The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-03

gave A. mucn nnpoftAnGB 10 kno uNmaAaAAa
, work ~ the mission. the training OF thu
natives In all sorts of useful occupations
their education in schools. the improve
ment u their habits and custOms. a. "a
preaching. Il hardly seems lair to him
OF to those who read his life 10 slur over
an event 50 important. To him at least. ~
though II were something To he ashamed OF.
out % regard to race or social prejudicea--
| George Grenfell was a Cornishman.
born not far from Penzance in ls19. He
served an apprenticeship in a hardware
store in Birmingham. where he became
I familiar with machinery. He became
/ interested IN religion. entered tia Bap-
7 tiat College az Bristol. and at - went out
az a missionary TO Africa. He was first
stationed in the ksmerin district. which
is now German territory. and found tiFne
! to explore the hack country and 10 ascend
tho kamsrln Mountain. There he lost
his first wife after a little morc than a
year % marriage; there. after two visits
20 the Congo. he married his second wife,
and in IssO went Co the Congo. which he
never left again save for rare burroughs
TO England Friends OF the Baptist
missions presented them with q little
! steamer. and Grenfell who had gone
to England. superintended the con-
strIction. This was the famous Peace.
seventy feet long. ten feet six inches
broad and drawing 81 ghteeu inches OF
water She was divided into seven water
tight compartments Of steel. and ~ tho
pieces had to bs transported by carrier.
only three loads wei ghed moro than SIXTY
Ave pounds Grenfell upset all calcu-
lations by getting tho pieces transported
from the lower river TO Stanley Pool IN
four months instead OF two years. He
waited for the engineers to come To put
Vhe boat together. hut a. tbess died on
the way. Grenfell assembled tho pieces
himself with the aid Of nine negro work
men and thencsforth was able to estab-
lish new missionary stations and to carry
on exploration. In Iss9 and 1898 he
served as commissioner for tho King
OF Belgium TO settle the boundary be-
tween the Congo State and Portuguese
West Africa. In 1903 he died.
Sir Harry Johnston in relating in the
first volume the story Of discovery flls
all the gaps that may have existed in the
missionary records. He gives an account
of the Baptist missions, a history and
description ~ the island NJ Fernando
Pc. also 81 kamerun. resentinG the in
tru-iOn Of the Germans. He tells the
story ~ the Portuguese in Africa. like
wise of the exploration % the Congo.
For some reason he IL hostile 10 Stanley;
he says ~ little about him a. possible.
and rather extols Cameron and his own
obssrvatioas. He naturally regrets that
Britain did not take the Congo when the
opportunity offered. He describes in
minute detail the whole river system He
naTrates the history of the Congo state.
unfortunately in the light ofthe British agi-
tatlon 10 put out the Belgians and present
ing as facts the accusations made against
them. He even tries TO twist Grenfell's
occasional complaints Of the interference
IL State officials with the missions into
evidence against the state II should
I've remembered. however. that his book
was written two years ago. when the
outcTy against King Leopold was most
violent IN England
some extracts from Grenfells diaries
will give an idea of the material sir Harry
Johnston had nc his disposal. The incl
dent told here was repeated in some
form almost daily in his wanderings.
often when ne could not turn back We
reached the head ~ Lake Leopold and
had quite hostile reception al the hands
81 the people. Who assembled IN the
number OF some five hundred on the
beach. TN enty or thirty Naded out into
the water zap In their waists. threatening
us with spears and bows and arrows
They were encouraged meanw lille by che
war dances oG their comrades on shore.
We stayed some ten minutes. and then
put the steamer round and steamed on
without having come within bow shot
The steam whistle produced quite a panic
and drove the warriors all on shore
The newt town We came 20 was friendly.
- indeed were all the people except in
the first case. We were able 10 purchase
supplies and r~pIenish our stores ~ fuel
with the abundance II dried wood which
We found IN their plantations In long
account Of an interviews with the Mut1
Kiamvo while h" Was marking out the
Portuguese boundary. Grenfeli describes
th- extraordinary dane. performed by
that blo"dthIrsty pOtsntats lie adds
this note The kiamvo's wives more
than iifty of them were very enthusiast
IN cheering their lord and master Having
neither caps nor hornets whsrewi'n IL
let "a the evuberRnce uf their feelings.
lhrl ibltAfi UP kTAas anu AufFW ~ III the
air Ne repeats a ghost story heard ~
Lulongo: 4 certain woman slav" had
been killed. and her spirit haunted th. /
path 10y the place where she was buried. |
she would follow people and call after !
Them ! know what IL the matter. said 2
one. she died hungry let me- hav. :
some ntuka and palm oil aud fish D..
Visited the place. and when the ghos;
cam" out he said An right | know
" hat ~ tn" matter You are hungry
We have brought some food The ghost
was laid
The pictures Of native customs before
Z he Congo State was organized may serve
to explain many of the outra ges that tho
British newspapers are fond Of harpinR
on. -Bolobo chiefs are killing their
people OF very fast. We have only been
away "A month this time and James gives
IA a terrible list % deaths at burial. or
In punishment 81 witchcraft Thieves arc
sometimes sold for stealing "A pot Of
manioc or are punished by gaEginR with
a stick thrust through the fissh OF the
checks Sometimes they are first tor
nented by having their bodies rubbed