The record-union., 1898-02-03
Lincoln Settlement,


coast, but remarkable thing prevent
ed our carrying cut this idea The gold
fever had broken out so virulently ali
along the coast that it had fairly STAN
peded the natives in the direction of
the gold mines. Consequently, there
was a dearth of carriers. The town was
choked with merchandise and baggage
that was waiting for the gold fever to
abate so that its owners could get their
belongings transferred into the inte-
rior.
Ii was clearly case of being detain-
ed in Benguela for months if We We're to
depend upon native carriers to help Us
along, and Benguela is a terribly mala-
rious spot that it is most desirable to
give as wide a berth to as possible. SO
the fates ordained that we give up our
| intention of going to the five hundred
mile station, and instead choose one
about two hundred miles inland, which
could be reached by wagon-provided
the wagon could be obtained
Be it known here that the Beer of the
Transvaal, in his eagerness to go where
plenty of elbow room can be assured,
has penetrated thus far from his native
veldt, and can be seen occasionally
lidNCilDS tIjiOu5ll tlAt NCdAtAy Oti 49,
great bullock drawn wagon. We were
fortunate enough TO secure one of these
Boer wagons. drawn by twelve oxen,
and on this our party began its travels
into the interior. The country through
which we drove was the widest mag
Unable. An idea of its dangerous state
may be gathered from the fact that two
missionaries have been killed by wild
! ID rT1
ent location in Caconda.
| Through this lion, leopard and snake
| covered country cur Boer wagon drove
at the rate of ten miles day. A bull
/ lock team is not fast at any time, and
when it is taken into consideration that
what was called by our courtesy
road cons sted merely Of wheel marks
/ in the high grass, ii Will be understood
why our progress was unusually SOW.
| REACHED CACONDA SAFELY.
! After journey of several days, made
without mishap although we had to be
on guard night and day, with our Win
chesters ready, I halted the little cara
van at Caconda, where We decided to
establish our first Philafrican station.
I 1t is an ideal spot for such purpose,
being plateau five thousand feet above
the level of the sea. with fertile and
well-watered SOIL and the best climate
! in Angola The few white settlers are
Boer farmers, whose OK wagons go TO
and fro at regular intervals between
Caconda and the coast. forming a slight
/ connecting link between US and civili-
cation, and proving q means by which
we shall later be enabled to transport
the machinery and implements that will
( be needed for the colony. Eventually 1
hope the settlement viii have its own
| OK wagons and so add to the earnings
of the liberated slaves, but that will
have to be delayed until the colony is
we'll established and the settlers have
become adopts in the art of travelling in
that primitive fashion.
The natives in this part of Angola are
of a peaceful disposition, open TO kindly
Christian influences. Slavery in its man.
fold cruel forms exists on every hand.
There is abundant material and need
for the exact work the expedition has
in view In populous districts to the
east, northeast and southeast slavery
curses the land, and people are being
bought and sold daily in the villages.
The evil cannot be overdrawn. Mis-
sionaries have written me that thou
sands Of slaves pass their stations ev-
cry month Hundreds are slaughtered
on the occasion of the death of native
chiefs or kings. Many die while on
! their way with slave caravans, and
their bodies are left as prey of beast
and bird.
We have named the first station Lin
coin in honor of the martyr President.
1t is intended TO make this an expert
mental drill ground. with the purpose
Of advancing as soon as possible to the
original objective point among the
Chibokive people. This is a large tribe
Of superior character a part of which
dwells within two weeks march from
Caconda The latter point ] have had
in mind fer ten years as the place of
strategic value from which the Philaf-
rican League could branch out to vari-
Gus parts of the continent
/ cannot say anything at this early
stage regarding our prospects Every
member Of the party is cheerful and
eager to begin work. We have been
received with every demonstration of
good viii by the natives, photographs of
I some of whom ] send. Two of them
are of native girls. and show well the
high order OF intelligence possessed by
the people among whom we are estab-
fishing our station. The others show
a queer African musical instrument
that IS played by striking rows of wood
that end with the pear-shaped bulbs
seen in the photograph, and which
make the notes They are weird. but
not unmusical instruments. and the ma
ltives play them with considerable skill
RENEWED OLD FRIENDSHIPS
| met at Renguela number of my
old Sunday-school scholars who knew
me from the time when | was a mis-
I sionary al Loaada years ago. They
recognized me in the Custom house anG
were delighted to see me again. | was
saved much time and money by the way
they nelpsd me TO get the baggage Of
the party through the Custom house.
AS TO cur long trip prior to reaching
i gensuela there y as nothing of partic,
3,1lar interest until we reached the island
Of Fayal. which. with the exception OF
ST. Michael. is the nest frequentee of
the Azores. The SEA was so rough that
no one was able to so ashore. Had il
been possible should have liked TO
shake hands with the lonely evangel-
isl who iabors In this out Of the way
place His name is Almeida. He has
been in America. His congregation is