The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1890-12-06
RESCUED FROM SLAVERY.
Congo and Angola blacks Who 1.-Two Eay
From Thcir Old Home.

via Home.
Scattered along tho coast of West
Africa in Sierra Leone and Liberia are
q number of settlements known as
Angola town and Congo town. Tho an
costors OF tho people who live in these
little hamlcts, wero born hundreds OF
miles south of tho places where their
children arc found to-day. They wero
natives of Angola and tho Congo re-
gion. Many of them belong to tho
great Bantcc family, and they know
very different languages from those OF
the negro tribes among W HON they now
live.
These hundfuls of Southern African
people scattered among the inhabitants
OF Liberia and Sierra Leone are moro
fortunate than many thousands OF thoir
friends who toiled away their lives as
slaves on tho plantations OF the West
Indies and Brazil. For these set
Elements wcro made by rescued slaves,
who wcrc taken by the cruisers Of the
civilized nations from tho holds of slave
vessels. They were bound for the West
Indies or Brazil, for worry few OF tho
Congo or Angola blacks were brought to
THIS country Probably ninety mine in
Il hundred OF the black residents of this
country came originally from tho west
coast, between Scncgambia and Came
rooms, while Brazil received most of her
hundreds of thousands. Of slaves from
Congoland and Angola
So these more fortunate captivcs. who
wcrc rescued before they had been
taken far from their native land were
settled far north of the Congo at points
where they could be protected against
slaYcrs. There they have lived ever
since, and not . few Of the children born
in their new homes still talk tho Ian
guages OF the southern Tribes. Many Of
thcm have boon Christiani2cd arc toll
crably Industrious, and their lot has
been quito fortunate. considering the
tcrrihle Tate they 50 narrowly cScaped.
Awhile AFRO Mr. H. Chatclain visited
the Angola settlement at Sierra l.conu.
He says in the African News that tho
style OF tho houses, the methods Of tho
Held cultivation. and the features Of the
people carried him ut once back 10 An
COLA whore he had long resided In
one house he found an old man. to whom
he spoke in kimbundcr, ono oc the Lam
guagcs OF angola Tho old man wa,
surprised aud ovcrjoyod. and. Opening
his shutters, called out to his ncirhbor
10 como and see the man who had been
in Angola and spoke kimbundov. They
crowded around, and were greatly sur
prised TO sec Il white man who could talk
with them i'll a language they had not
heard from others since they were shin
ped from Loanda rs slaves.
Chatciain found that they had en-
trcly discarded their old belief in
;h2r,nS and lctichcs, and havc cspouscd
tho faith the missionaries taught them.
Some of these people wished to return
with thoir white friend to the old home
Of their fathers, but no could not takc
them. There arc thousands of these
people i'll tho West Indies and Brazil
who have vivid rccollcctions of Angola
and Con goland. but never expect to sec
their native shores again
The people Of Payncsvillc, Liberia,
arc nearly all released slaves of Congo
origin. About two years ago many of
them were seized with n craze to return
to the Congo. Tho Congo State was rlad
to encourage this immigration, for the
Liberian Congocse arc industrious. and
nave made considerable progress.
About fifty of them went back and sci
lied near the mouth Of the river. Tho
Congo Government gavo them ten acres
Of land each and rations for Il wear.
They arc not pleased, however, with
tao Change they have made. and havo
written discouraging letters to Liberia
that have stopped further inmigra ton.
Bishop Taylor reports the Payncsvilla
tongocsc as saying. after they had
heard from their friends: 1--WE no go to
Congo no more. Liberia is the homo
lat God give MS, and we stop hero Til
lie CnIl.. ~ " !. KIM