The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1896-08-05
Negro City in Africa.

The following remarkable story is
told by the Rev. Josiah Strong, whose
own high character, together with the
fact that no one has challenged the
authenticity of the story, makes cred
ible what would otherwise inspire
doubt. The story is told to illustrate
the fitness of the Christian negro to
evangelizc Africa. 1t is an account
of visit to an African city on the
Kassai, a tributary of the Congo.
whose king had threatened with in.
stant death any visitor to his capital
or any guide who should conduct one
thithcr. So for nine years all attempts
to reach it had been futile. When
Mr.. Shepherd came, speaking the
kings own language and being of his
own color, King Laguba received him
kindly and showed him every atten-
ton. This is what Mr.. Shepherd saw:
They attended him to the city, and
he found what he had not seen before
in Africa, fenced city, with broad.
clean streets in which hundreds of
happy children were atplay with mar
bles or at leap-frog or trundling their
hoops. He found city laid out like
a checker board, the squares being
filled with houses. Every street and
every house was named. The houses
were we'll built, commodious and fur
nished with carved furniture and ex-
quisitely woven mats. He was con-
Quoted to one that had been assigned
to him and found it we'll provisioned.
There he received the neighbors for
three days, and on the fourth he was
summoned to give attendance upon
the king, and the king sent two of his
sons and one thousand children to es.
cort him to his presence. He walked
with them down a broad, beautiful
avenue into the great central square
of the city. Blanket cloth had been
spread out in great circle of perhaps
one hundred feet in diameter, and
within this the ground had been COW
cred with leopards' skins. On these
skins, sitting in hollow square, we're
the seven hundred wives of the king
and his aged sister, while thousands
stood outside, around the circle. AS
the king was borne in by his sixteen
carriers the air was rent with the
shouts of the people, and when the
king was seated the people seated
themselves upon the ground. Then
two princes came forward, and, taking
Mr.. Sheppard by the arm. conducted
him into the presence OF the king.
The king was gorgeously dressed ,
and wore crown. He took from his
belt knife, which he said had belong
ed to seven Lokugas, and this he pre-.
sented to the young man as a token of
confidence. The king said to him: "lf
you or your people are hungry, do not
fail to let me know and whatever you
want of me and my people you shall
have" He then presented the mis-.
sionary to his aged sister, and the
ceremony was at an end. The prince
conducted him about the city, and as
he saw their vast markets full OF busy
life, we'll supplied with fruits and
vegetables and manufactured articles,
he felt himself to be again in the
midst of civilization. He found there
people with laws which were strictly
enforced, with courts of justice and
with prisons. Any member Of that
tribe who is guilty of bigamy suffers
death. Any man who is guilty of
drunkenness, or of theft, or of gam
bling, or of wife-beating is severely
punished. Every third day with them
is a Sabbath, and they carefully OBJ
scrve il.