Life on the Congo

by W. Holman Bentley

In 1877 the London Missionary Society, aided by the generous gift of £5000, by Mr. Robert Arthington of Leeds, undertook mission work on Lake Tanganika. They now occupy Urambo in Unyanyembe, and Uguha, on the western shore of the lake; also Liendwe at the south-western end, where they have been constructing their steamer the Good Tidings, which has been conveyed to that point by the African Lakes Company. The steamer has been launched, and by last advices she was waiting for some heavy parts of her machinery, which were delayed on the road.

The Arabs have so harassed the districts round the lake, that mission work is very difficult and trying; but when the steamer is complete, a station will be built at the south-eastern corner of the lake, which will be the terminus of the Stevenson Road. In the meanwhile, progress with the language is being made.

Thus, in spite of toil and difficulty, privations and losses, the continent is been attacked from the east coast, and in less than ten years the best strategic points have been occupied.

Neither has there been any crowding of several missions on one spot. The field is large, and each of the great societies is far apart from the other, but so arranged that between them the best points and most practicable lines have been taken.

The same policy is being carried out on the south-west coast. The Baptist Missionary Society have been established in the Cameroons district since 1845; and four hundred miles further to the south, the American (North) Presbyterian Church carries on the mission founded in 1842 at the Gaboon. Neither of these missions have been able to make much progress into the interior, and each has been lately brought almost to a standstill by the harsh and arbitrary action of European Governments.

Three years ago, the French Governor of the Gaboon made a law that there should be no instruction in the native language. Everything was to be on the lines of the French normal schools; other harassing restrictions were made, calculated to close the Protestant schools, and the utmost has been done to drive out the American missionaries, and indeed all foreigners (traders, etc., other than French). The schools have been closed; but otherwise the foreigners have not been driven away. All are hoping for a better, more reasonable policy.

In 1885 the German Government, in quest of unannexed lands on the African coast, took possession of the Cameroons. Their shameful treatment of the Baptist missionaries is fresh in the memory of all, and need not be recounted; suffice it to say that the policy of the French in the Gaboon has been followed, with greater determination and energy. Feeling that it was impossible to Germanise their new colony so long as the English missionaries were present who had reclaimed it from savagery, they have determined to drive them away, and the mission will have to be abandoned at an early date. This arbitrary action on the part of civilised governments renders hopeless any attempt to reach the Congo Basin from the west coast by any route other than the great river itself, which, happily, has now been declared open and unrestricted to missionaries and traders.

Before giving particulars of the two missions on the Congo, it will be best to note the other missions along the coast. In 1885, Bishop Taylor, of the American Episcopal Methodist Church, started with a party of twenty missionaries, intending to enter the continent by way of Loanda and the Kwanza river, to establish a chain of stations as far as Nyangwe, on the line of Pogge and Wissmann’s recent journey. At Nyangwe they hope to meet with a like party starting from the east coast—a grand idea, and by no means impracticable. Many of the missionaries are accompanied by their wives and families, and there is an idea that after a station is built it can become self-supporting. We have reason to fear that the hardships of the pioneer work will lessen this brave band, and prove specially trying to the women and children; but the self-supporting idea could only be entertained by those ignorant of African life and circumstances. This will be a matter of painful experience; but as the mission comes face to face with the difficulties and realities, we may expect that more practical lines will be adopted, and that, with the necessary reinforcements and supports, their grand scheme will be carried out. Such a party as twenty missionaries, with wives and families, must be very unwieldy and difficult to provide for, arriving, as they did, on the coast without any previous experience or friends.

We would not criticise, but only suggest that, in these days, when so much information about Africa may be obtained, it is well for those who contemplate founding new missions to use every precaution to minimise risk and difficulties.

A few months ago, a Faith-healing Mission, a party of four men, sent by Mr. Simpson’s church in New York, started for the Congo. They held this same notion of self-support, and of being able to establish mission work far into the interior with a small sum of money. I saw the leader of the party, gave him the fullest information, and more advice than was agreeable. They reached the Congo, and, ignoring medicine, the leader died in a week or two, the rest were obliged to abandon their principles, and the mail of May brought a message from them that they wish they had followed my advice. They had come to the end of their means, differences of judgment had arisen; without money enough to return home, they were hoping to get some employment on the coast, and thus to earn sufficient to return. Such a story needs no comment, but certainly ought to be known.