Wichita eagle., 1888-05-20


It is necessary in prosecuting mission
airy work in the interior of Africa to use
the waterways Of the continent. Bishop
Taylor has a small steamer on the Congo
river, in which he makes periodical jour
neys into the country. It Is. built in Sec
tons, and can be taken apart and trans
ported from one stream to another to suit
his convenience. His work is confined
mostly to that part of Africa known as
Congo Free State. According to Stanley's
estimate, It embraces over 1,000,0 coo
square miles, and has a population of a.
coo ,0C0. The natives are barbarians, and
it is said that some of them have been
guilty of cannibalism. When king or
chief dies they kill ten or twelve persons
in most savage manner, and adorn their
houses with the skulls. They believe in
fetiches and witchcraft-
When O man dies they believe that
some one has bewitehed him, and they
try to find out who it was, that they may
put him to death
The country along the upper Congo is
ravaged by Arabs in pursuit of slaves. In
travelling along the upper Congo one may
see villages that once contained 200 and
5000 inhabitants desolate and in ruins.
The Arabs surrounded the villages and
burned them. having either killed the
people or carried them INTO slavery. From
the mouth of the Congo for nearly 100
miles the river Is navigable by the largest
vessels. Then come the falls, or rapids,
which extend about $50 miles The de-
scent is 500 feet. When Bishop Taylor's
steamer, the Henry Reed, assembled the
river it was taken to pieces at the foot Of
the falls, and one piece was given to each
native to carry. With it was also given
scrap of paper describing his load At the
end Of their journey they came TO the
bishop. saying:
Master, here is my load; look a. the
paper; see it is all right Now give me
my pay and will 60 home"
To do justice to their honesty it may be
stated that not rivet was lacking. Above
the falls a steamer can go 1900 miles on
the main stream. or 5000 miles on the
stream and its branches
"A man who goes out to the Congo as
-A-ASeitAs1s 10 AASs AtSo I4-a-AA 80
years old, Of sound health. and careful
about adapting himself to the eNgencies
of the weather." said Bishop Taylar /
to your, correspondent. Total ahzti- 4
hence IS an absolute condition Of .
health. s man must learn what not I
20 do, A young man came there and In
sisted upon walking eighteen miles day.
In short time he was dead Above all
q man must not become frightened There
were three men who came ont from Eng
land, and on the voyage the people on
board the vessel frightened them. telling
them that they would surely die. The men
made their last wills and testanents
and expected to die. Shortly after land
ing they were taken With fever. They
gave up al hope. The missionaries tr.ei
to arouse them, but it proved useless.
They sank down into a mood Of despair
Ard died"
The future of the Coago Free State il
very promising. StanleT. the explorer,
estimates the livery production alone 10
amount 20 $4,000 annually. but Of
course ivory Cannot be ciassei &. a staple
production The vegetation is luxurious,
sI,d IS soon .. experienced botauisrs in
The eo1ct-y MANY valuable herbs
gill undoahtaiiv De discovered II