The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-07-02
MIRACLEs IN AFRICA.
Remarkable Results of an Old Hegro's
Wonder Workings

| barDarous tribes OF Africa who mako a living
! by their wits. Some OF these bright fellows
/ are fetch doctors curing disease hy their
| incantations. selling charms that bring to pass
| nll manner Of things desired by their CUSTOM
ers. and for n large consideration. insurinR co
| rtous rainfall when the crops are thirsty or
| victory in the war to which the young fighters
| are marching Great their renown when the
| charms arc cflcacious But fetch doctors are
| not bit embarrassed when the medicine fails
| to work for they have plenty Of plausible eS-
cuseS to relieve them from all responsibility
! An old native at karonGa, on the northwest
| coast OF Lake Nvassa. has enjoyed for some
| years great reputation as u miracle worker.
| He has great deal Of shrewdness and un-
| doubleday much more knowledge than the
| peor" around him. Even the white men open
| th"ir ewes in surprise AT the apparent results
| ot MS mysterious dongS, ana his fame has
| spread throughout the region between Lakes
| Nvassa and Tanganyika one of his miracles
while ago was OF considerable adranta age To
| tho whites. and this is how it happens that
, CAPT. Boieau. who crossed the Nvassa- Tan
RhhNlka as member o' Tue Anglo-terman
! Boundary commission aud Is civil engineer
! ny profession. thought II worth while to tell
something about The black wonder worker.
MS INST attempt az working miracle was
great success ana mace nm famous III a day
some SIX wears ago the people FAR and wide
around the north end OF Lake Nvassa were
afflicted with plague OF locusts which were
eating up the crows. Famine stared the cOun-
try nthe face. The old man gave notice ono
daythat the spirits were going To use him to
destroy the insect pests and save the crops and
after he had retired from public view for few
days he would be able TO toll the people what to
10 to save their growing TODD supplies 1t was
necessary frst Tor him 10 climb the Nrauli
Hill and pray there Tor long time. 80 he set
out Tor TINS eminence. which rises about
3'OO teet above tn" sea. fifteen miles west Of
the large lake. lie was not seen again for scv.
eral days. and when he reappeared at the viii
lage he produced large amount OF powder
which he distributed among he natives. telling
them TO mix it with water and sprinkle II over
their fields. His instructions we're carefully
fulfilled. and the next thing that occurred was
very gratifying. Tho locusts began to die by
hundreds OF thousands. In a few days they all
disappeared, and they have not since been seen .
in that region in sufficient numbers to do any
damage.
Capt Boileau does not suggest. what seems,
plausible. that the old man may have discov-
cred that his powder would Kill the locusts.
and. to mako name for himself. astonished
the natives by adding supernatural element
which was the fraudulent part OF his proceed
ing. The CAPTAIN seems 10 think that the
miracle worker was merely favored by the APP
pcarance among the insects Ola disease Mt the
very time his JuggIery was going on. What
ever it was. tho result was all right. The
plague was noated and the miracle worker had
| the credit OF bringing this blessing to pass.
The white men at the north end Of the lake
were the beneilcaries OF the second miracle.
and some OF them were considerably impressed
by it. One day the steamer Domira ran ashore
in fog. and before she was ioated again her
crew had about given her up as lost. For five
| days, with the assistance OF hundreds Of ma
tires. they tugged aud hauled. but could not
bulge the vessel an inch. They were at their
wits erd. and work for the time was sus-
pended while the white men held II council on
the shore and tried TO form some new plan of.
| rescue. They talked the matter over for AN
hour or SO without reaching any definite idea
as to the next proceeding. Just then the olda
worker Of miracles came sauntering down to
the beach and said lie had something to tell .
the white man,
he went on that II they would let him try he l..
was sure he could save the steamboat He de-
clined to tell what he would do. but said he
would not harm the vessel in any way as the
whites would see. for they might look on while
he was engaged in the work OF salvation. The
white men laughngly told him TO 20 ahead II
he thought he could do any good. and he at
once stepped brsky about his business He
had to. II the miracle was to be performed by
daylight. for the sun was only an hour high
and there Is no twilight in that tropical region.
In TO the village he hasreneI and soon ram
na,raI ,,it, nhi,, han nnt.,. nis an. a,
peare" WITH "h'te men uhuer ms arm AL
his request boat took him and his hen out to
the stranded vessel and he ,Iombere nm I'M.
,J,Io -, 81. 1a,I r,har ha h,,It 49,. ,a w.
sue 10 'he oeck' linen ne he'o the men alott.
recited n few prayers and tossed the fowl into
the lake where she was drowned The uro.
ii, .,.,,,;oi =, a,.o a., 80, la ~
ceeulhgs tsseh''h o save 'he vessel hau beeh
completed. Darkness was falling as the old
man reached the shore. He told the whits man
,iI, ,I 80 - ,r,, 49,
'he pr"oieu hau peeh sol'eu' ihey heed Try
no new plan. All they need to do was 10 give
another pull at the vessel next morning and
I ,srI a ~ ,,t ~ ,,ns,.
sure enough neA' uay Tue steamer was located.