New-York tribune., 1905-11-14


sngs by Walter Eyslop. svo, PIP y, Sa Dodd,
Mead & Co.
g- Cell appears to have engaged IN globe
.-ott;us tour for the purposes of making a per-
.rsI study of Christian missions in remote
,erter. of the earth and of writing books of
sts adventures. He has followed up the ac-
,ount of his Chinese trip. "A Yankee the
r,rtze'' with one descriptive OF his expert
e-.ss IN the Dark Continent" His route lay
ocross equatorial Africa. by way of the Uganda
railway 10 its terminus Lake Victoria
Nvanza; thence by boat and afoot to the west
last over the Mountains of the Moon through
.,e vast central forest, the abode Of the pyg-
rsss. through the Congo Free State and down
.bs great river from which ii takes its name
This is journey not lightly to be undertaken.
,s me SO rarely accomplished that the story
:, II could hardly fail TO be interesting, no mat
scr what the idiosyncratic limitations Of the au-
,bar or what his defects of style. AS a matter
~ fact Mr.. Cells volume is interesting, and
,sciseiy in proportion as the reader is oblivious
N mr. can FORE himself to overlook its manifold
demerits
r-,a mere fact that the author carries brief
4or missions could not be regarded as defect.
The great work that is being carried on by ear
,est men and women all through Africa with the
most unpronising material in unwholesome re-
sions and in dangerous isolation. is too often
eI,rhted by these travellers who do not make 1t
q subject Of adverse criticism.
II Is well TO hear svmething from the other
side. even from one who proclaims his enthusi-
astic partsanship Mr.. Cell, however, care
fuIiv confines his admiration TO Protestant mis-
s,ons and is at pains to avoid seeing anything
nraiseworthy in those conducted by the Ro-
man Catholic Church. He carries his antipathy
so far as not TO hesitate to requte with sneers,
or worse the kindly hospitality he was glad TO
accent from Catholic missionaries. What is
most persistentIy annoying, however, to one
who reads for information, or even merely for
entertainment, is the tonc Of bumptious flip
pancy in which the book is written. In what,
II is charitable to assume. is a laudable effort
IN avoid dulness the author has adopted a
style of trivial jocosity that is singuarly in
appropriate TO his subject and that throws an
atmosphere of insincerity over nearly every
thing he says. He INDUCES in cheap puns on
no provocation and in heavy satire on so little
that it is sometimes difficult to know whether his
statements are to be accepted as written or as
meaning the exact opposite. He seems to have
prepared his manuscript en- route. being assisted
bv a typewriter and young man to manipu-
late it, to whom he aludes casually but FREE
auently as the secretary" disdaining TO name
-ha faithful fellow traveller who not only
pedtion, but the authors companionship to
boot But perhaps this is one OF Mr- Cells
Jokes. 1t is eminently characteristic Of his idea
of hunor.
Still IL is evident that Mr.. Cell made
scientious efforts to learn all that possible
TO one who travelled rapidly and almost con-
tinuously in regard to the interesting little peo-
PIE who roam the dense forest lands of the IN
terror. He sent couriers ahead of his caravan
10 arrange meetings with them, visited their
temporary villages induced them to give exhibi-
tons of hut building, craftsmanship and otner
domestic and social accomplishments. inter-
viewed them. photographed them and dictated
oopious notes about them to the secretary
He describes the pygnlies as broad chested,
well nourished, sinewy and muscular race. the
men few inches over four feet in height, the
women shorter. They of a brownish black
IN color, short necked and covered more or less
with stiff. black hair. They are cleanly in their
habits bathing frequently, and when water is
scarce using the fat of newly slain animals.
Armed with small bows and poisoned arrows,
which they begin 10 use at an early age. they
are the most skilful archers iii the African wood
land They hunt the largest game successfully,
even elephants. which they shoot in the eyes,
and having thus blinded them pursue and kill.
A more ingenious and less dangerous method is
to suspend by fibre ropes between two trees
heavy block of wood containing a long knife
blade, the affair being SO deftly contrived that
passing pachyderm will break the rope and re-
lease the block so that it viii fall on the neck
Of the beast the knife penetrating the little
brain and causing instant death. They are
fond Of vegetables, which they obtain from their
larger neghbors, exchanging the products of the
chase for those of the field. They love peace
rather than war. but are generally prepared for
fte-rs Tooz- raT+a1 HXy he
Congo Free State officials when trouble arises
with other native tribes the white man finding
them useful as allies. not only account Of
their intimate knowledge OF forest tracks, but
IN view Of their uncomfortable genealogical
proficiency when allowed 10 become enemies
Courageous. crafty. agile and doubtless cruel on
occasion, they are ordinarily merry laughter
loving folk. Proud. Independent and liberty
loving. this dmnutive man Of the sylvan
shades is of a far higher order of intelligence
than the blacks Of superior physique beside
whose villages he encamps,'' writes Mr.. Cell.
He viii become the Jap of the forest" The
author does not believe that the pygnlies are
oegenerating race, but capable of great intel
lectual development. Primarily, he sees in them
rarely rich field for missions and thus sets
forth his Plea for the Pygmy':
While the Pigmy has his forest. his food and his
dey es yet Be poor in oPpordues 1 10 kn0w OF S hS
Is He has never heIo te .S I.atiiS , of rs Ge
tan words of Thomas Carlyle. The cause Of the
poor, in Gods name and the devils Help the
poor the poor PigIny. He may be even now long
ing for a better idea / am inclined 10
Relieve all
Every heart Is auIIsh'
That savage posonis
There are longings. there are striVlHss
For the goo3 they comprehend not
Aotat had hope for the man who could iaugh;
the Pisruv IS fnrrded in that. / like the Piginies.
Lend the Pgmy handi His ancestors nave SUNG
down into the mould OF the forest. Let not the
present Pigrny mass into the past in like circum
stances ef rhe sood old Gospel story be told in