CHILDREN OF AFRICA
[Illustration: BOYS HUNTING]
CHILDREN OF AFRICA
BY
JAMES B. BAIRD
AUTHOR OF
“NYONO AT SCHOOL AND AT HOME”
WITH EIGHT COLOURED ILLUSTRATIONS
[Illustration]
FLEMING H. REVELL COMPANY
NEW YORK CHICAGO TORONTO
PRINTED BY
TURNBULL AND SPEARS
EDINBURGH
CONTENTS
CHAP. PAGE
I. INTRODUCTORY 9
II. THE DARK CONTINENT 10
III. THE GREAT RACES OF AFRICA 14
IV. AN AFRICAN HOUSE 17
V. THE AFRICAN CHILD 22
VI. AN AFRICAN VILLAGE 25
VII. GAMES 32
VIII. FAIRY TALES 40
IX. ANIMAL STORIES 43
X. FINGER RHYMES AND RIDDLES 49
XI. FOOD AND ORNAMENTS 56
XII. THE AFRICAN’S BELIEF 62
XIII. THE AFRICAN IN SICKNESS 66
XIV. MAGIC MEDICINE 72
XV. THE DANCE AND MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS 76
XVI. HINDRANCES TO THE GOSPEL 80
XVII. METHODS OF MISSION WORK 84
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
1. BOYS HUNTING _Frontispiece_
PAGE
2. A VILLAGE HUT 18
3. HIS FIRST SUIT 22
4. AN AFRICAN VILLAGE 30
5. A BATHING POOL 60
6. DRILL REPLACES THE DANCE 78
7. A MISSION SCHOOL CLASS 88
8. ATTACKED BY A LEOPARD 92
_In preparing his coloured pictures, the artist has received much
help from photographs kindly supplied by Mr J. W. Skinner and Mr A.
J. Story._
CHILDREN OF AFRICA
CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTORY
“From Greenland’s icy mountains,
From India’s coral strand,
Where Afric’s sunny fountains
Roll down their golden sand,
From many an ancient river,
From many a palmy plain,
They call us to deliver
Their land from error’s chain.”
There is not one of you, my dear boys and girls, who does not know
this oft-sung missionary hymn. But if there is, then of this I am
sure, there is not one who knows it who does not love it, for it is
one of the most beautiful of all our hymns. Since it was written many
years ago by Bishop Heber, hundreds and hundreds of young voices have
sung it; hundreds and hundreds are singing it to-day; and hundreds and
hundreds will yet sing it.
It is a great call to us who know Christ our Saviour to spread abroad
into all heathen lands our knowledge of Him who came down from heaven
and died to save mankind. And nobly has the call been responded to. The
Christian Churches have sent forth messengers into all the ends of the
earth to preach the “glad tidings of great joy which shall be to all
people” in obedience to the command of their risen Lord who said, “Go
ye, therefore, and teach all nations.”
So in our own day we find that Christ’s ambassadors have gone into
every continent and penetrated into the most distant lands; that the
Bible, or some part of it at least, has been translated into many
different languages; and that the lives of countless numbers of native
peoples have been made purer and holier and happier by their knowledge
of Him who loves them.
As you all know one of the continents of the earth is called
Africa--the dark Continent; and it is about Africa and its children I
want to write to you.