Not long ago the community was shocked by an outrage which took place among the natives near Umtali. It was perfectly proper in their own eyes, but to civilized Christians it was blood-curdling. A Mashona woman gave birth to twins. A few minutes after, the mother placed the infants in a pot, and scattered some red-hot coals over them, and with a stick in her own hands poked the fire down into the children until they were dead. It is a native custom to destroy all twins at birth. Of course, the method will vary according to circumstances.
The "rain-making custom" is equally heathenish. When the natives are suffering from drought, they have been known to frequently resort to the following method of making rain: A boy and a girl are caught, killed, quartered, and placed in vessels. An ox is treated in the same manner, and mixed with the human flesh. Then these vessels are set at various places about the villages, and the rain is supposed to come soon.
And yet there are people who do not believe in missionary work.—Rev. R. Emory Beetham.