The Catholic World.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XXV, Issue 49, 8 April 1898, Page 27

The Catholic World.

AFRICA.— A Catholic Bishop Amongst the Cannibals — The following interesting letter from the Most Key. Dr. Augouard, C.S.Sp, Vicar-Apostolic of the Oubanghi, Upper Congo, describing missionary life amongst the cannibals of West Africa, has been received by a father of the same Society, at Blackrock College, Co. Dublin :—": — " Brazzaville, 22nd August, 1897. lam not surprised that you are often asked what is the price of a little black child. Well, a child of eight or ten years of age costs ue from sixteen down to four shillings, younger ones still less. When a grief, when, for the want of a few miserable pieces of money we cannot buy up these poor things, and save them from death, and oh ! what a death ! The child I am unable to buy to-day, to-morrow I Bee on the butcher's block — as food, on sale, for his fellow-creatures ! Can you imagine a more heartrending case ? I should be so happy and grateful, my dear Father, if you could come across some kind hearted, humane friends, willing and capable of enabling us to mitigate somewhat the immense, appalling misfortune of the poor blacks around us. Oh 1 the good tidings we could bring them — freedom, civilisation, true faith, and knowledge of G-od. The good nuns whom I brought out for the sake of the little slave girls are doing an immense amount of good in this country, where never before a white woman was seen. Our good brothers are Providence for me in training up the little boys ; if you could only send us a few more good Irish brothers. The new steamer, as I said, is got for the sake of economy, Btill it is a heavy expense on the mission, but it pressed itself on us as an. indispensable necessity because of the rapid development of the mission. It wili enable us to go quickly where the poor slaves require our assistance, and where misfortune wants relief. At the Master's bidding : ' Due in allum,' 1 we shall cast forth our nets. fPBOSPER Augouard, C.S.Sp., Bishop of Sinita, Vie, Ap. of Oubanghi, W.C. of Africa. To Father Ebenrecht, C.S.Sp., Blackrock College, County Dublin."

ENGLAND.— St. Winefride's Well : Proposed Bottling Works- — It seems that the hand of the desecrator is to be laid upon this sacred spot, which has been the scene of so many wonderful cures. A money-grabbing individual has applied to the Urban District Council of Holywell, for a lease giving him the exclusive right of St. Winefride's Well, the water of which he proposes to use for bottling purposes. At a special meeting of the Council it was decided to take a poll of the ratepayers on the question of closing the Well. In view of the polling Father Beauclerk addressed a letter of protest to the local paper, from which the following is an extract : — " Holywell, as all the world should know, is the town of the " Holy Well ; " so called because the inhabitants of this country have, from time immemorial, believed in the sacred character of the spring. To this famous shrine the people of the land enjoyed access for centuries. It is this venerable spot that the rude hand of I'Jth century commerce threatens to violate. It is this sacred spring, to which Holywell owes its name and very existence, that the people of Holywell are prepared to sacrifice. Whence have the waters their value ? Pouring forth under the graveyard, have the year muddied by the clay of the channels they pass through in their subterranean course, do they offer a beverage that is likely to be attractive to the general public ? Is it their mineral qualities that have suddenly given sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, and made the lame and paralytic to walk ? But the sacred spring is to be sealed, the ancient passage through the water called the Ladies' Well is to be closed henceforth, and only the outer pool is to be approabhable to the suffering pilgrim." On the eve of the poll a public meeting was held, at which the discussion grew so heated and violeut that Father Beauclerk felt con&trained to leave the hall. The poll resulted as follows: For closing the Well, 200; against, I'.i'.i — majority, 127, The Council appear to be anxious to let part of the Well to the money-grubber and still retain Father Beauclerk as their tenant. After considering the result of the poll they have decided to ask Father Beauclerk whether he intends tv renew his tenancy of the Well, which is to expire on May 1, and they will then re-assemble to consider Father Beauclerk's reply.

ITALY— Red-Tapeism Run Mad.— The following story, which is recorded by the Roman correspondent of the Frankfurt* r Zeitung. affords a ludicrous illustration ot the extent to which redtapeism is carried in unhappy, misgoverned Italy. He tells (says the Tablet} how at the foot of the Farini monument in the public garden at Ravenna is a bench which for three years has been an object of public curiosity, from its strict taboo as a seal enforced by the presence of a sentry. The new commandant of the municipal gnardd recently installed wished to penetrate the mystery, but was met by the reply that no one knew why or wherefore, but that from each guard on duty to his successor was transmitted the watchword, " The public are forbidden to sit upon this bench." Further investigation revealed the fact that the superior officer from whom the order had emanated had died the night after its promulgation. Following up this clue, it was discovered that the bench having then been treshly painted, he had given orders that no one was to be allowed to sit upon it, and that rigid adherence to the letter of the law had since perpetuated a regulation which no one had thought of abrogating.

JAPAN-— An Appeal for Japanese Lepers.— The following letter of appeal, the pressing earnestness of which, a^ the London 'Tablet remarks, in no -way suffers from its halting English, has besn just received by one of the Bishops, who now gives it to the public in the hope that something may be done for the the poor lepers : Kumamoto, Japan, December 23, 1897. My lord, — Thanks to God and to your charity, the work of lepers and other destitute sick is in good way. Thi± number of those

wretches we releived from the beginning (May, 1894) is 248, amongst which there are man j nobles, one ancient Procureur of a Japanese court, an ex-bonze, etc., all reduced by the terrible disease to the utmost misery. Of that number 124 died after receiving baptism : some left us, getting better, or from other causes. There remained 83, edtirely or partially on our charge. They are piled one on top of the other, in strait and unhealty huts, the lepers with the syphilitic, etc., all together without distinction of disease because we have not sufficient lodging, nor the means to make any. However a great many others asked us to receive them : of conrse we are obliged to refuse them, and they die without baptism. To install something, we are in need of L 3,000 sterling. How is that amount to be found ? The work is placed under the patronage of Our Lady of Consolation. We imagined to devide the L 3,000 into 130 subscription (of L2O each) in honcnr of the 150 Aye Maria contained in the Rosary, and we are seeking after subscribers. My lord , you already took interest in that work. There is the reason why I write to you again about it. hoping that you will kindly continue what you began. Ah! please God you may be able, by yourself or by others to take a subscription, and to form one bead of the Rosary. We know you have also other good works to support, but to be sure, no good work in the world is ao worth of pity and assistance as this one. To help so much abandoned people is a most eminent deed of mercy. I pray the Heart of Jesus and the Heart of Mary to touch your own heart. I beg your blessing for myself and for my unfortunate children. Your humble servant in Jesus and Mary, J. M. Corre, Mis. Ap. P.S. — Donations may be sent directly, by international post money order, or by cheque on any bank, with the address : the Rev* J. M. Corre, Missionary Apostolic, Kumamoto, Japan. They can also be remitted to Mr. J. Donovan, Illustrated Catholic Missions, 19, Henrietta street, Strand, London, W.C SCOTLAND.— Anti-Catholic Lecturers in Trouble.— " Ex-priest " Slattery and his female companion have have had anything but a happy time of it in Edinburgh. The audiences were small in number, and critical instead of credulous in spirit. The clergy, with one single exception, would have nothing to do with the slanderers, and a herbalist was the only person available for chairman at the various meetings. Even the Protestant Association declared " it had no connection with them, and to the credit of the Catholics of Edinburgh and the Press, they were treated with silent contempt." A quantity of wholesome Catholic literature was distributed at the doors of the various halls, and the publications of the Catholic Truth Society were in considerable demand. At the conclusion of their course of lectures, the amiable pair were brought up on a charge of selling indecent literature. Slattery was compelled to give an undertaking that he would destroy every copy of the book in his possession, and the case was adjourned for a month in order to see that the undertaking was carried out.