230

AFRICA.

The Rev. G. A. Godduhn who has been visiting the stations on the coast south of Batanga writes as follows: During the nights at Benito we heard the war cry across the river; some people had fled several times to the station. A Balinge had married a Kambe girl from near Benito, but forgot in his happiness to pay the dowry. So the girl went back to her family, and when the man came to get his wife they sent him home disgraced. Then he called all the young men of his town; they went down, burned the town, killed one old poor woman who could not run away and took away all the chickens and goats. A member of the church at Bata was there and when he went home he called all the men of the tribe from Benito to Bata. So the whole country was alarmed.

Thursday morning I started for home in the station boat "Willie." When I came to Bata our native minister Etienne met me at the beach armed to his teeth. On being asked what was the matter, he said, "Oh Mr. Godduhn, Balinge be too bad burn churnle." Pointing to his gun I said "I hope you will convert them before you kill them as we do not believe in second probation." He smiled and going up to his house we met a great number of people all around. The day before the Balinges had come from the bush, but as the Kambes had been warned, the others received a hot welcome, three men being killed and one taken captive who was delivered at the French post. In the evening I preached on Luke VI, 36-38, "Forgive and ye shall be forgiven." A cement barrel served as table, a lantern spread its gloomy light over a good number of people who were sitting on the ground, having their guns between their knees. I wanted them to put their guns aside, but they refused, as they expected their enemies every minute. We had a good meeting. The whole appearance reminded me of the times when the Huguenots and Old Covenanters had their meetings in caves and woods.

Next morning news came that a Balinge spy had fallen into a trap and bled to death, as the spear in the trap had gone through his body.

[September,

Then I saw the difference between the heathen and Christians. While the heathen were rejoicing the Christians were mourning over the awful fate of their enemy. After breakfast I went through the towns sending the boat to the German factory four miles below. Bata is full of people and the work very promising.

PREACHING TO FISHERMEN

At Eboye we had a great gathering, as many of the people had come from the towns on the way. The work is very encouraging among the Egara tribe. The young man I had taken there in June has over seventy in the inquiry class. But envy and strife between the different towns very much hindered the work. That evening I preached about the miraculous taking of fish, Luke V, 1-2. This story all thepeople understood and enjoyed, as all the men are great fishermen. At the close I dwelt on the partners in the other ships helping Peter and John to pull the Gospel net. Afterwards I had a private talk with the men from the different towns and since then the work prospers.

A TRIBE ANNIHILATED.

In my letter in March I spoke about the Tamatyes a bush tribe near Eboye. These poor people were an eye sore to the Bulus and Fan who had driven them from their home in the interior. Now this whole tribe was eradicated, their enemies had come and shot them down like wild beasts.

GUATEMALA.

A DECIDED ADVANCE.

REV. D. Y. IDDINGS, Guatemala City:-With the new church open, the boys' school under control and in progress and the printing shop partially equipped, we are getting quite well prepared to make our work more aggressive than it has been before and with these advantages we hope to be able to hold every inch of territory that we win. We have just formed an organization of the Spanish-speaking congregation consisting of twenty-five members of the pick of a congregation of a hundred or more. In addition to this we also hope soon to organize the English-speaking congregation with perhaps

1892]

about the same number. The special meetings we have had in connection with the organization, such as the ordination of the elder and the baptism of the new members have created great interest, so that the congregation has been growing very rapidly. Judging from the number of those who have recently manifested their interest and desire to unite with the church I think that by the next communion season there will be a goodly number ready to be admitted, perhaps a dozen. After laboring here hard for nearly three years with no apparent fruits you must know something of the feeling that came over me as I stood up to baptize eleven of those who entered the organization the other night. With the assurance of peace and prosperity which we have under the new president, I think that with God's help we will be able to do great things for Guatemala in the next six years.

to cry

Another thing which I wish to mention is a change which we can hope for in the line of public instruction. One of the greatest hindrances that we have had has been along the line of the public instruction. Heretofore it has been in the hands of the atheists to such an extent that all the teachers in the institute here in Guatemala have been accustomed down the Bible and all religion. But the new president has put in an American citizen at the head of the Institute who is far from being an atheist and although he has not manifested any direct interest in the church here, he is at least in sympathy with Christianity and will do what he can to prevent the wild proclamation of athéism which the young have been accustomed to hear.

231

believe, is the largest accession to the church at one season since its organization. It does not however include all those for whom we entertain hopes that they have been renewed by the Holy Spirit. For various reasons some do not see their way clear as yet to unite with the vis ible church. Among the Armenians the national feeling seems to center in the old church as a basis of national unity, and the defection from the old church is looked upon as a sort of treason to the Armenian nation. Among the Moslems there is naturally a shrinking from a step which may bring them into great danger. I have in mind five Moslem inquirers who have each privately confessed to me their hearty acceptance of Christ as their personal Saviour, but who are by no means ready to confess Him by uniting with the Church.

As it is not very long since the session felt called upon to exercise discipline in the case of a number of negligent and unworthy members, it has not seemed wise to urge these young men to speedily unite with the church. It appears a wiser course for them to wait a while and see whether their new found faith and hope have the promise of endurance and permanence.

The influence of the revival, though by no means as extensive as we desire, appears in some instances to have been deep and happy and perhaps visible fruit of it may appear later on.

The Young People's Society of Christian Endeavor in the boys' school is without doubt a valuable instrument for good in the work at this point.

PERSIA.

ENCOURAGING INGATHERING.

REV. J. L. POTTER, Teheran:-The session of the native church at their meeting just before the spring communion on Easter day received two members by letter and seven on examination. It may be of interest to note that these seven are all pupils in the boys' school, and the following nationalities are thus represented: 2 Parsees, 3 Armenians, 1 Jew, and 1 American. This, I

CHINA.

LIFE AND FRUIT.

REV. W. J. MCKEE, Ningpo:-"The Zông yü church comprises three stations, the city of Zôngyü where the pastor resides, and the large towns of Song ô and Tong-kwaen where chapels, a few Christians, and a native preacher are at each place. At Zông-yü and Tong-kwaen there have been no additions within the year, but there are some enquirers, and we were pleased with the earnestness of the Christians. At Zông-yü we have recently organized a boys' day school which

232

is taught by an earnest young man, and at Tongkwaen the preacher's wife has gathered a few young women for daily instruction. At Song ô two persons were baptized, and these are the first fruits for many years.

We also found the Hangchow church in a flourishing state. The Sunday we spent there four were added to the church, and one expelled member restored. The Sunday school is well conducted. We found Mr. Judson as of old spending and being spent for his boarding school of forty-five pupils. Mr. Garritt is deeply interested in the evangelistic work, and accompanied us to visit the out-stations. At Zongpah, thirty miles N. W., though the people were busy day and night caring for their silk worms, we succeeded in getting together ten out of the twelve members, for communion on a week day forenoon. At the new station of Hae-ning, forty miles east of Hangchow, there were four persons asking for baptism. These four are connected with Christian families, and the people in that region are not especially friendly to us. Our church in Sing-z, thirty miles north of Hangchow, barely holds its own in numbers, but it is noted for liberal giving. There is one earnest enquirer.

On our way home we learned that five were to be added to Yuyiao church, and to day I learn that out of several applicants two were received into Triu-ông church. Their numbers are small, but one soul is very precious, and the obstacles are great.

PERSECUTION OF CHRISTIAN CONVERTS. -A Madras paper shows the treatment received by a young convert named Appu Rao: "For six weeks this young Christian was shut up

[September.

in a close dungeon-like room and watched day and night. Enchantment and violent purgatives were resorted to in vain to drive out the Christian heresies imbibed; pepper and cloves sifted in his eyes did not enlighten them, lime-juice rubbed daily on a shaven crown did not induce wisdom after Brahmin judgment, and though his Bibles were burnt before his face and the ashes mingled with his drink, the well-stored memory still gave out its riches of words of God to cheer and sustain, and to meet the subtle arguments of Vakis and Gurus, and the temptings of both the lewd and the vicious and the threats of powerful neighbors, among whom was the Munsiff himself, who visited the house constantly to coax or threaten his victim into apostacy. One night his watchers being sick simultaneously, Appu Rao was left alone, and raising the door off its hinges it fell back, though still locked, and he escaped."

In Mexico city we heard the story of a servant girl. About three months ago she was working for a Protestant family. She was invited to family prayer, and for a few times went to service. In a few days she met her aunt, with whom she had lived before going out to work, and told her what she had done. The aunt, horrified at her dreadful conduct-that of attending Protestant worship-immediately took her to her home. She then tied her hands together and fastened them to one end of a rope. The other end she threw over one of the rafters of the house, and then pulled the girl up till her feet could hardly touch the floor. She then bared her back and whipped her until her back was swollen and bloody. This her aunt did in order to keep her from the faith of the heretics. The Gospel in All Lands.

The outlook for the year is bright with golden opportunities in every branch of the Board's work. Fields all over the country, neglected for two years under the cry "no new work," are fully ripe for the harvest. Indeed much grain has fallen beyond recovery and much more will be lost unless we thrust in the sickle soon.

If the 5,000 who followed Jesus and waited upon his ministry until their hunger moved him to provide bread for them by miracle, were worthy of his sympathy and relief, ought not the hundreds of thousands who are calling to us, not for bodily comfort, but for the bread of life, to move our churches to provide for their wants, which they can do without a miracle. God answers reasonable prayer, but he will not do man's work for him.

Our work among the Scandinavians in Minnesota and elsewhere is limited only by want of men and means. Our Swedish work in Minneapolis and St. Paul and vicinity is well under way. The Synod of Minnesota is eager to expand and push the work throughout the State and the Board waits only for the Church's benefactions. So of Danish and Swedish and Norwegian work under the shadow of Mormondom, to which thousands of these people have been beguiled, but from which their intelligence when enlightened makes recovery to a purer faith comparatively easy, while their honest thrift and industry render them trusty and valuable in all relations.

The 250,000 Bohemians in the country form a class of people whose large Protestant portion appeals especially by tradition and training to the Presbyterian Church,

though our Congregational brethren have a good and growing work among them.

The population of San Francisco is about 300,000. The entire seating capacity of all its churches is 55,000. This leaves 245,000 in San Francisco without church privileges.

In an excellent report from Rev. W. H. Hoffman, of Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, these significant words occur:-"I find that we ministers must give inspiration to all these worthy enterprises, and that the need of beautifying Zion and building up her walls is more apparent to us than to the people among whom we labor."

In

Our noble home missionaries are not only friends and supporters of worthy enterprises, but sources of light and inspiration. They and their churches are reservoirs of irrigative waters; they are banks which honor all drafts upon them in gold coin. The deep and lasting obligations of the country to them will be profoundly felt and gratefully acknowledged by coming generations. our great, wonderful West, whose wealth and variety of resources have never yet been over-estimated and are not elsewhere upon the earth surpassed, there will eventually be millions of population, whose mingling nationalities will evolve a race combining the best in each, and, breathing the pure air of freedom, will certainly produce a race the equal of any the annals of time present.

In arming this immense and growing element in our national life with intelligence and a pure Christianity our missionaries will be assisting to establish a power

such as has rarely risen in the world. This work is a holy one. It were better that our lakes and rivers were dried, our railroads torn up, our mills shut down, our mines abandoned than that our missionary enterprises should be abandoned or even allowed to stand still where they are while the country is running away from them. Our beautiful land, reposing among grand mountains and stretching in fruitful fields over extensive plains, would become as "the valley of the shadow of death." The adversary would spread out his hands upon all her pleasant places. The Lord would cover her with a cloud and in His anger cast down to earth her beauty while her altars are desolate.

In New Mexico the work among the Mexicans is opening up everywhere. The people seem ready to renounce Romanism, if Protestant teachers can be sent them. We have been asked for many new schools in New Mexico, and just as fast as the money is in hand to undertake this new work we shall be glad to do so.

The people of New Mexico are so eager for schools that they pledged themselves to lend their support, declaring that they are willing to be excommunicated from the Roman Catholic Church rather than be without the schools. A man, 86 years old, offers rooms in his house free of rent for the school. The priest told him that excommunication would be the penalty. The old man answered that the priest could not separate him from communion with the Lord Jesus, and called attention to the fact that the Romish Church had steadily refused to give the people an opportunity to educate their children. He said he meant to give his grandchildren the opportunities that had been denied their ancestors.

At another place a Mexican offers a school house free of rent, and $60.00 per

year

[September,

additional if we will establish a school there. Many of these Mexicans are living in idolatry. Flagellation of the Penitentes, and crucifixion even unto death is practiced.

Rev. J. A. Menaul, Synodical Missionary of New Mexico, says in a recent letter:-"The people at Bernalillo town want a lady teacher, one able to teach music preferred. They promise to pay at least $15 a month of her salary. It will be a great favor if you will let us know what the prospects are of getting such a

teacher.

"Bernalillo is a large Mexican town, with a few Jewish and American families, in which nothing is being done by any of the Evangelical denominations. It is a hard field, but one that ought to be tried. Little or nothing can be done there till we have a location in the shape of a schoolhouse or missionary's home."

There are many places like that here described, where a Sunday-school or a Young People's Society, or an individual, could erect a worthy memorial in the shape of a small and plain school-house or chapel, with or without, included rooms for the missionary's family.

Gen. R. N. Adams, synodical missionary of Minnesota, writes that at that date (August) for the first time since he assumed the office, every organized point in the state was supplied with the ordinances of the gospel. Of course such a state of things cannot be permanent—as for instance, the students who have been doing summer work will soon be returning to the seminaries; but it is none the less most creditable to him and to the synod, and most encouraging to the church and to the Board. The work in the whole state is doing well and pushing ahead.