The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1899-08-23
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WEDNESDAY, AUGUST %. 1899.
AN EXCITING CHASE.
A CANOE RACE IN WHICH a HUMAN
LIFE WAS The STAKE.

The Adventure of IA Missionary In
the Kongo Country and How He
Saved n Native From Being Cooked
and Eaten by the Cnnnibnis.
Tie stories that missionaries send
home often throw vivid light upon
the dark and savage conditions that
encompass them. One of the teachers
Of the American Baptist Missionary
union, in his annual report tells of
recent incident that occurred far up
the kongo river among the natives
living around the shores of Lake Tum.
la, only short distance south Of the
big river.
Early one Sunday morning. as the
missionary and his wife were prepar-
ing for the duties of the day, they
heard n shout from the lake. An old
man was seen seated in canoe, which
a number OF stalwart fellows We're
padding as fast as they could toward
the little river that carries the waters
OF the lake to the Kongo, few miles
north. The cid man was crying in
frantic and despairng voice.
"Mpcbe IA Monkasa."
These were the names by which the
missionary and his wife are known to
the natives. The old fellow called
them again and again, till he saw the
white man and his wife standing on
the beach. Then he shouted to them:
"Oh, come and save me. They are
taking me away to Kill and eat mel"
The missionary understood the sltua-
ton at once The place Is not more
than n days travel from the mouth
of the great Mobangl tributary of the
Kongo. The banks of the Mobangl are
lined with eannibal tribes, and II is one
of the greatest hotbeds of cannibal-
Ism.
Explorers have often told of the
canoes sent out from these tribes to the
districts little south of the kongo for
no other purpose than to buy slaves or
steal men to carry away to their homes
for their cannlbal feasts. Here was an
old friend of the missionaries who had
fallen into the power OF these savage
foragers. Not n moment was to be
lost, for the canoe was shooting past
the station and rapidly approaching
the foot of the lake.
At word from the white man n
half dozen young blacks launched Il
canoe In the lake and piled their pad
dies with all their might 1t was an
exciting chase. The eannlhals, seeing
they were pursued. redoubled their en-
erglos to reach the river few miles
north of them. 1t was n boat race In
dead earnest. and the stake was
human life
There We're six of the pursuers and
only four of the fugitive canoemcn
The chasing party had Il larger sum
total of muscle, and this advantage be-
gan to tell. Slowly the missionary boat
gained on the cannlbals, who saw ut
last that they would certainly be
caught before they reached the river
Then they padded like mad for the
shore, and the pursuers We're only
few boat lengths from them as they
ran their canoe up ON the beach.
The cannibnls Jumped out and three
of them made their escape into the
woods, carrying with them n consider
able quantity of brass wire, the form
of money they use In buying slaves.
The fourth man was made prisoner
and was taken back to the missionary
settlement with the poor old captive,
who was now trembling with JOY as Il
few moments before he had quaked
with fear. The missionary says that If
he had not called for help he would
probably have been killed before night.
The expected then happened. OF
course, the sayages did not relish the
Idea of returning TO their people with
out any victim and with one of their
party missing. The white man felt GER
tain they would try TO ransom their
comrade, and, sure enough, the crest
fallen man eaters after n little while
appeared within haillng distance.
They had brass wire they shouted,
and how much did the white man want
In exchange for their friend
lie wanted NIL they had, and after
considerable parleying lot OF wire
was brought half way to the station.
The old man said he was sure this
wire was all his captors had In the
canoe, and finally 1t was accepted and
the prisoner released. The men prob
ably made their way as best they
could back to their tribe
The wire was worth only 81. but the
missionary says this was enough to
keep the old man In food for over nine
months. and the fair inference Is that
the cost Of living on the upper kongo
has been reduced TO a bedrock basis.
The Kongo state Is vigorously sup
pressing cannlbnlsm as far as its In
fuencc extends, aud therefore the ma
tiyes who indulge In the practice no
longer dare. in accordance with their
former custom. to send large eNpedi-
tons out to buy slaves. Now and then,
however a small party engage in the
hazardous business. hoping by the
smallness of their numbers to escape
the attention of the whites.-New York
sun.
Prevalence of the Lying Habit.