Freeland tribune. (Freeland, Pa.) 1888-1921, 1890-07-10
A BLACK PRINCE ASTRAY.
He Tells of His Country and His Unwil
ling Voyage to America.

He Tells of His Country and His UnwiII-
ling Voyage to America.
met tall, 1.-THE, fine-looking Afri-
can about week ago who has some
thing of history. He was quite as
black as the typical ace ofspades is sup
posed to be, with high forehead, high
cheek-bones, and clear, intelligent
eye. He spoke English with some diff
ficulty, and French rather fuently, but
when he used his native dialect the
words rolled out with peculiarly soft,
musical sound that caused the gentle
men grouped around him to express
their surprise that anything so melodi-
GUS should exist among the languages
of Central Africa. He is a student in
the grammar school at Sierra Leone
In English his name is Francis N.
Smith, but his native or real name is
Apirapiti Akuuneayo.
Il am native of the Uryoruba coun-
try, district about four hundred miles
square, situated north of the Congo,
and about months journey inland
from Lagos, on the west coast OF
Africa" he told me. "It is governed
by King named Ondesse, who is my
uncle, and my father, Akakia, holds a
rank there corresponding to that of the
Prince of Wales in England. His title
is Argaraogun. We have a society
there something like the Free Masons,
and they have temple called Eghala
M Babalawo. do not belong to the
society, though my father is at the head
of it, because l 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 mission
ary, this society helps to feed him till
he can get chance to go to his friends.
No, l never saw Stanley, but heard
great deal about him at Sierra Leone.
We have good many white visitors,
missionaries aud traders principally.
They buy ivory and other things from
our people, in exchange for ornaments
and cotton cloth. Since have been in
America have seen some ornaments in
the store windows like those the traders
bring out to Africa. 1 saw funny
little negro boy, made of pasteboard
and hung on a wire so that he danced
in box, in store the other day, and
shall take it home with me when l go.
That will make everybody laugh there.
You must not think that my people
are all savages because they live in
Central Africa. The missionaries 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
| 10 1Nn Int
many who have become Christians, and
the missionaries, with the traders, have
taught the people great many things.
They have always been well treated
when they came, and there has never
been any trouble with any of them.
Yes, L know what you mean by the
word 'cannibals.' Our people have
never been cannibals. Some of the
tribes fight among themselves, but
never heard of cannibals in. Uryoruba,
don't think there are so many canni-
balls in Africa as some people have
talked with seem to think.
"Why did come to America? Be-
cause couldn't help it. / have been
to the school at Sierra Leone several
times, and the last time / started from
my country, hDout u year ago, anu UraV-
eled by caravan for month to Lagos
then went on board a steamer, the
St Anne, for trip to Sierra Leone,
which takes two or three weeks. Well,
the steamer sunk, and several of us
were drifting about in boat when we
were picked up by a ship sailing to
America, They were landed in
Boston. nearly starved,
because I 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 met man whom had seen in
Sierra Leone, and he helped me. /
tried to lecture, but couldn't speak
English we'll enough, and now l am
going back to Sierra Leone. Yes, i
suffered from the cold. My country is
healthy, but very hot, and the first time
ever saw snow was in Boston. / did
not know any better so went out to
zee what it was, and was sick for sew.
eral weeks afterward."
Mr.. Apirapiti has left for home. He
was sent back by missionary whom he
knew in Sierra Leone York
Star.