Through lands that were dark: Being a record of a year's missionary journey in Africa and MadagascarHawkins, F. H.
Religion
Through lands that were dark: Being a record of a year's missionary journey in Africa and Madagascar
Hawkins, F. H.
London Missionary Society -- History; Missions -- Madagascar; Missions -- South Africa; Missions -- Zambia
We stayed for two nights at the Mission house at Mpolokoso with Dr.
McFarlane. On account of the small*pox it was impossible to visit the
schools or to meet with the people, though on the Sunday night some
half-dozen of the Mission staff, who do not live in the village, met us
and presented us with a generous offering to the L. M. S. of £4 12s.
6d., made by the infant Church, which consisted of nine members only,
a welcome token of the missionary spirit of the newest and smallest of
the Central African Churches.
Travelling eastward from Mpolokoso we reached Kambole, near the south
end of Lake Tanganyika, after three days’ journey. On our way we had
our first view of this great lonely lake, eight miles away through the
trees, probably from the very spot where Livingstone saw it for the
first time. As we approached the station the people ran beside the
bicycle and bush-car shouting their salutations and showing their joy
in welcoming us in many other ways.
Kambole is the centre of a very widely-scattered district, and is in
an isolated position. The nearest village is an hour and a-half’s walk
away from the station-village, and some out-stations lie three or four
days’ journey distant. It takes the missionaries five weeks’ continuous
travelling to make a circuit of the district.
Many branches of missionary work are carried on at this centre. We
attended crowded services in the Church, and meetings with the classes
for hearers, catechumens, teachers and women. Some ninety-six youths,
who were teachers at the schools in the outstations, at which there
are 1,800 scholars, gathered at Kambole during our visit to attend the
school for the training of teachers, which is held twice a year at
the head station and lasts for about two months. Mr. Stewart Wright,
one of the Kambole missionaries, carries on an extensive out-patient
work at the dispensary near the wattle-and-daub church. Mr. Ross, the
other missionary, is engaged in manifold activities and has charge
of the industrial department which was established and carried on
so successfully by Mr. Bernard Turner, who is now at Mbereshi. The
prolific mission garden is another indication of the practical value
of Mr. Turner’s work. It is excellently irrigated by the construction
of water-furrows. Palms, limes, bamboos, bananas, yams, pineapples,
guavas, grenadiloes, coffee, wheat, tapioca, rice, rubber, and many
vegetables and flowers flourish abundantly.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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