For Young People.

SUPERSTITION IN AFRICA.

BY MRS. EMMA D. WOODSIDE, OF SAKANJIMBA, WEST AFRICA.

"THE Dark Continent," "Darkest Africa," "Haunted Africa," "The home of witchcraft and superstition,"- these are a few of the phrases used in reference to that unfortunate country. Unfortunate, do we say? the continent that sheltered the infant Saviour in time of danger.

Yet it was
We often

find ourselves asking the question, Is it God's purpose to forever leave Africa in the clutches of the Evil One? It cannot be. Indeed, we already see signs of deliverance; a new and brighter day is beginning to dawn.

Let me tell you of some of the superstitious beliefs that have come under our observation during our residence in Africa. Prior to our life there, we had a faint idea of the meaning of that term, for had we not known strange superstitions among the uneducated classes of our own race, even among Christians? For instance, the notion about haunted houses, the objection to moving, or commencing a new piece of work on Friday, the turning of a clock or mirror to the wall in case of death in the family, and many other foolish

fancies. But to find a people whose very life is rooted and grounded in superstition was to us a new and sad experience.

The religion of the African, so far as we are acquainted with him, and if it can be called a religion, is a superstitious fear. Innumerable are the charms worn upon the person or kept in house or village to give protection and to ward off evil and misfortune of every conceivable kind. Witchcraft exerts a powerful influence upon the life. A witch doctor professes to be able, by means of his charms, to consult spirits and divine mysteries. In witchcraft there are two classes of practitioners: witches themselves, men and women who know how to make and to use medicines and charms, and the "witch doctor," who is called in for everything, not only when a person is bewitched, but when accidents occur or crops fail; in fact, in all emergencies. The stock in trade of a witch doctor is a basketful of horns, gourds, skins, images, bones, etc.

I once witnessed the performances of a witch doctor in one of my visits among the villages. The chief of the country was sick and the doctor was giving him a massage treatment. By sleight of hand he seemed to draw from the patient's side chicken's claws, feathers, bones, sticks, pebbles, etc. Some witch, it was supposed, had caused these things to grow in the man's body, with intent to kill. It was evident to the astonished crowd which had gathered around that their king would probably get well, now that these things were removed. The doctor's bill was promptly paid, a thousand balls of rubber, ten pieces of cloth, and a large pig. An ox was slaughtered and a beer-drink indulged in, to celebrate the occasion and to appease any offended spirit.

Africans believe that "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure,” although they do not have that proverb in just those words. It is for prevention that charms are worn. If a person is cautious he will provide himself with a charm to hold in his hand while he sleeps, and then when the witches come in the dark night and wrest open the door and throw some powdered stuff on the fire to keep him asleep, he will awake and be safe.

While living at Bailundu I was at one time teaching school at the king's village. It was my custom to ring a small hand bell to call the children together. One day as I approached the village I was met by a messenger who informed me that the king wished to see me. I immediately proceeded to his Majesty's apartments, wondering what this summons could mean. He sat in his accustomed place on a great flat stone by the gate of the courtyard, surrounded by several of the old "men of state." After a friendly greeting he said to me, "Ondona, you must not ring that bell any more. We think it is keeping off the rain. It doesn't rain and the corn is drying up, and if the corn crop fails we'll have to sit in hunger next year." To illustrate his meaning he drew in his breath, clasped his stomach in his hands to represent a starving condition, and said, "This is the way we shall look, Ondona."

I tried in vain to persuade him that it was not in my power or that of any other person to prevent rain. I promised, however, to leave my bell at home in the future. Several days passed and still no rain, and a new cause for its non-appearance had to be sought. It was discovered to be in the dilapidated condition of the kings' graves. Each grave has a little grass-thatched roof

over it, to protect it from rain. These roofs had become old and leaky and the spirits of the offended royal ancestors were supposed to be keeping off the rain until the graves were repaired. Consequently a day was set apart and all the men of the village and surrounding country were ordered to gather sticks and grass, and re-thatch the graves.

Again days passed and no rain. Then a great spirit-feast was declared. Oxen were slaughtered, great quantities of beer brewed, and the whole country gathered at the capital, where they had several days of feasting and carousing, until many were so wrought upon by excitement and passion that they seemed possessed by demons. Old men and women, bowed with age and stiff with

rheumatism, leaped and danced and whirled like nimble youth. Drums were beaten and the rain doctors were busy whistling and waving their wands, trying to induce the clouds to come in their direction. Shortly after this performance, in the course of twenty-four hours, the rain fell in copious showers and the country was jubilant over the success in "bringing rain."

We were having a house built at one time at the beginning of the rainy season. The rains were tardy in coming, and the people conceived the idea that we were holding off the rain until the house was thatched. Whereupon some of the men fell to work cutting and carrying grass so that the house could be completed in shorter time. And then they demanded that the rain be allowed to fall.

Early one morning a man came to our house and told my husband that some one had been stealing things from him, and he wished him to divine who it was. He brought a piece of wax to pay for the information. My husband

told him that neither he nor any other man could tell by divining who the thief was. The man looked into his face and blandly replied, "Wa kemba," (You lie !)

It is not strange that they should believe that the white man possesses magic power. He who has so many curious objects and can do things that

they never dreamed of doing, why should he not be able to do at least as wonderful things as their own people? May we be helped in showing these superstitious people that there is a God in heaven who loves them and is seeking to save them from their sins, so that they will no longer believe the foolish things that their rain doctors tell them. There is a better day coming for these children of Africa.

THE

ASTOR, LENOX AND

TILDEN POUNDATIONS.

MISSIONARY HERALD.

The Books
Closed.

VOL. XCIV. - SEPTEMBER, 1898. - No. IX.

THE fiscal year of the Board closes August 31, but the books are kept open as usual the first week in September to receive sums of money designed for the year. There will be several days in which our friends can act with generous giving to our work when this number of the Herald is received. Month by month the Board has stated its need of help in order to carry on its work. With intense feelings of the necessities the story has been told until words fail us to say more. One thousand churches or individuals to give $100 each is the need! One man has started the movement with $1,000. See the Congregationalist for August 11.

Chinese Callousness.

A MISSIONARY in China gives an example of what he calls Chinese humanity. When passing along a street of a city he came upon a crowd and found that a man about fifty years of age had fallen in the street to die no uncommon occurrence there. The crowd stood around the poor man, shouting and cursing, when one person called out, "Haul the fellow into the gutter and do not let him die in the middle of the street, blocking up the way! The missionary was obliged to pass on, but returning an hour later, he found the man in the gutter dead, a fan over his face, and two candles burning at his feet, with the design of lighting the soul-whither they did not know. There the body lay until night, and the people passed by unaffected by the sorrowful sight.

Plague at
Canton.

RECENT letters from Canton report considerable interference with missionary work owing to the plague which is again ravaging that part of China. It is estimated that there have been more than 200 deaths per day in Canton and the disease is still on the increase. Several of the mission schools have been closed and a few of the chapels. The chapel of the American Board was still open for daily preaching according to last reports, though many had the feeling that it was dangerous. to bring any company of people together in one place. Some of the parents of the students in the training school became anxious and took away their children, whereupon the whole school, including the teacher, wanted to leave. It was decided to move the school across the river, and there, in comfortable

quarters, it was being carried on. Our girls' school is almost entirely deserted. It is a very trying time, and the difficulties are none the less on account of the superstitions of the people.