The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1892-12-08
Letters from the Congo.
THE HOME CORRESPONDENCE OF A MIS-
SIONARN IN AFRICA.


SIONARN IN Az RIGA.
NUNGU, CONGO RIVER, July rs, 1892.
This climate has the tendency to make
one feel weary-even if they were not born
that way. 1t lacks the life giving power
that we get from the hills of distant Maine.
However, | have gained considera bly, and
Most of our party of fourteen have been
sick-a few alarmingly so-but the Lord
in mercy carried them through | nursed
some of them. The fever makes a great
sweep in a few days and strong person
comes down as a child. The temperature
rises rapidly and unless it falls shortly
there is danger. Three days usually de-
eide ones ease for better or worse. can
only thank the Lord that have been say
ed
| am learning the language quite rapid
ly and lind that what little training had
III languages in America is of great value
to me here. One has to understand Ger
tain laws of construction before he can
intelligently acquire and use the language
properly and with freedom. We have
some books, but they are not in the dialect
of this district and every word has to be
tested before we can use it. | am inveS-
tigating daily and giving the results to the
brethren in a class every morning. just
imagine me teaching ''Fiota, and only a
few weeks here myself | had to do it,
The random way of picking up word at
time by hearing is very unsatisfactory
and takes long time. 1t is full of errors
even then. have to put it into form and
regularity 50 that the others who are not
SO disposed to study can get at it.
have native boy, or young man, whose
special duty it is to assist me in the Ian
guage His name is Malan(a de shows
great respect for me, is very patient, and
has great interest in helping me. Tedious
as it must be, he will keep at it willingly
for an hour. and it is gratifying to see the
shreWdness and ingenuity he displays in
illustrating what he means. He will re-
peat several times before he will drop it.
so he is sure | understand and will even
anticipate my wishes, stop me in a sen
tence, giving me the forms or parts of
some of the ladies of Belfast would take
an interest in my boy. For we want to
make preacher of him as he is very in
telligcnt. good llatured fellow and will be
heard from yet.
II any one would Ike to assist in this
work, Fpu can seild ont a box by the
party That goes To the Congo i'll the spring.
Nothing goes better among the natives
than old white vests. There are lots OF
them, discarded in Maine garret>. Old
coats OF amy kind, and understands. are
priced highly. l can trade with them.
buy native products or pay for work. also
elothe Il boy.
Y0u must not think have back sliddcn.
Ii went to a dance a few nights ago.
! did not participate, however, for they
we've all women, and danced alone simply
looked on. This was the witch doctor S
dance. When the medical doctor fails to
cure person. he pronounces them be
witched: then they are carried to the
witch doctor. On this occasion there was
a child sick. and this dance was to dive
away evil spirits, so that the child might
T1.a IL.
ground with the child in her lap. The
women IT the town We're dancing around
them in 4 ring. perhaps - at once max
ING the most peculiar c"ntoltions and
glimaces imaginable. Two drum, and
rlttles supplied the music The old won-
en-. men and children looked Oh. The
witch doctor an excellent specimen of
black humanity. superintendent the rum
pus. He was a Well-developed man. with
good features, a kindly face and quite pre-
possessing generally. But at certain in
telVals, he would bend over and look at
the ground. showing his teeth. projecting
his eyes, distortino his face beyond recog-
iii'i'lif H1tl' OliV HlioultttI QtlNtIllS as Il
horse flesh does when he shakes off the
1iieS. He let out some of the most I'M
earthly howls that | ever heard. He was a
good rival Of the (former) Bay View street
small boy. After some violent dancing.
accompanied at intervals by a general
howl from all the audience Except mis-
sionaries) the witch doctor put some leaves
in dish with water and passed it around.
All Of the women spit in it. The child
drank some of it. No wonder he was no
better. He came to us afterwards, but did
not invite us to contribute to the dish
Poor things. 1t seems amusing to write it
now, but | felt extremely sad and burden
ed during the whole proceedings.
Sept II o. am we'll, happy. con-
tented and vigorous. and progressing rap
idly in the language. | have been teach
ing my school from blackboard exercises
until recently. The other day introduce
ed some Fiota primers in the school, and
YOU should have seen how delighted -hey
were with laboriously spelling out the
simple words and finding that those words