CONGO INDEPENDENT STATE. 



CONGREGATIONALISTS. 



m 



general exports in 1897 the value of 12,882,900 

 francs went to Belgium, 2,348,100 francs to the 

 Netherlands, and 1,157,740 francs to the Portu- 

 guese possessions on the west coast of Africa. 

 The total imports in 1898 were 25,185,138 francs 

 in value, and exports 25,390,700 francs. The in- 

 crease in the exports was fairly well distributed, 

 except that in rubber there was the remarkable 

 increase of 7,500,000 francs. In 1888 the export 

 of rubber was only 250,000 francs, and in 1898 

 it was 15,800,000 francs. The increase in the total 

 exports, which was 40 per cent, in 1898, has been 

 750 per cent, in ten years. 



Navigation. Steamers arrive at Boma every 

 month from Antwerp and at frequent intervals 

 from Liverpool, Hamburg, Rotterdam, and Lis- 

 bon. The number of vessels in the ocean trade 

 entered at Boma and Banana during 1897 was 

 201, of 342,809 tons, of which 123,433 were Brit- 

 ish, 120,309 Belgian, and 07,018 German. The 

 number cleared was 200, of 348,057 tons, of which 

 123,250 were British, 120,309 Belgian, and 71,231 

 German. The number of vessels entered coast- 

 wise was 434, of 10,877 tons; cleared, 453, of 

 17,194 tons. 



Communications. The Government has 

 steamboats making regular trips from the mouth 

 of the Congo up to Matadi, where the rapids in- 

 terrupt navigation. From Leopoldville, on Stan- 

 ley Pool, 22 Government steamboats transport 

 passengers and merchandise to the upper Congo, 

 which is navigable for 1,000. miles to Stanley 

 Falls, and to places on the navigable tributaries 

 of the Congo. Between Matadi and Leopoldville 

 the transport, formerly effected by porters, is 

 now accomplished by means of the Congo Rail- 

 road, which runs parallel to the river for 250 

 miles, at an average distance of 20 miles from 

 the south bank. 



A route has been surveyed for a railroad from 

 Stanley Falls eastward for 300 miles, then branch- 

 ing northward to Lake Albert and southward 

 to Tanganyika. 



The Congo State is a member of the Universal 

 Postal Union. The number of pieces of mail mat- 

 ter carried in 1897 was in the internal service 

 82,182, and in the foreign service 201,204. 



The Batetela Revolt. When the Belgians at 

 the end of 1890 made their arrangements to oc- 

 cupy the Lado district, the task was intrusted 

 to two columns, one of which, 700 strong, under 

 Commandant Chaltin, accomplished its mission 

 by defeating the Mahdists and conquering the 

 territory leased to the Congo State by an arrange- 

 ment with Great Britain. The other column, 

 commanded by Baron Dhanis, consisted of 3,200 

 Batetelas from Gandu, the country between the 

 Lualaba and the Lomami. These men, who were 

 formerly the most faithful and efficient soldiers 

 in the Congo State, rebelled against being taken 

 so far from their homes and beyond the confines 

 of the Congo State. They had not been as tract- 

 able since their chief, Gongo Lutete, was shot on 

 "an unfounded charge of treason in 1893. The 

 first mutiny occurred at Dirfi on Feb. 12, 1897, 

 when the advance guard murdered the white of- 

 ficers. When Baron Dhanis came up on March 18 

 with the main body several hundred deserted to 

 the mutineers. A battle ensued, in which several 

 more Belgian officers lost their lives. The mu- 

 tineers, who were abundantly supplied with am- 

 munition, set off for their tribal home, 1,000 miles 

 to the southwest, and Baron Dhanis, with the 

 half of his force that remained faithful, returned 

 to the upper Congo. The rebels were headed off 

 by the Congo troops at Stanley Falls, and for 

 nearly two years they wandered through the re- 



gions west of Lakes Albert, Kivu, and Tangan- 

 yika. Other Batetelas garrisoned at Luluaburg 

 also revolted, swearing to avenge the death of 

 Lutete. Baron Dhanis strengthened his positions 

 at Nyangwe and Kassongo, arid then sent out 

 small columns to attack the mutineers. After 

 a series of victories won by these columns, the 

 force of Lieut. Svensen, 150 strong, was attacked 

 on Nov. 4, 1898, at Sungula, on Tanganyika, and, 

 though joined the next day by re-enforcements 

 brought up by Lieut. Alban Lemaire, was com- 

 pelled to retreat to Kabambare, fighting all the 

 way, and losing white officers and 100 men. 

 The rebels developed an unexpected strength, hav- 

 ing probably obtained fresh munitions in Ger- 

 man territory. Lieut. Svensen died soon after 

 reaching Kabambare, and almost immediately 

 this important station, the nearest to Gandu, 

 was attacked by the rebels. The garrison, con- 

 sisting of 800 native soldiers, went over to the 

 enemy, killing 5 of the 14 white officers. After 

 capturing 2 guns and all the baggage and ammu- 

 nition, the mutineers evacuated the place. The 

 forces of the Congo State were strengthened by 

 recruits from the Manyema tribe, and as soon 

 as his army could be got ready Baron Dhanis 

 took the field. Meanwhile the rebels surprised, 

 captured, and destroyed many small frontier sta- 

 tions between Tanganyika and the Congo. They 

 were repelled from other stations which they at- 

 tacked. Mongallas also revolted, and were aug- 

 mented from neighboring tribes. The ferment ex- 

 tended down along the Congo to the mouth of 

 the Ubangi, and the prestige of the whites was 

 endangered until Baron Dhanis set in motion the 

 large force that he had collected to overwhelm 

 the Batetela mutineers. He had his headquarters 

 at Kassongo. Major Lothaire pacified the Mon- 

 galla country, defeating the Budja cannibals and 

 other rebellious tribes. The Batetela mutineers 

 numbered fewer than 1,000 now, and the popula- 

 tion of the country was not in sympathy with 

 them. So long, however, as they possessed am- 

 munition they could inflict losses on the state 

 troops by ambuscading small detachments, while 

 avoiding battle when pursued by >a strong force 

 by escaping into the forest. Baron Dhanis ad- 

 vanced to Kabambare and established his head- 

 quarters there in the middle of January, 1899. 

 In the Lado district on the Nile the Belgians had 

 about 800 black troops, commanded by 20 white 

 officers, at the beginning of the year, with Krupp 

 and Maxim guns mounted on the ramparts at 

 Lado. They had an advanced post on the Loret, 

 having abandoned Redjaf to the Mahdists, whose 

 main body was at Bor, 100 miles north of Lado, 

 the Loret, which forms the boundary of Belgian 

 territory, being equidistant from both places. 

 Soon afterward his troops inflicted a telling de- 

 feat on the mutineers. Following up his advan- 

 tage, he drove them before him back to Tangan- 

 yika and into the German protectorate by the 

 same route along which with their aid he once 

 pursued the Arab slave raiders. 



CONGBEGATIONALISTS. The following is 

 a summary of the statistics of the Congregational 

 churches in the United States as given in the 

 American Congregational Yearbook for 1899: 

 Number of churches, 5,020, of which 4,242 are 

 "supplied" (with pastors) and 1,375 are "va- 

 cant " ; of ministers, 5,039, of whom 3,084 are in 

 pastoral work and 1,955 are without charge; of 

 members, 028,234; of members of Sunday schools, 

 082,013, with an average attendance on the 

 schools of 408,357; of Young People's Societies 

 of Christian Endeavor, 3,829, with 202,315 mem- 

 bers; of families, 419,434; of additions by con- 



