The Lutheran Pioneer St. Louis — 1919, Page 52

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52 The Lutheran ‘Pishests

The people looked up to M’baca more than to
old M’wata Yamvo. Some secretly urged M’baca
to seize the power, kill M’wata Yamvo, and make
himself chief. But down in M’baca’s heathen heart
was a feeling that this wasn’t right, even if no
African canon of morality or taste forbade it. His
loyalty was sterling.

Then the Christian missionaries began to preach
in the region. M’baca became interested. He had
a great struggle, but Christ won. He sacrificed
everything, he gave up all his wives but his favorite,
forswore bad liquor, and was baptized.

M. Springer, a returned missionary, who is now in
the United States lecturing to secure funds ‘nec-
essary to further the good work.

“We were astonished, on. reaching the Belgian
Congo in 1917, to learn that there really were can-
nibals there,’ says Dr. Springer. “The admin-
istrator of this district told us that just a few days
before our arrival, traveling among the cannibal
villages to the east, he had seen enough bones to

erect fully fifty human skeletons. ee =

“But when the Rev. Roger 8. Guptill arrived
in October, he had the experience, on several occa-

A Native Village in the Southern Congo.

M’wata Yamvo, still lolling in heathendom, was
impressed, but unconvinced. He admired M’baca,
the man who really had kept him on the throne.
But Christianity was too great an effort for him.
He decided to make M’baca a chief. M’baca was
set up in state at Sando and granted a part of
M’wata Yamyo’s realm as his own.

Thus came into being the first state with a
Christian native ruler in this part of Africa.
M’baca was not content with salvation himself; he
was determined to educate and Christianize his
people. So to-day he is starting a Christian school
at Sando.

This strange, but true tale is told by Dr. John

sions, just as he reached the villages on his bicycle,
of seeing dusky figures disappear into the forests
or into the tall grass. In practically all cases there
would be some decrepit old man or woman about
the village who had been unable to get away, and
to whom Mr. Guptill was able to make known the
fact that he was a missionary at the town of their
head chief, Kabongo.

“This knowledge at once reassured the people,
who knew the edict was out that cannibalism must
be stopped, and feared the approach of any white
visitors whatever.

“As a matter of fact, the administrator called
in Kabongo and informed him that he must co-