The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1898-03-21

REN. WILLIAM >. BANNERMAN.
solo and chorus work We're notably
good, under the direction of J. NJ.
Chance. DR.. Robinson in introducing
Rev. William Stanley Bannerman,
spoke in enthusiastic terms of hearing
him at the general assembly.
Mr.. Bannerman gave an address fas-
cinating in detail and replete with
valuable information. He spoke in be-
ginning of the fact that the map of
Africa is very different from what
it was a few years ago, when it con-
sisted largely of colored print, the
centre marked "unexplored" or per-
haps filed in with pictures of animals
supposed to inlrabit that region.
The new work of the Presbyterian
board in the French congo is near the
equator. where the sun rises and sets
at O'Clock, year after year and age
after age In the two seasons, the
rainy, lasts eight months, the other
four, which is the cold season, when
the thermometer falls as low as 10.
The skies are cloudy, although it never
rains, but so damp is it that it is i'm
possible to dry clothing, while during
the rainy season the hot sun is sure
to come out some time during the day.
The forests are filed with ebony,
sandalwood, mahogany and the red
wood, of which the common paint is
made. With 1t the native paints his
body, his canoe, his house or the town.
The animal kingdom was described in
most interesting way, and the speak
er declared that the elephant has been
the cause Of untold misery for We're it
not for the value of the ivory it would
never pay to catch slaves to convey the
commodity to the coast. The coast
people never eat the monkey. They
say it is too much like man, but the
cannibals say monkey good, man
| good"
Africa is much like an inverted soup
| plate in surface. About the mouths of
the great rivers was the place of work
by missionaries until recently. Now
on a plateau 1900 feet above the sea
| level in the interior a climate is found
where a white man may live perhaps
five years.
The coast people used to be as saw
age as those Of the interior today. Now
| they are civilized in many respects. A
/
results of the gospel among these ma
tives. The race among whom Mr.. Ban
herman had been are the Fang" with
an interclassihcation of the "Bule."
THE CANNIBALS.
A few years ago the Fang people
were known as a wild cannibal race
There are said to be three millions
They are not the true negro but bronze
in color and regular of feature.
1t is now not unusual to be hailed
from the bank by a party of natives
who want to know if the people in the
boat wish to buy meat, holding up g
portion of a human body as entice,
ment. When the missionary enters 6
strange village it is the custom to ash
If his carriers will be eaten before
morning. AS the natives now try tC
conceal their cannibalistic habits tn,
answer is: mo, but had you stopped
at the village over yonder they would
have eaten the carriers and you" II
that village the same story would prob
ably be told about his present hosts
The first lesson in the school primer
is man eating men," which teache!
not to eat each other, and that even i
|
will know it, 1t is sometimes asked /
the missionary is at all safe in thi
region. He can live there with com
parative safety, but truly never safe
for there are the perilous voyages ii
the canoes, the terrible fever and tn
danger from hostile natives.
They believe that the white man i
spirit and while they are familia
| off Of
they are a little uncertain as to hov
a spirit would agree with them inter
nally. The Fang live in villages in tn
forest. There is never forest fire, S
damp is the climate. Their methods o
agriculture are very crude, for tn
vegetation is so luxuriant that when
, is cut it rapidly grows again. A de
scription of a Bule town was the
given. The houses is probably twelv
feet long, with two openings. The on
I at the front street for the men, tn
one opening at the rear for the wo
men, In and out of. both pass tn
smoke, the chickens and domestic ami
mails. They are a polygamous people
! where wealth consists in women.
man with no wife is lightly considered
while one with twenty is a person o
opulence.
! WOMAN'S VALUE.
There fiint-lock guns, one hundre
yards Of cloth or a certain number O
J packages Of matches are paid for
woman. There is method in these pos
sessions. A man would soon be robbie
of his guns, his cloth, etc, but wome
are a species of property that ca
run away and defend itself, beside
bearing the burden of the work. The
ask the missionary how many guns h
gave for his wife When he says h
! gave nothing, as Il 10 not the custoI