National Baptist world., 1894-11-02
FIFTY DAYS I'm AFRICA
Africa As Seen By Rev. W E. GLADDEN.
Of Great Bend In 1889.
Continued from last week.
A TRIP UP ST. PAUL RIVER.

NCoHblHutu from last week.
TRIP UP ST. PAUL RIVER.
After looking over the country a
round Monrovia, thought I woult
ike to see some Of the coffee plantations
consequently took passage on a small
steamboat, (the only one there at tha,
tlme) its capacity being only two tons
OF freight and twelve passengers. AT
ter getting supply Of food for the
trip, we left Monrovia at a. M, and
after ten hours ride we landed near
what is known as Days Mission, some
thirty miles up St. Paul river, and i'm
mediateiy started with a guide for a
ten mile walk over the country to the
house of Mr.. Saul Hill, man whom I
knew in Che South prior to his comm 9
to Africa. We reached his place about
IL O'Clock that night thoroughly drench
ed owing to the heavy dews which fall
III that country which wet the foliage
OF the trees and causes one traversin Q
the paths through the forests at night.
TO become as wet as if they had been
I'D small American rain. After Civ
ing an alarm, we proceeded to astonish
Mr., Hill, who received us in his Sleep
ing apparel. Mr.. Hill has coffee farm
OF about one hundred acres, and about
thirty slaves. | call them,-they call
them boys-to work it for him. They
were all heathens and clad in no other
clothing than the "breechclout;" none
of them knew anything about Jesus or
saving religion; their wages was pint
OF rice day. [ found that Mr.. Hill
had lost his wife and all his children
but one, who was then grown to man.
hood, had married again and the child
ien of this marriage were running a.
bout, clad like the natives and could
not speak good English; it seemed to
me tbas they were going backward in
Tof forward. After visiting the
-x2&y around Mr.. Hill's place,
~dfned to Monrovia, arriving there
completely exhausted and very glad to
get square meal. On this trip I saw
natives worked like horses; their shoul-
ders raw and sore from carrying heavy
bvrdens, yet compelled to GO as our
fathers and mothers were thirty-five
years ago.
The natives in all respects are the
'hewers of wood and drawers Of water
and seem to be afraid of the American
men-more from bad treatment than
else, think. [ also saw a
boat coming to Monrovia padded by
SIX natives without SO much as fig [,
leaf to hide their naked bodies, with ,
two Afro-American ladies as passcn- ,
gers; arriving in the town, these natives ;:
dressed up' in their "breechclouts." :
In Monrovia | saw native servants who :
were not allowed to come in the houses
Of their masters and were also compel .
led t. live under the houses which are
in nearly all instances, built one story :,
above the ground. asked Mr.. Wise,
Postmaster General Of Liberia, why it
was that the natives wore no clothing, ,
md he Informed ME it was because
hey would not wear them if they had Ii
lad them; upon closer investigation
however, [ found out that it was because =,
hey could not get them to wear.
Tha natives T
earned the bad traits of the Americans, L.
While they were very hard to be made nj
even understand any of the good nc
mes. This caused me to readily come W
D the conclusion that when we send ne
Missionaries to Africa, we must send tn
len who will leave all their bad habits an
ere; any others will do more harm eh
ian good, for the bad treatment these err
atlves have received at the hands of
,mcricans has caused them to loose
18th in our Missionaries, and as they
elleVe God rules in all actions, the ac-
ons Of the Americans in working them
II nothing, causes them to believe that ap
od is like the men they have 10 deal .n'
18th. The natives live to themselves 'ns
I'd retain the customs of fifty wears ~
70. A native is allowed to have as -:
any wives as he can buy, they are r.. M
perstitious and carry roots of differ bo,
t kinds with them as a preventative noe
ainst being tricked; natives and Amer T
ms believe in "Voodooism," and fur du,
er believe that when anybody dies, :,
~ have been tricked. Whenever the :,
tives, and some OF the Americans. too. ,.1. "
er you anything to eat or drink they g..
IT partake of it themselves to con-
ice you that it is not poisoned. An B
ther curse to Liberia is whiskev and i'll
'acco; all the natives, men, women isor
! children indulge in these two things III
will perform almost any task for this
m when not able to procure them son