The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1883-12-28
PRESBYTERIAN MISSIONS IN AFRICA.
French StumbliDg-B Blocks in the Gaboon
Country-An Appeal to the Home Govern


Country-An Appeal to the Home Govern
ment.
New York Tribune
Reports received recently from mission
aries in Gaboon, on the west coast of Africa,
are burdened with statements of the diff
culties which are being met in carrying on
missionary labors in those sections of the
country which have come under the control
of France. No schools are allowed without
the sanction of the French authorities, and
an order has been issued that only the
French language shall be taught in the
schools, and that half the time of the negro
pupils shall be occupied in this study. The
missionaries are Americans, of the Pres
byterian Church; few of them speak
will not receive communications unless
they are written in that language, they are
practically debarred from making their
grievances known. 1t is believed that the
placing of these difficulties has been encour-
aged by the French missionaries out of nos
tility to the Protestant work. If the opposi-
ton be continued the result it is said will
be to break up the work that has been devel-
oping there during the past twenty-five years.
AT the Presbyterian Board of Foreign Mis-
sions, No. % Center street, inquiry was made
by Tribune reporter az to what action was
contemplated by the board in the matter. 1t
was admitted that the reports touching the
stated. In the present state of affairs how
ever, there is no desire on the part of the
officers to say much on the subject On
receiving word last June of the condition of
affairs, the subject was presented by the
board to the government with a request that
the missionaries be protected as American
citizens The Secretary of State has submit
ted the matter to the French government
which now has it under advisement. For
this reason" said one. of the secretaries, I'VE
feel delicacy about making anything pub
tic, and have refrained from printing any
thing about it in our own journals
what is the present condition of your
work in Gaboon?" asked the reporter
''The work is suspended, except that which
is being done in the homes of the mission
aries, to which the pupils of the schools
which have been closed have been TAKEN We
understand that the regulations enforced by
the authorities do no more than carry out
the laws of France. We do not think that
the injustice to which they subjected US is
realized; when 1t is, we think the French.au-
thorities will remedy it. We do not work
with a view to any national interest; but
being Americans, our work is conducted on
an '9 4let se ~ basis Gd600n conpffses
large stretch of territory near the equator
and $50 miles along the coast, with popula-
ton estimated at 100000 natives and not
more than 200 Europeans, including about
thirty missionaries traders, French sailors
and soldiers. We have been spending about
1000 year in this district, on the instruc-
ton of the natives. There are several tribes
some of them cannibas, and none of them
with written language. We have reduced
the languages of two of the principal
tribes to writing, and are translatng the
Bible into their tongue, having also pre-
pared reading and spelling-books. The re-
suit is that these, languages are gradually alb
sorbing those of the smaller tribes, and will
eventually prove a great help in the prose
scution of the work liberalization. We have
nearly 200 scholars in the schools, and over
400 persons visit regularly the churches in
the four stations" rs .--.. $50. ~
5&.When was the work begun in the Gaboon
country%' .-.., ~. .,g,.. ,,l 5aa
"Gaboon was first occupied as a mission
station in 1S42. but was not transferred to
the board until 1870. 1t was the mission
aries who discovered the Ogove river, which is
Manageable 200 miles from the sea, but had
previously been supposed to be only a small
stream. The French who hold possession OF
the country to the south, did not lay claim
to this section until twenty years ago.
North of the Gaboon the country is held by
the English and Germans"