Abilene weekly reflector., 1919-06-19

cure, no one dare so near them, much
less attempt the certain fate oi
death by trying TO descend down
their smooth walls. And the gorge
is so long. moreover crooked tha'
crossing below the gorge is out OF
the question.
Northwards, then again from Liv-
ingstone, a nice little place, with an
abundance of shade and some orna-
mental trees. Livingstone is place
of Importance, relatively speaking,
for altho this is quite new country,
marvellous have been the changes
taking place since Livingstone, the
missionary, first discovered these
falls some 40 or more years ago.
There are now few settlers turnout
the whole Of the two Rhodesias, for
merly called Livlngstonia. but thru
the zeal to honor Cecil Rhodes, the
diamond king, manipulators here, as
ever, at their disreputable work, have
been able to get the name changed
Northwards from Livingstone, the
country is well timbered, and one
has to modify the "bush" description
otherwise so almost universally APP
plicable to Africa The soil is beau
tiful not only in color, which is
mostly a reddish chocolate, but Is
evidently very fertile, as well.
Here is now the region Of the
long grass" so eloquently referred to
by Dan Crawford, the famous mis-
sionary who claims in his book,
"Thinking Black" not to have been
out of those wilds for some 23 years.
think he is a liar, as are so many
authors of books on Africa. Dis
tanee lends enchantment to the
view" is eminently true of Africa.
and Africa is SO truly distant, it is
comparatively safe for the average
writer to allow his fancy to supply
the place Of, often a scarcity of facts.
ON the Congo river steamer. some
time later, ! was standing on the
upper deck of the fine two deck
river steamer, 100 feet long. and
talking to young ScOtchman. the
representative of trading company.
This man, about 80 years of age, had
visited Dan Crawford's station. He
described to me the situation on the
shore of Lake Bangweolo, only then
about 100 miles, as the crow flies,
from where our steamer was smooth
ly navigating the great water or the
great Lualaba. 400 yards wide and
the beginning Of the greatest of all
the earth's rivers-the Congo--when
he suddenly turned to me, an EN-
barrassed look upon his face, as he
remarked, relative to the remarkable
missionary aforesaid, 'He is cham
pion liar, you know" | replied Il
have read his book and suspected as
much myself"
Thereupon the Scotchman pro
ceeded to unburden his soul. sorely
weighted apparently, it was, over the
misconduct of missionaries in AT
rica. He was very agreeably sur
prised. when he found me SYM
pathetic listener. Mrs. Martin had
told him earlier in the day, that we
ourselves taught and instructed our
natives in religious truth, and ap-
parently he feared | should take him
to task for his remark about Mr.. |
Crawford who / have noticed was
quite lion, in our eastern states
when he was in America in 1910. by |
the way, this is now in these our
days, about the cheapest way to get
lionized, To go to Africa as a mis- |
sionary, fabricate lot of imaginary |
yarns, centering always, except for
for their mixture Of a little skill |
fully blended cant, in No. /.
But / must not digress. / am in |
tending soOn--in a few months now
to publish a considerable volume,
both in England, Colonies and in the
u. S. A., entitled Missionaries as |
Have Seen Them; or 20,OOO Miles OF
Travel, and Ten Years Experience IN
Central Africa" 1t will raise merry
storm. am sure, but l have wealth
cred one or more before this and the
burden Of proof will be on the other
party, for l shall give facts names,
places, work, etc, and back up my
statements with irrefutable facts
which will show that of all humbugs'
the greatest is Modern Missions"
The Missionary is persona pon
grata the world over. I have been
once around the globe and several
times half way, and / have yet te
find the place where missionaries as
class are in esteem. either among