St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1890-06-10
BLACK PRINCE AsTRAY.
New York Star.

New York Star.
met tall, 1.-the. fne-looking African
about week ago who has something of
a history. He was quite as black as the
typical ace of spades is supposed to be,
with high forehead. high cheek bones,
and clear, intelligent eye. He spoke
English with some difficulty, land French
rather fluently, but when he used his
native dialect the words rolled out with
a peculiar soft, musical sound that
caused the gentlemen grouped around
him to express their surprise that any,
thing so meiodious should exist among
the languages of Central Africa. He is
student in the grammar school at ST.
ezra Leone. In English his name is
Francis N. Smith, but his native or real
name is Apirapiti Akuundavo.
81 am a native of the Uryoruba coun-
try, district about 400 miles square,
situated north of the Congo, and about
a months journey inland from Lagos,
on the west coast of Africa" he told
me. sit is governed by king named
Ondesse, who is my uncle, and my
father, Akakie, holds rank there cor
responding to that of the Prince of
Wales in England. His title is Arga-
raogun. We have society there some
thing like the Free Masons, and they
have temple called Egbale M Baba-
lawo. do not belong to the society,
though my father is at the head of it,
because am only twenty-five years of
age, and they allow no person under
thirty years of age to enter the temple.
Whenever any stranger comes to our
country in distress, whoever he may be,
whether trader or missionary. this
society helps to feed him till he can get
a chance to go to his friends. No,
never saw Stanley, but heard great
deal about him at Sierra Leone. We
have great many white visitors, mis-
sionaries and traders principally. They
buy ivory and other things from our
people, in exchange for ornaments and
cotton cloth. Since I have been in
America have seen some ornaments
in the store windows like those the
traders bring out to Africa. | saw a
funny little negro boy, made Of paste
board and hung on wire so that he
danced in box, in store the other
day, and l shall take it home with me
when go. That will make everybody
laugh there. You must not think that
my people are all savageS because they
live in Central Africa. The mission
aries have been among US for good
many years, and many of our boys have
been sent to school at Sierra Leone.
Of course, some of them are in the
same state that they used to be, but
there are great many who have be-
come Christians, and the missionaries,
with the traders, have taught the people
a great many things. They have always
been we'll treated when they came, and
there has never been any trouble with
any of them. Yes, [ know what you
mean by the word 'cannibals.' Our
people never have been cannibals.
Some of the tribes fight among them
selves, but never heard of cannibals
in Uryoruba. don't think there are SO
many cannibalS in Africa as some peO-
pie have talked with seem to think,
"Why did / come to America? Be
cause L couldn't help it. / have been to
the school at Sierra Leone several
times, and the last time l started fro m
my country, about year ago, and trav-
eled by caravan to Lagos; then / we mt
on board steamer, the st. Anne, for
| the trip to Sierra Leone, which takes
| two or three weeks. Well, the steamer
sunk, and several of US were drifting
! about in a boat when we were picked
up by ship sailing to America. Then
we were landed in Boston. l nearly
starved, because / thought white people
here would help me just as in my cOun-
try they help the white people who are
strangers, but they didn't help me, and
finally l met man l had seen in Sierra
Leone. and he helped me. tried to
lecture, but couldn't speak English
well enough, and now am going back
to Sierra Leone. Yes, suffered from
the cold. My country is healthy, but
very hot, and the first time 1 ever saw
| snow was IN Boston. didn't know any
better. so went out in it to see what II
was, and l was sick for several weeks
| afterward."
Mr.. Apirapiti left for home last Wed
| nesday. He was sent back by mis-
slonary whom he knew in Sierra Leone