(A glimpse of nine years labor among cannibal tribes.)

We left America in December, 1911, for the Nyam Nyam (Zande) Tribe of Central Africa said to be one of the largest tribes yet unevangelized. We entered Africa from the east coast, as there are Mission stations part of the way inland on that side. By May we had passed across British East Africa, Lake Victoria, and down the Nile to Lake Albert, passing through Uganda on the way.

Uganda has been evangelized in our own day, and changed from savage paganism and fetish-worship to a quiet civil land of churches and school-houses. The people are industrious, progressive, and largely professing Christians. A generation ago, a company of devoted young men left the comforts of England to give their lives and talents for the evangelization of that then dark land. After very great hardships and sufferings, they had penetrated the seven thousand miles between the coast and Uganda, and under, great difficulties, learned enough of the language to give them the Gospel. In one short generation, Uganda had been transformed.

Across Lake Albert was another tribe, entirely ignorant of the Gospel. How sharp the contrast to evangelized Uganda ! They were expert thieves; when we thought our goods carefully watched, they disappeared as if by magic. Through tropical tempests, when the sky seemed to drop down to earth, in the night they would come. My wife awoke me one night with, "Quick, quick, a leopard or some animal is getting in." It was not a leopard, but thieves, who had already removed loose articles within reach, and were trying to extract the box which formed a part of my wife's bed.

One day I was resting under a tree, near a grass hut, when a band of men dashed up the hill and laid a man's hand at my feet, which they had taken from one of their enemies in revenge for an attack upon them, exclaiming:"They killed one of our men;" and I saw the smoke of burning villages. I explained I was not a Government official, but had come to bring them the message of love from God who is grieved at such things.

A journey of 500 miles further to the northwest brought us in the midst of the great Zande tribe to whom we had come. They had been notorious cannibals, striking terror to many tribes in Central Africa. They had absorbed or conquered many of them. Any tribe that refused to submit, they rushed upon them with their spears, and cries of "Nyam, Nyam" ("Meat, Meat"). They made slaves of children and younger women, and ate other prisoners and the slain.

Near the posts and along the main routes established by the Government, cannibalism is largely abandoned, at least openly:but elsewhere the ancient custom continues.

Their religion is demon-worship. They believe cunning spirits are all about them, and that their favor may be gained by certain offerings and ceremonies. The witch doctor is supposed to know just how to deal with these spirits. He may endow a piece of skull, a bone, or any other object, with magical powers to protect them from wild beasts, diseases, etc. Without these fetishes, sacrifices and incantations (all commonly spoken of as "medicine"), the natives feel themselves helpless victims to evil spirits or whatever may choose to prey upon them; but with these charms they recklessly throw themselves into the greatest dangers:without them they fear the most innocent creatures and are afraid to take the most ordinary journey, lest evil spirits entrap and injure them. The ways of these Africans are beyond comprehension if their superstitions are not taken into account.

The sudden arrival of a white man at a village often causes a general flight to the jungle; sometimes the men remain within sight or hearing, to see what the intruder will do. Whenever we come to such a village, I call to them and ask if they have heard the good news about the Son of God. They answer:"No, we have not heard." Then I tell them that the God who made them and all things about them, loves them, and has given them a spirit that they might know Him, and that they might live with Him in His good home. I explain to them that in the house of God nothing can enter there that will do evil or is bad-no death, no sickness, nothing that gives trouble, but only good.

Then I ask if the darkness can remain in a house when a light is brought in. They answer, "No." Then I say that nothing evil can stay in God's house any more than darkness can stay where the light shines. I assure them that if they have evil desires in their hearts, they will not want to come in God's house, any more than savage animals will come where the light shines. I tell them that God loves them, nevertheless, and wants to purify them from their bad desires and evil deeds, so that they may be fit for His happy home.

I show them my handkerchief, and ask if it would be fit to wipe my face after rubbing it in the mud. They answer, "No." I ask if I should throw it in the fire. They answer, "No, you can wash it." Then I say, "In the same way God does not want to cast you into the fire, but make you fit for His beautiful home. Water can wash this cloth, but it cannot wash your hearts," and I explain to them how God can wash their hearts.

By this time the women are usually returning to see this white stranger, since they hear no cries and see no fighting, but see the men with spears laid down, and seated on the ground, listening to the 'strange news. I point at a woman and ask if she loves the child in her arms. They assure me that she does. Then I ask," Suppose the little one falls into the fire. Does the mother leave her babe there and go away happy?" They look at me queerly and exclaim, "No, it would pierce her heart." Then I tell them that a mother's love is given her by God; that He loves them more than mothers love their children; that He sees the evil things in their hearts, which are worse than the fire which burns the body, and because of this, God sent His Son Jesus Christ into the world, to teach them about Him and His love; that His heart was pierced by the evil that He saw, so that He allowed bad men to nail Him to a cross on which He died for our sins; but after three days He arose from the dead and went up to heaven because there was no evil in Him, and pleased His Father so much by dying for our sins. It is He who sends this good news to all men, and God pardons and cleanses the hearts of those who put their trust in Him.

In a number of villages this message was received with joy, and they would have me stay with them and be their teacher; but I was only able to promise that I would tell my friends about their desire for a missionary. They were told that they could speak to God in their own language-tell Him how they felt about these good news.

One night I listened while those who believed were praying. Put into English, it ran thus:"O God, we thank you that you love us, and sent your Son to die for our sins. We thank you that when He hung on the cross, He let our sins strike His heart and pierce it. Now we do not want any more to do the bad things that made Him die for us; but we want to turn away from all that made Him suffer." When I ask them if they would show this teaching, as well as believe it, that others might see as well as hear what the death and resurrection of the Saviour means, many are glad to do so, and I baptize them in the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, thus showing to others that they believe that God has sent His Son to die for their sins, and that they also die to their sins and past life, and rise with Him to walk in newness of life. None are baptized unless the other believers are satisfied that the one asking is sincere.

I have seen these men leave their fetishes, their polygamy, and other evil customs, and go here and there to tell others this good news. Some have evangelized so far that it alarmed the Catholics, who expected some day to establish missions amongst them. Strong pressure has been brought to bear upon them, but reports from native teachers sent to visit them speak of evangelization being continued among them, and of gatherings for worship.

In 1915 a journey was made into French territory among the Sudanese tribes not yet gone over to Mohammedanism, A station has been opened there, 750 miles northwest of Uganda and Lake Albert. A trade language called "Sango" is the common medium of communication. A grammar and a vocabulary have been prepared in both French and English, and translations are begun. Scores of tribes in those regions, numbering several million people, are menaced by two great dangers-one physical, and the other, spiritual. The first is "the sleeping sickness." The Tsetse Fly communicates this terrible disease. After infection, there is headache, fever and chills; delirium usually follows, and the victim often becomes violently insane. Half of one tribe has been swept away by it. Other tribes are losing large percentages of their number. If the natives were taught how to avoid the infection, many would be kept from it. May not some take up this labor of mercy ?

The second is Mohammedanism. Mohammedan traders from northern Sudan are bringing in their religion with their wares. Five times a day the villagers see them going through their devotions with their faces toward Mecca. They hear their prayers, and inquire what it is all about, and the teachings of Mohammed are thus spread abroad.

This section, known as French equatorial Africa, is the largest territory in the world wholly without the Gospel, yet the languages are reduced to writing. The routes and centers of population are well known, and practical information is at the disposal of the volunteer. Perils there are in abundance. Few people find the tropics agreeable to health. There are fevers caused by the sun; malaria, by insects, with many other dangers. Yet the Lord of the harvest certainly has true soldiers of the Cross somewhere, and it is the purpose of this brief account to lay before them the needs and opportunities, together with the glorious results of the Gospel which we saw on our journey across Africa, in the hope that some will get the vision and hear the call. Wm. C. Haas

Mr. Hass is probably on his way back to the U. S. to meet his sick wife. He will gladly answer inquiries-[Ed.