Life on the Congo. By the Rev. H. Holman Bentley.
(Religious Tract Society.)—Mr. Bentley, who is working for the Baptist Mission, describes with an effective simplicity the life with which Christian enterprise has to deal on the great African river. He is a firm believer in the degradation theory, finding a confirmation of it in the Bantu language, so rich and well developed that it is difficult to associate it with the savages who now use it. The stagnation of African life, and the curious institutions of Ndembo and Nkimba, are among the most interesting of his subjects. Ndembo is a kind of initiation. Those who share it are supposed to die, and when they come back to life can do pretty much as they please. Nkimba is a species of freemasonry. Mr. Bentley thinks it " comparatively harmless and useful." It is lamentable to see
that among the chief obstacles to mission progress is the action of European Governments. France, at the Gaboon, forbids in- struction in the native language, and does all it can to drive away the Protestant missionaries. This is bad enough, especially when we see what the Home Government is doing. But Germany does worse, having no motive, it would seem, but sheer greed of gain. It is Germany, it must be remembered, that deluges all the West Coast with bad spirits.
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