Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-10-14
MR.. CELL TELLS OF ANT HILL
CHURCH ON THE CONGO RIVER

bush people, and several anatomies were
bruised before one Of the missionaries ar
rived on the scene and offered to hear the
palaver in the morning. About half-past
ten Or later my festive boy. Lamb. who
belongs to the river tribe, came INTO the
house. I asked him what all the noise was
about He said there had been a fight, and
l told him to keep out Of 1t and go to geo.
Next morning, while breakfasting with
the missionaries. we heard great row.
Learning that fight was on between the
same factions took my pocket kodak, IN
tending to take its picture. But when i
arrived on the comic scene the performance
was SO interesting that l forgot all about
the picture, and with heavy cane pro
ceeded among naked natives, active dick
bats, pious missionaries and malicious saw
ages TO fight for peace. The battle ragged
in front Of the Ant-Hill Church. AS u
moved into the thick Of the scrlmmage, be-
tween two contending Lines OF warriors
was a powerful savage with heavy stick,
striking right and left, showing no pref
erence to either side and trying with ire
mendous vigor to keep the two legions sep
arate.
Later on I learned that he was a chief.
1 noticed at the time that no one struck
at him. that brickbats did not drop in his
immediate vicinity, and that when he made
a lunge with his club everybody stepped
aside.
The fight lasted over an hour resulting
in one man who had been extremely vigor-
Gus in the attack having what little sense
he had knocked out of him. some others
had broken or wounded fingers. 1t was a
notwithstanding crowd. Right through
the heaviest part of the fighting a lie"
powerful fellows stood around taking no
part in the fray. At this / was greatly sur
prised knowing the natural desire OF ma
lives to have hand in anything ike a
fight. These warriors were from another
part of the country, and voluntarily teio
themselves in reserve to assist the WMte
men if they required help. HAD these stal-
wart cannibals employed their battle maces
they would have promoted a lively scat
teratior.
This is one of the most interesting 1ea--
lures connected with missionary work at
Yakusu, and must be especially attractive
to any Christian workers who in the nome
country before conversion, were pugilisti-
cally Inclined Such vigorous natives as
these, If really converted, will soon do good
work in the Christian cause. The. medi-
cinal effect of such performance IS SUI
perior to morphine or opium IN WORKING
forgetfulness of even all the ordinary Ills
and pains to which, in Africa, the human
race is subject These fights are also use
full because they arouse profound enthus-
iasm Indeed, it might be advisable for the
missionaries to arrange some such exhlbl-
tion about once a month. the home board
supplying medicines and bandages. Later
1 learned that a fight occurs usually with
t,he change of the moon. The tide of hu-
man passion GIBBS and flows under lunar
influence The ancients said it was lmpos-
sible to steer vessel in a calm, and
that an adverse winds better than no
wind at all. 1t may be that to have people
think wrongly is more desirable than for
them not to think at all. 1t has been said
that the worst thing man can do Is moth
ing,