The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1889-06-06
FROM AFRICA.

April 5, 1SS9.-Some friend has sent
me copy of the REPUBLICAN,, and 1
read it with much pleasure but could
hardly realize as l read the familiar
names that twelve Thousand miles sep
arated me from my friends at Emporia,
yet such is the case. This is a wide
world. Before left. home a friend
who lives near Emporia asked me to
write once in awhile and tell them how
my African brothers are getting along,
so have taken a little of my leisure
time, which is very scarce, to send a
few notes from here.
Iarrived at Inhambane, April 20,
1888, after a very pleasant voyage of
two months From America, we
sailed on the Cunard steamer "Um-
bria'' from New York, and from Lon
don to Capetown on the steamer
siGarth Castle" Both these are mag
nificent vessel. at Capetown we took
small coast steamer and sailed up the
coast about a thousand miles
to Inhambane. Inhambane, which
is pronounced In yum bOnnY,
is a town of about 1 900 civilized in
habitants mostly Portuguese and half
castles but with quite sprinkling of
lnOldIS. II Has IIlC uLcoG Hdl DOI OC-
tween CapetoWn and Mozambique.
There are Dutch and French trad
ing house and several Indian stores
where beads and cloth are sold to the
natives. The churches consist OF Cath
Ollie cathedral four hundred years old
and two Mohammedan mosques.
The province is under Portuguese
rule and a rather poor rule it Is. The
standing army is made up of natives
with few Portuguese and half-caste
officers. These soldiers" at sight of
an enemy think of nothing but how
they can best preserve "a whole hide"
for themselves. Two years ago the
MongouieS, powerful tribe from the
interior from the territory of the king
Gungunyam came down here to fight.
at the first sight of them all the
soldiers threw down their guns and
ran for their lives. The men plum
dered and killed as much as they liked
and then went back home.
The Portuguese have been here for
four hundred years, but they have not
made many improvements, and even
here on the coast where the people have
had a chance to learn if anywhere, the
densest heathenism prevails.
The natives who live around Imam
bane bay belong to the Patonea tribe.
It is a small tribe numbering perhaps
Batswa tribe which is a much larger
tribe than the Patonga. The BatOnea
speak the GitOnga language, and the
BatSWa7S speak the KeetSwa lSheetS-
wal language. These dialects are
similar in sound. and are probably de-
rived from the Zulu language which
is spoken farther north.
The native houses are built of reeds
and rooted with grass. They are built
IN oil
five hundred houses in kraal.
We are not in the tropics, though
the TIopic of Capricorn passes two or
three miles north of us. The climate
is the same as in the tropics.
The cool dry season has commenced.
TIE weather is delightful at this sea
son of the year. We have no rain only
an occasional shower once in three or
four weeks, but copious dews keep the
foliage green.
The fruits which grow here are Or
anges, figs. lemons, bananas, pineap-
pies, caShews, maDgOeS and other trOp-
ical fruits. There are many cocoanut
trees. The cocOanut forms stapl e
article of food for the natives.
The mission station where am now
is on hill about fifteen miles north Of
Inhambane. The house is two hum
dred feet above the sea level, and de-
will bring us to the bay. The Indian
ocean is in full view from the house
and we can see the ships passing and
repassing. This is our only glimpse of
civilization. AL around us is heather
darkness. We have delightful baths
in the salt water; they are beneficial to
QUE health. had some fever when 1
first came, but for the past eight
months have had none.
2UnnnQn INV fFi6n6G think that Il
must be very lonesome off here, but
such is not the case. The entire nov
city of life here makes it pleasant.
Then have too much to do, and too
many people around me all the time to
get lonesome. We have two schools
here at the station, primary school
and boys school. / teach in each.
There is large kraal across the bay of
about five hundred houses and sixteen
hundred people. 1 taught kraal
school there for two months, going
across and back each day IN small row
boat. 1 enjoyed it very much, but
when the rainy season came on 1 was
obliged to give it up on account of the
exposure. / hope to commence again
before long. The distance across the
bay is about two miles, and two natives
will row it in an hour.
should like to write Some more
about my work here, but don't want
to lengthen out this letter beyond all
proper proportion. Perhaps 1 may
write again some day.
should be glad to receive letters
from all of my friends at Emporia
This place is in the Postal Union and
the postage is five cents per half ounce
or fraction thereof. Ordinary letters
weigh less than half ounce. When
you write ask all the questions you can
think of. l shall be happy to answer
all that l can. f. GRACE ALLEN.
MoDgwe Mission Station, Inhambane.
s. e. Africa