The Bluffton news. [volume] (Bluffton, Ohio) 1875-current, 1939-09-07
Even I'm Darkest Africa The Natives
Have Tax Problems, Missionaries Say

ivory is sold. Other tribes trap eie-
plants by digging pits, covering them
with brush and then waiting until an
elephant falls thru the opening.
Natives in the area are very black
and divided into two general classes.
One group is finey featured as the
whites and very intelligent. Men are
tall, usually over six feet. The sec
ond group, of smaller stature, is back
ward mentally.
No Guns Permitted
Spears are the only weapons ma
tives are permitted to carry. Only on
rare occasions are natives allowed to
use guns, as the government guards
carefully against possibility of revolt.
Natives are forbidden to have
liquor, altho they make home brew
from kafr corn and bananas, a
concocton which is permitted. A very
potent native wine made from the
Juice of the palm tree is banned.
Money is scarce and the natives are
not interested in it. Salt and buffalo
meat is the almost universal medium
of exchange in their dealings.
One egg usually is exchanged for
two tablespoons of salt. Meat used
in trading generally is decomposed
and infested with vennin. Despite
this it is reIished by the natives. They
have simple means of dealing with
"crawling meat" 1t is placed in
pot of boiling water, the vermin are
SKINNED off when they rise to the top
and the meat is eaten.
Decomposed Meat Priced
In addition to decomposed meats,
the natives relish rats, cats and cater
pillars. Medical tests have disclosed
that the digestive tracts of natives
generally are infested with worms.
The mission post where Mr.. and
Mrs. Seneff are located is at the ex-
treme east of Belgian Congo, which
is nearly third as large as continen-
tai United States.
Altho directly on the equator, they
are in the highlands and the weather
is cool and damp. There is rainy
season of approximately nine months,
and dry season of three months in
the highlands. They live in practic-
ally the same temperature the year
around. In the lowlands it is always
very hot
Lake Albert ,one of the largest Af
rican bodies of water is only 16 miles
from the station. Leopoldville, pro-
vincial capital, is 100 miles to the
southwest, and Mombasa, seaport for
their region, is 1900 miles southeast.
Enroute to Mombasa when they left
Africa in 1888 the Seneffs travelled in
one and one-half ton truck.
ThickIy Populated Area
At the station Mr.. and Mrs. Seneff
have charge of the outside work and
travel from one native village to an
other. The region 81 thickly populat-
ed, and they touch 800 villages within
a so mile radius of the station. In
each of the villages is native evan
gelist, whose work is supervised by
the missionaries.
Some of the country the Seneffs
visit is very wild. II addition to ele-
plants there are buffalo, leopards
and lions. Once Seneff encountered
two lions while walking in the road
, He stood perfectly still-to run would
. have started the lions in pursuit-and
| after surveying him curiously the an
imals turned and disappeared. Lions
. will not attack human beings unless
they are hungry or have bee wounded
ed.
Coffee and ivory are the principal
exports from the area. In their farm
ing ventures the natives raise corn
J white potatoes end tropical fruits
/ There is ready market for these
foodstuffs, since the Belgian govern
, ment operates large gold mines in the