Cat's-Paws

FOUR HANDSOME NEGRESSES--R. Hernekin Baptist--Cape & Smith ($2)

In the far-off days when the Portuguese were world's greatest sailors, one of their questing ships picked up four handsome Negresses on the Guinea Coast. According to contemporary chronicles (says Author Baptist) the women were to be dressed up "and left ashore at different points of the African coast as emissaries of trade and, presumably, of Christian missionary enterprise: women, it was reasonably argued, being less likely than men to be slain by savage tribes." From this historical thread Author Baptist has spun a highly colored yarn.

You do not need his warning that his tale "is in no way to be trusted by the seeker after facts;" it is romance from the word Go. The peaceful African village where the four Negresses lived was a good imitation of the Garden of Eden; the Portuguese ship a floating specimen of civilized corruption. The Negresses were surprised, captured while taking a siesta on the dunes. When they had become fairly used to their shipboard surroundings they were given clothes; one of the priests began their education. He taught them to repeat, parrotwise: "Jesus Christ, son of a Virgin immaculate, died on the Cross. . . ." to which they responded: "Yus klase sunnaver wir ginnimacla dadeonta Closs. . . ."

Only one of them survived the voyage. The first, dressed up and put ashore, was frightened to death by a gorilla. The second, having developed a taste for drink, got drunk and jumped overboard. The third, marooned among strange savages, was married by them to their god. The fourth drowned herself. As colonizing cat's-paws the Negresses were a failure.

In spite of his (assumed) name, Author "R. Hernekin Baptist's" good words are all for heathendom. But he regards heathen nature (especially female) with a civilized and curious eye, makes much of natural facts not usually dwelt upon so lovingly. Publishers Cape & Smith will not divulge Author "Baptist's" real name but they admit he is English, assert he is "very famous."

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