Soon following the return of my husband and his men from Uhehe, we had a memorial service for the man who had fallen a victim in the forest to the spears of the natives. Only the Sunday before did the young man give his heart to Jesus, when my husband was speaking on the fourteenth and fifteenth verses of the third chapter of the Gospel by John: "As Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of man be lifted up; that whosoever believeth may in Him have eternal life." As he was closing, he gave an opportunity to those who had accepted of Christ during the meeting to testify before the others. This young man, who was afterward so suddenly struck down without a moment's warning, then boldly made known his faith in Jesus.
At the memorial service we had a very solemn assembly. A larger number than usual came together, and a deep hush rested upon the meeting, at which we had reason to believe that three or four other men decided for God, and found in Christ a present Savior. The subject was, "Be ye also ready, for in such an hour as ye think not the Son of man cometh." My husband dwelt upon the uncertainty of life, and the urgent necessity for each one to be fully prepared at any moment to enter into the presence of God.
On that day, prayers ascended to Heaven from semi-wild hearts for the Wahehe people, who had taken the life of their comrade. We ourselves had often thought of this tribe, and prayed that God might be pleased to open the way for Missionaries to enter their country, and carry to them the message of salvation. They had oftentimes been engaged in deadly contest with the Wahumba, another clan who were as fierce and bloodthirsty as themselves.
We once visited a district where these two rival tribes had been engaged in an annihilating encounter. There, in a delightful park-like open glade, which, for natural beauty, could scarcely be surpassed in any land, the ground was literally covered with human skulls and bones. As we stood on the tender carpet of green grass, gazing in horrible bewilderment, we could not but think of the words of the poet, "How that red rain (ie..of blood) hath made the harvest grow."
In the midst of this field of human slaughter, there appeared a beautiful spotted giraffe, silhouetted against the mimosa trees, which spread their feathery branches in that enchanting landscape. This fairy-like form seemed to me as an angel looking down upon the terrible scene of bloodshed, and I wondered how so pure and harmless a creature could stand in the presence of such a golgotha.
What anguish, what piercing cries and dying groans filled the mild air on that sad day of fatal conflict. Some years later, when the German Government entered that country, and took over the territory as a Protectorate, they had a great deal of trouble with the Wahehe tribe. On one occasion a great disaster took place, when a large body of men were wiped out of existence through the wily stratagy of these spearmen. A military caravan of five hundred armed Coast porters, under the command of seventeen German officers, with a machine gun, was passing along through the interior, not very far from where our man was murdered, when they noticed a body of young Wahehe running towards them, with their spears ready to launch. These junior warriors rushed on throughout the whole length of the caravan, slaying as many of the men as stood within their reach, and completely disorganizing the main body of the caravan, before the German leaders had time to grasp the situation.
This attack was evidently made as a deception, to tempt the Germans to pursue them, for, no sooner had they passed through the length of the caravan, than they kept on their course right ahead. The Germans, imagining that the attack was over, and determining to revenge the treacherous slaughter of their porters, gave orders to follow up the retreating foe.
While thus busy, another band of old warriors came on with eagerness and attacked them in the rear, and pressed forward through the caravan, dealing death and destruction as they went; and eventually joined hands with the youths who had struck the first blow. The few remaining Germans were in utter alarm, and could not use their machine gun, owing to the confusion of the fight, lest they should kill many of their own men while seeking to cut down the enemy. Just then, there burst upon their view a sight which removed the last hope of escape from the heart of every living man in that military caravan. Another band of the professional warriors of the tribe—men of from twenty to thirty years of age—came driving forward with an suddenness which nothing could resist. The machine gun was only then brought into use, and for a minute or two the oncoming natives were mowed down, but those behind leaped over the dead bodies of their comrades, and rushed to where the remnant of the caravan stood, behind the machine gun.
The few Europeans now left alive, seeing that death stared them in the face, made a hasty attempt to flee to the cover of the thick bush; but only three solitary individuals succeeded in reaching it and finally making their escape. The rank and file of the five hundred men lay steeped in their own blood.
Darkest Africa! In the years gone by, what brutal bloodshed and slaughter have stained thy fair landscapes! Praise to the Almighty, thy redemption draweth nigh, for even now Ethiopia is stretching out her hands unto God.
Already in many districts, which were the abode of inconceivable tortures and fearful cruelty, and where the clash of spears constantly resounded through the forest, there rises today the song of men who have entered into that freedom wherewith Christ hath made His people free.
Due to the advent of German and other European Governments in Central Africa, and the necessity of employing innumerable caravans, of hundreds of thousands of porters, the question of the treatment of the natives by the "White invader" has become one of no less than European importance.
Among the representatives of the different Governments and the Missionaries of different nationalities, there are many and very varied opinions as to the proper treatment of the natives.
Few are the travelers who have penetrated the interior of Africa with a native caravan, who have not been greatly troubled, at times, by the insubordination of their porters. All the great Missionary travelers and explorers alike have suffered in this respect. The iron heart of Livingstone was often crushed at critical moments by the abandonment of his followers, who fled, leaving him comparatively helpless and upsetting his projects. The late Bishop Hannington, on his last journey wrote, "Desertion, treachery and a few other nightmares and furies hover over our heads in ghostly forms."
There is no doubt whatever that disobedience and desertion on the part of the natives, when on the march through Africa, may not only frustrate the object of the expedition, but endanger the life of the European and those of the caravan. Hence it is a matter of vital importance to know how best to treat an aggressive spirit of disobedience, when it is first manifested, and nip it in the bud.
The heroic Hannington found it necessary, in his estimation, to snatch firebrands from the camp fire and throw them at the disobedient porters, who stubbornly refused to take up their loads and move out of camp: and Hannington was one of the most just and tender-hearted men that ever entered the Continent.
Another Missionary with whom we traveled, and one who was much liked by the porters, has often raised his toe to propel (ie..kick in the backside) a native towards the task which he had refused to perform. When on the march, one day, with this friend, we got into camp some time after darkness had set in.
One unaccustomed to traveling can barely imagine the amount of trouble and work involved in getting the camp into order, and all arranged for its well-being and safety, and this in the darkness of the night. The leader cannot then see his men and control and direct their movements as in daylight. Concealed by the darkness, the lazier members of the caravan often lie under the trees and get out of their duty, leaving the burden of the work to devolve upon the more willing hands. Tents must be pitched, firewood brought from the surrounding forest, water drawn for the use of the camp, loads stacked, and fires kindled as a defense against the wild beasts of the forest.
On this occasion our men had worked splendidly, and our camp was in perfect order for the night. Our Missionary companion, however, had not been so successful with his quarter of the camp, owing to the unwillingness and laziness of his porters. He had no water, although two men had been ordered to draw some at a pool, which was but a bowshot from the camp. When the water should have been brought in, and everything ready for the night, these two fellows were found sitting at a fire made by other hands, quite regardless of the command and immediate needs of their leader. The Missionary, becoming aware of their disobedience, rushed at the two insubordinates; and, as they took the erect posture, he dealt to each respectively a toe kick, which was of such a persuasive character that the necessary water was brought to camp in less than no time.
It is absolutely impossible for a European, who has never traversed the wilds of Central Africa with a caravan of semi-wild men, to rightly judge of the actions of these and other travelers, under conditions of which so little is known.
On that night in camp, after all had partaken of their evening meal, and our Missionary friend joined my husband in speaking to those men around the camp fire of the redemption and eternal life, which has been purchased for us by Christ Jesus, none were more attentive listeners than those two men, who had been so suddenly punished for their disobedience. Whatever others may think, they evidently considered that the chastisement was just, and the administration of it, to them at least, quite natural.
I knew one Missionary who, when he entered Africa for the first time, was so compassionate towards the natives, that he could not bear to see them sweltering under the burdens which they were carrying for him, and alternately relieved one porter after another by carrying their load on his own shoulder. That man was so unsuccessful in his work as a Missionary, that after some years he gave it up altogether.
When we were entering Equatorial Africa, over a quarter of a century ago, there was put into our hands by the Society, under whose sponsorship we were about to work, a printed leaflet of recommendations to Missionaries, as to how to act towards the natives in various circumstances. Under the heading of "Punishments," the booklet stated, "Stopping men's pay is not much good as the Native African does not look forward. Stopping their 'posho' (or food) when not actually on the march, and flogging in extreme cases are best." These recommendations were not formulated by the Home Committee of the Society, but only temporarily adopted from the reports of Missionaries, who had already traveled in the interior.
It is a most unreasonable proposal, however, to stop the "posho" or food of men, who are engaged in carrying one's loads up into the interior of a wild and inhospitable country; and especially so when it is considered that these men only eat once a day, and that at night, after their day's work is done. From the humane standpoint, the suggestion is heartless and cruel, while, looking at it from the point of utility, it would seem that willingly to adopt a course which would weaken the porters, on whom the traveler's life and the transport of his goods depend, would only be a repetition of the folly of killing the goose which lays the golden eggs.
With regard to the matter of beating the natives, the most eminent travelers in Africa agree that corporal punishment is inevitable in any caravan. One of the latest writers, who has emphatically reiterated the necessity of flogging, is Duke Adolphus Frederick of Mecklenburg, cousin to the German Empress.
In his important volume recently published, he says, “Now it is sufficiently well known that traveling in Africa is impossible without the maintenance of the strictest discipline and the use of flogging as a punishment for disobedience. This is the experience of all those who have traveled with a large safari (caravan) for any length of time. Where the leader is not empowered to punish the offender as he merits, there the discipline which is absolutely essential in any caravan, as well as the authority of the leader, speedily disappears. It is only the white man who has never traveled alone with a large caravan, absolutely dependent on his own force of will, that can fail to recognize this fact."
Then the Duke asks the question, "Is a European to blame who flogs his porters, when he is driven to despair by their insubordination?” After the experience of a quarter of a century, in traveling with my husband through the wilds of Africa, I must say that I entirely disagree with the idea that beating is inevitable in dealing either with caravan porters, or the far more stubborn natives of the interior. I believe that it has an obdurate and degrading effect upon the character of the native, making him more angry, revengeful and treacherous, and generating in him a determination to more fully succeed in perpetrating that for which he was flogged.
I am sure that the man who throws a firebrand at a native, in the moment of a breach of duty or violation of a command, is much nearer to the more successful mode of dealing with these grown-up children of Africa, than the man who deprives a porter of his food, or stoically ties him up and administers a flogging. The short, sharp, though somewhat blustering punishment of the one, which comes momentarily and unexpectedly in the very nick of time, has a telling effect upon the offender, while the justice given by the other is neither improving the natives, nor the traveler's reputation among them. The infliction of the latter may be judicial but is far from judicious.
The motive governing the action of every caravan leader in punishing the native offender, should spring from that uncontaminated source, which is clearly described in Paul's first letter to the Corinthians, in the section known as the thirteenth chapter. There Paul brings us to the fountain head of Love, from which issues every just and righteous action—a love which knows neither pretense nor dissimulation, which generates a sense of justice tempered with mercy, fearing no foe and favoring no friend, which suffereth long and is kind, which does not behave itself unseemly and seeketh not its own.
The intelligent Bantu native of the Equatorial Belt utterly despises the foolishness of the indiscreet European beginner, who attempts to carry his load; and has nothing but contempt for the silly attentions of those who would assay to feed him on Huntley & Palmer's biscuits and Tate's cube sugar.
Unswerving justice, stable decency and Christlike love, these are the features of character which the natives admire and which exert a far-reaching influence over their minds and hearts. The man who can administer a brisk and righteous warning to a native one minute, and be just the same cheery, joyful leader, father and friend the next, is the man who has an ever-open door into the heart of the African native.