The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-11-13
THE HEATHER.
THE EXPERIENCES OF A MISSION
AIRY IN LIBERIA.

Christianizing the Heather of That
Countrywide Customs of the Tribes
The Habits of the People and Their
Ways of Living-A Colored BAPTIST
Missionary Who Has Done Success
full Work on the Dark Continent.
The history of the missionary service in
Africa is always full of interest, and few
are better qualified to speak intelligently
and entertainingly of their experiences with
the heather than Rev. J. J. Coles, who has
spent six years there as missionary Of the
African Baptist Mission Society of the
United States.
In an interview with a MORNING NEWS
reporter yesterday, Rev. Coles said that
prior to 1880 the colored Baptist churches
paid their mission money either to the
northern wing of white Baptists at the Bos-
ton office, or to the southern wing at Rich
mond. Afterward, in 1888, the organiza-
ton of the African Baptist Mission Society
was effected, and in 1888 they sent six mis-
slonaries to Africa, on their own account.
and of their own color, but to judge from
Rev. Coles return to this country, the mis-
sion has practically suspended for lack of
funds. He and his wife are now in this
country trying to awaken new interest in
the mission service. His wife is now lectur-
ing in the churches of Texas.
THE LAST TO LEAVE AFRICA.
Rev. Coles says that of 1.-The original six
missionaries he was the last to leave Africa.
Rev. w. Colley and wife, of Virginia. were
there but two and half years, when Col
ley's health gave way, and they vera COM
PEELED to return. Rev E. b. Topp and wife,
of Mississi ppi, were the next to return, on
account of the failing health of Mrs. Topp.
Rev. y. II. Presley of Virginia b oke down
In six months, and it was twelve mo this
later before he could be brought home He
is not yet in his. right mind. His wife died
there. Rev. II. Mckinley of Mississippi
died in Africa in 1887. In 1886 Rev. Coles
returned to Virginia and married Lucy
Henry, who was connected with the Home
Mission Society, and she went with him to
Africa.
BEYOND THE PALE OF CIVILIZATION
Rev. Coles and his wife were located on
Lake Pesue, beyond the pale of civilization.
thirty-five miles from Cape Mount, on the
Liberian coast. There they have labored
assiduously, educating and christianizing
the youth, and in the past year baptized
some twenty-seven or twenty eight con-
verts, and their school numbered about as
guage Rev. Coles has learned. He SAYS that
he had about twenty children that he could
have kept for five years had not the Home
Mission Society failed in its remittances,
The territory where Rev. Cole and his wife
were located was on the northwestern
boundary of Liberia, where two-thirds of
the inhabitants are heather. and the civil
lied town of Cape Mount has but $50 in
habitants, which point they communicated
with hu hoIlpvuaA l.
the natives. The nearest doctor was at
Cape Mount.
CUSTOMS OF THE TRIBES.
The Vey tribe, Rev. Coles says, numbers
some 10000 or 1000, and while about 100
600 natives Of that outlying territory can
speak the Vey language, yet every tribe has
a language of its own. The natives live in
mud huts. The men help clear the rice
fields, after which their wives, of which
they may have as many as they can buy,
and their slaves tend the crop, the men
trading ivory, palm oil, etc. A male slave
brings SIS, female slave $50. These slaves
are captured from other tribes, A wife
comes higher, and will command all the
way frnm $50 to $500, according to the
grade and rank of her fathers family Rev.
Coles says that these things combine to make
mission work difficult in Africa When a
boy begins to speak English pretty well, the
AoSAOi WahOo w DdhD AlIil away from the
mission as his interpreter to prevent the
English traders from cheating him That
is one difficulty. The second is with the
girls for when they reach a manageable
age the parents want to withdraw them
from school to sell them. The third diff
Guilty is that the natives are great beggars,
and are more easily reached by gifts.
BUYING THE CATIvEs.
He says that the Episcopal mission has
less difficulty. 1t selects intelligent slaves,
buys them and educates and christianiZes
them and sets them Free and their freedom
is thereafter recognized by the natives
The natives wear no garments until 10
years of age, when the girls grid heavy
roll of beads about their waist, and wear an
apron OF their own manufacture, which
comes down about half way to their knees
1t is woven from cotton or palm fiber. The
males wear a breech clout. The food is rice
and palm oil. Cloth and tobacco are ex-
changed by the mission for these articles
of food. Bread is unknown to them and
was very rarely INDUCED in by the mis-
sionary and his wife. Meat is scarce and
seldom had, except that of deer or mon
keys, but fish are plentiful. There are few
cows there, and these and the sheep, which
have no wool on them, are carefully treas
ured by the natives for wedding and funeral
festivals.
A BAD COUNTRY TO LIVE IN.
The country is malarial. The vegetation
is tropical, and from May to October is a
season of rains, with the thermometer at So
and from October to May is the dry season
with the thermometer at 90 and upward
1t is remarkable fact, said Rev. Coles,
that all children shortly after birth have
the malarial fever, and many of them die,
| but those who survive are never troubled
with fevers.
Rev. Coles is fascinated with his mission
work and is anxious to return. He says
that he has learned how to approach and
labor with the heather, and he thinks that
since he has become acclimated, and has
made friends with the tribe, which has a
treaty of peace with the Liberian Republic,
he can accomplish great good there.
WANTS TO GO BACK.
1t is his intention, if the African Baptist
Mission Society is unwilling to continue it's
mission work in Africa, to tender his serv-
ices to some other mission society, which,
he says, will be glad to send one who under
stands the language of the Veys and can
stand the enervating climate, but he prefers
that his own church and people should be
the instrument in outstanding the
heather. The mission society paid him and
his wife 500 per annum, but he says if
they will guarantee him and his wife but
$500 and allow $500 per year for mission
work, he will go back again under the old
auspices. He will doubtless lecture in the
churches of this city before he goes abroad.
Rev. Coles is in his SD year, full of on
aroy and ecucatad for the mission aarvica