WE E HAVE already referred to the fact that the King of Belgium, who is also President of L'Etat Independent du Congo, or, as it is usually called, the Congo Free State, has established a Commission for the protection of the natives. The cruelties and oppressions of the traders and State officials toward the Congo people have long been known, and at last have roused King Leopold to an action which we trust may be effective. We note that Rev. A. Sims, M. D., of our own mission, is on the commission on which large powers have been conferred. The great cause of conflict between the natives and State forces has been the great demands made on the natives to bring in rubber. Their refusal to do so has been punished by the destruction of their towns, by captivity and death. The demand for rubber has been reduced one-half. The following is the text of the decree issued by King Leopold, constituting a Commission for the protection of natives in the Congo State : "Leopold II., King of the Belgiums, Sovereign of the Independent Congo State. On the proposal of our Secretary of State, we have decreed and do decree as follows: "A permanent Commission is instituted, charged with the protection of the natives throughout the territory of the State. The members of this Commission will be nominated by the King-Soveriegn for a term of two years, from among the representatives of philanthropic and religious associations. The following are the first nominations: "Mgr. Van Ronste, Bishop of Thymbrium, Vicar Apostolic of the Vicariate of the Congo State, president; Father Van Hencxthoven, superior of the Jesuit Mission at Leopoldville; Father de Cleene, of the Congregation of Scheut; William Holman Bentley, of the Baptist Missionary Society; Dr. A. Sims, of the American Baptist Missionary Union; George Grenfell, of the Baptist Missionary Society, secretary. "The members of the Commission will inform the judicial authorities of any acts of violence of which natives may have been victims. Each member, individually, will exercise the right of protection, and will communicate directly with the Governor General. The Commission will also advise the Government of the measures to be adopted to prevent slave trading, render more effective the prohibition or restriction of the sale of spirituous liquors, and to bring about gradually the disappearance of barbarous customs, such as cannibalism, human sacrifices, trial by poison, etc. "Our Secretary of State is charged with the execution of the present decree. "Given at Brussels, September 18th, 1896. "For the King, "The Secretary of State LEOPOLD. EDM. VAN EETVELDE." HEAD OF LIVINGSTONE FALLS, CONGO RIVER. The upper terminal of the Congo Railway will be at the foot of Stanley Pool, part of which is seen in the background. A TRIP ON THE CONGO RAILWAY MRS. P. FREDERICKSON, KIFWA STATION, CONGO HILE the Congo railway is a great improvement over the native carriers, it is still quite primitive, as will be seen from Mrs. Frederickson's vivid and amusing account of the trip from Matadi to Tumba, which is now the end of the line. In a few years, with the advent of parlor coaches, this will read like ancient history. Taking the Train. You will like to hear how we travel in Congo since the railway has been opened from Matadi to Tumba. The train goes to Tumba one day and returns the next, and rests on Sunday. At halfpast six in the morning we walked down from the mission house, and along the line with Mr. and Mrs. Bain and Mr. Harvey, to see us off. At the pier near by we saw the S.S." Leopoldville," in which we came out. At last we stopped outside a kind of store. There was no platform, waiting-room, tea-room, cloakroom, or any such luxuries, so we lingered 66 on the line. The train was to start at halfpast six, but did not till seven minutes past seven. We ascended from the line and found our seats and placed our rugs, food, and drinks on the floor, then waved goodby to our friends, and were off. We had the old engine, which, however, has done a noble pioneer work out here, but which seems to be in the habit of breaking down." There was also an open wagon for the goods, where the third-class passengers were seated on top of boxes, bundles, folding-chairs, etc. There was no second-class car except it was combined in the first one. This one had sixteen wooden seats, single ones, and a window up to the roof with a curtain, but without glass, for each seat, so we had plenty of fresh air all the time, and gladly put up with the rain of cinders which constantly covered our clothes. There was an iron floor, which was not too clean. It was a "ladies' car," as for the fact of there being ladies; it was a " smoking car," because the gentlemen smoke. We were twelve passengers from Matadi, but I found that at every stopping-place where white men were doing railway-work some more came on, so that before we reached Tumba we numbered twenty-two. The Most Interesting Views were seen between Matadi and Palabala. We were busy looking out through the open windows, now to the right, underneath large, overhanging pieces of clay, when we dared not put out one finger for fear of losing it; and then to the left, straight down into valleys and rivers, and where the line is laid near the edge. If we were afraid that something would happen in crossing the Mposo river, there was no cause for it. While winding our way up the steep hills of Mpalabala, we talked about how we used to travel by the caravan road, and how we crossed the Mposo in a small canoe, keeping up against the strong current. We had regular meals on the trip, and enjoyed much our sandwiches and cold tea and milk. The gentlemen spent the time by having meals with doubtful drinks, and by incessant smoking. We went along, as it seemed to me, very fast, when I compared it with my travelling in 1887. I could not recognize any places except stations and rivers, the scenery passed too fast before my eyes. About ten o'clock we reached Nkenge station. The name was painted on a plain board outside one of the gentlemen's houses. We could not be mistaken. No bewildering advertisements were pasted around the name, such as " Colman's Starch," Van Houten's Cocoa," or anything else. No strict conductor ever demanded our tickets; we gave them to Mr. Hill, our missionary at Tumba. 66 Stopping to "rest." The first half of the journey was quite nice and so interesting and new, but after dinner our seats felt hard and we found little rest against the narrow board for our back. I began to think that it would have been wiser to have waited till the seventh. Twice the engine 66 broke down," and it took nearly an hour each time to get it into its place again. While doing this the passengers went for a walk along the line and came back in time to start. There were many curves, and sometimes we would double back, near to the line which we had left a few minutes before. In the afternoon we had a heavy rain and all the passengers on the left side had to move, the rain coming in through the open windows. A Great Convenience. A colored man with a brass horn tied round his neck was standing at the entrance. I judged from my observations that he was a kind of porter. As to my guessing for what he used the horn, I was satisfied later on, when he made a noise with it and the train at once stopped. In a minute he had jumped down and I saw him run back a good distance along the track. After awhile he returned, carrying a folding-chair belonging to one of the passengers and which had dropped from the goods-wagon. We started again immediately. As nothing serious happened and all was quiet around us, the porter dropped off to sleep with his legs outside the door, so that Mrs. Billington had to rouse him. The same happened to the one who later on took this place, and really we saved him from going down on his head and perhaps injuring himself. Every now and then the engine stopped to have a drink of water, I think because of its being unable to hold much at a time. Darkness and Sleep. - Luvu was passed at twelve-thirty and Songololo at two o'clock. Kuilu we crossed after dark. When the sun went down in its golden sea, or “drank blood" as the natives say, we naturally looked out for some light in our car. But the short twilight disappeared and we felt sleepy, and hour after hour passed away, but no lights came. For a little while we quite enjoyed the modest rays of a few inches of candle which one of the passengers very generously lighted and pasted on the back of a seat. Now and then we noticed a faint light in the distance before us, but always night's rest and the kindness of Mr. and Mrs. Hill. Our luggage was not given out until next morning, and we received some of it wet through from the rain on the journey or at Tumba in the night. You may judge at how great speed we travelled when I tell you that the distance from Matadi to Tumba measures 188 kilometers which we made in sixteen hours. Still we are very thankful to be able to make this journey in one day, which by using carriers or walking would require eight. Next time we hope for a good personal car, a water-tight goodswagon, and a safe engine. JUST AN UNSATISFACTORY EDUCATION REV. JOSEPH S. ADAMS, HANYANG, CHINA JUST now there seems to be a general demand among the Chinese for instruction in the English language. A Chinese merchant offered recently to give ten thousand taels of silver to a missionary society here if they would start an English school for Chinese. The offer was declined, and I think rightly so. The Chinese will give large sums to start a school, but will not be responsible for its maintenance. There is no idea of religion about it, simply of education. They are willing to pay for an English education for their children, but don't care for the responsibility of the machinery. The results from an educational standpoint are not satisfactory. A very high percentage leave school with an education which is wretchedly imperfect from both the Chinese and English point of view. Grasping at both, they have secured neither. I have had several times a leading man here bring his English documents to me for revision and correction, and he is barely able to write a decent letter in Chinese. Yet he is a graduate from a Missionary College, and holds, or held, his important position on the strength of his dual education. From a missionary and spiritual standpoint, I feel it is unsatisfactory. It gives a wider capacity for evil and temptation, without corresponding power of resistance. Of a number of English-speaking Chinese, from Tsai Pao Tai down to the telegraph clerks here, all mission trained men, some even church members, as a spiritual force for the regeneration of China all are unsatisfactory. If the Chinese want schools and schoolmasters, and are able and willing to pay for them, let them send for the schoolmaster, and God bless them! Our business, I take it, is to preach the gospel, to teach the word, and use what education we have time and strength to give; not to make clerks and traders, but to fit the convert for the work of God and the salvation of his fellow-countrymen. First, the new birth, and the consecrated life, then the call to service, and just that much and kind of education as will make the man's ministry of service to Christ and His Church. REV. E. V. SJOBLOM, BOLENGI STATION [Mr. Sjoblom is a native of Sweden, and is supported in his missionary work by the Baptists of Sweden, through the American Baptist Missionary Union. For several years he has resided at Bolengi station, near the point where the Upper Congo river crosses the Equator, and has shown great vigor and earnestness in his efforts to reach the people in the towns scattered through the vast forests which extend back from the banks of the river. Some of his experiences in these untrodden fields as he toiled and suffered to preach Christ "where he was not known."] TURNING straight into the forest from the river, I passed one village visited before. When we had delivered our message there and rested a little we went on again for a few hours, when we came to a marsh, which it took us a long while to wade through. At sunset we reached one of the towns I passed on my first journey. Here I spread out my waterproof and laid down a few minutes, and soon I was en circled by the natives. They continued to gather and soon I had a large congregation. A STRANGE FETISH. I As the dark came on I lighted a candle. The lighting of the match frightened a witch doctor sitting close by. He could not understand what kind of fetishes I had in my possession. After service he came closer and asked to see my box of matches. told him to light one. He tried, but dropped both the match and the box. As they all laughed at him he tried once more and succeeded, though with shaking hands. After a while he asked if I could give the box to him; probably he thought to use it in his service in sight of some who had not seen it before. I could not spare it as it was the only box I had with me. The following day we had a short service before we started. By and by we came to another village, where we stopped and had a short service. After that we crossed a marsh, when we came to the three villages I visited on my first journey. The people came running towards me as they knew me as their friend. Here I crossed the way of my first journey and went farther inland. Before reaching the next lot of towns I had to wade three more marshes. DANGERS BY CANNIBALS. Next day I visited five towns farther away, but as I heard it was near enough to return the same day I left all my things behind at the first place, leaving also two of the boys behind. I had only two boys and three men with me. We had again to cross two marshes, but at the first one we had so much water that I could be taken across in a small canoe. I had a service in each of the five towns, and we had a good gathering at each place. I had thought before to go across until I reached Lake Mantumba, but the people were rather wild yet. In fact, I heard afterwards that a large number of the wild cannibals had waylaid me in the forest only one hour from where I returned. I was afraid to get a fever being so far away and in a place from where it was too difficult to be carried, but I was thankful to God when I was able to start again the following morning. Before I started, and just after service, the chiefs gathered and asked me if I would not settle down amongst them, but I thanked them for the invitation and bade them farewell. We waded the marshes again all right, except that one man carrying my blankets fell in the mire. "SO MAKING PEACE." At the first town of the three I visited on my first journey we stopped for dinner, when I had a service again. Meanwhile I waited for my meal to be ready. Just as I had finished the service, two chiefs began to quarrel. One at once drew his knife and ran at the other, who also drew his knife, the people only looking on ready to take sides if the fight began. In a minute I got |