The American Missionary — Volume 33, No. 04, April 1879Various
History
The American Missionary — Volume 33, No. 04, April 1879
Various
Congregational churches -- Missions -- Periodicals; Home missions -- Periodicals
The animal and vegetable productions of the country are so
abundant that the material interests essential to the success
of the mission are assured. The resources of the country are
immense. “It is estimated that in the nine provinces of the
Soudan there are 140,000,000 acres of fine, black, soft, loamy
soil, an acreage that would make two productive cotton empires,
each larger than France. You need not plough this soil; you
need not work it; you have only to scatter the seed, and the
periodical rains, or _sikeahs_ (water-wheels for artificial
irrigation) water the earth, and then at maturity you reap your
harvest.” (“Four Thousand Miles in Africa,” page 357.)
The Madi country, for example, is thickly settled, and abounds
with vast herds of the finest cattle. (“Ismailia,” page 286.) The
Fatiko people are muscular and well built, and, generally, their
faces are handsome (“Ismailia,” page 282); while the Obbo people,
living as they do at an altitude of 3,600 feet above the level of
the sea, wear clothing, and afford a market for cloth, for which
they exchange ivory, giving promise of an active market at an
early day. (See “Albert Nyanza,” page 224.)
The physical geography of a portion of the territory mentioned
by Mr. Arthington is as attractive as any found in Central
Africa. In latitude 3 deg. to 9 deg. north, on the White Nile,
and eastwards, the elevations vary from 1,500 to 4,000 feet above
the level of the sea (“Ismailia,” page 522), and possess all the
variety of scenery of mountain, plain, forest and meadow, which
give a park-like beauty to portions of the country. At Fatiko,
in latitude 3 deg. north, during eight months the range of the
thermometer was between 60 deg. at 6 A.M. and 90 deg. at noon,
the average temperature being equal to about 75 deg. (“Ismailia,”
pages 513, 514, 515, 516.)
From all that can be gathered, your Committee believe that,
if the means shall be furnished for entering upon the proposed
mission field, it will be wise to inaugurate the work among the
highlands south of Gondokoro, among the Berri, Fatiko, Latooka
or Obbo tribes, selecting a locality, if possible, accessible
by steamer, not too far from some station of the Egyptian
Government, and among tribes of mild and friendly disposition,
and thus open to religious and civilizing agencies.
The Committee also urge that the relations of America to the
slave trade have been such that we are in duty bound to do all
we can for the redemption of the people of Africa, and that as a
thank-offering to God for His overruling Providence in ridding
our country of slavery, we, of America, should be ready to
establish one new mission at least in addition to the three that
have recently been undertaken with so much enthusiasm and at so
great expense by our British friends.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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