The Van Buren press., 1896-08-08
AN AFRICAN CITY.
~. wonderful Community Recently VIE
t.cd nv "A Missionary.

rh. wonderful Community heceh'i'
tied by Missionary.
The following marvellous story Is toia
by Rev. Josiah Strong, whose own h ll a y
character, together with the fact tna'
No one has challenged the authenticity
of the story, makes credible what othei'
wise would inspire doubt Inc STORY
Is told to illustrate the fitness OF the
Christian negro to eyangelize AFRICA
II is an account of visit to an African
CITY ON the Kassai, tributary Oh tile
Congo. whose king had threatened win
instant death any visitor to ms Cd i'ai
or any guide who should conduct one
tbitber. So for nine years all attempts
10 reach it had been futile. When MI.
Shepherd came, speaking the KING :
own language and being of his own
color. King Laguba received HIM klno'y
and showed him every attention. Ahi'
is what Mr.. Shepherd saw
They attended him to the city, ana
he found what he had not seen before
in Africa. a fenced city, with proaa'
clean streets in which hundreds OF hap
DIV children were at play with marplet
and at leap frog, or trundllng thPh
boeps. He found city laid out Ike
a checker board, the squares beng illlea
with houses. Every street and every
house was named. The houses were
well built, commodious and furnlshed
with carved furniture and eXquisltely
pntO
that had been assigned to him. ana
found it well proyisioned.
There he received the neighbors lot
three days, and on the fourth he was
summoned to give attendance upon the
king, and the king sent two OF his
sons and 900 children to escort HIM 70
his presence. He walked with them
down Il 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
W
around the circle. AS the king was
borne in by his l6 carriers the air was
rent with the shouts of the people, ano
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, and
wore crown. lie took from his belt 6
knife, which he said had belonged tc
seven Iokugas, and this he presented
TO the young man as a token of conf
dence. The king said to him: IF yot
or your people are hungry, do not fai
to let me know, and whatever you want
of me or of my people you shall have.
lie then presented the missionary tt
his aged sister and the ceremony was al
an end. The prince conducted him
about the city, and he saw their vast
markets full of busy life, well supplied
with fruits and vegetables, and manu-
featured articles, he felt himself to he
again in the midst of civilization. HC
found there people with laws which
were strictly enforced, with courts o.
justice, and with prisons. Any member
of that tribe who is guilty of bigamA
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 then
is a Sabbath, and they carefully observe
it.-Springfed lMass.l Republican.