Friday's papers contain an account of a very serious incident
which has occurred in Portuguese West Africa. The Rev. J. S. Bowek ill, a Baptist missionary, has been arrested by the Portuguese authorities in connexion with the recruiting of native labour for the Cocoa Islands, [We may state here that recently not merely the planters but the Portuguese Govern- ment have entered upon the work of kidnapping labour for the plantations under various aliases, such as "forced labour," "in order to prevent the destruction of an essential industry," and so forth.] In this case what seems to have happened is as follows. The Portuguese authorities at San Salvador, the old capital, have of late been making strenuous efforts to recruit labour for the cocoa plantations. This the natives strongly resisted, and some of the tribes near San Salvador declared war against the King of Congo, a native, because they believed him to be the tool of the Portuguese. Mr. Bowskill, a man of courage, humanity, and good sense, inter- vened, and saved San Salvador and the Portuguese authorities from destruction by pacifying the natives, who, deter- mined to resist the kidnapping policy of the authorities, were besieging the town.
