Congoland.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIIC, Issue 13710, 26 September 1908, Page 2 (Supplement)

Congoland.

(W. Lawler Wilson.) George Grenfell, Baptist missionary and explorer, the Livingstone of the Congo region, dkd at Basoko two years ago—on July Ist, 1906- The leading explorer of the Congo basin after Stanley, he had spent nearly thirty years teaching the natives, extending the Baptist mission, and exploring the Dark Continent. Ho was devoted to Africa and happy in his work, but the clouds which began to steal over the Congo, State iu the best decade of hib mission saddened and distressed him. Once the ardent defender of the Congo' State policy, be slowly and unwillingly lost his faith in King Leopold. "Ho "did not know in which direction to turn for tho putting straight of this Cougo region^ "These disappointments and rebuffs, as well as the fatigues incidental to constant steamer journeys up and down t3» Congo connected With the mission work, prematurely aged him- 1 " GrenfelTs grave" at Basoko is marked by a Tieavy slab of stone and a cross: but i>ir Harry Johnston has erected a better monument to his memory in this book, "George Grenfell and the feongo." The two vol-umes-abased on- the miasionary-esplorer's note books, but comprising much original matter supplied by the Rev. Lawson Forfeitts the Baptists Missionary Society. Mr Emi! Torday, and Sir Harry Johnston himself—contain iv mass of information and pictures relating to all that is interesting in the Congo region. The romance of the Congo is primarily a drama in human nature. It is the story of two faces—the white and the black—separated by centuries of independent- development, and thrown suddenly into contact by the strange destiny which directs the world and decides the fate of nations.'

"At lyauja Bentley was asked, "Why do your spirits always trouble us? ' You are' not good. Onr people die, so' do our goats and fowls} our farms do not produce what they should, sickness and trouble come, and you are the caube. . . Why do you - nob let us atone?" The plaint- has a mournful ring, to which tlie white man is not insensible. But Sir Harry. Johnston, touching for once a depth of pholisophy which his optimistic mid restless temperament rarely allows hint to reach, giv«& the true" answer—the only answer—to the black man's remonstrance. 'This lasb phrase was used, even as early as 1835, to the author wlten visiting similar regions on the Upper Copgon. Let us alone. Our customs may be bad itx your eyes, but let. v* alone. Stop in your country as wo stop in onrs." They had not grasped one underlying principle of the martyrdom of man—thai, our muchsuffering genius uever.has been let alone sinco ib diverged from the anthropoid ape. The negro and the Australian may have escaped tlie trials of an Ice Age, only now to bo plagued instead by their Caucasian or Mongolian brothers, who will not—-can-not—let them alone." Even here, in the heart of darkest •Africa, where K'gregalcd tcib's without a history grew up in uutravelled spots', with mysterious customs which they hail inlierited as the ants and tho lx*t> inherit tdie lore of tlu-ir «pccics —even hero they w<to not "let alone." (frcnfcll tell*; of their troubles before tlie white mail came to rule over them:

"I liave Been in {he midct of an Arab raid _in the centre of the- contiticut, iuid within 24 bouts counted 37 bnming or smoking village*?, and had myself to face tlie levelled guns of tlie raiders. "I have seen the cruel bondage in which whofe communitkti have been held by. their superstitious feans. And 1 have all ttnavaittngiy stood by oj|ieit graves and tried to prevent the living Iwing hut-ted with the dead, and altogether have wen more of the daik of human naiuiv than I care to think about, aini much ler* 16 write about. I claim lo know better than » groat many which i* involved by 'native rule.""

At first the ride of the white man in (he Congo .State was benefknt. But the