“At this and many other towns the women were particularly friendly, and my wife had them together separately for teaching. A white man in Zombo was a wonder to behold, but a white lady much more so, and the women were not so frightened at my wife as at myself. Her presence on this journey was on this account a great help in getting at the women. The first announcement that ‘white men’ were coming into a town was a signal for a general stampede of the women and children; but my wife generally being the first to arrive in her hammock, the carriers would call after them and assure them that this person was a woman like themselves, then they returned to her to shake hands. After a while it would gradually dawn upon them that we spoke their language, and friendship was at once established, and very inconveniently they would crowd around us from morning till night.
“This fresh advance into the ‘regions beyond’ calls for renewed energy and consecration on our part, and for more sympathy and help from Christians at home. I feel convinced that these new responsibilities will move the Churches at home to a greater liberality than ever before, and deepen their interests in the work abroad, and fill them with a fuller measure of prayer and self-sacrifice. They call upon us all to a purer, whole-hearted devotion to our Master, and compel us in all humbleness of spirit to supplicate the Throne of Grace, whence alone we can obtain strength and guidance needed for the work. There is much land still to be possessed in the name of the Lord. ‘Ask of Me, and I shall give thee the heathen for Thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession.’”
The foregoing article was written for publication. It was accompanied by another, written for the information of the Committee, to be published or not, at their discretion. This also was printed under the title, “Further Incidents,” and I give it here.
“We first of all made our way to the Makela towns, where there is a Portuguese Resident and a trader. There are two or three firms who are arranging for sites, and are about to send their representatives there, so they evidently look upon it as a promising field for trade. As our business was to make friends with the natives, we declined the offers of hospitality kindly tendered to us by the Resident and trader, and stayed in native huts as guests of the people. We were well received at all these towns, and the native chiefs were very pressing in their representations, asking us to build in their towns. Both at Mbongi (where the Resident lives) and at Mbanza Makela (the principal town of the group) they begged of me to choose a plot of ground and build immediately. These Makela people came to San Salvador sometimes, and know me well by name and repute, and they wanted me to make a promise that I would come to stay in their town. I explained that I wanted to see all the country first, and that I could make no promise just then. Still, we were very glad to receive such a hearty welcome, and we stayed there several days, including Sunday.
“The chief of Makela supplied me with a guide to take us to the next district—Mbuzu—with its thirty-six towns and a population of about five thousand. All along the route we passed many towns, including Ngombe, with its population of about three thousand. Both on the right and left there were large towns which I could not visit or form any idea of the number of people in them. We were now among people unaccustomed to white men, very superstitious, frightened, and suspicious. We were well received at Mbuzu, and they begged us to stay a day longer, which we did, and they came in good force to hear our message. We were making our way to the Nkisi River, which runs in a north-west direction to the Congo River, into which it empties itself between Wathen and the Pool. We had been told that there was a very large population on the banks of this river, but on reaching Kibulungu we found that the towns were not large nor numerous. The valley is exceedingly swampy, and in the wet season the river overflows its banks, and crossing in canoes is a dangerous business. Native ferries are the only means of crossing, and alligators are plentiful. Altogether, the river district is not tempting, either as a place of abode or a field of labour. The towns are difficult to reach on account of the river and swamps. We had intended to cross the Nkissi into the Kidia district, but from the hills on this side we could see that the towns opposite were less numerous than on this, and therefore we decided to turn back and waste no time on an unlikely district. Besides, the River Nkisi would be a great obstacle in the transport of goods to the Kidia side. We therefore gave up all idea of crossing, and after three days’ stay we made our way back to Zombo proper.
“Two days’ journey brought us to Kinzau, another populous district, where we stayed three days. Three hours’ march further south is Kibokolo, which may be considered the heart of Zombo. This district is very thickly populated, and here is one of the most important markets in the country. The principal town—shown in the map—is the largest I have seen in Congo. I estimate that there are about five thousand people in it (San Salvador has about fifteen hundred—not more than two thousand). Within a one-hour radius there are at least a score of towns of some considerable size. I was not able to visit these towns, and cannot therefore form any estimate of the number of people within easy reach. This is by far the best centre for mission work. Heathenism is rampant, and never before have I seen such a display of fetishes and superstitious rites. Our appearance in the district caused much confusion, and the people were afraid lest we should bewitch them and cause them all to die right off. There were cries of, ‘The country is dead, the country is dead’; and I have no doubt but that they firmly believed it. However, in about an hour’s time we succeeded in finding the chief, and he gave us a native house to sleep in, and then some of the people came round us to shake hands. That evening the chief and some of his followers came together, and I talked to them about the gospel and explained our message. They could not understand anybody being so disinterested as to take all this trouble for their sake. Next day, being market day, the chiefs of the surrounding towns came and discussed with the Kibokolo folks our presence in their country. There was a strong party in favour of fighting and killing us, carriers and all; but others would not agree to this, as they heard we had stayed at many towns on the way but knew of nothing bad done by the white man or his carriers. At last they agreed to drive us away from their towns, but no bodily harm was to be inflicted upon us. We found this out afterwards; at the time we knew nothing about the agitation against us.
“Early in the afternoon the townfolk—many of whom were intoxicated with palm wine and did not know exactly what they were doing—raised a cry that the white man’s boys were poisoning the water (they were washing some clothes in the stream which runs through the centre of the town, and the soap was considered poison), and that a carrier was seen hiding a charm in the ground outside the town; and again that one of the carriers was ill with smallpox; all of which were absolutely false, but the leaders invented them to create an uproar and force us away. In an extraordinarily short space of time the greater part of the town were around us, some with loaded guns and others with cutlasses, spears, bows and arrows, and sticks, while the witch doctors and women brought out their fetishes and commenced dancing and gesticulating in the wildest manner. This was heathenism in its worst aspects, and the scene was indescribable. The excitement was growing in intensity, and their attitude became more threatening, and they were demanding our immediate departure. I got all the carriers and boys together, and induced them to keep perfectly quiet. The owner of the house which we occupied was very friendly, and he with three or four others tried to keep back the crowd. We told them over and over that we would not go away that day, do what they would. The chief sent us the usual complimentary present of two fowls and a calabash of native beer—said to be non-intoxicating—for the carriers. This was to dismiss us from the town ‘on friendly terms,’ and he considered his responsibility at an end. The ‘beer,’ as we suspected, had been previously ‘cursed’ by the witch doctor, and it was supposed to have the power of killing us all at once if we partook of it. I accepted the present, and the carriers finished the drink in the presence of all, and they were greatly astonished to find that they did not fall down dead on the spot. I told the headman, who brought the present, that we did not mean to go away that day, but that in the morning we would pay our respects to the chief before leaving their town. The excitement among the people, however, did not cool down, for they kept on at a furious rate to the middle of the night. We retired to bed early, and in spite of the beating of drums and the blowing of horns, we managed to get some sleep. Next morning we packed up our things, and the same noise and excitement continued. They were evidently surprised at our showing no fight. A crowd followed us about a mile or two outside the town, with their horns and drums; but for some reason or other they changed their cursing into blessing, and were calling upon the ‘spirits’ to protect the white man and his people ‘if they have done no harm in the town.’ So we left Kibokolo, but we had carried out our plans in full, except that we had hoped to stay in this town a few days longer. We thought that, on the whole, it was the wiser policy to retire for the time being, and let the people have time to find out that our presence did them no real harm. Still, at Kibokolo there are two or three who gave up their houses for ourselves and carriers, and who stood by us all through the uproar.
“On our return journey a most unusual thing occurred, which I have great hopes will cause them to change their attitude towards us. When nearing San Salvador we found that the whole country was much disturbed on account of a mistaken policy of the Portuguese Residents, and the people of Lembelwa and Tanda districts had closed the road to the coast against all carriers. We met some five hundred Zombos returning to their country with their rubber, having failed to pass. A large number were from the Kibokolo district. They were much afraid of us, lest we should retaliate on them for the treatment we had received in their country; but I succeeded in getting them together and persuaded them to come along with me, promising to pass them to the coast without molestation. It took some time to convince them of my good intentions, but ultimately they agreed to trust themselves to me. On the next day we came to the disturbed district, and I took my position in front of the whole company. At the entrance into each town we were met by armed men, who were stopping passers-by. I was well known to them all, and they made no resistance when I asked them to stand on one side, and waited myself until the Zombos had passed. That night all of us slept in one of the disturbed towns, and I gathered the chiefs together and talked to them very strongly of the wickedness and foolishness of their behaviour, the headmen of the Zombos listening to all.
“The outcome of our palaver was that they promised to reopen the road and allow carriers to pass unmolested. The effect of this upon the Zombos was very remarkable, for they had looked upon the white man as their enemy, and now they saw that we were their best friends after all. When they return from the coast they will inform their people what happened, and we hope for a very different reception at Kibokolo next time we go. The native Christians who accompanied us as carriers were delighted at the turn of affairs, and Mata, the headman of the caravan, said to me that night, ‘Oh, master, I have seen a wonderful work of God to-day; the Kibokolo people drove you away, but when these carriers return home your name will be lifted up to the sky all through Zombo. Truly God has wrought this marvellous work.’ We, too, feel in the same way, and that this incident will help very materially in the opening up of Zombo to the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We pray that it may be so.