AMERICAN PRESBYTERIAN. The report of the Board of Foreign Mission of the American Presbyterian Church, North, made in 1885, furnished the following respecting the Gaboon and Corisco Mission: BENITA on the mainland, fifty-three miles north of Corisco; occupied as a Mission station, 1864; Rev. Cornelius De Heer and his wife, Rev. William C. Gault and his wife; Mrs. Louise Reutlinger. Outstations-Batanga, Evune, Bata, etc.; one native minister, seven native assistants. CORISCO: fifty miles north of the equator and from fifteen to twen licentiate preacher; two other native helpers. Outstations on the river, at Belambila, etc. TALAGUGA: on the Ogove river, fifty miles above Kangwe; occupied as a Mission station, 1882; Rev. Robert H. Nassau, M. D.; Miss Isabella A. Nassau. The history of this Mission for the past year tells both of discouragement and of bereavement. Messrs. Robinson, Gault, Reading, and Mrs. Good have all been seriously ill, and Mr. Reading has had to return to this country. A great loss to the Mission was the death on the 8th of August, of Mrs. Nassau, a lady of the highest Christian character, whose memory will be ever cherished with the truest respect and sympathy. On the other hand, Mr. and Mrs. Campbell returned with renewed health, and Mr. Robinson, almost beyond expectation, is again quite well and has gone back to his work, accompanied this time by Mrs. Robinson. Mr. and Mrs. Marling expect to sail on their return about the 1st of May. GABOON & CORISCO. BELINGI ITAIMU Alongo IBUAI Muni R. MBISHO MBUSHA. Chri Ninngo Mala BAKALAI IKANI PANGWE BAKEL ty miles from the mainland. Alongo: occupied as a station, 1850; Rev. Ibia F. Ikenje; one native licentiate preacher. Outstation at Mbiko on the mainland opposite Corisco; three native assistants. GABOON: Baraka, on the Gaboon river, near the equator, ten miles from the sea; occupied as a Mission station, 1842; transferred to the Board, 1870; Rev. Graham C. Campbell and his wife; Mrs. Thomas E. Ogden, Miss Lydia Jones, and Mr. Peter Menkel. Outstation at Rembre, on the Gaboon River: Rev. Ntaka Truman. NEAR NENGENENGE: seventy miles up the Gaboon river; at Angom occupied as a station, 1881; Rev. Arthur W. Marling and his wife. At Nengenenge, outstation; one native teacher. At Munda: one native assistant. KANGWE on the Ogove river, 165 miles from the sea by the rivver, or 90 miles direct; occupied as a Mission station, 1876; Rev. Adolphus C. Good and wife; Miss Mary L. Harding; one native As to the question of health, it may be well to retrace for a moment the history of the Mission. The Gaboon Mission was founded by the American Board in 1842, and was merged in the joint Mission of Gaboon and Corisco in 1872. The Corisco part of the Mission has an independent history from 1849 to 1872. From 1835 to 1861 (statistics from 1861 to 1872 not at hand), 16 missionaries connected with the Gaboon Mission died and 13 others were compelled to return home, not to speak of others who made frequent visits to this country for health. In the Corisco Mission, previous to its union with the Gaboon Mission, the number of deaths was 14, and of those who returned to this country permanently, 12. Since 1872 4 have died in the joint Mission and 10 have come home to stay, while others have felt obliged to make repeated visits to this country after short terms of service. In other words the deaths and permanent returns, mostly for health, appear to have exceeded the number of average laborers who remained in the field. Thus it is evident that this field has always proved unfavorable to health, and the explanation is not far to seek. The whole coast for many miles back is penetrated by innumerable inlets of the sea, whose banks are covered with luxuriant vegetation. This, in that sultry climate, under the heat of a tropical sun, has caused malaria to an intense degree. Efforts have been made (with partial success) to find more healthy stations, but none are exempt. A few years ago it was thought that by the missionaries adopting new measures for domestic comfort better health could be secured, but this plan has proved only partially successful. Perhaps in most cases, missionaries whose health requires a furlough within two years, should not be authorized to go back. Frequently grave doubts have arisen whether it is best to continue the Mission in such a climate. These doubts are now intensified by the disturbing influence of the French regulations, to which reference is made further on. There are two places now occupied as Mission stations, at which it is hoped comfortable health may be enjoyed-Talaguga and Angom. The former is situated on the Ogove, the latter on the Gaboon, where these rivers leave the mountains, and where their waters flow in a rapid, clear current. The report made in May, 1886, shows a somewhat more encouraging prospect, though the rival claims of the French, German and Spanish to the territory where a portion of the mission is established still cloud the work. The statistics show 221 members at Bolondo; 240 at Mbadi, Benita; 75 at Corisco; 40 at Gaboon and 40 at Northam, of Cobalt, Conn.; Chas. A. Ratcliffe, of Cincinnati, Ohio; Samuel J. Mead and wife, and Miss Albertha Mead, of Underhill, Vt.; Wm. H. Mead, wife, and five children and Miss Nellie Mead, of Underhill, Vt.; Miss Mary R. Myers, M. D., of Woodstock, Conn.: Miss Delia Reese, of Westfield, Ind.; Chas. G. Rudolph, of Brooklyn, N. Y. Thus it is seen that of the number who left January 22, there were twenty eight adults and fifteen children. Of these Miss Dr. Myers has married Rev. C. L. Davenport, Rev. Henry M. Willis and Chas. L. Miller have died; Levi D. Johnson, M. D., Rev. Ross Taylor and family, Rev. Levin Johnson, Henry C. McKinley, Mrs. Willis and Miss Reese have returned to the United States; Geo. B. Mackey did not go farther than England. Rev. Heli Chatelain and Henry E. Benoit have since joined the mission. The stations and the missionaries are now Kangwe. During 1885, there were between 60 and 70 received in the churches connected with Benita. THE BISHOP TAYLOR MISSIONS IN AFRICA. Bishop Wm. Taylor and Dr. W. R. Summers left the United States for Africa the latter part of 1884. They were followed on January 22, 1885, by Rev. A. E. Withey, wife, and four children, of Rock, Mass.; Levi D. John. son, M. D., of Oskaloosa, Iowa; Rev. Ross Taylor, wife, and four children, of San Jose, Cal.; Rev. Jos. Wilks, wife and child, of Kendalls, Mich.; Rev. Clarence L. Davenport, of Gardner, Ill.; Rev. Levin Johnson, of Beaver Falls, Minn.; Rev. Henry M. Willis, wife and child, of Philadelphia, Pa.; Chas. W. Gordon, of Lynn, Mass.; Wm. P. Dodson, of Easton, Md..; Chas. L. Miller, of Baltimore, Md.; Chas. M. McLean, of Woodstock, N. B., Can.; Henry C. McKinley, of Raymore, Mo.; Geo. B. Mackey, of Port Homer, Ohio; Fred. B. as follows: St Paul de Loanda, Rev. Charles A. Ratcliffe, Heli Chatelain; Nhanguepepo, Rev. A. E. Withey and wife, Rev. W. H. Mead and wife, W. P. Dodson, C. G. Rudolph; Pungo Andongo, Rev. Joseph Wilks and wife; Malange, Dr. Wm. R. Summers, Rev. S. J. Mead and wife, Miss Albertha Mead, Rev. C. W. Gordon; Dondo, Rev. C. L. Davenport, Rev. C. M. McLean ; Mamba, Henry E. Benoit. F. B. Northam has lately been superintending the erection of buildings in the Presbyterian mission at Gaboon. St. Paul de Loanda is the port of entry of Angola, a town of probably 10,000 inhabitants. Dondo is on the Coanzo River at the head of steamboat navigation, about 240 miles from Loanda. Nhanguepepo is 51 miles from Dondo. Pungo Andongo is 37 miles from Nhanguepepo. Malange is 62 miles from Pungo Andongo and about 390 miles from St. Paul de Loanda. Mamba is a native town two degrees south of the Equator. The building was formerly the Residence of Señor José e Cunha, and the houses and grounds were purchased by Bishop Taylor. The tent seen on the right was used for the first native school which had its beginning Monday, June 29, 1885, under the superintendency of Wm. P. Dodson. We give three views of the mission station at Nhanguepepo. They are from sketches made by Rev. Wm. H. Meade, the missionary at that point. At Nhanguepepo a house and buildings have been purchased, and here are 2,000 acres of ground to be used for the mission, much of which is to be cultivated. Mrs. Withey writes from this place: "We are pleasantly situated here, in a beautiful country surrounded by mountains elevated 2,300 feet above the level of the sea. We live in a stone house at present, rather small for our large family, six adults and ten children, but we are roofing over other rooms, as the building was in somewhat of a dilapidated condition, but we shall soon have more room including a good school-room. At present all school work has stopped to press the planting, so that the garden last named left the company on reaching England. Rev. G: H. Thompson joined them in England and Rev. J. C. Peter left the United States to join them the first of April. A raft was taken from New York, capable of carrying twenty tons, fitted with mast, and sail, and oar, to be used above the falls of the Congo. In Liverpool they were supplied with a schooner with rigging complete, and tools for putting it together above the falls of the Congo. The American Missionary Association has given Bishop Taylor the steamer "John Brown" formerly used by its missionaries in Africa. Bishop Taylor writes from Mayumba, March 21, 1886, to Richard Grant: shall have the benefit of the rains. For nearly two months husband and Bro. Dodson, (our school teacher), have had all the responsibility and work of this station, as the other two men have been sick. They have had heads and hands full, but by the blessing of the Lord, and being very careful they have kept well. We are well now and happy in Jesus, contented with the will of the Lord. Our prospects are bright." On March 20, a second band left New York for Africa. They were Rev. E. A. Shoreland, Rev. Clark Smith, M. D., wife and four children, (Grace, Jesse, May and William, aged respectfully, 5, 7, 9, and 12), Rev. J. H. Cooper and wife, J. J. A. Harrison, M. D., Rev. J. L. Judson, L. B. Walker, Bradley L. Burr, C. E. Peters, Andrew S. Myers, Archer Steele, A. Sartore, U. S. Grant "I arrived here last night in first-class condition body and spirit. I met Bro. Northam at Gaboon. He left here about the same time that I left Angola, the middle of October. He got our mission house at Mamba, 24x30 feet, under roof, but having no funds to carry on the work, left on a contract for wages at Elobi, a couple of hundred miles north, and now has engaged to superintend the building of a house for the Presbyterian Mission at Gaboon for a couple of months. Brother Northam is not a minister, nor a candidate for the ministry, but a mechanic of good Christian repute. "Brother Benoit is doing well. He gets his support by teaching French, is studying the Congo language, and has contracted for completing a house. I will assist in that and secure a farm and prepare the way D. V. to es tablish here in another year a good self-supporting industrial school and mission. "I will have about two months to spend here, and then join our people as they pass about the 20th of May. "I have received a letter from Bro. Ratcliffe. He is of the right sort. He knows French, German and English and will make an able minister of the Gospel. He does not report the progress of the work along the line in Angola, but from his silence on that subject and the joyous tone of his letter, I take it for granted that they are all well and at their work. It is only a question of a year or two when a sure footing of self-support will be secured. Meantime we can send them a few barrels of flour if necessary. "The Lord is leading and we are bound to succeed. If Journeyings in Africa of Bishop Taylor's First BY REV. LEVIN JOHNSON. About a month after we started from New York we arrived at Freetown, Sierra Leone, northwest coast of Africa. Freetown is a town of 2,000 inhabitants, having a few English traders. During the reign of slavery vessels were captured and their cargo of humanity were set free and sent to Freetown. There is, therefore, people from all nations and tribes in Africa living in Freetown. The language generally spoken among them is the English, or a Negro-English language! They have wellestablished missions here and good schools. The natives have control of all things and rule as they like. The lawyer and the judge and officers are all Africans. of Bishop W TAYLORS EXPEDITION VIEW OF NHANGUEPEPO MISSION STATION, FROM AN ADJACENT HILL LOOKING SOUTH. There was a time when these dusky people in Freetown were rather haughty toward the white man, and are to a great extent that way to-day. They used to push a white man off the sidewalk, and of course he would resent and strike the native, and then they would arrest him and take him to the magistrate, and he would be fined or lodged in jail. The natives in Freetown look upon the white man as an inferior being. The first man that was created was black, etc. it should take a year or even two, in case of drought to reach a safe basis of self-sustentation it will be better than the old plan that employs 40 years at it, and does not, except in isolated cases, reach it in 40 or probably twice 40 years. I say success to all such missions. They do a good work, but if we can in a barbarous country like this utilize the indigenous resources and agency and get such a short cut on it, and move so rapidly as is possible on this line, why should not every child of God rejoice and praise Him for such a work? Glory to God in the highest." The General Association of the Colored Baptists of the Western States and Territories of the United States have sent two missionaries to the Congo, Rev. T. E. S. Scholes and Mr. John R. Ricketts. They are now in the Congo Free State and have commenced work. It was a pleasing sight to us when we, for the first time, beheld this land of wonder. The coast hills, clothed with their strange-looking trees and other tropical growth, the odd-looking people in their half-naked state, the rude grass or mud huts here and there, the numerous canoes in the bay, with their black, half-naked occupants, fishing, were sights that strained our eyes somewhat. Every |