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[Illustration: H. Frances Davidson and Adda G. Engle.]
SOUTH AND SOUTH
CENTRAL AFRICA
A RECORD OF FIFTEEN YEARS'
MISSIONARY LABORS AMONG
PRIMITIVE PEOPLES
BY
H. FRANCES DAVIDSON
(WITH PHOTOGRAPHS BY THE MISSIONARIES)
PRINTED FOR THE AUTHOR BY
BRETHREN PUBLISHING HOUSE
ELGIN, ILL.
1915
Copyrighted by
H. FRANCES DAVIDSON
1915
* * * * *
Books may be obtained through
H. R. DAVIDSON
AUBURN, IND.
Route 3
or
M. L. HOFFMAN
ABILENE, KANS.
DEDICATED
TO
MY FATHER'S LIFELONG FRIEND
DR. W. O. BAKER
And to All Others, Who, Like Him, Are Deeply
Interested in the Evangelization of the
Dark Continent
INTRODUCTION
With utmost confidence and pleasure, I give an introductory expression
for this intelligible, authentic, and most valuable little volume, the
product of great sacrifice and long experience, by one who was favored
and honored with lucrative educational positions, being a classic.
I have been acquainted with the authoress for many years, and am a
member of the Foreign Missionary Board under whose auspices she has most
effectually labored during an unbroken period of one and one-half
decades; therefore I speak with great assurance of the merits and hope
of her book, destined to be prolific and incentive to active missionary
operations in foreign lands.
The photo-engravings have special interest, having been taken from real
life and nature as she found them in dark Africa--places, people,
environments, customs, habits, and religion, which she saw with her own
eyes and mind. Having thoroughly mastered various dialects of tribes
among whom she has labored so many years, having gathered many
historical facts relative to uncivilized races, and also having special
tact, instinct and God-given ability through the gift of the Spirit,
making her very efficient in her call to these dusky tribes, she is
qualified in a very proficient sense to compile the story of this
strange people.
On meeting Sister H. Frances Davidson, one is quickly impressed with her
modest and unassuming disposition, the rare gift that characterizes all
the truly noble and great.
Her heroism and unfaltering faith in Jehovah is most remarkably
demonstrated in her adventure--accompanied by Sister Adda Engle (Taylor)
and a native boy--into the wilds of Central Africa, unfrequented by the
tread or touch of any Gospel missioner, among a class of raw natives
that were very shy, rather hostile, and of another tongue, and a country
infested with wild, vicious animals.
When the planning of this adventurous trip was heard by the Foreign
Missionary Board, steps were taken to discourage it, on the ground that
no white man was available to accompany them to the new prospective
mission field; but before the Board's protest could be made effective,
the dangerous journey was heroically and successfully executed and a new
mission station planted north of the great Zambezi, which is the
northern boundary of South Africa.
Such an adventure would almost challenge the courage of the bravest man.
It must have been the leadings of the Lord--the inspiration of the Holy
Spirit.
We all love to read the truthful words that drop from the pen of such
fearless, devoted, and consecrated souls.
The book is written in a clear, graphic, and condensed manner, just the
thing for this busy, rushing generation.
We bespeak for it a precious harvest of lasting fruitage.
Yours in the hope of the Gospel,
J. R. ZOOK,
Chairman of the Missionary Board
of the Brethren in Christ's Church.
PREFACE
Africa holds a unique place in the world today. In no other continent is
there such a world-wide interest and such a variety of interests
centered; the religious, the political, and the commercial world are
alike concerned in its development and progress. It has been a sealed
book for so many centuries that the majority of people have excused
themselves on that score for their ignorance of its conditions and their
indifference as to its welfare; but the day of pardonable ignorance is
past.
While kings and emperors have been eagerly seeking to obtain as large a
slice of its territory as possible, and moneyed men have been unearthing
some of its vast wealth, missionaries, too, have been having a share in
it. In the development of Africa they may, without boasting, claim to be
making the most permanent contribution to its welfare, but even their
work is only begun. The various interests, which for a long time were
concerned with only the countries along the coast, have now penetrated
and opened up that vast interior to civilization and missionary
enterprise; and it remains for the Christians to say whether it shall be
left to the influences of a corrupt civilization or whether they will
shoulder their responsibilities and rise to their privileges in taking
the country for God.
Many missionary bodies are already at work, and much is being
accomplished; but the continent is so gigantic, the distances to be
traversed so immense that it will require the united efforts of all
God's children to pay the debt humanity owes to this long-neglected
continent and those downtrodden pagans.
It has been my aim in these pages to give, without embellishment, some
idea of the nature of the Africans, their character, customs, religion,
and surroundings, as well as some of the difficulties, methods,
encouragements, and discouragements of missionary work among them.
Missionaries are often censured for being too optimistic, for giving
only the bright side of their work, therefore I have studiously sought
to avoid this attitude and to give an unvarnished account of missionary
enterprise. Judging from my own convictions and beliefs in reference to
the work, it seems to me that if I have erred in this respect, it has
been by understating rather than overstating the value and encouraging
results arising from such labors.
This book does not claim to be a complete history of the Brethren in
Christ's Missions in Africa, but rather some of the experiences of one
member of that mission body. Since, however, it has been my privilege to
be with the work from its inception, the enclosed narrative will have
the added value of giving at least something of the beginning and early
history of the mission. My only apology for recounting so much of my
personal experience and impressions in the work is that I am unable to
give, properly, the experience and viewpoint of anyone else.
We desire to express our thanks to Mrs. Myron Taylor, formerly Miss Adda
Engle, for the majority of the photographs with which this work is
illustrated; also to Elder Steigerwald and the other missionaries who
have furnished a number of them. We had hoped to have some later ones
from Matopo and Mtshabezi Missions, but have failed in securing good
ones.
If this little volume in some small degree arouses a greater interest
among Christians in the evangelization of the Dark Continent, and is a
means in God's hands of getting the light to a few more of the vast
millions of pagan Africans, I shall feel more than repaid for sending it
on its mission.
H. FRANCES DAVIDSON.
Auburn, Ind.
CONTENTS
PART I
Matopo Mission
CHAPTER I.
Early Missionary Labors--Origin of Foreign Missionary
Work, 1894--After Two Years--An Appeal--My
Call--First Missionaries--Preparing to Sail,
1897, 19