Life on the CongoBentley, W. Holman (William Holman)
History
Life on the Congo
Bentley, W. Holman (William Holman)
Africa, Central -- Description and travel; Congo River -- Description and travel; Missions -- Africa, Central
The old Mission at Mombasa, Kisultini, and Frere Town, is still being
carried on, and is extending its operations into the interior. It
is hoped that soon a shorter route to the lake may be opened up from
Mombasa, by way of Mount Kenia, on the lines of Mr. Thomson’s recent
journey.
The Universities Mission has its headquarters at Zanzibar, whence its
operations are carried on on the mainland opposite, in the district
behind Mombasa, and on Lake Nyassa.
The United Methodist Free Church has also a mission in the interior,
behind Mombasa.
In 1877 the London Missionary Society, aided by the generous gift of
£5000, by Mr. Robert Arthington of Leeds, undertook mission work on
Lake Tanganika. They now occupy Urambo in Unyanyembe, and Uguha, on the
western shore of the lake; also Liendwe at the south-western end, where
they have been constructing their steamer the Good Tidings, which has
been conveyed to that point by the African Lakes Company. The steamer
has been launched, and by last advices she was waiting for some heavy
parts of her machinery, which were delayed on the road.
The Arabs have so harassed the districts round the lake, that mission
work is very difficult and trying; but when the steamer is complete, a
station will be built at the south-eastern corner of the lake, which
will be the terminus of the Stevenson Road. In the meanwhile, progress
with the language is being made.
Thus, in spite of toil and difficulty, privations and losses, the
continent is been attacked from the east coast, and in less than ten
years the best strategic points have been occupied.
Neither has there been any crowding of several missions on one spot.
The field is large, and each of the great societies is far apart from
the other, but so arranged that between them the best points and most
practicable lines have been taken.
The same policy is being carried out on the south-west coast. The
Baptist Missionary Society have been established in the Cameroons
district since 1845; and four hundred miles further to the south, the
American (North) Presbyterian Church carries on the mission founded
in 1842 at the Gaboon. Neither of these missions have been able to
make much progress into the interior, and each has been lately brought
almost to a standstill by the harsh and arbitrary action of European
Governments.
Three years ago, the French Governor of the Gaboon made a law that
there should be no instruction in the native language. Everything
was to be on the lines of the French normal schools; other harassing
restrictions were made, calculated to close the Protestant schools,
and the utmost has been done to drive out the American missionaries,
and indeed all foreigners (traders, etc., other than French). The
schools have been closed; but otherwise the foreigners have not been
driven away. All are hoping for a better, more reasonable policy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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