No. 484.
Mr. Lewis to Mr.
Bayard.
Legation of
the United States,
Lisbon, July 16, 1885.
(Received August 4.)
No. 11.]
Sir: I have the honor to transmit inclosed copy of
a note from the minister of foreign aifairs, with a translation thereof,
dated 14th instant, in reply to my communication of the 27th June last.
I think it more than likely, from my conversation with Mr. Stover, one of the
missionaries, that they will not be further disturbed, and that a good
portion of their goods have been restored to them. They evidently appear
satisfied that, as a result of the action taken by the Government of the
United States, no further molestation will occur.
I have, &c.,
[Inclosure in No.
11—Translation.]
Mr. du Bocage to
Mr. Lewis.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs,
Lisbon, July 14,
1885.
In answer to the note which your excellency addressed tome on the 27th
ultimo, in regard to the expulsion of the American mission residing in
Bihé and Bailunda, I have the honor to communicate to your excellency
that as soon as the note was received from your excellency’s predecessor
of 17th November, 1884, to which your excellency referred, I asked from
the minister of colonies the expedition of the necessary instructions
for the purpose of redressing such wrongs as might have been unjustly
inflicted upon the said mission by the Sobas and the natives of Bihé and
Bailunda, and to punish the guilty, in case the suspicions of the
American board
[Page 646]
should be
confirmed—that a Portuguese subject had been the secret instigator of
the violence exercised against the missionaries. In due time the
minister of the colonies informed me that the governor-general of Angola
had ordered inquiry to be made by the governor of Benguela as regarded
the occurrence.
The results of the inquiry made did not justify the assumption that the
events so worthy of censure could be attributed with justice to any acts
of the Portuguese subject, Edward Braga. It seemed more probable that
the inbred covetousness of the Sobas and natives was the only cause of
the serious occurrences which it was unhappily impossible to avert. I
was informed that the governor had interposed his influence for the
purpose of restoring to the American missionaries the property of which
they had been so violently despoiled. I was also advised that in
compliance with the petition of Mr. Robert S. Newton, vice-consul of the
United States at Loanda, and of Mr. Walter, president of the American
mission at Benguela, that the governor-general had written to the Sobas
of Bihé and Bailunda letters pressingly recommending the
missionaries—letters of which they themselves were the bearers. The
vice-consul and Mr. Walter appeared satisfied with the measures adopted.
I gave verbal notice of these facts to your excellency’s predecessor,
who was to have communicated them to his Government.
I hasten to inform your excellency that I will attempt to procure further
information as regards any facts which may since have occurred of which
to-day I am ignorant.
I avail, &c.
