Colonial Schoolbooks (Belgian Congo) Anthology By Honoré Vinck Table of content GENERAL INTRODUCTION I. HISTORY OF THE BELGIAN CONGO II. THE SLAVE TRADE III. AUTHORITY The origin of authority The State The king Chores and taxes The army The flag IV. THE INHABITANTS Global view Some specific groups The Homeland. The village The Blacks and the Whites The mother tongue V. CHRISTIANITY History of the Christian missions Education and civilization Catholicism and Protestantism GENERAL INTRODUCTION The importance of the texts of colonial schoolbooks can be summarized by these words: The textbook (of the primary schools) influenced the first knowledge of those who forced the independence of their country and took subsequently the reins. These texts are of difficult access, because for 80% they are written in a huge number of African languages of which little can be mastered by only one individual. From where the importance of the translation in a language of world level This has been realized by a translation project of 50 booklets, patronized by professor Bogumil Jewsiewicki from the Laval University at Quebec. I thank him here for his encouragements and for his support that permitted me to finish a first stage of a larger project. Fifty booklets could thus be fully translated, and a few others limited to excerpts. We totalled about 2000 typed pages (A4, single spacing). There is no question to publish them fully. So we think to make useful work while publishing a anthology of the most characteristic texts. The region covered by our texts is limited to the Equator and Oriental Provinces and to the city of Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. These limits have been imposed by the collection in our possession and by the availability of translators. But I think that, seen the common origin of the educators of that time and their dependence of the same ecclesiastical education system and the common instructions of the colonial administration, few fundamental variants should be recorded in the remaining part of the country. Of the point of view of a diachronic approach, the sample is well enough balanced, from the beginning of the colonization (the oldest quoted text is of 1908) until 1959. There remain also some hiatuses that could have usefully explained the origin of some important texts. Most booklets belong to collections produced by Catholic or Protestant religious Communities, these booklets were conceived in first instance for internal use. I was not always able to reconstitute the complete sets of the booklets of a same publisher, what would have allowed me to follow the ideological evolution of some subjects (justification of the colonization, concept of authority, goal of the teaching, etc...) But in a few cases, it was possible and I have explained it in more detailed studies published elsewhere (see bibliography). Different people have worked in the Centre Aequatoria of Bamanya translating these African language texts (in 1994-1996). They were native speakers or accustomed in some way to the language of the booklet. They had access to the dictionaries and grammars of the language used in the booklet. On several occasions most of their work has been reviewed and discussed for the parts published here. The technical description of every booklet remains very incomplete and therefore unsatisfactory. It cannot be completed and adjusted now without a lot of research of details to be conducted in the most varied and remote places of the country. It is a long-term work Editorial Rules 1. All the original texts in African languages can be found in the Aequatoria Archives in Bamanya, Mbandaka (RDC). A typed copy, or other original copies are in the MSC Archives in Borgerhout (Belgium) and with Professor Bogumil Jewsiewicki in the Laval University in Quebec. 2. We indicate every document by the number of its place in the in the Jewsiewicki project. 3. In footnote, after every excerpt, we note the explanations judged appropriate for the correct understanding of the text itself and we don't give any clarification, or corrections of the facts or people mentioned in the text. The goal of this publication was not to write the history of colonial Congo. So we don't correct the mistakes of dates, of names and localities etc... 4. The bibliography added is not about the problem of the colonial education in Africa, but exclusively related to edition, the existence and the role of the school books of the primary schools in Colonial Africa, mainly in the ex Belgian Congo. 5. Each section has a short introduction. Abbreviations Dict. / D. = G. Hulstaert, Dictionnaire Lomongo-Français, Tervuren 1957 Ann.Aeq. / A.A. = Annales Aequatoria J. = Jewsiewicki translation project This text has been first published in French in Annales Aequatoria 19(1998)4-166. Some corrections and additions (to the bibliography and to the notes) have been made at the occasion of the English translation. TEXT I. HISTORY OF THE BELGIAN CONGO PRESENTATION The lessons about the history of the colonization can be arranged in 5 categories: 1. Lessons of a certain technicality: abundance of more or less exact dates, of the names and the multiple events relating to a global historiography of colonial Africa from the discovery by Diego Cao onwards. 2. Lessons with a mythical character of which the first objective is the glorification of the colonizing nation and its heroes. 3. Lessons with an apologetic character, anxious to answer beforehand a certain number of objections either expressed or presumed by the colonized. 4. Lessons reviewed according to the evolution of the colonial ideology in opposition to the previous texts. 5. Romantic lessons with a description of the historic facts in literary form as news items, epics, theatre, etc. As for the ideological orientation, there are few differences between Protestant and Catholic or neutral manuals. Yet one notices a larger attention to the general African history by the Protestants. The Arab Slave trade remains essential in the presentation of the colonial history. It is less accentuated in the Protestant booklets. Only one text makes allusion to the "red rubber" of Leopold II. It is in the historical sections that arguments are found for the justification of the colonization: invariably, until 1960, the liberation by the Whites from the domestic wars and the Arab Slave Trade is situated in this perspective. Here is also presented the contribution of the civilization in its material and spiritual expressions, but often incorporated in other lessons. Besides the insertion of some recent facts, the interpretation of the colonial history itself and the function of its teaching, did not evolve during the whole period under consideration. J.32: THE CONGOLESE, lesson 5, n 4 (Bonkanda wa baoci b'anto, C.B.M., Bongandanga, 1925, p.23-30). 1. The Congo is your country. It is a big country, but the inhabitants of this country are not numerous, there are nearly 10.000.000 of them. Your country is called the Congo after the inhabitants of the mouth of the big river called the Bakongo people. 2. The first who arrived to the Congo were the Portuguese. Previously, the Portuguese were big travellers, and they travelled through the world in search of land that of other Whites had not yet discovered. The first White man who made the tour of the world was a Portuguese; his name is Magellan. He died during this journey before returning to his country, but some people who accompanied him returned to Portugal. The first person to reach the South of Africa was a Portuguese; his name is Gama. The one who indicated to the Whites the passageway to America is the one who came with the first Portuguese in their journeys: his name is Colombus. He himself was not a Portuguese, but without information received from some Portuguese, the Whites would not have looked for land on that side of the world. At that time, the Portuguese surpassed all other Whites in the taste of travel, and they arrived in your country a long time ago. 3. The Portuguese resided downstream close to the mouth of the Congo river, for about three hundred years, but they didn't arrive to the inland because some wild people stopped them. 4. Previously, about fifty years ago, a certain White of England arrived to your country, quite upstream, in Tanganyika. This person's name is Livingstone, and all Whites respect him, because he was a gracious and unrelenting man. He was God's most honoured pastor. He pacified the populations so that pastors could enter in all your country. 5. Livingstone died close to the source of the Congo river, and after his death another White man came, named Stanley, who crossed the African continent from the East to the West. He spent three years in this exploration, and a lot of Whites thought that he had died considering his long absence. He is called Bula-Matadi, who descended the river from Zingitingi (1) to Kintambo (2). 6. When Stanley returned to the countries of the Whites, all were deeply amazed by his story. He wanted that the English come to colonize you, but they didn't want. Thereafter, he transmitted to the King of the Belgians the fate of your country, the Congo, and he accepted to send some of his agents to teach you to work and to acquire good manners. Some people that he sent were evil people, and behaved badly during the rubber campaign. You do not ignore, yourselves, how the first Whites acted (3). 7. We don't know enough on the history of your country. We know that the Arabs had come in search of slaves, and they had captured a lot of Congolese people upstream. They killed a lot of people, and carried away others in slavery. The government's Whites stopped their progression upstream, close to Zingitingi. 8. And also we know that before the Whites arrived here, there were wars at all times. A very long time ago, a lot of people died during the war of the Lokele (4). This war was murderous in some places, and thousands of people were wiped out. We think that this war finds its origin in the fact that the Arabs fought people of upstream, and that these last swept their anger on downstream people. To their arrival in the zones of fight, the Government's Whites and those of the Companies put an end to this war. These Whites frequently helped you. 9. The children often ask me: "Why are we not as intelligent as you Whites?" 10. The Whites are looking insistently for knowledge of things that are not even discovered. This the reason for which their intelligence does only increases, and that people give them a lot of honour. On the other hand those people of your regions, that were more intelligent than the other, were treated with jealousy by some other people, and some were killed either after have been obliged to drink poison or otherwise. A lot of people died at home because of fetishes, because the soothsayers often deceived your forebear. They ruined the best people, and protected those that were happy with their bad practices. This is one reason why intelligence doesn't increase in your countries. Another reason is the indolence. Some consider the latter as the most important reason. NOTES 1. Zingitini: at the place of the present Kisangani. Other written forms: Singitini, Singetini, Tingitingi. 2. Kintao = Kintambo 3. Allusion to the abuses of the "régime léopoldien". This is the only allusion to this period in all textbooks, with the exception of the Bosako wa Mongo of 1957. 4. The booklet was used where the Lokele had passed or got settled. Elsewhere these wars have other names. So Hulstaert, in Buku ea Mbaanda (1935, p.80-81), speaks of etumb'eki Lofembe J.28: THE ARRIVAL OF THE WHITES, lesson 3 (J.E. and. E. Carpentier, Banto ba monde, C.B.M., Bongandanga, 1929, p. 36-38). The first Europeans who had come to the Congo were Portuguese, but they limited themselves at the seashore. After, the other people who came, tried to make enter their boats in the Congo river to reach the river upstream, but they did not reach it because of the difference in level of the river, and because the water flowes too quickly and had big falls. But after that, a White named Stanley took the East side of Africa, and reached the Congo. He sailed on the Congo river until it reached the Atlantic Ocean in the West and he went back in Europe. He told the people there about the Congo. He went back again to the Congo accompanied of fifteen others; they arrived by boat on the river. When they arrived to the falls, they accosted and took the road to cross the difficult place. When they ended up clearing the road, they retrieved their boat and transported it until navigable places, there they gathered the pieces of the boat and embarked and left for river upwards. Of the other side there were the Arabian merchants; they hindered the Europeans and these European got lost in the forest. Currently, the railroad replaces the road cleared by the Europeans on the side of the falls and the men had a good passage. Numerous Europeans came to the Congo to look for the products which were there as: copal, oil, rubber, palm nuts, gold, ivory and copper. (The copper is the mineral as your copper rings). At that stage the country of the Congo belonged to Belgium, France or Portugal. You who read this book, you are Belgians, and your administrator of the State is a Belgian. Your King is the King of Belgium, his name it is Albert. He himself lives in Belgium; he sends his people here to keep this beautiful country and to organize the business that is here and also to judge some others. In the beginning you called these people Bula Matadi. It is good to respect the authorities of the State, and their arrival in your country, brought peace and they were your masters. They forbade the wars, the men slaughters, and other similar cases. God's pastors have been fifty years in the Congo. The first to come were the English and there were two missions only. The two missions called Palabala and San Salvador. Now, there is a multitude of missions and they are about a hundred of them, and Jesus' disciples are thousands and thousands. The Evangelists came especially from Belgium, England, France, Sweden and America. The Congolese have access at schools to study this problem. The Whites of the schools and others, taught us hard works and wisdom and now some Blacks are employed to other works and became printers, carpenters, even engineers, mechanics, nurses, woodworkers and numerous are catechists and teachers and are found in any kind of work. J 30: SOME STORIES ON THE BELGIAN CONGO (Bonkanda wa nsango, C.B.M., Bongandanga, 1930, p.141-149). Introduction "Belgian Congo" is the name of our country. The Belgian Congo is situated in Africa. What is told in this book is not imagination. It is a true history. Several narrations exist on the Belgian Congo. A very small portion is related here. The author's goal is to make sure that the inhabitants of the Belgian Congo know some episodes of the history of their own country, because we all who live here, are under the authority of Belgium, and have the king of Belgium, i.e. Albert, is also our King. He agrees that we are informed of the events that took place here, in order to understand what happens presently. Some narrations told took place here a very long time ago; some others afterwards. The author hopes to publish another book subsequently with more episodes (1). This book is only an introduction and a complementary volume will follow. In 1482 or 1484, a Portuguese named Dom Diego Cao, sailed to the Congo River in search of prospects and ivory. He was informed of the existence of the King of Kongo, whose capital was in Mbanza Kongo. He didn't arrive there, but had only been informed about it, and then he went back to Portugal, accompanied of some Congolese. After having listened to the report of Diego, the King of Portugal sent in 1490 a emissary named Roderigo de Souza, to the King of Kongo. Catholic missionaries accompanied him to preach the Word of Yahweh-God to the Congolese. In 1492, the King of Kongo accepted their religion, and became an adept of it. People associated to him in the faith, but their faith in God was only the effect of a mass movement, without depth. In 1534 a cathedral was built in their capital which carried henceforth another name, San Salvador. In 1549, other missionaries named the Jesuits came to create there a mission station. 21 years later, a dangerous people came to fight the inhabitants of San Salvador. These were the Jagga. They live on the sides of the Kwango, an affluent of the Kwa. They burned the cathedral and other churches, and displaced the natives. The inhabitants of San Salvador fled with their King and take refuge on an island. When this news arrived in Portugal, they sent an expedition of 600 heavily armed soldiers to push the Jagga out of the country of the King of the Kongo. A short time after, they built a new cathedral and restored the capital. At this time the Portuguese didn't have any possibilities to navigate upstream. They stopped in Manyanga. The information on the upstream was scarce. All regions toward the Stanley Pool were called "the village of Makoko". The Portuguese learned that upstream lived a big chief, but they could not reach the place because of some big rapids which were situated there. They penetrated the country however by the East of San Salvador and reached the rivers Kwango and Kasai. There they stopped. Then another White named David Livingstone, of Scottish origin, arrived to travel in Africa. He was a Missionary of the Lord Jesus. He had come to explore less known regions of inner Africa. Then the Whites assigned him the mission of exploring of the country. At the time of his explorations in 1867, he reached the source of the Congo called Luapula, and in 1871, he discovered an affluent named Lualaba. He himself thought that the Lualaba was the source of the Nile, the river of Egypt. Livingstone died very close to Ilala, near Chitambo, a region on the banks of the Bangwelo Lake. But he himself didn't know that the river that leaves from this lake was the source of the Congo. People of Europe only knew it after his death. The one that had presented the Congo well to the Whites of Europe was Stanley. He is the first White that travelled by coming down the Congo River. Stanley had come before in Africa in search of Livingstone whom the Whites believed had been lost in the big forest. Stanley met him in Udjidji, in the region of the Tanganyika Lake in 1872. At the time of his following visit, Stanley wanted to cross Africa by the East. And he landed in Zanzibar (very close to the Indian ocean) in November 1874, and began his long journey. He crossed all regions and all big forests, coming out again at Udjidji in May 1876. From there, Stanley went Westward and arrived at Nyangwe. This place is very close to the region of the Lualaba River. On his arrival, he confronted numerous dangerous and anthropophagous people. He realized the presence of the Arabs in the vicinity. And he noticed that they took some Congolese in slavery. After two years of exploration, Stanley discovered the true the Congo River. No one had gone beyond Nyangwe to descend this river. Arriving there, he learned the awful news from downstream. If he was a coward, he would remain upstream there. But he wanted to discover all aspects of the Congo, and was not afraid of ferocious people. He decided to descend the river. He first tried to pass by foot, but this was too arduous. He arrived at the Maniema, and abandoned the footpaths. He took a pirogue, and decided to descend as far as possible until reaching the ocean. No White had travelled this way before him, and it was a terrifying exploration for him. Stanley was a courageous man. The coming down of the river lasted 4 months. He passed by more than 20 mouths of rivers, and arrived at the big lake now named Stanley Pool. Arrived to this place, the way by water became impossible considering the whirlpools. The coming down of the river was close to cost him his life. Some peoples had fought and hunted him while shouting at him: "Beast, beast". They wanted to kill him and to eat him openly. Sometimes Stanley went to hide in the hollows of trees. People of the Congo had not seen a White man yet and as they saw him crossing their river, they wanted to kill it. It is only by his arrival at the Stanley Pool that he was at peace. But he had suffered a lot because of the non-navigability of the river. He abandoned the river and dragged behind him the canoes as far as arriving to the places where there were no rapids where he could tahe again the pirogues. This happened time and again until the moment came where he finished the non-navigable sections. The Blacks that came with him behaved well. Some drowned during the journey. All were starved awfully. Some became so skinny that they could not work anymore. Stanley thought that he would never manage it, but he arrived to Isangila in July 1877 after a lot of efforts and perseverance. From there, he abandoned the canoes because his men became weaken by the illnesses. They took a footpath and reached Boma without difficulties. There he took a rest. Then, he, and his men regained strength. The exploration covered a distance of 11.200 kilometres and lasted 3 years. Stanley returned to Europe to tell the odyssey of the Congo. The Whites of Europe were impressed by his story and sent people to work here. Since then, the Whites arrived numerously. Stanley came back here several times, and worked a lot. In 1891, two Whites came to construct the railroad, from Matadi to Stanley Pool. Their names are Cambier and Thys. It was a very dangerous and deadly work. The whites imported workers from China, because they didn't last because of the heat, and even the Blacks were not accustomed to it. The work of the railroad began in 1891 and took an end in 1898. Several Whites and their workers died. Paving the way, levelling the hills, and breaking the stones, was a very arduous task. In spite of all, the men persevered and finished the work. The money of the Whites was invested in this railroad, because without railroad the Whites could not have brought their intelligence and their culture to the Congo. We congratulate these persistent people. They accomplished an impressive work. This railroad measures 400 kilometres of length. At their arrival in the Congo, the Whites found some Arab Batambatambas. Their objective was to catch slaves. The Congolese of upstream suffered a lot from the Arabs. They came from the East and in 1830, they had created a big station at Tabora, and from there they entered the Congo. Then they destroyed several villages and put the Congolese into slavery. They deported them to the East. At the time of his exploration, Livingstone had seen the slaves captured by the Arabs, and learned that 40.000 slaves were deported to Zanzibar. On his way, he saw the skeletons and the bones of the slaves who had died during the journey, even in every village that he visited. In 1870, the Whites of Europe met for a big Conference and decided to end the slaves trade on the oriental coast of Africa, as on the western coast. The Whites sent their war boats to the banks of the ocean for the application of this decision. But the slavery didn't finish in Africa and the Arabs continued to capture as many slaves as they wanted. In 1879, a White, Captain Storms tempted to stop the Arabs in Tanganyika. The Whites of the Independent State of the Congo also decided to put an end to the slave trade in the Congo. It is why in 1888 another Conference, so-called The Antislavery Society, was held in Brussels. It treated on the slavery in the Congo and put some Whites in charge to collaborate with the Whites of the State to fight the slavery. Tippo Tip was the Arab whom the Whites had made a Governor of the region close to Stanley's Falls. In the beginning, the Arabs wanted to submit to the authority of the Whites. But seeing that there was no way to continue with the slave trade, because of the Whites, they changed their minds and wanted to fight the Whites. Tippo Tip using ruse pretended to buy weapons and munitions with the very money of the State. The Whites began the war against the Arabs and created some stations for that purpose, one close to the Stanley's Falls, another in Basoko, and another again in Lusambo, in the Sankuru. The war took place from May 1892 to January 1894. A famous White at the time, was Baron Dhanis. He and his soldiers attacked the domain of an Arab named Gongo Lutete. And when Sefu, the son of Tippo Tip, tried to cross the Lomami with his soldiers, Dhanis neutralized him. Baron Dhanis only arranged 400 soldiers. He pursued the Arabs until their last stopping place in Nyangwe that he occupied. He fought them and pushed them back until Albertville. The Whites won this war and since then the Arabs stopped with their nastiness and lived quietly. Other wars took place between the people of river upward themselves. One started by the Lokole and went toward the big river (2). Then a village took vengeance on another village. The war reached faraway regions. People of river upward escaped this war and abandoned their usual dwellings. This war didn't reach the villages of the Ngombe. It got round them. Elsewhere a war named "The war of the dog" took place (3). But it didn't last a long time. The former wars caused a serious extermination of the population of the Congo. Before the arrival of the Whites the inhabitants of the Congo fought themselves for no reason. They were quarrelsome. Now, the Whites put an end to the wars and whoever dared to make war would have a palaver. Our sovereign is King Albert. Long before his investiture he was conscious of the realities from here. And he wished to see the Congo with his own eyes so that once to the throne, he could judge himself the files on the Congo, and thus improve its situation. That is why, in 1909, he went everywhere to be informed of every thing. Currently he doesn't any more forget the Congo. He has people who report to him what happens here, and he tries to make the best of the Congolese. A lot of Whites came to work here, and we the natives, get the money of them for this work (4). The schools became numerous. The children who want to acquire intelligence can go to study there. We notice that our fetishes (5) are not good, and the Whites brought us their medicines to heal us of our illnesses. They constructed many hospitals everywhere in the big centres to take care of those that suffer from serious illnesses. When the Whites noticed that many people died of the sleep sickness (6), they tackled the problem to find a medicine. Currently, they are stopping this illness, and numerous people begin to be healed. In 1914, a big war exploded in several countries of Europe, and this war arrived even here by us. This war was very distressing. Our people participated there while fighting or exercising other functions relative to the war. This war was limited to the regions river upward, it didn't arrive at home, but actually we heard the echoes of it, and noticed that the Whites didn't come numerously to the Congo, because they went to the war. The white soldiers were very violent at the time of this war. And they won the war. And our country has not been disturbed. A lot of our Congolese died. Bullets have wounded many others and others were affected by serious illnesses. The Whites of the State have just erected now a big monument in memory of those that fell during the war. The White of the State who is above all of Congo, is the General Governor. His seat is in Leopoldville. And those who are attached to him are called 'Governors'. Every governor has a large jurisdiction named a "province". The State divided the Belgian Congo in 5 provinces. Here are their names: Equator Province, Oriental Province, Katanga Province, Kasaï Province, Province of Ruanda-Urundi. These provinces are subdivided in Districts. There are 21 Districts. The Districts are composed of Territories. There are 179 Territories. (The jurisdiction of our mission is in the Equator province). Every governor is assisted of a White named Commissioner-General. A Commissioner leads every District. Those that are near to the Commissioner are the Administrators. The latter direct a Territory. The Whites who make that the law are observed are called the Judges and the Substitutes. All these Whites have been invested in their functions by King Albert and by his Government in Belgium. Every White Officer of the State must honour the King, and it suits each of us to do the same. The State brought schools of all sorts to the Congo. There are 83 surgeons of the, and they teach to some Congolese the knowledge of medicine and the manner to cure illnesses. There exist 29 hospitals of the State. One finds 7 schools of carpenters, of masons and of clerks, they are located in Boma, Leopoldville, Buta, Stanleyville, Elisabethville, Lusambo and Kabinda. Some primary schools also exist for children. There are also some schools to train the soldiers. Some Whites give training in the schools for the soldiers. In some places where one cannot teach during the day one organizes some schools at night. When the children of the Whites became numerous, one constructed some schools for them in Stanleyville, Elizabethville, and Panda-Likasi. (Panda-Likasi is a big mining center). In 1925, the King's eldest son, named Prince Leopold, travelled to the Congo to realize personally what happened there. He is very young: he has just married a woman with whom they had a first girl named Josephine Charlotte. Prince Leopold travelled everywhere and appreciated the marvellous things. He succeeded to his father as King. (7) NOTES 1. It was not possible to verify if this second book has been effectively composed and published. A history lesson close to this one in: Geography: Africa-Europe, D.C.C.M., Bolenge, 1945, p.29-31 2. See note 4 and J 32 3. Etumb'ea mbwa = "Guerre du chien", associated to the migrations of the Ngombe whose effects persist in the region where the booklet was used. Until now these appellations continue to be used. 4. The theme of money won by work at the Whites is everywhere in the schoolbooks. It is a decoy to attract the Blacks to the new civilization. 5. There is an important problem of translation here. In lomongo, the word bote can have a multitude of significances according to the context: Cfr G. Hulstaert, Dictionnaire Lomongo-Français, p.334: medicine (also in the western sense), talisman, magic practice and even "tree". The author applies the lomongo word in the traditional sense, and introduces the French word "medicine" for the western sense. 6. The lomongo version writes nkangi e'aisilo, which is a literal translation of the French or the English (illness of the sleep), but the popular term is even today mpongi. (D, 378) from the verb - onga to sleep (D.1555). 7. We transferred the continuation of this lesson to the section "Christianisme", because it treats the history of the Protestant Missions exclusively. J. 51: About the Congo. Mambi ma Botangi ndenge na ndenge; Emasanginyaki basango ba Scheut. Vicariat de Nouvel Anvers, Buku ya basatu ya boekoli botangi Makanza (Nouvel Anvers) Edition 1932: Pères de Scheut. Lesson 73. My children, in your country, known as the Congo, you will see many Whites in the Colonial Administration as well as members of the clergy. Now you will see things that your ancestors did not see. You will see sturdy houses; large steamers navigate on your rivers and bring European products to this country. You will see Blacks wearing nice clothes just like Whites. Some Blacks can now read, write, and even speak the White man's language. Your ancestors, who died long ago, did not know these things. In the beginning, Whites and priests did not go to your village, except the Portugese, who a long time ago, arrived in Boma and the surrounding villages among the Bakongo, but they did not stay a long time. People from the Upper-River never saw a single white person. The person who came to your region for the first time was Stanley. Forty years later, he entered this country by Tanganyika, not by Boma. He did not take big boats like those that pass on the river. He went down the river crossing Kasongo, Singitini, Basoko and passing through the Sangala and the Bobangi; he arrived at Kintambo and finally stopped in Boma. In all these villages, nobody had ever seen such a human being before. They gazed at him and they were astonished. They talked about the white colour of his skin. Some considered him as "coming out of water", and called him "the man from the water". Others fought him. Stanley was a man who observed everything: villages, costums, and people. He noticed the extent of the misery caused by the Arabs. Arabs were bad people in search of money. They came with soldiers and arms to the country of the Blacks to fight them. They captured people: men, women and children and returned with them on foot in caravans. They beat and killed those who were tired and could no longer walk. The survivors were sold as slaves in the fare-away country of Tanganyika. Listen well to this horrible story. Along the long roads where the Arabs passed, one would find only corpses and bones (human remains). Stanley met many Arabs in Kasongo, Nyangwe, Singitini and the surroundings. He considered the murdering of Blacks by the Arabs, as a provocation, and he had mercy. After he completed his voyage down the river, he returned to Europe and he reported this horrible situation to the European authorities. The later decided to deliver Blacks from their enslavement by Arabs. Stanley returned to that country with other white people including soldiers. Other white people and black soldiers, from different regions near the Ocean, joined Stanley's group and got engaged in a war against the Arabs. Arabs were well armed and clever. European soldiers fought many battles, which resulted in the loss of many lives. Several years later, the Arabs were driven out of the country, then known as the Congo. The victory of the European soldiers marked the end of the horrible Arab slave trade. If it had not been for European intervention, people would have remained in Arab slavery even today and consequently the country, the Congo would have fallen in the hands of the Arabs. European authorities chose Leopold II to be the sovereign of the Congo, white he was the King of the Belgians. Since then, white people came to the Congo in large numbers to teach black people many things. The latter began to become educated people. In 1888, thirty years ago, the first priests came to your country. After his resurrection, Jesus hadsaid to his disciples: 'Go around the world and preach the good news'. 1900 years since then, the apostles and their successors proclaimed God to mankind. Now the salvation has reached you. Because you were the devil's slaves, God had mercy on you, and he sent his ministers to you to make you his children. Before, there were no Christians, but now you can see them everywhere. People used to believe in fetishes, witchcraft and sorcery, now they believe in one God, Almighty and peaceful. Before, people used to perform satanic acts, now they observe the Christian precepts. Be good Christians so that pagans may follow your good deeds and convert, so that the source of the devil may one day come to an end in your country. J. 60: HISTORICAL NOTES ON THE BELGIAN CONGO (Petite Géographie, F.E.C., Kinshasa, + / - 1930, 7th ed. p.13 14) 1482. Dom Diego Cao, a Portuguese navigator arrives to the mouth of Zaire (nzadi) or the Congo river. He erect in front of Banana, that is the tip San-Antonio, a padro or big cross in stone and a statue of St. Georges to recall the memory of his passage. After him, other Portuguese visited the region of the falls as far as Isangila. The missionaries founded in the Lower Congo a Christian kingdom and gave the Capital Mbanza-Congo, the name of San Salvador. 1491. May 1, baptism of the king of San Salvador, John 1. 1866. Livingstone arrives in the Katanga and travels in this region. He discovers the lakes Bangwelo, Moero and Tanganyika. He travels on the Luapula and Lualaba rivers up to Nyangwe. 1871 Stanley is sent in search of Livingstone, and finds him in Udjidji, on the banks of the Tanganyika Lake. Livingstone, although weakened and sick, refuses to return in Europe however and dies some times after to the South of the Bangwelo Lake. 1873. Cameron leaves from Zanzibar and crosses all Africa from the East to the West and after 2 years arrives at St. Philippe Bengwuela, on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean. 1874, Stanley makes a second expedition to Africa. He leaves from Bagamoyo and arrives at Nyangwe; then he travels down the Congo river. After a journey of three years, he arrives at Boma. His English mates, Parker and the two brothers Pocock, died under way, as well as more then 250 Blacks of their escort. 1876. King Leopold II unites in his palace in Brussels a big number of explorers and geographers. They founded a society named Association Internationale Africaine (A.I.A.). The goal of this society was especially to bring in the Center of Africa the kindness of the civilization and to encourage the trade. 1897. To the demand of king Leopold II, Stanley returns to the Congo. This time, he leaves Banana; he carries along the falls until the Stanley-Pool, three small steamers with which he explores the river up to Stanleyville. From this moment, the expeditions increase, led by courage the Belgian officers Hanssens, Van Gele, Coquilhat and others as well. Five years were sufficient to make in the center of Africa a lot of marvellous explorations, to make with the indigenous chiefs more than 500 treaties of sovereignty, and to found 40 stations. 1885. The Congo is proclaimed the "Etat Indépendant" having as its sovereign Leopold II. The king took care with an unceasing activity of the organization of the new State which soon took a fast development. 1894. Inauguration of the Matadi-Leopoldville railroad, result of 10 years of hard labour and considerable expenses. 1908. October 8, the Independent State becomes a Belgian colony; its flag with the golden star has been replaced by the flag of Belgium: red, yellow and black. 1914 to 1918. Our soldiers fight heroically and victoriously against the Germans. Since the war, Belgium received a mandate on the territories of Ruanda and Urundi, which are united, administratively to the Belgian Congo. J.55: THE GOVERNMENT OF LEOPOLD II, 4th part, 1. The origins (The Abandia, Brothers of Saint Gabriel, Bondo, 1936, p .31-34) 1. THE ORIGINS. Toward the second half of the XIXe century the European explorers penetrated more and more towards Central Africa. As a witness of the infamies of the Arab's slavery, Christian Europe was moved by their macabre narrations. Leopold II, the king of the Belgians, worried about this and sent the first Whites to fight the slave traders and to free the Blacks (1876) The following year an unexpected event occurs: An explorer, Henry Stanley, discovers the course of the Congo river up to then unknown. Answering the invitation of Leopold II, this man heads the Whites who are going to fight the Arabs and to establish peace treaties with the Blacks. Thought: Leopold II is a big benefactor of the Black peoples. 2. THE OCCUPATION The penetration is made difficult by the absence of roads or of some convenient means of transportation (1879). A lot of mates of Stanley succumb due to these difficulties joined to the excessive climate of the Congo. No matter. The intrepid chief advances, faithful to his double mission: the antislavery struggle, and the conclusion of the peace and trade treaties with the natives. Bordering the river and going up the Itimbiri, the first Whites, Roget and Milze, reach in the middle of February 1890, the Uële where Djabir reigns. The powerful master of the Abandia gives them a sympathetic welcome, and thanks to the numerous protection and trade advantages that the Europeans assure to him, he presents them his obedience. Thought: Today, the roads, the navigable rivers, the railroad tracks... contribute to make the Congo rich and prosperous. 3. THE STATION OF DJABIR From the beginning Djabir was a precious auxiliary or the Whites. He delivers them big quantities of ivory and rubber, in return for payment. He helps them to settle along the Uele and founded so the "Station of Djabir", which in 1905 becomes the Station of Bondo. Unfortunately other explorers penetrated from different sides in the country of Djabir. These newcomers ignored all of the history of the Abandia. So the notables or even some ordinary indigenous people presented themselves as legitimate chiefs and concluded without too many difficulties treaties with the messengers of Leopold II. J.57: AFRICA, lesson 32 and lesson 33: Livingstone and Stanley, (Histoire du Monde II, D.C.C.M., Bolenge, 1940, p.98-103. For a very long time, people lived in the centre of Africa. The Whites thought that all natives of the Congo were Pygmies. To those remote times some tribes of Africa, called Bantu, fought the Pygmies, and dislodged them of some places of the Congo, so that they took their place. The Bantu were more intelligent than the Pygmies, and because of that reason they settled definitely in the Congo, of which they are the natives. In the 14th century, some of them regrouped in the kingdom of the Lower the Congo (that means down-river). They had only one king. They lived on the banks of the Congo River, to the South, and, being superior, they became the chiefs of the tribes living near of them. The Whites of Europe who first arrived in the Congo were the Portuguese, who looked for some markets. These were the people of the Commercial Companies. To this time the Portuguese were more than other Whites, fascinated to travel everywhere in the world. In 1492, some Catholic missionaries arrived in Angola. The king of Angola believed in their religion, and became their disciple. Some of his subjects believed in Jesus slavishly. In 1534, a cathedral was constructed in their county capital, which they called San Salvador. In 1549, other missionaries, the Jesuits, that is a Catholic community, created a station there. In 1574 the Portuguese decided to take Angola, that is at the South of the Congo river, so that it came forever under its colonization. In 1642, the Portuguese won the war that they had fought with the Dutch about Angola, who favoured the slave trade in Angola (1) and they had gained shares of money with them. At this moment, the Portuguese civilization didn't arrive at the Stanley Pool (Leopoldville). A few other things that the Portuguese brought were: cows, pigs, ducks, pepper, pineapple, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, sugar cane and others things as well. 33. DAVID LIVINGSTONE AND STANLEY In the year 1867, David Livingstone, from Scotland, travelled in Africa. He was a missionary and was in search of unknown regions in Africa; he died here in Africa. After the death of Livingstone, some people of England came to look for the place where he succumbed, very close to the Lake. The man who taught to the Whites the nature of the Congo was Stanley. Two journalists sent him to Africa for this expedition, so that he could explore these very unknown regions. He had come there before, searching for Livingstone because the Whites thought that he went astray, and he met him in Ujiji, in the Tanganyika lake in the year 1872. Stanley prepared his second expedition to Africa from the East, reason for which he disembarked to Zanzibar (very close to the ocean Indian) in November 1874. After two years, Stanley discovered the very Congo River. Although he suffered a lot at the time of this expedition, he didn't loose heart. The Congolese, not having seen some Whites before, and having seen him sailing on their river, wanted to kill him. Stanley waged 32 battles against these wild people who wanted to thwart his plans. He arrived at Boma in 1877 having accomplished 11.200 kilometres. Thus. Stanley crossed Africa from the East to the West, and he was the first White who arrived in the centre of the Congo. Then Stanley went back to Europe to give his account of the Congo. Stanley went back again with 12 Whites. The Committee of the Study of the Upper Congo that Leopold II had founded sent them. Stanley had come to the Congo on specific order of Leopold II and other Whites of Europe with the goal to pacify the hearts of the people of the Congo so that they give access to the Whites to their big country. At this time they arrived by the West, and disembarked, established in 1879 a station named Vivi. This station was not interesting enough, they disassembled their two boats by which they had come, and with their other belongings they went inside the country. They could not sail on the Congo River at this place because of a lot of stones and rapids. They reached Stanley Pool in July 1881 and build there a station which they named Leopoldville. The construction of the road from Vivi to Stanley Pool was a gigantic work, and he created other stations along the way. But he caught a heavy fever and was very close to death. He returned to Europe. He came back with two other people that he had encouraged to construct a railroad in the Lower the Congo between Matadi and Leopoldville, so that people may pass easily. In 1882, Stanley returns again to the Congo with 14 Whites, and in May 1883 their boat moored at Stanley Pool. They passed Bolobo, a village created by the Whites before Stanley, while Stanley was in Europe. They arrived in Wangata in June 1883, and created a station that they named Equateurville. The White that Stanley placed there, was called Coquilhat. He and another White, Vangele, left for Mbandaka, which one named Coquilhatville to honour the first White who had lived there. Stanley went back to Europe in 1884. From then on the English, the Portuguese, the French and the Germans were informed of the story of the Congo, and some arrived there. The White instituted Leopold II as king of the Congo in 1885. From 1891 to 1895, a railroad was constructed. What a tough work! The Congolese had not yet learned some crafts, and the Whites could not execute all the work because of the heat. They recruited some workers from China to execute all these works, and many Whites and workers died. Had this road not been constructed, the Whites would not have been able to bring their intelligence and their works in the inner parts of the Congo. This rail is more or less 400 km long. The Belgians spent a lot of money to develop the Congo. This money has been used to create the roads, the boats, and the stations of the State. Had there not been the money of the Whites, the Blacks would have had neither many good things nor the access to the knowledge. At their arrival in the Congo, the Whites found some Arab Batambatamba. Their work was to capture some slaves. The Congolese had endured a lot by some Arabs upstream. The Whites of the State delivered true wars with the Arabs everywhere, and some of them died. These wars lasted more or less two years; that is from May 1892 to January 1894. Since then the Arabs didn't do bad things anymore. Before the arrival of the Whites people fought each other without reason, solely because of the pleasure of making war. The Whites put an end to these wars, and at present the one that engages in it will have some palavers. When the Whites of the State saw this behaviour of the Congolese, they decided to institute their own customs so that they could help the Congolese, so that they end the misery, and so that joy and health may increase. This is why in 1908 the country of the Congo was entrusted to the Belgians. They proceeded according to an order of the King of the Belgians and since then this country is called the Belgian Congo. The Whites continue to work with perseverance to develop this country. The State has schools of all sorts. A lot of physicians of the State are in the Congo, and they teach to some Congolese the knowledge of the medicines and the recovery of the sick. They have schools to teach that way, and there are very good hospitals of the State. Notice the many soldiers, and currently in the Belgian Congo there are no more wars between ethnic groups. The Catholic and Protestant missionaries began to come to the Congo in 1878, and they created their stations everywhere. They teach in their schools. They take care of the sick in the hospitals. They preach the Good News of Jesus the Messiah. It is why joy and all sorts of good things begin to be abundant in the Congo. NOTES 1. It is only in 1891 that Charles Lemaire displaced the Station of the State to Mbandaka and that the name Coquilhatville has been given. J.21: SOME FACTS THAT TOOK PLACE IN THE CONGO, V, lesson 31, Van Hullebusch, Botondoli mambi ma nse, Mobu bwa mitano, Lisala, 1944, p.27-29. Children, listen to the facts that took place in the Belgian Congo until today. 1. In 1489, the Portuguese reached the mouth of the Congo River. They called it Zaire. Since about 415 years (1), the tradesmen and the priests came close to the mouth. They didn't go up from there. They were afraid of the rapids, the stones, and the mountains. 2. Nearly 100 years later, other Portuguese explored the Congo, to the South and to the East. 3. Those that arrived the first to the Congo, in the heart of Africa, are the next three persons: Livingstone, an Englishman, from 1866 to 1868; he discovered the big lakes Tanganyika, and the other. In 1871, he discovered our river at Nyangwe. He died in Tabora in 1873. At the death of Livingstone, Cameron took the relief. He discovered Tanganyika, Nyangwe and the Indian ocean from 1873 to 1875. Stanley descended the River in 1877from Nyangwe to Boma during 82 days. There were with him 4 Whites and 356 Blacks. In Boma there were Stanley and 115 Blacks only, the others died on the way because of wars and illnesses. 4. From there Stanley returned to Europe. He remained there during two years. He came back here, accompanied of other Whites. They went back up the river. They concluded some pacts with the chiefs and created stations of the State. In August 1879, Stanley arrived to the port of the river, close to Matadi. There, they looked for people. They had brought sufficient metal sheets to assemble three small crafts. They transported them until Kitambo (Leopoldville). There, they were assembled. Stanley and 4 Whites explored several regions and concluded some alliances with 500 customary chiefs, creating 40 stations of the State. They had spent five years on this work. 5. They had discovered a new country just to make it better. Some sovereigns of Europe chose Leopold II, king of the Belgians, to become also the king of the Congo. Leopold II, is a big civiliser, an intelligent man. 6. In 1885, Leopold II gave to the Congo its first Governor. He was placed in Boma. He also assigned some Whites everywhere. The Katanga submitted to the authority of the State in 1890. To this time the Blacks of the East and the Budja (2) were suffering the cruelties of the Arabs (the Slave trade). The commanders who fought the Arabs are the following: Dhanis, Lippens, Debruyne, Ponthier, Jacques. The Whites could not expulse the Arabs before 1894. Afterwards, they put an end to their depredations. 7. After these wars many priests arrived to civilize the Blacks of the Congo. In the beginning, they travelled on foot from Matadi to Leopoldville. What sufferings! Then a railroad was built. Since 1898, the priests came by train. The train transported men and luggage. 8. Leopold II reigned on the Congo from Europe with great wisdom during 24 years. The whole world congratulated him about it. In 1908, Leopold II offered to its Belgian compatriots the country of the Congo. From then on one calls it the Belgian Congo. That is why all Belgians put their mind on civilizing the Blacks: the body, the intelligence, and the heart. 9. In 1909, Albert, the son of Leopold II, came to visit the Congo. At the end of that year Leopold II died. All wept. Albert was invested as King of the Belgians and of the Congo. Albert also governed us with wisdom during 25 years. He died in 1934. Albert's son went up to the throne: he is Leopold III, our beloved King. 10. (3) Children, if there were no Whites, one would not know of a more prosperous Congo than previously. People do not wage big battles anymore between villages. They don't kill themselves anymore. They put on some clothes. The Whites have constructed beautiful houses. The State created some roads, big paths everywhere for vehicles and bicycles. One doesn't carry any heavy burden anymore. The Whites provide work, and the Blacks help them. To day, many Blacks do the works of the Whites. The priests take care of the soul and of the body. They build hospitals and schools. They also constructed numerous Missions to teach the people God's true religion. They taught the children all kinds of professions: carpenters, masons, teachers, clerks, etc. The business became profitable. The doctors heal the patients. The judges settle the palavers. The State governs and orders the country. Now we notice that the country is prosperous! The Church calls people to the prayer. All is in order. Let's return graces to God for these big and numerous kindnesses. NOTES 1. The points 1 to 4 are all similar to the Petite Géographie (J.60) from 1930 2. The missions of Scheut of this region counted many Bujas. 3. This paragraph is close to Mpo ya Kongo from Mambi ma Tanga (J.51). It is a perfect summary of the colonial ideology: " The State orders (…) ; "Business became profitable" (... ); "The Church calls to prayer. All is in order." J.24: THE HOLIDAY OF THE KINGS OF BELGIUM, lesson 12 (Mambi ma botangi, II, Lisala, 1950, p., 31-34). The day of November 15 is the holiday of the Kings of Belgium. During this day, we explain all kindness received by our country on behalf of the Kings of Belgium. 75 years ago, the first White man, Stanley, crossed Africa from Zanzibar to Boma. Along the way, he found that the Arabs were angry because they couldn't take the whole Congo. They burned the villages, killed the people, and arrested the slaves. It was sad... All villages, as well as the men were frightened; the fetishes and the sorcery terrified them. Only the fear of the adversaries reigned: remember that to this time, one who left for the forest could be eaten. There were wars between the villages everywhere. Total obscurity, without joy, only fear. Stanley informed King Leopold about this problem. The chief felt sad by this message. Since that day, he began to call the good-minded Belgians to save the Blacks of the Congo. Numerous Whites responded to the call.. The priests taught the kindness of God and the road to the heaven. Other delivered wars against the Arabs during 10 years, and brought an end to this fighting. These Whites together with the priests forbade the wars between the villages. The world began to become peaceful. Here are several benefits that they brought: In the beginning, the men ate themselves: currently we notice that all people pass and walk like they want. They work together; they have various tasks corresponding to the needs for their nourishment and development. The trade intervenes with articles of all kind, food, and clothing. In the beginning here were no people who could take care of others. The authorities of Belgium sent us several Physicians. The Sisters came later. The State constructed hospitals everywhere. To this time, nobody knew how to read or how to write. Currently the Missions have in the whole Congo schools. Now the Blacks make carpentry, construct houses of bricks, are drivers of vehicles, others repair engines and machinery, some teach in the schools, others work in offices and post and telecommunication offices, in secretariats and finally some become priests. All these professions are financed by Belgium for the country of the Congo. The big driver of all these was King Leopold II. He put his heart, his intelligence, and his money in the maintenance of the Congo. Some had doubts if he was able to achieve it all. After King Albert, King Leopold III did the same. After all, as for the holiday of the State, let's honour God because he has given us good chiefs. We want that he keeps them, and bless them in their works. J.62: PREVIOUSLY - CURRENTLY. Lesson 3 (Buku na botangi mpe boyebi) II-1, Apostolisch Vicariaat Niangara, Paters Dominikanen, 1951, p.11, (1) Previously, the Batambatamba, i.e. the Arabs, mistreated the Blacks a lot; they captured the women and the children and sold them as one sells some Bamokobe (2). They burned many houses. The big chief of Europe, named Leopold II, sent soldiers to fight the bad people. The war of the Arabs ended in the East of Congo. Not so long ago, our fathers were pagans; they didn't know God, they believed in superstitions; they were lazy, envious and mistrusted one another. The illnesses came from the East (3) When Leopold II learned of this big misery, he asked the Fathers and the Sisters to come to help us. Currently, we see everywhere churches, schools, hospitals, and maternity homes,. A lot of people know God and believe in him. The natives become gradually Christian; some Blacks even became priests, some other nuns. The ignoramuses are delivered and healed of illnesses because of the physicians and the Sisters. Currently, enmity and jealousy stopped among the Blacks, because God's Kingdom already has arrived in the Congo. Let's glorify the King, because he brought peace in our country. NOTES 1. Lesson close to "Mpo ya Kongo" (Scheut 1920), (J.51). 2. The fish mokobe = Alestes Blgr liebrechtsii. Characidae. See Dictionaire du Lingala by Van Everbroeck, p.124 "carnivorous fish" in lomongo: bokoe (D.172). During the low waters, these fish are sold to a vile price, because they are too numerous, and without taste. 3. The travels of the people brought new illnesses, but it had become classic to assign the origin of bad situations to the enemies, in this case, the Arabs coming from the East. J 34.: THE WHITES IN THE CONGO, lesson 21 (Bosako w'oyengwa, III, Coquilhatville, 1955, p.243-244 (1) The authorities of Europe learned of the situation in the Congo. They knew that it was an immense country with a lot of inhabitants. But these were wild people, excelling in all kind of evil. They constantly were in war with each other, making some prisoners, and killing a lot of people. The Arabs came to the Congo by the East, i.e. from Tanganyika and by the Tsingitini and Lualaba rivers. They defeated the natives; they captured a lot of slaves, and brought them in their own countries where they sold them. The authorities of Europe were distressed hearing this information. They gave to the King of Belgium, Leopold II, the authority to govern the territory of the Congo, in order to stop the wars, to hunt the Arabs, to deliver the people of the slavery, to teach the Blacks the knowledge of the Whites and to increase their happiness by the trade. Leopold sent its agents to the Congo. But the natives didn't agree with the arrival of the Whites or with their teachings; they fought them and robbed them (2). Therefore, the Whites made war with the natives, and defeated them. The wars against the Arabs and other people were atrocious, because of their ferocity. But the Whites ruined their strength. When the wars ended, they freed the slaves and began to take care of the country. NOTES 1. This anonymous booklet is published by the Vicariat Apostolique of Coquilhatville. Gustaaf Hulstaert claimed the authorship for himself (cfr J.34). In fact, it is an adaptation of J.54. But it remains astonishing to find under the feather of Hulstaert expressions like "these are wild people; the evil excels in them" and "that they teach to the Blacks the knowledge of the Whites". A extensive introduction and the complete texts of Part I, II and III is published in Annales Aequatoria 23(2002)21-193. 2. It is rare to see a mention of the resistance against the occupation by the Whites. This sentence is not in the original text Buku ya Nzambe (J.54) J.59: ABOUT THE CONGO. Lesson 2 (A. Feys, Mateya ma 1okota, II, Lisala, 1959, p.10-11) Previously the Whites were not in the Congo. A White, named Henry Stanley, crossed the entire Congo. He noticed the awful trade of the Arabs: they brought the Blacks in slavery. He also noticed the wars that the peoples of the Congo delivered among themselves. He returned to Europe. He made a report of everything that he had observed to chief Leopold. After this interview, chief Leopold had mercy of it. He sent his soldiers to fight the Arabs. He implored the priests to go there and to teach the Blacks God's wisdom, so that the Blacks stop killing themselves. He sent Henry Stanley and some Belgians to construct a lot of stations of the State and to organize the whole country. The soldiers arrived; they fought a lot with the Arabs. The priests and the Sisters arrived; they constructed churches, schools, pharmacies, and hospitals. They taught the people God's wisdom, and other teachings. People of the State arrived; they constructed stations and roads; they organized the Congo. The State constructed a railroad from Matadi to Kinshasa. They split enormous rocks. The Blacks call them Bula Matari because they have "to split the stones." Let's in turn express thanks to the Belgians, because they organized our country. (1) NOTES 1. This lesson remains close to the one of 1920 (J.51). J. 6: BOSAKO WA MONGO, 1957. (Anonymous, but attributed to Fr Maes. Texts of P. Ngoi and G. Hulstaert) Preface: Each true child loves above all his own family, his own village. He does not despise other people, but he loves his own kin more than others. It is God's will that you love your relatives more than others. Everyone loves his own village and his ancestral land. Love of ancestors is part of the fourth commandment of God. If one does not love his forefathers, he trespasses the divine law of love. The respect for the own people and the village of the ancestors is written in the heart of every honest human being. This affection will produce the desire for knowledge, for communication, for admiration. Every true person in the world desires to understand the rites of his forefathers, to learn the history of his ancestors, to hold the laws of the village in esteem, to admire the special skills of the forefathers and to honour the ancestors. This can be verified everywhere in the world and in Africa and in Europe, in every human society, by rich and poor, by blacks and whites. A long time ago, there were many different groups of tribes and every group had his own name. They did not know that they belonged to the same people and they fought one another. But step-by-step, they began to understand that small groups did not function well, and the people began to settle together in larger units. The more people progress in civilisation, the more they will be attached to the language of their folk, the more they will desire to discover the history of their ancestors, the more they will have zeal for protecting and defending the language and customs of their forefathers. We will try to dig up the history of our people. In this way we will avoid a strong reproach of our relatives, and on the contrary, they will praise us for having discovered these important affairs, these wise things, these things that nurture the village, things that provide a civilisation with concern and dignity. Consequently we are critical of our friends who refuse to use our language in speaking and writing. Though they know the language of the foreigners only a little bit, their concern is to imitate the whites and demonstrate great pride about a minimal knowledge. They reject their own village; they don't care about the ancestral customs and prescriptions. Such behaviour is like a denial of one's own mother. Pity! We reject this behaviour and we promise to use the language of our mothers and fathers in our conversations and in our writings. 4. The means to rehabilitate the history of our ancestors. How can we know the events that happened long time ago? First listen to what the old people tell us. They know a big deal of these events. If we put their conversations on the forebears of every group of the Mongo together, we shall learn a large part of the old history. The mistakes and the lies of one group are corrected by the narrations of others. The Whites of the State and the Whites of the Mission collected many stories on every group, and put them in writing. So while comparing them and while cutting them up, they constitute a faithful history. Let's compare the narratives to the tales, to the poems or to the songs. Doing this, we can find another source of the old history. THE SLAVE TRADE J. 2: CONGO, REJOICE, Song 36 (Njembo nda nkundo, Soeurs du Précieux Sang, PP.Trappistes, Bamanya, Westmalle, 1911, p.21). 1. Rejoice you, you our Congo country And sing without restraint Rejoice you by mouth and the deepest of your heart, With gratitude sing you its son Of the slavery (1), now, you are freed, Of the terrifying slavery of the devil and of the bad people. To your tears justice has been made By God and, He freed you 2. Cursed by our father Noah, (2) Look up us all Blacks of this country; Oppressed because of his terrifying insult, With tears we cried on the earth. The deliverance came for us from the sky, Now light shone, Darkness left the eyes, And God sees us. 3. Big joy! A strong King Is sent by God in this country; And his relatives, (3) for mercy's sake, They leave in a just surge Europe and, May they free us of the slavery with ardour, May they form a league with us in this fight on earth? Thank them, you, our Congo country, Thank them, you, son of this country, 4. Oh country elected by God, To free your brothers and sisters, Oh Belgium, the Heavens bless you. By his blessing that he blesses your people, You, that adopted us like your own children, And Belgium and us, we are united Rejoice you, our country, the Congo, Accept our acknowledgments every day. NOTES 1. The slavery evoked in this song is in the first place the one of the devil and then the one of the Arabs, all two "justified" by Noah's curse of Cham. 2. H. Vinck, Le mythe de Cham dans les livrets scolaires du Congo Belge, Canadian Journal of African Studies 33(1999)2-3, 642-674 3. The relatives of the " Strong King": All collaborators (all Belgians) are considered as the children of Leopold I J.52: THE SLAVERY IN THE CONGO. Lesson 15 (Exercises de language.Lingala-Français et Français Lingala, Collection des Frères Maristes, Liège, H.Dessain, 1925, p.108-110) Not so long ago, the slavery caused a big misery to the Congolese people. Many Arabs arrived in Zanzibar in 1817; in Ujiji in 1845, and in Nyangwe on the banks of the Lualaba in 1868. They came to look for slaves, to capture them or to buy them, and to sell them, such is their first aim. What an infamy! Some bad chiefs helped them in this task. The Arabs penetrated the ins and outs of the following regions: Kirundu, Nyangwe, Kasongo, and Kambambare. At night they irrupted in a village; they put fire on the huts and killed all those who wanted to take flight or tempted to defend their families. They captured some people and married some of the women and girls. One pulled them, one jostled them, as beasts, to the markets of slaves in Ujiji, Tabora, Zanzibar. Under way, the slaves were thirsty and they were tired. The Arabs didn't have compassion. They hit the slaves who didn't know how to walk. Learning this ignoble practice of the slavery, Leopold II sent some Whites to deliver us of it (1). NOTE 1. Other editions of this text see the edition of the same booklet in 1936. J.60: THE SLAVE TRADE (Petite Géographie), F.E.C., 1930, p.15-16.) The Arabs coming from Zanzibar around 1840, had penetrated to the Belgian Congo and exercised their domination in the whole oriental part. They sold men and women like animals. They made prisoners of the Blacks charged of ivory. The Arabs had powerful chiefs who commanded more than 30.000 men. The war of the Arabs. 1886. The Arabs burned the Station of the Falls. 1888. Foundation in Belgium of the Belgian Antislavery Society. It sent four expeditions to Tanganyika with the goal to erect an impassable barrier to the Arabic traders coming from the East. Their combined action with the State contributed to end the Arabian influence. 1890. Ngongo-Lutete walks towards Lusambo heading 500 warriors; he is besieged by Dhanis, Michaux and Lagat with 200 black soldiers. 1892. Beginning of the campaign against the Arabs. A second attack of Ngongo-Lutete is repulsed by Dhanis and Michaux. Chiefs Ngongo-Lutete, Lupungus, and Pania-Mutombo submit. The Arabs slaughter Hodister and five other Belgians in Riba-Riba. De Bruyne and Lippens are murdered by Sefu in Kasongo. Sefu walks then on the head of 10.000 armed men against Ngongo-Lutete. Michaux crushes him at the passage of the Lomami. 4000 men are killed. Dhanis pursues the enemy, but collides to an army of 10.000 warriors ordered by Munie Moharna. He falls at the beginning of the action. The defect of the Arabs is complete. 1893. Collapse of Nyangwe. Sefu runs away to Kasongo. Dhanis attacks Kasongo with fixed bayonets and seize the place himself. The victory is complete. In the meantime Chaltin comes to the help of the station of the Falls, besieged by Rachid. He topples the Arabs and makes 1.500 prisoners. Ponthier, helped by Lothaire, puts the troops of Kibonge in Kirundu into pieces, makes 1.000 prisoners and pursues the Arabs, until the Lowa; he seizes 25 Arabian chiefs, among which Saîd who is immediately executed. Then Ponthier joins Dhanis in Kasongo. To this moment, Rimaliza, sultan of Udjidji, arrives to the assist the Arabs in Kasongo, Dhanis attacks them, but the Arabian position is too strong. In a Arabian counterattack Ponthier is killed. Rumaliza folds back and maintains himself in three surrounding walls. After 2 months of daily fights, Sefu is killed, Dhanis attacks the Arabian camp with three cannons that set it on fire. Immediately Dhanis made an assault and win a complete victory. Lothaire pursues the army of Rumaliza in flight and seize Kabambare. Descamps continues to fight the Arabs in the vicinity of the Tanganyika lake; he besieges during 50 days the boma of chief Masala; after a violent bombardment he makes the assault of it with fixed bayonets. On September 22, 1894 he seizes the last Arabian boma and returns thousands of slaves to liberty. J. 65: BESAKO BIA EKELESIA (History of the Church) of W.D. Armstrong, Congo Balolo Mission, 1930, chapter 29, p, 86-87. Once, hundred and some years ago, the English had some black slaves. These were sold and were bought for money. But Javhé God raised a certain man, William Wilberforce, to demonstrate to the people that the slavery was a bad practice. This man had worked with ardour to deliver the slaves and to purify the name of England from this ashaming practice (1838). He had his enemies, these latter wanted to stop his project but after all he won and England paid in return a large compensation to the masters of the slaves so that the slaves are freed. The English, on their side, didn't make case anymore on this business. America knew a big war because of the slavery of the Blacks, and after it they delivered all slaves of their slavery. This is how God's mind had driven the fathers of the Whites while telling them to have mercy of the children and to hate cruelty. Since the beginning of Protestantism the laws of Europe had changed face. Once, the punishments inflicted to people were cruel, but nowadays, the Whites have learned to treat people with gentleness and execute only the people who kill others deliberately; and if there are people who kill some men with determination, they kill them without suffering. The Whites have mercy of the people, they demonstrate it in regard to the children, to the patients, to the disabled, to those that are mad, and also towards the animals. All these things took place thanks to Jesus' teaching seen in the light of the Reformation. J.12: THE CONGOLESE. Lesson 3 (Tokoyekola lingala, Frères de Saint Gabriel, Bondo, 1937, p.11-13) Reading: In the Congo. Previously... Previously the Congo was not as currently. The Blacks lived in big misery because of the malice of the Arabs. They captured some Blacks to become slaves. About 200 Arabs formed a league while crossing the rivers. They even sailed during night. They disembarked on the banks, and entered in a village where they put fire on all houses, killing some, and capturing others as slaves. Thus, during their raids, they captured thousand and thousands of people. They also captured women and children. They brought some slaves very far away. There, they sold some of them to other Arabs. An adult man was sold for about 20 francs and a child for 2,5 francs. What a big shame on the Arabs! But the King sent his soldiers in the Congo to deliver the slaves. The Whites engaged in several battles. They destroyed the Arabs and at present the Blacks live in liberty. READING: The Congolese In the Congo one can see some Whites. They came from Europe. The Whites destroyed the Arabs in our country. Previously the Arabs captured some Blacks at all costs. They sold them in slavery. Indeed, the King rescued us. J.24: THE ARABS: MARCH OF THE BLACKS. Lesson 11 (Mambi ma botangi II, Lisala, 19-50; p. 27-3l) I. The Arabs. On time, the Congo had a lot of inhabitants. The men are reduced by illnesses and by internal wars. Another aspect at the basis of this decrease of the Congolese were the Arabian wars, the capture of the Blacks in order to sell them elsewhere. The men that we believe to be Arabs in the Congo had not come from Arabia, they are Blacks of Africa who adhered to the beliefs of the Arabs. What are the reasons of the arrival of the Arabs in Africa? They came to look for slaves and also for the exaggerated thirst for ivory. One day, when they inaugurated a market, the merchants were at the number of 32.700. Once, the Arabs demolished 110 villages, they went back with 2.300 slaves and 2.000 tusks. In this exodus several Blacks died by fear of the Arabs. When they arrested these men, and abducted them, it was awful. One could not see it two times. Listen! When they arrive, they make war, they emerge suddenly before the people, they are more or less 300 or 500, with rifles. During the night, some fire their arms, others burn the houses. People were full of fear. They see their brothers laying dead everywhere. They take spears to try to resist but in vain. Some lucky ones escaped and hid in the forest, where the cartridges pierce the leaves all sides. The Arabs caught men, women, and children. A terrifying business! The clatter of the oars takes the breath away; the spears flash in the sky until the village is tired. After that, the Arabs will calm their anger on the slaves while hitting and trampling them. They put them together. They will call five or six people, put them in columns according to their size. After the work to tie up the Blacks came the whips: "Walk, slaves, walk". II. The sad road The column lengthens, seven to seven they are tied on a stick. Sun, rain, or what ever, it is all the same: the animals walk. Some mothers have children. They transport them on the back; there the necks are tied up. The children only cry. The column walks...days and days. At their arrival, they sleep with ropes on the neck. When one is tired on one side, he can never change to the other, except if a friend wakes him up and throws himself together with the ropes on the other side. At daylight, the walk starts again. No one cries, nor seems be tired. An Arab will take the one who complains or fells into syncopation or loses knowledge and throw below the one who fainted. He will take the knees, go up on the ropes, and take his machete. Then, he does what one does to a lamb. The slaves who were still alive observe the stage and tremble because of the situation that awaits them. Gone, they left the city of Uzizi for the port of the Indian Ocean, or for the Nile River or they pass by way of the Indian Ocean for the city of Zanzibar. The market starts, the purchasers emerge, they observe these Blacks where they buy some products. They will see if their chests are big and strong. They will open their mouths to see how are their dentures. They will make a knock on the back, to see if the noise clears a good bulge. They will start them to walk, to run, in order to know if their bodies are enduring etc. At he end, they will begin the purchase. "Oh this one doesn't have some teeth left, he is aged, his body is tired, he is not youthful" etc., like they buy dogs or goats. A man of a faraway village bought them and leaves; there they will become his slaves. III. In the boat (1) Finished the market, the boat arrives. They will throw them in the cabins; it will be full there. The sad boat disembarks. Where do they go with them? What will they make of them? They don't know. You already heard that the ocean has big waves. The boat turns its prow, disappears backwards, bends toward the right, and turns on the other side. In all these turnarounds of the boat, the slaves fall from the top below on each other. In these falls, they feel vomiting. They vomit, exhausted and, they die one by one, above each other. About food, they don't ask for anything. They prepare a little corns with beans in big pots, that one brings to them. It brings them strength back in the body, they take and eat some. Once, an epidemic emerges and they die all like hens. Sometimes winds provoke some curling and the boat risks to capsize. The Arabs and the crew's men go in the barges, the slaves remain in the boat, shortly after, the boat flows, and the ocean swallows them together with the boat. If a other boat attacks the slave drivers, quickly, they take the slaves and kill them. They attach stones on their feet and throw them livingly in the ocean (2). No one knows how to justify the pain that they feel. Seeing this, Stanley warns Europe. Lavigerie, a French Cardinal, organized a Congregation of priests to put an end to the slavery. Belgium also puts an end to the slavery. NOTES. 1. While continuing the narration of the Trade by the Arabs, the author uses a description that rather applies to the western trade and the transfer of the Blacks toward America (although also of application for the transportation toward the Indies and other Asian countries to and from Zanzibar) 2. Allusion on the inspection by the English after the abolition of the slavery. J. 58: YOUNGSTERS OF THE CONGO, DON'T FORGET! Lesson 44 (Mambi ma botangi, II, Lisala, 1955, p.90-93). I. The terror of the Arabs Rain falls, endless... Waters descend to the river. The night begins to point. On the sky, the moon advances, it shines a quick light. There, in the forests, all is quiet. Only the huge touraco shouts, it perches to the top of the trees of the banks, it sings. No circulation, the cold weather made enter everybody in his house. Mobundi, he, the fisher, remains outside, he trains to weave some lobster pots and sits down by the fire, he looks at the moon. Suddenly he feels his whole body trembling. Suddenly he got an idea: the moon got rusty because of the knives of the Arabs... Ah the Arabs! This jinx! They want only to pour blood. Ah! That they are shrewd! When Mobundi was thinking this, his body trembled unceasingly and he began to fear... What? A fox passed quickly... Mabudi penetrated on the barza. To the side, just on the right was the house of chief Bambata. Bambata sleeps; the cigarettes made it yellow the eyes. In the evening, chief Bambata went to the village of the witch doctor to question him about the rumours that spread everywhere that the Arabs are going to come. The witch doctor looks at his talisman and says to the chief: "The Arabs cannot invade the village, the talisman is going to prevent it, returning them blinded". When the chief went back home, he attached in the houses some skins, rings, bracelets, heavy copper rings carried on the neck with all sorts of amulets. Then he thought: "The Arabs won't come to invade my village therefore! My charm is strong!" People of the village are sleeping deeply. Some are tired for reason of paddling; others have their bodies weakened because of hunting. The whole village is quiet; deathly silence. Only the moon in the sky goes gradually up and down. However the night hides cruel realities! There, next to a small forest, shades swing, walk, push themselves gradually like a cat during the night. At present they are ready. They watch the village asleep. Sefu, chief of the Arabs doesn't sleep. He sent his people with swords and chains. They passed in the regions of Basoko, Stanleyville, Kindu, Kasongo. They only have one desire in their hearts: to put on fire the villages, to kill and capture people. The night is their friend. II THE ARABS Mobudi attaches the fish traps on the grill, he wants to enter... What? the dog begins to bark at the bottom of the veranda. On the side of the backyard, the rooster sings again gbaa... gbaa. The rifles thunder... The men of Sefu begin to shout in a quick voice, they jump on the houses. Mobudi runs away in the forest. The Arabs already surrounded the chief's house, they pierce it with their sables: then they put fire on the hut. While waking up thus, the men are terrorized. They leave their houses with spears and arrows in their hands: the war beats its height in the obscurity. Some of the residents throw themselves in the herbs of the riverbanks; others cross toward the opposite banks while swimming. It is in vain; the Arabs pursue them with rafts and cut their heads in the water. Many flee toward the forest; the struggle worsens; some Arabs die because of the arrows; but they are always numerous! The house of the chief and other houses turn into smokes and in fire... Outside there are thirteen captives: all men, a rope around the arms and the pitchforks on the feet. They also caught the women; they put them all in the same house. The war ends. The men of Sefu wait until the day rises. Night of misfortune! The stars disappear progressively of the sky... The Arabs and their crew get ready. They leave the village. They choose the captured: all residents as well as all hunters make a long line. Then six young girls will come. A small child doesn't stop clinging to his mother's feet. An Arab drives him a sword in the neck. The expedition starts! Indeed, neither the leopard nor the lion are as awful as the Arabs. On the banks of the Aruwimi, Lomami and Lualaba rivers, as well as of the Sankuru, they operate nightly. In the evening of this unforgettable day, Mobudi leaves the forest; with fear, he returns to the village: only smoke,.. The odour of burnt herbs; his feet hits a corpse... he cries and his heart breaks in sorry. Farther on all roads, one meets a lot of captured Blacks. They walk two to three months, continuously until they reach the big market of the Arabs, the place of sale of the men. Seventy years passed when these events had taken place. News of these sufferings echoed, and spread, and penetrated in the ears of the Europeans. Their hearts ware touched with pity. A man, and it is a chief, who sympathized strongly to these sufferings, was Leopold II, the king of the Belgians. Stanley presented him the report of the shameful trade that the Arabs did. The heart of Leopold II was broken. He looked at the map of the Congo... and says: "There, in the forest of the Blacks, I will send my soldiers, to hunt these murderers; I will send some tradesmen so that they bring a lot of goods there. I will also send Priests and religious Sisters to preach God's Word there. Let them educate the whole youth of the Congo. It is that what I, Leopold II, want." A man's word, a noble's resolve. Because everything that has been proposed, the King of the Belgians achieved it. My children, let's thank the Belgians. J.23: LIBERATION OF THE BLACKS, lesson 34. (Mateya ma bomonisi, Manual du maître, Lisala, 1955, p,. 88-90) Preparations: The teacher foresees a good lesson. He talks with insistence on the liberation of the Blacks. The pupils must know that the Europeans saved us from the Arabs. He will recall in short lesson number 33 (1) Lesson: 1. My children, here in the territory, where the Arabs came from to catch the people, the Whites did not known our environment. The roads to reach them did not exist. Large mountains, and the river and the frightening rapids forbade the Whites to know this land. 2. One day, a White, a Christian of Europe named Stanley, came to see our country. He entered by the North with a small boat. He tried to help the Blacks. They entered in the boat, sailed on the big river from upstream to downstream. It had taken him 85 days more or less. 3. During his passage by boat in the villages of the Blacks, Stanley had mercy of our forebears. He found that the Arabs monopolized their goods, burnt the houses, and drove the people in slavery. Stanley for mercy's sake of our forebears got angry and fought some wars with the Arabs. They met in Basoko. The Whites with the black chiefs passed, succeeded, and chased away the Arabs. The Whites persevered and put an end to the wars and to the slavery. God wanted it also. He chose us. Stop to work for the devil, let's accept the authority of the Saviour of all men. 4. Then, the Whites began to govern our territory. They protected us and helped our forebears in their problems. Let's glorify God with our minds and our bodies for these favours. Questions of recall 1. Are the men capable to free themselves? 2. If it arrived that all the people of the world remained pagan, who could go to the heaven? 3. Did the Blacks recover life by the Arabs? 4. Why didn't the Whites have known our country in the beginning? 5. Who is the first White that penetrated our country? 6. With the help of what did he cross our country? 7. Who had helped him? 8. What difficulties did Stanley meet at the stream? 9. Against whom did Stanley and the black chiefs deliver the war? 10. Who won the victory? 11. Mention two kindnesses that entered in our territory 12. Did God open the way of the faith? 13. Who became our leaders? 14. Are their goods increasing? 15. Homework: The children draw Stanley's small boat. NOTE 1. Lesson 33: "Boyangeli bwa ekolo" (The government of the country) II. AUTHORITY Presentation "All authority comes from God" is the leitmotif of all manuals, although the Protestant authors are less explicit. All Whites belong to the class of the authorities by nature. All the same, the religious authorities are located on a specific domain, but they work hand in hand with the authorities of the State. "The State", abstract, but omnipresent, is the incarnation of the authority, it is achieved in a panoply of persons, arranged from top to bottom like a pyramid, starting by the King of the Belgians and finishing with the local chief, delegated of the administration. The State affirms itself by its army and by the imposition of chores and taxes. The Belgian flag is the symbol of it. The Catholic Church, declares itself the most capable to instil the correct concept of authority, as wrote in 1930 one its most famous representatives, Mgr V. Roelens: "Only the Christian-Catholic religion, based on authority, is capable to change the indigenous mentality, give a correct and intimate conscience of their duties to our Blacks, inspire them respect of authority and give them the mind of loyalty towards Belgium" (in L. Franck (Ed.), Le Congo Belge II, La Renaissance du Livre, Brussels, s.d., p.208-209). THE ORIGIN OF THE AUTHORITY J.36: THE CATECHIST AND THE WHITE / THE CATECHIST AND THE CHIEF, chapter 13/14 (Belemo bemo bae bolaki, Mill Hill, Basankusu, Rome, 1923, p.22-23). (1) THE CATECHIST AND THE WHITE The catechist will honour all Whites. The catechist will always come to a White with respect. When he speaks to a White, he will speak with respect and calmly. The catechist proves that he surpasses some people in knowledge, he remembers the advice given by the priest: how to behave with Whites: he greets him with respect. If a White comes in his village, the catechist goes to him and greets him. It is good to bring vegetables, eggs, fruits and food to the White, so that he buys them. If the White of State arrives, the catechist goes quickly to him, greets him, and says to him: "White, I am the catechist of the mission; the priest sent me here to instruct the people." He shows him his catechist's card. If the White asks him for information, he will tell him precisely what he knows. He will speak to him with sincerity and truth. If the catechist wants to say something to the White, he will ask him if the White agrees with it. He will say: "White, I would like to speak to you about a problem." If the problem doesn't concern the catechist, the catechist doesn't make the explanation if the White does not ask. The catechist will also counsel his flock to honour the White. I think that the White will be good for a man who honours and respects the Whites. During his contact with the White, the catechist will observe the rules of politeness. THE CATECHIST AND THE CHIEF The catechist will honour and respect the traditional and the medal chief. The chief of the village is also the chief of the catechist. The catechist surpasses other people in respect and in honouring the chief. He will also teach to his flock to respect and to honour their chief. The village will be prosperous if people respect the chief. The village will become flourishing if people carry reverence to the chief and respect his authority. The chief is the man who the State, owner of the Belgian Congo, named as its representative. He agrees that the chief and the catechist become friends. It is good that the chief and the catechist follow a same way. It is recommended that the chief doesn't obstruct the catechist's work, and that the catechist doesn't obstruct the chief's work. If the chief likes the catechist, he will help a lot in the pastorate, and the pastorate will be prosperous. He will help him to construct the chapel, the school, his dwelling, and in the construction of the Christian village (2). He will help him by the palavers between men or women living on the mission station. If people notice that the chief likes the catechist, some will come to the catechesis and to the school. If enmities, quarrels, and antagonism exist between the chief and the catechist, the catechist's work will suffer. Love and peace between the two are for the better. Before constructing the chapel, the school and the village of the Christians, the catechist will ask the permission to the chief, because such matter is the chief's domain. If the State requires some labour, the catechist will make cure that the Christians go there like all others. The catechist will tell the chief not to call the Christians to work on Sunday and on days of precept. The catechist will help the chief as much as he can. He will write for him the letters to be mailed, he will read for him the letters which the Whites send him; he will explain to him what the Whites want if he doesn't know it himself; if the chief seeks instruction, the catechist will teach him to read and to write. If the chief hurts people, the catechist won't agree with the evil he commits. Chapter 24 treats: "The catechist and the palavers". What will he do when the chief behaves thus? Catechist, honour the chief, and the chief will honour you. NOTES 1. These two lessons are retaken in summary in the booklet composed by Father Nand Van Linden, Belemo bya Bolaki, Boende, 1959, Lesson 14. 2. bolomo w'akristu = the village of the Christians. The use existed at the time to separate the Christians of the pagans in a separate village, away of the other and with its own chief. The State often opposed this custom and wanted to hold the Christian under a same chief with the pagans. J.52: DUTY OF THE MEDAL CHIEFS, (Exercise de langage. Lingala-Français et Français lingala, Frères maristes, Liège, 1925, p.139-141) (1) Lessons 39 and 40 Here are in summary the main duties of the chiefs: 1. To obey the Whites of the State of which they depend. 2. To make sure that the natives know the decisions, orders and opinions of the authorities of the State. 3. To make the authorities know the wishes of their subjects. 4. To facilitate the operations of the census; to inform the administration of all death, disappearances, and emigrations. 5. To denounce to the Whites of the State all serious infringement of the laws: test of poison; human sacrifices, acts of anthropophagi, purchase and sale of slaves, culture, and sale and use of hemp. 6. To stop the guilty individuals of serious infringements and to deliver them to the Public prosecutor's office. 7. To help the Whites to perceive the taxes imposed by the State. 8. To take all useful measures to stop the propagation of infectious diseases. 9. To make the administrator know all serious events that occur in the county. 46. DUTY OF THE MEDAL CHIEFS (Continuation). The chiefs make execute by their natives the following chores, some free, others for money: a) to clean the village, to destroy the weeds and the bushes in a radius of 100 meters of the dwellings. b) to deforest the banks of the rivers where the village bath, until 100 meters upstream and downstream to the limits of the agglomeration. c) to arrange a cemetery on the place designated by the administrator. d) to execute all prescribed works to fight the sleeping sickness. e) to make and to maintain the paths until the limit the chieftainship. f) to provide the passage of the swamps and river by bridges, or by dugouts. g) to construct and to maintain dwellings at the places fixed by the administrator. The chief imposes only chores to the adult and the healthy men. The women can be used only to clean the village and to destroy the weeds. If the natives don't want to submit, the chief can incarcerate them up to 15 days and order the punishment of the whip up to 12 strokes (2). One doesn't whip the women. NOTES 1. This text returns in the different editions of the manual from 1925. A special booklet existed on this matter: Quelques notions sur la legislation du Congo Belge à enseigner aux élèves des écoles primaries [Some notions on the legislation of the Belgian Congo to teach to the pupils of the primary schools] (edition 1957, Frères Maristes, Stanleyville, 23 p. -, but published and translated in various ways). 2. In the edition of 1957 this disposition is reduced to 7 days of jail and 100 Frs of fine. J.26: THE AUTHORITIES, l lesson (Mambi ma botangi ndenge na ndenge, Makanza - Nouvel Anvers, 1932, p.9-10). All authority comes from God (1), the first authority. All men on earth, who detain some authority, are God's substitutes. God gave them his own authority. Thus, all authorities of the world govern according to the will of God himself. Who are our authorities? The nearest authorities are our parents. Further follow all those that govern us, so in the spiritual as in the temporal domain (2.) The leading spiritual authority is the Pope of Rome. The present Pope is Pius XI. In Rome and in the whole world, the Cardinals, - always to the number of 70 - help the Pope. The Cardinals elect a new Pope. The Pope, the Cardinals, and the Bishops are the great ecclesiastical authorities. A bishop governs an ecclesiastical circumscription for and on behalf of the Pope. The priests are helpers of the Bishops. Usually the Pope delegates a Bishop Legate to watch over several bishops and their followers residing in a large territory as the entire Congo. The temporal authorities are: Albert, the sovereign of Belgium and of the Congo, and all white Administrators, as well as the chiefs of the villages. NOTES 1. H. Vinck, Le concept et la pratique de l'autorité tels qu'enseignés dans les livrets scolaires du Congo Belge, Revue Africaine des Sciences de la Mission, Kinshasa 1997, n°6, p. 115-128 2. The version of 1950 (J 24) adds there: "The authorities of the workplace and the school: The chiefs of the workplace direct their workers in all problems they can meet in maintaining their service. Our teachers in the schools direct the mind and the body of the children instead of their parents. Let's like the chiefs, let's respect them, let's pray for them, let's listen to their words, because their voice is God's voice." J. 50: THE AUTHORITIES OF THE STATE (Mateya ma lisolo. Manuel du Maître II, lesson 12, Lisala, 1954, p.28-30) 1. The State, arranged our country. Let's like it. Before the arrival of the State, the Congo was in a condition of never seen sadness: there were a lot of wars. The stronger acted towards the losers like he liked; the few survivors were taken in slavery. They took all their possessions and burned their villages. Sometimes, someone working on the field sees people making irruption, spears, and machetes in hands. While wanting to express themselves, they are already decapitated. If at this time, you undertake alone a long journey, you won't come back. To this moment heathenism was in full swing, the men considered their neighbours as things, and God's laws were despised. 2. In the middle of the enemies and the wars of the ancestors, the Arabs arrived. Did the spears, the arrows and the knives of the forebears harm them? They fought with cartridges and rifles. Arrived in a village, first they killed the men who want to fight them; the strongest were taken in slavery; they stole the precious effects and then they burned the whole village. They arrived finally in Basoko. If the State had not arrived in time, some villages that now have a lot of inhabitants could already have been abandoned. All these were the tortures that the Arabs inflicted to our forebears, they did it without the least hesitation because their law obliged them to kill the men and to steal their belongings. 3. What does it mean that the State which saved you? The State are the authorities of the Congo. The first authority is the King of Belgium. Here in the Congo, come after him the Governors, the Commissioners, and the Administrators of Territories. These chiefs provide some laws, as for example: that people do not kill them selves, that they maintain the roads, that they cultivate the fields and so forth. They transmit these laws to some villages of the Whites, and to the Whites travelling in the Interior. They apply these laws: they have the roads maintained; they oblige people to crush the stones and so forth. Some Whites, agriculturists, have as task to cultivate rice, cotton, and so forth. All these works are for the well being of the villagers. Who won't walk on the road that the State arranged? When the White agriculturists force people to plant rice and cotton (1), who are then the recipients? Are that not the villagers? We see people wearing beautiful clothes, everywhere we see bicycles, and these are the returns of working on the fields. Some Whites have the profession to settle the disputes: these are the judges. They don't want any disorder in the village. Thus, if someone kills his neighbour, they stop him; judge him and finally give him a punishment equivalent to his mistake. Some are physicians; they fight against the illnesses of the people. They travel the country to all villages in search of the illnesses that the people have. Most illnesses are detected, for instance the smallpox. Having discovered these patients, they give them some medicines, and injections to put an end to these illnesses. Had the Whites not been present, when the illness of the sleeping sickness raged, a lot of people would have died, and would continue to die even today. 4. What should we give in return for all what the State does for us,? Let's honour the authorities of the State. While meeting along the way with them, let's greet them solemnly by the losako; let us show them our reverence. Firstly, let us respect these chiefs. If they oblige us to maintain the road, let's go with our friends to perform this work. Let's begin to clear the fields when the White agriculturist asks it. When the period of the tax arrives, let's go pay it. If they forbid the wars, it is for our own good; don't engage in any war as our forebears did. Some say: "The Whites of the State make us suffer." Most of them don't harm you. The laws don't allow it. If some officer is a little violent, he will cause his own misfortune; no country lacks bad guys; very quickly they get some punishments. We notice that the authorities send some Whites back to Europe (2). 5. Let's respect the authorities of the State; it is God who wants it. While refusing to respect them, we also refuse the command of God. NOTES 1. Rice and cotton were obligatory cultures, imposed mainly in the North part of Equator 2. It is exceptional that a similar text admits the possibility of abuse in the exercise of the authority by the White. J.50: THE BLACK CHIEFS (Mateya ma 1isolo, Manuel du maître I, lesson 13, Lisala, 1954, p.30-31). 1. God obliges us to respect all chiefs. In the village of Mary and Joseph, Jesus, God in person, behaved as other children. Mary sent him to the kitchen to light the fire; she sent him to cut firewood and to draw water. Jesus obeyed these orders. In his carpenter's shop, Joseph gave him some orders like a father uses to do with regard to his son. Why did God's son respect his creatures Joseph and Mary? Because God gave them to Jesus as his parents and as his chiefs. 2. God gave you some chiefs too; some are whites and some others are blacks. Who are the black chiefs? First are the chiefs of the sectors, then of the capita of the village. They communicate to the people the orders that the State gives and make some prescriptions to organize the villages. They supervise the works imposed by the State. To settle some disputes, we also have some judges in every sector. Their activity consists to make sure that no unrest does occur in the villages, to judge the palavers, to punish the offenders. If the matter is very serious, they transfer the palaver to the Administrator of the Territory or to the white judge. For the supervision of the fields, the State places the capita of the fields. These replace the white agronomists; they are also our chiefs. Later, there won't be a white physician anymore in the village, but a black physician. He will execute the orders given by a white physician. Those chiefs help you like civil servants of the State. 3. What should we do for them? As we honour the white chiefs, we must also honour them. Let's greet them with solemnity every time that we meet them. We must get up before them and we must speak with politeness. So if a chief arrives at home, let's welcome him politely and give him a chair with deference. Let's honour all chiefs: not only the Christian chiefs, but also the pagan chiefs; not only those that behave well, but also those that are polygamous. Let's honour them, because they are our chiefs. Before honouring them it is necessary to respect them. Let's execute everything that they ask according to the law. The laws, which the black chiefs give to us, come from the State. If we respect them, we also respect the State and finally we respect God. When we refuse to respect the chiefs of the village, we offend God. When the judges decide a dispute, let's accept the manner of which they proceeded to judge this business. If we will lose the suit, let's not say: "I lost this suit because he is a black (1), I do not agree." If we really think that we lost the suit without reason, let's avoid a vain altercation with the judge; rather transfer this problem to the administrator of the Territory. If we want to respect all chiefs indeed like God wants it, first begin to respect the chiefs who are there at the village: the teachers, the catechists, the capita, which the Priest gives you. NOTE (1) As for the problem of the acceptance of the authority of the Blacks by the Blacks, read A.J. Omari, in La Voix du Congolais, 1952, p. 66l THE STATE J.31: THE GRATITUDE WE MUST RETURN TO THE STATE, THAT IS: THE COLONY OF THE BELGIAN CONGO (lesson 31, Bonkanda wa mbaanda w'école II, Battson Memorial Press, Bolenge 1924, p. 97-215) We, the population of the Belgian Congo, we know that the State is as someone who organizes all things. Also, let's list everything that the State makes in our favour. 1. THE STATE FORBIDS TO KILL PEOPLE We know that previously someone could cut down all individual that he had threatened to death, at the least change of mood. At that, people killed a lot of people for case of stealing. On occasion of a patriarch's death, one killed all his slaves (1). Many people too were killed for the sake of sorcery, and for many other reasons. Nobody prevented them. Currently, if someone kills, he is guilty of a very serious infringement. The State wants that people live. 2. THE STATE FORBIDS THE WARS Previously, before the arrival of the State, it arrived that a kingdom or a village invaded another. One wanted to increase the number of slaves or had need of women; then the patriarchs mobilized their men for the war. At the time, a lot of people died by the wars. If our mothers felt any danger, they trembled of fear, believing that the war was imminent. They thought that, either themselves or their children would be taken in captivity. Once upon a time, a war occurred because of a dog (2), and hundreds of people died for nothing. If the State had already come, those people didn't have to die. The State is not of the opinion that people should fight for futilities. It wants that people are in peace and calm. 3. THE STATE DELIVERS US OF OUR SLAVERY Previously, the people who had won the war brought back numerous people in captivity. The State doesn't accept that one person is a master and an other a slave. It wishes that each is master of his destiny. If someone stays in slavery today, it is his own fault. If he wants to free himself, his master cannot prevent him. 4. THE STATE RELIEVES US WHO WERE IN MISERY Previously, the strangers came stealthily, and caught people. They exiled them to other faraway countries for hard labour. The parents, who remained, were henceforth without news. But since we have the State, some Blacks and Arabs coming from the East to look for the slaves as previously, have simply been annihilated by the action of the State and its soldiers. While remaining people of the State, we cannot be afraid of this practice anymore. 5. THE STATE DECIDES OUR ENDLESS DISCUSSIONS Previously, we felt a lot of difficulties to decide our palavers. At present, the State prevents some wars. It doesn't abandon us because it decides our palavers. The claimant brings his eyewitness to the White of the State. After having learned about the declarations of the two parties, this White pronounces a just judgment. The State puts back under the conjugal roof the divorced women or those that had been married elsewhere. And if the wives have just grievances, the State encourages them. The State neutralizes the delinquents even if they were Capita or Whites (3). 6. THE STATE CONFERS POWERS AND PREROGATIVES TO THE CHIEFS OF THE VILLAGES (4) The State wants that people obey their chiefs. It accepts that the chiefs inflict the chicotte or the jail to those who don't obey. If a chief or a second-in-command decided palavers according to the law, in spite of the discontent of a party, the State confirms this judgment. But if for lack of authority a chief doesn't succeed in deciding palavers, the White of the State will decide it for him. 7. THE STATE TAKES CARE OF THE ROADS Our fathers didn't have any good roads in the forest. For this reason we didn't travel frequently. The work on the road is not of the least important; if everybody wanted to create some roads in every city, it would ask a big effort. The State is like a chief invested to help all villages to maintain their roads. The people who create some roads remove the weed, level the hills and put footbridges over the rivers. Our children will see spacious roads everywhere, and will have the opportunity to travel elsewhere; so the peoples of several regions will enter in contact with other peoples. 8. THE STATE PROTECTS THE POSSESSIONS OF THE WHITES If the State didn't protect the possessions of the Whites, we would not have all these Whites of the companies dispatched in many villages. Before the arrival of the State the Whites had come for the trade, but they did not bring numerous goods as currently. Thus, protecting the goods of the Whites, the State helps us. 9. THE STATE OFFERS US THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE MONEY, I.E., FRANCS The Whites of the State and others settled almost everywhere in this country. These Whites call on a big number of workers for such works as: felling, weeding, construction of houses or manufacturing of pirogues. Some others are employed as: rowers, sellers, cooks, servants, mechanics, and masons. All these workers are remunerated for their work. And the State himself recruits hundreds of workers for its colonial enterprise. The State wants that those who don't work for the Whites increase their fields while providing supplies to relieve the hunger of the workers that doesn't have the opportunity to cultivate their own fields. By the purchase of the produce of their fields, the owners will have a lot of money that means many francs. 10. THE STATE ENRICHED OUR COUNTRY OF HUGE RICHES The State taught us the value of the goods we possess. It teaches us our way to possess goods, which we did not have before. Now we possess many goods that our fathers didn't have, because we know to produce the products searched for by the Whites. This is why the State wants that we work with strength and perseverance to have money, not only to pay taxes, but even to purchase many goods for our pleasure and to make our body robust, in the way of the Whites who possess many goods. 11. THE STATE OFFERS US THE OPPORTUNITY TO BUY EUROPEAN PRODUCTS After having taught us the prices of the products we possess, and after having offered us the opportunity to have some francs, we want to buy the goods that we didn't have before. But we cannot order the products of Europe. We don't know the languages spoken there; we don't know the countries that produce the imported goods. We don't know how to pay since their currency is different from ours. We don't want to offer in advance money as long as we don't see the product that we want to buy or those we don't have the opportunity of choosing it. But now that the State takes care of the goods of the Whites for the time of the journey from Europe to the Congo, now that the owners of the stores import all sorts of goods: clothes, blankets, hats, shoes, soap, weapons, machinery and all other materials we need, we have the choice in the stores of our own country. We see the quality, we feel the content of the materials, we can appreciate the manner knives have been sharpened. This shows that we buy European products with intelligence. To buy some products from Europe, is like buying a pirogue that is under water (5). 12. THE STATE HAS MADE MONETARY UNITS FOR US Before the arrival of the State, people came with shiny and very beautiful goods to exchange against copal and ivory. We didn't know the value of the pearls or other goods that they had brought and that devalued our riches indeed. Then, the State establishes the franc as monetary unit with its under-multiples: the cent and the half-franc. In the Congo the franc keeps its value everywhere. A cent remains a cent. They don't differ whether it is here or elsewhere. At present we sell our goods and we are paid in francs. We know the value of the currency that we have. From then on, we buy material goods where and whenever we will. We don't have any difficulties anymore in this matter. 13. THE STATE BRINGS AID TO THE SUFFERING (6) The State has compassion towards those that are sick. It wants that everybody is in good health. It is not happy with the existence of illnesses as skin diseases or sleeping sickness, because they decrease the vigour, and cause death. In some villages, the State already constructed hospitals and places of isolation for infectious illnesses, as leprosy and the sleeping disease. The State invests a lot of money to stop some endemics. The physicians of the State lavish free medical care to whom doesn't have the money. The State wants to promote the training of male nurses on all the extent of the Colony. Currently, some compatriots follow courses in the Schools of medicine in Mbandaka and elsewhere. They learn the European medicines and the manners to heal the illnesses in the Congo. Another school of medicine is implanted in Leopoldville, which means Kitambo. Any White can present himself to get some instructions on the capture of the vector bugs of the sleeping illness. Even though someone is not conscious that he caught this illness, he must know that some pathogenic microbes exist in his organism. These microbes are not visible to the naked eye. A microscope is necessary to help examine the blood. The microscope will attest if the blood contains these microbes. The State gives the Whites who know these microbes the medicines to fight the microbes, which remain in the organism. The physicians continue to look for other ways and means to stop this illness. They work without relaxation to heal this illness, not only while taking care of the patients but also while avoiding its propagation. For that reason one promulgated a law forbidding whomever, Blacks or Whites, to travel by boat without an attestation of absence of the vector microbes of the sleeping sickness. The physicians have examined the blood of most people to stop the death by this illness. The physicians of the State in Kitambo refuse to the passengers from Europe to get off the boat before they have conducted the medical exam of each of them. In this way they want to discover the carriers of infectious illnesses for fear that they are going to propagate these illnesses on the banks of our rivers. A serious illness, which ravages Europe, is tuberculosis. The State doesn't want that the White infected by this illness takes place on board of a boat toward the Congo. And if a White catches this illness in the Congo, the State immediately evacuates him to Europe. The State wants us warn about the sleeping sickness and many other illnesses. 14. THE STATE FORBIDS THE CONSUMPTION OF HEMP The State knows very well that the consumption of hemp destroys the intelligence and the body. It destroys the organism slowly; although the consumer thinks that he is in good health. Hemp is an ominous thing, reason for which the State forbids the consumption of it 15. THE STATE FORBIDS THE EUROPEAN BEVERAGES (7) An other harmful thing is forbidden to us. Although the Whites are conscious of the strength of the European beverages, certain of them consume them and intoxicate themselves. A lot of Whites that came here let women and children in Europe. By nostalgia, they believe to comfort themselves by drinking. One also meets among the Whites as among the Blacks, people who abstain of all intoxicating drink. The State is conscious of the effects of the drinking and prevents the consumption of it, for fear to intoxicate the people. 16. THE STATE PROTECTS THE PALMS (8) We read in this book about a lot of products that the palms give us. Even if we pull a lot of profits of it, some lazy people, in quest of the nuts of palm, cut the palms down. They are afraid to climb, but they forget that a cut palm cannot produce nuts anymore. Because of the future of our children and our grandchildren, the State forbids to cut some palms without a valid reason. 17. THE STATE RECOMMENDS US SOME FOOD The State calls on the Whites who know some edible plants of the bangala region. In Eala, close to Coquilhatville - that means Mbandaka - one arranges a very big garden. This garden is called "Experimental Garden of the State." A lot of people go to visit these experimental plants. The persons responsible of the garden ask for the seeds or the cuttings of other bangala regions, and initiate some maintenance methods. After the experimentation in Eala, one will call on all citizens to make use of it. Thus, we have following products: sorghum, leeks, rice, papayas, coeurs de boeuf, bananas, avocados, mangoes, and oranges. Those that live in swampy regions plant beans, sweet potatoes of Europe, tomatoes, okras, cabbages and other plants for salad. It is for selling. They cultivate these products for their own subsistence as well. Currently the natives consume all these too. 18. THE STATE WANTS TO SUPPRESS THE POLYGAMY The State knows that prosperous regions are those where monogamy is practiced. It is not appropriate that a woman has several husbands or that a man has several wives. If a man marries 10 women, 9 men remain without a women. The State has dispossessed several patriarchs of their wives. It is now allowed to all women wanting to leave polygamy, to do so. The State wants that a man and his wife have many children. If someone has 4 children from only one wife, he is exempted of tax. He is exempt of it for having made children with only one wife. The one that is polygamous pays taxes on the basis of the number of his wives. The moment will come that we will no more know polygamy. The elderly realize that the present situation is not good, but they will end accepting for every man only one wife. 19. THE STATE TAKES IN HAND THE SOLDIERS WELL The soldiers of the State are from our Congo. We are happy because the State takes care of our compatriots. It give them clothes against the cold weather, and give them very efficient blankets so that they can sleep well. A military hospital is built in Boma. Those that returned from there have reported the State has taken care of the patients very well. A soldier gets sick during his function or on the occasion of a war, he continues to receive his pay. After one term of 7 years, the soldier receives an indemnity of exit of 500 francs. 20. THE STATE WANTS THAT OUR CHILDREN BE INSTRUCTED AT THE SCHOOL. The State wants that our children, boys and girls, be instructed at the school. Some Whites of the State instruct the chiefs to order that their people construct a school. The State has eight big schools in the biggest agglomerations of the Congo. In the schools of the State, the teachers teach reading and writing in the language spoken by the children. Later some pupils will learn French. Numerous are the young people who learn sewing, technique of navigation or to work on the railroads. Others accept to dig minerals, to practise joinery, shoemaking, bookbinding, and printing. Other pupils learn to become monitors or to be civil servants. And as we already learned during this lesson, some others are trained in the art of healing the sick. 21. THE STATE MAKES OUR LETTERS SENT Actually, this work is not really important, but it will be in the future. Although we live separated of our relatives, the State sends to those that remain behind, our news, so that they are informed of our work and of what happened to us. If our fellows travel very far, we are happy to receive their news. Who wants to write a letter buys a stamp in return for some francs, and glue it on an envelope. Because of this stamp, the captains of the boat or the agents of the railroads will take care of the letter. They protect the letter of rain, of termites or rats. When most people will know how to write, we will have quickly answers to our letters and receive news of faraway regions (9). 22. THE STATE WANTS THAT WE TAUGHT THE GOOD NEWS The State accepts that the Whites and the Blacks announce the Good News of Jesus Messiah's in all our villages. 23. THE STATE ACCEPTS GOD'S WORSHIP The State accepts that every individual prays and praises Yahweh-God like he wants it. Each will know what is required to adore God while reading his Bible. 24. THE STATE ACCEPTS OUR SUNDAY'S REST. The State accepts that God's children observe Sunday as the day of the Lord. If they want to take a rest this day, no one will prevent them. 25. THE STATE PROCLAIMS THE UNITY OF ALL COMPATRIOTS Previously our ancestors were dispersed in several groups. Every group dreaded one another. We didn't have any friends; we were enemies. But currently we have the State, And everybody lives in peace and friendship. We all pay taxes. We think that we pay a lot of money. But these francs are far insufficient in relation to what the State does for us. The State needs a lot of money every year, but it pays with our money, so that the works of the State run smoothly. We live in peace, without war, and we are sincerely delighted that we are citizens of the Belgian Congo. Now we form only one territory, a big brotherly homeland, and the time will come that all nationals of the Belgian Congo will look with pride at the symbol of our nation, the flag (10) NOTES 1. On the funeral sacrifices, see G. Hulstaert, Les coutumes funéraires des Nkundo, Anthropos 32(1937)502-527; 729-742. 2. The war of the dog, etumb'ea mbwa, is the name of a set of distresses due to the migrations of the 19th century, caused by the Arabian invasions and the movements of the Ngombe in the region of the northern Mongo. Different names were used as etumb'eki lofembe. See G. Hulstaert, Buku ea mbaanda, Mbandaka, 1935, lesson 126. 3. The same argument also by J. 50 (1954), lesson 124 nr 4. 4. See " Duties of the chiefs ", in J.52 (1925), lesson 45-46. 5. A service of purchase of European goods by correspondence existed in the Congo. 6. We find a big number of these considerations in many of the booklets of hygiene. 7. The author of this text belongs to a Protestant Church (Disciples of the Christ, U.S.A.) that asks the total abstinence of alcohol. For the legislation in this matter, see some booklets like: Quelques notions sur la legislation du Congo. In the booklets of the Catholic schools, I didn't find any warnings against alcohol. 8. A lesson of 6 pages (p.90-96, lesson 30), "Let us praise our Palm trees", enumerates and explains all sections of the palm tree (25!) that are useful to people. The author opposes the consumption of the palm wine. 9. The art of letter writing was part of the teaching from the beginning. Number of readers gives examples of different sorts of letters. 10. A certain number of Readers insert a text on the Belgian flag. No word on the Congolese flag in use during the colonial period. NOTE A There are some minor variants in the successive editions of this manual (1924, 1948 and 1954). The lesson is preceded by a colour image of the Belgian flag. A. a) "the manner of the Whites that possess many goods" is omitted in 1948 and 1954. A. b) 1948 and 1954: " francs imo " = a certain amount A. c) 1948 and 1954": Imeza te banto ba wengi bonanga baate ekelesia bekiyo (It accepts that the inhabitants of every village have their Church;) We find echoes, of this lesson in Ekim'ea Nsango by several Congolese authors. This magazine was written during several years by the author of the booklet (Mrs. Hedges). See Ekim'ea nsango, 19(1932) 44-45; (1939); (1948) April 29, p.2; October