Morning journal and courier., 1881-03-29
Tuesday Morning, March go, 1881.
MISSIONARY WORK

MELANCHOLY MISSIONARY WORK. It has been decided torecaH several Scotch missionaries who have been sIaboring'' among the heathen at and around station 1 called Blantyre, situated near the southern end of Lake Nyassa, in Central Africa, and
 it is evidentlya good thing for these heathsn that this decision has been reached. During Che time the missionaries have been at Blan- tyre they scent to have worked in very diff ferent spirit from that of the Master whom they professed to serve. Early last year charges of atrocious cruelty were made against them. These charges were carefully investigated by Dr. Rankin and Mir. Pringle, an elder, and their report has been made public. s -s7...
 This report speaks of nine cases in which the missionaries were guilty of great wrong One case was that of man named Gonsan-
 buio, described as Ia habituai thief, robber
 and housebreaker" He was sentenced to 96
 lashes, 60 to be given at once and 36 after an
 interval of ten days, during which he was to
 be kept in the stocks. From sworn testimo-
 ny of members of the mission it appears that
 after the 60 lashes were inflicted the mans
 lacerated back was rubbed with salt and
 water, and he was tied hand and foot and
 thrust Into 8 hut infested with formidable
 species of ants. At first he was beaten with
 hammock claw, but that not being consid-
 cred effective enough some ropes, mounted
 on stick and knotted at the ends, were
 used. After the missionaries had got through
 with the man he was banished under penalty
 of being thrust through with an assegai if
 he should return. Another case was the fog
 ging of an innocent man. who was suspected
 of stealing box of beads. In less than half an hour after suspicion was fastened on him,
 without trial he was tied to a tree and
 stripped and logged, under the superintend-
 ence of Rev. Duff Mcdonald New whips of hippopotamus hide were used, and the mans
 back, legs, neck and face were frightfully cut.
 He was then removed a short distance and
 fogged again to make him show where the
 beads were. After being kept some time in
 the stocks, he was brought out to see the
 execution of murderer. or at least one
 whom the missionaries called a murderer. It
 was afterwards discovered that a member of trading company had removed the beads and neglected to make record of it. The next case is the execution of a murderer named Manga. MT. Mcdonald presi- ded at the trial, and the natives shot him. The evidence, says Dr. Rankin, was
 extremely slender, according to a European standard :; hut it would.' he supposed, ''be fairly satisfactory before a native chief, di
 rect evidence in Africa being liable to sys- tenn of Irish revenge" The worst case of hogging was that of Q carrier accused of stealing a box of tea. A Mir. Walker went to the head of the mission and told him he wanted to give the man 8 ''touch." Mir. Macdonald carelessly replied: DO so the man is in your charge" ''The unfortunate thief was sstouched" to the extent of 275 lashes, and was then fastened by iron rings to the floor. The next morning found him 8 dead man, and an attempt was made to cover up the crime by saying that he died of heart disease. Other cases are given in which the missionaries led armed bands of men against neighboring chiefs three times in search of stolen calico and once of a mur- derer. In these raids several natives were killed and village was burned.
 Fortunately for the he athen and the good name of Christianity, such missionaries are extremely rare, but it is deplorable that any have so abused their power. It is gratifying sideration of the British government, and that they may yet be punished for violating British laws.