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Itinerating in Barotseland

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Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Dec 23, 1915

FromReview and Herald, Vol. 92, No. 63.

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Itinerating in Barotseland

By S. M. KONIGMACHER

S. M. KONIGMACHER
I HAVE just returned from a very interesting trip to the Zambesi River, during which I held fifty-five village meetings and eight lantern services.
When I was ready to start on my trip, I sent a boy out to find carriers. He came in with three boys from a near-by kraal. One was too small for the three-hundred-mile walk, part of the distance being in the hills; the other two were accepted, and they said they would go home to their village and get their blankets and return.
Toward evening I tied up my loads and waited, but no boys appeared. As night drew on, I went out and found them sitting around a fire. One said he had work, and the other refused to go, though he gave no reason for refusing or for coming in the first place. Just then one of our old teachers came up and said he would go with me, and after finding a strong man to take the place of the boys who refused, we were ready to start.
It was moonlight, and we slept that night under the starry sky, in a village about two miles from home. We were still one carrier short, but I was successful in finding one at Chitonga’s village. We carried with us a supply of coarse salt, which is more useful in some places than money, for buying native foodstuffs.
Our route was along the dry bed of the Lifue River. In some places the path led over rocky mountains, through river beds, and along beautiful rough cañons filled with great bowlders and sparkling water.
The great difficulty of a trek at this time of year is to get water, for many of the villages have to get their water by digging holes in the sand of the dry river beds, and the water is not always the best. At one large pool a number of baboons had dug a hole beside the pool, and were drinking the water as it filtered through the sand.
In many of the villages we found little archways built, which we learned were the shrines where the offering was made to the spirits. This is different than in Nyasaland, where the natives erect little huts for this purpose.
In many places the people were at first afraid to come to the service; but as we sang, and showed pictures of the Lord Jesus and his work, their fear vanished and they came quite close so as to be able to see well; and as the truth began to dawn on their darkened minds, we could see by their gestures and an occasional remark that they understood. At night we used the lantern to tell the story of Jesus and his love.
In some places we found the natives building new villages; but in others they were living in very poor, dirty huts, as they have to go a long distance to get trees, binding bark, grass, and water to make the mud walls.
As we approached the Zambesi, we observed that the villages were arranged differently than in the places where cattle raising is the chief occupation. Along the river we found grain bins built in the village, often two or three bins under one circular roof. These bins are sealed with mud, and the space which is not used for grain is used as a sitting room and kitchen combined. In some of the villages there is no shade from the merciless sun, except under the roof of these grain bins.
The people are of the Bawe tribe, and have had very little missionary work done among them. Consequently they are in great need of help. Among their evil habits is the smoking of African opium in pipes made from gourds,drawing the smoke through the water in the gourd. Even the small children have their pipes also.
In some of the villages I saw great pots filled with a kind of bean that grows wild, while all along the river bank there are small gardens planted to green corn. But as I had little salt and no cloth, it was hard to buy food, for money is not wanted.
The river looked beautiful, after drinking from the water holes in the sand; but it was filled with crocodiles, and one evening a hippopotamus sported very near where we were camping. We did not dare to swim, but bathed in the shallow water near the bank. In one village where we stopped, we saw the natives climb into great high watch-houses when it came time to retire, while we had to sleep out in the open on the ground. They said there was nothing in the bush, and no wild animals had come into the village for a long time; but of course, if anything did come in the night, they were high and dry.
The head man of this district is a good chief, who wanted us to send him a teacher. About two years ago four schools were started along the upper Zambesi, and he had kept the books in good condition.
On Sabbath we spent the forenoon in village work, and the afternoon trying to keep cool, as the village was not along the river bank. Toward evening I was tempted to turn back, though we had only another day’s hard trek before I reached the end of my trip; but I called the boys together, had prayer, and then we pushed on. It was hard to get food for the five carriers, and an effort to keep them at work. I had no salt, no cloth, and no change; my stretcher was torn; the nails began to come through my shoes; and we had another long hard climb of three days and a half before we could get home.
But in the strength of the Lord, we pushed on, telling the glad tidings of his soon coming wherever we could persuade the people to listen as we passed through the villages. I arrived home safe, and was glad to find my loved ones well, though Mrs. Konigmacher had had fever in my absence. Two boys who had gone in another direction reported that they had held eighty-one services, and now two other boys are out working in still other villages. We look to God to bless the efforts made to carry to these people the good news of salvation.