Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors]

islands. One of our best givers is a poor woman of the tree climbing caste, blind of one eye. She works in the field and makes about sixty-two cents a month. She gives one-tenth, and her handful of rice besides." Mr. Walkup writes of a new island he bas lately visited in the Gilbert group, call ed Ocean Island or Banaba: "The men are entirely nude. Married women have the fringe worn on the other islands, while girls and unmarried women wear leaves, generally suspended around the neck. The king listened to us about having a teacher and asked, 'What good will it be to us?' When answered, he said the other chiefs and people would be called to decide. I proposed that they assemble on the beach, where most of the people were collected, and there decide. In the public assembly, after much palavering, they admitted four public sins, namely, stealing, quarreling, drunkenness, and adultery. They did not seem to have any appreciation of a future life, or of anything in this life beyond get ting clear from the above sins. I told them the Bible would tell how to do this and more, if they would obey its teachings. They accepted a teacher and promised to treat him well and feed him."

Miscellany.

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small]

The katikiro, or prime minister, and one Mujasi, captain of the body-guard, made complaints that the missionaries were bir take ing the natives, so that the chiefs could not peril get unpaid service as formerly. Moreover, sider Muja ki declared that the missionaries were king trying to take away the subjects of Mwanga frien and carry them across the lake to other lands.

mov

ent

Had ably slaug

com bitte

Ev

sion

days who

Nothing was left for the missionaries but to warn their friends, and specially the lads, not to come to the missionary premises until the storm had blown over. But on the thirtieth of January last, Mr. Mackay, with three or four baptized native lads, started for the lake, and was set upon by Mujasi, with a large force of men, and the boys were handcuffed and taken back to the capital. Great insults were heaped up. on Mr. Mackay. He went to the prime minister, who ordered all the missionaries to leave the country. It was a very critical hour, and for a time it seemed as if not merely the native converts but all the missionaries would be massacred by the excit the la ed people.

It seems that three of the captured lads, Serwanga, Kakumba, and another whose name is not given, were taken by Mujasi

Young Native Christians in Africa Dying for to a place outside the capital, and there

Jesas.

tortured. The story is a most painful one. The several years the English Church Their arms were cut off, and they were Missionary Society has maintained a mis- then bound alive to a scaffolding under sion in Uganda, on the shores of Lake which a fire was made, and they were slowNyanza, in Central Africa. The friendly burned to death. ship of King Mtesa was capricious. Upon his death the outlook was brighter, as his successor seemed disposed to aid the mission.

Letters writ ́en in May, and received in London in September, give an account of trials and heroic sufferings, even unto death. The brief summary of the events is furnished by the Missionary Herald.

The young king, Mwanga, son of Mtesa, was made very angry by the non-appearance of three young missionaries whom Mr. Mackay had been expecting, and whom he crossed Lake Nyanza to meet. At the same time rumors were current that there were white men in Busoga, the region on the east side of the lake, with a large force. The rumor probably had arisen from the fact that Mr. Joseph Thomson's visit in that section had awakened the

It is wonderful to read that even when Mujasi and his men were mocking the suf ferers, and bidding them to pray to Jesus to rescue them from the flames, the lads clung to their faith, and in the fire they sang: Killa siku tunsifu (Daily, daily sing the praises)." After this another lad was bound and beaten, and compelled to reveal the names of all who ever came to the mission services.

[ocr errors]

Of course, the Christian community was scattered, but wonderful courage was given the converts. One of them, a page at court, came fearlessly, saying that he had heard that he was reported to the king as a Christian, and he would not refuse to die, but preferred to be found on the mission premises. Another went to the court, meaning to assert his faith in Christ and stand by the consequences; but the wrath

officiele bad bas

at ni

as so

Chur

tism

mitte

Own

them

mart

deter was

that cour

ed.

assur

own not b

try. lives ed t forei Atla

ceivi

most

Pr

Quar Scho

and

day

dian

train

the I

oper

scho

atten

ed in any statistics on the Indian ques Nation.

n.

A good deal of fault is found at the limiappropriation made by Congress for In an education. While millions have been eerfully voted for carrying on Indian rs, the annual appropriations for educa nal purposes have never, we believe, exeded $7,000,000.

The boarding and training schools are of ost value to the Indian, for here he is reoved from heathen rites and customs

the evil influence of camp life, and Ought in contact with intelligent and ristian people who are devoted to his

lfare.

These schools are not like schools in the tes, where book knowledge alone is ight. These are industrial schools ere a portion of each day is devoted to nual labor.

There is attached to each boarding nool a large farm furnished with all ads of farming implements, teams, stock, ., and the boys are taught all kinds of m work. Each is taught and even com. led, to do what he has never done before, d what he has always been taught is not nly, namely, to work. The girls are inucted in the mysteries of the sewing ma ine, dress making, housekeeping, laundry rk, the culinary art, etc. In a word, the lian pupil is taught how to read and ite, how to think, how to live, and how work. The Government supplies each 100l with eight or ten employes or teachers o are especially qualified to train these pils. Among them are active Christians to conduct prayers for the children on ek day evenings and a Sunday school on › Sabbath, and the children are instructed the cardinal principles of Christianity. The superintendents are usually Christian n, and often ministers.

The Indian child is naturally du'l. From ancy till he enters these schools at eight ten his mind is almost a blank. He has d no training. Some of them have no >ral sense. Many of them have a very moral sense. The first work in such cases to unlearn, and of all lessons that of unrning is the hardest.

In this part of the territory-the northt-the Indians may be considered civ. zed. They farm to a limited extent and ar white people's clothes, but many of eir ancient rites and customs are still mainned. The schools are exerting a potent luence in rectifying these evils.

Our plan for settling this vexed Indian question is, educate the Indian girls, give each a thousand acres of land, and invite the ambitious young bloods of the north and east to go for them, and the Indian question will be settled.

Building Two Churches a Day.

BY REV. CC M'CABE D.D. Whereas, Mr Thomas W. Price, of Philadelphia, in his controversy with the Board of Church Extension, has called in question the truth of my dispatch to the lafidel Convention held at Watkins' Glen, New York, in 1883; and,

"

Whereas, The said Thomas W. Price, has denounced as 'false and blasphemous" the song "We're building two a day,” written by A. J. Hough, of Vermont, and published by A. J. Kynett in his " Church Extension Song Service," and sung by myself all over the Republic; I call public attention to the following statements:

In the aforesaid Convention much was

said about the decline of the Church. One out all over the the land. They are struck speaker cried out: "The churches are dying

[blocks in formation]

C. C. M'CABE. The song was written shortly afterward. After careful research I saw that the poet had come nearer the truth then I. It was plain that, understanding the pronoun "we" to stand for the Methodist Episcopal Church-for many churches are built without aid from the Board-the song was glo riously true; therefore I let it pass unchal lenged. An so we sang it and shouted it from the Atlantic to the Pacific. proceed with my proof without Brother Price for calling it out. ably never rendered a greater Methodism in his life.

I cannot thanking He prob service to

Now for the demonstration of the truth of both dispatch and song. I propose to show, first, that the dispatch was true when it was sent, and had been true for sixteen years; and that the song was true when it was written, and and has been true |

churches pe would add and bring u period of tw history of th whose effic other cause, vance which Now, the and song tr a total num 1884 of 18, churches.

We close churches (se 9,698 to rep

years, or ti
more than e
the dispatch
Sing on, t

"A new c
Another
All hail th
We're bi

Meanwhil coat of arm

standing un inscription: mers lie all

"Hamm Your ha

Brother Church Ext us to raise a New York,

"From Bo

We have book by our creasing int idea as to acquainted i performed b ment of Me India.

Here is an the author, that in 1856 to India. T found in T

[blocks in formation]
[merged small][merged small][graphic]
[merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][graphic][merged small][merged small][merged small]

The reigning king, Chulalonkorn I (Somdech Phra | all your merits and demerit Paramindr Maha), was born Sept. 21, 1853, the eldest son of the late King Maha Mongkut, and of Queen Rambhey Bhumarabhiromya, and succeeded to the throne on the death of his father, October 1, 1868. His son, Prince Somdech Chowfa Maha Vajirunhis, born June 23, 1878, is the heir apparent.

Buddhism is the prevailing religion. Siam has been called "The very citadel of Buddhism-the land which, more than any other, is entirely and only Buddhist. For twelve hundred years it has had no other religion than this. Yet in the real sense of the word it is no religion at all, for it teaches no God above, and no soul within us.

thirst for life that he owes believers are apt to forget t speak as if it does exist and body. This new birth, mo form of a man but into that devil in some hell, or an ang

"The very existence of t in Siam is enough to dwarf ple. Forbidden to engage joined to live solely on alms munity of $25,000,000 each port alone, beside all which etc. Ignorant as they usua

"Its founder was Gautama, who is generally known tion of the people is in thei

[graphic][merged small]

ance in his system he can outrank any being in existence, it is evident that such pride will not readily confess itself wholly wrong, and accept any new religion."

The Rev. R. A. Eaton writing from Bangkok, Siam, gives the following account of the Chinese in Siam:

"In this city, numbering a popula tion of half a million, it is safe to say that at least one-third are Chinese, and I should think it probable that there is even a larger percentage than that. The Siamese are an indolent and unprogressive people; the Chinese, as is well known, are industrious, enterprising, and aggressive. By far the greater part of the labor, not only in this city, but in all parts of Siam, is performed by Chinamen. They hold most of the farms through which the revenue of the country

comes into the public treasury, and are often put into lower offices of the government, and rise according to their ability and fidelity. The Chinese are the owners of the junks, many of the ships, and some of the steamships and steam-mills in Siam; and, besides, they are found in every department of industry.

"The Chinese become identified with the Siamese in a special manner by marryiug Siamese wives. The offspring of such marriage speak the Siamese language. The more ambitious of the Siamese are frequentlyI might almost say invariably-found to be these Siamo-Chinese, who make up the larger number of pupils in government and mission schools, fill the offices of clerks to the merchants, and servants of all kinds to the foreigners here.

"The Chinese who come here become Siamese subjects, pay a triennial tax of three dollars, and, like all other Siamese subjects, pay a tax on

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »