THE liESl'ElttlAN.
ALUMNI AND FORMER STUDENTS.
Editor Alumni Department ', Hksi'KKIAN:
HH hi South Afrluti.
The place from wliich I write is a native town about forty
live miles north east ol Freetown, the seaport. We reach
Nlagbelc by lonl on (lie Uokell river, a large beautiful
strenm. The tide comes up as far n3 this, making navigation
easier, but I nm told that in the rainy season the river is ten
or fifteen feet higher, and the current is very strong. It is
hard to believe that they ever have rainy weather here, for
it 'has been blight and pleasant ever since I came, nearly six
months ago. It has rained several times lately, however,
and will rain more frequently the next six weeks; and in June
will settle down to rain in earnest for a few months.
, II you could sec our city at a little distance you would
think it was a collection of grain stacks, lor our houses have
tall,' cone-shaped grs"ioofs reaching down to five feet from
the ground. The mud walls arc plastered in different colors;
some of the houses are round, some oblong; and this is about
the extent of the variety. I have lived in such a house for
nearly three months and find it very pleasant and comlort
able. The grass roofs nrc the best protection against the ficicc
heat of the sun. A new house is being built now a few lods
fiom here, in which we rxpect to live through the next season
at least. It will be a native house in every respect, with the
exception, perhaps, of glass windows. The new house is in
a beautiful location with several magnificent mango trees at
the front, and quite a large plat of ground behind, where we
expect to have banansi, lime, and some other trees.
This country is beautifully supplied with fruit of many
kinds. If it were not so, the natives would go hungry as far
as fruit is concerned, for they do udt take trouble to plant
fruit or vegetables. They are fully endowed with the indo
lence so common to the natives of the tropics. They are very
pleasant people to live among, (usually) quiet, and friendly,
are small in statue as a race, with agreeable faces. I am just
beginning to understand some of their interesting customs,
One curious way of theirs, is, when a king dies, the people
never allude to his death until ihe new king is crowned,
about a year later. When the lormer king is spoken of, they
simply say he is sick. Then when a king is crowned, he is
obliged to stay in his town for a year without going outside
at' all.
The kingdoms are small in this countiy and some of the
kings are very poor. Bai (king) Koblo at Marampa has only
two slaves now, and very little property of any kind. lie is
a drunkard, and naturally, a bankrupt. After Mr. Fisher,
the superintendent of our mission, came, lie and two of the
missionaries went to Marampa lor a day or two, aiid were
entertained by the king. After they came back, one of our
new missionaries asked if they slept on straw mattresses.
1 Straw mattresses!" exclaimed Mr. Fisher, 'did you think
we went to visit Queen Victoria?" Then it was explained
that His Koyal Majesty had provided them with mud benches
for beds. The king at this place is a hard drinker, but his
head wife is a business manager and keeps his property
together, so he is able to keep up more style. He promised
one evening, to let Mr. Fisher ride his horse to Marampa,
but in the morning he decided that theKrifis, (devils) in that
pait wouldn't let his hoisc live in Marampa a few days, so
he didn't lend it.
I spoke of Krifis a moment ago. They are worshipped by
avert evil. Home animals such as baboons and snakes arc
called Krifis. They did me the honor to give that name to
me, when I fust came, saying that my loiig hair gave me
power. The king here has n snake, which he saves in his
Krifi; and I was introduced to It in rather a dlsugreablc
way. The king came into our house one evening and pro
duced from an enormous pocket in the front of his gown this
precious serpent, then held it out within an inch of my chin.
I am afraid I didn't nppteciate ail the featuics of its beauty,
for I did not stay long enough to look it over. This is the
only snake I have seen in Africa, and I shall not soon forget
it.
There are many Mohammcdnns in this part of Altica.
Mohammedanism here, however, 13 mingled with the heathen
superstition, so that it is little improvement over heathen
devil-worship.
We speak to the natives often tin ough interpreters, but it
is very unsatisfactory, and we are now going to work in earn
est to learn the language. The opportunities for preaching '
uic very numerous. Almost any time or the day, if one sits
on the veranda and begins to read or speak the Gospel to one
of them, in ten minutes there will be a company of fifteen or
twenty standing quietly by listening attentively. These arc
the times when we long for the language.
The dress of the slaves and men who do manual labor is
simply a loin-cloth. -Th'oic who are more fortunate wear the
Arabian gowns intioduccd by Mohammedans, I suppose.
The women wear a square cloth fastened around the. waist,
reaching to the knees. If she has a child under a year old
it is carried on her back in another cloth tucked in across
the chest. The mother always cariics her baby with her at
her work, so they have the best of care, and they very rarely
cry.
The plait of our mission is very similar to that of the China
Island Mission, if you arc aquainted with that, Two, and
possibly three, arc to be occupied at once, so our party will
be more scattered than lormeily. I shall be the only woman
in the mission for a few months at least.
Your sister in Christ,
Ai.ma B. ConniNc;.
Editor Alumni Department, IIicsi'KKlAN. ' '
Southern Cullfornlii.
You have requested and I have promised something con
cerning Southern California. But descriptions arc tedfous.
I think it will be much better for you and Tub IIksi'kkian
readers to come with me to some eminence, and view the
scenery for yourselves. If wc could stand upon such a lofty
point as Wilson's peak, or Old Baldy, wc would indeed ge
a comprehensive view of what Charles Dudley Warner jo
fittingly calls "Our Italy." But as a trip to" one of these
would involve considerable expenditure of time and money,
and a student has not much of cither to spare at this time ol
the year, let us take a tramp up one of the canons of Pucnte
Hills, (an isolated group lying in the centie of San Gabriel
Valley) and from Lookout Point survey the scenery.
This large gate at the mouth of the canon, hearing the
legend, "No Shooting Allowed," indicates that these steep
rocky hills are someone's property. They arc owned by a
syndicate that either uses or rents them for sheep pasturage.
That large structure just ahead, looking like a huge house
buried up to the eaves, is the reservoir that supplies with
water the thirsty land and the people below. This black
substance oozing out of the clifT, is asphaltum. Yes, that
gurgling sound is from a small stream, which is. running down
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