingdoms. and tho fathers can
boast of having made 5000 converts from bar
barism.
Tira people Of this vast region are models OF
| hoantv in ebony. They are well made. physi-
dsnc, races c y" be- clearly traced Named re
| spertively the Nngos and the Djcdii. Tho for
NOR ore more rohust; the latter are more intel
videi into tribes and ench tribe dweiis in its
| own villages, and IL under the rule OF its own
| king. Thoy are usually known by the names
Haoussa, Nnn, ornarG, Exc. Lagos, Egbqs;
OF tWtooing peculiar to itself by which its
momhers c9n ho at at once r"cognizsd. Tho
TsrS % 'h1 tribe head Of Rnqn'fS WS So are tat
| tion OF about three inches in tho centre OF the
| forehead, with series % perpendicular lines
| whil" on tho checks nrc six oblique lines three
on lhe outside Of tho prominent check bone,
| three on the inside. ending mt the nostril. The
Snns. tribe Of tho NgGos. have merely
iin''- on StUi Sitr OF tlr mouth ana
whil"lhn Hnousans have the hrnd clean -hsN-n.
the Nuis wenr round pntrh of hair on the top
ot IN" skull Inc pJ1djis have similar M or.
only ono perpendicular line at the angle Of the
eye. The negroes of Dahomey shave the entire
head, and have one vertical line on each check.
while the Eg5as nre unshaven and bear on each
cheek twolong lines curving from the eye to
Quite different from the above described
System OF tnttnoing in straight lines Is thAt of
the lahous. They adorn themselves with three
small circles on oNch eide OF the mouth, and
| circle on tho brow Just above the nose. The
Diedi chiefs ol Porto Novo have "A small circle
on each cheek. three short vertical lines be-
tween the ear and the eve, and n perpendicular
mark in the centre of the forehead, while the
| freemen OF Lagos have the same marks as tho
| Nufs, but the head unshayen. In spite of
oil this earbarous tattooing, the character Of the
| the absence OF most OF the traits which we asso-
| cate with the negro race. The reverend mis-
sionqries have IN their possession some photo;
some old Romans rather than Africans Of the
| coast. The men OF Dahomey are especially un-
| like negroes in the shape Of the head and the
features; the portrait of one exhibited to us, in
dsed. bears striking resemolance to ne bus. bust
that Of n Lngos freeman has any strikinglY
! negro feature
Tho missionaries have establishments n,
Ioprr Porto Novo. Whedah lin the intoriori
Tocpo. AbscvsN'a and other places. Lagos
contains the parens mouse OF the mission.
They have there two very nourshn ne schools
ono for male. the other 'or female children.
the latter beng kent by Sisters att."hed to- the
mission. They have also hospital in which
the patients nre Cratuitously cared for, as well
rs church.. Each Of the seven stations Of tho
Dahomey Mission is in charge OF nj least three
Fathers. On. attends to tho school, one to
the practice of medicine. and the third to the
business affairs OF the station. The school
teacner is aided by assistants selected
make very good teachers. The results attained
10y tho Fathers In the schools have been satisfac
tory beyond their expectation. A Great dis
tlnction must be made between the children
which attended school when the missions were
first established ana the pupils of to-day; that
IL. between the children OF pagan parents and
those Of parents who have been converted to
Christianity. The negroes Of the second gem
Grafton maybe called, the Fathers say. members
OF a civilized community II is not rare at
Porto Novo. at Lagos, and at AbheokutA to lind |
negro childrsn carrying of tho prizes from tho |
children OF Europeans domi"i, He'd in those local |
tiosi Mathematics and music are the chief
studies in which the native pupils distinguish |
themselves, The Fathers have great hopes |
from tho third generation which 1s Just rising: |
Athird generation may arise IN the space OF |
twenty-hye wears for marriage is entered upon |
hetweeh tho ages OF ten and fLurteen. Whom n |
boy has attained the nge Of thirteen, he is nd |
yised by the Fathers themselves 10 select wife |
from some Of the girls who ara in the convent |
school OF the mission. Tho children are OBJ |
tanned by the EAthaTH from their DRrpnta 9TH |