Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-05-15
The CONGO COUNTRY.
Many Interesting Facts about the People
of the Dark Continent.

OF the DARK Comment.
DR.. Sims, the lecturer, spoke rapidly and
with a decidedly English accent. lie had
been all over the Congo country, he said,
and could say that it was sorely i'll need of
missionary work. Every kind of misery
imaginable was found there. Drunkenness
was the most serious evil. In some por-
tons of the interior the people were perfect
sayages. TIL y were intensely supersu-
tioIs and given to every kind of sin. Many
ofthem lived in houses the size ola pig-sty.
Leprosy prevailed to an alarming extent.
They were very suspicious of strangers and
continually warred among themselves. The
very worst of the African heather were
found in the heart of the Congo valley.
They knew nothing of God, and II any
people needed the preaching OF the Gospel
they did.
The c, ngo country comprised million
square miles, and under the Congo Free
State was at present all subdued. The
| completion of the railway would be one OF
| the greatest blessings on earth.
| The natives near tie sea coast readily
! yielded to civilization. but those in the in
. terror were still savage. 1t was estimated
| that the commerce OF the natives amounted
to 100000 year, and half of this was
wasted for rum. Drink was the chief evil.
| If he wished to call on king he did so in
| the morning, as his Majesty was very apt
| to be drunk in the afternoon. The popula-
| ton of the country he believed to be TO-
100000. The villages swarmed with peo-
pie. There were only 800 to 500 white peo-
! pie living there, mostly officials and mis-
sionaries. The native men acted as beasts
! of burden, and the regular rate was 81 for
carrying burden 200 miles.
There was only one language. containing
1000 words, but many dialects. On the
seaside the people were very provident and
| capable. De BraZza, the French traveller,
had called them the English people of
Africa, because of their trading propensi-
ties. They were an industrious people. So
long as the sun was not too strong they
worked, and it was not uncommon to see
800 or 400 men on the roads carrying bur-
dens on their heads. They were fond Of
their wives and usually had but one, al
| though rich men sometimes had several.
He had never seen a Congoman beat his
wife. They were also fond of children and
were sparing in punishment. A deplora-
BILE fact was that one-half the people were
slaves Their religion was of a negative sort
On the lower Congo the people were very
ignorant and exceedingly wicked. Their
religion was system OF withcratt, Every
body wore charms to protect them from all
the ills of life Burning for witchcraft was
also il vogue. Another horrible practice
was the killing of people to bury with one
who had died. He knew of a case where
the pathway to Kings house was com.
posed of human skulls laid three deep
Cannibalism was also practiced. He had
known of only few cases of suicide, and
they were the result of drink.
The missionaries had been very success
full in their efforts, and it was only ques
ton of time when the influence of the Cos
pei would be felt all through that land.
The speaker was medical missionary
and he found great difficulty in inducing
sick people to take medicine, they believ
ing it was bewitehed. But continued effor
usually resulted in success.
One thing the women didn't know wa.
how to take care of their babies They
strapped them on their backs and went on
in the broiling SUM- Another thing wa:
that not woman on the Lower Congo
knew how to sew, and the men were
obliged to do their own sewing.
There were thirty-two missions in the
Congo country. 4 good many evangelist:
had been secured among the natives, who
were doing effective work AT first the
natives got the impression that religion
was only for men. but good many women
had been won over.
AT the close of the address Dr. Sims re.
ceived the congratulations of the congrega.
ton.
DR.. A. Sims is a native of Birming.
ham, England. He has been engaged in
missionary work in Congo three years
and a halt. He arrived in the United
States about two weeks ago. From here
he goes to Chicago, and thence through the
South, returning to his labors in Africa in
November.-[ Detroit Free Press.