Savannah courier. (Savannah, Tenn.) 1885-1979, 1896-08-20
AN AFRICAN CITY.
Tho Wonderful Community Recently Vls-
itcd by n Missionary.

The following marvellous story Is told
by Rev. Josiah Strong, whose own high
character, together with the fact that
no one has challenged the authenticity
Of the story, makes credible what other
wise would inspire doubt. The story
is told to illustrate the fitness of the
Christian negro to evangelize Africa.
1t is an account of visit to an African
city on the Kassai, tributary OF the
Congo, whose king had threatened with
instant death any visitor to his capital
or any guide who should conduct one
thither. So for nine years oil 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 attention. 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 hap
py children were at play with marbles
and at leap frog, or trundling their
hoops. He found city laid out like
a checker board, the squares being filed
with houses. Every street and every
house was named. The houses were
we'll built, commodious and furnished
with carved furniture and eXqpisitely
woven mats. He was conducted to one
that had been assigned to him, and
found 1t well 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 1000 children to escort him to
his presence. He walked with them
down II broad, beautiful avenue into the
great central square of the city. Blank
ct cloth had been spread out in great
circle of perhaps 100 feet in diameter,
and within this the ground had been
covered with leopards' skins. On these
skins, sitting in n hollow square, were
the 700 wives of the king and his aged
/ sister, while thousands stood outside
around the circle. AS the king was
borne in by his i6 carriers the mir was
rent with the shouts of the people, ant
when the king was seated the people
seated themselves upon the ground
Then two princes came forward, and
taking Mr.. Shepherd by the arm, con
Quoted him into the presence of The
king.
The king was gorgeously dressed, ant
wore crown. He took from his belt {
knife, which he said had belonged tC
seven Lokugas, and this he presented
to the young man as token of conf
dence. The king said to him: "If yol
or your people are hungry, do not fai
to let me know, and whatever you wan
of me or of my people you shall have.
He then presented the missionary t,
his aged sister and the ceremony was a
an end. The prince conducted hin
about the city, and he saw their vas
markets full of busy life, well supplied
with fruits and vegetables, and manu-
factured articles, he felt himself to III
again in the midst of civilization. II
found there people with laws whicl
were strictly enforced, with courts o
justice, and with prisons. Any membe
Of that tribe who is guilty of bigam
suffers death. Any man who is guilt
of drunkenness, or of theft, or of gam
bling, or of wife-beating, is severel
punished. Every third day with thcr
Is Sabbath, and they carefully observ
it.-Springfield (Iass.) Republican.