CHRISTIANISING AFRICA.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XIX, Issue 3, 17 October 1890, Page 3

CHRISTIANISING AFRICA.

In the account published of Dr. Peters's African Expedition the mode of Christianising the Dark Continent pursued by explorers ia illustrated. June 15, 1889 : Dr. Peters started from the coast with a guard armed with magazine rifles and a smali Krupp cannon but without beads, wire, or other articles that represent the currency of Africa. In the middle of August he had difficulty in getting food from the natives as there was a famina in the land and as he had no currency to pay for what he wanted. Consequently, frequent small fights took place with the Wapocones, in which some of them were killed. Oa October 6he reached the country of the Galla tribe. A Sultan and several of his followers were killed, his village waa captured with the Sultan's harem and eigbty-three boat-loads of food Dr. Peters then entered the plains of the Upper Tanar. He killed several of the Masai, and took from them 130 sheep. On November 6he arrived &* Thaka. There he took from the natives 600 head of cattle, burnt seven villages, and killed some fifty men- In December ha reached a country called Kikugu, and killed numbers of the io habitants. On December 20 he arrived at Masailaod proper among the Likipia tribe, burnt a village, killed 150 of the people, and made " a fi oe;haul of over 2,000 head of cattle and sheep." In January he "fought his way " through Kawasia and Elgiyo, and reached Kivirendo, where he aseisted a Sultan to fight a hostile tribe. Then he marched southwest to Uganda. Whilst there he drilled the King's troops, accepted from him the command of an expedition to the country west of the lake to collect tribute " for the Christians." In May he left Uganda, and fought his way through Neera, eventually reaching Ugogo, where he utterly routed Makenga, burnt twelve of his villages, and took large numbers of cattle aod sbeep, finally foicing Makenga to " p y tribute for peace." All this I {Truth, August 21), extract from a relation of the expedition of Dr. Peters, published in the Timet of Monday. This Apostle of Christianity, says the writer, " thinks his journey may be of service to Eoglish Coioaial enterprise." Of late we have had a good deal of hypocritical profession respecting the aim of African explorers to spread the blessings of Christianity in Central Africa by means of cannon and magazine rifles. If Christianity means murdering savages, burn ng their villages, and stealing their cattle, Dr. Peters has certainly distinguished himself in this novel missionary work, and, no doubt, convinced all the tribes with which he c»me in contact that Christianity means " peace and goodwill."