The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1886-03-14

with capital for business if he would form such
partnership. What gave something of reason
abeness to the idea was the fact that the Bishop,
on setting out for what was regarded as fool
hardy journey, positively refused to take a cent
of Methodist Church money for expenses al
though he was an honored missionary bishop OF
that denomination, who had explored South
America and the more familiar parts of Africa
under the Methodist sanction and with funds
from the church This time he announced that
his Congo missions would be self-support-
ing, and there were discussions by the the board
Of bishops as to whether he ought to be officially
condemned for his strange course.
The upshot was that he went as a bishop, but
without a dollar from the missionary fund. The
eager Wall streeters have assiduously investi-
gatsd, and no high Methodist functionary in
town has escaped questioning, covertly or open
ly. as to Taylor's relationship to the church, his
individual character, and the chances of his en-
tering into commercial venture. The best
opinion seems to be that the Bishop knew the
value of the Congo region in reference to its ex-
portable productions: that his reason for declin-
ing church aid was that he expected to find
riches in plenty as soon as he got into the coun-
try; and that there is no use in trying to get
away from him any OF his gains. But
he is not suspected. Of avarice, and the
all the wealth that comes to him in christianiz-
ing the Africans. Nevertheless when two or
three are mysteriously gathered together in Wall
street to-day the probability is fair that they are
discussing the whispers of African enterprises,
and trying to find ont something tangible. Com
panies for African trading and exploration hon
est and fraudulent, may be looked for at once
There two good reasons why Americans
should be much interested in this almost un-
known part of Africa. In the first place, more
wonderful stories are told about tho fertility Of
this district, the density of its population, and
the industrial development Of its three tribes
than explorers have ever penned about any
other part of inner Africa In the second place,
L. cha IT, uk1
sixteen months ago, sailed from New York
with the largest missionary band that ever went
to the Dark Continent, is bound for this coveted
Tushilange region He has not quite got there
yet but, if he lives, he will reach the goal of his
ambition before great while This region.
which is about $50 miles long and 100 wide, is
some 700 miles east of the Atlantic ocean, and
$50 south of the equator. Four years ago two
noted German explorers, DR.. Pogge and Lieut.
Wissmann, visited this district. Dr. Pogge spent
nine months among the Tushilange, Basonge and
Bsneke tribes who inhabit it, He died on his
way back TO the coast but his journals and Lieut.
Wissyn an9's narrative tell story that would be
almost incredible were 1t not Tor ek = nigh CHARGE
tor of the two witnesses, who yet are the only
white men that have visited these tribes One
of the chief attractions to day OF the Ethnolog-
ical Museum, of Berlin, is the wonderful ccHec
ton of native weapons, carved ivory. baskets
inlaid wares, and copper and iron utensils that
Wissmann brought homo from the Tushilange
country. He describes the district as a fertile
well-watered and densely populated plain. He
says he and his companion were astonished by
the vast numbers of the Tushilange tribe, who
1ocked around them by thousands. The neigh
boring Basonges were even more numerous and
Wissmann has told many things to illustrate
their friendliness, their Industry and their high
degree of skill in many manufacturing arts No
one has ever seen in other parts Of Africa such
native towns.
''Their villages" says Wissmann, speaking of
the Basonges and the Benches. ARE models, well
built and clean. Their houses many Of them
stone are arranged in streets and surrounded by
neatly kept gardens and palm trees 1t took US
from four to five hours to march through some
OF these towns which had two or three rows of
houses or streets. The population must number
hundreds of thousands" In this favored region,
which, according to these scientific travellers
people of Africa, Bishop Taylor resolved to plant
his missions. 1--WE intend to strike for these
people, he said, land we hope to be self-support
ing after we get there" So, one clustering
morning a year ago last winter, band
of nearly fifty men, women and
children set sail for Africa, singing
eve will meet on that beautiful shore" as they
waved their last adieux to the weeping friends
who stood on the New York pier. Bishop Tay-
tors plan was to start inland from Loanda. the
large Portuguese town south of the Congo, and
plant series of stations, each in charge Of
missionary, from the sea to the Tushilange coun-
try. The stations were to be built within easy
reach OF each other, and as the Bishop pushed into
the unknown, he intended them to maintain his
communications with the civilized world, and in
sure line of retreat in case misfortune befell
him. This scheme he has been carrying out
with dauntless zeal. and with degree of success
that no one but his own enthusiastic self dreamed
he would attain. Several Of his party returned
home, having proved unequal to the work. One
lies buried at Loanda. The others are scattered
among six prosperous stations which they have
founded from the sea to Casange more than half
Al ~ farf hrv>oa 0f
full tribes.
Steps had been taken to send on reinforce
ments from this country, and Bishop Taylor
had gone back to Europe to attend to certain in
tsrssts of his great enterprise when the news
came of q great discovery just made in Africa.
This made an important change in the plans Of
Bishop Taylor. For years explorers, among
them Livingstone, Cameron, Pogge and Buch-
ner, had been telling about the upper waters of
the great Kassai river. It was unfordable land
of miles 1t flowed north, and, though nobody
knew anything about its lower course, it was be-
lieved to be the Congos greatest tributary.
Stanley thought it to be identical with the Ruki
river, which pours into the Congo near the
equator Great was the disappointment when
it was found, while ago. that cataracts inter-
rupted navigation the supposed Lower Kas-
sal Early last year Lieutenant Wissmann
launched his big canoes in the Upper Kassai,
never doubling that the paddles of his hundred
native boatmen would take his little feet to the
Congo at the mouth OF the Ruki He was a
greatly surprised explorer when, about two hun
dred and fifty miles from the Congo the river
made great sweep to the west and last july
his boats passed from the broad Kassai into the
mighty Congo 200 miles west of the mouth of
the Ruki.
Last week the Methodist press Of this country
published Bishop Taylor's call for twenty-five
mel to GO with him up the kassai river to the
three great tribes. He will still maintain his
line Of stations in Angola, but he wishes at once
to utilize Wissmann's discovery and to reach the
land of promise by the great route nature has
provided. Everyone who admires clear grit and
an enthusiasm that no ills can daynpen will say
godspeed to Bishop Taylor and his devoted fol-
lowers. If he would accept ungodIy volunteers,
intent on fetching away the treasures Of tho