San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1894-11-16
TWO TITLED AFRICANS.
Christianized and Come to Amer
lea to Be Educated.
Summoned Home from Their Studies They
Return to Their Native Land and
Engage In Battle with the Enc
mics of Their People.

| Two African rulers sailed on the
| Cunarder Lucania recently for their
native land. One went to recover a
province wrongly taken from him; the
other to strengthen his province, now
weakened by a long and bitter war.
The two are cousins, says the New York
| Sun.
| Precedence in rank is taken by the
| younger of the two, Prince Momolu
| Massaquoi, who has already ruled for
nearly two years, whereas his cousin,
| Prince Besolow, has never mounted the
throne that is rightfully his. Prince
| Momolu has had AN adventurous his
tory. First trained in the mysteries of
| the Grigribush, a sort of black-art
school of the Vel people, in proof OF
| which he can show hundred sears of
the torture knives, he afterward be-
came Christianized and came to this
country. His mother was then queen
| regent of the province of Jabasca, in
| the Vel territory, northeast of Liberia.
While the young prince was pursuing
college course in an institution in
Tennessee he received word of his
mothers death.
The Panas, a warlike neighboring
tribe, had attacked the queens village
| and she had been forced to flee to the
woods. The Jabascans, who are ordi-
| narily peaceful people, are very brave
when aroused, and when they found
| their queen missing they beat back the
invaders. For ten days they searched
| the woods for her. and on the eleventh
she was found, speechless from hunger
and privation. Two days later she
died. Prince Momolu's eighteen-year-
old nephew, who assumed the throne
| in his absence, sent word to him to
come back at once.
The Panas are threatening our up
per border" he wrote. "A famine is
in the land The people are crying out
for the king to return. Come back and
avenge the death of your mother, the
queen"
The prince returned, collected his
fighting forces and in a fierce battle
signally defeated the Panas. That was
eighteen months ago, but still wander
ing detachments of the Panas kept up
guerrilla warfare. Meanwhile the
new ruler instructed his people in agri-
culture and succeeded in relieving the
famine. He returned to this country
last year, and is now going back to en-
deavor to conclude definitely the Pana
war. His first business on reaching
his native land will be to meet in con-
vention the other native kings, princes
and chiefs, the representatives of
Great Britain and the Liberian govern
ment and the Pana leaders to effect a
treaty of peace. Prince Momolu be-
lieves there is great future before his
country. Not only is the soil fitted for
cultivation, but it is said that rich gold
deposits lie there. Some day the prince
hopes to establish government gold
mines. The great curse of the country,
he says, is the liquor trade, most of the
wars arising from drunken quarrels
between chiefs. The prince is about
twenty-eight years old. He is a dark
negro, with high forehead and an in
| telligent face. In speech and manner
he is like any well-bred young Amer
lean.
His cousin, Prince Besolow, is thirty
five years old. He has been a student
in Williams college, and was sum-
| moned a short time ago to assume the
throne, which should have been his if
| teen years ago. His father was king
over a tribe of one hundred and fifty
| thousand Veis, and his mother was the
| favorite among two hundred and fifty
! wives. Like his cousin, Prince Besolow
| Is a graduate of the Grigribush, or
Lowsemby, as his tribe calls it. In
1879 his father died and his uncle,
Danlu Saw, became his guardian.
| Danlu usurped the throne, and after
| fifteen years of rulership has become
| tired of it. The Panas have been very
| bothersOme and have carried away in
! raids not only his wives, but even his
cattle. He wants peace and quiet now,
and some time ago he wrote to his
| nephew to return and assume throne
somewhat out of repair. So the prince
is on his way 10 his principal village OF
| Bendoo. His first efforts will be to
foster agricultural pursuits and simple
manufactures. Then he will endeavor
to educate his people.
Both the princes have ambitions to
Christianize the Veis. They realize,
however, that it cannot be done al
once. The doctrines of the Grigribush
have taken too deep root. The rulers
hope to accomplish their end by Chris
tianizing and educating the children