NORTH AFRICA AS A MISSION FIELD by S. N. H.

International Tract and Missionary Society · Oakland, California · Dec 2, 1889

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 15, No. 46.

NORTH AFRICA AS A MISSION FIELD.

By S. N. H.

THE African continent is almost an island, being connected with Asia by the Isthmus of Suez, and contains an area of 9,858,000 square miles, or 8,500,000 square miles exclusive of the islands. Its distance from Cape Bon on the north to the Cape of Good Hope on the south, is about 5,000 miles. About two-thirds of the continent lies north of the equator. The widest portion of Africa is from 5° to 20° north latitude. England possesses the controlling influence, holding sway over 1,000,000 square miles; Germany, over 740,000; France, over 700,000; whilst other civilized powers have possession of different smaller amounts, raising the whole to a total of 6,500,000 square miles.

From the civilized American standpoint, Africa is considered to be among the darkest portions of the globe. Its population is vaguely and variously estimated from 200,000,000 to 400,000,000 inhabitants. Mr. Hearne arranges seven distinct races in main groups according to their languages:—

Semitic, inhabiting the north coast and Abyssinia.
Hamitic, in Sahara, Egypt, Galla, and Somali.
Fulan-Nuba, in Western and Central Africa and Eastern Soudan.
Negro, in Western and Central Soudan, Upper Nile, Upper Guinea.
Bantir, south of 60° north latitude, except in Hottentot land.
Hottentot, extreme southwest from cape to tropic of Capricorn.
Malayo Polynesian, Madagascar.

Besides these, there are tribes almost without number which have sprung from these races and those that have been imported as slaves by the Boers from the East Indies, Jaya, Sumatra, Celebes, and other places. Some of these races were of royal blood in their native land, but other of the tribes are in such a low state of degradation that it almost seems to be a hopeless task to try to influence them with the gospel of Jesus Christ. Some

of them, however, possess an intellect which, if cultivated, will equal that of the European.

In the southern parts of Africa the term Kaffir is applied to all the natives in a general sense. But they should never be classed with the negroes, who are woolly-haired, and some of them almost black. Frequently they are employed as herdsmen and shepherds, while many of them live around the large cities. The word Kaffir is Arabic, and was first applied by the Europeans to the inhabitants of the coast of Mozambique, because they were so called by the Mohammedans, in whose eyes they were Kaffirs, that is, infidels.

By consulting the map of Africa the reader will notice that in the northern portion are situated the Barbary States, embracing Algeria, Morocco, Tunis, and Tripoli, whilst in the northeastern corner lies Egypt. Morocco lies on the northwest corner, on the North Atlantic Ocean, and is separated from Spain by the Straits of Gibraltar. It has an area of 219,000 square miles, and a population that is estimated at 500,000 inhabitants. Two-thirds of these are Moors, a name given to the Arabs in Morocco; the others are chiefly Bedouins, Jews, and negroes. The sultan of Morocco is chief of the State and head of the church. They differ somewhat in their habits and customs from the Mohammedans in Turkey, Persia, and other countries. Joining Tripoli on the east is Algeria. The land occupied by this territory is almost identical with that of the ancient kingdom of Numidia. It is an important colonial possession of France, having an area of 318,344 square miles, and a population of about 3,400,000. Two-thirds of these are the French Mussulmen subjects, while the remainder are Spaniards, Jews, Italians, Anglo-Maltese, Germans, and over 22,000 other foreigners. There are also many Portuguese on the northern border of Morocco and Algeria. In 1881 the population of the city of Algiers alone was over 70,000; that of Oran nearly 59,000.

East of Algeria lies Tunis, with an area of 42,000 square miles, and a population of 1,500,000, the majority of which are Bedouins, Arabs, and Kalybes. There are also 45,000 Jews. Since 1881 Tunis has been under the protectorate of France.

Tripoli lies to the south and west of Tunis, and is under the regency of the Turkish Empire. It is governed by a pasha, subject to the Ottoman Empire. Its territory is 344,000 square miles, and its population 750,000. Most of these are Arabs. All of these countries just mentioned lie on the Mediterranean Sea.

Next comes Egypt proper, with a population of nearly 7,000,000, of whom about 91,000 are foreigners. The native Egyptians are of Arab descent; they compose the bulk of the population. Many of the foreigners are Europeans, not a few being English. Alexandria is a large city, but many of its inhabitants are European or English. Besides Egypt, and those countries which are subject to it, there are the territories of Nubia, Hordofan, Barfor, Soudan, and equatorial provinces, with an estimated area of 1,026,268 square miles, and a population of 11,000,000. The administration of Egypt is carried on by native ministers, subject to the rule of the khedive, and under the supervision of England.

The Moors, who inhabit large portions of Morocco, are spread all along the Mediterranean. They are a mixture of the Bedouins, Arabs, Africans, and ancient Spaniards, and are a handsome, intelligent race of people. The women gratify their intense pride by adorning their persons with the most costly apparel, silk, gold, and jewels, while the men indulge to excess their love for beautiful horses and arms.

The Protestant missions in North Africa are those conducted by the Kalybe Mission in Morocco, Algeria, and Tunis; the London Society for the promotion of Christianity among the Jews in Morocco, Tunis, and Abyssinia; the United Presbyterian, and the English Church Missionary Society in Egypt; the Saint Corisonia Society in Abyssinia; the British Bible Society in Algeria, Tunis, Morocco, Egypt, and Abyssinia. Then there is the American Mission Field Association, which has centers in Alexandria, Mousara, Cairo, Assiout, and Luxor, with over 2,000 communicants and 5,000 attendants. The Berlin Society is also doing work in Egypt.

In Tunis and Algeria alone the British Bible Society reports sales of Bibles, Testaments, and portions of the Scripture, to the amount of 3,712 volumes; in Morocco, 788; in Egypt, Bibles and Testaments to the amount of 9,651, with a value of $2,552; other religious publications amounting to 8,993 volumes. It is claimed that there are many thousands of communicants, and that there are thousands of others being instructed in the hundreds of mission schools.

Miss Whatley's medical mission has been in existence at Cairo for twenty-five years, and she reports a large and intelligent attendance. The influence of these missions is felt to a greater or less extent all through these countries. There are tribes and localities, however, where the people, to all appearances, never can be benefited, yet, besides those in the missions and their converts, there are many Europeans among them who have had the light of the gospel. Can it be supposed that God has not a people in these countries? Are not there numbers of these natives that will enter the kingdom of God? And has not God a purpose in dotting all over this dark continent families that are walking in the full splendor of the gospel light? The facts already stated show that in North Africa there is an area of over 2,000,000 square miles, with a population of nearly ten times that number. There are many noble men and women here who have taken their lives in their hands, and established many stations and schools where the inhabitants can be civilized and Christianized. Surely the Lord intends to gather from these a people who will shine in the brightness of his glory when earth is restored to her Edenic beauty. S. N. H.