The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1896-10-11
GOATS AS A CURRENCY.
Wives Are Bought with Them in
in Paris of Africa.
From the Baltimore Sun.

FROM the 6dlllInOTe Oull.
Rev. DR.. d. W. Snyder is the guest Of
Mrs. c. F. McCay at her home, $50 North
Charles street. He recently returned
from Africa, where he went in 1892 as a
missionary of the Southern Presbyterian
church. On the way home his wife, who
was daughter of the late Charles Heg-
inbotham, formerly of Baltimore, was
stricken with the African fever and died
at Leopoldville.
DR.. Snyder's return to America was
made imperative on account of his health,
he having suffered from the fever. He
said that during the four years of his stay
in Africa he had the fever on an average
once a month and during the voyage
home he was in bed four weeks with it.
The mission at which he was established
is 1000 miles from the coast. He reached
it by travelling 100 miles up the Congo
river in a boat, walking 250 miles to the
Kassai river, where he embarked again
and made his way to the mission. neat
church has been erected at the mission
and sixty natives have joined it.
DIR. Snyder says the natives at the mis-
sion are copper colored and have straight
features. They are intelligent and supe-
rior to the colored people found in other
parts of the continent. They have laws
and are governed by a king. They punish
stealing and all kinds of crime. although
he knew of but one case in which the
death penalty was inflicted. That was in
the case of a man who cut one Of his
wives 50 badly that she died. He was re
quired to go out and hang himself.
1.-The practice of withcraft is regarded
by the natives as a crime" continued DR.
Snyder, and the principal punishment is
to require the person suspected to drinR
from a poisoned cup. II the person is
nauseated and throws off the stuff he has
drunk he is regarded as innocent Of tie
charge On the other hand, If his stom-
ach is strong enough to retain the dose
and death results, 1t is regarded as sure
sign that he was guilty and that his death
was deserved
"As for marriage laws, they have none
A man may have as many wives as he
can purchase, and the more wives he has
the richer he is considered. Wives are
bought with goats, and goats are the prin-
clpal currency Of the country in all MAJ
tiers. The wives have anything but a
pleasant time. Like the squaws OF the
North American Indians, they do all the
hard work. tilllng the fields and looking
after matters pertaining to the houses
hold, with the exception OF sewing ana
weaving. These two accomplishment
are in the hands of the men exclusively.
They weave the cloth used in making
their scanty clothing and deftly sew IL
together, and when occasion REQUIRES
neatly apply patch.
"A thing TO be dreaded in Africa is the
driver ants They are great fellows
from halfinch to an inch in length, and
are supplied with pinoers that will tear
a piece of flesh from any part of the body
they may attack. They travel in large
numbers, and when they attack a houss
in the search Of grasshoppers and other
insects concealed in the matching there
is no use attempting to contend with
them. The natives and all other persons
simply leave them in charge of the house
until they are ready to leave"