Produced by Charlie Howard and The Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive) [Illustration: A CATARACT OF THE CONGO, FROM THE BAYNESTON STATION. _From an Original Sketch._] LIFE ON THE CONGO BY THE REV. W. HOLMAN BENTLEY _Of the Baptist Mission_ With an Introduction BY THE REV. GEORGE GRENFELL _Explorer of the Upper Congo_ LONDON THE RELIGIOUS TRACT SOCIETY 56, PATERNOSTER ROW; 65, ST. PAUL’S CHURCHYARD; AND 164, PICCADILLY. CONTENTS. CHAP. PAGE INTRODUCTION 7 I. THE DISCOVERY OF THE CONGO 13 II. THE PHYSICAL FEATURES OF THE CONGO 20 III. VEGETATION, CLIMATE, AND PEOPLE 28 IV. HOME LIFE ON THE CONGO 49 V. THE RELIGIOUS IDEAS OF THE NATIVES 62 VI. CANNIBALISM, FREEMASONRY AND CHARMS 77 VII. MISSIONS IN CENTRAL AFRICA 95 VIII. MISSIONS ON THE CONGO RIVER 109 INTRODUCTION. [Illustration] Although only four years have elapsed since my colleague penned the accompanying chapters, yet events have followed each other so fast that another short chapter seems to be needed to bring them up to date. During this brief interval, our knowledge of the geography of the country and the distribution of its waterways has been considerably extended; important political events have transpired on both the eastern and western boundaries of the Congo Free State; commerce has seriously undertaken the task of exploiting the resources of the interior; and missions also have been moving onward, and at the same time have succeeded in strengthening their old positions.