MR ROSCOE'S TRIUMPH

Hokitika Guardian, 22 January 1921, Page 4

MR ROSCOE'S TRIUMPH

AFRICAN ('ANN I HALS' FRIKNI). LONDON, Nov. 20. The Rev John Roscoe’s personal triumph in East Africa, to which country lie went on 'behalf of the Royal,Society and the Government .with an expedition financed by Sir. Peter McKie, and spent a year among native trihes, learning much of tribal customs and, superstitions, has been rather lost in the intense interest i.n the scientific results. With charming modesty lie said, in answer to a question on tlhe personal dangers of the journey: “Oh yes, they hilled several lie lb re I arrived and several after 1 left ;but they were kindness itself to me.” Hi? chief dangen, be says, came from the wild excitement into which the people worked themselves at certain ceremonies, marching and singing in gangs and knocking people down promiscuously with flubs. He would have been himself clubbed by one gang while photographing another but for timely defence bv two native servants. TILE “RUG.MAN” MISSING.

There was something delightfully simple and English about the tiip. Mr Rosco”, a clergyman in his (iOth year, trains one June day from his tiny -and edit remote, Norfolk rectory to Cardiff, taking his camera and his bicycle. He waits .some weeks for a ship, then sails to Mombasa, where lie finds that 'the “bugnian,” or entomologist, and photographer bad failed him. So “the McKie expedition” liecomes just a travelling parson who goes off into the blue, where, however, every kind and sort of facility is given, for East Africa knows him.

CYCLING ON NATIVE PATHS. Yet his bicycle is his best facility. He cycles off along native paths, .gets a start of ten miles or so of his native troop, and starts talking to inquisitive natives whom his presence astonishes. His natives when they come up find him the centre of a crowd with whom he

is conversing easily in one of the three native languages that he commands. The while priceless secrets ha' e fallen into his possession. He is trusted everywhere—by cannibals and milk-drinkers and by those whose daily joint of mole’s flesh is garnished with bamboo tops. He is so intimately acquainted with the custom and ways of thought of each trible that they say to him—did actually in so many words say to him : ‘‘Oh, you are one of us” ; and the rest is plain sailing.

Their belief is that such customs as theirs niusffflourish in England too, and ask whether the English have them. His answer is excellent, as philosophy and for its tact: “I dare say we did once.” And their generosity to ,the visitor! Did ever king in history, even Solomon, give a thing of more real value to the recipient than the old, immensely old, throne of the King-Priests oi Banyoro, a great, skin-coyered stool of wood on eight feet —'each foot worth a king’s ransom by reason of its scientific interest?

This white-haired clergyman, who walked and cycled thousands of miles along great heights and river valleys and into forest depths; who was sent alone to take part in ceremonies never before shown to a European, who was weeks without seeing a white man, who was toiling and taking risks every hour —lie.'was-never-' out of harngss for a single day, in.spite of malaria, nor abated a jot of his human and scientific inte rests.

LIFE-SAVING KNOWLEDGE WON. The knowledge lie has gained will save thou saints of lives—babies from poisonous dosings and grown people from foul diseases and cattle from pre : vailing plagues. > ; - 4 - y_' Sir Peter McKio, who with wholehearted generosity said: “1 will see it through, whatever it costs,” and Oxford who put up money for their museums, and the Royal Society, who gave name and interest, chose and found a partner indeed, a man who proved in the most literal sense a host in himself, doctor, photographer, surveyor, missionary, ethnologist.