SAVAGE CUSTOMS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXII, Issue 22004, 10 January 1935, Page 11

SAVAGE CUSTOMS

LIFE IN BELGIAN CONGO CANNIBALS AND BEASTS NEW ZEALANDER'S ADVENTURES Savage natives, some of them cannibals, all sorts of big game, insects and snakes are all part of the clay's -work with Mr. J. H. Geddes, a missionary in the Belgian Congo, who has returned to his home in New Zealand on furlough for the first time for four years. He is at present staying with friends in Christchnrch.

Attached to the Congo Evangelistic Mission, Mr. Geddes has his headquarters in the Katanga district, which is bigger in area than the South Island, says the Christchurch Times. It is reached by a 3000-mile rail trip from Capetown, lasting seven days, a 200mile journey up the great Congo River, and a five-day overland journey made on foot or on bicycle over bush tracks. The natives, before the missionaries started their work, were absolutely untouched, and even now many of them are cannibals. The one redeeming feature of the mission work is that the natives are more or loss friendly, and accept Christianity without much persuasion. Mr. Geddes was inclined to make light of the more thrilling side of his work, declaring that the excitement of life in a savage country soon became commonplace. "Death to White Men" On one occasion, when travelling with another missionary, Mr. Geddes had to spend the night in a village where the inhabitants, embittered at the Government taking the side of a neighbouring village in a dispute, were openly announcing their intention of killing the first white men to come in sight. "We seemed to bo in for it," said Mr. Geddes. "The natives had made themselves crazy with drink and Indian hemp, and were highly excited. We decided to spend the night in an old school, unfortunately without a door. Late that night one of the tribesmen came up to the building and began walking round and round. "We were pretty scared. The tribesman was armed with an old muzzleloader gun, many knives, three elephant spears and other weapons. After prowling round for some time we heard him say: 'Yes, they are asleep, but it is a leopard's sleep, with one eye open.' After that he left us. Needless to say, we were glad to get out of that village." On another occasion, continued Mr. Geddes, a fellow missionary spent a night in a cannibal village, and had the unpleasant experience of hearing the natives discuss the prospect of a meal of white meat. Natives often disappeared, he added, but it was seldom that a white man was taken,. for the natives feared the consequences. Another experience whicfi nearly cost Mr. Geddes his life was when he was crossing Lake Bupemba, 80 miles long and 40 wide. A storm sprang up with tropical violence, and the launch was all but swamped. Its occupants spent an anxious time wondering whether they were going to provide the crocodiles with a meal. Growth of the Mission

Referring to the work of the mission Mr. Geddes said that there were 30 missionaries and 11 stations. Some 13,000 children were being taught in the schools, 17,000 natives had become Christians and there were 500 native evangelists. Although it was impossible to take a census on the Belgian Congo, the total population was estimated at 20,000.000. The country was divided into six provinces, with Elizabethville as the capital. The Belgian Government was very successful, and rule was carried out largely through the native chiefs. "The worst trouble we have to contend with is the elephants," continued Mr. Geddes. "They are destructive and dangerous beasts. Whole native villages are wiped out bv elephant herds. The natives are terrified of elephants, yet accept lions and leopards philosophicallv."

Referring to witch-doctors, Mr. Geddes said that there were two types—the men who made charms and sold with them simple medicines, and thoso who professed to be spiritualists. The former were the least offensive, bttt both classes made a good living from the credulous natives. A number of witch-doctors had been converted by the mission, and had given away several interesting trade secrets by which the natives had been duped.