
PREFACE
APPENDIX
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
INTRODUCTION
CHAPTER I IN SEARCH OF A NEW SITE
CHAPTER II SETTLING AT MONSEMBE
CHAPTER III STRUGGLES WITH THE LANGUAGE
CHAPTER IV EARLY DAYS AT MONSEMBE
CHAPTER V ARTS AND CRAFTS AND NATIVE INDUSTRY
CHAPTER VI CUSTOMS: SOME CURIOUS AND SOME CRUEL
Spanning three decades in the late 1800s, a missionary lived among the Boloki of the Congo, learning their language and recording daily life. His careful notes capture village routines, marriage customs, and the vivid folklore that animates the community. The tone is observational, steering clear of preaching.
The account surveys fishing techniques, local crafts, and the complex legal and spiritual systems that govern disputes and health. It does not shy away from harsher practices the author describes as barbaric, offering a balanced view of both ingenuity and moral ambiguity. Photographs and sketches punctuate the narrative, bringing the scenes to life.
Written in clear, unadorned prose, the work invites listeners to form their own judgments about a culture navigating tradition and the shock of foreign contact. It serves both scholars and curious travelers seeking an intimate glimpse into a forgotten chapter of African history, without the filter of missionary propaganda.
Language
en
Duration
~11 hours (664K characters)
Publisher of text edition
Project Gutenberg
Original publisher
United States: J.B. Lippincott, 1913.
Credits
Peter Becker, Barry Abrahamsen, and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive)
Release date
2022-12-28
Rights
Public domain in the USA.

1860–1924
A British Baptist missionary who spent about three decades in the Congo, he turned close observation into vivid books on local life, folklore, and belief. His work preserves stories and customs that still draw readers interested in Central African history and ethnography.
View all books
by John H. Weeks

by Order of the Eastern Star. General Grand Chapter

by Friedrich Gerstäcker

by John Gibson Paton

by Elizabeth Stuart Phelps

by Henry Adams

by S. O. Susag